Geetha's Kitchen

Of course my muesli repertoir has an All American Apple Pie Muesli! Made with delicious apples, pecans, and apple pie spices, and served a la mode, what's not to love? This muesli isvery similar to other muesli but served warm with a little scoop of non-dairy ice cream! 2 servings INGREDIENTS: 2 Apples, diced 1 Pinch of Salt 1-2 Tbsp  Brown Sugar 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Ginger 1 pinch Nutmeg 1 pinch Allspice 1 cup Oatmeal 1/4 cup dried Cranberries 2 cups Non-Dairy Milk, Almond, Soy, or Rice 1/4 cup Pecans, toasted Optional Toppings Pure Maple Syrup Non-Dairy Yogurt Non-Dairy Vanilla or Butter Pecan "Ice Cream" Non-Dairy Whipped Topping or Cashew Cream Cinnamon Nutmeg Extra Pecans Extra Milk for serving if needed METHOD: Combine apples, salt and sugar in a pan and cook until just softened. Stir in all the spices. Tip in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and milk and mix well; cover and let...

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...

Here is a fragrant and fabulous pear cake to wow family and friends! A good use for those over-ripe pears too soft to eat out of hand; pears lend their moist fragrance and sweetness to this luscious cake. You may use soy, coconut, cashew, almond or rice milk.  The spices make this cake so fragrant and yummy; do add the nutmeg because pears and nutmeg are a match made in heaven! I don't usually frost any of the cakes; but if you like to, a sprinkle of powdered sugar is nice.  Or make a simple icing by combining a cup of confectioners/powdered sugar with a little vanilla and lemon juice or a little milk and drizzle over the cake. Ingredients: 3 ripe Pears, cored, peeled and chopped 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1/4 cup Coconut oil, melt and cool 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 2 tsp Cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water 1 cup Milk, any type 1 tsp Cardamom seeds, ground 1 little pinch Saffron, grind with cardamom 1/4 - 1/...

Baked Appams are delicious and easy.  I wanted to make appam-like muffins without any fruit or dairy products but still with the wonderful taste of Neyyappams and here they are!  I like the muffins just lightly sweetened (with half a cup of sugar) but you may add the full one cup if you like them on the sweet side.  Baked appams may be made with Cinnamon instead of the Cardamom also.  With the whole cup of oats, they are fantastic as a breakfast treat! 12 Muffins Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds, toasted 1/2 Cup Freshly grated OR 3 Tbsp dry grated Coconut 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 Cup Rice Flour 1 Cup Rolled Oats 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda 2 tsp Cornstarch 1 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 - 1 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed 11/2 tsp freshly ground Cardamom 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg (optional) 1/2 cup Ground Almonds 2 Tbsp Oil 1 Cup Coconut Milk 1/3 cup Water Method: Toast the sesame and coconut in separate batches in a...

Making home-made granola is so easy and you can tailor it to suit your own preferences - and it costs very little!  This is a basic recipe; in addition to oats, other rolled grains such as wheat, barley, etc may be added also.  Paji loves to munch the granola with a cup of spicy tea :-).  Practically fat free, Granola makes a very portable and healthy snack.  Top warm porridge or pudding with a spoonful of granola for a wonderful treat! Ingredients: 8 cups Old-fashioned Rolled Oats (not quick or instant) 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds 1/2 cup Coconut flakes 1/2 cup Maple Syrup 1 tsp Vanilla 1/4 - 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 cup raw Nuts: Sliced Almonds, Cashews, or Walnut/Pecan pieces 1 cup Dried fruits: raisins, berries, apricots, peaces, etc Coconut Oil for coating the pans Method: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Coat two 9 x 13 inch rimmed baking pans generously with coconut oil; set aside. ...

Pradhaman (translates as chief or first) is a traditional and delightful Kerala dessert and a small portion is always served to be eaten first at any banquet - a welcome preview of what is to come! There are many types of pradhamans in which the star ingredients may be rice or rice products, dals, or fruits such as jack-fruits or plantains; all are typically made with jaggery and coconut milk and are porridge-like - a bit soupy. This pradhaman is also called "idichu pizhinja payasam" as freshly grated coconut is "pounded and squeezed" to extract the milk.  I have given the option of canned coconut milk to make it easier. Some families flavor the pradhaman simply with dried ginger only and the toasted coconut; others like to add cardamoms and cashews. Try both and decide for yourself. It is important to stir regularly so that the pradhaman does not stick or burn. This is a gluten and dairy free and fat free too if the ghee is omited. If you like, use cocon...

Paruppu Kanji is the leaner, no-nonsense cousin of Paruppu Pradhaman although it shares some of the ingredients of the rich pudding. It is a traditional offering for Sivarathri festival which falls in the winter months. After fasting the whole day, family members, friends, and neighbors gather together to give each other support to stay up the entire night praying, singing, and chanting melodious songs and bhajans in praise of Lord Siva. The Paruppu Kanji along with idlis or the sweet crepe-like Vella Dosai provides the staying power of protein as well as a bit of sugar for energy for keeping up the spirited chanting of bhajans. This year Sivarathri falls on February 20th. Happy Sivarathri everyone! Ingredients: 1/2 cup split, skinless (yellow) Mung Dal 1 cup fresh Coconut, finely ground or 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup Brown Sugar/Jaggery 1 Tbsp freshly ground dried Ginger (chukku) 1-2 pods Cardamom (optional) Optional Topping: 1 tsp Ghee 2 Tbsp small Cashew pieces 2 Tbsp raisins ...

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...

This Cheesecake lends itself to decorating any way you like; particularly with fresh fruit! Beautiful and Divinely delicious! Note: You might prefer the Graham cracker crust instead of the one given here; use half the recipe. Fresh berries such as blue/straw/rasp/black berries, cherries, kiwi, etc are all delicious for topping the cheesecake bars. 9 Servings Ingredients: Crust: 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup Oats 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed firmly 2 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 cube Unsalted Butter (2 oz) Filling: 1 Pkg Cream Cheese (8 oz) 1/2 cup Sugar 1 cup Sour Cream 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt 1/4 cup Milk 1 Tbsp Corn Starch 1 pinch Sea Salt 1 tsp Vanilla 2 or 3 Juicy Key Limes 1 tsp Lime Zest Assorted fruits for topping Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Make crust: Mix together the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse just until well combined. Alternately, cut the butter into the rest of the ingredients with ...

Stir-fried green beans are a family favorite. Fresh or frozen green beans can be utilized to make this dish. Served over brown rice or other grains, it is a filling and nutritious dish. It is adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. Since we did not have hoisin sauce in my pantry, we devised a substitute. A quick hoisin sauce can be made from simple everyday ingredients if you don't have a prepared one in stock or cannot run out to the store to get one. It is surprisingly simple and quite good. We made it based on a recipe Chellu found on food dot com. Hoisin sauce does double duty as a condiment with snacks or as a stir-fry sauce. Enjoy! Kecap manis is a sweet, thick Indonesian soy sauce; kecap manis, chile sauce, toasted sesame oil etc are available in Asian markets and sometimes in supermarkets also. In case kecap manis is not available, use more of the soy sauce instead. Ingredients for Hoisin sauce: About 1/2 cup sauce 3 Tbsp each regular Soy Sauce and K...

Cranberry sauce with a new twist! Pachadis or Launjis are sweet-tart relishes that often accompany simple daily or formal meals. Pachadis are an integral part of banquets and are the first dish to be served after the traditional payasam or sweets. They are typically made from fruits and veggies that are sweet or tart and often include tamarind and jaggery. Cranberries are perfect for making pachadi as they are already tart without the addition of tamarind. Dried cranberries may be used to make pachadi; but you may have to adjust the amount of jaggery if the berries are sweetened and add a little more water for the right consistency. Pachadis/launjis are perfect served with any meal but especially with mild dishes such as simple dal , molakootal , or poricha kuzhambu . Variation: For a nice change of pace, a pinch each of fennel and cumin seeds may be added along with the mustard seeds. Ingredients: 2 cups Cranberries, fresh or frozen 1 cup Pineapple, fresh, frozen, or canned 1 tsp...

I have wanted to make Sweet Potato Pie ever since I read the book "The Yearling" a very long time ago. I was intrigued not only by the idea of a pie made with sweet potatoes, but also the character of the mother who gives up her share of pie! Wow! I remember Amma, my mother, holding back quietly, generously, and graciously so that everyone could enjoy more; I neither realized that nor even noticed until I was older. Mothers are amazing! Scrumptious Sweet Potato Pie is a great alternative for pumpkin pie as sweet potatoes are available year around. Use the orange-fleshed sweets labeled "yams" for best color; bake/roast them whole for the best flavor. You can make it vegan by adding coconut, soy or other types of milk in the place of regular milk. Without a butter/shortening/oil-laden crust, it has minimal fat. Crust-free, gluten-free and fat-free, it is also guilt-free! I made it for the holiday weekend and it was gobbled up very quickly :-). Notes: I ...