WATERMELON RIND HALWA

WATERMELON RIND HALWA

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MOTHERS

Thankfully spring is finally here, for which we Calgarians have waited for a very long time. It was supposed to be here beginning of March, but we waited till about the end of April. Even in past winter months, temperatures were much lower than average and the amount of snowfall was much higher than average. Even some people, like my neighbour, who loves snowfall and winter were tired of this year’s winter and said enough is enough. I have a habit of watching the evening news on the television, but this winter I was tired of watching the evening local news because after every five minutes they show the weather report, and it was depressing to watch the temperature in minus double digits (Celsius) for months.

This spring will also bring new leaves and flowers in the trees, birds have already started their conferences on the trees, snow is already melted. Soon we will be sitting in the gardens and enjoying the evening tea and dinner outside. This spring is also bringing some new fruits in the market like watermelon. Now I am already thinking about summer when we will get lots of more fruit, particularly my favourite one like cherries, mangoes and many more.

Last year, in the summer, when we were getting a lot of watermelons, as I was chopping it for everyone to enjoy, my daughter and I were chatting about how we don’t consume the rind of the watermelon and is actually so versatile to use. She informed me that she had once made a curry with watermelon rind, which was very tasty and everybody enjoyed it. I was surprised and couldn’t believe that I had not thought of that before. Soon after that talk, I decided to make something very nice with watermelon rind that is when I made this recipe the very first time, and it turned out fantastic.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 500 grams watermelon rind
• 200 grams red portion (fruit) of watermelon
• 200 grams sugar
• 200 grams khoya/mava ( solidified milk)
• 3 tbs ghee/unsalted butter
• pinch cardamom powder
• 2 tbs green pumpkin seeds/any other nuts

METHOD

• Slice watermelon rind and watermelon in small pieces and grate the khoya.
• Heat heavy bottomed pan and add ghee/butter in it, when hot add watermelon rind pieces and let it boil and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes till they are soft.
• Add watermelon pieces and sugar, let all the water evaporates, it can take 15-20 minutes then add grated khoya in it.
• Add pumpkin seed for garnishing and serve hot or cold as desired.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry with Hearth and soul blog hop and with full plate Thursday and with Meatless Monday and cook once eat Twice and with Fiesta Friday and Sweet Inspiration link party

RASPBERRY JAM FILLED BREAKFAST SQUARES

RASPBERRY JAM FILLED BREAKFAST SQUARE

Happy Valentine ’s Day

Suitable for vegans

In 2016, I got a surprise gift of two cookbooks, by my daughter's friend, Mamta, who is a big admirer of my blog and always appreciates and enjoys my cooking. I was overwhelmed that day with those two books, it was not even my birthday, and she was just visiting us. What a kind thought it was of bringing cookery books for me? Isn’t it? After thanking her for such a nice gift and gesture, I told her that I will definitely try some recipes from those books and share them soon on my blog. She herself is a great cook, last time when I visited her, she surprised me with so many nice dishes, which I have to get the recipe for and try soon. Here I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart and wishing her all the best in her life, by selecting a recipe from the book and recreating it.

This is called real love, love does not mean romantic love between a girl and a boy, but showing gratitude, care and affection towards someone is also considered as love. In my opinion, love has many meanings and types, if someone is holding a door for you when you are entering a shop, is also called love for someone. If you choose to be a snow angel for someone and cleaning the yard of an elderly couple, that can also be called love. Love is when you smile at the strangers and get the smile back. A mother's love towards her children can be called as unconditional love because she cares only about the happiness of her children. I have written all this about love because I am posting this recipe on Valentine’s Day in the month of February when people normally say that in this month. love is in the air. If you ask me, love is always there in the air, you just have to notice it, give it and receive it.

The first time I had browsed through the cookbook, that is when I had seen this recipe and decided then and there that that will one of the recipes I will make and post it on Valentine's day. The author used apricot jam but I used raspberry jam. I thought if I use raspberry jam the pink colour of the raspberries will suit the theme of Valentine's Day. So here I am with the recipe, the name of the book is Food made fast-Desserts, and the author is Williams-Sonoma.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 1/2 cups brown bread flour (235 grams)/whole wheat flour
• 1, 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (140 grams)
• 1/4 cup Icing sugar (30 grams)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar (185 grams) OR coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (185 grams) OR coconut oil for vegans
• 1 cup Raspberry jam (315 grams)

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 325 degree F (165 degrees C). Grease a square oven tray or parchment paper inside the tray.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, oats, powdered sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
• Remove 2 cups of the flour mixture and set aside. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared pan and press it evenly over the bottom.
• Drop spoonfuls of jam evenly spread the jam up to the edges. Sprinkle the reserved flour mixture evenly over the jam.
• Bake until the top crust and edges are light brown - about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in a pan on a wire rack. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

INGREDIENTS FOR JAM

• 200 grams raspberries
• 100 grams sugar

METHOD

• Make a puree in the blender with raspberries with little water.
• Mix raspberry puree and sugar together.
• In a frying pan or heavy bottomed wok cook the puree with sugar on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring; it will take 15-20 minutes to get the consistency of thick jam. Leave it to cool. If you are using a cooking thermometer, check the temperature when it is showing 90 degrees C, it means jam is ready.

I am sharing this recipe as a blog post entry for Meatless Monday, Cook once and eat Twice, Cook blog share, Fiesta Friday, Sweet Inspiration and Hearth and Soul food party. and with Baking Crumbs and whats  for dinner and with Ful plate Thursday

CHERRY TART

CHERRY TART

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE CELEBRATING

My love for cherries is never ending, whenever they are in season, I am tempted to try new recipes with them. Cherry season is very short here in Calgary, though I do realise that frozen cherries are available throughout the year. This year I chanced upon farm stall that was selling fresh cherries in bulk for a very reasonable price, I bought lots, 12 bags in total, then I washed, pitted and froze them in small zip lock bags for future use. Now I know I will enjoy them through the winter.

Three years ago, when my daughter with her family, was coming back after a holiday trip, I wanted to give her a surprise with a new recipe made with cherries. That is when this recipe was initiated the very first time, but now it is made every year whenever cherries are in season. This recipe can easily be made with frozen cherries so even when fresh cherries are not available, this recipe turns out pretty good.

This is a fusion recipe in which I have combined an Indian cheese (Chena) with cherries. Chena is a homemade Indian cheese, which is very easy to make. You have to boil milk and while milk is boiling, add few spoons of vinegar; the acid in the vinegar will separate the whey from the milk solids which we have to extract. Sieve the whole thing to remove the watery whey, then leave the milk solids in the sieve for 30 minutes, Chena is ready. This Chena is used to make paneer, which is a well-known ingredient of north and East Indian cuisine. Many sweet and savoury items are made with paneer, including many restaurant dishes.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

FOR TART (For graham cracker crust)

• Two cups graham/digestive cracker (Finely crushed)
  
• One cup sugar
  
• 8 tbs butter
  

FOR FILLING

• I cup sliced cherries
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Chhena/homemade crumbled paneer
• pinch cardamom powder

METHOD

For crust

• Mix crushed graham cracker, sugar and butter thoroughly.
• Press mixture into small individual pie trays ( 3 inches )
• Bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes at 180 degrees C/256 degrees F
• The tart is ready, cool it well.

FOR FILLING

• Mix cherries and brown sugar together and heat in a pan to make compote.
• When compote is ready, mix Chena and cook further for 8-10 minutes so that water from the Chena can evaporate and mixture can thicken. Leave it to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
• Fill the mixture of cherry, sugar and Chena inside the tart and bake in the oven for 2-3 more minutes.
• Serve chilled as a dessert after the meals.

Note: - Ready-made tart can be used. If you are using readymade tart shells, first bake the tart shells in the oven for 7-8minutes and after adding the filling, bake for another 2 more minutes.

I am sharing this recipe as my blog post entry to Meatless Monday, Fiesta Friday, Hearth and Soul blog hop and Coo once and eat Twice and with Cook Blog share and we are pinnable. and with Full Plate Thursday and Sweet inspiration link party.

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