Mango Lassi

Summer is no fun without mangoes..Mangoes make me nostalgic..Every year during the mango season we used to relish atleast one mango a day in different forms, as lassi, milkshake, fruit salad and tastes heavenly by itself..There were also different variety of mangoes..We used to have a mango tree in our backyard at home and it was fun plucking them right from the tree and eating them immediately..

We bought few ripe mangoes in a roadside shop close to the farms during one of our trips last week..We had few by itself and made lassi with the rest.They tasted divine!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Mango  - 1

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2 spoons

Crushed Icecubes - 2

Directions

Peel the mangoes and cube them into small pieces..

In a blender combine the mango cubes,yoghurt,sugar and icecubes and blend them together..If you find it too thick add a little water while blending..

Serve chilled!

Vanilla Apple Cake

This one of the best cakes I have ever baked..The recipe was simple and it had the delicious flavor of apple and the goodness of cinnamon..Our house was filled with a nice aroma..We had the cake during tea-time and there were no leftovers..This recipe is a keeper and I will be making it again.

Thanks for the recipe Maria and Rosie of Sweet and Simple Bakes.This is the first time I was taking part in the event..The instructions were very clear and their recipes are foolproof..

Ingredients

250g (9 oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250g (9 oz) golden caster sugar (or normal caster sugar)
4 eggs, beaten
250g (9 oz) self raising flour
1 vanilla pod, seeds removed and reserved (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (or any other type of cooking apple, if not apple of your choice)
2 tbsp Demerara sugar/brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat the oven to 180°C or 350 degree F.

Butter a cake tin, and line the base with baking paper.

Beat the caster sugar and butter together until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and vanilla seeds or vanilla extract, then beat together quickly to make a smooth batter. Tip into a prepared tin, then lay the apple wedges on top, poking them halfway into the mix. The apples may seem too crowded,but they shrink as they cook. Sprinkle with Demerara/ brown sugar and cinnamon, then bake for 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the sponge is risen and golden.

Leave to cool for a few minutes, then release the tin and cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Serve with vanilla icecream or tastes good by itself!

Sending this to AWED American hosted by Dhivya

Whole Wheat Pancakes- Without Eggs!

I wanted to make these whole wheat pancakes as soon as I saw the recipe in Arundati's blog..I made it immediately for my breakfast in a matter of minutes..These pancakes are made of whole wheat flour and contains no eggs.Yes, they tasted great without the eggs..So they are great when on a diet..They are low in calories and can be accompanied with any fresh fruit syrup or topped just with honey and fruits..

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Brown sugar/Jaggery - 2 tablespoons
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Oil - 2 teaspoons

Directions
Mix the whole wheat flour, baking soda, jaggery, cainnamon powder together.. Add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and whisk together to form a batter without any lumps.. The batter should be in a thick consistency and it should be pourable..Leave the batter aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat a griddle, Pour a full ladle of batter onto the griddle.It spreads by itself..Drizzle oil on the sides..Allow it to cook for about a minute until air holes are formed on the surface..Flip the pancake to the other side and cook for about 15 seconds..

Stack the pancakes and have them with toppings of your choice.
Some topping options:
Butter and fruit syrup
Honey
Thinned out Fruit jam

Sending this to WBB: Grains in my breakfast and also to JFI:Whole grains
Also sending this to Madhuram's Your Recipe Rocks!

Sending this to AWED American hosted by Dhivya

and also to Eggless Cooking Event - Yoghurt/Buttermilk hosted by Madhuram

Broccoli Poriyal

I wanted to make an Indianized dish with broccoli.Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, iron, Carotene, phytochemicals, potassium and fiber..Broccoli reduces cholestrol and also reduces the risk of cancer.. And it perfect to have broccoli while on a diet..I was planning to make dhall and rice and wanted something to accompany it.I made this poriyal with broccoli and it was too good.I made in a way I make cauliflower poriyal.It also tastes great with chapathis and rotis.

Ingredients
Broccoli - 1 head
Split chickpeas / Kadalai paruppu - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1 small sized
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few
Directions
Chop the broccoli head into small florets.. Soak the split chickpeas in water for about half an hour.. Chop the onions finely..Add the florets into hot water for about two minutes.. In a saucepan, add the oil and do the seasoning with the mustard seeds,urad dhall and curry leaves.Once they start spluterring, add the chopped onions. Saute for about two minutes, until they turn translucent.. Add the broccoli florets and the soaked split chickpeas.. Add the chilli powder and half a cup of water.. Cover and cook for about five minutes or until the broccoli turns tender.. Serve with rice or rotis..

Sending this to Diet Event which I am hosting..

Also to FIC: Green hosted by Sunshinemom.

Spinach Cheese Swirls

I made these Spinach cheese swirls from Dhivya's blog..They came out pretty well.And they dont need much effort to make when you have the readymade puff pastry..I feel that the puff pastry is versatile and can be made into anything that suits your taste, be it sweet or savoury.These spinach cheese swirls are perfect for any party..And the pictures are not too good..

Ingredients

Puff pastry - 1 sheet

Spinach finely chopped - 1/2 cup

Mixed cheese - 1/3 cup 

Spring onions finely chopped - 2 tablespoons

Italian seasoning - 1 teaspoon (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

Thaw the puff pastry according to manufacturer's direction.Lay the puff pastry on a floured surface and roll it out a wee bit with the help of a rolling pin.

Spread the cheese, spinach, salt, pepper and seasonings one by one.If using frozen spinach, squeeze out the excess water..

From the shorter end, roll the puff pastry tightly like a jelly roll.Cut them perpendicularly into slices, And brush with egg wash or butter.

Transfer them to a baking sheet and bake them until they turn golden for about 20 to 25 minutes..

Serve warm!

Sending this off to Siri's MBP: Cheese event..

Also sending this to SAvoury Pie Event hosted by Ivy..

Cheese stuffed Jalapenos

Say Cheese!!

Yes I made these cheese stuffed Jalapenos for Siri's MBP:Say Cheese event.I had some Jalapenos in my fridge..I usually make milagai bhajji(deep fried jalapeno fritters) with them..But on a healthy note I wanted to bake them instead of frying them..I landed on this recipe from Food Workshop..I made a few changes to suit our taste and made these lovely baked goodies..

A Warning! They were to hot and spicy even after de-seeding the jalapenos..So choose Jalapenos depending on you spice level and de-seed them if you do not want them to be too spicy..Wash hands after chopping them..

Indulge in the hot cheesy jalapenos..And yes, you easily get addicted to these..We had no leftovers!

Ingredients (Makes 10 servings)

Jalapenos - 10
Cheese - 3/4 cup  any variety.I used a mixture of cream cheese,cheddar cheese and mozzarella.
Mayonnaise/Yoghurt - 2 tablespoons
Dried Oregano - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Wash the jalapenos and chop them into half and remove all the seeds..

Mix the cheese, mayonnaise/yoghurt, dried oregano, salt and pepper and spoon them equally into each chopped jalapeno.

Arrange them on a baking sheet and bake them for about 30 minutes until the cheese melts.

You can also coat the jalapenos with egg wash and bread crumbs and then bake them.

It is that simple.Serve hot!

Sending this to MBP:Cheese hosted by dear Siri brainchild of The Spice Cafe.

Also sending this to Food in Colors: Green hosted by Sunshinemom

Tomato Soup

This is a spicy tomato soup which can be had during any time of the day and perfect with breadsticks..We had this for dinner along with garlic bread and it served a meal in itself.It can be had when one is down with cold..Here is the recipe..

Ingredients

Tomatoes - 4 or 5
Onions - 1 small size
Red Bell pepper - 1 (optional)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter - spoon
Tomato ketchup - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Directions

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the bay leaf and cloves and saute for a minute.Then add the chopped ginger,garlic,onion and saute until they soften.

Then add the bell pepper,chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, salt and pepper and bring them to a boil..Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until it turns mushy..

Discard the bay leaf and cloves and transfer the ingredients to a blender.Blend it into a smooth paste..Strain again if needed..Stir in the tomato ketchup..

Serve hot with croutons or bread/soupsticks of your choice...

Sending this to WYF:Salads/Starters/Soups hosted by EC..

Also sending the following entries to the event..

Sweet corn Soup

Red and Yellow Bell Pepper Soup

Asparagus Soup

Cream of Mushroom soup