Garlic, Olives and Dried Mixed Herbs Focaccia

An old recipe rehashed to make a new one.  That's what this one is. We were having soup for dinner and I wanted to make a simple bread to go with it.

I decided to try my Tomato Rosemary Focaccia recipe but with garlic, olives and dried herbs. It did not take me too long and the result was yum. I am reposting the recipe here with the changes.

You need:

• 1.5 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp yeast
• A large handful of sliced black olives
• 2 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
• Less 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• More olive oil
• 2-3 pinches coarse salt

Steps:

• Add the first five ingredients into a bowl.
• Beat it for about one minute till it all comes together into a sticky dough.
• Line a 11" x 9" tray with parchment paper and coat it liberally with olive oil.
• Scoop the dough into the tray.
•  Spread the dough into all four corners. Make small indents on the surface with your fingers.
• Cover the tray with cling wrap and set aside for about 1 hour for it to rise.
• After it has risen, arrange the olive slices on the dough.
• Sprinkle the chopped garlic, herbs and coarse salt. Drizzle with olive oil on top.

• Preheat the oven to 190degrees C. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out into a wire rack to cool.
• Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• I cut 2" x 1" thin slices of the left over focaccia and toasted it in the oven till crisp. The kids loved to dip it in their soup and crunch on it.

Stuffed Capsicum Rings

I ate this delicious and unique starter at a friend's place. What I loved the most about it was its very different taste. It was impossible to guess the ingredients by just tasting it.

I noted the recipe from her and have since made it numerous times. It has always been relished by my family and friends.

You need:

• 4-5 capsicums, medium size, thin
• 1 large raw banana or 2 small ones
• 1 cup bread crumbs + more for coating
• 1 tsp dried herbs
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 cup grated paneer
• 1/4 cup finely chopped capscium
• 3/4 cup grated cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt

Steps:

• Wash and cook the raw bananas with the skin on in the pressure cooker for one whistle.
• Wash and cut capsicums on the top and scoop out the insides. Microwave the capsciums in water for about 3-5 minutes till slightly cooked. Immediately put them into chilled water so they retain their colour and crunch.
• You can chop finely the cut tops of the capsicum and sauté it in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes till it loses its moisture.
• When the bananas have cooled, peel and grate finely. 
• Add to it the cheese, grated paneer, chilli flakes, dried herbs, 1 cup bread crumbs along with the sauted capsicums. 
• Mix well. Check for salt and add as required.
• When the capsciums have cooled, dab off excess water well with a tissue from the insides and the outsides. 

• Stuff the mixture into the capsicums gently making sure they are well stuffed. Wrap the capsciums in clingwrap and keep in the refrigerator for about 30 mins.

• Cut the stuffed capsicum into thin slices. 

• Coat each stuffed capsicum ring on both sides with bread crumbs well and fry it on a girdle with a few drops of oil on both sides till golden brown in colour.
• Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Notes:

• Make sure you use thin capsicums, they are easier to slice and they retain their shape well.
• I have also made this without blanching the capsicums. The capsicum was just crunchier. It did not affect the taste in anyway.
• Add more chilli flakes if you would like extra spice.
• If you have extra filling left, you can make cutlets out of it.

Tomato Rosemary Focaccia

Bread making has become an addiction. I keep searching for simple, new recipes that do not take much of an effort to make.

I wanted to make bread with this recipe that I had bookmarked almost a month back. I had a packet of fresh rosemary that I had picked up at the grocery store last week. I thought of using it with tomatoes in the bread. 

You need:

• 1.5 cups lukewarm water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 sprigs of rosemary coarsely chopped
• More olive oil
• Coarse Salt - I forgot to add this

Steps:

• Add the first five ingredients into a bowl.

 

• Beat it for about one minute till it all comes together into a sticky dough.

• Coat a 11" x 9" tray liberally with olive oil.
• Scoop the dough into the tray.

•  Spread the dough into all four corners. Make small indents on the surface with your fingers.

• Cover the tray with cling wrap and set aside for about 1 hour for it to rise.
• After it has risen, cut thin slices of the tomatoes and arrange on the dough.
• Sprinkle the chopped rosemary and coarse salt and drizzle with olive oil on top.

• Preheat the oven to 190degrees C. Place the tray in the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes and then turn it out into a wire rack to cool.

• Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• I baked it for 35 minutes. I think 30 minutes would have been enough. I would have preferred it a little less brown.
• The crust of the bread was crisp and the inside was perfectly soft.
• I forgot to add coarse salt. It tasted good, but a bit of the salt would have made it better.
• I did not line the tray with baking paper. It was a bit of a trouble to turn out the bread without breaking it. The next time I would surely line the tray.
• You can use a little larger tray. Your bread will come out thinner.

Quick Bread Pizza

There are few meals that my son will eat in 20-30 mins flat. For the rest, I spend 20-30 minutes reminding him to eat !!!

Pizza is usually a planned affair at home. I make the base from scratch and we all enjoy yummy thin crust pizzas. But for those instances when I have to make an impromptu pizza, I rely on the faithful loaf of bread.

You need:

• 8 slices of bread
• 1 medium onion, small diced
• 1 small capsicum - diced
• 1/4 cup corn
• Few olives sliced
• Few jalapeños chopped fine
• Less 1/4 cup pasta / pizza sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce / ketchup
• 1 tbsp Ching's Secret chili sauce
• Butter
• Grated Cheese

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200degrees C. In a bowl, mix the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and the pasta / pizza sauce together.
• Spread out the slices of bread. Butter them slightly. Then evenly distribute the sauce mixture on all the slices.
• Evenly spread out all the vegetables on top.
• Top up with the grated cheese.
• Place on a baking tray and bake for about 8-10 minutes till the cheese melts and the bread has browned from the sides.
• Cut into triangles. Serve hot with ketchup.

Notes:

• Skip the jalapeños while making for kids.
• You can use whole meal or the regular white bread. I used the regular one as my son does not like whole meal bread.
• You can also use baby corn, zucchini, mushrooms or pineapples as toppings.
• It is fun to get the kids to make their own pizzas. They love to add their own toppings and that way you can be sure they will eat their veggies.
• Cut into tiny triangles or squares and you have the perfect starter ready for your parties.

Garlic Bread with Cheese and Herbs

The kids have their two week break. The days seems so long and also flying by at the same time. Trying to pack lots of activities into the day to make it fun for them - Lego building, drawing and painting, play dough time, out door activities..... Phew !!!! It's tough keeping up with their energy levels sometimes :)

In the midst of all the fun, I am also trying to cook up some fun food. I saw this recipe while reading through some food blogs and I thought the kids would love it.

You need:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup cheese

Steps:

• In a bowl, add warm 1/2 cup water to the sugar and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes till it gets activated.
• Add 1 cup flour, 1 tbsp oil and mix well. Leave it covered to rise for about 45-60 minutes.
• After it has doubled, punch it down and add the remaining flour, garlic salt and mix well.
• Knead well for 5 minutes on a stand mixer or for about 10 minutes by hand.
• Leave the dough in a well oiled bowl covered by cling wrap to rise for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 200degrees C.
• Punch the dough down and place it on a floured surface. Roll it into a circle of about 1 cm thickness.
• Top with grated cheese. Fold it into a semi-circle.

• Cut it into 1 inch or lesser strips. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the top and sprinkle the seasonings over it.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes till light brown in colour.
• Enjoy warm with soup or any dip.

Notes:

• You can use 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp minced garlic if you don't have garlic salt.
• You could add finely chopped capsicum and corn with the cheese as a filling.
• Please excuse the lack of pictures. With two children around my feet, its tough to click pictures as I am cooking. I will update the pictures the next time I make it, which will for sure, be soon :)

Garlic and Cheese Pull Apart Bread

Nothing can better the fragrance of bread baking in the oven. The home smells so inviting.

After baking a cake, the next I wanted to do was bread. I ate this bread first at my friend Durga's home. When she posted the recipe on her blog, I just had to try it. I have baked it numerous times since with a number of variations to it. Each time it has been perfect.

It is easier to get my kids to have soup if this bread is there on the dining table !!!


You need:

• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 and 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups bread flour
• Less 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
• 3-4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup packed grated cheese

Steps:

• In a stand bowl mixer, add sugar and 1 cup warm water. Add the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes till it activates.
• Now, add the flour and the salt to the bowl and give it a mix with a spatula till it combines well.
• Using a dough hook, knead the mixture on a medium speed for about 6 minutes. Slowly trickle in the remaining water, as required.
• Mid-way through, add the olive oil and knead till the dough is elastic.

• Lightly oil a bowl and leave the dough in it covered with cling wrap or a kitchen towel to rise for 2 hours.
• In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the herbs and garlic and keep ready.
• At the end of 2 hours, the dough would have risen to double it's size.
• Punch the dough down. Pinch small balls of the dough and place it around the bundt pan that has been lightly brushed with the garlic and herb butter.
• Once to have arranged a layer of the dough balls, brush it liberally with the butter.
• Then sprinkle the cheese all over the top.
• Then arrange a second layer of the dough balls on top of the cheese.
• Liberally spread the remaining butter n the top.

• Cover the pan and let it rest for 30 minutes. The dough will again rise.
• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C. Bake it for 25-30 mins until golden brown.

• After 5-10 minutes, turn it out and let it cool.
• Serve warm with soup or with just marinara sauce.

I had turned the bread inside out and baked it for an additional 5 minutes to brown the inside also.


Notes:

• You can also use all purpose flour.
• I used proccessed cheese. The perfect cheese would be parmesan.
• You can also bake this in a regular round or square cake tin. The Bundt pan just gives it a good effect.
• If you are kneading the flour with your hand, knead for approximately 10-12 minutes.
• Add more cheese, it's totally delicious. You can also omit the cheese totally.
• You can leave out the garlic if you don't like the taste of garlic.
• Mix and match herbs of your choice for a different taste each time.
• Bake it for an additional 5 minutes if you want your crust deep brown.

Arbi Seekh Kabab

Arbi or colocasia, is a tropical plant. The root and the leaf of the plant are used in different cuisines world over. The root is commonly prepared like potatoes. This recipe is a different way to cook it and is great to serve as starters at parties.

I have been writing recipes in my notebook from different sources for the almost 15 years now. I found this recipe while flipping through the book and have since tried it many times and has always been appreciated.

When I decided to do a blog post on it, I also searched on the net for the source of the recipe. This is where I found the recipe. I have not made any changes from the original recipe.

You Need:

• 250 gms arbi
• 2 tbsp cornflour + cornflour for coating
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chillie powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp onions finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies finely chopped (I omitted this as the kids were going to eat it)
• 1/4 tsp ajwain
• 2 tbsp corriander leaves finely chopped
• Oil for frying
• Bamboo skewers

Steps:

• Wash the arbi well and parboil it. Alternatively pressure cook it to one whistle. once cooled, peel and grate it finely.
• Add the onions and spices, salt, corn flour and coriander leaves and mix well. Check for seasoning.
• Divide into equal portions and make balls.
• Slightly oil your hands and flatten each ball with your hands and spread with little pressure on a greased bamboo skewer.
• Roll the seeks in cornflour till well coated all over.
• Deep fry till slightly brown. Serve hot with lemon slices and green chutney. Sprinkle some chaat masala on the kababs for a tangy taste.

Notes:

• You can smear the seekhs with oil and cook under the grill instead of deep frying. I have never tried it.

Raw Banana Cutlets

I try to think of ways and means to get my kids eat vegetables without having to deal with a tantrum at meal times.

Cutlets, as a snack, are loaded with veggies, easy to make and a filling meal for children along with being guilt-free indulgence for adults if not deep-fried.

You Need:

• 1 medium raw banana
• 1 carrot grated fine
• 2 flowerets cauliflower grated
• A handful green peas
• A handful corn
• Half capsicum chopped fine (I used green and red capsicum)
• 4-5 beans chopped fine
• 1/4 tsp cumin + coriander powder / jeera + dhaniya powder
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• 1/4 tsp red chillie powder
• Juice of 1/2 small lime
• A large handful chopped corriander leaves
• A few chopped mint leaves
• 4 tbsps + extra Bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• Salt
• Oil

Steps:

• Wash and pressure cook the raw banana for one whistle. It should be neither too hard, nor too soft.
• Take 1 tsp oil in a pan and sauté the chopped beans for a few mins. Then add the rest of the vegetables and sauté till the vegetable loose their moisture. Allow it to cool.
• Peel and grate the cooked raw banana in a bowl. Add the spices, chopped coriander and mint leaves, salt and cooled vegetable mixture to it. Mix well.
• Add 4 tbsps of bread crumbs to bind the mixture. Check seasonings and adjust as per taste.
• Make cutlets of your desired shape.
• Dip them slightly in the corn flour water mix and then roll then in bread crumbs.
• Deep fry or shallow fry them.
• Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

Notes:

• I added less than 1/2 tsp oil per cutlet and fried it on a non-stick girdle / tawa on low heat. They turned out crisp on the crust and were delicious.
• You can also use these cutlets as a burger patty. Make them as per the size of your burger bun.
• Adjust the proportion of vegetables as per your taste. You can also substitute the raw banana with boiled potatoes.
• Use fine chopped green chillies for added heat.
• Add a handful of grated cheese to the cooled vegetable mixture for added taste before adding it to the grated raw banana.

Paneer Potato Cutlets

Sometimes you are just left with extra cooked veggies that you have no mood to eat and at the same time don't have the heart to bin it.

This recipe came out of one such situation. I had made Paneer Bhurji and had a cup full left over after dinner. No one wanted to eat it the next day. I was in no mood to make parathas out of it.

And then a bright idea struck. The experiment was a success, the son loved it :)

You Need:

• 1 cup Paneer Bhurji
• 1 boiled potato grated
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tbsps bread crumbs
• A few coriander leaves chopped
• Rice flour
• Oil for frying

Steps:

• Sauté the Paneer Bhurji till there is no moisture left in it.
• When it cools, add to it the grated potato, chat masala, bread crumbs, and coriander leaves.
• Mix well. Check if you need salt. I did not need to add any more salt.
• Make oblong shaped cutlets.
• Roll it in the rice flour. Dust it off well.
• Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry the cutlets in batches of 3 or 4.

 

 

Serve hot with sauce or green chutney.


Notes:

• You can also roll the cutlets in breadcrumbs after first dipping them in some cornflour mixed in water.
• You can make any shape of the cutlets you find comfortable.
• Add a few chopped green chillies it you like it spicy.

Cheese Toast

I am always at my wits end trying to think of quick and delicious snacks for my family that satisfies everyone's varied tastes.

This Cheese Toast comes together in minutes, kids love it and can be easily adapted to what you have at hand.

You Need:

• 1 Baguette
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/2 capsicum finely chopped (I used red and green capsicum)
• A large handful corn
• 1 cup grated cheese of your choice
• Pepper
• 2 green chillies finely chopped - de seed and chop for less heat

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 175degrees C.
• Thinly slice the baguette.
• Mix the onions, capsicum and corn together. Add the cheese, chillies and pepper and mix well.
• Spoon on to the slices.
• Arrange in a baking tray and grill for 8-10 minutes.
• Serve hot with sauce.

Notes:

• You can also add finely chopped olives.
• Butter the slices before you add the cheese mixture to make it more yummy.
• I added the chillies later after I had made some for my kids. The ones with a drop of sauce on them are the non spicy ones.
• Add a tbsp of ketchup to the cheese mixture for a varied taste.
• Use jalapenos instead of chillies. 

Tomato Soup

Good old Tomato Soup ..... completely yummilicious, great as a starter or as a light meal, quick to make and high on taste.

You need:

• 2 large onions
• I small carrot
• 6-8 tomatoes
• 1 wedge beet root
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Dried herbs (Optional)

Steps:

• Clean and chop all vegetables into big chunks.
• Pressure cook for about 4 whistles.
• Once cooled, blend.
• Sieve into a pot. Add olive oil and season as per your taste with salt, sugar, pepper and herbs. Add water as required if the soup is too thick. Heat till one boil.
• Serve hot with either crisp bread, buttered croutons or garlic bread.

Notes:

• You could leave out the beet root if your don't have it. Your soup will be a lighter colour.
• I had left over bread sides after making sandwiches. I toasted them in the oven at 160degrees for about 15 mins. The kids enjoyed dipping the sticks in the soup. You can also butter them and toast for more flavour. I was just lazy.
• Use butter instead of olive oil in the soup for a richer taste.
• Add cream for indulgence.
• Use white pepper powder if you don't like flakes of freshly ground black pepper in the soup.