Dates mug cake

The original recipe is for Chocolate chip cookie in a mug. But the texture is more like a cake for me but the taste is delicious. And ofcourse I swapped the chocolate chips for dates and made it Iron rich for myself :)

Dates mug cake
Ingredients

1. 1 tsp oil
2. 3 tbsp milk
3. 1/4 tsp vanilla
4. 2 tablespoons brown sugar
5. 4 tbsp flour
6. pinch of salt
7. 1/4 tsp baking powder
8. 3 large or 4 medium dates chopped

Mix the oil, milk, and vanilla in a mug. Add brown sugar, salt, flour, baking powder and stir to combine. Add chopped dates. Microwave on high for 1 minute 10 seconds to 15 seconds. Let it cool a bit before enjoying super delicious dates mug cake

Lima bean chicken noodle soup

This extra ordinary chicken soup is made with Cauliflower noodles...not your every day store bough noodles.
I made the noodles from the dough I made for the cauliflower Gnocchi and instead of making gnocchi's out of the dough, I flattened it to 1/8 inch thick circles and cut into strips 1/8 inch wide and 1.5 inches long.

Lima bean chicken noodle soup

Chicken Cauliflower noodle soup 

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breasts boiled in salted water for 30 minutes. Drained and shredded
2. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
3. 1 chicken bouillon
4. 1 medium carrot chopped into half circles
5. 1 cup noodles made like here (Cauliflower Noodles)
6. 1/2 tablespoon each of olive oil, butter
7. 3 large garlic grated
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt or as needed
9. 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
10. 1 can lima beans drained

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and butter and fry the onions till tender. Add garlic and fry for 30 minutes. Add chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add carrots and fry for 5 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and keep boiling for 10 minutes . Enjoy a piping hot bowl of chicken cauliflower noodle soup

Masala Oats Ravva Idli

There is the recipe for Ravva Idli . And there is the recipe for oats idli. But the idli I made today is with the instant oats and samolina. I got a big pack of 500 gms of the instant masala oats, so it was easy for me to measure 1 cup out of it. But if you have those individual packets, I am not sure how many you would need. But the idlis were soft and delicious.

Masala Oats Ravva Idli

Masala Oats Ravva idli

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup masala oats
2. 1/2 cup ravva or sooji fine samolina
3. 1 tablespoons+ extra oil for basting the idli moulds
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and mustard seeds
5. 1 teaspoon baking soda or Eno Fruit salt
6. 1 teaspoon Chana dal soaked in water for 10 minutes
7. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
8. 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
9. 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped ginger, green chillies and cilantro, cashew
10. 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
11. 1 tablespoon each of grated carrot, beetroot, cabbage

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, few curry and fry for a minute. Add cashew and fry for a minute. Add Chana Dal and all the veggies and fry for 5 more minutes. Add soji and fry/roast for 5-7 minutes.

In a bowl mix the yogurt with lemon juice. Add the masala oats and sooji to the yogurt and set aside for 15 minutes. Add baking soda or eno fruit salt and add more water to get the consistency of a thick pan cake batter.


Prepare the idli pans by applying oil with a finger. Add a tablespoon of batter. Stream in a cooker for 15-17 minutes. Let the steam escape and cool for a minute before taking the idlis off the pan. Enjoy with your favorite chutney or curry leaf powder

Ravva Idli

Gajar Lauki Halwa

There is Gajar halwa, there is Lauki Halwa. This halwa I made has both Carrots and Bottle gourd in it and it is awesome. The process is exactly the same but the combination of both carrots and bottle gourd gives it a different texture and a different taste.
So here you go

Gajar Lauki Halwa (Bottle gourd and carrot dessert) 

Gaajar Lauki Halwa

Ingredients:

1. 3 medium sized carrots peeled and grated with the finest grater you have
2. 1 medium small bottle gourd, peeled, cored and grated or chopped very fine
3. 1/2 cup sugar
4. 1/2 cup heavy cream
5. 1 teaspoon rose water or 2 cardamom
6. 1 tablespoon butter or clarified butter (ghee)
7. 1 teaspoon each of raisins, chopped almonds and cashew and charoli (Chiranji) fried in 2 teaspoons ghee

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the ghee and add the grated carrot and bottle gourd and stir well. Reduce heat to medium and cover and cook for 30-40 minutes.  Add sugar and cook till it melts.  Add heavy cream and cardamom or rose water and stir to combine. Simmer till the water in the cream evaporates. Add the fried nuts and raisins and serve warm or cold

cauliflower gnocchi

I was trying to find a recipe for Gnocchi form scratch and I found this recipe for Cauliflower Gnocchi. People are going crazy about using Cauliflower in everything these days...I am joining in. I made this Cauliflower Gnocchi and it is great. You will not tell that there is Cauliflower in it. But you know you are giving something better to your kids when you give this to them.

 cauliflower Gnocchi 

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 cups of cauliflower florets
2. 1 medium large russet potato
3. 2 cups + as needed all purpose flour
4. 1 egg lightly beaten
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Boil the potatos and cauliflower separately for 15-17 minutes until very soft. Peel the potatoes and mash the cauliflower (well drained) and potatoes together until smooth. Add the salt and pepper. Add the flour and mix until dough forms. Make a well in the middle and add the lightly beaten egg into it and mix well. If the cauliflower had lot of water in it you might have to add more flour until it comes together.

Divide the dough into 2-3 parts and roll each part into logs about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the logs into 1 inch pieces.

Boil water in a stock pot with salt. Add the Gnocchi to it and boil it until they start to float. Drain and serve with your favorite paste sauce.

I served it with Marinara sauce

Spinach dip Christmas tree

Its always a great day when the whole family, both your childhood family and your grown up family comes together. It is always great if you can sit with people with whom you have shared the childhood and grown up. You know exactly what was funny in those days. What annoyed who and its amazing to see the young cousins playing together. Some day they will come together for holidays and cherish "this day" which will be long past.

The original recipe called for a pizza roll but I did not have it and all I had were Pillsbury Crescent rolls. So I used them. The original recipe is from itsalwaysautumn.com

Spinach dip Christmas tree

Ingredients

1. 1 can chopped baby spinach, squeezed out of water, as much as possible
2. 6 oz cream cheese softened
3. 2 bug garlic cloves chopped fine
4. 2 tablespoons onion finely chopped
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, chilli powder
6. 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
7. 1/2 cup your fav cheese grated
8. 2 tablespoons butter
9. 1 tube refrigerated thin crust pizza or crescent roll

Mix all the ingredients together until creamy and smooth.

Unroll the crescent roll or pizza crust. Cut it into a triangle. Spread the spinach dip .

Lay the 2 pieces of triangles cut upside down and lay on it to cover the spinach dip.

Cut 1 inch strips leaving 1 inch in the middle intact.

Bake according to the package directions + 2 minutes. Enjoy

Spinach dip potato salad

I got these crab cakes the other day and I was looking for side dishes to go with them. And I found the best potato salad recipe to go with it.
The potato salad has spinach, black beans and artichoke. It is super filling and delicious on its own. The leftovers are awesome. The original recipe is here
So, my dinner was crab cakes, Spinach and artichoke dip potato salad and Orzo pasta


Spinach Artichoke Dip Potato Salad

Crab cake dinner with potato

Spinach with artichoke dip potato salad

Ingredients:

1. 11/2 pounds small red potatoes scrubbed clean or peeled
2. 4 oz baby spinach cooked in microwave for 2-3 minutes
3. 4-oz or 1/2 package cream cheese, softened
4. 1/3 cup mayonnaise
5. 1/4 cup plain yogurt
6. 1 tablespoons white wine vinegar
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. 1 teaspoon each of  dried Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10. 6 oz (mine was 81/2 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped), 2/3 jar
11. 3/4 cup chopped red onion
12. 1/2 cup cup black beans drained (optional)

Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool and chop.

Mix all the ingredients together and add the artichokes and black beans (if using).

Fold in the potatoes and enjoy