Mini cheesecakes with orange zest

Yesterday night I was in cooking spree. Baked mini cheesecakes, strawberry cupcakes, brown rice pilaf with mixed vegetables. Usually I bake cheesecake in regular springform pan. This time decided to bake mini ones, so that it is simple to eat rather than messing up the whole cake while cutting ;). These mini cheesecakes looks elegant and tastes delicious.




Ingredients:

Filling:

1 lb Cream cheese
2 large eggs ( I use organic brown eggs)
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp orange zest
1/2 cup sour cream

Crust

16 graham crackers
6tbsp melted butter
1tbsp sugar

Procedure:

Preheat the oven at 300 degree F

Crust:

Place muffin cups in the pan.
Crush graham crackers and sugar in a mixer . (You can crush the crackers even with hand. ) I use mixer since it is easy and makes fine crust. Now add melted butter to the cracker mixture and mix well with a spoon/spatula. Now take the mixture and pour evenly into the muffin cups. With your hands press the mixture into the bottom of the cups. Cover the pan and chill it in refrigerator.



Filling:

In a bowl add cream cheese, sugar and beat with hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. (I used 3 speed in my hand mixer). Reduce the speed and add eggs one at a time. Add sour cream, vanilla extract and orange zest while beating on low speed. Scrape the mixture using spatula as necessary. Pour the mixture into the prepared muffin cups evenly.
Note: Make sure you use the mixer on low speed.



Bake for 18-20mts till it is firm. When you look at the cake it will not be completely set in the center. Don't worry, that is how it is supposed to look like.
Remove from oven and let it sit for 1hr until cooled completely. Cover it and refrigerate overnight.



Serve with fresh fruit or drizzle with chocolate syrup. I am sure you cannot resist with one.
Makes 12 mini cakes.

Brown Rice Pilaf with Sprouted Lentils

All my stress since morning has been relieved, the moment my daughter got selected in pre-competitive swimming program. Wanted to treat her with healthy dinner, decided to make this recipe which I was planning to make ever since I saw in my friend Sridevi's blog (Sreelu's Tasty Travels). Prepared this yummy, healthy recipe with a variation of using brown rice and excluded vegetables.



Here is the original recipe.


Here is my version:

Ingredients:

1 cup of Brown Rice (Soak in water for 30 mts)
1 cup of sprouted beans (Soaked in water for 30 mts)
1 small sized onion (Chopped)
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1tbsp nuts( I used sliced almonds, cashews)
4 cloves
1/4inch cinnamon stick
10 mint leaves (finely chopped)
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp Pulav masala
red chili powder (Adjust as per your spice level) -- Optional
salt
Extra virgin olive oil


Preparation:

Soaked beans



In a pan add oil, once oil is hot add cloves, cinnamon stick, nuts, bay leaf. Once nuts turn golden color add onions, ginger garlic paste. Once onions turn golden color add pilaf masala, chopped mint, red chili powder.


Once onions cooked in spices add lentils, rice, salt and mix well.

Add water (1Cup of rice 1 -1/2 cups of water) and cover the lid and pressure cook for 6 whistles or use electric cooker.

Healthy and yummy rice is ready to be served.

Gongura Pappu- Lentil Soup with Red sorrel leaves

Summer is the only time we get Gongura leaves in USA. I thoroughly enjoy almost every week cooking this vegetable in different forms. Today I made lentil soup with this leafy vegetable.





Here is the simple recipe for the same

Ingredients:

1cup of toor dal (Red lentils)
1 bunch of Gongura
1 small sized onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves
4 green chilies (As per your spice level)
1tsp sambar masala powder(Optional)
1tsp red chili powder (optional if you want more spicy)
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of asafoetida
1tsp mustard seeds
1/4tsp fenugreek seeds
1tsp cumin seeds
3 red chilies
curry leaves

Preparation:

Cook lentils in pressure cooker and keep it aside. Remove gonugra leaves, wash and chop and keep it aside. In a pan add oil once once is hot add hing,fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Once mustard seeds start spluttering add red chilies, curry leaves, Onions and smashed garlic cloves. Cook till onions turn golden color. Now add turmeric powder, sambar powder, red chili powder and cook for 1 mt and add chopped gongura leaves. Cook the leaves for 5 to 6 mts and add cooked lentils and add salt. Cook and adjust spices.

TIP/Note: Most of the times gongura leaves which we get in USA not as sour as Indian gongura so add 1tsp of tamarind pulp after checking the taste.

Serve with hot rice along with papad or vadiyalu(vegetable fritters).

Asian Food feast for dinner

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had a relaxing weekend with a funny movie (Delhi Belly) and a get together at friend's place. After having a great lunch at friend's place didn't feel like eat anything for dinner. So wanted to have quick noodles for dinner but ended up making a feast.

Here is what I ended up making.

Lettuce Wraps with Tofu
Saute noodles in Peanut sauce.
Stir Fry tofu




Ingredients:
1 packet of hakka noodles
ginger 1/2 inch ginger
garlic cloves (4)
green chilies
Trader Joes (Satay Peanut sauce)
Soy sauce
Iceberg Lettuce
Tofu (i used one packet)
1/2tsp sesame seeds
salt
oil
roasted peanuts
spicy sauce

Preparation:

Lettuce wraps:

In a pan add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic, chopped green chilies and small cubed tofu. Add salt and saute for sometime till you see tofu turned into golden color. Add soy sauce(1tsp) and adjust spices. Remove from heat and garish with roasted peanuts and serve with lettuce and hot sauce.

Believe me you cannot stop with one wrap.





Stir Fry Tofu:

In the same pan add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic, chopped green chilies,sesame seeds and medium sized cubed tofu. Saute till you get nice golden color on all sides of the tofu. Add soy sauce and peanut sauce and adjust spices. Remove from heat and serve.





Saute noodles:
Cook noodles as per the package instructions.
( This is how I cooked: Cook noodles in boiled water for 5 to 6 mts and drain the excess water. (I always add 1tsp oil and pinch of salt to the boiling water. Oil helps to prevent sticking of noodles))

In a wok add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic and chopped chilies(I ove spicy food so I added more chilies) and peanut sauce. Cook for 5 mts and add boiled noodles and mix well. Adjust spices and turn off the heat.

Yummy noodles are ready to be served.

Lettuce Wraps with Tofu

I posted 3 recipes together in one post(Asian Food feast). To make it user friendly posting individually.



Ingredients:

ginger 1/2 inch ginger
garlic cloves (4)
green chilies
Soy sauce
Iceberg Lettuce
Tofu (i used 1/4th packet)
salt
oil
roasted peanuts
spicy sauce

Preparation:

Lettuce wraps:

In a pan add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic, chopped green chilies and small cubed tofu. Add salt and saute for sometime till you see tofu turned into golden color. Add soy sauce(1tsp) and adjust spices. Remove from heat and garish with roasted peanuts and serve with lettuce and hot sauce.

Believe me you cannot stop with one wrap.

Saute Noodles in Peanut sauce

Posting individual recipes to make it user friendly search.



Ingredients:
1 packet of hakka noodles
ginger 1/2 inch ginger
garlic cloves (4)
green chilies
Trader Joes (Satay Peanut sauce)
Soy sauce
salt
oil
roasted peanuts
spicy sauce

Preparation:




Cook noodles as per the package instructions.
( This is how I cooked: Cook noodles in boiled water for 5 to 6 mts and drain the excess water. (I always add 1tsp oil and pinch of salt to the boiling water. Oil helps to prevent sticking of noodles))

In a wok add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic and chopped chilies(I ove spicy food so I added more chilies) and peanut sauce. Cook for 5 mts and add boiled noodles and mix well. Adjust spices and turn off the heat.

Yummy noodles are ready to be served.

Stir-Fry Tofu

Posting individual recipe to make it user friendly.



Ingredients:

ginger 1/2 inch ginger
garlic cloves (4)
green chilies
Trader Joes (Satay Peanut sauce)
Soy sauce
Tofu (i used 3/4 packet)
1/2tsp sesame seeds
salt
oil
roasted peanuts
spicy sauce

Preparation:
In the same pan add oil. Once oil is hot add grated ginger, garlic, chopped green chilies,sesame seeds and medium sized cubed tofu. Saute till you get nice golden color on all sides of the tofu. Add soy sauce and peanut sauce and adjust spices. Remove from heat and serve.

Tiramisu for my daughter's friend b'day party

Made this yummy cake y'day night for my daughter's friend surprise b'day party. I think I should seriously start thinking of starting my own bakery :) The rate I am baking cakes I think it is a better idea ;)

Here are some of the pics