Savory Bread Pudding February 23, 2008

When one thinks of bread pudding, the sweet cinnamony twin of my dish comes to mind. I like my muffins, pancakes and waffles for brunch and sometimes, dinner..but a savory bread pudding is an anytime meal! It can be a great brunch for a lazy weekend or a one dish dinner.Ê

What you need

• 4-5 Slices of whole grain bread (I used Trader Joe’s Sprouted grain bread)
• 2 Cups of non-fat milk
• 1/4 cup of chopped olives
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 Tsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup of 2% mixed shredded cheese
• 1/2 Cup of shaved parmesan cheese

How its done

1. Dice the onions and the bell peppers- the bell pepper dices can be a bit chunky
2. Heat a fry pan and add the olive oil to it. When the oil heats up, add the onions and saute till transparent, add the chopped bell peppers and season lightly with salt and pepper (I say slightly because you will be adding olives and the cheeses that have salt in them- a pinch should be enough), till the peppers are half cooked. Add the olives and turn off the heat. Set aside and let cool.
3. Shred the slices of bread in a bowl. Add the milk. Since this recipe doesn’t have egg, take care that the milk is just enough to really moisten the bread. Too much milk will make the pudding soggy.
4. Add the shredded cheese and the cooled vegetable mixture and mix well.
5. Cover and let sit in the fridge for about 3-4 hours (or overnight, if making for brunch).
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
7. Spray a baking dish with butter flavored spray or regular cooking oil and put the bread mixture in the dish. Top with the parmesan cheese and bake for about 35-40 minutes till you see a crust form on the sides and the cheese is all melty. Switch of the heat and let cool.

Serve warm with your favorite TV series!

This is my contribution to Meeta’s Monthly Mingle for February:

Ajnabee, tum jaane pehchane lagte ho…. February 22, 2008

O Stranger, you seem familiar to me….The afternoon with fellow bloggers reminds me of this old Kishore Kumar melody. When I decided to go for theÊCA Bloggers meet, I saw it as an opportunity to meet new people. Having recently moved to the Bay Area, this was a great way for me to build my network. I’ve never done such a thing- go to meet complete strangers. In sharing what went through my head as the event approached,ÊI will echoÊThe-Cooker,ÊSreeluÊandÊmadras2madurai- will it be awkward meeting these strangers? I am new to the blogging world and I looked at all the blogs, saw the comments and the banter, and thought to myself- Oh my god, they’ve got such a rapport…will I be the only stranger in the room? And, I have to make someone else’s recipe- will that come out the way the author intended it to? The pressure was intense…I don’t think I’ve ever felt the pressure cooking as I did the days leading up to event. I decided to makeÊBeetroot PulaoÊfrom Chef Mythreyee- I thought it was a unique use of Beetroot! A week before the event, I reviewed the recipe, checked my pantry to see if I have the ingredients- made a trip to the desi store to get MTR Pulao Masala (I didn’t know there was such a product out there!). And, unlike me- I stuck to the recipe as the Chef detailed it. The only difference was in the equipment- I used my electric rice cooker, oh and I added some lime juice when I added to rice and vegetable mixture to the rice cooker (a family friend had given me that trick to ensure that rice doesn’t stick together). The result was this gorgeous rice delight, and it tasted…..soooooo gooood….even if it means I’m tooting my own horn (although the credit goes to the Chef- Thanks, Mythreyee!)ÊÊÊÊ So, I arm myself with the pulao rice, directions to The-cooker’s abode and I’m the first one there…….we got chatting and the doorbell rings and the others start coming in….and from there the chatter never stopped- here we were, meeting for the first time, sharing our experiences, talking about our favorite grocery store (good’ol Trader Joes!), our recipes, our experiences leading up to the meet, what we can do next, how do we continue the conversations- anyone looking on wouldn’t thought we’ve known each other for our entire lives! ÊTwo hours into chatting and munching on yummy eats that The-cooker and Sreelu had made, we Êrealized that we had stuff to do- Eat more! ÊWhat a fun day….thanks all for a wonderful event..can’t wait till the next one. Ok..enough of my rambling..time to let you hear from others that were there:ÊRevathi,Êthe torch is yours…Ê

Of Masala Dabbas and Spice Guns February 15, 2008

For the longest time, I was attached to my masala dabbas…..you know, the typical Indian kind- a steel container that has 6-9 steel katoras with a “cover” to keep the masalas from mixing and a lid.ÊI used to have two- one for north indian masalas (dhaniya powder, zeera, haldi, lal mirchi powder,salt, garam masala) and another for the south indian tadka essentials (mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chillis, chana dal, urad dal, methi seeds).ÊÊÊÊÊÊ No “test tube” masala rack or those wooden racks with little bottles appealed to me…till I found (or I should say, G found for me)- the magnetic spice rack. Not the kind that takes up counter space….these are little dabbas that are neatly tucked away on the inside of my cabinet door. I love my little masala dabbas…..they’re easy- just twist and tap; twist back and stick to the door (magnet on the back of the dabbas takes any work out of that too!).ÊÊÊÊÊAnd, now there’s anothe device in the market-Êthe Spice Gun……I can only say one thing about this- I’d like to see the tool junkies cook with this thing!! You have to give it to the inventor, tho- its cool that someone of thought of using the nail gun principle to spices! Now, instead of opening dabbas, I can be trigger happy!

Black Bean and Vegetable Grilled Sandwich February 12, 2008

ÊÊ Ê ÊÊÊÊ ÊEver so often, we like to have a toasted or grilled sandwich for dinner. Its a break from the routine of rice or chapati. For me, the challenge is always to find ways of getting more protein in our predominantly vegetarian diet. So, what would add some protein and not just be veggies and cheese? Well, I could make something with black beans, edamame, chickpeas, lentils….but they need to be in a form conducive to be situated between two slices of bread and not fall apart…hmmmm…I’d bought a can of Trader Joe’s Fat Free Refried Beans with Jalapenos, maybe I could use that to come up with some kind of a patty….

What You NeedÊ

• Ê1/2 a Can of Trader Joe’s Fat Free Refried Beans with Jalapeno peppers(or any other kind of refried beans you prefer)
• 1 Cup of Edamame
• 1/2 Cup of grated or finely diced carrots
• 3 Tbsps of chopped cilantro
• 1/2 Tsp of Cumin powder
• 1/2 Tsp of Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs plus a cup for coating
• 2 Lite Cheddar cheese sticks
• 4 slices of bread (a Whole Wheat or sprouted grain bread-no white bread, please)
• Cooking oil spray

For Topping

• 1 Onion, cut in half moons
• 1 Green bell pepper, also cut in half moons
• 1 1/2 Tsps of Olive Oil (or any olive oil based dipping oil you have at hand)
• salt and pepper to taste

How its doneÊ

1. ÊPreheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. Chop the cheese sticks into small cubes (about 3-a-piece)
3. Take a 1 gallon ziplock bag and put the chopped onion and bell pepper to it. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Seal the bag and squish the bag around so all the vegetables are coated in the oil and salt. Set aside till the oven is hot.Ê
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the onion-pepper mix so its in one layer and pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes, till the onions and pepper are well grilled and browning.
5. While thats roasting, lets make the rest of the sandwich. Take a mixing bowl and mix the first 6 ingredients till it all holds together in a ball.
6. Divide the mixture into two and shape into patties. Stuff the patties with the cheese cubes and ensure that they are well covered with the bean mix.
7. Coat the patties with some breadcrumbs.
8. Heat a non-stick fry pan and spray some cooking spray on it (I use Misto which allows me to use my cooking oil)
9. Put one patty on the hot pan and let it set. DO NOT MOVE THE PATTY-this will ensure a crisp crust is formed. after about 5 minutes flip to the other side and again, DO NOT MOVE IT.
10. Repeat with the other patty.
11. Spray the pan again with olive oil (or butter, if you prefer) and grill the slices of bread.Ê
12. Now, we’re ready to assemble- place one grilled slice on a place, place the patty on it and then top it with the oven roasted onion-pepper and close it with another grilled slice. Hold together with a toothpick.

A filling high protein vegetarian sandwich which has almost all of the food pyramid in it- some oil, dairy, vegetables and whole grain! Enjoy!

ÊÊ

Caramelized Onion and Spicy Jack Curd Pizzette February 1, 2008

The first time I heard about Jihva For Ingredients, I thought it was a great idea for cooks like me to get ideas for how many ways an ingredient can be converted to delicious foods. And, what a way to learn about different cultures and try to indigenize it to yours, or vice versa! Kudos to Indira of Mahanandi for the ingenious idea, and thanks to Radhi for hosting the event! My first ever contribution to the Jihva For Ingredients is Caramalized Onion and Spicy Cheese Pizzette. Pizzettes are little pizzas. The first time I made these little mouthfuls of joy was when I had some frozen pizza dough on hand and a few onions I wanted to use up. Its a great appetizer and quite simple to make.

What You Need

• 12 Oz. of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (I made my own; you can also use any frozen or fresh pizza dough from your local store)
• 2 Onions (Red or Yellow onions have more flavor)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
• 8 Oz. of Fresh Spicy Jack Curd or Cheese (fresh spicy mozzarella would work well as well- I use Mike’s Firehouse Jack Curd available at my local farmer’s market)
• 1 Bottle (12 Oz.) Izze Blackberry
• 2 Tbsps of Harissa ( You can use any spicy chutney or spread you might have on hand)

 

How Its Done

1. Peel and dice the onions. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the onions. Stir periodically till onion turns transparent.
2. Add salt and continue to cook the onions (stirring periodically to make sure they don’t burn) till they begin to brown (the sugar in the onion is caramelized).
3. Add the Izze to the onion and let cook down till there is no liquid left. The sugars in the Izze will be concentrated in the onions, enhancing the sweetness in the onions. Turn off the heat and let cool.
4. While the onions are cooling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and start working on the Pizzettes.
5. Roll our your pizza dough (if using frozen, follow package instructions to thaw) as thin as you can, making sure the dough doesn’t stick to the surface or is too thin to hold the toppings.
6. Use a glass or a cooke cutter and cut round discs out of the rolled dough (you should get about 17-18). Lay them out on a cookie sheet (dusted with corn meal) or a pizza crisper (pizza trays with little holes at the bottom that make the crust crisp).
7. Place an m&m sized dot of the harissa or spicy spread on each pizzette and spread (just like you would spread butter on your toast).
8. Next, top the pizzettes with the caramelized onions and pop them in the oven for about 6-7 minutes till the pizzettes start to brown.
9. If you’re using a firm cheese (pepper jack), you can top the pizzettes with the cheese and optional red pepper flakes before step 8 and bake till you see the cheese bubble and melt. If you’re using a soft cheese (such as fresh mozzarella) or cheese curds (like I did), proceed with step 8 and take the pizzettes out when they start to brown and top them with the cheese and red pepper flakes . Return to the oven and bake till the cheese is melted and bubbly. (these will also taste great with goat cheese, which you can add after the pizzettes are baked)
10. Take it out and let cool for 5 minutes before you serve.

The Pizzettes taste great warm- the sweet and spicy layers with the crunchy crust make each pizzette full of surprises! Buon Appetito!