Sandwich Time: Panini without a Press?

Okay so I was in the mood for something cheesy. Well, when am I not? But anyway.
So my cheese cravings lead to a craving for a cheesy, hearty panini.



But I didn't have a panini press. Or good cheese. So when I remembered this post, I decided to make my own faux panini press. And I improvised with the cheese using cheese slices (no judging). Which lead to this sandwich.
It couldn't be simpler - I sauteed some spinach, broccoli and mushrooms and put them between two bread slices with some cheese and garlic butter.
You could use whatever vegetable combination you want but I think greens and mushrooms are the best in this type of sandwich. Next time though, I think I'll add in some corn.... And if you're not a garlic person, unlike me, feel free to omit the garlic in the butter.


Vegetable & Cheese Panini
Ingredients

• Two slices Bread
• 1 Cheese Slice
• 1 teaspoon butter mixed with 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup spinach & 4 button mushrooms (or any other vegetables)
• 1/2 onion 
• salt, black pepper, oregano, chili flakes

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion and sautee until browned.

Add vegetables (if using greens, add a few minutes after the other vegetables)

Add the spices according to taste and mix everything well.

Remove from heat.

Spread the garlic butter on one slice of the bread.

Place the cheese slice on the other.

Spread the vegetables evenly on one of the bread slices and top with the other.

Put the sandwich on a heated pan and place a plate on top. Put something heavy like a mug on top and press down. When the sandwich is browned, remove the plate, flip the sandwich, and repeat with the other side. 

When both sides are toasted and the cheese has melted, remove from the heat.

Pesto Pizza

From the traditional wood-fired pizzas of Italy to the deep dish pizzas in Chicago to the famous New York style thin crust pizza, almost every region in the world has adapted thier own style of the classic dish. In India, you can get everything from chicken tikka to tandoori paneer on your pizza.

Everyone loves pizza and everyone has thier own preferences when it comes to the crust, sauce and cheese. Honestly, it seems like no two people can agree on their ideal pizza.

Although I love the usual tomato sauce pizza, this pesto pizza is a welcome change! I like a crispy crust, a good slathering of pesto, mozzarella & feta cheese, nuts and arugula. You can adjust the thickness of the crust to how you like it and vary the toppings however you fancy. Instead of arugula, lightly sauteed mushrooms and spinach would also be great and pistachios and goat cheese would also work well with pesto.

I make my own crust but if you're too lazy or daunted by the prospect of making your own dough, feel free to use premade pizza crusts. Also, you can make your own pesto or use store bought. I prefer making my own, but when I don't have basil/time/energy I don't mind using a jar of pesto from the store.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (for one 8 inch pizza)
Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 tsp yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 tablespoon olive oil

Mix yeast in warm water. Let sit for a while (at least 5 minutes)

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. 

Add yeast mixture, honey and olive oil. Mix everything well.

Knead dough with your hands on a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a ball.

Cover dough with plastic cling wrap and let it rise for at least an hour, but preferably around 2-3 hours.

Take out dough and roll out your desired shape on a lightly floured surface

Place on a greased baking pan and bake for 10 minutes at 190 degrees celcius.

Pesto

My go-to pesto recipes

• Basic Basil Pesto with Variations
• Pumpkin Seed Pesto
• Spinach & Cashew Pesto
• Cilantro & Smoked Almond Pesto

Assembly
Take out baked pizza crust and spread pesto (or desired sauce on top).
Top with a layer of grated parmesan cheese or sliced mozzarella cheese.
Add desired toppings like sauteed or grilled vegetables, corn, grilled chicken, olives, toasted nuts, sausage, bacon (!!), pineapple etc.
Add some more cheese on top.
Bake for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 150 degrees celcius.
If using arugula or feta cheese: bake for 5 minutes, take out the pizza, add the arugula/feta and bake for a few more minutes.

Chocolate Sauce

Vanilla ice cream is a classic. I mean, sure, there are some incredible, exotic flavors out there like tiramisu, half baked cookie dough, strawberry cheesecake, salted caramel truffle... Dont even get me started on how much I want to try Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra. Wait where was I? Vanilla. Yeah.

Vanilla is vastly underrated. With the amount of options we get these days, most of the time we forget about it. But sometimes you don't need over-the-top flavors. Sometimes all you crave is that creamy scoop of sweet, simple, vanilla.

But homemade chocolate sauce and nuts never hurt anyone?

I normally make this as a ganache for chocolate cake but always (obviously not on purpose... sheesh.) end up with loads of extra. I keep it in a jar in the fridge and somehow it always gets over far too quick. There are so many uses for it - am I the only one who thinks chocolate doesn't make everything better? You can drizzle it on ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, toast, more chocolate, cereal, shakes, anything really!

Chocolate Sauce
Makes around 1 1/2 cup
(adapted from David Lebovitz)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 30g semi sweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat water and sugar. Bring to a boil.
2. Add cocoa powder and mix well.
3. Lower heat, add chocolate and stir to combine.
4. When everything is combined, take it off the heat and let cool.

Dinner: Vietnamese Spring Rolls & Sesame Wasabi Fish

For the past year, I had serious food envy every time I saw a rice paper roll recipe on someone's blog. They always looked amazing - fresh, light, stuffed with delicious ingredients. My mouth couldn't help watering at these grilled mango and cabbage rolls or these sesame crusted avocado ones or these garlic chicken stuffed babies. I (wrongly) assumed that making spring rolls would never be in my fate because I didn't think vietnamese rice paper was available in India. Until one day while grocery shopping, my mom found a packet of rice paper.

Immediately my mind went back to the various recipes I'd fawned over. As soon as I got home, I dug through my blogroll and found dozens of recipes. Combining my favorite elements from several recipes and making do with the limited resources I had. (Ripe Avocados in Delhi? Dream on.)

I came up with my own recipe, playing with different Asian inspired flavors, and used extra sauce from the vegetables to make a marinade for fish. Adding a simple salad on the side and the meal was complete!

You can play around with the filling for the rolls. I used green leaf lettuce along with carrots, cabbage and baby corn. I'm sure mushrooms, zucchini, bok choy, bell peppers would all be great for the vegetables and avocado, mango, pineapple, chard would all make excellent fillers. 

The sauce has soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and wasabi paste. These ingredients give it a wonderful flavor, but if they are unavailable you can substitute:

- fish sauce for soy sauce

- olive, canola or sunflower for sesame oil

- omit the wasabi paste, add some lemon juice for acidity

For a vegetarian option, instead of the fish use tofu or paneer. I've had good results with both. The marinade is also great with chicken or prawns!

Asian Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 rolls

(Wasabi Honey Glazed Vegetable Rolls)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste 
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (according to preferred spiciness)
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 cups vegetables, sliced thinly
• Lettuce leaves
• 4-5 rice papers
• more sesame oil

Instructions

Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius.
2. Toast sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until lightly browned
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and wasabi paste until completely combined.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a pan
5. Add ginger and garlic, saute until browned
6. Add the vegetables, one by one, depending on how long they will take to cook. Add the sauce.
7. Cook for few minutes on low heat until fully cooked.

Assembly:

1. Set up a large bowl of water and empty tray/cutting board.
2. Soak the rice paper for 10-15 seconds in the water and then place it on the board. Place a lettuce leaf and the vegetables. Roll, tuck, and fold in sides as you go. 
3. Lightly brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and place on a baking pan.
4. Repeat with the rest of the rolls.
5. Bake for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve with a dipping sauce. Thai chili or something similar would be ideal.

Wasabi Honey Glazed Fish

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste 
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (according to preferred spiciness)
• 4 white fish fillets or tofu/paneer/chicken/prawns

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients except for the fish in a large bowl. Make sure they are well combined.
2. Marinade fish in the sauce for at least half an hour.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat.
4. Place fish on the pan and cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook the other side.

1. Place fish on the pan and cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook the other side.

Finds

So, I've decided that every week/month/whenever I feel like it, I'm going to post my 'finds'. These could be books, websites, recipes, anything really - although I'm warning you a large portion will probably be food related :)

1. These look like they're made for me. Butter+oats+dates+coconut oil = heaven. THANK YOU IZZY.
2. wow. I need to make this pad thai slaw. Like need. 
3. Such an inspiring read. Anyone who is a mother/daughter/has a mother/has a daughter/basically everyone should read this letter.
4. Just finished reading 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. Not exactly a new book, but I loved it and have to rave about it. Seriously, one of the most touching books I've ever read.
5. So cute! Cereal Reviews!
6. These are so true, and I bet my tumblr that you'll laugh at least once.
7. Guide to the perfect chocolate chip cookie... What every baker needs.
8. DIY Action-Movie Poses. Unleash the inner super hero in you.

There it is. Hope you find something you like in those links.

Happy Monday everyone, the weekend can't come any faster.

Tofu Larb

I adore Thai food. Growing up in singapore, I got access to lots of amazing, authentic Thai cuisine and needless to say, I fell in love. Some of my favorites are Som Tum (raw papaya salad, Phad Thai, Khao Na Pla (Honey Sesame Fish), Red Curry and of course... Larb. 

Larb is traditionally made with minced meat, onions, ginger, garlic lime juice, mint and fish sauce but I decided to give it my own twist. Taking inspiration from this recipe, I made a vegetarian larb by using grated tofu, thai chilli sauce, soy sauce and adding lettuce to make it more vibrant.

Tofu Larb

1 serving

Ingredients

1 tsp oil (sesame, canola, vegetable or olive oil would all work well)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp lime/lemon juice

1 tablespoon thai chilli sauce

1/2-1 tablespoon soy sauce (depending on taste)

100 gram tofu

handful mint or coriander or basil (I used coriander)

2 lettuce leaf

Directions

Grate tofu into fine bits or if it's soft, you could mash it with your hands.

Dice ginger, garlic and onion

Cut Lettuce into threads

Heat oil in a skillet

Add ginger, garlic and onion and cook until browned, stirring throughout

Add tofu, soy sauce and chilli sauce and mix everything well

Cook for a few minutes until tofu is cooked

Add herbs, lettuce and lime juice and mix everything well before serving

Pancakes

I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day - probably because it's the only meal for which you can have dessert and people won't look at you like you're crazy.
Pudding for dinner is a no-no but french toast for breakfast is okay.

I don't get it but I'm not complaining. Especially when pancakes are on the menu.

Pancakes have always been a personal favorite for me. With maple syrup or whipped cream, fresh fruits or chocolate chips, pancakes are always amazing.

This is a simple but delicious recipe for pancakes. Whenever there's buttermilk at home, I find an excuse to make these!

There are tons of heavy, decadent pancake recipes out there. Although peanut butter-chocolate pancakes like these or these tiramisu pancakes would be delicious, these simple poppy seed buttermilk pancakes are light and perfect to quickly whip up and satisfy a morning sweet craving.

They are practically fool proof. I've made them several times, changing up the flavors and flours and they always turn out fluffy and divine.

Adapted from here

I add some brown sugar for sweetness and some vanilla essence to give it a bit more flavor. I normally don't have baking soda so I substitute it for all baking powder and the texture is still quite fluffy. If you don't have/like whole wheat flour, feel free to use all purpose but I love the nutty, wholesome taste it gives. And of course, it's much healthier.

Variations:
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest
- Add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Use walnuts or almonds or any other nut instead of sunflower seeds

Poppy Seed Buttermilk Pancakes (Makes around 8 pancakes)

1 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/5 cup poppy seeds
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 1/4 cups organic buttermilk
1 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoons butter (softened)
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
a bit of butter or olive oil for the pan

Mix flour, baking powder, salt & seeds in a large mixing bowl.
Add buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, butter and sugar and mix until combined well.
Heat a dab of butter or 1/2 tsp olive oil on a flat pan
Pour some batter on the pan and wait for a a minute or two until the pancakes fluffs up and is brown on the bottom. Flip and cook the other side.
Add a bit more oil or butter as required and repeat with the rest of the batter.
Serve hot, with maple syrup or honey and some fresh fruits and nuts.