Cheese, Thyme, Basil and Onion Fourgasse

Fourgasse is French flat bread shaped lie a leaf with cuts made to resemble the veins of a leaf. It is perfect for tea time though it would work as a side with soup. I worked the thyme, basil and onion into the dough while I added the cheese on the top.

I have always loved the shape of this leaf shaped bread. My family loves the combination of herbs and onion in the dough. It makes a filling after school snack. My daughter loves the aroma of the herbs when it is cooked. In fact she loves the aroma even before I put the bread in the oven.

I used onions with fresh thyme and dried basil. You can use rosemary or sage or any other herb of your choice. I also sprinkled some cayenne pepper for some heat.

You will need
For the dough
125 gm whole wheat flour
150 all purpose flour
4 gm instant dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

For the filling and topping
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 medium onion
3-4 twigs thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder

1 tbsp. milk for brushing

Combine all the ingredients for the dough in a mixing bowl and form a soft dough. Knead for a few minutes until it is soft and elastic. Cover and keep aside until doubled in volume, about an hour and a half.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions. Remove the thyme leaves from the stick and add them to the onions with a little salt. Saute the onions until they are tender. Turn off the heat and keep aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Transfer the dough to a floured working surface. Flatten a little with your palms and add the onion, basil and cayenne pepper. Fold the dough over and flatten it gently with your palms. Repeat until the onion and herbs and mixed in. Using a rolling pin gently roll to form a rough rectangle.

Using a sharp blade or knife cut the dough to form the veins of a leaf.

Press down pieces of cheese into the dough. Brush the top with a little milk.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the dough is cooked through.

Enjoy!

Herbed Tomato and Olive Pissaladiere

Pissaladiere is a French savory pastry. The dough is rolled flat and thin like puff pastry and then topped with a variety of toppings. I used tomato, olives and onion with fresh thyme and cilantro. The crust is thin and has an edge. Passaadiere makes a filling meal especially if you use whole wheat flour for the dough and vegetables for the topping.

I made this on a super cold day and it tasted great hot out of the oven. We like pizza without sauce and cheese and this was no exception. The crust was crisp and topping toasted just right. Everyone loved it.

I think rosemary would taste great with the onion but my daughter does not like rosemary so I do not use it. You could also use vegetables of your choice for the topping. I used what I thought my family would love.

You will need
For the dough
155 gm white whole wheat flour
100 gm all purpose flour
3.5 gm instant dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup lukewarm water

For the topping
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 medium onion
3-4 twigs thyme
1 medium tomato
10-12 black olives
a small handful cilantro

1 tbsp. sharp cheddar cheese

Combine all the ingredients for the dough in a mixing bowl and form a soft dough. Knead for a few minutes until soft and elastic. Cover and keep aside to double in volume about an hour.

In the meantime heat oil in a pan and saute the onions. Pull the thyme leaves from the stick and add them to the pan with a little salt. Turn off heat when the onions are tender. If you like you could go on to caramelize the onions. Keep aside to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 425 F. When the dough doubles transfer it to a work surface. Roll it out to the size of your baking sheet. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the rolled dough on to it. Using the tines of a fork prick the dough in several places to prevent it from puffing up. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the tomato in half and remove the seeds. Slice and place on a paper towel to soak the moisture. Chop the olives into thirds and keep aside. Chop the cilantro and keep aside. After the dough has rested add the topping. Place the tomatoes first.

Next add the onion mixture and sprinkle the cheese. Place the chopped black olives. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Tastes best the day it is baked and hot out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Kettle Corn

Kettle corn is a perfect corn snack. Back in Arizona one of our local Mall had a kettle corn shack just outside their doors. Whenever they started a new batch a long line would form outside. That fresh popped corn was delicious.

Popped corn is a healthy snack and is very popular in my house. I usually make it in small batches. Today I realized I have not posted kettle corn on this space.

It is not really a recipe, a little of this and little of that.

You will need
1/2 cup unpopped corn kernels
3 tbsp. oil
3 tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil in a pan and add the corn kernels with the sugar. Shake the pan and cover with a lid. Keep the heat at medium high. When you hear the kernels popping shake and swirl the pan every 15 seconds. When the pops are a few seconds apart take off the lid and transfer the popped corn to a bowl. Sprinkle salt and mix well.

Enjoy!

Cheese and Scallion Whole Wheat Cloverleaf Bread

The first time I saw this cloverleaf shaped bread I fell in love with it. It is so cute! I put it on my wishlist right away. I had not really planned on making it today. My plan was to make cheese and scallion scones. At the last minute I switched to this bread. I figured I could stuff the bread with herbs, cheese and scallion. I am so glad I did. It was a big hit. My daughter loved it.

I used fresh thyme as the herb. I had some leftover feta cheese which I used along with some Cabot sharp cheddar. I would have liked to use some carrots but I ran out of time to cook them. When I shaped the clover I forgot to add the shredded cheese. I remembered only after the bread had spent 10 minutes in the oven. I took it out of the oven separated the clover leaves and add some feta cheese. I then replaced them in their muffin cups. About 8 minutes before they were done I sprinkled the shredded cheddar over the top. That gave the bread time to cook through without burning the cheese. The roasted cheese tasted great.

The bread is soft and fluffy. It has a muffin like bottom. The three leaves peel off like monkey bread. The herb, scallion and the cheeses each add a little something to the flavor of the bread.

You will need
For the dough
125 gm whole wheat flour
150 all purpose flour
4 gm instant dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

For the filling
2 tbsp. feta cheese
2 tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used Cabot)
1/4 medium onion
1 stick scallion
4-5 twigs fresh thyme

Combine all the ingredients for the dough and form a soft dough. Knead for a few minutes until soft and elastic. Cover and keep aside for an hour or until it doubles in volume.

Meanwhile slice the onion. Remove the thyme leaves from the twigs. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute the onions and thyme with a little salt until the onion are tender. Turn off heat and let the onions cool completely. Dice the scallion and keep aside.

When the dough doubles transfer it to a floured work surface and divide into 12 portions. I made 1/2 the recipe and got 6 portions. Add a little onion mixture and a little of the diced scallion to each portion.

Roll each portion with the stuffing in it and form a ball. It is okay if the stuffing is not completely contained inside it.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the bottom of the muffin pan. Place three of the prepared balls in one muffin pan. Sprinkle some feta cheese in the middle. Repeat for the remaining portions. Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the shredded cheese over the top.

Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese has melted and starts turning brown.

Enjoy!

Homemade Applesauce

Applesauce is one of the easiest sauces and also one of the most forgiving. It can be used as baby food, as a snack on its own or as an ingredient while baking. There are a lot of variations to this sauce. If you want a thin consistency then you may want to add a little water. If you are looking for a thicker or chunkier sauce skip the water.

I made applesauce a few times last year. But every time I remembered to click pictures it was when the sauce was needed for another recipe. I then included the applesauce recipe within the other recipe. The thought crossed my mind that maybe I should create a separate post for the applesauce. That wish has finally come true this month.

For the applesauce
1 cooking apple
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup water

To make the applesauce wash, peel and core the apple. Cut it into pieces and cook in a pan with the sugar and water until mushy. Mash to prepare the applesauce. If you want a deeper color use brown sugar instead of refined sugar.

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 -