Apple-Cheese Sandwich for Kids

I make cheese sandwiches for my daughter for her evening snack, recently I started to add fruits to that. I got this idea of using fruits, from a kids magazine. My daughter likes apple in it because of its crunchness. I have also made with strawberries and kiwi. This is very easy and healthy meals for kids.

Will send this to Vanamala for Kid's Food Event.

Here is the recipe

• Apple - Green few sclices
• Chedder cheese- 1 slice
• Bread- 2 slices(whole wheat)
• Cinnamon sugar and honey- 1tsp
• Butter- 1tsp

Slice Apples, remove the skin if it is tough to chew. Arrange apple slices, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on one slice of bread. On other bread add cheese slice and spread honey or jam. Close them and spread little butter or oilve oil and roast on tava /griddle on low medium heat untill cheese melts. Cut in the middle and serve.

Enjoy!

Aloogedde Pachadi/Potato Raita

When ever I make one-pot rice dish I make pachadi/raita to go with it. I had cooked potatoes which was in fridge for last two days, so today for our lunch I used that for making pachadi/raita.
One can add veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, green chillies, grated carrot along with this. During festival, back home when we donot cook with onions, potato is used to make raithas. I just wanted to keep it simple so just added potaotes(cooked) and onions with little cilantro leaves. This is very simple recipe to make along any rice dishes.

Here is what I have used :

• 1 cup - home made yogurt
• 1 potato- skin removed and choped( can also crumble)
• 2 tsp - red onion and cilantro finely chopped

Spices-red chilli powder, black pepper powder, turmeric and salt to taste.

Tempering-1 tsp of oil, mustard seeds, red chilli and hing.

1. Cook potato in boiling water untill tender. Once cooled chop/ crumble.
2. Sprinkle with salt, chilli powder, turmeric and black pepper.
3. Mix pototes with yogurt add chopped onion and cilantro. Mix well.
4. Do the tempering and pour over yogurt mixture.

We had this with rice usli. Enjoy!

Will send this to Sia for Ode to Potatoes and Dk's for Potato Fe(a)st Events.

Potato-Broccoli Cutlets

When it comes to cooking with potatoes,I make two dishes mostly. One being Potato/aloo palya and another one is cutlets. Along with potatoes I also use broccoli for cutlets, infact this is the only dish I use broccoli in , everyone in my house like eating broccoli this way.

This makes for a very satifying snack or same can be used with buns for making burgers for a meal. For the recipe I used red skined potatoes, used whole potoes along with the skin for making cutlets.


So here are the ingredinets I used

• Red skin Potatoes- 4 nos
• Broccoli - about 5 florets
• Roasted red bell peppers- 3 tbsp spoon ( Iused store brought)
• Onion- 1 meduim
• Spices: Garam masala and Red chilli powder- 1 tsp each
• Bread crumbs - 1 cup (take two slice of bread and run it in mixie untill it from like crumbs).
• For garnish- Tomato ketchup, mint chutney, few cilantro leaves and lime juice 1 tbsp.

1. Wash potatoes and cook them in boiling water till tender. Chop onion, bell pepper and Broccoli to bit size pieces.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add veggies cover and cook till soft. Now add cooked and cooled potatoes either chop them or crumble them.( I have left the skin on so I have choped them).
3. Add spices and salt mix well , then add bread crumbs about 1/2 cup of so the veggie mixture all comes together to form a stiff ball.
   
4. Once cool down to handle makes ball shape and flatten with palm of your hand. Roll the patties in remaining bread crumbs.
   
5. Heat tava/griddle on medium heat. Add little oil and put pattie on that and leave for 3-4 minutes till the side is golden brown , filp and let the other side roast as well.
   
6. Squeese lime juice and serve with chutney and sauces. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
   

*Along with bread crumbs, rice flour can be added to make the veg mixture stiff and crispy. Patties can be deep fried instead of roasting on tava.

Enjoy!

I am sending this as my entry to Ode to Potatoes hosted by Sia of Monsoon Spice and to Potato Fe(a)st hosted by DK of Culinary Bazzar.

Methi-Onion Chapathis

My mother makes this for morning breakfast/tiffin. Back in Mysore(my home town) a lady used to bring fresh green to the door steps every morning, mom used to by fresh bunches of methi leaves(menthi soppu as we call in kannada) atleast once a week to make this kind of chapathis. Now when I think back those simple things like getting veggies and fresh greens at your doorsteps feels like luxuary.

Here in Barrow, Alaska its dream to get fresh methi leaves in grocery store. I have used dried methi leaves a.k.a kasuri methi for making this. Its very aromatic and onions gives little crunch and sweetness to chapathis. One can eat these chapathis on its own, good for lunch boxes or while travelling. Sometimes I use boiled and mashed potatoes to mix with this, adding potatoes makes it even more softer.

So here is what I used to make.

• 2 cups- whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup - dried methi leaves
• 1 medium- onion
• 1 tsp-salt and red chilli powder
• 2 tsp oil

1. Chop onion very finely, heat oil when hot add onion and methi leaves fry untill onion is soft and tanslucent. Now add salt and chilli powder, let it cool then mix with wheat flour to a stiff dough adding little water at a time. Keep it covered for atleast 15 mins.
2. Then you can roll them into chapathis. Above measurements makes about 8 medium size chapathis.

* Using fresh methi leaves gives much more flavour. Chop onion very finely so it combines well with the flour.

Tomato-Onion Gojju

Tomato-onion gojju is made most in my kitchen, it goes with everthing like dosa, idly, rotti ,rice ,chapathis and even as a spread on bread. I always keep onions and tomatos on hand. It can be made very quickly and tastes delicous. For the first time I tried cherry tomatoes for making this gojju it tasted awesome like really gojju. Same can also be made using capsicum(bell peppers), spring onions and eggplants.

Recipe

• Tomatoes- 25 cherry tomatoes( or 3- roma tomatoes)
• Onion- 1 medim
• Sambar powder- 1tbsp (can used chilli powder)
• Jaggery - 1tsp (or brown sugar)
• Salt as for taste
• Clilantro leaves for garnish- a handful
• Oil- 1tbsp

*I used little bit of tamarind paste, while using roma tomatoes to give a little tanginess.

1. Heat oil in a pan , when hot add onion saute it untill soft then add tomatoes cover and cook untill its soft. It takes very less time to cook tomatoes.
2. Now add sambar powder, jaggery and salt cover and cook till all the flavours combines well and turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro leaves. Its ready to be served.

*If veggies are dry add water while adding sambar powder. I haven't added any water while making mine,juices from tomatoes were enough for the consistancy.

I made this for our lunch today and had this with tomato-onion gojju and with some home made curd/yougurt. I consider this as a healthy meal and will send it to Suganya's Tasty Palettes for WBB-Healthy Eats.

Noodles - Kid Friendly

Me and my daughter (who is almost 3 years) are fond of noodles, my husband not so much. So whenever my husband is not coming home for lunch I always make noodles. Today being one such day I made this for her.

Here is what we need

• 1/2 cup of - noodles (I used tri -colour spiral kind)

For Sauce

• Peanut butter - 1tbsp
• Tomato ketchup-1 tbsp
• Cashew nut powder- 1 tbsp (Can use any nut powders)
• Olive oil- 1 tsp
• Salt and pepper-little

1. Cook noodles in boiling water with salt added to it, untill soft. Drain and keep aside.
2. In a pan heat oil add peanut butter, ketchup add little water to thin a bit.
3. Now add cooked noodles and cashew-nut powder. Mix well.

Very easy and tasty lunch for little ones. Enjoy !

I'll send this to Vanamala of My Kitchen World for Kids Food Event.