MMC Challenge 8 & 9 (Part 2) - Bread Lasagna (with potatoes and peas filling)

Here's the ingredient 8 & 9 of MMC challenge 

Ingredient 8: Green Peas

Ingredient 9: Standard White bread

This twist in the tale was M's way of getting me out of my writer's block as well as winter blues and inspire me to think outside the box. The rules he came up with are:

1. You have to use both ingredients 8 and 9 in making the dish. 

2. Both should be considered as main ingredients and hence should be provided with equal importance in quantity and in taste.

3. You have to make 2 dishes and that is why we are counting them as 2 ingredients.

4. The dishes should not be from the same category (Appetizer, Main course, Side, Dessert)

Here's part -2 of this challenge.

For the second part of this challenge, I decided to go with a twist on lasagna. Normally my instincts guide me into making an appetizer/snacks since I would eat an appetizer or a snack for a meal instead of the main course !! When I go to a restaurant I end up liking the options in the appetizer section more than I do the main course that I order appetizer as my main meal :-) So given my immense liking towards appetizers I had to resist the urge and decided to go with a main course.

This recipe is almost a fusion between lasagna and a sandwich. I have used the principle of lasagna (layering the bread with tomato sauce) but have used a stuffed sandwich instead of pasta for the layering. I like lasagna and potatoes/peas stuffed sandwich. So no surprise here that I loved the final result which had the taste and texture of both lasagna and a sandwich. Thinking about it, maybe I should rename this recipe as "Sandwich lasagna" :-)

Notes:

1. Though it looks like the recipe involves too many steps and elaborate, this is actually nothing more than assembling a layer of sandwich with tomato sauce and cheese.
2. If using fresh tomatoes instead of the Hunt's sauce, blanch the tomatoes. Remove the skin and seeds and puree.
3. Season both the sauce and the stuffing generously. Taste and adjust the seasoning before assembling the lasagna. Remember there is enough bread in the recipe to absorb the spices. If under seasoned, the dish may turn out bland.
4. Use a wide shallow pan to make the filling. The potatoes and peas will crisp up better if there are spread into as thin a layer as possible in the pan.
5. Toasting the bread - Use either the oven or a simple toaster to toast the bread.

Ingredients
For the Sauce

Hunt's tomato sauce, plain - 14 oz  (see notes)
Diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) - 1 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Sugar - 1 tsp
Red chili flakes - 1 tsp (or more)
Basil dry - 1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Peas and potato stuffing
Potatoes , medium - 3, diced into small cubes
Peas, frozen thawed - 2 cups (remove excess moisture from the peas using a towel)
Black pepper, freshly ground  - 2 tsp or more
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 3 tbsp

White bread 6-8 slices
Oil or melted butter - as required
Garlic - 2 cloves
Mozzarella or Italian blend cheese - 2 cups (more or less as you'd like)

Method:
Sauce:
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Add red chili flakes and garlic. Let it cook for a minute.
Now add the diced tomatoes and season with salt.
Let it cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are well cooked.
Now add the tomato sauce, sugar and basil. Let it boil for 10 min.
Add more salt if required and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Take it off the heat and set aside.

Filling:
Heat oil in a wide shallow pan.
Add potatoes and spread it into a single layer (so most of the potatoes are in direct contact with the pan).
Sprinkle some salt. Do not stir. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes until the bottom starts browning.
Now stir the potatoes, add peas. Let it cook until the potatoes are done and the peas get crisp.
Add more salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Preparing the bread:
If toasting in the oven, brush each side on the bread with oil or melted butter. Place the slices on a sheet pan, bake for 10 min at 400 F or just until the bread gets brown and toasty.
If using a toaster - toast the bread slices as you would and then brush with some oil or melted butter.
Rub both sides of the toasted bread with a garlic clove. Set aside.

Assembly: 
Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
Grease a baking dish with oil.
Spread a thin layer of the tomato mixture in the baking dish.
Layer a few bread slices (I used 31/2 slices) to cover the entire baking dish. Break the slices to make sure you fill the whole surface with bread.
Spread a little more than half of the potato/peas mixture on the bread layer. Spread 3/4 cup of cheese on this.
Cover this layer with another layer of bread.
Spread the remaining potato/peas layer and then the rest of the tomato mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, making sure to cover the entire baking pan.
Bake for 30-40 min or until the cheese melts and bubbly.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing.
Serve with a side salad.

Enjoy !!

MMC Challenge 8 & 9 (Part 1) - Beer battered peas stuffed bread fritters (Pakora)

Here's the ingredient 8 & 9 of MMC challenge 

Ingredient 8: Green Peas

Ingredient 9: Standard White bread

This twist in the tale was M's way of getting me out of my writer's block as well as winter blues and inspire me to think outside the box. The rules he came up with are:

1. You have to use both ingredients 8 and 9 in making the dish. 

2. Both should be considered as main ingredients and hence should be provided with equal importance in quantity and in taste.

3. You have to make 2 dishes and that is why we are counting them as 2 ingredients.

4. The dishes should not be from the same category (Appetizer, Main course, Side, Dessert)

Here's part -1 of this challenge.

When I was thinking about good ideas for this challenge, inspiration came from the unlikliest of places - Bollywood movie !! We were watching Band Baaja Baarat (a very simple yet lovely film, btw) and there was a scene alluding to bread pakora. That made me go back in time and remember the first time I had this amazing snack - at my aunt's place. This dish is more like the south Indian Bhajji where a vegetable or in this case bread is dipped in a batter made of chickpea flour and deep fired.

I wanted to bring about my own twist to this dish and I was thinking what I would do to make it better suit my personal taste. A lot of time bhajjis or bread pakora can get heavy on the batter i.e the outer batter is so thick that the taste of the vegetable/bread fades into the background. And I for one do not like it when I cannot feel and taste the veggies/bread. So my idea was to make a batter that is crispy, airy and light - almost like a tempura batter. To achieve this I swapped the heavier chickpea flour for a lighter All-purpose flour/rice four combo and added beer instead of water. The frothy bubbly beer renders the batter light and airy. Thus was born beer battered bread pakora - melding the beer battering technique into a popular roadside snack in India.

To add to that I had to incorporate peas into this dish and what better way than to use it as a stuffing. It's almost like a sandwich, beer battered and fried. I think this was a win win all the way, given we love our sandwiches, our beer and deep fried snacks :-)

Notes:

• White bread was the ingredient I was given, but feel free to substitute any other whole grain or multi-grain bread. 
• Fresh peas can used in place of frozen ones when available. If using fresh peas, blanch the peas for a few minutes in boiling water before using it for the filling. 
• The type of beer used will affect the taste of the batter. I used George Killians Irish red beer. 
• For beer-haters - no worries about the beer smell in your fritters as most of the alcohol from the beer evaporates during cooking leaving only the good flavors behind.

Ingredients 

6 slices white bread (cut the crust off)
Vegetable oil, for frying
 
Stuffing
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
3 green chillies (more or less as per taste and heat level of chillies used)
1 tsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 tsp lemon juice

Batter
3/4 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
2 cups beer
coarsely ground black pepper
salt

Method
Stuffing

1. In a food processor grind chillies, garlic and ginger to a fine paste. 
2. Add the peas, salt and pepper and pulse it a few times, until the peas are coarsely ground. 
3. Now add the lemon juice, pulse it a couple more times. 
4. Transfer it to a bowl. Set it aside.

Batter

1. Whisk the two flours, salt and pepper in a bowl. 
2. Add beer slowly 1 cup at a time. Whisk vigorously its well mixed.  Add just enough beer to get a fairly thin consistency. (Batter shouldnt be too runny or clump up on the bread.)

Fritters

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. 
2. Spread about 2-3 tbsp of the peas mixture onto a slice of bread. Cover it with another slice of bread.
   Press the corners well so the mixture is well sealed between the two slices. Cut into four pieces.
3. Repeat with the remaining slices. Set aside on a plate.
4. Whisk the batter once more to make sure there are no lumps and check for consistency.
5. Dip each pieces of the stuffed bread in the batter. Shake off the excess batter. 
6. Drop it carefully into the hot oil.
7. Let it fry until its crispy and golden brown. Turn and fry the other side as well. 
8. When both sides are golden, remove it onto a plate lined with some kitchen tissues to absorb the excess oil.
9. Serve warm with ketchup or mint chutney.

Enjoy !!

Panzanella - A Hearty Bread Salad

Panzanella is a traditional Italian salad made with leftover stale bread, tomatoes and basil. For a weeknight meal, this salad is the easiest one I have found... yet.... Panzanella is a very summery dish but using seasonal vegetables this dish can be made all round the year. Fall is here, apples abound the market in tons and hence my salad here features apples. Dressing for this salad cannot be any simpler either: just olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I added some black beans that I had on hand to make this hearty enough for a light supper. But feel free to add any kind of beans. Also, to reduce the pungent taste of onions, soak sliced onions in ice cold water for 10 min, drain and pat dry before adding it in the salad. This ensures a crunchy yet mellow onion flavor.

Ingredients
3 cups of bread, cubed
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 big carrot, sliced
1/2 cup black beans
2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, according to taste
shredded Parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Mix 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the bread in this mixture, spread it on a sheet pan.
2. Toast it in a 425ºF pre-heated oven for 10 min or until the bread turns golden brown and crunchy.
3. In a salad bowl whisk in rest of the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Toss in the veggies, bread, beans and mix well until the dressing is evenly distributed.
5. Sprinkle some Parmesan and serve.

Variations:
A few things that can be added or substituted:
- Quartered hard boiled eggs
- Fresh mozzarella instead of Parmesan
- Basil instead of cilantro/parsley
- Veggies like bell pepper, roasted peppers, olives

5 PM Hunger Pangs!!

Here we are, working hard for 8 hrs and you come home to what......"the 5PM hunger pangs" :-) Its that time of the day when its too early for dinner and a light snack is all we need to stave off hunger till dinner time. A quick option is the vending machine, if available or the snack in a packet which may not always be healthy. This blog is all about a few relatively healthy snacks that can be conjured up in just a few minutes. Make it ahead of time, freeze it and voila... you have a snack in less than 10 min.

Keeping up my promise of giving more recipes using mint pesto, here's a snack/appetizer that is easy to make, healthy but delicious. Any bread that you have on hand will work and for a more classic touch a baguette may be used.

Bruschetta with Mint pesto
Ingredients:
6 slices of multi grain bread (any kind would do)
Mint pesto
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Spread each slice with generous amount of mint pesto.
2. Sprinkle with cheese (salt and pepper if required).
3. Toast in a 400F pre-heated oven for 5-8 min or until golden brown and cheese is melted.
4. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

Corn Meal Appam (Savory appam)

I used a non-stick appam pan that I hauled all the way from India. Little did I know that it is available in many stores for around 20 dollars, only that it is called Aebleskiver pan rather than an appam pan.

Ingredients:
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 small onion
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin (Jeera)
1 tsp fennel (saunf)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk or as required
2 tbsp cashew nuts or peanuts
salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients well. Add buttermilk as necessary to get a thick batter.
2. Heat an appam pan and grease well with oil (Normally just a few drops in each slot is just sufficient).
3. Pour batter in each slot and cook on a medium heat for few min or until one side is browned.
4. Turn over to the other side and cook until golden brown.
5. Serve with tomato ketchup or chutney.

Happy munching :-)