Spring is here....

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

err... almost. Once we have respite from all the rain that is pouring down like no tomorrow in the east coast and giving us a glimpse of the Indian monsoon, which I love by-the-way...
I digress...
Spring means a a lot of garden work, weeds blooming in contention, appreciating N for all this lawn mowing efforts et all... With my particular disaster of vegetable garden last year - I managed to save one tomato, amidst tomato, okra, bell peppers, cilantro plants. I blame it on the hail storm that hit northern Mass.. but in reality, I was stretching my green-thumb-dreams too far - So moral of the story; this year i have decided to experiment only tomato and try the upside down plant instead of pots. So with the 70s weather this weekend, you know where I will be spending most of my time!

So has anyone begun the spring-prep? Here are a few things I am planning on doing/done -
* Found a farm nearby for the strawberry/rasberry/apple/peach pickings ( 6 miles away ) Lots of baking in the offing!
* Closing in on a grill purchase. Will send out invites for a barbecue weekend once thats done.
* Ready with my tomato seedlings/pots/starting soil/ potting mix et all... The first bout of sunshine this week  and they are getting planted.
* Find trekking / hiking trails nearby. Bike purchase is indefinitely postponed.
* Gear up for the 5K in june!

So have your SPRUNG your list?

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On another note, anyone got ideas for a new event on the blog? Baking is going great, we can have another event running in paralell.. Let me know if anyone has got some ideas.

A few recipes

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I did two things over the weekend -
One, tried my hand at baking a healthy cake ; made maple walnut and I was glad it turned out yum; glad because i had followed my instincts for the measurement and was a little apprehensive!
Secondly, I had the most awesome crepe at AppleSeed. I will definitely recommend the spinach crepe there.

So here is my Healthy Maple Walnut cake recipe.

Ingredients -
* 1 and half cup all purpose flour
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 2 Tbsp butter melted
* 2 eggs
* 1/3 cup light brown sugar
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 1 tsp vanilla essence
* 1/4 cup broken walnut
* 1 tsp baking powder

Procedure -
Beat eggs, butter milk, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla essence. Wisk it with all purpose flour and bking powder. Plop in the walnuts. Bake in a greased vessel for about 50 minutes at 350F. Makes a great companion for strawberry icecream.

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Before I forget, Wish everyone a happy Ugadi! And today was ugadi potluck at work and we had an assortment of rice varieties ( Mango rice, Pulihora, Lemon rice, curd rice, pudina rice) I was the contributor of pudina rice (mint rice) and this is one recipe I have never gone wrong with (touch wood) and here you go; Thats how I make it!  :)

Ingredients -
To grind -
* Generous fistful bunch of mint stalk with leaves
* cup of grated coconut
* 1 inch cube of ginger
* 3 large garlic pods
* 7 to 10 green chillies ( according to spice level tolerance)

Spices -
4 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 star anise
bay leaves
One 3 inch cinnamon stick

3 cups Basmati Rice

Beat the above mentioned ingredients under 'To grind' in a food processor until it is a smooth paste. Add as little water as possible. It should not be smooth like chutney, but slightly granulated to touch.

In a large pan, add about 2 tsps of ghee. Add the 'Spices'. Once they sizzle, add the ground paste. Keep it on a low flame, so that the pudina paste doesnot darken, but cooks evenly. 

While the paste is getting done, get the 3 cups of rice cooked. I usually soak the rice for about an hour. Then allow sufficient water to boil in a heavy bottom vessel. To the boiling water I pop in broken cardamom, 1 cm long cinnamon stick and sufficient salt. Once the water boils, I add the rice and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until it is separate grained but well cooked. Drain the rice.

Now slowly mix the rice with the pudina paste. Garnish with brown fried onions cut long and cashews.

Enjoy! Happy cooking everyone!

A dallop of avial

Wednesday, March 10, 2010


I am surprised that this is my first Kerala recipe on the blog. I was sure I would flood it with them! :P
So I decided to start with the easiest and most popular. I agree that kerala recipes are an acquired taste and do not appease everyone in one go. And I know it well, for N isnt an instant lover of any food in general and I have modified my traditional kerala cooking to suit a 'generic' taste bud!

If you are looking for a lot of nutrition, lots of veggies and a filling meal, there is nothing better than avial. Here is the list of veggies you can add to the authentic avial recipes. But feel free to add any veggie which you think might blend in -

1. Raw hard banana (green)
2. Carrots
3. Cucumber ( all kinds )
4, Melons ( all kinds)
5. yam (chennai kezangu)
6. Koorkai ( chinese potato )
7. Chakka kuru ( jackfruit seeds.. they are yum!)
8. Cashew fruit
9. Drumstick
10. Snake gourd
11. Raw mango

I usually make it quick and easy with cucumber, carrot and raw mango. If I get good drumsticks I pop them in.

Procedure  (this is going to be real easy!)
1. Cut the veggies lengthwise about half the size of your little finger
2. Allow the veggies except raw mango to boil in enough water just to immerse the veggies.
3. Sprinkle some haldi (turmeric) on top pf the sunk veggies.
4. Generously add a spoonful of coconut oil to this boiling mixture. Add salt to taste.
( I get the coconut oil from Hannaford; you can find it in any organic food store. These ones have great flavor, but do not emanate the smell which usually puts every non-mallu off from kerala food! Trust me, because N cannot stand coconut oil and he loves my avial! :) )
5. Throw in at least 7 to 8 curry leaves to this medley.
While the veggies cook,
6. In a mixer, add about a cup of shredded coconut, half teaspoon of jeera and 5 to 6 green chillies
7. Blend it without adding any water until it is smooth like a thick chutney like consistency.
8. When the veggies are half cooked, add the cut raw mango.
9. Once the veggies are cooked add the coconut mix.
10. Dribble another half spoon of coconut oil. Take the mixture off the stove after about five minutes.

Usually avial is thick like a lasagna consistency, but I make it a little gravy like by adding more water in the end, as you can see in the picture. It is my mother's recipe and it is foolproof !

Points to note:
1. Ensure you add one sour/bitter veggie ( raw mango fits the bill well ) Other options, which i know of, haven't tried are bitter gourd,tinda.
2. DONT even think of substituting coconut oil for any other oil. You will not end up with an avial end product
3. My mother makes it with beaten curds too, if you dont have the raw mango in hand. I will post that variation, once I watch her make.
4. Its a flavorful dish, but not a spicy chatpata one. So be warned.

Avial is best enjoyed with adai ( pesarattu). I love it with chapati too! N likes it with rice :)

Happy eating, let me know if you know a different recipe!

Happy weather makes me hungry!

Sunday, March 7, 2010


Seems like the mile meter is stalled... I am hoping it is everyone not finding time to update the spreadsheet and not the more un-encouraging reason! :(

Although in my case, I have been transcending to couch potato status for the past week and gave it a kick start by jogging outside in 50s weather yesterday. With the early onset of spring, I seem to be delving in many guilty pleasures, in hope of burning them all by running in the sun, eventually! :)

Last night it was a basket of fries and today a huge IHOP brunch! And if thats not enough, topping dinners with home baked banana bread and icecream :D

We can keep the bake-a-thon going; considering we have many new ideas popping. I bought the muffin tray recently and hoping to try that next! I was thinking we can come up with another new event for this month. Anyone got any ideas? Post it!

Until next time....

For love of Quiche

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Pending our vacation, we wanted to have a week of healthy eating to pre compensate for the sinful munching to come.. so it was a week sans rice or heavy carbs of any kind. So lunchtimes had me running to Financier pattiserie, a french bakery known for their petite cakes and yum food in lower Manhattan. They have daily lunch specials of soups & quiche.

Mmm quiche.. fluffy eggs with great salad is quite a treat. I especially love their truffled mushroom version. I am planning to try my hand at baking on upon my return.

Have you guys ever tried quiche recipes? If so, do share..

Visit financier here

Also posting a pic of Sudan's birthday cake that I ordered here..

That's the way the cookie crumbles :) !

Wednesday, March 3, 2010


I already made it pretty clear that I am a big time chocoholic.. Anything that has chocolate in it, it becomes my instant favourite :) Infact I have turned my husband into a choco-addict as well.. Muuuhahaha (u know.. the devilish laugh).  He literally begs me to make chocolate treats/desserts now.. Life is bliss :D. Today while I was drinking green tea, I had this craving for a cookie with warm melting chocolate inside.,the next thing I know, I was on a search for some recipe with the ingredients from my baking shelf and preferrably a heathier version  and I found this.. It boasts of 21% fewer calories, 42% less saturated fat and 14% less fat than the original recipe but I personally felt there was nothing major under the healthy category except for the whole wheat flour and the amount of butter used.. that's good enough for me.. all the mind game I say! It also fits in  the bake-a-thon month thingie we have going here (I am under the impression that month = till there are enough contributions or till somebody comes up with a different concept :D). Also following suggestions of Divya and inspirations of other blog sites, I decided to venture into a new hobby.. photographing food! This is my debut, using Sandeep's SLR.. I am pretty excited about the whole deal.. So please comment/suggest on any pictures and recipes..will be happy and humble to accept them. I guess I have listed all my excuses and buried my guilt for indulging in chocolate pleasures so lets get started with the recipe..

Ingredients

3/4    cup granulated sugar
3/4    cup packed brown sugar
1/2    cup butter, softened
1/2    cup canola oil
1       teaspoon vanilla
1       egg
2       cups whole wheat flour
1       teaspoon baking soda
1/4    teaspoon salt
3/4    cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure
1.    Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat sugars, butter, oil, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

2.    On ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

3.    Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.


This recipe yields 3 1/2 dozen cookies.


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Looks like someone has been patient enough to teach novices about food photography. Thought I should share the link. It looked really useful.

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