No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

The weather continues to be gorgeous in our part of the world… cool…windy… cloudy and sunny in between….

But today’s recipe is a perfect summer dessert. The chilled sweet creamy cheese and the freshness of lime is a beautiful combo and this drove me to make a Lemon Cheesecake. Last weekend my gorgeous friend decided to make a traditional Kerala meal (comfort food!!) and brought it home to treat us!! There was Chicken fry marinated in traditional Kerala spices… and steamy hot Puttu (rice steamed cake) with spicy chicken curry… It’s so wonderful to feel pampered once in a while…. And we did justice to the yummy meal and ended with my No Bake Lemon Cheesecake… it was my way of showing gratitude to her thoughtful gesture (Thank you Zanam!)… Cheesecake is pretty much my life! I am the kind of gal who ends up having a snack related day dream that is to bake and eat cheesecake all day long… undisturbed…. No harm in day dreaming right?

Like all my recipes… this cheesecake is easy to make, high in flavor and all you need to do is mix… so enjoy the no-bake situation! It can’t get any easier than this and it’s delicious and light!

Ready for some no-bake cheesecake?  

Serves 6

 

Ingredients

Base:

Digestive Biscuits crushed 150gm
Unsalted Butter 75gm
Sugar 3tblsp

 

Filling:
Philadelphia Cream Cheese 250 gm
Lemon juice and zest of 2 lemons
Castor Sugar – ½ cup (add more if needed)
Whipped cream – ½ cup
Gelatin – mix 2 tsp powder mixed with 1 tblsp warm water and set it aside

 

Loose bottomed cake tin

 

Method:

1.       In bowl mix together the crushed biscuits and butter till all the crumbs are coated with butter. Spoon the crumbs in to the cake tin and press down and refrigerate it while you make the filling.

2.       In a large bowl beat the cream cheese till creamy. Then add sugar and whipped cream and beat again until its combined well.

3.       Then add Lemon juice and zest and beat again just for a few seconds. Do not mix too much else the cream mixture will split. If needed add more sugar depending on your sweet tooth! Then add gelatin and mix to combine. Please make sure the gelatin is cool before combining.

4.       Pour this cream mixture into the refrigerated biscuit base and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set before serving.

5.       Garnish with whipped cream or mixed berries or lemon wedges and sprigs of fresh mint.

 

Tips:

·         Cream cheese must always be in room temperature

·         You can skip Gelatin if you wish… the cream cheese will be firm but not as firm as a baked cheesecake.

·         This is a dessert you can bake way ahead.

·         You can substitute sugar and whipped cream with condensed milk.

All images are copyright Ticked by Inspirations







 

The Indian Weave

A shared love for travel, a need to explore and eye for art led Jean and Puneet create a label called The Indian Weave which is popular among all décor lover and collectors. Their passion for great craftsmanship has led them to handpick products straight from the craftspeople to bring dignity of ethnic and vintage craft to the world through their online store. As I browsed their online store I could sense Jean and Puneet’s commitment to discover timeless classic pieces. Each piece that are collected reflects the legacy of the craftspeople and the charm of their work.

This is what Jean and Puneet had to share about their journey with Indian Weave in their own words

“With a passion for textures and great craftsmanship, our vision is to bring lesser known Indian crafts to the forefront by curating a collection of well crafted, beautifully designed lifestyle and home accessories that stand out and capture the heart, color and life of our country.

Each piece is personally chosen by us personally. We travel across India from time to time visiting artisans and finding authentic sources for our products that you see in our store. 

All products are handmade; hand crafted and is sourced most often from the artisans themselves who are making them as per age old traditions / practices.

In this New Year, we shall be featuring a festive collection which shall include art and décor items, handicrafts, a selection of batik and handblock printed stoles and scarves plus bed linen not forgetting exquisite brass vintage collectibles.

No matter which state we visit, we find local handicraft which is unique to the state / tradition. We try and identify what will be appreciated by our customers especially Indians living abroad which will make them feel closer home - India. And not forgetting foreigners who love everything Indian. We understand the process and the history behind each item, meet with them one to one and since it is not possible to travel back each time, we correspond via WhatsApp which is the most preferred form of communication with them to get updates on new products / ordering / etc.

We ship through India International speed post which is most reliable and economical and delivers practically all over the world India post normally take 12 to 14 days for delivery to anyplace across the globe. One can track the shipment through India post site.”

So let’s browse through some of my handpicked products from their gorgeous store and get ready to just sigh away…

 

Kum Kum Box 9 compartment

 

Brass Peacock for Arti

 

12" Red Kavaad Wooden Story Book... isn't this interesting?

 

Brass Incense Holder

Tribal Men Door Handles

Jaipur Quilt with Elephants and Floral print

Kutch purple Stole with mirror work and Block printed cotton silk red scarf

Framed wooden printing blocks

Telegana Blue Yellow handmade rug

Indigo bedcover and pair of black & white cushions

Vintage Iron with emedded stones

There is good news for my readers …The Indian Weave has offered 10% discount for all your purchase from their store!!! All you need to do is enter the code TBI10 at the time of checkout. And this is limited to one time use, so readers please make the most of it.... Excited??? … yes so am I !!! This offer is valid from today – 15^th February to 28^th February. So hurry up and grab your favorite before they run out of stock!! Have fun shopping!!!

Click here to stay tuned to their updates on Instagram and here on Facebook. And click here to browse and shop through their website.

Thank you Puneet and Jean for this wonderful offer to my readers!!! Wishing you both a fabulous journey with The Indian Weave.





Images via The Indian Weave





 

Penne Pasta with spicy, creamy tomato sauce

I love Middle East winter and I totally love this change of weather… its sunny at the same time chilly and windy, where you need to wear some winter clothes. And this cool weather has a tendency of bringing friends together for barbecue… camping… impromptu café hoping… sheesha time….

And in my kitchen I find myself making masala chai, soup or warm bread pudding … and other comfort food… so here I am soaking up this gorgeous weather and sharing the joy through the beauty of food…

Today’s recipe is a simple, no fuss pasta recipe which is spicy… perfect for this weather… and easy to whip up for your family, friends or for yourself!

 

 

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

¾ cup any bottled pasta sauce

2 cups of dried penne pasta - this needs to be cooked as per the instructions and while cooking please reserve a cup of cooking water.

Grated mozzarella

Grated parmesan

Salt and Black pepper

Chillie flakes – to your taste

4 tblsp finely chopped capsicum

Cooking cream

3 tsp Olive oil

 

Method

Heat Olive oil and sauté chopped onion until softened. Then add garlic and continue to fry for 2 minutes.

Pour in the pasta sauce, chopped parsley, reserved pasta cooking water and season with chillie flakes, salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to a simmer till its thickened and a little cream to it.

Add cooked pasta to the simmering sauce and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top and garnish with parsley leaves.

Serve it hot!

 

 

 

Tips

• You can add mushrooms or chicken to this recipe.
• Instead of parsley, try using basil.
• You can replace the penne pasta with any other pasta.

 

 

Images are copyright Ticked by Inspirations