"Nutritious and Delicious"- Oatmeal-Almond-Wheat Bran-Chocolate chip Cookies

 Would you like a cookie for Breakfast?? Not a question you would expect..right??? But a Cookie THIS Good and Wholesome...you won't feel guilty about having it for breakfast with a glass full of milk! If you don't mind the butter :)

For my little "E" , the milk won't go 'in', till he has some cookies with it. He is a BIG fan of Pepperidge farm 'Milano' cookies by the way!!
In order to make this meal of his..a bit more wholesome and nutritious...I am always looking for some good cookie recipes.

I found a Oatmeal Cookie Recipe on the box of Oatmeal that I buy. I made some modifications and here we have a "Oatmeal-Almond-Wheat Bran-Chocolate Chip" Cookie!!!

Ingredients- (makes about 18-20  large cookies)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cup Quick cooking Oats
1/2 cup Wheat Bran
1/3 cup Finely Chopped Almonds/Almond meal
1/4 Cup Flax seed meal
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Egg
1tsp Vanilla
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips/ Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Method:
1) Preheat Oven to 375F. Grease Cookie Sheets.
2)  Cream Butter and sugar until smooth.Beat eggs and vanilla in.
3) Combine and blend flour,wheat bran,flax seed meal, chopped almonds,baking soda, salt into the creamed mixture.Stir in the oats.Divide the batter into two. Add white chocolate chips to half and the brown chocolate chips to the other half.Mix till combined.
4) Drop on the cookie sheet by rounded spoon/scoop. Or round them with hand.
5) Bake for 10-12 mins. Check the cookies after 8 mins and make sure they don't burn! Adjust time accordingly!

Take a bite of the Oatmealy-Almondy-Chocolaty Goodness!!

" The Sizzle from a Guest Kitchen"- (Guest- Ananya Joshi) Eggplant Pesto Burger)

Guest- Ananya Joshi
Recipe= Eggplant Pesto Burger

Ananya and I were neighbors since we moved to Columbus. Like they say "Like minds think alike"...many a times....we end up cooking similar meals. Co-incidently..we have cooked Sandwiches (of the same type....that too ...three colored!!!!), Misal Pav, Idlies etc on similar days!!! The other day..I made a  'Bean burger' for dinner and the very next day....Ananya sends me this picture and recipe of a Eggplant Pesto burger!!

Eggplant pesto burger!!! How good does that sound! I have never had a Eggplant burger before. I love Eggplant Curries, Bharit, Eggplant Parmesan...but hardly make it at home (Well, because....M is not a Eggplant lover). He hates the eggplant mushy texture when cooked in curries. I guess...He wouldn't mind a Eggplant burger....that too, so flavorful with the fresh Basil Walnut Pesto and the Maggie-Mayo(see the recipe below! )

I can't wait to try it myself!!!

Recipe-
Pesto:
1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
1 green chili, minced
Combine the basil with the walnuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add chopped garlic, green chili, cheese and pulse it few more times while slowing adding olive oil. Add salt if needed.

Eggplant Patties:
1 whole eggplant, 1 inch diced
1 Tbs parsley (dried)
1 Tbs Oregano (dried)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
Handful of chopped coriander
Salt, red chili powder, cumin powder as per taste
Oil to shallow fry the patties
Saute eggplant on low heat till grey and very soft.Mix together eggplant and all the rest of the ingredients, except oil, let rest for ½ hour in refrigerator. Form Patties and cover them with corn meal/rava/bread crumbs. Shallow fry each side of patty for about 5 mins on medium heat.
Toast burger buns and assemble with cut onion, pattie, maggie-mayo (Maggie hot and sweet sauce and mayo mixed together) on one side and pesto on other side.

"Everyday Cooking"- Malai Chicken

It was 'S and R's baby's naming ceremony yesterday. Every time I see a smaller baby than 'E' or 'A'..I instantly go back in time..and remember them as teeny tiny babies.Time really flies...and I hope I cherish every moment of their childhood to the fullest!
S and her mom had cooked an amazingly delicious dinner for about 25-30 guests. They had made...Chana masala, Paneer subzi, Rice kheer, Spinach cutlets, Jeera Rice,Pooris etc. The food was so delicious and the flavor combinations so 'right on spot'/ perfect..that I was left licking my fingers! Her mom had a 'Ekadashi' fast on that day and couldn't taste the food that she was cooking....in such large quantity...and yet the meal was so flavorful!!! It had me wonder...how can anyone cook so perfectly without tasting the food.I guess it's the years of experience that her mom had!!! Afterall...what a 'mom' cooks...it the BEST food of all!!!
 For me...I HAVE to taste the food to check the seasoning...otherwise I hardly feel confident about my cooking.Maybe I will learn with experience over the years...

Ingredients:
1 lb Boneless chicken/ 2 and1/2 cups cubed chicken
2 large onions
1 tomato chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper sliced thinly
1/2cup whole milk/cream (MALAI)
1tbsp Dry milk powder
1/4 cup Cashews
1/4 cup yogurt
2tsp Sesame seeds
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp Chili powder(add more for spicier taste)
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1/2tsp Garam masala
1/2tsp Shah Jeera (cumin)
1 small cinnamon stick
1bay leaf
1tbsp oil
salt
Chopped Cilantro for garnish

Method:
1) Mix yogurt, chili powder,turmeric powder,garam masala,salt and the cubed chicken.Marinate for 1/2hr in the refrigerator.
2) Heat 1 tsp oil add 1 large chopped onion.Fry till golden.Add cashews,sesame seeds and fry till golden brown. Let it cool. Grind in to smooth paste in the blender along with ginger garlic paste.
3) Heat 3 tsp oil, add the bay leaf, cumin, cinnamon stick, 1 chopped onion.Fry couple of mins. Add the sliced green pepper, tomatoes and fry till cooked. Add the marinated chicken and fry for 4-5 mins.
4) Add the onion-cashew paste to the pan. Cover with lid and cook for 6-8 mins.Add salt to taste.
5) Add the milk/cream and milk powder and mix. Simmer on low flame till the chicken is tender and cooked.
6) Garnish with cilantro and serve hot along with Pulav/ Rotis/ Naan.