Summer Salad (Fruits and veggies salad)

Fruits:

Mango: 1 fruit diced

Pomegranate: 1 fruit

Pineapple: 1 fruit diced

Apple: 1 fruit diced

Green Grapes: 1 cup sliced

Veggies:

Carrot: 1 carrot grated

Cabbage: 1 cup grated

Cucumber: 1 peeled and diced

Onion: 1 medium Diced

Tomato: 1 small seeded and diced

Salt: as required

Vinegar: 2 tbsp

Pepper: 2 tsp

Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)

Dump all this in a big mixing bowl and mix properly.

Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour and enjoy this super yummy healthy salad without guilt.

Recipe Courtesy: My aunt, Leelakochamma

Easy Jam Tarts (Baking for Kids)

Its the holidays and wondering how to keep your kids occupied? Well, why not ask them to join you in the kitchen??? I know, I know, it might look a herculean task.... No, Iam not asking you to make them do a whole dinner. Do something together which is easy and fun for the kids. Like these Jam tarts which are so easy to make and kids will get a satisfaction that they accomplished something on their own. It is very very easy to make and they can click pics and brag to their friends when school reopens.

All Purpose flour: 500 grams

Salt: a pinch

Butter: 200 grams

cold water: 1/4 cup

Jam: your choice.... strawberry/ mango/ orange/ Mixed Fruit

In a mixing bowl, Mix the butter, salt and flour till it resembles bread crumbs.

Now add the butter and add watter little by little to make the dough.

Wrap the dough in a cling film and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 180C

Take out the dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll out the pastry to 1/2 cm thickness.

With the tart mould cut out the pastry and again roll slightly and press one disc into each hole.

Spoon a heaped tsp of orange jam/mango jam/strawberry jam to each pastry case.

Bake for 15 minutes or till the edges of tarts are brown.

Cool completely before consuming as jam gets real hot.

Mayonnaise and Veggies Pinwheel Sandwich

Bread Slices: 15

Homemade Mayonnaise:  1/2 cup (or more to spread)

Cabbage Grated: 1 cup

Carrot Grated: 2 medium carrots

Tomato diced: 1 small

Onion diced: 1 medium

Pepper and Salt: as needed

Mix the diced veggies with pepper and salt.

Mix in the mayonnaise.

Remove the crust from the bread slices

Now take 3 slices of white bread  and place it in such a way that, just the edges overlap.

Now apply a little water on the overlapping edges and press it slightly to keep it together.

Take a rolling pin and flatten out the slices a little.

Spread the filling on each slice of bread.

Roll from one side tightly to create a pin wheel.

Wrap tightly in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Take out the plastic wrap, and cut it into smaller pinwheels.

The edge pieces will not look good, so you can eat it and serve the rest.

 Notes:
Make sure the bread slices are fresh otherwise you won't be able to roll without breaking.
In case if the slices are a little dry, just microwave it for a few seconds to make it soft.

Red Velvet CupCakes

Ive already posted Red Velvet cake before. This is the same. My family just cant get enough of this delicious melt in the mouth cake. So I keep making and thought will share the recipe for around 20 cupcakes.

Maida/All purpose Flour:  1 and 1/3 cups

Corn Flour: 1/4 cup

Eggs: 2

Cocoa Powder: 4 tsp

Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Butter: 1/4 cup

Granulated Sugar: 1 cup

Veg Oil: 1/2 cup

Vanilla: 2 tsp

White Vinegar: 1/2 tsp

Liquid food coloring (I used tomato red food coloring for cakes) : 2 tbsp

Butter Milk: 1/2 cup (or you can use 2 tbsp milk and rest curd to make it 1/2 cup and whisk and use)

Preheat Oven 180C

Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners (this makes 22 cupcakes)

Sift the corn flour, all purpose flour, baking soda,salt and cocoa thrice. Keep aside

Beat the butter and sugar till they are mixed well.

Add oil and beat again till everything is mixed.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again till everything is creamy.

Beat in the vinegar and food coloring and beat for a few minutes.

Now add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately and beat on low till everyhting is mixed well.

Spoon the batter into cupcake liners filling 2/3 of the way full.

Bake till done  (15 to 20 mts depending on ur oven) till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make sure you dont overbake as these cakes dry out fast.

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Butter: 1/4 cup

Cream Cheese: 200 gms

Icing Sugar: 2 cups

Vanilla: 1 tsp

Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar till smooth.

Beat on high for 2 minutes.

Frost cooled cupcakes with a star tip.

You wont get a star finish as the frosting is a little thin.

Recipe Courtesy: Sallys Baking Addiction

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Mothers Day to all the lovely mothers out there. This one is specially for you and believe me when I say, this is the BEST EVER RED VELVET CAKE!!!!!! You are gonna love me for this recipe.....

For the cake:

Cake Flour: 3 cups (or 2 and 2/3Cups All purpose Flour ad 1/3 cup corn flour)
Baking Soda/Cooking Soda: 1 tsp
Cocoa Powder: 2 tbsp
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Butter: 100 grams
Sugar: 2 cups granulated
Oil: 1 cup
Eggs: 4
Vanilla essence: 1 1/2 tbsp
Vinegar: 1 tsp
Red Food coloring (I used liquid coloring for cakes, tomato red color): 3 1/2 tbsp
Butter Milk: 1 cup (3/4 cup curd and 1/4 cup milk whisked together)

Preheat oven for 10 mts at 180C
Grease and dust 2 cake pans
Sieve together the Corn flour, Maida, Baking Soda, Cocoa powder and salt thrice.
Keep aside.
Separate the egg yolk and whites and beat the whites till stiff
Beat butter and sugar.
Add oil to it and beat again.
Add the yolks and vanilla essence and beat everything for a few minutes.
Now add the vinegar and food color and beat again.
Now fold in the flour and buttermilk alternately till everything is mixed well.
Lastly fold in the egg whites.
Bake for 30 minutes or till done.
Let it cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese; 400 grams
Butter: 200 grams
Icing sugar: 4 cups
Vanilla essence: 2 tsp

Beat all the ingredients on high for about 2 minutes. Make sure the cream cheese and butter are cold from the fridge. Halve the frosting recipe for semi naked cake.

Assembling
Slice the cake horizontally and on the bottom half, spoon a generous amount of cream cheese and spread. Keep the top half on it (so it is sandwiched) and now apply the rest of the cream cheese generously all over.

I got 2 cakes like this with the quantity mentioned

Recipe Courtesy: Sallys Baking Addiction