Geetha's Kitchen

Simply Delicious!  are the only words that come to mind.  Made this as a breakfast/brunch treat and  my family loved every bite! I served this easy to prepare casserole with a platter of luscious fresh fruits and mugs of steaming hot chai for a super breakfast :-). I have made this from whatever bread is handy (I use wholegrain usually) - turns out luscious every time.  Great for using up good bread that is past its prime - day old/stale bread is great in this recipe.  Since most of the work is done the night before, it is a snap to bake in the morning. Note:  We find that the casserole is sweet enough and do not add any extra syrup when serving.  But if you like it sweeter, you may serve it with additional syrup on top. 8 Servings Ingredients: 1 loaf unsliced Wholegrain French, Italian, or Sourdough bread Blend together: 1 block silken tofu 2 cups any Non-dairy Milk 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Vanilla 1 tsp Cinnamo...

Tara made these amazingly delicious Mango Cupcakes for my birthday - what a friend! The secret to these wonderful cupcakes is Indian Alphonso Mango puree!  Alphonso mangoes are considered the best of the King of fruits :) - even the canned puree is flavorful. If Alphonso mango puree is not available, use Kesar mango puree.  Most regular mangoes that I have found are alright fresh but lose what little flavor they have when cooked. Mango cupcakes are so good that you cannot stop at one! The kitchen, the entire house too for that matter, smells heavenly with the aroma of the mangoes!! Tara was generous to give me the recipe - I modified it slightly and here it is. Notes:  For best flavor, use whole cardamoms and peel and grind them just before using; collect the dark seeds and grind using a mortar and pestle with a teaspoon full of sugar - the sugar helps to grind it  better into a fine powder.  Grind the cardamoms for both the cakes and the frosting toge...

Greek Walnut Cookies are especially delicious a few days after they are made - if they survive that long :)!  Very easy to prepare, they are a lovely addition to the holiday dessert table.  A whole clove is inserted in each cookie to signify the gift of spices that the three wise men brought to Bethlehem.  I love the gentle flavor that the orange flower water adds to this cookie.  I freeze at least half the cookies to keep them fresh and also to keep them out of sight.... and off the hips :). Since they are going to be ground, one can use the cheaper bits and pieces of walnuts rather than the more expensive halves. Pre-toasting the walnuts bring out their full flavor.  Coconut oil may be used instead of the butter substitute if you wish. Ingredients: 3/4 cup Walnuts 1 tsp Orange Zest, finely grated 11/2 cups Unbleached Flour 1 Tbsp Cornstarch 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 cup Confectioner's Sugar 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 cup Vega...

If you like chocolate pudding, you can whip up a delicious batch within a few minutes. All you need are a little cornstarch, sugar, a little milk or milk substitute, and of course some cocoa; you don't have to settle for packaged mixes with a long list of ingredients that one cannot even pronounce. Although it is not instant, this pudding is very quick and easy to make - just like our favorite Vanilla Pudding - something everyone can enjoy without a lot of work or guilt. So, it is guilt-free, gluten-free, and can be vegan too. This is a great project for children too; they can do all the measuring and initial stirring. But once things get heated up, the adults need to take over for safe handling of very hot stuff. The pudding offers another bonus - a fantastic opportunity for practicing delayed gratification as the children have to wait patiently for the pudding to cool before enjoying the fruits of their labors :D. I prefer making the pudding in the microwave as it is a very...

I call these dainty cookies Snow Balls because they look exactly like little balls of snow. Not too sweet, they are still rich and delicious treats for special occasions or just any time really. Snow Ball cookies are wonderful little treasures quickly and easily made. The last couple of times I made them after the guests had already arrived - in fact I had the guests roll them into balls. The cookies baked while we had our dinner and were offered as part of the the dessert menu with steamy cups of Masala Chai . Snow Ball cookies can be made with your favorite nuts; almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts. Use vanilla essence with pecans, hazelnuts, and peanuts. I have used butter; but one could use a good quality margarine to make this a vegan treat. Ingredients: 1 cup Almonds 2 to 4 Tbsp Sugar 1/2 tsp Almond extract 3 or 4 pods Cardamom 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 stick) 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 cup Whole Wheat flour 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for coating) Method: Preheat the oven to 300 ...

I had been wanting to try this recipe out when I finally got it -Yes! Only problem was, I could not find the black currants although I searched far and wide. Not to be stymied by a bit of fruit, I substituted other dried fruit (a mixture of dried blueberries, strawberries, and cherries) and also made it egg-less! I used a 9" round pan and it was just barely big enough to hold all of the batter. Although there were no spills with the 9" pan, a bigger pan such as a 9"x13" pan might be better. All said and done, the cake turned out great. The lovely surprise was the almost crispy golden crust it developed! If the proof of the cake is in the eating, then this cake definitely is a keeper as it disappeared rather quickly. The chunks of dried fruit contrasts deliciously with the sweet cake. It is a yummy cake and needs no topping or icing; besides, why would one want to hide the beautiful golden crust? But if you must have a topping, I would either just give it a...

I have wanted to make Red Velvet Cake ever since I heard the name - it sounds so luxurious and the color looked so lovely! But even the vegan recipes contained a huge amount of red dye much to my disappointment and when I found out that some of the dyes are made from crushed beetles (yikes!), I just could not stomach the idea of eating beetle juice any more than eggs. Until ............ I had the "Eureka" moment to make a healthy one with - Yes, Beets! I kept buying beets to make the cake but kept eating them up in salad or as thoran :P. Finally, I saved a few for the cake and decided to test out my theory by adapting an old zucchini cake recipe from King Arthur Flour with the beets standing in for the zucchini; I used 6 small beets. I also tweaked the ingredients to make it a vegan cake. To my pleasant surprise, the cake turned out quite successful. Although Keeshu insisted that he could taste the beets a little, it did not in the least discourage him from gobbling up ...

This is one delicious cake and how! It is essentially two cakes in one pan since Linola places apples on one half and cherries on the other. And even better, it is egg-less! It is Linola's adaptation of a recipe that she found on cookingclub.com. Absolutely to live for! Linola loves to pile drained canned dark sweet cherries on one half of the pan and as many apples as needed to fill out the other side depending on their size. Other types of cherries or fruits may be used instead - about 4-5 cups total amount. Linola prefers a glass baking dish for baking this cake because she can see if the contents come out completely when the pan is turned upside down. Without further ado, here is the much awaited recipe. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 9"x13" cake pan by oiling or spraying with cooking oil spray. Fruit Layer: 1/3 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 tsp Cinnamon 3 cups pitted sweet cherries (canned or fresh) Chopped apples (about 4)...

This lime scented sponge cake is absolutely delicious and easy to bake too. Lemons can be substituted for the lime juice as well as the rind. Without the use of eggs or butter, it is not only animal friendly, but health friendly too :-). Who needs 'heart attack on a plate' for dessert anyway, right :-)? I used this cake in the "trifle" dessert and it was a huge success beyond my anticipation! This recipe produces 1 large cake or 2 thin layers for a layer cake. Ingredients: 1 tsp cornstarch 1/3 cup fresh Lime Juice 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup Canola oil 1 cup water Lime rind grated from 1 Lime 2 cups unbleached flour + extra for dusting the cake pans 3 tsp baking powder Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat one 11 by 13 inch OR two 9 inch diameter layer cake pans with a cooking oil spray. Lightly dust the pan(s) with a little flour. Finely grate the rind (only the green part) from 1 lime (2 if the limes are small) bef...

Vanilla custard is perhaps the easiest of simple desserts. The first time I remember eating custard was when my father made it during our father-daughter cookouts. My father was a man ahead of his times! He would take over the kids and the kitchen every once in a while so my mother could visit her friends, go shopping, etc. Our menu invariably included "half-boiled vegetables" and custard followed by a much anticipated story time. "Half-boiled vegetables" are veggies cooked until tender, yet firm. Father extolled the virtues of eating vitamin-filled "half-boiled" veggies as we gathered around him to watch and 'help' :-). Everything always turned out delicious and we ate everything up. The custard can be made vegan by using an alternate milk such as soy, almond, or rice milk. Also, the amount of corn starch can be increased/decreased to produce a more/less solid custard according to your preference. This recipe produces a soft one, ...

Here is a recipe for a delightful and rich tasting banana bread made without any eggs or dairy products. I have eliminated not only the eggs, but the butter as well :). No eggs/butter = no cholesterol! This is a tried and true recipe: Chellu loves it! A wonderful use for those overripe bananas which are past their prime and on the way to the compost bin! Also, I like baking in a shallow pan rather than in a loaf pan since it cooks in less than half the time. If you however wish to make a loaf, bake at 350 degrees F for about 60 minutes. 16 pieces; Each piece contains about: 165 Calories; 2.8 g Protein; 24 g Carbohydrates; 7.3 g fat; 2 g Fiber. Ingredients: 1/3 cup Oil 1/2 cup Sugar 3 ripe Bananas, mashed 1 tsp Vanilla Essence 1/2 cup Oatmeal or multigrain flakes 11/2 cups Unbleached Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped (optional) Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat with oil or cooking spray an 8 by 8 square baking pan. Cream the oil, sugar; then mi...

Here is a lovely warm weather breakfast or afternoon snack. For best results use frozen overripe bananas -- those way past eating fresh -- with brown spots. To freeze them just peel, pop in resealable plastic bags or other container, and put in the freezer until needed to make this wonderful, cold, and satisfying meal in a glass! Vegans or those with milk allergies, use soy or other type of "milk". If using vanilla bean, slit open and scrape the pulp inside into the blender. Discard pods or use it to perfume sugar for baking, Iced Coffee Quencher , etc by placing it in an air tight container of sugar. 1 large or 2 small servings Ingredients: 2 small ripe frozen bananas a small handful of ice cubes(Optional) 1 tsp Pure Vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean pod 1 cup Milk, any type (whole milk will give a richer result) Method: Place the bananas in a blender container with all the rest and whirl until pureed. Serve immediately in tall glasses. Bon appetit! You might...