tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83357452519619838012024-02-20T22:45:15.571-08:00Life..a miracle!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-25237579787560890852013-11-15T17:21:00.001-08:002013-11-15T17:21:05.226-08:00Diwali Recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I cant seem to believe that Diwali is already over. The best thing with Diwali this time was it coincided with the weekend and that made things easier. We had a lovely time with friends and family through all the days of Diwali.<br />
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I decided to invite some of girlfriends over for a Mehendi party. Mainly a get-together for all us chattery heads with some food and a way to tease our creative minds. Since it was a working day, I had my menu planned in advance and decided to make things that were quick and easy to prep. I made dhokla using an instant mix, pav bhaji as the main meal and cassata for desert. The combination was perfect for a fun evening where me the host had ample time to spend with my guests without worrying much about managing it. I got the cassata set the night before and only had to cut the slices in the afternoon. Sadly in all the excitement of having friends over, I didn't click any pictures of my food. But I would like to highlight that the cassata was tried based on <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2011/08/ice-cream-social-and-cassata-slices.html">this</a> recipe by Nupur, on her lovely blog. I have made it twice so far and it is a crowd-pleaser for sure!<br />
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All through the Diwali weekend, we had get-togethers each evening, and I was cooking two out of three times. On the day of Laxmi Pujan, we had our close family over for puja and dinner and I went with an authentic Maharashtrian menu. We had Cauliflower-peas sautéed in spices, Kakadichi pachadi(Cucumber raita), Tomatoche Saar(Spiced Tomato Soup), Jeera rice (Rice seasoned with cumin), Chapatis and Dry-fruit Shrikhand.<br />
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I have made Shrikhand before the lazy way. i.e. not by running the sugar n yogurt mix through a sieve but just mixing it and that definitely doesn't add the much needed airiness to it. This time I went all aboard and made it the right away and it was devoured by everyone. Here's the recipe:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Dry-fruit Shrikhand</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups greek yogurt (I used fat-free, any is fine, more fat means more creaminess. ;) )<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup chopped dried fruit (pistachios, almonds, golden raisins)<br />
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp green cardamon powder<br />
4-5 strands saffron<br />
1/4 cup milk (if needed)<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Warm the saffron in a 1 tbsp of milk so that it gives out its color.</li>
<li>I prefer to use greek yogurt over the normal one, because it has less water content and gives a better creamy texture to the final product. We still do need to strain the excess water from it, I usually leave my yogurt tightly knotted in a muslin cloth hanging over a container to collect the excess water. Leave it straining for about 12-16 hrs. Refrigerate the yogurt until you are ready to make the Shrikhand.</li>
<li>Use a seive (one with 1/2 cm or little small sized holes, not the fine mesh) and start mixing the yogurt and the sugar in batches. A 2:1 (yogurt:sugar) proportion fits really well for us, but if you like things very sweet you can add in more sugar. Pass all the yogurt and sugar through the seive and you should have small noodles of yogurt collected in your container.</li>
<li>Add the nutmeg and cardamon powder and mix well. Add in the saffron with the milk and gently mix in the strands. I love having strands of saffron through the Shrikhand, they keep giving away more and more color just as if its a fading watercolor, looks lovely!</li>
<li>Taste and if the shrikhand seems dry on the palate, add in little bit of milk and mix well. </li>
<li>You can mix in the nuts or as I did this time transfer the shrikhand to a container and garnish generously with the nuts. When you scoop out servings, the nuts will automatically mix in. Gives a nice look to the Shrikhand. Chill for 1 - 2 hrs and serve with roti, poori or have it just by itself!</li>
</ul>
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Diwali isn't exactly over for us. I am performing in the local Maharashtra Mandal's celebration tomorrow here in San Diego. Yet another day of celebrating Diwali. ;)</div>
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Hope all of you are having a wonderful time with the holidays approaching us at a warp speed. Until next time..</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-16184176175246919502013-10-29T11:45:00.002-07:002013-10-29T12:03:25.709-07:00Pumpkin Raita<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello everyone! Today's post is going to be a short one with the recipe I intend to share before the month of October passes by and to remind myself and everyone that my online entity, my blog will fight to survive! :)<br />
Time is passing by really quickly, I still feel summer ended just now and it ended in a high with us visiting the Yellowstone National Park. But we are already at the end of October!! None-the-less October marks the beginning of festivities and this month has been filled withe exciting things!<br />
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The Indian festival Navratri passed us at the beginning of this month and I got to spend it with my aunt and her family. I was truly pampered and ate yummy food all homemade for a whole week! :) With Dassera getting over the hype for Halloween was in the air and of course I had to pick up some pumpkin for myself! I haven't as yet ventured into pumpkin carving but I do certainly buy fresh pumpkin.</div>
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Everyone knows about pies, breads and various other desserts using pumpkin, but Indians eat pumpkin mostly in a savory way. I being a picky eater preferred eating it in only one way and that's the quick recipe I wanted to post today!</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Pumpkin Raita (Bhopalyacha Bhareet)</span></div>
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1 cup cooked and mashed pumpkin</div>
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1 cup yogurt</div>
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1-2 green chilies </div>
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3-4 curry leaves</div>
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1 tsp mustard seeds</div>
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1/2 tsp turmeric powder</div>
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pinch of asafoetida (hing) </div>
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1 tsp oil for tempering</div>
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salt to taste</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Peel and chop the pumpkin into cubes (inch size) or bigger if u don't want to mash it completely.</li>
<li>Steam the pumpkin till it softens and is easy to mash. (usually 2 whistles for a pressure cooker)</li>
<li>Mash the pumpkin and add in the yogurt and mix well. I like my pumpkin to be all smashed but I know my mom prefers to see pieces in her raita, so that it doesn't look like baby food. :P</li>
<li>Add in the chillies and salt to taste. </li>
<li>Make the tempering by heating oil and adding in the mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Wait till the seeds splutter and add the tempering in the pumpkin mixture. Mix well and the raita is ready to eat! I usually served it with chapati, but goes well as a side with rice and dal too!</li>
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Hope you guys enjoy this recipe! Lots of exciting things in process and coming up and I am determined to share it with everyone and post more often! :)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-89606159311882246202013-07-04T16:09:00.003-07:002013-07-04T16:09:54.797-07:00Taro at its best!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been in a phase where I am cooking a lot and yet never get the right set of pictures to post about it! It is laziness at its best and yes I am guilty as charged! But today has become an exception! It is the taro recipe that compelled me to post about it! This stir fry recipe is a quick-fix dinner option that I make almost every 15 - 20 days. Yet to this date I haven't posted about it. I was compelled to do so because a cute old lady asked me what it was in the local Indian store when I picking up a batch for my weekly meals. She humbly asked me, "Is this used to make a sabji?" and I was truly surprised to know something so common for me was still unknown to many!<br />
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I was introduced to taro as a root vegetable right since I was a kid. The earliest memories are of me plucking taro leaves for my aunt from her frontyard to make a delicious stew out of it. Back in India, vegetarians end up consuming a lot of root veggies to make up for the much needed meatiness in the meal. Taro is literally just that. I like to think of it as a meat for the vegetarians! ;)<br />
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Sorry I forgot to get a picture of how it looks originally, but the web is filled with them! The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro#India">wiki</a> page surely has some good info on it.<br />
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This stir-fry is simple and is ready in no time! It is dry and hence goes really well as a side with just simple dal-rice or some hot phulkas! I love it so much that I can have a bowlful of it and in fact I have ideas for making it as an appetizer, all that meatiness would surely go well with a nice cold margarita or a beer!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Arvi chi bhaji (Taro Stir-fry)</span><br />
Ingredients:<br />
6-8 med. sized taro root (2-3 inches long)<br />
1 tsp Ajwain seeds<br />
1 tsp Turmeric power<br />
0.5 tsp Asafoetida powder<br />
1.5 tsp Red chili powder<br />
2 tsp Coriander-cumin powder<br />
1.5 tsp Amchur (dry mango powder)<br />
1 tsp Mustard seeds for tempering<br />
2-3 Curry leaves<br />
2 -3 tbsp Oil to stir-fry<br />
Juice of 1/2 Lime<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Chopped coriander to garnish<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUBQ95EH6FNkDY-t8jZP0GfcCAi6LwUKU_3lfQcBNMUnBdaz9EGR7ttG3SC3I3u2uUAw9EVf3ciQ29OqjGLplh6WU7lRZxI7HNhHpcBPCLeRR-fbBM9ZaPcJE1i5DCDS-9KvrZ59Cf90/s1600/IMG_4362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgUBQ95EH6FNkDY-t8jZP0GfcCAi6LwUKU_3lfQcBNMUnBdaz9EGR7ttG3SC3I3u2uUAw9EVf3ciQ29OqjGLplh6WU7lRZxI7HNhHpcBPCLeRR-fbBM9ZaPcJE1i5DCDS-9KvrZ59Cf90/s640/IMG_4362.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boiled taro root</td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Boil the taro just like you would boil a potato. I usually do this in a pressure cooker and let it steam for about 4 whistles. Once boiled and cooled, peel the taro skin and chopped it into 1 inch pieces. </li>
<li>Use a non-stick pan to be able to handle the stickiness of the taro with minimal trouble. Add oil to the pan and once heated add the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Once the seeds crackle, add the turmeric powder and asafoetida. Once these are cooked in the oil, add in the rest of the spices. We add all the spices into the tempering so that it coats the taro uniformly.</li>
<li>Once all the spices are cooked add the taro pieces and let it saute well on med-high heat. Once the edges of the taro start to brown season with salt and add the lime juice. Garnish with coriander and serve with some hot phulkas!</li>
</ul>
It is a root that you would feel a little awkward to pick up considering its muddy hairy look along with the sticky texture it gets once steamed. But my humble request to all of you will be please look beyond that! It's a delicious root and really quick to work with especially in these hot summer months!<br />
Until next time..<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-26571958158722173802013-05-15T21:23:00.001-07:002013-05-15T21:27:01.690-07:00Bake Sale Recap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a really busy month! Its already a week since the bake sale was over and finally its today that I get to post about it. This was my second time at the bake sale and I had a much better idea of what I need to do and what to expect. With the given time constraints I decided to make simpler items this time but took a risk of making two of them.<br />
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Continuing with the last years theme of French desserts I decided to make Palmiers this time. The idea struck when I saw a steady stream of people buying them at the local grocery store. When I looked up the recipe, I was astonished to find how simple it is to make them! I used <a href="http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/how_to_make_palmiers"><i>this</i></a> recipe which I felt gave the simplest illustration for the steps to make them.<br />
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Here are my tweaks to the recipe:<br />
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<li>I only used a total of 1/4 cup of sugar for the whole pastry sheet. </li>
<li>I bought the Pepperfridge farm's pastry sheets. Since they are packed in a 3-fold, I split the sheets on the same folds which in turn made it easier to cut them into pieces. </li>
<li>I used milk instead of egg wash to seal the palmiers. </li>
</ul>
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I made the palmiers in two flavors - cinnamon-sugar & passion-fruit jam filled. I initially planned on making sweet and savory kind, but the savory ones tasted better when served warm. The only thing I missed through the whole prep was I forgot to click pictures of palmiers in prep. :(</div>
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I also made chocolate coated marzipan candies for the sale. I originally made Marzipan candies for Valentines day for my husband and never got around to posting about them. I love marzipan! Making it at home is quite simple and the homemade one tastes really good! I coated them with semi-sweet chocolate and added dried fruits on some to make it an assorted set. </div>
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I used the cooked marzipan recipe available <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Marzipan"><i>here</i></a> and tempered the chocolate using <a href="http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2010/03/how-to-temper-chocolate.html"><i>these</i></a> instructions. </div>
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And finally below are some clicks from the bake sale! Loved the cupcakes towers and all the cute cookies! So much fun!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-72919026470996035782013-04-29T21:58:00.000-07:002013-04-29T22:02:14.518-07:00A fresh new look for the season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its been almost two months since my last post, but the meal planning has been consistent. I have now set myself into an almost regular schedule that includes workouts, dance classes and reading books! Of course that leaves me with very little time for blogging and hence that is something I need to get aligned with my schedule. Today's post is really a catch up with my readers to let you guys know what I have been up to. :)<br />
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With the onset of spring, I have managed to get the pantry re-organized, made a quick coupon organizer and finally got back to learning <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharata_Natyam">Bharatnatyam</a>. Last weekend was finally devoted to my blog and the result is surely visible. The blog now offers a neater look and hopefully makes it easier to read. There are still a good list of things I want to do on the blog, but for now this is a good start.<br />
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With parents visiting us, life has become a true roller-coaster! My kitchen has been yanked into full swing with lots of authentic and experimental dishes I want my parents to try. Today's recipe is about a very Maharashtrian dish specially made on a day of fasting. Its yet another creation by someone who decided to mix up dishes with different textures to make a delicious combination. There are various versions of this recipe available online, the closest one that I liked is on the Chakali blog available <a href="http://chakali.blogspot.com/2008/07/marathi-misal-recipe-farali-misal.html">here</a>. What none of the blogs really had was some good clicks, explaining the creation of the mix. So here you go:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfddkVwJ_rCkkciBDiUVF-aA9-QSFnGHR2uaNCvgrTfc3i1b6G2IBmo_57dD_Oj_BKTcL5lDx4zLREdzwqiSaIqiXyrCdhYaKIsQLbrVPIPrbiAQTK5C21MXgsUt1W_pSU__Q-v6d_hVU/s1600/cooking+delights66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfddkVwJ_rCkkciBDiUVF-aA9-QSFnGHR2uaNCvgrTfc3i1b6G2IBmo_57dD_Oj_BKTcL5lDx4zLREdzwqiSaIqiXyrCdhYaKIsQLbrVPIPrbiAQTK5C21MXgsUt1W_pSU__Q-v6d_hVU/s640/cooking+delights66.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's all for today's post, of course this week is surely going to turn into one of busiest for this season especially with the bake sale coming up next week. An update on that will be coming up shortly! So for now have a good night everyone.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-66288227190358205162013-03-09T16:04:00.000-08:002013-03-09T16:04:09.240-08:00Weekly meal planning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Its been a good year so far.. with a new job and an on-going inspiration to loose weight albeit not a new year resolution! My life has been surrounded with lots of new interesting work challenges and equally challenging planning of meals. I say challenging because if I want to get done with a hour-long work-out in the evening, I am left with only 45 mins to get our dinner ready. Don't ask me why and how only 45 mins..lets just say we prefer to finish dinner before 8.30.. 9.00 pm tops!<br />
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With that in mind, deciding what to make for at least 4 nights in the week does get to be a task! Much till the mid feb, I would decide the dinner of the day based off my mood aka whatever came to my mind then. Now you can understand that such a schedule would definitely not work out to be best! I would end up with recipes that took much longer than 45 mins or too much left overs.<br />
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But after reading <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-january-dinner-diary.html">this</a> post by Nupur at <a href="http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/">One Hot Stove</a>, I was totally inspired. What came to mind was instead of writing down each day what we had for dinner, I much rather create a small meal plan for the week! That way I would not only have time to think about dinner in advance (over the weekend) but it would also make sure I have minimal wastage of produce!<br />
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I usually do get overly excited about such ideas and so this time I decided to take it slow. For the first week, I decided only on a couple of recipes and checked how the plan rolled out. Fortunately I made it through the week with success and last weekend I finally made a concrete dinner plan for the coming weekdays, 4 days of eating-in!<br />
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Below is what we had for the past week:<br />
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Mon 3/4 - Rava(Semolina) Idli with Coconut chutney<br />
Tues 3/5 - Sweet potato curry with Vari tandul (Jungle rice) and cucumber raita<br />
Wed 3/6 - Ordered Pizza ( originally planned for Noodles with tofu and bell-pepper)<br />
Thurs 3/7 - Masoor Pulao with Tomato-Cucumber raita<br />
Fri 3/8 - Left-over pulao with snacks<br />
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So to compensate for the earlier planned noodles, I made the noodles for lunch today with a side of steamed edamame! Yumm! :)<br />
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It wont be a surprise to you guys if I say that reading through food blogs is truly therapeutic for me and I do that for at least 10% of my each day. With that I end up having a plethora of recipes and definitely love to find those which are quick, healthy and delicious! So the upcoming week's meal plan does have such inspirations sprinkled through it! :)<br />
In the hope of still managing through this plan, I am posting my meal plan in advance and will surely report back what happens through the week. So here is the plan:<br />
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Mon 3/11 - Moong curry with chapatis and tomato raita<br />
Tues 3/12 - Besan pithla with chapatis and Snehal's <a href="http://veggiemania.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-favorite-kitchen-tool.html">peanut chutney</a>.<br />
Wed 3/13 - Fusili with pesto and veggies<br />
Thurs 3/14 - Puliogare rice with black grams and side salad<br />
Fri 3/15 - Eat out!<br />
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I am totally stoked by the whole idea and just hope this works well for the upcoming months! Planning this definitely makes my life easy through the week and helps me waste less and in fact save some money! I am sure if executed even more strictly one can easily have a lean weekly budget set for meals! I would surely be interested in hearing what you guys think about this and if you have an such ideas up your sleeve!<br />
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Have a good weekend everyone!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-83070937942994955712013-01-16T23:02:00.000-08:002013-01-16T23:02:50.792-08:00Cherished memories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Everyone I am sure has a particular restaurant or a food truck or even a good old stall around the corner of the road that they cherish in their minds for some of the best food they ever had. I have a few in my mind that I cherish oh so dearly and every India trip I make sure I go through that list even if I am suffering from an upset stomach. :P<div>
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This past weekend, I was missing the steaming hot idlis and the crispy buttery dosas from a restaurant in Mumbai that goes by the name Sadguru. Every person who has spend time in the suburban area of Chembur knows this restaurant and oh boy did they have huge waiting lines! What I loved about the south Indian food offerings in this restaurant was the fact that they served us three different kinds of chutneys to go with the main dish. I loved each of the chutneys because they weren't the watery kind and had a distinct flavor which made each of them stand out! Infact it was this assortment I was missing more than the actual dosas/ idlis. </div>
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So of course, I got over the craving by making two differents chutneys to go with some instant mix dosas.. I know I know..I hear it..instant..really??? I was just too desperate to enjoy the sides and made way with the instant mix.. ;) One of these chutneys was something I made for the first time, I had the old flavor of the chutney lingering on my tongue and with a little bit of research online, I devised the recipe for this chutney with the help of <a href="http://anubhavati.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/andhra-style-spicy-tomato-till-chutney/">this</a> recipe. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Tomato chutney</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkZ67zufCFcNIZYplE02ATObxpqiqU1BAAp842izzziU3ysDDNGvxNJvt-XZeykIW04JrHm510SnO37xXYaKB_gHV8yhg9FPQ2XFtW54T3zpl1k47zcSLlR8oJrNxDgpQisyYAopvBI8/s1600/cooking+delights63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkZ67zufCFcNIZYplE02ATObxpqiqU1BAAp842izzziU3ysDDNGvxNJvt-XZeykIW04JrHm510SnO37xXYaKB_gHV8yhg9FPQ2XFtW54T3zpl1k47zcSLlR8oJrNxDgpQisyYAopvBI8/s640/cooking+delights63.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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2 medium tomatoes roasted and diced</div>
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1/2 onion chopped</div>
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2-3 cloves garlic </div>
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1.5 tbsp sesame seeds </div>
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3-4 dried red chilies</div>
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1 green chili chopped</div>
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2 Tsp urad dal<br />2 Tsp chana dal</div>
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1 tsp cumin seeds</div>
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1 small piece of tamarind softened or 1 Tsp of Tamarind Paste</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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1 tsp + 1 tsp oil</div>
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For tempering:</div>
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1 tsp oil</div>
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1 tsp mustard seeds</div>
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3-4 curry leaves</div>
<ul>
<li>Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds just until you can smell the aroma. Set aside to cool.</li>
<li>Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the urad dal, chana dal, cumin seeds and the dry red chillies until the dals turn in to a light brown color. Set aside and sprinkle some water onto this mixture to help soften the dals.</li>
<li>To the left over oil, add the green chili and the chopped onions. Once the onions are getting transparent, add the fire / oven roasted tomatoes and the tamarind pulp . Allow for it to saute well and until all the water evaporates. Allow to cool.</li>
<li>Grind the dal mixture along with the sesame seeds followed by the tomato mixture. Adjust the salt to you taste. </li>
<li>Transfer the chutney to a bowl and season with the tempering. Enjoy with your choice of idli / dosas.</li>
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The tangy flavor of the chutney was truly delicious and even with the effort involved it was truly worth it! </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-1352389325026298432013-01-06T20:08:00.002-08:002013-01-06T20:08:51.483-08:00Green fiesta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
First and foremost, I wish everyone a very happy new year! May this year be filled with wonderful moments of joy and cheer! I have had a very fulfilling past year, it was the year I got married, it was the year where we overcame some big obstacles and it was the year we as newly-weds thoroughly enjoyed spending time with friends and of course with each other. ;)<div>
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The past year made me realize what marriage really is, its when you realize, 'you' means 'we' and that 'we' becomes the biggest support system you ever had. I am truly thankful for having a life partner, who not only sees the best in me but knows how to push me towards what I can achieve which I surely dont think I can. So with these lovely memories from 2012 of course with its fair share of sorrows, I have stepped into 2013 with great hopes and lots more ambition!</div>
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Talking of ambition, I am no different than any other person, who thinks this is the year I will loose a ton of weight! At least I hope so.. :P. So workouts have begun of course, but I am also researching on an easily adaptable healthy diet.. I know diets are never easy, but that's where the nerd in me is challenged to find out why not. :P Since the past year, we have adapted ourselves to eat healthy and of course cook healthy. And so today's recipe is one of those OMG kinds' I havent had in a while now!</div>
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Yesterday I went to bed with a question in mind, as to what do I do with one ripe avocado left in my kitchen! I started thinking of pairing it with something, of course spinach was something I had to use up and I put myself to bed asking, will they work together?</div>
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Today morning, the first google with my coffee was 'spinach and avocado recipes' and voila I wasn't the first one who tried that. The recipe below had to be tried and it was a true success! I did not use any cheese or any cream in this recipe since the avocado gives it the needed creaminess.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Pasta with spinach and avocado sauce</span></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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2 cups Baby spinach</div>
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3 - 4 cups fusili or any kind of pasta you prefer</div>
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1 Avocado - pitted and cubed</div>
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4 cloves garlic</div>
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1/2 onion sliced thinly</div>
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1/2 capsicum chopped vertically</div>
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1 zucchini sliced</div>
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1/2 tbsp italian seasoning / dried herbs of your choice</div>
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1/2 tbsp ground black pepper</div>
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1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes</div>
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1.5 tbsp olive oil</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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<li>Blend the spinach and the avocado with one clove of garlic and a green chili if you like. Add water if needed. </li>
<li>Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the box till al dente. In a sauce pan, heat some oil and add one glove of garlic. Remove the garlic once you smell it. Add the onions and let them cook until they become transparent. Add the capsicum and the zucchini and cook them well. </li>
<li>Add the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes, followed by the herbs. Mix in the pasta and season with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with some parmesan cheese and red chili flakes. We enjoyed it with some home-made garlic bread! Yum!</li>
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This pasta turned out totally green because all I had in my fridge was green - spinach, avocado, green capsicum and zucchini. :P This combination has sparked several ideas in my mind and hopefully they will be inspiring me more to continue blogging. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-77905272981214128792012-07-21T15:22:00.000-07:002012-07-21T15:22:20.712-07:00Something old..something new..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This post has been long due! I was actually suppose to post this one last september but today is the day that I finally got around to posting it. The topic of this post is truly apt! This post started off to showcase my growing love for Mexican food. An idea struck and I wanted to show you why I first started loving Mexican food and how far I have got on experimenting with it!<br />
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Back in school, one of our usual lunch options was chickpea burrito from a Mexican food cart. It used to be yummy! And I was truly thrilled to find chickpeas in a burrito!<br />
Since coming to San Diego, I cant seem to get enough of Mexican food. Here in SoCal, its the best cuisine you could find and offers you regional variations in the food. It is here that I learned that eggs are frequently used in Mexican cuisine too and they taste amazing! So last year when I actually started making Mexican dishes at home, experimenting with eggs was a no-brainer.<br />
So today I present you two recipes..<br />
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<i>Something old..</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; text-align: left;">Chole burrito (Chick-pea burrito)</span></div>
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Ingredients:<br />
2 cups boiled chickpeas<br />
2 tbsp tomato paste / 1 tomato chopped<br />
1 chopped onion<br />
2 cloves garlic minced<br />
1 tbsp coriander-cumin powder<br />
1.5 tsp red chili powder<br />
salt to taste<br />
1.5 tbsp oil<br />
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used the mexican mix)<br />
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions<br />
1/4 cup rice (optional)<br />
8 mini tortillas / 4 standard ones<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmKVJmDP6_uzcslWLDXR2WO6CFFctn3Bra8pX4kTdOPz7mMQVxcDUNMLEw1dH5Gu60V6dQ67mbZqHdRq2cdFQGEZzSdDCLfLNlVSIyeoQKgUSQ0ALfSAC_wvz5VrnaZkXUhfeuzdZOCU/s1600/cooking+delights61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZmKVJmDP6_uzcslWLDXR2WO6CFFctn3Bra8pX4kTdOPz7mMQVxcDUNMLEw1dH5Gu60V6dQ67mbZqHdRq2cdFQGEZzSdDCLfLNlVSIyeoQKgUSQ0ALfSAC_wvz5VrnaZkXUhfeuzdZOCU/s640/cooking+delights61.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<li>Add some oil to a pan and let it heat. Once heated add the garlic and let it brown a bit. Drop in the onions and saute them well.</li>
<li>Add the red chili and the coriander-cumin powder and let the spices get cooked.</li>
<li>Add in the tomatoes and let the whole thing saute well.</li>
<li>Finally add the chickpeas and season well. Let the spices seep into the chickpeas and let it simmer for about 5 mins. The chickpea mixture is now ready.</li>
<li>Now to assemble the burrito. Heat the tortilla on one side and flip it. Now place some cheese at the center and add the chickpea mixture. Top it with some onions and rice and wrap the tortilla, you can seal it by placing some cheese between the fold and turn over the burrito. Let it heat for a min on the other side. </li>
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I usually serve my burritos with fresh guacamole sitting on a lettuce bed and some spicy salsa! :)</div>
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Now for,</div>
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<i>Something new..</i> </div>
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I have actually made several variations of this recipe and it all started with this specific <a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/01/egg-enchiladas-in-pipian.html">one</a> posted by Kevin from Closet Cooking. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Asparagus & egg enchilada</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJ3CsTaW1FBM0wVn8DGIfn3ii0UNJkjf0Kw4H6peD8lufy5tWtUT8gqhOqf4Y_7-PQUYtBZqbUrTcEsZuqGekgzBhOBrtKSvKauYVl7b-w69qltBISvpj8_r4ZkkrJHYQXNBk9Qf8ZD8/s1600/cooking+delights59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJ3CsTaW1FBM0wVn8DGIfn3ii0UNJkjf0Kw4H6peD8lufy5tWtUT8gqhOqf4Y_7-PQUYtBZqbUrTcEsZuqGekgzBhOBrtKSvKauYVl7b-w69qltBISvpj8_r4ZkkrJHYQXNBk9Qf8ZD8/s640/cooking+delights59.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I really dont have a specific recipe for this. Since eggs are so versatile, I usually mix them up with a variety of veggies or sometimes just use the basic scrambled eggs recipe. Give it your own spin and you will surely not be disappointed! Another easy thing to use the Indian style egg bhurji which is basically scrambled eggs seasoned with curry masala. </div>
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The same base can easily become a burrito / enchilada. For the enchilada sauce, I usually also keep switching the flavors of my sauce too. I know the pictures aren't the most perfect ones..but it was delish!</div>
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As you see my love for Mexican food is growing and I hope to learn more authentic recipes and someday I hope I get a chance to go to Mexico and try out the real stuff! :)</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-16458014430042769462012-07-02T22:45:00.000-07:002012-07-02T22:45:42.581-07:00Summer time rush..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Summer time is supposed to be all about relaxing and chilling out in the sun..but come this summer and I have been rushing through the door day in day out! It has been crazy busy but it has been all great.. :) June began with a work trip to St.Louis and I was physced! The trip went really well and I did get some time to drive through downtown St.Louis and get a glance of the lovely arch! The arch was absolutely beautiful and it was a lovely sunny day to be at. </div>
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On one of the weekdays I drove through a mall nearby and found something really uncommon in one of the artsy stores. They had live crabs for sale called Hermit Crabs!</div>
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The shells on the crabs were painted with cute patterns and at first glance one would have really no clue that there was a crab in it! I was almost tempted to touch one of them..</div>
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The rest of the June past by with more work and really didn't leave me anytime to bake. This has been the first month in a long time that I did not bake! Hopefully I will make up for it this month. :) I did cook a lot and in fact I can now proudly say that I make really soft fluffy rotis! :) That was one more thing I had to master sooner or later and practice for the past month has made it possible. </div>
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With summer I am reminded about India. This would be the season when one would get the best of the tropical fruits! The markets would be loaded with mangoes, cherries, jackfruits and lychees! It was years since I had a yummy lychee and the other day at the Indian grocery market I spotted them! I literally ran to grab a bunch and the moment I was home I was enjoying the fresh flavor! Along with these lovely fruits the one thing that I miss about India is the 'Naturals' ice-cream. Its a local chain that sells fresh fruit ice-cream which ranges everything from coconut, chikoo to lychee ice-cream! I got so nostalgic that I just had to make it and ofcourse of a healthier kind! The ice-cream came out to be really rich and bursting with flavor. I experimented with the recipe using the basic vanilla ice-cream recipe as my base. <span style="background-color: white;">Another great way to use lychee / lychee juice is in cocktails! I cant wait to buy my next batch and experiment with it..ummm! :)</span></div>
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Lychee by itself is really yummy and I can finish a dozen in a matter of minutes..really seconds.. :P But the best part about it is the health benefits that lychee has, read on here for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee">more</a>! Though to truthfully say it I love lychee for its flavor and really had no clue about how healthy it really is until recently. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Lychee Honey Ice-cream</span></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 cup chopped lychees or use the canned one with the juice from the can</div>
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1.5 cups 2% milk</div>
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1 cup heavy whipping cream</div>
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5 tbsp honey</div>
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4 tbsp sugar</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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Zest from 1/2 lime </div>
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<li>In a large bowl, mix the milk,cream,honey and sugar. Once mixed well, add the vanilla extract followed by the lychees and the juice. Let the mixture refrigerate for 1-2 hrs.</li>
<li>Take the mixture out and mix the zest in and pour the mixture into your ice-cream maker. Follow the instructions on your ice-cream maker and let the ice-cream churn. Transfer to a freezer-proof box and let it refrigerate for 2-3 hours at a minimum. Enjoy!</li>
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Work has taken most of my time away in the past month and I am really trying to keep myself on track with my usual schedule..so here's hoping to getting back to more blogging and enjoying the summer with all my readers! Have a great 4th of July everyone! :)</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-9075093176854194222012-05-28T12:23:00.000-07:002012-05-30T13:25:21.050-07:00Raspberry semolina muffins..so spring!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I cant believe it has been a month since the bake sale and here I am. The past month has gone by at warp speed! We had my parents visiting us for about 2 weeks which included several family dinners and my brother's graduation! woo-hoo!! Kudos to him for graduating from USC! :)<br />
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My baking has been fairly less mainly because we have been eating out way too much..time to dial down the crazy, but I just couldn't miss out on participating in the monthly #baketogether challenge. </div>
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It was the perfect timing since my parents got to experience my baking and this month's recipe for <a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/2012/05/cornmeal-buttermilk-muffinssweet-or-savory-baketogether/">Cornmeal Buttermilk Muffins</a> is pretty much the recipe I use every time I want to make healthy muffins. But instead of using cornmeal I tend to use semolina which gives the same kind of texture but is made from rice/wheat.<br />
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Here are the modifications I made to the basic recipe:</div>
1 cup chopped raspberries<br />
3/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/3 cup wheat semolina<br />
3 tbsp sugar<br />
2 tbsp honey<br />
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2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp table salt<br />
1 tsp lemon zest<br />
1/2 cup yogurt, at room temperature<br />
1 large egg, at room temperature<br />
3 tbsp canola or vegetable oil<br />
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
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Follow the same directions as mentioned in the original recipe. I only got a couple of snaps of these muffins, with family around these were gone by the next evening. I did pack a couple and gave it to my parents for their trip and felt super glad that I could share my baking joy with them.<br />
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Oh and another thing that I am super excited about is my first set of plants! I have planted tomato, chili, basil and cilantro. So far the tomato bears lots of flowers and I hope to get some fruit soon but my chili has given me a good amount of hope, I got my first big chili! Look..<br />
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..until next time..have fun!</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-705535278227702472012-05-09T20:43:00.000-07:002012-05-09T22:29:51.460-07:00Bake Sale Recap & macaron musings..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am no expert when it comes to baking, none-the-less macaron making, oh it rhymes.. :P But it has been a really great learning experience for me, not only for learning the right way of whipping up a meringue but rather learning to respect each ingredient. This post is going to be a way for me to document my lessons for macarons and also to help out other bakers who have given up on macaron making. I urge everyone to not give up this magical cookie, just try and stretch your patience and reduce the level of your expectations when you get started with this. But before I go on with my macaron trail, I want to share some photos and some posts from fellow bloggers who participated in the sale.</div>
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I of course made macarons in two flavors: <span style="color: purple;">Lemon macaron with mango butter</span> & <span style="color: purple;">Raspberry macaron with dark chocolate ganache</span>. umm..ummm! I went through a turmoil in terms of deciding what I should pack them in. I didn't wanna spend crazy $$ on just boxes but putting them in a small treat bag felt like laziness and made me super scared that they would be crushed by someone. So inspired by a post by Bakerella right <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/chocolate-easter-bunnies/">here</a>, I decided to make my very own box template and the end product came out to be something so cute! :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx3oTZ9SWPcqiqwaDQWhQA9lkZk8lHlM8_FuNHe13SmBQQOZ6uVCtVAfOAGfa5WbKfUqEmHroJhZtDKfH2xDp9jBrLiCu00CRr89MhJy1hM52iK6hCYnirmPgGnPytvHE5TsnfyRREj0/s1600/cooking+delights54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrx3oTZ9SWPcqiqwaDQWhQA9lkZk8lHlM8_FuNHe13SmBQQOZ6uVCtVAfOAGfa5WbKfUqEmHroJhZtDKfH2xDp9jBrLiCu00CRr89MhJy1hM52iK6hCYnirmPgGnPytvHE5TsnfyRREj0/s640/cooking+delights54.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As usual, keeping the boxes for the last minute only made my time management crash down, but with help from the lovely hubby I finally managed to get my stuff to the bake sale! It was an amazing experience! Its a great thrill to see people's reaction right then and there and understand how people look at food. I got some really good reviews for the macarons, and was elated when I got some mentions in blog posts too. :)<br />
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I also got to meet some really great people, who share the same passion of food as me. In the hurry to get to the sale, I forgot my camera, and so now I can only provide you with some links to posts from other bloggers. While selling macs, I also went around and bought some goodies! I bought the Orange Chocolate Tart from Ann, the cinnamon and cardamom cookies from Live..Bake..Love and the cotton candy meringues.<br />
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So here are some of the blog-posts that others posted after the blog:<br />
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<li>Barbara made lovely Chipotle pumpkin seeds brittle, find the post <a href="http://www.barbaracooks.com/desserts/not-your-average-bake-sale/">here</a> </li>
<li>Loved the cookies from Live..Bake..Love, their post is <a href="http://livebakelove.blogspot.com/2012/05/san-diego-national-food-bloggers-bake.html">here</a></li>
<li>And some more pictures by <a href="http://monkeybreadandsweetpea.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/bake-sale-results-and-vegan-voyage-in-ocean-beach/">Monkey bread and sweet pea</a> and <a href="http://food.theplainjane.com/2012/05/06/food-blogger-bake-sale-recap/">This Tasty Life</a></li>
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So now for some tips and tricks for making macarons. I found great amount of help from two blogs, they served as my textbook! So if you are venturing into making macarons surely read these two blogs, here they are:<br />
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<li>An exhaustive post about macarons by Ms.Humble at <a href="http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2010/04/macarons-101-french-meringue.html">Not So Humble Pie</a></li>
<li>A list of great tips for making macarons with do's and dont's by Stella at <a href="http://bravetart.com/blog/MacaronMyths">BraveTart</a></li>
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And finally some tips from this novice baker.:)<br />
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<li>Measure all the ingredients correctly, buying a scale really made my life easy with this. Also one large egg white when measured equals about 34-36 gms.</li>
<li>As Ms.Humble promptly tells, use a steel bowl to beat the meringue in.</li>
<li>Since I was baking a lot of batches, I halved the recipe given by Stella (<a href="http://bravetart.com/recipes/Macarons">here</a>) so that I could control my portions and the recipe required exactly one egg white! So easy to handle that, imagine taking only half of the egg white! huff..</li>
<li>You need to know your oven well, I know this is something you will hear from every other baker, but to start off, raise the lower rack of your oven to a higher level and as Ms.Humble says if they brown from the top, you might need to put an additional sheet on the top.</li>
<li>Use a stencil (round cookie cutter) to draw out circles on a parchment, surely makes life easy while piping.</li>
<li>I know pretty much everyone says aged whites create a more stable meringue, but I actually got really good results with fresh egg whites so I guess if you beat the meringue right, this issue gets taken care of.</li>
<li>I took advice from both the mentioned blogs almost equally and that really helped, so do your home work before you begin the practical. </li>
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Hope this post helps you in your ventures and do let me know if you have doubts about macarons, I am pretty sure I have experienced it by now.<br />
Happy Baking! :)</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-28584572070599324602012-04-21T17:49:00.001-07:002012-04-21T19:20:57.581-07:00Macaron frenzy ends..having cheerios to celebrate.. ;)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been busy..crazy busy..with work and with crazy unplanned macaron adventures! Finally after about 6 batches of macarons I can claim that I can make good macarons!! Yippee! :) I set out at the beginning of this month on a macaron learning process, the french ones ..oh yeah! And 15 days later here I am feeling so much confident about it. Here is a sneak preview of it:<br />
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I am making them for the upcoming San Diego Bake Sale on April 28th.<br />
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So after I reached a point where I felt confident of that the fact that I wont be messing up things at the last minute before the sale, I realized that I really wasn't baking anything else! OMG! So when I found my mind macaron free I baked my heart out.. :D.. first up was a savory dish baked bakarwadi..sadly I cant find which memory chip I put the pictures on, I will find them and post them later on.<br />
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But yesterday after going through a periodic pantry clear up process I found that I had few over-ripened bananas and a box full of cheerios cereal! I keep this cereal in my pantry as a backup cereal..yes I am a freak..but it helps to have a couple of choices for cereal. :) So when I realised that this box was moving towards getting too old I had to find alternate options to use it and this experiment just found the right place for it! :) When I googled for cheerios recipes I actually found a lot of recipes on their own website..they looked pretty good and inspired from them I decided to experiment.<br />
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We have banana-nut loaf/muffin all too often to feel the need to experiment with it..but I still decided to go ahead and give it another stroke of newness..so here it is..the muffins came out really good..light yet satisfying!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpV1bf5hh-UAE3TFNN3RNOQW3q8v1yPFi_44hfPCiNu6yQHrH75ZvRYnJqRNtCTMvEXh6lb5avFxT3Z2bEZW0llW-brjgsXyRoUjRbEQbnSe94UOogbQQgFCRzuC_pVcbutcrW3uZrajg/s1600/cooking+delights51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpV1bf5hh-UAE3TFNN3RNOQW3q8v1yPFi_44hfPCiNu6yQHrH75ZvRYnJqRNtCTMvEXh6lb5avFxT3Z2bEZW0llW-brjgsXyRoUjRbEQbnSe94UOogbQQgFCRzuC_pVcbutcrW3uZrajg/s640/cooking+delights51.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Cheerios banana nut muffins</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 30px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; vertical-align: baseline;">
1 1/4 cups Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 cup all-purpose flour</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 tbsp packed brown sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 ripe banana<br />1/2 cup yogurt<br />2 tbsp canola oil<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 egg white<br />1/4 cup chopped walnuts<br />1 tsp coarse or granulated sugar </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6DMoNg5-VZFaa2QxS3kH0Za8ENHDcGrekWaOyPRggY67eOr_4q5Sh_mmdqRoHy0S_QGWMogoxoVSH44Y4YWwiBHcSDSA9_PKnCf2Xel5C0U91yNcbqEJQbEffoxVzG3CBUDQdCiEnGA/s1600/cooking+delights52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6DMoNg5-VZFaa2QxS3kH0Za8ENHDcGrekWaOyPRggY67eOr_4q5Sh_mmdqRoHy0S_QGWMogoxoVSH44Y4YWwiBHcSDSA9_PKnCf2Xel5C0U91yNcbqEJQbEffoxVzG3CBUDQdCiEnGA/s640/cooking+delights52.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottoms only of 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups. Spray bottoms only of paper baking cups with cooking spray. In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, coarsely crush cereal with rolling pin or meat mallet.</li>
<li>In a bowl, mash the bananas and mix in the yogurt.</li>
<li>In another bowl, mix crushed cereal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat oil, vanilla and the egg white until blended. Add the yogurt mixture and mix well. Now add the flour mixture followed by the walnuts. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.</li>
<li>Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm or cool.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigg-QYmQNXpzplpYVurGO4Qfl-MIoB7R-aCrxK0OKe5p4ZADxBsJrpJY2HvMnIugQqYvspLVEqTLf_5c5cLeWvA4iCx_hOuMsmQUsmoeS9cOmFEo6kRdct9DZa341SnRfRvNNDv2l9O0/s1600/cooking+delights53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigg-QYmQNXpzplpYVurGO4Qfl-MIoB7R-aCrxK0OKe5p4ZADxBsJrpJY2HvMnIugQqYvspLVEqTLf_5c5cLeWvA4iCx_hOuMsmQUsmoeS9cOmFEo6kRdct9DZa341SnRfRvNNDv2l9O0/s640/cooking+delights53.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-26454564779006740602012-04-04T21:51:00.000-07:002012-04-04T21:51:32.319-07:00Snap n its spring!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The spring has officially started and its going to be more exciting than ever!<br />
I have been missing for the past month or so..but no I did not forget my blog and neither was I on a break from baking. If anything else I am baking way more than usual but its mainly experimentation. I was postponing to post anything because all my baked goods are currently meant to be for the upcoming Bake Sale in San Diego. Today's recipe is a contender for the bake sale, just that it has gone one rank down in my list. :P<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV1niPcySK3wJQfe4Xu1Ytbsls_PsqKuGk2rX_WZifm4AfM9JyQEWVQkr3dXcRrvt151uLfYXaTv0WAO6QB3GppRSXmRgVDiyek6bUcXYkI65dIel27VRAztX-QBWx_tCEkyz-Ve5sQQ/s1600/cooking+delights48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV1niPcySK3wJQfe4Xu1Ytbsls_PsqKuGk2rX_WZifm4AfM9JyQEWVQkr3dXcRrvt151uLfYXaTv0WAO6QB3GppRSXmRgVDiyek6bUcXYkI65dIel27VRAztX-QBWx_tCEkyz-Ve5sQQ/s640/cooking+delights48.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I have had this recipe bookmarked for almost 6 months now. Initially I didn't pursue it because it had ingredients which I usually don't find in my pantry but with my hubby's love for gingersnaps I finally got to this recipe. Its actually a recipe tried and tested by the very famous David Lebovitz. You can find the original recipe <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/01/nonfat-gingersnaps/">here</a>. After I saw the recipe for the first time I was really curious! Fat-free gingersnaps, is that even possible? And to my finding yes it is!<br />
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I used the recipe as is, just switched half of the flour with whole wheat flour and used light brown sugar since I had it in my pantry. I did make the candied ginger at home and it was way easier than I thought it would be. I used the recipe suggested by David Lebovitz again and you can find it <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2008/12/candied-ginger/">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cI-PxxIMPxzixxhM-Z0LT8-n4_m31aG_z7BLwTJfnQ3bzmcUBLzQCCd1lHe5MP6OhIl_xnr-qhyphenhyphenK6KApboYzn2pdbYkmsWW7_2R3L9TZq-kH_wjJcDJkcLxSWpL7kJk_mB0u6qrr8_Y/s1600/cooking+delights47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cI-PxxIMPxzixxhM-Z0LT8-n4_m31aG_z7BLwTJfnQ3bzmcUBLzQCCd1lHe5MP6OhIl_xnr-qhyphenhyphenK6KApboYzn2pdbYkmsWW7_2R3L9TZq-kH_wjJcDJkcLxSWpL7kJk_mB0u6qrr8_Y/s640/cooking+delights47.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now for the fun news. When I moved to San Diego last year, I heard about the bake sale from my friend, but I wasn't really setup to do anything..much rather bake! So it was something I was looking forward to this year. And finally it is this very month that San Diego will have its blogger's bake sale! If you are in the San Diego area then do drop by and enjoy the goodies and have some fun! You could also donate to the charity and join in! More details available here: http://sdbloggersbake.wordpress.com/. Hope to see you all there!<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-89520941756621434832012-03-09T23:32:00.001-08:002012-03-10T10:30:25.444-08:00Time to celebrate!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am feeling so good about writing this post. Its my 25th post! yay! The first recipe is quiet special, especially because I learnt this one from my mother-in-law! I spent most of January with my in-laws and I got to enjoy a new cuisine which wasn't very different than the food I grew up eating but it was more rather an adaptation of a cuisine to locally available ingredients. To top that my mother-in-law is an excellent cook who also enjoys experimenting with recipes so I have been lucky to have her around me! :) I am in food heaven! :D<br />
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My in-laws come from the central region of India which is majorly dry and mostly warm. The cuisine is quite rich and bursting with spices. I can't begin to list and describe all the different dishes I tried out, I could go on for days! So after a few weeks of being back in the US, I of course started to reminisce about all the yummy things I had and to end that craving I was set on recreating some of them.<br />
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The first one that came to my mind was the Baingan Bharta (Eggplant curry). It was one friday night when I realized that I had all the required ingredients to make it and decided that my weekend would start with a delicious dinner! I have made this dish quite frequently but not in this way! So here goes:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Baingan Bharta (Eggplant curry)</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 Large eggplant ( the big sized ones usually used in Italian dishes too)<br />
2-3 medium spring onions chopped<br />
2-3 green chillies split vertically<br />
2-3 cloves garlic chopped<br />
curry leaves<br />
1 tsp mustard seeds<br />
1 tbsp vegetable / canola / EVOO oil<br />
1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)<br />
1.5 tsp coriander-cumin powder<br />
1 tbsp lime juice<br />
salt to taste<br />
cilantro for garnish<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Roast the eggplant in the oven or on the gas flame. Its done when the skin starts peeling off. Once roasted, peel the skin off the eggplant, separate off the flesh from the head of the eggplant and mash it well.</li>
<li>Heat some oil in a pan. Add in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add in the asafoetida followed by the chillies and garlic. Once the chillies are almost fried, add the spring onions and let them cook well. </li>
<li>When the onions become transparent, add in the eggplant and mix well. Add in the lime juice, coriander-cumin powder and adjust the salt to your taste. Let the whole mixture come together, it becomes like a slushy mass. Season with cilantro. Enjoy with hot chapatis!</li>
</ul>
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We had it with some home-made garlic chutney, sliced raddishes and chapatis! yumm!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsmi0UAUtgsJNwf4C6gVmb4ybxzwfRc_MsvMyiN6KJ0JzoKwOVQEVqSKfAtK9dKDhY_zuKMkdc6Hwdug_DOzediRy_A35l9XEBc8sYS4UGpctok1QCf7NJiJxrmev88M_gEjXRESQjXQ/s1600/infuse_pics2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsmi0UAUtgsJNwf4C6gVmb4ybxzwfRc_MsvMyiN6KJ0JzoKwOVQEVqSKfAtK9dKDhY_zuKMkdc6Hwdug_DOzediRy_A35l9XEBc8sYS4UGpctok1QCf7NJiJxrmev88M_gEjXRESQjXQ/s640/infuse_pics2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now to celebrate my 25th post and the International Women's day, here is the recipe of the roasted plum and peach ice-cream I tried out, inspired from <a href="http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2011/09/baking-roasted-peach-plum-ice-cream-with-condensed-milk-eggless.html">this</a> recipe posted by Deeba on her lovely <a href="http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/">blog</a>! I of course tried to give it a healthy twist.</div>
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<div>
<span style="color: blue;">Roasted plum and peach ice-cream (low-fat) (eggless)</span></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
<div>
4 plums</div>
<div>
2 peaches</div>
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1.5 tbsp brown sugar</div>
<div>
1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/4 cup roasted almonds coarsely chopped</div>
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250 gms low-fat greek yogurt</div>
<div>
200 ml half-n-half</div>
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4 tbsp sugar</div>
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6-8 tbsp honey - adjust the honey based on the sweetness that you like</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySN4HnxQcqRyt2hOC2qXvUQvRMWvg-oNnxDBkJAGmt1GYywNYTiuSBTPAdm6xqOtzPROQLfAKkFZJ5zwea0_0U1xWUD0-UaO5iv1WKPgkkkLlw1KkbriFNhGDd3AwvoThzhbKXf4lgqo/s1600/cooking+delights44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySN4HnxQcqRyt2hOC2qXvUQvRMWvg-oNnxDBkJAGmt1GYywNYTiuSBTPAdm6xqOtzPROQLfAKkFZJ5zwea0_0U1xWUD0-UaO5iv1WKPgkkkLlw1KkbriFNhGDd3AwvoThzhbKXf4lgqo/s640/cooking+delights44.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat the oven to 375 F.</li>
<li>Combine sugar and vanilla. Arrange the peaches & plums skin side down on a baking tray and sprinkle with the vanilla/ sugar mixture. Grill in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top of the peaches appear caramelized.</li>
<li>Remove the skin from the peaches as soon as it is cool enough to do so. Puree the peaches and any juices in the baking tray in a blender.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl combine the half-n-half, greek yogurt and peach/plum puree. Adjust sugar as required. Churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. About 5 minutes before switching off the machine, add in the chopped nuts. Refrigerate for about 2 hours and serve!<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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Hope all you lovely ladies out there had a great Women's day! Also here is to hoping that I get to write many more blogs!</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-16066050532866926992012-02-25T16:23:00.000-08:002012-03-06T18:22:42.363-08:00Say cheese!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Alrite, I am late for this post. I was truly missing the treats I would enjoy back in New York and <a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/">Abby</a>'s recent #<a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/2012/02/baketogether-cheesecake/">baketogether</a> challenge gave me the perfect opportunity. New York cheesecake has been one of my favorite desserts for quiet sometime now! I know many might think cheesecake really? but yes I love it! And look how pretty!! :)<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Mini cheesecakes</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQARJF70xsj0DyNe_iYN7XkJ0y68vb9MRhwIE7GU3tuf6gxHmNelxl7yqkoTWWtnDXs9RWmaOfPOYpo6V5UfOcdSIseXXmqyns7xS4Pqu-C0LdciirZLaQGwyWjdl5qX97kEtsLrw9V4/s1600/cooking+delights41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQARJF70xsj0DyNe_iYN7XkJ0y68vb9MRhwIE7GU3tuf6gxHmNelxl7yqkoTWWtnDXs9RWmaOfPOYpo6V5UfOcdSIseXXmqyns7xS4Pqu-C0LdciirZLaQGwyWjdl5qX97kEtsLrw9V4/s640/cooking+delights41.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I usually try to experiment with this challenge but this time I wanted to preserve the essence of a New York cheesecake and hence kept the recipe pretty much same. But one thing is for sure, instead of making a whole cake, I prefer making them in petite form just so that I can control the portion size better and further on reduce the guilt. The two missing in the photo below is just because they were consumed before realizing that no pictures had been clicked.. :P<br />
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The only thing I changed was the crust. I didn't have any graham crackers at home and used what I found in my pantry, in this case it was a mix of marie and Nice (a spiced sweet biscuit - Indian) biscuits. The crust tasted really good, and the amount of spice gave a nice contrast to the filling.<br />
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I won't be posting the recipe for this since it is the same as suggested by Abby in her <a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/2012/02/baketogether-cheesecake/">post</a>. As for the crust below are the ingredients (I cut down the original recipe to half):<br />
<div>
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Ingredients:<br />
1 cup marie and/or Nice biscuits ( I used about 10-12 biscuits)<br />
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1 tablespoons granulated sugar</div>
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-89044675134684836452012-02-17T20:24:00.000-08:002012-02-17T20:25:23.321-08:00Unplanned success!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I had no plans of baking on weeknight especially after having a busy and tiring work day. But in the spare 10 mins of my lunch hour I was trying to find a recipe to use up the all-so-ripe pears sitting in my kitchen. Well, instead of that, something else caught eye..this lovely <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/raspberry-buttermilk-cake/">Raspberry Buttermilk Cake</a> on one of my favorite blogs: <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a>! :)<br />
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After reading this recipe, I just couldn't let it go! I had fresh raspberries from the farmer's market sitting in my kitchen just waiting to be baked. :) So the moment I got home I was ready to whip it up, of course with a healthy twist. I replaced a good bunch of things but kept the essence of it intact. The cake turned out beautiful and light! I cut down the sugar quiet a bit, but the ripeness of the raspberries made up for it.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Raspberry Yogurt Cake</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
<div>
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil<br />
1/3 cup plus 1tbsp sugar, divided</div>
<div>
3 tbsp honey<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)<br />
1 large egg<br />
1/2 cup yogurt<br />
1 cup fresh raspberries<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.</li>
<li>Whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat oil and 1/3 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, followed by honey, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.</li>
<li>At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp sugar.</li>
<li>Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.</li>
</ul>
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Overall a perfect treat for breakfast or an accompaniment a light lunch/dinner.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-69040700816805701152012-02-11T19:30:00.000-08:002012-02-11T19:30:57.173-08:00Back to the grind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I really couldn't figure out on what note I should begin this post. I have been out of the blogging world for a good 3 months. Its definitely been a long time and truly an unplanned one.<br />
The past year was a real tough one..though it brought on a lot of good changes, it was a challenging year for me and for the new 'us'. But with the hopes that the new year will be a new start for us, we got married on the first day of the year! :) We had a small ceremony with the near and dear ones and truly have some lovely memories of the day..the kind that become stories that would be passed down through generations.<br />
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Its been only two weeks that we got back from a long India trip, a true hiatus but now I couldn't be more ready to cook, bake and of course experiment! I must admit to something, for the past 6 months I have been receiving the Martha Stewart Living magazine actually addressed to someone else who lived at the same address previously. :P I am not exactly a big fan of it but then who wouldn't mind a free copy. :D<br />
So after getting back, on a free afternoon and I was finally able to go through all of them and bookmark the interesting recipes. Today's recipe is something I found in the one of these magazines. It is just the right recipe for someone who is actually getting started / getting back to baking and wants to make something simple and quick and with minimal measurements. I was a definite qualifier for that.<br />
So here it is a cookie recipe with a twist in it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui7cIKJyTiWpvOGkOBieNrE9oJMfKEYwIJwzSQHqQ4pgdFLGOk9IHDTolZMMm3CmKAvT7sT0ymcHk8fAJsQbBNytzvUecQ1I0hGalTd5r6yrXUX3GaZwz9_TKPSw5ntwOI0Pe05ojP2s/s1600/cooking+delights36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiui7cIKJyTiWpvOGkOBieNrE9oJMfKEYwIJwzSQHqQ4pgdFLGOk9IHDTolZMMm3CmKAvT7sT0ymcHk8fAJsQbBNytzvUecQ1I0hGalTd5r6yrXUX3GaZwz9_TKPSw5ntwOI0Pe05ojP2s/s400/cooking+delights36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiighKPmtUXM0KuVZMmGh7ChQ7BNiv9skeh5cLJ-aZUaHGqnGQ45Ts3B4BHBExnzxKjafffoojB47qXYcyvIqovmc3a7oJLJZe4miCR-7CU7Dqr3NmVvj43ie9dEki6eUib6u3h5A1PYkw/s1600/cooking+delights37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiighKPmtUXM0KuVZMmGh7ChQ7BNiv9skeh5cLJ-aZUaHGqnGQ45Ts3B4BHBExnzxKjafffoojB47qXYcyvIqovmc3a7oJLJZe4miCR-7CU7Dqr3NmVvj43ie9dEki6eUib6u3h5A1PYkw/s400/cooking+delights37.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: blue;">Semolina sheet cookie</span><br />
The original recipe suggested that the cookie resembled a deconstructed biscotti. The cookie has a lovely crunchy texture and comes out really light.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/4 cup oat flour<br />
1/4 cup semolina<br />
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
11/2 tbsp butter<br />
1 large egg / 2 egg whites - save some for brushing<br />
1 tbsp sliced almonds<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk together the flours, semolina, fennel seeds, baking powder and salt.</li>
<li>Beat butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy followed by the eggs. Add in the flour mixtures and bring it all together. </li>
<li>Press dough into an even 1/4-inch thickness on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden, 22 - 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Break into pieces and enjoy!</li>
</ul>
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The semolina adds the crunch to the cookie, but the fennel seeds show up in between and deliver a lovely flavor. I was surprised by the flavor of the seeds, truly didn't expect them to do so well in a cookie! Hope you guys enjoy it too.</div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-58325911653662057462011-11-13T15:39:00.001-08:002011-11-19T14:01:42.840-08:00Steaming goodness..rava idli!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yikes, I really got late on this one! We all know and love South-Indian cuisine. The light fluffy idlis, crispy dosas and the spicy & tangy sambar..umm just makes your taste buds crave. I of course crave these delicacies once in a while and then try to recreate them in my small homely kitchen. A fortnight back, I was trying to recreate the ever-so known and loved rava idli. I researched around to find out what others have done to create light rava idlis as I was not very keen on using baking soda. So finally after reading up on a few of the recipes I created this one..they turned out really good! When I made these I didn't have all the usual ingredients for a green coconut chutney, so I made one with red chillies and it was surely yummy!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Rava idli with red chili coconut chutney</span><br />
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For the idli:<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1.5 cups rava<br />
3/4 - 1 cup yogurt<br />
3/4 cup grated carrots<br />
8-10 cashews broken<br />
2 tbsp chana dal<br />
6-8 curry leaves light crushed<br />
1.5 tsp mustard seeds<br />
1-2 red chillies cut into small pieces<br />
salt to taste<br />
1 tbsp oil<br />
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For the chutney:<br />
3/4 cup freshly grated coconut or frozen grated coconut<br />
4-5 red chillies<br />
2-3 cloves of garlic<br />
1 inch piece ginger<br />
1-2 tbsp lemon juice<br />
1 tsp mustard seeds<br />
2-3 curry leaves<br />
1 tsp oil<br />
water to adjust consistency<br />
salt to taste<br />
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For the idli:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Add oil to a heated pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter add chana dal, cashews, red chilies and curry leaves. Saute for a min and add the rava. Roast the rava until it changes colour slightly and smells good. Season with salt and take it off the stove.</li>
<li>Keep the idli plates greased and ready. Transfer the rava mixture in a wide bowl and mix in the carrots. Add the beaten curd to the rava mixture, add little water so that the mixture is of idli batter consistency. Pour the batter in the idli plates immediately and steam. If you dont have the conventional idli stand then you can make them in small bowls and place them in a steamer. The tip that I got is that once the curd is added, the batter must be steamed right away. In about 7-8 minutes delicious rava idlis are ready. Makes about 20-25 idlis.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For the chutney:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Grind together the coconut, chilies, ginger and garlic with some water into a smooth texture. Once you get the desired texture, add salt to taste and transfer into a bowl.</li>
<li>Now for the tadka, heat oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilies. Once they splutter, pour it into the chutney mixture in the bowl. Mix well and add lemon juice. Adjust the salt and mix well. The chutney is now ready! Enjoy with steaming idlis!</li>
</ul>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-27142609806557652032011-11-09T22:59:00.000-08:002011-11-12T12:56:09.313-08:00Cheer me up cookies!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The past week has been a real rough one for us. But as the week progressed things have got better and we feel life is coming back on track. I am serious when I say baking is really therapeutic for me. I was craving to bake and I knew that my fiance was craving something sweet to get over all the strong meds he is on. So when I asked him that should I bake some cookies for him, he gave me a big nod and I was almost jumping! I made these cookies mid-week but got around to writing the post today. Better late than never.<br />
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I had bought a Nutella jar last week in the notion of baking over the weekend and finally got the chance to have fun with it. I have a bunch of things in mind to try out but I decided to make simple Nutella cookies inspired by <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/02/nutella-cookies/">this</a> recipe posted by Tasty Kitchen.<br />
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I am not new to Nutella and of course I love it! I haven't had it for a while and surely I had forgotten what I was missing. These cookies were just what I needed.. the rich flavor of the nutella contrasts perfectly with white chocolate and of course hazelnuts accentuate the flavor even further.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">White chocolate & hazelnut Nutella cookies</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup nutella<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts and white chocolate<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange a baking sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Beat the egg and mix in the sugar. Add in the flour followed and mix well.</li>
<li>Add nutella and mix. The batter will become crumbly, knead it a little bit and start making 1 inch balls.</li>
<li>You can add in the chopped nuts and chocolate into the batter and bring it together or flatten each balls using a flat base glass and press in some hazelnut and white chocolate.</li>
<li>Bake for 8-9 mins or until the cookies firm up. Cool them on a rack and like I did serve some right off the sheet! Enjoy!</li>
</ul>
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Do try these healthy cookies..yes healthy. I managed to make them with whole wheat and no butter. The fat content from Nutella was enough to get a crunchy cookie with a chewy inside. The cookies were ready in less than hour..and are truly hard to resist. </div>
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Note: I had pressed in the pieces of nuts and chocolate after the flattening the cookie and then turned the cookie over..magic happened! The chocolate chunks got caramelized and have added a lovely chewy flavor to the cookie. :) See the overturned cookies below..yummy yum yum!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Nt_BE3OYQ983eGQfiksLcA4KhN7OxDagZkV8mJ4Xk30ikWzyg_z4UDZopjZzQX4Jq4hia9P1ujSSViqRmyXTBhLIKcz-6YJ5X3TVe6r8btabSKfG9uQaZIq72z9Kx9DBfUxkc9JGSY8/s1600/cooking+delights30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Nt_BE3OYQ983eGQfiksLcA4KhN7OxDagZkV8mJ4Xk30ikWzyg_z4UDZopjZzQX4Jq4hia9P1ujSSViqRmyXTBhLIKcz-6YJ5X3TVe6r8btabSKfG9uQaZIq72z9Kx9DBfUxkc9JGSY8/s640/cooking+delights30.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-67942298185607428072011-11-05T19:01:00.000-07:002011-11-05T19:01:26.508-07:00Shortbreads that almost fell short on execution..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It usually happens that when you expected something to go your way..everything just goes against it. I am not a big planner unless needed and today's weekend was supposed to be a elaborately planned one. I had a spotless plan in place and was excited about it but with an early morning urgent care visit I knew I had to bottle my enthusiasm and get through the day.<br />
Now back to the original topic of making shortbreads. This of course isn't my first time making shortbreads but this time it was an experiment for me to see if there adhere to the shapes I was trying to give them and gladly they did. We were supposed to attend a family dinner for Diwali today and I had been thinking of something to make with a Diwali theme, excluding the usual sweets that we make. I finally came up with an idea of making shortbreads shaped like a diya (an oil lamp made of clay) and to decorate them. They did come out pretty well, in fact almost perfect in the first try.. only if my oven was fair and heated uniformly throughout.. sigh! :|<br />
So here is my take on shortbread cookies for Diwali:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYtmr7n5_Ez9vy1iJwLvTWiqF1tibD-IEoCqsRW-_Lm1yNYdhv9dK7hrV0Fc7iMQIVcRARpZVI2oV-iaDs-ZbzZSe-V9lDOVWLMeXhk8OuTgT2cJLbmxCh5HxxEQfHfOCzGgvbfnjt8g/s1600/cooking+delights27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYtmr7n5_Ez9vy1iJwLvTWiqF1tibD-IEoCqsRW-_Lm1yNYdhv9dK7hrV0Fc7iMQIVcRARpZVI2oV-iaDs-ZbzZSe-V9lDOVWLMeXhk8OuTgT2cJLbmxCh5HxxEQfHfOCzGgvbfnjt8g/s640/cooking+delights27.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Shortbread cookies:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Use the basic recipe of making a shortbread cookie. I followed the one from Joy of Baking which can be found <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html">here</a>. </li>
<li>I used a medium sized round cookie cutter to get the bases for diya, and cut out the shape of a flame using a paring knife. Mend in each half of the round with one flame and make sure it is evenly thick, else they will bake unevenly. </li>
<li>Once baked and cooled, dip the bases in melted chocolate and then outlined them with some sprinkles. Finally place the cookies in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens and then store in a air-tight container. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx9Ei6uggpCBNMgofEmHc_9nBR0TzdX7xaxVZHJdWKvJa3vuXYGU1idbHzaqEFwBSVdNJOBxMQCcMI12NlmBkOhobJBywq_HSG8Ohdl2Fq8mQ87wexytq2Im2X-8LifZckrPbW14iDSo/s1600/cooking+delights28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx9Ei6uggpCBNMgofEmHc_9nBR0TzdX7xaxVZHJdWKvJa3vuXYGU1idbHzaqEFwBSVdNJOBxMQCcMI12NlmBkOhobJBywq_HSG8Ohdl2Fq8mQ87wexytq2Im2X-8LifZckrPbW14iDSo/s640/cooking+delights28.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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These were going to be gifts for each family and hence I packed a set in small treat bags. I was hoping to have more intricate decorations but as I said problems dont announce themselves..they just arrive..We were not able to attend the dinner but I hope these reached their final destinations in an intact state and also hope that everyone liked them. My fiance of course enjoyed having them and that just made my day. :)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-54270979517270349302011-10-29T16:40:00.000-07:002011-10-29T16:45:53.074-07:00Diwali! The festival of lights!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The biggest festival has come by and already past us.. :( This time I have to completely blame my work for making me miss out on it.. I had made elaborate plans for Diwali.. I was planning to make rangoli (colorful design patterns) everyday! But instead I had to work to my day's end! Anyhow I of course tried to do my bit for Diwali and this post is going to just document that!<br />
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First of all, I have to tell you all, how great my fiance is! All my plans started falling apart on the main day of Diwali..but my sweetheart took the initiative did all the shopping,decoration and also the actual puja for Goddess Laxmi. Look how pretty.. :)<br />
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Diwali means making yummy treats- both savory and sweet and sharing them with your loved ones. I of course had to make something on a healthier side..and I have found that there isn't really any thing that falls under that category. Nevertheless I decided to make my favorite savory treat - Chivda and a sweet which was originally called Dilpasand burfi.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Masala chivda</span><br />
Chivda is a crispy snack made from puffed rice. It has a lot of variations and of course I had to make my favorite variation.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
For the masala:<br />
1 tbsp asafoetida seeds<br />
1 tsp coriander seeds<br />
1 tsp cumin seeds<br />
1 tsp black peppercorns<br />
1 tsp turmeric powder<br />
1 tsp amchur powder<br />
2 tsp red chili powder<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mix all the ingredients and grind them to a fine powder. You can vary the amounts as per your liking. </li>
</ul>
<div>
For the chivda:<br />
2-3 tbsps chivda masala<br />
4 cups thin puffed rice (thin/medium poha) - I lightly roasted them to get them crispy.<br />
10-12 curry leaves<br />
1/3 cup peanuts<br />
1/3 cup cashews<br />
6-8 green chilies cut into small pieces<br />
1/3 cup sliced dried coconut<br />
1 tbsp mustard seeds<br />
2 tbsp turmeric powder<br />
oil as needed<br />
salt and sugar to taste<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Mix masala, sugar and salt. Keep it aside.</li>
<li>Shallow fry the peanuts, cashews,coconut and curry leaves in oil and keep them aside. Crush the curry leaves lightly.</li>
<li>Heat oil in a deep vessel. Once heated add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the chillies and let them get crisp in the oil. Now add turmeric powder followed by the masala.</li>
<li>Once the masala separates itself from the oil, add the puffed rice and mix well and let it stay on medium heat to come together and keep mixing it frequently but delicately. Be careful to not break the puffed rice.</li>
<li>After the mixture has come together add the peanuts,cashews,etc mixture to it. Mix everything well and let it get roasted for a few more mins. Check the taste and adjust the spices,salt and sugar. Let it cool down and store in a air-tight container. The chivda is ready to enjoy!</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3smDFvbEJqfensDsHR4VcOy38i0HiB-bkzJQxCsA6H0j7KeJMxKWZdjAqobjz3evs0QhjkmMYoZjMiCxsaH1zUf6LcJcVPZj9HH0sFXhnOzXxZyVOrApllnzH7TnTDNVFyAHtrJh0frI/s1600/cooking+delights25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3smDFvbEJqfensDsHR4VcOy38i0HiB-bkzJQxCsA6H0j7KeJMxKWZdjAqobjz3evs0QhjkmMYoZjMiCxsaH1zUf6LcJcVPZj9HH0sFXhnOzXxZyVOrApllnzH7TnTDNVFyAHtrJh0frI/s640/cooking+delights25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sorry for the poor picture quality but this chivda was over before I could get any more pics. :( But that's not really a bad news..is it!<br />
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I had different plans for the sweets, but of course nothing really goes as planned. So without wasting too much time, I decided to pick a recipe and make it. I chose the well know Tarla Dalal recipe for Dilpasand burfi. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Anjeer-badam-kaju Burfi</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://www.tarladalal.com/Dilpasand-Barfi-2017r">Here</a> is the original recipe, I didn't have any pistachios at home and decided to substitute it with almonds. But to my despair, it didn't turn out as well as it should have. :( The flavor was definitely up-to-par. The cashew burfi and badam burfi weren't reduced to the right level and ended up having excess moisture. Due to this I couldn't really roll them as desired. If you get into a similar trouble, then refrigerate the individual burfis for a few hours and then roll them together. I was in a hurry since it was almost 1am and I had an early workday to begin and so in a hurry I just rolled them together, due to this the cashew and almond burfi got meshed in together. Anyways hopefully next time I will be more careful. Nonetheless everyone loved them!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcDuhsbV6L-EVxiPpqQrsrCy8o33-Y1mgDo1TYpzMtvLN3UsgaSQrxyiV718XPaP4xmj6Arh4156rMaRuGPBvA5oYEbqtaRt-ej0sSdbNvsqvSGaRpSBzdvIbd8Lso2Or9lK8VCi-4jw/s1600/cooking+delights26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcDuhsbV6L-EVxiPpqQrsrCy8o33-Y1mgDo1TYpzMtvLN3UsgaSQrxyiV718XPaP4xmj6Arh4156rMaRuGPBvA5oYEbqtaRt-ej0sSdbNvsqvSGaRpSBzdvIbd8Lso2Or9lK8VCi-4jw/s640/cooking+delights26.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-87590418694950138512011-10-10T20:53:00.000-07:002011-10-10T22:41:21.019-07:00Healthy streusel cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I guess before I begin I have to mention this.. Yes, I have been baking almost weekly now..and no I dont gobble everything.. in fact this time I have made enough to share.. ;)<br />
Baking has surely become my stress buster.. at the end of a grueling week, my mind starts wandering around to find something yummy to bake! Last friday, I found just about the right thing to make!<br />
<br />
After baking for the past few months, I felt pretty confident to experiment and found out that <a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/">Abby Dodge</a> had posted the October #<a href="http://www.abbydodge.com/2011/10/sour-cream-coffee-cake-baketogethe/">baketogether</a> challenge. I have been trying to participate in this monthly event for past few months and finally this month I got the perfect recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4Kr1DX4ODRfDXQkL_LJS-WWi5QwFt88h2C1INTV6Z3X6Ti8nkyxi7o8JAxQWKa3WTP3HymRXnnkpvu6ZB96gpnQNowmK6x7QQs3E1vjE5czF8d7daXBs6fprU6NgllfSjKehAGPkzeg/s1600/cooking+delights23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4Kr1DX4ODRfDXQkL_LJS-WWi5QwFt88h2C1INTV6Z3X6Ti8nkyxi7o8JAxQWKa3WTP3HymRXnnkpvu6ZB96gpnQNowmK6x7QQs3E1vjE5czF8d7daXBs6fprU6NgllfSjKehAGPkzeg/s640/cooking+delights23.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I love coffee cakes! I am a coffee person and everything that goes well with coffee becomes my favorite too. I love the streusel and I dont spare even a tiny crumb of it. But this cake was going to be something else. I was dying to make a healthy version especially since I am trying to cut down big time! I love the fact that Abby encourages everyone to create their own version and instead of making a cake I preferred to make cupcakes and so here goes:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Streusel cupcakes</span><br />
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For the streusel:<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1/3 cup all purpose flour<br />
1/3 cup oats<br />
1/4 cup walnuts<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />
<br />
For the cake:<br />
1 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
<div>
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon table salt<br />
6 tablespoons olive oil<br />
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar (I used less than a cup and add about 2 tbsp honey)<br />
1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
1 large egg & 1 egg white at room temperature</div>
<div>
1 cup yogurt, at room temperature<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>To make the streusel: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Drizzle over the melted butter and, using a fork (or use your fingers), mix the ingredients are well blended and form small crumbs. Pop in the fridge while you make the batter.</li>
<li>To make the cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour the sides and bottom of a 9 x 2-inch square baking pan or a cupcake pan.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and vanilla until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add about half of the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Add the yogurt and continue mixing just until blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining flour mixture.</li>
<li>Spoon about a tablespoon of the batter into each of the prepared molds and spread evenly. Evenly scatter half of the streusel mixture over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter evenly over the streusel and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining streusel evenly over the top.</li>
<li>Bake until the top is browned and a pick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack until warm or room temperature.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak7nGmE9pQrbRqwHsf9P-5e77wxyMWoouK9KRvAy1-A2Mq-0WsmhQgfP0zXA1nSXKKZHDrb9eQlR9CqLVL4S4ok0ciavfdSV10PM33dmfVmvNyOdLP3I4pt86StP0bFl7nwT-ZKhbr5E/s1600/cooking+delights22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak7nGmE9pQrbRqwHsf9P-5e77wxyMWoouK9KRvAy1-A2Mq-0WsmhQgfP0zXA1nSXKKZHDrb9eQlR9CqLVL4S4ok0ciavfdSV10PM33dmfVmvNyOdLP3I4pt86StP0bFl7nwT-ZKhbr5E/s640/cooking+delights22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was so anxious that the moment I got them out I had a bite..and got discouraged. :( The sugar in the cupcakes has not settled. The cupcakes looked so pretty, I was feeling really sad. But today when I tried one again, it tasted almost perfect. I know a little more sugar would do, but today I didn't really miss it. The streusel had just the right amount of sweetness and balanced the whole flavor well.</div>
<div>
These will be perfect for breakfast, lunch or even as a snack! Enjoy!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-69260409801297299352011-10-07T20:43:00.000-07:002011-10-07T20:44:11.773-07:00A sweet treat for a sweet return<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Time is truly flying by..Just when I thought it was still September we have already entered the next month. My work has been taking most of time and it has turned out to be a favorable distraction especially since the better half was away for the past week. But with his return I of course had a reason to celebrate and but of course it had to be something that was healthy yet delicious.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
After a little bit of research, I had it narrowed down to two recipes and finally decided to make this lovely banana nut bread. I got the original recipe from Joy of Baking.com and can be found <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/healthydesserts/LowFatBananaBread.html">here</a>.I didn't really fiddle with it too much, I just halved it because I prefer to make bread in smaller quantities. It makes sure that it gets consumed before you get bored by it! <br />
<br />
With some minor changes and some nuts, my first bread turned out really great! I haven't even spared a crumb of it! yum.. :)<br />
Here's the recipe:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eIYVJxHcghDoytDEOs_WFre8JqVlqT6jfjCk_ksohPyWx_AZnxuCX66mt_yHmPkpjD3KrfppIzG6Ojzq5HILg7pQ2OzLtnFF5AxNd5FabvcWkqQlki81C27y6dpM1pAxkzfe0rL07QA/s1600/cooking+delights19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eIYVJxHcghDoytDEOs_WFre8JqVlqT6jfjCk_ksohPyWx_AZnxuCX66mt_yHmPkpjD3KrfppIzG6Ojzq5HILg7pQ2OzLtnFF5AxNd5FabvcWkqQlki81C27y6dpM1pAxkzfe0rL07QA/s640/cooking+delights19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="color: blue;">
Low-fat Banana Walnut Bread</div>
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Ingredients: (Double the recipe to have a standard size loaf)<br />
<br />
1 ripe banana (mashed) <br />
1/2 tsp baking soda <br />
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt <br />
2 tbsp canola, vegetable, or corn oil <br />
6 tbsp light brown sugar <br />
1 egg white<br />
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract <br />
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour <br />
1/3 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/4 cup walnuts coarsely chopped <br />
pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder <br />
pinch of salt<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecL3NIzg6wEyJzAPOrLI4BHHOd5nsZoKWNqaaC0rmNWBzfDEyMUCNnA_7Vbi5Kvshl3jMXHi1lsBvyzQPu_uqNPAQoxvDNg5uQhQcIK5YpZkKWQG0XPibDx-q_2Mi3MCCTFXue3bkPro/s1600/cooking+delights18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhecL3NIzg6wEyJzAPOrLI4BHHOd5nsZoKWNqaaC0rmNWBzfDEyMUCNnA_7Vbi5Kvshl3jMXHi1lsBvyzQPu_uqNPAQoxvDNg5uQhQcIK5YpZkKWQG0XPibDx-q_2Mi3MCCTFXue3bkPro/s400/cooking+delights18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 5 x 2.5 inch(mini) loaf pan with a nonstick vegetable cooking spray.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla. </li>
<li>In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. </li>
<li>Then combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.</li>
</ul>
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I know my blogs have been mostly about baking..but with the wedding so close..I don't get to splurge a lot and end up making the usual.. but with the festive season coming to its peak in the next few weeks..you will surely see some traditional recipes from me..stay tuned!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8335745251961983801.post-28803290311571427112011-09-18T16:21:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:05:37.754-07:00Farewell oh summer..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The summer has been a real roller coaster for me! A lot of things happened.. I moved.. I got engaged..got a new job..I started writing again..baking again..huff..the list goes on..<br />
With the summer coming to an end I had to grab the opportunity to bake something summery before it was too late. I decided to buy stuff and convinced myself that it would compel me to bake ..especially when I was getting desperate to bake. My last trip to Trader Joe's set the stage for me. The store was full of lovely peaches and nectarines and I had to grab some.<br />
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I looked around for the various things I could bake with peaches and truly the list was endless. I left the choice to the better half and by his choice I was ready to make some lovely peach cupcakes.<br />
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I still had to control the amount of guilt I would get and decided to skip the frosting. The best part is the cupcakes turned out so moist and light that you didn't need anything else. I was in a mood to have something decadent and pretty much used the original recipe and it turned out to be great! Here it is:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Peach Cupcake</span><br />
Ingredients: (Makes about 8-9 cupcakes)<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 cup butter / 1/2 stick of butter<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg lightly beaten<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
a little more than 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt<br />
1 peach peeled, cored and chopped (I made 1/2 inch dice)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGDBcvQGIMKLB8TtZUzPubtJsBpu14tCGchPrCsOuSqB8itgfm1MJR4bNim4e_cXuPUZSwtGBGXI0CFvIy0O6Ycb4RCUpk5yCj1A3dlFemehtpGKm5swT9QuSgC1Bs-xP5vwLpQNRSx0/s1600/cooking+delights17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGDBcvQGIMKLB8TtZUzPubtJsBpu14tCGchPrCsOuSqB8itgfm1MJR4bNim4e_cXuPUZSwtGBGXI0CFvIy0O6Ycb4RCUpk5yCj1A3dlFemehtpGKm5swT9QuSgC1Bs-xP5vwLpQNRSx0/s640/cooking+delights17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the muffin cups with paper liners. I didn't have any so had to do without them.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together, beating until fluffy. Add the egg, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then the vanilla. Gently mix in the yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks.</li>
<li>Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.</li>
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The original recipe suggested cream cheese frosting and I can imagine it would taste yumm... <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/peach-cupcakes-with-brown-sugar-frosting/">Here</a> is the original recipe, if you guys are wondering what frosting to pair with. I did try making a low-fat version of the frosting for my cupcake which turned out to be pretty good. Here it is:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Brown sugar yogurt frosting</span></div>
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Ingredients: </div>
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1/2 cup of greek yogurt / low-fat yogurt (extract out all the water from the yogurt)</div>
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4 tbsp brown sugar</div>
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1tbsp corn flour</div>
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<li>Mix all the ingredients well and keep the frosting frozen to make it firm and only use it when the cupcakes cool down.</li>
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We had these as a dessert with some peach slices as well as for breakfast with coffee, in fact just now the better half had it with some whipped cream. Surely a recipe to make again and again. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOW_LQLMBa0uji0SLWM7whujgurplE2AspxVnPcrzHdFrgh3kKcP0v0uZBmCbysxeNci4qXeljN5Fq6eD5ez2kY2QyXfdnXSv_JyklpLjq7-Emd3dHmyut4a5uR9pKpP3FEQdHTI8xJY/s1600/cooking+delights16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOW_LQLMBa0uji0SLWM7whujgurplE2AspxVnPcrzHdFrgh3kKcP0v0uZBmCbysxeNci4qXeljN5Fq6eD5ez2kY2QyXfdnXSv_JyklpLjq7-Emd3dHmyut4a5uR9pKpP3FEQdHTI8xJY/s640/cooking+delights16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1