Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Tested

Its been a while since I baked cookies. Oatmeal and chocolate combo is something I did not think about, until my nephew mentioned that he liked it the best. In my search on line I came across this recipe mentioned in Baking Sheet which was taken from the book The Frog Commissary Cookbook. I followed the recipe and what I tasted was something perfect and wonderful especially when taken out of the oven and chewed on. It does have a wonderful flavor and I warmed it up in the microwave for a few seconds before I had it every time once it had cooled because it was perfect when it was warm.




Gadgets:

Baking Tray

Mixing bowls

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ice Cream scooper

Hand held electrical mixer

Parchment paper


Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant") (I used rolled oats)
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.) (I used semi sweet chocolate)



Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix with the butter, sugars, vanilla together and then add one egg at a time.

3. Mix together baking powder soda, flour, oats, salt and chocolate chips.

4. Mix the wet and dry until they are mixed and place 1 inch balls on the parchment paper allowing 1 1/2 inches between them.

5. Bake for 14 minutes but do flip the tray half way to bake evenly.It will be a little soft when removed from oven allow it to sit for a few minutes on a rack before storing them.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Fool Proof Mysore Pak That Tastes Like The One From Krishna Sweets

Krishna Sweets in Coimbatore is very popular for its mysore pak. I know of so many people who love this sweet in my family and among my friends circle. The closest to the one in Krishna Sweets was this recipe that Mrs. Saraswathi Vishwanathan shared with me. She also gave me a hands on demo in preparing the perfect mysore pak that I have tasted so far in the U.S. I know most of you want to stay away from this sweet because it is made with lots of clarified butter or browned butter. The spin on that is substituting one cup of ghee with regular olive oil to make it a little healthy, not that it gets any healthy because the channa flour needs to be bathed in that fat to produce the perfect mysore pak. For all those mysore pak lovers I am sending it to JFI: Chickpea hosted by Sometime Foodie and Just For You event hosted by Alka of Sindhirasoi.

Gadgets:

Heavy Bottom Wok

Metal Spatula

Heavy Bottom Saucepan

Bowl

Prepared Tray

Pizza Cutter


Ingredients:

Besan Flour - 1 cups

Sugar- 2 cups

Ghee - 1 1/2 cups

Olive Oil - 1/2 cup

Water - 3/4 cup


Preparation:

1. Heat ghee and olive oil in a saucepan. Place the heat on low.

2. Heat the wok and add 2 tbsp ghee and roast the channa/ besan flour for 5 minutes or until the raw smell leaves. Remove and place in a bowl.

3. In that same wok add sugar and water and allow it to reach 100 degrees in the candy thermometer or 1 string consistency.



4. Add 5 tsp of the ghee oil mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Then add the roasted channa/ besan flour to the sugar liquid and mix well to remove all the clumps and make it into a smooth pasty liquid.

5. Keep mixing well for about 20-30 minutes on medium high until the mixture begins to froth and leaves the sides and keep adding the ghee that is kept warm a little by little.

6. Transfer it onto the prepared tray and cut into squares or diamonds using the pizza cutter.

Spicy Arborio Vegetable Rice

I had a packet of Arborio rice sitting in my pantry for over 2 months. Originally I wanted to make risotto but since I was out of white wine at home I decided to make a veggie rice with it. I have never cooked this rice before but I know that it was very starchy from watching food network. One of those moments which called me to go with the tide and come up with something that I have never prepared before. Used a lot of carrots, bell pepper, peanuts, rice bread croutons to make the rice. I thought it tasted a little like vangi bath and a little like Chinese fried rice. Did I like this one? Yes especially when it had peanuts and crunchy rice croutons in them.

Gadgets:

Cutting Board
Knife
Wok
Measuring cup and Spoon
Saucepan with a lid


Ingredients:

Arborio rice - 2 cups

Carrots - 2 cups finely chopped into tiny cubes

Bell Pepper - 1 cut in the same size as carrots

Peanuts - 1 cups toasted or roasted

Green Chilli - 1 ( add more for extra spice)

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Udad dhal - 1 tbsp

Vangi bath powder - 2 tsp

Salt

Pepper

Maggi chilli garlic sauce - 1/4 cup ( or add to your taste)

Spring onions - 2 tbsp

Water = 3 cups

Oil - 2 tbsp

Rice Bread - 4 silces toasted and cubed




Preparation:


1. Soak rice in water for 20 minutes and drain.

2. Boil the water in a saucepan with some salt and then cook the rice on medium low covered for 15- 20 minutes.

3. Heat the wok and add some oil. when the oil warms up add mustard seeds (allow it to pop) and then some channa dal, udad dhal and green chillis.

4. When the dhal turn golden brown add carrot and bell pepper and cook well. Add vangi bath and the maggi sauce and mix well.

5. Add the cooked rice and coat it well with the veggie mix.

6. Add roasted peanuts, croutons and spring onions and serve it hot.

Few Minute Remidies For Cold or Cough Using Cumin/ Ajwain

With winter comes snow and cold or cough. All the over indulgence during the holidays and lack of exercise makes most people fall sick. According to Madhioli Saraswathi, also known as Akka to me recommends that we have Jeera (Cumin)/ Ajwain(omam) water on a regular basis to keep our body temperature in sync with the changing seasons. My family and I have been doing just that and it always helps a lot especially when one initially catches a cold or have a terrible cough, sour throat. In fact, it helped me get over my cold faster without expanding into a flu or cough. Either by diluting the concentrated portion with warm water and drinking through the day or by adding honey to the concentrate and having 3 tbsp morning and evening it helps the cold to disappear faster. I give it to my daughter every day when the seasons change to keep her from catching a cold.

NOTE: I know that most people have pepper as a cure for cold and cough, but personally I stay away from pepper to avoid the common cold to become a bad cough. For some reason all the leaky nose dries up and results in a dry cough. So please stay away from pepper and you can cruise through your cold with cumin/ajwain water.

Gadgets:

Sauce pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Filter



Ingredients:

Water - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 3 tbsp
Omam/ajwain - 1 tsp
Basil / Tulasi - 4 leaves(optional)
Honey - 6 tsp




Preparation:

1. Boil water and add cumin seeds, ajwain seeds and boil for 5 minutes on low heat.

2. After 5 minutes remove from heat and add basil or tulasi leaves to it and allow to soak up.

3. Filter the liquid and add honey to it and have 3 tbsp of the liquid. The excess can be stored in the fridge and warmed.

4. For those who can handle without honey you can keep adding this to a warm cup of water and keep drinking them.

Note: This is however an home remedy and can be tried but is not the only way to heal your cold or cough.

RCI : Chettinadu Vegetarian Cuisine For The New Year

It all began when my friend Mythreyee of Paajaka thought I could host the RCI event started by Lakshmik of Veggie Cuisine for the month of Jan and gave her slot to me. This is the first event I am hosting for my blog and I am very excited about it. With Mythreyee's help I am sure I would be able to do a good job.

http://www.karaikudi.com/locationmap.htm

This month's Regional Cuisine Of India event focuses on Chettinadu Vegetarian Cusine. Chettinadu is a region in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. A part of the Sivagangai district with Karaikudi as its capital. Its home to the Nattukotai Chettiyars who are known for their business acumen and baking. The food from this region is much sought after because its very auromatic and spicy. Though they are well known for the non vegetarian preparations, the RCI event is a all vegetarian one. Chettinadu vegetarian food mostly consists of Kara Kozhambu, Cooked Dhal, Drumstick Sambar, Ghee, Rice, Rasam, Payasum, Vegetable Curry. As wikipedia reports, they are also well known for rice based tiffin varities like idiyappam, paniyaram, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram, adikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi & athirasam.

The common spices used in the cuisine are red chillies, star aniseed, fenugreek, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, fennel seeds, tamarind, marathi mokku and dagad phool. The perfect use of spices and grains makes this style of cuisine one of my favorites. Its such a great opportunity to host this event. For all those South Indian food lovers I am sure you would like to try out chettinadu cuisine and post them in your blog.

If you are not aware of this kind of cuisine here are a few links that could help you:

1. Indian Food Co.
2. Indo Base.
3. Coimbatore City.
   

Here are the rules for participation in the event:

1. Write a post about Chettinadu Cuisine on your blog by Feb 5th.
2. Email me at foody.guru@gmail.com with RCI:Chettinadu Vegetarain Cuisine in the subject and with the following details:
   • Your Name,
   • Recipe Name,
   • Blog Name,
   • Permalink to the post
3. Please mention RCI: Chettinadu Vegetarian Cuisine in your post and use the logo if you can.

Good luck and enjoy preparing some Chettinadu food. Looking forward to receiving your mails. Thank you!

Happy New Year!!

For the loving wishes from fellow blogger's and all the visitors to my blog I would like to wish you all a very happy new year. I wish you all have abundance of good health, wealth, happiness, luck, love, fun, laughter and amazing experiences.