SWEET & SPICY NUTS

These nuts would be and excellent snack for New Years, or a great gift for a neighbor or co-workers birthday. I can see many uses for this sweet & spicy treat. The following spice mixture will do 2 cups of nuts, so if you want to season more than 2 cups, just multiply the spices accordingly..2 cups salted mixed nuts1 tablespoon melted butter2 teaspoons chili powder½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon...

Read more »

Homemade Cheesecake Ice Cream

We had homemade cheesecake flavored ice cream for Noche Buena this year's Christmas. And this is the first recipe I posted from our Christmas dinner since this is the one I have been closely watching and actively taking part of, considering that the ice cream maker was the gift I got from my mom this Christmas.It was as creamy as I can remember, just like the gelato (custard-based, over-priced...

Read more »

GREEN BEAN-MUSHROOM-BACON & CHEESE CASSEROLE

The traditional "green bean casserole" has always intrigued me. I see it mostly during the holidays and I want to enjoy it, although I'm not too fond of the mushroom soup sauce it usually has. This year, I set out to re-invent this holiday casserole and I absolutely love the final results. .I used fresh green beans, sauteed sweet onions, portobello mushrooms, crisp bacon, a little cheddar cheese and...

Read more »

Our Simple Christmas Dinner

*Recipes coming soon!*I love the holidays, when everything is just about food. And this time, I just sat and relaxed while my older sister cooks our Christmas meals while I get to taste and eat while she's cooking. I managed to eat a buffet already by the time she forced me to help in preparing the food. So the recipes I will have to verify with both my memory and my sister's memory as we...

Read more »

MasterChef India Grand Finale

The masterchef india winner has been declared yesterday !! ...This has been the best reality show I have ever watched. A unique identity for cooking skills has been created with a more serious flavor. The contestants have not been shown any favoritism and have been tested only based on the taste of the food.The three finalists are a teacher in her 40s who quit her job as the school principal did not give permission to participate, a young lady in her 20s whose husband is a marine engineer living...

Read more »

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WALNUT COOKIES

If you are looking for one more easy cookie to round out your holiday baking, try these delicious cookies. They are light, crispy and buttery tasting (not the standard heavy oatmeal cookie). 1 cup butter (room temperature)1 cup packed brown sugar1 cup white sugar2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon butter extract1 teaspoon cinnamon2 cups quick cooking oats2 cups flour1 teaspoon baking soda1...

Read more »

CHRISTMAS FRUIT LADDER

I make this fruit ladder every Christmas. It is super simple, fast, looks impressive on any dinner table and is delicious. The dough works beautifully, is very forgiving and never fails!! You can make this ladder with any pre-cooked fruit filling (home made or commercial).I have had a a few people tell me this looks hard to make, but trust me, it is not. There is just one little trick: roll the dough...

Read more »

A Trip To Orchard Road

As much as I would have loved going to Singapore to have a taste of the exquisite cuisine of Orchard Road, a student's budget like mine can't possibly afford any trips for now. Not that I can't ask my parents for money, but I would rather not lest they give me a long lecture and probation on who I am going with and whatsoever doubts they can come up with.So after a long walk around SM Megam...

Read more »

EASY MICROWAVE CANDY

This is the easiest candy I have ever made and better yet, my picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up!! It is fast to make in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving. 12 ounce bag of good quality white chocolate chips12 ounce bag of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips12 ounce bag of good quality milk chocolate chips3 cups of your favorite whole nuts (see note).Put the chocolate...

Read more »

Spirulina The Best Whole Food On Earth

( Click image for enlarged view )My FIL who is 73 years old has been eating Spirulina for the last 15 yrs, and recently I did some research online and amazed by its nutritional value. I have begun to eat this and also told my hubby to have it regularly.So what is Spirulina ?UN-WHO ranks the Spirulina the "Most Ideal Food of Mankind in 21st Century", UNFC evaluates it as "Super Nourishing Food"Upon...

Read more »

Superfast Rava Idli With Sesame Tomato Dip

(Click image for enlarged view)If you are looking for quick,tasty south indian breakfast without any long process of soaking, fermenting , grinding then this rava idli is the best option.I learnt this recipe from my SIL and the accompanying chutney is so perfect you will be asking for more.Rava idlis have a unique taste that cannot be described easily, it feels spongy, light and has a soft texture...

Read more »

APPLE - PINEAPPLE COLESLAW

This sweet and crunchy salad is a nice change of pace from traditional coleslaw; the brown sugar gives it a nice mellow taste. 3 cups of chopped green cabbage2 peeled, cored and shredded apples (your favorite kind)1 large grated carrot1/3 cup finely chopped celery(1) 8 ounce can crushed pineapple (squeezed dry)1/3 cup mayonnaise1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceSalt & Pepper...

Read more »

Yummy Vanilla Cake With Microwave

I began my experiments with baking when I came to US last year, but after returning to India I was wondering how it would turn out if I use my microwave for baking. Today I made a simple vanilla cake and I was pleasantly surprised as it came out so well soft moist with a nice brown shade. So here is the recipe ...Ingredients:1 cup all purpose flour (maida)3/4 cup powdered sugar2 eggs1/2 cup buttermilk1/2...

Read more »

Homemade Almond Biscotti

I longed for biscotti from Starbucks, but with the extremely busy schedule I have at school, I barely have the time to relax and take a sip of coffee or latte. But as we have stocked up on nuts lately, specifically raw almonds and walnuts still inside their shells, enjoying nice and freshly baked biscotti is not to difficult anymore. But I can't find the nutcracker, and unless I want to manua...

Read more »

Makai Ki Gravy ( Sweet Corn Gravy )

( Click image for enlarged view )I learnt this recipe while watching masterchef. This recipe is very simple and as a big fan of sweet corn I wanted to try something different. This dish was taught to one of the contestants of masterchef by a royal chef of a palace in Rajastan.In this makai ki gravy sweet corn is simmered in milk with a light blend of spices to give it a unique taste. The dish I have...

Read more »

Cabbage Rice With Coconut Milk

( Click image for enlarged view )I had this rice when I was with my SIL. I love the flavor of this rice so much that I tried it again when I came back to my place. This rice has got a creamy texture as it is simmered in coconut milk and it has a mild sweet taste and pleasant aroma with a little crunch of cabbage. It is a great supplement when we have a spicy menu on the platter.Ingredients:2 cups...

Read more »

OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRISP

I've been tweaking this apple crisp recipe for most of my married life. I've tried a variety of spices, crusts, topping ingredients, apple types, nuts/no nuts, oats/no oats, baking times, etc. After many years of trial and error, we are happy with this final version. The apples are cut smaller than for a pie (see note) and the topping bakes into a sweet, crispy, nutty perfection. I like to make this...

Read more »

Pinni - A Perfect Energy Laddu

( Click image for enlarged view )Hi dearies .... hope u all in good health. It has been a been long vacation and I really missed u all and your wonderfull creations. Thank you so much for all your good wishes and comments.I spent a good time this whole month, I was tempted to post a recipe but I reminded myself that I am on a vacation : P.In this visit I learnt some new dishes.One of them was this...

Read more »

BIG MAC & FRIES (CLONE)

I don't know about you, but we enjoy eating a Big Mac 3 or 4 times a year. So I was happy to find this recipe. The sandwich (because of the "secret sauce") really does taste like the "real thing" except so much better!! First of all, make the "secret sauce" (stir well) and let it sit in the fridge overnight:.½ cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons Wishbone deluxe French dressing 4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish1...

Read more »

STURDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

Traditionally, butter cream frosting is made with butter, powdered sugar and flavorings, however, I find the recipes that use all butter, tend to be heavy tasting, hard to work with (it melts and sags too easy) and not the light fluffy frosting people expect..I've decorated cakes for years and I keep coming back to this easy, user friendly and fluffy frosting recipe, made with half butter and half...

Read more »

CINNAMON ROLLS (no yeast)

These cinnamon buns have NO yeast in them, but they sure taste like they do. I have to admit that when I first saw this was a baking powder dough, my first thought was, "uh oh, a heavy biscuit texture", but I was wrong; these are FAR from the standard biscuit taste. The dough has cottage cheese and buttermilk in it and it is super flaky, light, sweet and tender. I have tried a lot of cinnamon roll...

Read more »

FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This impressive (but very simple) cookie will be great for the holidays. It consists of a sweet peanut butter cookie shell, filled with a rich fudge filling. When you first make the cookies, the filling is soft enough to pipe (or you can spoon it into the shell). However, after it completely cools, the filling is the consistency of a soft fudge. They are delicious, and look so pretty!!! ½ cup...

Read more »

HEINZ CHILI SAUCE CLONE

This is a clone recipe for Heinz chili sauce. It is so easy...takes every day ingredients and is even tastier than the original!! Chili sauce was never a pantry staple for me; I always found it on my shopping list for holiday and special occasion recipes, like this shrimp cocktail (which calls for Heinz chili sauce). I will never buy commercial chili sauce again because this is so much better (and...

Read more »