Grilled Sandwich on a Sunday morning

I love sandwiches. Let's face it, life is better between two pieces of bread. ~Jeff Mauro, a.k.a. The Sandwich King

Let's go a little easy this Sunday.....
No elaborate brunch, no fancy dishes...just a comforting sandwich. 
Easy to put together, especially when you have 4 people at home eating at 4 different times. You can serve these hot, every single time!

Happy family secret..;)

You will need
Onions- 1, medium, chopped
Tomatoes- 1,medium, chopped
Cucumber- 1, medium , chopped
Capsicum- 1 tbsp, chopped
Sweet corn- 1 tbsp
Black olives- 5, chopped finely
Olive oil infused with basil and rosemary- 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp or to taste

Method
Mix all the stated ingredients for the filling.
Put it between two pieces of bread and grill it.
Dip it in mustard sauce or ketchup and enjoy your Sunday.

You can also enjoy basil pesto sandwich or try the tasty sandwich. This curd filling sandwich is also a winner with me, plus you don't need a grille for it.

Paneer Bhurji - Scrambled cottage cheese

This is a very simple dish. It is yummy and an all time favorite. It also serves as a vegetarian version of egg bhurji (scrambled eggs).

It is especially good as a mess free filling in the rolled paranthas. So, pack your lunch honey!

You need:

1. Paneer (crumbled)- 200gm ( I make it at home...so this is an approximate measure)
2. Capsicum/green bell pepper- 1 tbsp finely chopped
3. Onion- 1 small, finely chopped
4. Tomato- 1 small, chopped
5. Salt to taste
6. Jeera (cumin seeds)- 1/2 tsp
7. Garam masala- 1/4 tsp (you can increase it to get a spiced up version)
8. Haldi powder (turmeric powder)- 1/4 tsp
9. Red chilli powder (optional)- 1/4tsp
10. Coriander leaves for garnishing
11. Oil- 1 tbsp

To make:

1. Heat the oil in a pan or Kadhai.
2. Add Jeera seeds and let them sizzle. 
3. Add onions and fry till they are translucent. You can add green chillies here if you like.
4. Add salt and turmeric. Mix well and add capsicum.
5. Fry for 4-5 minutes. Capsicum should retain its crunch.
6. Add crumbled paneer and garam masala. Also, red chilli powder if you have not used green chillies.Fry for a 2-3 minutes. Add Tomatoes.
7. Mix well and cover for a few minutes on low flame.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
9. Serve hot with Roti or Paranthas or even as a filling for sandwich.

Note: If you have store bought paneer, then soak it in hot water for 8-10 min before using it. It softens the paneer and improves texture.

Enjoy!

Coconut Cookies (eggless) / Nariyal ke biscuit

Sometimes you want nothing chocolate-y, sometimes you just want wholesome goodness, sometimes you need to have coconut cookies...
So I baked a batch of whole wheat coconut cookies, which turned out pretty neat.

The recipe is very simple and can be found at more places than one...I really cant remember where I jotted it from.

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat flour- 1 cup
2. Softened butter - 100gm (1/2cup)
3. Grated coconut- 1 cup + 1Tbsp for topping
4. Icing sugar- 3/4 cup
5. Baking powder-1tsp
6. Coconut Extract- 1/2 tsp (optional)
7. Milk- 1-2 Tbsp

 Method

• Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees centigrade.
• Cream the sugar and butter. Add the extract.
• Mix the baking powder with the flour thoroughly. 
• Add the flour to the creamed sugar and butter. Mix well.
• Add grated coconut and make soft dough. Add milk if the dough seems to be too dry.
• Prepare the baking sheet by brushing it with a little butter.
• Take extra grated coconut in a flat bowl.
• Make small rounded balls, press them on the coconut flakes/grated coconut so some if them stick to it.
• Place on the sheet leaving room for the cookies to expand.
• Put the tray in the oven for 12-15 min. Keep your eyes on it. they should not burn.
• When slightly browned at the edges and just about to set, take them out let it cool in the tray for a minute or so.
• Remove and store in an air-tight container.
• Bake the rest in a similar manner.

Enjoy!!

Aamrus/ mango pudding

This is one of my favorite summer recipes. The scorching heat of summers had only one welcome respite.. MANGOES!!
 With mangoes arriving in big crates at home and made into "aamrus" in every single meal! I used to to ape my father by dunking 2-3 chunks of ice into it and relishing it to the last spoon (or lick in my case..:) ). Bliss.

The recipe is super simple and easy and basically if you have nice juicy mangoes, you can't go wrong with it. In my mom's version, milk and dry fruits were not a daily happening. Just mangoes, sugar and a little water would go a long way but my mom usually used ripe Alphonso/ Haphous variety which is the most juicy and flavorful variety of mangoes.

As I said, you can't go wrong if you have some ripe good quality mangoes.

Ingredients

1. Mangoes-2 small sized
2. Sugar- 1 tsp for sweet mangoes (you may need more for ones which are a  little sour)
3. Milk- 2 Tbsp
4. Dried fruits (optional)- chopped,for garnishing

Method

1. Peel the mangoes and remove the stone/seed.
2. Take the mango pulp, add milk and pluse it in a blender. (If you want mango chunks to remain then add less milk or just stop blending before its totally smooth)
3. Add sugar and blend again.
4. Pour into a bowl, garnish with nuts and enjoy!

PS: You can omit the milk and replace with water for a vegan version.
You can increase the quantity of milk and add ice to make a mango shake.
Diabetics can enjoy this by omitting sugar because the fruit itself is sweet enough. People with very high sugar will have to avoid it though.

Toasted sandwich with veggie curd filling

Yes, it looks like we are on a sandwich spree this month.
Am I complaining? Definitely no.


The weather here is turning rainy, which is a perfect excuse for making this toasted sandwich.
The curd filling somehow tastes like creamy mayo. How cool is that! :-)

So what are we waiting for ? Lets get started.


Ingredients
1. Bread slice of your choice (I used brown bread)- 4
2. Thick curd- 1/2 cup
3. Carrots- 2 small, grated or chopped finely
4. Capsicum- 1, chopped
5. Coriander leaves-2 tsp, chopped finely
6. Red onions- 1/2 chopped
7. Salt & pepper to taste
8. Sooji (Semolina) -1tsp (I used this when the curd was too runny)
9. Butter to toast




Method
1. Take the curd in a deep bowl and add all the veggies, salt, pepper and sooji (if required). Mix them.
2. Heat a skillet.
3. Apply butter to a slice. Put the curd mix on the other side (without the butter). Put this bread slice on the skillet; buttered side down.
4. Cover the sandwich with the 2nd bread slice and smear with melted butter on the top.
5. Let it cook on medium flame for a while.
6. Now comes the tricky step; you have to flip the whole sandwich to toast the other side. 
7. Alternatively, you can just cook one slice and cover it with pre-toasted slice of bread. Both ways it'll taste the same. Do the same with the remaining slices.
8. Serve hot with garam garam chai. :-))




Enjoy!

Sandwich with Pita bread

I realized that my blog is flooded with cake and dessert recipes….not fair, since these are not the everyday cooking experiments which I undertake.


Let's change that.


Let's talk about sandwiches…everybody likes them. Easy to make and generally healthy ( no frying etc.).


Sandwiches are something which we make at least 2 times in a week for breakfast or brunch….or just like that. 
Regular white bread sandwiches are common and they taste good, but we (yup, my hubby gave the idea!) decided to change it a little and take Pita bread/Lebanese bread for our sandwich..which is like a rolled up, stuffed with veggies sandwich.


Ingredients (for 4 sandwiches)
1. Pita bread- 4
2. Cucumber- 1, chopped
3. Tomato- 1 big and firm, chopped
4. Capsicum- 1, chopped
5. Red Onion-1 small, chopped
6. Hummus- 4 tbsp
7. Olive oil- 2 tsp+ some to drizzle on salad
8. Lettuce- 4 leaves, washed
9. Salt-to taste
10. Pepper-to taste
11. Red chili powder- 1 or 2 pinch





























Method
1. Take all chopped veggies in a bowl, add salt and pepper to it. Drizzle a little olive oil on it.Herbs are optional. You can add mint, basil or thyme or whatever you fancy. I did add a little bit of dried sweet basil.
2. Take hummus and pour olive oil on it with little red chili powder and mix thoroughly with a spoon.
3. Take pita bread and spread hummus on it. Sprinkle vegetable salad on the centre, cover with lettuce and now fold the bread from both sides and the edges.
4. Heat a skillet or tava. Place the sandwiches on it and then lower the flame. Cook until toasted well.
5. Serve hot…no need for any other sauces unless you are a ketchup freak…:P

Garlic bread- a trick recipe

Who is not fond of warm, fragrant garlic bread?? Add a little grated cheese and you have got a winner!!
 They are a perpetual accompaniment of the Italian dishes and we love them.


 I buy garlic bread from a local bakery but sometimes  they are out of stock.
Now what does a lazy foodie do?


Find a trick!


So here's what I do when I have to have garlic bread.
Make garlic butter, smear on ordinary bread and toast it and….eureka! 


Ingredients
1. Butter- melted, 1 tbsp
2. Garlic- 4-5 cloves, minced
3. Salt & pepper- to taste (the use is optional)
4. White bread-4 slices


Method
1. Mix garlic, salt and pepper in the butter
2. Apply this garlicky butter onto the bread. I spread about 1tsp of the mix onto the bread.
3. Place it on a non-stick skillet or tava. When one side it done, put the buttered side down and let it brown on a low flame.
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese and microwave it for melted cheesey and garlicky bread
5. Serve hot with your pasta or use it as a starter.

Savory cheese pasta cups

Sometimes you need something new to add to your evening snack apart from cheese and crackers. These pasta cups were a perfect filler. Easy to make and tasty (its got cheese..right!). I would say a thumbs -up to it anytime.

Cheese Pasta Cups
Please serve freshly made ones, reheating makes them lose flavor.  
Adapted from eCurry

Ingredients:

1. 1 Cup Cooked Pasta: Boil the pasta as per instructions.( I used macroni..u can use shell or any other small sized pasta)
2. 1 Cup Grated/Shredded Cheese (Any Cheese or any combination of 2 or 3 cheeses – cheddar, parmesean, amul or britannia cheese cubes will also do) I used grated paneer alongwith cheese cubes.
3. 2 Tablespoons of whole wheat flour
4. Salt to taste
5. Black Pepper to taste
6. Herbs (optional- any herbs you want to use…. I used dried Parsely and a mix of Italian seasoning)
7. Garlic -3-4 cloves minced or grated

Preparation:

• Lightly grease muffin pans/cup cake liners or silicon cups.
• Combine all the ingredients above & spoon it into muffins pan or cup cake liners.
• Bake at 375 Degree F for about 15-20 minutes or till the cheese melts & start to brown on the top.
• Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
• Carefully take out the Pasta cups. Serve Warm.

Chapati porridge

As kids, we used to enjoy a porridge made by my grandmother. It was called "khankhre ki khichdi". She used sun- dried chapatis (called khankhra in the local language) and a mixture of veggies to create this tasty dish. We usually had this one in dinner as it tastes best when served piping hot.

These sun-dried chapatis came from the leftover chapati of the household. After drying they were collected in a box till we had enough to make this porridge. This simple dish was a specialty of the household. We all loved it!

Since the climate where I live, is humid during the better part of the year, I can’t manage to have sun-dried chapati. To overcome this, I just skipped this step and made my own chapati porridge from the memories of the taste. It’s a great way to enjoy leftovers, as it creates a whole new dish.

                       
Chapati porridge/roti poha
Ingredients
1. Chapati-2
2. Tomato-1, chopped
3. Onion-1 small,  chopped
4. Green chilly- 1, small, finely chopped (add more for a spicier option)
5. Oil- 7 ml  (1 &1/2 spoon)
6. Rai (mustard seeds)- 1/4 tsp
7. Haldi (Turmeric powder)-1/4 tsp
8. Lal mirch (red chilly powder)-1/4 tsp
9. Dhaniya powder (coriander seeds powder)- 1 heaped tsp
10. Salt to taste or 1/4 tsp
Note:  You might add other vegetables like beans, potatoes, carrots, peas etc.
Method
1. Tear the chapatis into bite size pieces. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a fry pan or a small wok. Add mustard seeds.
3. When the seeds begin to pop, add onions and cook till they are translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes, green chilies and the remaining spices in that order. Mix them well.
5.  Let it cook on a medium flame, till you see the oil on the sides. Stir in between, it should not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add water if required.
6. Add the pieces of chapati. Turn and mix so that all pieces are properly coated with the spice mixture.
7. You can add a little water if you feel that its turning out to be too dry. I did not add any as my porridge was moist enough for my taste.
Note: You can add boiled potatoes (mash them with back of the ladle/spoon) and water to have thickened gravy in the porridge
Enjoy!

Laapsi (Sweet Bulger)

This is a traditional Rajasthani sweet.  Whenever I have to serve something special and traditional, this one comes real handy. It's easy to make and is usually bang on target!

In my home, it was usually made in the Diwali (Popularly known as, the festival of lights) "Annakoot" poojan (the traditional prayer with offerings during Diwali time). A lot of times it was a feast-feature when we had gathering of the whole family (yes, I happen to have a huge joint and extended family).

This recipe is associated with old memories of childhood, where we just went running about the place and ate everything served on our plates (since we were at least 4 kids sharing a big plate).The kitchen would be crammed, because most women would be in there with aroma of goodies floating around.
Those were the days…

Recently my hubby got a taste for it! So he requested me to make it and I happily obliged. With a recipe that tasty & easy…who wouldn't?
Laapsi
Ingredients
1. Daliya (broken wheat, Bulger)-1/2 cup
2. Jaggary/ gur-1/2 cup
3. Clarified butter/Ghee- 1 Tbsp
4. Green cardamom (crushed)- about 1-2 pinch, discard the shell
5. Dry fruits- (optional)
6. Water for cooking

Method
1. Heat ghee and soak jaggary in water
2. Roast daliya in this ghee till its golden brown.
3. Pour water and let it cook on medium flame for a 5-10 minutes
4. Strain the jaggary soaked in water and collect the water. The remaining jaggary can be kept for further use.
5. When the daliya is cooked add jaggary water to it
6. Let is cook for a few min. The visible water should evaporate.
7. Add the crushed cardamom. You can also add dry fruits (almonds, cashews, raisins etc.) to this mix.
8. Serve hot.

Milky Vanilla cupcakes- easy eggless recipe

A friend of mine was faced with a dilemma. Her son was asked to get "cupcakes" for the cristmas party which they were having at their school. Not really into baking; she wondered what to do as they had to get home made stuff.

That's when I came into picture. She knew my relations with the oven were good :-) and asked me to make cupcakes for her son. Always looking for an excuse to bake something new, I jumped at the suggestions and soon was busy digging into all the recipes I've got and searching the internet for more.

As per her suggestion, I decided not to frost them as they might get spoiled on the way, but could not help myself from sprinkling some chocolate on it.

Here's the recipe. (Adapted/modified from divinetaste)
Makes 12 big muffins

You'll need:
1. 210 gm (1 1/2 cups) plain flour/maida/All purpose flour
2. 1 tsp baking powder
3. 1 tsp baking soda
4. 100 gm (3/4 cup) milk powder (full fat)
5. 100 gm (3/4 cup) fine sugar
6. 100 gm (1/2 cup) butter, melted
7. 250 ml milk (I've used low fat)
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. Chocolate drops- to decorate (You can use chocolate chips also)
 
Method:
1) Line your muffin tray with cupcake or muffin liners. Or grease and dust them with flour if you don’t want to use the liners.
2) Preheat the oven to 180 C/350F.
3) In another large bowl, put in the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well with a fork.
4) Put in the milk powder and the sugar into the flour and mix well.
5) Stir in the melted butter, vanilla extract and the milk and mix gently with the whisk. Do not over mix.
6) With the help of a spoon fill the prepared moulds with the batter (till 3/4 of the cup) and sprinkle some chocolate drops on them.
7) Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean.

I tasted it as soon as it was done. It was warm, fluffy, moist and a delight to look at. Just the right amount of suger for me, but some people may want to reduce it to 1/2 cup if they are using suger procured in India (I find that sugar much sweeter than what we get here).

Now there is only one question - Will the kids like it?

Exotic ice-cream (2 ingredients)

Its so delightfully easy, unbelievably quick and amazingly tasty that I was congratulating myself when it was done. It seemed quicker than my quickie ice cream !! And what could be more exotic than a ripe Avocado ? It certainly is not a very common fruit in India ; though abundant in Lagos. It’s a fruit which has loads of fat (the good type)and a buttery texture. I guess that's good when you want to make ice-creams.

My hubby dug into this one before i could take a decent pic..just one more reason for trying it out...;)

You need

Ripe Avocado- 1; peeled and pitted
Sweetened condensed milk- 160 gm 

Method

1. Slice the avocado in few pieces.
2. Keep it in the refrigerator for a few hours.
3. Blend the avocado pieces and the condensed milk in a food processor.
4. Serve immediately or keep in the freezer for later use.

Enjoy!!

Quickie ice-cream

This heavenly ice cream is a real dream. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. The only reason I could not put up a pic is because it disappeared too soon!!

Makes 2 small portions or one big one.

Ingredients:
Sweetened Condensed milk - 75 gm
Whipping cream- 80 ml approx
Muffin/cake- I had put half of 'Banana nut muffin', but you can put in any amount desired

Method
Add the cake to the condensed milk and mix thoroughly.
Whip the cream and fold in with the cake mix.
Keep in a metal container and freeze.

Serving suggestions
Take a bowl and place a pineapple slice on it.
Scoop the ice cream and place on it.
Decorate with cherries /strawberries/small pieces of pineapple or any other fruit of choice.

Enjoy the treat!!