Versatile Seven Layered Salad

One good things about office pot luck parties is that you make one thing and you get to try and exchange so many recipes.

Again this recipe is from one of my dear friend and co-worker Debbie P.

She made this salad with Bacon and Boiled eggs, but she knows that I am a vegetarian and don't like boiled eggs, so she made a separate one for me without Bacon and eggs.

It looked so pretty in the glass bowl. I am not a big fan of Mayo, but I couldn't believe how good it tasted. Debbie gave me the recipe and I would love to share this with you all.


This recipe yields 8 servings.


Ingredients:


* 1/2 head of lettuce

* 1 cups of spinach

* 6 mushrooms

* 12-15 grape tomatoes

* 1 seedless cucumber peeled and cubed

* 3 green onions chopped with green part intact

* 1 1/2 cups Frozen Peas, microwave for 3 min on mw safe steamer

* 1 15 oz can of chick peas

* 1/2 Red Onion, chopped or sliced

* 1 red Bell Pepper sliced or chopped

* 1/2 cup walnuts

* 1 cup Real Mayonnaise

* 1 tsp Seasoned Salt

* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)

* 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

* 4-6 strawberries for garnish



Method:


* Arrange salad greens in a see-through salad bowl, layer with spinach, peas, chickpeas, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and then the red pepper. (or any which way you like)

* Mix together Mayo, seasoning salt and pepper to taste.

* Top green onion layer with the dressing.

* Sprinkle grated cheese and walnuts.

* Repeat the layers.

* Garnish the top with strawberries and remaining tomatoes.

* Refrigerate the salad and toss it just before serving to mix all the dressing with salad.

* You can alternate the layers of veggies and Mayo or you can top it with mayo, I did the alternate layers so the dressing is evenly incorporated.

* You can add or change any of the ingredients.

* I also drizzled it with little raspberry vinaigrette to give additional flavor. You can make any variation with this salad, you can not go wrong.


Enjoy :)





Recipe Source my dear friend and co-worker Debbie P.

Photographs by Surekha.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

My colleague Jan H. at work is just amazing !! Whenever she brings a dish to share, and you ask for a recipe, she will pull out her pen and write it down for you on the spot.

She brought this Coffee cake at work other day and I loved it. When I asked for recipe, as usual Jan pulled out her pen and wrote down the recipe from her memory.

My son was home this weekend, I baked it and it came out perfect!! He loved it :)

Thanks Jan :)



Ingredients


* 2 sticks of Margarine or Butter (I used the real thing ;)

* 1 1/4 cup white sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup sour cream

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

* 1/4 teaspoon salt



For filling:


* 1 cup chopped walnuts

* 3 tablespoon sugar (I used brown sugar)

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon



Method:


* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

* Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

* In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

* Beat in the eggs one at a time.

* Then stir in the sour cream and vanilla.

* Mix in 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

* Spread 1/2 of batter in the prepared pan.


Prepare the filling:


Mix chopped nuts, cinnamon and sugar.


* Sprinkle 1/2 of the filling on with 1/2 the cake batter that you spread on the grease pan.

* Spread second half of batter over the filling, and top with remaining filling.

* Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

* Only thing different I did was I used brown sugar for filling instead of regular sugar and I served it with Maple butter sauce. Recipe for this sauce on this blog in the post "Applebee's Walnut Blondie with Maple Butter Sauce"



Recipe Source: The Best Baker at my work and my dearest colleague Jan H.

Photographs by Surekha.

Khaman Dhokla

Dhokla or 'Khaman' is a snack from the Indian state of Gujarat made with a fermented batter of gram (chickpeas). Split chickpeas or besan in some recipes, are soaked overnight.

This paste is fermented for four to five hours, then is spiced by adding chile pepper, ginger, and baking soda.

The dhokla is then steamed for about 15 minutes on a flat dish and cut into pieces. It is seasoned in a distinct way, where in oil is heated with mustard seeds in it, until mustard cracks, then assafoetida and chopped green chilies added to this.

Sometimes, equal amount of water also added with little sugar to this oil, and then it is poured over the Khaman, after this only pieces are removed from dish.

Khatta dhokla, Khaman dhokla, Rasia dhokla, Sandwich Dhokla and cheese dhokla are varieties of dhokla prepared by Gujarati households and are now also locally available in snack shops all over Western part of India.


The following recipe yields about 6-8 servings.



Ingredients:


For Batter:


3 & 1/2 cup of Gram flour / Besan

2 cups Plain yogurt

2 cups water

3 table spoon cream of wheat

1/4 teaspoon Asafetida

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon ginger chili paste

Salt to taste

3-4 small packets of Eno salt (fruit salt)* (see below for description)



For tempering the Dhokla (not to be mixed in batter)



1/4 spoon sugar

1/3 cup water

Juice of fresh large lime

Oil - 4 tablespoon

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds

4 pods of dry red chilies

3 teaspoon Sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon of Asafetida

1/4 cup of Chopped green chilies (I used Jalapenos)

Handful of Fresh Curry leaves



For Garnish:


1/4 cup Grated coconut (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh Coriander leaves



Method:


Mix first water and yogurt and whisk it together until smooth buttermilk consistency.

Add gram flour (besan) and cream of wheat, mix well until batter is smooth without lumps.

Keep it aside to rise for 4-6 hours.

Add Turmeric powder, green chili / ginger paste and salt in the batter.

Mix well, set aside.


How to steam Dhokla:

• Grease a 8” stainless steel dish (thali) with a high rim grease it with oil.

• Take a steamer with 2 inches water for steaming.

• Use stand that comes with steamer or another bowl at the bottom of the pot to prop up the dish out of the water.

• Cover the pot and allow the water to come to a boil.

• In the mean time take out 3 ladles of batter in small bowl and add 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda or Eno, mix well in one direction to aerate the batter.

• When the water starts to steam, uncover the pot.

• Pour the batter in to greased dish and place the dish on the stand in the pot.

• Cover the pot and place some weight on the cover. (I use my mortal for weight and steam for 15 minutes)

• After 12-15 minutes, remove the steamed batter from the pot let it cool.

• In the mean time prepare another plate and batter the same way and steam another plate of Dhokla.

• When first dish is cool, cut the Dhokla in to squares, and empty them in large platter.

• Repeat the process and keep making the Dhokla until all the batter is gone.

• Once all the Dhokla are in the platter, Mix Water/Sugar/lime juice solution and mix well.

• Drizzle this over the Dhokla pieces and allow them to absorb all of the liquid.

* For seasoning, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when these crackle add fenugreek seeds, dry red chili pods, curry leaves, sesame seeds, and chopped green chilies. Stir for few seconds.

* Add asafetida and remove and pour over the dhokla.

* Garnish with chopped cilantro and grated coconut if desired.

* Let it cool for a while. If you want perfect shaped ones and not the crumbling, cut and handle gently.

* Serve with deep fried chilies on the side, and side of Coriander or Mint chutney or green papaya and chili relish (all of these recipes on this blog).



What is Eno fruit salt:

Eno is the most global of GSK's gastrointestinal products. The fast-acting effervescent fruit salts, used as an antacid and reliever of bloatedness, was invented in the 1850s by James Crossley Eno (1827-1915). It has sales of nearly £30 million, with its major markets being Spain, India, Brazil, South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand. It is frequently used as a substitute for baking powder. Word of caution: Sodium content is very high.




Source for Description of Eno http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eno_%28drug%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License
Source for Description of Dhokla: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhokla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License


Recipe by my mom Mrs. Kasturben S.
Photographs by Surekha.