Tomato and cheese salsa

Ingredients-
5 large tomatoes, cleaned and chopped

1 boiled potato cubed
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion chopped
1 capsicum / any other chile pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tsp oregano
salt to taste

mozarella cheese - 1 tbsp cubed or grated

For garnish (optional)

Lime juice from half a lime

Chopped coriander


Directions-
In a medium micro safe dish, place tomatoes, potato, garlic, onion and green peppers. Drizzle with olive oil. Add salt, cheese and oregano. Mix well to combine. Microwave it for 6- 8 minutes, stirring in between. The tomatoes will turn a darker red and the raw smell will disappear.

Let it cool a bit. At this stage, you can coarsely blend the veggies. (I didn't do it cos I love it this way)

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl and add lime juice and coriander. Serve!

This is rushing to  Vardhini's Dish it Out hosted at Taste Junction.

 

This is also going to Microwave Easy Cooking at My Edibles, which is Srivalli's brainchild. 

Sweet potatoes and cheese pie

I was in no mood to make the usual dinner today. I wanted a shortcut, because Yashi has a cold and would cry for attention any minute. Thought of baking something easy.

Here is my recipe for sweet potato cheese pie-

Ingredients:
200 gms of sweet potatoes cleaned and boiled

(I had them boiled, you can also clean and use raw, they will take longer to bake, that's all)

1 medium chopped onion

1 chopped tomato

1 soup packet- I used Knorr Corn soup (Mast masala)- mixed with lukewarm water / milk as directed on the packet with no lumps

1/2 tsp each of Oregano and parsley
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese cubed
Can use pepper too

salt to taste (I skipped both salt and pepper, because the soup has enough salt)

olive oil- 1 tbsp

Directions-

Use a deep baking dish. I didn't have one, so I used my regular one.

Combine potatoes, onion, tomato, olive oil and herbs. Mix well. Add the soup to this mix and combine. Top this mix with the cheese cubes. Micro for about 8 mins till the soup is bubbly. 

If you have a microwave that you can set to convection, bake for 20 mins if using boiled sweet potatoes and about 40 mins if using raw. Stir in between to combine the cheese.

If using a simple micro, once the soup is hot and bubbly, micro for a couple of mins more, till the soup is cooked. Cover and keep for about 15-20 mins and reheat before serving.

Goes well with plain rice. I served it with organic scented rice which I cooked in the rice cooker. Made my dinner in minutes today. Needless to say, we overate! and sat on vajrasana for a complete 10 mins!

Next time, I have to try it with tomato soup :)

I am sending this to MEC- Potato feast (afterall it is sweet potato!) hosted at Sinamontales. Check Valli's announcement page here.

Edit- 11th July 2011

I tried this with a mix of raw banana and boiled potato, and I used tangy tomato soup from Maggi this time. It turned out well too. This looks like an easy subb for our daily sabzi! I am going to experiment more :-)

Microwave peas pulav

Ingredients-

2 tbsps ghee or butter

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1" cinnamon stick, 1 cardamom

1 onion chopped
1 cup rice

2.5 cups water

1/2 cup or so peas (frozen or fresh, if using fresh, micro in a microsafe dish for 5 mins)

salt to taste 

In a microsafe dish, heat butter / ghee for 30 secs, add ginger garlic paste, cinnamon and cardamom and onions, microwave on 100% power for 2 mins uncovered. Onions will turn transparent. 

Add rice and green peas, salt and water. Mix and micro on full power covered for 6 mins (till the water begins to boil) and then reduce power to 75% for another 10 mins. Keep stirring and checking in between, every 2-3 mins. 

Let stand for about 6-8 mins before serving, this completes the cooking process for rice.

Serve or pack for lunch with pickle and curd. 

I use my micro safe rice cooker for this purpose, there is a hole to let the steam escape. You should also do this, if cooking covered allow for some room for the steam to escape or your microwave will get really messy!

This dish is going to - 

MEC Lunch box menu hosted at Lata's blog. Also check Srivalli's page where it all began.

Raw mango rice- microwave cooking

I have learnt to make raw mango rice after I came to Bangalore. I think this is a Karnataka special dish. Thanks to Lakshmi, my friend and colleague, for this recipe. I have posted this recipe earlier, but I am reposting this with a pic and microwave cooking directions.
Earlier recipe is here-
Ambrosia: Raw mango rice

My recipe-

Ingredients-
A handful of roasted peanuts
You can roast peanuts in the microwave.
Oil or ghee for cooking
Mustard seeds for tempering
curry leaves - a few
1 Onion-chopped
1 tomato - chopped - optional
One small raw mango (can be peeled), grated
Salt to taste
1 tsp Turmeric
1 cup white rice- cooked

Soak the rice for about 20 mins to half an hour in 2 cups water, cook in the microwave for 12-15 mins on 75% power, let stand for 10 mins.

Method-
Keep the cooked white rice ready.
In a microsafe dish, add the tempering,curry leaves and onions. Micro for a couple of mins.
Add tomato, micro for another couple of mins, mash with the back of your spatula.
Add roasted peanuts, turmeric, salt and cook for another minute. Now add the raw mango, mix and cook for another minute.
Don't overcook the raw mango or the flavor will disappear.
Mix plain rice very well, and cook in the micro for another couple of mins.
Let stand for about 5-10 mins for the flavors to mix and serve hot.

This is going to MEC Rice hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan. She has a lovely blog! Also check Srivalli's original announcement page here. This event will soon complete a decade ;)

Peas and carrot Kurma

I chanced upon this event, Decided to give it a try. I use my microwave quite a bit to make pulavs, carrot halwa etc, but haven't made curries in it too much. This is what I tried-

Peas and carrot Kurma

Ingredients:
1 cup peas
1 cup shredded carrot
1 potato cubed
1 cup paneer small cubes
1 onion and 1 tomato chopped
oil for cooking, 1 tsp tempering, 1 tsp each of turmeric,coriander and garam masala or allspice, ginger garlic paste
1 cup milk
1 tsp cashew almond paste

Directions:
In a microsafe dish, add oil, chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. Heat for a couple of mins. Now add tomatoes and heat again for another couple of minutes. Mash the tomatoes with your spatula to get a curry like texture. Now add all the veggies and heat for 5 mins. stir in between. Add the dry spices and continue for 3 more mins. Now add milk and paneer and the paste. Keep coooking for 5 more mins. Turn off micro and allow to stand for 5 mins. serve with rotis.

posted from Bloggeroid