Garlic Knots from Pizza Dough

Sometimes you just to nibble on finger food but you need it quick and delicious, so what do you do ? you can take short cuts and fulfill your desire. Same thing happens with this recipe, wanted to make garlic knots but didn't had time to proof the dough, so got the ready made dough with the seasoning in it, make knots, apply generously flavor garlic butter , baked it and viola, garlic knots are ready to eat. Served it with warm marinara and all loved this kind of snack. So what are you waiting for , just grab the dough from your favorite Italian pizzeria and make this one, if you have time, make the dough from scratch and make it too.

Ingredients : 

1 Regular size Pizza dough
4 Cloves of garlic finely chopped
2  tbsp. of butter
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 tbsp of each fresh or dried herbs
As per taste Salt and Fresh cracked Black pepper

Method:

Heat oven to 375 F.

In a microwave proof bowl, add olive oil, butter, herbs, salt and pepper and warm it for 30-45 seconds or until butter is melted.

Mix it and keep it aside. 

Flatten the dough and make it 12 golf ball size pieces, give it a "knot" and keep it  aside.

Take your baking tray, put the parchment paper and put your knots it. Take your cooking brush and apply generously garlic butter mixture on every piece. 

Bake till 20-25 minutes or until its nice and brown.

Served with warm thick marinara sauce. You can have this as a side dish with your pasta or pizza or just as a after school snack.  Enjoy

Mezze Platter My Way - Sundried tomato hummus and Baba Ganoush with homemade pita chips

One day for lunch I need something quick and healthy. I had packet of sun dried tomatoes and eggplant so was thinking making this only. To make baba ganoush it was a challenge my huby gave me. We went to Canada during summer and one restaurant we had Pita sandwich. It came with sides of tahini, hummus and baba ganoush. He told me that time that make same way baba ganoush and I will fulfill your desire to do something which you wanted for long. I accepted challenge. So that day when I was making this , I was very cautious and focus. Made it and he loved it but he still have to fulfilled his promise, which I will make sure he does when time arise. I just hope he remembered what was my wish, because I have no idea what I wanted.

  Baked Pita Chips & Hummus

I made same way hummus too just added 5 sundried tomatoes in it.

Baba Ganoush :

Ingredients :


1 Large Eggplant
2 clove garlic
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley or you can use coriander leaves
2 tbsp. Tahini
2 tbsp. lime juice

Method:

You can roast the eggplant on gas or in the oven. Just make sure it cook from inside too. I did it on open flame on gas.

Grill the eggplant on gas flame ,rotating it around so it cooks from all the sides and skin is completely charred.

Once its done, Let it cool  and cut it in half lengthwise and drain all the liquid.
Scoop the pulp in food processor , add garlic , tahini and parsley in it.
Make it smooth puree and take it out in bowl.
Add salt and lime juice and  mix it.
Dip homemade pita chips in it and enjoy.

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Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Cactus pear smoothie

Well, I don't eat too much in lunch, because if I eat too much in lunch I can not eat at dinner time, so I try to eat very light and if possible just have some smoothie out of fruits and I am done with my lunch. Since my in laws was with me during summer, I try to make some healthy lunch for them along with smoothie so its light but filling. So one day I made this and it was delicious and just perfect for hot summer day. You can add your choice of vegetables but since I made it Mediterranean, I added few ingredients which is very essential in it. But as usual , you can have it with your pantry items.

Ingredients : 

1 cup uncooked couscous
2 cups vegetable stock

Boil the vegetable stock and add couscous in it and turn off the gas and cover it.
open it after five minutes and fluff it with fork and your couscous is ready and its now two cups of couscous.

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut it in half
1/2  cucumber - I get English cucumber chopped in cubes
1/2 yellow capsicum - chopped
few strings of basil and mint chopped
1/2 cup Feta cheese- crumbled
2 tbsp. corn - optional - I had it so used it
lots of black pepper powder and salt to taste - Feta has lot of salt so taste it and then add salt
2-3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic

Method:

Take cooked couscous in a bowl.
Add all the vegetables in it and cheese too.
Add basil and mint and black pepper powder along with balsamic vinegar.
Serve immediately as it is or just like I had it with smoothie.

Cactus pear Smoothie :

2 cactus pear
1 Banana
1 cup mango pulp
1/2 cup cranberry juice

Method:

Take the skin out of pear and Chopped Cactus pear and  add with rest of the ingredient in blender.
Make fine puree till all blend nicely.
Take it out in glass and enjoy.

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Black Bean Hummus

On a regular basis, I have minimum of 20 recipes ready in my drafts, if its less than that I get very nervous and start preparing dishes. So if sometimes I am not able to cook something special , I don't have to worry about posting because there is something always there. For any guest post also I gave them options of the cuisine so host can decide what they need. I love to get prepared for everything, you know I am Virgo so .

About this recipe its perfect for coming super ball day or any game day or any get together. Here in US, super ball is a big event, friends get together and watch the game together and eat small dishes or pizza. so this dip is perfect for that.

Ingredients :

1 can black bean , rinsed and dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice or as per taste
1/2 tsp. ground cumin powder
as per taste salt and black pepper powder
to serve : chips, vegetables or  Home made baked pita chips

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together in blender until almost smooth.
Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving with chips or pita chips or vegetables.
I was making Mexican diner that day so added some sautéed corn , black beans and red pepper too.

http://caroleschatter.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/Middle-Eastern-food-recipe-links-Food-Friday.html

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eat your veg  and banger and mash - Healthy snacks

 

Authentic Falafel Balls

Falafel now a days is very common to find  in a cart here in US. There are lot of  carts or shops are famous also for their falafel sandwiches. I saw recipes where people add anything with chickpeas and call it Falafel., sometimes its good but I like to eat authentic stuff when ever its possible. I got this recipe from old colleague of  mine , she was from Israel and she always complained about falafel here it 's so commercialize that they lost their authenticity. I asked her how did you guys make at back home and she told me that all counties has their own versions of falafel. Some uses fava beans, some uses chickpea and fava mix, some uses only chickpea. Here I have used Green chickpeas to make balls. Recipe is same as my other falafel recipe.  but here I fried it , I was not at all interested to use paniyaram pan for this. Because chickpeas are dried they need moisture if you use that pan you have to semi cook it and then use pan for that. I didn't wanted to waste time and food so I just deep fry it.

Ingredients :

2 cups dried  green chickpeas 

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon AP flour / Maida

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional

Salt and pepper, as needed

1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying.

 

Method:

 

Soak the chickpeas in cold water  overnight.

Drain the chickpeas  and place them with the onion in the bowl of a food processor.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil. Mix well.

Process the mixture a second time.

Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls and deep-fry or pan-fry in hot oil.

To make Falafel sandwich, In a pita add 3 falafel balls, with tahini sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and hot sauce. Enjoy.



Final Dish. 



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