Avocado Milkshake

Avocado Milkshake

The avocado is a tree native to Mexico and Central America. It scientifically classified in plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. Avocado or alligator pear also refers to the fruit, botanically a large berry that contains a single seed.

Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. The fruit is not sweet, but distinctly and subtly flavoured, with smooth texture.

Avocado is  has  several B vitamins and vitamin K, with good content of vitamin C, vitamin E and potassium and also  phytosterols and carotenoids.  About 75% of an avocado's energy comes from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat as oleic acid. Other predominant fats include palmitic acid and linoleic acid. The saturated fat content amounts to 14% of the total fat.

 As high avocado intake, has in one study shown lower blood cholesterol levels in the tested patients I am trying to add avocado to our diet.

So let us begin with …

How do I choose an avocado?

A ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed.

Want to get to the flesh of the avocado you brought wait …

A cut avocado browns fast, this is called enzymatic browning, exposure to air causes this to prevent this, lime or lemon juice can be added to avocados after peeling.

What can I make with avocado?

Avocado can be used in savoury and sweet preparations.

Generally, avocado is served raw, thought some can be cooked for a short time without becoming bitter. The flesh of some avocados may be rendered inedible by heat; prolonged cooking induces this chemical reaction in all cultivars.

Avocado is popular in vegetarian cuisine as a substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.

In Spanish-speaking countries such as Chile, Mexico, or Argentina avocado is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a spread on corn tortillas or toast, served with spices. 

Avocados are also used to make salads, fillings in sandwiches, sushi, on toast, or with chicken or served mixed with white rice, in soups, salads, or on the side of chicken and meat.

Avocados in savoury dishes, often seen as exotic, are a relative novelty in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, where the traditional preparation is mashed with sugar and lime, and eaten as a dessert or snack.

However the commonest way to serve avocado is in shakes. In different countries avocados milkshakes are topped and sweetened differently. The additions vary from milk, ice cream, flavoured water, chocolate syrup, treacle.

In Ethiopia, avocados are made into juice by mixing them with sugar and milk or water, usually served with Vimto and a slice of lemon. It is also common to serve layered multiple fruit juices in a glass (locally called Spris) made of avocados, mangoes, bananas, guavas, and papayas.  Sounds interesting….

(Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Today I made guacamole saved a medium slice and made a shake out of my avocado. Let meet the shake first.In the past I have made Guasacaca here.

Avocado Milkshake

Avocado Milkshake

Ingredients:

• 2 cup milk, chilled
• 1 slice of avocado
• 5 tblspn sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract

 Method:

• Since I want to make a shake with milk lemon is a no-no.
• To prevent browning of the avocado what I did was added a cup of milk to my slice of avocado and blitzed it.
• Then added all the other cup of milk (so that I could adjust the consistency of the shake), sugar and vanilla essence.
• Serve chilled.

Avocado Milkshake

 Sending this to Srivalli's  Event Kid's Delight hosted by Harini.

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Semolina Bread

Semolina Bread

Today on the last day of the BM #52 I am paired with Mir and I wanted bake a bread. I had my eye on the bread that Mir had set out for us in Taming the Yeast; it was a whole wheat bread. You know me I cannot leave them alone so I tried it. The bread had a mind of its own; it did rise to the occasion.

My discussion with Mir gave me an understanding of the reason.  The whole wheat flour in India has greater protein content  lesser protein content so it does not rise as much as the bread made with the whole wheat flour made in US. The solution is to add vital wheat gluten. 

Since I do not have access to gluten I decided to make this Semolina Bread.

The bread flour was what Kalyani gifted to me.

Family of course loved the bread.

Semolina Bread, 

Semolina Bread

Recipe Source: The Schizo Chef

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

Semolina Bread, 

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tblspn instant yeast
• 1 tblspn sugar
• 1 tblspn salt
• 3 ½ – 4 cups bread flour 
• 1 cup semolina
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tblspn milk
• 2 tblspn til/ sesame seeds

Method:

• Dissolve the sugar in the water.
• In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of the flour, salt, yeast and water, with an electric mixer, mix for a few minutes.
• Add semolina, 1 cup of flour and olive oil.
• Mix well and using the dough hook attachment, start to knead the dough.
• Add flour, ½ cup at a time until the dough wraps itself around the dough hook.
• Knead for 5 minutes. Dough will be elastic and slightly sticky.
• Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl.
• Cover with greased plastic wrap and a kitchen towel.
• Leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
• On a floured board, knead dough for a few minutes, sprinkling a little flour on top as needed.
• You can shape into a rustic round loaf. But I preferred to make it in a loaf. I rolled it in a thick rectangle and rolled it up from the narrow end in the thick roll.
• Sprinkle a greased loaf pan with rava/semolina or corn flour.
• Cover with kitchen towel and leave to rise another 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375 F.
• Brush the top with milk and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
• Cool and slice.
• I served it with a delicious  mushroom dip. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 53

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Aehobakjeon (Korean Zucchini Pancakes) with Sesame Dipping Sauce

Aehobakjeon  (Korean Zucchini Pancakes) with Sesame Dipping Sauce

Zucchini !

The moment I say the word my family runs in the other direction. 

Don’t ask me why,must be one of my experiments has put them off. ☺

When I said that I am making pancakes the girls were enthusiastic. In fact even yesterday they kept asking me when I am making pancakes. The trouble is they had holidays and they kept friend hopping so I made them without them around. Much to their irritation.  Maybe next Saturday I will make them for their evening snack.

Where did I get the recipe? From Mir's place, my friend with whom  am paired for BM pairs.

Meanwhile hubby and I enjoyed these pancakes. Even the maid was very happy with the flavour and kept asking me how I made the dosa.

The substitute here is chilli powder in place of gochugaru and the rice wine vinegar I used wine vinegar .

Aehobakjeon  (Korean Zucchini Pancakes) with Sesame Dipping Sauce

Aehobakjeon  (Korean Zucchini Pancakes)

Recipe Source: The Schizo Chef
Yield: 14  pancakes
Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis,grated 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tblspn  ginger,grated
• 2 cloves garlic,finely chopped 
• 3/4 -1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red chile powder), according to taste

 Sesame Dipping Sauce

Sesame Dipping Sauce

 Ingredients:

• 2 tblspns soy sauce
• 2 tblspns rice wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 tsps sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tblspn toasted sesame seeds

 Method:

• Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add salt, ginger, gochugara, flour and water. Beat to make a smooth batter.
• Add zucchini’s and mix to combine.
• Lightly oil a skillet. Place 1/3 cup of batter in the skillet for each pancake.
• Fry until golden brown on both sides.

 What else do we have?

 Well come back tomorrow to see that…

 Meanwhile today you can check my other friends 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 53

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Korean Cauliflower Stir Fry

Korean Cauliflower Stir Fry

Cauliflower!

Hubby loves it kids hate it!

So the solution to my problem is making something new as often as possible. This recipe from Mir's space  was too good to give up on. This week I am paired with Mir of The Schizo Chef  for BM pairs and I am at a loss as to what to make. I am going Southeast Asian this  time .

This was a new taste for us. As we have never eaten anything Korean... sorry we have eaten only Kimchi. That too I suspect is an Indianised version.

I have used in place of rice vinegar red wine vinegar.

Rest of the recipe is followed without any changes.

The best part was when the cauliflower and garlic was cooking hubby came to the kitchen just to see that I do not tweak the recipe.: D

Korean Cauliflower Stir Fry

Recipe Source: The Schizo Chef

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tblspns oil (I use rice bran oil)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tblspn water
• 1 tblspn   vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• A pinch of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tblspn toasted sesame seeds

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadhai.
• Add garlic and fry for 1/2 minute.
• Add cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, vinegar, water, salt, soy sauce and sugar.
• Add to skillet and stir to combine.
• Cook on medium high heat for 5-8 minutes.
• Add sesame seeds and stir to combine.

Korean Cauliflower Stir Fry

 What else do we have?

 Well come back tomorrow to see that…

 Meanwhile today you can check my other friends 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 53

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!