Cakes n bakes

Chocolate, Banana & Nuts Bread

Chocolate banana bread

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-1 3/4 cup

Granulated white sugar-1 cup

Baking powder-1 tsp

Baking soda-1/4 tsp

Salt-1/4 tsp

Dark chocolate chips-1/2 cup

Pecans and walnut-1/4 cup each toasted and chopped

Unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder-1/4 cup

Unsalted butter– 1/2 cup melted and brought to room temperature

Large eggs-2 at room temperature

Pure vanilla extract– 1tsp

Ripe bananas-3 mashed

Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 350°F. Whisk all the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder) together.

Chocolate banana bread

In a separate bowl mix vanilla extract to lightly beaten eggs, add in the melted butter and give it a nice stir.

Add the mixture slowly to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Now add the mashed bananas, nuts and chocolate chips, mix lightly until just combined . Do not over mix the components.

Chocolate banana bread

Chocolate banana bread

Add the mixture into 9X5 inch loaf pan greased with baking spray or oil.

Chocolate banana bread

Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate banana bread

Enjoy!

Chocolate banana bread

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Salads

Vegetable Salad

Salad

Serving-6 people

Ingredients:

Baby carrots -5

Baby radish -4

Yellow, orange, red bell pepper– Quarter of each

Cherry tomatoes– 1/4 cup

Spinach- 1 cup packed

Lettuce- 1 cup packed

Sweet corn- 1/4 cup

Tofu– 1/4 cup chopped into cubes

Cranberries-1/4 cup

Honey roasted groundnuts -1/4 cup (optional)

Toasted walnuts – 1/4 cup chopped

Dressing:

Any italian dressing

or

Honey- 2 tbsp

Freshly squeezed orange juice – 3 tbsp

Olive oil– 1 tbsp

Balsamic vinaigrette– 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Chop all the vegetables into small cubes.

Salad

Finely chop the leafy vegetables. Mix everything in a bowl. Add chopped tofu, cranberries and mix well.

Mix the dressing in a small bowl. Sprinkle salt, pepper and dressing according to your taste. Finally add the toasted walnuts and honey roasted groundnuts on top and serve immediately.

Salad

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Cakes n bakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup – Dutch processed dark cocoa powder

1 cup – boiling water

1 1/3 cup –  Sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup – Granulated white sugar

2 – Large eggs

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Frosting:

4 ounces – Unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups – Sifted powdered sugar or icing sugar

1 1/2 tsp  Pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F Line 16 cupcake liners and keep it ready. Whisk all the dry ingredients like salt, baking powder and all-purpose flour, keep aside. In another bowl mix the hot water and cocoa powder until smooth and bring the mixture to room temperature.

Chocolate cupcake

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, use a hand mixer or an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla extract.

Chocolate cupcake

Slowly add the flour mixture until everything is incorporated. Finally add the cocoa mixture and mix everything well.

Chocolate cupcake

Add the mixture to the cupcake liners until they are 2/3rd full.

chocolate cupcake

Bake for 17-19 minutes until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Do not over bake the cupcakes as they will lose the moistness. Remove from oven and cool them on a wire rack.

chocolate cupcake

chocolate cupcake

Once the cupcakes cools,you can smear the frosting on the cupcake using a spatula or if you have a piping, use a large 1M thick open star tip to make the swirls on the cupcake.

Frosting:

Melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave or place the  heat proof bowl with chocolate  on a saucepan of simmering water. Mix it until it melts and forms a smooth texture.

chocolate cupcake

In another bowl beat the butter well, add the powdered sugar and beat again. Mix it until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate, beat until smooth and glossy for about 3-4 minutes.

chocolate cupcake

Smear or add into the piping and decorate the cupcakes as you like!

chocolate cupcake

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Cakes n bakes

Mexican Wedding Cake

Mexican wedding cakes

Mexican wedding cakes also known as Russian tea cakes or butter cookies are very delicious and just melts in the mouth.

Ingredients:

Butter- 1 cup (room temperature)

All purpose flour– 2 cups

confectionary sugar 1/2 cup + 1 cup

Walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts 2/3 cup toasted and powdered

Vanilla extract– 1/2 tsp

Salt -1/4 tsp

Preparation:

Toast the nuts at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes until light brown, cool down before grinding to get a powdered mixture or else you will end up getting a lump. Use a hand mixer or food processor to mix the butter and 1/2 cup of confectionary sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in vanilla extract and mix again. In a separate bowl mix salt and all-purpose flour. Add the flour slowly and mix it completely until incorporated. Finally add the nut mixture and bring the mixture into a dough. Wrap the dough and refrigerate for an hour.

Mexican wedding cake

Preheat the oven to 350°C. Spray the cookie sheet with baking spray or use a  parchment paper. Scoop 1 tbsp or 100 oz of mixture, make it in to a round shape and line up the dough 2 inches apart.

Mexican wedding cake

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges and the bottom just turn light golden brown.

Mexican Wedding Cake

Spread 1 cup of confectionary sugar on a flat bottom. As soon as the cookies are out of the oven, take a spatula and slowly grab the cookie and toss and turn the cookie in the sugar. The cookie should be completely coated with sugar. If you not a sugar person as I am, you can just sprinkle some sugar on top as well. Make sure you cool it completely before tasting it!

Mexican wedding cake

Mexican wedding cake

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Main Course

Tehri

Tehri

Ingredients

Ghee/clarified butter- 2 tsp

Cardamom – 1

Cloves– 2

Tej patta (Malabathrum) – 1

Garlic– 6 ( crushed)

Ginger– 1″ piece (crushed)

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Red chilli powder– 1tsp

Basmati rice- 1 cup

Beans- 1/4 cup (chopped lengthwise)

Carrot- 1/4 cup(chopped lengthwise)

Cauliflower – 1/4 cup (chopped lengthwise)

Peas- 100 gms

Potatoes- 1/4 cup(chopped lengthwise)

Onion -1 (sliced lengthwise)

Green chillies- 1 (slit lengthwise)

Mint leaves– 4 to 5 optional

Salt- to taste

Preparation:

Soak washed rice in water for half an hour. In a pan add ghee, when hot add cloves, cinnamon, tej patta. Add onions and roast until golden brown. Now add green chillies, crushed ginger and garlic, fry for a minute. Add all the vegetables, coriander powder and chilli powder(adjust the level of chilli powder according to your spice level). Add salt and mix well.

TehriTehri

Drain the water in rice, add the vegetable mixture, mix well with rice. Add 1 and half cup of water and cook until done. ( I cooked the rice in rice cooker). Serve hot with any type of  raita.

Tehri

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Appetizers/Snacks

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

 Ingredients:

Pitted dates- 10

Goat cheese- 4 0z pack

Bread crumbs– 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slit the pitted date lengthwise and fill it with ½ tsp of goat cheese pressing the sides.

Take the breadcrumbs in a shallow plate and dip the slit side of the dates with breadcrumbs, coating it as a top layer.

Place the dates in the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, (depending on your oven). Dates should be soft when done, cool the dates for 5 minutes before serving! Enjoy.

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Main Course

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

Grated paneer- 1 cup

Cumin powder- ¾ tsp

Coriander powder- ¾ tsp

Red chilli powder– 1 ½ tsp or according to your spice level

Garam masala powder- ¾ tsp

Chopped cilantro leaves- ¼ cup

Wheat flour-1 cup

Hot water- ½ cup

Salt- to taste

Oil

Preparation:

To make the dough: Mix the wheat flour with half cup of hot water, 1 teaspoon oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix it well and make it into dough, cover and keep aside.

For the filling: Mix grated paneer with rest of the spices mentioned above, chopped coriander and salt.

Take a little bigger than lemon sized dough. Roll it to ½  inch thickness and smear ½ tsp oil. Add 2 tbsp paneer mixture in the center. Lift the sides of the dough and bring it to the center. Flatten it a little and roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness by adding gentle pressure to the rolling pin and making sure the filling doesn’t come out. You can sprinkle little wheat flour and roll the rotis making sure the dough do not stick to the bottom.

Roast it on a hot griddle adding little ghee or oil on both sides.  Serve it with yogurt and pickle or any other side dish of your choice.

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Cakes n bakes

Eggless Fruit And Nut Cake

Ingredients:

Raisins, cranberries, tutty fruity or any other glazed fruit- 1/3 cup of each (1 cup total)

Chopped cashew, Almonds, walnut – 1/3 cup of each (1 cup total)

All purpose flour -1 3/4 cup

Sugar- 1 cup

Baking soda-1 tsp

Cinnamon powder-1/4 tsp

Nutmeg powder-1/4 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Butter-1/2 cup

Water- 2 cups

Vallina essence- 1tsp

Preparation:

Bring two cups of water to boil adding raisins and cranberries or any other chopped dried friut for 10 minutes, closing the lid.

Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add butter and stir to mix it completely and keep aside. Cool it further for another 10 minutes. Mix sifted all purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder and salt.

Stir in the dry ingredients into water which has butter, raisins and cranberries. Mix everything completely and finally add chopped nuts, tutty fruity or glazed fruits if any.

Mix it well and pour it into a sprayed bunt cake pan or any regular 12″ baking pan.

Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven. Tooth pick inserted should come out clean when done.

Allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, loosen the edges with a buttered knife, turn it upside down on a cooling rack and cool further for few minutes, before cutting the cake.

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Breakfast

Neer Dose

Ingredients:

Rice- 2 cups

Shredded coconut– 1 cup

White sesame seeds- 1 tsp

Water- as needed

Salt- to taste

Preparation:

Soak rice in water for 4-5 hours. Grind it into smooth paste with shredded coconut adding enough water. (We add coconut to enhance the taste of dose) Allow it to ferment overnight (optional) add sesame seeds, salt and mix it well. Make sure the batter is very thin, (a little thicker than milk ) adjust the consistency by adding water. Heat the griddle on medium heat. A very thin layer of batter is spread on the griddle (spread it as lightly as you can, which is the secret of getting a good neer dose) Grease with oil on the sides of the dosa, cover and wait for 25-30 seconds. Flip it to the other side, wait for few seconds (4-5 secs) and remove from the griddle. Enjoy the dose with coconut chutney or any other spicy side dish of your choice. Many enjoy eating the dose with honey, coconut mixed with jaggery (1:1 proportion) or any other pudding.

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Soup

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

Medium size onion-1

Peeled potato-1

Tomato-1

Peeled carrot-1

Beans-6 to 8

Cauliflower- 5 to 6 small florets

Cabbage- 1/2 cup shredded

Butter-2 tbsp

Cloves-4

Cinnamon stick-1/2 inch

Salt-to taste

Bread crumbs– optional

Servings- 4 to 5

Preparation:

Cut all the vegetables coarsely.

In a cooker over medium heat, melt the butter, add cloves and cinnamon sticks, fry for a sec and add onions.

Fry onions until translucent and add tomatoes, salt and half cup of water. After 3 to 4 minutes add rest of the vegetables, two cups of water and pressure cook until vegetables are tender(usually two whistles). Cool down the cooked vegetables and blend the mixture in a bender until smooth. Add water if necessary. Bring the puree to boil in a pot and the soup is ready to serve. Add bread crumbs, pepper and salt to enhance the taste.

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