Jalapeno Popper Dip

Who doesn’t love this dip? I am not an exception. I’ve been making this dip for so many years now. I didn’t realize until now that I haven’t posted it. So here it goes.

Here’s how I made it:

Jalapeno Popper Dip

ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapenos (pickled), drained

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

How to:

Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese and jalapenos in a bowl and pour into a baking dish.

Mix the panko bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle over the dip.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Serve with your favourite crackers, garlic bread chips, whatever comes to your mind.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Yet another favorite dish of my family. Especially in the cold weather, this is one of the comfort foods.  It is a wholesome meal on its own. you can always serve this with your favorite salad or soup. But we don’t need anything else. Just 2-3 peppers per person, and we are set.

Here’s how I made it:

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

3 large peppers, different colors

1 cup prepared Nutrela grounds

1 cup prepared rice

1 medium onion

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp red chili powder

½ tbsp. dried oregano

2-3 tbsp oil

Salt

¼ cup canned black beans, drained

Grated Cheddar cheese, as required

Salsa, sour cream (Optional)

How to:

Heat up oil in a sauce pan.

Sauté onion and garlic until onion is soft.

Add all the spices and sauté on medium heat until fragrant, for about 2 minutes.

Now add soaked Nutrela grounds, black beans and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add rice, mix.

Pre heat oven to 400° F.

Halve the peppers, remove seeds and core.

Place on a greased baking sheet, cut side up.

Stuff with prepared mixture.

Top with cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes until peppers are tender, yet firm to touch.

Serve with salsa, sour cream.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Been to Panera Bread?  If you have, you know exactly what I am talking about! Their broccoli cheddar soup is to die for.  I love, love, love it.  It’s creamy, it’s thick, it’s hearty.  It’s just good for you soup. The only problem is, this is EXPENSIVE soup! I mean come on, how much does the broccoli cost?! Why do they have to charge so much for the soup? Just because it’s made fresh, doesn’t mean it should costs arms and legs, right?  I tried and searched and finally found this recipe that tastes almost exactly as theirs! I said almost exactly because I tried to go for even lighter ingredients for the soup. I did try to use butter and cream, and trust me, it turned out exactly like that soup I always enjoy at Panera Bread. So give this creamy and delicious soup that tastes just like Panera Bread a try! You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s how I made it:

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon melted butter

½ medium chopped onion

¼ cup EVOO(use butter for full flavor)

¼ cup flour

2 cups evaporated milk (half-and-half cream in theirs)

2 cups chicken stock

½ lb fresh broccoli (about 1 cup)

1 cup carrot, julienned

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

How to:

Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon melted butter and set aside.

In a large pot whisk together the EVOO and flour over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and chicken stock.

Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions.

Let them simmer on medium low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.

Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and sharp cheddar cheese.

Let the cheese melt and then serve.

For a smoother soup puree it in a blender... but I love the chunks!

Enjoy!

Cakemix Chocolate Chip Muffins

It's hard to strike a balance with muffins, isn't it? The massive monstrosities available at the coffee shops are obviously bad news, and even mini muffins are dangerous because there's a good chance you'll eat too many at once. Even if you find a reasonably sized muffin, it will leave you feeling hungry. How do you solve this conundrum? You don't need to know the muffin man, just have a box of cake mix in your pantry! Yes, you heard it right! BOXED CAKE MIX, People! These muffins are delicious, low in calories, and incredibly filling, thanks to addition of pumpkin puree. And don't chocolate chips make just about everything better? Make a batch of these muffins now, and you'll be smiling for days. And yes, eating chocolate first thing in the morning is generally a bad idea, but not with these muffins. So tasty, so satisfying, and perfect any time of day. Make them and thank me later!

Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

¼ cup water

2-3 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips

How to:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Mix all the ingredients but the chocolate chips in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Prepare 12-cup muffin tray with muffin cup liners.

Spoon the batter into those lines, filling them about 2/3^rd.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until done.

Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Banana Nut Muffins

Just to use up those extra zucchinis you might have in your fridge or to make something sweet with veggies sneaked in! These muffins are exactly what you need to make otherwise not-so-healthy muffins completely nutritious. There is also walnuts inside muffins also. and of course, muffins are topped with same healthy nuts.

 

Here’s how I made these:

Yield: 18 standard size muffins

 

 

Zucchini Muffins

Ingredients

 

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped peeled apple (optional)

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

How to:

Gently toss together  zucchini, apple, walnuts and orange peel; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Combine eggs, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick).

Fold in zucchini mixture.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

Top with chopped walnuts.

Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until muffins test done.

Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Lyonnaise Potatoes

I know, I know. I was AWOL for a long time! But now I am back. Looks like I am up from a long night's sleep. So, Let's have some breakfast!

If you like buttery, crispy potateos with caramelized onions, this is the dish for you. My family and I are big potato lovers. and yes, I am a self-proclaimed QUEEN OF POTATOES! My sister can vouch for that. I love to make and eat potatoes different ways. So here's the story. This restaurant, right in the buidling where I work, serves this potatoes for breakfast. They have all-day breakfast specials and I always go for any kind of eggs with these potatoes. So I knew I ad to make it for my family at least once. And guess what? Once I made it, it didn't stop thiere. I keep on making this every now and then as the request keeps coming in! This is much better than having those uh-so-ugly hashbrowns!

Here's how I made it:

Lyonnaise Potatoes
Ingredients

3-4 large Russet Potatoes,sliced(not too thin)
2 medium onions, julienned
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
oil as needed
salt and pepper
Green onions and parsley to garnish

how to:
To speed up the breakfast, I parboil the potatoes(microwaver the sliced potatoes for about 3 minutes, 1 minute per potato).
Keep it aside
Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet
Caramelize onions on medium high heat. If you have a cast iron skillet, it works best for this.
Once onions are done, start browing potatoes in the same leftover oil.
Do not overcrowd the skileet. Take your time. It won't take too long. Just a few minutes for 3 potatoes.
Season potatoes with salt and pepper as you go.
Keep working in batches.
Keep the golden brown potatoes aside.
Now, heat up a bit more oil, add garlic to it.
Once garlic is soft, add back cooled patotes and onions.
Mix up the vegetables, and garnish with green part of scallions and parsely.
Enjoy!

Almond Crossaints

 

If you visit a classic French Bakery, you'll likely see these behind a shiny glass: "Croissants aux Amandes" (aka Almond Croissants). I happen to have one such bakery near my work. All the time I pass by it, I drool when I lay my eyes on those croissants. What a treat it would be to have this with some hot latte!  These almond croissants were delicious and so easy to make.  I finally got a chance to make it over the weekend and we didn’t want to have lunch! It was very filling.

 

Here’s how I made it:

 

Almond Croissants

Ingredients

3 (one-day-old) medium/large croissants

3 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Powdered sugar for dusting

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ Cup water

¼ cup granulated sugar

½  cup almond flour

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla essence

 

 

How to :

For syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine ½  cup water, 1 Tbsp. sugar and bring to a simmer for a minute and stir until the sugar dissolves then remove from heat and let cool to room temp.

 

For almond filling:

Mix cream cheese, almond meal, vanilla essence and granulated sugar with the hand mixer till everything is incorporated nicely.

Mixture should be icing consistency.

 

How to assemble:

Preheat the oven to 350° F .

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Slice each croissant horizontally like you would for a sandwich.

Work with each croissant one by one: brush it with the syrup, coating both sides and the ends well.

The croissant should be quite moist, but not soaking wet.

Arrange the croissants on a baking dish, cut side up.

Spread about 2 Tbsp. of almond filling on the bottom half of each croissant.

Place the top halves on and spread about 1 Tbsp. of almond filling over the top.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cream is golden.

Cool to room temperature or just warm on a wire rack.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

These are best served the same day they are made.

Enjoy!

 

 

Sausage Pepper Stir Fry

We, working moms know the dilemma of what to pack for lunch. Gone are the days when kids were happy and satiated with PB&J or cold cut sandwiches. They want something new, something exciting, something worth sharing with their friends at the lunch room table. My son is no longer in high school. still, I felt this urge when he was home for summer and working. Every single day of the week, he would call me after the lunch hour, telling me how his lunch was. Most of the times, I got an A+! This was one of those A+ lunches I made for him that he still remembers and requests to make it for him.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Sausage and Peppers Stir Fry

Ingredients

1 medium green pepper(you can add more colored peppers if you want)

2 Hot Italian Turkey sausage, casing removed and cut into chunks(for vegetarians, use Soy chunks)

1 medium potato, parboiled and cut into cubes

2 small zucchinis, sliced

2 tbsp oil

2-4 cloves crushed garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt

 

How to:

In a hot skillet on medium high heat, heat up the oil.

Add garlic, seasoning, red pepper flakes and saute for about 2 minutes.

Now add all the other ingredients with salt and stir fry on high heat.

Once the veggies are caramalized, remove from heat and serve with hot steamed rice or pasta.

This stir fry is good to eat on it’s own or make a wrap!

Enjoy!

 

Red Pepper Poppers

Another crazy snack from me! I happened to have sweet red peppers that I need to use up before they go bad. And yes, it’s cold again out there so no grilling. Just roasting in the oven. So, slice and seed your sweet peppers. Mix softened cream cheese with garlic powder, salt and pepper. You could mix in some cheddar or top the peppers with it. Your choice. Stuff the peppers with cream cheese mixture and roast in 400° F hot oven for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are just soft. Top with either bacon or crushed tortilla chips and enjoy!

 

Baked Feta

I again happened to have blocks of feta cheese. I wanted to do something different with it this time. and I came up with this. I wasn’t sure if Feta will stand the heat of the oven but it nicely did. I guess a few more minutes in the hot oven and I would have had feta sauce! Thankfully, it didn’t happen. The cheese was just a tad soft, perfect to spread on crackers or use as a dip on a crudite platter.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Baked Feta

Ingredients

8 oz. feta cheese block

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup chopped garlic

Salt and pepper as required

1 small roma tomato, diced

 

How To:

Heat oven to 425° F.

Heat oil in a sauce pan, saute garlic.

Place feta cube on aluminum foil.

Cover with garlic, tomato, salt and pepper

Wrap the foil around the cheese block.

Bake for about 5 minutes or until the package feels soft to touch.

Take it out of the oven, garnish with parsley if you wish.

Serve with crackers, or sliced French or Italian bread.

Enjoy!

 

Antojitos and HAPPY MOTHER' S DAY TO ALL!

Montana's Antojitos

We were at Montana’s restaurant and we had this appetizer over last month. The menu reads: Antojitos means Amazingly Delicious! A spicy blend of cheese, jalapeno, onion and red pepper, rolled up in a flour tortilla and oven baked till it all melts together. Served with pesto sour cream.  I was like, wow! You guys gave away the entire recipe to me! I knew that time that I have to make this very soon! And yes, I’ve got all the ingredients listed on the menu on my hand. I mean in my pantry and my refrigerator. So, here’s my version of this classic. And to tell you the truth, much better because I used MORE cheese!

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Antojitos

Ingredients:

2 large flour tortillas

3-4 tbsp cream cheese, softened

2 green onions, sliced

1 small red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream as required

 

How to:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Spread cream cheese on tortillas.

Scattered all the ingredients except sour cream.

Roll up, score slightly so that it will be easier to cut once baked.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until tortillas are nice golden brown.

Slice them diagonally and serve with sour cream.

If you have pesto available, stir a tbsp of it in a cup of sour cream.

Enjoy!

Growing Celery in a Pot!

Just an experiment I did over this past winter. It did take a long time to grow the celery but it worked. I don't have the pictures of the final product but I did get the thin,delicate stalks of celery which were just so delicious! 

Roasted Veggies

Again, me with yet another simple dish. For all those veggie lovers and haters out there, this is the dish to try! Lovers will love to have their veggies this way and haters will start devouring their veggies! 

It is so very simple to make. Take as many vegetables as you fancy. Cut them in chunks, make sure they are all uniform in size. now, sprinkle salt, pepper, Italian seasoning or whatever seasoning you have on hand, end with a dollop of oil! Bake in preheated 425° F. hot oven for about 20 minutes or the vegetables are done but still have a bite to them. At this point, you can eat them as it is, sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top, or make a wrap! Choice is yours! Enjoy!

Leftover Makeover!

We all have leftover chapatis at home right?! So many times we wonder how to use them up. Growing up, my mom used to normally deep fry the leftover chapatis, or make upma out of them. Hence, this recipe! I didn't make upma per se, but the method is just the same. Only the yogurt part is missing as we like to have this dish a bit on dry side. and again folks, no recipe. we all know how to crumble the leftover chapatis. Then, do the tempering of your liking, add other seasonings and all the masala powders that suits your taste, and voila, leftover chapati chevdo(crumble) is ready for us to enjoy!

Cannoli Cream Cake and Happy Resurrection Day!

For us Christians, this is the biggest event that happened on this day. Jesus Christ rose up from the dead and 40 days later, He went to heaven in clouds. We have a promise that He will be back again one day to take us, who have believed in Him up in heaven with him.

So, here’s the cake to celebrate today, the Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday. A luscious, cannoli cream filling layered cake.

Here’s how I made it:

Cannoli Cream Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

Makes 2 sponge cakes(about 9’)

½ cup Cake Flour

¼ cup AP flour(or just use ¾ cup AP flour)

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. milk

2 tbsp. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

5 eggs, separated, at room temperature

10 tbsp. sugar

Syrup:

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup orange juice since we don’t have liquor in our house! you could use your fav. Chocolate or orange flavour liquor

Filling and Frosting:

12 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

About 2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup drained ricotta cheese

Almonds for garnish, toasted and chopped or sliced

Cocoa powder or chocolate chips for decorating top of the cake

How to:

For Sponge Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Butter and flour 2 round cake pans.

Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper for easy removal of the cake

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt to combine.

Set aside

Heat the milk and butter in a measuring cup in microwave until butter is melted completely.

Add vanilla, set aside.

Using the hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, add 5 tbsp sugar gradually.

Set aside.

Now in a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, adding 5 tbsp sugar slowly, until pale in color and thick.

Fold egg whites into yolk mixture.

Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture and fold gently until almost combined.

Pour the milk mixture and fold until evenly distributed.

Divide the batter in 2 pans, bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and cool completely.

Make syrup by heating sugar and water in a pan until sugar is melted. Add orange juice or liquor. Set aside.

Filling and Frosting:

Using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

Add mascarpone cheese and vanilla, combine.

This is going to be filling and frosting.

Cut the cooled cakes in the middle with the sharp knife so that you have 4 slices of the cake.

Using the pastry brush, soak the cakes with syrup.

Top one half with ricotta filling.

Repeat with another 2 layers.

Use the leftover filling to frost the top layer and all around the cake.

Now cover the sides with toasted almonds.

And top with chocolate chips and cocoa powder.

Refrigerate the cake overnight for the best taste.

Slice through the cake, and

Enjoy!

Instant Pedas (Milk Fudge Balls) and my Fifth Anniversay in the Blogging world!

Today marks the fifth anniversary of my wee little blog! I didn’t know I would last this long in the blogging world. What a fun filled and exciting journey it has been. I am amazed, overwhelmed and thankful. I am delighted to have been able to get in touch virtually with foodies around the world who have provided me with invaluable tips and support. thank you everyone for such lovely comments and words of encouragement. I look forward to many more years of sharing my love of food with you all. To celebrate today, let’s have some dessert!

Nothing gets better and instant than these pedas! Trust me, you only need 2, yes 2 ingredients to make it. And you can see the results yourself. It was mouth watering delicious.

Here’s how I made it:

Instant Pedas:

Ingredients

600 gms ricotta cheese

2 cans(600 ml) condensed milk

Cardamom powder for flavouring

Chopped pistachios and almonds for garnish

 

How to:

On medium high heat, cook both ricotta and condensed milk until mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan.

You will get solid lump in about 30 minutes.

Don’t forget to add cardamom powder now!

Once the mixture cools down enough to handle, grease your palms with melted butter and make pedas.

Enjoy!

Chicken Meatball Parmigiana

 

This is one of those recipes that saves you when you are in a what-to-make-for-dinner rut or running late and still want to place a home cooked meal on the dinner table. From start to finish, it only takes about 30 minutes. And this is really kid pleasing dish. So what more do you want?!  I know the dinner time rush as I come home from work at 5.30 PM every day and going crazy to bring the food on table in 40 minutes. I normally do prep work in the weekends like chopping vegetables, boiling pastas to al-dente and making sauces for pasta. This comes in handy because we all know that boiling water for pasta takes forever!

 

This dish is very hearty and is a full meal when served with spring green salad.

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Chicken Meatball Parmigiana

 

Ingredients

2 cups cooked pasta, Penne or Rotini

3 cups marinara sauce

1 lb. frozen meatballs

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

How to:

Pre heat oven to 400° F.

Mix all the ingredients in an oven proof dish, except cheese.

Sprinkle cheese on top of pasta.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Uncover, and bake for 10 more minutes or so until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Spinach Mushroom Omelette

 

There is this restaurant in the same building where I work. It serves eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s not a diner. It’s a full scale restaurant. And I just love their omelettes. They have different pastas with eggs in them or eggs in sauces. I am not brave enough yet to try all of them. But I love the breakfast. And this omelette is what I normally get every time I am there. it’s so hearty and yummy, it keeps me full for the rest of the day! No kidding!  And it has spinach and mushrooms in it. So I have my vegetables and protein in just one dish. I know I don’t need nothing more than it. I wanted to recreate it at home and finally over the weekend, I was able to make it for breakfast. And it was totally worth it. Try to sneak in as many vegetables you can for your picky eaters. If they love eggs, you are good to go! This omelette with toasted English muffins, fruits, juice and coffee. The breakfast of the champions!

 

Here’s how I made it.

 

Spinach Mushroom Omelette

 

Ingredients

4 large eggs

1 cup baby spinach

½ cup sliced mushrooms

Salt and pepper as needed

Oil as needed

A pinch of nutmeg

 

How to:

 

Heat the skillet on medium high.

Add a tbsp oil and sauté mushrooms until just golden.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper and nutmeg in a bowl.

Add spinach and mushrooms to beaten eggs.

Add another couple tbsp. oil to the same skillet.

Pour eggs in the skillet.

Once the edges are set, push them to the centre and let the uncooked eggs run towards the sides of the skillet.

Fold over, serve.

Enjoy!

 

Quick Tortilla Pizza

 

Looks like I’ve been posting all quick and easy recipes lately. This is one of many. Let me tell you again, this is what I would like to make for a quick after school or Friday night movie snack. It’s just so quick and we all have the ingredients in our pantry and fridge. I happened to have Mexican flavoured sauce with sweet peppers and corn and tomatoes in my fridge. But for the faster version, bottled salsa works great.

 

This is how I made it.

 

Quick Tortilla Pizza

 

Ingredients

1 large-10” tortilla

3 tbsp bottled or homemade salsa

2 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Sour cream, avocadoes slices, cilantro for garnish-all optional

 

How to:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Brush one side of the tortilla with little oil.

Place the oil side down on baking tray.

Spread with salsa and cheese.

Bake in the hot oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisped up.

Top with your favourite toppings.

Enjoy!