Vegan Pancakes Recipe

Vegan Pancakes Recipe

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1½ tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Soy milk

2 tablespoons + for greasing Vegetable Oil

Maple Syrup, for garnishing

Blueberries and Strawberries, for garnishing

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
2. Whisk together soymilk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil in another bowl.
3. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients and stir until just blended. Do not over mix them.
4. Heat a griddle or non-stick frying pan over medium high heat and grease with oil. When it is medium hot, pour 1/4 cup batter on it using a ladle and spread it in round shape.
5. Cook on medium low heat for around 2 minutes until bottom side is golden brown and bubbles appear on top.
6. Flip it and cook other side until golden brown.
7. Repeat same process for remaining batter. You can cook 4-6 pancakes at a time according to the size of griddle or frying pan.
8. Serve hot and fluffy vegan pancakes with a garnish of blueberries and strawberries with maple syrup.

Tips and Variations:

• Add water, almond milk, rice milk or any other non-dairy milk in place of soymilk for variation.
• You can use (1/2 cup wheat flour + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour) or 1 cup whole wheat flour instead of using all purpose flour to make a healthy vegan whole wheat pancake.
• To make thick or thin pancakes, use less or more amount of soy milk and make thick or thin batter respectively.
• To make soft and fluffy pancakes without eggs, do not keep batter idle for more than 5 minutes after mixing all ingredients, use it immediately.

Taste: Sweet taste with soft and fluffy texture

Serving Ideas: Serve it as a healthy breakfast for nutritious start of the day.

By Fiza Khan

Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe

Chocolate Chip Pancakes Recipe

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

1 cup All Purpose Flour

3 teaspoons Baking Powder

2 tablespoons Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

3/4 cup Milk

1 large Egg

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

2 tablespoons + for greasing, Melted Butter or Canola Oil

Powdered Sugar, for garnishing

Directions:

1. Combine all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Whisk together milk, egg and melted butter in another bowl until smooth. Stir in mixed dry ingredients (mixed in previous step) and mix well. Prepared mixture will be bit lumpy and there is no need to mix until smooth. If you want to prepare thin pancakes, then mix 1-2 tablespoons more milk.
3. Add chocolate chips and mix gently.
4. Heat greased non-stick frying pan or griddle on medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto pan and spread it gently in round shape.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook. Flip it upside down when bubbles appear on top surface and edges turn golden brown. It will take around 2 minutes.
6. Cook another side until golden brown. It will take around one minute.
7. Transfer it to serving plate and form a stack. Sprinkle powdered sugar over it as a garnish. Serve hot with honey and whipped cream

Tips and Variations:

• You can prepare 3-4 pancakes at a time according to size of pan or griddle.
• If you do not like to mix chocolate chips in batter, then you can arrange them on top surface in step-4 after pouring batter onto pan or griddle.

Taste: Sweet and soft

Serving Ideas: Enjoy it as delicious and healthy breakfast.

By Fiza Khan

Tofu Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Tofu Chocolate Pudding Recipe

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Chocolate Chips (Semi Sweet)

1 pack (12 oz) Silken Tofu

2 teaspoons Brown Sugar or Honey (optional)

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1½ tablespoons Water

Directions:

1. Take a double boiler or heavy bottom saucepan and melt chocolate chips with 1½ tablespoon water over medium heat. Cook and stir until it melts completely.
2. Drain tofu and place it in a blender or food processor, add sugar or honey and blend until smooth puree.
3. Add melted chocolate and blend until ingredients are well combined and attain smooth texture.
4. Transfer to one large bowl or multiple small serving bowls and place them in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve chilled.

Tips and Variations:

• Chocolate flavor does not mix instantly with tofu, hence let it rest in refrigerator and allow flavors to come out and mix. The longer you let it cool in refrigerator, better the taste.
• Add 2 tablespoons soy milk or chocolate milk in place of sugar for variation.
• Garnish it with orange zest for visually delighting look.

Taste: Delicious taste of chocolate mixed with creamy tofu. It tastes like a mousse.

Serving Ideas: Serve it over crackers or banana slices as a dessert or snack. It also tastes well on its own too.

By Fiza Khan

Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

For Pudding:

3/4 cup pitted and chopped Dried Dates

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)

1 cup Water

1/4 cup Unsalted Butter

3/4 cup White Sugar

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1¼ cups Self-rising flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For Sauce:

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Butter

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup Whipped Cream

2 tablespoons Molasses

How to make Sticky Toffee Pudding:

1. Take dates and baking soda in a small bowl. Boil 1 cup water in a saucepan and pour it over dates and keep aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Beat white sugar and butter in another bowl until light and fluffy. When sugar is dissolved completely, add eggs and beat again thoroughly.
4. Gradually add flour and baking powder and beat until well blended. Add date mixture (including water) and fold using rubber spatula until well combined and consistent in texture.
5. Grease 8-inch square ovenproof baking dish and pour batter in it.
6. Place it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F until it is set and cooked through for 35-40 minutes. When it is cooked, you will notice increased size of it.
7. Take out baking dish from the oven and let it cool.
8. Slice prepared pudding into desired size pieces.

How to make Toffee Sauce:

1. Combine brown sugar, butter, molasses and 1/2 cup heavy cream in medium size saucepan and cook over medium heat. When mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low and stir constantly for around 5 minutes until it becomes thick.
2. Remove saucepan from heat and let it cool for a minute.
3. Spread prepared sauce evenly over slightly warm pudding; top it with a whipped cream and serve.

Tips and Variations:

• To check whether pudding is ready or not, insert a toothpick in the center and take it out. If it comes out clean, then it is ready.
• If you want to have every part of spongy pudding cake to be drenched in delicious sauce, prepare it in advance and let it soak in sauce for few hours.

Taste: Sweet like a heaven. The soft, spongy toffee cake is simply a must have experience for all food lovers.

Serving Ideas: Serve it as a dessert, either warm or cold. The scoop of vanilla ice cream makes warm pudding taste like elixir from heaven, always ready to pamper your taste buds.

By Fiza Khan

Plum Pudding Recipe 

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

1 cup Fresh White Bread crumbs

4 oz Butter

2 large Eggs

1 cup Self-rising Flour

1/2 cup Muscovado Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 small Apple, peeled and grated

1 small Carrot, peeled and grated

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 cup chopped Walnuts

2 tablespoons chopped Blanched Almonds

2 tablespoons chopped Glace Cherries

1 tablespoon chopped Candied Mixed Fruit Peels

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup Sultanas (Golden Raisins)

Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice from 1 lemon

Orange Juice from 1 orange

3 tablespoons Whisky

Directions:

1. Combine grated apple, grated carrot, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, walnuts, almonds, glace cherries, candied mixed fruit peels, raisins, sultanas, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice and whisky in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and keep aside for 5 hours to marinate.
2. Beat butter and sugar in another bowl using electric hand blender. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add self-rising flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.
3. Add bread crumbs and egg-flour mixture (prepared in step-2) in fruit mixture (prepared in step-1) and stir to mix thoroughly.
4. Grease pudding basin (7 cup capacity), pour prepared mixture in it and cover with double layer of greaseproof paper. Again cover with a double layer of aluminium cooking foil and tightly tie string around its neck.
5. Place a saucer in a large pan and put pudding basin on saucer. Add water in pan until its level reaches half way through to the sides of basin. Bring water to boil and reduce heat. Cover pan with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 6 hours. Check water level at regular intervals while cooking and add water if required and maintain its level.
6. Remove basin from the pan and let it cool for 7 to 8 hours at room temperature.
7. Discard strings, papers and foils and again cover it in papers and foils and tie with a string.
8. You can keep it for months. When you want to serve, steam it again for couple of hours (as mentioned in step 6).
9. After reheating, discard strings, foils and papers and turn it out to serving plates, garnish with cream and serve.

Tips and Variations:

• If you have used more dry fruits than fresh ones, then mixture would be dry, add 1-2 teaspoons milk to make it less dry in step-3. Let each family member take a turn stirring and make a wish (if you want to make Christmas more fun filled).
• Cover and tie pudding basin securely with foils and strings to prevent water entering into pudding while cooking.
• Make it in advance to enhance its rich taste and allow its flavors to mature.

Taste: Sweet

Serving Ideas: Serve plum pudding as a dessert in parties with fresh cream or butterscotch custard or with brandy butter.

By Fiza Khan

Gobi Manchurian Dry Recipe 

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

For Florets

1/2 cup Corn Flour

5 tablespoons Maida (all purpose flour)

1 medium size Cauliflower (Phool Gobi), broken into medium size florets

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Paste

1/2 teaspoon Ginger Paste

Oil, for deep frying

Salt

1/2 cup Water

For Sauté

1½ teaspoons Garlic Paste

2 teaspoons Ginger Paste

2 Green Chillies, finely chopped

1 large Onion, finely chopped

1 small Green Capsicum, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/2 tablespoon Chilli Sauce

2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup/ Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil

2 tablespoons Spring Onion, finely chopped

Salt

Directions for Florets:

1. 

   Boil cauliflower florets in salted water over medium flame for 3-4 minutes. After boiling, drain excess water and pat dry florets on tissue paper.
2. 

   Mix maida, corn flour, 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste, 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste and salt in a bowl. Add water (approx. 1/2 cup) little by little and stir to make a batter. Make sure that batter is not too thick or not too thin. Its thickness should be similar to thickness of dosa batter. Add all florets in batter and mix well. For perfect manchurian, batter should coat florets evenly.
3. 

   Heat oil in kadai (frying pan) over medium flame. Carefully drop or slide 6 to 8 florets in oil and deep fry over medium flame until they turn golden brown. Drain and transfer deep fried florets over paper napkin to a plate. Deep fry remaining florets.

Directions for Sauté:

1. 

   Heat 2-tablespoons oil in a wide, thin-bottomed pan or wok on medium flame. Add 2 teaspoons ginger paste, 1½ teaspoons garlic paste, chopped green chillies, chopped capsicum and chopped onion.
2. 

   Sauté them on high flame for 3-4 minutes.
3. 

   Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and salt.
4. 

   Stir continuous and cook for a minute
5. 

   Add deep fried florets.
6. 

   Toss and mix deep fried florets with other ingredients in pan for 1-2 minutes keeping flame on high. (Tossing everything on high heat in wok or pan is must for making best Chinese gobi manchurian dry.)
7. 

   Transfer it to a plate and garnish with spring onion. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.

Tips and Variations:

• Do not keep deep fried florets idle for long time otherwise they will turn soft and you will not get the crunchy taste.
• Serve this dish immediately to get crispy taste of florets.
• Dry manchurian of gobi gets its primary taste from chilli sauce and soy sauce. You can adjust the quantity of these two sauces to get a desired flavor.
• To clean cauliflower florets, soak them in hot salted water for 15 minutes.
• Do not try to deep fry all florets in a single go, as they may not cook evenly.
• If you like crispy dry cauliflower manchurian, then deep fry batter coated florets for little longer than suggested time in this recipe.

Taste: Dry and spicy

Serving Ideas: Serve it as a starter or appetizer or as an accompaniment withChinese fried rice or Schezwan fried rice.

By Fiza Khan

Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

1¼ cup Buttermilk

1 cup Plain Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1½ tablespoons Sugar

2½ tablespoons Butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 large Egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, optional

Directions:

1. Beat together egg and butter in a bowl. Add buttermilk and mix well.
2. Take another large bowl and combine plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in it.
3. Pour wet mixture (prepared in step-1) into dry mixture (prepared in step-2) and stir gently using wooden spoon until just mixed. Make sure that all flour is mixed properly with mixture.
4. Heat non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat.
5. Pour 1/4 cup batter over heated frying pan using spoon or measuring cup. Spread batter a bit around if it is too thick.
6. When tiny bubbles appear on surface (approx 60-90 seconds), check if bottom of pancake has become brown or not with the help of spatula and flip it. Cook until light brown over another side.
7. Remove it from frying pan and transfer to a plate.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for remaining batter.
9. Warm and healthy buttermilk pancakes are ready to be enjoyed with maple syrup.

Tips and Variations:

• Do not mix buttermilk mix (prepared in step-1) and flour mix (prepared in step-2) until you are ready to cook pancakes. i.e. do not keep batter ready and keep it idle. You should prepare batter when you are about to start cooking.
• Do not over stir mixture (in step-3) because over stirring will result in hard and non-spongy pancakes.
• Heated pan should not be too hot or just warm when ready to pour batter on it. You should hear a slight sizzle sound when you pour batter. If it sizzles loud, or starts to burst big bubbles as you pour, the heat is way too high, reduce it and try after few minutes of cooling down.
• Do not make very thin batter. If batter is very thin, then add plain flour and mix well.
• Add cilantro, corn, grated carrot or green peas in batter in step-3 for variation. You can also add chopped strawberries or blueberries if you are making it for kids.
• Use whole-wheat flour instead of plain flour to make it healthier.
• Add lemon zest in batter to have a nice lemon flavor.

Taste: Semi sweet or mild sweet taste with soft and fluffy texture and a nice flavorful aroma of vanilla extract

Serving Ideas:  Stack up pancakes and pour honey or any other fruit syrup of your choice or traditional maple syrup. Top it up with salted butter and blueberries or strawberry pieces for yummy and healthy variation for breakfast. This stomach filling buttermilk pancakes can be prepared in minutes at any time to satisfy your hunger with something tasty and delicious.

By Fiza Khan

Chocolate Banana Milkshake Recipe 

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk

1 Banana

4 tablespoons Chocolate Syrup

4 scoops Ice Cream (Vanilla)

Directions:

1. Peel and chop banana into big chunks.
2. Place milk, chocolate syrup and banana in a blender and blend until smooth puree.
3. Add ice cream and blend again on high speed until all ingredients are well mixed.
4. Pour prepared chocolate banana shake into serving glasses, sprinkle grated chocolate over it as garnish and serve with a straw.

Tips and Variations:

• Prepare homemade chocolate syrup at home my melting your favorite chocolate bar in oven and then mixing some milk.
• Crush few cashew nuts and add them in the shake after blending to get something to chew on occasionally while sipping the shake.

Taste: Chocolaty sweet taste with flavor and smoothness of banana.

Serving Ideas: Serve this milkshake to your kids as breakfast drink or enjoy it anytime you feel like having some sweet and creamy.

By Fiza Khan

Peanut Butter Milkshake Recipe 

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Peanut Butter

2 cups Milk

2 cups Vanilla Ice Cream

1½ tablespoons Sugar

6 Ice Cubes

Directions:

1. Take milk, peanut butter and sugar in a blender jar. Blend until smooth.
2. Add vanilla ice cream and ice cubes; blend until smooth and creamy texture.
3. Pour it into serving glasses and serve.

Tips and Variations:

• Check consistency of shake before filling up serving glasses. If its not as desired by you, then add some milk to reduce the thickness or add ice cream to thicken it. You can also taste for the sugar, if needed add more sugar as per your taste.

Taste: Sweet, smooth and creamy

Serving Ideas: Start your day by having this healthy milkshake in the breakfast or energize your body instantly by having it anytime you like it.

By Fiza Khan

Chocolate Milkshake Recipe 

By Fiza Khan

Ingredients:

1½ -2 tablespoons Chocolate Syrup

1 cup Chilled Milk

3/4 Cup Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream

Whipped Cream, for garnishing (optional)

Directions:

1. 

   Pour chilled milk into a blender jar. Add vanila ice cream or chocolate ice cream. If you like more chocolaty flavor, add chocolate ice cream.
2. A
   

   dd chocolate syrup.
3. 

   Blend it until mixture becomes frothy and there are no lumps of ice cream. Pour it into a serving glass and garnish with whipped cream.

Tips and Variations:

• Increase the quantity of chocolate syrup to 2-2.5 tablespoons to make more chocolaty milkshake.
• You can use homemade chocolate syrup or Hershey’s chocolate syrup.
• If chocolate syrup is not available, you can make it at home. To make syrup at home, mix 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder along with 1½ tablespoons sugar, 1½ tablespoons water and a dash of vanilla essence and cook it over low heat until syrup starts to thicken or for 2-3 minutes.

Taste: Chocolaty sweet and creamy

Serving Ideas: Enjoy chocolate milkshake with breakfast or evening snacks or as a tempting dessert for perfect end of your dinner and lunch.

By Fiza Khan