Almond Brownie with a coconut twist

Its a lovely weather nowadays in Bangalore.Dry and sunny during the day when you can dry your laundry in minutes,dark and breezy towards the evening.Often followed by gentle showers that bring a new lease of life to all the living.It is such a combination of warm and cool that I cant help thinking of a similar delightful culinary combo-warm brownie with cool and creamy vanilla ice cream.An anytime mood lifter, and everyone's favourite in the family.
I decided to bake brownies today evening before husband returned from work.While I was preparing and baking,it was a blazing sun out side and just as I was taking out the ice cream from the freezer to serve,I could hear the roar of black clouds approaching my balcony...hot and cool..sun and rain. brownie and ice cream..such a tantalising play of temperatures!

Today,I decided to ditch the regular walnut brownie for an almond one with a coconut twist.
Below given is the almond brownie recipe

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2cup butter
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup brown sugar if you are using sweet cocoa powder and 1cup if you are using non sweet coco powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

*For the coconut twist
Instead of vanilla essence I used 2 tsp of coconut liquor(I used Malibu rum)
plus two large spoon of dessicated dry coconut

Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
Grease a small cake tin and keep aside
Melt the butter for 15 sec in the microwave and beat in the sugar.
Beat in the eggs one by one and add the rum or vanilla essence.
Sieve the cocoa powder,flour plus baking powder together into the mix.
I generally like to roast the nuts before adding for that special aroma but you can use them anyway you like.Add the roasted almonds and dessicated coconut  to the mix.

Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 35-40 min until done.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and roasted nuts on the side or just make it gooey with  hot chocolate sauce:)

My cappuccino Museli

During my long working days at the office this ,used to be my staple breakfast.Apart from that fact that its so healthy and wholesome,this really can be made in a jiffy.I never got bored of eating this for almost everyday for three years because I always tweaked the recipe with different fruits or different nuts.This, till date is my favourite breakfast item.You can make a hundred different versions of it depending on your taste.Its healthy and a child 's play recipe.Below given is the conventional recipe followed by a modern and a much quicker version:-)


Serves-1
4tsp Oats-I use Quaker
1 cup milk-
1tsp sugar
1tsp strong coffee granules
6 Almonds
10 raisins
any other nuts or seeds of your choice

Heat milk,add sugar and coffee.Bring it to a boil .
Remove from fire and stir in the oats.Leave it for ten minutes for the oats to cook in the hot milk.
Sliver six almonds and roast them for a minute in a skillet over fire.(You can always add almonds without roasting it but once you get hooked to the aroma of roasted almonds,you will never want to add it just like that.)
Add it to the milk soaked oats.
Wash the raisins and sprinkle.on the oats.
Its ready to be served:-)
*I add flax seeds and melon seeds for a more healthier meal.
You can again vary the recipe by adding Cinnamon powder or vanilla essence or anything of your choice instead of coffee granules.

The quicker version involves flavoured packaged soy milk instead of regular milk.You only need to take two moments the previous night to create the base.Pick any of you favourite flavoured soy milk and soak the oats the previous night.Add some chopped fruit like banana or apple or both and its ready to be eaten.

All time Oats

This is one of  those versatile items which I frequently serve for breakfast and also fix it for lunch when I am too lazy to cook for myself alone.I love this recipe for the fact thats its quick as a breeze and very healthy.And it would not be on my blog if it isn't yummy!:-)

serves-1

Ingredients

4 tsp Oats-I use Quaker
1 small onion
1 small tomato
half cucumber
1/2 inch ginger-chopped real fine
1/2 cup curd
2/3 cup water

Tempering
1tiny spoon of oil-I prefer mustard..you are free to use any
1 v small green chilly-you can use more if you like things hot
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
salt to taste

optional items for tempering
curry leaves
fenugreek seeds
asoefetida
cumin

Take 2/3 cup of water in a microwaveable pot and microwave for one and a half minute.
The water would come out boiling,stir in the oats in the hot water.
If you are using gas stove,heat 2/3 cup of water and stir in the oats in the boiling water.
Leave the oats aside for 10 minutes.Once the oats have cooked and cooled down stir in 1/2 cup curd.

Chop onion,tomato and cucumber  real fine.Add the chopped veggies to the oats mix.
Sprinkle salt to taste.

In a small skillet,heat oil.
Add asoefetida, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.Once the seeds start spluttering,switch off the gas.Add chopped deseeded green chillies and curry leaves and pour the tempering over the oats mix.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.