Tuesday 24 February 2015

Wheat Oats Cookies





These Cookies really should be served warm to accentuate their delicate texture.
These Cookies each have 4 g less fat than a comparable commercial variety. Because they contain whole wheat flour, they also have four times as much fiber. To boost fiber, you can generally replace up to half the all-purpose flour in a recipe without affecting the results.These light and fluffy Cookies, made with all-purpose and whole wheat flour, are perfect for breakfast or dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 1/3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Rolled oats/quick cooking oats
5 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Milk (I used 2%)

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl sift all the dry ingredients except oats and sugar. Stir in the oats.

2. Take out the butter from the refrigerator, cut up into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender further cut the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you don’t have a pastry blender you can do this with your fingers or fork too, but it’s more work.
Stir in the sugar and add milk little by little to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth.

3. Press the dough into disk, wrap in plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off start preheating the oven at 200C for 15 minutes. So by the time the oven preheats it will be 30 minutes and you can start working on the cookie dough. Also butter 2 cookie sheets.

4. Lightly flour the surface. Roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll and continue the same procedure until all the dough is used.

5. The cookies tend to stick to the floor, so use a spatula to lift and transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. Place them 1 inch apart. Prick all over with a fork.

6. The baking time depends on the thickness of the cookies and the material of the baking sheet. Note that cookies baked on a dark colored non stick baking sheet tend to bake faster and if not alert the bottom will get burnt.

7. My second batch cookies were thinner than the first batch. So the first batch took 13 minutes, while the second batch was done in 10 minutes. Look for golden color cookies. If baking both the batches at the same time, place each baking sheet in individual racks and shift sheets halfway through baking.
Leave the cookies in the baking sheet itself for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.


Enjoyyyyyyyyyyy the Healthyness!!

Monday 23 February 2015

Veg Russian Salad





Olivier salad is a traditional salad dish in Russian cuisine, which is also popular in many other European countries,Veg Russian salad is an easy to make salad recipe and is quite popular. I had this Russian salad many times in goan restaurants during my stay there in Goa, lot of tourist comes from Russia and this salad is quite famous in the goan beach restaurants.

There in goa, they also add boiled eggs in the Russian salad. whereas in this recipe, I have not added eggs and the salad is made from boiled vegetables and mayonnaise. If you like then you can add boiled eggs to the salad.

you can serve this Russian salad with your regular meals or have it plain any time of the day when you are feeling little hungry. it is a good habit to include salads in the diet. Green veggies and fruits are important for the well being of the body.






Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

100 gms french beans
100 gms carrot
100 gms green peas
225 gms potatoes
100 gms capsicum
100 gm Black grapes
1 small can (450 grams) pineapple slices
2 apples
100 gms fresh cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 boiled beetroot
salt to taste
sugar to taste
freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch) powder to taste


Method:

1. Cut the vegetables into small pieces and boil.

2. Chop the pineapples and apples.

3. Mix the fruits and vegetables, and add salt and pepper.

4. Mix the mayonnaise and cream.

5. Mix this mayonnaise thoroughly with vegetables. Add salt, pepper and sugar.

Serve cold.

Thursday 19 February 2015

Penne Pasta in White Sauce





Enjoy the Penne pasta tossed in white sauce in this delightful Penne in white sauce recipe. The penne pasta is prepared and then en robed in a creamy freshly made white sauce and enjoyed as a main course meal with soups.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup boiled sweet corn kernels
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dry red chilli flakes (paprika)
salt and freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch) to taste
2 tbsp grated processed cheese

For Garnishing

1/4 cup grated processed cheese

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a broad non-stick pan, add sweet corn kernels and sauté on a medium flame for a minute and keep aside.

2.Heat the butter in a broad non-stick pan, add the garlic and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.

3. Add the plain flour and cook on a slow flame for a few seconds, while stirring continuously.

4. Add the milk gradually and cook no a medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes or till the sauce is thick, while stirring continuously.

5. Add the oregano, thyme, chili flakes, cheese, salt and pepper, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 minute.

6. Add the sautéed corn kernels and pasta, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately garnished with cheese.

Thursday 12 February 2015

Coconut Macaroons ~ Valentine's Special





Let's celebrate this Valentine's Day with this International macaroons, These are a very English kind of macaroon, the sort you always used to see displayed in bakers' shops alongside the made lines. The difference with coconut macaroons is that you need neither to be ironic nor self-consciously retro-cool to enjoy them. One bit of retail bossiness here: buy shredded, not desiccated, coconut, otherwise the sugary, fragrant dampness - which is, after all, the whole point - will be lost.


Ingredients

1/4 cup Condense milk
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
100 grams caster sugar
30 grams ground almonds
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or coconut essence if available)
250 grams shredded coconut

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC

2. Mix the condense milk and cream of tartar and carry on beating, Missus, until soft peaks are formed.

3. Add the sugar a teaspoon at a time and whisk until the peaks can hold their shape and are shiny. 4. Fold in the almonds, salt, vanilla and coconut. The mixture will be sticky but should, all the same, hold its shape when clumped together.

5. Form into clementine-sized domes, and place on a lined baking sheet. Don't make them too flat; they look best if you keep them nicely rounded, but this is really just a matter of personal taste, so follow your own.

6. Cook for 20 minutes or until they're just beginning to turn golden in parts.


Enjoyyyy


Sunday 8 February 2015

Sweet Khichdo (Wheat Bran sweet)





It is a nutritious and heavenly delicious Gujarati sweet dish prepared from cracked wheat, milk and lots of dry fruits. In Gujarat, people celebrate festivals like Makar Sankranti (Uttarayan – a kite festival) by preparing, eating and sharing homemade sweet khichdo. Khichdo is heavy to digest and is ideal for winter months in providing the much needed energy to the body.


Ingredients

2 cups wheat bran
1 Tbsp Ghee
2 cups sugar
1 ltr milk
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
4 raisins (kismis)
4 cashewnuts (kaju)
4 walnuts (akhrot)
4 almonds (badam)
Saffron Strands as required

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add wheat bran and roast until it becomes light brown in color.

2. Add milk and mix well. Boil over low flame until fully cooked. Stir occasionally in between to prevent sticking.

3. Add sugar and stir continuously until it becomes thick in consistency.

4. Add cardamom powder, half of dry fruits (raisins, almonds, cashew nuts, walnut) and mix well.
Garnish khichdo with the remaining dry fruits and serve hot or chilled.



Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyy

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Methi Muthia Chaat (Fenugreek Dumplings Chaat)





The Methi Muthia or the Fenugreek dumplings are either eaten as a snack or added to gravies and made into a main dish. These are either fried or steamed depending on how you want to use them. For today’s recipe I have fried them as I am going to make Chaat out of these and use them in a main dish, the recipe for which shall follow shortly. They are delicious on their own as a snack and they keep for a week in an airtight container. If you steam them, you will need to refrigerate them.

Ingredient:

2 cups fenugreek leaves (methi), finely chopped
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup gram flour ( chick pea)
1/2 cup Corn Flour (Makki ka Aata)
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
 1/2 tsp minced green chilies
4-5 Cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 tablespoons oil
1/8 tsp Strong Hing (Asafoetida)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 Cup Finely chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Finely chopped Tomato
1/2 Cup Sev
Juice on 1 Lime
salt to taste
oil to fry


Method:

1.Take a bowl and add the fenugreek leaves in it and add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well.



2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Knead it to a soft dough ball.





3. Make small cylindrical shaped dumplings and keep them on a plate.




4. Take a good amount of Oil in Pressure cooker Heat the Oil, Then add all the Dumplings in it....Cover it with lid but without Whistle.....Let it cook for 30 minutes, Meanwhile Check them and stir them by Rotating cooker by your hand, Carefully....



5. Let them cool for few minutes, Then Heat the oil to a pan and fry the dumplings in batches until slightly browned and crunchy.



6. Use a wire mesh strainer and allow the dumplings to drain and bring them to room temperature before storing to use as a snack!!!

7. For Chaat:: Put plenty amount Of  Tomato-Coriander Chutney, Curd, And Tomato Sauce on Dumplings, and sprinkle Onion, Tomatoes, and Sev....garnish it with Coriander Leave...

Enjoyy this Mouthwatering Chaat.....Trust me guys it was Yummmm!!!!!