Easy, Peasy Cheesy Spread

This is my entry for the Hush Hush week of Avant Garde Cookies. Priya Sreeram gave me an easy ingredient - cheese. And I had just stocked the fridge with Feta from the Indian store (never again since it was too salty, but perfect for the dish I made) and Gruyere from Trader Joes.
What to make??? I also had some paneer sitting in the fridge from a previous purchase, however it was not an option for this meal.

I have been cooking but blogging has been a luxury I have been unable to indulge in! Other priorities, kid applying to colleges, baking goodies for all the teachers and friends who have enriched our lives, horrific news that makes me want to sometimes curl up under the comforters with my children and never come out! Oft are the times I feel like taking them all back in my womb where I can keep them safe! If only that were an option! Kids grow up, get bigger than you, finish school and flee the nest in pursuit of their own destinies. As parents you have to learn to dwell on their success and not at the void they leave in the home as they do so!

I want a safe environment for the children and for all the people of the US. Many countries survive just fine with no weapons in their homes - I dream of a gun-free country where people once again learn to love their neighbors and let go of this built up hate and frustration.

Sorry to digress, this is after all a food blog and I am happy that is one thing that can please, made the right way :)

This was an uber delicious spread and a perfect addition to any dinner table and for entertainment.

Ingredients
1 pack of frozen peas (12oz)
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup of gruyere cheese
1/4 cup of creamy Feta cheese
3 spicy green chilies
2 tomato
2tsp of olive oil


Method
Sautee until all veggies are cooked.
Add the Feta to the veggies and melt
Cool and grind and put in a baking dish
Add grated gruyere
Bake at 350 for 20 -25 mins

Serve as dip or spread

Oven Roasted Peppers with Low Fat Cream Cheese, Sauteed Corn & Beans

I saw a variation of this in a magazine (Vegetarian Times) and adapted it to the ingredients I had readily available at home. This is a masterpiece, looks as gourmet as it tastes. An easy peasy recipe that takes probably 30 from start to finish - so go ahead and give it a try - I promise you that this has got the "WOW" factor writ large over it.

Ingredients 

4-5 peppers - Red, Orange or Yellow(serves 4-5 guests assuming each consume 2)

1 pack of frozen corn 

1 can of black beans

4 -5 triangles of any flavored laughing cow cream cheese (35 calories per triangle) (sub with creamy goat cheese, feta or fresh mozzarella

Herbs of choice - I used thyme from my garden - but if you favor other flavors, go for it

Garlic flakes & brown sesame seeds for topping

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Olive oil spray +1 tsp for sauteeing the corn and black beans

Sea Salt

Fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Other spicing agents of your choice (optional - I used  tsp of spicy sesame powder)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees F

Thaw the corn

Wash the beans

Sautee with spice and salt and 1 tsp of olive oil

Cut the peppers right down the middle making two perfect cups -

NOTE - you can either lop off the stems or keep the stem on 

Remove the seeds

Spray the inside of the pepper with olive oil, grate some sea salt and pepper

Cut or pinch out small amounts of the cheese into the pepper

Add the cooked corn/bean mix

Sprinkle some garlic flakes and sesame seeds on the top

Grate the fresh parmesan cheese over them 

Bake for 15-18 minutes

Note: Before placing on the baking pan, spray the pan - I added some salt and some chili flakes - These do not really coat the peppers, but they do absorb a mild but perfect flavor from them

Remove from oven. 

Decorate with fresh thyme leaves and serve hot.

Bon appetit!

Peppa Paneer Frankie Wrap

This dish I am dedicating to my nephew in Chennai - In my week at Chennai not too long ago, there were at least 2 or 3 nights when this young man wanted these Frankie Wraps from a kiosk - apparently a hot joint for these ever so popular short eat. I think these also go by the name of kaati rolls. I have never dared to try one from that vendor - needed a well-adjusted tummy for that, but I tried my own version, a lot healthier one, of course. You can literally make this in under 10 minutes, providing of course you have the ingredients handy - but the beauty is you can make these with just about anything you have around the house - but the one think you do need is a rumali roti or a big tortilla wrap. I particularly like red, yellow and orange peppers for this recipe since they lend a fantastic fresh flavor to the wrap -
Since the wrap itself is caloric, I avoid using any more fat than I have to so I use my olive oil spray.

Ingredients - for up to 4 wraps
1/2 each of Red, Yellow and Orange peppers
1 medium sized onionPaneer but long about 1 cup
1-2 green chilies slit fine and thin
1tsp of sesame seeds
1tbsp humus - this can be subbed by mayonnaise or any other spread of your choice - but bear in mind, hummus is your healthiest and in my opinion tastiest bet
1tsp olive oil (optional as an alternative to olive oil spray)
1tsp sambar powder
2tbsp Szechuan stir fry sauce - spicy
4 large tortillas (250 cals each) Lighter version most welcome

Preparation
Cut all the veggies and the paneer lengthwise
lightly spray them with olive oil spray and sprinkle the sambar podi (powder) over them
In a non stick pan, roast them on high heat
Add the stir-fry sauce over it and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.

I just toasted the tortilla over the flame like a phukla
Add the stuffing and roll - put it on a wide pan tawa and allow it to gets those delectable toasted spots.
Stick a toothpick to keep it from unravelling.
Serve by itself or with a hot ketchup

And that's a wrap for the weekend folks adios until the next post and HAPPPPPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL YOU GORGEOUS MOMS OUT TEHRE _ LOVE YOU!