Eggless Candied Pecans

I love Candied pecans !!
I used them in salads,  but can be used just for plain old snack or as any dessert toppers. It can be a great holiday gift for family, friends or neighbors.







 

Ingredients:
2 cups pecans
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1 table spoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line nonstick baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium microwave safe bowl stir together pecans, sugar and water.
• Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Cook in microwave for 5-6 min on high power, stir every min.   

• Continuing  to stir in between until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to reduce.
• The syrup will begin to get darker and will reduce, stir until enough syrup is left just enough to coat the pecans
• The whole process should take about 6-7 min depending on the power of microwave.
• Spread the pecans out on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 min minutes, continuing  to stir in between until desired crispness of pecans is acquired.

• Be sure to keep a close eye to avoid burning.
• Cool them completely then break apart.
• Can be stored in airtight container and in the fridge to improve longevity, but good idea to make them fresh.

Suggestions:

• For heat loving palates: you may add 2 tsp of Cayenne pepper for sweet and spicy pecans.
• For Maple flavor loving palates: you may add 2 tables spoon of maple syrup before heating them in microwave.
• You may try same recipe for almonds, walnuts or cashews. 
• This recipe yields 2 cups.

Recipe adapted by Surekha from several sources for ease of making them in microwave and eggless.

Photographs by Surekha.

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Cinnamon/Sugar Coated Roasted Almonds

In 1993 when I was doing my Clinical at Lima Memorial Hospital, someone's mom in the dept was selling these home made cinnamon coated almonds. That was the first time I ever tried them, and I loved them.
I did not get the recipe, but from my memory of that taste I tried to make them at home few times. They were not very common in the stores at that time, now you get them everywhere, but I still prefer my homemade recipe and here it is. Enjoy:)


Ingredients


Also preheat your oven to 250 F

* 1/4 cup Honey + 2 tablespoon water (may use 1 egg whites and 1 tablespoon water instead)

* 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

* 4 cups un-blanched almonds

* 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar

* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 2 tbl spoon ground cinnamon

* Additional half cup sugar and 1 tbl spoon cinnamon mix together to sprinkle later if additional sweetness is desired


Method:


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 10 x 15 inch pan.

Mix/stir honey, water, and vanilla. (If using egg white, beat egg white, water and vanilla together until frothy)

Add the nuts, and stir until well coated.

Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts.

Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, pour all the almonds on this tray.

Bake for 40-50 min in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until golden.
Be sure to keep an eye on it and don't forget to stir in between with wooden spatula.

Allow to cool until can use hands to break chunks if stuck together

May sprinkle with additional sugar and cinnamon mix (~1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbl spoon of cinnamon) if additional sweetness is desired.

Can break the chunks to separate almonds if sticking together

Store nuts in airtight containers.


Yield ~ 4 cups.

Great gift for Holiday and Healthy snack too!! Yummmm...


Reicpe by Surekha.
Photographs by Surekha.

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Cereal Nut Clusters

Ingredients:


2 cups of Almonds chopped or sliced

½ cup of corn syrup

¼ cup of brown sugar

¼ cup of peanut butter or almond butter

¼ cup of powdered sugar

4 cups of Fiber One cereal with raisins and clusters

1 cup of trail mix with nuts, cranberry, raisin or any desired variety

1 cup of chocolate chips morsels

3 tbl spoon of water




Method:


• Preheat oven at 250 F.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.

• Using small scoop or tablespoon, drop small spoonful of mix on to baking sheet 1-2 inch apart.

• Bake at 250 degrees F for 40 min.

• Cool, remove from parchment paper, and store the clusters in airtight container.


Recipe and Photograph by Surekha.






Hint: May bake it for 45 min if desired very crispy clusters, but chewy 40 min time is sufficient. Chocolate chips are optional, I made them without chocolate chips and they came out good. Please note that when you scoop them to place on cookie sheet they will not be totally bound together, but it is okay, once they are bake clusters will not fall apart. Enjoy :)

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Homemade Mystic Chai Mix Powder

One of my good friend and coworker Deborah R. made a good suggestion about posting the recipe for the instant Chai mix, so she does not have to fuss and worry about finding all the ingredients (that I have listed in my Chai recipe on this blog) every time she craves for Chai. I agree with her, this is a good idea. So here is my modified recipe for the instant Chai mix that you can have it handy in your pantry and just mix it in a mug of boiling water with a tea bag.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds powdered in a coffee grinder
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
• ½ teaspoon of all spice
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt

Process all of the above ingredients in a food processor for about 3-4 min and make a fine powder. Store it in an airtight container.


Directions to make chair from this instant mix:

Put a tea bag in a mug of boiling water, mix in 1 table spoon of spice mix, and let it stand for couple of min, strain if necessary. Your delicious Chai is ready.


Hints:

This can make an in expensive gift in a decorated decked up jar for the holidays.


This will make about ~20 servings.

You can adjust the amount of spice you put in the chai and if you want to make the chai strong, you can add 2 teabags instead of one in a mugful of boiling water.

If you don't want to fuss with the tea bag and want totally instant chai mix, you can add 1½ cup of unsweetened instant tea powder with above ingredients and just add two table spoon of the chai powder in one mug of boiling water.
I personally don't care much for the instant tea powder and I like my Tetley teabag.



Recipe modified by Surekha from a recipe at http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/drink-recipes/25325-starbucks-mystic-chai-tea-mix



Photograph by urbanfoodie33
http://www.flickr.com/photos/75574760@N00/2164796133/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en

Photograph of whole spices by tvancort
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44518317@N00/3171992186/
p://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en

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Chai

Ingredients:

Makes about 3 cups

1 and half teaspoon cardamom seeds crushed

½ teaspoon all spice

½ teaspoon cloves powder

1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed

1 and half inch stick of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
½ inch fresh ginger grated

4-5 fresh basil leaves chopped (optional)

1/8 teaspoon crushed black pepper corn

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

3 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon regular sugar (can cut down or add more depending on desired sweetness)

2 cups milk ((may substitute soy milk if lactose intolerant, also then you won’t use cream)

1/2 cup evaporated milk (optional)

2 cups water

1 teaspoon loose tea leaves (if want the tea to be strong, you can add more)

Few dried/fresh lemon grass or green tea leaves (optional) (available at local Chinese grocer)

1 tea bag

¼ cup cream (optional)


Method:

• In a medium saucepan, add all spices, basil and lemon grass or green tea leaves with water.

• Boil for 5 minutes.

• Add the loose tea and tea bag, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes.

• Stir in the brown sugar, sugar and milk.

• Simmer for another 1-2 min.

• Add cream and remove from heat

• Strain tea in a teapot or cup, discard the spices and serve immediately.



Recipe and Photographs by Surekha.

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Homemade Plain Yogurt

Yogurt......yummm..... my favorite food of all...plain yogurt and rice was the first solid food that my father introduced to me, well okay...second solid food besides Parle Glucose biscuits :)
Till this day yogurt and rice are my soul food. I consume yogurt in large quantity as you can tell by this picture. I eat plain yogurt, I use yogurt in my cooking and I make yogurt at home.. very often my local friends are amazed...that how can you make yogurt without yogurt maker. So here it is, this is how my mom used to make in India and this is how I and lot of my Indian friends make it here in US.

You will need milk (can be skim, 1%, 2% or whole) (here I used 2%)
You will need 2 table spoon of plain yogurt as starter (you can buy a small 8 oz container of either Dannon plain yogurt or even better Greek yogurt)

Pour milk (here I used 1/2 a gallon) in a Pyrex bowl and heat it in the microwave at high power for 20-25 min till it boils. Of course we did not have microwave in India when I was growing up, so my mum used to boil it on the stove and she had to constantly watch over it. The advantage of heating it in Microwave is that it will not boil over and it will not stick to the bottom either.

When you see it boiling, turn the microwave off and carefully take it out of oven.

Now cool it at room temp for good 30 - 45 min till you can dip your finger in it and hold it in there for 10 sec without getting burned (in other words it should be luke warm, not cold and not too hot)

Now you can add chunk of starter yogurt to it but not churn it, that is the key to getting nicely set yogurt, just like you get it in India at the local "Halwai" where the set it in a clay pot. 

You can either set the yogurt in one large container like I did, of you can put it in small containers for individual servings. (they just take too much room in my fridge so I make it in large bowl)

Place the container/containers covered in a warm place. I usually put it the kitchen cabinet under the counter, but if you have pilot light oven, you can put it there.  I now  preheat the oven at 125 F and then turn the oven off and put the yogurt it the oven.

Set the timer for 3.5- 4 hours. If the milk temp is right and the culture is good the yogurt should set in 3-4 hours. You can check it my tapping the container, if it is not set, you can leave it in the warm place for 30-45 min. Don't let it set for too long, as it will turn sour and watery.

Once set, move the container to fridge and leave it in there for until ready to use. It will stay good in the fridge for one week, just remember to put it back in the fridge, if you leave it out too long it will turn sour and watery.

I like home made yogurt because it is not jelly like the one you get in the stores and it is not sweet either.

You can mix desired fruits to it to make a healthy snack and or use it in the cooking, or use it to make delicious side dishes like Raita or drinks like smoothies or Lassi, or you can tie it in the cheese cloth to make your own sour cream. Enjoy :)

Recipe source: My Dearest Mom Mrs. Kasturben
Photograph by Surekha.

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