Christmas Fruit Cake

Recipe for Christmas All Year Long  (courtesy http://www.poemsource.com/Christmas-poems.html)

Take a heap of child-like wonder
That opens up our eyes
To the unexpected gifts in life—
Each day a sweet surprise.
Mix in fond appreciation
For the people whom we know;
Like festive Christmas candles,
Each one has a special glow.
Add some giggles and some laughter,
A dash of Christmas food,
(Amazing how a piece of pie
Improves our attitude!)
Stir it all with human kindness;
Wrap it up in love and peace,
Decorate with optimism, and
Our joy will never cease.
If we use this healthy recipe,
We know we will remember
To be in the Christmas spirit,
Even when it's not December:))))

To add to this sweet recipe celebrating the christmas spirit, here is a simple and easy (breaking actual xmas tradition :)recipe for a fruit cake..again adapted from my favourite baking site.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone :)))

Ingredients (makes two 6 inch  diameter cakes)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup (50 grams) butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons dark rum/brandy (optional)
1 cup raisins
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried prunes,chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1.Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius
2.In a large saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil the sugar, water, butter, spices, and raisins,prunes and apricots.  Boil for five minutes, remove from heat, and let cool till lukewarm.
3 Stir into this mixture the lightly beaten eggs, flour, baking soda, vanilla extract and rum/brandy .
4. Pour into the greased baking dish pan and bake on center rack for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
5.Dust with icing sugar and serve :)

The sliced view..you can use only prunes and raisins if apricots are not available..substitute accordingly

Tangy Penne with Vegtables

I have friends asking me my tomato sauce pasta recipe all the time which I more than happily dole out ,at the same time wondering..there is no real recipe for my pasta:)) just the right choice of ingredients.This is my list of must-haves for making any 'red sauce' pasta ...olive oil,garlic,fresh basil,loads of tomatoes,parmesan cheese (lots of it!) and good quality pasta. Just play around with these basic ingredients and add your own favourite vegetables/meat and it's as simple as that..it's the white and creamy ones that require some practise and technique . This version is packed in with great and healthy vegetables, replace the pasta with whole wheat pasta and you have a guilt free meal!

Ingredients (serves 6)

4 cups boiled penne
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ajwain
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
4-5 large tomatoes,pureed
1 red bell pepper,chopped
5-6 babycorn cobs,chopped
1 medium sized broccoli,chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup
8-10 basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoons light cream (optional)
Parmesan or cheddar cheese ,to garnish
Sliced black olives, to garnish

1. Heat the oil. Add the ajwain and let the seeds splutter. Add the garlic and toss till cooked (do not burn..just fry for a few seconds)
2. Add the tomato puree and the vegetables together with the salt.Leave on a medium flame to reduce.
3. When the sauce has almost dried out add all other remaining ingredients (except the cream and the garnishing) and toss in with the pasta.
4. Leave to cook for 3-4 minutes on a slow flame,stirring occasionally.
5. Turn off the gas, mix in the cream. Serve with grated cheese and olives on top...more cheese you can afford to add,the better :))

Strawberry Center Scones

I was introduced to this sinful but glorious tea time delight on my maiden trip to London..my best friend from college and her husband took me to this lovely little tea house where I think my mouth started drooling as soon as the display window started to come into my view (check out the last photo for proof :)) So the in-house speciality was scones with a variety of jams and clotted cream so that's what we ordered off course..been 2 years since that trip and haven't found any place yet in Mumbai that serves these delectable little quick breads..simple solution--bake my own! This recipe is adapted from joyofbaking.com which is a must visit site if you are fond of baking...if you wish you can skip making the filling sauce and eat the warm scones with your favourite jam and butter ..and if this your first time eating a scone, then you know you've made it right if you get a texture between a bread and a cake with a crisp outer crust and you can't stop at one! :))

Ingredients

For the scones (makes 6)

1 cup flour (maida)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
50 gms butter,cold
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon vinegar

For the filling
7-8 strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Butter or cream

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
2.Add the vinegar to the milk and leave for 15 minutes to get buttermilk.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture to look like bread crumbs
4.Add the buttermilk ,little at a time,and stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk if necessary)...second photo below
5.Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently and press with your hands into a round that is about one fingertip high. Use a 2 inch round biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles.
6.Transfer the scones onto a baking sheet lined with butter paper,keeping a gap of about 2 inches between the scones..third photo below
7.Bake on the center rack for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8.For the filling, chop the strawberries into small pieces and heat with the sugar on a slow flame till you get a thick sauce. Add the lemon juice and turn off the gas.
9.To serve, slice each cone along the center, spread butter/cream on one half and top with some strawberry sauce. Cover the scone with the other half.....best served fresh and warm with tea..

This is what the dough should look like when the butter milk is added

Unbaked scones on the tray..

And finally..my inspiration :))..the display window

Bathua Paratha

Health recipe today! to all the moms ,I think this is a great way to get your kids some nice nutrients into their diet. For me works as well to get some into my husband's system as well ..I think the world is divided into two kinds..green veggy lovers and the totally anti-green veggy folks..I belong to the former, so if it is Aloo methi for lunch, then I eat all the methi and husband will eat all the aloo :)) but for a change this paratha he totally loved :) maybe because of the big dollop of white makhan on it shouting out to his Punjabi genes to be devoured..end result was that it worked ! and this is the season of greens ,so why not make best use of what's available in plenty...so did some googling and came up with some interesting Bathua facts..Common name: Fat Hen, Lamb's-quarters, Pigweed, Bathua बथुआ (Hindi), Paruppukkirai (Tamil), Chandanbethu (Bengali), Vastukah (Sanskrit), Bathua (Oriya), Kaduoma (Kannada), Pappukura (Telugu), Vastuccira (Malayalam), Chakvit (Konkani)..As the english common name suggests, it is also a very good feed (both the leaves and the seeds) for chickens (hens) and other poultry...so am going to try feeding some left overs to my sparrows as well :))

 Ingredients (makes about 10 parathas)

1 cup bathua leaves, washed and drained
1 green chilli
2 garlic pods
1/2 inch ginger piece
1 tablespoon ajwain
2 tablespoons makki atta
1/2 cup spring onion leaves
pinch heeng
2 cups whole wheat flour (gehun atta)
Salt
Water for kneading
Oil for cooking

1. Add the leaves to boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes till they wilt. Drain and cool.
2. Grind to a paste with chilli,garlic and ginger, adding a little water while grinding.
3. Mix the paste and all other ingredients with the atta and leave for 15 minutes (so that the veggies leave their water due to salt added and the dough stays firm even after kneading)
4. Add water and knead into a firm dough .
5. Divide into balls, roll out each ball into a medium thick paratha and cook on hot tawa with little oil.
6. Serve hot with curd/pickle/butter ...:))

Papad Tostadas

Thank you everyone for the great response to my previous recipe for Strawberry fool..I guess the picture and the easy steps did the trick..plus dessert is a universal favourite. I need to start experimenting more with desserts which only means I'll have happier neighbours who get the samplings :))
So this recipe is indo-mex :) papad meets refried beans ..tostada is basically a fried tortilla (mexican chappati made of corn /wheat flour) topped with all kinds of toppings - beans,corn,salsa,shrimp even.I had some left over baked beans and no bread at home so thought of this..you can add more garnishing with sour cream/salsa/lettuce/chopped tomatoes/olives...as you please or as your fridge is stocked !

Ingredients

8 mini papads, roasted or shallow fried
1 cup baked beans (or boiled rajma)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green chilli,finely chopped
1 tablespoon mexican seasoning powder (easily available in super markets)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ketchup
grated cheese,to garnish
any other suggested garnishing

1. Heat the oil. Fry the chilli and onion till soft.
2. Stir in the beans,salt,ketchup and seasoning powder.
3. Turn off gas. Cool
4. Just before serving (papads get soggy really quickly ), place some topping on the papad, garnish with grated cheese and other garnishing.
5. Serve with sour cream or salsa ..optional..tastes good as it is !

Strawberry Fool

I was so excited posting this recipe for two reasons ---- 1. this recipe marks the arrival of one of my absolute favourite fruits ..strawberry ! and 2. the photo of the pudding came out absolutely gorgeous..look at it please ! Also this is such an easy dish to make and you can make it out of any fruit of the berry family and kiwi as well ...but nothing can beat the colors of strawberryyy...sigh !
So why is this pudding named so ? well,quoting Wikepedia.." Foole is first mentioned as a dessert in 1598 (together with trifle), although the origins of gooseberry fool may date back to the 15th century. The earliest recipe for fruit fool dates to the mid 17th century.Why the word "fool" is used as the name of this fruit dessert is not clear. Several authors derive it from the French verb fouler meaning "to crush" or "to press" (in the context of pressing grapes for wine) "..so A fool is an English dessert generally made by mixing puréed fruit, whipped cream, sugar..this recipe uses custard made from low fat milk ,but if you want to stick to the original just use heavy sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the custard
1/2 litre milk 
3 tablespoons vanilla custard powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold milk
5 tablespoons sugar

For the puree
200 gms strawberry (approx 12 medium sized)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
extra strawberries, for garnishing

1. For the custard, bring the milk to a boil. Add the custard powder paste on a slow flame, stirring all the while. Add the sugar and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the gas and leave to cool.
2. For the fruit puree, grind all the ingredients in a mixer till you get a smooth puree.
3. Layer the custard and puree in individual glass bowls or wine glasses..you can add chopped strawberries as a layer in between. Garnish the top with a strawberry half.
4. Leave to chill for at least 3-4 hours and then sllllurrrp away...

A vertical picture now..

Zucchini and Tomato Rice

I think I have blogged earlier about my local subzi vendor who sells zucchini thinking that it is a member of the kheera family and surprisingly at the same rate also :)) as opposed to shelling out atleast twice more in Hypercity..our code word is 'Videsi kheera' for zucchini :) It is a great vegetable for its taste and nutrition and lends itself very easily to a lot of cuisines..chinese/mexican/italian..even Indian, next time I cook zucchini I will replicate a great recipe from my mom which combines it with bhindi ! This pulao also turned out delicious, can work as a main course or as a side dish with any continental preparation..you can use either yellow or green zucchini

Ingredients

2 cups boiled rice
1 medium sized zucchini,cut into bite sized chunks
1 teaspoon garlic ,crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes,pureeed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
Salt to taste
Basil/corainder, to garnish

1. Heat the oil and add the ajwain seeds to splutter. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds
2. Add the onion and cook till soft.
3. Add the tomato puree and the zucchini and leave on medium flame to dry the puree out.
4. When the puree dries out , add the salt,pepper,herbs,chilli flakes,sugar and fry for a minute.
5. Toss in the rice and mix well with the paste.
6. Serve hot!

Carrot n Hummus Panini

It's been a crazy fortnight....weddings and more weddings and then been really under the weather with all the travelling and the eating out :( but getting slowly back on track and with all the lovely winter treats in store,the kitchen is hard to resist . This recipe is not of a panini in the true sense as I used plain rotis for the filling, it's a great way to use left over rotis , you can try the same with actual panini bread,or even  pita bread.
Also hummus is an absolute favourite of mine..whenever I am making chole I always make it a point to spare a cup of the boiled chole for making hummus,just dont add haldi to the chole while boiling :)

Ingredients

For the hummus
1 cup boiled chole (chickpeas)
3 tablespoons white til ,soaked for an hour in half cup of water
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Juice of one small lemon
Salt to taste
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
chilli powder or paprika (optional)

For the filling
1 cup grated carrot (I think this would taste as nice with brinjal/corn/bell peppers)
1 onion,finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon ajwain
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
salt

3-4 rotis

1. For the hummus, grind all the ingredients together. adding more water if necessary (little at a time) to get a thick consistency paste. My preference is for hummus made a day earlier as the flavours are absorbed better.
2. For the filling, heat the oil. Add the ajwain and fry for a few seconds, then add the onion and cook till soft. Add the carrot and the salt, cover with a lid and leave to cook. after5-6 minutes, add the chilli powder and turn off the gas. Add the coriander.Leave to cool.
3. To make the panini, fold the roti in half, add the carrot filling on one half, top with 1-2 spoons of hummus, fold the other half over the hummus. Grill the roti in a sandwich grill or on the tawa till crisp on both sides.
4. Cut and serve with salsa or ketchup..