Broccoli Pot (Greek - Style Stuffed Mushroom)

This recipe is dedicated to all those readers how want to make a fast yet healthy food/ appetizer. Perk up any appetizer buffet or antipasto tray with these tempting stuffed mushrooms. You will love the aroma of this mini delights brimming with broccoli, feta cheese, garlic, and oregano.

 Makes 20 Serving

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredient:

White Mushroom:                   20 pieces (Large)
Broccoli:                                 1 cup (finely chopped)
Yellow onion:                          1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic:                                     2 large cloves (minced)
Dried Oregano:                       1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper:                         1/4 teaspoon
Feta cheese:                           4 tablespoon ( crumbled)
Salt to taste
Olive Oil

Method:
1) Clean the mushrooms and pat dry using a kitchen towel.
2) Remove stems from mushrooms carefully. Set stems aside.
3) Lightly coat the rounded side of each mushroom cap with nonstick cooking spray. Place mushroom caps, stem sides down, in a baking tray. Grill it at 200 degree C for 5 minutes.
4) For filling, Heat some oil in a pan. Add the 1 cup chopped mushroom stems, the broccoli, onion, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 to 10 minutes or just until tender and most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in feta cheese..
5). Place mushroom caps, stem sides up, in the same baking pan. Spoon the broccoli mixture into mushroom caps. Grill it with fan mode on at 200 degree C for another 5 minutes.
6) Serve hot with your favourite sauce/ ketchup.

BON APPETIT...

Phad Phak (Thai Stir fried vegetable)

Stir frying is a pair of Chinese cooking techniques for preparing food in a wok. The term stir-fry was introduced into the English language by Buwei Yang Chao, in her book "How to Cook and Eat in Chinese', to describe the chǎo technique. The two techniques differ in their speed of execution, the amount of heat used, and the amount of tossing done to cook the food in the wok. Making a stir fry is one of the easiest, cheapest, and quickest ways of creating a great healthy and satisfying meal. By choosing a wide range of veggies, you can not only get a great mix of important micronutrients that fill the nutritional gaps in diets,  but they also make the dish look vibrant and colourful.

Adapted from Hip Asia by Taj- Connemara

Serve:   4
Preparation Time:  20 minutes

Ingredients:
Broccoli:                100 grams
Zucchini:                100 grams
Baby corn:             100 grams
Asparagus:             75 grams
Haricot bean:          125 grams
Button mushroom:   75 grams
Chinese cabbage:    75 grams
Bok Choy:              75 grams
Oyster Sauce:         75 grams
Pimentos:                60 grams
White pepper:         1 teaspoon
Vegetable stock:     1 cup
Garlic:                     50 grams (chopped)
Oil for stir frying

Method:

1) Heat oil in a wok. Saute garlic till light brown.
2) Chop vegetables in dices and add to the wok. Toss well
3) Add oyster sauce, white pepper and pimentos
4) Add vegetable stock and stir-fry the vegetable till cooked.
5) Serve hot with a bowl of brown rice.

BON APPETIT..

Crispy Golden Broccoli In Chili Honey Sauce & Sesame Garnish

Broccoli is very low in calories, provides just 34 cal per 100 g. However, it is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that have proven health benefits. Broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products. With so many benefits and much more this dish is super quick to make and is really tasty to accompany any of your rice or noodles.

Adapted from Kai Asia

Ingredients:

Broccoli Floret:                    150 grams
All purpose flour:                  2 tablespoon
Corn flour:                            2 tablespoon
Pimentos:                            30 grams ( Substitute:  Red bell pepper)
Sesame Seed:                     11/2 teaspoon (toasted)
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

For sauce
Dry chilli Flakes:                  1 teaspoon
Black peppercorn:               1/2 teaspoon (crushed)
Garlic:                                 1 teaspoon (chopped)
Honey:                                1 tablespoon
Vinegar:                              1 teaspoon
Tomato ketchup:                 1 tablespoon

Method:

1) Blanch the broccoli florets and drain well.
2) Sprinkle the broccoli with flour and corn flour. Toss well. Heat some vegetable oil and shallow fry till crisp. Else you can bake it as well.
3) Combine all the sauce ingredient except garlic.
4) Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil and add garlic. Add diced pimentos/ bell pepper on high flame.
5) Toss the crispy broccoli and sauce with pimentos. The sauce will have a sweet, spicy and tangy flavour.
6) Toss the sesame seed dry in a hot pan. Mix a little with the crispy broccoli and preserve few for final garnish. Check the seasoning.
7) Arrange on a serving plate and garnish it with remaining sesame seed.
8) Serve hot.

BON APPETIT..

Rustic Rice with Oven Grilled Vegetables

Today its raining since morning, a cold and wet day feel like cooking something more earthy and rural. I am planning for a brown rice recipe which is considered to be more healthy yet rustic. In much of Asia, brown rice is associated with poverty and wartime shortages, and in the past was rarely eaten except by the sick and the elderly because as it has high fiber content. This traditionally denigrated kind of rice is often now more expensive than common white rice, partly due to its relatively low supply and difficulty of storage and transport. I am making a herb brown rice and layering it with boiled potato tossed in homemade pesto sauce. Serving it with some low fat oven grilled vegetables.

Ingredient:

Brown rice:                 1 cup (soak in water for 1 hr)
Spring onion:               2 medium long stems
Potato:                        1 large
Fresh Basil
Fresh Parsley
Parmesan cheese:        2 table spoon
Pine nuts:                     2 table spoon
Olive Oil
Garlic:                          4 large cloves
Garlic powder:             1/2 tea spoon
Butter:                         1 tea spoon
Lemon Juice
Seasonal Vegetables:    2 cups cut in medium size chunks (I an using beans, broccoli, onion, eggplant, carrot & capsicum)   
Kosher salt to taste
White pepper

Method:
1) Wash and dry all cut seasonal vegetables. Add salt, pepper, 1 table spoon olive oil, 1 tsp butter, garlic powder and 4 table spoon finely chopped parsley and basil leaves. Mix well and grill it for 20-25 minutes turning the vegetable twice in between. Keep it hot.
2) Peel a large potato and slice it. Boil it till fully cooked.
3) For pesto sauce, grind together 1 cup fresh basil,  2 table spoon parmesan, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves and 1 table spoon lightly roasted pine nuts.
4) Toss the boiled potato slices in pesto sauce and season it with salt and pepper. Set aside
5) For herb brown rice, heat some olive oil in a pan and add 1 table spoon minced garlic. Add finely chopped spring onion. Toss it for a minute and add the rice. Pour 4 cups of water and season it with salt. let it cook until the water run dry and rice is well cooked. Turn off the heat and mix 1 cup of finely fresh basil and parsley leafs. Season it with white pepper. Mix well and cover it for 2 minutes.
6) To assemble use a bowl or a mould put some rice at the bottom then layer it with pesto potato in between and again cover it with rice. Take out the mould and top it up with grilled vegetable and sprinkle some lemon juice.

BON APPETIT..

Exotic Insalata ( Romanesco Broccoli Salad)

I found this alien looking broccoli in near by food store. Was super exited to try this in my recipe. It offers a distinct, nutty flavor described as more intense than broccoli, this pale, green vegetable tastes like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. I am using few more fancy vegetables to make it a real exotic salad. Simple recipe but turned out to be very tasty.

Ingredients:

Romanesco Broccoli:            10-15 floret
Baby cabbage:                      4-5 ( cut in half)
Round carrot:                        4-5 ( cut in half)
Baby Corn:                           4-5 ( cut in half)
Red Bell pepper:                   1 (cut in julienne)
Feta cheese:                          Cut in small cubes
Pickled cucumber:                 4-5 small pieces 
Pickled pearl onions:              4-5 pieces
Salt to taste
Garlic:                                    4-5 Crushed
Fresh basil:                             4-5 leaves
Black Pepper
Olive Oil:                                1 Tablespoon

Method:

1) Heat the olive oil in a wok. Add garlic as smoke starts, immediately add all the vegetables (Broccoli, cabbage, carrot, bell pepper and baby corn. Season it with salt toss until few crust forms over the vegetable.
2) Transfer it in a salad bowl. Add feta cheese, pickled cucumber and onion with some freshly crushed black pepper. Throw some roughly chopped basil leaves.
3) Mix well and you are ready with a exotic, sumptuous and super healthy salad.

BON APPETIT..

Cocktail Broccoli with Cucumber and Mint Dip

I am always fascinated with broccoli as a vegetable, its bright green color and flowery head. For years, parents have been right: Eating your broccoli is a good idea. This hearty, tasty vegetable is rich in dozens of nutrients. In fact, it packs the most nutritional punch of any vegetable.
Broccoli is usually boiled or steamed, today I am trying this vegetable in a grilled format with some cottage cheese marinade. Add to a perfect cocktail menu.

Ingredients:

For Cocktail Broccoli:
Broccoli:            12-15 medium size florets
Cauliflower:        10-15 medium size florets
Onion:                1 large cut into quarter and separate the petals
Cottage cheese:  4 tablespoon ( shredded)
Greek Curd:       2 table spoon ( can use hung curd also)
Ginger garlic paste: 3/4 table spoon
Cumin powder:   1/4 tea spoon
Black pepper:     1/4 tea spoon
Chili powder:      1/4 tea spoon
Garam masala:    1/4 tea spoon
Refined vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Chat masala to garnish
Grill Stick/ Skewers- soaked in water

For Cucumber and Mint Dip:
Greek Curd:       1 small bowl
Cucumber:          1 small
Fresh Mint leaves ( can use dried mint also)
Black rock salt
Cumin seed powder- Roasted and ground

Method:
1) Put broccoli, cauliflower and onion in a big bowl. Add curd, cottage cheese, ginger garlic paste, cumin, pepper, chili, salt and garam masala. Mix well so that all the floret and onion are well covered. Use your hand if required. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate it for 2hrs.
2) Now take the grill stick and start skewing in a similar sequence. Onion-broccoli-cauliflower-broccoli and finally close it with onion petals.
3) Be carefully while skewing, if not done properly the floret may come out during grilling. Pass skewer through the stem of floret.
4) You can grill it in an oven rotating it twice or use a pan also.
5) Heat some oil in the pan. When it start fuming put the ready grill stick. Turn around to get a good crust over the florets.
6) Sprinkle chat masala and serve hot with your favorite drink. It can also be used as a side dish.

For Dip:
1) Shred the cucumber. Take out the extra juices.
2) Add some Greek curd, black salt, roughly chopped fresh mint leaves and roasted cumin.
3) Mix well and your fresh dip is ready to go with "Cocktail Broccoli"

BON APPETIT..