The Panforte Christmas Cake

Perhaps one of the popular desserts associated with Christmas is our good ol' fruit cake. While browsing through the net to find a good fruit cake recipe I somehow ended up with another Christmas cake recipe the Italian Panforte (pronounced pan-FOHR-tay) which is as delectably delicious as its counterpart. This cake is best served with hot tea or milk.

Ingredients for Panforte:

3 ounces (90 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup (125 grams) toasted and coarsely chopped hazelnuts

1 cup (120 grams) toasted and coarsely chopped blanched almonds

1 cup candied citrus (170 grams) (citron, lemon and/or orange peel)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup (70 grams) all purpose flour

1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

2/3 cup (160 ml) honey

Procedure: Butter and line with parchment paper an 8-inch (20 cm) tart pan. Alternatively, and for a more authentic look, line the pan with edible rice paper (available at Asian markets).

First melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl over simmering water. Set aside. Then in a large bowl combine the nuts, candied fruit, spices, flour, and cocoa powder.

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and honey. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Then clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Continue to boil the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the temperature reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F (116 degrees C).

Remove from heat and stir the sugar/honey syrup and the melted chocolate into the chopped nut and fruit mixture. The mixture will stiffen quickly so once combined, transfer to the prepared pan. With damp hands, or the back of a spoon or offset spatula, evenly spread the Panforte, smoothing the top.

Bake in a 300 degree F (150 degree C) oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the surface has fine blisters. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. While the Panforte is still warm, remove the sides of the pan and heavily dust the top of the cake with confectioners' (powdered/icing) sugar. Gently rub the sugar into the cake. (Note: if you have lined the pan with rice paper you may find it has torn. If that is the case simply add more rice paper, using a little egg white as glue.)

Once the cake has completely cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a cool, dry place. Well wrapped this cake will keep several months.

Serve this cake in thin slices as it is quite rich.

Makes 1 - 8 inch (20 cm) cake.

Note: To remove the skins of the hazelnuts as well as to toast them: bake in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven for 15 minutes or until fragrant and the skins begin to flake. Remove from oven and place the hot nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts sit (steam) for a few minutes then briskly rub the nuts in the towel to remove the skins. Let cool before using. Toasting the nuts not only removes the bitter skins but also enhances the sweet, rich, buttery flavor of the nut.

To toast the almonds: bake in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven for about 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch carefully as they can burn easily. Remove from oven and let cool before using.

Source: http://www.joyofbaking.com/Panforte.html

Wai Lana's Cauliflower Pastries

Here's another great recipe from Wai Lana. It is equally delicious as the first Wai lana recipe I posted (avocado tarts) enjoy!

Filling:
3/4 cup fresh cashew milk*
1 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger juice**
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
Pinch of turmeric and asafetida
1/2 Tbsp. Bragg liquid aminos
1/16 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp. water

Pastry:
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. egg replacer powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/16 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. eggless mayonnaise
3-4 Tbsp. water, or as needed

1. Prepare the cashew milk as directed below and set aside. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat and sauté the cauliflower until lightly browned. Add a little water and cook until tender.

2. Stir in the cashew milk and the next 6 filling ingredients and gently simmer for a few minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened. Cool before using.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the dry pastry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the oil and eggless mayonnaise and rub in until evenly crumbly. Gradually add enough water to make a soft ball.

4. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. On a floured work surface, roll the pieces out into thin circles about 1/16 inch thick. Spoon 1/8 of the filling onto one side of each pastry, leaving room to seal.

5. Fold the other side over the filling. Seal by fork-pressing the edges evenly. Prick the tops and lay the pastries on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Makes 8 half moon pastries

*Cashew milk: Blend 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces with 1 cup hot water until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer.

**To make fresh ginger juice, simply grate some fresh ginger, then manually squeeze the pulp.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 150, Fat 8.3g (74 cal), Carbohydrate 16.2g (64 cal), Protein 2.9g (12 cal)
Added information: Saturated Fat 1.3g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 168mg, Dietary Fiber 1.4g

source: http://www.wailana.com/lifestyle/recipes/

Vegan Apple Cake

Because of curiosity I tried this vegan dessert recipe (also from http://www.eggless.com) just to see how a non-dairy cake would taste like...It's undeniable that this cake has that "healthy" tang, I know you can agree simply by reading the list of ingredients.

• 2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup soft vegetable margarine
• 6 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 dessert apples, cored and grated
• 1 tablespoon soya flour
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 2 tablespoons soya milk
• juice of 1 lemon
• water if necessary

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5

Use a 20cm/8 inch sandwich tin.

Oil and line the cake tin. Cream the margarine and sugar together for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Stir in the apples. Mix together the flours, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder and sultanas. Stir this into the creamed margarine and apples and add the soya milk and lemon juice plus a little water if the batter is too thick. Pour the batter into the sandwich tin. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour in the preheated oven. The cake is baked when a warm knife inserted into it comes out clean. Remove the cake from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Eggless Apricot Caramel Upside-down Cake

I was searching for recipes of eggless desserts and a stumbled upon this very nice site that features a lot of delectable recipes. Here's one of their must try recipes for all the dessert lovers out there:

Apricot Caramel Upside-down Cake

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1/2 cup cornflour
• 3/4 cup white self-raising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 cups fresh apricots
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 tablespoon ground almonds
• SYRUP:
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• CARAMEL:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5

Use a 23cm/9 inch square cake tin.

Syrup: Make a syrup by boiling the sugar with 600ml/1 pint of water for 5 minutes.

Caramel: Put the sugar into a pan with 10 tbs. or 1/2 cup of water. Stir over low heat until dissolved, then boil hard to a rich caramel brown (don't stir, but watch it). Wrap your hand in a tea towel, and stir in - off the heat - 4 tbs. water, using a wooden spoon. The caramel will sizzle, harden and look very odd. Just stir carefully, and if it does not dissolve into a clear smooth caramel, put it back over the heat until it does. Pour into the lightly greased cake tin and set aside.

Bring the syrup to the boil in a wide pan, and slip in the halved stoned apricots, cut side down. When the syrup returns to the boil, give it a minute to simmer, then turn the apricots over. By this time, they will be cooked enough. Do not let them collapse. Remove with a slotted spoon and pack closely together, cut side down, on top of the caramel.

Lightly grease the cake tin. Put all the cake ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer or processor and whizz until smoothly blended. If necessary, add a couple of tbs. of the apricot syrup to make the mixture a dropping consistency. The ingredients can equally well be beaten together by hand; make sure the butter is very soft indeed.

Spread carefully and evenly over the apricots. Bake for about 45 minutes. The top should brown nicely. Cool for a moment, then run a warm knife round the edge, put a serving plate on top and quickly turn upside down. Serve warm, with fresh cream.

If you like, you can split and toast as many almonds as there are apricots, and put a nice brown piece in the cavity of each half of apricot.

http://www.eggless.com/test5/016.shtml

Oriental Molo Soup

This recipe is from my good friend who is a culinary enthusiast. This soup recipe is perfect for the cold nights of the “ber” season.

Oriental Molo Soup

Ingredients:

½ pack eggless dumpling wrapper

½ cup ground gluten

¼ cup grated turnips

1 small carrots, grated

4 cloves garlic, grated

4 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in water

1 tbsp. Kinchay (Chinese coriander) finely chopped

4 cups water

4 tbsp. miso paste

4 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 stalk leeks, thinly chopped for garnishing.

Method: In a pan with oil add garlic. Lightly toast garlic and then add in gluten, soy sauce and sugar.

Stir continuously for 5 – 8 mins or until gluten is lightly browned. Then add carrots and singkamas. Cook for another 5 mins. and add kinchay and cornstarch mixture.

Set aside to cool.

Wrap the filling in dumpling wrapper.

For the soup simply boil water in a pot. Add light soy sauce and the dumplings in boiling water. When dumplings float to the surface, turn off fire and add the miso paste and leeks.

Best serve hot.

Variation- Add more vegetables in the soup such as carrots, cabbage and string beans. Than add 2 tbsp of sesame oil and a tbsp. of chili garlic paste in the end to add a touch of Chinese flavor.

"Indian" French Fries

:)

these are good I promise

version 1: is from Manjula's kitchen.
http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2008/09/07/masala-french-fries/

version 2: is from my kitchen :)

3 medium sized potatoes.

wash, peel and julienne.

for crunchier fries soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water with about 2 tsp of flour for about 15 minutes. Drain well.

Deep fry in ghee. Drain well. Sprinkle with chili powder, hing, and black salt.

wai lana yoga diet recipes - avocado tarts

wai lana yoga diet recipes - avocado tarts

Her desserts sounds so good.



Pastry:

1 cup unbleached white flour
2 Tbsp. raw sugar
1/2 tsp. egg replacer powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. safflower oil
Water for binding

Filling:
3/4 cup fresh cashew milk*
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups ripe avocado
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Fresh mint leaves for garnishing

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the dry pastry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Rub in the oil with your fingertips until evenly crumbly. Carefully add just enough water to make a soft ball of dough.

2. Lightly oil 4 mini tart pans or custard cups, or a standard muffin tray with 6 cups. Divide the pastry into 4-6 pieces depending on the size and choice of pan. On a floured work surface, roll each piece into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.

3. Place the pastry into the pans and mold to fit. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Bake for 20-30 minutes until light golden. Cool and remove the shells from the pans. If you are using custard cups, bake first, then remove the pastry shells from the cups and bake on a tray, bottom side up, for another 5-10 minutes.

4. Prepare the cashew milk as directed below. Blend the cashew milk and the next 4 filling ingredients until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix. Spoon the filling evenly into the cooled shells and chill briefly. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Makes 4-6 tarts

*Cashew milk: Blend 1/4 cup raw cashew pieces with 1 cup hot water until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 293, Fat 15.3g (138 cal), Carbohydrate 34.7g (139 cal), Protein 3.8g (16 cal)
Added information: Saturated Fat 1.8g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 202mg, Dietary Fiber 2.7g

http://www.wailana.com/lifestyle/recipes/recipe.php?id=8

refreshing protein shakes

Apricot-Pineapple-Strawberry Shake

1 fresh apricot, diced
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 banana
6 strawberries
1 tbsp. skim milk powder
1 1/2 cup water
1 heaping tbsp. high- quality protein powder (optional)
1 tsp. flax seed oil (optional)
--------------------------------

In a blender, process fruit with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until thoroughly mixed and serve.

For more exciting smootie recipes visit the source site:

http://www.healthrecipes.com/fruit_shakes.htm

the goodness of panir / paneer

quick snack:


boil and mash 2 medium sized potatoes
then add roughly the same amount of panir.
a dash of red chili powder and garam masala
and salt.

make 1 inch balls and deep fry


quick dessert:

2 cups of panir
1 can of condensed milk

cook over low heat, mixing continously.
top with cardamon powder or nuts.

-nani khemaney

Pooris with a twist

Hi everyone!

Here's a funky way of enjoying a fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine:


POTATO POORIS WITH MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes (boiled, peeled, mashed and cooled to room temperature)

2 tbsp. Chives

1 tsp. Chilli powder

salt to taste

1 3/4 cup white flour

1 cup bread flour

1/3 to ¼ cup. cold water or less

Method:

In a medium bowl combine the mashed potatoes, chives, chili powder, and salt, then add in flour and water.

Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until it is stiff enough to roll without adding extra flour.

Make small balls of the dough and cover them with damp cloth.

Take one ball of dough and dip a corner of ball in melted ghee or oil and roll it out into 4 to 5 inches round.

Repeat the same process to roll out all pooris.

Frying the Pooris

Heat plenty of oil in a pan until very hot.

Put in a poori and immediately start flickering hot oil over the top of it with a spatula so that it will swell up like a ball.

This should take only a few seconds. Flip the poori over and cook the other side until golden brown.

Serve hot with curried vegetables, soup, dips or salsa.

Mango Salsa

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Also good with diced red bell pepper and jicama.

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.Serve salsa with freshly cooked pooris.

reference:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000473mango_salsa.php

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is spinach sauce with fresh cheese.


I've had several versions of this dish... but I have never actually made it myself.
It is really popular in North India.

here's a helpful video from from Manjula the pro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saj9TS-wVaw

Manjula uses store bought paneer though.
Although this makes life easier, the fresh one is always best. If you have time,
you've got to try making your own.

(Check out Sunil Gupta's post on making your own paneer.)


If you like your palak paneer with onions and fresh spinach, check out this video
VahChef
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtPDWTAYpoY&NR=1


- Nani Khemaney

helpful videos for the novice cook

watch and learn from the pro :)

chapati video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD4o_Lmy6bU

; )


chapatis are healthier than white bread!

-nani khemaney

recipe request!

hi kaila!

can you post your mom's famous almond cookie recipe?

hi sunil!

do you have a good recipe for carrot halwa? mine never turns out well.



thanks!
- nani

Papadams— the best cooking method

Although they are best fried, it’s not too good for your waistline.

An alternative is to pass it over open flame for 30 or so seconds till it is cooked. If you like spicy food then this is the best option for you. This cooking method enhances the spiciness of the papadams. Watch out though, I’ve burnt a lot of papadam using this method. It cooks fast! Don’t do anything else if you’re roasting over open flame.

Another alternative is to cook it in the microwave, on low for 2 to 2:20 minutes.
It’s low fat, not too spicy and perfectly crispy.

So the microwave wins!

- nani khemaney

Parathas

Parathas are one of the most wonderful foods ever.

Want to learn how to make them? Just go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHqZlKrfbGg

Every morning our whole house smells of parathas. There's nothing quite like these. Once you are used to having parathas for breakfast or snacks, other foods seem so ordinary and tasteless compared to these.

One thing that makes parathas simply to die for is butter. Home made butter is great too!

Here's how to make butter:

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 quart glass canning jar with lid, very clean.
• 1 pint heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream)
• 1/2 pint 1/2 and 1/2 or extra heavy cream
• non iodized table salt
• bowl
• piece of cheesecloth
• plate

Step1

Allow the cream to come to cool room temperature. Very warm cream will not make good butter, neither will very cold liquid.

Step2

Pour both creams (liquids) into slightly cool jars and screw the lid on tight.

Step3

Now shake the jar up and down, around, back and forth, tilted. Keep the cream working together.
It will take a little while, about 45 minutes or more depending on the fat content of the liquid and how cool it stays.
Keep the fluid moving at all times. If you get tired hand it off to another person.

Step4

As the fat globules begin to pound together and bang into one another and create bigger fat globules, there is a liquid that is forced out. This is called whey.

Open the jar and pour this out. Kittens, puppies can drink this.

Step5

Keep shaking the jar and removing the whey. Soon there will be a soft mass forming at the bottom.
You can sprinkle a bit of salt into the mass and shake some more. Keep removing the whey.
Keep shaking until it forms a solid that will bang against the jar like a ball.
When you get to this stage take apiece of cheese cloth and pull it tight over a bowl. Dump out the butter onto that cheesecloth and allow the rest of the liquid to drain away.

Step6

On a plate place the butter and sprinkle with some salt. Mix the salt in and then you may chill for about two hours to make it form or hold shape in a mold. Its ready to eat and use immediately after mixing in salt.

dhal

youtube video on how to cook dhal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-n3lPLw2T4


coming next:
vegetable pakoras

basic panir

3 liters fresh milk - bring to a boil (watch and stir so it does not over boil or burn. When boiling, reduce heat, let it simmer) and add:

juice of one lime

don't stir, just let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
meanwhile line a strainer with cheesecloth or any clean cloth that you may have. Spoon the panir out and let it drain.

Save the whey for soups. It is very good for you!!!

For firm panir, wrap the panir with the cheesecloth and place a something heavy like a big pumpkin or wrought iron pot over it to squeeze out excess whey.



- nani khemaney

do you love to cook? do want to learn how to cook?

this is the right place for you.

recipe exchange, cooking tips, Indian, Oriental, and
Western cuisine.

please feel free to contribute recipes, recipes
revisions, your own unique recipes

- Nani Khemaney