Mock Daiquiri

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  Daiquiri is a great cocktail but this recipe is without the Rum hence a mock-tail.  We enjoyed this and with a family with kids this indeed is a great treat where both kids and parents can enjoy the drink.  I had to add more sugar for the kids but otherwise the recipe is as below.  I have reached India and officially kick started my  vacation.   The journey was uneventful and things are going well so far.  The heat is unbearable but some how children seem to be taking it better than me.  I was always worried they will have trouble but yet again they prove their adaptability.

  Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their days and blogging.  I am sorry again I am unable to visit your sites but I will be back in a month to make that right.  Have fun!



Ingredients:

Strawberries- 6-7
Lemon juice- 1 Tbsp
Sugar
Ice cubes- 4-5

Method

1.Wash and hull the starwberries.
2.Throw everything except ice cubes in a blender.
3.Add the ice cubes and blend again.
4.Serve in cocktail glasses.



Notes:

1.If you want to have the Strawberry Daiquiri, add 2 Tbsp of light Rum into this.
2.The above recipe serves 2.

Bok Choy and Chicken Soup

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    I have been thinking of posting soups for a while but never got around until now.  It's one of my favorite dishes and if I am eating lunch out you will see me order soup and salad.  This does not have anything to do with weight loss or any such endeavor.  I simply love soup.  My favorites have always been Chinese soups and hence I will start off with one of them.  Other than soups I also have an affinity towards leaves.  After coming to the South of US and seeing so much turnip greens being cooked down with pork fat, kale and collard greens treated the same I found out an easy way to cook the greens.  This soup has nothing to do with how turnip greens are cooked but I am just saying bok choy cooked down to tenderness in chicken broth gives me a chance to enjoy my favorite soup with a beautifully textured leaf to chew on.

Ingredients:
Bok Choy Leaves - 3 leaves with stock from a big bunch (not baby bok choy)
Chicken Broth - 4 cups
Ginger - 1/2 tspn chopped
Garlic - 1 tspn chopped
Shallots - 1 small chopped fine
Chili sauce - 1 tspn or to taste
Soya sauce - 1 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn
Salt - to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a deep pan
2. Add chopped ginger, shallots and garlic sauteing after each addition
3. Add the chopped stalk of the leaf and stir a while and then follow up withe leaves torn into 5- to 6 pieces
4. Add soya sauce, chili sauce and follow up with 4 cups of chicken broth
5. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer till the leaves have wilted and changed color

Serves: 4

Notes:
Couple of questions I saw are about chili sauce and some unable to make this because of chicken broth.  Here are my answers:
1. Instead of chili sauce use 1 or 2 red chilies. Take the seed out and soak it in a little vinegar, grind and add
2. Vegetarians can replace chicken broth with vegetable broth
Contributor: Sunitha

Savory Diamond Cuts/ Shankarpali

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   In Kerala we call this 'diamond cuts' and the more popular version is sweet.  However at home we enjoy it spicy. It's like this; the savory version is enjoyed equally by all when the sweet version is more to my daughter and my taste. Its crunchy, spicy and a great 'kadi' (bite) with tea.



Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 1 cup
Whole wheat flour- 1/2 cup
Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida- a pinch
Ajwain- 1 tsp
Salt- To taste
Oil- for deep frying



Method:

1.Mix everything in a mixing bowl and slowly add water while kneading the dough.
2.When the dough has the consistency of the chappathi dough stop adding water and knead for another 3-4 minutes.Cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
3.Heat the oil for frying.
4.Knead the dough again and make lemon sized balls of the dough, just like you do for making chappathi.
5.Roll the dough using a rolling pin, after dusting the surface with flour if necessary.
6.Cut the round lengthwise leaving up to an inch space between each cut.Again make cuts diagonal to the fist cuts, making diamond shaped dough pieces.
7.When the oil is ready, throw these in and fry till they are crisp.
8.Cool well before storing in an airtight container.