Easy Apple Tart

This is a simple apple tart and an absolutely amazing one ....sweet yet with a bit of tang.... the texture is not entirely like cakes.... it is much softer and and has an amazing apple y top...
I got the original recipe from here. Just wanted to give it a try since I had two red apples sitting on the top of the microwave and staring at me. It is also also very different from a usual cake. It is a tart but without any crust making and the recipe is amazingly simple.
I am not very fond of apples. Of all the fruits the least I like is apple. Somehow I do not like the texture of apples. So whenever I buy apples I try and incorporate it into custards and fruit salads. And this apple tart is another way of making my desserts healthier.

Ingredients:
apple-1 large red one
brown sugar-1 cup
white crystalline sugar-1/2 cup
flour-1 cup
baking powder-1/2 tsp
sour cream-2tbsp
egg-2
butter-6 tbsp

I omitted the lemon zest and vanilla as I did not have them handy.

Peel and scoop out the core of the apple. Cut into wedges and arrange at the bottom of a glass pie dish .Butter the surface of pie dish generously.
Now combine the brown sugar and water and put on low heat until a thick brown sugar syrup forms. Pour the syrup on the apples evenly.
In a bowl combine the white sugar and butter and cream them.
Slowly add the eggs, sour cream, flour and the baking powder. Add a pinch of salt.
Next spread the batter over the apples and even out the batter.
Bake for 40 -45 minutes at 350F. Cool for 15 minutes before turning it out upside down with the apples on top.
Serve warm with cold vanilla ice cream.
HAPPY BAKING!

P.S.:If you do not want this tart to be too sweet just reduce the amount of sugar in the batter.

A ruby red jam and a hearty breakfast

Breakfasts are the first meals of the day and when it is weekend , they have to be hearty and delicious.
I am not a big egg fan... I cannot just cook 5 eggs in the morning and serve them... we both find them too heavy ..... they are better off for the later part of the day.....
So how to make the breakfasts special?.... No poached eggs, no scrambled eggs, C is not very fond of pancakes either...
And then I decided ....Why not give home made jam a try? That would be special..!
C always likes long lazy breakfasts especially on Sunday mornings when he can wake up late and sit at the table with his morning tea for hours and talk to me and twiddle with the his laptop at the same time. So I decided on a simple strawberry jam and warm baguette for breakfast....
The recipes I followed are here and here.
I combined the two for a yummy jam.....

What you need:
fresh strawberries-1 lb
sugar-17-20 tbsp
lemon zest-2 tsp
lemon juice-6 tbsp
orange juice-2 tbsp

Wash the strawberries and hull them .
I quartered all the big berries and halved the smaller ones.
Now in a deep heavy bottomed saucepan,add the lemon juice and the zest.
Put the flame on medium low.
When the juice starts boiling add the strawberries.
Cook for 4-5 minutes until the strawberries soften and start releasing their juices.
Add the sugar slowly stirring each time.
Add the orange juice.
Now let the mix cook for 25- 30 minutes at low medium heat.
Skim off any foam that forms on top.
Pour in a glass bowl and let it cool.
When it has cooled, cover and store in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
We enjoyed ours on warm oven roasted baguette..:)

Kacha aamer chutney or raw mango chutney

My mother loves this.She calls it Kacha aam er jhol or just a very light sweet and sour concoction with raw mango and sugar.Chutney is the thicker counterpart..... just reducing the juice over low heat....
Anyways this a summer favorite back at my place and every day a bowl of chutney is prepared and devoured straight from the refrigerator. It is cool, sweet and really really refreshing!
Over here surprisingly in our Indian grocery store we always find a basket full of wonderfully fragrant green raw mangoes. I eye them and I think ...Gosh! How badly I miss the aamer chutney from home!My mother makes great chutney..... if there is family dinner or lunch she makes sure that her chutney is perfect...
Now chutney at our place is not like the conventional pickle kind of thing that is available in jars. Rather for bengalis chutney is a sweet and tangy savory concoction that is served at the end of a heavy meal to freshen the taste buds. It is not really dessert .... well something in between the main course and dessert ....you can say!

How to make Aamer chutney:

raw mango-1 diced and the central seed removed (if you want you can add the pit too) Do not peel the mangoes.
salt-2 pinches
sugar-5-7 tbsp (depending on how sour the mangoes are)
panch foron-a pinch
white oil-1 tbsp
water- 2 cups

Heat oil in a pan and sizzle the panch foron.
Next add the mangoes and the salt.
Cook in medium heat , covered, for a minute or two.
Next add the water and cook covered until the mango pieces soften and the juice starts coming out.
If you want a thicker chutney , just simmer uncovered on low heat until you get the desired consistency.
Add the sugar when you think the mangoes are already soft and done.
Stir and remove from heat.
Pour in a porcelain or glass serving bowl.(avoid steel)
Chill in the refrigerator and serve just after lunch on the same plate and SLURP!!

Of Parfaits and summers!

Now that summer is here.... and with the heat and sun and long afternoons ,I decided to whip up a cool treat for C. It had to be healthy and tasty and of course cold. And so I decided on a fruit parfait... well mine was slightly different since I was not using granola. I had some very colorful fruits and some vanilla yogurt... and so parfait it was!


It was so scrumptious and cold and full of flavors !

What you need:

ripe papaya-1/4 cup diced
banana-1/2 of ripe one sliced
apples-1/4 cup diced
grapes-halved and de seeded
cashews- 1/2 cup chopped
vanilla yogurt- 1 and 1/2 cup (depending on the size of serving cups)
sugar-1/2 tsp
lime juice-2 tbsp
whipped cream can

Dice the fruits into small bite size pieces and toss them with the lime juice and sugar.
Alternatively you can also use honey.
Whip the yogurt smooth and add the chopped cashews.
Take the serving glass and start layering alternating the fruits and yogurt.
Top it off with whipped cream...ooohhhh lala!LOVELY!