Spring is in the air and fresh berries are making an appearance in grocery stores. I bought a box of fresh strawberries yesterday and with some of those berries I baked a strawberry cake for the weekend. It is a substantial cake with a simple recipe. The surprise ingredient is oats and they make the cake more moist than crumbly. I also added mashed banana (to make it egg-free) and pecans for some extra sweetness and crunch.
Strawberry-Oats Cake
2 cups, all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1/2 cup, oats (old fashioned, Quaker brand)
1 and 1/2 cups, sugar
1 teaspoon, salt
1 teaspoon, baking powder
1/2 teaspoon, baking soda
1 ripe banana, mashed with a tablespoon of lime juice
1/2 cup, plain yogurt
1/2 cup, peanut oil
1 cup, cut strawberries
1 cup, coarsely chopped pecans
In a big bowl, take flour and oats. Add sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. Mix well.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the mashed banana, yogurt and oil. Mix well until thoroughly incorporated. Add the strawberries and pecans. Gently combine.
Lightly oil a deep 7- inch round cake pan. Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the surface.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes until firm to the touch or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
A Slice of Strawberry-Oats Cake to Welcome the Sweet Spring Season
February Food Fun:
Include Fruits and greens regularly
Make a habit of Kosambari
Sweet pears in season are tossed with fresh lettuce from our backyard garden in this delicious kosambari. For an Indian twist, I have added some dates, chickpeas and chat masala powder. Fruits, greens and some protein, this free-spirited kosambari has all the food fun I wanted in a February. A guilt free meal and God bless simple recipes like Kosambari.
Fruit Kosambari with Pears
(serves two)
1 small bunch of fresh lettuce
2 pears
1 cup, cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup, dates
1 tablespoon chat masala powder
salt and black pepper to taste
Rinse the lettuce well. Pat them dry with a clean towel. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Peel the skin and slice pears into big pieces. Quarter the dates.
In a bowl, take the lettuce. Add pears, dates and chickpeas. Sprinkle chat masala powder, salt and black pepper powder. Toss to coat.
Serve immediately with a cup of rasam or sambar on the side for a light meal.
Fruit Kosambari with Pears and Dates ~ For Meal Today
I wanted to make something special for my favorite food blogger’s Jihva event. Paneer and pasta: yes, an unusual combination. But, why not, I thought.
It turned out to be an ultimate comfort food. Combined with tomatoes, plenty of vegetables, and a mix of chickpeas and pomegranate garnish, paneer pasta was just the right thing for a cool fall night, and made a hearty and warming dish. Bow tie pasta is a good choice here, but penne or fusilli work just as well.
Paneer Pasta
(for two or four, for two or one meals)
1 tablespoon, peanut oil
2 garlic, minced
2 cups, chopped tomatoes
2 cups, chopped vegetables (I added zucchini, cauliflower and chikkudu)
1 cup, paneer cubes of 1/2-inch sized
1/2 cup, precooked chickpeas
1/4 cup, pomegranate kernels
2 tablespoons, finely chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste or 1 teaspoon each
Pasta, about 2 cups
Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
Add vegetables and turn up the heat to medium-high and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and quarter cup of water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more.
Stir in salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. Add paneer cubes. On slow simmer, cook for another five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pour the paneer-veggie sauce over the pasta and toss until everything is well combined. Garnish with pomegranate kernels. Serve hot.
Paneer Pasta with Pomegranate ~ Dinner Today and
For JFI:Paneer at Lovely Trupti’s The Spice Who Loved Me
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.
I grew up with guava, which is a very popular fruit in South India. It was amazing how bags of guava came out of woodstock at the end of summer - whether by the way of my grandparents’ neighbors, relatives visiting from the village, or one of my parents friends. The donors were probably as glad to give them away as we were to receive them, and I remember the happy anticipation of waiting and slicing fresh guava, sprinkling salt and pepper and enjoying the tasty slices. Up here people seem to prefer their guava crunchy-free, a creamy puree long cooked in pastries. The flavor of fresh guava is delicate, and I prefer them as they are, uncooked may be in combination with some other raw ingredients.
Today’s recipe, guava kosambari, is inspired by a why not attitude. Kosambari, the salad of south India is a traditional Raw Rocks kind of meal starter. Usually prepared with moong dal, cucumber and carrots, and peppered with salt, pepper and lime juice. The cool, raw energy of kosambari seems to be enhanced by the excitingly sweet guava in guava kosambari. It was genuinely good food.
Guava
Guava Kosambari
(for two adults for two meals)
3 Guavas: cut to bite-sized pieces.
(The guavas I added in this recipe are small, about lime sized and have very delicate paper like thin skin that didn’t need peeling.)
1/4 cup - yellow moong dal, rehydrated
(Soak moong dal in water for about 2 hours to rehydrate.)
1/2 cup each - diced carrot and cucumber
Salt, black pepper and lime juice - 1/4 teaspoon each or to taste
1 tablespoon - finely chopped fresh cilantro
Take guava, moong dal, carrot and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle cilantro, salt, pepper and limejuice. Combine gently. Refrigerate for half an hour for the flavors to be charmed by each other.
Serve the guava kosambari as a meal starter or an evening snack with a cup of tea or ragi ganji.
Guava Kosambari on a Guava Leaf ~ For Meal Today
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.
Last Saturday, I was surprised to see bushels of guava at Fiesta, a local Mexican market.
From a distance the guava looked like good quality limes. They were small, pale yellow in color and smelled promisingly sweet. At pound $ 1.99, I couldn’t resist those yellow beauties.
After mangoes and cherries, guavas are my favorite fruit. I don’t know what it is about them, I could easily go into nostalgic ga ga over familiar fruits. Here I was in 2006, going on and on about guava. They inspire such longing, don’t they?
After I had my fill of raw fruit, which were delicious and sweet, I’ve thought of making something new with guava today.
Guavas with salt and pepper are a common roadside snack growing up in Bharath. These guavas I purchased are from Peru. To honor their origin, what’s better than an addition of avocado? Like I’ve imagined, the guava gave the avocado some sweetness and nice hint of aroma. Plain guacamole is always good, but guava guacamole tasted supreme. I loved this Aztec and Bharath combination for my meal today.
Guava Guacamole
(makes about two small cups)
1 big-sized, semi ripe avocado
3 lime-sized, semi ripe guavas
1 lime, for juice
Pinch each - salt and red chilli flakes
Cut avocado to half. Take out the pit. Cut the fruit to tiny pieces.
Cut guavas to small, bite sized pieces.
Place avocado and guava pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle salt and red chilli flakes. Squeeze lime juice. Gently combine. Serve.
Meal Idea: Generously apply guava guacamole on a warm chapati, paratha or pizza for a taste that defies description. We had it with thin crust pizza for dinner. Good meal.
Guava Guacamole ~ For Meal Today
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.
Morning:
Thick ganji like ragi malt without sweetener.
A cup of brown chickpea guggullu
Noon:
1 cup of dal in rasam consistency
1 cup of brown chickpea guggullu with plenty of backyard cherry tomatoes
small cup of homemade yogurt
Evening:
Glass of cold buttermilk from homemade yogurt
Night:
Cup of toordal rasam with key lime pickle
A big bowl of apple-cherry salad with homemade yogurt. Delicious and sweet, loved this refreshing and light salad for meal.
Workout:
About an hour walk on sightseeing day trip.
In retrospect:
Didn’t feel deprived in anyway and surprisingly no hunger pangs.
Busy but beautiful day.
Apple~Cherry Salad
(for two servings)
1 Fuji apple
12 Bing cherries
1/2 cup homemade yogurt
Pinch each - salt and crushed black pepper
Peel the apple skin. Cut and remove the seed part. Dice the apple to bite-sized pieces.
Make a cut in the middle and remove the pit from cherries. Chop each half into two.
Take yogurt in a cup. Add salt and black pepper. Combine well. Add the cut fruits. Mix and serve.
Apple~Cherry Salad for Meal Today
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari.
Mango and Majjiga ~ Meal Today
Share your meal time fruits.
Strawberry-Pecan Mini Cake
I am fond of eating fruits straight, and I prefer no-cook fruit preparations like Soopa. I do not want to subject them to cooking. However, this easy dessert which takes only about ten minutes to prepare for baking is so delicious and liked by everyone who tasted, that I am more than willing to donate a pint of berries to it. Light and just sugary enough to satisfy that craving tooth, these strawberry mini cakes are good any time of the day. With this sweet sayonara to week long strawberry saga, I wish you all a wonderful weekend.
Strawberry Mini Cakes
(makes 12 mini cakes)
3 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 cups turbinado sugar (or sugar of any kind)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup juice from oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cut strawberries
2 cups finely chopped pecans
In a large mixing bowl, sift and stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, break and add 2 eggs. (I removed the yellows, my preference. Keep yellows if you like) Also add milk, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Beat the mixture lightly and add this mixture to flour mixture. Before the flour and liquid ingredients are fully combined, fold in the strawberries and pecans, stirring gently.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Apply ghee/butter or oil to mini cake pans. Fill about two thirds full with the batter.
Bake the cakes for about 45 minutes or until tops are golden and when a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Serve the mini cakes at room temperature.
******
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari
Fresh Out of Oven, Strawberry Mini Cakes ~ for the Weekend
An adorable little girl, friends’ daughter, comes to our home during weekdays after school. She stays until her parents pick her up in the evening. This little girl is a foodie in making and loves to try out new things. She seems to enjoy strawberry milk shake I prepare with soy milk. This is how I make it for her.
Strawberries, Bananas and Orange
Strawberry Shake with Soy Milk
(to fill two big or 4 small glasses)
Strawberries - 1 cup
Banana - 1 ripe, medium sized
Sweet orange like mandarin - 1 ripe
Soy milk - 1 glass
Honey - 1 tablespoon, or to taste
Crushed ice - quarter cup
1. Wash, trim, and slice the berries. Peel and slice the banana. Squeeze orange juice.
2. Put strawberries, banana slices and honey in a blender. Puree until smooth and combined. Add orange juice, soy milk and crushed ice. Run the blender again for few seconds until well mixed.
3. Pour the strawberry shake into glasses. Serve.
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari
Strawberry Milk Shake with Soy Milk
Avocado and Sweet Strawberry
To add a touch of spring sweetness to classic salsa, start with fresh avocado. Mix ripe strawberries, a hint of tropics with limejuice and a zing of black pepper. That’s it. A sweet salsa that is quite different from the traditional chopped onion-tomato mixture. This fruity version is great on chapati or on toasted bread.
Strawberry Salsa
(makes about two cups)
1 Avocado - seed removed and pulp mashed to smooth
1 cup strawberries - finely chopped
1 Small lime/lemon - cut to half
1/2 teaspoon - Black pepper, cracked
1/4 teaspoon - Sea salt
In a big cup, take avocado and strawberries. Sprinkle black pepper and salt. Squeeze limejuice. Combine.
Enjoy this sweet salsa with chapati/crusty bread/chips.
© Recipe and Photos Copyright 2009 Indira Singari
Strawberry Salsa ~ for Lunch today
Technorati Profile
What happens when you combine the clean, crisp flavor of farm fresh, sweet strawberries with the tart fruitiness of pomegranate?
I wanted to know and I did some experimentation this weekend. I combined the strawberries with POM, a potent, pure pomegranate juice. To spice up the combination, I added mint, sugar and pepper. After very little processing, the result was refreshing soopa. A little sweet, a little tart and loaded with, I believe, all the antioxidant benefits of both pomegranate and their dark pigmented berry counterparts. Absolutely no cooking, but the soopa tasted awesome. A must try for cold soopa/gazpacho fans.
POM Pomegranate Juice and Sweet Strawberries
Strawberry Soopa
(for two servings)
Strawberries, cut - 1 full cup
Pomegranate juice - 1 cup
Fresh Mint leaves - one tiny sprig, or 5 leaves
Honey (or sugar) - 1 tablespoon
Black pepper - a pinch
Blend them together and refrigerate for about half an hour.
Serve cold for refreshing experience.
Cold and Refreshing Strawberry Soopa
Recipe: My Creation
Thank you POM.
Soopa = Sanskrit for soup like preparation.
Yesterday, it was windy with pollen heavy air. Another typical sneeze inducing spring day in Houston.
We went for strawberry picking at a nearby farm called Froberg’s around 9. It’s a small farm, but seem to attract large crowds. You park car in the front, follow directions to strawberry picking. At the entrance, you will be given a small bucket. “Go and pick. Lift and look under the leaves for the ripe berries. Pound $1.50.” That were the instructions we were given. We picked about 6 pounds. Fresh and good looking, those were too tempting to stop picking.
They have a vegetable and fruit shop in the front. You can buy locally grown vegetables and fruits. There is candy section for children, also a snack bar with pies and roasted peanuts. And for meat lovers, there is a smokehouse with various kinds of meat products. All and all, this is a nice place to spend sometime. Will definitely be going there in the future as they said they would have “pick your own blackberries and jujube” in the coming months.
Froberg’s Farm
A Beautiful Big Live Oak Tree in the Farm
Strawberry Fields
Strawberries ~ From Flower to Fruit
Vegetable and Fruit Shop
Snack Bar with Tempting Fried Pies
Ripe and Juicy Strawberries for Home
For those of you interested to go, here are the address and the directions:
Froberg’s Vegetable & Fruit Farm
11875 County Road 190, Alvin, TX
281-585-3531
Open everyday, from 9 AM to 6 PM.
Take Highway 6 South. Enter Alvin. Take right on County Road 146. At the railroad stop sign, turn left onto County Road 190 (Alvin-Manvel Road). The farm is about two miles to the left.
Are there any other farms like this in Houston and vicinity?
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