Baked Stuffed Flower Bread

Breakfast never excites me for the simple reason that I do not want to stress myself with what different to serve to my family which they will happily eat. When it comes to lunch and dinner, you get ample time to think and prepare while breakfast gives you hardly any time to think when you are still unreeling from your last night's dream. However, there are some really interesting and exciting breakfast ideas which can get you going even early in the morning. Today's recipe is a makeover of our very own Bread Pakora with the only difference that it is healthier with no deep frying involved and no mess at all. You can get this ready in just under 15 minutes. Now isn't that a cool breakfast idea!!

Ingredients 

Slices of leftover bread, as many servings as you want

Stuffing of your choice (I used a stuffing of mashed and cooked cauliflower, potatoes and carrots dry sabji from last night's dinner)

Butter as required 

Cheese for topping 

Direction 

Take a bread slice and with the help of a rolling pin, thin it out. 

Now spread butter thinly on both the sides. Make cuts starting from the corner and stopping slightly away from the centre. Repeat for all the corners. 

Place a dollop of the stuffing in the center of the bread slice. 

Lift up the edges gently without breaking and form a cup. 

Place the bread cup on a muffin tray (not required to grease) and top it with some cheese. 

Repeat for all the other bread slices. 

Now bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 degrees for 7-10 minutes till the bread is crispy from the edges and the cheese melted. I switched on the top rod only for thr final few minutes to speed up the process. 

Serve hot!!

Bruschetta - The Perfect way to Use Leftover Bread

So this is how my delicious Lemon Bread came to a scrumptious finish. I strongly believe nothing in this world happens before its pre-destined time, food too! Making a Bruschetta had been on my mind since I don't know when and every time I set out to make it, something else would crop up. My thursday mornings are particularly hectic as compared to the rest of the days as I go for an extended Yoga class after Gym. By the time I reach home, I have just about enough time to cook my baby's lunch before I rush to pick her up. As such, my lunch is either the previous night's leftover or something extremely quick and easy. I thoroughly enjoyed my quick-fix, healthy, yummy, and filling lunch today and thus finally my Bruschetta's got their due in my kitchen!!

Ingredients

Bread slices as per your requirement cut into halves

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 medium tomato finely chopped

1/4 bell pepper finely chopped (any color or a mix of colors)

2 tbsp sweet corn kernels

2 tsp garlic finely chopped

2 tsp black olives finely chopped (I forgot !)

Seasoning of your choice (I used a mix of oregano, basil, parsely, and red chilli flakes)

A dash of lemon juice

A dash of olive oil

Salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste

Butter or any bread spread of your choice

Grated cheddar cheese for the topping

Direction

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celsius with only the top rod on. On a skillet, lightly toast the bread slices. Alternatively, you can butter the slices and toast them while pre-heating the oven. Take care however not to burn them. 

In a bowl, mix all the veggies (onion, tomato, corn, garlic, olives) and the seasoning and give a good stir. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and keep it aside till the bread is toasting. 

Now, take the bread slices and put the veggie topping generously on top covering maximum space. Top it with some grated cheese and crushed black pepper. Repeat for the rest of the slices. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes till the cheese has melted and the veggies look a little toasted. Remove from the oven and serve hot!

Leftover Delight--Rich and Creamy No-Cook Rice Pudding

Tea time gossips sometimes end up being very constructive. Few days back, I was having some chit-chat over some tea and snacks with my cousin from India  who was visiting us and she mentioned the Anniversary celebration of one of our close relative back in India. The menu and the food was totally awesome and the most worth mentioning was the dessert. It turned out that the dessert was a super easy no cook Rice Pudding which was the showstopper. My cousin did not have the recipe with her but vaguely told me what could have been the ingredients and since then it was stuck in my mind. Today when I saw that big bowl of leftover rice from lunch, I immediately got into action and prepared this delightfully easy pudding purely based on my instincts. I haven't tasted the one which was served at that party but I am sure, it would have been as yummy as this.

                                         

Ingredients

2 cups leftover cooked rice

100 ml cream 

300 ml evaporated milk (if you do not have access to this, you can just boil 600 ml full cream milk and reduce it to half)

100 ml condensed milk (or as per taste)

1 tsp vanila essence

Fistful of raisins and cashews each

Direction

Evaporated milk is readily available here and so my pudding is a purely no cook version. However, I am including a stove top version too for those who do not have evaporated milk available in their nearby supermarkets.

No Cook Version

Whiz the cooked rice in your food processor until smooth. Now add the evaporated milk, cream, vanila essence, and condensed milk and pulse further until mixed well and reaches a smoothie texture. Fold in the raisins with a spatula. The mixture should be thick and grainy, with no traces of individual rice grains. It should be of drop consistency and not pouring. Transfer the pudding to a serving dish and garnish with chopped cashews. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Stove top Version

Boil 600 ml full cream milk and add the condensed milk. Reduce the flame and keep stirring at regular interval till the mixture reduces to half. Now add the cream and stir for 5-10 minutes more and remove from heat. Let it cool. Now add the pureed rice to this cooled milk and mix well. Fold in the essence and raisins. Garnish with chopped cashews and refrigerate until served.

            

                                       

Rustic Wholewheat Hummus Bread

Leftovers are never a pleasant sight for any homemaker. Especially, if the leftovers are from a party, it becomes even more imperative to use it up in some way as you know the amount of effort that has gone into its making to be served before your guests. I had some of my husband's colleagues (of different nationalities) come over for dinner last weekrnd and while Indian was in the main course, as requested by them, I had served some Middle Eastern delights for starters. A friend had brought in some Hummus to put off some cooking load from mine. Some of it was left over and was stocked in the fridge but I wasn't sad at all as I already had something planned for it. A Hummus bread. It was delicious, full of flavors, and healthy too. What better way to use up that bowl!

                                        

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup wholewheat flour

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (can be replaced with bread flour or if available use 1/2 tbsp vital wheat gluten or bread improver)

1 egg

3/4 cup hummus (either store bought or homemade; recipe coming up soon)

1/4 cup white sesame seeds roasted

1 tbsp garlic oil (mix garlic powder in olive oil)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (optional)

120 ml warm milk

1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

Olive oil for greasing

Direction

In a bowl, take the warm milk and add sugar. Mix. Dissolve the yeast completely and let it stand for 10 minutes until frothy.

                                         

Now, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, and start pouring in the yeast liquid. Mix well either with a spatula or your hands. Next add the beaten egg and the hummus and start kneading the dough. Halfway through when you feel the dough getting dry, add the garlic oil and continue kneading till a soft, smooth, and elastic dough is formed. Lightly oil the outer side of the dough, cover with a cling wrap, and keep in a warm place like the microwave or oven for 1-2 hours or until doubled.

                                   

Take the dough out and punch a few times to release the trapped air. Now take a greased loaf tin of medium size and lightly grease it. Shape the dough like a loaf and place it in the greased tin. Cover and keep aside in the warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 

Towards the end of the second proof, pre-heat the oven at 175 degree celsius. Remember to keep a tray of warm water inside the oven at this time while pre heating. Now take the loaf tin out. It should have risen beautifully now and if using the perfect sized loaf tin, it will also start coming off the rim taking the shape of a beautiful loaf. My tin was a little bigger and so could not witness that sight. Lightly grease the top with a little olive oil for a crunchy crust and bake in the pre heated oven with the tray of warm water still inside at 180 degree celsius for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden (not browned) and sounds hollow when tapped.

                                   

Remove from the tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

                                   

Leftover Delight--Rice Bread

Leftover rice is not a very wonderful sight when you open the fridge. While there are a few options when it comes to recycling the rice, but fried rice or tikkis do not always appeal the palate. So here is one interesting option which I am sure none of you have tried before. Its a bread made with leftover rice. The texture is same as regular white bread with a bit of stickiness due to the rice. The stickiness enhances the taste and softness of the bread and tastes best when lightly toasted. Have it with your favorite chicken or veg burger patty and enjoy this wonderful bread!

                                    

Ingredients

1 cup bread flour (all purpose flour can also be used)

1 cup leftover cooked rice (room temperature or cold)

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp flaxseed or sunflower seed (optional)

1 1/4 tsp instant active dry yeast

100 ml warm water

Sesame seeds for sprinkling

2 tbsp milk for brushing

Little butter for brushing

Direction

In a bowl, mix the warm water and sugar and dissolve the yeast. Let it stand for 10 minutes until foamy. 

Now, mix the flour, rice, flaxseed, and salt. Now slowly add the yeast mixture and start getting the dough together. Halfway through, add 1 tbsp oil and continue kneading until a smooth dough is formed. 

Lightly oil the dough and cover with a clingwrap and keep in a warm place to rise until doubled, about an hour. 

                                        

Now grease a loaf tin and keep it ready. Take out the dough and gently punch it down 3-4 times to release the air. Now make a rectangular shape and put it in the greased loaf tin, stretching and spreading it evenly on all corners. Return it to the warm place for the second proofing, about 45 mins to an hour. 

                                       

Meanwhile, pre heat the oven at 200 degree celsius for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame seeds generously on the top and gently press it down. Now brush some milk on top for the glaze and bake in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes until the top is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. 

Remove from oven and brush the top with butter. Cool on a wire rack.

                                        

Leftover Delight III- Crispy Rice Cakes

Leftover rice is an issue in every kitchen. Especially among Hindus, rice is considered as Goddess Lakshmi and to let it go waste is unacceptable. However, to make the exact quantity of rice for the family is something which even our seniors cannot achieve at times. The result is a bowl of rice most commonly found in the refrigerator, sometimes a day old or sometimes a week. When in India, I used to use the leftover rice to feed the birds. However, I am not left with that option anymore in Singapore. So while surfing on the net for some interesting bake recipes, I chanced upon this recipe which was so simple and can be given numerous interesting variations. 

Ingredients

2 cups leftover rice, at least a day old

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp flour

2 tsp cornflour

1 egg (vegetarians can omit this)

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves, chopped

1+1 tbsp olive oil

Direction

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add the onions, ginger, and garlic and fry till golden brown. Add the rice and stir till there are no lumps and the oil has coated the rice properly. Add the dry spices and salt and fry for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.

In a bowl, beat the egg and add the flour, cornflour, and mix well till no lumps are formed. Add the rice and mix well. The mixture will be lumpy. With the back of the spoon, mash the rice a bit, if not completely. Add the coriander leaves and mix. In a pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil and put spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Flatten with the back of the spoon like a cake and fry till golden brown on both sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels and serve hot with your favorite chutney or ketchup. 

                                       

                                       

This recipe is my entry to Cooking with Seeds (CWS) event - Rice

http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/p/cws-host-lineup.html

                                 

     

Leftover Delight II- Khichdi Thepla

Continuing from yesterday's post where I shared a simple recipe for kababs made with leftover legumes, today I take on another common leftover dish, the popular Indian Khichdi. When I first came across this recipe, I wasn't quite sure of the results. However, after tasting it and even more than that, seeing my baby enjoy it, I was totally satisfied with my effort (though there isn't much involved apart from the kneading). I hope you and your family will enjoy this totally refurbished Khichdi "Thepla".

Ingredients

Leftover khichdi

1 tsp red chilli powder

Juice of half a lemon (I skipped it as my baby doesn't like sour taste)

1/2 tsp salt (depending on the seasoning of your khichdi)

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp ginger-garlic, finely grated or paste

1 tbsp olive oil (for a healthier version)

2-3 cups whole wheat flour for kneading (depending on the quantity of your khichdi)

Directions

In a bowl, pour the leftover khichdi and mix all other ingredients except the flour. If your khichdi is a little too watery, ensure that you dry up the water without hardening the rice and lentils before proceeding to this step. Now add the wheat flour little at a time till everything gets kneaded into a non-sticky yet moist dough. The dough won't be as dry as a chapati dough, but should be non-sticky. Rub your palms with a little oil and gently rub it on the exterior of the dough and keep it covered in a warm place for about an hour.

Heat a non-stick girdle and take a small quantity of the prepared dough and gently roll it thin on a floured surface. This will require a little extra flour while rolling as the dough will now become sticky. The individual balls have to be rolled thinner than a chapati. Cook it on the heated girdle applying a little oil on both sides and turning intermittently to ensure uniform browning just like you make parathas. Enjoy hot with your favorite pickle or raita.

                                         

Leftover Delight- Mini Kababs

Leftovers are a dilemma in every kitchen. Dilemma, because as a cook, you know the hard work that goes into making a dish as well as the costs involved (thanks to the rising inflation) and at the same time you do not want to present the same dish again to your family who eagerly wait for that one relaxed meal of the day. With today's recipe, leftovers will no longer be a dilemma at least with curries involving peas and beans (chole or chick peas, rajma or kidney beans, black chana, or green peas). I had half a bowl of green peas curry leftover from last night's dinner and today made these superbly easy and tasty kababs in just under half an hour. Now isn't that a leftover delight!

Ingredients

Leftover chole, or green peas curry, or rajma or the like

2 tsp maida

2 tsp cornflour

Handful of coriander leaves chopped

Oil for frying 

Directions

Heat a skillet and dry out the water from your leftover curry till just the base gravy remains (onions, tomatoes or the base with which you have prepared the curry). Remove from heat and cool. Transfer the dried gravy onto a blender and make a smooth paste. In a separate bowl, add the maida and cornflour and add the blended paste. Mix well with your hands. Tip in the coriander and mix once again. Now, take a toothpick and with a small quantity of the mixture make a cylindrical kabab around the stick leaving the ends free. Repeat for the rest of the mixture and fry on medium heat until evenly browned on all sides. Enjoy!