Frappuccino Mocha (Not the frothy kind)

I love Coffee. And I do like to drink the expensive Starbucks occasionally. Many years ago, I tried their bottled Frappuccino Mocha and fell in love with the taste. They are quite expensive though. Recently, I bought a whole case and when I saw that everyone at home was consuming it with great speed, I thought of making my own. Here is the result of that. This is not the same that you get in the cafe where they have churned the coffee with milk and ice to make it frothy. This is almost like coffee, just chilled and with lots and lots of milk, sugar and some chocolate.

One Year Back - Vegan Almond Oat Cookies
Two Years Back - Tomatillo rice spiced with Coconut and mustard
Three Years Back -  Whole Wheat and Quinoa Sourdough Bread, Bread Baking Basics
Ingredients: 
Freshly Brewed coffee - 1 cup (Mine is very strong. You might have to increase the milk if yours is stronger)
Milk - 4 cups (Start with 3 and add more depending on the strength of your coffee)
Sugar - 1/4 - 1/2 cup (I use 1/2 cup)
Chocolate Syrup - 1/4 cup

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together till all the sugar dissolves. Chill and stir very well before serving. Chocolate syrup settles down in the bottom and stirring/shaking is a must.

This post is written for weekend cooking post that I write with Srivalli  and  Vaishali,  
Enjoy.

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Ten Bagel or Sandwich spreads

When I started writing this blog almost 4 years ago, I had no idea what it would lead to. I didn't know what kind of work was involved in maintaining it either. My thought was "I make something new almost all the time. All I have to do is take a picture, write the recipe. How big a task is this?" I forgot that with a full time job, two kids and a house to maintain topped with few other hobbies I have, it won't be easy. But, I did put in lot of effort in the beginning posting every day or every other day. Not any more.

Why? you may ask. I started writing this blog as a stress buster. I have found other stress busters that work equally or maybe even better. So, obviously this blog is kind of neglected. But, I thank those who visit regularly to read my ramblings.

Most of the people eat Bagel with cream cheese and some people like flavored ones. You cannot find many flavored ones in the store, so I make my own. Plus they are cheaper and you can control the ingredients. Obviously I cannot make all these ten at one shot and take pictures and post it (who will eat all the bagels) so here is a list with ingredients and all you have to do is mix it up well. Let your imagination and palate drive you. You can create many more.

1. Chinese style Cream Cheese Spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Brown Sugar - 2 TBSP
Hot sauce like Sriracha - 1/2 tsp (1 tsp for spicy version)
Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 TBSP
Salt - to taste
Cilantro - 1 TBSP chopped very fine (optional)
This is great on a sesame topped bagel in particular but goes well on plain bagels too.

2. Strawberry Cream Cheese:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Strawberry Preserve - 1/4 cup

3. Pesto Cream Cheese topping:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Home made or prepared pesto of your choice - 3 TBSP (try to drain oil if using the store bought)

4. Mint and Garlic Cream Cheese topping:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Mint leaves - Chopped very fine 2 TBSP
Garlic - minced 1 TBSP

5. Jam/Jelly Cream Cheese swirl:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Any Jam or Jelly - up to 1/4 cup
But do not mix too much so the swirls are still present.

6. Jalapeno Cream Cheese Spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Drained Jalapeno slices - 2 - 3 TBSP or per taste chopped very fine
Salt - to taste

7. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Smooth Peanut Butter - 1/4 cup
Chocolate Syrup - 2 - 3 TBSP
Extra: Slice banana and place them on the top of the spread on the bagel. Yummy.

8. Dill Pickled Cream Cheese spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Drained Dill pickle - Chopped fine 3 TBSP
Black Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste

9. Chive or Scallion Cream Cheese Spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Chives or Scallions - chopped very fine 4 TBSP
Salt - to taste
Black Pepper - to taste

10. Lime and Green Chillies Cream Cheese Spread:
Ingredients to mix and use:
Cream Cheese - 1 8 Oz block softened
Green Chillies - Chopped fine 3 - 4 based on your palate
Salt - to taste
Lime zest - 2 tsp
Lime Juice - from half a lime
Cilantro - chopped fine 2 TBSP (optional)

Enjoy.

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Banana Pumpkin Snack cake

I don't really know if this happens with all the kids but my kids are tired of what I pack for their snacks. Trying to keep it simple, I have fruit, crackers, pretzels sticks and such things as their snack for their lunch bag. Of lately, if one brings back the crackers, the other one says not to pack pretzels. The only common thing that both of them like are oreos and chips, the same two things that I restrict them from having every day. So, another option that both like and I don't mind giving them once in a while are the baked stuff that I made at home.

I had to bake something for a friend in return for a favor and I killed two birds with one stone by splitting the batter between a small bundt cake and few mini loaves. They are pretty low in fat and not very high in sugar either. I had kept aside chocolate chips to add to the batter and with all the excitement of my 6 year old who came to "help mommy", I forgot to add them. It will be richer if you add them but definitely worth it.

One Year Back - Cream Cheese Cocoa Truffles
Two Years Back - Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Three Years Back - Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls with apple butter
Makes 6 mini loaves or two 8 X 4 or 9 X 5 loaves or 1 tube pan or bundt pan
I made 3 mini loaves and a 6 cup sized bundt pan cake.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 3 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Baking Soda - 2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Canola oil - 1/2 cup
Pumpkin and Banana puree - total 2 1/2 cups (I used half of each)
Eggs - 3 large
Vanilla - 2 tsp
Optional - 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips (I did not add them)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 8 X 4 loaf pans or a tube pan. You could use a bundt pan too. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda. Set aside. In another bowl, beat pumpkin puree, mashed banana, sugar, oil together using an electric beater. Add eggs and continue to beat. Stir in the vanilla. Dump the dry ingredients to wet and beat at low speed. Towards the end, fold with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan/s and bake for 45 - 50 minutes in case of the loaf pan or 60 - 70 minutes in case of a tube pan or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn it on to the wire rack to cool completely. Mini loaves take 30 - 32 minutes and the 6 cup bundt pan takes 40 - 45 minutes.

Notes:
This is not a very sweet cake at all. Perfect for snacking. Or you could add some glaze.

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Poori / Deep fried, puffed bread

This weekend, I made Poori Saagu for brunch. Best part was the kids wanted to help and my two girls alternately pressing the dough balls (I have a poori press) made it so easy for me to fry them. And they thought it was so much fun that they want me to make pooris every weekend so that they can help.

Sometimes, kids have funny questions and my older one asked "Mommy, does every Indian know how to make poori?" and to that I did reply a "Yes". So, technically, this is not an innovative or even a new recipe at all. But, there are certain things when followed, you make a very good poori and not just an ordinary one. The trick is to use fine soji or chiroti rawa. It makes the pooris retain their shape longer. I always made it with equal parts of whole wheat flour, fine rawa and all purpose flour or maida. I skipped using maida in this just to make it a little better nutrition wise. Also, people use flour to roll pooris and that leaves the dry flour in the oil and sometimes on the top of the fried poori. Try using oil instead and you will see how clean they look. They are of course greasy but once in a while it is alright to eat such food in moderation.

One Year Back - Garlic Toast
Two Years Back - Vegan Sourdough Scallion Pancakes
Three Years Back - Fenugreek Curry / Menthyada Gojju
You can find the recipe for Saagu with which this is served generally here.
Ingredients: 
Whole Wheat flour - 2 cups
Fine Soji - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Oil - 2 TBSP for the dough and more for frying
Water - 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups

Method:
Mix Whole wheat flour, soji, salt and oil. Add water a little by little and make a soft dough. Cover and let it sit for half an hour at least. When ready to make pooris, heat oil in a pan. Knead the dough for couple of minutes and divide into small lemon or lime sized balls. You should be able to make 24 - 26 pooris out of this dough. Roll the balls smoothly and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray or you could brush them with oil.
For rolling, do not use flour as we do for rotis. Apply a little oil on the surface that you are rolling the dough. Take the dough and flatten it a little thicker than what we make for rotis. Oil has to be moderately hot for the pooris to puff up. Gently slide the flattened dough into the oil. With a slotted skimmer or a ladle, press the disc when it starts coming up in the oil. This is the way to make them puff up evenly and nicely. Gently turn over and let the other side become brown. Remove and drain on the paper towel. Serve hot with potato subzi or Saagu.

This post is written for weekend cooking post that I write with Srivalli  and  Vaishali,  

Enjoy.

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