Remember the good ol’ days of childhood when Monday blues weren’t a thing and life seemed straight out of a Disney movie? Well, while adulting has certainly taken off those rose-coloured glasses, most of us will agree that somewhere within us, there is still a little child who finds comfort in binge-watching Tom and Jerry and eye-rolling healthy food.
This Children’s Day, indulge the inner child by whipping up some quick and easy treats. Put on a movie, get cosy with your favourite blanket and munch away! Who said Children’s Day is only for the kids?
Fruit salad with ice-cream toppings
Unsplash
While a fruit salad may not always be your go-to option when the munchies hit, there’s a way to make them your absolute favourite! After all, you know what they say — there’s nothing that vanilla ice cream, sprinkles and generous amounts of chocolate chips can’t make better.
Ingredients:
- Diced kiwis: 2
- Diced green apple: 1 large
- Diced red apple: 1 large
- Peeled pomegranate: ½
- Peeled and deseeded sugar apple: 1 large
- Sliced bananas: 2
- Berries: 8-10 pieces
- Chopped dates: 5-6 pieces
- Honey: 2 tablespoons
- Rock salt: ½ teaspoon
- Vanilla ice cream: 2 scoops
- Dark chocolate chips: 2 tablespoons
- White chocolate chips: 2 tablespoons
- Sprinkles: 2 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Take a large mixing bowl and add all the fruits in it. Add honey and rock salt and mix well
- Put the fruit mix in a salad bowl. Add a scoop of ice cream and then sprinkle a few dark and white chocolate chips. Put the second scoop and add some more choco chips
- Top it off with sprinkles and enjoy the sweet treat!
Tip:
- Add salt only if you are going to have the salad immediately after preparing it. If not, add salt later. The same rule applies to the ice cream.
Gingerbread cookie sandwiches with coconut and chocolate filling
Unsplash
Gingerbread cookies are delicious. But how about adding a bangali twist to this classic cookie? Here’s how to make gingerbread cookie sandwiches with a pithey-like coconut filling. There’s also dark chocolate for some added yumminess!
Ingredients:
- Store-bought gingerbread cookies: 8 pieces
- Grated coconut: 1 small cup
- Grated dark chocolate: 1 small cup
- Jaggery: 2 tablespoons
- Melted butter: 2 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Take a non-stick pan and add butter
- Add grated coconut and keep stirring for about 6-8 minutes on low heat
- Once the coconut is nice and toasty, add the jaggery. After 2-3 minutes, add the dark chocolate and continue stirring on low heat for another 5 minutes or until you get a filling-like consistency. Let the mixture cool down
- Take two cookies and add a dollop of filling in between. Press gently and you have your gingerbread sandwiches ready. Munch away!
Fish cakes and sweet potato wedges
Representational image Unsplash
Bengalis need no reason or occasion to enjoy maach, big or small. We also do not need an excuse to have alu. This fish-shaped fish cake and potato wedges combo is therefore perfect for our Bengali hearts (and tummies!).
Ingredients for fish cakes:
- Fish-shaped mould: 1
- Maida: 200gm
- Grated boneless bekti: 200gm
- Onion juice: 3 tablespoons
- Ginger and garlic juice: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped onion: 1 large
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped green chillies: 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper powder: ½ teaspoon
- Coriander powder: ½ teaspoon
- Boiled, mashed potato: 1 large
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Mustard oil: 3 tablespoons
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
Recipe for fish cakes:
- Start with kneading the maida with a pinch of salt and vegetable oil. Knead for about 5 minutes. Add some lukewarm water and knead for another 5 minutes till you have a soft dough. Cover it and let it rest while you make the filling
- Strain the fish to get rid of any excess water. Marinate the grated fish with salt, lemon juice, black pepper powder, onion and ginger-garlic juice, coriander leaves, coriander powder, green chilli and mashed potato
- In a nonstick frying pan, heat up some mustard oil and add the chopped onions and saute until golden brown
- Add the marinated fish and keep cooking on low to medium flame until the mixture sticks together and comes off from the corners of the pan
- Check the seasoning, turn off the heat and let it cool
- Make medium-sized balls out of the maida dough and roll each into semi-thick rotis
- Take the fish mould and cut out pieces
- Take one piece, put some fish filling and place the other fish-shaped piece on the top
- Take a toothpick and gently press along the sides to seal. Repeat the process for other fish cakes
- Heat enough oil to deep fry. Fry each on low flame until golden brown
- Serve hot with ketchup or a dip of your choice
Ingredients for sweet potato wedges:
- Sweet potatoes cut into medium thick wedges: 4
- Special spice mix: 1 and ½ tablespoons (Recipe: 1 teaspoon rock salt, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 2 whole dry red chillies, ½ teaspoon whole cumin)
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon
- Maida: 1 tablespoon
- Chaat masala: 1 teaspoon
- Red chilli powder: ½ teaspoon
- Vegetable oil
Recipe for sweet potato wedges:
- Marinate the sweet potatoes with the spice mix, lemon juice and turmeric powder
- Heat oil in a kadhai to deep fry the wedges
- Add maida on the wedges and give a good shake
- Fry until golden brown and keep the flame low
- Strain excess oil, plate and sprinkle chaat masala and red chilli powder. Don’t forget to add ketchup on the side!
Cheesy mini pizza bites
Unsplash
There are few things as widely loved as a pizza. But what’s better is gorging on several mini bite-sized pizzas topped with bacon, mushroom and pork ham. Doesn’t the very thought make you drool?
Ingredients:
- Store-bought pizza base: 4
- Grated cheese: 1 large cup
- Cheese slices: 4
- Sliced onion: 1 medium
- Sliced tomato: 1 small
- Sliced olives: 2-4 pieces
- Pizza sauce: 2-3 tablespoons
- Crushed blackpepper: 1 teaspoon
- Oregano: 1 teaspoon
- Chilli flakes: 1 teaspoon
- Roughly chopped bacon: 2 stripes
- Sliced button mushrooms: 3-4 pieces
- Roughly chopped pork ham: 2 slices
- Olive oil: 2-3 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Take a round cookie cutter and carve out bite-sized pizza bases out of the regular pizza base
- Brush some olive oil in a frying pan and saute the bacon strips until they are crispy
- With the bacon fat left in the pan, saute the mushrooms and hen add the pork ham
- Take a baking tray, place a parchment paper and brush some olive oil on it
- Put the bite-sized pizza bases and add pizza sauce on each
- Now, add a layer of grated cheese followed by sliced onion, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, bacon, ham and cheese slices
- Sprinkle some oregano and chilli flakes along with some black pepper
- Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 375˚F
- Put the baking tray in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Voila! Your mini pizzas are ready.
Tip
- If you are using a gas oven to make the pizzas, heat a nonstick pan and brush it with some olive oil. Place the pizzas and follow the same steps shared above. Cover and cook at low flame for 8-10 minutes.
Peanut butter cups with dry fruits
Unsplash
We surely do not need any reason to indulge in a spoonful of peanut butter. But do we need more ways to enjoy this tasty treat? Absolutely! Here is one simple recipe that heroes our all-time favourite.
Ingredients:
- Peanut butter: 1 large cup
- Chopped dry fruits: 1 medium cup
- Dry roasted rolled oats: 4 tablespoons
- Dark chocolate small chunks: 4-5 pieces
Recipe:
- Mix peanut butter, dry fruits and 2 tablespoons of oats in a bowl
- Take a large mug and pour the peanut butter mixture into it
- Sprinkle the remaining oats and add a dollop of peanut butter
- Add the chocolate chunks. Freeze for 10-12 minutes and dig in!