French toast with low fat side dish (French)

I have tried this as a quick lunch. There are two small recipes involved and served with a French toast(whole wheat) or an egg toast. This cannot be called  “100% French dish” but can be considered for low fat option.

Skillet-Seared Tomatoes with Melted Cheese:

Ingredients:

Ripe tomatoes – 2 (cut in circles)

Cilantro – 1 small bunch (finely chopped)

Garlic – 1 medium clove (minced)

Pepper powder – As required

Salt – As required

Pepper Jack Cheese – 3/4 cup (shredded)

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat the skillet and add oil.

2. Arrange tomatoes in the pan and cook, uncovered, until just tender and the undersides are darkened, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Mix cilantro and garlic in a small bowl.

4. When the tomatoes are cooked, carefully turn upside down. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. Sprinkle each tomato with salt and pepper, followed by equal proportions of cilantro-garlic mixture and shredded cheese.

6. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Creamed Corn:

Ingredients:

Fresh corn kernels – 2 cups

Low-Fat Milk – 1/2 cup

Corn starch – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Add 1 cup corn, milk, cornstarch and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Tranfer the puree to a pan and add the remaining 1 cup corn.

3. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture simmers and thickens and the corn is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Serve creamed corn with a sprinkle of pepper powder along with toast and tomatoes.

Rava Idli (Karnataka)

Ingredients:

Rava – 2 cups

Curd – 4 cups

Carrot - 1 (grated)

Mustard – 2 tsp

Chana dal – 2 tsp

Cashews – 2 or 3 (depends on your diet:-))

Curry leaves – as required

Cilantro – a small bunch

Salt – as required

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,cashews and chana dal. Once it splutters, add curry leaves.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix rava, grated carrot and the seasoning prepared as above.

3. Mix 2 cups of curd and leave it for a minute.

4. Finely chop coriander leaves and add to the above mixture.

5. Finally, add the remaining 2 cups of curd and stir until the mixture comes to batter consistency.

6. Ladle the batter in idli cooker and cook.

7. Serve the idlis with cilantro chutney and sambhar!

Spinach and Bean Quesadillas (Mexican)

 

Ingredients:

Flour Tortillas – 4

Spinach – a small bunch

Black beans/Red Beans – 1 cup (soaked for about 5 hours)

Cut Corn – 1 cup

Onions – 2

Capsicum – 2

Cumin powder – 2 tsp

Pepper powder – 3 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Salt – as required

Montrey Jack cheese – 1 cup (shredded)

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salsa – for dressing

Method:

1. Nicely chop the onions and capsicum.

2. Add oil in the pan and saute onions until it turns transparent.

3. Then add capsicum, spinach and cut corn and saute for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the beans and cook them until done.

5. Add cumin powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder and salt.

6. Warm up two tortillas to assemble quasedilla for a single serving.

7. Place one tortilla and spread out the filling and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the filling.

8. Place the second tortilla and warm up both the sides.

9. When the tortilla becomes a bit hard and the cheese melts, set it aside.

10. Use a cutter/knife and cut the quasedilla into four pieces and serve with salsa.

Vegetable Noodles (Chinese)

Ingredients:

Chow-mein Noodles or any type of noodles – 1/2 pack

Carrots – 2

Mushrooms – as required

Cabbage – 1 cup (finely chopped)

Beans – 150 gms

Capsicum – 1 (chopped lengthwise)

Onion – 1 (chopped lengthwise)

Tomato – 1/2 (finely chopped)

Garlic – 1 pod (minced)

Green chillies – 3 (finely chopped)

Cilantro – optional

Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp

Soy sauce – optional

Sesame oil – as required

Method:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the skillet and add 2 tbsp of oil.

3. Add onion, green chillies and garlic. Cook until the onions turn translucent.

4. Then add tomato and cook for sometime.

5. Add the remaining vegetables (carrots,beans,capsicum,mushrooms and cabbage) and cook until they are done. If required, add few drops of water so that the vegetables get cooked.

6. Drain the noodles and add into the skillet.

7. Pour in tomato sauce and soy sauce according to your taste.

8. Season it with cilantro and serve hot

Longue vie (Belgian-French)

This’s a simple and healthy recipe which I happened to eat at a Belgian French restaurant .

Ingredients:

Baby carrots – 8

Beans – 100 gms

Broccoli florets – 100 gms

Red kidney beans/Rajma – 200 gms

Green peas – 100 gms

Corn – 100gms

Capsicum – 1/2

Mashed potatoes – optional

Salt – as required

Pepper – as required

Lime juice – 2 tsp

Method:

1. Steam cook all the vegetables.

2. Arrange them in a plate and sprinkle salt and pepper as required.

3. Squeeze lime juice over the vegetables and serve hot.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

Strawberries (large sized) – 4

Banana – 1

Milk – 1/2 cup

Sugar – as required

Ice cubes – 3

Method:

1. Finely chop a strawberry and a half banana and keep it aside.

2. Combine the remaining strawberries, banana, milk, sugar and ice cubes in a blender and blend for a minute.

3. Transfer the juice into the serving glass and add the cut strawberry and banana.

4. Fruity smoothie is ready to serve

Spicy Vegan Enchiladas (Mexican)

This recipe is adapted from Chandra athai(She is one of my aunties and I really liked her delicious Enchiladas). I have learnt from her and I experimented today. I am happy that it has come out well

Ingredients:

Onion – 1/2

Tomatillos – 2 (medium sized)

Ginger – about an inch

Cilantro – 1 small bunch

Green chillies – 3

Peas – as required

Carrots – 2

Corn – as required

Beans – 5 or 6

Lima Beans – as required

Cauliflower – optional

Salt – as required

Flour Tortillas – 6

Monterey Jack cheese – as required (shredded)

Method:

1. Chop the onions and tomatillos. Grind onions, tomatillos, cilantro, ginger,green chillies and required salt in a blender.

2. It is important while grinding that no water is added. Otherwise, the ground sauce becomes watery.

3. Transfer the sauce into a container and set it aside.

4. Boil the vegetables peas, carrots, corn, beans, lima beans and cauliflower.

5. Heat the skillet and warm the tortillas back and forth.

6. Place a scoop of boiled vegetables, a spoon of sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheese over the tortillas and fold them in your way.

7. Grease a microwave bowl and place the stuffed tortillas.

8. Ladle the sauce and cheese over the tortillos.

9. Preheat the oven to 350 degree and place the bowl and let it cook for 20 minutes. And the enchiladas are ready!

I have not used Monterey Jack cheese, instead I used shredded Parmesan cheese. But Montrey Jack cheese will be the apt one.

Paneer sandwiches

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)

Tomato – 1 (finely chopped)

Capsicum – 1/2 (finely chopped)

Ginger – about an inch (minced)

Cilantro – a small bunch (finely chopped)

Green chillies – 2 (finely chopped)

Lime – 1/2

Oil – 2 tbsp

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Salt – as required

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Paneer – 3 tbsp(shredded)

Method:

1. In a pan, add oil and fry capsicum, ginger and green chillies.

2. After a minute, add chopped onions and fry for a while.

3. Then add finely chopped tomatoes and fry until all the ingredients are cooked.

4. Add turmeric,salt,coriander powder and pepper powder.

5. Add small quantity of water to form gravy.

6. Add paneer, squeeze lime and stir well.

7. While serving, spread ’sandwich spread’ over the bread and place a part of gravy over it. Shredded cheese can be sprinkled over the gravy. Place another bread over and microwave it for 2 to 3 minutes.

Moroccan Vegetable Tajin and Atar Allecha with Flat bread (Ethiopian)

We had been to an Ethiopian restaurant last weekend. Initially, I was not much inclined to try African dishes. But as my hubby wanted to try new cuisines, I had no other go but to experiment them. To my surprise, it was delicious and now I have experimented it at home succesfully

Moroccan Vegetable Tajin:

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 2 chopped

Chick peas(soaked for about 8 hours) – 1/2 cup

Carrots – 2 chopped

Onion – 1/2 chopped

Garlic – 1 pod

Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp

Tumeric – 1 tsp

Pepper – 2 tsp

Tomato paste – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Lightly sautee the garlic and the onion in oil.

2. Add cumin seeds and turmeric.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots and chick peas.

4. After frying for few minutes, add water as required to boil the vegetables.

5. Stir until vegetables are cooked.

6. Add Tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.

7. Stir for a while until the gravy is done.

Atar Allecha:

Ingredients:

Onion – 1/2 chopped

Garlic – 1 pod finely chopped

Oil – 1 tbsp

Split green peas – 1 cup soaked, cooked and drained

Tumeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt – As required

Green chillies – 2 finely chopped

Method:

1. Mash the cooked green peas and set aside.

2. Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until the onions turn transparent.

3. Add the mashed peas, tumeric, salt, and chillies and fry for few minutes.

4. Add the water and cook 3-4 mins longer to reduce the mixture to a thick, green, well spiced puree.

Flat bread:

Ingredients:

All purpose flour – 1 cup

Whole wheat flour – 1/4 cup

Cornmeal – 1/4 cup

Active dry yeast – 2 tbsp (one package)

Warm water – 3 1/2 cups

 Method:

1. Mix all the above ingredients and let it set covered for about 3 hours or longer, until batter rises and becomes stretchy.

2. When ready,whip in blender thinning it with 1/2 – 3/4 cup water.Batter will be quite thin.

3. Use 1/2 cup batter per bread and pour in heated pan and quickly swirl pan to spread batter as thin as possible.

4. Batter should be no thicker than 1/8-inch and do not turn over. It is cooked through when bubbles appear all over the top.

5. To serve, lay one bread on a plate, and ladle moroccan vegetable tajin and atar allecha on top, another few breads rolled up or folded in quarters.

Pesarattu (from Andhra Pradesh)

Ingredients:

Whole Moong  – 1 cup

Rice – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2

Green chilies - 4

Ginger – Approx. 1 inch long

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Salt – As required

Oil – As required

Method:

1. Add 1 tbsp rice to 1 cup of whole Moong and soak the mixture in water for around 3 hours.

2. Drain the water and add 1 chopped onion , 4 green chilies, ginger piece, one tea spoon cumin seeds and the salt with a little water.

3. Grind the mixture to a smooth paste.

4. Chop the remaining onion into small pieces, mix the cummin seeds and keep this aside.

5. Keep the frying pan on medium heat and grease it with little oil. Pour about a ladle of paste on it and spread it into a thin round layer like a pan cake and drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the edges of Pesarattu.

6. Sprinkle small quantity of chopped onions, cummin seeds and green chilies on the Pesarattu and cook until the edges become brown.

7. Then flip the Pesarattu over and cook it for a minute, keeping a watch that it does not get charred. Remove from the pan, and your Pesarattu is ready for eating. Serve it with hot ginger chutney or sambhar