Steamed Buttered Veggies

This is a very simple dish and is often used as a side to a protein main course. If you want to reduce on your carbs intake then it is best had as a filler as well. Kids who dislike veggies also tend to like this simple side dish owing to the flavour of the butter or duck fat.

You need:

• Vegetables of your choice, diced well : 2 cups
• 1 tbsp of Butter or 1 tbsp of Duck fat
• Thyme leaves - 2 sprigs (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Water to steam

The Make:

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes | Cooking Time: 20 minutes | Serves 2

1. Fill a pot with half full with water and place a colander on top to hold the veggies.

2. On high heat, cover the colander with the veggies. 

3. Once the water reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes.

4. Once cook, transfer to a bowl and toss in with the butter or duck fat, optional separated thyme leaves and salt to taste.

Serve hot with your favourite main protein Roasted Beef with baked potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Chow Chow/Chayote and Spinach in Homemade Marinara Sauce

Aah, this is a recipe that can be coupled either with an Italian counterpart such as Pasta or an Indian staple rice variation such as Pulav or just a steaming bowl of rice. I made this combination of veggies a couple of times now simply because the Vitamin C rich Chow Chow combined with the Iron rich spinach  helps to absorb the iron much better. This time I went slightly  Italian although I have never seen an Italian dish made with Chayote or Chow Chow as we call it in India.

My family and I somehow liked this combination. This simple to make dish can be herbed up to combine well with your favourite pasta or can be spiced up with your favourite Indian spices. Like I mentioned, this time I went the Italian 'Marinara' way. The next time I will share the Indian 'Masaledar' way :)

Hope you enjoy!

You need:

• 3-4 medium size Chow Chow / Chayote, finely diced
• 2 medium sized bunches of green spinach, finely diced

For the Marinara Sauce:

• 5 medium fully ripened tomatoes, crushed (you can also use the canned variety)
• 1/2 a pod of large cloved garlic, chopped finely
• 1 large onion (white), chopped finely
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (or 2-3 tbsp of dried basil)
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 cup of drinking water

The Make:

For the Marinara Sauce:
1. In a large saucepan , add the oil and saute the onions and garlic and cook until lightly brown over medium heat. Shake the pan intermittently to allow even cooking and avoid burning. (The shaking/tossing action is preferred to sauteing with a spatula).
2. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices, the water, salt and oregano and bring to a boil.
3. Then lower the heat and simmer to cook in the covered saucepan for about 20 minutes or until thickened.
4. Uncover and add the basil and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to rest. (You can even bottle the marinara sauce once cooled and refrigerate and use as required).

5. In a deep-bottomed non-stick pot, add the oil and saute the Chow Chow.
6. Next toss in spinach and saute well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Next add in all the Marinara sauce and cover and combine for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favourite choice of pasta. Shave some Parmesan cheese or I even liked Gruyere cheese on top once served.

Veggie (or Vegan) Quiche

Quiche, a known French dish actually originated from Germany. The word quiche means 'cake' and originated from the German word 'Kuchen'. Quiche normally has a pastry crust which is pre-baked and the filling includes eggs, milk or cream and fillings of you choice. There are several kinds of Quiche such as Quiche Lorraine, a popular variant which is an open pie with a filling of cubed smoked bacon, cheese and custard.  Others include, Quiche au fromage (Quiche with cheese), Quiche Florentine (Spinach), Quiche aux champignons (with mushrooms) , Quiche Provencale (tomatoes), etc.

Well, I have opted for a simpler variety of quiche with no pre-baking the crust. I also used ingredients at hand. So I guess you could call it Quiche au Easy (just kidding). Now to make the quiche, you can use either a pie pan, spring tray, double glass pyrex (for microwave and ovens). I used the latter.

You need:

• 2 eggs or 1 tbsp corn flour *
• 1/4 cup self-raising flour or wheat flour (I used wheat flour for my toddler's requirement)
• 1 cup milk
• 11/4 tbsp of butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup of grated cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste (you can also add a sprinkle of paprika) - *optional
• 1 cup filling of choice - grated carrots, finely diced shallots, red bell pepper, small potato, fresh diced parsley, 1 tsp oregano

*You can also make this a non-vegetarian / vegan option by adding pre-cooked and cooled diced eggs, chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, bacon, etc.

The Make:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: 40-45 minutes | Serves 2 adults, 1 toddler

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease the pan or quiche dish on all edges and the base with oil or butter.

2. Next in a large bowl, whisk the eggs or cornflour, flour butter and milk until well mixed.

3. Fold in the filling, salt and pepper (or paprika, optional) and the grated cheese (reserve 1 tbsp of the cheese for topping).

4. Pour into the prepared quiche dish. I think the size of the quiche dish is a matter of choice. Some like their quiche to be really thick in height and some prefer a thinner variant. Pretty much like pizza base choice.

5. Place the quiche dish into the center of the oven to allow even cooking and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Touch the top of the quiche to check if it has set well. I had to do this twice as 30 minutes later I topped it with the remaining grated cheese.

Serve hot with a side of salad or sauce of your choice. You can serve cold but I for one do not enjoy quiche cold, so I made enough only for Dinner...In Rachel Ray's style "This is ('was') what's for dinner tonight ('2 nights ago'), folks!"

Bon Appetit! Trust me when I say your fussy toddler/kid will enjoy this one. Serve kids with a side of tomato   ketchup.