Orange Jelly

Easter is this Sunday! Do you still have things to prep for your Easter dinner?? Are your desserts and snacks all planned and done?? Do you have lots of goodies for the children in your family? 

Here is a quick dessert that kids and grown-ups alike can enjoy! It is quick and easy to put together and can be made 3-4 days ahead of the party so that you don't have to scramble along at the last minute!

You can make this for your children or any kiddie party anytime! My kids love it, I am sure yours will do too!  If you like jelly-desserts, also check this Stained Glass Cake, if you haven't done so already!

I am bringing these beauties to Throwback Thursday # 31 and Angie's Fiesta Friday #112!! Angie's co-hosts this week are Natalie @ Kitchen, Uncorked and Hilda @ Along The Grapevine.

Servings: 4-6 (2 segments per person)

Ingredients:

Orange: 2 big ones. ( any variety will do)
Orange Jelly: 1 packet ( any brand will do). For vegan options, use China Grass / agar agar jelly.
Water: 1 cup

Method:

Cut the orange in the center into two equal hemispheres. Scoop out the orange segments and keep aside. Do the same with the other orange.

Well, you could eat the pulp if you wish. Alternatively, you can squeeze the orange juice and remove the leftover pulp. Keep aside the empty orange skin ( that is now like a cup).

Boil one cup water. Dissolve the orange jelly into it. Keep stirring until the jelly melts completely in the water.

Arrange the empty orange cups in a tray/ container so that they can stay upright and stable. Pour the prepared jelly mixture into the cups until 3/4 full.You may have leftover jelly. You can use another orange cup or a regular bowl.

Place the tray in the refrigerator to set. Gelatin takes 3-4 hours to set while china grass ( agar-agar) takes only an hour.

Once the jelly is firm, remove it out from the refrigerator and slice the orange cups into 4 segments/ sections.

You can also slice it just before serving.

Keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.

Serve chilled!

Cooking made easy:

The trick to making firm jelly is by reducing the amount of water/ fluid used to mix the powder in. Always use less than the recommended amount. The amount of fluid used depends on how firm you want the jelly to be.

Tip for healthy living:

Make desserts healthier by combining them with fruits.This trick also works to get your children to eat healthy. Allow them a small serving of unhealthy food/snack items only if they eat healthy ones first. Then, it is a win-win situation! This works with my kids.

Food for thought:

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Lao Tzu

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Peach-Mango Salsa Stuffed Mushrooms

Are you ready for Game-Day yet?? SuperBowl50 is on January 7th. Who is going to take the trophy?? Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos who has been hinting that this might be his last game, or Cam Newton of Carolina Panthers?


Either ways, we shall have plenty fun at the tailgating parties!! Are you still looking for something quick to make?Or may be something to bring to a party? Are you out of options for your vegetarian/ vegan/gluten-free friend??

Here is a recipe that could be the answer to all your problems! It is quick and easy to make, ingredients are few and can be gathered in just one run to a nearby supermarket/ grocery store. There is not much prep or baking time involved and is perfect for your vegetarian/ vegan/gluten-free friends.

I have made these stuffed mushrooms by using some peach-mango salsa that I wanted to get rid of. I had bought a jar of peach-mango salsa for my son's birthday from Costco. Of course, the entire jar was not finished and I am not the kind who snacks on salsa and chips. I was planning to use it to make some fish or chicken, but when I had this big box of Baby Bella mushrooms, I felt like making this instead. I made it and had an entire platter of mushrooms alone for dinner! It is truly delicious. All you need is some salsa of your choice, mushrooms of your choice and a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese. For the vegans, just skip the Parmesan.You can make your own salsa if you wish, like I have done here .

Let me tell you the recipe in detail:

Servings: 4 ( about 4-5 mushrooms each)

Ingredients:

Baby Bella mushrooms: 20, cleaned ( White Cremini mushrooms can be used as well).
Peach-Mango Salsa: 1 cup ( may not need all),( any salsa can be used)
Hot sauce: 1/2 tsp ( optional)
Cilantro, chopped: 1 tbsp
Shredded Parmesan cheese: 1/4 cup ( may not need all)

Method:

Remove the stems of all the mushrooms and keep aside the mushroom caps.

Preheat the oven to 450 deg F.

In a bowl mix together peach-mango salsa, chopped  cilantro and hot sauce.

Finely chop the mushroom stems and add it to the above bowl. Mix well.

Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep ready.

Fill the mushroom caps with the above mixture.

Top each mushroom with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Arrange them upside down on a baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack  of the oven.

Bake at 450 deg F for  10 mins.

Best served immediately!

Enjoy! I am bringing these goodies to the parties at Throwback Thursday, Fiesta Friday and Saucy Saturday. Lily @ Little Sweet Baker and Julianna @ Foodie On Board are Angie's  co-hosts this week at Fiesta Friday.

Cooking made easy:

Quite often people are perplexed as to how to clean mushrooms or the best way to clean them. Mushrooms are best cleaned just before using them. Read this post to learn more about cleaning mushrooms.

Tip for healthy living:

Mushrooms are highly nutrient-rich.Apart from several important nutrients like niacin, riboflavin, potassium and vitamin D, mushrooms are also rich in selenium which is an antioxidant  and mood- elevator.Mushrooms are purported to boost the immune system and also help in weight loss. 

References: 
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/13/mushroom-benefits.aspx
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-can-eating-mushrooms-4412.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/types-of-mushrooms

Food for thought:

Once you label me you negate me. Soren Kiekegaard

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Coconut-Ginger Chutney/Dip

As food bloggers, we are always taking pictures of our food. There are many posts that we want to post, many that are drafts and then there are pictures that were taken but never got written about! This would have been one of them!! I have been meaning to write this post for a while now but never got around to it!

Until now!! A friend of mine contacted me on Whatsapp asking for the recipe of coconut-ginger chutney. Her asking me reminded me of the pictures I had. I decided to complete this post. It is also just in time for the Super Bowl! Why not make a switch from the calorie-laded dips to a much healthier, low-calorie dip?? It goes perfect with croquettes, sandwiches, fritters to name a few dishes.

Most South-Indian breakfasts are incomplete without the chutney/dip.The most common chutney is the coconut-ginger chutney. This is served  with most dosas and idlis. It is also served with vadas, samosas, bhajias, fritter,dhoklas, upma, so on and so forth. It is very easy to make. I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday#22, Fiesta Friday # 103 and Saucy Saturdays. Angie's Fiesta Friday is being co-hosted by two of the very talented blogger friends, Sonal @ simplyvegetarian777 and Petra @ Food Eat Love.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients :

Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 1-2 medium-sized
Ginger: 1/2 inch piece
Dried tamarind: dime-sized piece
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/2 cup

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 small sprig

Method:

Grind together all the ingredients listed above except the one under "for tempering", in a food processor or blender, until smooth as a paste.

Take it in a bowl.

Tempering:

Heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. 

Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves. Turn off the flame . 

Add the tempering to the chutney. 

Serve with your choice of idli/dosa/ chapati, or even rice.

Cooking made easy:

Coconut-ginger chutney can be made in bulk and frozen for up-to 2 weeks. It stays fresh in the refrigerator up-to 4 days, after which the coconut turns rancid.

Frozen grated coconut can be used instead of freshly grated coconut. Just use warm water while grinding instead of cold water.

Tip for healthy living:

Coconut that was once believed to be the cause of increasing cholesterol, now has been believed to have several health benefits due to the presence of good fats in it.

Food for thought:

Faces that have charmed us the most escape us the soonest. Walter Scott

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Apple Kheer ( Apple Pudding)

Happy Sankranti to all my readers.Today is Makarsankranti.This marks the beginging of spring in India. This is one of the few Hindu festivals that is celebrated on 14th January every year.Usually sweets made with till ( sesame seeds) like till laddoo ( balls) and till chikki ( brittle) are made and distributed to mark this occasion. I didn't have time to make this. But I wanted to make a quick dessert for my kids.

I decided to make apple kheer ( pudding).The reason I made this was because I wanted to make a very easy and relatively healthy dessert. I love kheer and can eat a bowlful. But I avoid gluten , therefore didn't want to use the regular flour Sheviyan ( vermicelli). It is also the season of apples, so we have apples in plentiful at home. I decided to grate some of the apples and use that instead of the vermicelli. I used a little condensed milk instead of sugar which also reduced my cooking time ( not that apples require much cooking, but thickening the milk gives the pudding a better taste). The end result was a delicious kheer that my kids & I loved. I don't think I would go back to making kheer using vermicelli ever again! I have also made this kheer without the usual cashew nuts and slivered almonds as my son is allergic to nuts. I have used pistachio powder to be garnished on top after serving ( not for my son).

Servings: 6-8 ( 1/2 cup per person)

Ingredients :

Apples: 2 medium sized( sweet variety)
Water: 1/2 cup
Milk: 7 oz ( room temperature).
Condensed milk: 7 oz ( 1/2 of 14 oz can)
Cardamom powder: from 2 pods of cardamom
Saffron threads: 2-3 ( optional)
Raisins:  1 tbsp
Ghee ( clarified butter): 1/4 tsp
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp ( for garnish, optional).
Pistachio powder: 1 tsp ( for garnish, optional).

Method:

Wash, peel and grate apples. 

Add it to a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until tender. 

Add the condensed milk, saffron thread and mix well. 

Turn off the flame, keep aside.

In a skillet/pan, heat a little ghee on low heat. Add cashew halves and raisins. Sauté them for a few seconds until they start turning golden in color. Turn off the flame.

Add this to the pot with the apple and milk mixture.

Garnish with pistachio powder.

Can be served hot/warm or cold.

Enjoy! I am bringing this to some of my favorite blog parties: Throwback Thursday , Angie's Fiesta Friday and Saucy Saturdays! Two of my favorite blogger friends who post some of the best stuff on earth are co-hosting the Fiesta: Elaine @ foodbod and Julie @ Hostess at Heart!
A big shout out to both of them!

Cooking made easy:  

If you don't have condensed milk, use regular whole milk. You will however have to cook it for a longer period of time until the milk reduces to half the amount. Add sugar as per individual taste.

Tip for healthy living:

Substituting shredded apples for vermicelli not only makes the dessert gluten free, it also reduces the calories. Any fruit is counted as negative calories and therefore more of it can be eaten. Apples have several health benefits including essential vitamins and minerals and much needed dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

Everything that is done in the world is done with hope. Martin Luther

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!