Orange-lime and kumquats jam

Dear all!! A while ago I started making my own jam as I somehow really like doing it. I am actually not a jam person and very rarely eat it in breakfast, but the whole process of making it has got something for me. S. isn’t complaining either as he loves jam. :-) Making your own jam isn’t very difficult, but it’s a lengthy process. Since it was a comfortable afternoon yesterday, I thought of finally using up some leftover oranges in making some jam. The whole house soon filled with a nice citrus smell. The jam turned out quite good and still has a slight tangy flavour.
Have a nice evening…!!

Makes 3 jars.

Ingredients:

- 3 large oranges, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 limes, halved and thinly sliced
- 6-8 kumquats, sliced
- 4 cups cane sugar
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 4-5 green cardamom pods
- 6 cups water

Method:

Place oranges, limes, kumquats, cinnamon stick, cardamom and water in a large pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low and stir in the sugar until completely dissolved. Take off heat, cover and let stand over night or for at least 8 hours.
Bring again to a boil over medium heat, turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally. Switch heat back to medium and boil for another 20-30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare your jam jars by rinsing them with hot water. Take jam off heat and remove cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Fill into the prepared hot jars and close the lids.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Buttermilk-seeds bread

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I mostly bake bread on my own instead of buying it. So with time I have tried out quite a lot of different breads. I also bought a bread maker to save some time and work, but somehow I still prefer the complete self-made breads more. I like to work the dough with hands and I especially love the smell of the bread baking in the oven, which then fills the entire kitchen and house.
This bread recipe has become one of our favourites, as it is crunchy on the outside and has the right softness inside. It tastes great as a sandwich as well as topped with some jam.
Since it is Friday today I wish everybody a nice weekend!!! See you next week with some new recipes. :-)

Ingredients:

- 5 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 cups buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. Active-dry yeast
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 2 Tsp. Brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Flax seed
- 2 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp. Coriander seeds
- Some seeds to sprinkle on top

Method:

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the buttermilk step by step and knead to a dough. Cover and let rise at a warm place for about 20 minutes. Then add all the seeds and knead again well. The dough will be a bit sticky. If it is too sticky add a little more flour. Shape into a ball and cover again. Let rise for 20 more minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and form the dough into a round shape. Place onto the sheet and make about 5 slight cuts with a knife on top. Brush with some cold water and sprinkle some seeds on top. Let it rise for about 10 minutes and then bake for about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Birchermuesli

The idea for this dish came from my love for curd or quark as you say in German. It is not to confuse with yogurt, as curd is much thicker and depending on the fat content, creamier. In the US it is almost impossible to get curd. So I had to find a solution, how I could still have yummy Mueslis and cheese cake which is traditionally made with curd as well. (A recipe for cheesecake is coming up soon.) I found out that if you drain all the whey from yogurt it becomes almost like the curd I know and can be used in almost all recipes requiring curd.
Yesterday morning we wanted to have a change from the usual pancakes or waffles and have something light and fruity. So I decided to make Birchermuesli.
Birchermuesli is a popular breakfast dish of Switzerland and can be made with different fruits and grains. It is eaten also as a snack or a light dinner.
This recipe turned out to be so delicious that we finished the whole bowl at once. :-)

Ingredients:

- 2 lb yogurt to make curd
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk
- 1 apple, grated
- 1 pear, chopped in small cubes
- 1 orange, cubed
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla essence
- 2 Tbsp. Mascarpone creme
- 2 Tbsp. Raisins
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 4 Tbsp. Agave nectar or to taste

Method:

To make the curd, line a mesh with a fine cloth or cheesecloth and fill in the yogurt. Place it over a large bowl and keep in the refrigerator over night to drain all the whey.
In a bowl soak the oats in milk for about 15 minutes.
In another large bowl mix curd, mascarpone crème, oats with milk, vanilla essence and agave nectar. Fold in the grated apple, pear, orange, raisins and walnuts. Serve or refrigerate till serving.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Apple and almond muffins

I simply love muffins and can eat them any time of the day. They make a good breakfast or a nice snack. The combination of apples, almonds and cinnamon is just great and as soon as you put them in the oven it will start smelling delicious. :-)

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

- 2 ½ cups pastry flour
- 2 apples, grated
- 2 Tsp. Baking powder
- ½ Tsp. Baking soda
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 1 Tbsp. Egg replacer mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
- 1 Tsp. cinnamon
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tsp. vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl combine sugar, oil, vanilla essence, egg replacer and buttermilk. Mix well. Add in the grated apples and almonds. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add in step by step to the batter and mix carefully. Make sure not to over mix otherwise the batter will get sticky and gluey. Fill the batter into 12 muffin cup forms and bake in a muffin tray for about 30 minutes.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

A movie and some baguette rolls

As soon as I had seen the first preview of “Julie and Julia” some weeks ago, I knew I had to see this movie. What could be a better movie as about food, learning to cook in a foreign country and then of course blogging. I was so excited that whenever I saw the ad coming on TV I told S. how I could not wait for the release. It must have been a 100 times that I made him promise to see the movie with me as soon as it would come out, that he finally got a bit annoyed. :-) But of course over the weekend we went together to the theatre to see the long awaited movie and I have to say I just loved it.
Meryl Streep has always been one of my favourite actresses and as always she has done a fantastic job in this movie. Her portrait of Julia Child is just divine and seeing her wandering the streets of Paris made me once again miss Europe and home so much.
So yesterday I decided to make some baguette rolls as I have always loved this kind of bread. It reminded me of many vacations in France, sitting in a small roadside café on a beautiful sunny morning, sipping a café au lait and biting in this heavenly crunchy baguette topped with butter and apricot jam.
I better give you the recipe now before I sink deeper into my daydreams of France and Europe. :-)

Makes 6 rolls.

Ingredients:

- 6 cups unbleached white flour
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. active-dry yeast
- about 3 ½ cups lukewarm water

Method:

In a large bowl combine flour, salt, sugar and yeast and mix. Add the water step by step while kneading the dough with your hands. Knead for some minutes. If the dough is too dry add a little more water but make sure it does not get sticky. Take on a smooth surface and knead for some more minutes. Divide the dough in 6 portions and shape into oblong rolls. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolls on it. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Takes about 1-1 ½ hours.
Cut the top of the rolls slightly lengthwise and brush some cold water on top.
Place the rolls into the cold oven and then heat to 400 F. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Homemade Granola Bars

Occasionally I like to watch Food network and although the majority of dishes are made with meat, I sometimes find a recipe which turns out nicely. Some days ago I found a recipe for granola bars which was not just easy to make but very tasty as well. It’s a perfect snack to eat in between meals and as a quick breakfast bite too. It can be made with almost any dried fruit and tastes so much better than any store bought bar.

Find the recipe here.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Banana muffins with cinnamon crumbs (egg less)

I buy bananas often but most of the times I buy too many or nobody eats them. So after some days I have a bunch of very ripe bananas sitting in the fruit basket. Whenever this happens I have to think of a solution to make use of them. I either like to make bread or muffins since S. seems to like this much more than to just eat a plain banana. :-)
This recipe is originally from Hamlyns “The vegetarian student cookbook” which I own but not in English. Also the original is made with eggs which I didn’t want to use in the muffins. So I modified it and changed the quantities according to our liking.

Makes 12 muffins.



Ingredients:

For the batter:
- 3 ripe mashed bananas
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
- 3 Tsp. Baking powder
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla essence
- 2 Tbsp. Egg replacer mixed with 6 Tbsp. water (I use the one from Bob`s Red Mill)

For the crumbs:
- 2 Tbsp. flax seed meal
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 Tsp. cinnamon
- ½ Tsp. baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 ½ Tbsp. softened butter
- 2 Tbsp. water

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F/ 200C.
For the batter combine sugar, oil, vanilla essence, milk and egg replacer in a bowl. Mix well and then add in the mashed bananas. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add step by step to the batter. Mix but don’t over mix otherwise the batter gets sticky and hard. For the crumbs combine flax seed meal, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. With your fingertips knead in the butter. Combine flour and baking powder and add to the crumbs. Finally add the water and mix. The batter should be crumbly.
Pour the muffin batter in 12 muffin cup forms/ cupcake forms. Sprinkle the crumbs on top. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Milky bread rolls

Coming from a European country bread has always played a big role in my eating habits. I am used to such a huge variety of different breads and rolls that when I came to the US I got a slight kick into reality. The first experience with the normal bread here was a rubber like toast which I knew till then as junk food bread. Suddenly I had to realize how spoilt my country had made me and oh how much I missed then to just walk into a bakery, choose a bread from the loaded bread shelves and watch the baker wrap it in paper. I longed for the smell of freshly baked rolls on a Sunday morning when the still warm first bite topped with the favourite jam almost melted in my mouth. After eating the local bread for quite some time and whining about how much I missed home there was nothing else to do as to start baking on my own. Now I regularly make different varieties of breads, rolls and other pastries. Of course not all bread which you can buy here is bad. By now I have figured out where to buy bread which is quite good and occasionally I go and buy it but I still prefer the homemade version. Here one of my favourites to share with you and for sure many more to come soon.

Ingredients:

- 6 cups unbleached white flour
- 3 Tsp. Active-dry yeast
- 2 Tsp. Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Softened butter
- 2 Tsp. Brown sugar
- 2 cups lukewarm milk
- Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for topping
- cold milk for brushing

Method:

In a large bowl mix flour with yeast, salt and sugar. Add the butter and incorporate with your fingertips. Add the milk step by step while kneading the dough. Knead it well for a couple of minutes till you have a smooth dough. It should not be sticky. Take it on a smooth surface and knead for some more minutes. Roll the dough into a long roll and divide into 12 parts. Form into slight oblong shapes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the rolls onto it. Cover and let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours. They should double in size. In the meantime preheat the oven to 450F.
Brush some cold milk on top of the rolls and sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds according to your liking on top.
Bake for about 15 minutes or till the rolls are golden-brown.
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Apple-cinnamon pancakes

On weekends we love to eat pancakes. Last weekend I was too bored to have just plain pancakes so I came up with this combination. It turned out very well and is definitely good if you are looking for a twist to your normal pancakes.

Makes about 6 pancakes.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup flour ( ½ cup whole wheat and ½ cup unbleached white flour)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup yoghurt
- ¼ cup applesauce
- ½ Tsp. cinnamon
- ½ Tsp. baking powder
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- enough milk to make a runny batter consistency
- 1 apple, finely sliced

Method:

In a bowl combine sugar, yoghurt, applesauce and oil and mix well without lumps.
In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to the yoghurt mixture and mix. Step by step add milk till you have a runny batter consistency.
Heat a flat non-stick skillet on medium heat. Pour about ½ cup of batter in the middle and spread in a round motion. Take about 5 apple slices and distribute on the batter. Wait till the batter starts drying up (you will see small bubbles and a colour change) and then flip. Bake till golden brown. As per taste you can top it with some butter or maple syrup.
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009 All rights reserved.

Buckwheat pancakes

This is perfect to make on a lazy sunday. Drizzled with maple syrup and served with fresh fruits it makes a delicious breakfast.
I will be uploading a picture for it soon.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/3 cup milk powder ( I used non-fat)
- 1 Tsp. baking powder
- 4 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. yoghurt
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- enough milk or water to make a runny batter consistency
- butter and maple syrup for topping

Method:

In a bowl combine flours, milk powder and baking powder. Gradually add the milk or water to make a runny batter. Beat well and make sure the batter has no lumps. Mix in the yoghurt, oil and honey.
Heat a flat non-stick skillet on medium heat. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter in the middle and cook till the top starts changing colour and dries up. Flip and cook till golden brown. Top with a small piece of batter and place the next pancake on top. Pour some maple syrup over it and serve.


Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009 All rights reserved.