Cheesy Sweetcorn and Bellpepper sandwich

Ingredients:

Makes 5 sandwiches

Sweetcorn - 150 gms (I used frozen)
Green bellpepper/capsicum - 1
Onion - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
White or black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Brown bread slices - 10
Butter - as needed
Cheese slices - 5

Preparation:

1. Thaw the sweetcorn. Remove the seeds of the bellpepper and chop finely. Peel the onion and chop it.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add Onion, sweetcorn and bellpepper. Add salt and saute for about 5 minutes. Add pepper and combine well.
3. Take a slice of bread and spread the sweetcorn mix. Place a cheese slice and cover it with another slice of bread. Brush a little butter on the outer sides of the sandwich.
4. Grill or toast the sandwich.Serve hot !

Events:
Cooking Concepts:Spring seasonal food hosted by Sravs
Souper Sunday hosted by Deb
Bon Vivant Moments #3 - Breakfast Ideas hosted at Sumee's Culinary Bites
Showcase: What's in your lunchbox hosted by Divya
Let's make sandwiches hosted at Simply Food
Guest Quest hosted by Amina

Banana Pancake

Sorry friends, this post has no photo as my camera battery is on strike :-( Will try to update a picture next time I make this.

This recipe is from Vatsala's Show and Tell  for Blog Hop Wednesday. I have made Plantain Pancake before, but this recipe is a different one.

Ingredients:


Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp
Ripe Banana - 1
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 4-5 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Butter / Ghee - as needed

The original recipe has cinnamon powder which I didnt add.

Preparation:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Puree the banana and add to the bowl along with vanilla extract and milk to form a smooth batter. Keep aside for 5-10 mins.
2. Heat a non-stick pan and pour a ladle full of batter and make a pancake. Cook on low flame and when one side is cooked, add a little butter or ghee and flip to the other side. When both sides are cooked well, remove from pan.

Serve with honey.

Off to Blog Hop Wednesday - 7

Cheese flowers for my little girl

This is a yummy bite for kids who love cheese. My little girl is very choosy about food, and I have to try new snacks or dishes to please her...The idea of this recipe is from Priya's Cheesy Discs. 

I have not mentioned the exact quantities here as the recipe is very simple and you can make it the way you like.

Ingredients:

Bread slices
Butter
Grated Cheese
Italian seasoning - you may use any seasoning of your choice
Pepper powder

Preparation:

1. Cut the bread slices into desired shapes using a cutter. Spread butter on both sides. I tried it with oil too, and that also tasted good.
2. Add seasoning and pepper powder to grated cheese and gently combine with a spoon.
3. Heat a pan and place the buttered bread. Sprinkle cheese on top and wait till cheese melts and turns light brown. You may also do it in an oven as Priya did in her recipe.

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 28 at Taste of Pearl City

Please do visit and send your entries for my Ongoing event - Fusion Food:Pasta

Plantain Pancake

A sweet and fruity pancake, this recipe is sure to be a hit among kids and is an ideal evening snack when they return from school.  This recipe is inspired from my blogger friend Sobha's Plantain Sweet Dosa.She made it with dosa batter, as I didn't have it I made it with wheat flour. 

Ingredients:

Ripe plantain - 1 big (Very ripe plantains tastes best)

Wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup

Honey or Sugar - to taste

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Water

Ghee/Oil

Preparation:

1. Cut plantain to 2 and steam in a steamer or idli vessel till cooked. Peel and mash it.

2. Make a batter with atta and water to form a pancake/dosa batter consistency. Add the mashed plantains and blend it well in a mixer/blender. Add honey or sugar to taste and the cardamom powder.

3. Grease a tava/pan with a little ghee/oil. Pour a ladle of batter and spread like a pancake. When one side is cooked, flip to the other side. You may drizzle ghee or oil.

Linking to Anyone Can Cook: Series 27

This also goes to Healthy Snacks event and Quick and Easy Recipes event.

Rava Idli

Some of my friends have been asking for an easy Rava Idli recipe and here it is...This morning I was so lazy to prepare breakfast, and this came to my rescue. There is no need to plan ahead, soak, grind or ferment unlike the regular idli. Within 30 minutes, yummy rava idli is ready...My little girl who doesnt eat rava upma, will happily have this one. Adding carrots and beans  makes it colourful and healthier too. Rava idli can be had for breakfast, with evening tea( if you are really hungry) or for dinner...

Ingredients:

Rava/Semolina - 1 cup

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Thick Curd/yoghurt  - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp (makes idli very fluffy and soft)

Carrot - 1 or 2, grated (optional, but it makes the idli healthier and gives a light orange shade to it)

Coriander leaves - a few, chopped

Salt

Oil 

Yields around 10-12 idlis.

Preparation:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan and add jeera followed by Chana dal and ginger and saute. You may also add chopped cashew nuts if you like. Add Rava and roast till golden. Turn off the stove and let it cool.

2. Add grated carrot, coriander leaves,salt and curd. Add baking soda and mix well and keep aside for 10 mins. You may add finely chopped beans also to this.

3. The idli mix thickens after 10 mins. Add a little more curd or water. The mix should be thicker than regular idli batter.

4. Grease idli moulds with a little oil. Scoop the idli mix into the moulds and steam for 10-15 mins till idlis are cooked.

5. Let it cool for sometime and remove from moulds.

Serve with Onion chutney, Tomato chutney or any other chutney of your choice. Sometimes I just eat it as it is and it tastes good too..

Liinking this to Quick & Easy recipes event and  Anyone can cook - Series 26

Mushrooms and Egg on Toast

I am very lazy to cook breakfast on weekends. So, toast with jam or marmalade,eggs etc are the usual items. Today I just added some mushrooms to egg and the result was a filling sandwich. The unusual thing is that my little girl who is not fond of mushrooms had  lots of  it today and told me it is supaa(her word for super)...I am not happy with the picture above as it was a gloomy morning with no sunlight  and I had no time to take something better. Will try to post a better pic next time when I make this..

Ingredients:

Closed cup or button mushrooms of medium size - 5 to 6, finely sliced
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (adjust)
Eggs - 3
Bread slices - 6 to 8
Mayonnaise - for bread spread
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add mushrooms, onion, garlic and salt.Saute for a few minutes. Mushroom releases water while getting cooked.
2. Add pepper powder and saute till water has evaporated. Break the eggs and scramble well. (You may beat the egg with a little salt before adding to mushrooms if you like it that way). Saute till egg is cooked.
3. Toast the bread slices on  electric toaster or tava. Spread mayonnaise and then top with the mushroom egg mix. Cover with another bread slice. Yummy sandwich is ready.

It can be served as breakfast or a snack. Also suitable for packing kid's lunchbox.

Sending this to Healthy Snacks event hosted by Deepthi

This recipe also goes to Sandwich Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons

Linking to Anyone can cook - Series 26

Dates and Apple Milkshake

A tasty and nurtritious milkshake that everyone will enjoy. Kids just love it...

Ingredients:

Seedless Dates - 10
Hot milk - 1/2 cup (to soak dates)
Apple - 1
Cold milk - 1.5 cups
Honey - to drizzle (optional)

Preparation:

1. Soak dates in hot milk for 30 minutes.
2. Cut apple into pieces and add it to the soaked dates along with the milk. Blend this to a paste in a mixer. Add cold milk to this paste and blend again.
3. Pour into a glass and drizzle honey on top.


Note that I have not added sugar in this. The sweetness from dates is just enough. Adjust the quantity of honey as per the sweetness of the milkshake.

Paneer Burji Sandwich

Paneer burji is a good recipe idea if you have some left over paneer. This burji can be used in a variety of ways: can be served with rice or roti as a side dish, as a sandwich filling or as a wrap filling. You may substitute paneer with soya chunks and follow the same recipe. I used this for a sandwich and it was really good and quite filling. Paneer is rich in proteins and kids will also love this sandwich.

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilly powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp
Tomato - 1, finely chopped
Salt
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (Check cooking tips for the recipe)
Coriander leaves - chopped for garnishing
Bread slices - 6 to 8

Preparation:

1. If you are using store bought paneer cubes, soak it in hot water for 5-10 mins to make it soft. Drain to kitchen towel. Crumble the cubes with your fingers and keep  it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter cumin seeds.
3. Add onion and saute till it starts turning light brown.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
5. Add turmeric,chilly powder, salt and mix well.
6. Add tomatoes and saute till they are soft.
7. Add paneer cubes and combine well. Add garam masala. Stir fry for about 5 mins till paneer is cooked and the mix becomes dry.
8. Add coriander leaves and mix well.
9. Take a slice of bread and spread the filling. Cover with another slice of bread. You may toast or grill the sandwich if you like it that way.

Sending this to Proteinicious hosted by Sobha of Good Food, Quick and Easy Recipe Mela hosted by SpicyTasty and to Sandwich Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons

Garlic Toast

We love garlic bread from Pizza Hut. I wanted to try it at home, but had forgotten to buy baguettes. Decided to make with slices of bread and named it as Garlic Toast. It tasted almost as good as garlic baguette.

A super easy experiment with bread...

Ingredients:
Bread slices - 4 to 6
Softened butter - 2 tbsp or more
Garlic paste - 1 tsp (adjust as per your taste)
Mixed herbs/Italian seasoning - as you like
Red chilly flakes - if you want it a little spicy
Salt - Only if you are using unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Mix butter, garlic paste, chilly flakes and herbs in a small bowl and keep aside.
2. Grease a tava or pan with a little butter and slightly toast both sides of the bread.
3. Apply the garlic mix on one side of the bread and toast till light brown.
4. Repeat with all the bread slices.

Serve hot with ketchup. Also goes well with soup.

Aloo Bread Packets

Looking for a healthy evening snack  for kids? Try this one...Mashed potatoes filled in bread slices and toasted with a dash of butter. The filling is very similar to Aloo Bonda, but this one is much more healthier as there is no deep frying involved. This is also an interesting way to use left over bread.

Ingredients:

Bread slices -  6-8 (depends on the quantity of filling)
For the filling
Potato -  1 large
Onion -  1 small, chopped finely
Green chillies -  2 chopped finely (I used 1 tsp of green chilly paste as I didn't want my little one to bite on green chillies and get a center shock :-) )
Turmeric powder -  1/4 tsp
Lemon juice - a few drops (optional)
Cumin seeds -  1/4 tsp
Oil
Salt
Spreadable Butter - to toast the bread

Preparation

1. Cook the potato with skin. Peel off the skin and lightly mash it. Keep aside.
2. Heat some oil and add cumin seeds.
3. Add the chopped chillies and onions. If you are using chilly paste, add it only after the onion becomes soft.
4. Saute till the onions are transparent.
5. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well.
6. Add the mashed potato and combine well. Add few drops of lemon juice. You may add a little  pepper powder if you want it spicier. The filling is ready, let it cool.
7. Take a bread slice and cut out the sides. Place the bread on a work surface and flatten it by using a rolling pan(like you roll a chappathi/roti).
8. Place a spoonful of the filling at the center, and seal the edges by slightly moistening the ends. Spread butter on both sides.
9. Follow the same for all the bread slices till the filling is over.
10. Heat a tava or pan, and toast the bread on both sides, till it turns light brown.

Serve hot...

Sending this to Potato Mania hosted by Siri

Cauliflower and Carrot thoran

The only advantage of having a fussy eating toddler is that I keep experimenting with food.. The first mouthful and the visual appearance  is very important for her as that's when she decides whether to continue eating. She also likes colourful food stuff like this one.  This thoran combines the goodness of cauliflower and carrot and I'm sure many kids like her would find it interesting.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1/2 of a medium size one
Carrot - 2 or 3, grated
Onion - 1 small, chopped finely
Green chilly - 3 or 4, slit lengthwise
Curry leaves - a few
Shredded Coconut - 2 or 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

1. Dip the cauliflower florets in salted hot water for 10 mins. Drain, wash and cut the florets into small pieces. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add cumin seeds.
3. Add onion, green chillies, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt and saute for a minute.
4. Add the cauliflower and grated carrots and combine well. Heap it at the center of the pan and cover and cook till the veggies are almost done. You may sprinkle a little water if it looks dry.
5. Add coconut and mix well. Stir fry for  a few more minutes on high flame.

Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.