Aloo Biryani with Cucumber Raita, Chole-Dill Chaat, Rice Cake Flower

Siri of "Siri's corner" is guest hosting "Recipes for rest of us-Dinner" event, which is started by Ramki. My Aloo Biryani with Cucumber Raita goes to Siri.

Rachana of "The Gourmet Launchpad" blog is asking for "A Heathy Bite" for her healthy and tasty party appetizers event. I am sending her my healthy and tangy "Chole-Dill Chaat".

Chitra amma of "Chitra amma's kitchen" is hosting a cute event to celebrate her first blog birthday called "Kitchen Masterpieces" and asking us to create anything we fancy with food we eat. I took a hint from her own dosa art and made a Plate idli flower for her, hope she likes it!

Thanks to all of you, enjoy hosting! :)

Aloo Biryani with Cucumber Raita:
I made this Aloo Biryani the easy way. Instead of cooking and layering like the usual Biryani is done, I mixed the masala to already cooked rice and sauteed Potatoes like Pulao. Instead of Aloos, you can also add mixed veggies or meat to this Biryani masala too.

Also I am not supposed to use exact measures as per the rules of this event and recipe should be easy enough for a 10yr old to make this dish, so I threw in some "this and that" to make this Biryani. I cooked, peeled and sauteed the Potato cubes with a bit of salt in little oil first to make it easy to cook. Have fun!

Aloo Biryani:

1. Cook rice with pinch of salt, some lemon juice and bit of ghee, spread on a plate to cool. Prepare the Potatoes as above and set aside.

2. Heat oil, add few raisins, few cashews, few cloves, cinnamon pieces, crushed Cardamom pods.
3. Add about 2 handfuls of minced onion, fry until golden. Add ginger and garlic paste, saute for a minute.
4. Sprinkle coriander seeds powder, Cumin seeds powder, pepper powder, chill pd, pinches of turmeric, bit of garam masala, salt stir for a minute. Add some milk mixed with a pinch of saffron and Rose water, simmer until thickish paste. Ground poppy seeds added to Biryani will give a special taste.
5. Add potato cubes and rice and mix everything well. Adjust the spices and salt. You can garnish the Biryani with toasted Almond slivers if you like. Serve with Cucumber raita.

Cucumber Raita:
Mix enough yogurt, few pinches of salt, pepper pd, few cilantro and mint minced and cumin seeds powder and peeled and cubed cucumber pieces. Let it rest for a while before serving.

Serve with Biryani and enjoy! :)

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Chole-Dill Chaat:
This is a simple Chaat you can serve in a small bowl and a spoon in any Indian party. It's fairly dry, flavorful and nutritious too. If you don't like Dill leaves (Suwa bhaji), you could replace it with baby Spinach or Fenugreek leaves or skip the greens all together and use just Chickpeas.

Here is how I made it:
1. Heat 2 tsp oil, saute 1" grated ginger until slightly golden. Add 1/2 a bunch of chopped Dill leaves, pinch of salt and 1 tbsp water, stir fry for 2-3 mins.
2. Now 1 can of drained and rinsed Organic Chickpeas, enough salt and add 1-2 tsp or more chaat masala. Mix well and heat it through. It should wet but without gravy, not very dry either.
Since canned chickpeas are already cooked and soft, you just need to mix with spices and heat it.
3. To serve, squeeze some Lemon juice on top, mix and serve in a small bowl. You can sprinkle red onion chopped and sliced green chillies if you can handle it but not necessary.

Chaat masala:
1 tsp Coriander seeds powder, 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder, 1 tsp Amchoor/dry Mango powder, 1/4 tsp chilli pd, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black salt (Kala Namak) and 1/4 tsp coarse pepper powder. Mix all these and use as much as you need in the above Chole chaat or Aloo chaat or any Chaat!

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Rice cake/Thatte Idli Flower:
I used one Rice Pancake aka Thatte Idli or Idli steamed in Dhokla stand plates, cut a flower with a pancake flower mould, filled the middle with Zucchini chutney and stuck a carrot pickle there. Sprinkled some coarsely ground pepper powder around the idli and garnished the corners with some chutney powder! I know! It's a very juvenile art from me but then I am not artistic enough to make anything else! Hahaha!!
Thanks to Chitra amma, I enjoyed being a kid again for few minutes! :))

Enjoy the rest of the week, see you all later! :)

Italian vegan grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini, Panko Mozzarella sticks

Grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini salad is my entry to "Fresh produce of the month", an event is started by Marta of "Italian in US" blog and Simona of "Briciole" is guest hosting this month with a theme of "Citrus fruits except Oranges and Lemons".

I am also sending this Italian Vegan grilled Zucchini salad to Vaishali of "Earth Vegan" blog who is hosting a event this month called "It's a Vegan World-Italian".

MBP event details are below, Trupti is guest hosting this month.

Thanks to all of you for hosting, hope you like my version of salad! :)

Grapefruit:
This recipe is adapted from this Italian Vegan site and instead of Lemon, I used Florida pink Grapefruit which I happen to have at home and added more zesty spices. Grapefruit juice made a wonderful citrusy dressing for this grilled Zucchini salad.
The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree grown for its bitter fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados! For more info about the goodness of Grapefruit, please click here. This Grapefruit photo you see below is from Wikipedia too. Enjoy! :)

Italian Vegan grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini salad with grapefruit-herb dressing:

Here is the simple recipe to make the salad:
Click on the collage to see larger pictures. I used these:
2 Zucchinis,
1 medium size pink Grapefruit,
enough and salt and pepper,
1 tsp mixed dry Italian herb seasoning (Basil, Oregano etc),
1 tsp dry spice mix like steak seasoning or chicken seasoning which has dried onion flakes, chili flakes etc. You can sprinkle any dry spices you like as well, 1/4 tsp dry Parsley or mint.
1-2 tsp Olive oil,
2 Garlic, minced to saute.
Marinate and grill these:
1. Wash, dry and cut the top and tail of Zucchinis. Slice Zucchinis lengthwise about 1/16" thick (not too thin or not too thick) with the skin on and arrange them on a plate. Squeeze all the juice from 1 Grapefruit on to the slices.
2. Now, sprinkle all the herbs, salt, pepper and spices on top.

Heat Olive oil, saute minced garlic and few chill flakes until soft and add to the top of the slices, mix gently.

3. I covered this and let it marinate for 1 or 2 hours. Marinate overnight if you have time!

4. Turn on the broiler or grill, grill the Zucchinis with the marinade for 2-4 mins, just until Zucchinis are a bit soft but not brown. Do not grill until spices get burnt!!
5. Take the plate out, pour off the juice into a serving dish, and arrange the slices on a plate to serve. Serve the dressing in a small individual bowls on the side to dip with few slices of Zucchinis in salad plates.

To eat this salad, cut a slice into half, roll the slice with a fork and pick up , dip in the dressing and eat. This is the most delicious salad I have eaten! Slightly bitter and tangy Grapefruit and soft pulpy Zucchini slices with herbs and spices taste fabulous together.
Thanks to the Vegan Italian site with this recipe and also these two wonderful events, I found a delicious salad recipe which is keeper for me.

Hope you try! :)

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MBP is an event in which we pick a dish from other bloggers to post is started by Coffee and this month, Trupti of "Recipe Center" is guest hosting the MBP event with a theme of "Kids food". My kids love Mozzarella sticks, specially my daughter who is a cheese monster, so I chose to make these from Priya of "easy and tasty recipes" blog. I made few changes which I have written below and here is the Priya's Mozzarella cheese sticks.
Thanks Priya, we loved them! :)

Panko coated Mozzarella sticks:
Panko is Japanese bread crumbs which is very crunchy, sticks to cheese or any snack easily and stays very crisp even when cooled after frying or baking or grilling.

Here is how I adapted Trupti's recipe with my slight twist! :)
1. I bought few Mozzarella string cheese you get it in the cheese section at the grocery store wrapped in individual packs. They are about 5" long, 1/2" thick and sticks are sturdier than the fresh Mozzarella like finger food. My kids eat them just out of the wrap when they come back from school.
2. I rolled them in 1 egg+1tsp milk+pinch of salt mixture and rolled in the seasoned Panko bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper or any dry spices you like to Panko, mix well.
3. I let the sticks rest in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 mins so they firm up, don't fall off and melt when fried.
4. Deep fry in hot oil (375F) quickly just until the outside is golden. Drain and serve with ketchup or any sauce you like.

One more look!
That's it for this week, have a great weekend! :)

Baja Kichuri, Mixed veggies Mosaranna

A nutritious and a quick breakfast of Baja Kichuri is my contribution to Raaga of "The singing chef" blog who is hosting WBB this month with a theme of "Express Breakfasts". "Weekend Breakfast blogging" event is the brain child of Nandita from "Saffron Trail". Thank you for hosting Raaga, hope you like this dish! :)
Kichuri also fits for "Mixed rice", EC's event. You can take this too if you like EC!:)

Kichuri or Khichdi:
Khichdi literally means "hodge podge" of things thrown in together to make a delicious dish, a popular one dish meal in India. With two quick cooking and "easy on the tummy" dals, rice for energy and veggies, this makes a nutritious dish for Indian style breakfast and a quick one at that if you use a pressure pan or a cooker as we usually do in India. If you have prepared veggies already in the fridge night before, you can make this dish within 15 mins in the morning!
Work and school starts late in India than US, you also get ravenously hungry in the morning in India unlike here, so it's possible and practical to make a good breakfast like this for the family.
For us here in US, I make Khichdi for lunch or dinner with Yogurt salad and a pickle since everybody is out of the door by 6.30am for school and work, grabbing cereal or toast or Muffin with OJ! No work for me! :)

Baja Kichuri:
Baja Kichuri means fried/sauteed Khichdi in Bengali. I found this recipe in an old Indian magazine called "Womans Era", which I used to love for their authentic Indian recipes and subscribe regularly. Now a days, it's full of "fusion" Indian cooking most of the time, so I have stopped the subscription. Anyway, I loved the simplicity and taste of this dish. Enjoy.

You need:
1 cup Long grain rice,
1/2 cup Moong dal (yellow split Moong),
1/2 cup Masoor dal (split red Lentils),
Veggies: (Can use any mixed veggies you have in the fridge, these are what I used)
1 cup or more of Cauliflower florets,
1/4 cup each of Green peas and Carrots,
few Pearl onions,
1 peeled and cubed Potato,
Few strips of red bell pepper.
To season:
(If kids wouldn't like whole spices to bite in the dish, powder all these except Bay leaves instead if you like)
1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee,
2 Bay leaves,
1" Cinnamon/Dalchini stick,
1 green chilly,(optional but for taste)
2 cloves,
2 Whole green Cardamoms, crushed lightly or 1/4 tsp powdered,
1 onion sliced,
Spices:
2 tsp Cumin seeds powder,
1/2 tsp good quality Turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp more Chilli pd,
salt and Lemon juice to taste.
To make Kichuri:
1. Heat oil and ghee in a small pressure cooker or pressure pan. Add all the seasoning ingredients one by one, fry until onions are slightly golden.
2. Add Veggies, saute for few mins. Add both dals, saute and add rice and saute for few minutes.
3. Add salt and spices to it, add enough water and mix well. I added about 3 cups or 1" above the mixture. Use your judgment when adding water for the type of rice you use, can't give you exact amount of liquid. Khichdi should be little wet, not very dry when it's done.
4. Turn down the heat to low (low heat is very important so you don't burn the bottom of the cooker or overcook the dish), cover the lid of pressure cooker and let it cook for 1 or 2 whistles or 3-5 mins after the pressure locks in.
5. Open the cooker lid when are able to and gently mix, adjust the spices and salt.

Serve with plain Yogurt. Traditionally, Baja Kichuri is served with fried Eggplants, Parval and Potato dish, pickle etc.

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EC of "Simple Indian Cooking" has announced a "Mixed or flavored rice Varieties" event this month. As Indians, we can think of literally thousands of mixed rice dishes. Lightly seasoned Mosaranna/Yogurt rice with added fresh veggies is my entry to this event, a much loved south Indian delicacy, is also one of the easiest rice salad to make at home. Enjoy EC!:)

Mosaranna or Yogurt and rice salad, Karnataka style:
Mosaru+anna literally means Yogurt and rice in Kannada, Thair Sadam in Tamil, Dadhojanam in Telugu, which is a very popular dish in South India, specially eaten on Summer days to cool you down when heat is intense and when you don't feel like eating hot food. Usually it's lightly seasoned with some sweet chopped onions added to give it a crunch as my mother makes it back home in Bangalore/Bengaluru!
For this event, I have added fresh veggies to the traditional dish to make it more colorful and interesting and made this into a light, refreshing Summer lunch. Hope you enjoy!

Tomato, Cucumber, Carrots and red bell pepper Mosaranna/Yogurt rice:

You need:
2 cups cooked and cooled Rice,
2 cups plain Yogurt,
1/2 cup milk, if needed,
1/4 cup sliced or chopped Pear or Grape or regular Tomatoes,
1/4 cup chopped Cucumber,
2-3 tbsp of fresh red bell pepper,
2 tbsp grated or chopped Carrots,
1 Garlic and 1/2" fresh ginger, (both crushed in 2 tbsp of water and squeeze to take out just the juice and discard the solids)
Few tbsps of raw sweet red onions, finely chopped, add only if you like to,
Salt, as much as you need.
To season:
2 tsp oil,
1 tsp each Mustard seeds and Chana dal,
few Curry leaves,
few cilantro leaves,
1-2 red or green chillies or 1/4 tsp Chilli flakes,
To make it:
1. Mix cooled rice, all the chopped veggies, Yogurt, salt, ginger-garlic juice, raw onion, mix ell in a big bowl.
2. Heat oil in a small pan, add all the seasoning ingredients one by one. When reddish, cool it down and add to the rice and veggie mix.
3. Mix well. Keep it covered and serve at room temperature when needed. Do not chill, rice gets stiff, doesn't tastes good!
4. As it sits, rice tends to absorb the yogurt and Masaranna gets very thick. If that happens, add some milk to it to thin it down, can add more yogurt if the dish is not already too sour. Dish should be semi-solid when you eat it.
Serve; as it is or with Lemon pickle, Mango pickle and/or with crispy papad on the side! YUMMY! :)

Here is the plain Jane Mosaranna without the bells and whistles.

Have a fun week ahead!:)

PEAR-BLACK BEANS SALSA AND A BALANCED BREAKFAST

Pear-Black beans Salsa is my contribution to "A Fruit A Month", which is started by Maheswari of "Beyond the Usual" blog. Raaga from "The singing Chef" is guest hosting this month for AFAM and her fruit of choice is "Pears". Thanks for hosting Raaga!:)


Pears:

The English word pear is probably from Common West Germanic pera, it belongs to Apple family. Pears have been cultivated in China for approximately 3000 years.Pears can be consumed fresh, canned, as juice and dried, juice made into jams and jellies and fermented Pears are called Perry, a type of Cider.
Pears are the least allergenic of all fruits.Pear wood is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments and furniture.It is also used for wood carving, and as a firewood to produce aromatic smoke for smoking meat or tobacco.

Pear and Black Beans salsa:
Here is an easy and spicy Salas mad with Pears, Black Beans, corn etc. It can be served as a side dish for any main meal or on it's own on a bed of Lettuce.

How to make Salsa:
1. Chop one red and one green firm Pears into 1/2" cubes, add to a big glass bowl.
2. Add in 1 cup/can yellow and white corn, drained, 1/2 can of Black Beans drained and rinsed, 1 cup finely chopped Tomato, 1 Jalapeño finely chopped, 1 tbsp Lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Cumin powder, 1/4 tsp Garlic powder, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup Celery, 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped, 3 tbsp Cilantro, 1/8 tsp Chilli flakes, mix everything.
3. Adjust the spices and salt, chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Makes excellent lunch wrapped in Lettuce.

Enjoy the spicy, tangy and sweet Salsa!

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A balanced breakfast of Omelet with spicy Pear-Black Beans salsa and toast is my contribution to Mansi from "Fun and food", who is hosting WBB this month with "Balanced Breakfasts" theme. "Weekend Breakfast blogging" event is the brain child of Nandita from "Saffron Trail". Thank you for hosting Mansi, I kept my promise!:)

A balanced breakfast:
A low calorie,low fat, nutritious and balanced breakfast should supply us with a good combination of protein, healthy carbohydrates, fiber. One should always start the day with a nutritious breakfast which helps us with better concentration and problem-solving skills throughout the day, controlling hunger pangs and binge eating around noon. People who eat breakfast are more successful at losing weight and also maintaining that weight loss. Breakfast is specially important for growing kids who go to school which helps them to concentrate better. So, here is a balanced breakfast from me. Little spice in the morning kicks you in gear faster too!:D

Omelet/Omelette and Toast with Black Beans, Pear and Corn Salsa:
Any leftover fruity, spicy Salsa from above recipe also makes a well balanced and satisfying breakfast served with toast and fluffy Omelet! This serves one.

To make this breakfast:
1. Heat 1/2 tsp butter in a non-stick pan. Add 1 tsp milk and one extra large egg, beat with pinch of salt, add to the pan.
2. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon gently and then let it settle and cook on medium heat. 3. Flip gently and cook the other side. Place it on plate, add 3 tbsp of Salsa in the middle and fold the Omelet over. Grind a little pepper on top.
4. Garnish with Cilantro sprig, and serve with toast and Orange juice.

That's it! You are good to go until noon!! :)

POTATO, APPLE, ARUGULA SOUP AND FRUIT CHAAT

Potato, Apple, Arugula soup is my contribution to Lisa from "Food and Spice" for her "No croutons required" event. For this month's theme, she asks us to cook a "vegetarian soup" which makes even carnivorous diners drool! Hope they all drool over this yummy soup!! Thanks for hosting Lisa!:))


About "Soup":
According to the dictionary, "Soup is a liquid food prepared from meat, fish, or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces."
The word soup originates from "Sop", a dish originally consisting of a soup or thick stew which was soaked up with pieces of bread.
One of the first soups made is dated back to about 6000 B.C. and was made of hippopotamus or the hearts of 5 sparrows!! Ahhhh!!!:D (Info from WIKI)

I found the recipe for this soup in a one pot dish cookbook. Combination of hearty chunks of Potato, sweet-tart Apple and spicy, peppery Arugula which is rich in Vitamin C and iron, with added beans, red peepers and light spices, it sounded great to me. So here it is, enjoy and absolutely no Croutons needed for this soup at all!:)

Potato, Apple and Arugula soup:



You need:

2 tbsp Butter,
2 large red waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed,
1/2 red Onion, chopped into big pieces,
2 Tart Apples, cut into chunks,
2 cups Arugula, chopped to half if they are large,keep them whole if they are young and tender.(You can use baby Spinach too to replace Arugula)
1 large bottled roasted red bell pepper,chopped,
1/2 cup canned Kidney Beans,
4 cups Vegetable Stock,
1 tsp Allspice powder,
salt and pepper and 2 tsp Lemon juice.

Any crusty bread you like to serve with soup. I had Pretzel bread roll.

To make the soup:
1. Heat the butter in a heavy bottomed deep pan. Add onion and potato cubes and saute for 5-7mins stirring constantly.
2. Add in Apples, red pepper, Kidney beans and stir. Pour in the veg stock, Allspice pd, salt and pepper to your taste.
3. Bring to boil, turn down the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15mins.
4. Add Arugula (or Spinach), lemon juice, simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
5. It's ready eat now but if you want the soup creamy, take out 1/4 of the soup and blend and pour back into the soup. I prefer chunky veggies in thin stock.
6. Garnish with Apple slices or few Arugula and serve it warm in bowls with crusty bread. This serves four people easily. Great comforting soup for cold Winter days!

One more look:


Enjoy!:)

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I made a popular Indian savory and sweet "Fruit Chaat" for Marta from "An Italian in the US" blog for her "Fresh Produce of the Month" event. She has chosen "Orange" this month. Thanks for Marta!:)



Fruit Chaat is a popular Indian savory "fruit salad" and with added tangy, spicy Chaat powder to chilled sweet assortment of fruits makes it a very refreshing, lip smacking dish to have in Summer or any day! It also makes a great side dish with Barbecued meat too!:)

Fruit Chaat:



You need these to make Fruit Chaat:
1/4 cup each of Mandarin Oranges or any kind of Oranges including blood oranges, Tangerines etc, sliced Bananas, ripe Mangoes cubed, Apples cubed, Melon cubes, Pineapple cubes, Pears, Grapes, 1 tsp Lemon juice.
Spices: 1-2 tsp Chaat powder, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1/8 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp finely minced fresh Mint leaves.


To make it:
1. Mix all the assorted fruits in a bowl with lemon juice, chill it in the fridge for an hour.
2. Add the spices, mix gently and chill again to serve on it's own or with BBQ meat.

Chaat Masala: Chaat masala powder packet is available in any Indian store. If you want to make it at home, here is how to make a simple Chaat pd, some have cloves etc but I like this. Amchoor is the main ingredient which is a tangy powder made by dry Mango slices.

2 tbsp Mango powder (Amchoor), 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder, 1/2 Ginger powder, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp each of red chilli pepper and black pepper. Mix all this and store in air tight container and use as much as you need to mix with fruits or to sprinkle on snacks.
Have a great week!:)

SPOOKY EGGPRESSIONS AND A LENTIL SALAD

Spooky Eggpressions are my little fun entry to Bee of "Jugalbandi"'s brand new event called "Click". we are the clicking the "Eggs" this October. Thanks Bee!:))


Why? What? Where?
When Bee chose Eggs as the subject for this month's "Click", I immediately thought of making these Eggpressions. Of course, my kids gobbled these up sprinkled with salt and pepper and some eggs were added to dal too after I took the photos. No waste here!!
October is THE month for Halloween. When you have kids at home, Halloween comes VERY early for parents as you mommies and daddies know!:))
What better theme than scaring the heck out of Y'all good people with my spooky bleeding eggs with creepy crawlies coming out of everywhere?!:D
There are just hard boiled Eggs, cooked with my new little gadget "Microwave Egg cooker" which works very well and Eggs are decorated with Ketchup, Gummy worms, plastic Spiders, few black Olives along with a black cat and of course, a scary Pumpkin Dracula to protect the evil ones!!

My camera:
My trusted little cameras is Sony Cyber-shot with 8.1 Mega Pixels. I use Macro mode and auto digital Zoom to take all my photos.

My own Spooky Eggpressions with creepy crawlies!:))




Another look:



Have fun!:))

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Lentil Salad, is my contribution to Hima of "SnackORama"'s event called "What's your favorite" with a theme of "Diet food" this month. Thanks for hosting Hima!:)




Diet food:
I personally have never dieted but you can always make your everyday lunches or dinners light, healthy and nutritional by choosing low fat, low calorie dishes which are high in Protein and high in Fiber and have smaller portions.Once in a while, go out or cook and eat whatever you like to your heart's content, smile and be happy!:D
Doctors advice that loosing 2 lbs per week as healthy and ideal rather than loosing 10 lbs a week, binge and gain all that you lost back and some more by crash dieting.Yo-Yo dieting has very bad effect on your heart and on your bones (risk of Osteoporosis). Use your judgment and remember "slow and steady wins the race".
Eating moderately and to have some kind of physical activity/exercise everyday would be more helpful to keep us healthy. To have a little bit of meat on your bones is quite okay too if you ask me!!:D

Whole red lentil salad:
Here is a light lentil salad for you. This recipe serves about 4 people. Salad recipe is adapted from "Complete Low-Fat cookbook" by Anne Sheasby.


About this Lentil Salad:
I used whole red lentils or whole Masoor as we call it in India for this dish. They are soaked and cooked until tender and mixed with lightly spiced onions and Lettuce and served with few Cherry Tomatoes, they make a great salad for a light lunch. Jalapeno and Cheddar Tortillas are optional. Nutritional values for this Lentil dish are at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!:))

What you need:


1 cup whole red lentil or whole Masoor, soaked for few hrs and cooked until soft but mashed and drained until dry. 1/2 a head of Iceberg lettuce (or you can use Cabbage too), thinly sliced into long slivers. 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar or any flavored vinegar like Raspberry vinegar(optional).
To season:
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 small red onion sliced into long slices, 2 garlic,sliced into rounds, 1 Bay leaf, 2 cloves, 1 tsp dry or fresh Thyme leaves, 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice,salt and pepper(or/and few red chilli flakes).

To make the salad:


1. Keep the lentils cooked and drained aside. Chop all the veg and onions, keep aside.
2. Heat olive oil, add bay leaf, cloves.When they puff, take them out and add garlic and onions. Saute until soft, slightly reddish.
3. Add thyme, lettuce or Cabbage, stir fry for 3 mins.You don't have to cook too much,still little crunchy to bite lettuce tastes great.
4. Stir in the vinegar, lentils, salt, pepper to taste.Heat thru' for a minute or two and take out.Add enough lemon juice to taste.
5. Serve with a warmed Tortilla,Toast and few Tomatoes or on it's own. Delicious!:)

Lentil salad per portion without the Tortilla has all these approximately:
228 Calories
4.38g Total Fat
0.44g Saturated Fat
0 Cholesterol
8.09g Fiber
and loads of Protein of course!!

One 12" Tortilla has;
210 calories, 5grams Fat, 3g Fiber, 6g Protein, 800mg of salt and 3g of sugar.

Enjoy the delicious and nutritious Lentil salad. Be healthy and happy!:))

JHATPAT FRITTATA!:)

Shaheen of "Malluspice" blog has just launched a brand new monthly event called "Express Cooking Event". She asks us bloggers to come up with a nutritious and quick meal under 30 mins which would help us all at the end of a tiring day.Sounds good to me! Here is mine, a Jhatpat Frittata with a salad!Thanks for the idea Shaheen!:)



Jhatpat Frittata?!
Yes, it is!! For non-Indians,Jhatpat in Hindi means quick!! When you've had a hectic day at home or come home tired from work and the kids are driving you crazy,let my Jhatpat Frittata come to your rescue! These dishes can be made literally in mins and nutritious as well.Vegetarians,you could use a cup of Besan/Chickpea flour+ few tbsp of Plain flour or Cornstarch to bind instead of Eggs or can use Egg replacer too!!
As much as I love cooking,I would hate to hang around the kitchen unless I have to and not a minute more than necessary!! I chopped these veggies in 5mins flat and it took about 10 mins for the Frittata to cook and 1-2 minutes to grill!For salad, it took less than 5 mins to prepare and Voila!! Grab a fork and dig in!!:)

Have a quick 22 mins or less Brunch,lunch or dinner; Delicious Frittata with refreshing Tomato salad on a bed of Lettuce! :)
If you follow my steps as I tell you here, you will have that Frittata dinner on your table in less than 22mins!This serves 3-4 people!:)



You need these for quick 5 mins of slicing,dicing and whisking!

Look at those Bell peppers,you will see more of those at FH next week!:)
Spray oil or little butter in a 10-12" non-stick pan,put it on medium heat.Now slice 1/2 of each 4 bell peppers thinly,1/2 a red Onion, 2 small plum tomatoes,1 green chilli pepper,4 Green onions cut into rounds,3 tbsp of dill,some cilantro.(other veggies you can add are Green peas,Spinach ,grated Carrots etc, anything that cooks quickly or doesn't need much cooking!)

Hot pan and cool veggies to stir-fry!!

Add all these except half the dill and cilantro to the pan and spread around in one layer,let it cook.Meanwhile, in a big bowl beat 7 Eggs with 2 tbsp half and half or milk,salt,rest of the dill and cilantro.Give the veggies a stir gently so they cook evenly.No need to cook until soft,bell peppers should be little crisp to bite.

Now pour in the Eggelicious herby mix!

Now add the beaten eggs on the veggies starting from outside to inside in circles.DO NOT stir! Sprinkle any Mrs.Dash spice seasoning if you like or just some pepper,let it get firm around the edges ie about 10-12mins. Turn on the grill/broiler!
Now start preparing the salad as given below and put in the fridge to chill while the Frittata cooks.

Oops!! Forgot to take the grilling picture.Oh well, have a look at the golden top there!:D

As soon as the edges starts to curl and the center is still somewhat soft but not runny,sprinkle about 3 tbsp of Parmesan cheese or any cheese on top evenly.Take the pan carefully and hold it under the broiler for 2 mins making sure all the sides are getting slightly golden spots.Take it out,shake the pan gently to loosen the bottom and slide it on a plate.

Refreshing salad with my homegrown Pear Tomatoes splashed with Italian dressing!

Cut into 8 slices for 4 people and serve with a cool salad on a bed of crisp Lettuce.Sounds great or what?! Now sit down,eat and chat with your family while having a nutritious and quick meal.(Washing the dishes is not included in 22 mins! Sorry!!:D)

Here is how to prepare the salad(Same salad is coming at FH too on Wednesday!):


Gather and wash Pear or Cherry Tomatoes,wipe them dry,slice into halves.Sprinkle some salt,spice seasoning or Italian dressing,pepper if you like and toss.I like Cilantro in everything,I added some too. That's it.Keep it in the fridge until you are ready for dinner!



Have a great week gals!:)

GAZPACHO!

I am making a delicious and refreshing Spanish soup called Gazpacho, which is made from fresh home grown Tomatoes from my own veggie patch for Meeta from "What's for lunch honey" blog's Monthly Mingle with the theme of "Earth food" this month. Thanks for choosing this wonderful theme Meeta!:)



Earth Food:
What's Earth Food? It is as simple as growing your own vegetables, WITHOUT using the boosters and artificial means like hormones to grow them bigger and "better looking" vegetables.It's about encouraging the farmers to grow more Organic food and encouraging them by buying from the Farmer's market,thus helping them and us in the process of reducing the negative effects of toxic chemicals in our food and environment and also experimenting with "Super foods" which are full of healthy nutrients.Sounds great,huh?:))
There are several things we can do at home to help conserve Energy and water as well:
Even though these sounds like little things now,in the long run,it is big deal to save the Earth and make it a better place to live for out future generation.Here are some;
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
Use less water,only as much as you need it to water the plants,washing dishes etc..
Take quick showers instead of using Bathtubs and watering the plants only when they need it.Keep the lawn clean off of any weeds which causes allergy.
Keep your appliances up to date so they don't use more Energy than necessary.
Use and re use bags,do not buy too many packaged food items or disposables.
Recycle paper like printer paper, newspapers, mail, etc., plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans.
Replace the regular bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.
Here are some links to read and learn here, here, and here.
Now coming to the recipe;
I thought what is more appropriate than this Spanish/Portuguese style Gazpacho soup with my own additions for an Earth Food theme! I used Tomatoes that are home grown with no chemicals and any added boosters,so they are smaller and as fresh as you can get along with other vegetables.To make it even better candidate for Earth food,they are not cooked at all,so all the nutrients are intact and preserved to make it as healthy and tasty as you can imagine!!

Spanish style Gazpacho:

Gazpacho is a cold refreshing soup,perfect for hot Summer days when you get many garden fresh summer vegetables and you don't want to slog in front of the hot stove.Make sure to use fresh vegetables for this soup and chill overnight to seep in the flavors.It's the most delicious to eat on it's own or with a piece chunky bread.
Although, main ingredient is Tomatoes for this soup,there are many variations of the same dish.So feel free to add any vegetables you like.You can garnish with hard boiled Eggs as well just before you serve for a touch of Protein!

Here they are! Fresh off the plants from my garden: Plum Tomatoes,Pear Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes:


How I made Gazpacho:
8-12 or as many you want ripe tomatoes any kind you like,chopped.I added all those you see up there to make it colorful,1 red sweet onion,finely chopped,1 cucumber,peel,seed and chop.1 Carrot,grated or cubed small,1 Yellow or red or green bell pepper,cubed,1 celery chopped,1 tbsp Mint leaves,finely chopped,2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley,2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, 1tbsp Cilantro,2 garlic, minced,1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,1 tbsp Olive oil,1 Jalapeño,minced or any hot sauce you like, 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar,1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice,1 tsp sugar,Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix all these in big glass jar with fitted lid and chill for 6hrs or overnight.Serve in a bowl with crusty bread or 1/2 cup cooked rice for a refreshing lunch!:)
(You can also blend these coarsely as well if some of you lazy bums don't want to chop all these veggies!!:D)

Bottled up and ready to chill!:))

My Gazpacho jar ready to pose on my backyard deck!:D YUP! There you see my veggie patch on your right on the ground where all the Summer magic happens and in the far side,you see my neighbor's beautiful flowering trees.

There they are again! On the plants as they were just before I plucked them!:))


So that's it this week, have a great weekend.We really can save the Earth one person at a time! Hope you at least try, recycle today!!:)

CARIBBEAN SALAD

The Weekend Cookbook Challenge #14, event was started by Sara of "Iliketocook" blog. This month's theme "Salads" is chosen by Tami from "runningwithtweezers" who is also hosting and a recipe is to be picked from a cookbook,Magazine or Internet and cooked to be submitted. Thank you for hosting Tami.

Caribbean Salad would be my first ever entry to this cookbook challenge.I am thrilled to find this event recently since I own unmentionable number of cookbooks and would love to showcase a few at least!:)


The book I used to make this salad!



"Hotter Than Hell" by the author Jane Butel.It has some delicious dishes I have ever come across,although you don't have to make these dishes THAT hot. Contrary to the belief that all Indians eat spicy food and Indians dishes are hot,most Indians do not eat very spicy food at all! The amount of chillies we use in the dishes depends on each family's liking. We do have few "VERY HOT" dishes like Vindaloo and spicy pickles from some regions of India.Again,it depends on individual taste of how much spice can a person handle!!:))




Caribbean Salad:




You Need: Serves 4
1 cup canned Black Beans,1 cup Whole Corn Kernels,1/4 cup chopped Green onions,1/4 cup chopped Red sweet Onions,1/2 cup each diced Green and Red Bell Pepper or bottled Roasted Red Bell Pepper,1 carrot diced finely,1/8 cup Cilantro,1/2 tsp minced Jalapeno or few slices of colorful mild bottled Banana peppers, 1 tbsp Olive oil,2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon/Lime Juice,salt, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds powder,few grinds of freshly ground black Pepper,1/8 tsp Chipotle chilli pd(optional).Few Iceberg Lettuce leaves to serve the salad.


How To:
1. Drain and rinse canned beans and corn, add to a bowl.Add in all the other ingredients and toss well to coat.Chill in fridge until needed or you can serve this wonderful tasty salad on a bed of icy lettuce immedietely.
2. You can serve on it's own as light but delicious lunch or as a side dish with any meat dishes or Seafood or Poultry.



Note:
I did not follow the recipe as it was in the book which called for 1 tsp Chipotle chilli pd which can be expected from a book called "Hotter than Hell" but adjusted the spices to my taste!!;D
I used lot less chilli pd and added additional veggies like carrots,green peepers,sweet onions,cumin seeds pd, and lemon juice in addition to the original recipe to make it milder,tastier and even more nutritious.

Enjoy!:))