Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cake

To make CAKE
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter (add 1 stick if you're not afraid of the extra calories)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1 1/2 cups mini–chocolate chips

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat with cooking spray or butter, 9inch or 10inch round cake pan.  I separated the batter into two cake pans to create a "layered cake" (Yes, you can say I'm fancy lol :)
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 
• Whisk milk, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl.
• Slowly pour in the milk/water mixture in the flour mix. Whisk well. 
• Stir in chips.

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

This recipe is from the back of the box with minor changes.  It was too hectic with finding and making the ugly sweaters and our husbands joining us that I had to cheat.

Thaw: 40 mins Prep: 20 min Bake: 15 min  Makes: 20 pieces

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets in a package)
1 egg
1 tbsp water
½ cup shredded Muenster cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped (I sautéed in butter but you don’t have to)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 package (about 10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

Cannoli Cake

 {I borrowed this recipe from here. I made slight variations}

Ingredients

• 1 package French vanilla cake mix (regular size)

FILLING:

• 1 carton (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

FROSTING:

• 2 cartons (8 ounces each) Mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Pan fried Onion Dip

2 large onions

½ teaspoon of chili pepper (you can use cayenne too)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

4oz crème cheese

½ cup sour crème

½ cup of mayo

2 table spoon butter

 

Rudolph's Sunset

4 cups of Orange Juice

1 can of Sprite

1 ½ cup of orange flavored vodka

½ cup of maraschino cherry juice

¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, stir, and serve. This makes about 8 cups or so.   FYI- there is no such thing as a can/jar of maraschino cherry juice. You have to use the juice from the can of maraschino cherry. Yes, I learnt that the hard way.

Manicotti with Sausage

{ borrowed this recipe from here. I made slight variations}

Fonduta sauce:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• A few slices of American cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Filling:

·         2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

·         1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed

·         1 large onion, finely chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning (Giada would cringe if she knew I used a mix!)

·         salt

·         pepper

·         1/2 cup whole milk ricotta

·         12 manicotti shells

·         1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce

 

FOR VEGETARIAN: substitute spinach and mushrooms for sausage.

Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets, red and golden
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 ounces mixed baby greens
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

16th Meeting - Ugly Sweater Exchange

How is it possible that we haven’t seen each other in almost three months. I hosted the Holiday Exchange this year right around the time of our 2^nd Anniversary. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. I feel like we were just talking about Shayni’s sweater and how we are all going to go get it. We were going to be The Sisterhood of the Super Cute and Trendy Sweater!  The group has lost a couple of members but gained a couple as well;  but for the most part we are stronger than ever. The reason why this works is because we are all dedicated to this. It’s that one time of month (no not that time) where we get to hang out with each other and just eat, dance, joke, play games, drink, bitch, learn some new yoga moves (Vaishali, I think we need another session!)and if nothing else we get to go away from real life for just a few hours.

 

This exchange was a little different than our usual exchange. First and foremost, Hetal and Vaishali couldn’t make it to this so felt their absence. Second, the husbands were invited. And third, it was an Ugly Holiday Sweater Exchange. I was so happy to see that everyone participated; even though a couple of outfits were a lot less ugly, might I even say something you can wear on a daily basis. You know who you are!

Oven-Roasted Garlic

The classic way to enjoy these caramelized cloves is to simply spread on crusty bread, with a little sprinkle of salt, and eat as is.

Make 6 Whole Roasted Garlic Bulbs
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:
•6 whole garlic bulbs (as close to the same size as possible)

•2 tbsp olive oil

•salt to taste

•foil as needed

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Turn the whole bulb of garlic on its side, and with a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/3rd of the bulb. Be sure to cut the top (pointed end), and not the bottom (flat, root end).
• Place each whole garlic on a piece of foil, about 8-inches square, with the cut side up. Drizzle one teaspoon of olive oil over the cut surface, and sprinkle with salt. Draw up the foil and wrap the garlic to seal.
• Place in a baking dish and roast for 45-50 minutes, depending on size, until the garlic is soft, and golden-brown. Remove from foil, and serve. The cloves will pop right out of the paper skin when squeezed.

Pea Pesto Crostini

Ingredients:

1 package frozen peas, defrosted

1 garlic clove
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Baguette or ciabatta bread
Cherry tomatoes halved

Method:

For the pea pesto: pulse together the peas, garlic, parmesan, salt and black peppers in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combine, about 1-2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Also, I added a little bit more parmesan cheese then it asked for only because I thought the peas were a bit bitter. I also had to add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.

For the crostini: preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1-2 tablespoons of the prepared pest on each slice.

Top with tomato halves and serve.

Onion Tart

Ingredients

Ingredients 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled (could probably use less butter and a healthier version)
• 5 tablespoons ice cold water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter(I used one tablespoon and it was plenty)
• 2 1/2 pounds sweet onions, thinly sliced
• 6 thyme sprigs (or chives or whatever you like with onions)
• 2 tablespoons crčme fraîche (hard to find so use heavy cream with dash of lemon juice)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk

Preparation 

Make the Dough: 

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle the water over the flour and stir gently just until incorporated; gently press to form a dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Goat Cheese and Red Pepper Jelly Sandwiches

 

Red Pepper Jelly:

¾ lbs. of red bell peppers (about 2)

1 habanero pepper

1½ tablespoons of pectin

1 ½ cups sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

½ tablespoon butter

A pinch of salt

 

 

 

 

15th meeting

Our last exchange was at gouveia winery in Wallingford. It is hard for us all to believe we have a little bit of wine country in Connecticut. It seems like it doesn’t belong here, however we are so grateful that it is. It winery is set on a hill overlooking several mountain. The day was kinda gloomy but the atmosphere was anything but. When we arrived at the winery their “dining” hall was full of people. There were people celebrating all sorts of occasions, whether it be a birthday or a bridal shower or just a date. We arrived and reserved a table indoor because we had shower on and off all day. The last thing we wanted was to get wet and run inside with our food. My only wish is we could have a picnic outside. Maybe next year!

Although no official theme was set, we all gravitated towards cheese. My pallet is still very immature so I don’t get how wine and cheese go hand and in hand but then again, I usually don’t get how wine and food go together either. Personally, I like my food at one time and followed by my wine. But that’s just me. Unfortunately Jalpa couldn’t make it to this one. We missed you, Jalpa! You did miss out on our little “debate” about a Yankee swap Exchange. Coming soon, Yankee Exchange!

 

Fourth of July Rice Krispies Treats

Ingredients:

- 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
- 1 package marshmallows
- 3 TB butter
- Food coloring (red and blue)

Method:

1. Divide Rice Krispies and marshmallows into three parts.
2. Put one part of the marshmallows and 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave for about a minute. Depending on your microwave it might take less than a minute to "melt" them. They should be super soft. Take a large enough bowl otherwise they will overflow.
3. Remove from the microwave and mix in the blue food coloring first. Then add the cereal to the mixture. Once they are well mixed, put them in a greased tray. Flatten them using a piece of wax paper.
4. Repeat step 2 and 3. Don't add any food coloring to the middle "white" layer.
5. Once they layers are all on and pressed, let it set for about 10 minutes before cutting them.

The more food color you add, the brighter it will be. I obviously didn't add enough didn't like the idea of you girls eating too much food coloring. It just doesn't seem natural to eat red and blue treats! Yes, that's why they look like that.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup candied pecans, blanched and slivered

Peanut Butter & Cool Whip Treat

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 tub of fat free cool whip
• Chocolate syrup

Method:

• Combine the peanut butter and the cool whip.
• Line cupcake trays with cupcake liners
• fill the tray with mixture (will yield 8)
• Drizzle with chocolate syrup and freeze for an hour or so

4th of July Grilled Cheese

Ingredients for apx 6 sandwiches:

• sourdough bread (or any sliced bread of your choice)
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots (i bought carrots and shredded at home vs buying them from the grocery store, which tend to be dry and too thick for this sandwich)
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (remove seeds)
• habenero cheese slices (watch out, these will add some fireworks in your mouth!)
• purple potato, peeled, sliced 1/2 inch.  (I used about 8 of the fingerling little potatoes)
• fresh grated garlic
• black pepper
• salt
• your favorite bbq sauce

14th Meeting- Happy Independence day, all!

We celebrated the fourth with each other this year. Nishal hosted the get together at her house. She greeted us with red, white and blue leis and then some delicious sangria. We enjoyed our lunch on the patio talking about the Indian summer we are having and food, of course. We had a guest exchanger this time: Manali. I am sure she was shocked by how much we eat and surprised by how awesome of a cook we all are. Seriously, we can start our own restaurant and be the executive chefs. Yes, 6 executive chefs. What? It can happen. Or have a reality show about how awesome we are. Or a book deal. Or a movie deal.

After lunch we played a version of charades and telephone that Jalpa had recently learned. There are no pictures -  but this is exactly why we need someone video taping these meets. They are lot funnier when you watch it. Jalpa had to leave early because her husband was not feeling well. Shortly after that we followed her out.

While hanging out we talked about how people have asked us if they can join the exchange. The answer is usually a very polite no. The reason is simple: we have found 6 is a perfect number for people to get together, exchange recipes, and have conversations. If there are more than 6, it feels like there are side conversations going on and it becomes a group within a group. This past Tuesday I was talking to a coworker and she asked me what my plans were for the 4^th. I told her and to that she responded, “oh that sounds like fun. I want to come”. I laughed and kinda walked away from her, but a few minutes later she started asking me questions about the whole concept. I explained and she was really in to it. No, I didn’t invite her. I bring this up, because I want to know if we have any readers out there that have been inspired by our little CT Exchange and have formed their own exchange. We would love to hear from you. Drop us a line and let us know how it has worked out so far.

Rotla

Ingredients

1 cup Bajri Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
2 tbps Oil
Water

Method

Mix both flours together
Mix in the oil until thoroughly combined
Add lukewarm water and knead into a soft dough. Keep kneading for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is very smooth
Roll it on a rolling board using a little whole wheat flour
Place it on a hot tava
Cook it for a minute on a high flame, turn the rotla and cook the other side for one more minute on a high flame or till brown spots appears.
Again turn it and cook it on an open high flame till the rotla puffs up
Spread a little butter ontop once the rotla is done.

Kathiyawadi Kichdi

Ingredients

1 cup shortgrain rice
3/4 cup split moong dhal with husk
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt.
1 dollop of butter or ghee
Method

Mix rice and dhal together in a steel container
Add water until its approx half a finger above the rice and dhal
Mix in the turmeric, salt and ghee/butter

Place container in the pressure cooker and let it cook for 2 whistles.

Serve hot with cold chaas

Ringan (Baingan) Bharthu

Ingredients:

- 1 large eggplant

- two medium tomatoes chopped in small cubes

- loosely chopped cilantro

- 1/2 cup green onions (scallions)

- 1 tbs grated ginger

- 1.5 tbs grated garlic

- 1 tsp whole jeera (cumin seeds)

- 1 tsp ground jeera (cumin seeds) powder

- salt to taste

- 1 tbs finely minced green chillies (add more if you like it spicy)

- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds powder

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

Tameta Sev Shak

Ingredients:

Serving size 6

5 medium sized tomatoes

1 cube of the spicy paste (garlic, ginger, chili)

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp cumin and coriander powder

1 tbsp oil to cook

1 cup of sev- or you can add “fresh” sev

Salt

1-2 cups of water

Corn starch (if necessary)

13th Meeting

Our Kathiyawadi (a region in western India) exchange was surprisingly one of the best ones. I really wasn’t sure how this exchange was going to turn out. I left the last one thinking, “okay, let’s see how this goes (insert eye roll)!” This was as true to the theme as we have ever been before. Everything from the food to costumes (yes costumes!) was on point. I arrived to be greeted by two of the girls dressed in their very best garb – very reminiscent of what the women wear in the kathiyawadi region. Our hostess, Parul, even got in the spirit and was dressed as a more modern Kathiyawadi woman; where as Jalpa and Vaishali were fully in costume. Hetal and I were a minority and really felt out of place in our plain western clothes. Nishal couldn’t make it because she had gone out the night before and partied too much. Weak sauce. Parul even went the extra step and decorated her house with kathiyawadi theme. There were printed table clothes and wall hanging. She even whipped out steel thalis, bowls, and cups.  I really was impressed with everything. We even enjoyed genuine food. Just when I start to doubt the ability to do certain things, we all go and surprise each other, but mostly ourselves with how much we can accomplish when we put our mind to it. We all had made things we have never tried before. Hetal made the dessert from scratch which usually is very intimidating. Jalpa and I made the veggie dishes which we had never tried before. And Vaishali had made a different type of Khicadi (a rice and lentil risotto like food item) and Rotala (millet flatbread). Parul served us papad, papdi, and chaas. We joked that Jalpa, Vaishali, and Parul should do garba in the backyard and I am almost positive they would have if they had another couple of glasses of wine and if we  had encouraged them a little more. We ended the exchange with a nice cup of cold chai made by our hostess.

 Next up… July picnic. We’re back to picnic foods!

Naan Pizza

Chicken or Paneer Tikka Masala
Naan
Mozzarella Cheese
Habanera cheese
Onion
Cilantro for garnish

Direction for the Chicken or Paneer Tikka masala found here. Just substitute the paneer for chicken in the recipe. And instead of grilled you can cook it in a pan/pot.

Masala Pasta

1 box of pasta

1 package of sausage (I usually use Turkey but this time did Veggie)

2 tablespoon garam masala

2 tablespoon of spicy paste

1 table spoon of oil

½ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of mustard seeds

1 onion

1 bell pepper – green and red

1 tablespoon of corn starch

Turmeric

Salt and pepper

Chaat house roll

Ingredients: sushi rice, nori, julienned cucumber, chick peas and seasoned mashed potato, topped with raita

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Raita:

Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup of shredded cucumber (squeeze out some water if you can), 2 cloves grated garlic, salt, 3 finely chopped or ground green chillies

-mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and cool in refrigerator until ready to serve

Green monkey roll

Ingredients: Sushi rice, nori, fried tofu, pickled cucumber and asparagus, topped with cilantro spicy mayo

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Creamy green "spicy mayo":

Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, 4 garlic cloves, 4-5 green chillies depending on your taste, salt, dash of black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 4 tablespoons sour cream, 2 tablespoons water

- everything in a high power blender to get a creamy consistency

Crunchy bhindi aloo roll

Ingredients: Sushi rice, nori, okra, crispy potato, crushed papad

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Creamy green "spicy mayo":

Split Pigeon Peas Balls

Ingredients:

1 cup of split pigeon peas

1 cup of sugar (more or less)

Baker’s chocolate

Cardamom powder

Few strands of saffron

Tiramisu Crepes

This time it was my turn to make dessert since I haven't made one. I knew I was going to make crepes because I was craving them so badly:)) Since this was a "Fusion" theme Exchange, I thought why not make Tiramisu Crepes!! I love Tiramisu and I love Crepes!! This is a perfect recipe for me to indulge:)) And the best part is it's so easy and fast. I am sure you all making this very soon:-)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup 2% milk                                            
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING:

• 1/2 carton (4 ounces) Mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons coffee liqueur or strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• Optional toppings: chocolate syrup, whipped cream and baking cocoa