Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

                 This is one of those simple, delicious and comforting food one can indulge with. Only thing I have made it my own recipe by avoiding eggs.

Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour - 3/4 Cup
2. Quick Oats - 1 and 1/2 Cup
3. Sugar - 1 Cup
4. Butter - 1/2 Cup
5. Yogurt - 2 TBSP
6. Baking Soda - 1/4 TSP
7. Chocolate Chips - 1/2 Cup
8. Salt - 1/2 TSP
9. Vanilla Essence - 1 TSP
10. Walnut - 2/3 Cup

Method:

1. Swift the flour. You can substitute whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour. Now in a cake mixer, add in all dry ingredients. In place of white granular sugar, you can use brown sugar or use parts of each. Be mindful, that more brown sugar you use, the darker the cookies will appear.

2. You can use either greek or plain yogurt. I am using greek yogurt. Butter needs to be softened a bit and made into pieces.Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.

3. Mix all the ingredients well. I use setting 2 and then 4 for 2 min each. Now at last add in chocolate chips. I use low sugar mini chocolate chips. You can use regular size. Mix in with hands or at setting 2 for a min.

4. While mixing the ingredients, pre-heat oven at 325 degree farehnite. On un-greased dark cookie sheet, place spoonful of dough shaped in round shape. Be sure to place those 2 inch or so apart.

5. Bake for 12-14 min, depending on the oven. In my case, I have to bake for 14 min. The measurements for ingredients I have listed, you will bake around 20 cookies.

6. Once out of the oven, cool those for 5 min and place those to wire rack to completely cool down. Enjoy with milk and keep left overs in air tight container. These will stay fresh for 10-12 days.

Lemon Cake

               Ever since I celebrated my birthday with a bakery bought lemon cake, I was itching to bake it at home. To get the right fresh citric flavor, I knew I needed to use fresh ingredients, the star of recipes, lemons; juice and peel. Being a vegetarian, I was trying a recipe without eggs. So here is my version of lemon cake i.e. egg-less.

 Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour - 1 and 1/2 Cup
2. Lemon Juice - 1 TBSP
3. Lemon Zest - 1 TBSP
4. Butter - 1/2 Cup
5. Yogurt - 4 TBSP
6. Sugar - 1 Cup
7. Milk - 3/4 Cup
8. Baking Powder - 1 and 3/4 TSP
9. Vanilla Extract - 2 TSP

Ingredients for Lemon Icing:

1. Lemon Juice - 1 TBSP
2. Sugar - 1 Cup
3. Butter - 1/4 Cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degree Fahrenheit.
2. Bring in all dry ingredients in cake mixer.

3. Add one wet ingredients at a time from yogurt, milk, melted butter and as you mix add milk slowly. One you have a consistency in the batter, add lemon juice and zest. In a greased round 9" pan, pour the batter and using spatula even out the surface.

4. Bake for 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle to do the check if cake is completely baked.

5. Cool it down on wired surface. Once cooled, may be in 35-40 min, turn in upside down gently pat on the bottom to place the cake on the plate.

6. Before you can apply icing, let the cake completely cool down. Say another hour or so. Then only apply icing. For icing, soften the butter and add sugar and lemon juice.  

7. As you whisk the mixture, butter will melt. If not, warm up the mixture on simmer heat setting for only few second. Remember, to not cook the mixture. 

8. Gently pour the icing on the cake, if needed use spatula to even it.

9. To add a bit of decoration, I have marinated peel of lemon and a couple of slices lemon in sugar one a day. 

10. Right before, serving place the slices and peel on the top of the cake.

11. The cake will make 10 slices. 

Thai Peanut Veggie Noodles

Today I wanted to give a change in our repertoire, so thought to try these Thai Peanut Veggie Noodles. I did not have the rice noodles though. I went to search in pantry what else may work as a substitute, so yes, I used angel hair pasta noodles. It is organic, whole wheat, so makes it a healthier  alternative to rice noodle. You wont tell the difference. Without further due here is the recipe -

Ingredients:

1.  Angel Hair Pasta - 8 ounce
2. Cabbage - 1 Cup
3. Yellow Pepper - 1 Medium size
4. Spring Onion - 4-5 Springs
5. White Onion - 1 Medium Size
6. Vegetable Oil - 1 TSP
7. Ground Black pepper - 1 TSP
8. Salt - 1 TSP

Ingredients for Sauce:

1. Peanut Butter - 1 TBSP
2. Soy sauce - 1 TBSP
3. Sugar - 1 TSP
4. Hot Water - 1 TBSP
5. Chili flakes - 1 TSP

Method:

1. Make peanut sauce first and have to ready. In a small mixing bowl, add all ingredients except hot water. There are multiple choices available in the market when it comes to soy sauce, I prefer low sodium one. Then heat the water separately and add slowly while whisking it will all ingredients.

2. Bring water to rolling hot water. And cook angel hair pasta al dente as per directions. I have used organic whole wheat angel pasta that takes about 6 min.

3. While pasta is cooking, chop all vegetables in julienne cut. 

4. Heat wok. Add vegetable oil and ground black pepper.Then add hopped vegetables; cabbage, onion and bell pepper.

5. Stir fry those until all vegetables are soften and onion became almost translucent. But not all the way. Add chopped spring onions and give it a quick stir.

6. Add cooked pasta and mix gently.

7. Add sauce and mix well. To make it spicy, add chili flakes.

8. Serve hot.