FRESHLY BAKED BROWN BUNS

FRESHLY BAKED BROWN BUNS

In 2009, when I was in South Africa, I joined the group (mostly ladies), called “Weigh Less group” to lose some kilos. I was successful, in six months I lost 13 kg (28 pounds), which was a considerable achievement, I was very happy. In that weigh less group, participants were supposed to attend the group meetings every week, where the group leader use to weigh us and after the weighing, there were discussions and lots of motivational tips and tricks were given to participants. Weigh less in South Africa is quite similar to weight watchers of North America.

In those weekly group meetings, together with the formula for different types of foods, lots of booklets were also given to the participants. Those booklets were full of information about healthy eating, meal planning and simple things which we should do and follow in our daily routine for a healthier and happier life because the ultimate aim was to lose weight. Here are few examples of the tips- 1. when you go shopping, park your car at a distance so that you will get a chance to walk a little longer, 2. Do not use the elevator, climb the stairs to use some calories.

Few others were very interesting – 3. Do not go shopping, when you are hungry, you will be tempted to buy unnecessary items particularly the high-calorie ones, which you will eat later and consume extra calories. 4. If you are on the “weigh less” program, during the grocery shopping, do not go in the aisle of cakes and cookies, otherwise, you will be tempted to buy them and eat later. That is interesting, isn’t it? I really enjoyed the whole journey of Weigh Less, where I lost a few kilos and gained a lot of good information about the healthy life style, which till today I am practicing in my life.

Personally, I have experienced that when I go for shopping in super markets, and if I am in the bakery section, the smell of freshly baked bread always attracts me and I am tempted to buy freshly baked buns or bread. And I have also experienced that whenever I go in the aisle of cakes and cookies, I am tempted to buy a few of them.

Coming to the recipe, bun or bread baking is not a difficult task, plus you can enjoy the smell of freshly baked bread in your own kitchen. The other benefit of home baked bread/bun is that we do not add any preservative etc so it is healthier to eat home baked buns or bread. This is a very simple recipe with few ingredients.

Special announcement about co-hosting Fiesta Friday for the 2^nd time

I am excited and pleased to host this event for the 2^nd time, called Fiesta Friday, which is the 187^th week of this blog party. This blog post party is on from the last three years, and it will soon be celebrating the 200# week. In this blog hop, bloggers around the world share their splendid recipes through their blog posts and awesome clicks of the recipes. You can check the above link and join us. Please read the guidelines and follow them to get a chance to be a winner, who will be featured in the next week party. This is a wonderful way to meet and gain exposure and views of the other blogger friends. I am sharing my recipes with this group from so many months and I am assuring you that, this is a friendly, supportive and welcoming group. This week in Fiesta Friday, my co-host and I will visit each and every participant's post and comment on their awesome recipes, which is a normal procedure of this party.

I am co-hosting this event with Judi. If you are joining for the first time please link your post to the main page of Fiesta Friday my page Herbs Spices and Tradition and Judi's page Cookingwithauntjuju

I really appreciate and would like to thank Angie of Fiesta Friday who gave me the 2nd chance to co-host this event.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups brown bread flour/whole wheat flour
• Half packet active dry yeast (packet is 10 grams)
• 1tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbs oil
• more oil for coating

METHOD

• In a cup, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water, add sugar to it. Mix well and leave it around 5 minutes till the colour of the water changes and becomes foamy.
• In a big bowl take flour, add salt, oil and this foamy water of yeast, mix more water and make a soft dough, coat all sides with oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap to let it rise (until double the original size). Keep it in a warm place for 1-2 hours to rise.
• Punch dough down. Divide into 12-14 balls. Knead and tuck ends under on each one until top is smooth. Coat all sides with oil and place on a large greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
• Cover. Let bun rise until almost doubled in size.
• Bake at 350 degrees F/180 degrees C, about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove onto a rack to cool.

I am sharing my recipe as my blog post entry with Fiesta Friday and Sweet inspiration link Party and with Cook blog share and Meatless Monday and Hearth and Soul link party and with Cook once eat Twice party and with Simple and in Season and with we are pinnable party

CORN ON THE COB CURRY

CORN ON THE COB CURRY

One of the joys of life is to see your children move on in their lives and settle into beautiful relationships and start their own families. When my son announced to me about his special someone several years ago and his intention to marry, not only was I thrilled with the news but also the realization that she was the daughter of my best friend. I had seen her grow up right before my eyes, and now she was going to be my daughter-in-law. It was a warm fuzzy feeling that the friends I had known for so many years were now going to be family.

I wanted to share this good news with my friend as soon as possible, assuming that she may not know about this relationship. I called her and told her that I will see her in the evening that day. We (my husband and I) met that evening and gave them the good news. My assumption was right, they had no idea about this relationship and they were also thrilled with the news we gave them. That evening was remarkably good as we all enjoyed each other’s company more than ever before.

I am writing all this because today I am sharing her recipe. Many of her recipes are regulars in my kitchen and when corn was in season, this curry was always on her menu. Whenever I make her recipe I miss her a lot as she now lives in New Zealand which is far from Canada. I miss those days when we were together in Africa, when we used to chit-chat the whole day, enjoyed each other’s company, nice food and drinks. Yesterday when I talked to her she said, “That was the golden period of our life when we were together in Africa”.

Coming to the recipe, if you like corn, you will love this awesome recipe. To enjoy this corn on the cob curry, get ready to have messy fingers; that is the only way to enjoy this, you cannot eat this with a fork and knife!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 corn on the cob
• 1 onion (medium)
• Small piece of ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup yoghurt plus 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp corn starch
• Few curry leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch turmeric
• salt and chili powder to taste
• 1 tbs coconut oil ( any other oil)

METHOD

• Peel the corn and slice into 3-4 pieces
• Boil in water for 15-20 minutes till it is done.
• Heat oil in a frying pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, let it splutter, then add thinly sliced onion and ginger, saute until light brown.
• Add coconut milk in it plus salt and turmeric and let it boil. Add the beaten yoghurt (mix yoghurt with water and beat the mixture) and let it boil.
• Add boiled corn in it.
• Mix well cornstarch with 2 tbs water and add it to the curry and boil for one more minute.
• Corn on the cob curry is ready; you can serve to 3-4 people.

I am sharing this recipe with meatless Monday and Cook once eat Twice and Hearth and Soul blog hop and Cook blog share and I am pinnable and Sweet Inspiration link party and Fiesta Friday co-hosted by Colleen and Alex and with Simple and in Season

CHERRY AND MANGO MOUSSE

CHERRY AND MANGO MOUSSE

EDITED; This recipe was featured on Sweet Inspiration link party on 17th August 2017, Check here.

In June 2013, which was my first summer in Canada, one day, my daughter told me, “Mom, cherries are in season now; we are going to enjoy these fresh red beauties in the next few months”. I couldn’t believe her words. Then I shook my head and told myself, ‘you are in Canada, Sadhna, life and foods are different here’, I took a deep breath and asked her “Are you sure, you get fresh cherries here?” She looked at me with a surprise in her eyes and said, “Yes, of course, you are in Canada, and this country is called a country of berries”. I was thrilled with the feeling that I am in a country of berries where I will experience the pleasure of eating fresh cherries from the farm because, throughout my life, I never had that privilege of enjoying the fresh cherries. I lived in three continents and six countries, but never got fresh cherries to eat or to use in my cooking, may be because of the climate and vegetation found in those areas. Throughout my long stay in Africa, I always used canned or tinned cherries whenever I wanted to use them in my cooking.

Over the years now I have enjoyed the different types of berries here in Canada, which I had never experienced before. I love these berries because of their taste, flavour, variety, awesome colour and enormous health benefits. Here a lot of varieties of berries are available like- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, cranberries etc. Some of these berries are available throughout the year but some are only seasonal, and of course, frozen berries are available throughout the year. Apart from enjoying the taste as it is I am using my cooking skills to learn, try and test some new recipes with them.

Cherries are my favourite super food. They look good, taste good, have lots of health benefits and their red colour is so adorable, which can attract foodies like me to use in our culinary journey. The only problem is that they are available only for a short period of time that is from May to July here in Calgary, it seems cherry season comes and goes in a blink of an eye. I wish they were available for a longer time, being my favourite fruit, I want them always in my fridge but thank goodness, frozen cherries are available here throughout the year. That’s a relief; at least I can use the frozen ones even when they are not in season.

I have already tried and tested many recipes with cherries, I have already shared some of them, check this Cherry trifle. Soon I am going to share more of them. Coming to the recipe, this is a quick and easy way to enjoy cherries in the summer, and this is a very simple recipe. I wanted to make it lighter so I didn’t add any whipped cream, if you want to make it rich you can add whipped cream to it. The main purpose of making it light was to enjoy more servings without the feeling of guilt.

RECIPE

INGREDIENT

• 1 cup sliced cherries
• 1/4 cup sugar for cherries
• 1 packet of cherry jelly ( I used vegetarian jelly)
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup sliced mangoes
• 1/4 cup sugar for mangoes
• 1 packet of mango jelly
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tbs pumpkin seeds for garnishing.

METHOD

• Make a puree of sliced cherries in a blender, add sugar and pulse again, keep it aside.
• Mix the packet of jelly (40 grams) in a cup of hot water, mix well and add to the cherry puree (Read and follow the instructions on the packet)
• Carefully pour into 4 tilted glasses and keep it in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
• Now make the puree with sliced mangoes in a blender, add sugar and pulse more.
• Mix the packet of mango jelly in 1 cup of hot water and add to the mango puree.
• Straighten the glasses and carefully pour in the remaining space in the glasses, you will find that the cherry puree is already set at an angle in those glasses.
• Keep it again in the fridge for 6-8 hours, with the glasses straight.
• Decorate with pumpkin seeds on top and serve.

Note- Glasses can be tilted in some small bowls or a cupcake muffin tray.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry to Fiesta Friday and Sweet Inspiration party and with Meatless Monday and Hearth and Soul blog party with cook blog share and Cook once eat twice and with Ful plate Thursday and with we are pinnable and Simple and in season