Wednesday 24 April 2013

No Cheese Cheesecake


Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you the No Cheese Cheesecake!

This cake has all the attributes of being the perfect cheesecake yet it is not made of deadly cream cheese :) Its main ingredient is the much hyped Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is a healthy high-protein, low-carb alternative to the regular yogurt. You can have it for breakfast with fresh fruits and cereal or use it in a variety of dips and salad dressings (will be doing a post on more recipes of Greek yogurt soon!)

A healthy version of the New york Cheesecake with just the right tinge and texture. I stumbled upon this recipe during my search for healthy dessert recipes and after 2-3 attempts this recipe was finalised. Its very easy, requires minimum effort and gives impressive results. If you are looking for an easy dessert recipe do give it a try.

Ingredients: 
2 kgs plain yogurt
1-1/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lemons
1tbsp cornstarch

For crust:
8 to10 digestive biscuits
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar

Garnish:
Fresh fruits, cream or jam



To make Greek yogurt, lay a piece of cheese cloth or muslin in a bowl. Add yogurt and either let it drain as is by either keeping in a large sieve or by gathering up the edges of the cloth and knotting them over an upper cabinet handle so that hangs over the bowl to drain. Drain the yogurt for about 2 hours. 





While the yogurt is draining you can make the crust.  Crush the digestive biscuits and add butter and brown sugar to it. Put the mixture in a 9-inch spring foam pan and blend it well with your fingers. Press it on all sides of the pan to form the crust base. Now keep it in the preheated oven (180C) for 8 minutes. Once its nice and brown take it out and keep it the fridge to cool. 










To make the filling  combine the eggs, sugar, yogurt (strained for 2 hours)  and vanilla and blend with a beater or a  food processor. Add cornstarch, lemon juice (2tbsp) and pinch of salt and blend again. Now pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake (180C) in the oven for 35-40 minutes.


After 35 minutes check the cake for firmness. It is done when its set from the edges and still a bit shaky from the center. Take it out from the oven and let it cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. 



Once its completely cooled release the springform and take it out in the serving dish. Pour over some slightly heated blueberry/strawberry jam or decorate with fresh fruits before serving.  








Pulished in Express Tribune on 28, June, 2013
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/17674/no-cheese-cheesecake-the-weight-watchers-dream-dessert/






Monday 22 April 2013

Levi's Chukka Boots




Chukka boots are an essential item in a modern urbanised wardrobe. The design takes inspiration from the British Army boots and the term "chukka" refers to a period of play in the game of polo. The boots can be worn casually or can also be dressed up with a jacket or a dress shirt. 



If you've been on the look out for the perfect pair of boots to go with your favorite jeans then you must check out the Levi's Chukka Boots; a fun and trendy way to explore the city life.


The boots are super comfortable with gum rubber sole and can be worn with any pair of jeans or chinos. The upper part is suede and the lower portion is classic leather finish.

These boots are available in all Levi's outlets across Pakistan for the price of Rs. 15,000.







Sunday 21 April 2013

Pantene Bridal Couture Week - Day 2

Ana Ali of Lajwanti with models 
Bridal Couture weeks are becoming a regular feature in Pakistan's highly evolving fashion scene. With the ever increasing number of new designers such platforms are vital in showcasing their work to a wider audience. I was invited to the Pantene Bridal Couture Week's second day show at the Expo. The show started at 8pm with Lajwanti's classic bridal collection. The colours were beige, maroon, gold turquoise and emerald. Immaculately worked shirts with long flowing palazzos set the tone right for the upcoming wedding season.

Nadia Hussain in Lajwanti 


















The second designer for the day was Madiha Noman with her bridal wear for 2013. Madiha is a new entrant in bridal wear but her work reflected experience in terms of colour and cuts. Knee length shirts with dhaka pants and shararas in a wide palate of colours gained applaud from the audience.
A Madiha Noman bridal dress










Ayan and Nadia wearing Maliha's jewelry 

Maliha Shaikh, the talented jewelry designed displayed her collection which was breathtakingly beautiful and very fresh. Her pieces were traditional with a modern twist to them; reminiscent of the rich South Asian traditional jewelry. She works in silver and 18 carat gold with semi precious stones. The models looked beautiful with Saniya Maskatiya's jumpsuit collection adorned with single pieces of Maliha's jewelry.

Maliha Shaikh

Friday 19 April 2013

Row row row your boat!

"...had I known how to save a life" that's just what Rowtisserie knew, how to save my life! The song kept playing between the meal and made us believe that we were actually saved by a roast chicken ;)

Had a busy day and by the time it was evening, was hungry as hell with nothing in the fridge. So like a true Karachiite headed out hunting for prey and landed at Rowtisserie.

The place is nicely done and despite being small it looks clean and happy. We ordered the Mezze Platter and the Row Meal. The sidelines were New Potatoes and Mash & Gravy. Mezze Platter arrived early with all the exquisite dips (mutabbal, tzatziki, hummus, feta and olives) pickled veggies and chicken bits. Everything tasted very fresh with balanced flavors. The accompanying pita was fresh and hot.

Mezze Platter
The Row Meal followed with the 2 sidelines. The chicken was crisp from outside and equally moist and well done from the inside. Everyone loved it and devoured it with the amazing Row Sauce in minutes. My only take on the chicken was that it was a bit bland for my taste but coming from a die hard desi style spicy tikkas, bihari botis and bbq fan nobody paid any heed to it :p

Mash & Gravy was dreamy, the melt in your mouth kind and new potatoes had crispy skins with hints of dill on them.


Row Meal 




Overall a good addition to the Karachi food scene, lacking on the Lebanese/Mediterranean taste buds.
Mash & Gravy and New Potatoes


Wednesday 17 April 2013

Butterfly effect!

So how many of you are Farmville freaks here? If you are or have been one you would surely love the new app Flutter. For those who are new to simulation games it is one of the most visually appealing apps for ipad/iphone plus it has an educational aspect to it as well.

As the name suggests it is about butterflies, attracting eggs, hatching into caterpillars, hanging as chrysalis and finally turning into a beautiful butterfly. Children would love it specially because of the appealing colours and aesthetics of the game. They will learn about new species of butterflies and would also be introduced to the concept of keeping pets. So much so that my 4 year old asked me to get her a caterpillar as a pet! (I eventually found one at the sabzi wala merrily chewing a cauliflower leaf, brought it home and kept it in a box for 2 days but on the third day it escaped and was never found :( )

This application is available free of cost at the App Store so download it and start growing your very own butterfly sanctuary.

A glasswing caterpillar