Nov
2013

Figs & Orange Honey Mini Loaf-Cakes ~ Of course, Healthy!

categories: Baking, Breads and Loafs, Breakfast, Cakes, Cupcakes & Muffins, Desserts, Fall

Figs & Orange Honey Mini Loaf-Cakes1

 

I am totally in a holiday season mode.

Brace yourselves for the news I am about to break to you guys.. I brought out the planner in me(!!!) and prepared the fruit soak for my very first Christmas fruit cake 2 days back! I am definitely on top of the game. If you follow me on Instagram you already know. I can’t seem to contain my excitement. I’m counting down the days to bake and to be able to eat the final product.

I am going to let this fruit mix soak for about 3 weeks before baking into a delicious cake. This way cake will get a chance to age for about 3+ weeks before it’s Christmas! My kitchen air turned heavenly with all those fruits and citrus peels. No scented candles required.. Happy days I tell ya! 🙂

Another thing is I am baking a WHOLE lot more. I know I am not posting enough on the blog but I am baking A LOT! The weather is cold and rainy and all I want to eat at any time of the day is a piece of warm, cinnamony baked goodies. So with this awesome weather and so much baked goodies around me, all I am doing is relaxing, eating and lurking around other blogs! Can you blame me?! I mean so much holiday baking is happening everywhere!

 

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On one fine morning, I made these gorgeous mini cakes and trust me when I tell you, they are the most moist, soft and fragrant cakes ever! One-bowl deliciousness ready in 30 minutes!

Oh, did I mention these are healthy too?!! Oh ya! This recipe is a keeper for those days when you’re eating around lots of unhealthy food on the name of celebration.

Make this quick recipe as a special breakfast treat on festival mornings or while entertaining guests and you’re sure to impress everyone!

Happy Baking! xo

 

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Baking tray before going in the oven

 

Figs & Orange Honey Mini Loaf-Cakes

Yields: 6 mini loaf-cakes or 12 cupcakes | Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 20 minutes approx

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 8-9 fresh figs, washed, stemmed

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Grease a 6 count mini-loaf silicone mold with baking spray. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and orange zest, mixing with spoon to release oils from the zest. Add one egg at a time and beat until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add oil, honey, yogurt, vanilla, orange juice and stir to combine.
  3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  4. Cut 3 figs into quarters and cut the remaining figs into 4 slices. Fill the molds equally about 2/3rd full and submerge 2 fig quarters in each mold. Arrange 2-3 slices on top of the batter. Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes or until the cake is just firm. Do not over-bake. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from the mold and serve.

*Tastes best when served warm with the topping of Mascarpone or whipped cream, with tea/coffee.

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Nov
2013

Skinny Zesty Salad

categories: Dinner, Fall, Lunch, Quick Fix, Salads, Sides, Summer

Skinny Zesty Sala1

 

After hogging lots and lots of sweets and fried stuff during 5 days of festivities in the past week, believe it or not, but my digestive system needed a break. So I am doing a cleanse/detox for few days.

I made this skinny salad for lunch one day and have fallen in love with it since then. It is so versatile, protein-packed and healthy even for people with diet restrictions. Yes! It is suitable for all the vegetarians and vegans out there! A complete meal in itself.

Add any or all of the ingredients mentioned below or whatever you have in your refrigerator. Don’t like uncooked Paneer/tofu? Don’t worry! You can grill it with a bit of olive oil and some seasoning before adding it to your salad or skip it. I once made this with just apple, pear, pomegranate and it was still lip-smacking!

So do your body a favor, give yourself a break from cooking and make this hearty salad! 🙂

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Skinny Zesty Salad

Serves: 2 as a side and 1 as a main-course

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 200 gm Paneer/extra-firm tofu, cut into 2 inch-long thin strips
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped into thin strips
  • 1 small yellow zucchini, cut into semicircles
  • 1 small apple, thin slices
  • 4 Tbsp black olives
  • Bunch of lettuce
  • few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

For dressing:

  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • Juice from 1 lemon, or more to taste
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat a small pan on stove and add 1/2 Tbsp oil to it. Add garlic and broccoli florets. Stir fry till cooked, approximately for 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for dressing.
  3. In a medium bowl, add stir-fried garlic and broccoli florets. To this, add prepared paneer/tofu, bell pepper, zucchini, apple and black olives. Pour dressing over it and toss nicely.
  4. In a salad serving bowl, arrange lettuce at the bottom. Add salad on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately*.

*If serving later, refrigerate the salad and add apple just before serving.

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Nov
2013

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cake

categories: Baking, Cake, Cakes, Desserts, Fall

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cake1

 

Let’s take a little flashback. If I talk about my childhood, back then, Diwali meant school holidays, new clothes, bags full of firecrackers, family gatherings, chants from morning & evening Pujas, Rangolis and stuffing our mouths with cardamom, saffron, coconut, mawa, besan and ghee kissed sugary sweets.

I moved out of the house and city once I started going to college. As  being in a medical profession, we were hardly entitled to any leaves let alone a Diwali break. So most of my Diwalis were spent in hostel with friends, missing my family. It had its moments but I missed my family.. A lot…

After college, I immediately got married to the love of my life and from then on, I have been spending Diwali with him and my new family. After so many years, so many things have changed but many things remain just the same like Pujas, Rangolis and family gatherings. My eating habits have changed for good and I prefer making my sweets healthier and low-cal. The recipe I am posting today is one such healthy cake and perfect for the festive season as it is egg-less!

 

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Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cake3

 

The cake overall has just 2 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil. Don’t be surprised! Our secret ingredient here is avocado which compensates for the butter fat. You can’t taste the avocado in the cake as the richness from chocolate masks it completely. Not even pickiest of eater will be able to tell! So make this ultimate soft, moist and super-chocolaty cake for the mother of all the festivals… Diwali!

Light Food means Light(er) You! After all it is a Festival of Lights!

It has been 10 years since I moved out and I still miss my family on each and every festival that I’m not able to spend with them. Enjoy all the time you get to spend with your family and loved ones. Make precious memories to be cherished forever.

 

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Rangoli I made today! Not a masterpiece but still!

 

 

Happy and sparkling Diwali to all my readers 🙂

Healthy Avocado Chocolate Pan

Yields: 1 9-inch cake | Prep time: 10 minutes | Bake time: 35 minutes | Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and pureed
  • 2/3 cup honey (I used 1/2 cup honey + 1/4 cup brown sugar)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven 180°C/350°F. Grease a 9-inch quiche pan.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together avocado puree, honey (or combination of honey and sugar if using), milk, olive oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add wet ingredients in 2 additions. Mix slowly until just combined. Do not over-mix.
  5. Pour the batter to the prepared quiche pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake in the oven for 33-35 minutes till the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing. Serve as is or with vanilla ice-cream.
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Oct
2013

Baked Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts

categories: Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Doughnuts, Fall

Baked Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts1

I’ve got some good news for ya all!!!

I FINALLY bought doughnut pan! Eeeeeeep!!!

I was so EXCITED the day it arrived that I wanted to put it to use immediately (As if it’s any surprise!). The stars and planets united and I was faced with early Diwali gifting occasion.. Happiest me! Without any second thoughts I knew it had to be freshly baked doughnuts.

I wanted to make chocolate doughnuts as my first doughnuts in this pan but these were for gifting so I decided against it. I mean, I can’t trust myself around chocolate and the gift couldn’t be an empty box so, smart move I thought! 😛

With the weather we are experiencing and soooo many apples sitting in my pantry, these adorable beauties were born. And I was absolutely pleased with my decision making ability this time around!

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They were just So So Good, I wanted to eat the whole batch myself… No kidding!! I mean can you imagine anything better where you can have apple, cinnamon and sprinkles, all together?! Oh… our house smelled Dee-vine!

Needless to say that the doughnuts were so soft and moist plus a healthier breakfast option compared to the store-bought deep-fried version. Win-win!

So buy the doughnut pan right away if you don’t already have it. I got mine from here. You NEED it in your life… Trust me! Plus these make such cute gifts for this festive season too!

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Baked Apple Cinnamon Doughnuts

Yields: 8 to 9 doughnuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 medium granny smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

Glaze:

 

  • 1 Tbsp melted butter
  • 2 Tbsp caster sugar + 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, mixed together
  • sprinkles (optional)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Lightly grease the doughnut pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, mix together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk in milk to this mix.
  4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients all at once to it. Add finely chopped apples. Stir together until no flour pockets remain but be careful not to over-mix.
  5. With a small spoon, dollop batter into the prepared pan. Fill each doughnut pan three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until doughnuts are puffed up and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pan for a while before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. While doughnuts are still warm, brush melted butter on each doughnut. Sprinkle some sprinkles on each doughnut followed by cinnamon-sugar.

*These doughnuts are best served the day they are made.
*Feel free to grate the peeled apple if you do not like chopped pieces in every bite!
*Make the recipe eggless by simply replacing egg with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.

Happy Baking!!

 

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Oct
2013

Oven Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes with PeanutButter & Buttermilk Dressing

categories: Dinner, Dips, Dips & Sauces, Fall, Lunch, Quick Fix, Sauces, Sides, Uncategorized
Oven Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes with PeanutButter & Buttermilk Dressing4
Past 10 days were a blur at our house.. Between Karva Chauth party and my girl gang gathered at the house for the wedding, I hardly had time to squeeze in a blog-post. Those were such good days and in all honesty, I didn’t want them to end! Exciting times filled with fun, laughter and so much joy!! I’m going to cherish the precious memories of this time spent with friends and family forever. Moments like these is what makes our life worthwhile.
Between all the festivities of the past weekend and coming weekend, I am doing a detox of my own with fruits, soups, stir-fries and salads. Gearing up for the next big weekend, you see! You won’t believe how many great recipes I have lined up for you all! But before that enjoy this humble dish which truly deserves a place in your repertoire! 🙂
Oven Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes with PeanutButter & Buttermilk Dressing2
Today’s recipe is simple but totally lip-smacking.
I mean it has potatoes & peanut butter in it so of course! 😉
Just some roasted veggies with healthy yet delicious dressing. Perfect for the ‘touch of cold’ weather we are experiencing here.. It is great as a side dish or as a whole meal in itself.. I had it for dinner and could not finish it entirely. The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled as per your needs. I used regular potatoes but baby potatoes would be amazing too!
Oven Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes with PeanutButter & Buttermilk Dressing3
Roasted Asparagus & Potatoes with Peanut Butter & Buttermilk Dressing
Serves: 2 as a side-dish or 1 as a lunch/dinner
Ingredients:
Roasted vegetables:
  • 4 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes or 12 baby potatoes, halved
  • 20 spears of asparagus cut into 5-inch pieces, hard woody ends discarded
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

Dressing:

  • 4 Tbsp buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/4 tsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Arrange prepared potatoes and asparagus on the baking tray. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper and toss together. Let it bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove the asparagus from baking tray and return the tray to oven. Let the potatoes bake for another 15 to 20 minutes till fork-tender.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing.
  3. Serve the roasted vegetables smothered with the dressing.

Enjoy!!

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