Enjoy the richness of cheese in different avatars, as Simran Dhanju shares her recipes for a nutritious starter and a satiating dessert
Caprese Salad Sticks
Ingredients:
- 15 Baby tomatoes
- 15 Mini mozzarella balls
- 3 lebanese cucumber
For Pesto sauce:
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 3tbsp pine nuts
- 2 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- To make pesto, add all ingredients to the food processor and blend it well. Store in an airtight container and use the leftover for your pesto Panini or pasta.
- With the help of mandoline, slice cucumber into thin strips.
- On a skewer, thread baby tomato, mozzarella ball, and rolled up cucumber strip; place them in serving platter and drizzle with pesto on top.
Simran is a celebrated chef and a winner of multi cooking competitions; she creates visual delights artfully by merging traditional flavours.
Strawberry No-bake Cheesecake
Ingredients:
- 6 digestive biscuits
- 1½ tbsp caster sugar
- 60 gms butter, melted
- 150 gms cream cheese, room temperature
- 100 gms crème fraîche, room temperature
- 1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 strawberries, cut in half
- 150 gms frozen strawberries
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 2/3 cup caster sugar
- 1 ½ Gelatin sheet
- Few strawberries for garnishing
Method:
- To make a crust, pulse digestive biscuits and one-and-half tablespoon sugar together in blender, until fine crumbs are formed. Transfer to a bowl, stir in melted butter and divide in 4 dessert cups (6cm deep) and press gently. Place in fridge for 20 minutes.
- In an electric mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, crème fraîche and icing sugar until combined. In a separate bowl beat heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks are formed, fold it in the cream cheese mixture.
- To make jelly, soak gelatin sheets in cold water; combine frozen strawberries, caster sugar, orange juice and lemon juice and bring it to boil; cook for 5-7 minutes until strawberries collapse and sugar dissolves. Stir in soaked gelatin sheets until melted and mixed together. Cool it.
- Take glass dessert cups out of fridge, arrange strawberries inside cups with cut side facing out and touching the glass, pour the prepared cream cheese mixture on top and cover just 1cm above strawberries. Now pour strawberry jelly on top, garnish with whipped cream swirl and some strawberries.