Cara Cara Orange Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cara cara orange juice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
zest of 2 Cara Cara oranges


orange frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, zest, yogurt, juice and eggs. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before icing.

My thoughts:

I love Cara Cara oranges because they are 1. navel (no pips!) 2. I've never had a bad one 3. they are sort of pink inside. The batter came out sort of a pretty baby asprin* pinky peach and with a great, strong sweet orange flavor. Regular navels or blood oranges would work well, but the Cara Caras are especially good this time of year. Normally the Cara Caras I get are huge but this year they were more normal sized and I ended up using 1 1/2 for the cupcakes and 2 for the icing, even though they were very juicy.


*I always liked the flavor of baby asprin. I sort of miss it. Darn unflavored adult medicines!

Pear & Yogurt Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
6 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 quart canned pears, drained and diced
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pear cider
16 oz full fat Greek or Mediterranean style yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla/rye/bourbon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour one bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the wet ingredients, stir to combine. In separate bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until a uniform batter forms. Fold in pear. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 55 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan. Cool completely.

My thoughts:

I've been on a quest to give you guys some recipes that use all of the stuff I've been canning. Of course, I benefit too! My canning cabinet is seriously full and while I am the kind of person who likes to hoard good ingredients, I know I have to use it up. If only to make room for the next stuff. Anyway, I canned these pears back in the beginning of their season and while pears are still pretty available, they are not as good as they were back then. When I was invited to a Southern themed party, I knew I had to use my sweet tea syrupy pears (although I am sure if would be just fine with any old good quality canned pear). I based the recipe off of an old fashioned sour cream cake my Aunt A used to make when I was little. It is a bit rich but a great way to use up eggs! The yogurt gives it some tang and the pear cider really drives home the pear flavor, which I find can be tricky to maintain in baked goods. It also makes for a very moist cake. It was a huge hit at the party, pretty much every slice was gone in just a few minutes!

Shrimp & Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
5 oz cooked shrimp, divided use
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (reduced fat okay)
1/4 cup packed, defrosted chopped spinach
1/2 cup 0% or 2% Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 shallots, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper


Directions:
In a food processor, blend together the yogurt, horseradish, half of the shrimp, spices, shallot, mayo and cream cheese until very smooth. Chop the the remaining shrimp. Stir in the spinach and chopped shrimp until just combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

My thoughts:

In the warm weather, sometimes I cheat and instead of making a side dish, I make a batch of dip and serve it with fresh vegetables or chips and pretzels. It keeps for a few days in the fridge and is perfect to have on hand, especially for days when we are grilling. I've even stored cut up carrots and celery in water filled containers in the refrigerator so all I have to do is fish them out and they are ready to go. This dip is perfect for using up a bit of leftover shrimp (or make extra the next time shrimp is on the menu) and the spinach makes it seem at least a little healthy. The horseradish and Worcestershire sauce is in there to keep it zippy without having to add aged cheese. I hate a bland dip!

Tzatziki Lamb Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
zest of one lemon
salt
freshly ground black pepper



tzatziki:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup finely diced, seeded cucumber*
1 tablespoon minced dill
salt
freshly ground black pepper

toppings:
1 large red onion, thickly sliced
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

4 buns

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the burger ingredients until evenly distributed. Form into 4 equal patties.

for the sauce:
Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare your grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, brush the onion, burgers and eggplant slices with olive oil. Place on the grill next to the burgers. Cook until everything is cooked through, flipping once. Cover as needed.

Place a slice of eggplant on each bun. Top with a burger then onion slices and drizzle with sauce.



*You can salt and drain them if you want but I just left them chopped on

My thoughts:

This is seriously the best lamb burger I have ever had. Better than the much lauded lamb burgers at Breslin. More than just juicy, this burger has a lot of flavor. I thought the cumin in the Breslin burger brought out a gamey flavor to the burger which was a little overpowering. I picked seasonings that I hoped would enhance the fresh taste that lamb can have and it paid off. The burger tasted amazingly fresh and light. I honestly can't wait to make it again and I rarely remake a recipe! The cucumber-yogurt sauce, eggplant and onions are really just gilding the lily but they do make the burger more fun to eat without overpowering the lamb. The flavors of the tzatziki really tie in with the flavors of the burger.

Rhubarb Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups diced rhubarb, divided use (if frozen, defrost)
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt, at room temperature*
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon ground roasted ginger**
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 16 wells in a muffin tin. In a blender or food processor (I used my Vita-Mix) pulse the yogurt and 1 1/2 cups rhubarb together until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb mixture, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended (or just pop the oil, eggs and vanilla in the blender on top of the yogurt mixture) and pulse once or twice then pour it into a bowl). Add the dry ingredients. Mix the batter thoroughly then fold in remaining rhubarb. Fill each well about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the center muffin comes out with just a few dry crumbs. Cool on wire rack.

*A higher fat yogurt would probably work too; 0% Fage is what Costco carries so I used that.
**Made by McCormick. Find it in the spice aisle. Sub regular if need be.

Note: If your rhubarb is very red, your batter will be pink. If not, you can add a drop of food dye just for fun. The color does fade a bit during the baking process.

My thoughts:

Ever since the great rhubarb scare of '08* I hoard and freeze rhubarb in slightly insane quantities. It freezes really well and then I have the option of developing recipes in the off season and scheduling them when it is. This time, rhubarb is actually just coming into season but last night I used up the last of my frozen rhubarb to make these muffins. And what wonderful muffins they are; very light and airy (dare i say souffle-like?) but moist at the same time. The combination of the homemade rhubarb yogurt and diced rhubarb make them taste really rhubarby in every bite, not just when you bite into a chunk. The perfect rhubarb muffin.


*I was writing the first edition of Simply Seasonal, my bimonthly column about eating seasonal foods in the Chesapeake Bay area. It was for the March issue so it had to be about rhubarb as pretty much nothing else would evenly remotely be in season. I had just gotten the gig so I only had about a week create a new recipe, photograph the food and write the article. It was February so rhubarb was out of season but I had seen it sold frozen at many supermarkets in the past and checking back on my own recipe archive, I had made a tart with fresh rhubarb for Valentine's Day one year so I thought I might even be able to find fresh. However, when I went to buy it, it was no where to be found. My family, and friends and I went on a massive rhubarb hunt. My husband even called Dole's frozen diversion and they told him there had been a rhubarb blight(!) in Hawaii so they didn't have rhubarb to ship to stores. It was an exhausting, fruitless (vegetableless) week. Of course, one week after I turned my article in (with a slightly improvised picture) I found fresh rhubarb at H Mart.

Banana Cocoa Nib Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups flour
1 cup mashed overripe banana
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature (I used 0%)
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa nibs
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

optional: one sliced banana

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease, spray with baking spray or line 18 wells in a muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the spices, baking powder, cocoa nibs, baking soda, flour and oatmeal. Set aside. In another large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the yogurt then add the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Fold in the mashed banana. Divide evenly into wells. Top each with a slice of banana, if desired. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the center muffin (but not through a banana slice, go in through an angle) comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

My thoughts:

I am not much for banana flavored things (or overripe bananas for that matter) but my husband likes them so every once in a while I whip up a batch of something banana-y for him (and for which I hope I get some major good wife points because the smell of overripe bananas makes me kind of queasy) to take for breakfasts. Matt said they were the best banana muffins he's ever had! These muffins ended up being little bit "lighter" than most banana muffins, only 4 tablespoons of butter is divided among 18 muffins! Mashed banana and Greek yogurt add a lot of flavor and moisture and the butter just isn't missed at all. Matt said using the cocoa nibs was genius, it added chocolate flavor without resorting to chocolate chips so the muffins didn't taste like dessert.


Note: If you are planning to freeze the muffins, omit the banana slice topping, it can get gummy during the defrosting.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake with a Speculoos Crust

Ingredients:
for the crust:
1 1/2 cups of speculoos crumbs (I used my Vita-Mix but a food processor would work)
6 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly

for the cheesecake:
4 eggs
32 oz (regular or reduced fat) cream cheese
16 oz plain Greek yogurt (full fat, 2% or 0% are all fine)
4 1/2 oz 70% dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla


Directions:
Preheat oven to 250.
For the crust- Mix the crumbs and the butter until damp. Press firmly into the bottom of 6 4 inch springform pans or 1 9 inch pan. Set aside.



For the cheesecake-
In a large bowl, slowly cream together the chocolate, cocoa, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Add the eggs and yogurt, mix thoroughly. Pour into pan(s). Allow to sit 2 minutes, then tap the pan(s) on the counter to encourage any air bubbles to come to the surface and burst. Bake 2 hours or until the surface is mostly set- the middle inch or so might still look even less set, almost jiggly-keeping in mind that smaller pans might require less time in the oven, perhaps. Remove to the counter and run a knife or thin spatula around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Refrigerate leftovers.

My thoughts:

When I was obsessively reading everything I could about Belgium in preparation for our trip (thankfully the Flemish sites always had a English section and I got a lot of use out of my HS french) I came across a mention that cheesecake in Belgium is often made with a speculoos crust. We didn't end up eating any cheesecake while in Belgium (too busy eating moules et frites, croquettes aux crevettes grises and our wonderful 10(+!) course meal at Patrick Devos) but I loved the idea and made a mental note to make it myself when we got back. It took a little while but I am glad I finally made it. The cookies make the perfect crust, crisp and flavorful. The cheesecake is really creamy and chocolate-y, not too sweet. I bet this crust would also be great with a vanilla bean or even spiced cheesecake. I may have to experiment again.

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, I used a set of Wilton heart shaped springform pans I found at Target. I couldn't find the set online, but I found what seems to be identical pans sold individually.

Fresh Blackberry-Ginger Yogurt Pops

Ingredients:
1 cup plain, low fat yogurt (regular or Greek)
1 cup blackberries
2 inch knob ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar

Directions:
Place the ginger in a blender. Pulse until fairly smooth and liquidy. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth. Pour into ice pop molds, leaving a bit of headroom for expansion. Freeze until solid, about 6 hours or overnight.

Yield: about 6 ice pops, depending on the mold

Note: If you use a high powered blender, the blackberry seeds will be nearly nonexistant. If your blender isn't very powerful and you are seed adverse, press the berries through a sieve before adding them to the blender.

My thoughts:

The unofficial blackberry week continues! It has been a hot and steamy week here in Baltimore. Most days it has been at least 90 with anywhere from 80-98% humidity. Oy. My husband the ice pop fiend has eating at least 2 homemade Popsicles a day! I don't eat anywhere near that many but these pops are really good. They are a little more "adult" tasting than most ice pops. They are not too sweet but really fruity. The shot of spicy ginger adds some heat and the yogurt gives them tang. The perfect treat for a hot summer day.

Masala Chhas (Spiced Buttermilk)

Summer has surely set its mark here in Northern California, and the temperatures are slowly rising to higher 80's! Its getting so hot all I want to do is sit back and lounge on my rocking chair, sipping gingerly from an array of cool summer drinks:) Juices, smoothies, ice-cream shakes are all preferred choices, but sometimes, the tongue craves for something "chatpata & masaledaar", and that's when this cooling and refreshing Masala Chaas, or Spicy Buttermilk comes to your rescue! Lots of people don't like buttermilk, but believe me, when you make it fresh at home, with regular curd, and jazz it up with a few Indian spices, you will be amazed at how something so simple can uplift your mood so much!

Ingredients
2 cups fresh curd (not too sour)
3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt - or adjust to your taste
a bunch of cilantro - chopped
8-10 fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies - chopped
1/2 tsp mango powder (aamchur) - optional

Method
Add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves, cumin, green chillies and amchur powder to a blender. Add 1/2 cup water and blend to form a smooth paste.

Now add the curd, salt and remaining water, and again blend to make a thick and smooth buttermilk. Add more water if needed to get desired consistency.

Pour into serving glasses, garnish the cool, green Spicy Buttermilk with some mint leaves, and sit back and relax as you allow it to cool and refresh your mind and senses!

Related Recipes
Orange Creme Soda
Refreshing Beetroot Juice
Tropical Fruit Punch Lemonade

Can't Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup beet puree
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa (I used Guittard's Cocoa Rouge)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature

roux frosting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, yogurt, beet puree, vinegar, milk and eggs. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before icing.

My thoughts:

Today is my husband's birthday and he requested cupcakes. He said he wanted red velvet. Of course I already had a go-to recipe for that but when I mentioned to him that I had heard of beets being used to naturally redden the cupcakes, he was intrigued. So I came up with this recipe. The beets not only redden the batter (and your hands) they also add sweetness and tons of moisture to the cakes. They are less red than the chemically laced variety but the beets and dutch processed cocoa does a pretty good job. They do have the classic "velvet" texture though. While the cupcakes themselves are slightly nontraditional, I frosted them with the classic accompaniment to a red velvet cake, a roux based frosting. And no, they don't taste particularly beet-y.

Cooling Dill-Cucumber Salad

Ingredients
1 large cucumber, peeled (if waxed)and sliced thinly
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
3/4 oz fresh dill, chopped finely

dressing:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
juice 1/2 lemon
salt
white pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the remaining ingredients and toss to evenly distribute. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

My thoughts:

I sliced cucumber with my mandolin for the first time making this salad and it was so fast and they look so perfect I suddenly have the urge to make more cucumber dishes. Or this one again. Matt especially enjoyed the dressing, it was naturally thinned by the released liquid from the cucumbers and had a bright, fresh flavor. Perfect on a sandwich or as a side salad.

Shahi Dum Aloo Recipe

Dum Aloo, also known as Aloo Dum Pukht, is a favored Indian Curry recipe that you often get to see on many restaurant menus, and this home-made Shahi variation is nothing less! Who doesn't like potatoes? especially when they are baby potatoes simmered in creamy & aromatic gravy made with almonds and cashews and flavored with traditional Indian spices! What makes this recipe different and special is the choice of onions, yogurt, tamarind, almonds and cashews as a base for the gravy. With aromatic spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, and addition of some milk and cream to add a richness to the recipe, the resulting Shahi Dum Aloo was a wonderful treat for our family. B actually liked it better than the Malai Koftas, which means I actually scored a victory with this make-as-you-go recipe venture!

Ingredients
8-10 baby potatoes
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 mid-size onion
4 tbsp yogurt (plain, not sour)
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 tbsps almond-cashewnut paste
** soak the nuts in water, then remove skin and blend to a paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania powder (dry coriander powder)
1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp fennel powder (saunf)
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
salt and lemon juice - to taste
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp fresh cream
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method
Skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 mins, then puree them to form a paste. Make a paste from the blanched almonds and cashews and keep aside.

Take 2 tbsp yogurt, add the tamarind paste, fennel powder, red-chilli powder, ginger powder, cardamom powder and sugar to it, and beat it well to form a smooth blend. Keep aside.

Boil the potatoes in a microwave or a pressure-cooker, taking care not to over-cook them. Just microwave till tender, but not mashable. Take a toothpick, and poke some holes into the baby potatoes, then keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the bay leaf and the cloves, then add the onion paste and saute till light-brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes. Add all the dry spices (masalas) and roast for anther 2 mins. Finally add the almond-cashew paste and roast for another 5 mins.

Add the tomato puree, the yogurt-tamaring blend, crushed kasuri methi, and salt. Stir and let it simmer for some time. Then cover with a lid, and let it cook on medium flame for another 10 mins, till the curry becomes think and everything blends well to form a smooth texture.

Add the baby potatoes, lower the flame, and and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp milk or whipping cream, and allow the potatoes to be cooked entirely. They will also suck up some of the flavor from the curry and spices, thanks to the holes you poked them with!

Garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream if you like. Throw some more chopped nuts and raisins on the top. Serve the delicious Shahi Dum Aloo with any bread of your choice, pulao or simply jeera rice.

Related Recipes:
Paneer Butter Masala
Lauki Koftas in Almond Gravy
Bhindi Masala with Peanuts & Coconut

Related Tags
indian-gravies, potatoes, parathas, nuts

Creamy Dill-Caper Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup (loose) fresh dill, chopped
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoons capers
1 bunch scallions, white and greens chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined. Alternately, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times for a smoother texture. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

My thoughts:

What is a cookout or Summer party without some sort of dip? This dip uses in-season dill to its advantage. Low fat/high calcium yogurt replaces sour cream for a dip that is creamy yet not totally naughty. I even used reduced fat cream cheese and (as always) canola mayonnaise to reduce the fat/calorie content even more and no one noticed. It isn't totally fat free or exactly health food but it is super tasty and better for you than some of the other sour cream and cheese heavy dips out there.

Excellent on: salmon, tomato slices, cucumbers, baked potatoes, tortilla chips, celery or instead of tartar sauce.

Perfect for: parties, lunch, snacks, eating directly from the bowl.

Shrikhand - Yogurt Dessert with Saffron & Nuts

Shrikhand, also known as Amarkhand or Mattha is an easy and flavorful Indian dessert which is traditionally prepared by hanging Yogurt in a muslin cloth and draining it of all its liquid content, then using the remaining whey to make the rich and creamy Shrikhand. It is generally flavored with saffron, cardamom and nuts, but over time, various Shrikhand recipes have evolved where you can flavor it with seasonal fruits and artificial flavors to suit your tastebuds. It is similar to a Yogurt Parfait, just a bit thicker in texture, and without granola or cereals. Also, it has a nice creamy flavor, but without the usual fat content. A perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal, or as a healthy dessert when entertaining, this Kesar Shrikhand (Yogurt Dessert) is sure to please you and your guests!

Ingredients
3 cups fresh yogurt
1 cup caster sugar
5-6 strands of saffron (plus more for garnish)
1 tbsp warm milk
1/4 cup nuts - pistachios, almonds, cashews - chopped
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

For Garnish
some more chopped nuts
rose, marigold or any other edible flower petals

Method
Line a colander with a muslin cloth(or a very fine cloth or sieve) with the edges hanging over the colander. Pour in the yogurt. Gather the edges of the muslin cloth and tie a knot, hanging the tied edges from the kitchen sink, letting all the liquid from the yogurt drip in the sink. At the end of 5 hours, the yogurt that remains in the sieve/muslin cloth will be thick and creamy.

Take 1 tbsp warm milk, and drop the saffron strands into it. Let it rest for 15-20 mins to bleed so the saffron oozes out all its color.

Transfer the hung yogurt to a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to it. Mix well, cover, and set in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

Transfer to a Serving Bowl, or in individual bowls. Then garnish with some chopped nuts, saffron strands and flower petals.

Tip: To reduce hanging time, blend 4 tbsp condensed milk with 1/4 cup crumbled paneer. Make a smooth paste, then add to the curd to make a thicker Shrikhand when you don't have enough time for preparation.

I'm sending this beauty over to Grace for her Beat the Heat event.

Shrikhand is a simple and delicious dessert, high in calcium and flavor. This traditional recipe is a bit time-consuming, so if you are looking for a quicker version, try my Sour-Cream Kesar-Elaichi Shrikhand recipe, which requires no prep-time whatsoever, without compromising on the taste!

Related Recipes:
Mango Kulfi (Mango-Mascarpone Mousse)
Pear & Almond Yogurt Cake
Coconut Burfi (Coconut Laddoos)

Related Tags
fruits, desserts, indian sweets, nuts

Chana Masala (Chickpea) Sandwich - Indian Bruschetta

"Chhole" or "Chana Masala" is a popular Indian recipe for curried chickpeas, boiled and cooked in a delicious tomato-onion sauce, and flavored with mild Indian spices. I love chickpeas, and I really really love Bruschetta, so its not hard to guess how this beautiful Chhole Sandwich aka "Indian Bruschetta" was born! It was a totally on-the-spur-of-the-moment appetizer that I cooked up one night, making use of some leftover chickpeas topped on grilled bread, with some tomatoes, basil, cilantro and parmesan cheese. But it was such a successful experiment that I am sure I'll be making this more often! I was actually quite surprised at how presentable it looked too! But looks apart, this is one of the tastiest open sandwiches one could eat, even if you don't have an Indian palate. In fact, I actually liked this Indian Chickpea Bruschetta version more than a traditional Italian Bruschetta!! now isn't that something?!!

Ingredients
4 slices of wheat or white bread
8 tbsp chhole (curried chickpeas) - recipe below
4 tbsp fresh firm tomatoes - chopped finely
2-3 tbsp shredded cheese (parmesan or mozarella)
salt & pepper - to taste
fresh or dried basil - to taste (optional)
some finely chopped cilantro

Chhole (Chana Masala - Curried Chickpeas)
2 cans boiled chickpeas
1/2 onion - chopped finely
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp tamarind sauce mixed with 1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp yogurt (optional)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala or chhole masala
salt & lemon juice - to taste
water - if needed
3 tbsp oil

Method
Drain the chickpeas from the can and wash them well. Heat a saucepan, add the oil, and saute the onions till they become soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the tomato puree.

Next, mix the tamarind paste in the yogurt and blend well. Add this to the tomato puree. Add all the spices and the drained chickpeas, then cover and let it cook for 10-15 mins, until the chickpeas are thoroughly cooked and become soft. Check for taste, adjust salt, lemon juice and spices, then remove from heat and keep aside to cool a little.

You can cook the Chhole ahead of time and preserve it refrigerated for upto 24 hours.

Garnish your Chana Masala with some onion rings and choped coriander, and you can serve it hot with Breads or Rice.

Assembling the Chhole Sandwich
Take each slice of bread; remove the edges and cut into desired shapes if you want. Toast the bread slices in a regular toaster or in an oven for 5-7 mins at 300 deg F, till they are lightly browned and crispy.

Mix the chopped tomatoes with salt, pepper, cilantro/basil, and toss to coat well. Set aside for 5 mins to let the flavors blend.

Take the curried chickpeas; put 2 tbsp each of this mixture onto the toasted bread(you can spread a little butter if you want). Top with a spoonful of tomato mixture, then sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top. Microwave each slice for 2 mins to let the cheese melt, or you can reheat the entire batch in an oven on a cookie sheet.

Serve these delicious and beautiful Chhole Sandwiches as an appetizer or a party snack. They look great and taste great, and are high in proteins and fiber, and I can bet your guests would love this Indian take on Bruschetta!

Related Recipes:
Shiitake Mushroom Crostini
Steamed Vegetable Timbales
Traditional Italian Bruschetta

Apricot-Ginger-Cranberry Muffins

Apricot and Ginger are great flavors when paired together, and you'll vouch for it yourself once you try these delicious Apricot Ginger Muffins; its like capturing the essence of summer in a muffin! Made with fresh apricots and melted butter, these muffins are very soft and moist. The shredded ginger adds the perfect amount of spice, filling your kitchen with a refreshing aroma. I decided to add a handful of craisins, because it made my muffins look prettier and taste better! A simple blend of fresh ingredients baked together, these amazingly moist and flavorful Apricot & Ginger Muffins have become one of my favorite recipes!

These are perfect breakfast muffins, and have become my preferred choice, with a cup of Ginger-Cardamom tea, so try it for yourself and see! Off these go to Aparna who's hosting BBD#12 featuring "Small Quick Breads" this time!

Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins

1-3/4 cups self-raising flour
*** use 1 cup AP and 3/4 cup wheat flour for a healthier version
3/4 cup fresh apricots - diced
*** or use one 8.5-ounce can sweetened apricot chunks - drained
1 egg
*** substitute 1/4 cup vanilla or plain yogurt for an eggless version
1 cup castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp dried cranberries or craisins
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp baking powder

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare muffins pans by greasing with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ginger.

Combine egg, milk, melted butter and chopped apricots in another bowl. beat a little to combine everything together. Now add this to the dry mixture just until combined. Do not over-beat. Fold in the cranberries and stir.

Spoon the mixture into the moulds and bake for 20 minutes, until the tops rise and become golden.

Let the muffins cool in the rack for 10 mins. Then gently remove then from the moulds and transfer to a wire rack to further cool for another 5-7 mins.

Serve the deliciously soft muffins with a cup of tea. The sweet apricots are balanced by the semi-sweet cranberries, and the mild taste of ginger gives them a lovely flavor. The ginger flavor will be stronger one day later, which I really liked! The melted butter gives these Apricot Ginger Muffins a soft and rich texture that's hard to ignore!

Related Recipes:
Spiced Vanilla Tea Cupcakes
Low-Fat Pear-Almond-Yogurt Mini Cakes
Chocolate Muffins with Chocolate Sauce
Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins

Related Tags
fruits, desserts, muffins, cranberry

Handvo - Healthy Vegetable Cornmeal Cake

"Handvo" is a cherished gujarati recipe which can be called a savoury steamed vegetable cornmeal cake, and is filled with several nutritious ingredients. The flour used in Handwo generally consists of corn, rice and chana dal(lentils). It is then combined with yogurt, spices and healthy vegetables, then allowed to ferment before steaming in a vessel, leading to yield a soft and delicious, yet healthy snack which can be relished with chutneys or tea. It is a beautiful blend of spices, flour, fresh vegetables and yogurt to make a light snack, or in my case a fulfilling dinner!

"Handwa Flour" can be bought from any indian store, and would look like coarsely-ground idli-flour; it consists of chana dal, rawa and cornmeal, so I would recommend trying to get the actual flour first. If you simply cannot find it, then you can use yellow or white cornmeal. Please keep in mind that the latter has a typical corn flavor, which will dominate the flavor of the dish. I'm sending this traditional gujarati recipe to Pam who's hosting weekend-herb-blogging for Kalyn this week.

Ingredients
2 cups handva flour (or cornmeal, as a second option)
1/2 cup bottle gourd or zucchini
3 tsp shredded carrot
1/4 cup fenugreek leaves
1/4 cup spinach leaves (optional)
2 green chillies -finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves - finely chopped
1/2 tsp ginger paste
3 cups buttermilk (or yogurt mixed with water)
1 tsp soda bi-carb (fruit salt)
** increase it by 1/2 tsp if you don't feel its frothy enough
1 tsp each urad and channa dal
salt - to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

For Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp oil

Method
Take buttermilk in a large vessel. Add salt, soda and flour and mix well. As the mixture begins to froth, cover and set aside for 6-7 hours for fermentation.

Grate the bottle-gourd or zucchi and squeeze out all excess water. DO this after the fermentation is done, as leaving bottle-gourd in air oxidises it and makes it turn brown.

Now add all the vegetables, bottle-gourd, spices and green chillies to the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a pan, add urad & channa dals, and the mustard seeds. Allow to splutter, then pour half of it into the batter and mix thoroughly.

Steaming
Pour the mixture into a steel or aluminium container. Place in a Steam Cooker and cook like idlis, for about 25-30 mins, then check to make sure its cooked through. Remove from flame and keep it covered for another 7-10 mins. Once cooled, you can slice it into wedges.

Baking
Put in a greased oven proof deep container. Pour remaining seasoning and sesame seeds on the top. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then reduce to 300 and bake for another 30 minutes until done. Check by inserting a skewer or toothpick, which should come out clean. Slice into wedges and serve hot.

Individual Pancakes
You can even drop pancake-sized portions in a greased covered cook-top sauce pan instead of the oven, and let it cook for 10 mins, or until done. Its a little time-consuming, but works great when you want to dazzle your guests!

This goes to my Healthy Cooking event, and if you haven't cooked already, please do share you healthy recipes with us for the winner gets a copy of Pam Anderson's new cookbook!

Serve the Handvo with cilantro chutney or tamarind chutney; for me, I'll gladly have it with a cup of Masala Chai!

Related Recipes:
Fluffy Khaman Dhokla
Tirangi Dhokla Sandwich
Baked Green Rava Dhokla

Yogurt & Herb Two Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb red skin potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 lb purple potatoes, cubed
2 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch scallions, greens and white parts, diced

for the dressing:
150 g (5.3 oz) Greek yogurt
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chives, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed


Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, gently stir together all of the dressing ingredients. Pour over slight warm potatoes and the celery and stir to evenly distribute. Serve chilled or at room temperature.


*I used the wonderful Oikos organic Greek yogurt. It is rich, creamy and fat free.

My thoughts:

This is a some what healthier version of the typical creamy potato salad; it makes the most of fat free Greek yogurt and Maille Dijon mustard and lots of green. That said, it is full of flavor from the fresh herbs and my favorite mustard. I love using a mix of red-skinned and purple potatoes in a salad, somehow it seems more festive than using just the red-skinned ones.

Khasta (Raj) Kachori - Indian Chaat Dish

One of my best foodie memories of my hometown is waiting in line for a 3 rupees Khasta Kachori in a small 4 ft x 4 ft roadside food stall so I could satiate my craving for a spicy & tangy indian chaat!! Khasta Kachori, also known as Raj Kachori or Daal Kachori is a popular street-food in India. "Khasta" actually means "flaky", so this is essentially a flat disc-shaped kachori which is filled with a delicious moong dal mixture, then deep fried, and later stufed with potatoes, sev, onions and chutneys. Next to sev-puri, this is my favorite chaat, and once you try it, I bet it will become your favorite too!

Sia asked for Street Food for this edition of Coffee's MBP, and I finally got a chance to try my hand at Richa's Khasta Kachori recipe, which I had bookmarked for quite some time now. I followed her recipe to a large extent, except that I added moong dal to the filling, and used all-purpose flour for the crust. I also modified a few spices according to my taste. It looks intimidating at first, but is not that tough. With a little help from my cousin, I was able to make my Khasta Kachori; they didn't puff up as much as Richa's, but it tasted great and we absolutely loved it!! Its totally worth the effort! Believe me, this is definitely something you'd NOT want to miss!!

Ingredients

For the Crust
2 cups plain flour (maida)
1/4 cup ghee - melted
1/4 tsp soda (fruit salt)
1/2 tspn salt
about 1 cup warm water (approx) - to knead the dough

For the Filling
1/2 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
1 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tspn asafoetida
1 tspn ginger-green chilli paste
1 tspn chilli powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tbsp amchur powder(dry mango powder)
2 tbsp Bengal gram flour (besan)
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste

To Serve
green cilantro chutney
khajur-imli chutney
thin yogurt
boiled potatoes - chopped finely
onions - chopped finely
chopped coriander
thin sev

Method

Make the Dough for the Crust
Mix all the ingredients and knead into a firm dough by using a little water at a time. Knead properly for at least 5 to 7 minutes, but keep it hard and firm. Remember, it should be harder than regular chapati flour, as the kachoris need to be thick and flaky. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and leave for 30 mins.

Make the Filling
Soak the moong dal in water for at least 6 hours. Then drain the water and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the jeera and asafoetida. When the seeds crackle put the soaked and drained moong dal and fry for a few seconds.

Add the green chilli-ginger paste, chilli powder, garam masala, gram flour, amchur and salt. Stir for 5-7 minutes till all the masalas are cooked properly. Pulse this mixture in a food processor to form a coarse-to-fine powder. Divide the mixture into 12 equal parts and shape each part into a ball.

Make the Kachori
Divide the dough into 12 parts. Take each part, roll into a circle of 2" diameter. Add the mixture to the center, then roll the dough over it to cover the filling. Pinch the ends together, then roll it out again gingerly to make a 2 " disc. Make sure that the filling does not spill out.

Lightly press the centre of the kachori with a thumb. Now deep fry them in hot oil over a slow flame till they puff up and turn golden brown on both sides. Drain on a tissue paper and keep aside.

Assemble the Kachori
Keep one kachori on a plate and a crack a hole in the centre of it. Fill it with 3 to 4 tbsp of the beaten yogurt. Add the chopped potatoes and onions, then drizzle with the green chutney, tamarind chutney, and chopped coriander. Sprinkle the sev on top.

Serve this delicious Khasta Kachori as a perfect evening snack, serve two of these and you are pretty much done with dinner! Hope you enjoy this kachori chaat as much as we did!

Related Recipes:
Hot & Spicy Samosas
Mix Dal Vadas
Sev Usal Chaat

Low-Fat Strawberry Vanilla Cake

There's a story behind this delicious Low-fat Strawberry Cake! What happens when I have an urge to eat a cake but my weighing scale glares right back at me, reminding me of the zealous workout at the gym this morning which merely burned 300 calories?? I try to talk myself out of the urge, but the chef inside my head feels otherwise, and a new low-fat strawberry vanilla cake is born!! Generally, there's more to it than just this; a battle between my wits and desires often forces me to simply evade eating any desserts, but with my pantry loaded with fresh hand-picked strawberries that we got back from our strawberry-picking weekend, I somehow convinced myself to see that strawberries are really good for health, and so are baked goods! So it wouldn't be a sin to try a hand at this souffle-like vanilla cake that has strawberries in every bite, which is way more filling and delicious than a simple strawberry smoothie:). Flavored with a hint of cardamom & vanilla, and with half the calories than a regular cake, this strawberry dessert recipe is an out-and-out winner!

This recipe is totally an original one that I came up with to suffice my craving for a low-calorie, low-fat dessert. Hence I have substituted some key high-carb ingredients like all-purpose flour, butter and egg-yolk with healthier options like whole-grain and whole-wheat flour, low-fat, low-cholesterol olive oil and egg-white only, which has 40 different proteins and water, and minimal fat content. Also, I used only 1 cup brown sugar, which makes this a little less sweet cake, but combined with the strawberries, it is still rich and sweet enough, and considerably reduced in saturated fats and calories than its original counterpart. I was pleased that even without egg-yolks, the cake came out soft and spongy. So this is definitely a recipe I'm going to hold on to and splurge in with fruit variations for my diet-desserts! Off this goes to Equal Opportunity Kitchen for the Tried,Tested & True event, where they are asking for healthy and delicious recipes!

Ingredients
Make one 9x9 loaf or 6 mini-cakes

6-8 large strawberries - washed
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1 cup wheat flour (use all-purpose flour for a richer cake)
1 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar (divided)
1/2 cup skimmed milk
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn cardamom powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 large egg (whites only)
3 tbsp olive oil (or smart-balance light spread)
2 tspn vanilla extract
strawberries - sliced for garnish

Method
Preheat the oven to 350�F. Coat a 9" x 9" baking pan or 6 medium ramekins with cooking spray.

Slice the strawberries vertically to form thick slices(about 4-5 per berry). Reserve 6 slices for garnish, and sprinkle 2 tbsp brown sugar on the remaining ones. Toss in a bowl gingerly to evenly coat with the sugar. If your strawberries are really sweet, you can omit the sugar at this step.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt.

In another medium bowl, whisk the sugar, egg-white, and oil until smooth. Beat well to make it fluffy and airy, about 1 min. This step is important as this will determine how much your cake rises. As we are using only one egg-white, beating it adequately is required for a spongier cake. Whisk in the milk and the vanilla essence to this.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry flour mixture and stir just until blended.

Now arrange 3 sugared strawberry slices on the base of the ramekins. Scrape into the prepared pan or the ramekins. Pour the batter over it, then again layer with another 3 strawberries and finish with the batter on the top, taking care not to fill more than 3/4th of each ramekin, allowing room to expand. If you are using a cake pan, just layer all the strawberry slices below then top with the batter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (about 25 mins if you are using the ramekins), until the cake is springy to touch, shrinks from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

By using whole-grain wheat and pastry flour, just 1 egg, and olive oil instead of butter, we can cut down significant amount of calories from this dessert, The whole-grains make it a filling treat, and the combined recipe makes it a low-fat cake which provides only the good carbs and fats to the body.

Strawberries when baked tend to lose their sweetness a little, hence rolling them in sugar at the beginning is recommended. Plus, the cardamom adds a wonderful aroma and a hint of flavor to the vanilla batter which beautifully compliments the strawberries. Its a great way to enjoy a guilt-free treat any time you want, without compromising on the taste!

For a lavish dessert, top it with some whipped cream, or dust it with some icing sugar. This also makes for beautiful individual desserts when entertaining. I really enjoyed my low-fat version of vanilla strawberry cake, and now have a delicious solution for dessert cravings that do not antagonize my weighing scale!

Similar Recipes:
Low-Fat Pear & Almond Yogurt Cake
Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins
Healthy Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti