Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Posted by: Malini on: February 8, 2010
There is no chocolate cake better than my mothers! I would love to share that recipe with you but after having watched her make it countless times, I conclude that she has no recipe, she follows no science and that cake cannot be repeated by any other human hands!!
So moving on……. I’m sharing with you a chocolate cake that is a close second to hers. This one luckily has a recipe and has an unlikely ingredient in it. Adding Beetroot to the cake makes it really moist and healthy too.
CHOCOLATE BEETROOT CAKE
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
2 cups fresh cooked beetroot mashed
2 ½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup cocoa
2 cups white sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
METHOD:
- Cover beetroots in water and boil till very soft.
- Peel skin and puree till smoothe. You should have 2 cups.
- Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence to the beetroot puree and mix very well.
- Set aside in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
- Set aside.
- In another bowl beat together thoroughly the oil and sugar.
- Add in the eggs one by one and keep mixing well.
- Then incorporate the beetroot mixture and the flour mixture alternatively into the egg mixture as you keep beating it.
- Stir it well until they are all well combined.
- Grease and flour two round cake pans or a bundt cake pan and pour the above mixture in.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350’F or 180’C for about 35 – 40 minutes.
- If a wooden toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done.
- When the cake is cooled, sprinkle some confectioners sugar on top and serve.
Kale and Carrot Casserole ( with or without tuna)
Posted by: Malini on: February 1, 2010
I belong to a wonderful local CSA where I get all kinds of organic vegetables all through the fall and winter months. Since I get only seasonal vegetables through the CSA, I often have to be inventive with how I can make my kids eat those veggies over and over again. I was really thrilled with this recipe that I threw together last week. The recipe is based on a superb recipe for a tuna fish pie that my mother makes ( which Ill blog very soon).
This dish can be made with just veggies or you can add tuna fish to if you would like. I made it with Tuna and my kids loved it.
KALE AND CARROT TUNA CASSEROLE
Serves 6 people
Ingredients:
3 medium-sized carrots peeled and shredded
2 cups of finely chopped kale
1 packet of wide egg noodles or curly pasta cooked according to directions.
5-6 red or white potatoes boiled
1/4 cup milk
2 cans of tuna fish
1 stalk of celery chopped fine
1 small onion chopped fine
5 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 cups of grated cheese ( I used a four cheese mix – you can use any cheese that melts well)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
METHOD:
Pasta/ Wide Egg Noodles
- Cook the pasta/ noodles according to directions and drain.
- Mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
Veggies:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wok or frying pan on medium heat.
- Add the chopped kale to the pan and cook it covered for about 5 minutes. (kale takes a long time to soften – keep an eye on the pan to make sure the kale doesn’t begin to burn)
- Add the shredded carrots to the pan and mix well.
- Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes till the carrots are softened.
- Add salt and pepper and set aside
Potatoes:
- Mash the boiled potatoes with the 1/4 cups of milk till a smooth consistency is reached.
- Add salt to taste.
- Set aside.
Tuna Fish: ( vegetarians can skip this step)
- Place the tuna fish in a bowl.
- Add the finely chopped onions and celery to the tuna.
- Add the cooked carrots and kale mixture to the tuna.
- Add the mayonnaise to this and mix it all very well.
- Set aside.
Putting it all together:
- Pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
- In a casserole dish or a 9X13 Pyrex dish place the pasta/ noodles as the base layer of the casserole.
- Put the tuna fish on top of the pasta layer.
- Put mashed potatoes as the next layer.
- Sprinkle generous amounts of cheese to top of the casserole.
- Cover lightly with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese melts and the casserole is heated through.
- Serve immediately.
Batman Cake
Posted by: Malini on: January 25, 2010
I’ll never forget my 5 year old nephew, Shiv’s reaction to this Batman Cake that I made for him last summer. He saw the cake and looked at me with his big brown eyes and said, ” This is exactly the cake that I had thought of making for my birthday in my house in Delhi!!”
So cute – oh boy, I sure am thrilled that I got it right!!!
Batman Cake
Ingredients:
One 9X13 rectangular sheet cake (made from your favorite recipe)
3 cups of white frosting (made from your favorite recipe)
Batman themed confetti (available at any party store)
A few rectangular pieces of thick cardboard or plastic sheets in varied sizes to make buildings (as shown in picture)
A Batman candle and a 5 candle
A Batman on a motorbike small plastic toy ( you can use anything you have)
Some yellow tissue paper
2 thin wooden skewers
METHOD:
- Take one of the oval shaped batman confetti pieces and stick two of the skewers to its back as shown.
- Cover the skewer part with yellow tissue paper so that it looks like a beam of light with the Bat signal (placed behind the building).
- Set aside till glue is dry and ready to be used.
- Color the rectangular pieces in black and yellow – to make it look like buildings with windows and let it dry out.
- Divide the frosting into three colors – grey, yellow and black.
- Frost the rectangular sheet cake with the grey frosting.
- Place the little bat signal confetti pieces in the front of the cake.
- Place 3 buildings in the center, towards the back of the cake.
- Stick the “beam of light with the Bat signal” at an angle behind the rightmost building.
- Using the black and yellow frosting, create a road on the left hand side of the cake.
- Place the Batman on the motorbike on the road.
- Place the Batman and 5 candles on the right hand side of the cake.
- Using any wilton tip, make ovals with the yellow frosting all over the cake base and cake.
- Then take the bat signal confetti and place them on top of yellow oval frosting.
- Write “Happy Birthday” in yellow frosting.
Aunty Pen’s Thai Pomelo Salad
Posted by: Malini on: January 18, 2010
Here is another yummy version of a pomelo salad. This is the one that Varong’s Aunty Pen taught me in Bangkok. It’s a little different from the Chivasom’s Pomelo Salad recipe but is equally delicious.
Pomelo Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2 cups pomelo
½ cup finely sliced shallots or red onion
2 tablespoons of fried garlic
¼ cup chopped cashew nuts, peanuts or almonds
4-5 teaspoons of minced roasted coconut (optional)
3-4 Fried whole red chilies
5 tablespoons of fried shallots
Ingredients for salad dressing:
3 tablespoons of Thai chili paste
7 tablespoons of limejuice
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoons of palm sugar
METHOD:
- In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and mix well.
- In a big salad bowl combine the cooked shredded chicken with 5-6 tablespoons of the salad dressing and mix well.
- Add the pomelo and the chopped shallots and mix.
- Add more dressing if needed.
- Garnish with the nuts, minced roasted coconuts, fried shallots and garlic and whole red chilies.
How To Cut & Peel Pomelo
Posted by: Malini on: January 11, 2010
Spaghetti with Shredded Carrots, Corn & Imitation Crab Meat (pollock)
Posted by: Malini on: January 3, 2010
This is a really healthy, quick spaghetti dish that can be cooked up in minutes. I always keep imitation crab meat in my freezer. It adds a really nice flavor to this dish. You can substitute the shredded carrots and corn for any other vegetables that you have on hand.
Spaghetti with Shredded Carrots, Corn & Imitation Crab Meat (pollock)
1 package spaghetti or angel hair pasta – cooked according to directions
10 -12 sticks of imitation crab meat
6-7 clove of garlic chopped
3 cups of frozen corn
2 cup of shredded carrots
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & pepper to taste
METHOD
- Cook the spaghetti according to directions on the box and keep aside.
- In a large wok, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook for a minute till its fragrant.
- Add the shredded carrots and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the frozen corn and imitation crab meat.
- Saute for about 5 minutes and then add the cooked spaghetti.
- Mix everything very well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the heat off and add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the spaghetti.
- Mix well, top the spaghetti off with some parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Aunty Pen’s Ground Chicken with Basil
Posted by: Malini on: December 28, 2009
Ground Chicken with Basil is one of my all time favorite Thai dishes. I love it extra spicy!!!! I could not believe how easy it was when Aunty Pen showed me how to make it in Thailand. You can put any kind of vegetables you like in the chicken with basil. She used bamboo shoots….I used onions and green beans when I made it! Both taste great. Here is the recipe I learned.
Chicken with Basil
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 chilies peppers ( red, yellow, green – the slightly bigger ones that are less spicy)
10 cloves of garlic
2-3 sliced Thai chilies (optional – depending on how spicy you want to make it)
1 pound of ground chicken
1 sliced onion
1 cup green beans/ any veggie you choose
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 onion sliced thin
½ teaspoon dark soya sauce
1-teaspoon palm sugar
1-cup Thai basil
METHOD:
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil.
- Add the garlic and chillis combined together.
- Fry it well for about 4-5 minutes till fragrant.
- Add the ground chicken and stir.
- Add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce.
- When the chicken is almost cooked, add sliced onions, green beans and Thai chilies.
- Stir it well and add ½ teaspoon of dark soya sauce and 1 teaspoon of palm sugar.
- Add the basil and mix it in very well till the basil leaves just wilt.
- Remove from fire and serve hot with jasmine rice.
Aunty Pen's Basil Chicken with Bamboo Shoots
Aunty Pen’s Winged Bean Salad With Chicken & Shrimp
Posted by: Malini on: December 21, 2009
While I was in Thailand, our friend Varong set up a cooking lesson for me with his Aunty Pen who is a phenomenal cook. Her real name is ML Tidapen Kridakara ( ML stands for Royal blood…so according to Varong……Ive been taught the secrets of the Royal Thai recipes!!) Needless to say, I was floored by her food! She taught me everything from salad to soup to all my favorite Thai dishes. It was truly a gastronomical adventure!!
This salad is unbelievable. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. It is made with something called Winged Beans. I was delighted to find that in the local Thai markets in Queens – they actually sell winged beans!! You could substitute it with asparagus or green beans but wait till you try the real thing!
Winged Bean Salad with Chicken & Shrimp
Serves 4
Ingredients:
10 winged beans (you can substitute this with asparagus or green beans)
1 cup ground cooked minced chicken
1 cup cooked shrimp (steamed)
¼ cup chopped cashew nuts, peanuts or almonds
4-5 teaspoons of minced roasted coconut (optional) – I just bought shredded dried coconut and roasted it in a pan
3-4 Fried whole red chilies
4 tablespoons of fried shalots
4 tablespoons of coconut milk
Ingredients for salad dressing:
3 tablespoons of Thai chili paste (You can buy this at any Asian store – Maeseri is a good brand – you get chilli paste with soybean which is good)
7 tablespoons of lime juice
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoons of palm sugar
METHOD:
- In a medium-sized pot, boil a quart of water with a teaspoon of sugar added to it.
- Add the winged bean/ green beans or asparagus in the boiling water and cook for about a minute till the greens are just cooked.
- Remove from water and plunge under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Chop into 1” pieces and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and mix well.
- In a big salad bowl combine the cooked minced chicken and steamed shrimp.
- Add the minced roasted coconut.
- Add 5-6 tablespoons of the salad dressing and mix well.
- Add the cooked winged beans and mix.
- Add more dressing if needed.
- Garnish with the nuts, fried shalots and whole red chilies.
- Pour a few tablespoons of coconut milk on top of the salad and serve.
Besan Ka Puda ( Chick Pea Flour Pancakes)
Posted by: Malini on: December 14, 2009
Besan ka puda is essentially a very thin, chick pea flour pancake. It’s not sweet like a traditional pancake but is a really yummy breakfast food. It is one of my kids favorite breakfasts when they are visiting their grandparents in India. This is a very typical food in Punjabi homes and can be eaten with spicy pickles, any kind of chutneys or even ketchup.
Besan ka Puda
Ingredients:
2 cups chick pea flour
One onion finely chopped
1/2 – 3/4 cup water ( the batter should be not too thick)
¾ teaspoon cilantro
½ cup cilantro finely chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
Salt & chili powder to taste
METHOD:
- Combine the above ingredients and mix to make a thick batter.
- On a flat pan heat ½ t of oil.
- Pour half a ladle of batter on to the pan.
- Gently flatten and thin out the batter with the bottom of the ladle using a round circular motion.
- Cook the puda for about a 2 minutes till the underside gets a few dark brown spots on it.
- Then flip it over and cook for another minute or so till the desired crispness is reached.
- Serve immediately with any of your favorite chutneys or ketchup.
Parisian Macarons
Posted by: Malini on: December 4, 2009
Have you ever tried a Parisian Macaron?
I have been obsessed with them ever since I tried them. The best ones I’ve ever had ( I haven’t been to Paris yet) are at Payard in New York City. A Parisian Macron is a small round cake/cookie with a crunchy outside and soft inside. It comes in all kinds of beautiful colors and flavors and is filled with many kinds of delicious fillings. I love all the flavors- chocolate, raspberry, pistachio, almond – I could go on and on.
I’ve always held the Parisian Macaron in reverence and never had the courage to try making them, until last week when I chanced upon a recipe by Gourmet for Raspberry Chocolate French Macrons. It looked easy enough and given that Payard has shut down, I figured its time to give it a try!
The results were marvelous!! My kids have literally been inhaling the Macarons! We’ve decided that we are going to make them in red, green and white for our christmas cookie plate this year. So… I thought I’d share this wonderful recipe with all of you….I can promise you that you will soon be addicted…just as I am!
Raspberry Chocolate French Macarons
Dainty pink cookies sandwiched together with a silky ganache look as if they belong on a restaurant’s petits fours plate. In fact, the perfect little rounds can be made with a makeshift pastry bag. You can fill the macarons with either the ganache or any kind of jam – I used raspberry jam. You can also substitute the flavors – if you can’t find raspberry extract use orange or chocolate and use any color food coloring to make your Macarons look pretty.
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr
For the Macaron
6 oz sliced blanched almonds (not slivered; 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Red or pink food coloring
For chocolate raspberry ganache
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (60 to 64% cacao), finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferably McCormick brand)
Special equipment: parchment paper; a gallon-size sealable plastic bag (not pleated)
Make Macarons:
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pulse almonds with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar in a food processor until very finely ground, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.
- Sift in remaining cup confectioners sugar, stirring to combine.
- Beat egg whites with salt in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks.
- Add granulated sugar, a little at a time, beating, then increase speed to high and continue to beat until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks.
- Add drops of food coloring to reach desired shade and mix at low-speed until evenly combined.
- Stir almond mixture into meringue with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated. (Meringue will deflate.)
- Spoon batter into bag, pressing out excess air, and snip off 1 corner of plastic bag to create a 1/4-inch opening.
- Twist bag firmly just above batter, then pipe peaked mounds of batter (the size of a chocolate kiss) onto lined sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Let cookies stand, uncovered, at room temperature until tops are no longer sticky and a light crust forms, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.
- Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until crisp and edges are just slightly darker, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool completely on sheets on racks, about 30 minutes.
Make ganache while macarons bake:
- Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in top of a double boiler, stirring until smooth. (Bowl should not touch water.)
- Remove bowl from heat, then add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted.
- Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.
Assemble cookies:
- Carefully peel cookies from parchment (they will be fragile).
- Sandwich a thin layer of ganache (about 1/2 teaspoon) between flat sides of cookies.
Cooks’ note: Filled Macarons keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.
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