Edible Bowl

It’s incredible how we cook frantically at times, to fix a quick dinner or a short lunch. But often times, we crave for a delicious meal, slow cooked and simmered to perfection, with an enormous touch of seasoning. I suppose in those days, women spend most of their time in their kitchen, relaxing and taking their own time to cook. And I suppose that’s one of the best workouts, which keeps them fit all through.

Today often we eat out at work, microwave some pre-cooked foods or worse, grab a burger from a fast-food restaurant. Not really knowing (or rather caring) what's good and what's not. I suppose this is mostly the daily happenings with working women.

But, for all those days of fast-food, for all those days of eat-outs, for all those days of unhealthy-meals,
here is something with a difference. Inspired and adapted from Panera Bread’s soup in a bread bowl, dear friendly friends, I present you, savored and sweltered onion soup in an incr(edible) bowl.

SOUP IN A BREAD BOWL
[Serves 2]

• 2 medium Onions- thinly sliced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth[Optional]. Use 1/2 cup Vegetable stock instead.
• a small piece of ginger
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 firm round bread loaf/preferably sour dough bread.
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp oil or more
• 1 tbsp shredded cheese(Optional)

Slice the bread at the top, just to make a slight opening at the top. Scrape out the soft bread carefully from inside the loaf. It should look like a hollow bowl. Place the bread bowl under broiler for 1 minutes(or less), just to harden the surface. This is done to avoid the bread from absorbing the liquid from the soup.

In wide pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the onions and leave it to cook till tender[do not stir in between]. Once tender or lightly browned, fry the onions over medium heat, till they become nicely browned(dark golden brown).

Add the vegetable stock and beef or chicken broth if using, along with the ginger and bring to boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix in the chopped cilantro.

Spoon in the soup into the bread bowl, and top it with cheese if using and broil for just 30 seconds or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with corn or tortilla chips.

'Simplicity' is the key Ingredient

Sometimes, we crave for delicious, home-cooked, complete and a filling meal, like the simmering pot of chicken curry from our grandma's kitchen. But there are times, when we want simple and 'on the go' breakfast. As simple as bread, butter and sugar! Here is one such recipe. Bake the pancake and toss in few vegetables and there you go, healthy and a simple breakfast.

 
BAKED VEGETABLE PANCAKES
Recipe Courtesy : tasteofhome magazine.

For the Pancake
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Eggs - 1 beaten
Milk - 1/2 cup
Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1tsp
Salt - 1/4tsp

Or, for a quicker breakfast, use a store bought Bisquick Pancake mix!

For the Topping
You can use any vegetables you prefer, but here is what I used.

Broccoli florets - 1/2 cup
Green Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
Onions - 1 Sliced lengthwise
Tomato - 1 Chopped
Mushroom - 1/4 cup (Optional)
Frozen Corns - 1 tbsp
Jalapenos - 1 tsp Chopped (Optional)
Carrot and peas - 1/2 cup
Salt- 1/2tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Ground Pepper or Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cheese - Shredded 1/2 Cup (Mozzarella or Cheddar)

Place the un-melted butter in a pie-pan, and place it in the oven, pre-heated at 450°F, and heat until the butter is melted.Carefully, tilt the butter to coat the pan.

In a separate bowl, mix the ingredients for the pancake until smooth. Pour into the pie-pan and bake for 12-16 minutes or until brown.

While the pancake is baking, heat oil in a skillet, add the onion and fry for few minutes, add the vegetables and fry for few minutes in a high flame, till tender and crisp. Add salt and chili powder.

P.S.Cooking the vegetables can be skipped, if you prefer raw-vegetables.

Once the pancake is done, remove the pan carefully, sprinkle the cheese and top it with the cooked vegetables. Return the pie-pan to the oven and bake for another few 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

P.S. Instead of vegetables, you can top it with berries, powdered sugar and whipped topping for a sweet treat!

 

Sending this recipe to Sunday Snacks-Healthy Snacks event, Jihva for Ingredients event hosted as Jhiva-Breakfast event.  Sending the photo to the DMBLGIT event hosted by Susan of the The well seasoned cook

FAN-tastic Croissants

If you have ever been to coffee day, and diligently lingered on those smoky, vegetable stuffed croissants, you will understand the reason behind my post-title. Yes! The soft-sweet croissants with the spicy stuffing made me a coffee-day fanatic.

But I never took it to making them at home, not until..couple of days back. When I came across 'Crescent Samosas', yes, that's how they named it in the 'tasteofhome' magazine, it unknowingly kindled my remembrance of those tasty eat-outs. So, here I am.

STUFFED CROISSANTS

Followed the same procedure as mentioned in the recipe, with an authentic-samosa stuffing. You can try using your own savory or the kids-friendly sweet stuffing. Do watch this video, if your are not familiar with rolling the crescents.

I used 1 Can(8-0z) reduced-fat crescent rolls [I used Pillsbury Crescent]. Contains 8-triangles.

Stuffing

• Potato - 1 medium boiled and cubed
• Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
• Green peas frozen -1/2 cup
• Carrot - 1/2 cup frozen(Optional)
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic - 1 clove chopped
• Green chili -1 chopped
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
• Grouded fresh pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

In a pan, saute the cumin seeds, green chili, garlic and onion in oil until lightly browned. Stir in the peas, carrot and potato. Add the coriander powder, armchur powder and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and lightly mash them Sprinkle with garam masala.

Separate the crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place 1 tablespoon of the stuffing on the wide end of each triangle; roll from the wide end and curve at the edges to form the crescent shape. Make sure to keep the pointed-end underneath when arranging on a baking sheet. Use an un-greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes as per the instructions on the tube or until golden brown.

 

 

Sending this recipe to Rahin's Semi Homemade -Indian Recipes event and Kids delight Wholesome breakfast event.

Also sending this recipe to Think Spice - Think Amchur event hosted by Bhagya of Taste Buds, started by Sunita of Sunita's world.

One hot plate

My plan was to make the most common and popular street food known in every corner of Tamilnadu, the so called 'Kothu Paratha'. Unfortunately my pantry was missing the important ingredient-'the egg' to make the recipe.

But this one is yet another paratha recipe, which is a daily menu in almost all south-Indian restaurants. I used almost the same ingredients which calls for chili paratha, but varying the method of preparation. There are few different recipes for a chili paratha, which I promise to post later.

A simple recipe but a hot and spicy one, as its name suggests.

CHILI PARATHA

• Paratha - 3 [fresh or frozen]
• Capsicum/Green Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup [cut into bigger pieces]
• Onion - 1 [cut into bigger pieces]
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chili -1 chopped
• Tomato - 1 [Mashed using a mortar pestle]
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
• Oil - 3tbsp

Take an iron skillet and heat 3-tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, splutter the cumin seeds. Add onion, green chili and fry till brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes.

Now add the bell peppers and cook till tender. After the bell peppers are cooked, if you see oil floating in the pan then drain out the extra oil.

Add the coriander powder and red chili powder and fry for another minute. Now add the mashed tomato and salt, simmer and keep frying till the tomato is cooked.

Add in the paratha pieces and stir well. Once everything is mixed, transfer to a wide hot iron griddle or tava, and spread out the paratha mixture. Cook over medium heat, slowly turning them, without spilling out. Make sure, the paratha's are slightly browned and crisp.

P.S. The last step is very important, which gives a final touch and a smoky flavor to the dish.

The recipe is on its way to to the Healthy Fast food event organized by Radhika of Food for 7 stages of life.