Black Bean and Avocado Salad

Can it get any healthier than this... This is another one of my quick , easy and healthy recipes. Not to mention huge on flavor too.. I'm sure you must be enjoying yourselves with kids being home for the holidays. As a mother of 2 boys I'm constantly thinking about making quick and easy meals as many can relate to me they get hungry all the time. I guess the wintry cold makes us hungry too..and many a times I get too lazy , I just want to sit by the fire place enjoying a good movie or read a book. So this recipe comes to the rescue on those lazzyyyyyyyyy days...

Ingredients :

• 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup red onion finely chopped
• 1 avocado peeled,pitted and diced
• 1 jalapeno chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation :

• In a bowl mix all the ingredients in the order mentioned above and serve.
• This recipe serves 4.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Wishing You all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...

Baked this cake today on Christmas eve and the kids loved it. They are eagerly waiting for the magic of Christmas to unfold when they wake up tomorrow . They can't wait for morning when their dear Santa would have left them presents...The excitement of it all..My 7 year old has been asking me a whole bunch of questions..about Santa and his reindeer and kids have such vivid imagination..My 3 year old is just Beginning to know about Santa and has been singing ' Santa Claus is coming to Town...' and 'Jingle Bells..Jingle Bells'...

So how about You.. Have you been Naughty Or Nice !!!!

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup raspberry juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2-3 tbsp raspberry preserve for the filling
• 2 eggs

For the Chocolate Icing/Frosting

• 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation :

• Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" round cake pan.
• In a large bowl sieve together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.
• Add the oil, raspberry juice and eggs. Mix until all the ingredients are blended, either by hand or an electric mixer at low speed.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• In the meanwhile prepare the Icing/Frosting: In a bowl sieve together sugar and cocoa and keep aside. In another bowl cream butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk . Add the vanilla. Whisk till light and fluffy.
• Now allow your chocolate cake to cool before you apply the frosting or the filling.
• Once its cooled slice the cake through the middle to make 2 layers. Add the raspberry preserve as a filling between the 2 layers.
• Apply the chocolate frosting and decorate with fresh raspberries.

Icing/Frosting Recipe from here.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins are a huge favorite in our house. They are easy to make and make great after school snack, breakfast or even dessert. With the holidays and the kids being home, this is an excellent baking project with kids.

Recipe adapted from here. What I like about this recipe is that the muffins have a beautiful crumb topping which makes them irresistible.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

For the crumb Topping:

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature

Preparation :

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line your muffin pan with muffin liners.
• In a bowl sieve together flour and baking powder. Now add sugar. Mix well.
• In another bowl add the egg(beaten), oil, milk, orange juice. Whisk it well.
• Add this to the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  

• Now time to prepare the crumb topping-Mix together the topping ingredients until they have a crumb like consistency.

• Fill the muffin cups with the muffin batter almost to the top.

• Sprinkle them with the crumb topping. Ue liberal amounts.

• Bake for about 20 -22 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Voila you have your blueberry muffins.
  

• This recipe makes 10 big muffins.

My kids could'nt even wait for the muffins to cool down and wanted to have it right away it. But they did wait and they absolutely loved these muffins.

Moong Dal Ka Halwa

Moong dal ka Halwa is a winter dessert. Its a Rajasthani dessert and its prepared during winter as it keeps you warm from the bitter cold. Since we are already experiencing the bitter cold here in the East Coast ..what better time to make this dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• 1 cup ghee/clarified butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• cashews fried in ghee

* You could add 1 cup sugar instead of 3/4 cup. Adjust the sugar to your liking.

Preparation :

• Soak moong dal in about 3 cups water for 4 hours.
• Drain the dal and grind it. (It does grind well without any water, if you really have to and find it difficult to grind , add very little water).
• Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan and saute this dal paste till its golden brown. This should be done on medium to low heat and keep on stirring continuously or it will get burnt. This step took me almost 40 minutes.
• In another pan warm the milk and add sugar. Heat till the sugar melts.
• Now add this milk/sugar to the dal and stir it well. Keep it on low heat till the liquid is all absorbed and it has the consistency of halwa.
• Add the fried cashews. Stir well. Cook for another minute.
• Your Delicious Moong Dal Halwa is ready to serve.
• This recipe serves 4.

Gajar Ka Halwa - Carrot Pudding

Gajar ka Halwa/Carrot Pudding is my favorite dessert. I must say Gajar ka Halwa is quite popular and needs no introduction. I was kind of suprised to see I don't have this recipe on my blog. I have made this dessert several times..and when I look back the reason being each time its made there's not even time to click pictures. The aroma of this delicious dessert is irresistible and its devoured in minutes.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups grated carrot
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup mava powder
• 3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• 2/3 cup cashews, almonds, raisins
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Preparation:

• Heat ghee in a thick bottom pan/Kadai. Fry the nuts. Add the grated carrot and fry for about 2 minutes on medium heat.
• Add sugar and mix well. Now add milk and mix it well. Keep on low-medium heat and let it cook unil the milk has almost been absorbed. Keep on stirring from time to time.( This step takes the most time,but its all worth it when you see the results...)
• Now add the mava powder and mix it well. Cook on slow flame until the halwa starts to leave the sides of the pan.
• Now add the cardamom powder and take it off the heat.
• Your Gajar ka Halwa is ready to serve. Best enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Could also be served with ice-cream.
• This recipe serves 4.

Spinach and Cranberry Dal - Palak Wali Dal

I'm sure after thanksgiving people kind of get a bit health conscious and try to get back to healthy eating. Not that there's anything wrong about enjoying a thanksgiving feast with all the pies and all the good stuff. We did too. So in case you are in your health conscious mindset this recipe is for you and for all of you as well who enjoy quick , healthy and easy recipes.

Also for the very first time went out shopping on Black Friday. Took my 7 year old son with me..We kind of made a list of things to buy and set the alarm for 2:00 in the morning as some of the stores were opening at 3:00 in the morning. I must say it was FUN and a must have experience at least once in your lifetime. Got some pretty good deals. Most of all we went as I really wanted to check out what it was all about..And mind you even at 2:30 in the morning there were thousands of people standing in queues. My DH and 3 year old stayed home. I'm not sure though I want to do this again next year...

Ingredients :

• 1 cup moong dal/moong lentil
• 1 bunch fresh spinach chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 2-3 green chillies slit
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of hing
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin - cilantro powder
• salt to taste
• oil
  

Preparation :

• Wash moong dal and pressure cook in about 3-4 cups of water with ginger, salt and turmeric till cooked.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they splutter add hing. Now add the finely chopped garlic. Fry for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and green chillies. Fry for about 2-3 minutes. Add the cranberries. Fry for about a minute. Add the red chili powder and cumin-cilantro powder. Mix it well.
• Now add the washed and chopped spinach. Mix it well. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat. The spinach will reduce in volume.
• Next add the cooked dal. Mix well. Adjust the salt. If you think the dal is too thick add a cup of water. Bring it to boil. Thats it. Your Spinach and Cranberry Dal is ready to serve.
• This dal can be served with rice or any Indian bread of your choice. Can also be served as soup with some garlic bread. Thats how my 3 year old likes it.
• This recipe serves 4.

Ney Payasam/ Rice pudding with Jaggery and Ghee

Ney Payasam is a very delicious dessert. This is my MIL's recipe. 'Ney' means ghee/clarified butter..so this dish does have lots of it. But once you taste it its divine and you would want t o forget counting your calories just for that day...lol. Mostly at our in-laws place its prepared on auspicious days and on birthdays.

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 1/2 cups jaggery
• 1/2 cup ghee/clarified butter
• 1/4 cup cashews and green raisins
• 1 -2 tbsp thinly sliced coconut pieces
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 cup water

Preparation :

• Wash rice and pressure cook with 1 cup of water about 2 -3 whistles till its soft.
• Now take a thick bottomed pan and melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup water on medium heat. When the jaggery has all melted and comes to a boil, add the cooked rice and keep on stirring for about a minute. Now you have to keep adding the ghee 1-2 tsp at a time and stir it well. Keep doing until you have used all the ghee and soon the payasam will start leaving the side of the pan. This is the indication its done and time to remove from the heat.
• Now heat 1 tsp ghee and fry the cashews till golden, next fry the raisins till they puff up and last fry the bits of coconut till golden brown.
• Add to the Payasam. Next add the cardamom powder and mix well.
• Your Ney Payasam is ready to serve.
• This recipe serves 4. Its best enjoyed when its warm.