Quick Mini-pepper Poppers

A very Happy New Year to all the followers & readers of this blog. I know three-quarters of January has already passed by, but you see, this is my first time writing something this year!

I have been quite busy for the past few months with my regular full-time jobs ( yes, jobs..) & the kids of course, then the whirlwind trip to India, then all the catching up at work.. well.. you get the picture.. That's why I haven't been able to blog at all!!

I decided to start by re-writing a recipe, making it easier with just 3-ingredients! This is one of my favorite recipes! When Sonal announced her Super-Bowl round up, that too recipes with 5 or less ingredients, I knew this was the recipe that I wanted to bring. This is a recipe that makes for the perfect, hassle-free, healthy, vegetarian, bite size appetizer that both vegetarians and non-vegetarians will both enjoy! This is a recipe that even a novice can make! This is a recipe that can be prepped ahead of time, maybe even made ahead of time ( not that it takes much time to make!) or can be made at the very last minute! If you are going to a potluck, this is perfect to make and carry. This can be made in the conventional oven or in a toaster oven. This is a very versatile recipe that you can give it your own personal touch! I had posted the "from scratch" version around Thanksgiving. Today, I am posting the quick version that uses store-bought herbed cheese like Philadelphia or Boursin ( no, I am not being paid by either of them) !!

Image Credit:google

Image Credit:google

Image credit:google

Believe me when I tell you that this recipe is a keeper!! You & your guests will both love it!!

Servings: 8-10

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 8-10 minsTotal time: 18-20 mins

Ingredients:

Sweet Mini-peppers: 16-18 nos
Low fat cream cheese with herbs: 1 package ( 8 oz or 222gms)Any brand like Philadelphia or Boursin herbed cheese will do.
Olive oil : to drizzle

Method:

Take the cream cheese in a bowl. Whip it lightly using a fork until softened and creamy. Keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Arrange a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.

Wash and dry the peppers. Slice it into 2 without cutting the stem. You will end up with one half of the pepper with the stem and the other half without the stem. Remove the seeds and discard them.

Fill each of the halves with the cream cheese mixture prepared earlier. Arrange the peppers on the baking sheet in a single layer with the filled side facing up.

Lightly drizzle olive oil in the peppers. Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 350 degF or 180 degree Celsius for 8-10 mins.

Serve hot!

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #156  and Saucy Saturdays#81.

Cooking made easy:

If you don't have cream cheese, you can make this with paneer using the recipe found here.

Tip for healthier living:

Cheese is a good source of calcium especially for vegetarians when eaten in moderate amounts.

Food for thought:

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Mahatma Gandhi

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Raspberry Cheesecake for Beginners

My husband's birthday was in the recent past. His favorite cake is the Cheesecake! He absolutely loves cheesecake. So, I set about making a cheesecake for him. I have made "no-bake" cheesecake before and didn't quite like it. This time I wanted to make a cheesecake that is baked. At the recommendation of a close friend, I decided to follow a simple recipe from the wrapper of the Philadelphia cheese. The recipe was for a classic cheesecake. I modified it  and transformed it into a raspberry cheesecake.The cheesecake was very simple and easy to make and the result was delicious!!

My colleagues loved it, but it was my husband who raised the bar. My husband, who is a man of few words, announced that this cake was as good as what you get in the stores!! For me, there is no higher compliment!!

The only downside of this cake is that you cannot make it in a rush.The advantage is that you can make it ahead of time and therefore is perfect for gatherings like birthdays, thanksgiving & holidays! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!!

Servings: makes one 10 inch cake ( 16-18 servings)

Prep time: 20minsCook time: 55 minsTotal time: 5 hours 45 mins (including refrigerating time)

Ingredients:

Cream cheese: 4 packages ( 8 oz/226 gms each) ( room temperature)
Sugar: 1 cup
Eggs: 4, large
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

For the crust:
Graham cracker crumbs: 1 1/2 cups
Butter: 1/3 cup

For the topping:

Fresh raspberries: 1 cup
Pink fruit jelly: 1/4 cup( preferably something pink or red)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 deg F.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. You can use your hands or pulse it in a food processor.

Press it onto the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Keep aside.

In a bowl add the 4 packages of cream cheese, vanilla essence  & 1 cup sugar. Beat well using a hand blender. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg, on low until just blended.

Pour over the crust in the springform pan. 

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 50-55 mins or until the center is set. Leave it in the oven with the oven turned off and the door open for another 30 mins.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely on the countertop ( around 2 hours).

While the cake is cooling, prepare the topping.

Rinse, drain and keep the raspberries in a bowl.

Heat the jelly in a saucepan on the stovetop until melted. Turn off the flame. Pour the melted jelly on  the raspberries in the bowl.

Once the cake is cooled, release the edges of the cake from the pan gently using a spatula or a butter knife. Release the springform pan and keep the cake on a rack it serving plate/ cooling rack.

Arrange/pour the raspberries with the jelly on the Cheesecake.

Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or until serving.

Enjoy!!

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #147,  & Saucy Saturdays#72. Angie's co-hosts this week are: Julianna @ Foodie On Board and Hilda @ Along The Grapevine.

Cooking made easy:

To slice the cheesecake easily, use a knife that has been dipped in warm water. Keep a bowl of warm water handy and dip the knife in warm water before cutting each slice.

Tip for healthy living:

To enjoy this cake without packing the pounds, make the serving portions small by making thinner slices. You will still enjoy the dessert, but guilt-free!

Food for thought:

We do not remember days, we remember moments. Cesare Pavese

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Guest Post Series: LOBIA SUVA BHAJI SUBZI (Sauteed Dill with Black-eyed peas) by Shobana Rao

 

 Hope you all found Ashwini Kamath's Piyava tambali very useful last week. This week my guest is another senior blogger whom I hold in high esteem. She is respected by all and much liked in the blogging community. She is very humble, helpful and resourceful. It is my pleasure to introduce to you Shobana Rao. She blogs @ Cooking with Shobana.Her blog has a plethora of recipes that are traditional Konkani as well as several fusion recipes. She resides in Bangalore, India.

 I am honored to have her write a guest post for me. Today, she has brought us Lobia Suva Subzi which is essentially a dish in which black-eyed peas have been cooked with Dill leaves and spices in a very flavorful manner. Do check her blog "Cooking with Shobana" for more healthy and delicious recipes.


This healthy dish of legume and greens is made as a Guest Post for my friend, Suchitra Kamath who has an interesting blog full of healthy recipes called,"Su's Healthy Living." 

The main ingredients in this dish are Black Eyed Beans and Dill Leaves (called Lobia and Suva Bhaji in Hindi respectively). Dill leaves are called Shepu in Marathi/Konkani and Sabsigge Soppu in Kannada. You might be interested to know that Black Eyed Beans (also known as Black Eyed Peas) have many health benefits while Dill Leaves have a distinctive and special flavour all of their own.

You can enjoy this dish with rotis or as a side dish with the main meal.

Servings:

Ingredients:

• Lobia ( Black Eyed Beans), 1 cup
• Suva Bhaji ( Fresh Dill Leaves), chopped, 2 cups
• Rai ( Mustard Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Green Chillies, slit, 3-4, or as per taste
• Garlic Pods, finely chopped, 3
• Large sized Onion, chopped, 1
• Salt, to taste
• Lemon juice, 2-3 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and soak the lobia overnight or for 8-10 hours

Next morning, pour out the excess water

In a pressure cooker, cook the soaked lobia in adequate water for 1-2 whistles or till done.Take care to see that the lobia does not get overcooked.Once the cooker has cooled remove the cooked lobia and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter, add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.

Next add the slit green chillies, chopped garlic, and onion and saute till the onion becomes translucent and the garlic gives off a nice aroma.

Add the chopped dill leaves, cooked beans, salt to taste and mix well.

Cover and cook on medium flame till the dill leaves get done.

Finally add the lemon juice and mix well.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Enjoy!!

I am bringing this delicious dish of Shobhana akka's to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Ice-Cream Sandwiches; Meatless Monday

Feeling hot hot hot ... That's the song that has been stuck in my mind! Well, literally, it is getting hot, with warmer temperatures here and scorching u relenting heat in India! Kids and adults alike are looking for ways to cool themselves down! What better than ice cream to cool yourself?? My daughter has been asking for ice cream sandwiches for a while now. I have been stalling her saying that when it gets warmer, I will make them for you. I don't like my kids eating cold, frozen stuff during winter for fear that they might get sick ( yes, I know that is a myth, but I  can't help being a mom). This past weekend she goes, " Mommy it is warm now. Are you going to make ice cream sandwiches now??" I replied, " of course!" Her next sentence was : can I help? I said yes and together we set out making these cute little beauties!

Well, I cannot claim much credit for the recipe. It is literally ice cream sandwiched between 2 cookies! A friend of mine helped me with the nitty-gritty. So technically this is semi-homemade. I bought the ice cream and the cookies from the store, assembled the sandwiches and stuck it back in the freezer! When my blogger friend Sonal invited recipes for a semi-homemade collective, she specifically told me that she was looking for a recipe that was fun! Now who can say "NO" to ice cream & cookies?? Very few people ( read: me!). While any kind of ice cream and cookies would do, I have used regular Chocolate chip cookies and  Double Chocolate Chip cookies with M&Ms for the cookies. I used a basic chocolate and vanilla ice cream. My daughter likes chocolate and my son likes vanilla! Also, they made for a good contrast with the cookies.

Want to use home-made chocolate chip cookies and home-made ice cream? Go ahead, and use it! It is much healthier!

Note: These treats are by no means healthy! However you can make them healthy. Here is the skinny on it! Use frozen yogurt or banana ice cream instead of the regular ice-cream. You know I always have the healthier alternative for you!

These ice cream sandwiches are super-easy and fun to make! They make for a great summer vacation activity for you to do with your kids. You can bring them with you to picnics in the park( make sure you use a cooler to transport them) and barbecues in your backyard!

Do try it, you will enjoy it just as much as my kids and I!

Servings: makes 12 medium-sized ice cream sandwiches.

Ingredients:

Ice cream: 1/2 tub of any flavor ice cream ( I used a mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream).
Cookies: 1 box of large chocolate-chip cookies.( you may not use all as you need only 24 cookies).
Plastic Cling-wrap : to wrap the cookies.

Method:

Keep the tub of ice cream out of the freezer at room temperature for a few minutes so that the ice cream is softened a little and can be handled easily. The time period that you keep the ice cream out depends on the temperature in your area/ home. The ice cream should not become liquid/runny.

Lay out 12 cookies upside down in a single layer on a tray. Keep the cling film roll handy.

Using a small melon scooper or cookie scoop, scoop a ball of ice cream and place it on the cookie. Keep another cookie on top of the ice cream scoop and press down gently, slightly. Now cover the sandwich in a plastic cling wrap tightly and place it in a container.

Repeat this with all the rest of the cookies.

Place the container in the freezer for minimum of 2-3 hours.

To serve: remove the plastic cling wrap and serve!


Enjoy!!

I am bringing these amazing crepes to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#38, Fiesta Friday#119  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.

Cooking made easy:

The size of the scoop of ice cream depends on the size of the cookie. The ice cream scoop should be proportional to the cookie size. Don't place too big a scoop, as when you place the cookie on top and press down, the ice cream will ooze out!!

Again, any shape/ type of cookie can be used, except that they should be big in size.

Tip for healthy living:

Food that we consume has to be healthy and balanced. Everything in moderation. Everyone is allowed to cheat/ indulge every once in a while. As long as it is in moderation and you are good most of the time. After all, we want to live our lives fully and not feel deprived!

Food for thought:

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. Stephen Hawking

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Zucchini Boats; Diabetes Friendly Thursday

Food is what keeps us going!! Do I sound crazy?? Think about it, really! If we didn't have hunger, we would not be working. Food is at the center of all celebrations; birthdays, holidays, religious festivities, you name it! For that matter, even on a everyday basis, we think about food. What are we going to have for breakfast, what are we having for lunch, what shall we eat for dinner. If food is such an important part of our lives then it is essential that we enjoy our food. Just because we have some health conditions like diabetes, it doesn't mean that we give up / stop enjoying food. What it means however, is that we make the right choices that suits our body and makes it function maximally. There is plenty of food out there that is healthy and tasty.

This weekend on Valentine's Day, let us make something healthy and delicious for our loves ones. Team DFT has come together to bring you a collection of diabetes friendly appetizers.

So, lets celebrate Valentine's Day with Team DFTs  weight watchers and Diabetes Friendly appetizers.

                        Creating Recipes with a Cause! I am a proud DFT blogger. 

                                        To learn about DFT, Read this Link! 

                                        To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

My contribution to this is the very easy, very healthy, very delicious and almost calorie-free zucchini boats. You have to try it to believe me!!

This is one of those recipes that I fell in love with instantly. I have been making this for a couple of years now and every time I made it, it has been a huge hit. I have been meaning to blog about it for a long time now, but it didn't happen until now. You can find the original recipe here.

I am bringing these healthy treats to my friends at Throwback Thursday #25, Fiesta Friday #106 and Saucy Saturdays.Angie's Fiesta Friday co-hosts this week are Steffi @ Ginger & Bread and Andrea @ Cooking With a Wallflower.

Servings: 4 ( 2 pieces/ half a zucchini per person)

Ingredients:

Zucchini : 2 medium-sized ones
Grape/cherry tomatoes: around 16-20.
Bread crumbs: 2 tbsp
Olive oil: 1-2 tsp ( for brushing the zucchini slices, may not need all)
Salt: to taste
Freshly ground black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
Shredded cheese: 2 tbsp ( Any cheese will do; mozzarella preferred; can be adjusted as per individual preference).

Method:

Clean the zucchini and tomatoes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining with foil or parchment paper and keep ready.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise into two slices.

Scoop out the seeds in the center using a teaspoon to create a groove running the length of the zucchini slice, thereby making a "boat".

Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil.

Slice the grape tomatoes into two.

Arrange the grape tomatoes in the groove of the sliced zucchini. You might need around 8-9 tomato halves.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the zucchini and tomato. You can do this before or after placing the tomatoes.

Now sprinkle bread crumbs along the length of the boat.

Arrange the prepared zucchini boats on the baking tray.

Place the tray on the center rack of the oven and bake at 350 degree F for 20-25 minutes.

Take it out. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on each boats and put it back in the oven.

Bake for another 6-8 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Ensure that you don't burn the cheese.

Slice each boat into two pieces if the boat was too long. You can keep "as is " if you wish.

Serve hot.

Best when served immediately.

Cooking made easy:

If you don't have cherry or grape tomatoes, you could use slices of regular tomatoes.

You can be adventurous and stuff the boat with anything else that you feel like!

This could be also made using the broiler or the grill. It is much faster and can be ready in just 10 minutes!

Footnotes (Tip for healthy living):

Apart from being the very low calorie vegetable ( 17 calories per 100 grams,  Zucchini is one of the best sources of dietary fiber. It is a great source of manganese and vitamin C. It is also a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, folate, potassium, copper and phosphorous.

Tomatoes too are low-calorie food with much needed dietary fiber. It is a great source of vitamin C and lycopene, a powerful phytochemical with anti-oxidant properties.

Mozzarella cheese is a good source of protein and calcium. It should however be eaten in very small amounts. 


References:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/334127-the-health-benefits-of-zucchini/
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-raw-grilled-zucchini-2771.html
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-zucchini.html

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-properties-tomatoes
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273031.php

http://www.livestrong.com/article/268074-nutrition-facts-on-mozzarella-cheese/
http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/cheese.aspx

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

Do Check out the other DFT contributors  and their links!

Parvathy's Black Chickpeas Falafel Bites

Sonal's Grilled Spicy Paneer Skewers

Shailja's Oats,Spinach & Yellow moong kabobs

Apsara's Stuffed Sweet Pepper Poppers

Sarika's Cajun Cauliflower Bites

Swati's Dhaniya-Methi Muthiya

Food for thought:

Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own. H Jackson Brown, Jr.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!