Blueberry Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Butter Syrup and an Award .

I discovered pancakes when I had gone to the US about 13 years back . I got hooked on it the moment I had it and how I wish I hadn't because I simply cannot seem to resist them . The two weeks I was holidaying in the US pancakes were the only things I had for breakfast and sometimes even for dinner . I came back and then introduced them to my sister and she is hooked on it too , actually she is worse than me but being the lucky one she is , she remains thin as ever no matter how much she eats , unlike me who just have to look at food and that's it , it's on me .
So anyways moving on from the story , I learned how to make them and have been making them ever since because now my kids just love them and I try my best to not have them (I seem to have some willpower now ) . I have never found a healthy pancake recipe to my liking , I have tried several but I have given up, either have them like these or don't have them at all  . These pancakes are light , buttery and quite fluffy , to make it a little bit healthy I top them with blueberries and for the kids with chocolate chips and serve them with this warm maple cinnamon butter syrup so here goes......

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
50 gms butter melted
1/2 cup blueberries

for the syrup 

1/2 cup maple syrup
25 gms butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

METHOD

Mix all the dry ingredients together really well with  a whisk
Mix all the wet ingredients together and add it to the dry ingredients and whisk it but do not over mix it , let the batter be a bit lumpy .If the batter is too thick add a little more milk to get the desired consistency .
Now heat a non-stick pan on medium
Pour ladleful of batter in the pan .
When bubbles start appearing on top add a few blueberries on each of the pancake and turn them and brown them on the other side as well .
In a saucepan add all the ingredients for  the syrup and heat on low flame till the butter has melted.


I have been fortunate enough to receive the Stylish Blogger award from two of my blogging friends Cake whiz and dulce dough and thank you both . I don't have to introduce them to anybody but the FEW who haven't been to their blog should definitely have a look because they have a wonderful blog . I got this award from Cake whiz a while back but I didn't know what to do with it as I am still in the  learning  process of this blogging world .

Following the rules of the award I have to

1.  Thank them, make a post, and put a link back to the person/s who gave me this award.

2.  Share 7 things about myself.

3.  Pass the award to 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

4.  Contact these bloggers and personally tell them about the award.

Now for the seven things about me .

1. I love to bake.
2. I am a total T.V freak .
3. I love milk chocolate.
4. I love to collect cookbooks.
5. Food Network is my fav channel .
6. I baked and decorated my first cake when I was 14 .
7. I love romantic comedies .
 (oooh ! that was tough)

I am so glad that I started blogging and it is even a great feeling when others appreciate it so I would like to pass on this award to these other wonderful bloggers .

Thoma @http://kitchen-morph.blogspot.com/
tes @http://tesathome.com
http://oureyeseatfirst.blogspot.com/
/http://www.thepastryaffair.com/
christina @http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/
Jessica @http://www.howsweeteats.com/
http://kristygourmet.blogspot.com/
hhttp://lepetitbrioche.blogspot.com/
ttp://simplyhomemadecakes.blogspot.com/
http://www.lawyerloveslunch.com/

Banoffee High

I love to collect cook books and I have a vast collection of them . This recipe is from a wonderful book I got which has all sorts of delicious drinks .This is one yummy , creamy , delicious lip-smacking milkshake and drinking this once will make you want more of it so here goes....

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
5 tbsp water
150 ml cream
4 large ripe bananas
2 and 1/2 cup full cream milk ( I only had low-fat milk and it tasted fine )
8 ice cubes
1 tbsp sugar
a dash of vanilla essence

METHOD

In a saucepan , add the muscovado sugar and the water and gently heat it till the sugar has dissolved.
Now add in 3 tbsp cream and bring it to boil  and cook it till it becomes thick .
In the blender add the bananas , milk ,3 tbsp cream, ice cubes , vanilla , sugar and half of the muscovado syrup and blend it well into a smooth mix.
Now whisk the remaining cream in a bowl till stiff peaks form .
In tall four glasses drizzle the remaining syrup and pour in the blended mixture , top it with a dollop of the whipped cream and enjoy :) .

Dark and White Chocolate Oats Cookies

These cookies are just divine , they are soft and crunchy and chocolatey and it bakes perfectly everytime . My hubby and kids are cookie lovers and I always make these and they are quite easy to make . I love to collect recipes and cookbooks and this recipe, I got from a favourite cookbook of mine so here goes......

INGREDIENTS

115 gms unsalted butter room temp
115 gms light muscovado sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1and 1/4 cups  self-raising flour
3/4 cup porridge oats
115 gms plain chocolate , roughly chopped
115 gms white chocolate , roughly chopped

METHOD

Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy .
Fold the flour in and then add the oats and the chopped plain and white chocolate and stir until evenly mixed.
Place small  spoonfulls of the mixture in rocky heaps onto the greased baking sheet .
Bake in a preheated 190 c oven for about 15-20 min.
Cool on the baking sheets for a few min and then transfer onto the wire racks to cool completely .

Eggplant and Ricotta Bake

I love grilled eggplants , I use it in sandwiches , on pizzas and lasagne . I got this recipe from a magazine , the moment I saw grilled eggplant I got hooked and decided to make it and it turned out quite good and quite easy to make . It is creamy , tangy , crunchy and really droolworthy so here goes......

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant sliced
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small red bell pepper diced
400 gm canned tomato
a handful of basil chopped
2 tbsp chopped black olives
250 gm ricotta cheese
60 gms parmesan cheese grated
100 gms mozarella cheese grated
4 wholewheat bread slices toasted
60 gms fresh white breadcrumbs

METHOD

Slice the eggplant into 1 inch thick pieces and sprinkle salt on it and leave to drain in the colander.
Brush with olive oil and grill it in a pan.
In a saucepan , heat a tbsp of olive oil and add the garlic and the chopped onions and saute it for a few sec .
Add in the red bell pepper and sautee it till soft .
Add the canned tomatoes and cook it for a few min .
Puree this mixture in a blender and add the basil leaves and olives and set aside .
Season it with salt and pepper .
Mix the ricotta and parmesan cheese .
Brush olive oil in a square dish and layer it with two slices of toasted wholewheat bread.
Put half of the grilled eggplants on top .
Pour over half of the tomato sauce .
Add the ricotta mix .
Repeat the layers with the remaining toasts, eggplant and tomato sauce .
Mix the fresh breadcrumbs and the mozarella and add this on top of the dish .
Bake in a preheated 220 c oven for 20 min or till top is golden .

Strawberry Delight

This recipe was invented when something I wanted to make didn't turn out quite like how I wanted it to be but nevertheless the end result was just too delicious . This dessert is quite easy to make . It is very fresh,  creamy , tangy , sweet and heavenly and it looks quite good too . Now I make it whenever I have a party because firstly it is quite easy and secondly it is liked by children and adults alike so here goes.......

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of strawberry jelly
250 gms of fresh strawberry
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
200 gms cream cheese
2/3 cup icing sugar
250 whipping cream


METHOD

Prepare the strawberry jelly according to instructions and leave it to set in an medium sized serving dish or if serving individually into the glasses .
Cut the strawberries and add lemon juice and the 2 tbsp sugar and set it aside.
In a bowl , mix the cream cheese and the icing sugar well.
In another bowl , whip the cream till stiff.
Now gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix .
Now fold the strawberries into the mixture gently .
After the jelly has set , add the cream cheese mixture on top of it and garnish it with extra strawberries and almond flakes if you like and pop it back into the fridge.
Serve it chilled .

NOTE

I used Philadelphia light cream cheese and I find it is just perfect for it . 

Guilt-Free Chocolate Fudge Cake

This is one amazing cake , I never thought chocolate cakes could be healthy but this one proved me wrong , it is very chocolatey , fudgey and moist and it is also very light in texture too . You can indulge in this without feeling guilty so go ahead and give in to your chocolate cravings and make this one ......

INGREDIENTS

85 gm dark chocolate chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup wholemeal plain flour
2 egg yolks
4 egg whites

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 c .Line base and side of a deep 20 cm round cake tin.
In a large bowl , combine chocolate , cocoa and sugar with water and stir until smooth.
Add egg yolks and whisk .
Fold in almond meal and flour
In another bowl , beat the egg whites till stiff .
Gently fold the egg whites to the chocolate batter and pour into prepared tin.
Bake for about 40 -45 min .
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and fresh berries .

Chicken In Dry Roasted Spices

This dish is a typical one you can find in the small restaurants of Kerela. The aroma of this dish just wafts around the place , it is really droolworthy . The spices used here are dry roasted and this intensifies the flavour of the dish . It is cooked in these spices and then fried . It is perfect for those cold evenings .This is quite a spicy dish so if you don't want it this spicy , just reduce the chillies .

INGREDIENTS

1 kg chicken , skinned and cut up into pieces
3 tbsp whole peppercorns
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 inch pc cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 inch pc fresh ginger grated
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
2 green chillies
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)

METHOD

Dry roast the whole spices till you get a nice aroma .
Then add the chilli powder and the turmeric and roast it for a few sec.
Grind the roasted spices with the ginger , garlic and green chillies .
Add the soy sauce and the vinegar to it .
Add salt to taste
Marinate the chicken in these spices for about an hour .
Now cook the chicken on the stove top till half done .
In another pan heat some oil for shallow frying and fry the chicken pieces till done while reserving the marinade.
After the chicken pieces are fried ,transfer them to a serving dish and pur the reserved marinade on top of the fried chicken and garnish it with the chopped coriander leaves if using any.


NOTE

The reseved marinade should be thick like a paste , if there is more water , then heat it on the stove till it becomes a thick paste taking care not to burn it .

Rosewater Meringues

Meringues are so crispy and light and so pretty to look at. I have never before tried making it so I thought it is high time I gave this one a try and I didn't think it was this easy to make , the only thing is getting it out of the baking sheet , it was one big pain to do and on top of that I used a different nozzle , so it didn't come out as I planned but nevertheless it was just yummy to eat , it tasted like cotton candy and it just melts in your mouth just like the cotton candy .Though I am not a big fan of valentines day I wish all of my valentine loving friends ( the few handful of people who visit my blog and the few that land up here by mistake ) a Happy Valentines Day , these meringues are for you ........

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites
1 tsp rosewater
1/2 cup caster sugar
few drops of pink food color

METHOD

Preheat oven to 120 c .
Grease  oven trays and line with baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl  , add all the ingredients and beat it with an electric mixer till it is stiff .
Spoon the mix into a piping bag fitted with a 2 cm fluted tube .
Pipe 4 cm stars onto trays 2cm apart.
Bake about 1 hour .
Cool on trays .

Pita Pizzas

Pita breads are the most easiset and quickest way to make pizzas . You can add any topping you want and one pita is perfect for one person .Here I have used two toppings , one is a very healthy one and very fresh tasting . The other is a favourite among kids and even adults. Whenever I make spaghetti and meatballs I always freeze half of the meatballs and use them later on for this or sandwiches so here goes both of the toppings......

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat or white pita breads

for the veggie topping

1 medium sized eggplant sliced thinly
1 medium zucchinni sliced thinly
100 gms mushrooms quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pitted and sliced black olives
1 tbsp ketchup on each pita
a pinch of dried oragano and basil on each pita
( this topping is good for 3-4 pita )

for the meatball topping

Half portion of meatball sauce
2 tbsp or more of mozarella cheese for each pita
( this topping is good for 4 pitas )

METHOD

For the veggie pizza

In a bowl add all the veggies and coat them with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
Heat a grill pan and grill the veggies except the olives on both sides till done .
Spread a tbsp of ketchup on each of the pitas and sprinkle the dried herbs on top .
Now add the grilled veggies and the black olives and top it off with some cheese .
Place it in a medium to hot oven till the cheese melts and the bread is crisp , this may take about 10-15 min .

For the meatball topping .

Spread the meatballs and it's sauce on the pitas .
Add the mozarella cheese on top .
Place it in a medium to hot oven till the cheese melts and the bread is crisp .

Prawns On Toast

This recipe brings  back  some wonderful childhood memories. As kids our parents used to take my sis and I to this wonderful little chinese restaurant on weekends.It was upto us to decide where to eat and my sis and I agreed only on one thing in those days and that was to eat here. Every weekend without fail we would eat there and order this amazing starter called Prawns on toast there. I have never in my life tasted anything as wonderful as that and we were there so regularly that  the waiters over there stopped taking our order , they used to bring it to us straight away.
Sadly , nothing good lasts forever , the management changed in that restaurant and it was never the same and we stopped going there but after eating it so many times , I decided that I would try and make this and after various attempts at it I finally got it almost right not fully right but for now this will do , hope you enjoy it as much as I do so here goes , try it I am sure you will like it .

INGREDIENTS

150 gms prawns shelled and deveined
1 egg white
2 tbsp cornflour
1 green chillies chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1/2 tsp soy sauce
salt to taste
2 slices bread cut  into 6 or 8 triangles
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
oil for deep frying

METHOD
Pound the prawns in a pestle and mortar or food processor
Add the egg whites and cornflour and mix it all up
Add the green chillies, coriander leaves, soy sauce and salt .
Spread this mix onto the bread slices and sprinkle with sesame seeds
Deep fry the pieces first prawn side first for about 2 min and turn it over and fry it about 2 more min or till it turns golden.
Serve it with sweet and sour chilli sauce .

Chocolate Souffle

They are decadent , they are light , they are fluffy and they make you want to hum a little tune .Who needs a man when you can have chocolate souffle ( hope my hubby never sees this ). This dessert is to die for , ok maybe I am over reacting but this souffle literally melts in your mouth so here goes , enjoy .....

INGREDIENTS

60 gms chocolate
50 gms butter softened
3 eggs seperated
50 gms powdered sugar
1 tbsp flour
icing sugar for dusting
METHOD

Melt the chocolate in a microwave on power 30 for 5 min.
In the meantime beat the egg yolks and half the sugar till it turns pale .
Add the softenend butter in the chocolate and mix it up well .
Now stir in the chocolate into the egg yolk mix.
Now beat the whites with sugar till stiff .
Add the egg white mix on top of the egg yolk mix and sprinkle the flour.
Now slowly fold them to mix it all up taking care not to take the air out.
Butter and flour 3 small ramekins .
Pour the mix into the ramekins and bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 15-20 min.
Serve hot with a dusting of icing sugar .

Beetroot In Spicy Tamarind Sauce

This from my mom's recipe collection .I think it's probably the dramatic color or something , this was the only veg I used to eat as a kid and now my son is the same way , he is a very picky eater but he will have this one even though it is very spicy for him . This dish is very spicy and tangy and the sweetness of the beetroot balances it out beautifully so here goes............

INGREDIENTS

2 medium beetrot , peeled and chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 small ball of tamarind soaked in 1 cup of warm water
1 small tomato chopped
2 green chillies chopped
1/2-1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste

for tempering

1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 tbsp oil

METHOD

Heat the oil for tempering and add the seeds and the curry leaves till it crackles.
Add the onions and ginger and garlic paste and sautee till the onions turn soft
Add the spice powders and salt and sautee it for a few sec.
Add the chopped tomatoes and sautee it till it turns into a thick paste .
Add the beetroot and the green chillies and mix it all up .
Now squeeze the pulp in the soaked water and add the water to the beetroot mix .
Bring to a boil and then simmer it till it turns to a thick gravy .