Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

       Boooo...Its Halloween! The beauty of Orange and other colours all around, Kids dressing up in a parade for "Trick or Treat", Candies everywhere, crumpled leaves and pumpkins - This season is always special. Fall Fest is also celebrating the same with Halloween Themed dishes.

I planned to prepare a super easy side that any one would love in a family dinner. Kids will never know the main ingredients at all as they are hid inside as stuffing. So lets start some healthy side/starter that no one can stop by just having one :).

Ingredients:
Button Mushrooms - 10 oz / 20 no's
Spinach - 1 heaped cup (Roughly chopped)
Onion / Shallots - 1/2 cup (Finely Chopped)
Garlic - 3 pods(finely chopped)
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Italian Bread Crumbs - 1 tablespoon
Mozzarella cheese - 2 tablespoon (I used Low Moisture partly skimmed, Use more if you like cheesy)
Dry Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Crushed Red Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Grated Parmesan cheese - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste



Method:

• Wash and remove the stem of mushrooms. Finely chop the removed stems. Foil baking tray and keep it ready.

• Heat Oil, Add Chopped Onion, Garlic, Salt and saute until they are fried to slight brown colour. Throw in chopped mushroom stems and saute until soft, like for a minute. Put in chopped spinach and saute for 30 seconds. Switch off the flame.

• To the cooked mixture, add in Grated Parmesan, Crushed Red pepper, Dry Oregano, Italian Bread Crumbs and stir well to combine everything together (Remember the stove should be turned off in this process). 

• Arrange Mushrooms in your foiled tray. Fill in the prepared filling. Top with some Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350'F for about 20 to 25 minutes(It took me 20 minutes). Serve them as sides for Pasta or Fried Rice/Chicken.

My Notes:

• After removing the stem of Mushroom just scratch the inner part to create space for filling.
• Type of cheese and the amount is depending on your taste. Add cream cheese along with the filling to make it more creamy and soft.
• Italian Bread Crumbs are with Herbs, so it adds a great taste but using plain bread crumbs will not reduce the taste - so go for your choice or pantry availability.
• Adding in other veggies like Carrots, Squash, Beetroots, Potato or also Grated Indian Cottage cheese are also a variation.
• Brush some olive oil or egg wash for final crisp and shine. 
• The filling been prepared is also incredible on Egg Omlete. Beat 4 eggs with salt and pepper. Pour that on hot skillet, once half cooked top this filling on one side and close the other side and cook until done. so you have another choice for breakfast if the filling is pending.

Its not just me who is celebrating Halloween but below are my other Fall Fest Event Friends with their incredibly delicious recipes specially dedicated for "Fall Fest Halloween party by Food Network" - Click on recipes to find more :)

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN"

Feed Me Phoebe:Leftover Jack-o-Lantern Salad i.e. Pumpkin & Arugula Salad with Miso-Lemon Dressing
The Heritage Cook: Jack-o'-Lantern Black & Orange Soups
The Lemon Bowl:Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Virtually Homemade:Apple Caramel Cake Pops
Weelicious:Roasted Pumpkin and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Jeanette's Healthy Living:Ghoulish "Bloody Brains" Roasted Cauliflower and Beet Hummus
Devour: Caramel Apples for Halloween
Taste With The Eyes:Braised Oxtail for Halloween?
Made By Michelle:Clementine Pumpkins
Napa Farmhouse 1885:Silky Pumpkin Hummus
Red or Green:Spooky Black Bean Dip & Chile Roasted Sweet Potato Appetizers
Dishing:Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Domesticate Me:Spiced Pumpkin Punch
Cooking With Elise:Wicked Good Halloween Recipes
The Sensitive Epicure:Trick or Treat, Spaghetti or Squash? Both
FN Dish:Have a Homemade Halloween

Also happy to link this to Cooking with Green event by Savorindian
http://savorindian.blogspot.com/2013/12/event-announcement-cooking-with-green.html

Pumpkin Browns / Pumpkin Hash browns

 
           Hash Browns are among the most famous breakfast foods here in the USA. They are made with Potatoes, first Shredded, salted and then pan fried to crispiness. I ate this for the first time from Dunkin Donuts along with a cup of coffee. Those melting goodies were super yummy. This is in the menu list of almost all restaurants serving breakfast. Its that big a favorite here in the States..

           As the Fall has arrived and Halloween preparations are on the go, we see Pumpkins everywhere. So thought of coming up with the Pumpkin version of Hash browns for this Fall Fest. I tried using pumpkin and some other vegetables like Mushrooms and Carrots that cook easily when pan fried and trust me no one would believe these goodies also have other veggies inside. Though in many parts of the USA Hash browns strictly refer to the one prepared with potatoes I preferred to give it a change using other veggies. Its worth giving it a try in this pumpkin season. So turn on your skillets ready for a twist to your regular Hash browns...

Ingredients:

Pie Pumpkin - 1 cup (Grated)

Golden Potatoes - 1/2 cup (Grated)

Carrot - 1/4 cup (Grated)

Mushroom - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)

Green Chilli - 2 no's (Very Finely Chopped)

Corn Flour - 1 teaspoon

All Purpose Flour - 1 teaspoon

Egg - 1 no

Salt - To Taste

Pepper - 2 Generous pinch

Oil - a thin layer on the skillet

(Any type of Pumpkin, Potato, Carrots, Mushrooms can be used based on your taste, Rinse the Grated Vegetables in cold water and pat dry them else they will lose out water after adding egg)



Method:

• Peel the skin of vegetables, Grate/Shred them in a bowl. Add chopped Green chilli, Salt, Pepper. Stir well.

• Add in Egg, Corn and All purpose Flour and stir well to coat all the ingredients on the vegetables.

• Heat Oil, Add a big scoop and make small patties. Cook both sides until crisp and brown.

• Serve hot for Breakfast with some fruits.

My Notes:

• Just Pumpkin and Potatoes without the other veggies were also tasty.
• This is always fried in oil but sprinkling some oil and toasting them were also equally tasty, so use oil according to your need.
• Rinse veggies in cold water and pat dry with a tissue or towel so that they don't lose water.
• Green chillies are optional, I love the flavor and taste these provide for the dish. Some grated garlic would simply be yummy too.
• For kids, you cano add some shredded Mozzarella or any other cheese.  

Today's ingredient for Fall Fest is Pumpkin...For more delicious Pumpkin recipes from my other Fall Fest friends do check below:


Napa Farmhouse 1885: Thai Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
Red or Green: Pizza with Red Chile Pumpkin Sauce, Black Beans and Fresh Corn
Devour: Easy Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Feed Me Phoebe: Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
Virtually Homemade: Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
Weelicious: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
The Lemon Bowl: Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin
The Heritage Cook: Chile-Pumpkin Hummus
Dishing:Pumpkin Browns/ Pumpkin Hash Browns
In Jennie's Kitchen: Pumpkin Scones
Cooking With Elise: Hearty Pumpkin Pasta
And Love It Too: Paleo Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Blue Apron Blog: Baked Pumpkin Stuffed with Millet and Caponata
Dishin & Dishes: Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Pecan Syrup
Domesticate Me: Harvest Pumpkin Soup with Candied Bacon
The Sensitive Epicure: Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
FN Dish: Cook Pumpkin from the Patch

Taste With The Eyes: Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Apple Soup with Dried Fruit, Pine Nuts and Ancho Chile
Creative Culinary: Pumpkin Beer Bread with Pumpkin Butter Spread

Veggi Kizhi / Stuffed Vegetable Sacks with no deep frying

              

               I came up with this recipe when I had very little pizza dough unused in my refrigerator. The basic idea was similar to stuffing in vegetable rolls that we generally make. I did not wish to deep fry so ended up doing this. 

              I designed them like a "Kizhi" which in malayalam means small sack stuffed with something. I loved making them in these shape so could not resist clicking them too.

                   My hubby was so happy having them with his tea after his tiring way at office. I had a lot of confusion about giving them a shape - a sack worked out great in the end.

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough (Click for a step wise method for making pizza dough at home) - 10 chappathi ball sized
Onion - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Capsicum - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Mushroom - 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Cabbage - 1/2 cup (Chopped lengthy)
Carrot - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)
Peas - 1/8 cup
Garlic - 1 clove (chopped)
Corn Kernels - 2 tablespoons
Raisins - 10 no's (Finely chopped)
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Soya sauce - 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli sauce - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - As needed

Method:

• Saute Onion and garlic to golden brown with olive oil in a pan.

• Add all the veggies with salt and saute to cook them(For 10 min on medium flame). Please do not cook too much as they are tasty when they are crispy. 

• Add Soya and Chilli sauce with raisins and stir for 2 minutes(Sauce should not be over cooked).

• Roll the pizza dough. Take one roll and cut to strips to use as knots

• Rub some oil at the center and place the stuffing and bring the corners together to form a sack and tie it with a strip. Brush with some olive oil on every sack.

• Pre-heat oven to 400'F for 5 minutes. Arrange the sacks in a baking tray and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes (it took me 12 minutes exactly) or until the outer crust gets a golden colour. 

• Serve them hot with Tomato sauce....ooohhhhh yummmmm... 

My Notes:

• Any vegetable of your choice can be added.
• Pasta sauce can also be used instead of soya and chilli sauce too.
• Adding of tomato sauce or tomatoes / cheese is also a variation you will love. 

Am happy to link this to Event by Archana's Kitchen - Summer Fiesta

Paneer Tikka / Paneer Tikka in Oven

               

               We had a great weekend get-together and I made this Paneer Tikka for starter's. Its always a happy moment for a cook when they get complements like "You have become a tikka expert". Its more special to a food blogger. Everyone loved it and enjoyed licking the sticks. I was preparing this tikka without Gram flour for long but I got this tip from Mr. Harpal singh of Sanjeev kapoor kazhana and it really helped, thank you sir.

             The best tikkas (paneer or chicken) are those which are not dry from inside. You need them juicy and my best advice to get your paneer juicy and soft in tikkas or gravies is that they need to be soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained. This helps to retain moisture and have soft paneer from inside. I am a fan for my conventional oven, it saves a lot of time and work. These tikkas were also grilled in an oven but we can also toast them on dosa tawa's. This is the first time I am posting something just the next day it was made :). Cannot wait to share my recipe that is now a Family and Friends' favorite-I can proudly say that!

Ingredients:

For Tikka presentation:
Onion - 1 cubed
Capsicum/Bell peppers - 2 no's(Cubed, use different colours like green,yellow,red capsicums)

For Marination:
Paneer - 500 grams(cut down into 2 inch thick cubes)
Ajwain - 1/2 teaspoon
Gramflour - 1/4 cup
Hung curd - 2/3 cup
Chilli powder - 1-1/4 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Chat masala - 1/2 teaspoon(i used it but its totally optional)
Salt - to taste (I used 2 teaspoons for this total ingredients)
Ginger garlic paste - 1-1/2 tablespoon
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoon (heat it before adding) + 2 teaspoon


Pre-Arrangements:

• Hung curd : Take about 1 cup of thick Curd/Yogurt and pour that in a thin muslin cloth. hang it on holder for 3 hours placing a bowl below to drain the entire water from the curd (i hanged for 3 hours exactly). 1 cup curd after draining would give you exactly 2/3 cup of Hung curd.

• Soak paneer cubes in warm water for 15 minutes and drain the water before adding it to the marination mix. This helps the paneer to retain moisture and remain soft.

Method:

• Cut onion, capsicum to cube shaped pieces or to the size to insert in skewers. Dice paneer to cubes and soak in warm water for 15 minutes(as said in pre-arrangement section). 

• In a bowl add all the ingredients except oil under "For marination" and mix well. Now heat the oil in a kadai and then add this to the curd mixture and stir well.

• Add paneer to the marination and coat every piece with marination and place the coated pieces separately in a tray. Refrigerate for 2 hours(I did that for 2 hours but minimum of 1 hour refrigeration is compulsory).

• Soak the wooden skewers in normal water for 1 hour. this is done to avoid them from burning in the oven.

• Take the paneer out and arrange them with cubed vegetable in every skewer. i got exactly 9 skewers with 5 pieces of paneer in each. Brush some oil on top of each skewer and arrange them on a aluminum foiled greased tray or can also be arranged in a cake tray by not letting paneer touch the bottom(in third picture,this would drip some juice down).

• Pre-heat the oven at 400'F for 10 minutes. Insert the arranged tray and grill them for 25 to 30 minutes flipping it every 10 minutes or until the border's of paneer gets roasted to golden brown.

• Serve them hot with Coriander chutney.

My Notes:

• Soaking paneer in warm water helps us to get soft and tender tikkas as they are made in oven with high heat.
• I would not suggest normal curd because it has lot of water and it might make the paneer soggy. so if you could not hang it for 3 hours, atleast try to hang for 1 hour minimun to let out the high water content.
• Firm paneer is what is important for better tikka's. I used store bought paneer for this recipe.
• Heating the oil and adding it to curd helps in making the marination paste more greasy.
• Soaking the wooden sticks helps us to avoid burning when they are grilled on high heat. 

Parippu Vada / Masal vada / Bengal gram(Split) Fritters

              No words to explain the taste of this lovely fried item. The aroma that fills your home while making parippu vada lets your neighbor tempting to taste. This is a deep fried item. The most popular vada you see in any Tea-shop in Tamilnadu/Kerala. With a cup of chai nothing tastes better than a parippu vada kadi :).

Ingredients:

Kadala parippu / Bengal gram(split)      -     1-1/2 cups + 2 tablespoon
Onion(Finely chopped)                        -     1 cup
Green chilli(Our little finger size)          -      2 to 3 no's(finely chopped)
Curry leaves                                     -      10 to 12 leaves
Fennel seeds                                    -     1 teaspoon
Ajwain                                              -     1 pinch
Rava/sooji                                        -     1 teaspoon
Oil                                                   -      To deep fry
Salt                                                 -       as needed


Method:

• Wash well and Soak the Bengal gram for 1-1/2 hours.
• Grind the gram without adding water. remember not to paste but coarse.add 2 tablespoon of bengal gram(kept separate).
• Heat oil in a kadai.
• Now add Onion,Green chilli,Curry leaves,Fennel seeds,Ajwain,Rava,Salt to the ground bengal and mix well.
• Now make the coarse gram mix to small round balls and press the middle part slightly to get the shape of vada.
• Now deep fry them until they are golden brown.
• Serve them hot with coriander chutney or sauce....simply YUM:)

Wash well and Soak the Bengal gram for 1-1/2 hours,separate 2 tablespoon bengal gram from this.

Grind the gram without adding water. remember not to paste but coarse,add 2 tablespoon of bengal gram(kept separate).

Now add Onion,Green chilli,Curry leaves,Fennel seeds,Ajwain,Rava,Salt to the ground bengal and mix well.

Now make the coarse gram mix to small round balls and press the middle part slightly to get the shape of vada.

Now deep fry them until they are golden brown.

Hot and simply YUMMM...

Note:

• Adding Dry red chilli with some smashed garlic enhances the taste.
• Add the salt in the last mixing process so that the mixture will not ooze water.