Spinach White Bean Wrap

When healthy vegetables and beans are cooked into a delicious filling and wrapped inside a poli, chapati or tortilla you get a wrap. Wraps make great packed lunches and is one of the reason why I love them so much. The variations to the filling are endless. This one is a favorite and tastes amazing even when cold. Cooked white beans are mixed in with spinach and feta cheese. All that is needed is a little salt and pepper and maybe a little onion. The sharp taste of the beans, spinach and feta make this filling tasty even if eaten cold. That is what makes it perfect as packed lunch.

I started making a filling similar to this one when my husband traveled a lot. It was perfect to put together as a quesadilla on a weekday morning. My daughter loved it and it made for a filling packed lunch for the two of us. For some reason when my husband stopped traveling I did not make it so he never knew about it. Then one day my daughter reminded me of it. Back when I first made it my daughter was not fond of feta cheese so I used cheddar and parmesan. Over the years she developed a taste for feta. So I made the filling with feta cheese. My husband watched as I put all the ingredients in the pan wondering how the combination was going to taste and what he would do if it tasted awful. I decided to put him out of his misery and asked him to taste test it. He could not believe how such simple ingredients could be so flavorful.

You will need (for 6 wraps)
1 cup dry navy or cannelloni beans
3 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 onion (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
6 poli or chapati (you could use store bought tortilla if you wish)

Soak the dry beans overnight and pressure cook the next day. Alternately you could use canned beans. Rinse the canned beans, drain and keep aside. Make the poli or chapati as per the instructions in the link above. Keep aside until needed.

Wash, drain and chop the spinach. Separately, chop the onion. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until tender. Add the spinach and let it wilt for a couple of minutes. Coarsely mash the cooked beans and add them to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cayenne pepper. Cook for couple more minutes and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool.

Heat a griddle pan. Place a prepared poli/tortilla to heat one side. Flip it over and heat the other side. Transfer to a plate and place a sixth of the stuffing in the middle. Spread it around one half leaving an inch on the sides.

Fold the sides in and make a roll.

Place it on the hot griddle pan. After a half minute roll it over. When heated through take off heat. If you want the sides sealed perfectly brush a little oil over the rim. I skip the oil.

The wrap can be eaten hot or cold.

Enjoy!


This is my entry for week one, day two of BM #48 for the theme Rolls and Wraps. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48.

Copycat Chipotle Veggie Burrito/Bowl

Chipotle is a fast food restaurant with flavors close to the Mexican cuisine. A little of this and a little of that from their lined up stations adds up to a very flavorful bowl or burrito. My daughter is a big fan of Chipotle. She never gets tired of it. Chipotle is always her choice whether it is to celebrate the beginning of school holidays, the end of the holidays, on a trip or any other time. Several years back I tried to make a copycat Chipotle meal at home. Back then I was stumped with the black bean recipe. Since then I have managed to replicate the taste of everything we like from Chipotle. I especially love the tomatillo salsa. Though my daughter would rather go to Chipotle she has to agree this is close.

The veggie burrito/bowl we like consists of the following added in this order
Lime rice, Black Beans, Pico de galo, Tomatillo Salsa, Corn Salsa, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Grated Cheese and Lettuce.

To make the veggie bowl they are added into a bowl. To make the burrito they are added into a warmed tortilla. When it comes to rolls and wraps the Chipotle burrito is King.

Here all the fixings are wrapped in a tortilla as a burrito....

Alternately served in a bowl without a tortilla.

The following proportions should give you 6 servings

Lime Rice

You will need
1 1/2 cup brown rice
1 lime
a bunch cilantro, chopped

Add the rice to a pan with 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, lower heat and let the rice cook completely. Even after the rice has cooked there should be some water in the pan, drain this water and return the rice to the pan. This gives it the texture you see in the rice at Chipotle. Add the juice of one lime and the chopped cilantro. Mix well and keep aside.

Black Beans

You will need
2 cartons black beans (I used cartons from Whole Foods, you can use 2 cans instead)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste

Heat a pan with all the ingredients until heated through. Keep aside.

Pico de galo

You will need
2 tomatoes, diced finely
1/2 onion, diced finely
a bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
salt to taste

In a bowl combine all the ingredients and keep aside.

Tomatillo Salsa

6 tiny tomatilloes
1 medium tomato
1/4 red onion
1 roasted red chili pepper
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and black pepper to taste

Stick a fork in a red chili pepper and roast it on the open flame of your stove. Chop and use it in the salsa to give it a lovely hot smoky flavor. Pulse everything in the food processor until the desired consistency is reached. Do not puree. If you like a lot of heat use more than one red chili pepper and add a dash of hot sauce.

Corn Salsa

You will need
8oz frozen corn (half a standard size bag)
1/2 onion, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
a bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
salt to taste

Thaw the frozen corn, wash and drain. In a bowl combine all the ingredients and keep aside.

Guacamole

You will need
2 avocado
1/2 tomato, diced
1/4 onion, diced
salt to taste

Cut the avocado in half mindful of the seed. Peel of the skin. If the avocado is ripe the skin should peel right off. Remove the seed. Cut the avocado into small pieces. In a bowl mix all the ingredients together. Mash lightly with a masher.  Do not overdo it. You want the guacamole to remain chunky and not turn to mushy paste.

The Final Garnishes

Wash the lettuce, let it dry and tear it to shreds. Whisk the sour cream and shred some cheddar cheese.

Tortilla for the burrito
The burrito is made using tortilla. You could use store bought tortilla or make your own. I use whole wheat poli/chapati. You could modify the recipe for the poli by adding a little all purpose flour. That makes the poli a little more supple and will aid the rolling. I skip the all purpose flour.

To put together the Veggie burrito
Heat the prepared poli. It strengthens it and prevents tearing. Place the poli/tortilla on a plate. Spread a spoonful of rice on it. Next add the black beans.

Now add the pico de galo, tomatillo salsa, corn salsa, sour cream, grated cheese, guacamole and lettuce.

Fold in the sides and roll into a burrito.

Alternate preparation Veggie bowl
Spread a little rice on the bottom of the bowl. Add the black beans, pico de galo, tomatillo salsa, corn salsa, sour cream, grated cheese, guacamole and lettuce.

Enjoy!

Blog Events

The Blogosphere is full of events and challenges. I find that participating in blog events makes blogging interesting. Cooking with other people is always fun even though we may not be cooking in the same kitchen or in the same town or even in the same country. I even found an event for reading food related books. It combines my love for reading with that of cooking.

These are the events I find interesting enough to participate in.

Mega Marathon

Blogging Marathon is the brainchild of Srivalli who blogs at Spice Your Life. Participants blog three days a week for either 2 or 4 weeks of the month based on a theme. I plan on participating in the Blogging Marathon every month. Mega Marathon is an enhanced version of the Blogging Marathon where participants blog every day of the month except Sundays. There are two versions of this event every year. I plan on participating in both, the April and the September, versions this year.

The mega marathons I have participated in so far -

Daring Bakers Challenge

I am going to continue with the Daring Bakers challenge this year. Daring Bakers has received a face lift and new energy has been pumped into it. If you have never heard of this challenge, every month a participating baker steps up and hosts a challenge. The other bakers take up the challenge and bake the challenge recipe. It is a fun way to expand your skills and get to know some really nice bloggers. I would never have attempted any of the recipes below if it were not for this challenge as I had never heard of these recipes before the challenge. I am looking forward to participating in the new challenges.

Here are my entries so far -

Sourdough Surprises

Finding Sourdough Surprises was a happy accident. I would love to participate regularly in this event as it allows me to use my favorite sourdough starter. But for one reason or the other I have not been able to participate in 2014. I plan to change that in 2015 and participate every month.

These are the recipes I cooked/baked for this challenge so far -

Bundt Bakers

I don't cook cakes often so I joined the Bundt Bakers. I have a cute bundt pan and have participated in the event a couple times last year. I want to continue to participate in this event in 2015.

The bundt cakes I have baked for this event so far -

2015 52 Week Baking Challenge

This year I have decided to participate in the 52 Week Baking Challenge hosting on the Reddit forums. Every week there is new theme. Every participant is expected to bake as per the theme and post a picture of the finished product. The themes are disclosed a few weeks ahead so there is plenty of time to prepare.

Last year I participated in a similar cooking challenge. While it was fun there were a few difficult weeks when the theme was not suited to a vegetarian lifestyle. I am hope I do not run into similar problems with baking. I am really looking forward to the weekly challenges.

Here are my entries so far -

Foodies Read 2015 Challenge

Last year in December I went looking for challenges around the web. I found two I liked - the Reddit 52 week food challenge and a photography challenge. I stuck with the first and not the second. Over the course of the year the food challenge got difficult with weekly themes not always suitable for a vegetarian. But I stuck it out and always found a way around. For 2015 I decided I did not want to do that again and was looking for something new.  I found the Foodies Read Challenge.

It is a very interesting challenge for a food blogger. If you are intrigued and want to find out more visit their website here. I have decided to join this challenge as the Cordon-Blue Chef and read more than 19 books this year. I know it is ambitious but I think I can make the time.

These are the books I have reviewed so far -

Best of the year 2014

On this last day of the year all the memories that made this year good and bad come flooding back. The year started on a sad note. We had to put down our beloved 11 year old cat, Blossom. Blogging provided an outlet, something to keep the mind occupied.

Early last year in my first months of blogging I joined several groups of bloggers. One group called the Blogging Marathon opened the door to friendship and camaraderie. I have virtually met a great group of women and they are a great source of motivation. With this group, last September, I posted 132 recipes in one month with a meal a day from 26 different countries.

I participate in other groups like the Sourdough bakers, Bundt Bakers, Kneading Bakers, Daring Bakers etc. Yes, most of them are related to baking. In fact my most popular post this year was baked gulab jamoons. It got 4000 hits in a day. The next on the list were the baked versions of Diwali sweets and savories.

With blogging my photography skills have come a long way and my prop collection has grown too. I have learnt so much about my camera and so much from looking at beautiful pictures clicked by my blogger friends. The tips shared by them are always treasured and tucked away.

I hosted my first ever blog event for food photography on the first anniversary of this blog. I was so thrilled to see eight entries.

If I were to name one new thing I learnt this past year, it would be my homemade yeast starter. I had eaten artisan bread before but had never heard of a starter. A Facebook group Artisan Bread Bakers changed all that. I now have a thriving starter and frequently bake artisan breads with it.

One year, 428 posts and 132,000 page views later blogging has become a habit. Both for me and for my family. No one in my family is really interested in the blog and I doubt they even remember the URL of the blog but they have never complained about my experiments. In fact, they love to have something new and exciting every few days. It has been an enjoyable experience as we have enthusiastically traveled the world with food.

I end 2014 on a happy note and I wish all my readers a very happy and joyous 2015.

Linking this post to Valli's Best of year 2014 event.

Food Photography Event Roundup

I am celebrating the first anniversary of this blog this month with a food photography challenge. This is the first event ever hosted on this blog and it was a learning experience too.

I had asked fellow bloggers to link their best picture of the month to this event. I also asked them to explain why they thought this was their best picture. I got eight beautiful entries and I am grateful to all those who participated.

Let me start with my post and best picture for the month. I chose baked gulab jamoon as the post with the best picture. It was the first time I was able to click a picture of liquid in a bowl without reflections. I was even able to add flatware to the picture without it reflecting the camera. I used manual aperture mode but what I think did the trick was the brightly colored fabric in the background. Here is the picture, you decide.

The following entries were from fellow bloggers. Each had a different explanation for the picture they chose.

• Srivalli and Archana had lovely pictures that was hastily put together
• Tanya sent in a beautiful picture
• Usha was able to tell an elaborate story through her careful thought out picture. 
• Harini gave some useful details of camera setting and weather conditions used for her picture
• Ree gave a detailed explanation of props and colors used to create her picture
• Sarita also sent in a beautiful picture
• Suja chose mood lighting to create a lazy afternoon with a snack, tea and a book

I have enjoyed all the entries and reading about what went on behind the camera. Thank you all for participating in this event.

An InLinkz Link-up

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal is part of our everyday breakfast. We usually buy the old fashioned Quaker oats from Costco. The other day after transferring the contents of the bags to my cereal bins I flattened the box of oatmeal and placed it on the kitchen table to be taken to the recycling bin in the garage. My daughter happened to see the box while she was setting the table for breakfast and noticed this oatmeal raisin recipe. She asked if we could make the cookies. I told my husband to leave the flattened box indoors so we could use the recipe. Then I forgot all about it.

I was looking for something sweet to end the year and remembered the cookies. I fished out the box and since we had all the ingredients at home I made them right away. The original recipe was for 48 cookies and used two eggs. I wanted to make 12 and could not really use half an egg so I substituted the egg with applesauce. The next time I try them I will make 24 and use an egg.

I see a lot of substitution for butter in cookies. Some amount of saturated fat is needed by the body and I don't make cookies often so I used the amount called for.

You will need
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
a pinch salt
2 1/5 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. applesauce
a few drops vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup Quaker old fashioned oats
1/4 cup raisins

Preheat 350 F. Sift flour into a bowl and combine with the baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Keep aside. In a separate bowl cream the softened butter. Add the brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and beat again. Fold in the flour mixture. Now add the oats and raisins and mix until just combined.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop a tablespoon of batter about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a couple minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Checkerboard Sugar Cookies

This year after a long break the ladies in my neighborhood decided to have a cookie exchange. Everyone was to bring 3 dozen cookies. I wanted to bake a cookie that looked special but I did not want to use frosting. My first thought was swirl sugar cookies rolled in sprinkles. Though the cookies look festive I was not sure I wanted to use food color. My next thought was chocolate dipped squares. But I rarely bake cookies and do not have a square cookie cutter. I had no time to go out to buy one so that was out. Then I thought of making these checkerboard sugar cookies and that worked just right. The checkerboard pattern made with cocoa powder and plain cookie dough was festive enough to not need any frosting or food coloring.

I had made swirl cookies for the fourth of July. I used the same basic recipe for these cookies. I divided the dough into two portions by weight and added a tablespoon of cocoa powder to one half to color it. I left the dough overnight in the refrigerator and baked the cookies early the next morning. The cookies were well appreciated and I had a great time at the cookie exchange.

I had cut out instructions from a magazine for the checkerboard pattern. It is very easy to put together. Do not be intimidated by it.

You will need (for about 36 cookies)
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa powder

In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Keep aside. In another bowl beat the butter. Add the sugar and beat again to mix well. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed. Add the vanilla extract and beat until frothy. Fold in the flour mixture and form a dough. Weigh the dough and divide into two. Flatten one half and sprinkle the cocoa powder. Fold in and mix until well distributed. Do not overwork it. Wrap both portions separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough separately into two rectangles. Slice along the length to form three long rectangles as in the picture below.

Switch the center portion of the plain rectangle with the color one. Sandwich the pieces together. You should have one rectangular block plain-colored-plain and the other colored-plain-colored. Place the plain-colored-plain block such that the plain side is facing up. Slice into three long rectangle. Repeat with the colored-plain-colored block, only this time with the colored side facing up. You will get a pattern as in the picture below.

Now switch the middle portion of one set of three rectangles with the middle portion of the other set. Stack them up and you will have a checkerboard pattern.

Wrap it in plastic wrap (you can reuse the wrap you used earlier) and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper lining. Transfer one rectangular roll from the refrigerator to your work surface. Slice every 1/4 inch with a sharp serrated knife. You can adjust the width as per your preference.

Transfer the sliced cookies to the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom is lightly colored. Repeat with the remaining dough. I baked three batches with 12 cookies in each. Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack before storing them in an air tight container.

Enjoy!