Vegetarian tart

With November comes cold weather, Thanksgiving , pies and tart baking.
While browsing for savory pies I came across a recipe "Autumn tart" which I baked for a friendsgiving pie/baking contest which I eventually couldn't attend.

Tart Crust:

1 1/4 cup Besan/Chickpea flour
2/3 cup    Maida/All purpose flour
2 Tbsp     Corn Starch
1 tsp         Dry Thyme
3 tsps       Black pepper powder
1 tsp        salt
6 tbsps    canola oil
6 tbsps    Ice cold water


Filling:

Red Onions      1/2 cup(finely chopped)
White Onions   1/2 cup(finely chopped)
Celery               1/2 cup ( chopped)
Mushrooms       6 (finely chopped)
Leeks                 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Garlic greens     1tsp (finely chopped)
Carrots               1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Salt per taste
Spice powder      1 tsp ( I used homemade sambar powder)
Oil for sauteing vegetables


Making the crust:

Mix the flours, corn starch, salt , spices with your hands . Add the oil and water slowly to form a dough. Make it into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease the baking pan and press down the tart dough evenly along the pan. Use dry flour if dough is sticky. Prick the bottom with a fork to allow ventilation to prevent the dough from puffing up. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is light brown.

Filling:
While the crust is baking,  heat a pan. Once the pan is hot add oil. Add the onions and saute till light brown. Then add the chopped celery , mushrooms and celery  with the salt and spices. Saute for about 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms well sauteed. Then add the carrots cook covered until it softens.
When the tart is done remove from the oven, let it cool. Fill the tart with the filling, add some cheese.
Toast for about 5 minutes until cheese melts and serve.

Tips:
1.Use some dry flour on a cutting board to roll into dough if too sticky before refrigeration.
2.The vegetables can be what is available during the season.
3. I flattened out the leftover dough to make some snack bites.

Apricot Plum cake

It has been a long dormancy for the blog.
What better way to break it with a homemade apricot plum cake.
Belated July 4th to my American readers.

I made this cake for July 4th to celebrate America's 243rd year of Independence.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour             - 1 1/4 cup
Atta( whole wheat flour) - 1/2 cup
Plums                              - 4 ( peel off skin , scoop out the flesh)
Apricots                           - 2 ( peel off skin , scoop out the flesh)
Yogurt(curd)                    - 1/2 cup
Sugar                               - 1/2 cup
oil                                     - 2/3 cup
Baking powder                - 1 tsp
Baking soda                    - 1/2 tsp
Apple cider vinegar         - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder          - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder               - 1/4 tsp 
Salt                                   - 1/4 tsp
Almonds                           - 1/2 cup(chopped)

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients - the flours, baking powder, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and sugar in  a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a baking pan.
In a separate mix the oil/butter/yogurt/vinegar and the fruits together. Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients taking care not to beat the mixture too much. At the end fold in the almonds.
Add the baking soda and mix gently. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done.
I baked mine in 2 pans.

Tips:
1.The original recipe used soy milk and vinegar. I replaced it with yogurt and half the quantity of vinegar.
2. I used a mix of oil and melted butter in the ratio 2:1.
3. My plums and apricots were very ripe so i was able to scoop the flesh out. you can chop them if they are firmer as per the original recipe.
4. I used a little more flour than the original recipe to make it the right consistency for a cake batter.
5. Flavoring with unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder will add to the taste of the cake.

Recipe source
https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/eggless-plum-cake-recipe/

Raw Papaya pickle

Raw Papaya in its texture and appearance mimics raw mango.
The papaya we bought was used to experiment one of the favorite south Indian pickles Manga Kari.☺.

Ingredients:

Raw Papaya                              -  1 medium size
Red chilli powder                       - 1-2 tsp
Salt                                             - as per taste
Turmeric powder                        - 1 tsp
Lime juice                                  - 1 small lime
Gingelly oil(refined sesame oil) - 1 tsp
Asoefatida .                                - 1 small pinch
Mustard seeds                           - 1 tsp

Chop papaya into small strips(julien) as shown in the picture below.

Then add salt and keep it closed in a cool place, not refrigerated. After a day add the chilli powder, lime juice and mix well and refrigerate for about   2-3 days until it softens.

Spices added 

Non

Ready to eat 🙂

Once it is softened, heat the oil , add mustard seeds and asoefatida. Once the mustard seeds splutter add this to the papaya and mix well. Bottle this in a sterilized container. Store in refrigerator. Stores well for 2 weeks.



Tips:
1. Mix the papaya well every few hours until it is bottled to avoid moisture retaining in one part of the bowl.
2. Store in a cool dark place away from too much heat and light.
3. You can try with half ripe papaya if you like a sweet and spicy pickle.
4. The red chili powder can be added to suit your taste.

Date almond eggless cake

Happy 2018 to all.
This is my first post for the year. It has been a busy start to the year and before I realised it is already March🙂. I am starting off with a cake recipe which I baked for my son’s ninth birthday. This recipe reminds me of my first introduction to baking. It was when my mother used to bake eggless cakes for us. We used to take turns to beat the butter and the sugar as we had no processors then. This is similar to a date and walnut cake she baked.
The cake turned out moist and flavorful. The birthday boy enjoyed the cake with vadai 🙂:-).

Ingredients:

Wheat flour.                   -1/2 cup
Maida.                             - 1/2 cup
Raw Sugar.                     - 1/2 cup
Dates(chopped).            - 3/4 cup
Baking soda.                   - 1 tsp
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Water                               - 1 cup
Butter(melted).              - 1/4 cup
Almonds(chopped).      - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Salt.                                  - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder.      - 1 tsp

Steps to make the cake

Boil the dates with the water and sugar in medium heat until it all blends together.Let this cool down to room temperature. In the meantime in a bowl mix the dry ingredients together and mix well. Pre heat the oven to 360 F.
Add the melted room temperature butter to the date water mixture and mix well. Now add this liquid mixture to the flour mixture and blend the ingredients together well.
Grease a baking pan and pour in the mixture.
Bake the batter for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick cones out clean.Mine took about 40 minutes.  Let it cool down. Serves as a snack for kids and goes well with a cup of tea or coffee.

Recipe source :
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2017/11/eggless-dates-walnut-cake-recipe-christmas.html

This is the 124th post, one away from the 125th. Hooray!


Tips:

1. You can mix the instant coffee powder in the date water mix after taking off from heat and mux well. I added the it with the flour and blended it well.
2. Cocoa powder may be a good alternative to the coffee powder.
3. I melted the butter to make clarified butter(ghee). Used the melted butter from this for the recioe whike it was processing.
4.The original recipe used walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar and oil. I replaced them with almonds, cardamom, raw sugar and butter.
5. The cake was very mild in sweetness. If you prefer more sweetness you can add a little more brown sugar or raw sugar.

Caterpillar bread (stuffed bread )

Happy thanksgiving!

Finally posting a recipe which was long due since we made this thanksgiving to mimic the vegetarian version of the stuffed bird. We made this after a long time and it turned out very soft  and appreciated by our guests for thanksgiving dinner. The bread dough was made by husband who likes making different varieties of bread.
We did not take a lot of pictures for the one made for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients:
Gluten                     - 1 cup
Wheat flour            - 1 1/2 cups
Bajri flour                - 3/4 cup
Yeast                        -  1 1/2 tbsp 
Salt                           -  1 tsp
butter or spread     -  1 tbsp
Milk                           - 1/2 to 1 cup


Stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner loaf:

Sweet potato            -  1 small (peeled)
Onions                       -  1 small (red/white/ pink)
Pablano peppers      -  1/2 of a big
Celery                         - 1 stalk
Carrots                       - 1 small (wash and peel)
Ginger                        -  1/2 inch piece (chopped about 1 tbsp)
Garlic                          - 4-5 cloves
Mushroom                - 1 big portobello
Salt                             - as per taste
Oil                              -  2 tsp
Spices of choice


Stuffing for post Thanksgiving weekend breakfast:

Leftover green beans stir fry  - 1 cup

Steps to make the bread dough:

Mix the dry ingredients together in the food processor and gradually add the milk and butter so that they blend well to form a smooth soft dough.  Knead for a coupleof minutes by hand or run it for a minute on the dough setting in the processor. Place it in a vessel and set it in a warm place covered until it doubles. We left ours overnight.
While the dough is rising , the stuffing can be prepared.

Stuffing:

Wash and finely chop the vegetables. Heat oil in a pan and saute well with salt and spices of choice. For the mixed vegetable stuffing I used coriander powder, black pepper powder and turmeric powder. Cook well covered with little to no water. The stuffing should be dry.
The green beans stir fry was made by a friend for Thanksgiving dinner.


Asembling the stuffing inside the bread:

Once the dougn doubles knead it with hand for a minute and divide into 2 parts.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness. We rolled it in an oblong shape as  in the picture below.
Make lines on one side as shown below.

Preheat the oven to 400 F while getting the bread ready for baking.

Place the stuffing on the side without the cuts and fold as in the images below. Initially folding the uncut side and then the cut side. The dough will be sticky enough so that the strips will stick onthe uncut end.

Place on an aluminum foil or greased baking tray until well done. Took about 35-40 minutes for us. The tops and sides will be light to dark brown evenly.  In between while baking turn over and brush milk/oil mix to avoid drying on the outside. 

Switch off oven and let it cool on the oven rack for about 10-15 minutes. 

Take it out and let it rest for sometime until warm enough to touch. Then cut them and serve as such or with cheese or any favored sauces.

Bread made on Thanksgiving. This one has the stuffing in the center and then the dough folded over it.

Tips :

1.Thegluten proportion is vital in this recipe as that privides the stickiness for sealing and texture forthe bread.

2. The stuffing can be your choice as long as it is well done and dry.

Chocolate khoya peda

Happy Deepavali!
Renewing my blogging after a long gap on this festive day. I tried out the chocolate peda with homemade khoya with inspiration from Raks kitchen recipe. This recipe turned out to be a quick and easy one and well suited my limited time for festive preparation due to work and home.

Homemade khoya ingredients:

Non fat milk powder.               - 1 1/2 cups
Whey protein.                            - 1/2 cup
Milk.                                             - 1/2 cup
Ghee(clarified butter)               - 2 tbsp

Ingredients for peda:

Homemade khoya                        - 2 cups
Unsweetened cocoa powder      - 1 tsp
Sugar.                                              - 1/4 cup
Ghee or butter                                - 1 tsp
Elaichi powder.                              - 1 tsp(2-3 elaichis)
Almonds(chopped).                      - 1/4 cup
Salt.(optional)                                - a small pinch
Toasted Pistachios( chopped)    - 1 tbsp


Steps to make Khoya:

Heat the milk and the ghee in a pan just enough to start boiling. Take off heat. In a bowl add the milk powder and whey protein powder and mix well. Add the warm milk to this milk powder mix and stir till it all blends into one thick mass. This can be made  into desired shape hile warm and refrigerated for future use. As it cools it will retain that shape.

Steps to make peda:

Heat a thick bottomed vessel in low heat. Add the khoya, cocoa powder, sugar, almonds, ghee and elaichi powder. If the mixture is too thick add 1-2 tsp of milk or water as desired. Mix them well to remove all lumps and to form one smooth mixture. Raise the heat to medium and keep stirring.Once the mixture becomes more of a liquid reduce the heat. The mixture will thickens, at this point add the salt. Stir until the mixture leaves the bottom and sides of the pan as one whole solid mass. Switch off the heat and transfer to another flat plate or pan to let it cool.
Once cool enough to handle, grease your hands and start rolling them into balls and place them on a parchment paper. Flatten them into 1/4 inch thick circles. Decorate the center with chopped pistachios. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Tips:

1. The original recipe for khoya suggested using full fat milk powder.
2. Whey protein was an optional addition which I tried, if you dont have it you can just use milk powder.
3. I refrigerated the mixture for about 15-20 minutes before rolling them.
4. Allow the mixture to cool well before rolling into balls else it will be hard to shape it.
5. Reduce heat of pan once mixture thickens to avoid clumping and the mixture burning or becoming harder in texture.
6. Transfer to plate in room temperature or you can chill the plate before transfering from pan. This will stop the cooking in the mixture and get you the right texture for shaping.

Nopales yogurt gravy(Indian style)

Nopales is a cacti native to Mexico desert region and finds its way into many of their cuisine. It is available in the local stores here in the chopped form which makes it convenient to cook. Tried an Indian recipe with it. It is very similar to Okra (Indian ladies finger) for it's slimy texture.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/nopales.html

Ingredients
Nopales                  - 1 cup(chopped)
Onions                    - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Tomato.                  - 1 small (chopped)
Asoefatida.             - a small pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Water.                      - 3/4 cup or as needed
Salt.                          - as needed
Oil                             - 2 tsp

To grind:
Yogurt/curd            - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
Mint                         - 4-6 leaves(homegrown)
Green chillies         - 1
Cumin(jeera).         - 1/2 tsp

To temper:
Mustard seeds       - 1 tsp
Jeera.                       - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.          - 3-5 leaves

Store bought Nopales

Heat a pan, I did mine in a pressure cooker.

Add 1 tsp oil of choice, once hot add mustard seeds and jeera. Add the chopped onions once the mustard seeds splutter and saute well.
Now add the Nopales and saute for  2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and let them blend well for a few minutes. Add the salt and water and close the pressure cooker lid. Let it cook for 2 whistles. Switch off and let it rest until the pressure comes down. In the meantime grind the ingredients to a smooth paste.
Once the pressure is released from the cooker add the ground ingredients and let it simmer in low heat for about 5 minutes and switch off. It can be served with rice, noodles or Indian bread.

Gravy ready to serve

Tips:
1. Green chillies can be replaced with red chillies.
2.Yogurt can be replaced with fresh coconut or coconut flour or a handful of almonds.
3. Any other veggies like chopped zucchini/radish can be added.
4. If you are cooking on regular pan/pot close the lid and let it cook until well done, simmer and add ground ingredients.
My inspiration to cook in the pressure cooker was the OPOS (one pot one shot) method of cooking.
5. You can use coriander/cilantro leaves instead of mint leaves.

Vegetarian meat(Seitan)

Vegetarian meat is most parts gluten and some part (30 -40%) flour. We try to incorporate flours with protein content like chickpea flour, soaked and ground urad dal or lentils. Gluten is the vital part of this recipe to pripovide texture.

Urad dal is popular in Indian cuisine and is a significant part of the South Indian idli. Ground and fermented with rice gives the fluffiness for the idli.

Ingredients:

Gluten -2/3 cup
Flour   - 1/3 cup ( prefered are ground lentils or lentil flours)
Water as required
Salt as per taste
Spices of your choice
Food colouring (optional) - 3-4 drops*

Mix the flours, spices and salt  in a food processor and blend for a minute or two adding water as required. If you are using food colouring add it now and blend until it is a bread dough consistency.
Take dough out and knead on countertop for a couple of minutes. Use a little oil or flour while kneading. It may be a little sticky in consistency but it shoukd be ok.

Shape dough into desired shape and steam until well cooked.
Store in refrigerator for a week to 10 days. Slice into small cubes or thin slices in recipes. Saute or grill  them well with little oil when adding in recipes for good texture. This provides a goid source of protein for vegetarians.

*In this recipe we used red food coloring.

1. In this recipe we soaked equal portions yellow split peas and urad dal , ground into dough.
2. You can use fermented water from soaked beans/ wheat or cooked pasta water instead of plain water.
3.Spices like carraway, cumin , black or crushed red pepper are the ones we commonly use.
4. Small cubes of vegetarian jeat can be sauteed and used in stir-fries, pilaf, uppumas and pastas.
5. Thin slices can be grilled placed in sandwiches and thin slices can be placed as pizza toppings. Be creative!

Quinoa kichadi

We are trying to incorporate healthier meals and reduce our rice consumption for other grains richer in fiber. In this pursuit  this recipe with quinoa was a quick one pot meal. It was a desirable option for our 8 year old.

Ingredients:

Quinoa                                                   - 1 1/2 cups
Chopped chives                                   -  1/4 cup
Chopped garlic                                    - 1 tsp
Chopped ginger                                   - 1 tsp
Chopped bell peppers(capsicum)    - 1/2 cup(small pieces)
Tempeh                                                 - 1/2 cup(small pieces)
Asparagus                                             -1/2 cup(julienne cuts)
Chopped carrots                                  - 1/4 cup ( small cubes)
Chopped tomatoes                               - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder                                  - 1/4 tsp
Salt                                                          - as per taste
Water                                                      - 3-4 cups as required
Mustard seeds                                      - 1 tsp
Dill seeds                                               - 1 tsp
Chopped cilantro(coriander leaves) - 1/4 cup to garnish
Oil of choice                                           - 2-3 tsps
Spices of your choice*                          - 1-2 tsps
Slivered almonds(optional)                 - 1/2 cup                                
* I used home made mix of cinnamon, cloves,red chillies and coriander seeds.

Toast quinoa on stove top or in an oven until it starts popping. Then add twice the amount of water and cover cooked in medium heat stirring in between.
While the quinoa is cooking heat a flat pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and dill seeds to it, let it splutter. Add the ginger, garlic, chives and tempeh to the pan and saute in medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the garlic/tempeh are light brown. Add the rest of the vegetables and saute well in medium heat. Add the turmeric powder, salt and spice powder and cook covered for another couple of minutes. If required some water can be added.
The quinoa should be cooked by now and ready to be added tonthe vegetable mixture. Let the vegetables blend well with cooked quinoa for about 3- 5 minutes in the covered pan in low heat. Switch off heat and serve warm in a bowl topped with chopped cilantro and toasted almonds.



Tips:

1. I used white quinoa, but red and black quinoa are other options. The red and black are a little more bitter in taste for some. We have used the red and mixed quinoa blend in pilaf, they taste as good as this.
2. I used store bought tempeh. Tempeh is a fermented soy product. More information -
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh
3. The tempeh could be substituted with tofu or vegetarian meat for vegetarians.
4. It is important to saute tempeh, tofu and vegetarian meat and flavour them.
5. You could use any locally grown vegetables of your choice - red radishes, spinach, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant are a few examples.
6. Other garnish options are curry leaves, mint , parsley, dill or rosemary.
7. Fresh or frozen cranberries are an option instead of tomatoes.
8. Any toasted nuts can be used while serving to give a nice crunch to the kichadi.

New year 2017

Different countries of the world have distinct food traditions for New year. We tried to merge a few into our New year cuisine this time. Our budding 7 year old cook tried a hand in preparing the fruit punch for the meal.

We made a vegetarian version of the Hoppin' John( a black eyed peas dish made in Southern US) served with collard greens and corn bread. We had corn bread for New year's breakfast. Black-eyed peas is seen as a sign of good luck for the New year. The dessert was a modified version of the Norwegian dish for new year/Christmas with 12 grapes. The grapes are a Spanish tradition, each signifying good luck for each month.Served on the side with raita and fruit punch.

Hoppin' John

Ingredients:

Dry Black eyed peas - 1/2 cup 

Collard greens           - Small bunch (chopped and blanched)

Onions(chopped)       - 1 cup

Vegetarian meat*       - 1/2 cup (chopped in small cubes)

garlic                          - 2 cloves(finely chopped)

Rice                            - 1 cup(basmati or jasmine)

Caraway seeds          - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds            - 1 tsp

Red chillies                 - 1-2 

Oil of choice               - 2 tsp

salt                              - as per taste

Water                          - as required for cooking rice and black -eyed peas

Soak black -eyed peas for half hour to an hour and pressure cook for a couple of whistles. Do not overcook it. Meanwhile cook the rice until well done but not mushy.

Heat a pan, add oil and mustard seeds, caraway and broken red chillies. Once the mustard seeds splutter add the garlic and onions and saute well.Add the vegetarian meat with salt to this and saute well until they are soft and not chewy. Once it is well done add the greens and black eyed peas and let them blend together in the closed pan for a few minutes. Finally add the cooked rice to this and let it cook in low heat for about 5-7 minutes.

Then switch off and serve warm with raita or pappadam.

The complete platter(leftover corn bread from breakfast)

 

vegetarian Hoppin' John

Grapes and Norwegian rice pudding

Tips:
* we made the vegetarian meat at home with gluten and vegetables.
1.To avoid overcooking the black-eyed peas, a pinch of salt can be added while cooking or cook with less water.
2.Instead of the vegetarian meat, pappadam or appalam fried in less oil(Indian seasoned dough fried like a crispy chip) can be used. The original Hoppin' John uses bacon, so we used the vegetarian meat.
3.Caraway seeds are similar to saunf in India, so can be replaced by that or with cumin seeds.
4.Any other greens can be used, collard greens are a tradition of the Southern United States.
5. Black pepper can be used instead of red pepper.

Fruit Punch:

In a bowl or a serving cup add few slices of oranges, apples,orange zest and juice of choice( we added Cranberry -Mango).  Serve with ice cubes. To add more flavor frozen juice ice cubes can be added.

Parmesan Grissini

This was our first attempt on making parmesan grissini.It was a little labor intensive but the energy and enthusiasm of my 7 year old in the holidays came in handy for this. We gave some sticks as part of the Christmas gift ot our neighbors and they loved it.


Ingredients:

All purpose flour                  - 2 cups
Gluten                                 - 2/3 cup
Cracked red pepper            - 1 tsp
Carraway seeds                  - 1 tsp
Active dry yeast                  - 3 tsp
Warm milk                           - 1 cup
Salt                                      - as per taste
Oil of choice                        - 3 tbsp( I used canola oil)
Parmesan cheese(grated) - 1/4 cup

Mix the dry ingredients together. Slowly add the oil and the milk and mix well until they all come together. Finally add the parmesan cheese to the dough until all of it blends into the dough well. Knead the dough for 3- 5 minutes on a floured surface until it forms a smooth dough.

Place the dough in a warm place covered until it doubles. It should take an hour to couple of hours depending on the temperature and moisture conditions.

Once it is doubled, knead for a minute. Roll the dough on a floured surface to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle with a rolling pin.
Meanwhile heat the oven to 400 F.
Cut the dough into long strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Roll these strips into the form of rounded sticks as in the picture below.

Dough rolled out into stciks before baking

 Place them on a baking sheet/tray. Bake them for about 10-15 minutes. Turn them over in between.
They should bake to a firm to hard consistency.
Serve with any dip or with soup.The whole wheat tastes great as a snack with coffee or tea too.
We had ours with a clear soup the next day.
 Merry Christmas!!

baked grissini

Grissini with chocolate barks

Whole wheat version

Tips:

1.You can use just  bread flour or part Whole wheat flour & all purpose flour instead of all purpose and gluten(the riginal recipe used bread flour).
2. Instead of kneading the dough by hand I placed the dough in my Ninja food processor and ran it in the dough mode for a couple of minutes.
3. Use alternative dry spices for different flavours.
4.I used to store grated parmesan cheese. The other option could be to buy a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it for the recipe.
5. I placed the dough covered in an Aluminium foil in the oven rack. It took a couple of hours for it to rise.
6. You can reduce the amount of oil to the recipe as we did with the whole wheat version.

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.

 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Oven roasted potatoes

 On Christmas tried a baked variation of my mother's stovetop potato recipe with regular potatoes and sweet potatoes. This with the dhokla provided a warm cozy breakfast though we had a very warm Christmas day this year, humid and a temperature of 75 F.

Ingredients:

Regular baking potatoes - 2 (medium size)

Sweet potatoes                  - 1 (medium size)

Salt.                                      - as needed

Turmeric powder.              - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder.             - 1/2 tsp

Garlic powder.                    - 1/4 tsp

Fresh ginger (chopped)     - 1 tsp

Asoefatida.                          - a small pinch

Black pepper.                      - 1 tsp

Lime                                     - 1/2

Oil of choice.                       - 2-3 tsps

Chop the potatoes to small cubes. Preheat oven to 375 F. Marinate the sweet potatoes and potatoes separately with spices and oil for about 15-20 minutes.

 Do not add the lime juice. Bake the potatoes in an oven safe dish for 20-30 minutes or until well done.  Squeeze lime over the potatoes once they cool a little ( about 5-10 minutes after removing from oven).

Serve with dhokla, dosa, rice,chapathi on the side. It can used with cheese or egg for as a filling for a sandwich.

Tips:

1. You can use your choice of spices.

2. Can be done on stove top also if you do not have the option of baking.

3. Bake it longer if you need it crispier.

4. You can marinate for longer for a stronger flavour.