Bruleed Bananas and Oatmeal

  oatmeal-bruleed-bananas

Its really weird, I’ve been craving bananas like crazy. No im not pregnant thankyou very much. Just a craving for some nice, ripe, sweet bananas in an un-pregnant sort of way. This breakfast dish of oatmeal and bruleed bananas hit all the right notes. Its easy enough to make on a busy morning; the oatmeal takes 4 minutes to make and you can brulee the bananas while the oats cook. This is also special enough to serve guests..wow them with some brulee torch action! 

  creme-brulee-torch-and-bananas  

If you have a creme brulee torch, just skim the top of the sugar with the flame till sugar melts. I enjoy my creme brulee torch. Its theraputic in a pyromanic kinda way. But dont get carried away with the creme brulee torch, be careful not to burn the sugar!  If you dont have a brulee torch, just stick the sugar topped banana pieces under the broiler.

bruleed bananas oatmeal

Oatmeal with Bruleed Bananas Recipe


serves 1

1/2 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 small banana
2 tbsp brown sugar, more if you like it sweeter. You could also use regular white sugar.
1 tbsp butter, optional. I didnt use.
a tiny pinch of salt
1/8th scant tsp allspice or cinnamon or pumpkin spice

Bring milk to boil, add oats and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes (or cook the oats according to package instructions).  Add sugar to oatmeal if desired.

Cut the banana into about 1/2 inch thick discs. Mix sugar, butter if using, salt and allspice/cinnamon/pumpkin spice. Place equal amounts of this mixture on top of cut banana discs. Gently pat the sugar mixture down so that it covers most of the banana disc. Using a creme brulee torch on low heat, brulee the sugar mixture just till it melts (see picture above). Take care not to burn the sugar.

To brulee without a creme brulee torch – Place banana slices topped with brown sugar mixture on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and broil on low just till the sugar melts and becomes golden. Be careful not to burn the sugar.

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons

shitake-spinach-soup1

I love soups and make versions of this recipe often in the cold months. Sometimes I add rice noodles to this soup to make it more filling but this time I didnt. The tofu croutons are wonderfully crunchy and make this otherwise thin soup rather satisfying. We had a huge bowl for dinner and I’m looking forward to eating the left over for lunch :)

tofu-croutons

I love these tofu croutons in the soup, they are crispy on the outside, meaty inside absorb flavors fabulously. I also love snacking on them with some hot sauce or sriracha to dip. Toss tofu cubes in some corn starch before baking, this makes the croutons extra crisp. You could add any kind of seasoning you like to the tofu cubes; I stuck with salt and pepper. Garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika will all be great; add these to the tofu about 10 minutes before the end of baking to prevent the spices from burning.
 
shitake-spinach-soup2
 

Spinach and Shitake Mushroom Soup with Crispy Baked Tofu Croutons Recipe

serves 4-6

2 oz dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 tbsp canola oil
2 leeks, chopped thinly and washed
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp ginger paste
8 cups water, vegetable stock or mushroom stock
3-4 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sriracha or chili paste
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, washed
Salt (keep in mind soy sauce and stock are already salty)

Soak dried shitake mushrooms in 3 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add leeks and saute on high heat till leeks are soft. Then add ginger and garlic pastes and cook for about 2 minutes. Removed shitake mushroooms from the boiling water, reserve the soaking liquid. Squeze out some of the water and cut the larger mushrooms into half. Add the mushrooms to the leeks, ginger and garlic and saute on medium-high heat for about 1 minute.

Add 3 cups of the mushroom soaking liquid and 8 cups stock to the soup pot. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 6 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, sesame oil, spinach, salt and immediately turn off heat. The fresh spinach will wilt into the soup and doent need any more cooking. Taste and adjust soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice and sriracha. Serve with tofu croutons on top. For a more filling meal, add some cooked rice noodles or vemicelli to the soup. If you like thicker soup, mix 3 tbsp of corn starch with a little water and add this to the soup at the end, but before adding spinach. Bring the soup with the corn starch slurry to a boil and then turn off heat. This will thicken the soup.

Tofu Croutons Recipe

1 block (19 oz) firm tofu
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp corn startch
salt and pepper
other optional seasonings – garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika

Heat oven to 375 f. Drain tofu and pat dry. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss tofu cubes with corn startch, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the tofu cubes. Place on a non-stick baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with silpat or parchment). Bake for 45 minutes or untill the tofu croutons are golden. If using any of the optional sesaoning listed above, remove tofu from oven 10 minutes before end of baking time and toss the croutons with sesaonings, return to oven. Let tofu croutons cool a little before removing them from the baking sheet. Serve with soup.

Indian Apple Pickle

indian-apple-pickle1

This is my grandmothers recipe. The granny smith apples in this pickle make a tart, sweet, spicy condiment that is perfect with rotis and breads. Make sure you use the roasted fenugreek powder, it makes a big difference! Also make sure you use tart cooking apples (I love granny smiths!); the mealy sweet apples wont work.

indian-apple-pickle2

Indian Apple Pickle
makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 large granny smith apples or other tart, cooking apples
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek powder (lightly roast fenugreek seeds in a dry pan over low heat and then grind to a powder)
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1-2 green chillies
3/4 tsp urad dal
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil

Core the apples and dice them into tiny cubes. Toss with lemon juice and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add fenugreek powder, asafoetida, green chilies, urad dal and curry leaves. Stir on medium high heat for about 1 minute. Then add diced apples. Cook, stirring occassionally till the apples are slightly soft, about 10 minutes. Add turmeric, chili powder, and salt to the apples and cook another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice. Once cool, store the pickle in an air-tight container in the fridge. Pickle will last about a week.

The World’s Best Caramel Corn Recipe

caramel-corn2

Did you get a lot of trick or treaters for Halloween? We got about 95 kids! There are a lot of kids where we live. And I think we are the only ones who havent added to the population of this neighborhood.

S & I decided we wont hand out the same old, commercial nutter butters and peanut butter cups this year. We wanted to give trick or treaters something home made. But because we dont have kids, I wasnt quite sure what to make. Then I came across this Amish recipe online. I trippled the recipe and put the caramel corn into clear treat bags with a twistie tie. I’m SO glad I made it! It was a great hit. The kids LOVED it. It tasted amazing.

Before I give you the recipe to the worlds best caramel corn, here is something that happened on halloween night:

A bunch of kids rang our door bell on Halloween night and then peeped through the glass door panels. S was approaching the door to open it..

“loooook! hes wearing an eskimo costume!”
“Sssshhhh! its not a costume!”
.
.
.
no, S is not an eskimo, neither does he look like one.

caramel-corn4

I know that giving you this recipe after halloween is not exactly helpful. But this will make a great snack at any holiday party. And since popcorn hardly weighs anything, it would be wonderful to make this caramel corn and ship it to friends and family for the holidays.

This recipe on allrecipes.com has 452 positive reviews and 15,442 people have saved it; I can see why! It is super yummy and addictingly good.

caramel-corn5

Caramel Corn Recipe on allrecipes.com posted by Anita Louise
about 28 servings

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine (I used butter)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don’t worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

..and the winner is..

Thanks for entering cheesy giveaway part 2!

I used random.org to pick a random winner.

random58

comment #58 belongs to…

winner-alana

Congratulations Alana!

You will receive

-Williams-Sonoma Cherry Wood Bread Board with Dip Bowl (in the photo above)

-Dried fruits
-Crystallized Ginger
-Chavrie Coupons – Free Cheese, of course!
-Cooking.com Gift Certificate for $50.00
-Chavrie recipe cards (dips, quick tips and wine suggestions)

Please email me your address! veggiebelly AT gmail DOT com

Apple Spring Rolls or Apple Phyllo Cigars with Brandy Butterscotch Sauce

apple-spring-rolls-and-brandy-butterscotch-sauce

I was going to make these spring rolls with Asian pears. But I had to use up the million or so apples I have sitting in my kitchen. So I used apples instead. Thats the beauty of this recipe, you can use a lot of different fruits. I recommend apples or pears. You could also make this with phyllo pastry or with spring roll wrappers. But who doesn’t love apples and phyllo and brandy and butterscotch!

Here is a somewhat step by-step post. ‘Somewhat’ because I was too lazy to take pictures of every single step :(

apple-filling-for-spring-roll01

Start with the apple filling. Use a tart apple, like granny smith. Core and then cut the apple into sticks about 1/3 inch thick. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt to the apples.

how-to-fold-apple-spring-roll01

Now work on the phyllo spring roll. Place a phyllo sheet on a work surface. Spray baking/olive oil spray or brush melted butter evenly over the phyllo sheet. Place the second phyllo sheet over the first. Spray or brush with butter. Repeat for the remaining sheets. You’ll now have a 4 layer stack of phyllo pastry sheets, one on top of the other.

Cut this stack into 4 rough squares. Start with one  square (see picture above). Place 4-5 apple sticks on the phyllo square, slightly off center and towards you. Fold the bottom of the phyllo sheets over the apple. 

how-to-fold-apple-spring-roll02

Press down lightly. Then bring up the left and right ends towards the center.

how-to-fold-apple-spring-roll03

Keeping the ends tucked in, roll the spring roll away from you. Repeat with all the phyllo squares. Remember to keep all your phyllo sheets, except the one you are working with, covered in a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Each phyllo stack will give you 4 spring rolls.  Bake spring rolls in the oven till golden.

brandy-butterscotch-sauce

While the spring rolls are baking, make the brandy butterscotch sauce. The world’s easiest brandy butterscotch sauce! Combine Nestle butterscotch morsels, milk and brandy in a bowl and microwave till the butterscotch morsels melt. Thats it!

apple-spring-rolls-and-brandy-butterscotch-sauce2

Serve spring rolls warm with brandy butterscotch sauce. Vanilla or Caramel icecream will also taste great with this!

Apple Spring Rolls or Phyllo Cigars with Brandy Butterscotch Sauce
makes about 12 spring rolls

for spring rolls
1 large tart apple, like granny smith
1 tbsp brown sugar (the butterscotch sauce that goes with this is quite sweet, so I dont use a lot of sugar in the spring rolls)
1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
a pinch of salt
12 sheets of phyllo (you will be making 3 ‘stacks’ of 4 layers each)
baking/olive oil spray or 1/4 cup melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 375 f.

Peel apple if you wish (I didnt). Core and then cut the apple into 1/3 inch thick sticks. Toss apple sticks with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

To make the spring rolls, start with 4 phyllo sheets. Place one sheet on a work surface. Spray or brush butter on top of the phyllo sheet. Place another phyllo sheet on top. Spray or brush butter on this sheet. Repeat this for all 4 sheets. You now have a phyllo stack of 4 phyllo sheets. Cut this into 4 equal pieces (they will roughly be squares). Take one square, place apple sticks on it and fold into a spring roll. See detailed pictures and instructions above. Repeat for all phyllo squares.

Place the spring rolls in a buttered or oiled baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or till the spring rolls are golden. Serve warm with brandy butterscotch sauce.

Note: You could also use spring roll wrappers instead of phyllo dough. Use 12 spring roll wrappers and leave out the baking spray/melted butter. Fold the spring roll according to the pictures and directions in this post. Dip your finger in water and go around the edges to seal the spring roll wrapper. Make sure all sides are well sealed. Deep fry in oil.

for brandy butterscotch sauce
1/2 cup Nestle butterscotch morsels
1/4 cup milk
3 tbsp brandy

Combine everything and microwave in 30 second increments till the morsels are just about melted. Make sure the sauce doesnt burn or boil over in the microwave. Stir to combine, serve warm. To re-heat sauce, add a little more milk and microwave.

Have you entered my Fall Entertaining Set giveaway yet?


Breaded Goat Cheese Salad with Dried Fruit and Pomegranate. And Cheesy Giveaway Part 2!

This giveaway has ended. Winner announced here.

  goat-cheese-pomegranate-dried-fruit-salad3 I have a great giveaway for your from Chavrie cheese! You can win an amazing fall entertaining set worth $100! All you have to do is comment to enter the giveaway. One randomly picked winner will get a beautiful bread board, $50 cooking.com gift certificate, goat cheese coupons and more!

But first, here is a quick and easy goat cheese salad for you. Crisp romaine, soft goat cheese with bits of dried fruit and crystallized ginger, fresh pomegranate seeds…all served with some oil and vinegar on the side. Simple to make, but tastes so gourmet! I love the crystallized ginger with the goat cheese and could eat that all by itself :)

You may want to see my post on how to open a pomegranate without making a mess

goat-cheese-pomegranate-dried-fruit-salad2
 
chavrie-goat-cheese Breaded Goat Cheese Salad with Dried Fruit and Pomegranate Recipe
serves 1 as an entree

4 tbsp bread crumbs, I used italian herb and garlic flavored bread crumbs
3 heaping tbsp goat cheese
1/2 tbsp chopped dried fruit, I used dried apricots and crystallized ginger
3 large romaine leaves, torn into pieces
2 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds
Salt and pepper
Olive oil and red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to serve on the side as dressing.

Place the bread crumbs in a small skillet and toast on low heat till bread crumbs are lightly browned. Turn off heat. Mix goat cheese (make sure its cold) with chopped dried fruit. Take 1 heaping tbsp of the goat cheese mixture. Using your fingers form the goat cheese into a ball and then flatten it into a disc. Gently press the goat cheese disc into the toasted bread crumbs. Make sure all sides are coated. Repeat with the remaining goat cheese and bread crumbs. You should have 3 breaded goat cheese discs.

Place the torn romaine lettuce in a plate. Arrange the goat cheese discs on top. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, salt and pepper. Serve oil and vinegar on the side for dressing the salad.
 

Cheesy Giveaway Part 2! Win this bread board with dip bowl and much more!

win-this-bread-board
Win a Gourmet Fall Entertaining Set (Value $100)One lucky winner will get:

-Williams-Sonoma Cherry Wood Bread Board with Dip Bowl (in the photo above)
-Dried fruits
-Crystallized Ginger
-Chavrie Coupons – Free Cheese, of course!
-Cooking.com Gift Certificate for $50.00
-Chavrie recipe cards (dips, quick tips and wine suggestions)

  win-this-bread-board1
How to enter

-leave a comment here

To increase your chances of winning, also do one or more of the following. You will be counted as many times!

-blog about this giveaway on your blog and link to this post

-use the ‘share’ button below to share this post with friends

-tweet about this giveaway

US residents only please!
Contest ends Thursday, Oct 29th 11.30pm EST
One random winner will be announced on the 30th!

 

Curried Pumpkin Cashew Soup with Cilantro Gremolata

pumpkin-cashew-soup1

We spent the evening by the fireplace, cozying up, watching the rain, and listening to old songs. Dinner was by the fire place too - a silky pumpkin and cashew soup, scented with fennel and coriander and finished with a little fresh orange juice. This was a filling, warming, comforting meal; perfect for a dreary fall day.  

cilantro-gremolata

The soup is topped with a gremolata. Now traditional Italian gremolata has parsley, garlic and lemon zest – all minced and mixed together. I changed it up a little to match the soup. The soup has curry flavors, ginger and a touch of orange juice in it. To complement the soup, my gremolata has cilantro, ginger and orange zest. Just put a spoon of gremolata on top of the soup before serving. It really perks up the flavors.

A note on what pumpkin to use for this soup: Pie pumpkin is the best. Pie pumpkins are smaller and rounder than carving/halloween pumpkins. You could also use butternut squash instead of pumpkin. 

 

You can easily veganize this recipe if you wish. Just cut out the milk and use more vegetable stock. The cashew nuts will ensure the soup is creamy even without the milk.

curried-pumpkin-cashew-soup

See the pepitas in the picture below? I toasted up the seeds from the pumpkin and served it as another topping for the soup. You could skip the pepitas if you wish and serve  the soup with just the gremolata and some good crusty bread for dunking.

pepitas-bread-and-pumpkin-soup

Curried Pumpkin Cashew Soup Recipe
serves about 3
1 pie pumpkin (about 2 lbs)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 small onion
3/4 tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp cumin or coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne powder
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup water. Use more for thinner soup.
1/2 cup cashew nuts
4 tbsp orange juice
Olive oil
Salt
French baguette or other crusty bread to serve with soup

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and fibers. (Discard the fibrous insides, but you could save the pumpkin seeds to toast – about 45 minutes in a 300 F oven). Sprinkle a little salt in the cavities of the pumpkin. Drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil into the cavities. Place the cut pumpkin halves, cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or till the pumpkin flesh is soft.

While the pumpkin in roasting, roughly chop the onion and mince ginger. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a deep pan. Add fennel seeds. When they start sizzling, add onion and ginger. Saute on medium heat till onion is translucent. Then add cumin or coriander powder, turmeric and paprika or cayenne. Cook on medium for about 2 munites.

When the pumpkin is done, scoop the flesh using a spoon (hold the hot pumpkin with oven mitts or let it cool before handling). Discard the pumpkin skin. Place the pumpkin flesh in the pan with the onion and spices. Pour in sugar, milk, water or stock and cashews and let the soup simmer for about 3 minutes. Then pour into a blender and blend into a smooth puree. Stir in orange juice and mix well. Serve with cilantro gremolata.

Cilantro Orange Ginger Gremolata Recipe
4 tbsp cilantro finely minced
1/4 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp orange zest
Salt

Mince cilantro and ginger very finely. Mix minced cilantro, ginger, orange zest and salt together.

Related Posts with Thumbnails