Recipe of the week -
Appertiser for the 2nd Week of March 2018
Stuffed Sweet Peppers Serving Portion: 4
Ingredients:
4 small 2” by 1 ½ “bell peppers (in different colors- yellow, orange, red any color combination) ¼ C Orzo Pasta, cook as directed
2tbsp frozen chopped mixed vegetable (corn, peas, carrots, beans & broccoli floret, chopped in small pieces suitable for the filling) 2tbsp chopped onion, 2tbsp olive oil , ½tsp salt ¼tsp black pepper ¼tsp red chili powder or Cayenne powder
For cream dressing:
Ingredients:
1tbsp olive oil
1tbsp lemon juice
2tbsp whipping cream
¼tsp Italian herb salt
1tbsp Mayo
2 leaves of fresh mint
Method:
Filling:
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add onion, sauté for a minute. Now add the mixed chopped vegetables and mushrooms. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.
Take from heat and cool. Add 2tbsp Parmesan Romano Cheese and mix.
Toss salad with dressing, adding 1tbsp at a time, until the salad is just moistened according to your requirement for the filling. Keep aside.
The Bell Peppers
Half, lengthwise and deseed the bell peppers. Add salt and pepper to olive oil, mix and sprinkle the oil on the peppers (inside and outside), so as to coat them with oil.
Heat a griddle on high and roast the peppers until black spots appear on their skin. Take them from heat. Let cool a bit and then stuff them with the prepared filling.
Bake the peppers in 350 degrees Fahrenheit, preheated oven, for 3-5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Serve hot as snack bites.
Variation: The peppers after roasting can be stuffed with different fillings of your taste.
Some alternatives are:
Stir-fry Rice with vegetables:
Ingredients: Boil ¼ C rice, brain liquid and put it in a colander. Keep aside.
2tbsp chopped onion; 2tbsp tomato puree; 2tbsp chopped, deseeded tomatoes; 1 clove garlic minced; 1 green chili, chopped fine; salt & pepper to taste; 1tbsp fresh chopped cilantro leaves; 1tbsp olive oil;
Method:
1. Heat oil sauté onion, green chili, and garlic for a minute.
2. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Now add salt & pepper to taste. Add rice, mix and cover. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Take from heat and cool a little, then fill the prepared bell peppers.
4. Put Mozzarella cheese on the filling top of the peppers to cover them.
Bake for 3-5 minutes in 350*F preheated oven. Serve hot immediately.
You can use Warm Corn & Mushroom Salad (given above) for stuffing the peppers.
Put the cheese on the stuffed pepper just like the rice stuffed peppers, and bake before serving
Recipe for the Christmas Week
Christmas Baking Gifts & festival layout
Eggplant casserole; Filled mushroom caps; Healthy fruit salad; & Fresh Fruit bonanza layout;
Recipe of the Last Week
(2nd week of Nov. 2017)
'Sarsoo Ka Sag and Makki ke Roti.
Last week's recipe
Can see the recipes under 'Lingering Tastes of North India. weeks This is winter delicious meal of Punjab.
(September Recipe 2017)
Masala Kamal Kakari- Lotus Root: This root also nutritious and can be prepared in different ways.
Lotus Root Dishes Masala Kamal Kakari- Lotus Root: Serves-4.
Ingredients:
250gm Lotus root stick(Bahai –Kamal Kakari)
1 medium onion grated
2tbsp chopped tomatoes
1 green finely chopped or minced
1” piece ginger root, minced
1tsp salt
½tsp red chili powder or to taste
½tsp amchur powder or Anardana powder
½tsp haldi
1-2tbsp oil or ghee
Method:
1. Wash thoroughly lotus root to remove the grit from its wholes completely. Scrape the root, cut into 1”pieces and boil the kamal kakri, until cooked soft. Put a center cut in each piece. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil or ghee in a pan add onion, ginger and green chili, cook on medium high stirring until the onions are light brown. Lower heat, add tomatoes and 2tbsp water cook until a paste is formed and the oil leaves the sides.
3. Add salt, red chili powder, haldi and anardana powder or amchur powder. Mix and cook for 2 minutes, until the masala is dry..
4. Take the bahai/kamal kakari pieces, and fill the cut portion of each of them with the prepared masala. Place the filled lotus root pieces in the same pan with the remaining masala and ¼C water. Mix gently so the pieces are not broken and are coated with the masala.
5. Cook on Medium low heat on a simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the masala is cooked and the liquid has dried.
6. Serve in a serving dish, garnished with coriander leaves.
Paneer Dishes
1. Paneer Shasklik: Paneer (Cottage cheese) Shasklik: 4 servings
Potato Canapé: Makes 4 Canapé’s.
Make the potato filling: Ingredients:Boil 1 medium potato, roughly mash it.
1tbsp finely chopped onion; 1tbsp chopped tomatoes; 1tsp crushed ginger root;
½green chili chopped; ½tsp salt; ½tsp red chili flakes; ¼ tsp anardana powder
1 chopped curry patta; ¼ tsp cumin seeds;
For Batter;
¼C Besan; ¼tsp each salt m, and pepper; 1tbsp buttermilk;
2 White slices (one day old), cut into 4 rectangles each
Oil for cooking
Method:
Make the filling:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when seeds stop cracking
add onion, ginger, chili, curry patta.
2. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions are light brown.
3. Add tomatoes continue to cook till the tomatoes are mushy and oil separates.
Now mix in the mashed potatoes, with all the spices and salt. Stir cook until the potatoes
are coated with the masala and are slightly brown. Take from heat and keep aside.
4. In the meantime mix the batter ingredients and form a smooth, coating consistency batter.
5. Take 2 bread rectangles Spread 1tsp of the filling on it. Cover it with the other
square press the sides to cover filling completely.
6. In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. Dip the prepared bread squares in batter
and fry the squares, 2 at a time.
7. When they are light brown on both sides, drain on kitchen paper towel and serve with ketchup.
Healthy Soup for how are dieting : Vegetable Soup:
Ingredients: 100gm Pumpkin; 50gm bottle gourd; 50gm ridge gourd; 25gm carrot;
7-8 cauliflower florets; 20gm celery; 50gm green vegetables of your choice;
½ tsp olive oil; Coriander, pepper and thyme as seasonings of your choice
Method:
Steam the vegetables. Add water and blend them in a blender.
Heat oil in a pan, and then add the vegetables and seasonings of your choice.
Take the soup, hot or cold as desired.
Remember to take a cup of chopped fruit or a slice of fruit every 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Choose from Apples, oranges, grapefruit, papaya, pomegranate or melon.
Caution:
If you are receiving any medical treatment or suffering fron any illness, do consult doctor before starting this diet.
In India during Navratri Festival People keep fast in which they eat special food without wheat, cereals and rice products. Here are some of the popular traditional dishes for Navratri -
Navratri Dishes
Navratri ke Pakwan
1. Navratri Potato Arbi Chat: (Navratri Aloo-ArbiChat) Masala aloo 2. Varat Pakoras:
3. Curd - Yogurt
4. Aloo in lmli Chutney
5. Aloo Chowloi Varat Tikki
6. Arbi Kababs
7. Kheer- Phool Makana Kheer
For details go to Navratra page.
Badam Halwa
For 2 persons Ingredients in the bracket.
Badam Halwa: Makes: 3-4 servings
Preparation time: 10mts. Cooking time: 15mts.
Ingredients:
2C almonds/ (1/4 C)
2 ½C sugar/ (1/4 C)
2 drops saffron color or 6-8strands of saffron crushed and soaked in a little water(optional)
1C ghee/1/4 C)
1C milk / (1/4C)
Method:
1. Soak the almonds in water for 2hours or soak them in hot water for an hour. Remove the skin and reserve 4-5tbsp- soaked water.
2. Grind the Almonds with milk, to a paste.
3. Make sugar syrup and boil till one thread consistency is formed.
4. Add the badam paste and cook till the mixture is thickens. Mix the saffron in the cooking mixture.
5. Add ghee little by little stirring constantly on low heat until all the ghee is incorporated with the mixture and forms the halwa.
Serve hot.