Sol Kadhi

March...the time of board exams in India. Oh the the anxiety and the tension that I experienced during my first board exams - the memory of it is still fresh in my mind!!

But above all, the thing I remember the most about that time is the sol kadhi that my mom would keep ready for me everyday when I returned home. Cooling and very refreshing, it was just the thing to have!! And so, to me (as to a lot of people), this is absolute "soul" kadhi!!

Made from dried outer rind of the kokum fruit, sol kadhi is a very popular Konkani drink. Tangy with a hint of sweetness (from the coconut milk), its delicate flavour and what it does to the palate is very tough to describe in words.....this is something you need to drink to really appreciate. Traditionally, it is served as an appetiser before meals, or as a digestive after a particularly heavy meal (especially after a meaty meal) - no matter when you choose to have it, one thing is certain - the delicately tangy flavour of sol kadhi will leave you craving for more!

Ingredients:

Kokum - 8-10 petals, soaked in warm water for about 30 mins
Coconut milk - 200 ml
Garlic - 2 cloves
Green chillies - 2

Salt - to taste (I use rock salt)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp, roasted and pound to a coarse powder, optional
Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method:

Pound garlic and chillies together, add it to the coconut milk. Strain the juice of the kokum and mix it to the coconut milk. Season with rock salt. Chill, garnish with coriander leaves and a pinch of the cumin seed powder and sip.

Note: do check the balance of flavours - sol kadhi is not overwhelmingly sour, it has just that little hint of tanginess; it is not very coconutty either, so do keep that in mind when mixing the two.


This is my entry to FIC: Pink hosted by Priya, a wonderful event started by Sunshinemom.

Chicken Kebabs

Kebabs, the finest finger foods one can ever think of, have a not so glamourous origin. Scarcity of cooking fuel meant there was a need to effectively cook meat. Legend has it that kebabs owe their existence to medeival Turkic soldiers who used their swords to grill meat over open field fires (source - Wikipedia).

Of course, from those medieval fires to modern day cuisines, the humble kebab has come a long way and undergone a lot of tranformation - imagine Persian cuisine or Lucknowi cuisine without kebabs!!

I like kebabs for one simple reason - you can make them well in advance and freeze them; just grill them when the craving for something delicious strikes! And so, I am always on the lookout for newer kebab recipes.

When I first concocted the recipe for Berry Pulao, little did I know that the kebabs that went into it would end up being one of our favourites! So now, whenever I make Berry Pulao, I make sure I make some extra kebabs - these are so delicious and delicately flavoured that if I didn't make extra, they would never make it to the pulao!!

Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients:

300 gms chicken mince

for the marinade:

1 onion finely chopped,

1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp rose water
1.5 tsp anardana powder (pomegranate seed powder)
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp red chilli powder

goat's cheese - 11/2 tbsp
1/2 egg
1 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
saffron infused ghee (toast about 20 strands of saffron, crumble them, add a tbsp of water and a tsp of sugar and let it stand for about 15 mins. Then add 2 tbsp of melted ghee).

Method:

Finely chop the onion, add a bit of salt to the onion and let it stand for about 15 mins. Then drain the juice off.

Add all of the above ingredients to the chicken mince and let it marinate for atleast 6-8 hrs.
Shape into flat discs, or if you have skewers, shape as you would seekh kebabs. Drizzle some saffron infused ghee and grill till the chicken is cooked tender.

I grilled mine in the microwave for 18 mins on the grill setting. Keep basting with the saffron ghee frequently - atleast 3 times. It is this saffron infused ghee that makes all the difference to the flavour of the kebabs, so don't skimp on its use!

Serve with spicy onion salad.

For the onion salad:

To finely sliced onions, add chopped coriander leaves, green chillies, lime juice, salt and sugar. Make the salad atleast 15 mins before serving.

These chicken kebabs are going to Priya's MEC: Savoury Snacks, an event started by Srivalli.

Presto Pasta Nights # 106 - The round up

The best part about hosting? You get to meet so many bloggers from all over the globe - it is singularly and spectacularly enriching. Thanks Ruth, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of hosting PPN!

And thank you all, for all the wonderful, droolicious entries you sent me. Without further ado, here's what you all made:





Like the flavourful, oriental ramen? Do I hear a loud "yes"? Then head over to Tasty Treats where JZ has some Ramen Vegetable and Steak Stir fry





Food can be such a source of comfort....Gay of A Scientist in the Kitchen fights homesickness by cooking lovely dishes like this super Penne with Fresh vegetables!

Kitchenetta of Got No Milk makes this spicy Pasta alla Diavola that strikes just the right notes for her!

Want to fix a quick meal that doesn't compromise on taste? Take a look at the Chicken Patty Penne that Daphne of More Than Words put together.

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen tantalises the taste buds with this flavourful and zesty Linguine with Oyster Mushrooms and Gremolata.

Ever feel lost for ideas as to how to get your kids to eat some spinach? Head over to Supriya at Queen of my kitchen where she has made some Green Butterfly Pasta.

Melissa of Alosha's Kitchen beckons summer with this refreshing Insalata Caprese. Do you really want to wait for summer to try this one?!!

This one - Farfalle with Sausages, Tomatoes and Cream - that Pam of Sidewalk Shoes makes has easy and tasty written all over it! Don't believe me? Read it and head straight to the kitchen to make it!

That is not a meatball - believe it or not, it's broccoli!! The very prolific Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes makes brocolli look like a meatball in her delicious Pasta in creamy tomato sauce with brocolli.

Nic of Lemon and Cheese makes this very flavourful Dijon Pasta Salad.

Abby of Eat the right stuff makes this super healthy and delicious Savoy Cabbage, Sun dried tomato, chilli and pine nut fettucelle - love the mix of colours in there!!

Craving a pasta that is spicy and flavourful? Check out the lovely Whole wheat linguine with seitan tofu gumbo that Singing Horse of The Peaceable Kingdom has dished out!

When I saw the lovely Chicken and Mushroom spaghetti in marinara sauce that my fellow Singaporean blogger, Mrs Ergul made, I had half a mind to invite myself over at her place!

Love mushrooms? Then check out the flavourful Egg and Mushroom Pasta that Sarah from What Smells So Good made.

Phanitha of Phanitha's Kichenette makes a classic Tomato Basil Spaghetti - simple and easy but very delicious all the same!

Macaroni and cheese....to me, that is heaven on a plate. Asha of Aroma entices the tastebuds further by adding Italian sausage in this yummy Macaroni and Cheese with Italian Sausage casserole

I love pancetta, and just reading about the Rotini with Pancetta that Kait of Pots and Plots made transported me to culinary heaven.

Nothing to quite beat a cold pasta salad, right? Cham of Spice Club makes this very droolicious and creamy but easy to make Pasta Bean Salad!

And the classic - how can there be a pasta night without them meatballs?!! Sarah of Taste My Plate makes meatballs from scratch in her Italian Meatballs and Sauce with Penne

KC of Kits Chow makes this absolutely delicious, super garlicky Noodles with spinach skordalia - sounds absolutely yum to me!!

East meets west in this super spicy Farfalle with Chicken Curry that Poornima of Tasty Treats makes.

Pink is for girls? Well, trust me, even the boys are going to lick their plates clean with this Beet Almond Lemon Pasta that Yasmeen of Health Nut shares with us!

Who doesn't like gnocchi?!! I've never had the courage to make it at home, but Joanne of Eat Well With Others braves the process to make this delicious Potato Gnocchi with Peas, Prociuotto and Ricotta

Ruth - the brain behind Presto Pasta Nights - of Once Upon a Feast battles a bad cold to make this Pasta with Sweet Fennel Ssausages and Digby Scallops

I always get excited when I see some unique food pairings and so I loved reading the Spaghetti with spiced chickpeas that Mangocheeks of Allotment 2 Kitchen made.

When in the mood for something really tasty with very little effort, make this quintessential Italian comfort food - Spaghetti di mezzanotte that Sweet Kitchen shares with us!

Finally, I made Fettucine with Prawns in Creamy Coconut sauce.

Wow, isn't that one awesome variety we have here?! Thank you all once again for making it to PPN #106 - I really, really enjoyed hosting it.

PPN #107 that runs from March 28 - April 2 is being hosted by its founder, Ruth. Hope to see you there!!

(psst...it's Ruth's birthday tomorrow!)

Sacher Torte

"A little too much chocolate is just about right".

I have no idea who said this, but it just about sums up my version of the Sacher Torte. The Original Sachertorte (and this is a registered trademark!) was made way back in 1832 in Austria and the recipe is a closely guarded secret. Sold exclusively in Vienna and Salzburg, I have never tasted it and so I have no way of telling whether the recipe I followed mirrors the original in taste and texture.

That said, believe me, this was one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever made (and eaten). Dense, moist and very chocolatey, this cake is pure indulgence!

Sacher Torte

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate - 100 gms (I used Varlhona feve Equatorial 55%)
Water - 225 ml

Butter - 125 gms
Dark brown sugar - 250 gms
Eggs - 3, separated
Self raising flour - 150 gms
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Cocoa - 25 gms
Powdered almonds - 60 gms

Method:

Mix the chocolate and water and heat till the chocolate melts. set aside and cool. Sift the flour, baking powder and the cocoa.

Cream together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the chocolate mixture; then add the powdered almonds.

Beat the eggs white till soft peaks form and fold into the batter.

Pre-heat the oven to 160 deg C for ten minutes, grease and line a 9" cake pan with baking paper and bake the cake for an hour and 1o mins - oven temperatures vary, mine took only 50 mins, so do check when the aroma gets irrestible!

The recipe (adapted from the Australian Women's Weekly) like the Original Sachertorte calls for apricot jam to sandwich the two cake layers. But apparently, I wanted more chocolate and so I sandwiched the layers with Eggless Chocolate Mousse.

Eggless chocolate mousse:

Dark chocolate - 75 gms

Cocoa Powder/Coffee powder - 1 tbsp, sifted

Fresh cream - 175 ml

Icing sugar - 5 tbsp

Gelatine powder - 1 1/4 tsp

Water* - 3 tbsps

Vanilla Essence or Rum essence - 11/2 tsp

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, set aside and cool. Mix the gelatine with water and let it bloom, then melt it over a double boiler.

Beat the cream and icing sugar till stiff peaks form. Add the cooled, melted chocolate, the cocoa powder, the gelatine and the essence. Beat till the mixture starts to thicken. Transfer into the fridge for about an hour.

You can really play around with this mousse - use orange juice in place of water and also add some orange rind for a chocolate orange mousse. Or add any liqueur of your choice. Or replace coffee powder with cocoa powder - just blend it with some milk.

Wait..there is some more chocolate coming your way....the topping! Move over chocolate ganache..this truffle icing is truly decadent and leaves a lovely sheen on top.

Chocolate Truffle icing

Dark chocolate - 125 gms

Butter - 60 gms

Fresh cream - 4 tbsps

Vanilla/Rum essence - 1 tsp (use the same flavouring that you use for the mousse)

Melt the chocolate over a doulble boiler, add the butter and stir till the butter melts. Let it cool, then add the cream and the essence and stir vigorously. Set it aside for about 30 mins (longer if you live in a hot humid place like Singapore) to let the icing thicken.

Assembling the cake :

Sandwich the cake with the mousse and coat the top and sides with the icing. Decorate as you wish.

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or with vanilla ice - cream.

This is going over to JZ who is hosting Let's Go Nuts - Almonds.

And since it is obvious I love chocolate so much, I want share it with another chocolate lover, Poornima, who is hosting For the love of chocolate.

Fettucine with Prawns in Creamy Coconut Sauce

The fisherfolk of Mumbai called kolis are the oldest residents of the city - in fact, the name Mumbai derives from the kolis' patron deity, Mumba devi. Living along the coastal areas of Mumbai in small settlements called koliwadas, they are a very a distinct community with their own dialect of Marathi, their manner of dressing, their songs, their deities and customs and of course, their cuisine. And this is one community where the women (called kolins) are as much empowered (if not more) as the men. The division of labour is clear - the men go and fish, the women (called kolins) are entrusted with selling the catch.

The other day, when I went shopping for prawns to the wet market here, I was suddenly reminded of the kolin who we used to buy our fish from. Dressed in garish coloured saris and bedecked with gold, she would haul her basket on her head and walk tall and erect, never once needing her hands to balance the load on her head! Bargaining loudly with the customers, her face would nevertheless break into an easy grin (once the sale was completed, almost always on her terms!) showing not just her tobacco stained broken teeth but more importantly, a glimpse into her warm heartedness beneath the very agressive demeanour.

I had decided to make a very typical Maharashtrian prawn curry, but for some reason, the lure of making a pasta in a creamy shrimp sauce was too irrestible. However, there was very little fresh cream in the fridge - but several packets of coconut cream in the pantry and thus, Prawns in Creamy Coconut Sauce happened. Luxuriously creamy, it is the touch of saffron with a hint of basil that makes this sauce absolutely irrestible!

Ingredients:

Fettucine - 250 gms

Prawns/shrimps - 1 cup, peeled

Garlic - 1 clove, sliced

Shallots - 2, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Chilli flakes - 1 tsp, or to taste

Coconut cream - 100 ml

Low fat cream - 50 ml

Italian Basil leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped

Parsley - a few sprigs, optional

Saffron - 6-7 strands, soaked in a tbsp of hot water

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Cook the pasta as per package instructions; drain and toss it in some oil.

Marinate the prawns with the lemon juice, chilli flakes and salt for about 30 mins.

Heat oil, add the garlic and the shallots and cook till the onion turns pink. Add the marinated prawns and cook till the prawns are done.

While the prawns cook, blend the coconut milk,the cream and the saffron together and add the mixture to the cooked prawns, stirring constantly. Add the salt, pepper and the basil and simmer till the sauce reaches boiling point - don't let it boil though.

Add the sauce to the the drained pasta and toss till it is nicely coated with the sauce. Garnish with some parsley sprigs/basil leaves and serve HOT!

This is my entry to Presto Pasta Nights # 106 being hosted right here.
Hope you guys are also furiously thinking pasta!!

Announcing Presto Pasta Nights # 106

I am delighted to be your host for PPN # 106 this week, an event started by the amazing Ruth of Once Upon a Feast!

Considering that this the 106th instalment of an event which is now in its 3rd year, I think PPN doesn't need any introduction. This event has a very simple pre-requisite - all you need to do is cook with noodles.

That's it? Well, yes.


"The dish must have some sort of noodle, it doesn't have to be traditional Italian type pasta, it can be hot, cold, salad, soup, main, dessert, or anything else, but it must have some kind of noodle".


Simple enough, isn't it?! Click here for further details.


So just cook with your favourite noodle and post it in your blog mentioning the link to the Presto Pasta Nights website and to the PNN #106 announcement (that would be this post) and send it over to me at:

aquadaze(AT)rediffmail(DOT)com with a copy to Ruth at:
ruth(AT)4everykitchen(DOT)com.


Include the following details in your e-mail:

Your name
Your blog name and URL
URL of your post
A photo of your dish

Not having a blog need not deter you, just send mail me the recipe and the picture!

PPN #106 runs between March 21st - March 26th. The round up will be done on March 27th. So hurry - Ruth and I are eagerly looking forward to your entries!

Thai stir fried minced meat with basil leaves

It is 12:50 at night, and I am staying up because I can't put down this book I'm reading - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson. Mid-way through the book, I decided to check out what everyone else has been cooking and here I am writing a post! No one has ever managed to tear me away from a book...such is the lure of blogging!

Other than Italian food, Terradaze and I generally tend to agree on all other cuisines and Thai cuisine is one of our favourite; the use of spices and herbs and coconut milk is something that totally suits our palette. Needless to say, Thai food is something that features very regularly on our table. Since I have a book to return to, I will cut the crap and leave you with something I make very very often at home...this one is ridiculously easy to put together resulting a tongue tickling delight of flavours. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Mince (chicken/pork/meat/beef) - 500 gm (the mince used here is pork, but I have made this with the others as well)
Garlic - 8 cloves
Chillies - 5 birds eye red chillies (adjust according to spice tolerance)
Coriander leaves, stem and root - 6 stalks
Fresh sweet or holy basil leaves - 3/4 cup, firmly packed
Fish Sauce - 1 1/2 tbsp
Oyster Sauce - 1 tbsp
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Stock - 1/2 cup (or use 1 stock cube in 1/2 cup of water)
Brown Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
deep fried basil leaves - 1 tbsp, optional, for garnish
(there is no salt in this list of ingredients - the sauces used are very high in salt, so add some only if you need to)

Method:

Wash and pat dry the coriander stalks. Pound the chillies, coriander stalks and garlic together.

Heat oil, fry the paste till fragrant. Turn up the heat to high and then add the mince in small batches - ensure that every batch you add is nicely browned before adding the next batch in; as you stir, the mince will release water. Keep cooking till the water dries up - by this time, the mince would be almost done.

Add all the sauces, sugar and half the basil leaves. Next add the stock, a little at a time and cook till the mince is well done.

Before serving, add in the remaining basil leaves, stir till they wilt. Garnish with the fried basil leaves and some sliced red chillies and serve with steaming hot rice.

Note: I have made the exact same thing with cauliflower. Steam the cauliflower till it is half cooked, mash it into tiny bits and proceed as above, just use vegetarian fish sauce in place of the real thing - it tastes just as good!

Sending this to Yasmeen who is hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week , a lovely event conceived by Kalyn and now conducted by Halo.

Kheer/Payasam

Terradaze calls it payasam. I call it kheer. But as they say, 'a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet'.

And so call it payasam or kheer or payesh or even rice pudding, it is something that has universal appeal. Creamy in texture with the delicate flavour of nuts and cardamom and the sudden burst of flavour of the plumped up raisins, rice kheer is the perfect answer to a no - sweat, easy to make dessert.

Ingredients:

Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 1/2 lts

Evaporated Milk - 350 ml

Sugar - 3/4 cup (or to taste)

Raisins - 1/4 cup

Mixed Nuts (Pistachios, Almonds, Cashewnuts) - 1/3 cup, coarsely ground

Cardamom - 10-15 nos, pound to a powder

Nutmeg - a pinch

Saffron - 10 strands soaked in a tbsp of rose water

Salt - a pinch

Method:

Wash rice several times and soak it in water for about 1/2 an hour. Drain the rice and let it rest for a further 10 mins.

Pressure cook the rice with 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup water for about 7 whistles, lower the flame and cook for a further 10 mins. You could also cook the rice directly on the stove top by adding all the milk at once, but pressure cooking (this is the way my mil makes it) is a lot easier and quicker and it doesn't compromise the taste in any way.

Mash the cooked rice with the back of a spoon, transfer into a heavy-bottomed vessel and add the remaining milk, the raisins and the sugar and bring to a boil. Yes, you have to keep stirring regularly, else the rice will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Let it simmer for a further 15 mins, the longer you cook the payasam, the better it tastes. Add some more milk if you think it is thickening too much.

Now add the ground nuts (reserve a tbsp for garnishing), cardamom and nutmeg powder and salt (yes, just a pinch, but it makes a world of difference to the taste) and the saffron water, simmer for a few minutes.

Finally, add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil. Let the kheer cool, then chill it.

Garnish with some nuts on top and serve.

Sending this to Purva's Holi Hai Event and Let's Go Nuts: Almonds hosted by JZ.

Say cheese...cake

"A minute on the lips, forever on the hips," my friend would shake her head disapprovingly and say whenever we went out and I ordered desserts, most often, a slice of cheesecake. But I am a desserts first kinda gal. I love ice creams and cakes, I love mithais and kheers. No, I don't believe in diets. What I do believe in (apart from exercising regularly) is in limiting portion sizes. Which is why when I make things like cheesecakes, I make sure there is crowd I can feed it to. That way it can get to everyone's hips, not just mine!!



New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

for the crust

graham crackers or digestive biscuits or marie biscuits - 200 gms
butter 1oo gms
sugar - to taste, I use about a 1 1/2 tbsps
vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

for the filling

cream cheese - 450 gms
eggs - 2, lightly beaten
caster sugar - 130 gms
sour cream - 100 gms
lemon rind or vanilla essence - 1 tsp
lemon juice - 30 ml
plain flour - 11/2 tbsp

Method:

Put the biscuits into a ziplock bag or between kitchen towels and run a rolling pin over to crush them to a fine powder. Or, if you are like me, simply process in a mixie. Melt the butter and add to the crushed biscuits, put the sugar and the essence and mix till the mixture takes on the look of wet sand.

Butter a 8 inch springform pan (I only have a 10 inch pan, so my cheesecake looks a lot flatter) and press the mixture over the base and sides of the pan and bake for 5 mins at 250 deg C; refrigerate for 30 mins.

making the filling:

Pre-heat the oven to 250 deg C.

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. When mixing the ingredients for the cheesecake, don't overbeat, just mix until the ingredients are incorporated. First, start by beating the cream cheese for two mins, scrape the sides. Add the sugar in two additions, beat until the sugar is properly incorporated into the cream cheese.

Again, scrape the sides and then add the lemon juice, sour cream, essence and the flour and mix for a couple of minutes. Finally add the eggs and beat until mixed.

Pour the filling into the springform pan on the cooled crust. To release any air bubbles trapped into the filling, lift the pan a few inches off the counter top and drop it (carefully) on the counter - the air bubbles will rise to the surface.

Bake the cheesecake for 10 mins at 250 deg C. Then reduce the temperature to 90 deg C and bake for about an hour or until it is juts set in the centre. One way of knowing if the cheesecake is done is to touch it in the centre, if done, it will spring back.

Leave the cake inside the oven (with the oven door open) for about half an hour. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake from the side of the pan, cover it with a large bowl or vessel and let cool on the counter top for about a couple of hours. Then, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 5-6 hours, preferably overnight.

Cooling the cheesecake in such elaborate stages is a test of patience, I know, but this does minimise the risk of the cake cracking as it cools.



However, inspite of all these steps, if your cheesecake does crack, top it off with some strawberry sauce....now you know why mine has it :). Not only does it make the cheesecake look absolutely droolicious, it takes the taste up a few notches.

To make the strawberry sauce ( I eyeballed these, so can't give any quantities), mix strawberries, lime juice and sugar in a vessel and let it rest for about 5 mins. Then, crush the strawberries with your hands to release the juice. Simmer till the sauce starts to bubble. Mix a tablespoon of cornflour in some water and add to the sauce, cook until the sauce thickens. Cool and spread on top of the cheesecake.

Once you've eaten a homemade cheesecake, you're never gonna order it outside, I can assure you!

Rounding up the Walnuts and Pecans

Drool Alert: before you read this post, get yourselves some tissues. Don't drool all over my post or all over your keyboard :)


Thank you all for this delicious, delicious goodies!!


Cookies and assorted Sweet Treats:

It is embarrassing when you miss someone's entry. And terrible when you do it twice. Sorry Poornima, my sincere apologies for this.

I had absolutely fallen in love with these Chocolate Walnut Bars that Poornima made, take a look at these beauties, don't just drool - make them quick!!





Preety of Preety's Kitchen makes such delicious cookies, I don't even know which one to pick. What is more, each of these cookies, in addition to using the goodness of nuts, uses fruits for the added healthy and flavour twist! Check out her Thick Chewy Chocolate Chip cookies, Oatmeal Cookies with Surprise Inside, and Whole Wheat Soft Banana Cookies.

Using egg replacers, Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes makes delicious Eggless Smarties and Walnut Cookies.

Ashwini of Nannaadige made eggless cookies with less sugar and followed it up with some absolutely delicious savoury cookies for her husband.....Eggless Pecan Cookies - Sweet and Savoury.

Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures takes cookies to a totally new dimension with her Cranberry and Dark Chocolate cookies - read all about them and drool!

Combine nuts with the tartness of cherries to make these delicious crumbly Cherry Nut Crescents a la Yasmeen of Health Nut!

Sangs of Fireworks in my Kitchen would regularly eat walnuts when she was pregnant, incorporating them in ice creams, cakes, muffins. She shares with us Walnut Raisin Bars, an easy to make, delicious and healthy snack!

Now, I'm a lady who can hold her drinks. Very well. But this one - Sweet Vodka Bites from Notyet100 of Asankhana - just knocked me off!


Ever wonder what "different" to make for breakfast or an evening snack? Try Preety's Apple Cinnamon Oats Pancakes! Packed with flavour and health, these pancakes can win over the most fussy eaters, I am sure.


Cakes n Bakes

Fennel in a cake? It sure was a first time for me. But Asha of Aroma Hope makes this awesome Carrot Wanut Cake which is infused with fennel and orange resulting in a tongue tingling delight!

In a lovely twist to the Italian torte, Navita of Zaayeka whips up a storm of flavours with her Persimmon Walnut Torta Claudia a la mode.

Chocoholics, rejoice.....Bindiya of In Love With Food shares her Dense Dark Fudgy Brownies - intensely chocolatety, these are the best brownies she's ever had.



Like muffins? Try Preety's Banana Coconut Muffins. Don't they sound delicious?

Have unexpected guests at home? Take a cue from Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes and make these awesome Microwave Brownies!

Ever tried your hand at making Blondies? Seeing these Blondies that Snooky Doodle of Snooky Doodle Cakes made, I am very very tempted to make these...I am sure, you will all fall in love with these as well.

I love caramel and therefore was very excited to read about these Caramel Brownies that Sowmya of Creative Saga made.

Want a fuss free, sweat free quick treat? Ashwini's Five Minute Nutty Fudge absolutely fits the bill!

Renuka of Fusion makes her Brownies with cocoa powder. Easy to put together, yet so delicious that she needs to make another batch soon after!

Swapna of Cooking with Swapna comes up with this fuss free, rum infused Rich Fruit Cake. Need I say anything more? Delicious. Yummy. Awesome...you get the picture, right?

Look at the picture...doesn't it say moist and dense? Preety's Best Zucchini bread is dark, dense, moist, sweet and flavourful.

Bananas and walnuts are just made for each other, their distinctive flavours complement each other very well and Yasmeen uses them to make this super moist, vegan Walnut Banana Bread.

And while you are here, do take a minute to take a look at my Pecan Butter Cake with Caramelised Butter frosting.

Pies:

Get your pie dishes out - for one look at this delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie sent in by Aparna of Sumi's Kitchen will make you want to try it out as well!

Yasmeen whips up this lovely Sweet Potato Pie...when she makes something, you can be sure it's gonna be healthy and yes, droolicious!


Curries, Soups and Pestos

Whenever I check Soma's blog Ecurry, I am assured of finding something unique. I am sure you will all agree after you read all about her Cauliflower tagine with Walnut Mint Couscous.

I absolutely love pesto and I have always used basil to make mine. Now basil is not something I always have in the fridge. Cilantro is always there though. So when Cham of Spice Club sent in this Farfalle with Cilantro Pesto, I was thrilled!

Just slurp Yasmeen's nutritious Mushroom Walnut Soup, creamy, nutty, tasty and healthy....what more would you want?!!

I made Fusilli in Sundried Tomato Pesto, do take a look!

Hope you enjoyed this array of walnut and pecan delights! This month, Let's Go Nuts is being hosted by JZ of Tasty Treats. Do cook with Almonds and send it to her ASAP!!