Tag: Cottage-cheese

HOT SWEETCORN DIP…Totally addictive!!

“The belly rules the mind”
Spanish Proverb
A new recent discovery has been Closet Cooking, Kevin’s fabulous blog that had me wanting for more with each label that I clicked. As I said to him, each post of his made me more anxious as I went through a bookmarking frenzy the first time I visited it in depth!! Was just a matter of time before I attempted one of the bookmarks…the HOT CORN DIP!

I love the use of colour in making food…just sets the place on fire. Spend half my time playing with colours.
I had to make my deviations because I tend to avoid mayonnaise (because of raw egg in it). I substituted that with some low fat grated cottage cheese, a dollop of low fat cream & some hung yogurt . O boy, was the dip good, or was it good!! I was eating spoonfuls of it right from the frying pan stage when it had been sauteed! Just out of the pan, it was good enough to be served up as a hot sweetcorn salad too!
Scrumptious flavours…& I had to ward the kids off eating just the dip once it was deliciously baked!! A beautiful, yet explosive marriage of flavours, where it all came together to entice the taste buds. Once done, it was everything Kevin described it to be…nice and creamy and the sweetness of the corn perfectly balanced the heat of the jalapenos and the cayenne pepper… just add ADDICTIVE to it!!
Hot Sweetcorn Dip
Ingredients:
Butter – 1 tbsp
Sweetcorn kernels – 2 cups (from 2 ears corn)
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Yellow Bell Pepper – 1/2 (chopped)
Red Bell pepper – 1/2 (chopped)
Green onions – 1/4 cup chopped (green and white parts)
Jalapeno – 1 (chopped)
Garlic – 2 tsps (chopped)
Thick yogurt – 1/2 cup (I hung mine overnight)
Cream – 2 tbsps (low fat)
Cayenne 1/4 teaspoon
Sharp cheddar – 1 handful (grated)

Method:

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan.

  • Add the corn, season with salt and pepper and saute until the corn starts to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Melt the next tbsp butter in a pan.
  • Add the onion & chopped bell peppers and saute until the onions are soft, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the green onions, jalapeno and garlic and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.
  • Put in the corn, onions, peppers, hung yogurt, cream and cayenne & mix well.
  • Pour the mixture into an 8 X 8 baking pan and top with the cheddar cheese. (I used 2 4″ round ovenproof dishes).
  • Bake in a preheated 350F oven until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 10-20 minutes.


    • This dip is en route to Ben @ What’s Cookin US for his ‘I Love Baking’ event, a baking event for baking loving people.

    This post featured on

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB

    MANGO MOUSSE CHEESECAKE TRIFLE…quite a yummy mouthful!

    “The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation — he cooks with enjoyment, anticipation, spontaneity, and he is willing to experiment.”
    Pearl Bailey
    On now to posting about the yummy dessert that was born out of the very yummy Honey Castella, a sponge cake made from this post at Manggy’s @ No Special Effects. I posted it here yesterday. I had a fridge full of mangoes (lucky ole me), a kilo & a half of yogurt that I had set & some low fat cottage cheese…all this fell at my feet while I was clearing the fridge. Single cream is something I always have on hand, so my natural instinct was to try something different! How wrong could I possibly go with a fruit dessert?, I thought. Even if my cheesecake/mousse didn’t set firmly, it didn’t matter; it was in a glass anyway.
    The cottage cheese I used is a very smooth version that we get here. There is just one brand that makes this low fat cottage cheese here, & it is almost like a smooth, yet firm ricotta with no water content. It grates almost like mozzarella so was a nice choice for this dessert.

    I often use this combination of ingredients to make my cheesecake as cream cheese is hard to come by here, & is quite expensive as it is imported. In this instance, I have used gelatin as a setting agent as this is a no bake version. At other times I make a baked version that uses eggs. Both work fine in their own little ways. I do enjoy this eggless version that uses a combination of locally available stuff.
    Topped with a mango mirror…
    In desserts like this one, I think you can play around with ingredients as you like. Everything safely sits inside the glass & so they can be even set up with left-over pound cake or a sponge, with cream cheese, or mascarpone, with or without some cut mangoes, & topped with whipped cream. You can never go wrong with a trifle + fruit + cream…so do experiment! It’s FUN!!

    I made some servings in bigger glasses, & a some more in cognac goblets. Both looked really pretty, made for great dessert, & were devoured with pleasure. The mango season here is rapidly coming to a close…so sadly, very few mango opportunities left now.

    Purrrrrfect Mango Mousse…or is it mouse?

    Recipe…

    For the basic sponge
    Honey Castella/ Sponge Cake recipe here

    For the cheesecake
    Ingredients:
    Mango puree – of 5 mangoes (about 3 1/2 – 4 cups) (reserve 1/2 cup for the mirror topping)
    Mango – 1 / chopped
    Cottage cheese – 300 gms (low-fat / I use Le Bon); grated
    Hung Yogurt – of 1 1/2 litres set yogurt (hung the yogurt overnight)
    Cream – 300 ml
    Gelatin – 3 tsps (the strength of gelatin we get here is quite low, so I didn’t get a very firm set cheesecake)
    Gelatin – 1 tsp for mango mirror topping
    Cream, Slivered pistachios, Fresh mint leaves etc for garnishing

    Method:

    • Sprinkle 3 tsps gelatin over 3 tbsps of hot water & leave to stand.
    • Reserve 1/2 a cup of mango puree for the mango mirror topping.
    • Run the mango puree + cottage cheese + hung yogurt in the processor.
    • Taste for sweetness & add sugar if required.
    • Strain the gelatin into this & run the processor briefly again.
    • Whip the cream until firm & fold in.
    • Cut rounds of the Castella/cake with a cookie cutter, or cut out correct size pieces to line your serving dish / glasses/ bowls. Layer a glass with a slice of cake, followed with some cut mango pieces, then some cheesecake mix, another layer of cake, & then some more cheesecake mix.
    • Leave to set in the fridge for at least an hour or so.
    • For the mango mirror:
    • Sprinkle 1 tsp gelatin over 2 tbsp of hot water. Stir in well to mix. Cool.
    • Strain the reserved 1/2 cup of mango puree to get a smooth mirror), & strain the gelatin into it. Mix well.
    • Top each glass with 1 tbsp each of the mirror & leave to set in the fridge. Once the mirror is set, top with a 1/2 tsp of cream, swirl it, top with slivered pistachios, fresh mint etc.
    • Chill for 3-4 hours before serving.

    Nirvana in a goblet!

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB

    LASAGNE ON A ROLL…FREEDOM PASTA

    “Forks and spoons have probably done more to reconcile people who cannot agree than guns and bombs ever did”
    Theodore Zeldin
    .
    ‘Red & White‘… Lasagna – Pasta with Freedom!
    .
    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!
    .
    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.
    .
    How much more freedom can you get out of pasta…
    …Lasagna willing to be rolled into cannelloni!
    All the pieces fell into place with RED, WHITE & FREEDOM.

    .

    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….
    .

    .
    Canneloni with Potatoes, Cottage-cheese & Sweetcorn…by me
    Ingredients:
    Lasagna sheets – 12-16 / cooked al dente & 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!!

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB

    FRANKLY SPEAKING…THESE FRANKIES ARE DARNED GOOD

    “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 .

    Sweet, Mildly Spicy & Sour Mango Chutney…finger-licking good!

    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!

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB

    FRANKLY SPEAKING…THESE FRANKIES ARE DARNED GOOD

    “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 .

    Sweet, Mildly Spicy & Sour Mango Chutney…finger-licking good!

    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!

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB

    READY,STEADY,COOK…Pasta, Grilled Cottage Cheese & Salad!

    “The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star.”
    Anthelme Brillat–Savarin
    A Vegetarian challenge…

    Wonder how many of you have heard of the BBC daytime show ‘Ready Steady Cook’? I used to watch it often while visiting the UK years ago. Two members of the public, or occasionally sporting or other celebrities, provide two celebrity chefs with a bag of ingredients they have bought, usually to a set budget of £5 The chefs proceed to make several dishes out of the said ingredients (and a generously stocked kitchen containing basic ingredients and spices), in 20 minutes, with the help of the contestants and the programme host (things have changed a bit now, but the show goes on!). Ainsley Harriott was the presenter then…charismatic, larger-than-life & flamboyant. I googled about the show, & was absolutely delighted to find he’s still on this addictive food show, “My aim is to make cooking fun,” he says!
    A medley of flavours…Healthy, wholesome & exciting!
    These days my philosophy of cooking is vaguely based on ‘Ready Steady Cook’…without the 20 minutes clause of course! There was a time I used to shop with the end product in mind. Of late, I walk into the supermarket or local vendors shop, & pick up whatever catches my fancy. Then proceed back home to make a meal out of it with no specific plan. Makes cooking fun, & pushes my own creativity to different levels. I enjoy this a lot as it breaks the everyday monotony…& I find it encourages the kids to eat as they look forward now to different stuff showing up on the table!
    So here’s what I picked up at the bazaar…baby potatoes (which seldom show up), bell peppers, sweetcorn on the cob & cottage cheese. I had some portion of multigrain elbow pasta which I wanted to use up…& then of course plenty of garlic, basil & mint! Here’s what my home show created on the go…
    Baby Potato Sweetcorn Salad
    Ingredients:
    Baby potatoes – 500 gms / boiled, peeled & halved
    Sweetcorn – 1 cup ( I used 2 fresh cobs; you can use frozen/canned)
    Hung yogurt/Greek yogurt – 1 cup
    Cream – 1 tbsp (optional)
    Ranch Buttermilk dressing powder- 2 tsps / heaped (optional)
    Juice of 1 lime
    Fresh mint leaves – 1 handful/ chopped
    Red Onion – 1/ finely chopped
    Salt Method:
    • Whisk the yogurt + cream + lime juice + salt + buttermilk dressing till smooth.
    • Put the baby potatoes + onion + sweetcorn+ mint in a bowl. Toss well.
    • Pour in the dressing, toss well. Serve either at room temperature immediately or chill until required.

    Grilled Cottage-cheese Slices

    Ingredients:
    Cottage cheese – 500 gms / cut into 8 slices
    Oil – 2 tbsp
    Oregano or crushed dried mint – 1 tsp
    Juice of 1 lime
    Sea salt or rock salt
    Freshly ground pepper
    Paprika – 1/2 tsp Method:

    • Whisk the oil with oregano + lime juice + sea salt + paprika + pepper.
    • Marinate the cottage cheese slices in this for at least an hour.
    • Just prior to serving, pick out a slice gently from the marinade & put onto a hot grill pan. Turn once, & pour a little marinade over the second side.

    Multi-grain Elbow Pasta with a basil-walnut Pesto Dressing

    Ingredients:
    Elbow pasta – 250gms
    Red bell pepper – 1
    Yellow bell pepper – 1
    Garlic – 2 cloves
    Salt to taste
    Fresh basil leaves – 5-10 / chopped

    For the dressing:
    Walnut-basil pesto – 2 tsps (I’ve made my own & keep a jar in the fridge)
    Olive Oil – 4 tbsps
    Juice of 1 lime
    Salt to taste
    Roasted red chili flakes

    Method:

    • Char grill the bell peppers & garlic cloves & seal in a ziploc until cool.
    • Put the pasta onto boil.
    • Whisk the olive oil + pesto + red chili flakes + lime juice + salt to make the dressing.
    • Drain the cooked pasta & mix into the dressing. Keep aside.
    • Clean & chop the grilled peppers. Chop the grilled garlic cloves with basil leaves. Toss both these into the pasta & mix in well. Adjust seasoning.
    • Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be served chilled as a nice cold salad!

    ENJOY!!

    This one had a fairytale ending…let’s see what happens when I set out next!!

    Posted by Deeba @ PAB
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