Homemade Maraschino Cherries

These have such a delicious taste and flavor any day 100 times better than the tinned stuff you get in the market. Here the tinned Maraschino Cherries are so expensive. The homemade ones are so cheaper and preservative free. You can just pop them into your mouth and relish them, they so..ooo.. good.

Ingredients

Day One 

500 Grams  Maraschino Cherries
1 Liter Water
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt

Method

Half  the cherries I,  pitted & half I kept with the stems.
Boil a liter of water with a heaped teaspoon of sea salt when it comes to a boil. Switch off the flame and let the water come to room temperature. Now add the pitted and stem cherries and cover the pan with a  tight fitting lid immediately and let them sit in the salt water overnight.
Day Two
Ingredients 

175 Ml Water
2½ Cups Heaped Granulated Sugar
A Juice of Small Lemon 

½ Teaspoon Almond or Mixed Fruit Essence 

Method 

Make a simple  syrup with water, sugar. When the water come to a rolling boil,  add juice of one fresh lemon and continue to boil this till the sugar melts, keep stirring it so that the sugar does not burn at the bottom. When the sugar melts. Switch of the flame and let it cool completely. Add the essence and give it a quick stir.  

Strain the syrup.

As the syrup is cooling drain the salted brine cherries, throw away the salt water and and wash them in fresh water once. Let them dry a little . Then store the cherries in the simple syrup in a sterilized bottle and refrigerate them until you want to use. 

The Homemade Maraschino Cherries are ready to use.

I loved these cherries and would pop one or two very often.

Labels :  Cherries, Homemade, Preservatives free, Healthy

No Oil Or Butter Fijian Coconut Bread#Eattheworld

This was really easy, one bowl bread, which turned out so  moist and flavorful.  What really  surprised me that this recipe had no oil or butter in it.  Although I was tempted to add a tablespoon or two of oil, but refrained from doing so since I wanted to taste and see how this turns out.  Halved the recipe and tweaked it a little. 

 This recipe  is a keeper, if you love coconut.  I loved it.

Recipe Source Travel by Stove

Measurement is a 200Ml Cup
Ingredients

1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
½ Cup Caster Sugar
½ Tablespoon Baking powder
2  Eggs
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 Cup Coconut Milk
½ Cup Grated Fresh Coconut
Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

Let's first toast the grated coconut in a dry pan until light golden.

Sieve the flour together with the baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the toasted coconut.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, coconut milk, essence  with a hand whisk,  until just frothy.  

Add in the dry ingredients and mix till well combined. 

This is a thick batter, so do not get tempted to add more liquid. 

 Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes ( it took exactly 48 minutes in my oven)

or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Perfectly baked.

It's a dense bread, but taste good, especially when warm.

This will keep  good in the refrigerator for a week, just cling wrap it.  Whenever needed slice, toast and enjoy.  

My husband does not like coconut, had a slice when it was just baked. 

So the rest of the I, enjoyed it, one day I even had it with Lotus spread and it tasted great. 

This bread is filling for breakfast, have two thick toasted slices and you're full.

Labels: Coconut, Fiji, Bread, No Oil Or Butter, Baked, Eat the World, Breakfast, Healthy, Preservatives free, Coconut Milk, Breads
Join us as we Eat the World!!!


Each month Evelyne of CulturEatz invites us to visit a country and explore their foods. This month it's Fiji.

Check out all the wonderful Fijian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Palatable Pastime: Pawpaw Curry with Lolo
Making Miracles: Lolo Buns
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Fijian Food for a Crowd: Curry, Pulao, and Cassava Cake
Dinner By Dennis: Palusami
Sneha’s Recipe: No Oil Or Butter Fijian Coconut Bread
CulturEatz: Kokoda, a Fijian Coconut Milk Ceviche
Pandemonium Noshery: Fijian Banana Cake with Dates and Coconut
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal)
Kitchen Frau: Spiced Sweet Potato and Banana Salad

Lavash#BreadBakers

Lavash is a thin flatbread or Crisp Whole Wheat Crackers,
from the Middle East, specifically from Armenia. These can be made as soft flat breads and use to make wraps and rolls.

I made the crisp version, Lavash crackers and served them with  Ajvar sauce and these can be  stored for days. Enjoy them as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or just nibble with a cuppa.

Serves 4 to 5
Ingredients
1½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Teaspoon + 1 Teaspoon Black & White Sesame seeds
¾ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Olive Oil
½ Cup water
1 Tablespoon Oregano 
Method
Pre-heat the oven at 180°C. Grease and line a baking tray. Toast the sesame seeds lightly. Keep aside.

Add salt, olive oil and sesame seeds to the flour and 

rub with your fingers to mix well.

Add the water slowly and make a soft pliable dough.

Divide into four.

Roll out really thin, almost see through thin, on a greased silicon mat.

Or on a greased baking paper.

Cut out a circle using a round plate

A perfect circle

Sprinkle a little of black and white sesame seeds

Roll it with rolling pin

so that the sesame seeds and pressed well

then cut into triangles.

Transfer to the greased tray and brush the top with oil.

Bake till golden and crisp about 15-18 minutes. Cool them on a wire rack. 

Then store in an airtight container.

 Served this with Vegan Ajvar Sauce
My Notes 

Can use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour

Labels: Appetizer, Armenia, Bread, Bread Bakers, Crackers, Healthy, Middle Eastern, Sesame seeds, Starters, Whole Wheat Flour, Biscuits & Cookies , Vegan   

This month the Bread Bakers we are making Crackers and  the Host is Sneha  -

Baked Nacho Chips from Anybody Can Bake
Cheesy Crunchy Mini Crackers from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Homemade Senbei Rice Crackers from Food Lust People Love
Lavash from Sneha's Recipe
Olive Oil Crackers from A Messy Kitchen
Rosemary Crackers from Passion Kneaded
Sourdough Cheddar Cheese and Rosemary Crackers from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Sprouted Wheat Crackers with Sea Salt from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Wholegrain Sesame and Flaxseed Crackers from Ambrosia
Wholemeal and Oats Carrot Crackers from Cook with Renu

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Vegan Mushroom Roast/Koon Olarthiyathu -Kerala Style

This  is a  side dish, very tasty,  vegan & gluten free delicacy, very tempting and irresistible.

Serves 2
Ingredients 

250 gm Button Mushrooms 

¼ Teaspoon Chilly powder
½ Teaspoon Coriander powder

½  tsp Teaspoon Garam masala

¼ Teaspoon Teaspoon Black  Pepper powder

1  Green chilly– slit

1 Medium Onion– finely chopped

1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Ginger 

2 Sprigs Curry leaves

½ Teaspoon  Mustard seeds

2 Dry Red Chillies

2 Tablespoon Oil

8 Coconut pieces or 1 Tablespoon Grated Coconut 

½  Small Tomato  - de seeded and diced

½ Cup Thick Coconut Milk

Salt to taste

Method 
Wash and cut the mushroom into slices.

In a kadai add this mushroom pieces along with chilly powder,coriander powder,garam masala,crushed pepper,salt and thick coconut milk. 

Cover  with a lid  and cook this in medium flame until the mushroom gets cooked and all moisture evaporated/dry . Keep this aside.

Now take another pan and heat oil and temper mustard seeds,dry chilly and  few curry leaves .Now add  ginger and finely chopped onion ,green chilly slits and pinch of salt.  Mix well and saute until the onion turn into light brown color. 

Now push this to the side of the pan and add chopped coconut pieces or grated coconut and saute till it changes color. 

Add this too the cooked mushroom and Add the tomato pieces and the remaining curry leaves. 

Saute for a minute. give it a good mix and cook in low flame for at least for 3 -4 minutes. 

It's done.

Remove this on to a serving dish and the yummy mushroom roast is ready to serve.

Its a great combo with chapathi.

Labels : Vegan, Gluten free, Mushroom, Side Dish, Main course, Kerala, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Healthy