Pound Cake

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 x 13 cake pan. 
Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl with the an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. 
With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
In another bowl, combine the yogurt and vanilla.
Add the flour and yogurt mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. 
Pour the batter in the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
When the cake is done, let it cool for 10 minutes. Take it out of the pan, place it on a baking rack and allow it to cool completely. 

Vegetarian Frittata with Feta

Ingredients


3 eggs
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil,minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove,minced
1 medium onion diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper,seeded and chopped
1 zucchini,sliced
2 cups spinach,chopped
1 oz feta cheese,crumbled
1 cup chopped tomatoes


Direction


Whisk eggs,eggs whites,black pepper and basil in a bowl untill frothy,set aside.
Preheat the oven broiler.
Heat olive oil in a medium oven proof skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and onion and saute until softened. Add bell pepper and zucchini and saute until softened.
Add spinach and fold until wilted.
Pour the eggs over the vegetables and fold to combine.
Cook over medium-low heat,without stirring,until the eggs are mostly set.
Sprinkle feta over frittata and broil until the cheese melts.
Garnish with tomatoes.

Croissant Scramble

Ingredients

1 butter croissant
   vegetable oil
2 tbsp chopped green pepper
2 tbsp chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp chopped onion
3 large eggs
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped mushrooms
salt anad pepper
1 1/2 slice tomato
3 slices avacado


Direction


Using a 3 inch cookie cutter,cut a hole in the middle of the croissant. Set aside
Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the pan.
Add peppers and onion and cook until slightly tender, about 5 mins.
Whish eggs and cream until fully blended. Add eggs to the pan and cook,stirring often,until no longer runny. Just before the eggs are finished, add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste.
Place the 3 half-moon slice of tomato,standing up,along the back of the hole in the croissant.
Place the 3 slice of avocado,standing up,in front of the tomato.
Fill the hole with the eggs.
Serve hot.

Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients


4 Potatoes, medium sized
1 cup Grated Cottage cheese (paneer)
2 tbsp Oil 
2 tbsp Chopped cilantro
2 Green chillies, chopped
10 Raisins 
Salt to taste
1/2 Sliced Onion
Tomato puree 2 cups
2 tbsp Green chutney
Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
2 tbsp Kitchen king masala
1tbsp Sugar
1 cup Milk




Direction


1. Peel and cut into half each potatoes. Wipe dry.
2. Heat sufficient water in a kadai and boil potatoes till they are little tender not to tender that they start breaking. Will cook them later with the gravy. Drain onto an absorbent paper and set aside to cool.
3. Scoop out the middle of each half potato. discard that. 
4. Mix paneer, coriander leaves, green chillies, raisins and salt in a bowl. Stuffed the mixture in each potato. 
5. Heat oil in a kadai. Add onions to it and saute thill they are softened and pinkish. Take them off the heat.
6. Make a paste of the tomato puree, onion, milk and green chutney in the blender
7. Add it back to the kadai. Add kitchen king masala, salt, sugar and red chilli powder. If the paste is too thick you can add more milk or water.
8. Cook for three to four minutes. 
9. Add stuffed potatoes to this gravy and cook on really low heat for 10-15 minutes till the potatoes are fully cooked. Keep an eye on it, it can take more or less time to cook depending on the potatoes.
10. Serve hot with paratha.

Basil Pesto

Tried for the first time to make basil pesto, till now I always used store bought but I had lots of fresh basil at home so thought why not try out to make it at home and I added a little twist by adding mint leaves in it cause I like mint a lot. To my surprise it turned out really good. 


Ingredients


8 almonds
5 cloves garlic
24-25 leaves of fresh basil leaves
5-6 leaves of mint
1/4 cup olive oil
4tbsp grated parmesean cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Directions


1. Toast the almonds in a pan without any oil. let it cool once done
2. In a food processor, combine toasted almonds, garlic, basil, olive oil,mint,cheese, salt and pepper. 
3. Process until a coarse paste is formed.


You can use it on garlice bread or with cooked pasta. I did not used too much olive oil as I dont like too much oily, if you want to use less oil you can substitute it with water.


Note : If you want to preserve it for longer time add few drops of lemon to it, it will keep it green and will keep it longer.

Chocolate Pound cake

Ingredients


1/2 cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


Direction
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
2. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a butter spray.
3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. 
4. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
5. Add the egg and beat well, then the sour cream or yogurt and vanilla.
6. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together right into your wet ingredients. 
7. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 
9. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can cool it the rest of the way out of the pan.
10. Cut them into slice 
11. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries or top it up with some chocolate sauce.

Note : for those who don't eat eggs and substitute it with 1 tsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup water = 1 egg

Ghirardelli Black Label Chocolate Sauce

Farro and Pine Nut Tabbouleh

Chef Max Mackissock of The Squeaky Bean in Denver takes a back-to-nature approach to ingredients: He uses produce straight from the garden at his restaurant or the farmers' market the eatery hosts weekly. With veggies like that, who needs meat? This tasty vegan dish has plenty of protein, plus healthy carbs, thanks to whole-grain, fiber-rich farro.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup farro (found at gourmet stores)

2 large heirloom tomatoes

1 small cucumber

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice from 1 lemon

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 small jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Cook farro as directed on package; set aside.
3. Halve tomatoes. Scoop out and discard inner meat and seeds.
4. Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Peel cucumber, halve lengthwise and scoop out seedy center. Cut cucumber into 1/4-inch pieces; add to tomatoes.
5. Add garlic and onion.
6. Toast pine nuts on a baking sheet in oven until slightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
7. Add cooled farro, chickpeas, oil, lemon juice, parsley and jalapeño; stir to combine.
8. Season with salt and pepper and stir again.
9. Marinate at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Green Chutney

Ingredients


1 bunch of fresh cilantro, cleaned
1'' - 1.5'' inch ginger
6-7 cloves of garlic
3-4 green chillies
salt to taste
3 tbsp peanuts
few drops of lemon juice


Direction


Grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste except the lemon juice. Add the lemon juice at the end that will keep the chutney fresh and green.


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Open Grilled Sandwiches

I altered the recipe as I thought of making it kids friendly cause when I was preparing it I thought of my daughter who is 23 months old and she will not eat if all the veggies are too big for her to chew and also if the vegetables are chopped and mix in with cheese, kids will not notice too much of vegetable and they will focus more on cheese...So this one goes for my daughter Zoie, she really enjoyed eating it.


Ingredients
6-7 slices sandwich bread
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomato 
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
3 tsp cream cheese softened
1/4 tsp black pepper
butter to apply on bread
1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese

Mix together:
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp crush red chilli
1 tbsp green chutney

Direction


1. Apply some butter on both sides of bread slices. Arrange on a baking tray.
2. Apply some ketchup mixture on each. Leave sauce behind to dip.
3. Mix all the ingredients except grated cheese.
4. Mix half of the grated cheese to the mixture.
5. spread the mixture on each bread  
6. Top with grated cheese 
5. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
6. Grill the sandwiches till the bread get toasted and cheese melts well.
7. Serve hot with the ketchup