Making a good seafood choice on the iPhone and an award

Things have been busy and I have hardly found time to go blog surfing. Will be visiting all your blogs sooner than later hopefully. This is not going to be a post on food, but rather to mention a few things which I want to finally get done with.

First:
Seafood Watch (Montery Bay Aquarium) has come up with an application for the iPhone or iPhone touch where you can quickly go through the recommendations on seafood and make a good (environment friendly) choice anywhere at a restaurant or while shopping for fish.
You can also get the recommendations if you have a mobile phone with an Internet connection. Online pocket guides are available at mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

Now coming to an award I have got from two wonderful bloggers:

Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes
and
Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner


Thanks a ton! It does feel good to get appreciated for one's efforts at blogging. Thanks a lot for having thought of me!

Now it is time that I also pass it on as this award has been sitting unnoticed for a bit too long.
Now here I need to mention that it is not very clear to me what the idea behind this award is. (A Refreshing Blog- see update at bottom)
Wonder if "lemonade" represents something, I don't know of?
Anybody who can help?
But, at the same time, I feel the main purpose of these awards is to tell the other (blogger), yes, I like/love your work, an appreciation. So, this is how I pass it on to my fellow bloggers:


Anudivya of ...and a little bit more...

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen

Curry leaf of Experiments, Emotions, Experiences with food

Deesha of Vegetable Platter

N&A of Delectably Yours

Soma of eCurry

Sowmya of Creative Saga

Sunshinemom of Tongueticklers

Swapna of Cooking With Swapna

It is a lot of fun to be blogging just because of you all.
Now, before I publish this I must mention that I'm a bad case of dementia! :D
So, I would like to pass on the "lemonade" to all those who pass by and leave a comment and make my day! Thanks a lot!

Update: Anudiya clarified that the lemonade equals "refreshing". And yes, that makes sense. WOW! That sounds even more wonderful! So, once again Thanks a lot!

Eggless Apple cake with Caramel sauce

I wanted to make this cake after I saw Madhuram's announcement to bake egg less cake with silken tofu. I was totally surprised, as I had never heard before that one could use tofu to replace eggs in baking. For that matter, I had never bothered to know of any egg replacers. But, then my father, who is a vegetarian, would have loved to eat a home made egg less cake, and isn't it much more healthy to replace eggs with silken tofu? Yes of course! The only restriction I have is that I have plan something like this in advance, as I don't get silken tofu locally, but only in the city centre.
I was so curious to know how it would turn out. But, by the time I had got to now of the recipe, I had two weeks of time and I usually bake only on weekends, and somehow didn't get time to bake and missed the event. But, I knew I had to bake it despite that. And I also wanted to use a normal recipe prepared with eggs and replace the eggs with silken tofu. So I did!

I used my recipe - a recipe I got from my friend- the recipe of 2's, which I have modified though to a certain extent. This time I wanted to stick to the original recipe as much as possible.
Here are the changes I have made:
I used 200 g 150 g margarine (no hydrogenated fats) instead of butter
I replaced the 2 eggs with 100 g silken tofu, whisked thoroughly with a hand stick blender
I used 80 g currents and 3-5 apples (enough to cover a 26 cm springform pan) as a topping

And I made a caramel sauce using Ivy's recipe. It was delicious!


This is a very special cake. Special.... once, because it was my first ever effort to replace eggs with something vegan and it also came out so wonderful, a big success! And special also because I feel I have found the perfect egg replacer for such butter cakes I make quite often. But, the bestthing about it is the very special flavour tofu imparted to the cake. I cannot describe it in words, but it was so delicious!
Now, sine tofu is a lot of protein and the flour contains a lot of starch, so this was a result of maillard reaction, so vital to cooking without which what would food taste of?! Now, I'm sorry if I made your mood off with my explanations from chemistry for food. I find it quite fascinating and I assume that you also find it like that too.

Now, to another sweet thing to talk about...
I was loaded with these lovely awards (and a tag - will follow soon) from two wonderful blogger friends - I feel so good saying this :) - Priya and N33ma. I consider myself a comparatively new blogger, although I was surprised to see recently how long I have been blogging now and actually feel not so new any more, but it is all becuse of you all, my blog viewers without whom it wouldn't be half as much fun.
Dear Priya, dear N33ma, thank you so much! Thank you for having thought of me and extending your hand of friendship! It makes me feel good. Tight hugs to you both!




And I got these award also from N33ma. How I love to own them! Thanks a lot N33ma!
I would like to forward these to all my blogger friends, for passing by and taking your time to leave comments and taking notice of my blog - one of thousands of wonderful blogs out there. Please forgive me if I leave out anybody's name, but it is truely meant for all of those who visit my blog, regularly or irregularly:

Anudivya of ...and a little bit more...

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen

Aparna of Sumi's Weblog

Aparna of Three Mangoes

Curry leaf

Deesha of Vegetable Platter

G. Pavani of Food Lovers

Ivy of Kopiaste

Laxmi Venkatesh of Kitchen Chronicles

Malar Gandhi of Kitchen Tantra

N&A of Delectably Yours

Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

RC of Redchillies

Soma of eCurry

Sunshinemom of Tongueticklers


Now, it maybe that you already have a couple or all of these awards, so it is upto you if you wish to just add me to the list of bloggers who awarded you and leave it at that or pass it on and do the tag of seven.
Just wanted to add: I'm sorry, but I'll do the tag soon, it is right now under process here!

Orange quark creme with Blackberry sauce

We have been to a number of forests and natural reserves here where you find wild berries growing everywhere, edible ones. So, earlier when we would go for our bicycle tours, hubby and me, during summers we would take a small break and simultaneously stuff our mouths with some yummy berries growing there. We just couldn't resist it. I love plucking and collecting berries on my own. It is such a big pleasure incomparable to anything else. The ones we buy in the market are a lot of times much bigger, but not necessarily better in taste and compare no ways to the fun associated with the former.
So, I knew right from the beginning, as soon as we moved into this house, that I'll be planting different berry plants.
Now we have a number of those in our garden. And this year we enjoyed our first round of blackberries from our own garden and we got quite many of them. The happiest person in the family was of course my sunny boy, ecstatic with joy on hearing that we can finally pluck another round berries, every time I told him that some more had ripened. So, Rishab enjoyed the handful of blackberries he got each time.
But, I had no chance to collect so many to be able to bake anything. But, I didn't even want to. I think the best way to eat them is fresh, as they are, rich in vitamins and minerals and pigments which are good antioxidants. A lot of health packed in these small fruits.
But, then I came across this recipe in a booklet which I saw in my Recipes ring binder. And liked it so much that I had to make it. So, I went searching for some blackberries, which wasn't easy to find as the season was ending, as it was already middle of October. But, I at least found one packet of fresh ones. Then I went searching for the frozen ones, but couldn't find any, except mixed together with other fruits. The only thing I could find separately was raspberries and I felt that would do fine for the sauce.
(I'm sorry, my picture are suffering in quality, not that they were ever so good, but the failing sunlight- whichever time of the day-is making me experiment a little bit, hopefully will have some better results soon)

So, here goes the recipe....

Orange quark creme with Blackberry sauce

Based on the recipe from the booklet
"Kochen und Backen mit Grafschafter "

Serves 4-6 people
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes


Ingredients:

Orange creme
300 g Magerquark (low fat quark, 0.1 % fat)
200 g cream cheese
75 ml juice of fresh oranges (like Valancia oranges; DE: Saftorangen)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1-2 tbsp zest of oranges (with untreated skin)
2 tbsp confectioners sugar or to taste (or use syrup)
a few drops Orange liquor (Like Cointreaue)-optional, I left it out

Blueberry sauce
2-3 tbsp Grafschafter Apfelschmaus* (I used golden syrup instead)
250 g Blackberries (fresh or frozen)
(I used 100 g fresh blackberries and 200 g frozen raspberries)
100 ml black grape juice
(I used some orange juice instead)
roasted slivered almonds (optional)
mint or lemon balm leaves for decorating (optional)

* A syrup made by cooking apples and pears. No sugar is added. It is dark in colour and it's sweetness comes from the natural sweetness of the apple

Method:

• mix together all the ingredients for the orange quark creme and keep in the fridge until required
  
• For the sauce, heat and melt the frozen raspberries along with the juice and add the goldensyrup (or Apfelschmaus)
• cook till the sauce starts to thicken, then add the fresh blackberries, cook further till they turn slightly soft
• remove a couple of the blackberries and keep aside
  
• puree everything else or directly pass through a sieve or strainer to remove the seeds
• cook further for a few minutes, if required or
  
• serve with the orange quark creme
  

This was a wonderful dessert. The flavours of orange and the berries combined together with the creaminess of quark. If only it was not so rich and I would have eaten three times the portion. This is one dessert sure to make you happy. I don't think I need to say much as the pictures tell it all, don't they?!

Now, since I did not find enough blackberries, I used frozen raspberries, which made the colour of the sauce lighter in shade, but it was still quite purple in colour even if the pictures make it look more like redish.
Therefore, this one goes to a wonderful event Food in Colours (FIC) held at Sunshinemom's Tongueticklers with this months theme being Purple and Black
Now, let's talk about another pleasant thing. Yes, about awards!
Lovely Ivy of Kopiaste passed me this Award:

And here are the people I would like to forward it to:

Anudivya of ...a little bit more...
Jude of Apple Pies, Patis & Pâté
Sunshinemom of Tongueticklers

Jams, Chutneys and another Award !!

I have been talking about posting the recipes of my jams and chutneys I have been making since long. And finally I have managed to put them down from my diary to my "cyber-cookbook" here!

For the recipes, please go here.

These were the different ways I enjoyed eating my chutneys and jams...

MANGO PINEAPPLE GINGER CHUTNEY
...on a slice of bread,

...with buckwheat-potao pakodas,

TOMATO APPLE ONION CHUTNEY (RELISH)


with my delicious zucchini bread, both made fresh at that moment........eternal bliss till the last bite!
We have been enjoying them with all kinds of things. It was a wonderful decision to make this chutney, whose inspiration came from a Dr. Oetker booklet on jams and relishes. But, I made mine with a lot more Indian spices.

MANGO PINEAPPLE RASPBERRY JAM
Heaven on toast.... The best jam I have made so far! Rishab loves it too, but he loves the simple strawberry jam I made for him (picture not shown) as much too!

FIGS GINGER CHUTNEY
Turned out to be much spicier than I expected. Even though I am enjoying eating it, I would reduce or maybe even leave out fresh ginger net time (next year!), as the taste of figs is getting hidden behind that of ginger. I can imagine my father telling me that it has turned out perfect, but next time I might try adding more cinammon and cloves instead and maybe also ground green cardamoms (for recipe - see link on top).

Here are a few pictures to show the steps :
Wash, peel, chop and / or puree (or both) the fruits....
add citric acid (or lemon juice) and sugar/gelly sugar to it, mix and let stand for a while...
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. and bottle them in cooked jars or botttels.
Turn them up side down....
for about 5-10 minutes or even sometimes 15-20 minutes, before turning them back. Helps create a vaccum!
Let it cool down.
Keep in a cool, dark and dry place or at best in the refrigerator.
Use within a few months. I have kept my jams in the fridge for up to a year and they tasted excellent even at the end of the year. Chutneys, I have made them for the first time and being not so sweet, I'm not sure if they will all stay good for so long too. Maybe it would depend on the ingredients.
Important Note: Do not tighten the bottles again after they have cooled down!!

While making such preserves, one has to keep in mind that they should contain enough of the fruit acids, like citric acids or others. There are fruits which have low amounts of it. berries like red currents are usually sour enough that they do not neccesarily require any addition of citric acid, for example. On the other hand, mango, pineapple, pears, peaches and such similar fruits require addition of citric acid or any fruit acid (ascorbic acid - vitamin C , but it gets damaged by heat!).
Sugar is a natural preservative, but since too high amounts are not healthy, a good sterile working method while preparing them is a good idea. Cook the preserves for long enough, if you plan to keep them for long. Amounts which are to be used up fast (within weeks) don't need too many precautions.

And now about something special which made me feel sooooooo very happy! Dear Ivy of Kopiaste awarded me with this :
This is my second award now. Now, need I tell you, why I am happy? I guess not! And I must say that I am as happy to get it as I was the first time.
I would soon forward it to others, once I have come down from cloud 9 ! :)

Chicken makkhan..... and an Award!

Chicken, as many of you might know, I make quite often. So, this time I started with a whim, I felt like using fenugreek and then slowly the dish took its form in my mind until I knew I was going to make chicken makkhan, also called butter chicken in English.
Since I have made this dish a couple of times I really don't need a recipe book, but still I went through many different versions online, to make sure I was going to make it as true to its name, but at the end it has to be MY recipe, isn't it?
Since I was in the mood of fenugreek leaves, I didn't hesitate to add a nice portion of it into the dish, and it tasted delicious. Usually I also add some heavy cream, but this time I didn't have any (purposefully! need I explain why? the name itself says it all: HEAVY cream). I have found that even though I plan to add a little bit of butter and only a little bit of cream, ultimately things get out of hand, and though the dish turns our good, but you are worried about those calories. But then to do justice to this dish , the name of this dish, I had to make sure to add enough butter, not that i wouldn't have done it otherwise. And as you see I just couldn't resist adding some chopped carrots either. It does the dish full justice.

For the recipe, read on...

Ingredients:

400 g chicken fillet (boneless and skin less), washed, pat dried and cubed

Marinade:
mix together
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander seeds, ground

1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp oil

Onion paste:
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 garlic, chopped coarsely
1 onion, chopped coarsely

whole spices:
1 tsp cumin
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 star anis
1 two inch piece of cinnamon

3 tomatoes, pureed
2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 large carrot, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons, ground almonds
2 heaped tbsp cold butter
1 tbsp oil
salt, to taste

Method:

• Marinate chicken pieces for 15 to 30 minutes with the spices in the refrigerator covered, or until required
  
• Prepare the onion paste by grinding the ingredients together in a blender
• heat oil in a saute pan, fry the chicken on medium to high heat and take out and set aside
• roast the whole spices in 1 tbsp butter
• add the onion paste and 1 more tbsp butter and fry on medium heat till golden brown
• add carrots fry for short and then add the tomato puree and some salt, cook till it thickens
• add the ground almonds and fenugreek leaves
• return the chicken into the sauce
  
• cook further till done, adjust salt to taste
• take out the whole cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise, if desired
  
• serve warm with plain basmati rice or rotis (indian bread)

This was a total pleasure to have made this dish, which we all enjoyed eating equally well. The flavours of the wonderful spices each of which blended together in this dish to give it a wonderful, harmonious and rich taste. The best way to eat it is either with hot Indian rotis or simply with plain basmati rice which compliment its flavours wonderfully.

This recipe goes to the Event Think Spice, think Fenugreek at Kittens in the Kitchen.

And, it also goes to Srilekha's Event "Chicken" taking place this month and the following month of Oktober.

******************************************************

Now, about something very very special. Something which has made me so very happy. I have got this award from the lovely and smart Aparna Inguva of Three Mangoes. This is my very first at this blog, which has grown from a my simple effort to just collect my tried and tested recipes to a new passion. Thank you so much Aparna!
I would like to pass on this award to :

Aparna of Sumi's weblog
Ivy of Kopiaste
Sunshine mom of Tongueticklers
RC of Redchillies
Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen

If I could I would make an "Excellent " out of it.
Gals, you deserve it!