Upside down banana bread

Upside down banana bread

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 bananas, sliced thin
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 egg
1 egg white
2 1/2 very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup vanilla silk soy milk creamer

 

Preparation:

step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

step 2
Cream the butter & brown sugar together until well blended then press along bottom of cake pan. Layer sliced bananas on top.

step 3
For the bread: Mash bananas in a small bowl and set aside. Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer. Add egg & egg white, mix until fully incorporated, then add bananas.

step 4
Mix dry ingredients together and then add to mixture alternating between flour mixture and vanilla creamer until all ingredients are blended together.

step 5
Pour batter over banana lined cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a taste tester comes out clean. Place a flat plate or platter on top of the cake pan and flip over. Slowly remove cake pan, allowing extra caramel topping to drip down sides of cake.

step 6
Serve & enjoy!

Butternut squash galette

Butternut squash galette

Ingredients:

Pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

Filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated
2 oz pancetta, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

 

Preparation:

step 1
Prepare Pastry-In a bowl, combine the flour and salt and add the butter, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this mixture to the well. Stir until dough forms ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

step 2
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash and cut into 1 inch pieces. Toss pieces with olive oil and salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 20 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

step 3
While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with pinch of salt, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

step 4
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese, pancetta and sage together in a bowl.

step 5
Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

step 6
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. 

Malka masoor / split red lentils

Malka masoor / split red lentils

Ingredients:

3/4 cup malka masoor /red lentils
3 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf (tear)
Ingredients for tempering:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves minced
ginger (about the size of one garlic clove)
1 blanched tomato, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 lemon
To serve:
rice or chapatti or dinner rolls
salad
yogurt or sour cream

The above ingredients give a satisfying hot flavour for red lentil soup.
If you are preparing to eat this with rice, you definitely need to spice up with 1 tsp garam masala and little more red chilly powder. Or you can serve with pickle on side.

 

Preparation:

Get your ingredients ready for tempering before you start cooking. Rinse red lentils and place in a medium sauce pan. Add 3 cups of water. Bring it to boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until lentils are soft. Skim off any scum that comes on top.

Make sure you do not over cook the lentils. They get mushy in seconds. Remove from flame when they reach this far. This is exactly after 12 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, heat oil in a small pan. Add cumin when the oil gets hot. After the crackling of cumin, add chopped onion. Cook until translucent. Add minced ginger and garlic. Cook while stirring, making sure that it does not burn. Add turmeric, red chilly powder, salt and tomatoes. Cook this masala with little water and pressing the tomatoes with the back of the ladle. Salt will also help softening the tomatoes. Remove bay leaves Add the cooked onion tomato masala to the lentils.

Gently mix it in the lentil. If the consistency of the lentil look too thick then bring remaining 1/2 cup of water to boil in the same pan which was used for tempering. Add it to the lentil. Check for seasoning. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon. Pour the red lentils in a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve alongside basmati rice or chapatti.