Sizzling Pav Bhaji - A Delectable Indian Cuisine

(serves 3) Preparation time: about 35 minutes

Pav bhaji is actually one of the favourite street foods in India, specially in the city of Mumbai. It is usually considered as a snack but can be treated as a complete meal too since it is quite satisfying with heaps of vegetables added to it. It's even included in the list of junk foods because it has loads of butter! But if you want a healthier version of the cuisine skip adding butter to the gravy when serving and have plain bread instead of buttered bread.

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

3 big potatoes,

50 gms. cauliflower (separate the florets),

1 tbsp. sliced french beans (optional),

50 gms. green peas,

1/3 cup very finely chopped capsicum

about 3 tbsps. butter

½ tbsp. oil

salt to taste

Seasoning (Dry masalas)

1 tsp. Kashmiri red chilli paste (optional),

1 ½ tsp. red chilli pdr.,

½ tsp. + 1 pinch turmeric pdr.,

1 ½ or 2 tbsp. pav bhaji masala (adjust as per your taste. If you prefer spicier add more)

1 medium sized onion (finely chopped), 3 big tomatoes (finely chopped)

1 tsp. ginger paste, 1 ½ tsp. garlic paste, 1 green chilli paste, 6-7 curry leaves

Garnishing: 1 finely chopped onion (small), 2 tbsps. chopped coriander, 1 lime, a big dollop of butter

about 6 Pavs (Indian bread) (If you don't have pav use bread instead)

pav bhaji masher or ladle

Method:

1. Boil all the vegetables (potatoes, cauliflower, beans, peas but not the capsicum) in some water with a pinch of turmeric and 2 tsps. salt. Mash with a pav bhaji masher or the back of a ladle. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil and 2 tbsps. butter in a pan, add the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and sauté for a minute.

3. Now add the onions and sauté till they become transparent.

4. Add the capsicum and sauté for a minute.

5. Put the Kashmiri red chilli paste and sauté for ½ a minute.

6. Add the dry masalas (red chilli pdr., turmeric pdr. and pav bhaji masala) and stir to combine.

7. Add curry leaves and tomatoes and sauté to mix everything. Let cook on slow flame for about 10 minutes till the gravy becomes slightly dry and the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from flame. Mash this well with a pav bhaji masher/ a ladle.

8. Now add the boiled vegetables to the above gravy and stir well. Again mash this with the pav bhaji masher/ a ladle in order to mix all the ingredients properly. Add about 1 cup of water to make the consistency appropriate. Add more water if required. Add some salt.

9. Let cook for about 15 to 20 more minutes to combine all the ingredients. Check seasoning.

10. Add some water if the gravy seems thick.

11. Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander, chopped onions, a blob of butter and a dash of lime.

12. When serving, slice the pavs (bread) horizontally, apply butter on both sides and heat on a tawa or a non-stick pan for ½ a minute on each side. Serve hot with the pav bhaji gravy.

Get more delicious food recipes at http://www.kadhaee.blogspot.com/


Original article

Becoming Vegan: Tips for Transitioning to a Vegan Lifestyle

Vegans are people who do not consume animal products - meat, eggs, dairy, or honey. They also do their best to not use other animal-derived ingredients in household or personal care products. Their goal is to reduce - or even eliminate - animal exploitation in their lives.

People choose to become vegan for different reasons. Most of the time, it is out of concern for the lives of animals, our own health, the state of the earth's environment, or some combination of those three.

Making the decision to become vegan can feel both empowering and terrifying! How does one make such a huge change? People come to veganism with varying degrees of familiarity with vegan cooking, support from family and friends, and understanding of their nutritional needs.

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to transition to being vegan. Some people become vegan over the course of weeks, months, or years while others become vegan overnight. The best advice is to do what feels right and achievable to you at this point in time. Becoming vegan is an individual journey, and what works well for one person may not ring true for another.

Usually, the first question aspiring vegans have is, "What will I eat?" This is a two-fold question, as it's important to identify both a person's nutritional needs and recipes that satisfy their personal tastes.

Regarding nutrition, it is not a particularly complicated issue for most people. The most common sources of vegan protein are soy products (such as tofu and tempeh), beans, nuts, seeds, and wheat gluten (sometimes referred to as wheat-meat or seitan). It is important to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This advice is equally important to omnivores, but vegans tend to think about it more because their diet is under more scrutiny!

A bit of research online or at the local library should be enough for most new vegans to understand their basic nutritional needs and recognize that if a variety of foods are consumed, they don't need to obsess over each and every meal. For those with specific health concerns related to diet (e.g., those with celiac disease, diabetes, low iron levels, etc.), it is advisable to consult with a nutritionist who is knowledgeable about veganism. The nutritionist doesn't have to be vegan but does have to be someone who will actively support the new vegan with sound information and advice.

Figuring out what kinds of meals to prepare can feel overwhelming. But once you have a handful of "go-to" recipes, it will get much easier. It won't take long before you ask yourself, "What should I have for dinner?" rather than, "What can I make that doesn't have animal products in it?" Incorporating veganism into the diet will feel natural rather than alien.

Invest in a few vegan cookbooks or visit your local library to borrow vegan cookbooks, and look online to find a wide selection of vegan recipes. When choosing recipes, consider your personal tastes as well as how much time you want to spend preparing food and what kinds of ingredients are readily available at your local supermarket. There are a wide variety of vegan recipes featuring different ethnic cuisines, cooking methods, and ingredients.

Be advised that some products that appear to be vegan may not be vegan at all. There are some "fake meats" and "fake cheeses" that are vegetarian but not vegan. Check all labels for ingredients such as whey, egg whites, casein, and gelatin. You can find extensive lists of animal ingredients by looking online.

While the issue of what to eat each day is the most pressing concern, new vegans face other lifestyle choices as well. For those who own leather, wool, or other animal-derived products, a choice has to be made about what to do with them. Some people donate these items immediately; others cannot afford to buy new vegan items and decide to continue using the non-vegan items they own until they are able to purchase replacement products.

Similar decisions must be made regarding household and personal care items. It may be tempting to simply throw away various cosmetics, lotions, soaps, and cleaning products; but throwing these items in the trash does nothing other than create more waste. It would be preferable to either give these products to someone who will use them or use them yourself and then replace the items with cruelty-free products.

Some people have to decide whether or not they can afford the cruelty-free products, since they often command a higher price. If an aspiring vegan cannot afford the more expensive products, that doesn't mean they're not vegan; it is simply a reflection of their economic reality. Vegans do their best to reduce animal exploitation, and our best is not always ideal!

A major challenge can be the lack of support for a new vegan. Some people have supportive families and friends; others have some support, though their families and friends may not really understand their desire to become vegan; others have overtly hostile families and friends.

Seek community and support for your new vegan lifestyle. There are many vegan groups online, but you may also be fortunate enough to live in an area with an active vegan or vegetarian community. These groups can offer information, advice, and camaraderie as you transition to veganism and may continue to play an important role in your life even after you are comfortable and established in your vegan lifestyle.

Becoming vegan is a tremendous journey that benefits you, animals, and the environment. The transition to veganism may include some challenges, but they are all achievable and well worth it. Having some easy-to-prepare, tasty recipes, solid information about your nutritional needs, and a supportive community will make your transition to a vegan lifestyle much easier!

About the Author
Valerie Bloom first became vegan in 1992. For more articles about the vegan lifestyle, please visit her website, Vegan Journey.


Original article

Healthy Mohantal or Chickpea Flour Fudge

'Silence after the storm'..the last few days of high decibel sound, screaming and running around the road to burst crackers has finally come to rest. Even the intermittent spell of rain did not dampen the spirit of festivity for my kids & hubby for whom my garage was the make shift center for bursting crackers. And no, I will not crib about the land, noise, water and air pollution which was left after the festival of lights was over. When I am not able to influence anyone in my home even after 16 years of marriage, against indulging in sugary sweets, oily savories and buying crackers at exorbitant prize (which could actually get me a dedicated server for God knows how many years) then who am I to complain...'to each his own'.

Anyway, I tried my hands making a healthy version of a popular traditional Indian fudge. Often made during festivals and very common in India especially Rajasthan, its called Mohantal. Made with chickpea flour, the ratio of ingredients in this traditional and scrumptious sweet will make your diet chart stumble. With one cup each of chickpea flour, sugar and clarified butter I never got interested to try it at home, but have eaten it many times at my grandmothers' home. And believe me you can't stop with just one piece of traditionally made Mohantal.

I tried to reduce the clarified butter to a great extent and replaced palm sugar with white sugar. The resultant fudge is in no way inferior to the traditional one, and the best part is that I could indulge in it guilt free. Palm sugar gave a distinctive raw and fruity flavor to the fudge.

Preparation time:

20 minutes

Cooking time:

30 minutes

Serves:

4 persons

Ingredients:

11/2 cup chickpea flour

1 cup palm sugar

2 tbsp. clarified butter

2 tbsp. nuts (Charoli/almonds/cashew)

1-2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. cardamom powder

Preparation:

Heat a thick bottom kadai/wok and pour the butter or ghee in it. Add the chickpea flour (besan) and fry it at low heat. Keep the flame low and fry the flour for about 15-20 minutes till it becomes golden brown in color.

Add palm sugar and cardamom powder and mix it well. Take off from the flame and add 1 tbsp. of milk in it. Mix it well and check the consistency, if it becomes a mass of solid dough the fudge is ready. If it is slightly loose or dry add another tsp. of milk till you get a pliable dough.

Grease a rectangular baking tray or any plate with clarified butter or spread a butter paper on it.

Take the dough and spread it in the greased baking tray or any flat plate. Press it evenly with the back of a ladle or greased hands and make it flat.

Cooking:

I pressed the fudge in a shallow baking tray to get thin and diamond shaped pieces. Let it cool for about 20 minutes and make slices with a knife. Easy to prepare with very few ingredients this fudge makes a wonderful gift option for those looking for some nutritious and yummy treat. Pack the chickpea flour fudge in decorative boxes and share some healthy treats with your loved ones.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

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Original article

Tangy Tomato Rice - An Easy and Healthy Lunchbox Recipe

I like how versatile this humble grain Rice could be in various forms of cuisines world over. From more exotic Sushi to Risotto to the simple curd rice from South India, this ancient grain has come a long way. And yes if you are already bored with the time consuming & tedious cooking methods of your Risottos and the Shahi Pulav these quickies will win you over hands down.

I love the simplicity of these recipes with which these can be easily included in the lunch, dinner and can be packed comfortably in the lunchbox too. Each recipe has a distinct color, aroma and taste which makes them unique. Red rice, green rice, yellow rice... no these are not the varieties of rice but the names given to the rice dishes I pack for my children to school. So the tomato rice becomes red rice, coriander rice as green rice and lemon rice takes the name of yellow rice.

The few changes I often make in my MIL's recipe is to add more nutritious brown rice, black sesame seeds, and whole black gram in place of polished white rice, skinned sesame seeds and de husked black gram.

Preparation time
15 minutes

Cooking time
20 minutes

Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

2 cups pre cooked rice*

1 cup fresh tomato juice/puree

1 green chilly

2 tsp. vegetable oil

1 small onion

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 tsp. de-husked black gram

1/4 tsp. cumin seeds

A pinch of asafoetida powder

Salt as desired

A few sprigs of curry leaves

Preparation

Wash and cook the rice and keep it aside. For making a cup of tomato juice you may need 3-4 medium tomatoes. Wash the tomatoes and blend in mixer to make a puree. Filter the puree if you want a clear tomato rice. Peel and slice the onion finely. Chop the green chilly.

Cooking

Heat oil in a wok and crackle mustard and add de husked black gram (dhuli urad dal) & cumin seeds in it. Add the diced onion, curry leaves, asafoetida and green chilly to the oil and fry it for about a minute. Pour the tomato puree in the wok and keep frying for another 3-4 minutes. Take the wok off the flame.

Add salt the pre cooked rice and mix well. Pour the above tempering in the rice and mix it thoroughly. Serve this Tangy Tomato rice with plain yogurt or a yogurt Raita with vegetables.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

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In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Vegetable Stir Fry

A lot of Chinese food can be very rich and filling- think of duck in hoi sin sauce or sticky barbeque flavoured spare ribs. However you can get that authentic Chinese stir fried flavour into less rich foods, and even into vegetables which gives you a delicious and less unhealthy meal.

This recipe makes a deliciously flavoured vegetarian stir fry, which can be eaten by itself or as a base for other Chinese dishes. It uses bean sprouts, carrots and spring onions along with lots of traditional seasonings to give you a great tasting snack or meal.

Ingredients for the meal: (serves four people)

150 g of bean sprouts

2 or 3 spring onions

1 large carrot

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (olive, peanut or palm oil will also work just fine)

Half a teaspoon of finely chopped garlic

1 to 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce

A couple of drops of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

Preparing the vegetables

First of all you need to clean all of the vegetables. Peel the carrot and give it a rinse along with the spring onions. Put all of the bean sprouts in a colander, give them a wash in cold water and then allow them to drain, or alternatively dry them in a salad dryer.

The carrot needs to be cut into matchstick sized strips. The quickest way to do this is to use a mandoline, as they normally have an option to allow you to cut match stick shapes out of vegetables. Alternatively cut the carrot at 45 degrees in diagonal slices around half a centimetre thick, and then put a few on top of each other and cut into match sticks. Be very carefully when using a matchstick and make sure you are using a chopping board. After you have done this you need to lightly boil the carrot sticks in water for a minute.

Cut the spring onions in two, separating the leafy and the lower, white part. Cut the lower part into bite size chunks, and chop the leaves up as well, keeping the two separate. Also finely chop half a teaspoon of garlic.

Cooking

Put a wok on medium heat and once it has heated up, pour in the oil, swirling it around so that the inner surface of the wok is coated in oil. Once the wok is really hot, stir fry the spring onion leaves and the garlic for a minute. Then add the carrot match sticks, the bean sprouts and the white part of the spring onion and stir fry for a further minute.

To add flavouring, pour in the soy and oyster sauce and give it a really good stir so that the flavours are distributed evenly throughout the whole dish. After doing this, turn off the heat and add a couple of drops of sesame oil, give it a last good stir and your vegetable stir fry is ready to serve.

Author with keen culinary interests, creator of a website dedicated to chicken stir fry.


Original article

Weight Reduction With a Vegetarian Diet Plan

Vegetables can help to reduce the weight, only if a proper vegetarian diet plan is followed, as the calories should be considered in that particular vegetable. People who only eat vegetables, and are diet conscious are of various types. There is a group of vegans, who include dairy food with vegetables in their diet plan; whereas, another group uses seafood along with vegetables. Similarly, some people like only dry fruits, seeds, as well as nuts. Similarly, semi vegetarians eat both meat, and vegetables.

People who follow a strict diet plan use foods, which are lower in calories, and that's why they only take foods from plant sources. But, always keep in mind that it's not necessary that low fat foods are healthy as well, because they can be less nutritious as compared to other foods. Many experts make a menu with calories below 1500, but the food is well-balanced with fibers, and other nutrients. In the absence of dairy food you can have soy yogurt, and soy milk which is rich in minerals as well as vitamins.

The proper way of selection is that, if you want to replace certain foods than replace it with a same type as fruits for fruits, vegetables for vegetables, and grains for grains. Moreover, it should be taken in equal quantity. The whole plan consists of breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.

Vegetarian diet plan including good nutrition

Breakfast:

It includes one apple, or a pear, a cup of oatmeal, and a cup of skimmed milk.

Lunch: it includes green salad mixed with either a tablespoon of vinegar, or fresh lemon, or the vinegar can be raspberry, or balsamic. Besides, it should also have a fruit salad. Whereas in the afternoon, you can take low fat yogurt.

Dinner: it includes one third cup of tomato sauce with a mixture of both whole wheat, and regular pasta. Similarly, you can take one cup of broccoli with orange juice.

Moreover, you can also add evening snacks in your diet plan, so that you do not feel tired after a day's work. And for this purpose you can have one forth cup of salsa, one third cup of dip made with beans, and eight tortilla chips in baked form. For flavor you can add one, or two cinnamon sticks to any cereal, and garlic to tomato sauce, similarly mint leaves in fresh form mixed with salad of any kind.

But, you should always keep one thing in mind that any diet plan can be effective if you remain patient, and continue it as long as you get your desired weight. You can also make your own diet plan after doing some research on the internet, but in that case you should consider the calories of vegetables which you are going to eat. With a little effort a good shaped body is possible, especially if you also do some daily workouts along with low cal food. So, by following the given vegetarian diet plan, you can reduce weight depending on how consistent you are.


Original article

Easy Vegan Corn Pudding

This Fresh Corn Pudding should be best enjoyed when cold and served in an earthen ware. The purpose to serve in earthen ware is to give the pudding a rustic feel and earthy aroma. Beside these factors it also helps in making the pudding thicken faster by absorbing extra liquid from it. You can bake the pudding for a much delightful version of the recipe. For baking just mix all the ingredients and bake it in a bake proof dish at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate and serve the pudding cold.

Preparation time

20 minutes
Cooking time
20 minutes
Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

1 medium size sweet corn
1 cup coconut milk or normal skimmed milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cardamom powder
Edible silver foil (optional)

Preparation

The recipe requires extremely soft, tender & fresh corn. Clean & prep the fresh corn and remove all the husk from it. There are two different ways you can take out the corn kernels from it;

1. Grate the corn from all the side.

2. Scrape the corn with a sharp knife and take out all the fresh kernels.

If the corn is soft and tender you can use it as it is, else grind it in a mixer and make a coarse paste.

If you want a vegan version and are using coconut milk you need to grate the flesh of coconut and squeeze it to take out the milk from it. I used store bought coconut milk in a sachet which makes the work easy.

Cooking

Heat a heavy bottom pan and pour the coconut milk (or normal milk) in it. Bring it to boil and add the grated fresh corn into it. Let it boil on medium heat. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid scalding of milk.

Boil the corn milk mixture till it becomes thick, this will take about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sugar in it. Mix it well to dissolve the sugar. Add the cardamom powder in it.

Cool it a little and fill it in individual mud pot and decorate it with a small piece of edible silver foil. Refrigerate the pudding for 3-4 hours.

This pudding does not require any thickening agent as cornmeal has a tendency to thicken the milk.

The Fresh Corn Pudding should be best enjoyed when cold and served in an earthen ware. But this is how I served mine as the mud pot are difficult to get here. The purpose to serve in earthen ware is to give the pudding a rustic feel and earthy aroma. Beside these factors it also helps in making the pudding thicken faster by absorbing extra liquid from it.

You can bake this pudding for a much delightful version of the recipe. For baking just mix all the ingredients and bake it in a bake proof dish at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Refrigerate and serve the corn pudding cold.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

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In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Tomato Baskets in Veggie Gravy

Never knew the worth of mom's cooking until I started to cook myself. All of a sudden the spices did not impart the same flavors, veggies did not taste as fresh as they did when she cooked with them and there was always something missing in the final recipe. Could not figure out the reason for quite a long time, till I discovered the secret ingredient in all her recipes and that is 'the love' which she pours every time in it when she cooks.

We do differ in many aspects of life and cooking, which include her love for oil and chilly and her ways of parenting. But then such differences are what makes life more spicy and worth living. And yes I do love you Mom!

Am glad that I belong to a very colorful and lively city of Rajasthan in India, which is also famous for its exotic & scrumptious regional cuisine. Some of the authentic recipes & food ingredients such as Gunda, Ker Sangari, kachri, Kheej, green Fenugreek seeds are so very unique to this state. And since I shifted to Chennai after my marriage I did not get much chance to cook with these ingredients in my home. My vacation here is a great opportunity to revive those recipes long forgotten.

Preparation time
20 minutes

Cooking time
20 minutes

Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

4 tomatoes for filling

1 cup grated cauliflower

1/4 cup fresh peas

2 potatoes

1 onion

1 green chilly

1' Ginger

4-5 clove Garlic

1/2 cup fresh tomato puree

1 tbsp coriander leaves

2 tbsp. Mint

2 tbsp Oil

1/4 cup of water

Spice mix;

1/2 tsp crushed Black pepper

1 tsp. red chilly powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp. Turmeric

Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash the tomatoes and the cauliflower. Grate the cauliflower and keep it apart. Chop the top of tomato as shown in the picture and keep the slice for cover. Scoop the inside seeds and pulp of tomato and make it hollow. Boil the potatoes in water, cool and mash it slightly.

Peel the onion and slice it finely. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste. Dice the green chilly into fine pieces.

Cooking

Heat oil in a wok and add sliced onion and fry it till it is translucent in color. Add ginger garlic paste and the diced green chilly fry it for a minute. Pour the tomato puree and all the spice mix into the seasoning and stir fry till the oil floats over the ground masala.

Add grated cauliflower, mashed potato, shredded fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves and fresh peas into the gravy and let it fry for another 8-10 minutes.

Take out 1/4 of this cooked gravy to be filled into the hollowed tomato boats. Fill the same in the tomato and cover it with the sliced tomato top.

Add water into the rest of the gravy and let it boil for a minute.Place the filled tomatoes gently into the cooked gravy. Cover it with a lid and cook for just 2 minutes. At this stage you need to flip over the tomatoes taking care that the filling should stay intact into the tomatoes. Cover it and cook for another 2-3 minutes at slow flame.

Garnish the cooked Minty Tomato baskets with fresh coriander and mint leaves. Serve this exotic curry with any Indian flat breads such as Cottage Cheese stuffed Naan, Kulcha, Rumali rotis or chapattis.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various fodd in your cooking.

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In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Paneer Jalfrezi - An Exotic Indian Curry With Cottage Cheese

Certain food brings back the memories associated with it, the person who cooked it, the people we ate with, and the occasion it was cooked for. When Alicia Cowan of My Dish contacted me to write about food which makes me nostalgic, it took me a while to zero down to just one recipe! Oh yes... this cottage cheese in exotic gravy mom prepared for almost all the parties we used to host at home is a nostalgic recipe. Though not for the flavors and the recipe itself but for the fun & frolic we had during those parties with friends. And mom was quite famous for this Paneer Jalfrzi with her hot Kulchas. Even now whenever (read rarely) I cook this recipe I make sure to call at least one childhood friend to talk about those wonderful childhood days of yesteryear.

Preparation time
20 minutes

Cooking time
20 minutes

Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

200 gm Cottage cheese or Paneer

50 gms fresh sweet corn kernels

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. sugar

Salt as desired

Water 1 cup or more

Ground to paste

1 large onion

2 large tomato/1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp. grated coconut

8-10 cashew nuts

1 small green chilli

1 inch ginger

Spices;

2 cardamon pods

2 cloves

1 tsp. red chili powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

Garnish;

Shredded fresh coriander leaves

4-5 strands of saffron (optional)

2 tbsp. cream (optional)

Preparation

Peel and chop onion. Slice tomato and onion and grind it along with rest of the ingredients (ground to paste). Slice the cottage cheese into small pieces.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok and crackle cumin seeds add cardamom pods & clove followed by the ground paste. Add all the spices mentioned. Saute' well till for about 7-8 minutes till the raw smell of the ground paste disappear and the oil starts floating over the masala.

You can fry the cottage cheese cubes into the oil before making the gravy or just use them as it is.

Boil 1 cup of water or more if you require more gravy. Pour the boiled water into the cooked gravy and simmer well for another 5 minutes.

Serve the exotic Cottage cheese in nutty gravy - Paneer Jalfrezi with Indian flat breads, or Kulchas.

Notes;

I used tomato paste in the recipe, since I had an open packet of the same in my refrigerator.You can avoid coconut and cashew altogether and still get a rich gravy for the recipe.Slightly deep fry the Cottage cheese cubes for much better texture ad taste.Add fresh green peas instead of sweet corn for much better color contrast in the dish.Use Tofu in place of cottage cheese for much healthier option.

Yes, I got my credits when hubby ashed me, "Did you get it from somewhere", as I rarely cook such rich and heavy dishes on normal days. Recreate the magic of a restaurant at your home, make your weekends special and surprise your guests with this delightful recipe.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

http://www.litebite.in/

In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

History of Vegetarians Overview

I have always pondered on the background of vegetarianism. At first I believed it was accountable to either spiritual or religious beliefs, where people didn't deem the slaughter of another animal or living thing as acceptable. The beginning of my investigations into vegetarianism discovered that customarily the action of abstaining from eating animals was undertaken by a variety of cultures and people from the beginning of civilizations.

Eastern civilisations appear to be the original influence from the world's oldest societies. It is my understanding that the removal of eating meat or killing animals was due to the cultural belief of reincarnation. Theravada, Hinduism and Buddhism are the main Eastern cultural teachings. There are a considerable number of other religious groups that encompass these religions, however, this is a broad overview.

As you are aware with Western ideals towards vegetarianism, different people have different views. The same applies to the Eastern cultures over history. Some of these cultures do in fact still consume meat, however, it is not the common practice and there are generally rules or guidelines based on its consumption.

The Classical and antiquity period, known for Greek philosopher Pythagoras, also provides some more recent insight into the history of vegetarianism. In order to study as Pythagoreans there was a requirement to abstain from eating meat. Again, this is due to the thoughts surrounding reincarnation of the human soul into animals. There are known parallels between Greek and Hindu philosophies and it is likely this aversion to the slaughter of animals based on reincarnation that was derived from these teachings.

During the Middle Ages and Renaissance period there began to be an increase in vegetarianism, limited however to minority groups. It wasn't until the 19th Century, that the United Kingdom and some other European countries founded the Vegetarian Society. As is common in Western Society, popularity can be a driving force behind cultural shifts, at that stage vegetarianism began to gain momentum.

The above is only a broad overview surrounding the history of vegetarianism. As mentioned before, each cultural identity holds it's own beliefs and adaptation in regards to the subject. At times is appears that drought, disease and other factors such as the shear expense of meat forced people to remove it from their diets.

My research has solidified my original belief that the inhumane nature of slaughtering the innocent lives of animals is clearly the driving force of people and cultures deciding to stop eating meat.

About this Author

In addition, you can find easy to use, helpful information about vegetarians at http://www.highproteinvegetarianfoods.com/

High Protein Vegetarian Foods is a site dedicated to helping everyone begin and advance their lifestyle in becoming a vegetarian. Start finding more information and recipes today!


Original article

Hey Vegans, What Should You Put on Your Pizza?

If you're a vegan, especially a new vegan, or if you have to cook for a vegan, you may wonder about how to make a good vegan pizza.

Making a vegetarian pizza is simple enough, since vegetarians eat cheese. You can therefore make a cheese pizza or just load up a plain cheese pizza with all sorts of veggies.

The challenge of a vegan pizza is the fact that vegans do not eat cheese. There are vegan cheeses for sale, of course, but before you even go down that road you should consider something else.

The original pizza, the one upon which all other pizzas are based, originated in Naples in Southern Italy and is known as the Marinara pizza. That original, first pizza was actually made without cheese.

That sounds very weird to most of us who are used to equating pizza with stringy dripping cheese. But in Italy and Southern Europe in general, pizza without cheese is very common.

In the Mediterranean region, which encompasses North Africa and the Near East of Asia as well as Southern Europe, phyllo dough is sometimes used as a pizza base. And a cheeseless pizza on phyllo dough is absolutely amazing.

In fact, although we think of pizza toppings when we think of pizza, what really makes a great pizza is the base. Without a proper base, no matter how good your toppings are, your pizza will unfortunately be a flop.

A real Marinara pizza is made with Italian 00 flour, which is as fine as talcum powder but with lots of gluten and protein, so that it can be stretched extremely thin but remains very strong and makes an excellent thin crust base.

In addition, a real Marinara pizza has to be baked in a super hot wood fired oven, so hot that the whole pizza can be cooked in just 60 to 90 seconds.

If you don't have a wood fired pizza oven, don't worry. Although you can get affordable wood fired ovens for your backyard now, there is also an amazing counter top pizza oven that does an excellent job. Alternatively, you can get a pizza baking stone which also gives superior results.

The Marinara pizza has as its toppings only genuine Marinara sauce, garlic, oregano, and olive oil.

Again, the ingredients here are extremely important. The Marinara sauce is to be made with genuine San Marzano tomatoes, and the garlic, oregano and olive oil must be fresh.

Now if you want to add toppings on this, you should do so sparingly and tastefully. The American fast food pizza tradition of piling on toppings on your pizza is not for this.

You can get very creative and using special combinations like

oven roasted garlic and red pepper pizzaGarlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, high quality olives (with pits!) and mustard seedstomato pesto pizzamushroom and artichoke hearts seasoned with lemon juice and ground pepper pizzahomemade garlic white sauce with caramelized onions, fresh tomato slices, and a light sprinkling of crushed red pepperPotato Pizza (paper-thin sliced potatoes with fresh rosemary, chopped onions, ground pepper (optional), and extra virgin olive oil) - no doubt a strange pizza to American ears, but a common favorite in Europe.

Now if this is not for you, you can go along the traditional American fast food pizza route, and simply veganize it.

So you substitute vegan cheese for cow's milk cheese, and you can even get meat substitutes that taste like pepperoni, salami, or ham.

There are even frozen vegan pizzas that taste really good.

So whatever route you want to go, there really is a lot of choice for vegans to want to eat pizza.

Not only that, it doesn't have to be some fake vegan substitute, but the actual, real original pizza as it was meant to be.

Andrew J Neal is the administrator of Vegan Pizza Place which gives visitors a whole list of resources and ideas, like for vegan pizza toppings so that they can make great vegan pizzas.


Original article

Healthy Green Chili Pickle

Any meal is incomplete without a spicy Pickle and crispy Poppadum in Rajasthan and your scrumptious meal will be always judged by how good you are in making pickles! My mom's house is full of ceramic jars bursting out with new pickles every season, most of which goes to some of the relatives nearby or to unexpected guest who would have praised her cooking after a hearty meal at home.

Oil and salt act as a preservative to the pickles and help it stay fresh for long. Most of the pickle varieties have oil floating up to the brim of the jar, which eventually avoid the formation of molds and fungus and increase its shelf life.

My mom makes a pickle which is water based, and we call it as 'Paani wala Achaar'! I am not a big fan of pickles but often make some of these oil free versions to go with my stuffed Indian flat breads. These two pickle recipes which is very popular in Rajasthan and need less oil.

Most of the houses in Rajasthan eat plain or stuffed chapatti (Indian flat bread) for their breakfast, pickles make a lovely accompaniment. Since I and my hubby do not like much of oily foods, such Pickles make a rare appearance on our table. But there are a few recipes which require minimal oil and can be a good substitutes for any oil laden pickle.

For making the pickle we require a special kind of chilly which is called Athana green chillies, it is broad & fleshy and is found mainly in Jodhpur city of Rajasthan in India. You could make the same using any other chilly which is slightly broad and fleshy. Normally the chillies are pickled whole with a stuffing of various flavorful spices.

Traditionally these green chillies are pickled along with the seeds for that fiery taste, but I remove the seed for a much mellowed pickle.

Preparation time:

20 minutes

Cooking time:

20 minutes

Serves:

4 persons

Ingredients:

12-15 Athana Green chillies or any fleshy chili pepper

1/2 cup coarsely ground mustard seeds

1 tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp coarsely ground aniseed powder (saunf)

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tsp dry mango powder (optional)

1 tsp onion seeds (optional)

1 tbsp. rock salt/table salt

1/2 tsp. asafoetida (hing)

1 lemon

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:

Method; Wash the green chillies and pat dry them carefully using a kitchen napkin. The chillies should be clean and dry without any traces of water on them.

Make an incision or slit in each green chilly length wise from top to the end part. Remove the seeds with a kitchen knife if you want your pickle to be less spicy and fiery.

Take a large bowl and add all the dry ingredients except the oil add lemon in it and mix it well. Stuff the mixed spice mix in each slit green chilly. Fill the stuffed green chillies in a clean jar. Heat oil in wok and pour over the chillies.

1st version (No-oil) ; Take a clean glass jar and fill it with all the stuffed green chillies. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the pickle and cover with a muslin cloth. Keep this jar in sunlight for 7-8 days before consuming.

2nd version (less oil); The other way is to heat oil in a wok and cook the stuffed green chillies for just about 1-2 minutes, without much stirring so as to avoid the stuffing coming out of the chillies. Fill the same in a jar, squeeze the juice of one lemon and keep it aside for a day for the flavors of spices to get infused in the pickle.

This pickle stays good for about a week when refrigerated. Add extra oil to preserve the pickle for longer time.

Serve the pickle with any Indian flat bread of as an accompaniment to any rice recipes.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

http://www.litebite.in/

In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Minty Cottage Cheese and Spicy Garlic Indian Flat Breads

Time flies when you are enjoying what you are doing and doing what you enjoy the most. And I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation at my native Udaipur. Learned to cook a few authentic recipes from mom, visited all the historical places which were in my wish list for long and most important met many of my schoolmates after almost 30 years!

Mom made these two versions of Stuffed flat breads or Parathas for my travel food. My kids dislike air travel and given a choice would always prefer trains over flights. They love to watch green fields, rivers, animals and villages over the dull and gray clouds. So I booked for the flight for one way and came back by train.

These stuffed flat breads were the perfect accompaniment in the journey along with some ready-to-eat food that I packed along. I had them for my breakfast, lunch and the dinner as well. The breads are extremely easy to make and are scrumptious to snack upon with a hot cup of tea.

Preparation time:

20 minutes

Cooking time:

15 minutes

Serves:

2 persons

Ingredients:

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 tbsp of dry mint leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp chilly powder

1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder

Salt as desired

1/2 tsp dry mango powder (optional)

1/2 cup Water

vegetable oil

Preparation:

Take a large vessel and add the wholewheat flour, salt and 1 tbsp of oil in it and rub the dry flour with finger. Add water and knead the dough. Quantity of water may vary according to the flour, if the flour is coarse of home ground it will need more water while a fine ground flour will need a little less.

In another bowl and add the fresh cottage cheese, chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, salt, crushed dry mint leaves in it. Mix all the spices and the cottage cheese well.

Take a small ball of dough make a perfect round by rolling it in the palm. Dust it with dry flour and flatten it on a board using a rolling pin into a small circular disc. Spread a teaspoon of oil over it and add about a tablespoon of the above cottage cheese mix and spread it thoroughly.

Make a cut along the radius of the circle as shown in the picture below and start folding the rolled dough in a circular motion till it makes a single long tubular shape. Flatten the dough as shown in the picture below and roll it again into a large circle using dry flour. Make all the flat breads in the similar manner and keep them aside.

Cooking:

Heat a girdle and put the rolled out flat bread on it. Turn to the other side and add 1/2 tsp. oil to the sides of the flat bread. Fry both the sides for 2 minute and cook till golden spots appear on it.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or any spread of your choice. Pack them in an aluminum foil for a great travel and picnic food.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various food in your cooking.

http://www.litebite.in/

In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Avoid The Unnecessary Expenses Of A Vegan Diet

A lot of people drawback from the idea of a vegan diet because of the "unknown" expenses that may come with the practice. Vegans cannot easily choose to eat anything and becoming a "picky eater" may really become the reason to spend more on your food budget especially if you will not be able to avoid the unnecessary expenses of a vegan diet.

Is vegetarian living really expensive? Well for some people, embracing a vegan diet will be synonymous to the idea of spending more for better food options but this will not be the case especially if you will just know the ways to avoid the most common reasons why you may be spending more for vegan meat substitutes.

Here are some of the tips that will prevent unwanted expenses while sticking to a vegan diet:

Stay away from mock meats. People who are just starting to follow a vegan diet may crave for the usual meat treats that they enjoy such as burgers, hotdogs, and barbecue and this will not be a problem since there are mock meats that can offer you the satiety that you want from what you are eating. However, these products also come at a higher price and you will surely be spending more than your desired budget if you will give in to these tempting treats. It will be okay if you will only try these mock meat products once in a while but making it a part of your daily vegan diet will surely hurt your pocket!

Avoid fast food. Nowadays you can easily find vegetarian meals from the usual fast foods that are located in your area and though the idea may seem great, this often results to spending more than what you want. In fast foods, vegetarian dishes are special "items" on their menu and you can expect to see that these are priced higher than their usual offerings.

Know more options other than organic. Of course organic products offer great benefits but you should also be aware of the added price that comes with the produce. Remember that vegan living doesn't always mean organic so if you see vegan options that are cheap but not organic, you should know that you are not violating any vegan conditions.

Definitely, the idea of going vegan doesn't have to deal with lots of expenses because if you will just know the ways to control the cost, there will be no reason to spend more on vegetarian meats. Sprouting seeds, tofu, textured soy, and tempeh are just some of the options to spend less and for sure, as you learn to come up with your own vegan recipes you will find it easier to stick to a healthy diet without its unwanted costs!

Healthy eating need not be expensive even if you will choose to follow a vegetarian lifestyle and explore the variations that sprouting seeds, textured soy, organic soybeans, and other vegan meats can offer. Click on the links to know the best ways to spend less while on a vegan diet.


Original article

What Is Veganism? A Description of the Vegan Lifestyle and Why Some People Choose to Be Vegan

Many people have heard the word "vegan" but don't know exactly what it means, how being a vegan is different from being a vegetarian, or why a person might choose to live a vegan lifestyle.

Vegans, like vegetarians, do not eat meat. Vegans and vegetarians do not consume meat from any animals - including cows, pigs, chickens, deer, fish, clams, or any other creature that was once living. This decision may be based on concerns about the person's own health or the inhumane treatment of animals or both.

The vegan diet goes beyond the vegetarian diet by eliminating all other animal-derived products. Vegans do not eat eggs, dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.), or honey, since all of these come from animals. Because egg and dairy products have been linked to health problems and allergies in humans, the decision to maintain a vegan diet may be as much about health issues as animal welfare issues.

Animal farming also has tremendous consequences for the environment, and many people choose a vegan lifestyle in order to reduce their personal negative impact on the earth. In fact, some argue that becoming vegan does much more to help the environment than driving a hybrid electric car!

The vegetarian stance proclaims that animal-derived products such as eggs and dairy are acceptable to eat since animals are not killed in order to procure them. While this seems true on the surface, a little research reveals that animals are, in fact, killed as a direct result of the egg and dairy industries.

In addition, animals that are farmed (even for products other than meat) are subjected to horrific living conditions. Some of these practices are constant forced pregnancies for dairy cows, separating mother cows from their newborn babies, debeaking chickens without anesthetic, and cramming birds into cages without sufficient room to move.

Sadly, free-range and cage-free farms offer hardly anything in terms of improved living conditions for farm animals. And at the end of their milk- or egg-producing lives, they are roughly forced onto trucks and taken to the slaughterhouse, just like their counterparts on farms that are not free-range or cage-free. Without going into gory details, it is sufficient to say that very few of us could stomach the conditions at the slaughterhouse.

Veganism is not simply about maintaining an animal-free diet. The goal of veganism is to eliminate, as much as possible, the exploitation of animals for the benefit of humans. Vegans choose household and personal care items that do not contain animal ingredients and that are not tested on animals. They do not use wool, leather, fur or other products derived from animals. Nor do they exploit animals for entertainment, considering zoos, rodeos, and animal circuses to be sources of animal cruelty.

Being vegan means making choices to reduce animal suffering. However, there are animal-derived materials in so many products in our modern society that it would be impossible to live a completely vegan lifestyle. Animals' bodies are used in plastic bags, car tires, a number of medicines, brake fluid, concrete, cardboard, and paper - to name just a few products!

Given this reality, vegans strive to do their best in their own lives, doing what they feel they are able to do in order to reduce animal exploitation. In the process, they positively impact the earth's environment and also improve their own personal health.

More Articles about Vegan Living

If you are interested in improving your health, helping the environment, and standing against animal cruelty, please visit the author's website for more information about various aspects of vegan living: Vegan Journey.


Original article

Easy Way to Cook Vegetable Biryani

The whole process of making the Biryani, layering, giving 'Dum' and the long wait is quite intimidating and would easily deter many to try the same. The reason I often opt for the easy and the less time consuming Biryani recipe at my home. But believe me you will not be one with me once you try this traditional Biryani. A little bit of extra effort and you will be certainly rewarded with a royal treat. This recipe is from my mom's kitchen and one of my favorite dishes I demand from her as soon as I land at her place.

When I ask her about why my recipe never taste like hers even though I use the same method of cooking, and her answer is that homemade and home ground spices is what makes the difference. Gosh... I can not imagine sitting down like her, grinding my ginger-garlic paste and pounding all the spices on mortar & pestle. But do it if you can and see the difference by yourself.

What makes Biryani different from Indian Pulav;

Mostly the long grain fragrant Basmati rice is used to make a traditional biryani.Rice is first fried in oil or ghee before cooking it with other vegetables.Saffron and mint are the two most important ingredients in making a biryani.Unlike a pulav, biryani is all about layering the rice and vegetable gravy alternately.Rice and veggies are cooked separately and then layered to get a textured rice dish.Deep fried brown onion rings used in the recipe gives a caramelized flavor to biryani.The vegetables cooked separately in a thick yogurt sauce keeps the biryani moist.The most important feature to biryani is that each grain of rice should have its individual identity.

Preparation time
20 minutes

Cooking time
40 minutes

Serves
2 persons

Ingredients

To make it easy let us differentiate the cooking process into;

1. Cook the rice

1 cup long grain Basmati rice

2-3 cloves

4-5 black peppercorn

3 cardamom pods

1 small bay leaf

A small piece of cinnamon

3 cups of water

1 tbsp. oil/ghee

Salt as desired

2. Make the vegetable sauce or gravy

200 gms Mushrooms or any vegetable

1 cup yogurt/curd

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp. red chilly powder

2 tsp. garam masala

2 cardamom pods

1/2 tsp. caraway seeds

1 tbsp. oil/ghee

2 tbsp. of brown onion (from the list below)

Salt as desired

3. For layering the biryani

2 large onions (browned in oil)

1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

8-9 saffron strands

1 tbsp. warm milk

A little wheat dough to cover the pan

Preparation

1. Cook the rice: Washand soak the rice for at lest 2 hours while you assemble and prepare all the ingredients for the biryani. Drain the rice. Heat 1 tbsp of oil/ghee in a kadai/wok and add cardamom and all the whole spices in it and cook for a few seconds. Add the rice in it and fry the for two minutes till it becomes transparent.

Heat water at the same time and pour the hot water in the spice and rice mix in the wok. Let it cook for about 7-10 minutes at medium heat till the rice is 3/4 done. Do not cook the rice fully.Drain the extra water from the rice and spread the rice in the wok to let it cool.

Meanwhile peel and slice the onions and shallow fry them in oil till they turn dark brown in color. Keep them on a layer of tissue paper. Take out 3/4 of the fried onion and grind it into a coarse paste. Keep the rest for layering the biryani. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk for 10 minutes. Clean and chop the mint leaves finely. Knead the wheat flour with water to make dough.

2. Make the vegetable sauce/gravy: Wash and slice the mushrooms or vegetable finely. Carrots, peas, cauliflower, beans, corn and colored capsicum blend very well in a biryani.

Heat oil in a wok and add caraway seeds in it. Add ginger garlic paste, sliced vegetables and fry for another minute. Add garam masala, salt, chilly powder and the ground fried onion paste in it and fry for one more minute. Beat the curd lightly with a fork and pour it over the vegetable mix in the wok. Add 1/2 cup water if the curd is too thick and let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes at medium heat.

3. For layering the biryani: Traditionally a biryani is layered in an earthen pot for the rustic look and earthy flavors. You could use any steel vessel for the same.

Pour a ladle ful of vegetable gravy in the vessel which will make the first layer of biryani. Add 2-3 ladles of cooked rice as the second layer. Sprinkle the rice with a tsp. of saffron and milk mixture. Add the reserved fried onions and a little of chopped mint leaves over it. Make a third layer with vegetable sauce and cover it with a fourth layer of rice following the saffron milk, fried onion and mint leaves. You can add a couple of tsp. of butter or ghee on top of the rice layer if you wish for extra flavors.

Cooking

Cover the vessel with a tight lid and secure the lid with the dough as shown in the picture and place a heavy object such as grinding stone on the lid. This will help the in letting the biryani cook in its own steam and also preserve the freshness and flavors of the spices & condiments. Keep a thick pan or tawa on flame and put the handi or vessel on it. This process is called giving 'Dum' to the biryani.

Cook the biryani for about 20-30 minutes at slow flame. Take off from the pan/tawa and keep aside for a couple of minutes to let the flavors get infused in the dish. Remove the dried out dough from the sides of the cover and break open the seal.

Do not mix the biryani, let there be different layers of plain rice, saffron colored rice and mushroom rice while you serve. Biryani is best eaten with a fresh yogurt raita and veggie salad.

Lite recipes for right health. Quick-to-cook, easy and healthy recipes for busy couples, bachelors and all those for whom time is precious. Articles on health and eating right will help you combine nutritional benefits of various fodd in your cooking.

http://www.litebite.in/

In case you like to indulge on food, do visit my other site for exotic and grand recipes, or read about places to visit in India;

http://sanjeetakk.blogspot.com/


Original article

Great Do Ahead Vegetables For Holidays And Everyday

HOLIDAY MASHED POTATOES
3 pounds all purpose potatoes (peeled, cooked and hot) 2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup sour cream 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream dash of pepper

In large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes (I use a portable mixer). Add cream cheese (cut in pieces). Beat well until butter and cheese in blender. Add sour cream and mix. Combine heavy cream, eggs onion and add to the potatoes with salt and pepper. Beat until fluffy. Put in buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.

SUMMER SQUASH CASSEROLE
4-6 medium summer and zucchini squash (sliced) 1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1 medium onion (cut in wedges) 1 8 ounce container sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 1/2 sticks butter (melted)
1 package corn bread stuffing mix 1 16 ounce package cheddar cheese (shredded)
(can use other flavors)

Mix together stuffing with melted butter and put half in 9x13 casserole dish.

Cook squash and onion in water until tender. Drain completely, then place in dish towel and pat until most of the moisture is gone. Return to the sauce pan. Add water chestnuts, cream soup, sour cream and shredded cheese, mixing well. Spoon squash mixture in casserole dish, cover with remaining stuffing mixture. Cover with aluminum foil. Can be refrigerated now or baked in 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Variation: Use shredded carrots, or a can of sliced mushrooms instead of water chestnuts.

MEME'S CREAMED ONIONS
1 16 ounce bag of frozen baby pearl onions 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Heavy cream 1 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
2/3 cup bread crumbs 2 tbsp each, flour and water (to make a slurry)

Cook onions according to package directions. Drain onions, return to sauce pan and add enough heavy cream to almost cove the onions. Heat and when cream is hot, stir in slurry. When onion mixture is thickened, add butter. Cook over low heat for a minute or two so there is no flour taste. Pour into a casserole and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Can be refrigerated until it's time for dinner, then put in oven covered,on low temperature, until rest of dinner is ready and onions are hot.


Original article