 ] | Moussaka is a famous delicious Greek dish and is quite different from the food we have in general. This week You! has collaborated with the food maestro Lubna Shariff to provide you with the filling and lip smacking recipe of the dish baked to golden perfection. Happy cooking... .... |
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Moussaka The Greek Dish Racipe
Sunday, January 2, 2011
E Cooks: Banana Coffee Cake
It’s been a long time since my daughter has helped me out with a recipe, so yesterday when E volunteered to assist me with breakfast, I eagerly set her to work measuring and stirring. I had the recipe all worked out on paper, so I didn’t think there’d be much opportunity for her to contribute creatively. As she does with any endeavor, she asked a thousand questions: “What’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda?” “Why do you add salt when cake isn’t salty?” “Why do you call it ‘flax egg’ when there isn’t any egg in it?” Though she often takes herinterrogations to ridiculous extremes (“If we shot the batter into space…”), on this particular occasion she asked a lot of good questions that gave me the chance to educate her a little on baking–or at least the little I know about baking.
When it came time to add the banana to the cake, she stopped me with a question: “What, only one banana? It needs more than that or it’s not really banana cake!” I had to agree, so I dutifully added another banana. And you know, the higher fruit to batter ratio just might have been what made this cake so incredibly delicious.
It’s creamy. It’s sweet. It’s so creamy and sweet that I almost called it Banana Pudding Cake. The bananas melt down to a creamy layer that dissolves into the cake around it so that it’s hard to tell where bananas end and cake begins.
All four of us–my crew plus E’s friend G–were amazed at how good this was. D and I actually had the same articulate response: “Mmmmm. Ohhhh.” In fact, this cake may have been too good: with 4 of us and only 6 pieces, there weren’t enough “seconds” to go around. Perhaps it would be better to serve it as dessert after a full meal than to count on it as a filling breakfast because it will just make you want more!
Banana Coffee Cake(printer-friendly version)
I like to use turbinado or demerara sugar for the topping because the coarse texture adds crunch, but feel free to use any natural (or brown) sugar.
I like to use turbinado or demerara sugar for the topping because the coarse texture adds crunch, but feel free to use any natural (or brown) sugar.
1 tablespoon flax seeds, ground
4 tablespoons warm water
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup soy yogurt
1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas
4 tablespoons warm water
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup soy yogurt
1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bananas
Preheat the oven to 375F and oil a pie pan or an 8-inch square baking dish.
Mix the ground flax seeds with the warm water and set aside to thicken.
Mix the turbinado sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Combine the soy yogurt, soymilk, vanilla, and agave nectar in a bowl. Add the flax mixture.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the soy yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread to cover the bottom. Slice the bananas and place the slices over the batter. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Spread the remaining batter over the bananas. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cake appears set in the middle. Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting into 6 slices and serving.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 211 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 308mg Sodium. Weight Watchers: 4 Flex Points.
If you’re looking for easy recipes that kids like to make as well as eat, take a look at some of our other E Cooks collaborations:
Banana Coconut Bars
E’s Fruit Salad with Strawberry Sauce
Southern-Style Banana Pudding
Rainbow Stir-Fry
E’s Fruit Salad with Strawberry Sauce
Southern-Style Banana Pudding
Rainbow Stir-Fry
My other coffee (aka “breakfast”) cakes:
My Top Ten Kitchen Gift Ideas
When time allows, a basket filled with homemade baked goods makes a great gift.
Lately I can’t check my email or login to Facebook without being bombarded with titles like “Gifts That Make Ladies Go Gaga” or “Give Like Santa, Save Like Scrooge” (two actual emails now in my trash folder). So when I had the idea of writing about my favorite kitchen tools, I nearly vetoed it, figuring that I didn’t want to contribute to the mind-clutter that’s already out there. But just to check, I asked my Facebook followers what they thought, and the response was overwhelmingly positive: out of about 80 responses, there was only one “not interested at all.” So with apologies to that one reader, here are a few of the appliances, gadgets, and kitchen paraphernalia that I wouldn’t want to do without.
New Orleans’ Style White Beans
Come on, tell me you’re tired of rich holiday food and are ready to settle down to some healthy–even homely–fare. I know I am. I never thought there could be such a thing as too much dessert, but after stuffing myself on pumpkin cheesecake, cherry-chocolate mousse pie, and the downright obscene rum- and margarine-soaked bread pudding that’s my husband’s specialty, I’m ready to swear off of sugar for a year while. I don’t know about you, but I hate the sluggish way I feel whenever I’m overeating on foods that have too much fat and sugar.So today I bring you a change from all the eye-candy (and actual candy) that you’ve probably been seeing on other blogs.
A Super Bowl (Veggie Lentil Curry with Jeera Rice)
Hi guys!! I know I know , I have been as bad as ever. Neglecting my blog again for days now. Just got caught up doing other things (like playing Farmville!!) . But now I am back and have something wonderful to share. Wonderful yet very very simple to make , but very nutritious ,mind you. I made this dish just 2 days back. Got the recipe from a diet magazine and the picture in it was so good that I had to make it immediately.
This dish is perfect for those days when you have the middle of the week dinner blues and can't think of what to put on the dinner table that day. Well this ones a winner. It's fast to cook and very little washing up to do later as it can all be eaten from a single bowl.
What you need:
2 medium onions chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup of uncooked masoor dal (split red lentils)
1 cup of green beans cut into pieces
1 cup of cauliflower florets
1/2 cup of green peas
1 tblspn each of garlic and ginger paste
1 heaped tspn mustard seeds
1 tspn cumin
1 tblspn hot curry powder
1 tspn chilly powder (more if you like)
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
Oil to cook
coriander to garnish
Method:
Heat about 3 to 4 tblspns of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds first. When they begin to splutter add the cumin and fry for about 30 secs.
Next add the onions and the ginger- garlic pastes and fry well
Add to this the curry powder, chilly powder and turmeric
Now add the lentils and the vegetables, salt and 3 to 4 cups of water.
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer.
Cover and cook until the veggies are cooked and the lentils are mushy. The beans take the longest to cook , so if they have cooked , rest assured that the rest of the veggies have cooked.
Adjust the seasoning according to your taste and garnish with chopped coriander
Have this curry with a rice of your choice. I made simple jeera rice and just made a salad to go with it. It makes a quick and power packed supper with minimum hassle.
Right! Now after that spicy curry here's something completely different. Recently I was introduced to the GrazeBox. What is a GrazeBox? Well it is just what it sounds like . It's a box which contains 2 or 3 types of nibbles which you can graze on throughout the week. It's the best thing to have to control those 4o'clock hunger pangs .It contains delicious things like nuts, raisins, seeds dried fruit ,fresh fruit and even some exotic spicy nibbles. This is what a graze box looks like from the outside.
And this is my box from last week. I ordered a graze fresh box and got all this delcious stuff in it. Believe me it's supposed to last you for atleat a week but it was gone in minutes.
So if you are in the UK and interested in ordering one yourself or would just like to know more about graze then do visit http://www.graze.com/
If you feel like ordering one then please use the promotional code below. That will give you your first box free
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