Cheesy Zucchini Bites!!

Sorry i'm little late but wat to do i've been drooling over some of the fantastic recipes n dishes of the fellow bloggers and cudn't really make up my mind as to wat shud be my next Temptation! Anyways this time i wanted to make something different from the routine( i mean keep myself away from the desserts :)) and while i was doing some serious research,i came across this Cheesy Zucchini Bites recipe.

Garden-fresh zucchini and cherry tomatoes are tastefully combined in these colorful appetizers. This healthy zucchini is topped with tomatoes and crumbled cheese, then baked until melted. Interesting thing about this dish is It includes all the colors of Christmas but wat attracted me the most was the fact that Each bite has just 19 calories in it........how fascinating does that sound!!!

You will need:

2 medium zucchini (about 6 inches long)
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled ( you may use blue cheese if u like)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

1 pint cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Cut zucchini into 3/4-inch slices. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out the insides and discard, leaving the bottom intact. Place zucchini on an ungreased baking sheet; spoon 1/2teaspoon crumbled feta cheese into each. 

2. Combine the Parmesan cheese, basil, and chilli powder; sprinkle half over feta cheese. Top each with a tomato slice; sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan mixture.

3. Bake at 400°F until cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm. 

And these look gorgeous when served. Believe it or not a dish that looks good is more likely to be eaten. Even picky kids will eat food if it looks appealing and properly arranged and these are very easy to make and are beautiful on an appetizer tray. 

That reminds me of the post i made an year ago on Food Presentation, have a look at it. My tips will definetely help you set your dishes apart from the crowd.

http://arunathetemptations.blogspot.com/2009/03/food-presentation-tips.html

Anyways back to the topic,the feta cheese explodes in your mouth with tangy abandon and is a real treat. I was never a zucchini fan but i liked them a lot, even my husband who won't eat zucchini had enough bites.

Its a quick and pretty appetizer. I used a basil tomato flavored crumbled feta cheese instead of blue cheese (Original recipe recommends blue cheese), Feta still gives it that "bite" but tends to be more appealing to people. Even the non-veggie people will enjoy them.

I made it short and simple this time, will come back with more interesting things next time and that is going to be very soon. One more look at these cheesy bites :-

Have a great weekend guys!
Stay tuned for more of my temptations!

Fried Deviled Eggs Recipe!!

A big HELLOOOOO to all my friends who were waiting for my come back and here i'm with yet another fantastic Temptation.

I know its been quite some time since i blogged, close to 3 months i guess and in the mean time i received a lot of emails and messages from some of you concerned about my health and my whereabouts.

Iam absoultely fine, its just that i wanted some kind of break for a while....and now that iam back, without wasting much of your time let me jump into action once again.

I'm a Food Network fan and some of my favourite chefs are Giada(Everyday Italian), Sandra Lee (Semi-homemade), Ina Garten(Barefoot Contessa) and latest in my list are Patrick and Gina Neely (Down home with the neelys). A couple of days back i was watching their show and was so impressed with one of their recipes that i tried it immediately and just loved it.

They called it Fried Deviled Eggs. Devil is a name given for highly-seasoned broiled or fried dishes, also for hot ingredients. According to the food historians the practice of "devilling" food "officially" began sometime during the 18th century in England.

If you are an egg lover,this is the snack you'll drool over.Its a must try recipe and the best part is its tooooooo simple to make.

Here's my version:

Cook Time:10 min

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

You will need:

4 eggs

4 tsps mayonnaise

1/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/2 tsp hot sauce

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp chilli powder (you can use pepper instead)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs ( i used Contadina-italian style)

Spring onions/ Parsley, for garnish

Oil, for frying

Directions:

Add the eggs to a large saucepan filled with cold water.

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit in the water for sometime.

Peel the eggs and slice lengthwise. Remove the yolks to a bowl.

Add the mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon zest, chives, hot sauce, salt and chilli powder.

Mash the yolks together with a wooden spoon.

Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed. Fill the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of flour and season with salt and chilli powder.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, in a third bowl, add 1 cup of bread crumbs.

Dip the eggs into the flour, then the egg and finally into the crumbs.

Gently put the eggs into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown.

Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray.

Season with salt and chilli powder and garnish with parsley or spring onions.

This is the easiest and best starter ever.

And when you cut the egg into half and put it in your mouth, its just heavenly.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe. I might be going on a break once again as i will b visiting my home country shortly but i promise i'll be back soon.

Let me know how you liked this Temptation!!

See you soon. ADIOS.

Potato Cakes!!

If you don't know what to do with the leftover mashed potatoes, this is the recipe you are looking for. Potato Cakes are one of the lighter and healthier dish. The flavor is delicious, and these cakes are loved by children and adults. Its an appetizing dish for kids especially. My mom used to make this dish often when i was a kid. It melts in your mouth just like that. You have to be patient with this recipe, because if you try to turn the cakes too soon, you won't get the delicious buttery crust.

This entry is dedicated to Cooking for kids - Potato Event hosted by Deepa initiated by Sharmi.

Preparation & Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 Servings

You will need:

• 2 cups chilled mashed potatoes


• 1 beaten egg


• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Mix together Mashed potatoes and beaten egg.


• Divide this into 8 equal portions. Use your hands to form 1/2-inch thick patties.


• Heat the oil with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking.


• Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a pie plate.


• Coat the potato patties in the flour mixture.


• Add the potato cakes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.


• Cook until they have formed a golden crust, 10 minutes. (Peek underneath using a spatula before turning.)


• Turn and cook the other side until golden brown, about 5 minutes.


• Season with additional salt and pepper and serve hot.

Note: Chill the mashed potatoes overnight for best results. Don't forget to season them with salt and pepper.

If you liked this dish, try it out today. These cheesy fried potato cakes are sure one of kids favourites. So what are you waiting for.................make it for lunch or dinner and do not forget to send me the comments. Hope you enjoyed reading it. Stay tuned n Stay Healthy.

Veg Puffs 'N' Egg Puffs!!

This is my husband's favourite snack. I make it atleast once a week and thankfully we never got bored of this dish till now. I'm sharing both Veg puff and egg puff recipe in the same post as most of the ingredients are common for both the dishes, mainly the puff pastry sheets. You may find these pastry sheets in the frozen section of any grocery store.

For Veg Puffs:- You will need:

• Puff pastry sheets (Pepperidge Farm or Daily Delight)
• Boiled Potatoes
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 chopped Green Chillies
• 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric Powder
• a pinch of red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1 tbsp jeera seeds
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Oil - as needed

Directions:

• Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature before using them.
• Mash potatoes lightly with hand and keep aside.
• Heat oil in pan and allow jeera seeds to splutter.
• Add onion , ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and salt and saute for a while.
• Add the turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala and again saute for a few minutes.
• Add mashed potatoes and mix well.
• Simmer for few more minutes .
• Switch off the burner and add coriander leaves and lemon juice.
• Mix well and keep aside. Let it cool. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Cut the puff pastry into the desired shape.I cut them into a rectangle of about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Now just put the potato filling in the pastry sheets after cutting it to any desired shape. After the filling is done fold it over and stick the ends together using water or beaten egg white.
• Bake the puffs for about 10 minutes till they turn golden brown.

For Egg Puffs:- You will need:

• Puff pastry sheets
• Onion -1 medium sized (optional)
• Garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped
• Eggs - 2
• Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
• Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Thaw the pastry sheets.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling..Boil the eggs and peel them.
• In a saucepan, heat some oil and add cumin seeds.
• Once they begin to splutter, add garlic and saute till they turn translucent.
• Then add salt, garam masala,turmeric powder and chilli powder.
• Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the puff pastry into the desired shape.
• Slice each egg into half and place one half on one end of the sheet.
• Bring the other end of the dough to close the egg..Seal the edges with a fork or wet your fingers in water and seal the edges. Apply some egg wash, this would give a golden finish.
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until they begin to brown.