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Saturday, October 22, 2016

Mini frittafins

We stumbled on this recipe by accident when we were making the regular pasta frittata. Turned out to be yummy and a healthy breakfast. It is also a quick recipe and an appealing dish for kids

Ingredients:

Angel hair pasta/linguine      -  6 ounces (about 1 medium bowl,broken into half)
Eggs                                      - 2
Asparagus((chopped)           - 1/2 cup
Onions (finely chopped)       - 1/2 cup
Garlic                                     - 2 cloves(finely chopped)
Ginger                                   - 1/4 inch (finely chopped)
Green chilli                            - 1/2 or 1 depending on spice level(finely chopped)
Mint leaves                            - 4-5 leaves (finely chopped)
Grated cheese (Pepper jack) - 1/2 cup
Salt                                        - as required
Oil of choice                          - 2-3 tsps

Heat a skillet, preferably a non-stick one and start cooking the pasta after adding water*. Cook it uncovered. In a bowl, break the eggs and beat well as you add the rest of the ingredients except the oil and mint.
In the meantime pre-heat the oven to 400 F. As the pasta cooks ad water is almost absorbed add a tsp of oil and the egg mixture. Reduce the heat and stir in so that the egg mixture blends well with the pasta.
Cook covered for about 2-3 minutes until the egg is about 3/4 done and switch off heat. Now add the chopped mint and grated cheese and stir well.
Grease a muffin pan or if you use a non-stick you can avoid this step. Scoop the pasta egg mixture into each muffin cup until it's top. Bake for about 5 - 7 minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes and it should come out clean.

Tips:

1.* The package directions ask for more water than needed, so you can reduce the quantity by half      a cup.
2. I add my pasta to cold water and let them boil together, this makes them less sticky but it doesnt matter in this recipe as we need them sticky.
3.You could add any other variety of melting cheese, spices or vegetables other than the ones we used.
4.Adding some grated cheese on top of the muffin before baking adds extra flavour to the =m.
 







Thursday, June 23, 2016

Mini Veggie pot pie

This was our first trial with pot pies. We used a batch of whole wheat and sunflower seed crackers for the crust. It was a big hit with our 7 year old.

Ingredients

Stuffing
Butternut squash. - 1 cup (diced)
Onions.                    - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Garlic.                      - 2 cloves(finely chopped)
Celery.                     - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Ginger.                    - 2 tsp(finely chopped)
Milk.                        - 1/4 cup
Red beans.              - 16 oz can ( drained)
All purpose flour. - 1 tbsp
Spice.                      - 2 tsp(coriander/red chilli                                    powder)
Salt.                          - as needed
Oil of choice           - 2-3 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Crust
Oat/Rye/sunflower seed flour -1/4 cup
Whole wheat flour.                  - 1/4 cup
All purpose flour.                     - 1/2 cup
Butter.                                         - 1/2 cup
Cold water.                                 - 1/2 to 1 cup
Refrigerate the ingredients for the crust along with the equipment you are going to use to make the crust ( fork/blender) while making the stuffing.

Steps to make the stuffing

Heat a pan and add 1-2 tsp oil. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and onions. Saute until the onions are translucent. Then add the ginger,celery , butternut squash,red beans and,  turmeric powder. Saute for a few minutes and add the spices and salt. Cook covered in medium heat until the vegetables are well done. Lower the heat and add the milk with the flour. Mix well to avoid any lumps.Let it simmer for a few minutes to a semi solid consistency. Let it cool.

Steps to prepare the crust

Mix the flours together. Cut in the butter with a fork to the flour. Mix it well so that the butter blends in well with the flour. Add the cold water slowly  and mix well to avoid lumps. The dough should be firm in consistency but should not crumble. Make 1-2 inch balls of dough depending on the size of the bowl in which you want to bake.
Roll the balls with a rolling pin into small circles of 1/2 inch thickness.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Grease the ramekins or bowls and place one layer of dough in the bowl to cover the bottom and all the sides. Place the stuffing on the dough almost till the top edge of the bowl. Place another layer of the dough to cover the stuffing. Do the same with all the bowls. Poke a few holes  on the top layer of the dough to avoid the contents bursting out while baking.
Place the bowls in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Switch off oven and let it cool.
Turn it over on a plate before serving.





Tips:
1. We had a batch whole wheat crackers and rye/ sunflower seed crackers which I powdered into flour consistency and used for the crust.
2. Soaked and cooked dry beans can be used instead if canned beans. I used canned for a quick fix dinner.
3. Tofu can be used instead of beans.
4. Shredded cheese can be used on top of the stuffing just before closing with a layer of dough.
5. You can add a little water for bean and vegetables mixture to cook before adding the milk.

Recipe inspiration:

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-vegan-tofu-and-vegetabl-134550








Thursday, May 12, 2016

Flattened wheat flakes uppuma

We like the flattened rice flakes (aval) uppuma. We wanted to try a healthier version so when we saw the flattened wheat flakes in store used it in the recipe.

 Ingredients:

  Flattened wheat flakes  - 1 cup
  Peanuts(toasted)           - 1/4 cup  
  onions                            - 1/4 cup diced
  broccoli                          - 1/4 cup chopped        
  Garlic                             - 2 cloves
 Ginger.  (Chopped)         - 1/2 tsp
 Cilantro leaves.               - few sprigs
  Oil.                                 - 2 tsps
  Water.                             - 1-2 cups
  Salt                                 - as needed
  Mustard seeds.               - 1 tsp
  Turmeric powder.            - 1/2 tsp optional

Soak the wheat flakes for about 20- 30 minutes with half the salt and  just enough water to completely immerse it. In the meantime chop the garlic, onions, broccoli and cilantro.
Heat a flat pan and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds. When it splutters add the ginger, garlic and onions, saute for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli, turmeric powder and saute well along with the rest of the salt. Once the broccoli is sauteed well add the wheat flakes and cook for  about 5 minutes with a lid.
Add the toasted peanuts and cilantro and serve warm.


Tips:
1. You can add more vegetables of your choice.
2. To get a tangy flavour add chopped tomatoes or cranberries while sauting vegetables. Another option is to squeeze half lime after taking off the heat.
3. To add extra flavour add dried unsweetened coconut flakes just before switching off stove.




























































































Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Edamame soup

This soup provides as a better protein and fiber alternative to the green pea soup for a cold winter day. This has a milder odor compared to the pea soup which makes it more appealing.

Ingredients
Shelled Edamame - 1 cup ( fresh or frozen)
Cilantro leaves.     - 1/4 cup ( finely chopped)
Salt.                          - as per taste
Black Pepper.         - 1-2 tsps as per taste
Cumin powder.      - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder. - 1/2 tsp

To garnish:

Paprika powder    -1/2 tsp
Cranberries*          - 5-6
 Green onions        - finely  chopped

Steam cook the Edamame. Then blend it to a smooth paste, add the chopped cilantro,salt and spices and heat in a low flame until it comes to a boil. Switch off heat. Garnish with cranberries. Serve with rice or serve as such with tortilla chips.




* I used frozen cranberries so added it in the hot soup after keeping it out in the room temperature for a few minutes. The heat of the soup softens the cranberries bring out a tangy flavour to the soup.




Sunday, February 14, 2016

Quinoa sweet potato muffins


Happy Valentines day!! A savory but yet sweet healthy dish for breakfast.
This is my first try  making muffins with quinoa and vegetables. I found a good book on whole foods and adapted this recipe with some modifications from one listed in the book which was for herbed black quinoa muffins. This is a protein and fiber rich kid friendly breakfast.

Ingredients:

White quinoa          - 1/4 cup
Yogurt /curd            - 1/4 cup
Regular milk           - 1/4 cup
Oil of choice           - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
Onion                    - 1 medium chopped
Salt                         - as needed
Dried rosemary      - 1 tsp
Paprika                   - 1 tsp
Whole wheat flour  - 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder       -  1 tbsp
Baking soda           -  1/4 tsp
Sweet potato          - 1 cup mashed
Water                     - 1 cup
Vinegar                  - 2 tsps
Soy sauce              - 1 tsp
 
Preparing the quinoa:

 Soak the quinoa for about 12-24 hours. Rinse the quinoa and place it in a pot with about 1/4 cup of water to cook on stove top. Cook on high with a small pinch of salt until the water boils then reduce heat to low for another 10-15 minutes until done. Turn off heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes off the heat.

Preparing sweet potato:

Wash and cut one medium sweet potato into 6-8 pieces. Then place in a microwave bowl or pan with water to steam cook. Cook until it is soft and the skin peels off easily. If in microwave cook in high for 4 minutes. Peel skin and mash to a smooth paste.

To make the muffins:

In a bowl whisk the yogurt and milk together and let it thicken until the onion is ready.

Heat a skillet and add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onions with a little until brown with a little salt, rosemary and paprika.Remove from heat and set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl. Add the sweet potato, soy sauce, vinegar and water, a little salt to the yogurt-milk mixture and whisk to a smoth paste. Add the 1/4 cup oil and flour to this sweet potato mixture. Using a rubber spatula to stir mixture gently and add the about 3/4th of the cooked quinoa and onions to this. Whisk the mixture lightly.

Place the mixture in greased muffin cups upto the top. Garnish each muffin with the rest of the cooked quinoa and bake for about 40 - 45 minutes or until done.

Once done remove muffins and let it rest for a few minutes before taking it off the baking pan. Serve once cool as such or warm with butter. Can be refrigerated for a week.



Tips:

1. I soaked quinoa for about 24 hours which initiated some sprouting. Quinoa is healthier when used after soaking and sprouting. Since grains and legumes have phytic acid which can bind with minerals in food and prevent its absorption by the body. So a diet rich in whole grain and legumes can lead to deficiency of these nutrients. Soaking and sprouting initiates phytase which can break down the acid and prevent this.
2. The original recipe used flax seeds instead of yogurt/curd and black quinoa instead of the white.
3. Other spices like fresh ginger, sage or thyme could be used.














































Thursday, February 11, 2016

Sprouted wheat bread

We were looking up for different recipes for making bread and came across a few with sprouted wheat flour. We decided to make sprouted wheat since we had a lot of wheat berries for making the bread instead of the flour. We tried one with only sprouted wheat and the recipe below with a combination of sprouted wheat berries, whole oats and barley.


Ingredients

Wheat berries             -1 cup
Whole oats & barley  - 3/4 cup
Active dry yeast         - 1 tsp
Water                         - 2 to 2 1/4 cups
Salt                            -  as needed
All purpose flour        - 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds.          - for garnishing

Steps for sprouting
Soak the wheat berries and grains with just enough water for about 12-24 hours. I missed taking a picture of the sprouted wheat berries :-).
Wheat berries before sprouting


Drain all water from the sprouted berries and grind to a smooth paste with little water. Once ground add the all purpose flour, yeast and salt mixing well. Keep it covered  in a warm place until it doubles.

Dough after doubling

Pre heat oven to 350 F. Place the dough in a greased baking dish. Garnish with black sesame seeds.

Dough ready to be baked
Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until done.

Baked bread

Tips:

1.Avoid using too much water to soak the wheat berries as this might 
    prevent sprouting.
2. To augment sprouting you can drain the wheat berries after soaking for 
    12 hours and keep it on a  strainer covered. Place the strainer on top of a 
    bowl of water in a warm place. 
    This provides the temperature and moisture for sprouting.
3. The whole recipe can be made only with wheat beries without addition 
    of  barley or oats.
4. Other spices like cumin or carraway seeds could also be used for    
    garnishing on top before baking.















Saturday, January 9, 2016

Savory pumpkin bread

Happy New year to all. Starting this year with a pumpkin bread recipe.


Whole wheat flour.        - 3/4 cup
All purpose flour.           -3/4 cup
Pumpkin puree.             - 1 cup
Active dry yeast             -1 tbsp
Salt.                                - as needed.


Mix the flours, yeast and salt together. Add the pumpkin puree to this and mix well to form a sticky dough. Knead for about 15 minutes. Then place in a bowl and keep in a warm place until it doubles.

Pre heat oven to 425 F. Bake for 30- 40 minutes until done. Make sure to make a few cuts on the top to avoid cracking of the bread.






1.We made the pumpkin puree by steam cooking the leftover Halloween pumpkin and mashing it into a smooth paste. Store bought pumpkin puree could also be substituted for this.
2. If you want to avoid kneading, refrigerate dough for about 12-14 hours after mixing the ingredients together.