Weekday Potluck 9: Banoffee Pie

Nothing gives a sweeter message than the most sinful homemade desserts, and one of my favorites are Banoffee Pies. Just look at that lovely slice shared to us last week by A Slice Of Kate! Isn't it just lovely? :) 



*sigh* Another busy week of trainings, and months more after this one. But I'm doing my best to update and post, hopefully with new recipes to share.





Don't forget to join

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Majiga Attulu ( Buttermilk Dosa )

This is a traditional andhra dosa. It has got a unique flavor and very quick to prepare. You can also use leftover curd if you like.

Ingredients

• 1 cup maida (all purpose flour)
• 1 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 cup curd
• pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 4 finely chopped green chilli
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp jeera (cummin seeds)

Procedure

Mix all the above ingredients and make it lump free smooth paste. Add water to make it flowy like rava dosa consistency.

Heat tawa and pour 1/2 cup batter in a circle starting from the edge of tawa. Once the edges start to become golden brown flip it and for 1 minute.

Serve hot with your choice of podi (I choose coriander powder) and coconut chutney.

Coconut Chutney

(Click all images for enlarged view)

Ingredients

• 1 cup channa dal
• 2 green chilli
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 springs of coriander (cilantro)
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp jeera (cummin seeds)
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 spring curry leaves
• 1 red chilli
• pinch of hing

Add all the item except tempering and make a smooth paste

Prepare the tempering by heating the oil, add jeera,mustard and when it start to splutter add curry leaves,hing and the red chilli and let it fry for a few seconds and pour it on the chutney.

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BEST APPLE PIE EVER !!!

I've made a zillion apple pies in my life that I thought were pretty good. However, the following recipe is new to me, and I have to tell you it is the absolute BEST apple pie I've EVER tasted.

Sorry about this photo, I cut the pie when it was still too hot

When I served this pie to Picky-Picky husband and guests, no one spoke. All I heard were forks clicking on the plates, and the muffled sounds of "oooohhhh man!!"  and "Mmmmmmm"  (a good sign). The first servings of pie were followed quickly by second servings and comments like "wow, that's good".  I totally agree!!!
Double 9" pie crust
6 large Granny Smith apples
½ cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon corn starch
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract + enough water to = ¼ cup

Peel and thinly slice the apples. Place them in the bottom half of the pie crust. NOTE: It is important that you use a DEEP dish pie plate or you will get spill over.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and corn starch and stir until smooth.  Measure 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract into a quarter cup measure, and then fill the rest up with water (total liquid ¼ cup). Add the liquid, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the melted butter. Bring to a low boil (actually not a boil...just let it start to boil around the edges of the pan for about 30 seconds.

Take off the heat and pour over the apples.  Put on the top crust. Pinch the edges shut and cut some vent holes in the top crust.  Brush the top pie crust with beaten egg whites and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Place pie on a baking sheet (in case it spills over), and bake in PREHEATED 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until apples are tender. Let cool until you can hold your hand (comfortably) on the bottom of the pie plate before cutting.

The pie tastes almost like a mellow caramel apple, it is beyond good!!

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CROISSANT PEACH BREAD PUDDING and BUTTER RUM SAUCE

OK, this dessert is SERIOUSLY delicious and definitely not for the calorie shy. It makes a nice big bread pudding and yet it lasted only one evening (thank goodness we had company). It is a creamy, custard-y (but not heavy) bread pudding made with croissants and fresh peaches.  As if that weren't good enough, it is topped with the most delicious butter rum sauce you can imagine.

4  large (day old) croissants
3 large (ripe) peaches, peeled and diced
(1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3 large whole eggs + 3 egg yolks (well beaten)
1¼ cups hot milk
¼ cup butter melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk everything together except the croissants and peaches. Once mixed well, stir in the peaches. Tear the croissants into 1" pieces and add them to the mixture (stir ever so gently, just to moisten...be careful you don't turn the croissants into "mush").

Pour the mixture into a greased 8" x 11" baking dish. Bake in a preheated 325 oven for 50 to 60 minutes (my oven took 55 minutes). A knife inserted in the center of the bread pudding will come out clean when the bread pudding is done. Let bead pudding cool for about half hour before serving (or serve it chilled). Top with warm butter rum sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers.

BUTTER RUM SAUCE

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon rum (I use 1 teaspoon rum extract)

While bread pudding is baking, Mix the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil. Immediately turn heat down so that the sauce just simmers around the edges and simmer for 1 or 2 minutes (mine was done in 1 minute) or until it is just slightly thickened. Remove from heat and mix in the rum (or rum extract). Let the sauce cool a little before you use it.

 

NOTE: As the butter rum sauce cools to room temperature (which takes quite a while), the butter may separate from the sauce. If it does, just heat it up a little and whisk it again (it will go back together).

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Weekday Potluck 8: Pineapple Strawberry Smoothie

My apologies for not being able to get back last week, it has been a swirl of mayhem between the trainings and applications that I didn't notice that the scheduled post didn't go live. The giveaway is still ongoing though, and after I finish everything needed to start my career, I'll be back to cooking and blogging. :)



What we have here is a pretty pink smoothie from Mika of Time To Eat.

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CRUSTLESS CRANBERRY-WALNUT PIE

This is a very old (and wonderful) recipe. It is called a pie, although I would say it is a cross between a pie and a cake...(a little more like pie than cake, if that makes sense). It goes together in just a couple of minutes with a bowl and spoon. I serve it while still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and company gobbles it up....it is the perfect balance of flavors, not too sweet and not too tart. Our son is NOT a cranberry fan, but he loves this dessert.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 cups fresh cranberries (I use frozen)
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract (don't leave out)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a 9" pie plate with vegetable spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the walnuts and gently toss to coat the fruit and nuts (this will keep them from sinking in the batter as it bakes).

Whisk the eggs, melted butter, cinnamon, almond extract and vanilla extract together until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon. NOTE: The batter is almost as thick as cookie dough, so I use my hands to mix gently.

Spread into prepared pie plate and bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. NOTE: I used frozen cranberries (no need to thaw), so it took about 48 minutes to bake in my oven. It slices beautifully like a pie.

Serve warm with whipped cream or better yet, vanilla ice cream.

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The Paleo Diet

My apologies for getting back to blogging late, I was busy with so many things that it was too late when I realized that the scheduled post for the Weekday Potluck and other posts did not go live as planned.



Nevertheless, I have here a wonderful guest writer, James, from Food On The Table, giving us a very interesting take on a new and increasingly popular Paleo Diet. :)











Why the

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BUTTERFINGER TAPIOCA

This fun (and tasty) recipe is quick and easy. I've only tried using a Butterfinger candy bar, but I'm guessing you could use just about any kind. Let me know if you try any other candy.

2 cups whole milk

½ cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons quick cook tapioca
1 large egg, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small Butterfinger candy bar

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the milk, cream, salt, sugar, beaten egg and tapioca. Let this mixture rest for ten full minutes before you turn on the heat (the tapioca box says 5 minutes, but ignore that).

Cook over medium heat, stirring slowly and constantly until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add vanilla.  Cool in the sauce pan (without stirring) for 20 minutes. I'm not sure what this step is for, but it really makes a difference in the creaminess of the tapioca.

While the tapioca is resting, crumble the Butterfinger candy bar into your food processor and pulse until you have small crumbs; you should have about 2/3 cup of crumbs.

Gently stir in HALF of the candy bar crumbs, stirring as little as possible. The chocolate and candy crumbs will "melt" in the warm pudding; don't mix too much.

Pour into dessert dishes and sprinkle the top with the other half of the candy crumbs. Serve slightly  warm (or) chill for several hours; this makes 4 large desserts. YUM!!

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CLASSIC APPLESAUCE CUPCAKES

I have been making these cupcakes for my kids since they were little. They all have teenagers of their own now, so, lets just say the recipe has been in our family a while. It is a simple, one bowl recipe, that produces a moist and flavorful cupcake in short order.

NOTE: Baking times for using this recipe in a 9" x 13" pan, a 9" square pan, or (2) 8" or 9" layers and cupcakes are at the bottom of this post.

2½ cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
1½ cups applesauce
½ cup water (I use apple juice)
½ cup shortening (I use butter flavored)
2 eggs
1 cup raisins (I use golden)
½ cup chopped walnuts

Beat all ingredients (except raisins and nuts) in a large bowl with an electric mixer (on low) for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl. Then beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in raisins and nuts and pour into greased and floured pans. It is just that quick and easy!!

NOTE: If you want to make half of this recipe (my mother used to call them "snack cakes"), just cut the recipe in half and bake it in a 9" square pan.

BAKING TIMES
9" x 13" pan = bake for 60 to 65 minutes
(2) 8" or 9" layers  = bake for 50 to 55 minutes
9" x 9" snack cake = 50 to 55 minutes
cupcakes = 20 minutes  (makes 3 dozen)

A toothpick, inserted in baked cake should come out clean when the cakes are done.

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Weekday Potluck 7: Picadillo Soup

During this rainy season, everyone loves a hot and hearty soup to sip, right? Our featured dish for today is Soup Picadillo from Bonz World. :)



I have just visited the participants' linked posts and realized that it does look cluttered for the post to have the sponsor list at the end of each post. As much as I'd love the link exchange, since not all of you want the added clutter, then I am

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UPSCALE SLOPPY JOES

Upscale Sloppy Joes sort of sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? I am here to tell you that this recipe is definitely good enough for company (at least MY kind of company, lol).  It is made  with a chuck roast in the slow cooker, so what could be simpler? 

The beef chuck roast juices combine with the Sloppy Joe seasonings while it cooks and the result is fork tender beef and an absolutely delicious gravy/sauce. I only had bargain hamburger buns for this photo, but I can see this same recipe served on crusty sourdough rolls along with some potato salad that would please any guest.

UPSCALE SLOPPY JOES
2 pounds lean beef chuck roast (trim any large fatty areas)
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup green pepper
2/3 cup ketchup
½ cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon red pepper sauce
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Brown the beef chuck roast in a frying pan, then place in a slow cooker. In the same frying pan, saute the vegetables until the onions are almost transparent.  Put the vegetables in the slow cooker.

In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and pour over the meat and veggies. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. It isn't necessary, but I turn the meat over a couple of times during cooking and spoon the sauce over the meat.

Thirty minutes (or so) before serving, thicken the sauce with a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water.  Cut the beef into sandwich slices (or just pull it apart) and top with some of the
sauce.  OH SO GOOD!!

NOTE: This would even be delicious over rice.
NOTE:  My slow cooker took only 4 hours on high to make the meat extremely tender, but still slice-able. If you like your beef more like pulled pork, cook it on high for 5 hours.

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Pandan Chicken Bites

 
It's been so long since I last cooked. There's a lot going on in my life right now as my career is already starting, and the rainy weather has been draining all my energy away. Just this morning the sun finally peeked and stayed throughout the day, and I saw our pandan plants (screwpine leaves) in the garden, lush and green, waiting for me to pick on their wonderful foliage.




Now I don't

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CHERRY COFFEE CAKE

This coffee cake goes together in just a few minutes and it is tasty enough for company (especially served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream). We couldn't leave it alone!!

 

2 cups all purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
(nope!! no eggs)

Put all of the above ingredients into an electric mixer and beat on high for two minutes. Spread evenly in a greased 9" x 13" baking pan and set aside.

(2) 14 ounce cans pitted tart pie cherries (save the juice)
½ cup of granulated sugar
1¼ cups reserved juice from the pie cherries
½ teaspoon almond extract

Drain the cherries, saving the juice.  Arrange the cherries on top of the cake batter.  Sprinkle ½ cup of granulated sugar over the cherries. Set aside. NOTE: Do NOT use cherry pie filling!!!

Heat 1¼ cups of the reserved cherry juice until it comes to a simmer and then VERY GENTLY spoon the hot juice over the cherries and batter.  Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not remove the cake from the pan (so use a nice looking pan).

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

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Modaks for Lord Ganesh

Wishing all my blogger friends a very happy ganesh chaturthi. I prepared modaks for lord ganesh. Though everybody is familiar with this recipe but I still feel like sharing this recipe.

We used to make modaks with different shapes and we call it traditionally jilladu kayalu and it is moon shaped. My mom and MIL use to make these with moon shape but I love the modak shape. And it is lovely to hold and give it away.

My hubby wanted to distribute some prasad in the office so I prepared the modak style and pack it in a roche box !! It was my first attempt and I loved it.

While preparing these modaks it undergoes several steps

1. Making the rice flour

2. Making the dough for the shell

3. Making the filling

4. Moulding the modaks into a perfect shape and steaming

Here is the recipe below

Preparing the Rice flour

Soak the rice for one hour and drain the water completely. Spread on a dry cloth for 10 minutes then make a fine powder in a mixie/blender. Sieve it and use if for the dough.

Preparing the Dough

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp oil

Boil the water and salt the oil. Then add the flour mix contiously till it lump free and blended completely with water.

Keep it aside and let it cool for ten minutes. Then knead it nicely to a smooth dough. Cover and keep it aside.

Preparing the filling

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup water

Mix all the above three ingredients in a large deep bowl. And put it on a medium flame and mix continuously with spatula , the sugar will start to melt and slowly blend with the coconut. All the sugar syrup will evaporate slowly and begin to solidify when you have take it off the flame. Note : Be careful not to make it too dry.

Preparing the Modak

Apply some ghee on your palms and again knead the dough nicely. Divide it into small lemon size balls and put one ball in your left palm and pat it into a round shape with your other hand into a 3 inch diameter. Sides should be thin.

Take a scoop of coconut filling and put it in the center.

And start folding it with small bends and finally enclose it.

Now steam it in a idly steamer for 5-7 minutes.

Remove and serve warm.

You can also refridgerate it for longer shelf life.

( Click all images for enlarged view )

Note: Rice flour should be very fine, do not use excess water when making dough .

Dont use too much stuffing for modaks otherwise they will break apart.

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PIZZA PUFFS with PIZZA SAUCE

In these rocky financial times, I've been trying to save on the grocery budget by staying away from pre-prepared foods. Not only has it saved us some money, but we really enjoy knowing what ingredients are going into our favorite (junk) comfort foods.

PEPPERONI PIZZA PUFFS

PIZZA PUFFS

3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)

1 cup pizza sauce for dipping (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.



Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping. (sauce recipe below)

MY PIZZA SAUCE

I've been working on this pizza sauce recipe (literally) for decades and it is finally exactly where we want it. I wouldn't even think of buying pizza sauce again (sale or no sale)!!! This sauce goes together in just a few minutes and it is VERY good.

1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
(1) 6 oz. can of tomato paste
(1½) 6 oz. can of water
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon dry basil
½ teaspoon fennel seeds (do not leave out)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar (do not leave out)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese  (added after simmer)

Saute onion, celery and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add everything else (except the Parmesan cheese) and simmer slowly for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: If the sauce seems a little thick (we like it that way), jut add a little more water.

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ChikBoy's Lechon Cebu

My sister has been raving about ChikBoy being a great fast food to eat in, and she claims that their lechon cebu was something you would like to eat when you're on a budget and still want some comfort food. It was weird when I heard her say it, because she is not fond of fatty foods, and she hardly ever likes any fast food joint.



But then again, with the gloomy weather making me lose all

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Weekday Potluck #6: Potato Croquettes + Giveaway

Won't you love those cute little potato croquettes from My Twisted Recipes? They look good, and my brothers and I could eat these all day!




As I noticed that I haven't been on the mood lately to post anything on my blog, nor even go to other blogs and read away, my traffic slowed down a bit. It's not a remarkable decrease, but it does tell me that I have to get out of bed despite the

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