Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This is one of my favorite breads. By reducing the oil content to certain extent, the taste can still be kept making it a healthy and yummy dish.

Ingredients:

3 eggs (or equivalent egg whites)
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
 - (I use 2/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup milk for low fat recipe)
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped almonds (tastes great with Walnuts too)
2 cups grated zucchini

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans well.
2. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and soda.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored; beat in sugar and oil. Stir in vanilla, zucchini, and cooled chocolate. Mix dry ingredients into zucchini mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 60 minutes (50 min in my oven), or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 to 20 minutes, then flip onto racks to finish cooling.

Corn Bhel Puri

Ingredients:
1 cup boiled fresh corn chilled
1/2 cup grated carrot1 medium onion chopped fine
1 medium tomato chopped fine
1/2 cup coriander chopped fine
1 large potato boiled
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sev (fine)
1 tsp chat masala
1 tsp lime juice
1 finely chopped green chilly (or equivalent paste)
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powdered.

Method:
If using plain yoghurt, tie the it in a muslin cloth for 2 hours to drain out the water (I use Greek yogurt). Chop potato finely. Keep aside sev and half the coriander. Just before serving mix ingredients well in a large mixing bowl.
Transfer to individual bowls. Garnish with sev and coriander. Serve with milk Shakes or tea.
Making time: 15 minutes (excl boiling time)
Serves: 6
Best served fresh

Cornbread

Low calorie cornbread with less Eggs

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Polenta (cornmeal)
3/4 cup All Purpose flour
1/4 cup caster sugar ( or plain)
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh corn
Method:
1.Preheat Oven to 350F. Spray Baking Pan with PAM or little butter. Combine Cornmeal,flour,sugar,baking soda,Baking powder and salt.
2.Stir together milk,egg and butter until blended.
3.Now pour the wet ingredients into dry, add fresh corn and mix well
4.Pour into the baking pan and bake for 25-30min until the sides get brown and a skrewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle
5.Let it cool for 5 min and then cut into slices and enjoy. It is little crusty on the outside and moist inside.

Jalepeno & Cheese Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 cups low fat/fat free buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, unsalted,melted
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese grated
1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

Method:

Preheat oven 400F. Place a 9 inch pan in the oven.
Whisk together the flours along with cornmeal, baking powder,soda and salt.
Whisk together eggs,honey,butter and buttermilk in another bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry at once, stirring quickly and lightly.
Add the cheese and the jalapenos and stir to combine.
Remove the skillet from the oven and grease the pan, covering the bottom and the sides well.
Carefully transfer the batter to the pan.
(Remember: handle of the pan will be HOT from the oven)
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove and serve warm.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds pumpkin, chopped into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 carrot, chopped
1-2 green chillies
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup milk
Salt n pepper to taste
Sour cream, flat leaf parsley to garnish (optional)

Method:

1.Place the pumpkin chunks in baking sheet and brush little Olive oil on the slices. Place the in a preheated oven at 350F
2.Bake for 30min or until they are soft and golden brown around the edges.
3.Take out the pumpkin and with the help of a spoon remove the flesh from the skin and keep it aside.Meanwhile take a skillet and place the chopped onions, garlic, fennel seeds and the chillies. There is no need to add oil – just add some salt which will moisten the onions.Add the punmpkin flesh and 1-1/2 cups of water and let it cook for 5 min.
4.Now either with the help of an hand blender / food processor blend the solids and place them back in the pan. Add the nutmeg and milk and let it come to a boil – about 5min. Add salt/pepper if needed. Garnish with flat leaf parsley/cilantro and some sour cream.

Apple Dapple Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 ½ cups corn oil (use 1 cup oil and 1/2 cup milk for low fat)

3 eggs (or equivalent Egg whites)

3 cups un-sifted all-purpose flour

2 cups chopped pecans (or Walnuts)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups diced apples

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon - optional (I perfer it)

Method:

GLAZE

1 cup dark brown (or golden brown) sugar 

¼ pound butter
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and oil and beat well. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients and stir into egg mixture. Beat in apples, nuts and vanilla. Pour into a buttered springform tube pan (I used a bundt pan but have also tried an angel food cake pan) and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean (1 ¼ hours with bundt pan) (45 min with 9 X 13 in pan in my oven). Cool the cake for approximately 10 – 15 minutes and remove from pan. Turn upside down on a wire rack with a plate underneath the rack.

Combine glaze ingredients and boil for 3 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the cake. The excess glaze will fall to the plate below and can be re-spooned over the cake until the entire glaze hardens.
Cake can be made with out the glaze and served with ice cream.
It freezes well also.