Hi everybody, Oranges and me have a great connection I think you might have noticed I have loads of Orange recipes in my blog, Oranges as we all know is good source of vitamin C, and I think this time of the year we definitely need it, Consuming Vitamin C rich food keep the cold away.., This also helps in the absorbtion of Iron when you are eating Iron rich food as well,  keeps the Haemoglobin content well.
Coming back to this cake, This is suppose to be a  Greek Cake which I got from a cakes and bakes Magazine, People in Greek bake this often and they love and enjoy it.  I searched few websites for this cake but ended up making from this magazine, as I liked the Idea of it.  Hope you like the Idea and enjoy it too.. as my family and friends did...
My Children loved it, they said it was sweet and moist, I made few changes adapting it to my way of baking, I have used silken Tofu in my bakes, but not to this quantity,  I tried and was quite satisfied, This particular cake was more interesting to me as I had  fruit in it and later on I decided to use cocoa powder in it so I could send it to Kalyani's Monthy mingle Chocolate and fruits, which I am posting it a bit late.  Check my notes for the changes I have made in this cake.
This cake stays moist for at least 5 days, no need to refrigerate it either (well I am talking about this climate)

KEIK PORTOKALI - ORANGE SEMOLINA CAKE - EGGLESS
Minimally adapted from Cake & Bake Magazine

INGREDIENTS: 
FOR THE CAKE
2 Medium Organic Oranges well Scrubbed
1/2 cup Olive oil
1and 1/2 Cup soft brown sugar
200 grms fine Semolina
1 Cup + 3 tbsp Mori Nu Silken Tofu ( around 300 gms )
50 grms Almond meal ( Powder )
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp milk

FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 tbsp Butter / vegan Butter
1/2 cup Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1 tbsp of Milk / soy milk
1 tsp of Orange Blossom water
1 tsp of Orange juice

METHOD:
In a very hot water add two oranges in intervals of 5 minutes for 4 to 5 times keep changing the water that is after every 5 minutes throw away the water, use fresh hot water again and do the same way at least 4 times, this will remove the sourness of the orange skin. (even though not completely )
In a thick bowl boil the whole oranges in plenty of water until softened, almost about 1 hour in a low flame, with a closed lid which had a little hole in it. keep checking that they are well covered and keep adding hot water as needed.
Once it is cooked take out the Oranges, once they are cool, Quarter the oranges to ensure that there are no pips and seeds,  Puree the oranges skin and all in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth orange puree.
Grease a Bundt pan and coat it with flour and set aside.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degree**.
Take all the dry Ingredients and sift them well together except cocoa powder and keep it ready.
Meanwhile Blend Tofu**  in a blender or Mixer until smooth with 2 tbsp of milk (see notes)
In a large bowl, pour this Orange puree into it, to this add oil, sugar and well blended Tofu puree also into it.
blend them all well together.

To this Blended Liquid mixture add the dry Ingredients until well incorporated.
Divide this mixture equally into two bowls to one of this bowl blend cocoa powder to this set aside.
Take your Bundt pan pour one spoonful of the white (not exactly) batter next the cocoa next to it then the white batter and next the cocoa batter on the next step alternate each batter on top of it as the batter is not very stiff but bit liquidy it spreads.
Once all the batter is used up.
Place it on the middle rack and bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes**.
Once done remove it from the oven and place it on a cooling rack, after 10 minutes, remove it from the tin and allow it to cool.
Then I made the Glazing and poured it on to the top of the cake and leave it cool down.
Slice and enjoy the cake...

NOTES:
Blend Tofu in a blender or a mixer without any lumps, then add 2 tbsp of milk blend again so it is smooth and silky.
I always bake my cakes and other baked products in Gas Mark 3 as my oven has very high temperature, even though I have given the universal cake baking temperature.
You bake with your oven temperature and also check the timings as well.

ORIGINAL RECIPE IF YOU WANT TO TRY OUT:
Original Recipe calls for 5 eggs, 185 ml Olive oil, 140 gms caster sugar, 250 grms fine semolina, 80 grms almonds chopped and few chopped almonds for decoration.
This recipe also uses syrup to pour on to the cake after it is baked. for this syrup 125 grms caster sugar, juice of 1/4 lemon and 1 tsp orange blossom water

This recipe goes to my Bake-a-thon event by Champa and check out Priya, Suman, srivalli and Preethi

Sending this also to Kalyani's Magic Mingle - Chocolate and fruits 

The post Orange Semolina Cake - Keik Portokali - Revani (reh-vah-NEE) - Eggless appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, It's wonderful to be back here again, after a really wonderful week, Mum is here.., Just like all the sweets in the world, incomparable and delicious to and still I am unable to believe and still it is not sinking in my mind, I am already worried that she is going to go back in 3 months.., 🙁 . I love to enjoy every moment and relish it with her, After all these years at last she agreed to come, I am so happy because kids have changed their routine, I see that they eat 3 times in a day Yay!, by the time I come back they would had their shower and breakfast and lunch, isn't it great before I had to call them or sometimes when I came back from work around 2 O' clock they used to have their breakfast, when I scream they always said that they weren't hungry!, everything is changed now, as mum has taken the reins.., not that I am cooking not completely spoilt   by her, she wants to see how I bake, I did a few bakes as well.
One of them was these Lamingtons, for the Eggless group of Gayatri's, she had asked us to bake Lamingtons and adapted the recipe from David Labovitz, who doesn't like his blog, I love his blog too.., as everybody, I have tried many of his recipes and enjoyed immensely.
Lamingtons are Speciality sponge cakes from Australia they are originally dipped in chocolate icing and rolled out in dessicated coconut.  I made it Eggless and made it vegan too.., I was a bit scared how my kids would like it, they were saying that it was delicious and tasted like bounty chocolate.
May be not everybody would like whole meal flour in baking, You  can  substitute plain flour / APF instead of whole meal plain flour, whole meal flour makes any baking a bit chewy but definitely a healthy one...

EGGLESS AND VEGAN WHOLE MEAL LAMINGTONS
Recipe Adapted from David Lebovitz

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CAKE:
150 gms Whole meal Plain flour**
75 gms Plain Flour
175 gms Sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 th cup silken Tofu
1/2 cup soya milk
1/4 cup oil
2tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING:
170 gms ( 6 ounces) bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chopped
( I used bittersweet 70% cocoa)
40 grms unsalted butter ( I used 1 tbsp Oil)
3/4th cup (180ml) milk - whole or low fat, ( I used Soya milk )
2 cups (220 gms) powdered sugar
2 tbsp Cocoa powder, natural or dutch process ( sift if lumpy )
2 tbsp boiling water
3 cup ( 200 gms ) unsweetened shredded coconut (Dessicated coconut)

** I have also made with only whole meal plain flour the cake turns out good as well

METHOD :
FOR MAKING THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees/ Gas Mark 3  just 10 minutes before
Sift the flours together with baking soda, baking powder together.
Then blend milk and tofu in a food processor or a mixie In the end add the oil and vanilla essence so they are well combined.
In a large bowl take the dry ingredients then add sugar and pour well blended Tofu mixture.
combine them all well together pour it  in a 9'' (23cm)  and bake it for just 30 to 35 minutes depending upon the temperature of your oven.
Insert a toothpick or a skewer to test if it is well done, if it comes out clean then it is well done.
Take it out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 5 minutes then invert it on to the cooling rack and let it completely cool down.
Then cut the cake into 12 pieces , cut them in halves.

FOR MAKING THE CHOCOLATE ICING
Make a double boiler, on a simmering hot water place a bowl, the bowl should not touch the water, take chopped chocolate pieces, oil and milk until they are completely melted and and smooth.
Take it out add the powdered sugar, you can sift sugar and cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk well until well combined.
Your chocolate Icing is ready to be in use now...

ASSEMBLING THE LAMINGTONS
Spread the dessicated coconut in a large plate
Take each cut piece, apply the chocolate icing using a fork then sandwich them down, you can add hot water a tbsp or two into the icing before dipping them if they have hardened up. But mine didn't so I did not use any water at all. Dip each piece into the chocolate Icing with the help of your finger, fork or anything you are comfortable with.
Handle them slowly as they are not made with Eggs or plain flour, It might not be too firm, hold these dipped cakes to a side wiping the dripping chocolate icing.
Roll them in the coconut covered completely and allow it to stand for some time to firm up a bit.
Enjoy

NOTES:
Cut the pieces into perfect squares or however you want, as I have used whole meal flour, the cake would be a bit difficult to handle and tend to crumble not totally though.
You can even trim the ends if you are serving for a party or something to get nice perfect lovely pieces
I just didn't bother but just sliced them.
I was a bit scared to handle the cake by cutting it in one go so I halved the cake first then sliced them in rectangles and then sliced them in half each long rectangle.
My Icing was not firming up quickly may be because of oil so it was fine for me.
I think the chocolate icing got soaked up to the cake well enough.

Check out the bloggers who have made these with me.. Check in Gayatri's blog for the round - up.

Sending this to Ayesha's cook eat delicious - desserts started by Raven 
Kitchen Chronicles - only vegan by Vardhini started by Kalyani

The post Eggless & Vegan Whole meal Lamingtons appeared first on My Veg Fare.

FRIED TOFU WITH  SESAME SEED TOPPING AND KAESHI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS FOR TOASTED TOFU
250gms Tofu Block
3 to 4 tbsp of white Sesame seeds
oil as required*
Bread Crumbs*
corn flour*
water*

METHOD:
Remove the Tofu from the wrap press and remove the water from it, cut them into rectangles.
In a bowl mix both bread crumbs and sesame seeds in small portions, so you won't be wasting both of them, use them as needed.
In an other bowl mix corn flour with water and make it into a pancake consistency and keep it ready.
Dip these rectangles in the corn  flour batter first then into the bread crumb mixture.
Heat a small pan and toast these Tofu pieces on both the sides carefully until golden brown in colour.
* I have indicated this star to tell you that I have not mentioned the exact measurements and these things are totally used approximately. A small tip I could give you is when making the corn flour batter do not add too much water start with little water and when mixing water you will start to know how it reacts and how corn starch gets settled down in the bottom.., If you are new to this concept, it is better that you add around 1 or 2 tsp of plain flour which helps in making the consistency of the batter.

KAESHI SAUCE
adapted from here
INGREDIENTS:
170 ml dark soy sauce
30 ml Mirin
25 gms sugar

METHOD:
About this recipe and if you are too keen on learning Japanese dishes and love it.., it is better to go the website, as she discusses about the use of different kind of Mirin., The one I have used is an alcohol free.
Put the Mirin in a pan bring to boil, lower heat and simmer a bit
Add sugar and still till everything is melted
Now add soy sauce let it warm up slowly, do not allow it to boil, when it starts bubbling switch of the stove and keep it aside.
If any scum has formed on top of it, skim off carefully.
She says Kaeshi can used straight away but tastes best when left for about a day,
This can kept for several month under refrigeration in an air tight container.
You can even add more sugar to taste if you like it sweet...
I think my daughter added more sugar as to her liking...
So you can increase decrease the contents as you like it.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#14

The post Sesame fried Tofu - Aishu's Recipe with Kaeshi Sauce appeared first on My Veg Fare.