Broccoli Soup

Like it or not, we have to eat three times a day. To cut out the tedious work, I have tried every possible trick in the book and then some more.

I cook more rice than needed and serve with curd and pickle the next day. Breakfast is cornflakes. There will be dosa batter (ready made, of course) in the fridge. I cut the vegetables for the week in advance, so that I won’t feel lazy. I grate coconut in advance, always. I even blend the coconut, green chilies and cumin seeds together so that making thoran (side dish with coconut) is easy.

I have even tried having a heavy lunch, so that I can skip dinner. It didn’t work, obviously, cos the stomach cannot be reasoned, it can only be fed at regular intervals.

The ‘restaurant threat’ is reserved for those days when laziness is at its peak (read weekends). Hubby doesn’t mind, but there are times when he wants to relax at home too. But in the new place, the nearest restaurant is at least 7-8 kms away. Now I have to resort to easy meals like this to kill those hunger pangs which never fail to attack me at 8AM, 1 PM and 8 PM everyday.

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

• Broccoli       :          1 cup florets
• Garlic            :          2 pods
• Butter           :          1 -2 tsp
• Milk              :          1 cup (might need more)
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Microwave the broccoli florets and peeled garlic pods with the butter for 4-5 minutes or till cooked.
2. Cool it and blend with milk. If it turns out to be too thick, add some more milk to get to the desired consistency.
3. Add seasonings. Mix and pour it back to the same MW bowl and cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings. Serve with toasted bread and salad.

Linked to:

• Blogging Marathon 19, under ‘Greens, Blended’
• 30 Minute Mela

Cabbage Stuffed Paratha

It would have been their fiftieth wedding anniversary in September. That’s when our neighbor uncle passed away, peacefully, in his sleep.

A few days short of fifty years of togetherness. A happy lifetime together with aunty.

They weren’t financially well off. But looking at them, you would know that you don’t need money to be happy.

And our poor aachi aunty, she has to get up every morning alone, knowing that the familiar face will not be around. I wish her the courage to face the coming days and years.

Your silent presence will be missed, uncle. May your soul rest in peace.

Recipe Source : Yummy Tummy

Ingredients:

• Cabbage                      :        1 cup, very finely chopped
• Onion                           :        1 small, finely chopped
• Chili Powder             :         1 tsp (or to taste)
• Turmeric Powder   :         1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder  :        1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste :         1 tsp
• Wheat Flour              :          2 cups
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

1. Make the chapati dough by mixing and kneading the wheat flour with about a cup of water. Cover and keep aside. Mince or grate the cabbage for stuffing. I use food processor for mincing cabbage and for making the chapati dough. So it gets done in a jiffy.
2. Heat  about 2 tsp of oil in a kadai. Add the ginger garlic paste and the onions. Saute till the onions turn pink. Add the cabbage and the chili, coriander, turmeric powders and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes plus, stirring now and then, till the cabbage is cooked and the stuffing is totally dry. Keep aside.
3. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out one ball out into 4″ diameter circle first. Dust the dough with some wheat flour for easy rolling.
4. Add about a tbsp of the cabbage filling and seal the dough ball from all sides. Dust in flour again and roll out into a 6 – 7″ big paratha. Do not apply a lot of pressure since the filling might break out.
5. Cook both sides of the paratha in a hot tawa, smearing ghee or oil. Repeat the rolling, filling and cooking with the remaining dough balls.
6. Serve hot with curd and pickle.

Linked to:

• Blogging Marathon 19, under ‘Greens, as stuffing’
• 30 Minute Mela

Mint Pesto Sandwiches

Moms know their kids’ well. Really well.

For example, it takes less than a moment for me to know when my child is hungry, angry, tired or bored. I could spot him a mile away anywhere. As any proud mama, I assumed that I knew everything about him.

That’s when the school Sports Day came.

Looking for my son, in a group of 150 kids – all of them almost of the same height and wearing the same white & white uniform, was no easy deal. I must have waved at least 20 kids , thinking it was mine. In fact, to this day, I am not sure I would have spotted him correctly, if it not for his teacher directing him to walk forward.

He was the only one who was marching backwards!

Unique kid, but still a bit difficult to differentiate easily in a similar crowd.

The feeling is similar when I buy green leafy vegetables. Each variety is different, but still difficult and confusing to differentiate when there are too many varieties sitting next to each other. So I am sticking to some greens that no one can get confused with, for the last week of Blogging Marathon 19. The theme is ‘Cooking with Greens’, and I have chosen the ‘Spread, Stuffing and Blended’ combination.

Starting with Mint and coriander pesto. Cabbage and Broccoli recipes to follow. Now, that’s some greens no one is going to get confused with!

Recipe Source: Macheesmo

Ingredients:

• Mint leaves              :        1 bunch (About 1.5 cups)
• Coriander leaves   :        1/4 bunch (About 1/2 cup)
• Almonds                   :        2 tbsp
• Garlic                         :        3-4 cloves
• Cheese                       :        1/3 cup
• Olive Oil                    :        1/3 cup (or more)
• Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Clean and wash the mint and coriander leaves. Pluck the leaves and discard the stems for the mint.
2. Toast almonds in a pan for about 2 minutes (optional).
3. Toss everything in a food processor and pulse it a couple of times to get a coarse mix, don’t grind it into a paste.
4. Do a taste test and season with salt and pepper.  Use as a spread for pizza or sandwiches or for making pasta.

For the sandwich:

• Mint Pesto
• Thinly Sliced Cucumber
• Thinly sliced Tomatoes
• Cheese Slice
• Salt & Pepper
• Bread Slices
• Butter/Ghee

1. Spread a tsp or two of pesto on a slice of bread. Top it with a couple of slices of cucumber, tomato and cheese. Cover with another slice of bread.
2. Heat a spoon of ghee or butter in a pan and toast the sandwich on both sides for half a minute each or till the bread turns golden. You can grill the sandwich instead of this stovetop method too.

Linked to:

• Blogging Marathon 19, under ‘Greens, as a spread’
• 30 Minute Mela