Cookie cups

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour  - 1/2 cup

Virgin coconut oil   - 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Cocoa powder         - 1 tbsp

Banana essence      - 4 drops

Dates                      - 10

Milk of choice         - 2- 3 tbsp(I used almond milk)

salt                          - 1/4 tsp

Soak the dates overnight in 1 tbsp of milk. In a mixing bowl add the dry ingredients and mix well. Rough chop the dates and add it to the bowl and blend well. Slowly add the oil and rest of the milk while kneading with your hand until you get a firm non- sticky dough.

Divide them into 6 equal balls and flatten each to about 1/2 inch thickness with your hands. 

Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Place each flattened dough along the curvature of the holes of a greased muffin pan. Gently press it in the center before putting it in the oven.

Then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Press the center of the dough every 4-5 minutes ( I used the ends of my rolling pin). Switch off oven and let it cool before taking it out.

With a little more effort you can get cups of the same size, I did not have the patience for it.

Recipe source  http://quicknhealthy.blogspot.com/2014/03/milk-in-cookie-cups.html

Baked cookie cups

Savory salad/soup cups(Katoris)

I was inspired by Quicknhealthy blogspot recipe milk-n-cookie cups for this recipe. Since the savory version is preferred by the folks here at home attempted this version. Made them in two sizes.

Ingredients:

whole wheat flour - 2 cups

Oil of choice         - 1 1/2 tbsp

Milk/water            - 1/2 cup or as required (I used almond milk)

Salt                       - as per taste

Garlic powder      - 1/2 tsp

Dry thyme            - 1/2 tsp

Mix all the dry ingredients together. I used my food processor for mixing. Add the oil and milk little by little to make a slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough with your hand for half a minute.

Keep the dough aside for an hour. You can make them immediately too.

Small cups (katoris):

Roll the dough into small balls, flatten it with your palm and then press from the center towards the sides to make a small cup. Ensure the thickness of the cup is even all around for uniform baking.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Meanwhile layer a baking tray or pan with aluminium foil and brush the cups with a little oil and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until done.

Baked small cups

Big bowl (katoris):

Baked big bowls

Roll into medium sized balls(3-4 cm diameter) and flatten it. Use a small bowl greased with a little oil and place the dough on the flat surface of the bowl. Then spread the dough over the curved surface of the bowl get a cup shaped dough with even thickness.I used a small glass jar for this. Take the dough out of the bowl brush the outer side with a little oil. Bake at 375 F for 20-30 minutes or until done.

Serve them filled with food of choice.The small cups could be used as a trendy way to serve snacks or appetizers  for parties.

I used the small cups to serve Indian salad(kosumalli - finely chopped raw cabbage, carrots,chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and cooked moong dal seasoned with salt and pepper).

We had the big bowls filled with beetroot soup (Russian borscht)  for us adults and shredded carrots and beets with cheese for our little one who prefers to eat salads.

Small cups with salad

Kosumalli

Savory cup with beets and cheese

  

Savory bowl filled with beetroot soup(Russian borscht)

savory cup filled with carrots and cheese 

Spaghetti squash Olan

In honour of Saint Patrick's day, we had a green lunch this weekend.
Menu was Parboiled rice,spaghetti squash olan and garlic broccoli stir fry.

 Ingredients:

Spaghetti squash           - 1 cup peeled, cut into thin rectangular slices
Long beans                    - 1 cup (julienne)
green chillies                 - 2 (cut each lengthwise into half)*
turmeric powder            - 1 tsp
salt                                 - as per taste
Coconut milk(thick)      - 2 tbsp
Coconut oil                    - 1/2 tsp ( to garnish)

* Add green chillies depending on the level of spice required.

Heat a pan and add the vegetables and chillies with the turmeric powder. Add water just enough to immerse the vegetables. Cook in medium flame with a closed lid. Once vegetables are half cooked add the salt. Lower the heat once the vegetables are cooked. Add the thick coconut milk to this and mix well and switch off the stove once it starts to boil. Garnish with coconut oil. If you have curry leaves add a few of them and then add the coconut oil.

Stir the gravy before serving. It goes well with rice/adai or dosai.

Spaghetti squash olan AKA Spicy Semiya payasam

Chocolate marbled pound cake

Dry Ingredients:

All purpose flour                     - 1 and 1/2 cups

Sugar                                      - 1 and 1/4 cups

Unsweetened cocoa powder   - 1 tbsp

Orange zest                             - from 1 orange

Baking soda                            - 1/2 tsp

Baking powder                        - 1/2 tsp

Salt                                          - 1/4 tsp

Wet Ingredients

Greek yogurt(thick curds)       - 8 ounces

Butter                                      - 8 tbsps

Eggs                                        - 3

Chocolate syrup                      - 1 tbsp

Directions:

Sift the flour. Add the rest of the dry ingredients except the cocoa powder in a large vessel. Divide this into three parts.

Dry Ingredients
 
 In another bowl, break the eggs and whisk them. Then add the yogurt and whisk it to get a fluffy texture.Melt the butter and add it to this mixture, blend well.

 

wet ingredients

wet ingredients for marbling

 

Line the baking pan with an aluminium foil. Spray oil on the foil and the rest of the pan.
This helps to take out the cake easily.Layer half of the non-chocolate mix.

first layer

Add the chocolate mixture in drops over the first layer, try to avoid the sides of the dish so that the marbling remains in the center of the cake without spreading too much on the outer side of the cake.

chocolate layer

Then top with the rest of the non-chocolate mix over this and swirl with a brush.Bake in the oven for 375 F 15 minutes and reduce temperature to 350 F until done. 

Baked cake

No knead bread by our 5 year old

Introducing the youngest chef of our house, our newly turned 5 year old making an easy no knead bread.

Ingredients
All purpose flour - 2 and 1/2 cups
whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
yeast                     - 1/2 tsp
salt                       - 1 tsp
lukewarm water  - 1 and 3/4 cups

3 cups of Flour

Adding 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp yeast

1 and 3/4 cups lukewarm water

 Mix dry ingredients together.Slowly add the water while mixing to make a sticky dough.

Mixing

  Cover with a cling wrap and let it rest for 18-22 hour in the refrigerator.

Wrapping up

 

risen dough

 Flour a surface and place the risen dough and fold it into desired shape in a floured baking dish.
Then let it rise for another 2 hours.Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Bake it without a cover for 45 minutes or until done if you want a hard surface and bubbly, soft inside.

If you want a soft surface like a sponge cake texture follow the steps below.
 Bake it closed for 15 minutes then open the lid and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Spray water on the surface and close pan with lid.Continue baking for 15 minutes or until done.

Baked bread

Almond coconut truffles

Ingredients:

Almonds                                 - 1 cup

Dates                                      - 8 -10 (depending on the level of sweetness)

Cocoa powder(unsweetened) - 1/2 tsp

Dry coconut flakes                 - 2 tbsps

Almond milk                           - 1 -2  tbsps*

Ghee(clarified butter)              - 1 tsp

salt                                           - a small pinch(1/4 tsp or less)

*Can substitute with any other milk.

Directions:

Soak the dates overnight in the almond milk or in water.

Toast the almonds and grind it to a powder.Mix the salt and cocoa powder to the powdered almonds.

Chop the soaked dates or if you prefer cook it for a couple of minutes.

Blend the dates with almond mix using the milk and ghee with your hands. Roll them into small balls. 

Spread the coconut flakes on a plate and roll the balls on this plate to get a coating on them. I got 10 small truffles.

Ghee could be substituted with oil of your choice(though ghee gives a nice flavour to the truffles).

White Radish/Daikon salad



Ingredients:

 

White Radish/Daikon     - 1 bowl

Ginger powder                - 1 tsp

Freshly  ground pepper  - 1/2 tsp

mustard seeds                 - 1/2 tsp

lime juice                        - 1 tsp

oil for garnishing     

salt as per taste

 

Slice the radish into thin slices. Sprinkle a mixture of salt, ginger powder, pepper and lime juice over the radish and mix well. Layer it on a plate.

heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters put it over the seasoned radish.

 

 

Quinoa whole wheat grain bread

Ingredients

All purpose flour(maida)                  -  1 1/2 cups (can be replaced by whole wheat flour)

Whole wheat flour                            - 1/2 cup

Red Quinoa(toasted & half cooked) - 1/2 cup

salt                                                     -  as per taste

yeast                                                   - 1 tsp

water *                                                - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Oil of choice                                       - 1 tbsp

* I used water drained from yogurt for mixing the flour.

Directions:

Mix the flour, quinoa, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add water little by little and make it into a soft dough consistency. The dough should not be too dry, add a little flour if too moist. Knead for 2-3 minutes add the oil and keep kneading for another 3 minutes until it is not too sticky to touch.

Close it with a moist cloth and keep in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it doubles.

Grease and flour the baking tray or pan and pre-heat oven to 375 F.

I used a cast iron pan to bake the bread.

Bake until done, mine took about 35-40 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let it rest in the baking rack to cool.

Baked bread