Count down to Christmas with Banana walnut cake

With chill winds blowing, snow flakes coming down, carols sounding, decorations all around it sure is a season for Christmas..so much so is the reason for baking yummy treats..watch those holiday cals!!!

Ripe bananas always tempt me to bake a banana cake..and since I'm fond of nuts too,so incorporated walnuts which are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. A bit of health throw in..kind off!!! So Banana Walnut cake is a perfect combo for flavour and crunch.

Sorry no cake left after slicing to take pictures of slices..

Ingredients
400 gms butter(softened)
2 cups sugar
5 eggs

Flour & Powders:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice (optional)
1 pinch salt

Liquids:
1 tbsp Banana extract
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 cup Evaporated milk

Fruit & Nut:
1/2 - 1 cup Walnuts (chopped)
1 or 2 Bananas



Directions:

Chop Walnuts

Mash Bananas into smooth paste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour your desired cake pans. I used a loaf pan and a square pan.

Measure all ingredients and keep them ready, Take butter out of fridge before an hour to soften it.

Beat butter, sugar in a large bowl until they turn creamy Add in eggs. Beat on low speed of electric mixer until blended, then on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Combine and swift together flour, allspice(if adding, baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl, and fold these dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients except milk. Keep mixing

Add Mashed Banana. Add milk if necessary according to the consistency of the batter. Keep mixing while adding. Add chopped walnuts. Gently mix to combine.

Pour into Prepared greased pan/pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 - 60minutes, usually banana cake longer time to bake.

Tip : During the baking process, when the cake rises and gets the shape and is browning on the top, then remove from the oven and cover it with foil, shiny side up, and bake for the remaining time or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Vazhaipoo vadai / Banana Flower Fritters / Aarati Puvvu Vada

The first time I tasted this was at one of our friend's house back home in Chennai. Her mom prepared these. I had no clue what they were. And it being a Tamil savory never got to taste growing up. Only thing I remember was these tasted damn good. They look and taste like our regular masala vada but definitely something different. Ever since wanted to know how it was made., but never took the leap to make it myself..Many a time I even bought the Banana flower, stored it in the fridge but never got time to make these, because of the time consuming part of cleaning the flower. Finally one day with help from my husband in cleaning the flower I made these at home. I never intended to have a photo shoot with these..so please don't mind my presentation. Will surely replace them with better ones if I happen to make these again.

Also Will update later with the pictures of Banana flower and the cleaning process
Ingredients:
3 cups Banana flower - Thoroughly cleaned and finely chopped
1 cup Channa Dal soaked for 2-3 hours and ground into a coarse paste
5-7 Green Chillies chopped
Handful of Curry leaves
3/4 tsp Fennel Seeds/Saunf
A pinch of Asafoetida & baking soda & turmeric each
Salt - to taste

Enough Oil to deep fry

Method :
Add all ingredients except oil, in a deep bowl and mix into a paste like below
Heat enough oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot enough, take a small amount of the mix, shape them into round vada and drop them gently into hot oil.
Just the way we do masala/paruppu vada
Deep fry them till they are golden brown on both sides by turning once in a while.
Then remove from heat and drain them on paper towels.
Can be serve as starters or snack with evening tea.

Pepper & Herb Chicken Drum Sticks

Can't believe we are already in the 11th month of 2010. Looks like we just started a new year and now in a couple months, its gone. Out of many projects for me this year, a serious blog make-over is long due. In the past 3-4 years though I changed the style & banners a couple of times..a sophi look and an own domain is most aspired..All the more when I'm will be submitting my posts to be published in a Toronto Desi portal. Don't know whether it is possible this year, as other priorities hit the list..Well, may be in the new year...better late than never..Infact I'm holding back many good posts for the same reason that I want to publish them with on a new look.

Coming to good food part for kids after all that loads of sugar, from goodies from Halloween, I have this kid friendly chicken drum sticks. By all means this is so flavourful that adults can enjoy too. But definitely falls into that category where spice and flavour here favour kids too. Totally my own creation, especially for my picky 1st grader and honestly worth trying as I received laurels from my girl friends too.

Ingredients :
7-8 Chicken drumsticks skin removed
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Tsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Spices :
1 Tbsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp Garam masala (home made)

Herbs :
1/2 cup each of Coriander and Mint leaves chopped

Procedure :
In a large bowl combine cleaned chicken with all the ingredients mentioned in all sections.

Marinate for at least 30 mins

Preheat oven for 350F.

Line a Baking/Roasting try with aluminium foil and grease it with olive oil.

Arrange on the chicken drum sticks on the tray.

Roast the drum sticks for 20m and turn over and roast again for 10m

Now Increase heat to 400F and roast for 2-4m or till chicken is golden brown.

Remove from oven and serve with baked potatoes or veggies.