Thursday, April 24, 2014

Sausage Quesadilla

Let's try some Mexican food today that i made for my princess. Before we begin the recipe let me explain some of the basic Mexican dishes to you for better understanding.

The start of some of these interesting and yummy dishes is with a flat bread called Tortilla. A Tortilla is made with whole wheat flour and very similar to our chappati or phulka. It could also be made with maize flour or corn flour( no not the white corn flour, but the makki ka atta). Tortilla is made from an unleavened, water based dough, rolled and cooked over a griddle.

Once you have the basic tortilla ready with you, you can make several other dishes derived from the humble tortilla, like taco, burrito, etc.

Taco- Is one of the most traditional Mexican dish which is a tortilla folded into half and has a filling. The opening is left open and not sealed in any way.  The filling can be made of anything and everything that your taste buds fancy. it could be fish, chicken, beef, and even non traditional fillings like tofu. It also has lettuce, vegetables and cheese added in the filling. It is traditionally eaten directly from the hand with the use of any utensils. There are a whole lot of accompaniments that go along with Mexican food like salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, etc,.

Fajita- is basically any grilled meat which is usually served on a tortilla and piled with 
the accompaniments and also addition of shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes and heaps of cheese. Traditionally it was a grilled beef steak but now the grilled meat can be anything from shrimps to chicken or even fish.

Burrito- A corn or wheat a tortilla which is rolled into a cylindrical shape to enclose the filling completely. The filling co

uld also include other ingredients such as cheese, shredded lettuce, and other vegetables. In traditional Mexico homes the refried beans with meat is the traditional filling of a burrito.

Chimichanga- This is a deep fried burrito and is popular in the southern america which is influenced by the Mexican cuisine. The difference between a burrito and a chimichanga is that the chimichanga is folded into a rectangle shape and deep fried as compared to a burrito which is cylindrical. It could have a variety of fillings and is accompanied with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc,.





Quesadilla- Lastly the star of my post. A quasadilla is a tortilla which is folded into a half moon with filling and cheese and then finished on a griddle. But i made a change and i used two corn tortillas. The name is derived from Spanish word queso for cheese and tortilla.

 
Cheese and shredded lettuce


 Ingredients-

Corn tortilla- 2 nos
Chicken sausages- 3 nos, cut into juliennes
Olive Oil- 2 tbsp
Onion- 1 small, sliced
Garlic- 2 cloves, chopped
Red bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
Yellow bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
Green bell pepper- 1/2, cut into juliennes
lettuce- 4 leaves, shredded
Cheese cheddar- 6 tbsp grated
Salt- to taste
Crushed black pepper- to taste
Salsa- 2 tbsp (you could substitute with tomato ketchup if you do not have salsa)



Filling
 Method-

1. In a pan heat the olive oil.
2. Saute the garlic and the onion till translucent.
3. Add the bell peppers and saute till the color becomes bright.
4. Add the sausages and mix well. 
5. Add the salsa and mix well and check for seasoning.
6. Gently heat the tortillas on the griddle on a low flame to make them warm
7. On one of the tortilla, spread half of the grated cheese. Layer with the shredded lettuce.
8. Top with the sausage and pepper mixture. cover with the remaining cheese.
9. cover this with the other tortilla.
10. Put it back on the griddle and heat through on both sides till the cheese is melted
11. Cut into 6 or 8 pieces like a pizza and serve with sour cream or salsa.


Finally on the griddle






Monday, April 14, 2014

WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON ROLLS

This recipe was modified so that my 6 year old princess could make it herself. Hence no yeast and proofing. Super easy for kids to make on their own.

Ready to knead the dough
 Ingredients-
For the dough-
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp butter
1 cup milk
For filling-
2 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
For the topping-
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp milk or water

About to enter the baking
 Method-
1. Put the flour, salt, baking powder and the soft butter in a big bowl.
2. Mix the butter into the flour with your finger tips to make a sandy texture.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
4. Mix well to form a firm yet soft dough using all the milk.
5. Dust the work surface with whole wheat flour and roll the dough into a square shape about 1/2 cm thick.
6. Mix the powdered sugar with the cinnamon powder.
7. Brush with the melted butter.
8. And sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
9. Roll into a thick roll. Cut into about 1 inch rolls.
10. Arrange them loosely into a greased baking dish.
11. Bake in a 180  C oven for about 20 minutes.


After baking with the frosting
12. Till then mix the powdered sugar with the milk and mix well.
13. If it becomes too thin add more sugar. and if it is too thick then add more milk.
14. When the rolls are baked to a golden perfection, then top with the frosting while still hot.
15. Let it cool and devour.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Healthy Oats Bar- No Sugar, No Butter, No Flour.... Just healthy

Today i made healthy Oats bars with banana. And they have no added sugar, no added butter and no added flour. Just the plain and healthy goodness of oats, banana, almonds and raisins.

Oats and Banana Bar
 Ingredients:
2 large over ripe bananas, mashed till almost liquidy
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup almonds roughly chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Ready to go into the oven
 Method-
1. Mash the bananas well in a bowl till almost liquidy.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well till a very thick mixture is formed and all are mixed evenly.
3. Grease a baking tray with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
4. Spread the mixture evenly into the tray and smooth-en the mixture with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30 minutes or till the crust becomes golden brown.
6. Take it out and let it cool before cutting.
My house is smelling of the goodness of baking banana

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