Croutons

Long time ago, when my husband had an averse palette for salad as a full meal, I started using croutons as a tempting factor. Eventually, he fell in love with salad and I reduced the use of croutons. Why to increase calorie count when you eat salad for health reasons? Although salads are fine, but we still prefer to have croutons in soups. Normally, I buy ready packet from store but I hate to use them for once and remaining of them getting stale. 

So I thought why not to try at home from leftover bread. I buy fresh loaf quite often. How much I love the freshness of it, it hurts to see half of it going to trash after just one use. Since we have a rule that we would eat processed food made out of plain flour only once a week and we mostly stick to it; I cannot use it again in meal. So this time I made croutons out of leftover loaf. Not only they are cheap but also way more fresh and tasty than those from the packet. You can make them in almost no time and store them in air tight container for about a month. And more importantly, this turned out to be my little one's favorite snack :).

Preparation Time: 5 Minute

Cooking Time: 30 Minute

Ingredients

Leftover bread

Olive oil

Parsley

Red pepper flakes

Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1. Cut bread in cubes. Cut off the crusts if using regular sandwich bread

2. In a large bowl, mix olive oil, spices and herbs

3. Toss in bread cubes and coat them well

4. Arrange cubes in a baking sheet in single layer and toast at 300 F for 10-15 minute or until they become light brown and crispy

5. Store in air tight container once cool down

Veggie Stew with Beans

Being a stay-home mom, I face different dilemma on Sunday evenings. After spending Saturday and most of the Sunday on cooking, cleaning, grocery, outing and entertaining guests, I want my weekend to end in a healthy and tasty way. But neither I want to go out nor use leftovers or frozen food. And cooking a complete menu is entirely out of question. So I always look for simple options like Bhel, Fada Khichdi etc. These dishes are filling and serve as a complete meal i.e they have got veggies, protein and carbs. 

On a cold and dreary Sunday evening, this steaming hot stew is to die for. Whenever we hear about Stew, we think about beef in background of vegetables. But as I do not eat beef, I do not want to be left out. So I have created my own version of stew where I have used tomato and broccoli puree in background.   Have it all by itself or pair it with your favorite bread, this cheesy-chunky stew is definitely a great addition to your list. When I am in a mood of extensive cooking, I make this stew with Dhebra/Thepla or Paratha.

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 30 Minute + soaking time

Cooking Time: 45 Minute

Ingredients

1 cup veggies of your choice, finely diced (I used onion, zucchini, green and orange Peppers, carrot, corn, scallion)

1/2 cup rajma/ beans

1/4 cup small pasta

4 medium tomatoes

2-3 florets of broccoli

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp butter

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

Parsley and fresh cream for garnishing (optional)

Procedure

1. Soak rajma for 6-8 hours and pressure cook them

2. Pressure cook/ boil tomato and broccoli. Pulse them into puree (You can strain them if you want)

3. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute it for 2-3 minute

4. Add veggies, add salt and cook them covered stirring occasionally

5. When they are half cooked, add tomato puree, beans and pasta. Add water as required

6. Cook it uncovered till pasta are tender

7. Add butter and turn off the heat

8. Add cream, cheese and garnish with parsley

Tomato Carrot Soup

Good food does not have to be fancy or complicated to prepare and this soup is the best example. With appetizer or main course, this delicious soup can be prepared in a jiff.

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 5 Minute

Cooking Time: 20 Minute + cooling time

Ingredients

5-6 large tomatoes

2 medium carrots

1 tsp butter

½ tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp sugar

¼ tsp clove-cinnamon powder

Salt and pepper

Cheddar cheese (Optional)

Procedure

1. Peel and cut carrots into small cubes. Boil whole tomatoes and cut carrots until carrot is soft

2. Once they cool down, peel off tomato skin (If skin is tender, I prefer to retain it) and liquefy the mixture using electric blender

3. Now in a separate skillet, heat butter, add garlic and pour it over to carrot-tomato mixture

4. Add salt, sugar and clove-cinnamon powder and bring it to boil

5. Turn off the heat. Add black pepper and cheese, serve hot

Sweet Corn Soup

We try to have soup once a week, especially during winter. When I am in a mood of having lot of veggies in a soup I go for this one. Usually it goes well with Chinese menu, but I like it all time. Earlier I was making it only using corn flour and veggies. This is simpler version, but I get prominent taste of corn flour even though it is properly cooked. Hence now I have reduced flour quantity and added corn paste to it. It tastes even better!

Serves 2-3

Preparation Time: 20 Minute

Cooking Time: 15 Minute

Ingredients

1 cup sweet corn kernels

2 tbsp corn flour

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

¼ cup capsicum, finely chopped

12-15 green beans, finely chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tbsp green onions, finely chopped

½ tsp butter

½ tsp olive oil

1 tsp green chili sauce

½ tsp vinegar

Salt and pepper

Soya sauce (optional)

Procedure

1. Leave 2 tbsp corn kernels aside. Make a puree of rest of the corn and corn flour using little water

2. Finely chop all veggies, keep them aside

3. Heat butter and olive oil in sauce pan. Add garlic and onion

4. When onions are translucent, add rest of the veggies and corn

5. Add salt, vinegar and soya sauce

6. When veggies are half cooked, add corn puree and water

7. Add water and bring it to boil. Stir in between

8. When flour is cooked turn off the heat

9. Add pepper and soya sauce and serve hot

Cream of Tomato Soup

This soup is pretty common, generally found as an appetizer in most wedding parties and liked by almost everyone. I still remember, in my childhood days this soup and garden salad would be 'a default order' in any North Indian Restaurant :). I make tomato soup quite often but never got typical ‘Cream of Tomato Soup’ Taste. Well, I realized that I had missed basic step, use of plain flour.

Serves 2-3

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: 30 Minute

Ingredients

4 pc medium plum tomatoes

1 tsp butter

8-10 whole pepper corn

A bay leaf

1.5 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp fresh cream

1 tbsp grated cheddar (optional)

Salt and Sugar per taste

Procedure

1. Dice tomatoes into large cubes

2. Heat butter in sauce pan on low flame

3. Add bay leaf, pepper corn and tomatoes

4. Stir it for about 5 minute until tomatoes become soft

5. Add flour and cook for about 5-10 minute

6. Take out the bay leaf and grind the mixture into puree

7. Add water, salt and sugar and bring to boil

8. Turn off the heat, add cream and cheese

9. Serve hot

Carrot Ginger Soup

The other day, I found an online deal that Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving Recipes Books was available for free download. Of course, there were very few vegetarian recipes and there was only one I had all ingredients for. This recipe was from Emrill Lagasse and I could never imagine that combination of carrot and ginger would make delicious soup. The original recipe requires fresh thyme. But I did not have it and I would not buy whole bunch for just couple of springs. Then I searched online for substitute for thyme. Ideally, there is no substitute for thyme, but Italian seasoning contains thyme and it can work for soup.

Serves 3-4

Preparation Time: 15 Minute

Cooking Time: 20 Minute

Ingredients

2 tbsp (1/4 stick) butter

2-cup diced carrots

1-cup diced onions

2 tbsp peeled and sliced fresh ginger

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

4 cup water

Salt and Pepper

Sour cream for garnishing (optional)

Procedure

1. Melt the butter in sauce pan over high heat. Add carrots, onions, ginger, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

2. Cook for 2 minutes, add water, cover the pot and bring mixture to boil

3. Now uncover the pot, simmer on low-medium flame until carrots are tender

4. Remove pot from heat and blend the mixture

5. Serve hot, garnished with dollop of sour cream