Sweet Bread

The other day we went to Black Angus restaurant and I remembered how much I loved them molasses bread. Warm basket of goodness with a little butter to make it even better. I have been saving the recipe for some time now and today I finally got to the point of making it.

Bad news: I am out of molasses
Good news: I have some dark corn syrup and brown sugar

I know, I know corn syrup can never substitute for molasses. And I was reading somewhere that the corn syrup is just one molecule short of plastic. YUM!!! Most of the items in the super market have it

Sweet Bread (Chewy sweet bread with corn syrup)

 Ingredients:

1. 3/4 package dry yeast
2. 3/4 cup luke warm water (and a little  more if needed)
3. 1/4 cup each of brown sugar, dark corn syrup
4. 1 tablespoon oil
5. 3 cups all purpose flour
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1 teaspoon white sugar

Sweet corn syrup bread

Dissolve 1 tsp white sugar and yeast in luke warm water and set aside for 10 minutes. Add the sugar and salt to the flour and sift. Add the rest of the ingredients and make dough. Knead the dough on a dry clean surface until smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl and the dough ball and set aside for 1 hour. If it is not a hot day, heat the oven for 200 degrees for 3 minutes. Cut the heat and set the dough bowl in the oven for 1 hour until the dough doubles. Punch the dough and knead a little. Divide into 2 balls and set again in a greased bowl for 1 more hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (don't forget to take the dough out of the oven first). brush the dough balls with melted butter and sprinkle oats or flax seeds and bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Cut into sliced , spread with butter and dig in 

Visakha dairy butter milk

Recently during my trip to India, I survived a lot on butter milk and lassi. The reason being, it was the end of summer season in India but in the city I spent my time the rainy season never came. It was still summer and super hot. When the weather is so hot you can barely eat anything and all you want to do is drink. And there can't be any other better way of keeping hydrated than with buttermilk

This buttermilk almost tastes like the one you get from one of the dairy's in my city- visakha dairy

Visakha dairy buttermilk (spicy yogurt drink)

Spicy Buttermilk

Ingredients

1. 1 cup whole milk yogurt
2. 1 cup water and 1 cup ice
3. 1 Thai or Indian green chili or 1/2 Serrano chili
4. 1/4 inch ginger peeled
5. Few curry leaves
6. 2 teaspoons lemon juice
7. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt as per taste

Grind the chili ginger and curry leaves. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Filter if desired and serve over more ice on a hot hot day to cool off 

Kiwi cooler

The other day we went to Costco and we got a big box of kiwis. And once we had eaten our fill of the fruit there were quite a few number of kiwis left. So now begins the search for some ways of using kiwis before they get spoiled. And I came across this recipe for a cooler with kiwi. It is great for a hot  day like today. It's supercool and refreshing

Kiwi cooler (refreshing drink with kiwi)

Cooling Kiwi Drink

Kiwi Cooler

Ingredients

1. 1 tall glass in the freezer for 5 minutes
2. 1 ripe kiwi peeled and chopped
3. 1 cup crushed ice
4. 1-2 teaspoons blue agave syrup depending on taste
5. 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
6. Sparkling water or soda to fill glass

In the glass crush together the kiwi and ice. Add the rest of the ingredients and let stand. Stir and serve. Enjoy a refreshing koooooler

Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Yesterday, I made Spinach and lamb curry and it was super delicious. My kids loved it too. But the can of spinach I got was a bit to much. So I had some canned spinach leftover. And I had some artichoke hearts left over from the artichoke heart hummus I made the other day. So using all the leftovers, so to say, I made this simple hot spinach artichoke dip. The original recipe can be found here 

Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke dip

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup packed drained canned spinach
2. 1/2 cups chopped artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
3. 2 ounces cream cheese
4. 1 heaped tablespoon whole milk yogurt (use sour cream if you have)
5. 1/2 tablespoon Hellmann's Spicy Buffallo mayonnaise
6. 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
7. 1/2 teaspoon Frank's redhot
8. 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper salt
9. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat the Spinach in some water for 2 minutes in the microwave. Heat the cream cheese to soften it. Mix all the ingredients together and give it a taste test and add more salt if needed. Serve it pita chips or tortilla chips

Coconut Peanut Chutney

I have been out of town for almost 2 months and when I came back there have been some changes which have happened in the stores at the home front.
Firstly, there used to be a KFC close to home which is being replaced by Starbucks...proof that the coffee giant of America is getting bigger.
Next, there is a Walmart neighborhood market coming in front of the Starbucks. Thats not the surprise. The surprise is there is a Walmart Superstore about 1 mile from this location. The general store giant is getting bigger also.
Another big surprise for me-Indian food items in Walmart as well as other grocery stores around here. So the other day I got the Gits brand Idlis from Walmart and I made them today and to go with them I combined my favorite along with my hubby dears . I love Peanut Chutney and his favorite is Coconut Chutney. So today it was Coconut Peanut Chutney. And here is the recipe

Coconut Peanut Chutney (Peanut Coconut accompaniment)

Coconut Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup packed frozen coconut or 1 cup fresh coconut grated
2. 1/2-3/4 cup peanuts dry roasted
3. 1/2 thick juice from a small lime sized tamarind
4. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
5. 2 green chillies or 1 serrano chili

Dry roast the peanuts and let it cool. Thaw the frozen coconut. Grind the peanuts and coconut into a fine paste along with all the other ingredients. Give a taste test and adjust with salt or more tamarind juice. Enjoy with Plain Idli