Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 (4oz) box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. In large bowl, combine cake mix, vanilla pudding, eggs, sour cream, oil and water. Mix well, then stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick, when inserted into cake, comes out clean.
3. Allow to cool 15 minutes in the pan, then loosen sides and invert onto a plate. Optional: After cake has cooled completely, dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

Raisin Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup of plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of milk 
1 cup of golden raisins
Butter, to serve

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. 
Brush a 9 x 19 cm loaf pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper. 
Use an electric hand mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until pale and creamy. 
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is combined. 
Sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold half the flour mixture into the butter mixture and stir in half the milk. 
Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk until well combined. Use a metal spoon to fold in the raisins. Spoon cake mixture into prepared pan and smooth the surface. 
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hours or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Remove from oven. Set aside in the pan for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature with butter, if desired.

Healthy Tofu Smoothie

Ingredients:
Soft Tofu (softer the better)
Fat Free Flavored Yogurt (Yoplait/Danon/anything)
Almonds - 2-4
Milk/Water
Ice Cubes
Any fresh berry (I used Blueberries)

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredient in a blender with ice and blend smooth. Garnish with blueberries!

Recipe Courtesy: Healthy Living

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients 

3 cups flour (gluten free or regular)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoon all spice powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup fresh pineapple, crushed 

1 cup Shredded carrot

3 over ripe bananas 

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup chopped pecans/walnuts
Parchment paper to line bottom of the cake pan

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, chilled

3-8 ounce packages of cream cheese, chilled

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour 3-9 inch round baking pans. Trace the bottom of the pan (for all three pans) onto parchment paper, cut out circle and place in the bottom of each pan.

In a sifter over a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, all spice powder, baking soda and salt. Sift into the bowl. Set aside.

In a second large mixing bowl combine the granulated and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add the eggs and stir briskly by hand or an electric hand mixture to combine all ingredients into a smooth mixture.

Whisk the oil and vanilla into the sugar/egg mixture until combined and smooth.

Add the flour mixture all at once and hand stir (do not beat) to combine the mixture fully.

To crush the pineapple: Place 1 cup of finely diced fresh pineapple in a medium mixing bowl and using a potato masher, crush the pineapple. Add the fruit and juice to the batter. Also add the mashed banana, carrot and the pecans. Stir just until combined; do not over stir.

Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Tap the pans on the counter top to release any air bubbles and place in the 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until cake bounces back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pans on racks for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks to fully cool before frosting. Be sure to peel off and discard the parchment paper.

*If you don't have over ripe banana then place bananas on a cookie sheet with peels left on. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until the skins are black (the bananas may leak which is fine). Remove and let cool until they can be handled. Peel bananas, place in a small mixing bowl and mash. 

Instructions for Cream Cheese Frosting:

Cut sticks of chilled butter into 1 inch pieces and place in the bowl of a standing mixer (can use a hand held mixer if needed). Beat on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium until the butter is still cool but has softened together (about 3 minutes).
Cut the cream cheese into 1 inch strips and add to the butter. Mix at medium speed until fully combined, and smooth.
Add the vanilla and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat until well blended, increasing speed to beat on medium-high for 3 minutes or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
Fold in pecans by hand.

Instructions for Cake Assembly:

Place the first layer of cake upside down (the bottom of the cake will be frosted) on the serving plate. Cover with 2/3 cup of frosting. This will be a thin covering.

Place the second layer of cake right side up (flat cake bottom onto the frosting) and frost the top of this layer with 2/3 cup again (note: I found I needed just a bit more to cover this layer).

Place the last cake layer with cake right side up and use the remaining frosting to cover top of cake and the sides.

Allow cake to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving and store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator. Cake best when made the day prior to serving!

Recipe courtesy http://boulderlocavore.com 

Cherry, Pistachio, and White Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raw pistachios or sliced almonds or half and half
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries
(optional) 3/4 cup of white chocolate chunks

Preparation:

Preheat oven the 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and orange juice. Stir the sugar mixture into the flour mixture, add the nuts and dried cherries; mix with your hands.

Shape the the dough to 3-4″ wide loafs, about 8-10″ long  and place on the cookie sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, remove and cool for 2-3 minutes before cutting the loaves into 1/2″ wide slices. Return to the baking sheets and pop back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp. Enjoy with tea and a good book.

Aloo Matar

Ingredients:
15-18 Baby Potatoes or 3 large potatoes boiled ,peeled and cubed
1½ cups Green Peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 medium Onion, finely sliced
1 large Tomato chopped
1/2 inch Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 large cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Dhania/Corander Powder
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
Red Chilli Powder to taste
½ tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste 


Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard seeds start to pop and splutter, add cumin seeds.
Add onion,ginger and garlic and fry them on medium flame till the edges of onions turns brown, about 3 minutes. Mix in tomato and give it a good stir. Let it cook for 4-5 mins on medium flame.
Add red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and mix them well. 

Add green peas, boiled potatoes and mix them well. Cover the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Reduce the flame to low and let the curry sit for 10-15 mins.
Serve this delicious Aloo Matar with steamed rice, chapati or puri.

Japanese Fried Rice (Husband's version)

Ingredients:
2 Cup Basmati rice
1 Small carrot shredded
Handful of green peas
1 Stick celery finely diced
1/2 of Green bell pepper finely diced
Handful of shredded cabbage
2 Eggs
Left over chicken or rotisserie chicken
1/2 Cup of salad shrimp
3 Tbs of butter
2 Tbs Soy sauce
Chili garlic sauce to taste
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Cook the rice in a rice cooker by adding 4 cups of water to it and keep aside.
In a griddle(is a better option) or a large skillet add little butter then add in all the vegetables. Fry the veges adding some salt, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce and fry them until they are done.
Remove the veges from the heat. now add little butter and fry the shrimp adding little salt. Then fry the eggs adding bit salt.
Now its time to mix all the ingredients to the egg. Add on the shrimp, chicken, veges and cooked rice.
Toss them all to gather properly and add rest of the butter, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, give a good mix and switch off the flame.
Serve with choice of your side dish.