Breakfast Egg Muffins

We can never get tired of eggs and this is a great recipe for kids too. I have tried making them in batches and freezing them for later. However, they taste best when they are baked fresh.

Ingedients:
Eggs - 6
Red Bell Pepper - 1 small
Onion - 1 small
Spinach - 1 small bunch
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red Chili flakes - small pinch
Milk - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese - 1/2 cup
Cilantro/Parsley - a few springs

Pre-heat the over to 350F.
Dice the vegetables into small pieces. Beat the eggs along with the milk and mix all the ingredients to the beaten eggs except for the cheese.
Gently mx half the cheese and retain half to sprinkle on top.

Spray a Muffin tin and pour the mixture into the muffin tins, filling them 3/4 of the way.
Top with some cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or a little more until the eggs are set.

Remove and serve warm.

Tofu/Chicken Lettuce Wraps

'Lettuce Wraps' is one of my favorite things to order at PF Changs. Now that I have recreated this dish at home, I don't see a point in going to that restaurant any more. I guess it a good and a bad thing to recreate an iconic restaurant dish?

I have made the same recipe with both Chicken and Tofu and both versions are delicious. 

The secret ingredient are the Water Chestnuts. These add a lovely flavor and crunch to the dish and the Peanut Sauce is a must to amp-up the flavor profile.

Butter Lettuce is preferred here, since it is naturally shaped like a cup and makes for a pretty presentation. However, any kind of a lettuce can be used here. Romain, Butter Leaf or the Iceberg Lettuce. Iceberg is a little tricky to separate into cups, but it's doable. 

I have even made these with Cabbage leaves on days when I ran out of Lettuce at home. Since cabbage is a little fibrous and hard to eat when it's raw, it's a good idea to lightly steam or blanche it to make it soft and pliable.

Ingredients:
Lettuce (Butter leaf/Iceberg/Romaine)  - 1 head

Ground Chicken or Crumbled Firm Tofu - 1 lb
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Water Chestnuts - 1/2 Cup
Roasted chopped Peanuts - A small handful
Onion - 1 Small
Garlic cloves - 3 to 4
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce - 1/4 Cup
Garic Chili Sauce - 1 Tbsp
Rice Vinegar - 1 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 Tsp
Black Pepper - 1 Tsp
Salt (only if needed after checking for seasoning)
Green Onions - 1 Stalk

Peanut Sauce:
Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp
Black Pepper - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Flakes - 1 pinch
Soy Sauce - 2 Tsp
Rice Vinegar - 2 Tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tsp
Hot Water - a little to dilute the Peanut Butter
Honey - 1 Tsp
Whisk all the ingredients for the Peanut Sauce and pour into a serving bowl. Set Aside.

Finely chop the onion and garlic and water chestnuts.
In a wide bottom pan, heat the oil, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the ground chicken or the Tofu and Sautee till cooked through.
Add the Water Chestnuts and the Peanuts. Mix in all the sauces and the dry powders from Soy Sauce to the Black Pepper. Mix well and cook till it starts to get crispy at the bottom.
Top with Chopped Green Onions.



Split the lettuce into the shape of cups and serve with the hot Chicken/Tofu mixture with the Peanut Sauce.

It's best to make the wraps as and when you eat. Take 2 Tbsp of the mix onto the lettuce, drizzle with the Peanut Sauce and enjoy!

Tofu, Carrot & Cucumber Sushi

I already have a recipe for Sushi on my blog and this is just a slight variation. I used Baked Sweet Chili Tofu along with some fresh vegetables such as Carrots, Cucumber and Avocado. 

The vegetables to use are a combination of crunchy & fresh, such as cucumber, carrots and the creamy& fatty such as an avocado or a mango.

Here's a link to the Recipe:

Sushi Recipe

Mini Pizzas with Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread

This is my dinner routine on most days. Go into the kitchen half an hour before we eat. Find what's in the pantry and think of a quick 15 to 20 minute dish with the available ingredients. 

Here' what I had - Pita Bread, Mushrooms and some shredded cheese. What do you make with those? Pizza! It's better to use Sautéed Vegetables since these will bake in no time.

If you have some Marinara sauce, it works. Else some sautéed tomatoes, any Tomato sauce or Ketchup, Pizza Sauce will work here.

Ingredients:
Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread - 1 per person. 2 if you are realllly hungry.
Sautéed Vegetables - Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers or any other veggies of your choice
Pizza Sauce/Marinara Sauce - 1/4 Cup per mini Pizza
Shredded Cheese - 3 Tbsp per Pizza

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Spread the Pizza Sauce on the base, top with veggies and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted through.

Remove, top with some cilantro and serve hot.

Sunday Brunch - 3

This is another version of my simple Sunday brunch.  As always, you will find Eggs, Potatoes and Bread in the mix. There is something really hearty about these ingredients and also the ease of making it makes this a regular in our home.

I had frozen waffles and I just toasted them up in the Toaster for a sweet and fun element on the plate. I am not a big fan of pancakes but I do love waffles.

Scrambled Eggs:
Eggs - 4
Salt and Black Pepper - To taste
Milk - 2 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Beat all the ingredients for the scramble. Heat a pan and add some butter to the pan. Add the egg mixture and scramble till done.

Potato Hash:
Red Potatoes - 2
Salt and Paprika or Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp each
Garlic - 2 Cloves Crused
Oil - 1 tbsp
Spring Onion - 1

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and boil till tender.
In a pan, heat the oil, add the garlic and saute for 10 seconds. Add the potatoes and the salt and red chili. Saute till the potatoes are golden brown at the edges. Top with chopped Spring Onion.

Serve with some Waffles drizzled with Maple Syrup and Toast.

Mango and Avocado Sushi - Vegan

This is a delayed post, since Sushi makes a regular appearance on our dinner table. I only make the Veggie ones at home and I have not ventured into making the ones with fish yet. Yeah, ok, I haven't even tasted the ones with fish. Maybe one day I will. I really enjoy the vegetarian ones though. 

I use some baked sweet potato to make it a hearty roll.

The Mango and the Avocado give it the texture that can mimic a fresh fish.Cucumber and Carrots give it the needed freshness and Crunch.

I buy most of my Asian ingredients from the Asian Market - HMart. They have endless Isles of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese.........and many more.

The Nori sheets are available at some regular grocery stores too. Sushi rice is good to use, if not, regular short grain or Jasmine rice will work too. The most important ingredient for Sushi in my opinion is Wasabi :) 

I love that hit that the Wasabi has and sometimes I love to go overboard!

Ingredients:
Nori Sheets - 4
Sushi Rice - 1 Cup
Water - 1 1/2 Cups
Vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Sweet Potatoes - 2
Jalapeno - 1
Carrot - 1 big
Cucumber - 1
Ripe Mango - 1
Avocado - 1

For Flavor:
Wasabi
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

Cook the Sushi Rice with the 1: 1.5 Cup water. When hot, mix the Sugar and Vinegar and some salt. Add to the rice and mix well. The rice should not become mushy.

Peel and cut the Sweet Potatoes into 1 inch thick and long strips. Season the Sweet Potatoes with some oil, salt and paprika. Bake in a 400F oven until soft and cooked through.

Cut all the vegetables into thin long strips.

Place a Nori sheet on a Sushi bamboo mat.Place a big scoop of rice on the nori and spread into a thin layer. 1/3 of the way in, place the Sweet potato strips, Cucumber, Mango and Avocado slices.

Place the end of the sheet over the vegetables, pull with the bamboo mat until tight and then roll the rest of the sheet. Wet the edges with water and complete the roll. 

Close with the bamboo mat and pull to tighten. Cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces using a sharp knife.

Serve with the Soy Sauce, Wasabi and Pickled Ginger.

Falafel patties with Chickpeas and Black beans

This is a good protein dish for vegetarians and it tastes great as an appetizer or a light meal with a side of a salad.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans - 1/2 Cup dry
Black beans: 1/2 Cup dry
Onion - 1 small or half big
Jalapeno/Green Chili - 1
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves
Parsley/Cilantro - A small bunch
Salt - To taste
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp

Soak the Chickpeas and Black beans overnight. Alternatively, use canned beans. Drain and wash before use.
All all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture is coarse ground. Mix all the ingredients until well incorporated.
Make patties and bake them or pan fry using very little oil.

Serve with salad or in a pita with Tzatziki and Hummus.

Quick lunch Salad with Black Bean and Avocado

Here's a quick and easy lunch for those busy afternoons when I am home alone. Truth is, this is not a lot of food and would hardly satisfy the Mr. However, it's a perfect light lunch and has all the necessary nutrients. The black beans and the avocado add a richness and makes it hearty and satisfying.

I used a left over Black Bean burger patty, but some cooked black beans or corn would be just as good.

Ingredients:

Greens - Lettuce, Spinach

Avocado - 1/2

Red Onion - 1/4

Tomato - 1 small

Cucumber - 1/2

Black Bean patty - 1 (or 1/2 cup Black Beans)

Dressing of your choice - 2 Tbsp

Chop all the veggies into cubes and roughly chop the greens.

Add everything to a bowl and top with the broken Black bean patty or some black beans.

Drizzle over some dressing and enjoy.

I used this:

Lime and Cilantro Yogurt Dressing - 1/4 cup 

(In a blender, add 1/4 cup yogurt, pinch of salt, squeeze half a lime, a small piece of avocado and a few springs of cilantro, half a jalapeno and blend)

Salmon fry

I don't eat fish, and I can't stand the smell of fish when it's cooking. This dish was very easy to make, and I did not smell the fish while it was cooking. Also, it takes less than 10 minutes to cook, and does not require a lot of ingredients. My son loves fish, and I plan to make it often for him.

Salmon - 1 pound

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Corn flour - 1 to 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Cut the fish into long strips or 4 inch pieces. Dust the fish with all the ingredients, except the oil and set aside.

In a flat bottom pan, heat the oil and add the fish. Do not crowd the pan.

Fry till golden brown and crisp on one side, turn and cook on the other side.

I fried the fish on all sides.

Serve with sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Mac and Cheese

My little darling wrote his first story. He made up a story about Tom & Jerry, and wrote it for me. It was simple and sweet. I was really thrilled and impressed with it, and decided to make him one of his favorite meals. I asked him to pick a dish, and to my surprise he chose Mac & cheese. Now, this is not one of the dishes he often eats, but it was his choice, so I had to make it. I had none of the ingredients that are needed to make the dish, but I did not want to disappoint him either. So I had to improvise. I had some egg noodles, American cheese singles and bread crumbs. I took a gamble and went with these, but the result was a really flavorful dish, and we did not miss any of the fancy cheeses or the macaroni.

 

Macaroni/ Egg noodles - 1 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Flour - 2 tbsp
Milk - 3/4 cup
Any grated Cheese - 3/4 cup (I used 3 American cheese singles)
Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp

Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package (Usually in a pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 12 min). In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk well and cook this golden brown, and the raw smell is gone. Heat the milk in the microwave, and stir slowly into the flour and butter mixture. Whisk really well, in order to avoid any lumps. When the mixture is well incorporated, add the cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well, till the cheese melts and add the pasta. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with some milk. Pour into an  oven safe dish, and top with the bread crumbs. Spray with some cooking spray or drizzle some oil on top, to help with the browning. Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for 10 to 15 min, until the bread crumbs are golden brown on top. Serve hot.

Farinata - Chickpea flour cake

It's an Italian dish made with chickpea flour. I of course Indianized it. I was not really sure if this would work, so went with minimal toppings. Feel free to use any toppings that you would use on a pizza.

Chickpea flour/Besan - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Green chutney - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1
Red pepper - 1
Mozzarella cheese - 1/4 cup

Mix the chickpea flour, water, salt and cumin seeds. Whisk well and let it rest. I did not do this step, so I don't know how much of a difference it makes.
Heat a skilled or a non-stick pan. A skillet is traditionally used for this. Drizzle some olive oil, and pour the batter into the pan. Cook till crisp at the bottom, and turn once. Cook till the other side is cooked through.
Spread some green chutney, and veggies of your choice and cheese.
Pop under a broiler or in a 400F pre-heated oven, till the cheese melts.
Serve hot or at room temperature.

Chicken Wrap

I used the chicken tenders and corn from my previous post, to make chicken wraps for the adults.

Chicken tenders - 3

Corn - 1/2 cup

Shredded Lettuce - 1 cup

Sliced onion - 1/2

Sliced tomato - 1

Hummus or Ranch sauce - 2 tbsp

Ketchup/Hot sauce - to taste

Tortillas/Wraps - 2

Heat the wrap on a griddle till lightly browned. Add egg on one side if you like.

Spread the hummus on one side, add the lettuce, onion, corn, tomato, sliced chicken, and drizzle with some hot sauce.

Roll the wrap in an aluminium foil and serve.

Tomato Bisque

Tomato puree - 1 1/2 cups
Jalapeno - 1
Onion - 1
Carrots - 2
Celery - 1 stalk
Half and half (Fat free) - 1/4 cup
Chicken/Vegetable stock - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 cloves
Black pepper - 1 tsp + more to taste
Curry powder/Garam masala - 1 tsp

Dice all the vegetables. In a pan, melt the butter and add all the diced vegetables (Onions, jalapeno, carrots, celery and garlic). Saute till they are soft. Add the tomato puree, salt, pepper and curry powder. Stir and remove from heat. Cool and blend into a fine puree. Return to the pan, add the stock and half and half.

Simmer till thick and transfer to serving bowls.

Serve with additional cream, pepper and croutons.

Tomato baath/Upma

Sooji/Rawa - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Green Chili - 4
Tomatoes - 3
Potato - 1 big
Ginger - 1 inch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin and mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig'
Cashews broken - 3 to 4
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 cups

Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and green chilis. Peel and dice the potatoes into bite sized pieces.
In a pan, heat the oil and splutter the cumin and mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves and cashews.
Add the onions, chilis, ginger and saute till the onions are soft. Add the potatoes and stir fry till half done. Add the tomatoes and salt. Cook till soft and pour the water. When he water starts to boil, reduce heat and stir in the sooji slowly, stirring all the time, to avoid any lumps. Close and turn off the heat in a couple minutes.
Serve with chutney or sambar.

Tapioca Pearls/Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chilis - 4
Potato - 1
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Cucumber - 1/2
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2
Cilantro - to garnish

Soak the sabudana with enough water to just cover the top of the pearls. Close lid and leave soak for 2 hrs. The pearls will absorb all the water, and plump up. This is tricky, as too much water will make them soggy and mushy. Too little and they won't plump up.
Chop the onions, ginger and green chilis. Peel and chop the potato and cucumber into bite sized pieces. Crush the peanuts.
Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the chopped onion, ginger and green chilis. When they are soft, add the potatoes. When the potatoes are soft, add the salt and red chili powder, and mix.
Add the pearls, crushed peanuts, and mix well. cook till the pearls are translucent and mix in the cucumber and cilantro. Squeeze the lemon and serve.

Tortilla crusted Chicken with roasted red pepper sauce

This dish is inspired from the prevention magazine. It's a light and protein packed meal. The sauce compliments the chicken well.

Crushed tortilla chips - 1 cup
Chicken breasts - 2
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2

Sauce:
Roasted red peppers - 2 whole
Salt and black pepper powder - to taste
Cream - 2 tbsp
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
Basil - few leaves
Garlic clove - 1

Clean and pat dry the chicken breasts. Break the eggs and mix them with some salt and black pepper.
Crush the tortilla chips with hand, or place them in a bag an run a roller over the bag. Mix in  the red chili powder, garlic powder and some salt with the crushed chips. Keep in mind the chips are salty too.
Spray a baking pan with some non-stick cooking spray or spread a few drops of oil. Dip the breasts in the eggs, and then into the crushed chips. Place on the baking pan.
Pre-heat the oven to 400F and cook for about 20 min, until they are cooked through. Turn midway.
Remove and let them rest for a few min, then slice them.

Roasted red pepper sauce:
Blend all the ingredients for the sauce. I used store bought roasted peppers. Alternately, roast the red peppers  under the broiler until charred. Peel and use here.

Serve the chicken over the sauce.

Philly Cheese Veggie

Inspired by the philly cheese steak. I used portobello mushrooms in this recipe.

Philly steak buns or regular hot dog rolls - 4
Onions - 2
Capsicum - 2
Jalapeños - 2
Portobello mushrooms - 4 (Large)
Tomatoes - 2
Black pepper and salt - to taste
Mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp

Remove stems and the black parts of the mushrooms. Clean with a damp kitchen towel. Washing the mushrooms tends to make them rubbery.
Slice the onions, capsicum, jalapeños and mushrooms lengthwise. (alternately use pickled jalapeños)
Remove seeds from the tomatoes and slice lengthwise.
In a pan, heat the oil and fry the veggies till soft. Add the tomatoes halfway through.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Slit the rolls and stuff them with the veggies. Top with cheese.
Pop them under the broiler till the rolls are crisp and cheese melts.
Serve with ketchup and mustard or toppings of your choice.

Gobi Paratha

I remember having Aloo, gobi and methi parathas made by my mum when we were in Madhya Pradesh. I love to have my parathas with yogurt and lime pickle. And the more filling in them, the better they taste. Although it gets harder to roll them out. Here's the recipe for the phool gobi, or the cauliflower paratha. I know a lot of people who dislike the taste of cauliflower. But this is one recipe that everybody will love. 

For the filling:

Cauliflower grated - 1 small

Onion - 1/2 Red chopped fine

Ginger grated - 1 tsp

Green chili - 2 chopped fine

Citantro  - few sprigs chopped

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste 

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Regular roti dough 

Squeeze the water out of the grated cauliflower.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Roll out a thick roti with your hands and place some filling in the center.

Seal th ends and make it into a ball again, and then roll out.

Cook on a girdle with some oil and serve hot.

If you dislike the smell of raw cauliflower, you can cook the mixture in a pan till the raw smell disappears and then continue with the recipe.

Grilled tuna steaks

This was completely my husband's dish. I don't eat seafood and I totally dislike how it smells and tastes. I know I  know, it's really good for you. But hey, I can't help it. Although these did look good and I had to snap a pic real quick. Here's how he made them:

Tuna steaks - 3

For the marinade:

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Tandoori masala - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and apply on the fish. Marinate for a couple of hours and grill them for about 5 minute on each side. Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings.