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!

Edamame Hummus and Tortilla Chips January 17, 2008

Being a vegetarian, getting enough protein becomes challenging. While lentils are a great source of protein, another very versatile ingredient that comprises 16% protein is edamame, or green soybeans. ¬†You can read about edamame¬†here. I ¬†add edamame to as many dishes as I can- I use edamame for recipes traditionally using peas, I add edamame when I make Maggie noodles, pasta…you name it! I stock up on frozen shelled edamame from the grocery store and defrost it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. In some recipes (soups and stews), you can just add it frozen.This is my favorite snack to whip up when I have unexpected guests and not too much time. I also usually have a couple of packets of Whole Wheat tortillas (they are great as chapattis for a quick meal on a work day). ¬†

 What You Need

• 3 Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 Clove garlic, minced (optional)
• ¬º Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• ¬º Teaspoon coriander powder
• ¬†Salt and pepper to taste
• ¬†Flax Seed to sprinkle (Optional)
• 1 Cup frozen edamame

How its Done

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. Stack the tortillas, cut them in half, then quarters, then eighths- you have 24 chips.
3. Lay them out on a pizza pan (which has holes) or on a cookie sheet over parchment paper
4. Mix the ingredients 2 to 5 and use a basting brush to spread some of this mixture evenly over all the chips.  Sprinkle the Flax Seeds on top. Keep the excess mix aside
5. Pop the chips in the preheated oven for a few minutes, till lightly browned. Turn off heat.
6. Thaw the frozen edamame (a minute or two in the microwave usually does the trick) and transfer to your blender7.     Add the excess mix from step 4 and blend till it’s a fine paste. Add water for a thinner consistency.

Your Chips and dip are ready. If you like it spicy, you can add some crushed pepper flakes when blending. Try this the next time you have guests over..its yummy and its good for you!!  

Chaat Cups November 28, 2007

I love Chaat but like it to be finger food, without the frying. I thought of this recipe when I was thinking of non-fried savory appetizers (other than chips and dip) with a desi flavor. 

What You Need: 

• ¬†Mini Phyllo Dough cups (I use Fillo Factory brand)- 2 pkts of 15 each
• 1 Cup - green mung dal, soaked overnight or sprouted
• 1/2 Teaspoon- Chaat Masala
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Cucumber chopped finely
• Cilantro, chopped finely for garnish
• Tamarind Date Chutney ( usually available in the Indian Grocery stores)

 How Its Done :

Thaw the Phyllo dough cups per instructions. Pre-heat oven to 400 degree farhenheit. Line the Phyllo dough cups on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven for about 5 minutes until heated through (make sure they don’t change color- that means they’re burnt)

1.  Drain the pre-soaked Mung dal and transfer to a microwave safe bowl. Add a little water (1 tablespoon) and some salt microwave for about 5-7 minutes till the dal is cooked but not mushy. Let it cool.
2. Mix the Chaat Masala, juice of a lemon or lime into the moong dal and adjust salt according to your preference.
3. Add the chopped cucumber right at the end when you’re ready to serve. Mix well.
4. Fill the Phyllo dough cups with the moong dal mixture and top each cup with a small serving of the Tamarind Date Chutney. Garnish with the chopped cilantro.

 

Almond Date Laddus November 27, 2007

I¬†tried this recipe after watching Dave Lieberman on Food Network. Its a simple recipe with few ingredients and few steps. Its fairly healthy (its made of natural ingredients and doesn’t involve anything that is processed), although I will not call it a low calorie food.

What you need: 

• ¬†1 Cup- Pitted Mejdool Dates
• ¬†1 Cup- Almonds
• ¬†A couple of tablespoons of honey
• Vegetable/ Canola oil to help roll the balls

How its done:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees farenhiet.
2. Chop the almonds into pieces and lay them out on a cookie sheet. Heat the chopped almonds in the oven till they’re a shade darker
3. Chop the pitted dates into small pieces and process them in your food processor till they form a ball
4. Here’s the messy part- apply some vegetable oil to your hands and mix the chopped, toasted almonds (save the very powdery portion of the chopped almonds) and the chopped dates. Add honey to bind the mixture together. The consistency should be such that you are able to take a chunk of the mixture without any of it disintegrating.
5. Make little balls (laddus) and roll in the saved powdery chopped almonds.

Its hard to keep away from these….¬†

Egg “Fuff” November 25, 2007

My husband grew up in Madras (now called Chennai) and would tell me stories of the Egg “fuff” he and his cousins would get at the Aiyengar Bakeries there. I turned to my friends in the blogosphere, when I first wanted to make Egg Puff and found many, many recipes. Here’s how I make it. Its always a hit as an appetizer:¬†

What you need:

• 6 Boiled Eggs, shelled and cut in three
• 2 Pastry Sheets (I use Pepperidge Farms pastry sheets)
• 3 Large Onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tablespoon ¬†Vegetable/Canola Oil¬†
• 1 Teaspoon - Garam Masala
• 1/2 Teaspoon- Chaat Masala
• 1 Egg, Whisked or lightly beaten (egg wash)¬†
• Chilli powder or red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt to taste

How its done:  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenhiet. Thaw the pastry sheets per directions on the package.

1. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil
2. Once the oil heats up, add the onions and start sauteing them till they become translucent. At that point, add the salt and spices (Garam Masala, Chat Masala, Chilli powder). Feel free to adjust the spices to your tastes.
3. Continue to saute and stir till the onions are brown and about half the quantity of what you started with. Switch off the heat and let it cool.
4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  
5. Roll the pastry sheet out so you cut 9 squares of about 4 inches (18 4 X 4 Squares)
6. Spread a generous teaspoon of the onion filling on one corner of a pastry square and top it with a piece of boiled egg.
7. Lift the opposite corner and cover the flap over the filling and the egg, sealing the edges with  your fingers or using a fork dipped in water. Repeat for all remaining pastry squares
8. Line all the puffs on the cookie sheet. Brush each pastry with the egg wash. Bake for about 10-15 minutes till the puff is golden brown.

Best served with tomato ketchup.