Getting back into the swing of things... something or the other is always happening (right?) to all of us... and somehow time escapes me. A new year comes about and suddenly everything that got away comes back into your brain... and you think, "I will do better this year." So... here I am... hoping to get out of my old self and into a new... :)
Last year during the Thanksgiving Sales madness, I ordered myself a present. I'd seen it at a friends' house before but... never really paid attention to it. They usually have 5+ people at their home for each meal so, I thought my little family of 3 could never really use this "toy." Boy! Was I wrong! I'm sure you may have an idea what new (to me) kitchen gadget I'm referring to... The Instant Pot, of course. :)
It is the latest craze in kitchen gadgets... it's an Electric Pressure Cooker and can it do more than steam veggies! I am experimenting on my dear family... trying various "concoctions" each day. Some are tasting better than others. :P But, nevertheless... if you are Indian and just make "Dal, Pappu, Parupu, Lentils" of any kind... this will be a great addition to your kitchen too.
The number of recipes out there are unimaginable... folks are trying all sorts of variations on all kinds of food items you can think of. In my humble beginnings... I am thus far happy with a Rajma, a Veggie Pasta, Toor Dal, Moong Dal and our favorite! Soft Idlis... as I peruse recipes all day it seems, I am truly amazed at the kinds of things people are trying with this device. Cheesecake??? Can't wait to try that out!
I will start sharing my tips and recipes soon... gotta re-try out some recipes and make sure you can recreate them too. ;)
In the meantime, here's a recipe for a Semi-Homemade Coffee Cake I threw together to give to my neighbor and some friends recently. It's easy peasy so give it a try if you're ever in need of a quick dessert. It's not overly sweet so it pairs nicely with Tea, Chai and of course, Coffee... staple in my household. :)
I serve it with some cut strawberries... your choice of course. If you warm your piece up a little, that would be nice too. And if you don't want to use the nuts, then you don't have to. It still tastes yummy.
- 1 Box Trader Joe's Vanilla Cake Mix - follow box instructions, bake in an 8"x8" pan
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans (Walnuts would be fine too)
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the cake mix
Before you set out to follow the box instructions, reserve a 1/4 cup of the mix in a little bowl. Pour in the Pecans and toss. Make the batter with the rest of the mix according to the box. After everything comes together, add in the coated pecans/mix. This step is supposed to help them not all fall to bottom of the pan while baking. Works most of the time. ;)
Good luck! Hope you enjoy!
Here are my Idlis :)
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