Mixed Berry Cake (Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry)

I go crazy when I see these fully colored berries during the winter. They are so sweet and very colorful and very tasty during the winter. I got all the berries strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry and wanted to make something for Anush. The only thing that I can make that he likes is a cake, but I cannot use the whole ones, as he would not like to eat it that way, so wanted to hide all the berries into the cake. What better way to make a cake with hidden berries....hmm...then I just thought I need to make a puree of it. Yes, I made this cake and he liked it very much, that really makes me happy. :)

Ingredients:

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3 cups Self Raising flour

2 cups Granulated Sugar

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil / Unsweetened Apple sauce

1 1/2 cup pureed Berries (I used Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberries all 1/4 cup)

1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

4 Eggs, beaten ( I substituted two eggs with (3tbsp Falxmeal + 5 tbsp water = 1 Egg), so you need to multiply the amount for substituting two eggs)

Method:

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1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Spray with cooking oil/butter spray on cake pan/or any baking dish, and sprinkle flour all over and shake off the excess by tapping.

3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with hand mixer/stand mixer until it's light and fluffy and the color of the eggs should have turned pale color along with the flax meal and water (along with the eggs) for about 4-5 mins.

4. Now add the rest of the ingredients first the wet ingredients and then the flour combine again with a hand mixer/stand mixer until you get a smooth non-lumpy batter for about 3-4 mins.

5. Pour this batter into the baking pan and bake it for about 26 to 28 mins or until the top is slightly golden and if a toothpick or skewer inserted comes out clean.

6. Transfer the cake on a wire rack and let it cool.
(Note: You can add whipped cream on top mixed with mixed berry jelly/preserves/jam to make it extra rich)


Sending this to Vardhini of "Zesty Palette's" "Bake Fest" and Sravani of Srav'sCluniary Concepts's "Holiday Baking"

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Eggs in Tamarind Gravy / Kodi Guddu Pulusu / Muttai Puli Kulambu

After a busy  and fun filled weekend, I must say this Monday is boring and I don't know why I feel lazy all the time of this day every week!!!aaarrrggg!!! I somehow pulled myself and cooked some good stuffs today but the process of it is little lengthy to type and thus I am jumping to some simple recipe in my draft.



Since no one at my home is fond of hard boiled eggs, I prepare this pulusu once in a blue moon. But it helps in situation when I don't have any vegetables. yes! With only onion and egg, you can finish preparing this. Addition of tomato is absolutely based on personal preference and add it if you have.



Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:



Egg - 3 nos, hard boiled

Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size, +/- according to the sourness of the tamarind.

Onion - 1 small size, chopped

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Oil - 3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds and urid dal - 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 string



Method:



1) Boil eggs in sauce pan filled with water for 20 minutes. Meanwhile chop onion and soak tamarind in a cup of warm water.

2) Remove the shell of eggs and set aside after boiling. Extract the juice from tamarind and keep aside.

3) Take a pan and heat oil in it.

4) Add fenugreek seeds,cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urid dal. Let them splutter.

5) Add curry leaves,chopped onions and saute till they are translucent.

6) Add tamarind juice along with red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Add salt to taste.

7) Mix well and allow it to boil. Then cover and simmer it for 10 minutes.

8) Now, prick the eggs using a fork and add them to the hot gravy.

9) Continue cooking in simmer and when the gravy starts to thick and oil separates from the gravy, remove from flame.

10) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds

When my younger cousin was in grade school, her mom cooked the holiday turkey. After Thanksgiving, she and her classmates would exchange stories about the gigantic bird, mashed potatoes, and other fixings that graced the table. For some reason, the turkey she ate never seemed to match the enormity of the ones her friends described. When she questioned her mom about the discrepancy, her mom reassured her.

"I always serve turkey."

Soon after my cousin learned to read, she walked into the kitchen as her mom was prepping the turkey. Skeptical, she cross examined her mom about the bird. Her mom insisted that it was a turkey. Unconvinced, my cousin dragged a chair to their kitchen counter.

Gazing down at the bird, she read the label out loud: "C-H-I-C-K-E-N!"

I felt redeemed when I heard about my aunt's mischief. I love to host guests for Thanksgiving, but hate roasting turkey. It's cumbersome and boring. Luckily, a relative is hosting this year. So I can devote my attention to preparing hor d'oeuvres, sides, and dessert.

I turned to the farmer's market for inspiration as I had done all summer and carried home several acorn squash. They were lovely roasted with a thin layer of olive oil. But it was the roasted seeds, which tasted like freshly made popcorn, that drew me into the kitchen all afternoon.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SEEDS

Rinse seeds and layer on a paper towel to air dry.

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt.

Cook until seeds turn light brown.