Yum Muffin Yum!

Muffins in general are delicious and you know you can't go wrong when chocolate is added to it but I think I found a perfect 3 way marriage of ingredients that makes this recipe so super delish and its turned out to become a favorite amongst friends and family.So much so,I had second thoughts about sharing the recipe and maybe call it my very own secret recipe but then it would be selfish of me and what good will it do if I didn't share such goodness.So here it is for all of you to try and enjoy and Yovania,this is especially for you.


Banana nut white chocolate muffins


You'll need:

1 3/4 cups All purpose flour

1/2 cup Stevia or other natural sweeteners like Agave nectar

2 1/2 tbsp Light brown sugar

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup (2 ounces) White chocolate chips or chunks

3 large Ripe bananas,mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup Crushed almonds

1/2 cup  Unsalted butter , melted and cooled

2 large Eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp pure Vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg (preferably fresh grated nutmeg*)

1/3 cup Milk (optional)

Method:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Either line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or you can butter or spray them with a non stick vegetable spray.It makes a nicer presentation and easier to serve when paper liners are used.


In a large bowl combine the flour,sugars,baking powder,baking soda,salt,white chocolate chips and crushed almonds.This is where my 3 year old comes in handy.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients in the larger bowl with the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky.Add milk if you think the batter looks too dry.Pour and mix gradually so you don't make it too watery.The key is not to over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will only make tough, rubbery muffins.Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.You want to fill it till its almost to the top for the muffin top affect. Top batter with either almonds or white chocolate or both. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature

The combination of the crunchiness of the almonds incorporated into the batter,the delicious fragrance and flavor of the ripened bananas and the sweetness of the melted white chocolate chips are just a wonderful burst of flavors in your mouth when you take the first bite.My suggestion,serve it warm for the full effect.Those are the 3 ingredients I talked about before.

This is a great recipe to share with friends and family or you could just bake for yourself and eat it all up.Whatever your preference is,enjoy the process and remember that how you feel during the process is how your baking will turn out.So have fun,stay relaxed,enjoy and know that you will be rewarded when you see the smiles on the faces (including your own) of the people you serve.

Our dear friends Luis and Yovania loving the warm muffins

These were gone in a blink

*You can get dried or fresh nutmeg at your local grocery store and if not I know whole foods usually has them.

With love for food and you,

 Renu

A Birthday gift for me

So to celebrate my birthday and the launch of this blog,my boys decided to get me something that is quite appropriate for the occasion.....I love it so much I've decided it will hang in my kitchen but I don't want to wear it because I don't want to ruin it.It was the cutest idea and I love my boys for coming up with it so thank you hubby and baby for such a wonderfully encouraging gift that I will cherish.

Isn't that the cutest gift held by the cuties of my life!

I thought I'd share this with you!

With love for food and you,

Renu

Spicy meatloaf,anyone?

Here's a delicious meatloaf recipe that I stumbled upon but to add some Asian flare,I kicked up the spice level in it and hey presto.....a delicious spicy meatloaf.Now,here's something I never had before moving to the US.My mother who came from a devout Hindu background didn't eat red meat as cows are seen as sacred animals in the religion.So,we never had beef.Well,I didn't but I know my brothers would sneak in a Big Mac or street vendor beef burger( Ramli Burger) every so often....Yes,brothers I knew! So,I learned the goodness of meatloaf when I had my first one about 4 years ago...Can't quite remember where I had it and I have had my variety of good and bad meatloaf so here I am now,with my own blend and as I love spicy foods,I've managed to sneak that into a classic American dish.
Anyway,here's the recipe.


Spicy Meatloaf 


You'll need:


1 cup  Onion(finely chopped)
1 Celery rib(finely chopped) *A celery rib is individual portion of a celery.when you break off a piece,thats a rib
1 tbsp minced Garlic
1 Carrot(peeled and chopped finely)
1/2 cup Scallions (use 1/2 cup onion as a substitute)
2 tbsp unsalted Butter
2 tsp Salt (use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using Italian sausage)
1 1/2 tsp freshly Ground pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup Ketchup
1 tsp Sriracha* hot sauce or any other Asian chilli sauces sriracha hot sauces can be found in the Asian aisle major grocery chains or at an Asian specialty store
1 1/2 lbs Ground Chuck*Ground chuck comes from the shoulder and neck area of the cow and has immense flavoring and 15-20%fat
3/4 lbs Spicy ground pork sausage or Italian sausage (a mix of sweet and hot if you are using links)
1 cup Fresh bread crumbs*
2 large Eggs (slightly beaten)
1/3 cup Fresh curled parsley leaves (minced)

Ready to be chopped

Sauteed carrots,celery and onions

Method:

Ready to be baked meatloaf.I made a big one and a baby one

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce,1/3 cup of ketchup and Sriracha hot sauce. Cook for 1 more minute. In a large bowl,remove sausages from casing and combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup. Bake the meatloaf in the oven for about  an hour. Make sure the internal temperature is between 160-170 degrees F. To do this,you'll need a kitchen or meat thermometer.

Dinner is served!!It was super delicious.

Serves 4 to 6, with plenty for leftovers for delicious meatloaf sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Oven toasted bread for crumbs

*To get fresh bread crumbs,you can toast a store bought bread of your choice(french,whole wheat, chiabatta,italian) for 15-20 minutes till its brown.


This recipe is for a spicy meatloaf so if you prefer not having as much spice,you can make this recipe without using the hot sauce.The spicy italian sausages have a little kick of spice to them..not enough to burn your mouth.So,enjoy trying this recipe out and do let me know how it goes.

My little boy enjoying his meatloaf dinner and boy did he devour that.

With love for food and you,

Renu

Healthy baked goods?Its possible

I decided to make some cookies a few days ago and wanted to make sure they were healthy but tasty so I experimented with a recipe and it turned out great.Its not your typical chewy cookie because I used less flour that contributes to the chewy factor.So heres my modified version of an oatmeal raisin cookie.I used a few more ingredients to derive flavors so I could use less sugar.  The one thing that I never did growing up is bake because we didn't have ovens which was typical in most homes in Malaysia.I remember that we had a seperate plug in oven that was bulky and round.Not very easy to use either so we never did.I picked up baking after I moved here and volunteering in kitchen service at a religious institute gave me the knowledge of baking.Plus,I enjoy baked goods more as desserts.So,here it is.

Oatmeal raisin,chocolate chip,almond cookie

You'll need:

1 cup Unsalted butter at room temperature(preferably Smart balance.its heart healthy)

1/4 cup  Light or dark brown sugar

1/3 cup Stevia or natural sweetener(I tend to stay away from the artificial sweeteners)

2 large Eggs

1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups  All purpose flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

2 cups  Old-fashioned rolled oats(Quaker oatmeal works)

1 cup  Dark raisins

1 cup Dark chocolate chip

1/2 cup Crushed almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  with oven rack in the center of the oven.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer(I love my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer) or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and Stevia or natural sweetener until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the rolled oats,raisins,chocolate chips and almonds.

For large cookies, use a generous 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and place six cookies on each baking sheet. For smaller cookies,use a tablespoon of batter. Flatten the cookies slightly so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies for about 14 -18 minutes rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies are done when golden brown around the edges but still a little soft in the centers. (The longer the cookies bake the more crispy they will be.) Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies will keep several days at room temperature.

Makes about 18 large cookies

There you go....enjoy.I find baking to be therapeutic and I just take it easy when I bake.I believe that the more calmer you are during the process,the better your cookies will come out and if you're on the edge,so will your cookies be..on the edge ready to crumble.So enjoy the process and everything will turn out as great as you want it to.Have fun trying this recipe and remember that this is not your typical Oatmeal cookie as it has more of a crumbly texture yet delicious and wholesome.

With love for food and you,

Renu

So The Adventure Begins!!

I have for the last 3 years been putting up pictures of all my cookings and bakings on Facebook but in order to share recipes,I'd have to send a message so I thought why not do this so I can share with everyone the delicious recipes I have been trying out.So I started this blog in hopes that it will introduce you to a whole new world of delicious yet healthy cuisines.So for all my friends on facebook who have been very loyal and encouraging followers,I owe you these recipes.For those of you who are just joining me,WELCOME and I hope it serves you well.

I wanted to start my blog with a recipe that I loved as a child which has been in the family for generations and I still can't get enough of it and thank God I've mastered it or else every time I want it,I'd have to fly my mom to come see us which is impossible or absolutely be deprived of such goodness.I remember as a teenager,I used to hate being called over to help in the kitchen.Let it be peeling carrots or chopping an onion,I'd rather be in my room blasting I Linkin Park to express my rebellion...typical teenage stuff eh?Well,I'm kindda glad my mom did that coz somehow( I think its magic or my mom's silent prayer that I'd be a good homemaker one day) her amazing skills rubbed off on me a little and Yes,my mother is an amazing cook.So Amma,this is for you!

Chicken Masala


Total time:45 minutes



You'll need:

4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts(cut into bite sized pieces)


Marinade:


1/2 Large Onion(quartered)
1 1/2 inches Ginger
6-7 cloves Garlic
1 Green chilli(if you like it real spicy)

Using a blender or food processor,grind all ingredients into a paste.You could also use a mortar and pestle for a more authentic feel. Pour paste onto your chicken pieces and mix well to make sure all the pieces are coated.Set aside.

Curry Sauce:


2 sticks Cinnamon
3 pieces Star Anise
5 pieces Cloves
6-7 Curry Leaves (these can be hard to find so don't worry if you don't use them)
4 tbsp  Chicken curry powder(or regular curry powder that you find in the store.Just add 1/2          teaspoon cumin powder)
1 tbsp Tumeric powder
1/2-1 tbsp Chilli powder(adjust to your preference of spice)

Blend all 3 powders with water into a think paste and set aside

2 large Potatoes (or 4 small cut into small pieces)
2 medium Carrots (Peeled and cut into thin slices)
1 1/2 cups Peas(fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 tbsp Ghee(Indian clarified butter) or  vegetable oil
1 tbsp thick Coconut paste or 1/4 cup Milk
Salt to taste

Garnish:
Coriander leaves




Method:or as I call it,The fun part!


Heat Ghee/oil in a large skillet or wok(I prefer the wok).Add cinnamon,star anise,cloves and curry leaves and saute till aromatic.Make sure not to burn. Immediately add the curry paste mix and saute for another 5 minutes.Add a small amount of water if it gets too dry.You want a think gravy consistency.Let it come to a boil as this cooks it thoroughly and takes away the raw taste of curry powder.Next,add the potatoes and cook till its almost tender and then add the carrots.Make sure the vegetables are mostly cooked before you add the chicken.You don't want to bite into raw potatoes.Once that is done,add the chicken with the marinade and cook thoroughly for about 15 minutes.Add peas and blend in well to cook.Add salt in small amounts so you don't over salt the dish and lastly,stir in the coconut paste or milk and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with either rice of your choice or any indian bread.I sometimes eat it with regular bread..its just so yummy!


So there you have it.....my mom's chicken masala.Enjoy cooking and please do give me feedbacks as to how your experience was.I'd love to hear from you.


Have a great time cooking!

This one didn't have the peas or carrots.It was just chicken and potatoes.

With love for food and you,


Renu