Monday, March 15, 2010

Crispy Cake Rusk

An unforgettable delight for everyone back in those days.  Papa always bought it and brought it home for his three girls and Mother would  keep them  in an air tight container for us to have it for later with our evening tea, and how eagerly we  looked  forward for that tea time snack! Each bite of it tingled my tongue with joy as I dipped it in the milky tea. Years have passed now, yet memories of the past linger  in between and I brought a piece of my childhood back to life today!

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Sugar : 1 cup
Eggs : 2
Wheat Flour or All Purpose Flour : 1 1/2 cup
Almond Oil or Another available kind : 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence : 1 tsp

Direction:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Beat eggs and sugar for about one minute.
  3. Mix flour and baking powder together.
  4. Pour oil, milk, and vanilla into the beaten egg and sugar. Pour this in to the  egg and sugar mixture. Beat for one minute.
  5. Pour the mix into an appropriate pan, preferably a cake loaf pan. Cook for about 40 minutes or a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. When it cools, cut it into small slices.
  6. Spread it on a cookie sheet  in the oven on 200F  for about 45 minutes, turning in between or till the desired crispiness is reached.
  7. Store in an air tight container and it will stay for weeks! Enjoy it with tea or coffee.

Notes:

  • For this recipe, all purpose flour was used.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Strawberry Mango Cobbler

What a great way to eat up those fruits that was sitting in the fridge unnoticed!  Simple ,easy and healthy recipe without spending much time in the kitchen!

Strawberry hulled and diced : 2 cups
Mangoes Sliced : 1/2 cup
Raw Sugar : 2 tbsp
Water : 4 tbsp
Corn Starch : 1 tsp
Almond Flour : 1/3 cup
Instant Oats : 1/2 cup
Butter : 2 tbsp
Brown Sugar : 2 tbsp or to taste
Silvered Almonds : a few
Salt : a pinch
Baking soda : a pinch

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Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Mix raw sugar, corn starch and water. Cook it on medium heat till it thickens. Stir in mangoes and strawberries.
  • Butter an oven proof pan, add the fruit mixture to it and coat the fruits with the syrup.
  • Using your finger tips make a coarse mixture of almond flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, salt and baking powder.Pour it over the top of the fruits and let it cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it rest on the counter for few minutes to set.
  • Serve it with a dollop of whip cream.

Notes:

Serves 4 to 5. 
Done in 30 minutes! 

Friday, March 5, 2010

Corn Bread

Laura Ingalls Wilder, a great narrator and a story teller, grew up in the 1890s, talks about her mother cooking and baking corn bread. I sat there reading through the pages of the ‘ little house on the prairie’ and seeing it through the pages and drooling at the same time. The aroma of nice , fresh baked corn bread is simply delicious! What more can I say? I made it and loved it!!

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Corn meal : 3/4 cup
All purpose flour : 1 1/4 cup
Sugar : 1/4 cup
Baking Powder : 2 tsp
Salt : 1/2 tsp
Milk : 1 cup
Egg Beaten : 1
Oil : 1/4 cup

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease 8 or 9 inch round pan.
  2. Blend all dry ingredients.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients until dry ingredients are moist.
  4. Pour batter into greased pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Makes about 9 servings. Serve warm with stewed black eyed peas.

Note

This recipe is as appeared on Kroger foods corn cake recipe.

Stewed Black Eyed Peas

A very satisfying meal, great for those who have less time handy and want to eat something healthy, home made and delicious. This was done in no time, quick and easy, and a great weekend meal for all especially vegetarians! Only thing to remember is to soak the peas overnight or for at least eight hours.  Want to make it to a soup? Simply add another cup of water or vegetable broth and enjoy!! Don’t forget to eat it with the corn bread!!

Black eyed peas  soaked overnight : 1/2 cup
Yam peeled and cubed :1
Tomatoes: 2
Carrots : 1
Onion medium size : 1
Garlic : 2
Oil : As needed
Salt: As needed
Pepper : As needed or a tsp.
Red Chili powder : 1/2 tsp
Dried Basil : As needed
Water : 2 cups or as needed or Vegetable broth may be substituted

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Preparation:

  1. In a pressure cooker or an appropriate stew pan add some oil, sauté onions and garlic till translucent.
  2. Add all the dry spices together along with salt and sauté for a few seconds.
  3. Now add all the other ingredients together. And mix well with a spoon. Add water. Pressure cook for one whistle. Check for salt and pepper.
  4. Serve it with corn bread. Non vegetarians can serve it with chicken drumsticks also.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Chilli Chicken Naughty

Chicken breast : 2
Mushroom Sliced : 1/2 cup
Green Pepper Thinly Sliced : 1/2 cup
Red or Yellow Pepper Thinly Sliced : 1/2 cup
Tomato : 1
Green Onions : 1/4 cup
Ground Fresh Chilli Paste : 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce : 2 tsps
Cashew nut : a few
To marinate:
Oil : 2 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder : 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : As needed

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Preparation:

  1. Cut chicken breast into small pieces.  Marinate it with all the ingredients listed above.  Let it sit for few minutes.
  2. In the mean time, slice all the vegetables and sauté them in the order of peppers and mushrooms first for few minutes and transfer it to a plate, in the remaining oil add the cut chicken pieces and cook for few minutes till it is done.
  3. Now add the soy sauce and the chili paste on it and stir well to coat the chicken and transfer it into a plate.
  4. Lastly add the chopped tomatoes and onions and when it is done cooking, fold in all the other ingredients. Check for salt and spice.