Vegan carrot cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups grated carrots (about 3 large carrots)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Recipe Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 round 8-inch cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying well with oil.
• In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk well. 
• Pour in the canola oil, applesauce, almond milk and vanilla and mix until combined with a large spoon. Now fold in the grated carrots and walnuts.
• Pour the cake batter evenly between the prepared pans, then bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops of the cakes are set. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for about 20 minutes before carefully removing from the pans. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.
• Once cooled completely, frost with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, or Vegan Vanilla Frosting if preferred. Enjoy! Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, covered.

Notes

1. May substitute whole wheat pastry flour, or white whole wheat flour for a whole grain option. I haven't tested with gluten free flour.
2. May substitute soy, coconut or any other non-dairy milk for almond milk.
3. May use melted coconut oil or another oil in place of the canola.
4. I prefer Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting for this carrot cake, but you could use my Vegan Vanilla Frosting instead.
5. To make cupcakes instead, fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes until set on top. Pipe frosting on each cupcake.

Nutrition

Calories: 630kcal

WEBSITE : https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-carrot-cake/

New year ...new start : WFPBNO Posto and Kolai er daal

To make Posto you will need

• 6 Russett potatoes or yukon Gold cut in small 1 inch cubes
• 1 medium size onions chopped
• 4-6 green chillies ( adjust based on ability to eat spice)
• 1 tsp nigella seeds ( Amazon link)
• salt to taste
•  1/4 -1/2 cup poppy seeds ,called posto in Bengali / khus-khus in Hindi, available in all indian stores( Amazon link) . Soak the posto in warm water for 5-10 mins, and then grind to a fine paste with the green chillies. Keep aside

Take a saucepan, and dry roast the nigella seeds. When you start getting the aroma of the roasted seeds, add 1/2 cup water. Once the water boils add, copped onions and fry. If the onions sticks, add 2 tbsp of oil and continue till the raw smell of onion goes away. Now add potato and fry with onions. When onions are completely done, add the poppy seed paste, along with 1 cup of water and let it come to a boil. Now cover the pan and let it simmer till the potatoes are cooked. Once potatoes are cooked , increase the heat, add salt to taste and stir it till the water evaporates and the consistency of the potato, posto mixture is as shown in the image. Serve hot with rice and kolai er dal.

To make Kolai er daal  ( Biuli daal)

•  1 cup Black gram split dehusked ( https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Mogar-Black-Split-Dehusked/dp/B00BIYAE08)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
•  1 teaspoon Nigella seeds
• 2-3 red whole chillies
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

This is most easily cooked in a pressure cooker. Soak lentil/dal ( black gram) with  3 cups of water, pressure cook or in an instant pot ( manual, 7 mins with pressure) . If you do not have a pressure cooker, just cook the lentils till the are soft and mushy. this lentil is slimy so if you dislike that, dry roast the dal before you cook it.

In a saucepan, dry roast the nigella and red chillies. Now whisk the cooked dal and add to the roasted seed and chillies. Add the fennel powder, ginger, salt and sugar and boil. If it gets too thick thin it out with more water. The dal is delicately spiced and should smell of the fennel powder.  Traditionally this is eaten with rice and posto. I added the Brocoli to  add he green as well. These were steamed in the microwave for 5 mins and then broiled in a oven at 400 C for 30 mins with a little salt and cumin powder. 

Holi special- Malpuas

Growing up , one of the staple sweets made on any festival was the quintessential Bengali Malpua. While Malpuas are traditionally eaten on Holi in the north, they are very different from the Malpua of Bengal. Bengali Malpuas are made solely with flour while the north Indian ones have semolina in them. My mother would make Malpuas by the dozens and the memory of gulping down the soft sweetness was something that lingered on. When my aunt called this morning asking if I knew how to make the Malpuas, I knew it was time to try and recreate my mom's recipe. Malpuas can be eaten in several forms. Some like it hot, while some like it cold. Some like it soft while some like it crisp. Depending on how you like it, you could vary the softness and the crispness. For crispy Malpuas, fry them, dip them in the syrup and immediately remove them. If you like it soft like I do, let them soak longer before transferring them. This recipe makes 12 medium sized Malpuas.

For the  sugar syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3 green elaichi crushed

For the Malpuas

• 2 cups flour
• 2- 3  cups of milk ( enough to mix with milk to make a pancake like batter)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp saunf/ aniseed
• 2 tbsp raisin ( optional)
• 1/2 cup grated coconut 
• oil to fry

Method

1. Add all the ingredients of the sugar syrup together and bring to boil till sugar melts and the solution is clear.  Remove from heat and keep aside
2. Mix the flour,  baking powder, salt and milk together using either your hands or a whisk making sure no lumps are formed . Add milk based on the consistency. The batter should be like a pancake batter.
3. Now add the saunf and raising and allow the batter to sit for 5-10 mins.
4. Heat oil and once it is hot, add 1/4 cup of batter to the hot oil. The batter will swell and begin to brown. Turn it on the other side till that is brown too . Keep the heat on medium hot as you don't want the inside of the Malpua to be undercooked. Fry it like you would fry besan pakoras :). Depending on your kadai, you could fry more than one Malpua at the same time.
5. Once the Malpua is brown all over, remove from oil and dip it into the sugar syrup.
6. Soak it in syrup depending on how you like it. If you want it crisp, roll it in syrup and immediately pick it up on a different plate, if you like it soft, let it soak longer till the next batch of Malpuas are fried.
7. Enjoy hot or cold and pour remaining syrup on all the Malpuas! 

Scones--- Vaishti style

My friend Vaishti is an incredible woman. I met her first as a student teacher at work, but our common interest of food, dogs and family got us closer. For the past 2 years she has been fighting colon cancer valiantly! When I went to visit her yesterday, her whole house smelled of baking...lovely Blueberry scones that she let me try :) The original recipe came  from allrecipes.com. It  uses only all purpose flour, but she modified them so that they contain more fiber from whole wheat and more protein from the almond meal flour. Overall result...just delicious!

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 almond meal flour 
4 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup butter cubed
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup blueberries or raisin/cranberry
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel.
2. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in all but 2 tablespoons of the nuts and the raisins. Mix in buttermilk with fork.
3. Gather the dough into a ball and knead for about 2 minutes on lightly floured board.
4. Roll or pat out 3/4 inch thick. With a chef's knife cut into 3 inch triangles. Place, spaced 1inch apart, on a greased baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk; sprinkle with the remaining sugar and the nuts.
5. Bake in center of 425 degree F (220 degrees C) oven about 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with butter or jam.

Pioneer Woman’s Mother-in-Law’s Christmas Rum Cake

I first tried this cake when my friend Leslie baked this for me one christmas. The recipe she had did not use pecans, but when I looked for it on the PW's website she had it with pecan. With pecan or not, this is absolutely decadent and definitely one of those cakes that belongs to a christmas meal

Ingredients

•  FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 box (about 18 Oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 package (3.5 Oz.) INSTANT Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1/2 cup Cold Water
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1/2 cup Rum (dark Or Light Is Fine)
• 1 cup Chopped Pecans
•  Brown Sugar (optional)
•  _____
•  GLAZE
• 1-1/2 stick Butter
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cups Rum

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. If desired, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar over the nuts.

Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter into pan over nuts. Smooth out ’til the top is even. Bake for 1 hour, or a little less if the pan is black. Do not overbake!

Glaze:

While cake has ten minutes to go, make the glaze.
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off flame and pour in rum. Stir to combine and reheat for 30 seconds.

Remove cake from oven. Immediately drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow to sit for five minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Prick surface a hundred times with a fork (gently, please.) Slowly drizzle remaining rum glaze all over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cool to room temperature before serving to ensure glaze has soaked in.
Eat. Enjoy. And don’t feel guilty. It’s Christmastime!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/christmas-rum-cake/

Zuppa de Toscana, my lighter version of the Olive garden soup

Ingredients

• 6 medium spicy Italian sausage
• 2 table spoon oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 large russet baking potatoes/ yukon potatoes washed with skin on, sliced in half, and then in 1/4 inch slices
• 2 , 8 ounce can of chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg ( optional)
• 2 cups milk
• salt to taste
• one big bunch of Kale ( approximately 2 cups chopped)

Preparation

1. In a large stockpot, add oil and heat till the oil is hot. Add the finely chopped onions and garlic  to the oil and fry till translucent.
2. Remove casing of the sausages and extract the sausage meat. Keep aside.
3. When the onions are done, add the thinly sliced potatoes and cook till the potatoes are slightly brown.
4. Add the sausage meat to the mixture  in the stockpot and allow the meat to brown.
5. When the meat has browned, add the chicken broth and water. Bring to boil.
6. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and let the soup simmer for 5- 10 mins till potatoes are cooked.
7. Add Kale to the soup along with the milk. Let it cook for 2-3 mins
8. Add nutmeg right before you switch off the heat.

Note: This is a very light and nutritious soup ( healthy version, but not compromised on taste), if you like it thicker, substitute one cup of milk for 1 cup of half and half .

Maureen's Pecan Pie

When it comes to choosing pies, Pecan has always been a favorite. While I usually go pick the biggest pie I can find from Costco, this year I decided to make my own. My friend Maureen shared a slice of her pie with us and it was just heavenly! What made it even better is that it had light corn syrup so was probably a little bit lighter on the calories.

Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten 
• 1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 heaping cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 unbaked pie crust

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the corn syrup, sugar, the brown sugar, the eggs, butter, salt, and vanilla. Whisk the mixture until it's totally combined. 

Place the chopped pecans in the bottom of the pie crust, and then pour the sticky mixture right over the top.

Cover the pie in foil and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the pie for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes more, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans. (If it seems to be browning too quickly, cover it with foil again.) 

The pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven. If it is, just continue baking it in 5-minute intervals until it's done.

Let the pie cool before slicing it into wedges.

Source: Pioneer Woman's cookbook