Vegetables Au Gratin (Dieters Version)

We all love our cheese! Let's admit it, unless we have some major allergies to dairy, which often still does not apply to cheese. While being touted as a good source of protein cheese tends to be more of a fat source!  Not trying to go all preachy on you since I am as culpable as the next person in liking this darned thing!  But new year resolutions kicked in a month later for me and I am trying to be good about what goes into my mouth and into my stomach. I am adhering so far to the NO-Fry February,  with which also goes more veggies, less grains and all that jazz.

All the recipes that I call my own, is most often just put together! As I have often said, if you put of bunch of things you like together, chances are you will like the outcome of it just as well. And quoting myself again (coz I am so good like that) I also restate that recipes are mere guidelines always subject to personalization.

So here is my recipe
1 8x9x4 deep baking dish  
Makes about 8 generous portions
Ingredients

• About a dozen Baby carrots split length wise
• 1 medium cauliflower cut/snapped into daily big florets
• 1/2 box of baby spinach (about 3 cups)
• 2 zucchinis cut in cubes
• 1 can of Campbell's low sodium Mushroom soup
• 1can of Campbell's cream of celery 
• 1cup of shredded cheddar

Flavoring Guidelines

• 2 dry red peppers crushed
• 1tbsp of pesto powder
• Salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Method

1. Set oven to 350 deg F
2. Broil on high the veggies for about 10 minutes or until the tips of the veggies are turning brown
3. Remove from oven
4. In a deep baking dish
5. Spray the bottom with olive oil 
6. Add half the grilled veggies
7. From either can ladle out the soup in chunks around the pan over the veggies
8. Use half of the flavoring ingredients 
9. Now add the rest of the veggies I separated mine so it felt like different layers
10. And repeat process with second can of soup and flavoring
11. Now add the cheese
12. Bake for about 25-30 minutes
13. Serve with Bread 

Stuffed Squash Blossom in Braided Bread

Since I am on a bread roll,  (lol) I thought I'd follow up my french bread post with my stuffed and braided bread - the one many of you good friends have given me the wonderful like sign for on FB:)
Keep the same bread recipe as my french bread - except after it rises the first time around
roll it out like a pizza crust. The rest of the recipe follows - this was another of my off the cuff ideas since It is that time of the year again when my veggie garden is profuse with squash blossoms - You may recall my zucchini bajjis from last year. I did not want to use the blossoms in the usual ways that have been recorded on the web. It is really easy and I would love for you to try it - Like all other works of art, this requires patience and that is no biggy for most of my creative friends, right? :)

Here we go!
Identify the male flowers and pick about 10-15.  Wash in gentle water and pat dry with paper towel - allow them to sit in a sunny part of your kitchen until you are ready to work with them

Prepare your bread dough. Let it rise for 2 hours

Ingredients for stuffing the blossoms

1/3 less Fat Philedelphia cream cheese - I used about 6 ounces of the 8 ounce box
Pesto (Mine was homemade and the recipe will be posted soon) about 4 ounces

Mix the two nicely and keep ready

Pick up the dry blossom, cut the back ends off with the stem leaving a small hole. Approach stuffing from the petal end which is wide and convenient - make sure you do not over stuff or push it too far towards the stem side hole.

Hold the flower and with a small spoon insert the cream cheese pesto mix (about 2 tsps). Press the petals close with your fingers. repeat until all flowers are filled.

When the 2 hours are up get the dough out and knead a couple of times . Split into 2 halves. I made a braided bread with one half and a plain loaf with the other.

Roll out the one half like you would pizza dough. Make sure the surface has already been dusted with flour before doing this.

Now place the blossoms gently and closely, facing opposite directions alternately (see picture below) .

Take a sharp knife and cut the sides into strips. The top and bottom corners will be slightly broader. Fold them in first, gently over the blossom. Then braid the rest of the strips, as shown in the picture.

Bake at 350 degrees or until brown at the top.
I hope you'll enjoy this!

Serve it hot :)

Stay tuned for my Masala Buns - which is the next recipe on my blog!

Homemade Pesto

I have truly made a better braid than this, but hey...