Baked frittata muffins

When it is just the kids and me for dinner, we tend to experiment a lot more than we would otherwise. This recipe was adapted from my mother's recipe for baked vegetables, and since it is so much like frittatas, I call it 'corn frittatas baked in muffin tin'.

2 packets of corn removed from the husk

1/2 each of red and yellow bell pepper

2 tbsp walnuts

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for drizzling

Method

Roughly chop the bell peppers.

Sauté the bell peppers and corn till lightly browned.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Whisk the eggs, milk and salt and pepper till nicely aerated 

Grease the muffin tin, and divide the sautéed vegetables among them

Pour the egg mixture on top of the veggies, and bake for 20-25 minutes till done (you know it is done, when a skewer inserted into the frittata comes out clean)

Veg pizza

Ever since I started baking bread, I've been wanting to make pizza from scratch, but for one reason or the other, it has been eluding me. What I did do, however, in order to assuage my conscience slightly, was to create this rather elaborate veg pizza, using a store bought base.
Kids happy, mother almost as happy!

For pizza sauce
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a kadhai. Add 4 garlic pots, and 1 medium onion (both chopped fine), and saute till the onion turns transparent. Add 4 medium tomatoes chopped into small bits, and cook on low with a cover on, till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add red chilli powder, salt and sugar to taste, and take off the fire. When cool, blend in the mixer till it gets a smooth consistency.


Method:
Saute American corn, capsicum, bell peppers in a bit of butter till the corns start turning brown.
Spread pizza sauce on a store bought pizza base, sprinkle the sauteed vegetables, top with lots of grated cheese, and pop it into the oven till the cheese melts. Sprinkle oregano and chilli flakes before serving.

Potato corn rolls

When I saw the recipe for baked potato-corn rolls, I fell in love with it instantly. But since I wasn't in a mood to feed more maida to the kids than absolutely necessary, I made rotis the normal way, partially cooked them, and then baked them.
However the recipe given here is the original one, because that is the one I might be using if I ever make this for guests.

1cup boiled Cron kernels, coarsely mashed.
2 small Potatoes boiled and chopped finely.
Finely chopped Ginger-Garlic.
Finely chopped Coriander.
2 Onions, Finely chopped.
Plain red Chillie powder, Salt, Amchoor powder, Sugar, Panjabi Garam Masala to taste.
Oil as needed.

Method:
Heat Oil in a pan and sauté Onions, Ginger, Garlic till golden yellow.
Add all the spices.
Add the Coriander, Potatoes, and the Corn. Mix thoroughly and keep aside.

For the covering, knead 1 glass maida with Oil, Salt and Water to a stiff dough.
Let stand for 20 minutes. Divide into 20 portions. Roll out in very thin rotisserie of 5" dia. Lightly roast on Tawa. Don't let brownish bubbles appear on them.
Put a tabsp of filling towards the edge, roll it into a firm roll, and seal with thick Maida paste. Bake in oven, or deep fry in Oil till golden brown. Serve with Poodina chutney.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese was one of my favourite dishes when I was a kid, and it is a favourite with my kids too. It is an easy one to make too, which means I end up making it pretty often when the maid is not around.

 
Cook 250 gms macaroni following the instructions on the packet. Drain and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a kadhai. Add 1 garlic pots, and 1/2 small onion (both chopped fine), and saute till the onion turns transparent. Add 1 medium tomatoe chopped into small bits, and cook on low with a cover on, till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add red chilli powder, salt and sugar to taste, and take off the fire. Bash it a bit to get a smooth consistency. Keep aside.
Make a smooth paste of 3 tbsp cornflour and water, keep aside.
Grate cheese,LOTS, and keep aside.
Heat 2 1/2 cups of milk, add the cornflour paste with constant stirring ensuring that no lumps are formed. Bring to boil, reduce the flame to low, add the tomato paste, and salt pepper to taste, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the grated cheese, and turn off the flame.

Steam 100 gms American corn and keep aside.

Grease a baking dish. Arrange the macaroni and corn in layers, and pour the sauce over it. Grate cheese on top, cover with a cling foil, and bake in oven at 200 for 5 mins (or in the microwave for 90 seconds).

Add chilli flakes and oregano before serving.

Corn shundal

Technically, I supposed a shundal is a salad, but they are served as snacks during Navratri. Traditionally, you are supposed to make a different one every day, and I am not sure if corn was ever one of them. But as long as the kids eat it, I'm not complaining. This, incidentally, was the only shundal I made during Navratri. Maybe I will rectify it next year- maybe not.

Steam corn till soft (I steam it in a pressure cooker without water/ the whistle for 10 mins)
In 1 tsp cooking oil, temper 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 green chilli, couple of curry leaves. Throw in the corn, stir for a minute or two. Garnish with grated coconut. And yes, add salt to taste- I forgot, and only found out when I served myself.