This morning I had an urge to eat something sweet. I wanted to keep it quick, healthy and ofcourse “YUMMY”  to satisfy my cravings.First thought that popped in my mind was kheer. Since calorie amount can be a bit scary in rice kheer, I decided to use suji instead of rice and 1% milk instead of whole milk.If you are not familiar with Suji (semolina), it is a nutritious Indian wheat granulated but not pulverized. It has a lot of health benefits but the one I remember is that my mother used to give me suji halwa with warm milk to cure sore throat and cold. Also, in India it is very commonly prepared for toddlers and little children as it is very nutritious and easy to digest.  Here is a quick recipe.

You need:

½ tsp  ghee
1 tbsp spoon suji (semolina)
1 cup milk
1 tbsp  brown sugar (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat a frying  pan on low heat
2. Put ghee in it and wait till it spreads around
3. Add Suji and roast it for a few minutes or until it changes colour
4. Next add milk and boil it for 2 minutes
5. Add sugar and stir well
6. Garnish with almonds, cashews, raisins and walnuts
7. Serve hot or cold.

Suji Kheer is a post from: Chef

White Chocolate Craisins Haystacks

You need:

2 cups white chocolate chips OR 12 oz white chocolate coarsely chopped (I used Hershey’s)

1 1/4 cups thin pretzel sticks, broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with foil paper
2. Melt the white chocolate as per package instructions. For two cups of chocolate chips, I microwave for 1 minute and then additional 15-20 seconds in 5 second intervals.
The chocolate chips may maintain their shape so try to run a spoon and stop when it spreads creamy. You have to be very careful that it does not get over heated.
3.Add peanuts, cranberries and pretzels, stirring until well coated.

White Chocolate Craisins Haystacks-mix

4.Drop by spoonful onto the cookie sheet and sprinkle some colored sugar crystals or sprinkles.
Once cool, store the haystacks in an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for several weeks.

You can try different variations: Stir in 1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds or pistachios instead of Craisins.

White Chocolate Craisins Haystacks

White Chocolate and Craisins Haystacks is a post from: Chef

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding

You need:

1 Strawberry Cake (Eggless)
2 cans Evaporated Milk
1 banana
10-12 fresh Strawberries
1/2 cup whipped cream topping (or more as desired)
4-5 tbsp Nesquik Strawberry Milk Flavor/Strawberry flavor Carnation Instant breakfast
1 package instant Vanilla pudding (I used Jello)

Directions:
1. Prepare Cake as per directions. Let it cool (Or use a store bought cake, try to get one with little less sugar)
2. Prepare Vanilla pudding as per directions
3. Slice the cake and set first layer in a large white dish.

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding-Cake Layer

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding-Evaporated milk

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding-Add fresh strawberries and banana

I did not want to use too much whipped cream topping. So I just added few small dollops. This way I could cut extra calories as well. Although I do think, it would have been great if I had spread one full layer of the whipped cream topping. May be next time!

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding

Strawberry Milk Cake Pudding (Eggless) is a post from: Chef

Steamed Date and Sago (Tapioca) Pudding

Ingredients:
½ cup sago (tapioca)
1 cup dates – chopped and destined
1 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tablespoon butter

1. Place the sago in the milk, and allow to stand for 1 – 1 ½ hours. Add a little more milk, if required (if the sago has lapped up all the milk, and is still partially cloudy / white). The sago is ready when it is completely see-through and jelly-like in consistency.

2. Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to the boil.
3. Mix all the ingredients well.
4. Place in a well greased tin or pudding bowl (heat resistant)
5. Place in the pot of boiling water. The water should come to nearly the level of the pudding in the bowl.
Simmer the pudding for 2 hours. Top up the water from boiling water in your kettle as needed.

6.Remove the pudding from the tin, and serve hot with whipped cream or ice-cream.

Note: It does not matter if the sago stands for a bit too long. It does however matter if the sago does not sit long enough. So rather get the sago into the milk early, than be racing for time and taking it out too soon.

Steamed Date and Sago Pudding (Eggless) is a post from: Chef

Eggless Custard

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
2-3 tablespoons corn flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

In a heavy bottomed pan, bring 3 cups of milk to the boil. Add the butter. In a small dish, mix the remaining cup of milk with the sugar and the corn flour thoroughly. Once the milk is boiling, add the corn flour mixture, and stir well. Simmer over medium heat for a few minutes to thicken. Add the vanilla essence in the last minute of cooking. Remove from heat and serve hot or cold.

Eggless Custard is a post from: Chef

Pears with Carmel Sauce

Ingredients:

4-5 large, fresh pears
½ cup sugar – adapt to the tartness or sweetness of the pears
Juice of 1 lemon

Caramel sauce
1 cup sugar
3 ½ oz butter
2 pints milk
½ cup cornflour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions:

Peel the pears, and remove the core. Cut into thick slices. Place the pears, the sugar, the lemon juice and a little water in a large saucepan, and gently simmer in a little water for 30 minutes or until the pears are firm but cooked through. The time needed will depend on the type of pears you are using. Cool slightly.
The pears, prepared like this can easily be canned or frozen for later use, if you have a surplus that you want to prepare.

Caramel sauce:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, over medium heat. Add the sugar, and melt the sugar in the butter, stirring continually over low heat. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Once the sugar has become a lovely light to medium caramel colour, remove from heat. Pour the milk (keep back 1 cup) in slowly, stirring well. (It helps to warm the milk to luke-warm before adding to the caramelised sugar, to prevent lumping of the sugar. Although, do not fret if the sugar forms crystallised lumps during this mixing. It will melt again in the next step. Just be extra careful over lower heat if this has happened.)

Place back on medium high heat, and bring to just before boiling. Stir continually to prevent burning. Mix the corn flour with the remaining cup of milk, and add to the caramelised milk. Simmer for a few minutes, until thickened. Add the vanilla essence, stir well, and remove from heat.

Allow the pears and the caramel sauce to cool completely before serving.

Pears with caramel sauce is a post from: Chef

Baked Bananas with Cinnamon Sugar

Ingredients:
1 Banana for each person
Sugar or Cinnamon Sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon or orange juice
2 tablespoons butter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel the bananas, and slice them in half, lengthwise.
Place the bananas in a heatproof, greased dish.
Sprinkle liberally with sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Sprinkle with the lemon or orange juice.
Dot with butter.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
Serve hot with ice-cream.

Variation 1: Instead of baking the bananas, you could fry them in a little oil in a small pan. This is a little less healthy, but much quicker.

Variation 2: We have baked apples in exactly the same way. Do not peel the apple. Remove the core carefully, being careful to not cut through the bottom – It helps to use a small paring knife and a teaspoon. Place the butter and the cinnamon sugar inside the hollow apple.

Variation 3: Instead of baking in the oven, microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes for the bananas, or 4-5 minutes for the apples.

(Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Use on many fruit dishes, on pancakes, and of course on the baked bananas. I always mix up a batch, and keep it handy. You never know when it might give just the zing to a sweet dish you need.)

Baked Bananas with Cinnamon Sugar is a post from: Chef

Cherry Pineapple Crumble

As I was just enjoying the last piece of leftovers, I was wondering how easy it was to put together this delicious fruity dessert. I made it recently for my son’s birthday party and I can’t wait to make it again. Along with the cake, I wanted to make a simple eggless and light dessert and I hardly had any time on hand. I absolutely liked the idea of making a crumble with pineapple and cherries, both my favorites. The original recipe did not call for pineapple slices but I just added them to double the pineapple flavor. I must add, all it took was 10 minutes of prep time and I was done.

You need:

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice
1 can pineapple slices
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix – I used Betty Crocker’s
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (I used half, you can add up to 1 cup)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cherry Pineapple Crumble-spoon Pineapple

2. Spoon pineapple evenly over bottom of 9 X 13 pan. Sprinkle cinnamon powder and mix well
3. Cover the pineapple with cherry pie filling

Cherry Pineapple Crumble-Cherry and Pineapple Slices

4. Spread a layer of pineapple slices on top
5. Pour the dry cake mix evenly over fruit mixture so that it reaches all sides of the pan.
6. Drizzle entire surface with butter

Cherry Pineapple Crumble-Spread cake mix and drizzle butter,sprinkle pecans

7. Sprinkle pecans evenly over top
8. Bake until cake is deep brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes
9. Let cool and serve with ice cream or whipped cream

Cherry Pineapple Crumble-baked, just out of the oven

Cherry Pineapple Crumble is a post from: Chef

Strawberries dipped in Chocolate

You need:

20-25 strawberries
4 baking chocolate blocks (semi sweet)
sprinkles and/or chopped nuts/or any other topping

Melt the chocolate squares as per directions. Dip strawberries one at a time, nicely coat half of the berry. Sprinkle your favorite topping and let it set on wax paper for 15 minutes. Refrigerate for about an hour. Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries is a post from: Chef