Date and Grape Chutney

This is a Sanjeev Kapoor recipe, which I tried and liked, the only change I would make to the recipe next time, is chop the grapes instead of cooking them whole. Its a nice change from your regular tamarind date chutney and goes well with vegetarian or non vegetarian kababs.

Ingredients :

               

25- 30 seedless Grapes,, chopped
10-11 Medjool dates,deseeded and chopped, you can adjust the quantity to suit your taste
1/2 tsp. Cumin seeds
1 tsp. Red chilli powder
Raisins
Salt to taste
Jaggery (gur),grated 1/4 cup

Method :

Dry roast cumin seeds, cool and powder. Cook together grapes and dates along with few drops of water till the grapes are completely mashed. Add red chilli powder and roasted cumin powder, raisins and cook for five minutes. Add salt and jaggery and mix well till the jaggery is completely dissolved and well blended. Serve at room temperature.

I followed the recipe as is and made no creative changes, turned out good. Definitely good for a break from the good ol tamarind and date chutney.

As dates are considered a power food I am sending this to Jagrutis Super Foods Super Power event 

Veggie Pesto Pizza n Homemade Strawberry Mint Pops

Pizza is my go to recipe for quick fix dinners. Its even quicker and less messier if you have the store bought pizza crust waiting to be baked in your refrigerator. What I like about a pizza is, just like biryani, you can never go wrong ! Atleast thats how kind it has been to me :) I have yet to come across a well made pizza that I did not like. 

If you know someone who just wont eat their veggies, this is the way to go, hide it all under a layer of cheese :) 

What I did to make this pizza is drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on a store bought pizza dough, spread some home made pesto (for recipe click here and scroll down) layered it with sliced tomatoes, red onions, baby spinach lots of mozarella and Monterey Jack, some salt n pepper and some dried oregano. Baked it using manufacturers instructions and Voila ! Dinner is served.

Its best if you make your own Pizza dough or buy some from your local pizzeria. A packet of this in your fridge will always come handy to rescue dinner.

Its been a mix of crazy hot and crazy pleasant days here, and to beat one such crazy hot day heat I made these...Strawberry and Mint pops. Super easy and super delicious. Just blend some strawberries (fresh or frozen) with a bunch of mint leaves , add sugar if and as much needed to suit your taste, a dash of lemon juice just to brighten things up and freeze them in ice pop moulds. Enjoy it on a hot summer day, you will never go back to store bought ice pops ever again !

Update:

These quick and easy recipes have been sent off to Ayeshas Anyone Can Cook Event

Pear and Apple Kheer

We all know its not only good but important to include some fruits in our daily diet. When Yasmeen announced the Healing Foods event, I thought its was a very neat idea. Of the various healing foods, I chose to cook with Apples and Pears. Before going to the recipe lets just glance on the benefits of eating them which I came across after a bit of googling.
First up, Pears, they contain a natural dietary fibers like pectin and lignin which are effective in preventing constipation and lowering cholesterol respectively. Pectin also helps to tone the intestine and reduce the risk of colon cancer. Pears are a very good source of an important mineral called boron, which helps keep the bones and your memory strong.

Apples contain sugars, amino acids, magnesium, iron, potassium, carbohydrates, vitamins C, B and B2, phosphates, tartaric acids, pectin, and mineral salts. They are prescribed for intestinal infections, constipation, mental and physical fatigue, hypertension, rheumatism, gout, anemia, bronchitis, urine retention, hepatic disorders, gastric and kidney malfunctions, hoarseness, coughing, and excess cholesterol in the blood.
Researchers have found that compounds in apples may protect against cancer, prevent asthma and sharpen memory. Apples strengthen the whole metabolism, balance the digestion, stimulate blood production as well as the metabolism of fats, and cleanse the system. They also have diuretic, febrifugal and relaxing properties, and stimulate the appetite.
After all they don't say "An apple a day keeps the doctor away ! " for nothing :)

Ingredients:

1 apple, red delicious,

1 pear,
3 cups milk,
1/2 C sugar,

1/2 tsp cardamom pdr,

1" cinnamon,
few strands of saffron,
3-4 dried dates, soaked in hot water for few mins.

Method:
Bring milk to a boil in a thick bottom pan and simmer till it thickens.

Peel and chop apples and pears. Heat a pan ( I use non stick), add the chopped fruit and cook on medium heat. Add sugar, cinnamon and stew till sugar melts, and most of the moisture evaporates. Add this mixture to the reduced milk and cook till the kheer thickens some more. At this stage if the apples or pears are a bit sour it may seem like the milk is curdling , but don worry that's OK .

Add green cardamom powder, chopped dates , saffron and cook for few more minutes .Let it cool slightly, remove the cinnamon stick and blend it in a blender. Serve chilled garnished with almonds and pistachios.

If you wanna skip the blending process , just grate the fruits , don't chop. You can also use either of the fruits.

Tastes great with puris or by itself.

Enjoy !

Apart from the fruit, the spices, milk , dates, saffron all have significant health benefits and hey, no butter (or ghee). So this to me is a perfect healthy dessert.

To know more about the healing nature of Pears and Apples click

here and here.

Quick Strawberry Cheesecake

This is one of those quick , no - fuss, simple recipes that never lets you down. Each spoonful of this is sheer pleasure. I think its ideal for entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and does look cute. It does not contain eggs which practically makes it a "no bake cheesecake" and who doesn't love that !

Since strawberries are in season now , do try this recipe, or substitute it with your favourite berry .



Ingredients :

6 strawberries
12 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 1/2 (8-ounce) bricks
2/3 C sour cream
1 C confectioners'/powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 individual mini gram cracker crusts.




Directions:

Hull and coarsely chop 6 medium sized berries and place in food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract and process until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour or overnight. Spoon the cheese mixture in the pie tins. Garnish cheesecakes with slices of remaining berries. Serve chilled.

I am sending this to the following events :
Lets Celeberate hosted by Ria and "Strawberry Feast " at My Kitchen Treasures.

Kiwi Mutton

During our last visit to the grocery store we brought home the toughest meat (unintentionally) , wont cook even after being pressure cooked for nearly 7-8 whistles , I had few kiwis waiting to be eaten and I came across this useful tip... so presenting Kiwi Mutton my friends. This recipe is my contribution to the SOS Slow Cooker Event Hosted by me:)

I added some olive oil, onions, 2 pods of green cardamom , 1" piece of cinnamon, the meat, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dhania powder, salt, crushed tomato, and finally a peeled n very finely chopped kiwi , all in the crock pot ,and all at room temperature and cooked it on high for 3hrs ....yep...I also sprinkled some garam masala powder and added a big hand full of fresh coriander and mint half an hour before turning the crock pot off.



It was delicious and looked cute. The black seeds from the kiwi gave it kinda like a polka dot look. I had used papaya as a tenderiser for meat before, but tried the kiwi for the first time. It works ! and just like the papaya it does not make the mutton taste sweet... Thanks for sharing the info Mona. Enjoy !

Greek (Yogurt) Goodness

Few days back, Kristina from The Stonyfield farm emailed me asking if I would like to try their Greek yogurt. And since I have been using and loving their products for quiet some time now I was only happy to oblige. So they sent me this wonderful package full of coupons, info and a cute little hand bag.

Oikos Organic Greek yogurt can be used in a variety of ways while cooking – in baking, as a substitute for sour cream, and mayonnaise, to create tasty low-fat dishes. Greek yogurt is strained, making it thicker and more versatile in recipes than regular yogurt. Oikos is organic, which means it's made without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and it's made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST).


I could not wait to try it. The yogurt comes in different flavors like vanilla, blueberry and honey . The honey yogurt has a beautiful n delicate golden layer of honey at the bottom n the blueberry flavoured yogurt has kinda like a blueberry jam... so try emptying these containers upside down on a platter for a lovely presentation. I blended the vanilla with some rose syrup and sugar to make rose lassi served with some grated nutmeg, just whipped the honey yogurt and tossed in some toasted walnuts to spread on the breakfast toast , blueberry smoothie was the quickest and refreshing with a hint of mint. I also enjoyed the eating spoonfuls of the plain Greek yogurt, and used the rest to marinate chicken kebabs, the recipe I intend to post soon.


Thank You Kristina for introducing me to these delicious treats ,these will be a staple in my kitchen from now on. Meanwhile for more recipe inspirations using Greek yogurt you can check this out.

Healthy Choco Logs

Its raining chocolates at "Poornimas For the love of Chocolate "event. One of my favourites, dark chocolate is an excellent source of anti oxidants, combine it with the goodness of dried fruits and nuts and you have a healthy, on the go snack ready in no time .

There are no exact measurements or ingredients for this recipe. Just use your favourite dried fruits, as much or as little you want like dried figs, cranberries, apricots, pineapple, candied ginger, etc.. the list goes on , season it with cinnamon or cardamom and use a syrup like maple or honey to bind it all together. I melted 72% dark chocolate with almonds , the almonds give a nice crunch , and I don't need to go through the process of double dipping. You can totally use plain dark chocolate or any flavoured dark chocolate , try it with even more or less percent of cacao, its totally versatile and very healthy.

Ingredients:



1C dried figs, (I used organic Turkish figs),
1/2 C dried apricots,
1/4 C golden raisins,
1/4 C dried cranberries,
1/4 cup crystallized ginger,
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1 tablespoon honey,
3.5 oz. bar of dark chocolate (I used 72% cacao with almonds), chopped

Directions:

Remove the stems from the figs and discard. Roughly chop all the dried fruits. Put the figs, apricots, raisins, ginger,cranberries, cinnamon and honey in a food processor and process for about 45 seconds, until the ingredients are finely chopped and begin to stick together. Roll the mixture with your hands into logs and keep them aside.

Melt half of the chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler(see below). Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the remaining chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Using a fork roll the fruit logs into the melted chocolate 1 or 2 at a time, until they are all covered. Place them back on the waxed parchment paper or silipat and chill in the refrigerator until set, about 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

How to use the double boiler:

Place a small bowl over a saucepan, containing barely simmering water, over low heat Make sure the water is at least 2 inches from the bottom of the bowl containing the chocolate.

Also to share is an award passed on to me from dear Srilekha ,"Wylde Woman Award" started by Tammy. Thank You very much Siri , I am so glad to have it.

The Purpose of the Award :

To send love and acknowledgment to men and women, who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy. It's been a blessing and an inspiration to meet all of you through your wonderful blogs.

I further pass it on to all my fellow bloggers.

Coconut Halwa Puris

Coconut Halwa Puris or halwe ki puri (as we call it) have been my favourite since childhood. When ever there would be a family get together like weddings or summer vacations and a lot of guests and kids would be anticipated , these would be made in huge batches and stored for a quick snack (they have a good shelf life though they disappear quickly).

I got this recipe from from my mother in law, its very easy to make and since the theme for AFAM this time is Coconut I thought of sharing it with you all.

Ingredients:

For halwa:
1 lb packet of shredded frozen coconut, or
Flesh of 1 whole coconut, peeled to remove the brown skin
1/2 C chana dal, boiled
1.5 tsp cardamom/elaichi powder,
1/2 C ground almond paste,
1.5 C sugar, or to taste,
1 tbsp. Rose water

For Puris:
5 C all-purpose flour/maida
4 tbsp ghee, melted
3/4-1 C warm milk
water

Method:

Grind the fresh /frozen coconut to a very fine paste using as little water as possible. It should be a thick paste. Also grind the chana dal. Now dump the ground coconut, chana dal, almonds, sugar in a vessel and cook till you see bubbles. Keep stirring and cook til the paste is dry n most of the water is evaporated . Add elaichi powder n cook again . When the mixture is completely cooked n dry remove from heat and let it cool . Add rose water and mix well. The halwa is ready

Knead together maida, ghee and milk using little water to a soft dough. Cover with a wet towel and keep aside.

To make the puris , divide the dough in balls n roll out each into a 6" circle, fold it in half to get a crease line. Fill one half side of the circle with the halwa/ stuffing . Apply water by the edge and seal the other half tightly , crimp the edges . Fry them on both sides . Do not brown them , remove them from oil once they start floating .

For the ones who may find the above description a bit confusing , the process of assembling the puris is just like making pot stickers or pocket pies .



I am sending this recipe to Suganya of Tasty Palettes who is hosting the AFAM event this month and has made a very interesting choice of featuring Coconut. Thanks Suganya , for choosing such a versatile ingredient, I am excited about the round up already :) and while we are talking all things sweet I would like to mention about Jeena who sent me this lovely poem written by herself a few days back .....some people are really blessed ....Jeena not only cooks good n looks good ....she is a poet too ....:) Check out her poem ....

Thanks Jeena, that's one sweet poem and though I cannot pen down something equally good, I do feel the same for you :) I further pass it on to all my fellow bloggers.

Individual Cheese Cakes

Ramadan is over ....n left us in its anticipation for the next year, a joyous day of Eid n you don't want the time to fly.... as it does.

Meanwhile I see I've missed out lot of action and interesting events esp. the Weekend Herb Blogging - two yrs already and still rocking...good going :)

Nevertheless, lets talk cheese cakes, even better....individual cheese cakes , this way you avoid cleaning your knife , wiping it every time you take a slice etc etc :).



I like this recipe because apart from being delicious, it can be made ahead , looks good, easy to serve and clean up too... great for a party !

This recipe also uses many shortcuts , like using Nilla wafers for the base , instead of making individual ones , n using store bought pie filling for the topping. If you don't find the Nilla wafers, go ahead and use any sweet cookie which will fit in the base of your muffin pan. Don't go for the sandwich cookies though, it will be too thick for the base. You can also make your own topping by just using some fresh berries n kiwis or soaking some fresh fruits in simple syrup, or using any home made fruit preserves etc. The options are many , so go ahead , be creative !



Ingredients:

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened,
1 cup sugar,
1 tsp. vanilla extract,
2 eggs,
12 vanilla wafers,
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling or other pie filling (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of muffin pan. Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lay a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Serve with cherry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

P.S : Refrigerate the cheese cakes for few hours before serving / overnight for a better taste .

SOS and AFAM - Watermelon

SOS - Share Our Strength, invites us all to join them in their effort to end Childhood hunger ....all you have to do is organise a bake sale anytime till 31st of August 2007 and donate the proceeds to the organisation.

I thought of posting about this event because there are so many people who cook , bake and blog everyday . I may not know a lot of them as i have just joined the blogging world but if "you" know, you could spread the word, for details please click here.

Now for the AFAM- Watermelon event hosted by Bee and Jai from Jugalbandi (got to know about the event through Asha's blog Aroma).



Watermelon is one of my favourite fruits. Nothing compares to taking a big bite of a fresh, juicy sweet watermelon on a hot sunny day. Take it with a pinch of salt (or black salt), pepper or squeeze some lemon on it ...

I thought of many options for this event , milkshake, sorbet and many recipes on the net etc... finally this is what i came up with .....just plain watermelon juice blended with some salt n sugar .....A well chilled glass of this is amazingly refreshing. I was so tempted to add lemon or lime juice to it ....but I do not regret not adding it :)

I avoid using ice cubes in fresh fruit juices, instead I prefer to chill it in the refrigerator or keeping the juice in an ice bucket .



Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon cubes,
1.5 tbsp. sugar, or to taste,
a big pinch salt.

Method:

Dump all the ingredients in the blender and puree them. By pureeing, and not 'blending' you get a thick and frothy juice. I didn't strain it because I like the texture, but you can. Serve chilled.

Lemony Blueberry Bars

These lime and lemon "melt in your mouth" blueberry bars, are easy to make, look good and taste delicious, not to forget the wonderful aroma that fills the air ....



Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow corn flour
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 tbsps. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. whole milk
pinch of salt

2 cups blueberries
3 tbsp. apricot jam

Method:

To make the crust:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 8-inch square glass baking dish and line it with 2 sheets of aluminium foil, overlapping them in opposite directions so that there is overhang on all 4 sides.

Pulse together flour, corn flour, powdered sugar, salt, and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press onto bottom of baking dish and 1-inch up sides. It may seem loose but will turn out well if you press it well. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, for about 20 minutes.

To make the filling:

While crust bakes, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, and zests. Whisk in juices, milk and a pinch of salt. Pour the whisked egg mixture into the hot, baked crust immediately, then bake until just set, about 17 minutes.

Now heat apricot jam in a nonstick pan till it melts. If it has pieces of apricot in it then strain it after melting .Toss blueberries in the heated jam in another bowl.

After the egg mixture gets baked, remove it from the oven and gently spoon berries evenly over top and bake for 2 more minutes . Transfer baking dish to a rack and cool. Coverwith plastic wrap and chill overnight or atleast for 8 hours. Use foil to lift dessert out of dish. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Apple Tatin - A crowd pleaser :)

The history of how tatin (tah-tan) was first made is very interesting. It's hard to believe that it was an outcome of a mistake...but once you taste it you know exactly why people did not mind.

You can use any variety of apples, preferably Granny smith or Golden delicious . The lemon zest n the caramel ....yumm... it is a must try.
So next time you want to please a crowd (or yourself)...go ahead and try this recipe...it looks, tastes and even sounds very impressive... (The photo does no justice to its actual beauty:))



Ingredients:

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature,
1 1/4 Apples, cored,peeled and sliced
1 cups granulated sugar, for the caramel
3/4 cups granulated sugar, for the cake batter
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
Sift together:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish or any oven proof 9 inch dish with butter and arrange the apples in the dish, so as to cover the dish .

Combine 1 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color (about 360 degrees F on a candy thermometer. ...for the ones who have one .....I just use the color of the caramel as my guide). Do not stir this mixture, it cooks on its own .

Once the caramel is cooked swirl the pan and pour the caramel evenly over the apple slices.

In a different bowl cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix until combined. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and, with the mixer on low speed, add it to the butter mixture. Mix only until combined. Pour the cake batter evenly over the apple slices and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. If you have greased your dish generously and allowed the tatin to cool for its given time, it will come out without sticking if in case an apple slice sticks, ease it out and replace it in the design on top of the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

If you like it warm as I do , just microwave it for few seconds and you get the same oven fresh taste everytime.