Grilled Baguette with Vegetables

Baguette is a French bread crispy and crusty on the outer and softer on the inner part.This recipe is a very good opener for dinner and a healthy snack after a tiresome day from work and can be prepared in few minutes.

1 Baguette
1 cup of finely chopped vegetables like green bell pepper, orange /red bell pepper,mushrooms,spring onions
1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of dried herbs like rosemary and basil
Salt and Pepper

Mix lemon juice, dijon mustard,garlic,2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper in a bowl.Add all the chopped vegetables and herbs to combine well.
Cut the bread diagonally.Heat the grill, drizzle remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil and arrange the sliced breads on the grill and see to that the grill marks appear on the bread. Flip the other side and take it out when done. The best way to get the grilled look/ marks is by keeping a plate over the bread pieces and a heavy object like can of tomatoes over the plate.This can also be done using a normal griddle in case the grill is not available.
Top the bread pieces with vegetables and serve.

Avocado salsa

1 ripe avocado
2 medium diced tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Dijon mustard 1 tsp (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Cut open avocado, peel the skin and remove the seed.Gently cut into small pieces or simply scoop out the flesh with a spoon and mash it. Meanwhile, peel and mince garlic and whisk it with olive oil,lemon juice, freshly ground pepper and salt.You can also add dijon mustard just for a kick. Mix it well with onions , tomatoes ,avocado and chopped cilantro. This goes very well with chips or roll it in a tortilla bread. In the pic...I have cut the tortilla breads in to pieces and baked at 300 F for about 5-6 minutes and that becomes fat free ,oil free tortilla chips.

Coconut Burfi

Coconut burfi is one of the dessert which is very simple to make.Requires minimal ingredients and takes much less time to make compared to other Indian desserts/ sweets.

Sweetened coconut flakes-1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup of condensed milk
1/4 cup sugar
Cardamon powder 1/2 tsp
Cashews for garnishing

In a heavy bottom vessel add the coconut flakes, condensed milk and sugar. Stir and mix over a medium flame constantly. Add cardamon powder and cook until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Transfer into a buttered tray.Flatten the mixture using a spatula. Let it cool for sometime. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Refrigeration process makes the burfi firm and gives longer shelf life. Cut into desired shapes. Cookie cutter can also be used for different shapes. Decorate with cashews.

Note: Unsweetened desiccated coconut can also be used instead of sweetened coconut flakes. Then the coconut, sugar ratio becomes 1 1/2 cups : 3/4 cup sugar. Condensed milk quantity will remain the same.

Carrot Mint Chutney / Thuvayal

Ingredients:

2 Medium carrots peeled and diced
1 Handful fresh mint leaves
2 dry red chillies
2 tbsp urad dhal
2 tbsp channa dhal
1 grape sized tamarind /Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
A pinch of asafoetida
2 tbsp oil
Salt

Wash peel,dice or grate carrots. Heat oil in a pan, add urad dhal, channa dhal and red chillies.Saute until it turns color to light brown. Add the carrot and mint leaves let it cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat. Pour the mixture to the blender and combine tamarind paste, asafoetida and salt.Grind it to smooth chutney. Serve with rice,roti or dosa.

Minced Parotta and Salna

Minced parotta or Kothu parotta is a delicacy popular in the South Indian state of Tamilnadu. It is made using parotta pieces, vegetables, salna, a spicy sauce.The ingredients are thrown on a hot cast iron griddle lubricated with oil. These are minced and mixed by repeated pounding using a heavy iron spatula.It is served with onion raita.

Ingredients for kothu parotta

Serves 4

Malabar Parotta 10 nos
Onion finely chopped 1 cup
Tomato chopped 1/4 cup
Bell pepper chopped 1/4 cup (optional)
2 Green chillies finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
1 Sprig of curry leaves
1 inch piece of cinnamon
Cloves 2 nos crushed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala /chaat masala
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt

For Garnishing:
1 spring onion finely chopped
2 tsp cilantro finely chopped


Malabar parottas are available in any Indian grocery store in the frozen isle. Defrost the parottas. Heat parottas in a tava till the edges are completely cooked. Now roughly tear the parottas into pieces and keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan,add green chillies, curry leaves, crushed cloves,cinnamon stick,ginger garlic paste and chopped onions.Saute for 2 minutes till it turns light brown.Now add the tomatoes and bell pepper. Can also add boiled peas and sliced mushrooms. This is optional. Let it cook for 2 -3 minutes.Add tumeric powder, salt,cumin powder,coriander powder,garam masala. Cover the pan with lid and cook for 2 more minutes and switch off the stove. Now, toss the teared parottas in the mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro and spring onions.Serve hot with salna.

Recipe for Salna

You need:

1 medium chopped onion
2 tomatoes chopped / 1 can of diced tomatoes
3 tbsp of desicated coconut
Few curry leaves
1 green chilly
2 cloves of garlic
A piece of ginger
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 clove crushed
oil 2 tbsp
Salt

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly,curry leaves, cumin, fennel, crushed clove and chopped onions. Let onions turn to golden brown.Now add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder and garam masala.Cook until the oil splits and leaves the sides of the pan.In a food processor pour all the mixture and add the coconut.Pulse it for 2 -3 times. Transfer the blended mixture to a pan. cook for 4-5 minutes and turn off the heat. Garnish with cilantro leaves. I ve used the cliantro stems. Enjoy your meal!!

Masala murukku

Ingredients

Powdered rice 3 cups
Powdered roasted shelled split grams /daliya 1 cup/pottu kadalai
Crushed and chopped garlic 1 tbsp
Green chilli 1 finely chopped
Curry leaves 1 sprig chopped
Butter 2 tbsp
Cumin 1 tbsp
Sesame 1 tbsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Salt
Asafoetida
Water


Mix all the dry ingredients first starting with rice powder, daliya powder,salt, asafoetida , cumin, sesame and chilli powder. Combine garlic,green chilli,butter and curry leaves to the mixture.Make a dough by sprinkling water little by little. The consistency of the dough should be like roti dough. If the dough is too loose or watery it results in hard murukku. Heat oil in Kadai, make murukku using murukku press. Take it out when murukku turns to light golden brown. Let it stand for 2 - 3 minutes and then serve or store it in an airtight container.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is an Arabic dish meaning "little spicy".Traditionally eaten with a lettuce leaves or served with pita bread.

1 cup cooked bulgur wheat / cracked wheat / couscous
1/4 cup of diced tomato
1/4 cup of diced cucumber
1/4 cup of green onions
1/2 cup of red onions finely chopped
1/2 cup of chick peas ( can/cooked)
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp of red chili powder/chili flakes
salt


Peel,mince garlic and mix with 2 tbsp of oilve oil, salt,lemon juice and chili powder.This is like salad dressing. In a large bowl combine with all the other ingredients wheat / couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, green onions,chick peas, parsley, cilantro and mint leaves. Also add feta cheese which is optional. Cover,chill for 2 hours and serve.

Crunchy Apple Tart

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Sugar, for dusting
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Apricot jam / Strawberry jelly

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a rolling pin, roll pastry in each direction to close seams.Using a cookie cutter or round sharp edged cup cut out circles of pastry. Dust it with sugar.Place pastry circles on a chilled sheet pan and let cool in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Using a vegetable peeler cut wafer thin apple slices. Put apple slices in lemon-juice-spiked water.
Flip pastry circles over on the sheet pans and poke them with a fork to provide an outlet for steam. Sprinkle pastry with sugar and arrange apple slices on top.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Poke the crust; if it feels soft it needs more time in the oven.
Microwave some apricot jam / strawberry jelly for 30 seconds. Dab (don't brush) the jam on the tarts. Cool tarts at least 3-4 hours and seal in a Ziploc plastic bag. Serve at room temperature or heat in the microwave. Also can be served with a dollop of ice cream. Goes very well with crunchy tart.

Tea Time Bites

A cup of hot tea with some home made bites would be a perfect combination and a power booster after lunch or on a rainy day. The preparation time of the dough is 15 minutes and the cooking time is 15 minutes. In hardly 30 minutes cookies are ready from your own oven. There are also some cookie dough available in market. This is my version of making dough with less butter and no eggs.

You need:

1 cup of plain flour
2 tbsp of butter-bring to room temp
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
A pinch of nutmeg powder
A pinch of salt
1 tsp of lemon/orange zest
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of sour cream
Few drops of milk
1/4 cup of nuts like chopped almonds,pistachios,walnuts

Mix all the dry ingredients ... plain flour,salt,baking powder,nutmeg powder. Bring butter to room temp and blend with sugar till the mixture gets softened. Add vanilla extract and lemon zest.Now bring all the dry and wet ingredients together.This mixture resembles bread crumbs. Now add sour cream and sprinkle few drops of milk to form a dough. The best way to do this is with hands on a floured surface. Wrap the dough with cling sheet and refrigerate for 10 -15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator divide in to equal parts and shape it to round and flat. Top it with nuts on each cookie dough.Preheat oven at 400 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes till the color changes to golden brown.Remove from oven, let it cool for sometime and serve with tea.

Tip: Chocolate chips or strawberry jelly are also very good alternate for nuts.

Palak Paneer

4 cups of baby spinach
Paneer cubes -1 cup
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 finely chopped tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic minced
A piece of ginger chopped
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste
Oil 4 tbsp
Sour cream 1tsp(optional)


1.Wash spinach thoroughly and microwave with 1/4 cup of water for 6-8 minutes until its cooked.
2.With 2 tbsp of oil in a pan saute ginger,garlic and onion till its golden brown.Add chopped tomatoes cook for about 3-4 minutes.
3.Remove from fire and transfer the mixture to a food processor and also add the cooked spinach.Pulse it for 2 times.Do not over blend .This is just to bring the mixture together. 4.Meanwhile with the remaining 2 tbsp of oil fry the paneer till it turns slightly brown and pat with kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
5.In a pan, add the processed mixture and paneer cubes.Add all the spice powder- red chilli powder,cumin,coriander,garam masala and salt.Bring it to a boil.Finally, add the sour cream / whipped cream.
6.Palak paneer goes well with rotis, naan and basmati rice.

Tip:To get the real taste of paneer, soak the fried paneer in luke warm water for 2-3 minutes.This increases the size and softness.

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini -2 nos
Diced tomatoes- 1/4 cup
Dried Basil- 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Finely chopped garlic - 1 tsp
Grated romano and parmesan cheese- 4 tbsp
Chopped spring onions- 4 tbsp
Salt and pepper

1. Cut zucchini into 1 inch pieces. Scoop out with melon baller or a rounded spoon.
2. Place in a bowl filled with water and microwave for 3 minutes with a pinch of salt.This is to make the zucchini tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix all the other ingredients..diced tomatoes,garlic,olive oil,lemon juice,basil,chopped spring onions,salt and pepper.
4. Fill the scooped zucchini with the tomato mix and top it with cheese.
5. At 375 degree, bake for 8-10 minutes till the cheese melts and becomes golden brown.

Eggless Mango Ice cream

Mango ice cream is simple and semi homemade. It just needs 3 ingredients.

1 Can of Mango pulp
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 container of whipped cream

Optional:
1 Mango cut into small bits /1/4 cup of tutti fruity
Mint leaves for decoration

Mix mango pulp,condensed milk and whipped cream.Whisk well till it becomes fluffier.Do not beat with hand mixer since that flattens the mixture.Transfer to a bowl and freeze it.Remove it after 2-3 hours mix with the mango pieces and put back in the freezer for 8-10 hours.Decorate with mint leaves.Mint leaves goes very well with mango ice cream.This is very good make ahead dessert for parties.

Home made Jangiris

1cup Urad dal
1/4cup Raw rice
2 pinch Orange food colour
Salt
Oil for deep frying

For sugar syrup the ratio is 2:1, 2 cups Sugar: 1 cup water
1tsp Rose essence(optional)

Soak Urad dhal and rice together for 60-90 minutes.
Grind them with salt by sprinkling 1/4 cup of water when its too hard to grind
Grind them until they turn soft.. add the food colour to the batter before taking off the batter from the grinder..

Meanwhile take a square shape cotton cloth about 10"x 10" in size and cut open a hole with a scissor...wash the cloth n keep it humid..heat oil in a pan.Take a ladle full of batter and pour it in the cloth holding the cloth tightly press over the hot oil into concentric rings. Initially its going to be hard.With practice it comes out very well.
Heat sugar with water until it turns to one string consistency.Add the rose essence to the syrup.Once jangiris are done, the oil will be slightly bubbling.At the time, take off the jangiris n put them directly in sugar syrup, turn the jangiris well in both sides..jangiris absorbs the sugar syrup and get a beautiful transparent orange colour, arrange them in a plate.

Barley Pilaf

Barley 1 cup
Vegetable stock/water 2 ½ cups
Onion (red/white) chopped 1 cup
Mixed Vegetables (carrot, zucchini, peas, beans) 1 cup
Garlic 3 pods crushed/chopped finely
Cilantro and Parsley finely chopped ¾ cup
Ginger 1 inch piece
Garbanzos 1 can ( drained)
Garam masala powder 1 ½ tsp
Lemon zest 1 tsp
Olive oil/butter 3 tbsp
Roasted walnuts 2 tbsp


Dry roast barley in a pan/kadai for 2 mins. Transfer and cook barley in a pressure cooker with vegetable stock/ water. Let it go for 3 whistles.Meanwhile heat oil/butter in a pan, add garlic, chopped ginger and onions. Cook for 2-3 mins until the onions turn slightly brown.Add the vegetables and garbanzos. Let it cook for 5-8 minsStir in with garam masala powder,lemon zest and cilantro/parsley mixture.Add the cooked barley and mix well with all vegetables.Garnish with roasted walnut and serve hot.

Vegetarian Sushi

Sushi is a very good party starter/appetizer.Its simple to make and healthy too.I am sharing my husband's recipe here:
Ingredients

Sushi rice 1/2 cup
Rice vinegar 1 tbsp
Pickled sushi ginger slices
Wasabi paste
Thinly sliced avocado 1/2 cup
Thinly sliced carrot 1/4 cup
Red bell pepper 1/4 cup
Nori sheets
Water 1 cup
Bamboo placemat

Cook the sushi rice with 1 cup of water and add rice vinegar.
To assemble, lay a nori sheet shiny side down on a bamboo placemat and spread out cooked rice up to one half of the sheet, so that rolling of the sheet will be easier. Press the cooked rice gently on the nori sheet. Wet your hands with water if necessary to avoid stickyness.Leave a space of about 2 inches from the rice and (in the middle of the rice)place the sliced avacado,red bell pepper, carrot and start rolling tightly along with the bamboo placemat. Remove the bamboo placemat.Now it appears like a log. Slice into 1 inch thickness or according to your requirement. Apply a teeny tiny bit of wasabi paste on each sushi piece and add thinly sliced sushi ginger on top.Voila and your sushi is ready.