Empanada Gallega (With Vegetarian Filling)

The name Empanada or wrapped dough reminds me of the classic half moon shape. This recipe is a variation of the Empanada from Galicia. It is like a pie with dough as the base and as the top.

My original plan was to use paneer, my go to substitute. It adds flavor and is filling too. But that did not happen so the filling was all vegetables. My daughter said it was like eating bread with vegetables. I guess next time I will make it a point to add paneer.

You will need
400 gm whole wheat flour (I used whole white wheat flour)
6 gm salt
5 gm yeast
15 gm olive oil + a little more to brush the top
200 gm water

For the filling
3 organic zucchini
1 carrot
2 scallion (both white and green)
1/2 red bell pepper (you can use 1 whole)
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
spices of your choice (I used cumin and coriander powder)
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients and combine to form a dough. Cover with cling wrap and allow it to rise.

Meanwhile dice the vegetables and saute on medium high heat until cooked but still crunchy. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook on high heat for a couple more minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet 9 by 13 inches and place a parchment paper in it. Transfer the ball of dough to a flat floured surface and cut into two slightly unequal portions. Reserve the smaller portion in the bowl covered in cling wrap.

Roll the larger portion into a large rectangle until it is the same size as the baking sheet. Transfer it to the sheet. Now place the filling in the center and spread it on the dough leaving an inch on all sides. Now place the reserved dough on the rolling surface and cut out a fifth of the dough. Keep the small piece aside. Roll the larger piece of dough until it is larger enough to cover the filling. Place it over the filling.

Now for each of the sides, roll up the spare inch of dough where no filling was placed. Press it over the top piece. Repeat for all sides. Using a fork press down where the two sheets meet to seal.

Using the palm of your hand roll the piece of remaining dough to form a slender rope. Cut it as you please an use to decorate the top. Using a sharp knife cut slits in the top sheet to allow air to escape.

Brush the top with some oil and place the baking sheet in the oven for 40-50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lattice Top Stuffed Bread

I love to play with dough and create different shapes. Some of them are authentic recipes made for centuries and the others are my crazy ideas. This one was inspired by a picture I saw on Pinterest. I used a simple filling of mixed vegetables and used whole wheat bread for the dough. The lattice pattern was what I was after. It was an entertaining half hour and the result was tasty dinner.

I made this bread a while back but never got around to posting it. Soon after I made it my daughter announced she was done with stuffed bread and could I not make it again. Without my most ardent fan I had to stop my experiments. Now several months later she said I never make stuffed bread anymore. And so once again I am back to my crazy shapes. Her reaction may be the result of eating dorm food. That food is known to make home cooked food taste a lot better. But I am not asking, as long as she is willing to eat it, I am willing to make it.

You will need
For the shell
250 gm whole wheat flour
4 gm salt
3 gm yeast
10 gm olive oil
110 gm water

For the filling
2 medium potatoes
1 large carrot
1 tbsp. olive oil
a few springs cilantro
salt and black pepper to taste
spices of your choice (I used a tsp. each oregano and basil)

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients and combine to form a soft, tacky dough. Knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and shiny. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave aside for an hour to let it rise.

While the dough is rising, peel the potatoes and carrot. Dice into small cubes. Heat the oil in a pan and add the vegetables. Saute until tender. Add the remaining ingredients, turn off heat and allow it to cool completely.

When the dough rises to twice its volume transfer it to a flat floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll the dough into a large rectangle. Leaving a good 5 inches in the middle cut the sides into strips as show in the picture below. The strips should be attached to the center. Now place the cooled filling in the center of the rolled dough.

Now for the fun part. Start at one end. Fold the dough over and tuck the ends so it looks neatly folded in. Now fold in a strip from one side and then fold in a strip from the other side over the first one. Continue folding in the strip from alternate sides making sure you go over and under the strip already placed over the filling. It seems a lot harder than it really is.

Continue folding the strips until you reach the end. Finally tuck in the end piece under the last couple strips. If you did a better job of tucking in the ends you would get a better rounded edge than I did in the picture below.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by placing parchment paper over the top. Transfer the finished piece to the baking sheet, brush it with a little milk/water solution and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the bread is cooked through.

Enjoy!

Blueberry lemon Iced Tea

This is my favorite variation of the iced tea. Blueberry lemon tea is delicious and has a beautiful color. Fresh blueberries work best. Since most of the blueberries in the house are eaten as is, it was with great effort that I was able to save a handful to make this tea.

The recipe if you can call it that is very similar to the strawberry iced tea. Make blueberry syrup and add it to the tea. Chill.

You will need (2 servings)
handful blueberries
2 tsp. lemon juice
2-4 tsp. sugar (adjust to taste)
2 cups iced tea

Prepare iced tea and chill. In a pan heat the blueberries, lemon juice and sugar until the sugar melts and the berries are tender. Mash the berries and chill the mixture for an hour. Run through a strainer and add it to the chilled tea. Pour over ice.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Iced Tea

Today I present a variation of the iced tea I posted yesterday. Fruit mixed in iced tea really enhances its flavor. I had this in a restaurant once and when I asked how it was made the answer was simple. Fruit syrup mixed into iced tea. You may use frozen or fresh strawberries to make the syrup.

I have my cat to thank for this picture. I placed the background for my picture, a white board to bounce the light etc. to shoot a picture of the iced tea from yesterday's post. I then turned to prep this drink. When I turned around the cat was comfortably napping on the table. I waited for her to leave but she was not going anywhere. Finally I had to set up in a different area and click this picture. The light is a lot better in this picture.

You will need (2 servings)
1 handful strawberries
2 tsp. sugar (adjust according to the sweetness of the berries)
1 dash of lemon juice
2 cups of iced tea

Prepare the iced tea according to these directions and chill. Chop the strawberries and heat in a pan with the sugar. When the sugar melts turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Chill for a couple of hours. Run through a strainer and mix it into the ices tea.

Enjoy!

Iced Tea

Rising temperatures make you want to reach out for cold beverages. Iced tea is one such beverage. It is very popular here in the US and there are several brands of ready-to-drink iced tea available in the market. However, iced tea is really easy to make and tastes great when made with your favorite brand of tea. It does take some planning so that the tea is chilled when you are ready to drink it.

I am not a tea or coffee person but I like iced tea. The first time I had it was on a business trip. While I do not drink tea everyday I do like iced tea once in a while.

You will need (4 servings)
4 cups of water
4 tea bags (you choice of flavor)
sugar to taste (1-2 tsp. per cup)

Bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the tea bags and let them seep for a couple of minutes. Do not let them sit longer than 5 minutes unless you like the tea to be really strong. Discard the bags. Dissolve the sugar in the water and chill for a few hours. Pour out in cups over ice.

Enjoy!

Shredded Sweet Potato Side / Ratalyacha Kis

Sweet potato is one of my favorite root vegetables and this recipe was my favorite growing up. The roasted peanuts and sweet potato go so well together it is magic.

There is a large variety of sweet potatoes available in the grocery store. I use the Japanese sweet potato. It has a dark colored skin and are white on the inside. They are firm and hold their shape a lot better than the rest of the varieties. They are also the closest in taste to the sweet potato my mother used.

When cooking root vegetables it is best to add salt before the vegetable is cooked through to keep it from turning to mush.

You will need
1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 serrano pepper, de-seeded (optional)
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
a handful roasted peanuts, ground

Peel the sweet potato and shred in a food processor or using a grater.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and chili pepper (if using). Cumin burns color quickly. As soon as it changes color and before it turn brown add the shredded sweet potato.

Add the salt and cayenne pepper (if using). Mix it all up, cover and let it cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Uncover and add the ground roasted peanuts. Combine well, cover and allow to cook until the potato is cooked through, another 5-10 minutes. Check frequently to prevent it from burning.

Enjoy!

Sourdough Crackers

These crackers are a great way to use your sourdough starter. The crackers have a distinct sourdough taste and texture. They are really easy to make and do not take up too much time.

I got this recipe from the King Arthur flour website here. The recipe calls for unfed starter but since I changed to a new process of maintaining a starter I have no unfed starter to discard. For this recipe I let the fed starter sit in the refrigerator for a week before using it. In summer I would let it sit out for a few hours or maybe two-three days in the refrigerator.

Maintaining a sourdough starter is easy and though it takes planning baking with sourdough is therapeutic. If you are on the fence about a starter go ahead and make one.

You will need (30 crackers)
1/2 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. mixture of dried oregano and basil
1 tsp. olive oil

Let the butter soften to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the oil to form a smooth ball of dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a board or counter top. Lightly flour a rolling pin and the parchment paper. Place the cold dough on the board and roll it out to the thickness of a cracker.

Using a pizza cutter or knife cut out the rectangular crackers as below. Brush with the olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crackers brown at the edges. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before storing.

Enjoy!

Spiced Potato Wedges

Last week I had a visitor and was in need of a quick light snack, or at least one where I would not be tied down to the kitchen. I made these spiced potato wedges. I used regular white potato so they cooked up really quick. The oven did all the work.

These wedges turn out crispy and tasty. They were all gone very quickly. I had to prep everything for the pictures before they came out of the oven. They taste best right out of the oven and I did not want to let them get cold.

I used cayenne pepper with some coriander/cumin powder for the spice. You could use your favorite blend of spices.

You will need (2 servings)
3 medium white potatoes
salt and black pepper to taste
spices (I used a pinch of cayenne with a 1 tsp coriander/cumin powder)
1 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F. Peel the potatoes and cut them into wedges. Sprinkle all the dry ingredients (except oil) and combine to coat the potatoes with them.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle oil over the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Take the sheet out of the oven and flip the potatoes. Return the sheet to the oven and bake another 10 minutes until the potatoes are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daughter made these cookies while I cooked dinner. It was a beautiful but cold afternoon, perfect for baking. These cookies are crunchy and not soft and chewy.

I asked her to refer to the King Arthur recipe.

You will need
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup each brown and regular sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Drop a tablespoon of batter an inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!





Sending this recipe to the Valli's Kids's delight event for baked snacks hosted by PJ.

This is my entry for week three, day three of BM #60 for the theme Cookies. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#60.

Granola Oatmeal Brownie Bars

Spring semester has begun and so has the need to find nutritious snacks. Granola and oatmeal are always good options and are great in baked goodies. Today I baked some bars with whole wheat flour, granola and rolled oats.

This also happens to the 700th post in this space and it took me two years to get to this point. I thank all my readers who take the time to read and encourage me to continue blogging. I could not have done this without you.

The base granola brownie bar recipe is from King Arthur Flour website. I tweaked it based on what I had at home. I also halved the recipe and it called for 3 eggs. I left two eggs in the recipe and that made the bars a little more 'cake-like'. My daughter loved that.

You will need
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup granola
1/2 cup rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use butter at room temperature or add the cold butter to a bowl and microwave for 15-20 secs. Let it cool completely and add the sugar. Beat until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. Mix in all the dry ingredients.

Place parchment paper inside a baking tray. Place the flour mixture in the tray and smooth out.

Bake for 25-28 minutes until the top is golden brown. Take it out of the oven and allow to cool a little.

Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container. They should last for a week.

Enjoy!

French Bean Usili

Usili is a vegetable/lentil side very popular in South India. A mixture of lentils is soaked, ground to a paste with seasoning, steamed, crumbled and then cooked with a vegetable. Every time I see usili on a fellow bloggers space I think of trying it. Today it all came together.

I had fresh French beans in the refrigerator waiting to be used. I had bookmarked Rajani's post for usli from her blog My Kitchen Trials. And I read the recipe when I was wondering what I was going to cook for lunch.

I mostly followed the source recipe, tweaked it a little to suit our taste. I soaked the dals just before going to bed last night. The whole process takes some time which is usually at a premium in the morning. I had planned on making poli with this side but decided to cook rice instead. We had dal rice with this side. Awesome!

You will need (4 servings)
1/4 cup toor dal
1/4 cup channa dal
1 large handful of French beans
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. asafoetida
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. amboshi or amchur powder (optional)
salt to taste

Soak the channa dal and toor dal for at least 2-3 hours. I soaked it overnight and loved the results. When ready drain the water and put the dal in a blender. Add very little fresh water, paprika and asafoetida. Grind to a paste. Cook the paste in pressure cooker.I cooked it for 10 minutes after placing the pressure. Turn off the heat and let the pressure subside completely.

Meanwhile rinse the beans, cut off the ends and dice. Keep aside. When the cooked ground dal cools down, crumble it using a food processor or your fingers. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the turmeric powder followed by the diced beans, crumbled dal and the rest of the ingredients.

Combine and let cook over medium flame until the beans are cooked. Taste great with dal rice or poli.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Frittata

I have always been very fascinated by dishes that start on the stove top and are finished in the oven. However, until I got my Lodge cast iron pan I was not able to make any of these dishes. The cast iron pan is safe both on the stove top and at high oven temperature making it a perfect pan for Frittata. Today I used spinach and feta cheese to flavor the frittata.

This is a great weekend breakfast or brunch recipe using basic wholesome ingredients. If you are looking for nutritious breakfast/brunch recipes look no further.

You will need (2 servings)
4 eggs
1 tsp. olive oil or 1/4 tbsp. butter
1/4 onion
a handful baby spinach
2 tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
6-7 sprigs cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Dice the onion and keep aside. Heat a oven proof skillet, I used cast iron, and add the oil/butter to it. Add the diced onion and saute for a few minutes. In the meantime clean, wash and chop the spinach. Add it to the pan and saute until wilted. Turn off the heat.

In a separate bowl break the eggs and add the feta cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add a 1/4 cup of water and 2 tbsp. milk. Beat well.

Add the egg mixture to the pan. Combine well with the spinach.

Place in the preheated oven. Let it cook for 15 minutes.

The frittata should look fluffy but should not be dried out.

Take it out of the oven and cut it into wedges.

Enjoy!