“Forks and spoons have probably done more to reconcile people who cannot agree than guns and bombs ever did”
Theodore Zeldin
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‘Red&White‘… Lasagna – Pasta with Freedom!
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A few weeks ago, I got a mail each from 2 very sweet Indonesian bloggers settled in Canada, Pepy @ Indonesia Eats & Dwiana @ The Adventure of My Cooking Diary announcing a food event celebrating ‘Red& White’, the colours of the Indonesian flag, in honour of the Indonesian Independence Day in August. How surprising that Dwiana & Pepy are ‘foodie fellows’ as they call themselves, & I have known the 2 of them separately through blogging in my search for the ever elusive sambal chili sauce. Little did I know that our paths would cross in such a manner & was delighted to be thought of & invited to contribute in my little way.
Anything red and white, visual or concept wise, taste wise… anything!
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At that time, I was clearing the larder… I have boxes of lasagna waiting to be used. Also had 6 tubes of cannelloni to use up. 6 were certainly not enough for a meal…‘can-u-loan-me’ some? Cannelloni couldn’t be made into lasagna…but thankfully, lasagna works well as a cannelloni roll up.
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How much more freedom can you get out of pasta…
…Lasagna willing to be rolled into cannelloni!
All the pieces fell into place withRED, WHITE &FREEDOM.
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SIL mentioned a nice veggie pasta cannelloni she had the other day with potatoes, cottage cheese & sweetcorn within. Enough to set my mind ticking. I love veggie versions of pasta; gives me a nice break from chicken. Contact was made with the ‘Pasta Bible’ which had a roll up version I had seen some time back. Set to work & this is how it came out….
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Canneloni with Potatoes, Cottage-cheese & Sweetcorn…by me
Ingredients:
Lasagna sheets – 12-16 / cooked aldente & spread out on a clean kitchen towel
(or cannelloni – 12-16 tubes)
Potatoes -2-3 / boiled & grated Cottage -cheese – 400gms , grated (I use Le Bon) Cheddar – 50 gms , grated Sweetcorn – from 2 cobs ( I like to boil mine fresh) Fresh coriander leaves – chopped fine (optional; or any other herbs of your choice) Marinara Sauce – 2 cups (approximately) Mozzarella for topping Fresh basil leaves Method:
Mix the potatoes + cottage cheese + cheddar + sweetcorn + herbs +salt + pepper well. Season well with salt & pepper. Reserve.
Put 1-2 tbsps of the mixture at one end of the lasagna sheet & roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the sheets. If using cannelloni, pipe this filling into each shell & place in baking dish.
Pour over the marinara sauce & top generously with grated mozzarella. ( Can assemble till this point & refrigerate. Bring to room temperature later, bake & serve).
Cover with foil & bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees C. Allow to stand for 15-20 minutes before serving.
This made for a nice, light summer main course dish. If you make it in winter, try it with a mushroom cream sauce over the marinara, maybe a bechamel, & then top it off with mozzarella. Would have been even yummier had I put in more cheese…but the calorie meter was a-counting!!
Thanks for flying the flag Dwi & Pepy. Thus runs the Spirit of Freedom, over nations far apart, yet bloggers narrowing borders like never before. I LOVE IT!!
Sitting waiting for the cream to come by…yum yum yum!!
All dressed up for the party… it’s the BIG 1 !!
The head was dizzy with a heady mix ofpoppet, party & France. An eclectic mix of thoughts, while enjoying the delectable success of my rustic Peach & Plum Galette, set me thinking. Had to make something for Dhhangit’s sweet little poppet, Mayumi, who is about to turn1.
I love kids birthday parties & thought…why not nick some galette dough & try a few fruit tarts for the party.
Dhhangit’s event jostled up many memories & made me dig into archives & reminiscence about days that had gone by… it seems SO long ago when mine were as young as hers. Dived into my album to put my thoughts into snapshots…
My kids are both way past 1, but these ‘Big 1‘ buntings are still around. My sis had sent them to me from the States for the my little fellows’ 1st birthday (in the year 2000!!), but in the general chaos that ensued, the buntings didn’t see light of day. I rediscovered them a while ago, & have on hung to them for some silly reason. Now it doesn’t seem silly any more…little did I know that I would blog ’em for baby Dhhangit’s turning 1!!
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a processor; pulse 2-3 times. Add butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowing pour the buttermilk through the chute, processing until the dough forms a ball.
Remove the dough ball and adhere any remaining pieces of dough to it, then wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30-35 minutes. (I did it for almost an hour because the weather was HOT)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the fruit filling, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently, making sure that the cornstarch is coating the fruit. (This will prevent too much juice from leaking out while the galette bakes.)
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Starting at the center of the dough, roll out, & then cut 3″ circles with a fluted cookie cutter.
Lightly whisk the egg white and milk in a small bowl. Brush dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Line the tart pan with parchment paper pieces, place the dough circles on them, brush the rims with the wash & sprinkle sugar over the edges.
Add about a tbsp of the fruit mixture (drain any liquid first), to each little tart.
Bake for 15-20 hour, or until crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pipe swirls of buttercream or whipped cream on each & decorate with sprinkles etc. Chill until time to serve.
Just for you Dhhangit… hope your party’s a great HIT & PERFECT…as I know it will be!
Dressed them up in some buttercream left-over from the last DB gateau challenge….& we were ready to sing Happy Birthday to you !! The pretty yummypetit fours disappeared once the children came back from school… ‘They are soooo good Mama“, said one; “Awesome“, said the other. These tasted great chilled, so can be made in advance; & chilled before serving.
For some more kid party ideas, maybe you’d like to check out some of these…
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
Voltaire
Frankies served with a Sweet & Sour Mango Chutney…really experience your senses!!
The thoughts of what to make for lunch ring in the head every morning the minute I wake up. Inspiration on a daily basis is hard to come by…but this morning Meeta @ What’s For Lunch Honey came to my rescue. Have been fascinated by her post on frankies served with a mango chutney ever since I saw it served on her blog. Thoughts turned into opportunity when spicy Zlamushka @ Zlamushka’s Spicy Kitchen mailed the other day announcing WFLH was the blog in focus for this month’s Tried & Tasted.
I have bookmarked the lemon squares & the apricot pistachio ice-cream, amongst many others off Meeta’s inspiring blog. But with mangoes in every hue & colour flooding the markets, what better time to indulge & appreciate a great recipe…a finger licking good mango chutney served with these yummy paneer/cottage-cheese frankies.
Bombay Street Food at it’s best…
You must hop over to Meeta’s & read up her interesting post on Bombay street food, which these frankies form an integral part of. DH gave these a big thumbs up, & said the chutney reminded him of the one his grand mom used to make. The flavours throughout both were beautiful. THANK YOU Meeta for the wonderful post, & for bringing alive fond memories of days gone by. The recipe for the chutney & paneer / cottage cheese frankies is HERE .
I made the chutney with a combination of 2 green mangoes & 1 ripe mango (made 1/2 the recipe), but if you don’t get green mangoes, don’t fret. The original at Meeta’s has been made just with ripe mangoes. Play around with the spices as you like…this is a great chutney to have on hand.
I made half the amount of the recipe & got 2 jars. Kept tasting it while making it…very addictive…maybe ate up half a jar doing just that. I increased the chili flakes & figured that the black pepper gave it a great flavour & an interesting dimension. Do try & make the chutney a day in advance so that it chills in the fridge overnight. YUM!!
Thank you Meeta for the wonderful experience, & Zlamushka for the opportunity to express it!
If it’s bookmarked it HAS to head to Ruth @ Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments for her ‘Bookmarked Event‘. There you go Ruth…another opportunity to cherish & treasure great recipes!
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing; it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”
Voltaire
Frankies served with a Sweet & Sour Mango Chutney…really experience your senses!!
The thoughts of what to make for lunch ring in the head every morning the minute I wake up. Inspiration on a daily basis is hard to come by…but this morning Meeta @ What’s For Lunch Honey came to my rescue. Have been fascinated by her post on frankies served with a mango chutney ever since I saw it served on her blog. Thoughts turned into opportunity when spicy Zlamushka @ Zlamushka’s Spicy Kitchen mailed the other day announcing WFLH was the blog in focus for this month’s Tried & Tasted.
I have bookmarked the lemon squares & the apricot pistachio ice-cream, amongst many others off Meeta’s inspiring blog. But with mangoes in every hue & colour flooding the markets, what better time to indulge & appreciate a great recipe…a finger licking good mango chutney served with these yummy paneer/cottage-cheese frankies.
Bombay Street Food at it’s best…
You must hop over to Meeta’s & read up her interesting post on Bombay street food, which these frankies form an integral part of. DH gave these a big thumbs up, & said the chutney reminded him of the one his grand mom used to make. The flavours throughout both were beautiful. THANK YOU Meeta for the wonderful post, & for bringing alive fond memories of days gone by. The recipe for the chutney & paneer / cottage cheese frankies is HERE .
I made the chutney with a combination of 2 green mangoes & 1 ripe mango (made 1/2 the recipe), but if you don’t get green mangoes, don’t fret. The original at Meeta’s has been made just with ripe mangoes. Play around with the spices as you like…this is a great chutney to have on hand.
I made half the amount of the recipe & got 2 jars. Kept tasting it while making it…very addictive…maybe ate up half a jar doing just that. I increased the chili flakes & figured that the black pepper gave it a great flavour & an interesting dimension. Do try & make the chutney a day in advance so that it chills in the fridge overnight. YUM!!
Thank you Meeta for the wonderful experience, & Zlamushka for the opportunity to express it!
If it’s bookmarked it HAS to head to Ruth @ Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments for her ‘Bookmarked Event‘. There you go Ruth…another opportunity to cherish & treasure great recipes!
“We don’t need a melting pot in this country, folks. We need a salad bowl. In a salad bowl, you put in the different things. You want the vegetables – the lettuce, the cucumbers, the onions, the green peppers – to maintain their identity. You appreciate differences. “ Jane Elliot
Sprouted Mung Dal Salad
Fresh mint & a squeeze of lime…
I posted some bits about this wonderful sprout on the CLICK post for May ’08, where the theme was ‘Beans & Lentils’. Sprouts are easy to make at home, & you don’t actually need special bowls or ‘sprouters’. I sprout the dal at home almost every week, & can hardly stop marvelling at the cute little ‘sprouts’ the dal obliges me with each time.
A super healthy salad, & a very fresh & crisp one at that!
Check out an interesting article about sprouts on Oprah.com, where sprouts are calledSuperfood No. 9. “Sprouts are a highly nutritious food. Grown locally year round, sprouts are a good source of protein and vitamin C. All nutrients necessary for life are contained in seeds—a food category that includes grain kernels, beans, legumes, and nuts. Because sprouts are so fresh, and do not sit for days or weeks in warehouses, we know that we are getting optimum nutrition. ”
Other Great Ways to Serve Sprouts Use in coleslaw (cabbage, clover, radish) Try in wraps and roll-ups (alfalfa, sunflower, radish) Stir-fry with other vegetables (alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean, lentil) Blend with vegetable juices (cabbage, mung bean, lentil) Mix with soft cheeses, tofu, yogurt of kefir for a dip (mung bean, radish) Stir into soups or stews when serving (mung bean, lentil) Top omelet or scrambled eggs (alfalfa, clover, radish) Combine in oat, barley or buckwheat dishes (fenugreek, lentil, mung bean) Add to sushi (radish, sunflower) Sauté with onions (mung bean, clover, radish) Puree with dried peas or beans (mung bean, lentil) Add to baked beans (lentil)
…There are a great many reasons to eat sprouts. As we age, our body’s ability to produce enzymes declines. Sprouts are a concentrated source of the living enzymes and “life force” that is lost when foods are cooked or not picked fresh from your own garden. Additionally, due to their high enzyme content, sprouts are also much easier to digest than the seed or bean from which they came. “
Sprouted Mung Dal Salad
Ingredients:
Mung dal beans – 1 cup / soaked for 3-5 hours (till you see them start splitting open) Tomatoes – 2-3 / deseeded & chopped small Spring onions – 2-3 / chopped fine (can use 1 small regular onion too) Mint leaves – a handful / chopped fine Cucumber – 1 small / peeled & chopped fine Juice of 1-2 limes Green chili – 1 / deseeded/ chopped fine (optional) Salt to tasteMethod:
Once the dal begins to split, drain it & put it into a sieve lined with cheesecloth or a plastic colander, with a bowl underneath. Cover it keep it in a dark place for 10-12 hours or overnight.
Wash gently the next day, taking care not to disturb the roots (sprouts) too much, to enable them to grow long. Cover & keep in dark place again.
In summer, my sprouts are ready in a day & a half. Check to see if they are done, rinse gently, drain & refrigerate.
Toss all the salad ingredients gently & chill well. This can be made a couple of hours in advance. Try not to keep sprouts for more than 2-3 days as they tend to taste bitter after that. Also, fresh sprouts offer maximum food value.
My son asked me a ‘prudent’ question this evening while eating his salad, “Mama, if we plant these seeds, will these sprouts grow out on the branches?” Hmmmmmmmmmm….another long month of vacations!!
…& also to Lisa @ Lisa’s Vegetarian Kitchen for her colourful No Croutons Required which she is hosting for the month of June. The theme for June is soups or salads featuring legumes because beans and pulses are an important part of a healthy vegetarian diet. Whole, or split, big or small, anything belonging to the legume family qualifies. (Thank you Arundathi for letting me know!!)
Time for Meeta @ Whats For Lunch Honey’sMonthly Mingle. This months’ edition is being co hosted by Mansi @ Fun ‘n’ Food, with the theme for the month being Appetizers & Hors’Doeuvres. Their call…For this monthly mingle, we’d like you to share some fancy vegetarian appetizers. Cook something that’s pretty to look at and tasty to bite in, something that looks good on a plate and is irresistible to your guests! Am sending these colourful appetizers off to sunny California to Mansi @ Fun & Food, from more than sunny India. The first one is an “Oven Baked Potato Cheese Breaded Bites’ appetizer which I put together with potatoes…
Oven Baked Potato Cheese Breaded Bites Ingredients: Potatoes – 2 large / boiled & grated Cheddar – 1/2 cup / grated Coriander – 1 small handful / chopped fine Green chili – 1-2 / deseeded & chopped fine Breadcrumbs – 1/2 cup Mozzarella – 50 gms (approximately) Fresh mint leaves & chopped tomatoes
Method:
Mix the grated cheddar + coriander + green chilies into the warm grated potatoes & mix till smooth. Season as desired.
Make small bite sized balls out of the mixture, placing a tiny bit of mozzarella inside each. Roll firmly & chill for 30 minutes.
Prior to serving, drizzle them with some oil, gently rolling them around so they are evenly coated. Then take each ball, roll in breadcrumbs & place on a lightly greased baking tray.
Bake at 180 degrees for 15-25 minutes, turning once to ensure they are well browned all around. Top with fresh mint leaves & small bits & tomatoes secured with cocktail sticks. Can be served with a dip.
I made my cucumber nibbles with Cheddar, cream cheese, cottage cheese & topped them with mint, coriander & bell peppers, but would have loved to try Nic’s version had I laid my hands on some Boursin!If wishes were horses…
…these nibbles would sail!!
Cream Cheese, Bell Pepper and Cucumber Nibbles…as adapted from Cherrapeno (Amounts are approximate because it depends on the size of the cucumber. Nic used Boursin cheese, but you can use any cream cheese – she says one with herbs would be good. I agree…) Ingredients: Cucumber – 1 small; about 10-12 ” long, halved in length Cream cheese – 1 small tub Cheddar – 1/2 cup / grated Cottage cheese – 1/4 cup grated Coriander leaves – Small handful / chopped fine Garlic – 1 clove / minced fine Fresh mint & coriander leaves Red & yellow bell pepper tossed in olive oil, (or even half a cherry tomato)
Method:
Cut the cucumber in half length-ways and slice a little off the bottom to make it sit flat on the plate. Peel as desired. I left a small strip on the top edges.
Scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Mix the cheeses + chopped coriander + garlic. Taste & adjust seasoning if required.
Fill the hollow of the cucumber with the cream cheese mixture, push in well & smooth top with a knife.
Cut the cucumber into bite sized pieces and top each one with mint leaf , bell pepper bit & fresh coriander, securing the leaf & pepper with a cocktail stick.
Drizzle with some of the olive oil from the peppers.
Chill until ready to serve.
I am trying include a bit of yellow in each post in support of the Click ‘YELLOW for Bri‘ !
