Chocolate, Cranberry & Oat Bars

Adapated from Kraft foods

Ingredients:

1 cup dried cranberries (substitute raisins for the cranberries)
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (I used white granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1/2 cup Chocolate chips

1 tbsp Orange Sugar-1 tbsp (rub orange zest into vanilla sugar, and let it dry in a very low oven)

1/2 cup chopped Almonds (in original recipe Pecan Pieces are used)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Combine cranberries and orange juice in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 30 sec. Let stand 10 min.
• Meanwhile, combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Beat margarine and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Stir in cranberry mixture, chocolate and almonds or pecans.
• Spread dough into 13x9-inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until lightly browned.
• Cool completely on wire rack before cutting into bars

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Molten Lava Cake

October Sweet Punch was hosted by Divya and she selected Molten Lava Cake this time. This highly rich chocolate cake is easy to prepare but we need to be careful on baking time. If you cook one or more minutes longer than required, you won’t get the gooey centre. I halved the recipe and got only 3 ramekins small Molten Lava Cake for three of us to enjoy this Oooey, gooey chocolaty goodness. Since I used dark cooking chocolate, cake colour is on the darker side and less sugary.




Molten Lava Cake
(Recipe source - showmethecurry.com)

Ingredients:
Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate – 4 oz (113g)
Butter – 4 oz (113g)
Eggs – 2
Sugar – 1/3 cup (75 g)
All-purpose Flour – 1/4 cup (40g)
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Method:

• In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
• In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.
• Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
• Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
• Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
• Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside. (I baked for 10 minutes).
• Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or Whipped cream.

P.S - Some people find it gross to have cakes with uncooked centers and feel the lava is nothing but uncooked batter. If you feel so, just place a chocolate chunk in between--pour half the batter into the ramekin and place a chocolate chunk,and pour the remaining batter and cook for a longer time than mentioned.You could also place cold ganache in between,choices are numerous!!

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Homemade Tandoori Roti using a Toaster!

Tandoori Roti is an Indian unleavened whole wheat bread traditionally made in a clay oven or Tandoor. However, for those who do not have a clay oven or Tandoor, here is an easy way of making Tandoori Roti at home using a bread toaster. These healthy rotis can be served with any gravy based veg or non veg dish.

Ingredients:

Atta (wheat flour)- 2 cups

Maida (all purpose flour)- 1/4 cup
Sugar-1 tsp
Salt to taste
Yoghurt- 3 tbsp

Ghee or butter - 2 tbsp
Water- ¼ cup or as needed

Method:

• Mix atta, maida, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yoghurt and mix to make crumbly dough.
• Add small quantities of water as needed and knead to smooth dough.
• Leave this dough out for about 1 hour.
• Divide the dough in to small balls and dip the dough ball into dry flour and roll it out into an oval or round shape disc (thicker than chapathies).
• Place rolled out roti on a hot tava and cook until bubbles appear, flip the roti over and cook until light brown spots appear. Keep aside.
• Repeat the process until all rotis are cooked on tava.
• Pop these rotis into a toaster and toast them on medium until they puff up and darker brown spots appear.

• Once the roti is done, remove from toaster and smear it with some ghee on one side. (you can completely omit this for a healthier version).

• Place the roti in a paper towel and lightly crush it.

• Serve hot!

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Peach and Yogurt Popsicles :)

Ingredients:

Peaches- 1 cup, cut in to pieces
Orange juice-1 cup
Limejuice-1 tsp
Sugar- ½ cup
Vanilla essence-1/4 tsp
Yogurt-1 cup

Method:

• Blend sugar, peaches and all the other ingredients together.
• Pour into popsicles molds or in a dish and freeze.
• To unmold the popsicles, run the mold under warm water to loosen the popsicles.
• Enjoy!

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Instant Eggless Chocolate Mousse!

When you haven't got time for overnight setting in the fridge or you don't want to use raw eggs, this mousse is perfect.




Instant Eggless Chocolate Mousse
Recipe Source: Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:
150gm Mini Marshmallows
50gm Soft Butter
250gm Dark Chocolate, chopped into small pieces
60ml Hot Water
284ml Double Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract




Method:

• Put the marshmallows, butter, chocolate and water in a heavy-based saucepan.
• Put the saucepan on the hob, over heat, though keep it fairly gentle, to melt the contents, stirring every now and again.
• Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream with the vanilla extract until thick, and then fold into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth, cohesive mixture.
• Pour or scrape into individual glasses or ramekins, and chill.
• Enjoy!

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Spicy Orange Chicken Salad!

This is the third recipe I have tried from Pam’s For the Love of Cooking blog. Her Strawberry and Banana Muffins and Flank Steak Panini were keeper recipes. And now this Spicy Orange Chicken Salad is a huge hit in my family. Try this easy to make, delicious and filling salad!






Spicy Orange Chicken Salad
Adapted from here

Salad:
8 oz of romaine lettuce, chopped
8 oz of roasted chicken, chopped
3 green onions, diced
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 large oranges, peeled and cut into segments

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce (more if you desire)
1 tsp sugar


Method:

• Combine the lettuce, roasted chicken, green onions, celery, and orange segments in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, hot sauce, and sugar then mix thoroughly.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
• Serve immediately.

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Chicken Balls!

I love to collect recipes; whether I try them or not I collect as many as I can get my hands on. Apart from the cook books I buy, I also collect the recipes published in magazines, news papers and even in those small booklets that are distributed at supermarkets with different products ;). I got this recipe for Chicken Balls from a Kiri cheese booklet. It’s easy to make and is a great Appetizer.

Chicken Balls
(Serving: 6 persons; Preparation time-20 mints; Cooking time- 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
4 cups Minced Chicken
2 tbsp Onions, chopped
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 egg yolk
300gm Kiri Cream Cheese (Kiri, a brand available in Gulf countries)
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp All purpose flour
2 Eggs
1 cup Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a pan, add butter and cook the onions until tender. Remove from the heat and mix with parsley, then let it cool.
• Mix the minced chicken with salt, pepper, egg yolk and cream cheese. Add the sautéed onions and parsley.
• Divide the mixture into 24 even sized balls and refrigerate for two to three hours.
• Beat the two eggs with egg yolks. Dust the chicken balls with flour; dip in egg mixture and then in bread crumbs.
• Fry in hot oil and drain on a kitchen towel. Serve hot.

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Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe

Chocolate Raspberry Cake
(Makes 12 servings (9-inch three – layer cake)

Ingredients:
Cake flour-¾ cup
Sugar-1 cup
Unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder- ½ cup
Salt- ¼ tsp
Baking powder- ¼ tsp
Eggs- 8, separated
Vegetable oil- 1/3 cup
Vanilla essence-1 tsp
Seedless raspberry jam- 1 cup
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (recipe follows)

Method:

• Preheat oven to moderate (350F). Grease three 9- inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper circles. Dust sides with flour; tap out excess.
• Stir together ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in medium-sized bowl.
• Beat together egg yolks, ½ cup sugar and oil in large bowl until thick and pale yellow. Beat in vanilla.
• Beat egg whites with clean beaters in medium-sized bowl until foamy. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.
• Sift one-third of the flour mixture over egg yolk mixture and add one-third of egg whites; gently fold until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and egg white mixture in 2 more additions. Divide batter equally among the three pans.
• Bake in a preheated moderate oven (350F) for 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Loosen cakes from sides of the pans with thin knife. Immediately invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely. Remove waxed paper.
• Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread top with half the raspberry jam. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over jam. Stack second layer on top of first. Spread with remaining jam and about 2/3 cup frosting. Place third layer on top. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Refrigerate.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
A rich frosting, good on practically anything!
(Makes about 3 cups. Enough to fill and frost 9-inch three layer cake (12 servings).

Ingredients:
3 squares (1 ounce each) semi sweet chocolate
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup plus 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 tbsp Confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Melt together chocolate, butter and 1/3 cup heavy cream in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water; stir until smooth. Cool completely.
• Beat together the remaining 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, sugar and vanilla essence in medium-size bowl just until soft peaks begin to form. Do not overbeat or frosting will become grainy.
• Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture just until combined. Fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped cream just until combined.
• Decorate with white chocolate shavings (optional).

This recipe goes to following events:

The Chocolate Fest over at Cook Curry Nook.


Srilekha's EFM - CAKES AND BAKES SERIES!

Champa's Bake-off event.

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Golden Onion Chicken Quiche!

Sweet Punch challenge for September was hosted by Ria and this time she selected a savory bake for us. The challenge was to make a Quiche. Instead of making one big Quiche in an 8 inch pan, I used my muffin tin to make Mini quiche. I didn’t add egg in the pastry dough and also reduced the amount of butter to 75gms. I also reduced the amount of milk-cheese- egg mixture as per Nag’s suggestion. Thank you Ria for selecting this recipe!


Golden Onion Quiche
Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
Maida -200g
Unsalted Butter (frozen) -100g (I only used 75g)
Baking powder-1/4 tsp
Salt-to taste
Beaten egg-1 (I didn’t add egg)
Ice cold water-as required (which will be a few drops)

Method:

• Sieve maida, salt and baking powder together.
• Grate in the butter and mix it with the flour with your fingertips till it resembles coarse sand.
• Add in the beaten egg and water and gather it into a soft dough.
• Roll it out on a lightly floured surface and lift it up carefully and line the tin that you will be baking it in. If it breaks up and you need to do a patch work, big deal! It wouldn't be seen outside! ;)
• Whichever tin you are using, make sure the dough comes a little way up the sides, so that it can hold the filling in.

Filling:

Ingredients:
Boiled and shredded chicken-1/2 c (you can substitute it for paneer or other veggies of your choice)
Onion-250 g, chopped
Milk-1 c (I only added ½ cup)
Cheese-100g (cheddar will work fine) (I only added 75gms)
Beaten eggs-3 (I used only 1 egg)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil- as needed.

Method:

• Heat oil and slightly fry the chicken/paneer til it is golden brown.
• Add in the onions and fry till onions have caramelized.
• Switch off the flame.
• Add milk, cheese, beaten eggs, salt and pepper and mix well.
• Pour into the pastry case and bake for 25 mins or till golden brown.
• Let it cool in the tin completely.
• Serve it in wedges.

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Honey Chilly Chicken

Thanks everybody for the lovely comments for my previous post Szechuan Style Vegetable Hakka Noodles.... This Honey Chicken I tried from Finla's place goes very well with Noodles and Fried Rice. We all loved this chicken especially my 6 yr old fussy eater....I hope all of you will also like this mildly sweet chicken...Thank you Finla for this lovely recipe...

Honey Chilly Chicken

Recipe Source~ Finla (Happy Cook’s) My Kitchen Treasures


Ingredients:
Chicken breast 500 gm
Flour
Salt and pepper
Oil for deep frying
Few spring onions sliced
1 tbsp ginger finely cut
1 tbsp garlic finely cut
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp corn flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chinese chilly sauce ( more if you like it hot)
Few green chillies sliced ( optional)
2 to 3 tbsp soy sauce ( add according to your taste, not too much as the dish might be too salty)

Method:

• Cut chicken into bite size pieces.
• Coat chicken pieces lightly with flour which has been seasoned with salt and pepper
• Deep fry the chicken in batches.
• Now heat a wok add 2 tbsp oil and sauté the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies, for few minutes.
• Add honey, stir for one minute. Add combined corn flour, water, chilly sauce and soy sauce. Stir until sauce boils and thickens.
• Add chicken, toss in sauce for three minutes or until chicken is heated through.
• Add few more sliced spring onions and serve with Noodles or fried rice or even with chapathi.

Note: For a healthier version of this dish omit deep frying the chicken, instead stir fry chicken in a non-stick pan with very little amount of oil.

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