Diary Recipes

Monday, May 12, 2014

Strawberry Peach Basil Cupcakes

By now, it should be quite evident that Im smitten with filled cupcakes. Though some, Id rather forget.

Photos via www.beantownbaker.com

Im a frosting person, so I like to get my moneys worth. Plus, they look super pretty when theyre cut in half:

This is a vanilla buttermilk cupcakes filled with peach jam, strawberries and basil, topped with vanilla pudding peach/strawberry/basil infused frosting, and drizzled with peach/strawberry syrup.

Look, Im creative okay? I have red hair (big ups to my colorist). I write a blog. I live in the city. I wear big jewelry! But how people come up with these concoctions will never cease to amaze me!

This comes from the lady at Beantown Baker (link NSFW--Not Safe For Waistlines). This week shes been doing nothing but making cupcakes. Swoon. She doesnt have the formal recipe written out, but she does a really good job explaining how she made it.

Listen, Ive spent the better part of my lunch hour looking at her blog, and all I can say is, I would give my right arm [jewelry] to have one of these. I can find another ring, but you tell me where I can find another strawberry/peach/basil stuffed cupcakes, mmkay?

Hyderabadi mutton masala

Hyderabadi mutton masala

Ingredients
Mutton ½ kg
Raw papaya grinded 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic 1 tbsp heaped
Salt 1 tsp
Chili powder 1 ½ tsp
Poppy seeds roasted and grinded 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds roasted and grinded 1 ½ tsp
Desiccated coconut roasted and grinded 1 ½ tsp
White cumin whole roasted and grinded 1 ½ tsp
Peanuts roasted and grinded 1 tsp heaped
Coriander seeds roasted and grinded 1 tsp
Roasted gram 1 tsp
Yogurt 1 cup
Brown onion grinded 2 to 3 tbsp
Oil ½ cup
Ingredients for baghar
Whole button red chilies 6
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Curry leaves 12 to 15
Method
Roast and grind all the seeds, marinate mutton with grinded masala, ginger garlic, salt, papaya, chili powder, yogurt and brown onion, heat oil add baghar, add marinated mutton, cover and cook on low flame for 40 to 45 minutes, serve with paratha or nan.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Era Karuvadu Thokku Dried Prawns Shrimp Chutney

Ingredients

Dried Prawns-200gms

Eggs-6( Hard boiled and shelled)

Onion large minced-1

Tomato large chopped-1

Garlic cloves chopped-6

Green chili broken into 2 piece-4

Curry leaves-2sprigs

Tamarind paste-1tbsp( if using tamarind pulp-1/4cup)

Red chili powder-1tsp( +/-)

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required

Vadagam/ South indian seasoning-1tsp(optional) <----Click here for recipe

Method

Clean the dried prawns, soak in water for 3 mins, drain well and squeeze excess water and set aside. Heat oil in a pan when hot add the vadagam( using vadagam is optional, click vadagam for the vadagam recipe). Next add onions, garlic, green chili and curry leaves, fry for few mins till onion turns brown. Add tomatoes and cook till they are mashed, add tamarind paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and 1cup water. Bring the gravy to boil and cook for 5 mins. Check the seasoning, add the dried prawns and cook for another 5 mins until the gravy thickens. Eggs are best combination for Dried prawns chutney, add the eggs to the dried prawn chutney and serve with hot steamed rice.

Blueberry Smoothie Veganluscious

Blueberry smoothie that is dairy free and vegan

Blueberry smoothie- dairy-free gluten-free chill.

Wilting from the heat? I've got a deep blue chill for you. Dairy-free. Easy as pie. Cool as a blueberry. I'm emancipating this recipe from the archive depths because it's just too luscious to get lost in 2007, never to be slurped again.

What does a brave and spunky vegan girl do when she is suddenly famished and her Crowded House whistling husband is scrambling up some free-range eggs and cheese for brunch? I'll tell what you do.

You reach for your power tools.

You haul out the Vita-Mix and thank your twinkling stars you have a bag of organic frozen blueberries in the freezer. You grab the carton of organic almond milk. You dip into the Nutribiotic vanilla rice protein powder. You smile slyly. You sprinkle in some stevia.

You switch the button to HIGH and sigh.

You froth with pleasure.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Saturday, May 10, 2014

How To Drying Out A Squirrel Tail the Quick and Dirty Way

Last week, Rick and I spent some time in the San Gabriel Mountains (Read our post on hiking tips here.) We hiked up to the Baldy Ski Lodge to enjoy a pint of beer, took great pictures and even got to play in the snow. On our way back, we saw a squirrel lying on the side of the trail. Poor guy has been dead for about a couple hours. His body was cold and already very stiff. There werent any tire tracks on him. No signs of wounds. We couldnt figure out how he died.

It was as if he was just minding his own business, eating his little nuts and then suddenly had a heart attack, fell over and died. As we were examining him, a couple hikers came by. We chatted with them for a little, but Rick seemed a little antsy, as if he wanted them to leave. As the hikers turned the corner, Rick quickly drew out his Buck knife, bent down and cut the tail off. To be honest, I was slightly shocked. Out of all my years in hiking, I have never seen anybody do this, even though its perfectly legal. But it was pretty funny. Rick said that he didnt know how those hikers wouldve felt about him doing that, so better safe than sorry.

So, we brought the tail home and dried it out, the quick and dirty way. This isnt tanning with chemicals, because we didnt have the resources for it. But should you ever come by a dead squirrel and wanted to save it without expert tanning know-how, this is an easy way. All you need is salt and a dry place where cats and other critters cant get to.

1. Carefully, try to peel the skin and fur down the tail bone, exposing the top of the bone. Get a good grip on the bare tail bone with pliers.

2. Lay the tail underside up on a flat surface. Cut through the skin and fur along the tail bone with a sharp knife. Make sure you cut the backside of the tail, not the pretty topside.

We recommend that you do this outside. There will be critters living in the tail still.

Only cut down far enough so you can easily pull the tail bone out.

Like so.

3. Using regular table salt, cover the exposed, raw skin completely with salt, piling high. Try to get as much salt as you can down the tail shaft as well.The salt will leech the moisture from the tail, preventing spoilage.

4. Lay the tail flat, salted side up. Store in a dry place outside where neighborhood animals cannot get to.

It is important that the tail lays flat. The tail will dry in the position it is placed.

5. The tail should dry in a week, or sooner, and all the critters living in it will leave. Scrape the salt off the tail, which will be hard and solidified.

There will be some salt sticking to the hide. You can further scrape off the salt with something rough, if you wish.

There you have it! You want to careful when handling this. Since it is not tanned the proper way, the fur may come off if you yank too hard or play with it too much. But, its perfect for tacking up on a wall, to look at and admire.

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Peanut Butter Ice Cream Vegan and Dairy Free

Creamy vegan peanut butter ice cream with dark chocolate shavings

The richest, creamiest vegan ice cream I've ever made.

It is hot and steamy here in New England. And I am not cooking. I am not even boiling water for my habitual ritual of afternoon tea. I am sitting in front of a petite blue desk-top fan. Eating ice cream. Homemade ice cream, to be exact. With nary a trace of dairy or gluten. And apparently, it is the best homemade ice cream I have ever made (so says my ever willing, taste-testing husband).

Who am I to argue?

It is indeed fabulous.

The inspiration came via one of our favorite Los Angeles restaurants- Akasha, in Culver City. At Akasha you can always find a lovely gluten-free choice on the menu- as well as something vegan, which by default, is dairy-free. A sigh-of-relief option for those of us saddled not only with celiac disease, but a dairy intolerance as well. (As a side note, I have found it harder to dine out dairy-free than gluten-free-- chefs love their butter, cream and cheese. And because they pre-prepare so many items on the menu, it is often impossible to find a dairy-free choice.) One of the gluten-free dessert choices at Akasha is vegan peanut butter ice cream.

It. Is. Simply. Divine.

So I decided to try my hand at re-creating it.

Read more + get the recipe >>

Fruity Yogurt Pots

Time to use up some leftovers and fortunately I can also fit this into The No Waste Food Challenge run by Kate over at Turquoise Lemons. The theme for March is to use up left over Yogurt.

The fruit mixture is a pineapple and a punnet of strawberries, mixed with some preserved ginger and a bit of the ginger syrup, I also finished off Sarahs Zesty Honey, the one with the ginger in it to add some extra sweetness as strawberries are not too great at this time of year.

I made this fruit salad on Friday, it was dessert for four on Friday and four on Saturday with some cream, but there was still some left and lots of gingery, fruity juice had collected at the bottom. The fruit was looking a little less pretty but was well macerated.

Raking about at the back of the cupboard, I found my sealed bag of leftover sponge fingers and, of course, some leftover yogurt.

I often use my ramekin dishes for little trifle-like desserts, it keeps them contained and always makes left overs look better!

Fruity Yogurt Pots (serves 1)

1 ramekin dish

2 sponge fingers per person

3 dessertspoons of fruit (fresh fruit, tinned fruit, fruit salad)

2 dessertspoons of natural yogurt (I used low fat Greek yogurt)

Sprinkles (optional)

1. Break up the sponge fingers and put into the ramekin.

2. Pour over some of the juice from the fruit salad (if you dont have any juice you can use some orange juice or if you are feeling naughty, the alcohol of your choice!)

3. Add the fruit.

4. Top with the yogurt and sprinkles if using.