Oatmeal Pecan Jam Bars

 Bar cookies are a classic lunch box treat.
These are good anytime!

I used seedless raspberry jam, because
that's my favorite.

You can either mix this in a food processor,
with a mixer, or with your fingers.

A few zaps, scraping down the sides as

you go to get it combined.

  Everything in at once.

 Break up any large clumps.
Reserve 1 cup of this mixture.

Press the remaining into the bottom of a greased
(use the butter wrapper) 9x13 pan.

 If your pecans aren't already chopped, put
them in the the processor and pulse a few times.

Then add the reserved crumb mixture and

pulse again to combine.

 Spread 1 cup of your favorite jam onto
the bottom crust.

 Spread evenly and then top evenly with

 the remaining crumb-pecan mixture.

 Bake @350º for about 35 minutes.

 Or until the crust is golden and the jam is
bubbling through in a few places.
Let cool for 25 minutes before cutting.

Oatmeal~Pecan Jam Bars
3/4 C chopped pecans
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C butter, cold and cut up
1-1/2 C flour
1-1/2 C oatmeal
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt
1 C jam ~ I love raspberry!
Mix together the brown sugar, flour, oats, salt
soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut in the cold
butter with your fingers until the mixture gets
crumbly.  You can use a food processor. Reserve
about 1 C of the mixture and press the rest into
a greased (I use the butter wrapper for this)
 9x13 pan. Spread the jam evenly over the
bottom crust. Combine the chopped pecans with
 the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle
over the top. Bake @350º for 35-40
minutes. Let cool for 25 minutes, then cut
into bars or squares.

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum

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Mocha Pancakes | Eggless Pancake Recipes

If you are a morning coffee person, you would love these for breakfast. If you are not a coffee person, you would love these anytime. This is a super simple chocolate pancake recipe, with no eggs. The touch of coffee is sure to wake your senses and get you geared up for the day. 

Ingredients:
Makes 8 pancakes
Adapted from Sailu's recipe
All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2-1/2 tsp
Instant Coffee Powder - 2 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp - melted
Oil -  2 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 2 tbsp plus more if needed

Method:
Whisk the dry ingredients together using a sieve or whisk until well mixed without lumps. Mix the butter, oil, milk and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk briskly. The batter should be well mixed, but a few lumps are fine. Set the batter aside until the griddle is heated. When it is heated, use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter and pour on the griddle. Let it spread on its own. When bubbles start appear on the top, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two. Serve with maple syrup or chocolate spread, okay, there cannot be too much chocolate, can it.. 
Notes:
If you want to make it vegan, skip the butter and substitute milk with almond, soy or coconut milk. If the batter is thick, add one or two more tbsp of water as needed.

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Butternut Squash Rajma Kurma | Indian Curry Recipes

A tasty, wholesome curry with lots of flavours. That is how I would define a korma. This recipe is true to that definition. A delicate vegetable and hearty beans combined with yogurt and spices, it is a great side for Jeera Rice and Rotis. This can be treated as a base recipe and different combinations of vegetables (Butternut squash, Pumpkin, Winter melon, Bottle gourd) and beans (Rajma, Black Eyed peas, Chickpeas) can be added. This recipe serves a large crowd, so I make and freeze half of the portion for later use.

Ingredients:
Serves - 4-6
Recipe from Priya
Butternut Squash - 1/2 of a squash - cut into half inch cubes
Red kidney beans / Rajma - cooked - 2 cups
Onion - 1 cup - chopped
Tomato - 1 - chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Make a paste:
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Khus Khus / Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp

Method:
Make a smooth paste with yogurt, khus khus and cashewnuts. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry the onions until they are soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute. Add the chopped tomato with a pinch of salt and saute until they turn mushy. Add the spice powders and fry for a minute. Throw the cubed butternut squash pieces and saute for about 5 minutes. Add half a cup of water and cover and cook until the squash is almost cooked. Add the cooked beans, ground paste and salt to taste. Mix in required quantity of water for the kurma and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot with roti or pulao.

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Honey Boo Boo Chicken

You're in for a treat with this easy and very

 yummy chicken recipe.

I gave it it's funny name because of the friends 

that shared their favorite recipe. Cathy, and her

sister Liz  had just confessed their guilty pleasure

of watching Honey Boo Boo while we were 

chatting. Liz was busy making her special 

honey chicken for their dinner.

 Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel

It doesn't hurt to have a white wine spritzer

(in the background) while you cook.

 Heat the oil and lots of garlic powder in a large 

skillet on medium high. Be generous with the 

garlic. Add the chicken. This recipe works well 

whether you're cooking for one or six. Just use 

1 chicken breast per person and be

generous with the garlic, salt, pepper and honey.

No need to measure. I gave measurements just 

to give you an idea of amounts. More is best!

Season with more garlic powder and salt and 

pepper to taste.

When almost cooked, drizzle in lots of honey, 

about 1T per breast.

 Stir frequently until it begins to caramelize.

It will turn a lovely medium brown.

Prepare a salad of romaine hearts and 

sliced or chopped cucumber. Toss with

my Garlic and Dill Dressing from

the previous post. Pile the salad on dinner

 plates and top with the

Honey Boo Boo Chicken! 

The contrast of the garlicky crisp salad

 topped with the sweet crispy chicken is 

delicious!

Honey Boo Boo Chicken

 2 boneless chicken breasts,

 cut into bite size pieces

2T olive oil

 1t garlic powder

3T honey

1/2t salt & 1/2t pepper

Add enough oil to cover the bottom 

of a large skillet. On Medium high, heat the oil 

and garlic powder; add the chicken pieces

 and saute until almost cooked through.

While cooking add more garlic powder, salt

and pepper to taste. Add about 1 generous

tablespoon of honey per breast and stir 

frequently until chicken has caramelized 

to a lovely medium brown.

Serve over a bed of chopped romaine hearts

and diced English cucumber that has been

tossed with garlic-dill dressing.

serves 2

(multiple recipe as needed)

Enjoy!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum, Common Ground,
The Charm Of Home

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The Best of Brunch: Organic, Vegetarian, Edible Simplicity
by Ayesha Khan
Link: http://amzn.com/1479278483 

   

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Kathirikai Gothsu / Brinjal Kothsu | South Indian Curry Recipes

Like most South-Indian homes, we almost never run out of dosa batter. But whenever it happens, a quick upma or pongal is my saviour. Ven Pongal is best had with Coconut chutney. I was in this assumption until one of my friends told me what he was having for breakfast. Ven Pongal with Kathirikai kothsu. It was a new combination which I have not tasted before. I had been wanting to ask his wife how she made the gothsu, but never got a chance to ask. So I set out to make it myself one fine day. 

Ingredients:
Serves - 3-4
Eggplant - 1 large - cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Onions - 1/2 cup -chopped
Ripe Tomato - 1 small - chopped
Tamarind - size of half a lime - soaked in 1 cup warm water
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 2-3 cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
Spice mix
Dry red chillies - 3 big
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch

Method:
Heat a few drops of oil and roast the ingredients under spice mix for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool and make a fine powder in a mixie. Extract thick juice from tamarind. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wide pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard splutters add the onions and fry for a minute. Add the chopped tomato and eggplant and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the tamarind juice, turmeric, salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook until the eggplant is cooked through and mushy, about 12-15 minutes in med-high heat. Stir occasionally while cooking. When the eggplant is fully cooked and most of the water is evaporated, mash it well with the back of the ladle/wooden spoon. An old fashioned mathu would work perfectly in this case. Add the remaining water and the spice powder. Allow to come to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve for idli/dosa/pongal.

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Garlic and Dill Dressing

Here's a favorite creamy dressing that's 

quick and easy to make.

 Just combine a few staples.
The garlic powder amount is not a typo.
Yes, use 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons.

Put everything in a jar and
shake, shake, shake.

It's great on a salad of 

romaine hearts and cut up cucumber.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

It's the salad I use as a base when I make

stir fri Honey Boo Boo Chicken, 

...which I'll post next. 

Garlic and Dill Dressing

1C olive oil mayonnaise (or plain)

1/3 C olive oil

1/3 C water

1-1/2 T garlic powder

1/2 t dill

Put all ingredients in a jar and

shale, shake, shake until well mixed.

Chill for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!
Rita

Links: Dwellings,
The Tablescaper,
Between Naps On The Porch

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