Peach Clafouti – Sweet and Tart Peaches in a soft cakey dessert

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!!

How are you all doing today? Its been raining here all week and its been so cold, I am always in my socks and either I am eating some thing warm or drinking the same. While it is quite easy to make cold desserts, warm desserts are a little “different”. Now I know I could make a batch of warm cookies or brownies and eat them right out of the oven. But here is the thing, I wanted to incorporate fresh fruits in there as well. Now, synonymous to these cozy days, is the world Lazy! So the last thing on my mind is to bring everything to room temperature and adding raising agents etc! So this is my” no stress, just vegetate and eat warm gooey deserts” recipe.

Also this is a great option when you have surprise visitors over for dinner and you do want to make some thing sweet at the end of your meal. You could use any kind of fruit, the base remains the same and let me tell you, in my opinion, tart fruits work the best cause they cut through the sugar in the base and leave you with this wonderful warm happy feeling!

Ice cream or fresh cream, how ever you fashion to pair this dessert, it is a total win  – win. Oh and did I forget to mention, its a ONE POT dessert!

My mum makes another version of the same thing and adds roasted cashew nuts and bananas too. Oh that one is out of this world and to compare the two wouldn’t be fair. So if you are looking for a warm, sweet, fruit and cakey dessert that doesn’t involve too much work but you would like to enjoy on a cold night, then I strongly recommend this recipe!

Ingredients :-

1. Flour – 2 cups
2. Powdered Sugar – 1 cup
3. Butter – 100 gms
4. Vanilla – seeds from one pod or 2 tsp
5. Salt – just a pinch
6. Fresh Peaches – 6 (sliced thin)
7. Eggs – 3
8. Butter ( just to grease the bowl)
9. Milk – 1 cup

Instructions :-

1. Pop the butter into a microwaveable dish and melt. Set it aside to cool
2. While that is happening, place a kitchen towel on your counter and place your large bowl
3. Slice peaches to desired thickness and set aside
4. Add flour and sugar and whisk together
5. Then add the milk, eggs, vanilla and salt
6. Whisk well to for a lump free batter ( little thicker than a pancake batter)
7. Grease your pie tray or enamel wear or even your cake tin with butter ( using a shallow tray makes the fruit pop out better through the cakey base)
8. Pour the batter into the pan
9. Then arrange the peaches over the batter. The batter is very runny so some of the fruit may sink but that’s ok, just add more 🙂
10. Pop the tray into a pre-heated over at 180 C for around 30 – 45 mins
11. Once done, pull it out of the oven and serve right away with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh cream or ice cream!!

“Take me to the beach” Smoothie !! – Kiwi, Pineapple, mango

Hello My Dear Wonderful Friends!

How are you all doing today? Yay, its almost the weekend and I can not wait for Saturday. Its been raining all week and my little boy is down with a cold, so I decided to make warm food and to begin my day with lots of nutritious fruits to keep me going. Pineapples help build and secure your immune system. They are anti inflammatory  and also help in digestion. Kiwi also helps build immunity and is a good source of Vitamin C and then there is mango. Do you really need a reason to add mangoes in anything?? 😛

This time I used coconut water cause I wanted this smoothie to feel like a cocktail! ha.. so much for a clean mind and a clean diet! lol. The thing is, when you make smoothies every day, you really do not wanna get bored and our world is full of different kinds of fruits and vegetables and the permutations are endless! That being said, there are certain smoothies I just do not make, like pineapple and oats = yuck! Orange + yogurt = run to the bathroom!! etc!

All this fruit talk is making me hungry! OK, so I am going to run along and make some thing to eat while you check out my recipe for this refreshingly fresh and jazzy smoothie!!

Ingredients :-

1. Mango – 2 cups
2. Kiwi – 3
3. Pineapple – 1 medium size
4. Coconut water – from one large coconut ( add more if you do not like it thick)
5. Palm Sugar – 1 tsp ( optional)

 

Instructions :-

1. Skin the mango and cut the fresh mango into large chunks and chuck right into the blender
2. Then cut the kiwis into two and using a spoon scoop out the flesh
3. Slowly slice off the skin of the pineapple and cut into small chunks
4. Add all the fruits into the blender
5. Finally break open a fresh coconut and add the water to the smoothie ( if you can use the flesh of the coconut as well)
6. Give a good mix
7. Serve into individual glasses with a slice of pineapple on top

 

 

Mango, Peach and Orange Smoothie

 

 

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!

How are you all doing today? I found peaches at the nearby market and I decided why not use them in a fresh morning smoothie. As I took a walk down the market aisle,  I realized that the number of mangoes are dwindling, therefore I decided to make the most of it while its still available. That brings me to the topic of canned food. Now for one, unless its an order to make a cake without a seasonal fruit or when I need to add a cheer to a cocktail, I stay clear of canned food. Simple cause I worry about the preservatives in the can. Food was never meant to last as long as it does when it is canned. So why add more preservatives and chemicals to your diet right? That’s why I prefer using fresh fruits in my smoothies. Also if I want an element of cold or frozen, I cut up the required fruit and freeze it over night so my smoothies are thick and creamy. That being said some times when I need to make a tuna salad in a hurry (once in 6 months!) I do grab a can of canned tuna. Nothing substitutes fresh, seasonal fruits. So if you are planing on making a smoothie tomorrow, I suggest you pick up the least expensive fruit in the market, that means they are in season and they will only make you healthier!

So this smoothie is a mixture of fresh peaches, mangoes and oranges. Now if you want you could add water or yogurt but I do not like the combination of milk or yogurt with citrus fruits. It just does not work! ( for me). And this smoothie is a really thick smoothie, almost like ice cream. I did not add any liquid cause I wanted more fruit this time.

Ingredients :-

1. Fresh Peaches – 4
2. Mangoes – 3 cups ( cubes and frozen)
3. Oranges – 2 large
4. Ice Cubes – 5 – 6

 

Instructions :-

1. Cut and core the peaches.
2. Cube the mangoes and freeze over night for a creamy thick consistency ( its ok if you do not have frozen mangoes, fresh mango works too)
3. Juice 2 large oranges ( use the pulp too)
4. Add all the ingredients into a blender along with the ice cubes. Blend according to the blender instructions and serve with a slice of fresh cut orange.

 

Easy Oregano and Chili Baked chicken, with Chili oil and a mint yogurt dip

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!

How have you all been? Its getting chilly here in Bengaluru because of the rains and the morning weather is so inviting – just to have a cup of tea and blog while the baby sleeps. So this time I am back with a “de-clutter” sort of recipe. So you know how you buy pizzas from well known pizza chains and they give you a bunch of those small oregano and chili flake pouches? So we had friends over last weekend and since I was in no mood to cook anything, we ordered in pizza and with it came 10 to 20 sachets of spice mix and seasoning. So when all the cleaning was done with, I did not wanna throw them out. Instead I decided to use it in a quick week day dinner recipe. Its really simple and it does not take much time to put together. This recipe is for the perfect warm, week day dinner that doesn’t involve any prep and tastes great with some multi grain bread or hummus and pita.

Ingredients for the chicken :-

1. Chicken Breast – 1 kg
2. Dry Oregano – 4 tbsp
3. Chili Flakes – 2 tbsp (more if you like it spicy)
4. Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
5. Apple Cider Vinegar – 2 tbsp
6. Honey – 1 tsp
7. Salt – 1 tsp

 

Instructions :-

1. In a large bowl combine oregano + chili flakes + cinnamon powder + apple cider vinegar + honey and salt
2. Mix well to form a nice wet mixture
3. Then add the cubed chicken pieces. Coat the chicken well with the spice mix and pop into the fridge for an hour
4. When you are ready to make the chicken, pre-heat your oven to 200 C
5. Skewer the chicken evenly and brush lightly with some chili oil
6. Grill for 45 min or till evenly charred on all sides of the chicken
7. Serve right away with some lemon wedges and hot pita bread!

 

Mint Yogurt Dip – Ingredients :-

1. Yogurt – 1 cup
2. Fresh Mint leaves – 1/2 cup chopped fine
3. Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
4. Salt  – a pinch
5. Garlic – 2 cloves (chopped fine and mashed with the back of the knife)

Instructions :-

1. In a bowl add all the ingredients
2. Give it a good mix and garnish with some extra mint leaves

 

• To make home made chill oil, just heat up some oil and when its nice and hot pour into a bowl full of chili flakes ( 4 tbsp)
• Give it a good mix and set aside to rest
• Slowly the chili will infuse with the oil and give you a wonderfully red and spicy flavored oil!

 

Mango Spinach and Honey Smoothie – Sweet Green Nectar

 

Hello my Dear Wonderful Readers!!

Its been so long that for some time I wasn’t sure I would ever get back to blogging! As the days go by, I find my self wishing for an extra hour every day. Time seems to be on the highway to the Himalayas and I am still packing my bags and trying to get ready for the next journey. But on the bright side, we have been eating healthy, the family health is in check. Choosing and living healthier seems to some thing, ever body is game for now and my little one is half way to eating on his own. Its so funny how my day begins and ends with food! And no I do not mean breakfast and dinner.

Now this recipe is something we have been having for the last few months, since mangoes are back in the market. Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to tell you that I have seen many people buy baby spinach leaves and just dump it into the mixer to make smoothies. Here is the thing, I have also seen how local vendors wash fresh greens in puddles and gutters over flowing with rain water. So you get where I am going with this right? My sincere advice is no matter what you do and how organic you think your produce is, there is no reason why you should not be washing your vegetables and fruits before you use them in your recipes. That being said, this is how I wash fresh greens. I make sure to cut off the stem on any part I am not using, then I immerse the leaves into cold water and leave it there for 15 mins. Then I vigorously wash the greens under running water, one leaf at a time. I make sure to wipe both sides of the leave with my fingers to ensure there is no mud or insects hidden between the tiny veins of the leaf and finally I put it back into another bucket of water to sit for 5 mins. Now I have one of these salad leaf driers, so I put them in there and rotate the handle to get rid of all the excess water. If you do not have that apparatus, you could just spread the leaves on a clean kitchen cloth and that will do the trick too.

Now getting back to the recipe, this smoothie stands as a base over which you could add so many kinds of fruits. Fruits not only alter the colour and taste of the smoothie but also its consistency. So if you want a nice think creamy smoothie, I suggest you add frozen bananas into the mixer before you blend it all. Alternatively you could add berries like cranberries or blue berries for a little sour punch. The choice is yours 🙂

 

 

Ingredients :-

1. Mango – 3 cups ( diced) – frozen
2. Fresh Spinach – 200 gms ( torn into small pieces)
3. Coconut water – 3 cups
4. Bananas – 3 ( frozen) – optional
5. Honey – 2 tsp ( according to taste)
6. Ginger – 2 cms piece

Instructions :- 

1. In the bowl of your blender add all the ingredients apart from the coconut water
2. Blend on high speed and slowly add as much water as required to bring to the consistency you like. Ideally I would use all 3 cups
3. Finally pour into glasses and enjoy a wonderful morning breakfast!!