Fully Loaded Potatoes

Fully Loaded Potatoes

I used Tesco's Finest Elfe Baking Potatoes for this recipe.

Potatoes...the most versatile vegetable of all! I think there's no other vegetable that can be cooked in so many different ways, and it tastes differently in each and everything. Potatoes are truly unique and one of my favourite foods to experiment with. Here's my own recipe for 'Fully Loaded Potatoes'. You can call them 'Potato Boats', 'Filled Potato Skins', etc, the choice is yours...

Fully Loaded Potatoes
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
Baking Potatoes: 4
Salt: 1/3 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp

For the filling:
Boiled Chicken: 3/4 cup (very finely shredded or chopped in a chopper) you can use cooked mince too.
Fresh coriander: finely chopped 2 tbsp
Mushrooms or bell pepper: finely chopped 2 tbsp (optional)
Salt: to taste or 1/3 tsp
Black Pepper: 1/3 tsp
Cream: 2 tbsp
Cheddar cheese grated: 1/2 cup
Red chilli flakes: as required

Method:

1.Take four good sized baking potatoes. Wash them well and dry them with a kitchen towel. Don't peel them.
2. Rub oil all over the potatoes and rub salt on them.
3. Prick them all over with a knife or fork.
4. Put them in the microwave for 7-8 minutes or more until done. (Put 1 or 2 potatoes at a time) (you will know they are cooked when you can insert a knife easily into the potato and they are soft to the middle).
You can also put them in the oven (instead of microwave) for 30-40 minutes until they are cooked through.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked through, let them cool until you can handle them easily.
6. Once you feel you can handle them, divide them in half length wise.
7. Scoop out the potato flesh from the skin into a bowl and leave half an inch of potato near the skin all around so that you have a kind of boat shape.
8. Repeat it with all the four potatoes and you will have 8 hollow potato skins.
9. In another bowl, take the chicken. Add coriander and any vegetables you are using. Season with salt and pepper. Add half the scooped out potatoes to the chicken mixture. Mix well. Add cream and mix. Check to adjust the salt and pepper.
10. Take a roasting or baking dish which is a little deep. Put cooking oil in the baking dish till it's about 1 cm high. Put it in the oven and let it heat for 10 minutes.
11. Mean while, put the chicken and potato mixture back into the potato skins with the help of a spoon until they are full. Scatter lots of cheddar cheese on top.
12. After 10 minutes, when the oil is hot carefully take out the baking dish and put the 'fully loaded' potato skins on to the baking dish.
13. Cook for 10-15 minutes at 200 C until the cheese melts and is golden. Sprinkle some red chilli flakes.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and a green salad. 

Tortellini with Peas and Meatballs

Tortellini with Peas and Meatballs

Tortellini with peas and Meat balls

For the meat balls 
(You can use the same recipe for burger patties too).
Chicken: boneless (250 gms)
Ginger/Garlic Paste: 1 tsp
Fresh Coriander: 2 tbsp
paprika powder: 1/4 tsp
Green chilli: 1
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
Lemon juice: 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs: 3 tsp
Egg: (1-2 tbsp)
Plain Flour: as required

Method:
1. Dry the chicken pieces and put them in the chopper along with ginger/ garlic paste, fresh coriander, salt, black pepper, lemon juice and paprika powder. Whiz till smooth.
2. Take the mixture out onto into a bowl and add bread crumbs and 1 tbsp of egg. Mix well. If the mixture feels sticky, add a bit of flour. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. After an hour, make small meat balls from the mixture and fry them until golden.
(You can make patties from this mixture and shallow fry them and use them as burger patties for your burgers too!)
4. You only need about 4 to 5 meat balls per serving so make accordingly and refrigerate the remaining mixture. 

For the pasta:

Ingredients:
Pasta/ Tortellini: 200 gms
Cream: half cup
Salt
Crushed black pepper: 1/2 tsp
Boiled peas: 1/2 cup
Black Olives: 5-6 chopped
Cheddar cheese: grated: 4 tbsp
Oregano
Oil: 2 tbsp

1. Boil the pasta/tortellini according to instructions. Set aside.
2. In a pan, take 2 tbsp of oil, saute the boiled peas and olives, for a minute. Add the cream and stir. Add salt and black pepper. Mix well and add the cheese. Then add tortellini/pasta. Mix well to coat the pasta. Add the meat balls and mix once. 
3. Take out in a serving plate and sprinkle with some oregano. Serve hot.

Italian Leafy Green Salad with Chicken and Pasta

Italian Leafy Green Salad with chicken and Pasta

I just love salads in any form. Salads are a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Salads can also be enjoyed as a meal in themselves, if they are served the right way. Here's a recipe for a delicious Italian Salad. You can serve it with your choice of dressing.

Italian Leafy Green Chicken & Pasta Salad 

Ingredients:
Italian Salad Leaves (Includes Cos Lettuce, Lollo Rossa, Endive and Radicchio): 1/2 packet
Boiled Pasta: 1/2 cup (boiled)
Cooked Chicken Breast Pieces
Bell Pepper/ Capsicum: cut into thin julienne pieces
Salt
Black Pepper
Choice of dressing (I used French dressing)

Method:
In a bowl, mix together everything, toss well.
Serve chilled topped with a few chicken pieces.

Gol Gappay

Gol Gappas are traditional Indian and Pakistani Street Food. People really enjoy them while out and about shopping etc. Gol Gappas are really yummy and are a firm favourite with women! (For no particular reason other than that they are sweet and tangy!). Here's a recipe for for you to enjoy Gol Gappas at home! I made them and my hubby loved these!

Gol Gappay:

Semolina/sooji: 1 cup
Flour: 2-3 tbsp
Baking soda: 1/3 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Water: to knead.

Method:

1. Take semolina, flour, baking soda and salt in a big bowl. Add water and knead to form a dough. It should be slightly hard.
2. Cover it with a damp (wet) cloth. Keep covered for 30 minutes.
3. Then after 30 min, take out the dough and knead again.
4. Dust the surface with flour and roll out the dough thinly into a large circle. It should be about 0.2 cm in thickness.
5. Now with a round cookie cutter or a cap of about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter, cut round discs in the dough.
6. Make as many discs as you can. Then make the ball again of the remaining dough and repeat the procedure.
7. Keep the discs covered under a damp cloth.
8. In a wok, heat oil. It should be moderately hot. Put one disc in the oil to check if it's puffing up.
9. As soon as you put the disc in the oil, press it slightly in the oil with a slotted spoon and it should puff up. When it turns golden, turn it to cook from the other side. It should take less than a minute. Cook all the discs the same way, one at a time.
10. Take them out on a kitchen towel.

For making the chickpeas take

Boiled Chickpeas
Fresh coriander
Green or red chilli
Onions finely chopped
Boiled potatoes: finely chopped
Salt
Chaat masala
Lemon juice

Make mint and yogurt raita and dilute a bit with water

Make imli ki chutni (tamarind sauce) and dilute with water.

To serve, put the gol gappas in a plate, break the top of the gol gappas. Serve with chickpeas, imli pani and yogurt raita. With a spoon fill the gol gappa with all the fillings and enjoy!

Vanilla Oreo Milkshake

Milk Shakes are not only much-needed guilty treats every once in a while but also make for perfect drinks to serve the guests. Involve your kids in making them and they are sure to finish them. Milk shakes can be made as richer as you want them to be or lower in calories by substituting the ingredients for low-fat options and not adding extra sugar. Here's a 'killer' recipe for Vanilla Oreo Milkshake that's a hit with every one including kids!

Vanilla Oreo Milk Shake 

Ingredients:
Milk: 300 ml
Vanilla Ice cream: 2 scoops
Oreo Cookies: 4
Vanilla Essence: 1/2 tsp
Sugar: 2 tsp

Method:
1.Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
2. Pour in serving glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
3. Put an Oreo cookie on the side and crush a cookie and sprinkle it on top.
4. Serve cold.

Basic Cupcakes

Basic Cupcakes are really easy to make and you can even involve kids to help you make them. They will be delighted to decorate them and the recipe is easy peasy. Here's the recipe for simple cupcakes. You can have them on their own or decorate them with butter cream etc. I decorated them with a bit of buttercream and rice paper butterflies (kids loved the butterflies!)

Basic Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Butter: 110 gms
Caster sugar: 110 gms
Eggs: 2 (lightly beaten)
Vanilla Essence: 1 tsp
Self-raising Flour: 110 gms
Milk: 1-2 tbsp (depending on if you require it)

Buttercream icing:
Icing Sugar: 250 gms
Butter: 130 gms
Milk: a few drops

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 C.
2. In a bowl take butter and add caster sugar to it. Mix well. Then add eggs slowly and beat. Add the vanilla essence.
3. Fold in the flour using a spatula or large metal spoon. Mix little by little, until all the flour is folded into the mixture.
4. Add few drop of milk to make it of dropping consistency.
5. Put this mixture into the cup cake cases until they are half or 3/4th full.
6. Put these onto a baking tray or muffin tin.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
8.Once cooked removed from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
9. Make the butter creamicing by beating the butter in a bowl. Add half the icing sugar and beat well. Then add the remaining half and beat.
10. Add 1 tbsp of milk.
11.beat until it's creamy and smooth.
12. You can add a few drops of food colouring if you like.
13. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a piping bag.

(I decorated these using rice paper edible butterflies that kids really liked! Sorry about the shape of the icing though as kids were involved here too !

Corn on the Cob with Spicy Butter

Corn is one of those nutritious vegetables which is loved by adults as well as kids. Corn can be eaten in a variety of ways. Here's a simple recipe for delicious corn on the cob.

Corn on the Cob with Spicy Butter

Ingredients:

Salted Butter: 2 tbsp
Red Chilli: 1 (desseded and finally chopped)
Zest of Half Lime: (very finally grated) 1/4 tsp
Lime Juice: 1/2 tsp
Chopped Coriander: 1 tbsp
Corn on the cobs: 2
Salt: a pinch

Method:
1. Remove any white threads from the corn cobs and boil in a pan of water for 10 minutes or until tender.
2. Drain and set aside.
3. Mix all the ingredients in butter.
4. Rub this butter well into the cobs and serve immediately.

Stuffed Pepper Baked Eggs

Stuffed Pepper Baked Eggs

Eggs: 3 
Black Pepper: 1/3 tsp
Salt: 1/3 tsp
Cooked Chicken: (shredded): 2-3 tbsp
Fresh Coriander: (chopped) 1 tbsp
Cheddar cheese (grated) 1-2 tbsp
Green chiili (finely chopped) 1
Black Olives/Mushrooms (optional): 1 tbsp
Peppers (Capsicums) 2 (large sized)

Toasted Bread: to serve

Method:
1. Take two large sized capsicums and cut them in half vertically. 
2. Very carefully scoop out all the seeds and the white part so that you have a hollow pepper. Repeat it with all the capsicums.
3. In a bowl beat together the eggs, salt, black pepper, green chilli, coriander and cooked chicken.
4.Take a microwaveable box and fill it half with water. Put the hollow capsicums inside the water and cover with cling film.
5. Microwave on high power for 5-6 minutes.
6.Take the peppers out of the water carefully and let them cool.
7.Take a baking dish and grease it with oil.
8.Put the peppers in the dish and with the help of a table spoon fill the peppers with beaten eggs.
9. Put the baking dish in a pre heated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes on 180 C until the omellete has set and a skewer inserted in the middle of the egg comes out clean.
10. Sprinkle with oregano (optional) and serve hot with toasted bread.