Its Pi(ta)zza time!

I have always wondered if there is a quick way to make pizza. Ofcourse we get variety of pizza crust available in the grocery stores. I tried making a pizza with a Pita bread. It was very quick and tasted good. I didnt use marinara sauce because I thought it might make the crust soggy. After tasting the pizza I felt I should have used the sauce. The pizza tasted very bland. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients

• 1 Whole wheat pita bread
• 2 Tablespoons of marinara sauce
• 3/4 Cup of shredded cheese ( I used a mexican style mixed shredded cheese)
• 1 White mushroom
• 1 Small bellpepper
• 1 Small onion, finely chopped
• 3 Pitted black olives chopped
• 1 Chipotle pepper chopped*

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees. Spread the marinara sauce on the pita bread. Layer the bread with the cheese and vegetables. Keep it in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melt.

*I used a tinned chipotle pepper soaked in adobo sauce. You can used tinned jalapenos too.

We can bring in variations to this recipe by adding pineapple, tomatoes and any vegetables that you like.

Cauliflower Masala Curry

Cauliflower used to be a seasonal vegetable when I was in India. We dont get it throughtout the year. I have never tried cooking cauliflower before marriage. I am not good in making cauliflower curry. So I only make gravy with cauliflower. Then I remembered a white curry my mother make with cauliflower. I tried it yesterday and it turned out better than my other efforts so far. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium cauliflower
• 1 Big onion chopped lengthwise
• 1 Teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 Teaspoon cummin seeds
• 1 1/2 Cups of shredded coconut (fresh coconut)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 5-6 Chillies
• 3 Tablespoons of cooking oil
• Salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and jeera and allow them to splutter. Now add the chopped onions and salt. saute until the onions are cooked. Microwave the cauliflower florets for 15 minutes. Meanwhile grind the coconut, green chillies, fennel seeds and garlic into paste.

Now add the cauliflower to the onions and saute for sometime. Stir in the masala paste to the cauliflower and cook until the raw aroma of the masala goes.

Serve with chapathi or steamed rice.

Vegetable - Green Gram Idly

I make pesaratu once in a while. Its not the authentic one but my own recipe. Few days back I soaked green gram in water to make pesaratu. But my mood changed. I thought I would use the green gram and make something else. I ended up making green gram idlies. I added vegetables to make it more tasty and healthy. Here is the recipe. Hope you will like it.

Ingredients

• 4 Cups of green gram
• 1/2 Teaspoons of Fennel Seeds
• 10 Red Chillies
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 2 Teaspoon of urad dhal
• 1 Tablespoon of cummin seeds
• 1 Big onion, finely chopped
• 1 Bellpepper finely chopped
• 1 Carrot finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons of oil
• 3 Tablespoons of corriander leaves, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Directions

Soak the green gram overnight. Grind it into a coase batter with red chillies, garlic cloves, fennel seeds and salt. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Add the cummin seeds, urad dhal and corriander leaves and then add the onions, bellpeppers and carrots. Saute the vegetables until they are cooked. Mix the sauted vegetables with the batter. Pour the batter into idly mould and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with corriander chutney.

Quick Snack

Tea time is the most challenging time for me. I need to make something to munch since my husband he always comes home very hungry. I usually make oven baked snacks for tea time. I also grill asparagus and we have it with sauce. Its a very simple and healthy snack.

Ingredients

• Asparagus
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking tray arrange the asparagus. Drizzle some olive oil on the asparagus and sprinkle the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss the asparagus with hands so that all the asparagus are seasoned. Cook it in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the asparagus are tender. Serve it with ranch or ketchup.