Chicken penne in Béchamel sauce

I made white sauce very often, but haven't yet tried out the classic Béchamel sauce. To celebrate a month of mother and son lunches, I decided to make it today.

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
pinch of nutmeg

Boiled and shredded chicken- about 50 gms
200 gms pasta

Method:
Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet and keep aside
In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat
Blend 2 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter, and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Cook over low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes- this is done to reduce the "flour" taste
Slowly add 1 cup of milk, 1 small onion, 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf and a pinch of nutmeg, stirring constantly, and continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.
Add shredded chicken and pasta, and let it simmer for a minute.
Serve hot.

Zebra cake

My Mum's one of those people, who once she gets a recipe right will write it down in her black diary, and never again deviate from it. This is her classic "never go wrong" recipe for sponge cake, in a new format.

Sift together -
100 gms maida
1 tsp baking powder
three or four times till well aerated and keep aside.

Whisk 2 eggs and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix-
100 gms butter (she used Amul and so do I)
100 gms sugar
few drops vanilla essence
taking care that you always stir the spoon in the same direction. Do it till the two are well mixed and creamy.

Add a bit of the flour and some beaten egg to the mixture, and mix till creamy. Keep doing it till all the flour and eggs are mixed. Mix the batter a bit more- the more you mix, the fluffier your cake will be.

At this point, I deviate. Keep aside half the cake mix. To the other half, add 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp instant coffee (about 1/4 tsp coffee mix in 1 tbsp hot water), and stir till well mixed.

Grease or line a baking dish. Put one blob of vanilla batter at the center. Put a larger blob of the chocolate batter over it, taking care to ensure that the top and sides are covered. Alternately put blobs of vanilla and chocolate batter in layers.

Bake in recommended settings of microwave oven (or as you would a regular cake in an OTG). You will know the cake is done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Remove from oven, cool, and turn it over. I poured Hershey's chocolate sauce on it, because I didn't have home made sauce. but home made chocolate sauce or frosting is recommended.