Super hit Date Cake

Recipe is from Aayi's recipes with some minor modifications

Ingredients:

20-24 dates, seeds removed (I used a little more than the original recipe and reduced the sugar)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda (don't substitute with baking pwdr)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup walnuts

Steps:

1. Place dates in a bowl with the milk and heat in microwave for about 1 1/2 mins. This is to soften the dates for easier blending. 

2. Pour the dates and milk into a blender and add the sugar. Blend into a fine paste. 

3. Take a large mixing bowl, add the date paste and add oil and mix well.

4. On a piece of newspaper, sift the all purpose flour with the baking soda. Add this flour to the mixing bowl a few spoons at a time and mix to incorporate. 

5. Add nuts and mix all together.

6. Grease a round cake pan with butter and pour the mixture in. (I've seen it made in a loaf pan or any other baking pan)

7. Preheat oven to 350F and cook cake for 30 mins. I tested at 30 mins by inserting a knife in the center, and found it was done, even though the recipe calls for more baking time. 

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream. 

Quinoa Salad - world famous in Chicago! ;)

Here’s my quinoa salad recipe - it’s very simple really! The reason I haven't posted this recipe is because I never manage to get pictures - it's usually gone real quick! And that is a compliment considering how healthy and quick this is to make! :)

You can kind of get an idea for what this looks like in this picture here where I served this as a side to my Chutney pomfret!  

Recipe -

Cook 1 cup quinoa per instructions on the package – I use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa& water.

In a bowl add the following ingredients (some finely chopped) in any proportion/quantity you prefer –you can mix and match these based on what you have in your fridge.  

· Cooked quinoa

· Cucumber (Persian)

· Bell peppers - multi colored

· Green Chillies

· Onions

· Garbanzo/Rajma/black beans – I used canned (drained & washed) 

· Fruit– Pomegranate seeds/apples – whatever tickles your fancy

· Fresh mint leaves

· Fresh cilantro

· Lime juice

· Jeera pwd

· Salt to taste 

· Optional - Sometimes I also add feta cheese for an additional flavor profile.

 Mix, adjust seasoning as appropriate and enjoy! I wasn’t kidding when I said this was simple! J

Tiramisu Deliciousness

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's recipe from here

Ingredients:

For the cake layer:

18 lady fingers cake/ cookies (available in most grocery stores) 

For the coffee extract:

2 tbsp instant coffee powder (preferably espresso)

2 tbsp boiling water

For the coffee syrup:

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp Kahlua

For the filling:

1 8-oz mascarpone cheese container

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp Kahlua

1 cup cold heavy cream

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

cocoa pwdr for dusting

1. Coffee extract: Make coffee extract by mixing together coffee powder and boiling water in a cup and set aside. 

2. Coffee Syrup: In a saucepan, add the 1/3 cup sugar into the 1 cup water and heat on high flame till it dissolves completely. Pour the sugar syrup into a bowl, and to this add the coffee extract prepared, and 1 tbsp Kahlua. 

3. Cheese Filling: Set 2 bowls aside. In one bowl, put the mascapone, sugar, vanilla, and liquer and whisk together till blended. In another bowl, add the heavy cream and using a hand mixer, whip the cream till it hold firm peaks (took about 2-3 mins). Don't whisk too much, it will turn to butter! Once done, add the mascarpone mixture into the whipped cream and using a light touch, blend together. 

4. Assembly:

Take a 8x8 in glass dish (this allows the dessert to show through the sides) and start layering the tiramisu. First, starting with the lady fingers, soak them for a bit in the coffee syrup and then start lining the dish in an even layer. Next, add a layer of the cheese filling, spreading evenly over the lady fingers. Next, add a dusting of cocoa powder. Repeat layering with second layer of lady fingers, finishing with the dusting of cocoa. Top with the mini chocolate chips. 

5. Cover dish with cling wrap and refrigerate for upto 3 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Tagine in a Tagine!

We picked up a clay pot tagine on our recent travels to Morocco, and I couldn't wait to use it. Tagine refers to both the cooking pot (featured below) and the stew cooked in it. It is a North African speciality. Last night, I made a Chicken Tagine with Olives & Preserved Lemon.

Serves 2

Ingredients

· Chicken thighs - 2 - I used boneless meat because that's what I had at home. The version I had in Morocco was made with bone-in dark meat - tasted better for sure!

· Shallots/ Red Onions - 2 cups - thinly sliced

· Garlic - 2 tsp - finely minced

· Bay leaf - dry - 1

· Cinnamon stick - 1

· Olives - 1/2 cup - I used a combination of Kalamata (Greek Black Olives) and Manzanilla (Spanish Green Olives)

· Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans from a can - 1/2 cup washed

· Bell Peppers - Tri colored frozen from Trader Joes - 1/2 cup

· Harissa - 2 tbs - I used a brand called Korba (Tunisian) which is available locally in Fresh Farms. Spice levels differ by brand, so taste first before using!

· Preserved Lemon - 1/4th thinly sliced. I smuggled my preserved lemons in from Morocco, but have a batch of lemons ready to preserve using the technique in the link. Traditionally, you use only the rind discarding the pulp and any seeds. I used the rind & the pulp.

· Chicken Stock - 2 cups

· Salt to taste

· EVOO - 1 tbs 

Line the bottom & the sides of the tagine with EVOO (I had to cure my tagine before first use).

Add all the ingredients together, and mix well. Ensure that the chicken has been coated very well with the ingredients (especially the harissa).
Cook in the oven at 350F for about 2 hours.

Serve hot with Couscous and enjoy the unbelievably moist chicken, and the explosion of flavors in your mouth!

 Notes-

• You can make this dish in a covered oven safe dish or in a slow cooker too
• Although I didn't feel the need for additional spices, you can add cumin/coriander powder to this dish.
• Also, I have seen recipes where the chicken is marinated in garlic, oil and harissa. I didn't have the time/patience to marinate.
• Substitute for Preserved Lemon - If you don't have preserved lemons readily available, you can quickly make an acceptable substitute by thinly slicing a fresh lemon and sautéing it slowly in olive oil, a little sugar and salt until very tender. Chop into small pieces and use the same as preserved lemons. If you are interested in making Moroccan food often, I would highly recommend making a batch though.They keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Very Green Broccoli Soup - A Michael Chiarello Recipe

This is not just another soup - This is THE best broccoli soup you'll ever have! :)

I adjusted the original Michael Chiarello recipe to suit my taste. I love that it's green, healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

·         Broccoli – 1 pound

·         EVOO – a couple of tablespoons

·         Fresh Garlic – minced – 2 tbsp

·         Onion – diced – 1 cup

·         Freshly ground black pepper – 2 tsp

·         Fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped - 2 tsp

·         Fresh spinach – 2 cups packed

·         Chicken stock/broth (low sodium) – 4 cups

·         Freshly grated lemon zest – 2 tbs

Cut the broccoli florets from the stems. Cut the stems lengthwise into slices.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot until hot. Add the garlic and onion, and stir until light brown - about 5 minutes

Add the thyme and stir. Add the broccoli stems, stock, and salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered until tender, about 10 minutes

Now add the broccoli florets and continue to cook until very tender, about 5 minutes more.

Turn off the heat, add the spinach, and let wilt.

Add lemon zest, and puree the soup in a blender in small batches.

The soup can be made to this point, covered, and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month. I have some frozen to use on days I don't feel like cooking!

Return the soup to the pan and reheat over gentle heat. Stir in the cream if needed (I did not). Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve warm. Enjoy!

Note - The fresh lemon zest is a wonderful flavor surprise...don't leave it out!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Ina Garten Recipe

I love Brussels Sprouts, especially when roasted because roasting imparts a certain sweetness and a crunch to them. Here's a simple Ina Garten recipe.

Ingredients -

• Brussels sprouts -1 pound
• EVOO - a coupleof tablespoons
• Kosher/Sea salt - to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper - 1 tsp
• Granulated Garlic - 1 tsp (optional - this is my addition)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper & garlic.

Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.

Serve hot.

Vankayya Kothmeera Karam - Andhra Speciality

This is a very popular recipe in Andhra Pradesh - the state I grew up in. I firmly believe that the best eggplant/brinjal/aubergine recipes in India come from Andhra Pradesh. This dish is called Vankayya Kothmeera Karam - literally translates to Brinjal Cilantro Spice. :) How can you go wrong?

Ingredients -

• Indian Eggplants/Brinjal/Aubergine (the small purple ones) - about 10 -  cubed. Tip - as you are cubing the eggplants, immerse the cubed pieces in a bowl of salted water. This prevents them from browning & turning bitter. Just drain and add to the wok when ready to cook.
• Turmeric/Haldi pdr - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Dry Red chillies - 2  - broken
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Fresh lime/lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Rough grind/chop finely-

• Cilantro - 1/2 cup
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Green Chillies - 3-5

Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add jeera, curry leaves and dry red chillies.
When the jeera browns, add the cubed eggplants, haldi and salt. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Once the eggplants are about 3/4th the way cooked, add the rough ground mixture of cilantro, ginger and green chillies. Stir thoroughly.
Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until the eggplants are fully cooked through. Don't over cook the eggplant at any stage - you don't want this to be too soft/mushy.

Once cooked, take off the stove and add some fresh lime/lemon juice.
Serve hot with roti/rice. Enjoy! :) You can also use the same spice mixture with other veggies.