Ratatouille - French Vegetable Stew

Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish and said to be originated in Nice. The key ingredient is tomatoes and has onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and a mix of green herbs (Basil,  rosemary, thyme). Some use the 'herbes de Provence'  which contain savory, fennel, basil, thyme and lavender flowers.

I love cooking with  fresh herbs and this dish also allows me to use the beautiful and colorful summer vegetables. Ratatouille could be served as a meal on its own or as a side dish. To me this dish could be described as " Summer in a Bowl". Also this gave me the opportunity to use fresh herbs (basil and rosemary) from my small  patio garden. 

Ingredients :

• 1 large eggplant cubed
• 1 zucchini  cut into 1/4 " slices
• 2 green bell peppers cubed
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 4 large tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 6-7 fresh basil leaves 
• 1-2 sprig of fresh rosemary
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Preparation :

• Heat Olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 4-5 minutes.
• Add the eggplant. Stir it well. It is kind of shallow frying them so each of the vegetable is coated with olive oil. Do the same with zucchini, followed by bell pepper.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and herbs. Season it with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are cooked. Don't cook it too long as the vegetables will all become mushy. Just cook it long enough(15-20 minutes) to be able to  identify the different vegetables. 
• This recipe serves 4. You could serve it with some garlic bread or rice.

Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies - Almost Vegan

Wishing all Mothers a Very Happy Mother's Day. A quick and easy recipe for healthy and delicious Brownies to win your mother's heart and make her feel special.

Also have been away from blogging for almost a month now and feel so happy to post a recipe today. April had been an extremely busy month. It just seems all like a blur now. Both the kids were sick one after the other. One had extreme allergies and just when we thought things looked good for him, the younger one had the stomach flu. Then again when we thought oh he looked good and went back to school, there was something else. Our dear dish washer died on us. We thought it was time to retire our trusted old friend and soon had a new dish washer installed a week later. You can imagine how life suddenly gets extremely chaotic. Things are back to normal for now.  

Also when life stresses me out, I just turn to baking. I find it very therapeutic. I love to try new ingredients while baking and even cooking. For these Brownies I have used Soy flour and the brownies turned our delicious and moist. Also it was a little  treat for all of us for having survived the month of April. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 cup Soya bean flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts(optional)  

* The recipe called for soy milk. I did not have any soy milk so just used regular milk. That's why I call my brownies almost Vegan.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 X 13 baking pan. 
2. In a bowl combine both the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar.
3. In another bowl mash the bananas. To this add milk, vanilla and mix it well.
4. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix it well so that there are no lumps.
5. Add the chocolate chips and the walnuts. 
6. Pour the Brownie batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.
7. Let it cool for about 10 minutes and then cut it into the desired size. I got 24 brownies from this recipe. 

Recipe adapted from : Daily Garnish

Cake with a Fishing Theme- Retirement Cake

For many of you who are following my posts are aware that I have started making cakes professionally. This cake order was placed with me at my very own "Sweet Tooth"  and it was for a retirement party. The person who was retiring loved fishing. So wanted to incorporate his love for fishing and the outdoors into this cake. Its  half vanilla and half chocolate cake decorated with butter cream icing. Its filled with butter cream icing too. The wooden plank which says "Happy Retirement Bob" is made of gum paste and is edible. The other decorations (fisherman, fishes, trees, rock) are not edible.

The person who placed this cake order when came to pick up said this cake was way over the top and it was beyond her expectation. When she took it to work they all loved it too and not a single piece of cake was left...She was really kind enough to send me an email with the feedback. I was happy with the positive feedback. So another success story for "Sweet Tooth" !!! Hoping to create sweet memories one cake at a time. 

Soy Flour Parathas- Soy Flour Indian flatbread

Parathas made with Soya Bean Flour

Soya beans or Soybeans need no introduction. They have tons of nutritional value. Soy Flour is made from roasted soy beans. So, Soy flour is rich in high quality protein as well and is an excellent source of iron, calcium and B-vitamins.

Today decided to make plain parathas with Soy flour which could be enjoyed with any dal ,or  a vegetable side dish or even plain yogurt and some pickle. Many kids including mine love these plain parathas with jam and peanut butter as well.

Ingredients :
For the Paratha dough 

• 1 cup Soy flour
• 1 cup wheat flour 
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

For the Parathas 

• wheat flour for rolling the parathas
• oil/ghee/butter for shallow frying 

Parathas made with Soya Bean Flour

Preparation :

• Mix all the ingredients except water listed under the ingredients for paratha dough in a bowl. Slowly add the water to the mix and  knead. Keep on adding water till the dough is not too sticky or not too hard. You might need to add little more than 3/4 cup of water if you are using less oil for the dough. But if you add too much water the dough would be too sticky to roll the parathas. I like to add 2-3 tbsp oil as the parathas or phulkas turn out soft and remain soft for some time as well. When the dough comes together knead for another 2-3 minutes or so till it becomes soft and pliable. Now cover and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Rolling the parathas : Divide the dough into 10 equal sized balls. Using some wheat flour roll each ball into a small circle. Apply some oil to the circle. Now fold the circle into a semicircle. Fold it again and it would become a triangle shape. Using some flour roll over the triangle gently to the desired size.
• Heat a tawa or griddle and cook the paratha on medium heat. You will see a slight color change and it  it puffs up a bit. Turn the paratha. Apply a little ghee, oil or butter on top and spread it. Turn it again and apply a little oil on the other side as well. Cook on both sides until they are golden brown.
• Serve these hot protein packed Soy flour Parathas with yogurt and pickle or as an accompaniment to a main course dish. This would make around 10 parathas.

Instant Oats Dosa - Savory Oat Crepes

This is another quick and easy recipe. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. Dosa (savory Indian Crepes) are very versatile in that regard. They can be enjoyed with any chutney of your choice- Cilantro Chutney and Coconut Chutney being my favorite or pair it with spicy Sambar (Pigeon pea soup with Vegetables) or just have it with a filling of delicious potato and onion with some coconut chutney on the side.

As a working mother I'm always eager to try out out new recipes which are easy to prepare and high in nutritional value too. This recipe happens to be what we experimented in our kitchen and I was pleased with the results. I always love to involve my kids in the process of trying out new recipes. It makes them feel like they are little food scientists and the perk for me is they love eating the newly experimented food too. So a win-win for all of us.

Now this recipe was created on the spur of the moment and luckily it turned out delicious. I have made it twice since. When you try this recipe I'm sure you'll agree with me this one is a keeper.

Oats- Super Healthy food : Lowers Cholesterol,  Good for the heart, lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, Stabilizes blood sugar
Boosts your immune system, Great source of fiber and Selenium. For more health benefits read here.  

Ingredients :

• 1 cup old fashioned Oats 
• 1 cup rice flour 
• 1/4 cup Semolina /Sooji/Rava
• 1 cup yogurt
• 4 cups water
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped (optional)
• fresh Cilantro chopped (optional)
• salt to taste
• oil/ghee 

Preparation :

• Grind the Oats. 

• Then in a bowl mix the powdered oats with 1 cup rice flour and 1/4 cup Semolina. 
• In another bowl take 1 cup of yogurt and add about 4 cups of water. Whisk it well. It will be like buttermilk consistency. 
• Now add this buttermilk to the dry flour mix while whisking at the same time to avoid any lumps. Mix it well. Cover and keep it aside for 10 -15 minutes. ( If you think you are rushed for time you can make them right away as well).
• Just before making the Dosa / Crepes add chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro and salt.
• Heat a griddle/Tawa. When its hot, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle. Now this is the most important part and may require some practice. These have to be made like Rava Dosa. You pour the batter in a circular motion forming the outside circle and then the batter just flows towards the center and fills it up forming a circle. Apply some oil/ghee around the Dosa. Once its cooked turn it and let it cook on the other side.

• Your Super Healthy and Delicious Instant Oats Dosa / Savory Oat Crepes is ready to be served. This recipe makes 16 - 18 Dosa/crepes. Enjoy it with any Chutney of your choice or with delicious Sambar.  

Paneer Pasta - Pasta with Indian Cottage Cheese and Mixed Vegetables

A nutritious delicious one pot meal. Its a Pasta dish with the goodness of the vegetables of your choice as well as leafy vegetable (Spinach) and Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese). The good news is, it is a ONE POT MEAL. Since I use ready to use store bought Pasta sauce, its a quick to make meal as well. This is a great meal for a lazy Sunday or a work day when you are too crunched for time.

 The idea for this recipe came along when my kids wanted 2 different things for dinner one night. One said Palak Paneer and one said Vegetable Pasta. It was one of those busy work days and I had very little time to prepare dinner. So I thought about a fusion of both those dishes into one and Voila Paneer Pasta was created. It was a big hit as my younger one who is 4 and a picky eater exclaimed, " I love this Paneer Pasta Mommy !!!". So there I got the name for this recipe from him.

Ingredients :    

• 12 oz Rotini and Rigatoni Pasta *
• 1 24 oz jar Ragu pasta sauce**
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno chopped
• 8oz Paneer / Cottage Cheese cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 cup cut frozen Spinach
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 - 1 tsp red chili flakes
• grated Parmesan cheese 
• freshly chopped Basil leaves

* You could use either kind of pasta. Sometimes I find mixing two different kinds of pasta gives more texture to the dish. 12 oz is almost 3/4 of the 1 lb box.
** Also for this particular recipe I've used Chunky Ragu sauce with Garlic and onion.

Preparation:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. 
• In a pan over medium heat add olive oil. Once its heated add the minced garlic. Let it saute for a minute. Now add the chopped jalapeno followed by Ragu sauce. Add the vegetables (peas, carrots,corn,beans,spinach). Add the paneer cubes. Mix it well. Add the red chili flakes. Adjust the salt. Cover and let it cook on medium low for about 4-5 minutes.
• Next add the drained pasta and mix it well. Let it cook on medium flame for a minute. Remove from heat. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped Basil leaves. There your Paneer Pasta is ready to be served. This recipe serves 4. 

Sooji Ka Halwa - Semolina Halwa

Sooji ka Halwa is a very popular Indian Dessert. Its quick and easy to make with just a few ingredients. Now halwa is a kind of pudding and there are different kinds of halwa - like Carrot Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa,  Pineapple Halwa to name a few. By the way  you can find all the recipes here at my blog.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Sooji /Semolina
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter/ghee
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (cashews, pistachios)
• 3 cups water
• *1 tbsp Orange Food color (optional) or ** pinch of Saffron 

* 1 tbsp food coloring is prepared by adding just a bit of color(solid/liquid)  to 1 tbsp water.

** If you are considering using Saffron-  Take a pinch of saffron and dissolve it in 1 tbsp warm milk. 

Preparation : 

• In a sauce pan or pot add 3 cups of water and sugar. Heat it on medium flame until the sugar dissolves.Keep this aside.
• Now in a Kadhai or thick bottomed pan, melt the butter on medium flame. Add the chopped nuts and fry. Next add Sooji / Semolina and roast this in butter/ghee for about 5-6 minutes. This eliminates the raw smell of Sooji. Roast till you get a beautiful golden color.   Make sure to keep it on medium low flame or else the Sooji could get burnt. Keep stirring continuously. 
• Next very carefully add the water+sugar mixture to this roasted Sooji. Stir it well and keep it covered on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. The water will all be absorbed and it will get dry. (Now if you would like to add some food coloring you do it at this stage. Just add about 1 tbsp of saffron/orange color and then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes). Your Sooji Ka Halwa or Semolina Halwa is ready to be served. Also when you add the color it could be called as Rava Kesari. This recipe serves 4-6.