EGGLESS MARBLE BANANA CAKE

This is an easy recipe that makes a great looking cake. Kids just love it.   It uses the ingredients most likely you already have in your pantry, without a special trip to the shop.

I didn't even use a mixer, just stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. It was low in fat and also egg free. The classic pairing is chocolate and vanilla but there are so many more possibilities. This is my new favorite cake, it turned out wonderfully,  very moist and  tasty!

EGGLESS MARBLE BANANA BREAD
Yield     :    8 servings

1 1/4 C  all purpose flour
1 C  mashed banana
1/2 C  brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C canola oil
2 TB cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven @ 175C and grease 7 in cake pan.

Combine flour, salt, brown sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl.

Combine banana,  oil and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Now mix in banana  mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

Divide batter into 2. Add cocoa powder to one portion, sir well. Leave the other half plain.

Place the cake mixture into prepared pan by alternating spoonfuls of plain batter with chocolate batter. Using a skewer, swirl the batter to get marbled effect.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, transfer onto wire rack and allow  to cool completely.

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SPRING SOUP

I was in love with this soup when I saw it on a television show recently, I know my family will surely love them.

Spring soup cooked with your choice of vegetables with a bit of onion and seasoned with freshly ground black pepper makes a refreshing, surprisingly hearty meal.

An addition of milk will soften and enrich the soup To jazz up this soup you may add a dash of hot sauce, some shreds of cooked bacon/ chicken or a sprinkle of fresh chopped herbs like parsley or thyme.

SPRING SOUP
Yield :   6-8 servings

2.5 cups mixed vegetables (carrot, french bean, cauliflower)
2 onion chopped
2 potato mashed
6 cups water/stock
1 TB all purpose flour
2 TB olive oil
1 cup milk
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper
4 TB grated cheese (optional)

METHOD

Heat  the oil in a deep saucepan, add the onion, saute until translucent.

Add in mixed vegetables, stir for 2 minutes, add 5 cups water and bring to boil. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Mix flour with the balance of water, make sure there is no lump..

Now mix in mashed potato, milk and flour mixture,bring to a slow boil.

Season with black pepper and salt, when ready to serve, ladle into bowls or mugs, top with  grated cheese.

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SAVORY HAND PIES

Hand pie is an individual serving of a  buttery and flaky pastry stuffed with either sweet or savory filling. This also makes a great portable snack during  picnics or small gatherings.

They are so versatile that you can use your leftover chicken, meat,  veggies or even fruit preserve  as their filling. Hand pies  can be make well in advance and stored in the freezer.

It is so much easier if you grate the hard block of butter rather than to wait until you are able to cut them up. This way, it is easily incorporated to form a dough.

If you don't feel like messing with  veggies, you can opt for frozen mixed vegetables. It works great.

SAVORY HAND PIES
Serves     :      6

PASTRY DOUGH

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
10  tablespoons cold butter
1/2 tsp salt
5-7  tablespoons ice water

DIRECTION

Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add  in butter, mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time until it forms into soft dough.

Cover in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

FILLING

3 cups cut vegetables (carrrot, bean, potato, peas)
1/2 tsp ginger minced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tomatoes chopped
2 onion chopped
1/2  tablespoon chili powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
2 tablespoons curry powder
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil
water

METHOD

Heat the oil, saute the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.

Add in tomatoes, cook until it turns soft.

Mix in the chili powder and curry powder, fry until oil separates.

Throw in carrot and potato (hard vegetables first) and  1/2 cup water (if still hard, add more water),  simmer until half cooked.

Now add the bean and peas, cook until all vegetable are soft and almost dry..

Add in garam masala, stir well and remove from heat.

Transfer into plate and let it cool completely.

ASSEMBLING THE HAND PIES

Divide the dough into half, keep the other half covered. Roll out dough into 1/8 in thick.

Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out into 5 in circles.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling, fold into half, press the edges together, crimp them with a fork

Make a slit with a knife on top of the crust and place into baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Preheat oven @ 185C.

Brush with butter and bake for 25-30 minutes  until golden brown.

Let stand to cool slightly before serving.

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NUTELLA YEAST BREAD

A little twist to our regular yeast bread. This Nutella Yeast Bread  has mashed banana and nutella spread in it.

So easy to prepare and doesn't require kneading at all. What you need is a mixing bowl to combine and let it rise for about an hour before baking.

It  rose almost double when baking so make sure to use deep baking pan.  They turned out beautifully. Everyone loved it!

NUTELLA YEAST BREAD
Yield    :     8-10 servings

1 1/2  cup all purpose flour
1  cup mashed banana
1/2  cup  brown sugar
1/4  cup melted butter
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2  cup nutella
1/4  tsp salt
1/4  cup milk

METHOD

Grease your 8 in deep cake pan.

Combine flour and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add in brown sugar and salt. stir well.

In a small bowl, whisk nutella, melted butter, milk and banana.

Add nutella mixture to the dry ingredients, fold  until well incorporated.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, let rise for an hour. Toward the end of raising time, preheat oven @ 175C.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

This goes to 6th World Nuttela Day

and the following host:
                                   msadventuresinitaly
                                   bleedingespresso

Linking to  Yeastspotting 2-10-12  

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EGGLESS NUTELLA COOKIES

Cookies are one of my family favorite tea time snacks. They are quick to make so does this Eggless Nutella Cookies. It is an easy recipe and  does not require chilling. The tasty combination of cookies dough with delicious nutella make them a yummy snack any time of the day.

They are healthier and make you fully satisfied.  I had used whole wheat flour and very low sugar but this is entirely up to you. The dough is so great to work with. If they are crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Roll the the dough by hand to get smooth ball then flatten slightly and top with almond flakes or other nuts  you have on hand.  They turned out amazing, crunchy outside but soft inside. Totally addictive!

EGGLESS NUTELLA COOKIES
Yield   :   20-22  cookies

1/2  C  whole wheat flour
1/2  C  all purpose flour
1/4 C  softened  butter
6   Tablespoons  nutella spread
1/4 C  brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1-2  Tablespoons of milk if needed
almond flakes for decoration

METHOD

Combine both flour  and  baking powder  in a mixing bowl

Cream butter, nutella and brown sugar until well incorporated.

Add butter mixture and vanilla to the flour, form into soft dough.

Preheat oven @ 160C, roll our dough into 1-in ball. Flatten lightly and dot with almond.

Bake for 20 minutes, Let sit in the pan for 5 minutes, Transfer onto rack to cool.

When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

This goes to 6th World Nutella Day


                                                     

And the following host:
                                    msadventuresinitaly
                                    bleedingespresso

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