Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients (makes 50 cookies):

2 cups  butter, softened
1 cup   granulated sugar
3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ cup  cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until very light in texture, for about 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar and continue beating until sugar is completely combined, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Combine flour and cornstarch in a separate large bowl. Add to butter mixture and mix with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined.
5. Place ball of dough by heaping approximately one tablespoon  on prepared baking sheets 2” (5 cm) apart.  Press down with a fork. 
6. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden. Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

Butter icing

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter  softened at room temperature 
3-4 cups confectioners sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Approximately  4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Few drops of green food color



Directions:

1. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.
2.  Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed  until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter.
3.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. 
4. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. 
5. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.
6. Add food color and fold butter cream with spatula and Mix well.
7. Fill butter cream in piping bag with your favorite tip and decorate cookies.

Step by step procedure:

Whole wheat Dates-Almond Muffins (Eggless)

Any kind of sweet delicacy is my weakness, I know it but still can't stop myself to make an experiments. Today I was trying to make healthier muffins and I have tried my best to make it. So yummy, soft, not too sweet. You can enjoy them with tea, coffee or milk.

I bought almond flour from Costco a couple of weeks ago, so I used it in my recipe. I bought 2 bags, so I think its better to keep them in freezer, so I can use it later throughout year.

Ingredients ( makes 15-16):

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon flax seeds powder
3/8 cup sugar
5 tablespoon dates paste (6-7 dates pitted)
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon chopped walnut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Prepare muffin tray with cupcake liners app. 14-16
3. In a stand mixer or with hand blender whisk oil, vanilla extract in large bowl
4. Add milk and whisk until incorporated
5. Add date paste and mix well at medium speed for 2-3 minutes
6. In a separate bowl mix whole wheat flour, baking soda, almond flour, flax seeds powder and salt and make sure no lumps should be remaining.
7. Add flour mixture in to wet mixture gradually at medium speed for 2-3 minutes until whole batter becomes a pouring-like consistency
8. Add chopped walnuts and fold batter gently
9. Fill muffin cupcake liner 3/4 full and bake them for 40-45 minute or until toothpick  comes out clean from center.

Buttermilk Curry

Common cold is not an illness but you still feel like resting in bed all day and not doing anything. From the past three days, I am suffering from the common cold and fever :( 
I've been using various home remedies but still it takes a couple days to overcome it.
Eucalyptus oil is the best to unplug your nose and relieve you from a cold. Having turmeric in warm milk to control and eliminate cough is also a good way. Let's see how long this lasts... I am very tired of it. 

My mom always makes buttermilk curry when we are having cold and cough. Having a full bowl of  hot buttermilk curry can help you feel better when you have a cold. All kinds of soups and curries can cure flu and cold because it has many spices which are very helpful to kill bacteria and other germs.

Ingredients (serves 5-6):

2 cups yogurt 2%

5 cups water

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1/2 tablespoon garlic paste

2-3 green chilli

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon gram( chickpea) flour

3 tablespoon jaggery (Gur)

(you can use palm sugar too if jaggery is not available)

Tempering:

2 tablespoon oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

pinch of fenugreek seeds

2-3 star anise

1 stick cinnamon stick 2" long

3-4 cloves

2-3 bay leaves

5-6 curry leaves

2 red dry chili

pinch of asafoetida (Hing)

Directions:

1. In big pot whisk yogurt and make it smooth. Add water and whisk it again to make buttermilk
2. Or you can use buttermilk and add water accordingly (2 1/2 cup buttermilk and 4 cups water)
3. Add gram flour in buttermilk and whisk to make it lump free
4. Add salt, lemon juice, green chilli, ginger and garlic paste and mix well
5. On medium heat boil buttermilk and continuous stir . Whey should not be separated if you leave unattended. If whey forms then curry will not be made as we want it and also it will overflow from pot. 
6. Curry should not be cruddle so stir continuously. 
7. Boil it for 15-20 minutes then lower the flame to low medium and let it boil
8. Prepare the tempering.
9. Heat oil in small pot and add cumin seeds , mustard seeds, cloves, curry leaves,cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and asafoetida whole red chilli.
10. Tempered curry and add jaggery.
11. Let it boil for another 10 minutes.
12. Remover pot from flame and garnished with fresh cilantro.
13. Serve hot with rice pulao or khichadi.

Shrimp Corn Chowder

Sunday is always an easy going day in my household, but today me and my daughter both were so busy, packing bags for our trip to India. With lots of excitement and lots of things to get done, it is always convenient to know recipes that are easy to make.

My husband loves shrimp chowder (recipe below), so I tried vegetable corn chowder last week, for myself, and it turned out perfect. Both vegetarians and non vegetarians can enjoy! Hopefully you all like it.

Vegetable Corn Chowder

Ingredients for Shrimp Corn Chowder (serves 2):

1/2 cup parboiled potatoes
1 cup tail off cooked shrimp(frozen) 
1/3 cup onion chopped
1/4 cup celery and carrot chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Salt as per taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon spring onion for garnishing
1/4 cup corn fresh or frozen
2 tablespoon cream style corn
1 teaspoon butter

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes in small pieces and boil them in salty water until 80% cooked.
2. In a saucepan take oil and heat it at medium flame and add garlic. Saute for 30 seconds and add onion. Saute onion for 1-2 minutes until light brown.
3. Add carrot and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add frozen corn (drain it under warm water so it won't leave more water ) and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and keep the stirred vegetables aside in a small bowl.
6.  In same pan heat butter at medium heat and add all purpose flour and stir well for 30-40 seconds and add whipping cream into flour and stir continuously. Make sure no lumps form.
7. Add stirred vegetables and cream style corn, shrimps, salt and pepper. Stir until incorporated.
8. Add 1-3 tablespoon water is you feel like chowder is bit thick.
9. Serve hot with spring garnishing.

(If you want to make vegetarian chowder, don't add shrimp obviously!) 

Mango Strawberry Greek Yogurt and Dragon Fruit Green Smoothie

Life has been busy, exciting, tiring and overwhelming, but I have managed to still stay on track with things. I can't wait to see my family in India! There are many things that need to be done. I need 48 hours in a day! Today I'll go back to the mall to get some shopping done. I'll need some energy and the best recipe for boosting your energy levels up is to eat fruits, vegetables and nuts! 

Mangoes! Who says no to mangoes? No one. Love love love mangoes! My family loves them like crazy. I love fruit yogurt as well with organic blend of cereals. Yesterday I made this fruit yogurt and I love it. 

Mango Strawberry greek Yogurt:

Ingredients (serves 1):

4 tablespoon plain 0% fat greek yogurt
 1/2 cup fresh mango cut in small pieces
1/4 cup fresh strawberry cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon Qi'a superfood chia,buckwheat and hemp cereal

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and mix. Enjoy!

Calories: 155

• Very low in cholesterol
• Low in sodium
• Very high in Vitamin C
• High In dietary Fibers

I don't have any problem with dairy/non dairy products or any kind of allergies but I  prefer to not use  them in my green smoothies. Sometimes you find it tastes not like what you usually expect it to. But once you are used to it, you will love it because of the way it benefits  your body. I make different green and fruit smoothies everyday with a variety of  fruits and vegetables available in my fridge.

I have never tried dragon fruit before, so I bought one and used in my smoothie and I just loved it. What an amazing fruit! 

Dragon fruit green smoothie:

Ingredients( Serves 1):

1 small english cucumber

1/3 cup beet in small pieces

1/3 cup blueberry

1/2 dragon fruit

1/2 peach
1 tablespoon flax seeds

1/2 cup crushed ice 

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. In a blender, add all of the ingredients and blend it well to make delicious smoothie.

Calories: 335

• Very low in saturated fat 
• No Cholesterol 
• High in dietary fiber
• High in Iron
• Very high in manganese
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in Vitamin C
• Low in sodium