Roti Rolls with Home made Plum Jam(a perfect gift in a Jar)

The Crisp-tart-sweet plums\prunes is one of the finest fruit of late Spring.More than eating them whole I prefer such tart fruit for making Jam,also makes an inexpensive yet totally pleasing gift in a Jar ,add a pinch of pectin if the Jam isn't thick enough.My recipe is low sugar,for little more sweetness add couple of teaspoons of sugar.

Plum Jam
Ingredients
6 plums or prunes,Pitted and cut in small cubes
1/2 cup unsweetened fruit juice(I used blend of blueberry ,apple and pomegranate juice)

Method
Cook the fruit with the juice in steel pot(preferably)on gentle heat .Partially cover it and simmer until soft , mushy and thick about 40-45 minutes,stir occasionally.Cool and store in sterilized jar for up to a month.

Roti rolls
The Jam is enjoyable as a spread or to bake in a pudding or Jam pockets or slather on Whole grain roti\Paratha\Chapati ,roll up and serve for a quick fix snack or light meal for any time of the day.


I was always fascinated by the purple color,besides being a pleasing eye-catching color,the purple colored foods are rich in heart healthy flavonoids and age-delaying antioxidants.Learn about the Variety of Plums and Health benefits.

Plum Jam is my entry for Food in Colors,started by Sunshinemom,celebrating the favorite colors this month is Tasty Curry leaf
And the roti rolls for WYF: Quick meals and 15 minutes Cooking.

Lunch Box Friendly :Vegetable and Mango Jam Pockets

These kid approved whole grain vegetable and Jam pockets make a tasty lunch box food,sure to satisfy a health conscious mom and a picky eater's taste buds. Choose your child's favorite fruit and vegetable for the stuffing.

The mildly sweet Mexican champagne mangoes sounded so appropriate for making the Jam.The outcome was finger licking good,mildly sweetened and so versatile,spread on toast or any kind of bread or flat bread for a relishing mango goody .
For the vegetable stuffing I choose some fresh asparagus,though not a favorite of my boy but I paired it with his favorite potatoes and carrots.Sure healthy disguise.
If making these pockets sounds impossible in the morning rush hour,little bit of prep work must make it a fantastic quick fix lunch box meal.Prepare the dough the night before,the Jam any day in advance and the vegetable filling the night before.Voila,all you have to do in the morning is shape and bake the pockets,and the well balanced whole grain,fruit and vegetable lunch box is ready in 15 minutes!


Homemade Mango Jam

Ingredients
3 mangoes(I used the mildly sweet kind champange),Peeled and cut in cubes
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
Method
Simmer all the ingredients in a pot until reduced to glossy thick mixture.Remove the cinnamon stick,cool and store in sterilized jar in a refrigerator for up to a month.


Vegetable and Jam Pockets

(Makes 6-8 pockets about 5 inches long)
Ingredients for Pockets
2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour[or use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour]
1 tablespoon Flax seed meal(optional ,for added nutrition)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pack active dry yeast,about 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup warm water
pinch of sugar

For Vegetable Stuffing
2 cups Chopped Any fresh vegetables I used baked\cooked potatoes,fresh asparagus and carrots,finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Method
Prepare the dough
In warm water mix in the dry yeast and pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a bowl start mixing the flour ingredients along with the yeast. Make a smooth dough and place in a greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise for an hour until double its size or leave it overnight.
Cook the filling
Heat oil in a pan and saute vegetables with garlic and spices for few minutes. Cook just until tender about 5 minutes. set the stuffing aside to cool.
Shape and Bake the Pockets
Preheat Oven to 450F.
Knead the dough for few seconds and divide in to about 6 portions. Take one portion of the dough and roll in to a rectangular shape using a rolling pin. Place a table spoon of stuffing Vegetable or Mango Jam ,spread along the center .Fold once ,then close the open ends ,turn and place on baking sheet. Finish making the remaining pockets,place them about 1/2 inch apart from each other.
Bake for about 15 minutes until crush turns lightly brown.


I'm sending these over to Meeta's Monthly mingle,hosting this month's kid lunches is Srivalli of Cooking4allSeasons.

Fig Linzer Cookies : Its an Austrian Pastry!

Linzers cookies one of the most famous cookies of Austria . Now ,how did i stumble upon the Austrian recipe ? I googled for sandwich cookies and i found these Austrian delights. Ha, thats the magic of Google.The original recipe is posted here, I made a low-fat version with few changes in the ingredients.

Linzer cookies are crisp toasty cookies sandwiched together with a delicious fruit filling(Usually berries or figs) are perfect for tea time snack or Kiddie lunch box snack .You could even gift a box of these healthy decadent cookies to your fortunate friends or colleagues at work.

Ingredients

For the cookies
3/4 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup Blanched or Sliced Almonds,toasted and ground(Hazelnuts or Pecans can also be used)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 tablespoon butter, softened
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 Organic egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
Granular sugar for topping

For Filling
3/4 cup of Fig Jam(recipe follows) or store-brought raspberry jam

Makes about 12 medium sandwiches cookies.

Method
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick baking mats.
Prepare the Dough
Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt;Mix in the ground almond and set aside.

Beat the Oil,butter,the sugar and egg in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Then stir in the vanilla and fully incorporate. Add the sifted flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, cut in half, flatten into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Chill the dough until firm, at 30 minutes.
Roll the Cookies
Roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8 inch thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutters(Rectangle or Circle or Heart Shape), cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. With a spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet and place about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cutter of the same shape, cut out the centers from half the cookies (this will form the top of the sandwich); reserve the scraps and re-roll with the other chilled half of dough. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.Top the cookies with the middles cut with some granule sugar .
Bake
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assemble the Sandwich
Spread about a teaspoon of the fig jam(recipe below) on the cookie bottoms. Sandwich with the cookies with the middles cut out. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea,coffee or milk. Stores in air cookies jar for about 3-4 days, mine didn't last for more than 12 hours!

To make the Dried Fig Jam

Ingredients
8-10 figs, dried or Ripe,stem cut off and chopped
1 cup of water for dried and 1/2 cup if using fresh figs
2 tablespoon lemon juice,fresh squeezed
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom(Elaichi)

Method
Place figs in a medium pot and add the water,cook for medium heat for about 30 minutes until figs are all soft and tender. Add lemon juice , stir and simmer another 5-10 minutes until most of the water is dry. Process in blender or food processor in to fine paste. Store in Sterilized jar, use on toasts or for making sandwich cookies.


These cookies are low in sugar ,good for snacking and nutritious enough for a kiddie lunch box. I'm sending this recipe to Vandana's Lunch Box Special Event.