This may not be a great looking dessert but it's definitely a simple and comforting one and a great

way to use leftover, dried up, hard, stale bread (which is what I had after making some paninis) . The
cinnamon and vanilla flavours with the not overly sweet milk mixture combines to form a yummy
dessert and biting into the raisins is such a sweet surprise

BREAD PUDDING w/ RAISINS

Ingredients:
Half of a sour dough loaf - cut into cubes (about 6 to 7 cups)
Eggs - 4 (I replaced 2 with half cup egg beaters)
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Salt - half tsp
Raisins - about half cup
Butter, melted - 3 tbsp + half tbsp to grease pan

Method:
1) Toss together bread, raisins, cinnamon & melted butter. 

2) Grease an oven proof (about 2.5 quart) casserole dish with half tbsp of melted butter and put the
bread-raisin mixture in. 

3) Heat the milk in a saucepan (shouldn't boil). Whisk together eggs, sugar & vanilla. Then add milk
and whisk again. Pour this gradually over the bread mixture. 

4) Slightly push down the bread on the top to dunk it slightly in the milk mixture. 

5) Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. 
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla icecream and it also tastes good eaten cold by itself.
You might also like:

Bread Upma

Bombay Toast

Garlic Bread

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 7:43 AM 20 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bread, Desserts, Milk

Friday, June 12, 2009

Bread Upma
I tried this bread upma recipe from Menu Today's blog and absolutely loved it and now this has
become a standard method of preparation at our place. My MIL makes this differently where she first
makes coarse bread crumbs and even adds eggs sometimes - my husband likes that version a lot
too. This one just uses chunks of bread and has a slight tang from the yogurt and is quite spicy too.
I've made a few variations to include more veggies, depending on what I have on hand but otherwise
follow her recipe pretty much.

BREAD UPMA

Ingredients:
Bread slices - 12 to 15
Yogurt/Curd (thick) - 2 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp, or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala / Curry Masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Onions - 1 large, sliced thinly and then into 1 inch pieces
Tomato - 1 small to medium, chopped
Green chillies - 4 to 5, slit in two
Ginger - half inch piece, chopped finely/grated
Carrot - 1 or 2, grated
Green bell peppers/Capsicum - 1 small, cut into 1 inch pieces
Salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Sombu (Fennel seeds) - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a twig
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:
1) Cut each slice of bread into about 16 cubes (depends on the size of the bread slices and how big
you want the chunks to be).

2) In a large bowl, combine the yogurt with the chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and
some salt... add the bread cubes to this, mix gently until the mixture coats the bread pieces and
allow to marinate for about 15 to 20 mins.

3) In a big, wide pan, heat oil and season with mustard seeds and sombu. Next add the green
chillies, onion, ginger and fry till they wilt. Then add the capsicum pieces & grated carrot and cook till
they soften.

4) Now the tomatoes go in with a bit of salt so it helps them turn mushy . Now add the marinated
bread pieces and stir gently so it's evenly coated. Cook this on a medium flame, tossing every once
in a while until the bread pieces get roasted.

5) Finally switch off the stove and toss in the coriander leaves. Yummy bread upma is ready to serve
as is or with some ketchup.

This makes for a delicious breakfast and I would like to send this to Divya's Show me your
breakfast event.
You might also like:
Bread Pudding

Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables

Veggie Burger

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 9:10 AM 40 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bell peppers, Bread, Carrot, Other Blogs, Tiffin

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Chilli Cheese Toast

This is a recipe from Tarla Dalal that I wrote down many years ago. It makes for a quick breakfast
and is quite cheesy that it's almost like a pizza of sorts that kids will also like.

CHILLI CHEESE TOAST

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Bread - 4 to 6 slices
Capsicum/Green bell pepper - 1 medium, chopped

finely 
Onion - half of a small one, chopped finely
Cheese (mozzarella/pepper jack) - 4 to 6 oz, shredded (or to taste)
Butter/Margarine - 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - to taste
Red chilli powder / Hot sauce - to taste

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 400F.
2) Combine, capsicum, onion, cheese, butter, tomato ketchup, red chilli powder/hot sauce & mix
well.
3) Slather this on the bread toasts and bake for about 10 minutes or till crisp at the bottom and the
cheese has melted.
This being a super quick recipe, I'd like to send it to Mahima's 15 minute Cooking event and thanks
to its cheesy goodness this will also be sent to Poornima's My Favorite things: Cheese Event which
she is hosting on behalf of Bindya this month. Thank you Ladies for hosting these :)

You might also like:

Cream 'n Crunch Toasts

Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables

Veggie Burger

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 7:25 AM 38 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bell peppers, Bread, Tiffin

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Garlic Bread
I had some ciabatta bread left over after making paninis and decided to make a garlic spread so I
could slather it on and convert them into a tasty accompaniment to the Roasted Red Pepper &
Tomato soup I had made. They went together fabulously and being the garlic-head I am, it was
pretty intense, yet delicious and the chewy texture of the ciabatta with the piping hot soup made it a
meal to remember & crave later.

GARLIC SPREAD for Garlic Toasts

Ingredients:
Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves, peeled
Butter/Margarine - 4 to 5 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Dried Red Chilli Flakes - a big pinch
Mixed Dried herbs (Italian seasoning) - a few pinches
Parmesan cheese - grated, as a topping (Optional)

Method:
1) Blend the butter, garlic & olive oil with some salt to an almost smooth paste.

2) Stir in the pepper, dried chilli flakes & herbs.

3) Spread this onto bread, sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese if desired and toast in a hot oven till
bread turns golden. Serve as is or with some soup.
I'm not posting the soup recipe since I pretty much followed my Spicy tomato soup
recipe but skipped the carrots, green bell pepper & ginger. Instead I tossed in onion, garlic, roasted
red peppers, smoked sun dried tomatoes & 1 fresh tomato. The soup was perfect and had a lovely
smoky flavour to it.
You might also like:

Bread Pudding

Spicy Tomato Soup

Carrot Coriander soup

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 6:16 PM 34 comments Links to this post

Labels: Appetizers, Bell peppers, Bread, SoupsSalads, Tomato

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I made these a while ago and it has been languishing in my drafts folder for too long. I had some
pretty red & yellow bell peppers and played around with the stuffing a bit and used Boca Meatless
Ground Burger to make this more hearty and filling. The crispy bread crumbs balanced the filling
really well & it made for an enjoyable meal.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

Ingredients:
Bell peppers / Capsicum - 2, halved lengthwise
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Carrot - 1 medium, chopped
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves, chopped
Boca Meatless Ground Burger - 1 cup, thawed
Frozen Spinach - 1 cup
Bread Crumbs - about 1.5 cups
Parmesan Cheese - half cup
Olive oil - 2 tbsp + more to drizzle
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:
1) Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add in the garlic and onions with the red pepper flakes.. Cook till they
soften. Next, add the chopped carrots and stir with a pinch of salt.

2) Once carrots are tender, add in the chopped spinach, boca crumbles and cook this mixture till it
comes through. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

3) In the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, saute the bread crumbs till pale golden & crisp. Stir in the cheese
and season with salt & pepper as desired.

4) Reserve about half cup of the bread crumbs and mix the remaining 1 cup with the veggie mixture.

5) Preheat oven to 375F. Spoon the veggie mixture into the pepper halves and top with the reserved
bread crumbs. Place the peppers in a pan coated with oil and drizzle the tops with more olive oil.
6) Bake for about 45 minutes or until the tops are browned and peppers are tender. Serve warm.

You might also like:

Crispy Stuffed Tacos & Chocolate Fondue

Veggie Burger

Garlic Bread

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 6:45 AM 31 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bell peppers, Bread, Carrot, Fusion, Soy, Spinach

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Cream 'n Crunch Toasts

This is a lovely variation to the usual sandwiches and makes for a yummy breakfast. Since the
veggies are grated or chopped very small, the cooking time is really fast and yet they retain a slight
crunch. Any cheese would work but since I only had cream cheese, I used that and the creamy
contrast to the crisped up toasts was great.

CREAMY VEGGIE TOAST

Ingredients:
Whole wheat bread - 5 to 6 slices
Carrot - 1 small, grated (about half cup)
Potato - 1 small / half big, grated
Capsicum - half of a medium one, chopped finely
Cabbage - quarter cup, chopped finely
Tomato - half, chopped
Sriracha chilli sauce - 1/2 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Margarine / Butter - half tbsp
Cream cheese (or any other cheese) - 2 oz (softened/shredded)
Milk - 2/3 cup
Salt & Pepper - to taste

Method:
1) Heat margarine in a pan and add the cabbage, carrot, capsicum, potato and saute for about 4 to
5 minutes till crisp-tender.

2) Add the tomato, salt and chilli powder and cook some more. Now add the flour and when
completely mixed, pour in the milk and cook on a medium flame. 

3) To this add, sriracha chilli sauce, if preferred, and the cheese & black pepper as necessary. Let it
boil and keep stirring until it thickens & has a creamy consistency. 

4) Allow this mixture to cool for a while. I used the time to whip up a Strawberry-Banana smoothie to
go with this for our breakfast. 

5) Preheat the oven to 400F. Slather on the creamy veggies onto the toasts evenly and place them
on a baking sheet. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes till the toasts turn crisp. Serve hot for a yummy
breakfast. 
Also check out:
Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables
You might also like:

Chilli Cheese Toast

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 6:42 PM 24 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bell peppers, Bread, Cabbage, Carrot, Cream Cheese, Potato, Tiffin

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Bombay Toast
My friend used to bring golden slices of Bombay / French toast for lunch and it was rather popular
amongst us... she always had yummy, different lunch/snack items - like waffles, pooris with a kheer
(very new to me since at home my mom always made channa or potato curry), date biscuits etc.
Since my 2 yr old prefers to have soft food items so it's easier for her to chew quickly, I usually give
her melted cheese on bread, dosa or idli with rasam/sambar, upmas with yogurt etc. for breakfast...
Decided to try Bombay toast and was rather happy when she liked it since the egg-milk mixture
makes it very moist.

BOMBAY TOAST
Ingredients:
Whole wheat Bread - 1 slice
Egg - 1
Milk - 2 to 3 tbsp (I used whole milk since it was for her)
Sugar - abt 1 tbsp or to taste
Butter / Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:
1) In a shallow wide bowl, beat the egg, sugar and milk till combined and slightly frothy. 

2) Heat a pan/griddle on medium. Soak the bread in the egg-milk mixture for about 30 seconds on
each side until most of the mixture is absorbed. I had about a tbsp or two remaining.

3) Melt the butter on the pan and put the soaked bread on it. Lower the flame so it will cook through
completely. Pour the leftover egg-milk mixture on the bread slice (it will all be absorbed when
cooked). 

4) Cook until golden brown on one side, flip over and cook the other side as well until completely
done. 

Cut into cubes and serve with fruit & milk (I served with apple slices & some dried cranberries )
I would like to send this as my entry to WBB-Combination Breakfast hosted by Latha of Masala
Magic this month. WBB is the brainchild of Nandita.
You might also like:

Bread Pudding

Bread Upma

Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 7:16 AM 25 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bread, Egg Dishes, Milk, Tiffin

Sunday, June 15, 2008

An Indoor Picnic
We spent a fair amount of time planning for a picnic and what originally seemed like a 30% chance
of rain (according to the weather.com website) on Saturday soon turned into a full-fledged shower
just as we (6 families in all) were getting ready to leave... much to our disappointment. All our plans
of watching the kids play in the carousel, take rides in the minature train, head for a walk along the
lake, play some frisbee or chase a ball were shattered with dark, gloomy skies, strong gusts of wind
and pouring rain.

Several phone calls later, we decided to just all meet in our home and bring the food in and make an
evening of it, so all wasn't lost. Here's a picture of the goodies we were planning to take for the
picnic.
The Menu: Paapdi Chaat, Dhoklas, Idlis smeared with milagai podi, plain idlis, sambhar, Tortilla
chips with a jalapeno cheese dip and a mango salsa, Cucumber-mint chutney sandwiches, Jam
sandwiches, Tortilla pinwheels, curd-rice and to finish it all some watermelon and grapes along with
juice boxes for the kids and coke and iced lemon tea for the adults.

I made the Tortilla pinwheels and the sandwiches. The cucumber sandwiches were nice and moist
and didn't turn soggy thanks to the cream cheese I incorporated with. I normally add sliced tomatoes
but didn't this time because of the salmonella scare.

GREEN CHUTNEY

Mint leaves - half bunch, remove stems and wash

Coriander leaves - half bunch, washed
Green chillies - 7 or 8
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Lemon juice / Tamarind paste - 1 to 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method: 
Grind all of the above ingredients with as little water as possible to a smooth paste. 
This chutney, when watered down a bit, doubles up as a great accompaniment to several chaat
items. 

CUCUMBER-MINT TEA SANDWICHES

Ingredients:
Cucumber - 1, sliced very thin
Tomato - 1, sliced very thin
Light Cream cheese - 3 ounces (softened)
Green Chutney - about 3 to 4 tbsp
Ketchup - to taste
Salt and pepper - to taste
Butter or Margarine - to spread on the slices
Bread slices, edges trimmed if you want to be fancy! :) 

Method:
1) Blend the cream cheese and chutney till smooth.
2) Butter one slice of the bread, spread the chutney-cheese mixture on the other. 
3) Dot some ketchup on the buttered side, spread lightly and layer with slices of cucumber, followed
by tomato slices. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. 
4) Cover with the other slice and cut into triangles. 

It's perfect for lunches too and you can also add sliced roundels of boiled potatoes if you wish. 

Update: It just occurred to me that I could send this sandwich to Raaga's WBB - Express Breakfasts.
WBB is the brainchild of Nandita.

You might also like:

Ginger Chutney - 2

Minty Vegetable Sandwich

Tortilla Pinwheels

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 12:01 PM 36 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bread, Cream Cheese, Drinks Raithas Chutneys, Tiffin

Friday, December 7, 2007

Carrot & Peas Sandwich

Cold mornings demand hot breakfasts... As winter sets in, the usual cereal just doesn't do the trick
anymore so this hot sandwich with a creamy vegetable filling is just the perfect replacement. This
also gives you a head start to your vegetable-quota for the day and is something that kids will enjoy
too because of the little cheese that gets into the mix. This is easy enough to make on a weekday
because the filling can be made ahead and refrigerated... a little thawing is needed after which it will
heat through when making the sandwich.
I use an electric sandwich maker but if you don't have one, make them on a tawa.
CARROT-PEAS SANDWICH 

Ingredients:
Bread Slices - 8, white or whole wheat
Carrots - 2 medium, peeled and chopped into small pieces
Peas - about 1/2 cup (I used frozen)
Onion - half of a small one, chopped finely
Green Chillies - 2, chopped finely
Coriander leaves - 1 to 2 tbsp, chopped
Grated Cheese - 1/4 to 1/3 cup (I used pepper jack)
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Butter or Margarine - as required to make sandwiches.

Method:
1) Microwave the carrots and peas with little water on high (covered) for 5 to 7 minutes till soft. Allow
to cool lightly and mash (can be a bit coarse).

2) Mix the onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, cheese, salt and pepper with this carrot-peas
mixture till well integrated (a fork works best). At this point you can refrigerate this or proceed to
make the sandwiches. 
3) Butter the bread slices on one side. Apply the filling on the un-buttered side and close with
another slice. Pop them in the sandwich maker till done and golden brown. Serve warm with some
ketchup or as-is.

You might also like:

Minty Vegetable Sandwich

Chettinad Vegetable Kurma

Curried Egg Sandwich

LinkWithin

Posted by Laavanya at 11:18 AM 27 comments Links to this post

Labels: Bread, Carrot, Peas, Tiffin
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Bread Cups with Creamy Vegetables

Here's a tasty breakfast dish - perfect for weekends. It's pretty healthy and wholesome too with
whole wheat bread, vegetables and cheese.

I originally got this recipe from Tarladalal's website which I have modified a bit to suit my taste. I've
made this many a time and its popularity hasn't decreased an ounce.

This is my entry for Trupti's Spice it up! for WBB-12

BREAD CUPS with CREAMY VEGETABLES

Ingredients

For the bread cups:

Whole wheat bread – 8 slices
Low fat butter or tub style margarine – 1 to 2 tbsp, melted

For the filling:

Frozen mixed vegetables - 1½ cups, cooked (I put it in the microwave)
Onion - 3 tablespoons, chopped
Green Bell pepper - 3 tablespoons, chopped
Green Chillies - 2 teaspoons, finely chopped 
Low fat milk – 1 cup
Cornstarch – 1 tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste 

For baking:
Low fat pepper jack cheese - 1/4 cup, grated

Method:

For the bread cups:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Remove the crust from the bread slices
Wrap them in a cheese or muslin cloth and steam them for 5-7 minutes (I use a pressure cooker
without the whistle). This makes them soft and pliable.
Roll them out a little and press into the cavities of a muffin tray which is greased lightly with butter
Brush with melted butter and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden

For the filling:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the onions and sauté till golden brown
Add the chopped bell pepper and jalapenos and fry for 1 minute
Add the cooked vegetables, cornstarch, salt, then add milk and cook till the mixture thickens. Add
pepper, if desired, to taste
Fill a little of this mixture in each bread cup, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 5-10 mintues until
the cheese melts.
Serve hot