Veggie Wraps

Well I had feta cheese and tortilla in my fridge and I wanted to make some quick snack for my daughter and her friend. A quick snack it was....

Total Time: 15 min

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Ingredients: Whole Wheat tortillas Feta cheese lettuce shredded carrots green/red peppers chopped baby spinach shredded cabbage and any veggies you want

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Method:

1. Warm a tortilla both sides on a pan or in a microwave.
2. Place the veggies and feta in the center.
3. Roll the tortilla into a roll. First fold 2 sides inward, then roll from bottom slowly keeping the veggies in.
4. Cut in half for better display.

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Zucchini Feta Flapjacks

I came across this recipe from Kashi in a magazine and I just had to try it out on my kids.... It is so healthy and looked like pancakes... and my kids love pancakes... made it today for evening snack time and they loved it... mission accomplished...

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 5 min
Serves: 4

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Ingredients: 3 cups grated zucchini - about 2 zucchini's 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 eggs + 1 egg white, beaten lightly 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (mixed whole wheat and all purpose flour in the ratio of 1:1) 3/4 tsp baking pwd 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp dried oregano

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Method:

1. Press the grated zucchini tightly with hand or between paper towels to remove excess water.
2. In a bowl, mix all the above.
3. Heat a pan and spread about 2 tblsp of mixture per flapjack to about 4-inch circle.
4. Cook the flapjacks for about 3 minutes each side.

Tomato Chutney

I always wanted to be able to make tomato chutney to go with dosa. I got this recipe from my friend who is a very good cook. I tried it and it turned out pretty tasty.

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Ingredients: 3 Green/Red Tomato 3 Onions 2 Whole Red Chilli 1 tblsp Dhaniya/Coriander seeds 2 pinch hing 1 tsp Rai/mustard about 8-10 curry leaves salt to taste 2 tsp oil - more if you want to keep for long

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Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add dhaniya seeds, red chillies, cut onions and tomatoes, salt and hing. Saute for a few minutes.
2. Take off the gas and let it cool down.
3. Blend in a mixer to a fine paste. It will be watery.
4. Heat another tsp of oil. Add Rai and curry leaves. Let it splutter and then add the onion-tomato paste made earlier.
5. Keep cooking till all the water is gone and it is of the required chutney consistency.

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Achari Aloo

I am not a very big fan of Achaar but got this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's video, noted it down and wanted to try it out.... just for trying a new recipe... I finally gave it a shot yesterday... made a few changes to it based on my preferences and it turned out good... a big change from the regular tastes..

Total Time: 25-30 min
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients: 800 gm baby potatoes - boiled and peeled (about 15-20) 1 onion - finely chopped 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai) 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seedS (methidana) about 5 dried red chillies 3-4 tblsp mustard oil 1 1/2 tsp Jeera 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 1/2 tblsp Garlic paste 2 tblsp Ginger paste salt to taste 1/2 tsp Black salt 1 1/2 tsp sugar 5 tsp vinegar

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Method:

1. Grind mustard, fenugreek, fennel and red chillies coarsly.
2. Heat mustard oil. Add jeera and stir fry onions.
3. Add ginger and garlic pastes. Add ground masalas, haldi, salt, black salt, sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Stir fry 1-2 min.
4. Add potatoes and stir gently(without mashing). Keep on low-high till all water evaporates.

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Tips This is a dry sabji. You might want to accompany it with some othet wet dal/sabji. I plan to let a little water remain next time to see if this can go by itself.

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Tiramisu

This is one dessert that I loved when I first came to US and wanted to try ever since. Finally this Christmas, I decided to give it a whirl. And it came out very nice...and yummy..

Preparation Time: 20-30 min
Cooking and assembling Time: 30 - 45 min
Serves: about 15

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Ingredients: 8 egg yolks 1/2 cup + 2 tblsp sugar 1 1/2 cups Marsala wine 500 ml cream 750 gm mascarpone cheese (you get Tiramisu Mascarpone too) 3 cups espresso coffee 3 tblsp Kahlua 4 pkts lady fingers (2 packets if fingers are thick. I found thin ones) 2-3 tsp coacoa powder 1 hersheys chocolate (optional)

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Cream Layer

1. Carefully break eggs and separate egg yolk from whites. We only need the yolks.
2. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar using a beater.
3. Boil this egg mixture using a double boiler. I boiled this in a bowl on top of another pan of boiling water. The upper bowl should not be immersed in water but kept above it. Keep the heat on medium or else the eggs will start cooking. Keep stirring.
4. Add 1/2 cup marsala wine during boiling.
5. Keep stirring till the mixture becomes smooth and creamy with no sugar granules (about 10 min).
6. When done keep in a pan or sink of cold water for cooling. Keep stirring in between.
7. Beat cream till thick and heavy peaks form.
8. Add cold egg mixture to cream. Mix gently.
9. Take mascarpone chese in a separate bowl and mix gently till smooth.
10. Add this mascarpone cheese to the cream. Mix well but gently. This is the cream layer.

Assembling

1. Mix 2 cups espresso coffee, 2 tblsp sugar, 1 cup marsala wine, 3 tblsp Kahlua in a bowl and stir.
2. Dip ladyfingers in this liquid and make a layer in the 9 X 13 serving tray. The ladyfingers can get very soggy, so dip quickly and layer immediately.
3. Spread cream layer.
4. Top it with another layer of ladyfingers and cream.
5. Cover with aluminium foil and refrigerate overnight.
6. Dust cocoa pwd using a tea strainer.
7. Spread a few chocolate shavings on top. To make chocolate shavings, peel the hersheys chocolate with a peeler.

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Tips You can make espresso coffe at home. I was in a hurry and so picked it up from dunkin donuts.

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Pongal

This year for Sankranti I was in a mood to make Pongal... the kind my mom makes. She boils rice in milk instead of water. So I called mom and this is the recipe I got and made. It came out yummy.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Serves: 5-6

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Ingredients: 1 cup rice 1/2 cup dhuli moong dal 1 1/2 lt milk 1/4 tsp cardamom 1 1/2 cup gur/jaggery or more if you want it sweeter 1 cup water little almonds, cashews, raisins (optional)

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Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dal. Add milk to this and boil on slow to medium heat till rice and dal are cooked thoroughly. You want it slightly mushy.
2. Mash rice and dal a little. Add elaichii.
3. Boil gur/jaggery with water till melted.
4. Add this melted gur-water to boiled rice and milk. Do not mix.
5. Let this cool completely. Mix the mixture well.
6. Sprinkle almonds/cashews/raisins etc on top.

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Barbie Doll Cake

My daughter is a big fan of barbie and I came across this Betty Crocker's Doll cake which would be just perfect for her upcoming 5th birthday. So I followed the directions as mentioned at their site and the cake turned out amazing. My daughter was very excited to have a barbie cake and it was a big hit at the party. The link also has a video showing the making of the cake which helps. The picture below is of my cake.

Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 35 min
Serves: about 30

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Ingredients: 2 boxes Betty Crocker cake mix oil/unsalted Butter as per box water/milk as per box eggs as per box 4 containers Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting Red food color 1 barbie doll Betty Crocker star-shaped candy decors

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Method:

1. Mix the cakes according to instructions on the box. Both the cakes can be made at the same time. I use butter instead of oil and milk instead of water.
2. Divide the batter equally among the 3 8-inch pans and pyrex 1 1/2 qt baking bowl. The bowl will have a little more batter than the pans.
3. Bake the cakes as per instructions. The pyrex bowl cake takes about 15 min more than the cake pans.You can check its completion by inserting a toothpick that would come out clean when done. Cool a little and then remove the cakes carefully. Place on a cooling rack to cool.
4. Once the cakes are completely cooled, cut the rounded top dome of the cake using a serrated knife to flatten it. Cut bowl cake into half horizontally.
5. Cut a 2-inch-diameter hole in the center of all 5 cakes. You can use a round cookie cutter or a serrated knife. Ensure that all cake centers line up when layered.
6. Take frosting into large bowl. Carefully add 7-8 drops of red food color until desired pink is obtained. Place one 8-inch cake on serving plate. Spread frosting over the flat top. Layer the second cake and spread frosting on top. Layer the 3rd 8 inch cake, spread frosting. Layer with the flat cake of the bowl cake and spread frosting. Top with the bowl cake upside down. This complete structure is the dress of the doll.
7. Spread thin layer of frosting all over side and top of layered cake.
8. Wrap barbie doll from under arms with cling wrap. Insert wrapped doll into the center of cake.
9. Starting at the waist of the doll, spread frosting liberally all over. Use a knife to make random swirls on the dress. Use a star tip in an icing bag and make the dolls top. Gently press star decors into frosting to decorate dress.

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Tips Make a wand with a tooth pick.. I mixed 2 containers of frosting at a time. used about 3-4 drops red color for each.

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