Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

The batter turned out super thick but I went with it and they turned out fine. Could have used a touch more liquid but were tasty nonetheless. Lemon is a great complement to raspberries. Original called for 3/4 c sugar but I used less. It still turned out a little too sweet for me - would reduce further next time.
Feb 2013: Made these again, again batter was really thick, so added some milk. Came out to only 11 very small muffins. Needs improving.
2/8/13: Made these again adding 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 c milk + 1 T lemon juice, and another egg. Made 12 good sized muffins that rose appropriately.
5/6/13: Changed it up again and finally got these with a good texture. Modifying below and putting original in parens.
5/24/15: Used a newer baking powder and it was bubbling while stirring it altogether which has never happened before. Also used less sugar and just as good, so also adjusted below. Very spongy.
  • 1.5 c flour
  • 1/2 c sugar (2/3 c)
  • 2 t powder
  • 1/2 t soda (not in original recipe)
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 t grated lemon zest
  • 1 c (1/2 c) vanilla yogurt (or plain)
  • 3 T canola oil
  • 4 (3) T lemon juice
  • 2 (1) eggs
  • 1 c frozen raspberries
  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, powder, salt and lemon zest.
  2. In small bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, oil, lemon juice and egg.
  3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
  4. Stir in raspberries.
  5. Divvy out to 12 muffin cups and bake at 400F/200C for 27 (22) minutes (or until the top springs back when lightly touched).
  6. Let cool on wire rack. Eat some now and freeze the rest for eating later (microwave at 30 seconds to warm).

Pongal - Karnataka style

Had this for lunch, and then snack. Can't find curry leaves in Toronto so didn't use them. Very different from other pongals I've had, but in a good way - coconut adds nice texture and wonderful smell.
  • 1 c rice
  • 1/4 c mung dal (or channa dal [the bigger one])
  • 1/2 c dried coconut
  • 3 c water
  • 2-3 T ghee
  • 1 t cumin seeds
  • 1 t mustard seeds (brown or black)
  • 1/4 t turmeric
  • 2 cl garlic, minced
  • 1 t freshly ground pepper
  • 6 curry leaves
  • salt to taste
  1. Rinse and then soak dal for 20 minutes (to ensure even cooking time with rice).
  2. Combine dal, rice, coconut and water in rice cooker. Cook.
  3. In the meantime, heat the ghee in a small pan. Then add the spices and lightly toast over medium/low-med heat, until aromatic (about 2 min). Transfer to cup.
  4. When rice cooker is done, stir the rice. Pour in the spice mixture and stir until evenly spread.

Variations

- add a cinnamon stick to rice
- add raisins
- add minced ginger and finely chopped chili

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Slow Cooker Brown Chicken

Made this a couple days ago and it turned out alright. Leftovers tasted even better. Search on 'shoyu chicken' turns up all sorts of recipes with different ratios and some slight variations in ingredients. Hard to go wrong it seems.
  • 1 c soy sauce (shoyu)
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1 c water *
  • 1/2 c sake
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1" ginger, sliced
  • value pack of skinless (boneless) chicken thighs
  1. Combine everything but the chicken.
  2. Place thighs in slow cooker dish. Pour sauce over. Add extra water to cover thighs (for 16 thighs I added 1 c water). Note that they float so some will not be fully covered.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, turning chicken once (I turned after 4 hours).
  4. Serve with rice and veggies.

Variations

- add chopped scallions
- add 1 T vinegar

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Falafels

Relatively easy to make. Inspired by crockpot365 but pureed chickpeas instead of fork mashing for ease.
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 cl garlic
  • 1 T dried parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t salt (really)
  • 1/4 t pepper
  • 2 t cumin
  • 1 t coriander
  • 1/2 t cayenne
  • juice from 1 lemon (3 T)
  • ~3/4 c bread crumbs
  • 2 T olive oil
  1. Pulse onion and garlic.
  2. Add spices, egg and lemon juice. Puree.
  3. Add chickpeas and blend.
  4. Transfer to bowl and add 1/2 c bread crumbs. Add more as needed until mixture is wet and sticky but balls can be formed.
  5. Pour 2 T olive oil on bottom of crock pot.
  6. Form golf ball sized balls and dip in oil. Place on bottom of pot - ok to touch or layer.
  7. Cook on high for 3.5-4.5 hours, until balls are golden brown.

Variations

- fry in pan (requires more oil)
- bake in oven (faster at higher heat but uses more energy)

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Potato Soup II

Made this slow cooker potato soup and it turned out very tasty. It's very similar to the potato soup I made several years ago on the stove (well all potato soups are similar) but I think this one is better. Can't be sure as it wasn't a side by side taste test. I used yellow potatoes. This filled up the whole pot and made 3 jars of leftovers after dinner (one of which went into the freezer).
12/19/12 update: had the freezer one today. Texture was very strange - would not recommend freezing this after all. Just refrigerate. 
  • less than 3 lbs potatoes
  • 5 cups broth
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • black pepper
  • 1/4 t cayenne
  • 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
  1. Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks (~1" cubes).
  2. Put all ingredients in slow cooker, EXCEPT for cream cheese.
  3. Cook on high for 4.5 hours. The potatoes should be fork tender.
  4. Puree half of the soup, along with cubed cream cheese.
  5. Optional: Garnish with chopped scallions, shredded cheese, bacon, etc.

Related

Potato Soup I - stove top