Pesto-Cottage Cheese Sandwich | Quick Bite

 

Hi All!!!

I’m here with yet another easy to make, quick fix sandwich which I personally love a lot. There’s a tea bar named kettle close to my home, apart from the various flavours of tea they also serve sandwiches, muffins and a few desserts. I love this place and whenever possible, me and the kid hang out there.

 

Amongst the variety of the sandwiches that Kettle serves, is also the Pesto-Paneer Sandwich and I order it most of the times when I visit the place. I normally stock up Basil leaves in my refrigerator and use it largely for flavouring. But this time I took some time out and made some fresh Basil pesto. It’s not that I’ve not made pesto earlier but in the last few months the leaves would finish before I could think of grinding them.

I love the freshness of the Basil leaves, it just refreshes my mind. I love to play around with this herb creatively and innovatively in my dishes. Have posted a few recipes earlier using this herb and my favourite amongst them is the bruschetta!!

This time I spent a good time peeling the pine nuts which gives an authentic taste to the pesto but I excused myself from adding the parmesan cheese as I was planning to use the Cottage Cheese. This sandwich is ready to eat in flat ten minutes if you have a pesto made in advance and there’s no big recipe behind the filling, it can be quite a flexible mix based on your taste buds..

Pesto-Cottage Cheese Sandwich

Preparation Time:5mins | Cooking Time: 3mins/ sandwich | Serves:3-4 | Difficulty Level:Easy

Ingredients

6-8 bread slices (I used whole wheat)

2-3tbsp Home made basil pesto

chilli flakes ( as required)

Italian seasoning (as required)

Freshly ground pepper (as required)

salt (if required)

olive oil (if required)

150gms soft cottage cheese/ paneer

Method

    

Cube the cottage cheese into small cubes and mix it with the pesto, chilli flakes, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. After mixing if you find that the stuffing is dry, mix a little olive oil.

Meanwhile preheat the sandwich maker or the panini grill. Spread the mix evenly on a bread slice and then cover it with the second slice of bread.

Apply oil or use oil spray on the grill and place the sandwich. Grill for 2-3mins.

Remove the sandwich from the grill, cut the sandwich into halves and serve hot with some tomato sauce.

Sending this to my event ‘ONLY’ Sandwiches, burgers and Panini, guest hosted by Savi-Ruchi.

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Potato- Fox Nut Curry | Aloo- Makhana Curry | Vegan Curry

 

Hi!!

Hope all my readers are hale and hearty and enjoying the monsoon. The city I live in is still to see a proper rainfall but I’m happy as the temperature has come down a bit…I’ve learnt to thank God for small mercies!!! My eyes and sinus is improving too, thanks for enquiring about me and all the concern, I’m truly touched!!

I’m still not into elaborate cooking as heat of the burner troubles me, so I’m more into quick preparations. I’m avoiding roasting my masala for curries and missing it too, hopefully will cook and post an elaborate recipe in a few days, till then enjoy reading my quick preparations, and I also personally feel there are many more cooks and readers who indulge in quick cooking and these posts are definitely useful for them.

This curry is very simple to try, quick to make, needs few ingredients and yet there’s no compromise on taste. Many people have this false illusion that if the curry has many ingredients and exotic spices added the recipe and preparation is good, I mean with all the exotic things going into it it is bound to be good,what’s so big about it? But the trick and art is in using few ingredients and making the food tasty.

I feel like mentioning my great granny here….she had seen tough times in her life and towards the end of her life she just had enough to meet her day to day needs but she had a warm heart, which welcomed all her guests with a smile and out of the little food that she could afford and cook, she would serve them. The lentils she cooked literally had a spoon of oil with bare minimum spices but the flavor and taste was just awesome, I’ve not yet tasted a better daal than what she made.

I had asked my readers on my fan page that which recipes using potatoes they would like to read in my blog, one of the readers wanted potato-vari but vari is not easily available here but the instead of fox nut the vari can be fried and added in this preparation. One just needs to keep the spice level up when using vari.

Preparation Time: 15mins

Cooking Time:10mins

Serves:4

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients

1tbsp ginger, grated

2green chilies, sliced

1/2 cup tomato puree ( I used readymade)

5potatoes, boiled and hand crushed

1cup fox nut

1tsp mustard seeds

3 –4tbsp oil +  1tbsp oil

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1tsp red chili powder

2tbsp coriander powder

1/2tsp sugar

salt to taste

about 2-3cups water

Method

Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and roast the fox nuts on a medium flame till crisp. Remove in a plate.

Heat the remaining oil and add the mustard and let it splutter. Add the chilies and ginger, sauté for few seconds.

Add the tomato puree and sauté till oil separates. Add the spices, salt and sugar.

Mix in the crushed potatoes and cook in the spices on high heat for 2-3mins.

Add water and bring it to a boil. Once the curry boils, tip in the fox nut. Cover with a lid and cook till the fox nuts soften and absorb the flavor, also the curry has to reduce to a semi thick consistency.

Serve hot with rice or Poori/ chapati.

Tip:

The fox nut can be deep fried but it soaks a lot of oil and hence I avoid frying them and prefer roasting till they are crisp.

The tomatoes add sourness to the curry, to balance the sourness sugar is added.

 

Sending this to my event 'Only' Crazy For Potato, guest hosted at Nivedhanam.

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Kanda-Kairi Kochkayi | Instant Pickle | Maharashtrian Cuisine

 

Hi all!

Last few days have been torturous for me, I had severe sinusitis and to add to it,  I was facing dry eyes problem too. Normal vision was getting affected plus there was an unbearable eye pain and head ache. Light was a no no..so with great difficulty I had posted both the event round ups as I could not bear the glare of the laptop screen too…

The problem still persists and it will take some time to get rectified so thought of posting a quick recipe which is just apt for this mango season and will not make me sit in front of the screen for a long time. I know it’s kind of painful to sit in front of the screen but sitting idle is not my cup of tea.. so decided to type for short durations in a day and whenever the post will get completed, will post it. No deadlines to follow currently..

A few days back, I had posted on my face book fan page that I’m into a raw mango mania..I’ve been trying to make the best use of it to fulfill all my fancies and marvels of this fruit! I love the sourness of the raw mango and love to use it in creating new recipes and traditional ones but traditional ones do dominate in my kitchen. I made the Maavinkayi Chutney, the Chitranna in bulk to suffice me for a long duration. These two come very handy in case of quick fixes, just cook rice and use them.. plus I also made a water based pickle using the baby raw mangoes which hopefully I will post soon, as I’ve still have not clicked the pictures and the pickle is disappearing fast..but one recipe which is very close to my heart passed on to me by my mother and Mavshi, which they had learnt from their mother (my Granny)  and frequents our kitchens through the summer is the Kanda Kairi Kochkayi! Kanda means onion, kairi means raw mango, so it’s an instant pickle using the two ingredients which stays for a few days when refrigerated but normally that does not happen as it finishes fast.

It’s a hassle free recipe which is ready in few minutes but simply great to taste. Even if there’s no curry, I would eat my roti/chapati with this and be happy. It is neither a side dish nor a salad, it falls in a category in between them..

Preparation Time:10mins

Cooking Time:5mins

Serves:4

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Ingredients

1raw mango, finely chopped (medium sized)

onion, finely chopped (small one)

4-5tbsp oil

1-1/2tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp asafetida powdered/ heeng (good quality)

1/2 - 3/4tsp turmeric powder

2 - 3tsp red chili powder

salt to taste

1/2tsp fenugreek seeds, fried and crushed (optional)

1tbsp jaggery (optional)

Method

Mix the raw mango and onion.

Heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Remove from flame and cool slightly and then add asafetida, turmeric, red chili powder and crushed fenugreek.

Pour the tempering on the mango-onion mix.

Add salt to taste, jaggery and mix thoroughly.

Serve.

 

Tips:

Salt is added more because of the sourness of raw mango, adjust based on the sourness.

Adding good quality asafetida takes the preparation to a new level, so please keep that in mind.

Red chili powder should be added after the tempering cools a bit else it gets burnt.

Jaggery is optional but gives a slight sweet tangy taste to the preparation.

Oil should nicely coat the pickle and this prevents it from getting spoilt.

The original recipe doesn’t ask for fenugreek, that’s my addition to the recipe.

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4th Anniversary, 400th Post, Winner Announcement & Quick Farfalle-Basil Pasta to celebrate

Hi All!!

It seems ages that I posted something here, I have been too busy lately..travelling, guests, health issues and many more things but today no reason, no excuse could keep me away from my blog baby. Yes!! My blog turns 4today and it also happens to be my 400th post here. Yippee, Hurray!!!

I must thank my family, friends, readers and blogger friends for being so supportive, for being there to see me grow, to praise me for my creativity and critically analyze me to improve further. Nothing of this was possible without YOU so a big THANK YOU!!! I hope to see your continued support here. I love reading your feedback so please keep giving me that.

I wanted to post an elaborate and a more creative dish here but pardon me friends, I’m just not able to bear the heat  and I simply dread long hours in the kitchen. I’m more into one pot or quick meals and my one BIG savior these days is Pasta which can be cooked in few minutes and you have ample choice to work on the flavors and play around with the veggies. The only thing I ensure is that I use Durum Wheat or Wheat Pasta, so that’s it’s good for my health too.

The pasta I’m posting today has no big recipe and has simple basic flavors and can be cooked on any lazy day without thinking too much..It’s a complete stress free recipe and that’s how I cook these days, which is no tension cooking . Also, I’m hoping that my face book fan page reaches 2000likes today so please head there and join me where I post kitchen tips everyday.

Farfalle With Basil

Preparation Time:15mins

Cooking Time:5mins

Serves:2

Difficulty Level:Easy

Ingredients

2cups Farfalle pasta ( cooked al dente)

1medium onion, cubed

6-7garlic pods, chopped finely

1/4 of green and red bell pepper, cubed

1small tomato cubed

1tsp oregano

9-10basil leaves

1tsp crushed black pepper/ paprika/ cayenne pepper

salt to taste

olive oil + butter mix, about 3tbsp

Method

Boil about a cup of pasta in about 8-10cups of water with a teaspoon oil and a table spoon salt.

Simultaneously, chop the veggies while the pasta gets cooked.

In a pan take butter and olive oil and once hot add the garlic and let it brown lightly.

Add the onions and sauté. Add the seasonings.

Tip in the pasta and toss on high flame for a few seconds. Add the remaining veggies and cook for 1-2minutes on medium before serving.

Add the basil leaves just before the final tossing on flame.

Serve hot garnished with more basil leaves.

Tips:

Add sufficient salt to the boiling pasta and always add the pasta once the water starts boiling, never add pasta to cold water.

Try to boil the pasta while the veggies/ sauce gets cooked. Always add hot pasta to the sauce. If the pasta is already cooked before adding it to the sauce, dip it in boiling water for 5secs and then add to the sauce.

Now comes the winner of last month’s ‘Only’ Cooking With Legumes event which was hosted by Nalini. Out of the 24 entries sent in Indian category

The random picker has chosen 11, which is Anu’s Masoor Patli Dal. Congrats Anu, please mail me within 48hrs to cookingoodfood@gmail.com to claim your win.

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Quick Pillow Cakes ..In a Sandwich Maker | Tea Time Snacks

Hi!

I have been eyeing this beautiful cake for sometime now. They had caught my attention instantly and I just wanted to try them at once, as the cakes not only looked beautiful and spongy but appeared very quick to make. With the kid writing his half yearly exams, I’m just too held up these days..and hence wanted to make something very quick and yet interesting,  to cheer him up while studying, I remembered this cake..

I had seen this cake for the first time in Ambreen’s blog and she had tried it from Morning masala. I was instantly glued to the recipe. Such cute looking pillows, yes, that’s what I had thought after looking at the pic and hence I named this cake a ‘pillow cake’. The recipe is so hassle free that a novice in cooking can also try. And what I loved best was no baking tin or oven required..needs a simple sandwich maker.

Since, it was the first time that I tried this recipe, I did not modify it largely, except that I also added some milk. With  all the other ingredients as it is, I went ahead with Ambreen’s measures. Now that I’ve succeeded in making this cake, I’m  ready to experiment..This version is made using egg and now I would love to try eggless.. This makes excellent snack for evening or lunch box.

Preparation Time:15mins

Cooking Time:2-3mins per batch

Makes:16

Serves:4

Ingredients

1cup APF/maida
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla essence
2eggs
1/4cup milk (optional)
1/2 cup oil or  butter
1/2cup sugar

Method

Beat sugar and oil for 3-4mins.
Add essence and the eggs, beat till creamy and light.

Sieve APF and baking powder together.
Fold in the APF in egg mix.

Check the consistency of the mix, the batter should not be very thick but slightly easy flowing (consistency of the batter for fritters). Add milk if required and mix.
Grease both the sides of sandwich maker.Using the spoon spread the batter in all the four sections, close the lid.

Switch on the sandwich maker and bake till the light turns red. Insert the toothpick and check if it comes out clean, else cook for one more minute. I realized that the first batch takes 3mins but after that the cake is ready in 2-1/2mins.

Serve the cake warm with some cream or butter.
My kid loved it with some butter applied and sugar sprinkled.

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A Delicious Cucumber & Tomato Raita, With a Simple Twist, Step Wise

 

Hi All!

I had promised myself that I’ll blog more regularly, I mean 2-3 posts a week and I was working towards it until I picked a novel to read. Yes,  a novel by Danielle Steel was the culprit behind me not posting or reading any other blogs. I’m addicted to reading and that’s the reason I avoid it many a times, as I can disappear into the book for hours without eating, sleeping or doing any other activity. Any free time available will go towards the book, till it gets over. I can miss out watching my favorite serials on the TV too when it comes to reading a good book!!!

Anyways, today I finished reading the book and I quickly cooked a Tofu pilaf and made some boondi raita for the dinner. While making the boondi raita I suddenly remembered that I did not post my favorite Cucumber and Tomato Raita till date. Now, one would ask me what’s the big deal in making this raita? My answer to that is, Wait till you try this one.. Believe me, it’s different!!!

I love the color of this raita and definitely the taste and flavor. It can make a simple meal quite happening by it’s mere presence. I make this quite frequently as a side dish for pilafs and parathas. It has a South Indian flavor and has a few ingredients cooked and others raw. Chill the raita and serve it as a side dish with hot accompaniments.

Cucumber & Tomato Raita

Preparation Time:5mins

Cooling Time:5mins

Cooking Time:5mins

Serves:4

To be served chilled

 

Ingredients

1 English Cucumber, finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

3 dry red chilies

a pinch of turmeric

1/4tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp cumin seeds

3-4seeds of fenugreek

salt to taste

5-6 curry leaves

1cup curds

1/2tsp sugar

2tsp oil

For tempering

2tsp oil

1/2tsp mustard seeds

1tbsp urad-chana daal

5-6curry leaves

Method

Heat 2tsp oil in a pan and add cumin, mustard, red chilies and curry leaves.

Add tomatoes, turmeric and salt to taste. Cook till mushy.

Cool the tomatoes and grind to a paste.

Beat the curds with sugar and salt to taste. Mix the tomato paste in that.

In a bowl take the chopped cucumber. Pour the curds with tomato paste over it, mix.

Make the tempering using the ingredients given under the heading ‘for tempering’. Pour it over the raita. Chill and serve.

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Maavinkaayi Touvve...a Lentil Preparation From Karnataka

Hi all!!

This is a very tasty and traditional preparation from Karnataka, which is very commonly seen in summers on any festive occasion, when the complete spread of food is served on a banana leaf. During my recent visit to S’s hometown, where I attended my nephew’s thread ceremony, in one of the elaborate meals, this version of touvve was also served.

Touvve is nothing but a thick daal which is tempered with mustard seeds and Bengal gram. The addition of the word Maavinkaayi to the Touvve simply indicates the addition of raw mango to the cooked lentils. The raw mango adds a nice tang to the preparation.

S, loves the touvve and so do I. A regular daal when is served thick tastes much better and the best example to that is the touvve.

The city where I live in, getting raw mango with a good sourness is a tedious task. What’s usually seen is the ‘Totapari’ Mango. On one such rare occasion, I got hold of really sour raw mango and I decided to make Panha, green chutney and the touvve. My kids love the sour taste and they had a great feast eating these simple delicacies using the raw mango…

While making the touvve the lentils after cooking are not completely mashed and the grainy texture is retained, however, I had completely mashed my lentils, but I can assure you, there was no compromise on the taste!!! S, loved the preparation to the core and finished a bowl of it without any rice or chapati.

Maavinkaayi Touvve

Preparation Time:10mins

Cooking Time:30mins

Serves:4

 

Ingredients

1 cup Grated raw mango (adjust as per the sourness)

6-7green chilies,finely chopped

1/4tsp fenugreek seed/ methi dana

2-1/2cups cooked pigeon peas/ toor daal

1/2tsp turmeric pwd

2-3tbsp bengal gram/chana dal

2tsp chopped coriander stem

a pinch of heeng /asafoetida (optional)

4-5tbsp oil

1tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

Method

Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.

Reduce the flame and add the fenugreek seeds and Bengal gram, else they burn easily. Once the color deepens, add the green chilies and heeng.

Add the raw mango and saute.

Add the cooked lentils,turmeric and adjust the consistency with water. This preparation is a semi dry version.

Add coriander stem  and cook. Season with salt.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Sending it to my event ‘Only’ Mango, guest hosted by Anu.

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