Caesar salad (Chicken or veg)

There are days when you want to go light after feasting for days or you just want to lose those extra pounds. Well what is better than a light salad for such days. Salads have evolved a lot it no longer means few raw things thrown together. In fact if it is thoughtfully made it can be a balanced meal with proteins, vitamins and limited carbs. You can make your own healthy and yummy dressings and add a zing to it. Gone are the days when salads used to be boring.

I had tried this whole wheat bread but it came out dry and compact. But it turned out into great tasting croutons. I will share with you the recipe for my croutons too.

This salad can be made by vegetarians as well as chicken eaters.

Ingredients:

For the Croutons:

• 4 cups bread cut into 1/2" cubes (you can use fresh or 2-3 day old bread)
• 1/2 cup olive oil 
• 3 cloves garlic minced 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp dried parsley, thyme (optional)

For the Dressing:

• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup greek yogurt or regular yogurt (whey drained by hanging in muslin cloth for an hour)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup

For the Salad:

• Around 8-9 cups Romaine lettuce sliced as needed or you can use the mixed bag of romaine lettuce, iceberg and red cabbage.
• 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 2 cups chicken grilled and chopped into cubes or 2 cups paneer or tofu roasted in oven or grilled.

Directions:

For the Croutons:

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Mix minced garlic with olive oil or blend olive oil with garlic.
• In a large bowl mix together bread cubes, olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs
• Ensure that bread cubes are evenly covered with oil to avoid dry or soggy pieces.
• Bake at 350 degree F for around 15 minutes or until browned in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet.
• Let it cool and store in an airtight container.

For the Dressing:

• Blend together all the ingredients in a blender and keep aside.

For the Salad:

• In a large bowl toss together lettuce, bell pepper and chicken/ paneer/ tofu (whatever you are using).
• Add the dressing, mix well and add croutons and enjoy your light and healthy meal.

Mini Greek Pizza Muffins

These are savory muffins that have the subtle greek pizza taste. You can taste tomatoes, onion, garlic, olives and feta cheese, all those things which go into a greek pizza. These can be served as appetizers with marinara sauce while entertaining or you can also have them for breakfast or tea. It is not my own recipe I happened to see it on www.delish.com and it sounded wonderful and I made them and they taste wonderful too.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 2/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1  large egg, well beaten
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chopped kalamata olives

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a deep pan. If you are using fresh garlic then add it at this stage along with onion and red bell pepper. Keep stirring and cook for around 5 minutes till the onions are tender. Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Preheat oven to 400 degree F and spray a mini muffin pan with cooking oil 
• Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, oregano, sugar, garlic powder (if using it in powdered form) and salt in a medium bowl.
• Stir milk, feta, egg, tomato paste and olives into the onion mixture. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.
• Bake the muffins until lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Couscous Khichdi

I love the taste of Sabudana Khichdi which is a stir fried preparation for tapioca pearls. However it is said that it is not very healthy for you. I think it is the fact that it is loaded with starch and carbs and has little or almost no nutritional value. Sabudana by itself is bland but the preparation with chillies, cumin seeds and peanuts adds all the jazz to the dish and you get a yummy combination of flavors. I just wanted to have that taste but with health so thought about making it with couscous and it came out very close and now you also have nutritional value. You can use the regular couscous or whole wheat couscous.

Whole wheat regular couscous khichdi

Regular pearl couscous khichdi- this comes more close to sabudana khichdi

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat couscous (or the regular one)
• 1 medium potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes
• 2-3 green chillies chopped as per taste
• 7-8 currry leaves
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and roughly ground)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or any other cooking oil)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• few sprigs cilantro chopped fine

Directions:

• Cook couscous as per package instructions. Usually it will ask you to cook a cup of couscous in a cup of boiling water, cover it and fluff it after 5-10 minutes. You will have couscous with separate grains just like sabudana.
• Roast peanuts and grind it coarsely. 
• Take oil in a deep pan and heat it on medium flame. Add cumin seeds and when they stop crackling add green chillies and curry leaves. Green chillies are as per personal preference because there are lot of varieties of green chillies with different heat level.
• Add chopped potatoes, mix well and cook it on low flame with a cover on the pan.
• Keep checking and mixing in between to ensure even cooking and so that the potatoes don't get burnt.
• When the potatoes are cooked add ground peanuts, cooked couscous, salt to taste and lime juice.
• Mix well and top it with chopped cilantro.
• Serve warm and enjoy.

Mango Shrikhand (Amrakhand)

Mango Shrikhand is a yummy sweet from India which is often had along with the main course as an accompaniment with puris. It has a taste similar to that of cheesecake but in texture it is like mousse. Shrikhand is mainly made of sour cream cheese or yogurt. Either whey is drained off curdled milk or from yogurt and you add sugar and other flavors to get this sweet and sour delicacy.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups plain yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups mango pulp (I used sweetened store bought alphonso mango pulp)
• 1/2 cup sugar (add more sugar as per taste)
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (pistachio, almonds)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• few strands saffron about a pinch

Directions:

• Drain whey off yogurt using a cheesecloth for 7-8 hours or overnight is better.
• Remove the yogurt and but it in a bowl. You will probably be left with about 2 cups of yogurt.
• Put the yogurt in fridge for at least half an hour till you finish off preparing all other ingredients.
• Add sugar to the yogurt and mix it well.
• Take 2 tbsp mango pulp, warm it and rub saffron strands in it. Mix it with the yogurt
• Mix mango pulp and cardamom powder
• Add more sugar or mango pulp if needed but let the consistency of the shrikhand be creamy and not watery
• Add chopped nut and save some to garnish on top.
•  Chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

Other tips:

• If you want plain shrikhand omit mango pulp and rest of the ingredients remain the same. Just rub saffron in 2-3 tbsp milk instead of mango pulp.
• If you do not have time to wait overnight you can make instant plain shrikhand using 2 cups sour cream and add sugar as per taste and all other flavors. To make instant mango shrikhand you can use a mix of 1 cup sour cream, 1 pack cream cheese, and mango pulp and sugar as per taste.

Zucchini Bhaji/ Stir fried Zucchini

It was one of those days when I was feeling brain dead. Just couldn't think of what to make for lunch and I also get bored of the run of the mill daily dishes. So wanted to make something different with my numb state of mind. I started looking for recipes and also I was in no mood for an elaborate dish. I happened to find just the right one on about.com. The recipe is from Petrina Verma Sarkar. It is an Indian based dish using zucchini. So it is one of those quick dishes that you can squeeze in on a busy day or make it when you are in a state like me. It is quick but flavor wise very satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 3 large zucchinis
• 3-4 tbsp chickpea flour/ besan
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp carom seeds/ ajwain
• 1 tbsp olive/ canola/ vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Clean zucchini and cut it into 1" cubes
• In a mixing bowl put zucchini pieces and add chickpea flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder and cumin powder. Mix well and keep aside.
• In a deep nonstick pan, heat oil. I prefer nonstick cause you need less oil in it. If you are not using nonstick then just add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add cumin seeds and ajwain seeds and when it starts spluttering add the zucchini mixture.
• On low flame, cover the vessel and let the chick pea flour get cooked. When the flour starts turning golden and gives an aroma the bhaji is done because zucchini will also be cooked by then.
• Serve warm with roti, rice and dal.

Methi Kela Subzi (Fenugreek Banana Fry)

Well I seem to be getting obsessed with banana recipes. I dont know these days we seem to be having lot of bananas getting brown before we got eating them. I hate wasting food. So there I try to create something out of those unappetizing looking but still good to eat bananas. I did post recipes for banana bread and banana cookies but you dont crave sweet alll the time and banana bread is a kind of bread which you either hate or love. That depends on how much you love the humble, versatile, quick to eat, yellow fruit.

This time I am posting an Indian entree, Fenugreek Banana Fry called as Methi Kela Bhaji in India. When you listen to the name it sounds like a wierd combination, a fruit and a vegetable togther. One bitter and other sweet but that is what creates magic together. The bitterness is masked by bananas and the extreme sweetness of those overripe bananas are subdued by fenugreek leaves.

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch fenugreek/methi leaves (picked, cleaned and chopped)
• 3-4 ripe bananas (peeled and cut into large 1" slices)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 green chili chopped
• 1 inch finely chopped ginger
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 1 tsp read chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil

Directions:

• Take oil and heat it in a large nonstick vessel.
• Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add green chillies and ginger.
• Add asafoetida and red chili powder and immediately add the prepared methi leaves.
• Mix well, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt.
• Add thick slices of bananas and lightly mix well.
• Do not stir too much after you add bananas, just cover the vessel and let the methi leaves get cooked on low flame.
• In between just stir lightly to mix all spices and ensure even cooking.
• This is a very quick cooking dish so it will not take very long. So once the methi leaves are cooked turn off the gas and you can serve it warm with roti, paratha or naan.

Spicy Corn Soup

This a soup which my soup hating husband loves. It is very yummy especially if you like spicy food, you will love that little heat with corn flavor. It has a creamy texture. I bet it can become your favorite soup too once you try it.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 3/4 tsp red chili powder
• salt as per taste
• 6 cups water/ chicken stock/ veg stock
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:

• In a large vessel, take a tablespoon of olive oil and heat it.
• Add onion and garlic and saute well for a minute or two.
• Add red chili powder and corn kernels, mix well.
• Add water or stock and cook the corn kernels well.
• When the corn is cooked, take the vessel off the stove top and let it cool.
• Blend the mixture in a food processor and pass the puree through a strainer or a sieve into a vessel. Discard the corn particles collected in the strainer.
• Heat the puree add salt and heavy cream. Let it simmer for some time.
• Enjoy it warm in this cold weather.

Adapted from A Foodnetwork Recipe

Old fashioned chocolate cake (eggless)

Since I got interested in cake decorating, I have been on a lookout for good cake recipes. I want to have a good collection of eggless and regular cake recipes, so that I do not spend too much time trying out things. I need that precious time for decorating while handling my 2 year old.

Baking is definitely a science, which I have realized after baking so many cakes. It is not easy to tweak recipes, because everything has a role to play in giving the cake its texture. The type of fat used, number of eggs, leavening agents all have to be balanced for the perfect cake. Try to omit and replace something and you might end up with a dry, dense or an off texture cake. After all my browsing I have understood that baking soda is completely alkaline and baking powder has acidic elements too. So when you are dealing with acidic elements like fruits you need to add baking soda to balance the Ph. Well with so many things going on when you want to bake without eggs, it is a bigger challenge.

I tried lot of egg less chocolate cake recipes. I was not very satisfied with the moisture of the cake inspite of the amount of fat that went into each recipe. Finally I came across this recipe on food.com. God bless the lady for posting that recipe. It was the solution to my egg less chocolate cake problem. The cake is perfect just as I wanted it to taste and feel. Does not feel eggless at all. It goes as follows:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 cups hot water
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the center.
• Spray two 8" round cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Whisk dry cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee granules, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
• Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined- a few lumps are ok.
• Divide batter between the two pans (about 3 cups each), then bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35- 40 min).
• Cool cakes for 15 minutes on a rack, then invert them onto the rack.
• Leave upside down until completely cooled before frosting them.

Recipe Source: Old fashioned Chocolate Cake by PanNan

The original recipe also gives instructions for an icing, as I was just trying out cakes I did not try that. But it sounds wonderful to go with the cake.

Mango Cheesecake (eggless)

I wanted to make an eggless cheesecake and was looking at lot of recipes for it. I just combined few recipes and decided to add mango puree to it. I used the Alphonso mango puree from the Indian store, I think that is the best mango puree that you can use. Alphonso mangoes have a rich sweet taste. If you have tasted it you will agree that they the best mangoes in the world. I wanted to get that taste in my cheesecake.

I was not sure whether I would get that result in my cake because sometimes baking subdues the taste, especially with added fruits. But the result was amazing and I would say that it has become my favorite dessert. It is the best thing that I ever had as a dessert. The melting creaminess with mango flavor makes you forget the world, when your mouth is full of it. Just savor the sweet mango moment, I bet it will be a pampering moment for you, a spa for your taste-buds.

Ingredients:

Crust-

• 1-1/2 cup crackers (graham, oreos or any regular/ chocolate cracker on the sweeter side) crushed
• 6 tbsp melted butter

Filling-

• 4 8oz cream cheese packs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups mango puree
• 3/4  cup sugar (add more sugar a tbsp at a time if you like it sweeter)
• 1/4 cup egg replacer 
• 3 tbsp cake flour

Mango Glaze-

• 1-1/2 cup mango puree
• 2 tbsp agar agar powder or gelatin
• 2-3 tsp sugar

Directions:

Crust-

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Mix the crushed crackers and melted butter.
• Spread the mixture on the base of a springform pan.
• Press it firmly using a spoon or your hands.
• Bake it for ten minutes and let it cool completely.

Filling-

• Remove cream cheese and sour cream out of the fridge for an hour before you start mixing ingredients for your cheesecake, so that they are at room temperature.
• Cream together cream cheese and sour cream.
• Add mango puree and sugar, and mix well so that everything is well blended.
• In a separate large bowl mix together egg replacer and cake flour and add the liquid mixture a cup at a time and mix really well so that there are no lumps.
• Mix the batter really well and pour it over the crust in the springform pan.
• Bake at 350 degree F for 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Just turn the knob of the oven to off and leave the door ajar with the cheesecake still inside.
• Let the cheesecake cool in the oven completely and then transfer it to the refrigerator for another 24 hours.

Glaze-

• Mix agar agar powder and mango puree really well so that there are no lumps.
• Heat the mixture for 5 minutes in a microwave or stove top stirring well.
• Add sugar, mix well and pour it over the completely cooled cheesecake and put it back in the refrigerator.

Enjoying-

• After 24 hours remove the cake from fridge.
• Loosen the edges with a knife and remove the sides of the springform pan. You can serve it in the pan itself or transfer it to another serving platter.
• Enjoy your cheesecake.