Strawberry Cupcakes – Valentine’s Day Special
I made these simple Strawberry Cupcakes for Valentine’s day and they came out so good. I used ready made cake mix for baking these cupcakes. And I made butter cream frosting and this time with a different recipe. I was looking for an airy butter cream frosting recipe and found one in Foodnetwork website. It came out light, airy and delicious. What more can you ask for a perfect Valentine’s day treat. Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Yield: 10 standard size cupcakes and 9 mini cupcakes Ingredients: For Cupcake: One pack of French Vanilla Cake mix (15.25 oz or 432 grams) Eggs – 3 Vegetable oil – 1/2 cup (I used canola oil) Water – 1 cup Strawberry extract – 1 tsp For Frosting and decoration: Egg whites from 2 large eggs Sugar – 1/3 cup...
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Spicy Chicken Cutlet
There are many many appetizers you could make either for a party or just your family. But there are only a few that can win over hearts (and tummies) like a chicken cutlet. That too with little effort on your part. Chicken cutlets are best served with some kind of sauce like Ketchup or chutney sauce – the kind you would serve with samosas. They make for a great party appetizer especially if you have non-veg lovers. Can you bake it too or just shallow fry? Preparation time: 30 minutes No of Cutlets : 10-12 Spice level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Boneless Chicken : 1 lb 1 Potato : 1 big (quartered) Onion : 2 cups (Finely chopped) Green chilies : 3 (finely chopped) Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp Ginger & garlic paste : 1 tsp Garam...
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How to make Fig Preserves (Jam)?
This is a simple recipe to make Fig Preserves (Jam) using dried figs. Fig is naturally rich in anti oxidants, vitamins and minerals. I have used mission figs in this jam. Mission figs are rich in poly-phenolic flavonoid anti-oxidants. It is also an excellent source minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, iron, selenium and zinc. Fresh figs can also be used for making this jam. But it needs more sugar. Fig Jam is awesome and it is one of my favorite. You can spread it on toasted bread or stir in your favorite ice cream or your oatmeal or use it in baking goods. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Yield: One 16 oz jar of jam Ingredients: Dried figs – 2 cups Strawberry – 4 or 5 (optional) Sugar – 1/2 cup Juice from one Orange Juice from half lemon Method...
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Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular vegetarian curries in Indian cuisine. Paneer (Indian cottage cheese cubes) is dunked in a rich and creamy tomato gravy and served along with roti (Indian breads) or Flavored rice. It is one of the commonly found item in a restaurant menu. I am presenting a restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala with step by step instructions. This has always been a crowd pleaser. Tomato paste is the key in this recipe. I have tried using freshly made tomato puree but for some reason the sour taste in the canned tomato paste gives this dish a unique flavor. So please try to use tomato paste to achieve the right taste. Enjoy this dish and let me know your comments. Cooking time: 45 minutes No. of servings: 4 to 5 Spice level: 2.5...
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Oats Pongal
Oats Pongal is a healthy South Indian breakfast dish. This is a wonderful way to incorporate oats in your daily diet. It is nutritious and very easy to prepare apart from the fact that it tastes very close to the original Ven Pongal. This fiber and protein rich breakfast dish can be served with sambar/chutney. You can use gluten free oats if you are on a gluten free diet. If you want to avoid dairy, substitute ghee with oil. Try this wonderful dish at your home and enjoy a healthy and hearty meal… Cooking time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Rolled oats – 1 cup Split moong dal – 1/2 cup Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp Choped ginger – 1 tbsp Cumin seeds – 3/4 tbsp Crushed black pepper...
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Mango Custard with Fruits
This is an easy to follow recipe for making Mango Custard and definitely pleases the crowd. I have added canned fruits to the custard. You can also add freshly cut fruits or just mangoes. And instead of mango pulp you can the freshly ground ripe mangoes. Preparation time: 30 minutes No. of servings: 8 to 10 Ingredients: Milk – 500 ml Custard powder – 2 tbsp Mango pulp – 2 cups Sugar – 1/4 cup Cool whip – 4 oz (113 grams) Cocktail fruits (canned or frozen) – 1 cup (or freshly cut fruits) Method of Preparation: Reserve 1/4 cup of milk and bring the rest to a boil along with sugar. In a separate bowl mix custard powder with the reserved milk without forming any lumps. When milk starts boiling slowly mix in the custard stirring constantly. Add the mango...
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Easy Chocolate Fudge with Nuts
This Chocolate Fudge is easy to make and a delicious treat for your family and friends. It just takes five minutes to whip up the ingredients and then slice them up after refrigeration. I have added toasted nuts to it which adds a crunchy bite. Toasting the nuts improves the flavor and is perfect for the fudge. Try this easy fudge recipe and surprise your friends and family. It comes so handy and perfect for Christmas gift… Preparation time: 15 minutes No. of servings: 35 small fudges Ingredients: Butter – 2 tbsp Milk Chocolate chips – 1 and 1/2 cups Condensed milk – 1 cup Toasted mixed nuts – 3/4 cup (I used almonds, walnuts and pistachios) Method of Preparation: Preheat oven to 250ºF. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and let it toast for 10 minutes until...
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Tomato and Balsamic Bruschetta
Recently I’ve tasted this Balsamic Bruschetta in a party and since then I wanted to try this recipe. I’ve always love the taste of Balsamic Vinegar. It gives such a special kick which makes the dish really delicious. Bruschetta makes the perefect and light appetizer. If you are looking for some easy and delicious appetizer for christmas, here is the recipe for you. Also check out our Christmas recipe collection here. Preparation Time : 15 minutes. No of servings : 6-7 Ingredients: Roma Plum Tomatoes : 8 Fresh Basil : 2 tbsp (chopped) Parmesan Cheese : 1/4 cup(Shredded) Red Onion : 1/2 medium (Finely Chopped) Garlic : 2-3cloves(finely chopped) Balsamic Vinegar : 1 tbsp Olive oil : 1 tbsp Salt : to taste Ground Black Pepper: 1/4 tsp French Loaf Bread : 1 Toasted and sliced Cilantro or Parsley : for...
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Braided Coffee Cake and Mini Rolls
This is one of the recipe I’ve been waiting to post. Because it came out so perfect and delicious. Coffee cakes are always my favorite and anything with coffee on it I just simply love it. I’ve made braided loaves many times but this time it Came out so perfect. This is the perfect evening snack. If you are looking for some delicious and easy to make breads, this is the perfect recipe for you. Try this recipe and let me know how it came out for you. Preparation time: 2 hours and 30 minutes. No Of servings : 2 loaves or 20-30 mini rolls Ingredients: Active dry yeast : 1 package Warm water : 1/4 cup Warm Milk : 1 cup(I’ve used fat free) Sugar : 1/2 cup Eggs : 3 Unsalted Butter : 1/2 cup (sofetend) All...
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Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich from Panera Bread is one of my favorite to go food and something that I always crave for. Half a sandwich (grilled) with a cup of Tomato Soup, that’s what I call comfort food… It is light, little sweet and savory, filled with veggies and feta cheese. Their Tomato Basil Bread and the Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus are the highlights of this sandwich. I always buy their tomato basil bread to make these sandwiches. You can also use the regular wheat or white bread. I often make this sandwich at home with their tomato basil bread and we love it. Check out my Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus recipe for the spread. It gives a nice kick with the spicy jalapenos. They add Peppadew Piquant Peppers. If I don’t have them I substitute it with a random pickled pepper or even dill...
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Moist Banana Crunch Muffins
Banana Crunch Muffins filled with mashed banana, walnuts and crunchy granola is moist, hearty and healthy. The moist texture and the crunchy topping is a perfect combination. You can make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it. Just before baking, mix in the mashed banana, nuts and granola. The banana is not over powering in this recipe but if you like it add one more banana to the batter. You can also mix in some semi sweet or bitter sweet chocolate chips and your favorite nuts and seeds. These muffins are perfect for breakfast or an evening snack. No doubt that kids will also love it. Preparation time: 20 mins Cooking time: 25 mins Yield: 28 muffins Ingredients: All purpose flour – 2 cups Whole wheat flour – 1 cup Baking powder – 2 tsp Baking soda – 1 tsp...
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Homemade Granola
Homemade Granola is a mixture of rolled oats, nuts and dry fruits with oil, maple syrup and sugar. It makes a healthy breakfast or a snack or a topping in your ice cream or Greek yogurt. This is a basic granola recipe and it is very easy to make. Make your own cereals with your favorite mixture and mix it with cold or warm milk or munch as a snack. I have added all my favorite ingredients in my Granola. You can also include seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds and other dry fruits such as dates, prunes and berries. If you start making your own cereals or granola bars you will never go back to the store bought ones. Believe me and give it a try!!! Ingredients: Rolled oats – 2 cups Slivered or sliced almonds – 3/4...
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Pori Urundai for Karthikai Deepam
Happy Karthikai Deepam to all our readers… Karthikai Deepam is a festival observed in India in the month of Karthikai (tamil month). Temples, houses and streets are lit with rows of oil lamps or agal vilakku and the sky is lit with fireworks. This festival is grandly celebrated in Thiruvannamalai, located in Tamilnadu. It is celebrated for 10 days and on the 10th day Mahadeepam (a huge lamp) is lit on top of the Annamalai hill which is said to be visible around a radius of 40 km. This is perhaps the oldest festival in the history of Tamilnadu. On this day, we make Pori Urundai or Puffed Rice Balls, appam, Neyyappam and share it with our family and friends. A grand feast is also prepared on this day which includes rice, sambar, rasam, kootu, kurry, vada, payasam, appalam,...
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Sweet Potato Fries
These are oven baked Sweet Potato Fries with bursting flavors of sweet, spice and salt. They are very easy to make and healthy when compared to fried potatoes (French Fries). I wasn’t so sure how it would taste until I tried them because fries with sweet potatoes?? But then I was wrong. I really like them. My husband is also a huge fan of these fries because of the Home Fries from Pappy’s, a popular BBQ place in Saint Louis. For crispy fries you can add more oil. I have used olive oil but any cooking oil will work. Enjoy your homemade fries and let me know your comments. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes – 2 Corn starch – 4 tsp Garlic powder – 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper – 1/4 tsp Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp Paprika powder – 1/2...
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Stuffed Mushrooms
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers!! Stuffed Mushrooms are one of my favorite appetizers. Being a vegetarian, I don’t get to enjoy Stuffed Mushrooms from most of the restaurants here where they fill it with meat. So I have always wanted to try this dish and finally I did it. This is an easy recipe to follow and I was amazed by the results. My husband (GS) and I couldn’t stop ourselves from finishing the whole plate. Good food always brings more joy, isn’t it!! You need a good dry white wine and Marsala wine for this recipe. You can fill the mushrooms the previous night, pop them in the refrigerator and bake them just before serving. Make your family and friends happy with this delicious appetizers and once again, Happy Thanksgiving!! Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 30...
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Boiled Peanuts
Raw peanuts are boiled with salt until tender and then shelled before serving. My mom makes it often and it is a go to snack whenever we go out for a picnic. It is also a perfect snack for movie time. Boiled peanuts with Indian spices and a few crunchy vegetables makes a popular street food in India. Enjoy this simple snack with your family. Ingredients: Peanuts with shell – 500 gram (or 1 lb) Salt – 1 and 1/2 tbsp Water Method of Preparation: Wash peanuts thoroughly to remove dirt. Pressure cook with salt and lots of water (until peanuts are fully soaked) for 3 to 4 whistles. You can also boil it in a pot with salt until peanuts become soft and cooked. You will be easily able to break the shell when it is fully cooked. If peanuts...
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Ashoka Halwa
Ashoka Halwa or Asoka Halwa is a popular dessert from Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur District (South part of India). When you hear the name the first thing that anyone can think of is, why is it named as Ashoka Halwa!! Sorry, even I am on the same page with you… But I can tell you, this is by far the best tasting Halwa I have ever had. My sister lives in Thiruvaiyaru and whenever I meet her I get to taste this Halwa. She knows I am fond of this sweet and she packed me some Halwa flour to make it here. If you are fond of Halwas like me, you should definitely give this a try for this Diwali. The main ingredient of this dish is split moong dal or paasi paruppu. There are different methods of preparation for this...
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Badam Halwa
Badam (Almond) Halwa is one of the most popular and delicious Indian sweets and it is made with almonds, saffron, sugar and clarified butter. Diwali is coming up in a couple of weeks and if you are wondering what dessert to make, here is the richest, delicious and scrumptious Badam Halwa recipe. Try this recipe and you will definitely love it. Just as much if not more as I did. Preparation Time : 60 minutes No of servings : 6-8 Ingredients: Badam/Almonds : 1 cup Milk : 11/2cup Ghee : 3/4 cup (Clarified Butter) Sugar : 3/4 cup Saffron : 1/4 tsp Method Of Preparation: Soak Badam/Almond overnight or till the skin peel out of almonds when you press them with your fingers. Now remove the skin from almonds and grind it in blender by adding little milk to make...
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