Battle of the Bloggers - Za'atar and Sesame Zucchini Bites with a Sesame Lemon Dipping Sauce

Here we are posting another zucchini recipe this week, acting as though we have a garden and an abundance of zucchini that we are desperately trying to use up.  This is not the case.  No such garden exists.  Between all the bugs, dirt, allergies, and bugs, I can safely say that gardening is not my thing. 

My reason for posting zucchini again - these thick slices of zucchini are coated and baked in a mixture of panko, za’atar, and sesame seeds, and served with a lemon-sesame dipping sauce - comes from a very non-altruistic place.  

I have such a huge favor to ask of you.  If you like this recipe, I would love for you to to vote for it!

Smart Balance is running a Battle of the Bloggers competition.  The blogger whose recipe receives the most votes at the end of the contest will win a yearlong contract with Smart Balance to develop recipes!  

To vote for the entry (it's super quick):
 •  CLICK HERE to head to the Battle of the Bloggers Facebook app!  Then vote!

You will even have a chance to win prizes, including Calphalon products and a year's supply of Smart Balance products!  The contest runs now through August 11th.  

Ingredients
For the bites:
2 medium zucchini, cut into slices (about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick)
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups panko
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon za'atar
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
ground sumac, for sprinkling
paprika, for sprinkling
Smart Balance Cooking Spray

For the dip:
1/4 cup Smart Balance Omega Plus Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
pinch ground sumac
1/2 teaspoon za'atar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving

Instructions
To make the zucchini bites:
Heat oven to 400.  Place buttermilk in a shallow bowl.  Mix together panko, salt, pepper, za'atar, and sesame seeds.  Place in a second shallow bowl.  Dip each zucchini slice first in buttermilk and then in the panko mixture.  Repeat for each slice.  Place on lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle each bite with just a pinch of sumac and paprika.  Spray the zucchini bites with cooking spray.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

To make the dipping sauce:
Stir all ingredients together.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving. 

Tags:Battle,Bloggers,Sesame,Zucchini,Bites,Lemon,Dipping,Sauce

Buffalo Tofu Bites

I do not care much for tofu. Well read on, there's more to it. Of course I did not grow up eating tofu. Not so very long ago, it all started as a misunderstanding between mister tofu and I. I had heard a lot of good things about it. I even found out that it was made from bean curd which put me right at home with it. To top it all it looked like paneer, my favorite ingredient of all. That was the mistake. I tried it with the expectation for it to taste like paneer. Not tofu's fault. It is a great and very versatile ingredient but one of a kind. I have since tried it many different ways and this recipe is the best way I like it. Done appetizer style, breaded, baked and with the spicy kick of a homemade buffalo style sauce. Tofu is back again. 

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Schezwan Sauce

The sauce recipe is altered as per my taste...simple straight forward sauce which can be preserved in the  in a air tight container stored away in the fridge ready to prepare many amazing recipes...:)

Fist Full Dried chilly, red chilly, garlic pods.
100grams Tomato puree
2 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Salt
1 Cup Oil

Do watch my video demo in detail...:)

• Boil 1 Cup water in a heavy bottom wok add both the chilies garlic, onion, vinegar and salt to the water allow to cook till the chilies onion and garlic cook and soften a bit.
• Once the chilies and cook switch of the stove allow to cool a bit.
• Add to a blender along with tomato puree and grind to a smooth paste.
• Heat a heavy bottom pan with 1 cup oil transfer the chilly paste to the pan and fry till oil surfaces allow to cool and preserve in a jar till use...:)

Pasta in Roasted Mushroom Garlic sauce with Green Peas

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither is it one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac'n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only a couple of pasta dishes on the site. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two separate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with lots of earthy mushroom and garlicky flavor - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed it.

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Tandoori vegetable paneer pizza ~ all homemade!

love Italian food. Love eating it and love cooking it. Love the different layers, flavors complex yet simple, exotic yet rustic - flavors that have stood the test of time - just like Indian food. You can sense the rich culture and the legacy from the food. When there is a mention of Italian food the first thing that comes to mind is of course the ever-popular Pizza. You guessed it, I love Pizza... a lot. Regardless of crust or toppings - pan, hand-tossed, deep dish, Brooklyn style, thin-crust even the bread and bagel pizza :). A soft chewy bread loaded with veggies and other toppings with a generous helping of cheese! Just can't stop raving. Coming to the US, I had my first ever pizza at Pizza Hut a few years ago... and boy.. I was completely hooked :-) India - at the time - was still coming of age as far as Italian food was concerned so I'd had pizza a couple of times, but this was different. Ahh the good old days.. we used to order delivery, be total couch potatoes and sit in front of the TV for hours watching the 24 hour marathons of Law and Order.

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Gobhi 65/Spicy Cauliflower Tempura Indian Style

ummer is at its peak and the sun scorches the earth every day. Its almost midnight here and its 86 degrees outside *phew*. In the relentless heat however the rain gods do peek in every other day to provide some very welcome relief.
It was such an afternoon on Saturday this past weekend when the rains were especially merciful. As it rained cats and dogs, we sat on our patio on a Saturday afternoon - which usually means shopping afternoon - and marveled on how beautiful nature was (yes hubby and I still get corny sometimes about that stuff). Somehow the conversation changed very quickly to food (are you kiddin' me) and we were talking about how nice it would be to get something hot and crispy to munch on. I was immediately like 'lemme go and make some pakoras'. Hubby not being that much a fan of pakoras, I instantly sensed that on his face. That is when I was reminded of this fabulous appetizer that we had had at an Indian restaurant during our last vacation a couple of months ago. I had totally loved it then and my analyzing taste buds had read the recipe right then and there and kept it somewhere in my head. Yes I recalled it then and here's the result for you to see and enjoy.
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DIY Tomato Ketchup

 As you all know that my previous post was tomato puree...coming series i will try to show different variations using tomato puree...east or west any where in the world people just love tomato ketchup its so simple and easy to prepare at home...try to buy roma or bangalore tomato for this recipe and make sure you dont use tomatoes with black spots or little bit of green or yellow it should be ripe and firm...this ketchup can be stored for a year in the fridge.

 Happy Days....do you know....Tomatoes Give Any Skin Type a Healthy Glow....:)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Kilos Tomatoes 

100 Grams Sugar

100 Grams Onion

25 Grams Garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp Chilly Powder

1 Tbsp Garam Masala 

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tsp Sodium Benzoate

5 Grams Salt

50 ML Vinegar

100 ML Water

• Wash the tomatoes in 2 tbsp vinegar water wash at least thrice.
• Use ripe and firm tomato dont use tomato with spots or green color ketchup will spoil fast.

• Use a heavy bottom pot preferably nonstick pot for this recipe.
• Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

• Add garlic and onion to the chopped tomato.
• Mix all the ingredients well add water and place a cover and allow the tomato garlic and onion to cook till well done.

• Allow the tomato to cook till mush.
• Add to a blender and prepare smooth puree.

• Using a sevie strain the tomato puree remove all the seeds skin bits of garlic and onion.
• Add the tomato puree back in the heavy bottom pan and place on low flame.

  

• Add the sugar, chilly powder, bayleaf , garam masala and salt to the puree mix well and allow to boil on a low flame.
• Place a cover if the sauce splutters.
• constantly keep stirring.

• After 15 minutes of constant stirring  the sauce should have reduced to 1/3 consistency.
• Keep stirring until the sauce coats the spoon as shown in the picture.
• Remove the bayleaf.

• Allow the sauce to cool before adding vinegar.

• Add vinegar to the sauce and mix well.
• Allow to rest for another 10 minutes.

• Add the sodium benzoate and mix well.

• I reused the ketchup bottles.
• Its simple to recycle and help our mother earth if you buy ketchup and chilly sauce bottles once they are empty wash with soap water and then wash the bottles with hot water and sun dry its perfect to store oil or any sauce...:)

• Fill the bottles with ketchup and i must say this looks professional...what do say...:)
• Store in fridge can be used even after 1year...dont wait so long serve with any snacks or burger and Enjoy...:)

I enjoy my ketchup with just potato chips some time i have a weird taste i will have ketchup with idly and dosa...I've simplified the process of ketchup making some people may not agree with my recipe but this works perfect for me and best part about this recipe is you can make more and get fancy glass jars tie a ribbon and gift to a friend or your fav teacher on teacher's day...:)

Please note do not use the ketchup for 2 days after mixing benzoate allow the ketchup to rest after 2 days you can use for any dish...dont store ketchup in steel or any other metal container it may cause chemical reaction and you may fall sick...always use glass and plastic container to store any product when your using sodium benzoate or vinegar.

Watch my demo video and try this recipe...:)

DIY Tomato Puree

Hi Everybody ...its very simple to prepare tomato puree and store in fridge for winter...its almost been 11 years since i did my course in food and preservation its very nice to learn how to store essential food products for a year...I normally focus of certain vegetables that are easy to store for winter or for any emergency cooking...you'll never know when your running out of tomatoes while cooking its best you always have tomato puree in store its especially very effective for working women do try to make this puree in bulk and store it for a rainy day...:)

Lets get started...

I have used 2 kilos tomatoes these are farm tomatoes some people call them and roma or bangalore tomato make sure you buy nice ripe tomato to preserve. 

Wash the tomatoes thrice...twice with clean water and third time with 2 tbsp vinegar this will help remove all the pesticides.

After washing all the tomatoes allow to drain then score the skin into cross as shown in the picture.

Add enough water to blanch the tomatoes in a heavy bottom pot.

Add the tomatoes to the boiling water with in 10 to 15 minutes you can see the skin from the tomatoes peel switch the stove off drain the water and add ice cold water or just normal cold water to the tomatoes this will stop the cooking process in the tomatoes...

Peel the skin of the tomato and cut into half remove the seeds and add to the blender make a smooth puree.

Heat a heavy bottom pot again preferably nonstick pot add the tomato puree to the pot constantly keep stirring while preparing the pureeand allow to reduce till 1/3 .

Allow the puree to cool before adding any preservatives 1/2 cup of vinegar or lime juice can also be added to the puree but i normally wont add either of it since i dont know the amount of sour content needed while cooking anyother dish like curry we can always go wrong...so i prefer to use sodium benzoate or citric acid.

Once the tomato puree has cooled add 1/2 tsp citric acid or sodium benzoate always use a glass or plastic container to store the product since we are adding preservatives...storing the product in metal container can cause  chemical reaction.

Always use the product after 2 or 3 days since the preservative can cause health issues like soar throat and fever.

can be stored in fridge or freezer  upto 1 year. 

Hope this post is useful for everyone i will be doing more recipes with tomatoes and preservation if you have any request or question you can always mail me and feel free to suggest and communicate on my face book fan page i would love to hear from you...♥

Pizza/Pasta Sauce (My Way)

Ingredients:

1 Red Bell Pepper/Capsicum 

4 Ripe Tomato

10 Cloves Garlic

2-3 Green Chillies

1/4 Tsp Dried Basil

1/2 Tsp Oregano
1/2 Tsp Chilly Powder
1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste.

Lets Prepare:

• In a mixer jar add tomatoes, capsicum, chillies, garlic and salt add very little water and grind to a smooth puree.
• Heat a heavy bottom pan add the puree bring to boil put it on low flame and allow the sauce to reduce a bit add the chilly powder and garam masala stir allow to reduce.
• Keep stirring the sauce for 10 mins.
• Add the basil and oregano stir bring to a boil and remove from flame.
• Allow to cool add the sauce to a jar cover and refrigerate till use.

Since I've not added any preservative I prepare this sauce day before i prepare any pasta or pizza can be stored in the fridge for a week this is very nice sauce recipe far better from the store bought....try it once and let me know...Enjoy...:)

Recipe demo in detail...video in English...:)

Penne in Tandoori Red Pepper Walnut Sauce with Mushroom and Peas

have a met a lot of pasta lovers and very few haters - as far as I am concerned I am neutral - I don't hate it neither it is one of my most favorite. My daughter on the other hand (who is fussiest eater around) is notorious for her love of pasta. Even her preschool teacher complains she doesn't eat anything but pasta. She even went on to suggest we change her menu plan to pasta everyday at school! Hubby well- he is not fond of pasta- so the scene at home is I make pasta mac n cheese to be precise almost every single day at home for the kiddo but never really make pasta for ourselves. That probably is the reason why I have only one pasta dish on my blog. We don't even order a pasta dish when we go out to eat. Last Sunday evening I was in no mood to cook two seperate meals for us so I tried to make hubby like the pasta by making this dish with Indian tandoori spices and roasted bell pepper sauce - hubby loved it and even the kiddo enjoyed a more adult version with mushrooms and peas. When I started making it, the only thing I knew was that I wanted a tandoori flavored pasta. I decided on other ingredients as I went along. My head mostly went like - hey why not add some basil, how about some walnuts, mushrooms are always welcome and peppers and peas of course... you get the idea. The al-dente pasta with the unmistakable flavors of the tandoori masala in the yummy red pepper sauce with basil and the perfect bite of peas and mushrooms to keep things interesting texturally.

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Pad Thai

ad Thai is Thailand's ubiquitous street food that needs little introduction. I believe if you really want to get a real taste of the food and culture of a place you should try its street food. The street food of a place defines the food and culture of a place and is usually the best the culture has to offer. Thai cuisine is definitely my favorite after Italian (and of course Indian). Pad Thai has all the qualities I like and more. It contains noodles, lots of veggies, crunchy roasted peanuts and is simmered in a tangy, sweet and spicy tamarind-soy based sauce. It is my second favorite Thai entrée after red thai curry which I order every time I visit any Thai restaurant. It is one of the national dishes of Thailand and is perhaps the most beloved of all Thai dishes and also the favorite of vegetarians like me. One put off for me being a veggie is the fish sauce/shrimp paste used in the preparation so lately I have making the dish at home without the fish/shrimp and you get the clean tasty dish custom made per your liking not to mention it is a breeze to make.

The term 'Pad Thai' literally translates to 'fried thai', but it really refers to (usually) flat rice noodles fried with thai spices and seasonings.

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Eggplant Parmesan

I got introduced to this well known Italian delicacy a few years ago by my dear hubby during our post-engagement and pre-marriage long distance phone conversations :-) Him being a vegetarian.. living here in the US, he used to search for vegetarian food, everywhere. He used to survive on salad and baked potatoes :-( Then one day while in costco he found a packet of this in the frozen section, tried it and loved it. It was a double bonus for him as first it was vegetarian of course but the best part was it consisted eggplant which he is addicted to. One day during our chit chat I asked him what he had for dinner and he said baingan and cheese... and I went eww..!! :-)

Then after coming here one day he made these (frozen one) for dinner... and I liked it. It was different but good. To impress him I tried making it at home and it was a disaster.. runny sauce, raw eggplants and rubbery cheese. You name it everything went wrong. I promised to myself to never attempt making this again... ever. But then never say never and I tried again and again till I got to this recipe, and now he says this is one of the best he has eaten.

I cannot say this is the authentic recipe but this my version, a healthier and easy way. Instead of deep frying the eggplants, I bake them in the oven and use store bought or home made marinara sauce (see notes) for the sauce. Do give it a try and let me know how it came out. Here's what you need.

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