We usually buy this from the farmer’s market as this is my hubby’s favourite.We get small slabs of this banana bread and its usually finished the same evening. Last time we bought some bananas and I kept aside 3 so that they can ripen and I get to make the banana bread. I found the recipe from Katie Joel’s book and found it simple to follow.The cake turned out to be yummy and delicious and hubby was suitably impressed

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 bananas mashed
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl mix flour,baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, beat together sugar,oil,eggs and vanilla till well combined.

Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.

Stir in the mashed bananas and nuts

Pour batter in a loaf pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or till a toothpick comes clean.

Allow to cool.Slice and serve.

PS: I am sending this to “Beautiful Bones: An Osteoporosis Food Event“

One of my classmates from the cake decorating class is expecting and we decided to throw her a surprise baby shower. This was decided somewhere last month and all of us thought that our instructor would bake the cake for the party.But since is going to India at the end of this month, she was busy with a thousand things that go in packing for a long trip and so she asked one of us to bake a cake. I volunteered as I was the only one without a job or kids and in addition I wanted to try my hand at a few decorations. I didn’t know how the final result would look like but I had a few things in mind for the cake. The girl is expecting a baby boy…so everything had to be blue.I searched many websites for inspiration and saw many beautiful creations but I knew that for a first cake, I had to keep it simple. I dont like the taste of fondant, so I decided that the cake would be covered in buttercream and the decorations would be fondant,so that we could just remove the decorations and eat the yummy iced cake

So I made a small baby bed.To tell you the truth I wanted to make a crib but I couldnt get the logistics of getting the sides to hold up right.So I finally decided to go for a day bed with ruffled edges,a blue bedsheet with a blue pillow,a tiny teddy bear,2 books, a milk bottle,a ball of yarn and a knitted sweater. Everything looked so cute that I was mighty pleased with the results. Here are a few pics of my favourite cake so far

Close up of the decorations.In the pic below I have yet to finish the eyes and nose of the teddy bear which I did in class with an edible marker.

And finally,the last pic…getting ready to eat The mother-to-be carefully packed the fondant decorations and took it home to keep it as a remembrance!

We started having fish sandwiches after moving to the Bay area. Fisherman’s Wharf has such lovely seafood places that when we go there we invariably end up having seafood.This is one sandwich I like and I tried searching for recipes on the net. I found a few really good ones and I have simplified them to suit my own taste.

Ingredients:
1 thick fish filet
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs 
salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sourdough baguette

For the garnish:
Mayonnaise
Lettuce leaves
Avacado wedges
Slices of tomato

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Put a large sheet tray in oven and heat it for 1/2 hour.

Begin by patting the fish filet dry. Apply salt and pepper and keep aside.

Take flour, beaten egg and milk, and bread crumbs in separate containers. Season each container with salt and pepper.Add the cayenne pepper to the flour.

Dip the fillet into the flour, egg mixture, and then panko. Set aside on a tray at room temperature to let the coating set.

Remove sheet tray from oven, add a little olive oil and transfer breaded fish to tray. Sprinkle olive oil over the fish. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Split the baguette in half horizontally. Open it up and toast it in a hot pan until just warmed through.

Spread mayonnaise on both sides.Place avacadoes and tomatoes on one half and lettuce and fish filet on the other half.Close the sandwich and serve hot with mayonnaise and ketchup.

I am sending this to Anupama for the ” Sandwich Festival-2008“.

When I saw the Fortune Cooking Contest ,I was pretty excited. I remember the college days when we had just one copy of Linda Goodmans Love Signs in the library and that book used to be perpetually checked out. Once I got it , all my friends got together and pored over it analysing and re-analysing all the other sun signs and making notes on who our better half should be. We were a silly bunch of teenagers and many pleasant hours were passed thanks to that book. I have no idea where those notes are but that was the extent of my superstitious astrological beliefs.When I saw the contest I knew I would either cook something related to Taurus(my sign) or Scorpio(my hubbys sign) as I love both fish and chicken. Since this month has all been about me, I thought I would honour the man I married He has been my rock and my support and I cant imagine a life without him.So heres to you honey….thanks for making my life so special

Ingredients:

1 pound Chicken mince
Fresh bread crumbs(made from 2 slices of bread)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg lightly beaten
1 and half tsp garam masala powder
1/4 cup cilantro/corainder leaves finely chopped
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 cup warm water
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:

Mix all the above ingredients together except the oil. Make sure that small meatballs can be formed easily.If the meatballs do not hold their shape add more dry breadcrumbs.

When the ingredients are mixed properly,shape them into small balls.

Heat oil in a kadhai.Slip as many meatballs as can comfortably fit in the kadhai.Fry on medium flame till golden brown.Remove on a paper towel.

Serve hot with ketchup.

PS: I am  sending this to the “Fortune Cooking Contest“.

Its nice to be important.

But its more important to be nice!!!

Thats why I am so honoured to receive this award from K3.Thanks a ton dear!.

“This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!”

I have “met” some really nice friends through the blogging world…and would like to pass this award on to them.  So to my friends here goes ….. Mandira, Chakoli, Lyandra from non-food blogs & Uma, Arundhati and Swati from food blogs. If any of the above have already received this award please forgive me for my ignorance….. I have been a bit busy to check other blogs.Will start soon.

Now for the tag…. I have been tagged by Madhavi for the top 10 pics.This was a bit difficult for me because I feel that the pics on my blog are quite amateur compared to the other food blogs. We have a simple point and shoot digi camera….but the results dont compare to the SLR.Anyway here it goes.

1) Valentine Cookies

2) Shrimp Pad Thai

3) Chilled Choco-Coffee Drink

4) Eggplant Parmesan

5) Hot and Sour soup

6) Cheese Scones

7) Fried Fish 

8 Bombay Toast

9) Pineapple Carrot Cake

10) Veg Manchurian

These go very well with theplas.I just love this combination. Potatoes are a favourite at our place.This dish is cooked on a low flame without using any water.I think thats the reason its so perfect as a travel food.

Ingredients:

2 large potatoes,peeled and diced
1 green chilli
A pinch of hing
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya-jeera powder
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 or 3 curry leaves
2 tbsp oil

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds.When they splatter add cumin seeds and fennel seeds.

Then add hing,tumeric powder,red chilli powder,green chilli,curry leaves and dhaniya jeera powder.

Add the potatoes ,salt,sugar and lemon juice and mix very well.

Cover and cook on low flame till potatoes are cooked.Stir at regular intervals so that the potatoes dont stick to the pan

Serve hot.

Summer brings back memories of long train and bus journeys to my grandparents house.The bus and train rides itself was quite an exciting event for me.Even now if we have to go somewhere for a weekend I get pretty excited as I love the journey to new places.Methi theplas are considered travel food in our house.They are accompanied by dry potato vegetable and they can last upto 2 days.This is quite an accomplishment by itself as summers in India are very hot and humid.I will post the recipe for potato vegetable the next time,for now the following is the recipe for theplas.

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour
1/4 cup gram flour/besan
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya-jeera powder
1/2 cup finely chopped methi leaves/fenugreek leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/corainder leaves
salt to taste
Water for kneading
oil for kneading

Method:

Combine all the ingredients except water in a vessel and mix with hand to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add some water at a time alternating with few drops of oil to make a soft dough.

Divide into small balls

Place a frying pan on the flame on medium high heat

Dust the board and the rolling pin with flour and roll the each ball of dough in the shape of a circle.

Add 1/4 tsp of oil in the frying pan and place the rolled theplas in the pan.Fry each side till properly baked.

Serve hot or if you are packing it for travel,allow it to come to room temperature and then pack in a tiffin or ziploc bag.

I am sending this to Srivalli for the “Roti Mela“