Wednesday, April 9, 2014
On growing strawberries and recipe for Eggless Strawberry Yogurt Cake
My three year old son and me have a morning routine nowadays. After his drink of milk, we go to the garden and check if theres any red peeking out of the strawberry patch. If we didnt do this, the squirrels and ants, who have been blessed with a better foraging sense than us human beings, will get to the juicy berries before we do. We dont get too much, but a small handful a day, to add to cereal or to make a couple of muffins, or to eat as it is. The latter doesnt happen often as I am not very tolerant to acidic fruits and Im yet to taste lusciously sweet strawberries grown in India. Here, strawberry needs sugar as a partner to make it more palatable.
But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesnt work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I dont need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (Im talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...
A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
Ive been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldnt use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didnt find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiris, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.
The recipe Im sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.
Pin It
This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. Im not asking you to believe that its dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)
The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.
Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake
Read More..
But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesnt work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I dont need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (Im talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...
 |
| Just plucked strawberries basking in the morning sun |
A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
"Am willing to overlook 11pm deadlines,bad infrastructure,forever 90s music loop- all 4 those few precious hrs in the garden! Tk U #Bangalore"It is so true. Ill continue to grow strawberries next year too. Im told they bear better fruit in the 2nd and 3rd year. Only, Ill be growing them in hanging baskets, so I dont have to compete with the ants to pluck the fruit!
Ive been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldnt use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didnt find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiris, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.
The recipe Im sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.
Pin It
This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. Im not asking you to believe that its dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)
The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.
Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake
Ingredients
¾ cup yogurt
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup rice bran oil (or any cooking oil)
¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)
1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)
Directions
See what people have to say about this cake! (via Twitter) ¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)
1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven at 180 C
- Grease an 8” round cake tin. If using silicon pan, no need to grease.
- In one bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, milk, sugar and jam.
- In another big bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well. Add the whisked wet ingredients. Fold until they come together. Over enthusiastic beating / whisking is better avoided.
- Towards the end, fold in chopped berries and tutti-fruity.
- Scrape the batter into the greased tin / silicon mould and bake at 180 C for around 45-55 minutes, checking with a tester if it comes out clean.
- After 10 minutes, unmould and cool on a wire rack.
- Cut into wedges, dust with icing sugar and serve with tea.
The same recipe will work with raspberries or blueberries to make a blueberry yogurt cake or a raspberry yogurt cake.
Dear @saffrontrail i tried your strawberry yogurt cake recipe and it came it out so well. Thanks :) — Marie Gold (@OyeMaria) March 11, 2012
@saffrontrail Love your blog.Just baked your eggless strawberry yogurt cake ,its superb!wanted to thankyou.Hope you wud reciprocate!:)
— nitisha kashyap (@nitishakashyap) March 11, 2012
Cake done. Waiting to cool ! @saffrontrailI cant find you on FB so the update is here! twitter.com/thingyimajig/s…— MushyPeas (@thingyimajig) March 10, 2012
@saffrontrail hey, just made the strawberry yoghurt cake.. came out amazing! I just wished my strawberries werent so sour though :-( — Priya A (@priya_arun) March 9, 2012
@saffrontrail Yeah... Sounds like a healthy cake. Will probably make it before the strawberry season ends. — LoveFoodEat (@chinmayiebhat) March 11, 2012
Tempted to bake @saffrontrails strawberry yoghurt cake tonight. But waistline concerns are there : — S (@wastrelette) March 11, 2012
Sukhadi Gol Papdi Whole Wheat and Jaggery Fudge
Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup coarse whole wheat flour
2. 1/2 cup wheat flour (normal chapatti atta)
3. 1 cup grated jaggery or 3/4 cup palm sugar
4. 3/4 cup ghee or butter
5. 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
6. 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
7. 2 teaspoon ginger powder (soth powder)
Method:
1. In microwave safe bowl combine the ghee, whole wheat and wheat flour, mix well.
2. Now cook in microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Stir after every 1 minute.
3. Remove from the microwave add in soth powder and stir for a 1- 2 minutes till the mixture cools down slightly.
4. Add the grated jaggery and cardamom; mix well till jaggery dissolves into the flour mixture.
5. Transfer mixture to the greased plate and press firmly.
6. Sprinkle poppy seeds, cut in diamond shape leave about 2- 3 hours than remove the plate.
7. Store in airtight container for 20 to 25 days.
Note: ON STOVE ROAST THE FLOUR AND GHEE IN MEDIUM HIGH HIT TILL IT TURNS GOLDEN BROWN. REMOVE THE MIXTURE FROM THE FLAME, AFTER LITTLE COOL MIX THE JAGGERY. SET IN PLATE THAN CUT.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
LEMON AND COCONUT PUDDING
200 grams fine semolina / soogi
100 grams butter
100 grams sugar
A pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten well
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons fresh lemon / lime juice.
1 cup fresh cream whipped with 2 teaspoons sugar
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Beat the butter and sugar together till fluffy. Add the eggs and lemon / lime juice and continue beating for a few minutes. Add the semolina / soogi, salt and desiccated coconut and mix well. Pour the mixture in a greased baking dish or bowl. Steam it for 15 to 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Remove from the pressure cooker when the pressure dies down. When cold, turn over on a serving dish. Decorate with whipped cream
Read More..
100 grams butter
100 grams sugar
A pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten well
4 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons fresh lemon / lime juice.
1 cup fresh cream whipped with 2 teaspoons sugar
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Beat the butter and sugar together till fluffy. Add the eggs and lemon / lime juice and continue beating for a few minutes. Add the semolina / soogi, salt and desiccated coconut and mix well. Pour the mixture in a greased baking dish or bowl. Steam it for 15 to 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Remove from the pressure cooker when the pressure dies down. When cold, turn over on a serving dish. Decorate with whipped cream
Easy Icelandic fish casserole Ofnsteiktur fiskur með lauk og osti
This is a simple, easy, nourishing dish.
400 g fish fillets (I use cod or haddock, but it would be good using flounder or sole), boned and skinned
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbs bread crumbs
2 tbs cheese, grated
25 g butter
Cut the fish into chunks and arrange in a greased casserole. Add salt. Sprinkle chopped onion over the fish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top, and dot with small pieces of butter. Bake at 175-200°C for 20-30 minutes. Serve with cooked potatoes and a salad.
Variation:
Put the salted fish in the casserole with the chopped onion and butter. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 175°C. In the meantime, mix together:
50 ml Cream
100 ml Milk
1 tbs Breadcrumbs
2 tbs grated cheese
Pour over the fish and continue baking for 15 minutes.
Note:
Can also be made in a microwave oven. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
convert measures
Read More..
400 g fish fillets (I use cod or haddock, but it would be good using flounder or sole), boned and skinned
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbs bread crumbs
2 tbs cheese, grated
25 g butter
Cut the fish into chunks and arrange in a greased casserole. Add salt. Sprinkle chopped onion over the fish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top, and dot with small pieces of butter. Bake at 175-200°C for 20-30 minutes. Serve with cooked potatoes and a salad.
Variation:
Put the salted fish in the casserole with the chopped onion and butter. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 175°C. In the meantime, mix together:
50 ml Cream
100 ml Milk
1 tbs Breadcrumbs
2 tbs grated cheese
Pour over the fish and continue baking for 15 minutes.
Note:
Can also be made in a microwave oven. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
convert measures
Monday, April 7, 2014
Deer Mushroom and Barley Soup
Download Printable Recipe (You will go to mediafire.com)
"The weather outside is frightful, But the weather is so delightful, And since weve no place to go..." Eat soup! Hmmm.... that didnt exactly rhyme. But there really is nothing more satisfying than enjoying a warm, savory bowl of soup during the Wintertime.
Instead of the traditional beef barley soup, we used ground venison. If youre looking to eat healthier, this is a great dish because it so low in fat and filled with tons of healthy goodies like carrots, onions, barley and mushrooms. But its also hearty. Potatoes will make anything hearty. This Deer, Mushroom and Barley Soup is very easy to make and sooo flavorful.
Read More..
Instead of the traditional beef barley soup, we used ground venison. If youre looking to eat healthier, this is a great dish because it so low in fat and filled with tons of healthy goodies like carrots, onions, barley and mushrooms. But its also hearty. Potatoes will make anything hearty. This Deer, Mushroom and Barley Soup is very easy to make and sooo flavorful.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground venison
- 2 tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 container (32 oz.) beef broth
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 quart water
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 cup uncooked barley
- salt and pepper, to taste
- peas [optional-- just to spite Rick. I love you, Baby! ;-)]
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Brown ground venison with garlic and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender.
Dont break up the venison too much, leaving small chunks.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, water, bay leaves...
Carrots, potatoes...
And mushrooms.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add oregano, thyme, basil and barley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add peas (optional), cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. About 30 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
TIP: If the soup is too loose for you, continue to cook uncovered to reduce broth.
Enjoy with some warm, fresh dinner rolls!
Like Food for Hunters on Facebook! Chao Shanghai Cai Stir fried Shanghai Bok Choi with garlic
There is some confusion about what to call various greens in the Chinese repertoire. Bok choi, means white vegetable in Cantonese, and generally refers to the larger white cabbages (pekinensis cultivar group) which in the West are recognized as napa cabbage; in Beijing, the mandarin equivalent is bai cai, and when in season, you’ll see enormous piles of these big cabbages on neighborhood streets, awaiting distribution to homes and restaurants for preserving, boiling and stir frying (The Beijing authorities nearly eliminated this "unsightly" practice during the 2008 Olympics). However, the popular name for the vegetable in this dish is Shanghai Bok Choi which is not even remotely large or entirely white. In fact, Chinese cooks enjoy the very small leaves of this cabbage, the smaller the better. Again, the preparation is extremely simple, featuring the superb texture and flavor of this delicious, healthy vegetable.
1 lb Shanghai bok choi, or Shanghai Choi, trimmedWash and thoroughly dry the cabbage. Trim the base from each cabbage head so that all of the leaves separate.
3 med garlic cloves, minced
1/3 tsp kosher salt (or, if you prefer, 1 Tab light soy sauce)
2 – 3 Tab peanut oil
Sesame oil
Prepare other ingredients.
Heat wok to medium, add peanut oil and when it is hot, toss in garlic. Stir fry quickly for 5 or 10 seconds, add Shanghai bok choi, stir fry for one minute or so and add salt (or soy if you prefer). Cover, turn heat down to low medium, and allow cabbage to steam in its own juices for 2 minutes or so, or until the leaves are limp and the stalks begin to shrink and soften. Adjust saltiness if necessary. Plate the Shanghai choi on a platter and garnish with sesame oil.
Book And Drinking And Eating And Gossiping Club
A long, long time ago, in like, 1996, Oprah launched her official Book Club, finally giving women the world over an acceptable excuse to gather to stuff their faces with tea sandwiches, get drunk off of wine and punch, and gossip about their husbands/boyfriends. And so, in something of an ode to Oprah, that’s exactly what I did with a few of my best lady friends this weekend.
{White flowers in the name of Daisy. I mean, I wanted daisies, but when they didnt have any, I just got these}
I was planning to re-read The Great Gatsby before seeing the remake this Christmas next summer(!!!!), so when we started talking about a book club selection, I was quick to force my preference upon my unsuspecting friends. I was surprised but entirely excited when they took the bait. So, we read the first half of the book and got together to chat about Nick’s reliability as a narrator, whether Gatsby really is who we think is, and what in the HELL is Daisy’s deal, even?!!? And then after those 5 minutes, we just got crunk, y’all.
The champagne punch I made was laughably easy to make and served with a pretty straw helped set the tone for what would inevitably morph from a classy gathering to a hot, hot mess.
The champagne punch I made was laughably easy to make and served with a pretty straw helped set the tone for what would inevitably morph from a classy gathering to a hot, hot mess. 
In the vein of classy lady gatherings, I made two varieties of tea sandwiches: I bought chicken salad from Whole Foods because it’s really effing good but added red grapes to it because that’s how I like it and served it on thinly sliced wheat bread and I put a new twist on cucumber sandwiches by tossing diced mint and a pinch of salt into the cream cheese spread. 
I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, you’re not having a party if you’re not serving/eating cheese. Cue these caprese bites drizzled with balsamic and brie and smoked gouda cheese plate!!
I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, you’re not having a party if you’re not serving/eating cheese. Cue these caprese bites drizzled with balsamic and brie and smoked gouda cheese plate!!
If dairy doesn’t get your digestive system working the right way, there was also a corn and black bean salad (recipe below) to amp up the gastrointestinal excitement!
And like, duh, there were definitely desserts! I made lemon cake pops (recipe coming tomorrow)…
…Laura brought these dark chocolate sea salt caramels…
…and Ashlee made some incredible mini desserts that I apparently was to inebriated to take pictures of—mango panna cotta and mini peanut butter pies!
I don’t care what Oprah says, book clubs have little to nothing to do with reading and far more to do with gluttony!Black Bean and Corn Salad
- 2 cans black beans, drained
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 2 tsp. salt
- (you can also add tomato, bell pepper, avocado, red onion…it’s a very versatile recipe)
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well incorporated (add more salt if need be). Cover and refrigerate for a at least 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to develop.
Do you have a book club? What are you reading?? What do you serve at your book club??
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