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!