Zucchini and Tofu No Noodle Lasagna

Today I will present a lasagna made with zucchini ribbons in place of noodles. I made the noodles using my new kitchen toy - the Veggie Bullet. Among other things it can cut vegetables into ribbons. These ribbons can be used as lasagna noodles. Since I got the toy I am on the lookout for veggies that I can turn to noodles. Vegetables noodles cook quickly and taste best when they are cooked but crisp. So you do not need elaborate sauces to make this lasagna.

I made this lasagna after my daughter left for school. I can't wait for her to be back so I can make this for her. My husband enjoyed the lasagna. I made it in a very small springform pan as a single serving. You can double the recipe. Ingredients are approximate. You can mix and match in proportions that suit your taste. The trick is to not overcook the vegetables.

You will need (single serving)
1 small zucchini
1/2 cup extra firm tofu cut into cubes
2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 small onion
salt and pepper to taste
a little oil to caramelize the onions

Using your Veggie Bullet cut the zucchini into ribbons. Alternately, you could use a sharp knife to cute the zucchini into thin long slices. Sprinkle some salt over the zucchini and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Dab the liquid from the zucchini with a towel and place the ribbons on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile add the oil to a pan and saute the onions until tender and sweet. Keep aside. To the same pan add the cubes tofu with some salt and pepper. Let it heat completely. Keep aside.

To assemble, place half the zucchini ribbons on the bottom of the pan. Since my pan is nonstick I did not prepare it with oil/butter. You can rub some oil/butter on the bottom to prevent sticking.

Layer the onions over the top.

Add half the tofu and place a slice of cheese over it.

Repeat all the layers starting with the zucchini ribbons.

Bake in the preheated over at 350F for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and all the layers are heated through. Switch to broil and let the cheese brown on the top.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day one of BM #81 for the theme Lasagna. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#81.

Dal Vada in Appe pan (Not Deep Fried)

I have made a lot of different vada in the appe pan, dahi vada, batata vada, sabudana vada, methi vada etc. This is my latest experiment. I used the dals I had on hand in the proportion that felt good at the time. Mung dal makes the vada lighter and easier to cook, channa dal and lentils add a lot of flavor.

I made these as a evening snack but you may want to add them as a side to a dinner menu. They would also make great appetizers at a party.

You will need for 15-20 vadas
1/2 cup toor dal
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1/4 cup channa dal (split chickpea)
1/4 cup mung dal
1 1/2 tsp roasted cumin coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and black pepper to taste
Oil

Add all the dals to a bowl. Add enough water to the bowl to cover the dals and aside for about 2-3 hours. Drain the water. Blend the dals to a paste using a little water such that it has the consistency in the bowl in the picture below.

Mix in all the remaining ingredients except the oil.

Heat the appe pan on the stove top over medium heat. Add a drop of oil in each of the wells. Next using a tablespoon add the heaping spoonful of the mixture to each of the well. Cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Check if the under side is done using a knitting needle or a skewer. If brown flip the vada.

Flip the remaining vada, cover and let it cook until done.

Dal vada is ready. East on its own as a snack or part of a meal.

Enjoy!

Dal and Rice in Instant Pot

How is Dal rice in the instant pot any different from the stove top version? There is not a lot of difference in taste. It is the method that is simplified. You start in the saute mode with phodni/tempering. Next you add chopped vegetables, spices etc. Finally the dal and water. You can put a pot in the pot (PIP) to cook the rice. Close the lid and let it cook for 15-8 minutes. You don't have to watch it. When it is done the pressure comes down and you can switch it off. This freedom makes the instant pot perfect for weekday morning.

When my daughter came home for summer she wanted Indian food. That was a surprise because when she was home she craved all types of food. She prefers rice to poli so I made dal rice more often than I normally would.

Dal rice combination is one of the most popular combinations in Indian cuisine. Together it is a complete protein and there is an endless variety of dal preparations.

You will need
1 cup toor dal
1 tsp oil (I use olive oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp rasam powder
1/2 onion optional
1 carrot diced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 tomato

For the rice
1 cup rice
1 1/4 cup water

Wash and soak the toor dal and keep aside for at least 15 minutes. In a utensil that will fir into your IP, wash and soak the rice. Keep aside.

Add oil to the IP inner pot and power it up on saute mode. Add the mustard seeds. When they sizzle add the asafoetida and turmeric powder. Next add the onion and saute for a minute or two. Add the rest of the vegetables and the rasam powder. Saute for a minute.

Drain the toor dal and add it to pot.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Insert the IP stand and place the rice container on it.

Switch off the IP and restart in manual mode. Put on the lid and ensure the pressure valve is closed. Set for 16 minutes. When done let the pressure come down naturally. Dal rice is done.

Enjoy!

Dal Paratha

My daughter was home for summer and missed home cooked Indian food. I was happy to oblige. She loves lentils and I made it a point to cook them everyday. The day I had left over lentils I made dal paratha. This flatbread is made with wheat flour and lentils.




Dal Paratha is a great way of boosting the protein content of your poli. Instead of using plain wheat flour add cooked turdal to it. The rest of the preparation is similar to that of any stuffed flatbread.

You will need
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup cooked turdal
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. onion seeds (kalongi)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Using water knead into a dough. Using a little olive oil on you palm knead again to soften the kneaded dough. Divide into lemon sized balls.

Roll each ball on a working surface using a rolling pin.

Sprinkle wheat flour to prevent it from sticking and roll it out to a 7 in poli.

Place the paratha on a hot griddle pan. Cook until brown spots appear on the surface. Flip it over and cook the other side.

Serve hot with any side dish like curry or bhaji. Enjoy!

Three Cheese Pizza

My daughter is home for the summer. I am back to trying new things in the kitchen as she is willing to try anything I make. Unfortunately, not much has made it to the blog. Clicking pictures and making time to post to the blog has been an issue for me for the past year. After making several attempts I am back with some simple recipes. My goal is to keep posting recipes on 3 days at least 2 weeks of the month with a group of blogger friends. Two weeks back I posted trail mix and this week it is pizza.

Cheese pizza is an old favorite. This time I tried it with a new combination of cheese. This three cheese pizza brings together our new favorite goat cheese with mozzarella and cheddar. It is a very simple recipe and cooks in about 7 minutes on very high heat.

You will need
Pizza dough with my classic pizza recipe
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella, goat and cheddar cheese to taste

Follow instructions on my classic pizza recipe for the pizza dough.  Prepare the pizza sauce using my pizza sauce recipe.

When you are ready to make the pizza preheat the oven to 525 F. Slice the mozzarella, crumble the goat cheese and shred the cheddar. Once you transfer the pizza to the heated pizza pan, add the pizza sauce as the base.

Add the cheese - all of it. Place the pizza in the preheated oven for 5 minutes followed by two minuted under the broiler. 

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Sourdough Pizza

Several months back we tried a new pizza place in town. We loved the toppings they used on their Mediterranean pizza and went back for more over the next few months. The last time we visited I noted down the toppings so I could try it at home. My goal was not to create a copy cat recipe but to use the same toppings with my classic sourdough pizza recipe. My family loves the taste of sourdough pizza and I am always looking for new ways to top it.

A close up of the toppings. Chopping up the olives into small pieces instead of slices gives it a whole new flavor. Use fresh olives instead of the canned ones. Adding garlic to this mix enhances the flavor. This is our new favorite.

During the week I fed the sourdough and mixed the pizza dough. By the time the weekend rolled around the dough was ready after a long rise in the refrigerator. We got fresh groceries from Whole Foods and were ready to go. I followed my classic recipe except for the addition of toppings. The end result was delicious.

You will need
Pizza dough
Follow my classic pizza recipe
Pizza sauce

Toppings
A handful Black olives
1 large tomato sliced to 1 inch pieces
~15 leaves of spinach, chopped
2 pods garlic minced
Sliced mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese and crumbled feta cheese to taste

Follow instructions on my classic pizza recipe for the pizza dough.  Prepare the pizza sauce using my pizza sauce recipe.

When you are ready to make the pizza preheat the oven to 525 F. Get all the toppings ready.

Once you transfer the pizza to the heated pizza pan, add the pizza sauce as the base.

Add the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Place the pizza in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Take the pan out and add the remaining toppings. Put it back int he oven for 2 more minutes followed by two minuted under the broiler. The pizza is done.

Enjoy!

Raisin Chocolate Chip Granola

This was one of the trail mixes we took with us on our Alaska trip this summer. It was very handy when we went hiking. But it was also great after we went exploring around Anchorage downtown. I wanted to visit the Ulu knife factory about a mile away from our hotel and get an Alaskan Ulu knife for my kitchen. My experiments in the kitchen with that knife will be a separate post. My husband and daughter willingly walked through the light rain to get to the factory. It was a beautiful walk down the hillside, a river flowing at the foot of the hill and the factory close by. When we walked back to the hotel we enjoyed some hot chocolate/tea/coffee and this trail mix.

I made the Raisin Chocolate chip granola mix to try the new hemp oatmeal granola I found in the bulk bin at Whole Foods. It has a very light texture and I thought it would taste great when paired with something sweet or tart. Dried cranberries were an option but since this was to be taken on a trip I could not have anything sticky. I chose raisins instead and that was a great choice. I added the chocolate chips as I had some left over. You can leave them out and add some nuts instead.

You will need
1 cup granola
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pistachios Granola

Hiking trails is something my family loves. When we visited Alaska this summer it was on the top of our list of things to do. Healthy snacks and water is always a part of a hikers day pack. Our pack was no different. Chocolate chip, Pistachios Granola was one of the mixes we took along. This mix was made to order for my daughter. The Granola is has a apple cinnamon flavor. The pistachios are roasted and unsalted.

On the way to Alaska we had a stopover in Phoenix. Our flight was delayed and we were stuck at the airport worried we would miss our connection. This trail mix was a good distraction. Most of it never made it to Alaska.

You could add other nuts or seeds to this mixture or add white chocolate chips. Make sure you use mini chocolate chips so they are the same size as the rest of the mix. My daughter loves malt balls in the mix but they are usually stocked in the low bins. We have seen kids reaching into the bins with their hands while their doting parents watch so we only get stuff from the high bins.

You will need
1 cup Apple Cinnamon Granola (Whole Foods bulk bins)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together and store until ready to use. You can change the proportion as per your taste.

Enjoy!

Dates, Nuts and Seeds Trail Mix

When I began planning our family vacation to Alaska, I knew I would not have to worry about food on the cruise. But then we decided to spend some time in mainland Alaska and visit Denali, the tallest peak in the US. Bars and granola went on the list of things to take along. My daughter is very picky about these so we decided we would pick up whatever we liked the day before we left.

We made our way to the bulk bins in Whole Foods and put together ingredients for 3 trail mixes. This dates, nuts and seeds trail mix was the first. Sliced dates rolled in oatmeal flour, roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, roasted chopped almonds and pecans went into this mix. It was super tasty and made a great snack while we walked along the Nenana river near our lodge at Denali, outside the Denali National Park.

Denali National park is a wilderness area with a lot of wildlife. We had planned on walking the trails and expected to carry something to munch every time we stopped to rest. But then we were told that food attracts bears and some had been sighted close to the trails we were walking. We willingly left the food behind and used it instead when we walked the trails around our lodge.

You will need
1/2 cup roasted chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup roasted chopped unsalted pecans
1/2 cup slices dates rolled in oat flour (prevents sticky dates)
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

The recipe is really simple. Make sure all the ingredients except the dates are crunchy. If not roast them for a couple minutes on low heat and cool completely. Mix everything together.

Enjoy!