Breakfast – The Secret Ingredient

American Cuisine

Halloween Special Pumpkin Puree Pancakes Recipe

By anshu October 27, 2016

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Pancakes are my favourite breakfast as they bring out the child in me. I love the fluffy, cakey texture and then you get to decorate it with chocolate, maple syrup, honey… fresh fruits… chocolate chips and every sugary thing on earth!! Its time for Halloween and I have roasted a huge pumpkin and made fresh Pumpkin Puree. Today I made these fluffy pancakes with pumpkin puree which were to die for.

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I plan to make a lot of other things in the days to come. Adding Pumpkin to recipes is not only delicious but pulls up the nutritional quotient of the dish. If you wanna hide pumpkin in your kids food try these pancakes. I am sure they will love it.

Directions

1. In a bowl add All purpose flour, Pumpkin Pie Spice and Baking Soda. You can make it at home very easily. Follow this recipe.

2. Also add salt and sugar. Combine everything well and set aside.

3. In another bowl add evaporated milk, Pumpkin Puree (Oh you can also make this at home. Learn to make it how).

4. Add egg and oil and combine everything well.

5. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine till everything is moist. Add a little water and make the consistency pourable.

6. Heat a pan or griddle and brush it with butter or spray with some oil. Pour a ladle full of batter in the centre.

7. When you see some bubbles emerging on the cake batter that’s when you must flip it to cook on the other side. Cook the other side for a few minutes or till the top is golden in colour.

8. Stack a few pancakes on top of each other and generously drizzle with some maple syrup and even a cube of butter. Indulge in the festivity with style, taste and nutrition.

Other Pan cake recipes you can try are : Blueberry Buttermilk Pan Cakes , Eggless Walnut Pan Cakes , Apple & Cinnamon Pan Cakes.

Other recipes with Pumpkin Puree you can make: Pumpkin Puree Bread Buns, Halloween Special Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Pumpkin Cake Rolls.

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[whohit]PumpkinPancakes[/whohit]

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Air Fryer Recipes

Bird’s Nest Breakfast Cups Recipe| Baked Hash Brown Cups with Sunny Side Up | Eggs in Baked Hash Brown Baskets

By anshu August 4, 2016

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Eggs are the most convenient and loved breakfast all across the globe. In the past I have posted a lot of Egg Breakfast recipes on my blog .In the west these eggs are often accompanied with Hash Browns which are Fried Crispy Potatoes. I am a little uncomfortable with fried stuff so I decided to fuse both of these in one healthy avatar. These Crispy Potato baskets were baked to perfection in my oven, you can also use air frier.

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You can top it up with crispy bacon to make it even more naughtier. The feeling of eating a sumptuous breakfast without feeling guilty cannot be expressed in words. I have been eating clean for a while now and the results are beginning to show. I feel more energetic, fresh and younger 😉 If you wanna live a healthy life start with clean healthy eating and regular exercise for 20 minutes a day. There is nothing in this world which can stop you from becoming fit except temptation. 🙂

Directions:
1. Wash and peel potatoes.

2. Grate them using a grater into thin but long shreds. Put the shredded potatoes in a bowl of cold water so that do do not turn black.

3. Rigrously wash the potatoes under running water for a couple of minutes to remove its starch.

4. Soak out the water and place the potatoes in a bowl. Add an egg, salt and pepper. You can even add shredded. Cheddar Cheese to make it more interesting and delicious. I wanted to keep it low cal so gave cheese a pass. 🙁 Having said that I feel sad.

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5. Combine everything with a spoon.

6. Generously grease some bake proof Ramekins with oil*. You can even use non stick muffin tray. Spread a spoonful of potato mix all over the ramekins in one thin layer. Press with your fingers to form a nest. Let the potato strands poke out of the bowl. Do not overfill the ramekins or else as they will not become crisp on baking. Bake them in a preheated oven on 225 degree Celsius (Learn more about Oven Temperatures and Conversions) for about 20 minutes until they have crisped up.

7. In the meanwhile chop some onions and add some oil in a pan. Saute them till they become brown.

8. Add a spoonful of Sour Cream and Sauteed Onions on top of the baked potatoes.

9. Break an egg in each ramekin and season with salt and pepper. Bake it in in preheated oven for 15 minutes till the egg white is set while yelow still runny.

10. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes then run a sharp knife around the ramekin and carefully remove the hash brown basket and serve in a platter. You can pair it with crispy bacon and a hot cup of Coffee.

Other Egg Breakfast you can try: Fried Egg Over Polenta with Homemade Basil Pesto, Italian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach, Shakshouka, Wrapped French Toast, Mexican Casserole Eggs.

HashBrowns_Featured3 [whohit]HashBrownCupsandegg[/whohit]

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Breakfast

Fried Egg Over Polenta with Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe

By anshu July 27, 2016

We are an egg loving family. For us our breakfast has to be with eggs but the same old omelette and fried eggs can be boring at times. So when I picked up this Polenta from SOS organics I was keen to make something with it. Polenta is widely used in Italy as a porridge. Its also known as Corn Semolina. The corn is coarsely ground in a mill and is used widely in place of wheat and rice. Its excellent for those people with gluten allergies.

This is not exactly an elaborate recipe post as you are used to seeing on my blog but its an interesting breakfast idea which can be made in a jiffy and which is utterly delicious and nutritious. You must be well aware by now what emotions I have with respect to Eggs. I have recently come across high protein, organic and nutritious Eggs from Eggee. And trust me I never had better eggs than this in India. If you can lay your hands on Eggee I insist you try any recipe with it and you will feel the difference in taste and texture. Earlier I had posted a few other egg breakfast recipes on blog like Spinach Mushroom Quiche, Italian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach, Shakshouka, Wrapped French Toast , Mexican Casserole Eggs. However, this combination of simple fried or poached egg with polenta and pesto is a killer. If you are looking for homemade Italian Basil Pesto you can try here. Nevertheless, you can buy in a jar. Just cook your polenta following the directions below wand assemble everything together.

Directions:

1. For polenta, pour water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add polenta and simmer it for 20-25 minutes till the polenta is cooked and has absorbed water.

2. Take it off the flame and season with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and set aside for assembly.

3. Fry eggs. If you like you can even poach them.

4. You can make your own pesto by using fresh ingredients and you can follow this recipe. Now in order to plate this dish ladle some Polenta in a large serving bowl, garnish with Pesto and olive oil and place your fried egg in the centre resting on the bed of Polenta and pesto. You can even garnish with pine nuts.

Related Recipes: Italian Basil Pesto

Other Delicious egg recipes you can try: Italian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach, Shakshouka, Wrapped French Toast , Mexican Casserole Eggs.

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Breakfast

Shakshouka | Jewish Breakfast Eggs with Red Pepper and Tomatoes | Israeli Shakshuka

By anshu April 22, 2016

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And then it happened! I have been meaning to try this recipe for such a long time, that it is crazy. Sometimes I dont have Red Bell Peppers, sometimes I am running out of fresh Parsley and then sometimes I am just pure lazy. This glorious day in my lifetime I had everything I needed to make Shakshuka or Shakshouka. First let me talk a little about what Shakshuka is. No No its not a Gujarati dish. Do not confuse Shaak for Veggies . Shakshuka is a Jewish Libyan recipe of Eggs with Red Bell Pepper, Tomatoes and Cumin. My sources (read Wikipedia) say, it was believed to have originated in Libya, North Africa by the Jews. Wikipedia says, Shakshouka is a staple of Tunisian, Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan, and Egyptian cuisines, traditionally served in a cast iron pan or tajine with bread to mop up the sauce. It is also popular in Israel, where it was introduced by Tunisian Jews and Maghrebi Jews, hundreds of thousands of whom immigrated to Israel during the 1950s.

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That’s about its history, let me talk about its present. Its the most delightful, filling and balanced egg breakfast you can think of. I have plenty of other eggs for breakfast recipe on my blog including Italian Frittata, Wrapped French Toast. Mexican Casserole Eggs and soon coming Polenta with Eggs. But this one wins the race. Ever since I made it the first time I have been doing this every weekend. This seems to have been my husband’s favourite currently.

But remember to use fresh eggs because they make a huge difference in the taste. I have used Eggs by Eggee. They deliver the best, freshest eggs handsdown. If you are really an egg lover like me and my family, you will fall in love with Eggee.

Directions:
1. Chop some Onions finely and garlic.

2. Also chop some tomatoes and Red Bell Pepper and set aside.

3. In a cast iron Skillet or a normal pan, pour some Olive oil. You can always buy your Cast Iron Skillet at our Online Store The Gourmet Shop, cheaper than anywhere else on the web and we ship pan India 🙂

4. Add Red Bell Pepper, Onions and garlic and saute them, till they turn a little soft but hold its crunch.

5. Add tomato Puree and combine.

6. Add chopped tomatoes to the skillet.

7. Season with Salt, Paprika and Cumin Powder.

8. Add Water to the skillet and cover the skillet with a lid and let it sit on low flame till the tomato goes all gooey.

9. Make little cavities in your skillet with the help of spoon and crack Eggee eggs into them. Cover the skillet again for next 5-6 minutes for the egg whites to set.

10. Sprinkle some freshly chopped Parsley leaves on top and serve with bread to dig into that yummy sauce.

Other Breakfast Recipe with Eggs you can try out are:Apple & Cinnamon Pan Cakes, Blueberry Buttermilk Pan Cakes, Mexican Casserole Eggs, Italian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach, Wrapped French Toast

If you are looking for Vegetarian Breakfast Options you may try: Eggless Walnut Pan Cakes, Quick Rava Idli, Rava Pizza Bread, Shahi Poha, Soya Veggie Vermicelli.

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Breakfast

Instant Ragi Dosa | Instant Finger Millet Flour Crepes | Manduwa Ka Dosa

By anshu May 25, 2015

Finger Millet also known as Ragi or Manduwa or Maddua is a gluten free cereal which is very widely consumed in Uttrakhand where I live now. Other than Uttrakhand it is a popular millet used in South Indian Cuisine. It is a rich source of amino acid methionine.

In Kumaoni Cuisine Maddua plays a very important role for it is used in variety of dishes. It is also believed to keep you warm in thick cold. So I was tempted to try this super cereal and got its flour from the local market. I debuted my adventure with Ragi by making this Instant Ragi Dosa. I saw Malar Muthu’s post one fine day and could not resist trying it. It was quick and required no fermentation. Luckily I had Sambar and Coconut Chutney to accompany this. The dosa came out crisp and so delicious. Even my kiddo loved them to the core.

Directions:

1. In a bowl add urad dal or split black gram. Add water and let it get soaked for atleast an hour.

2. Transfer the soaked lentils with little water in a blender. Make a fine paste.

3. Transfer the paste to a larger bowl and add to it. Ragi Flour and Rice Flour.

4. Add water and salt. Combine to make a dosa consistency batter. It should neither be thick nor thin.

5. Heat a flat griddle or dosa tawa. Add oil. Wipe it with a kitchen towel.

6. Add a ladle full of batter in the center and spread in circular motions evenly. Drizzle some oil on dosa and flip after 2-3 minutes. Cook on the other side.

7. Serve hot with Coconut Chutney and Sambar.

You can even try this dosa with Tomato Onion Garlic Chutney.
Other dishes from South Indian Cuisine which you can try here: Curd Rice, Quick Rava Idli

[whohit]RagiDosa[/whohit]

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Breads

Matar Ka Parantha | Indian Stuffed Flat Bread with Peas

By anshu March 31, 2015

Indian Flatbreads or Paranthas are famous all over the globe for the variety of stuffing. They can be vegetarian as well as non vegetarian. Basically there is no end to them, you just have to be creative with it.

My husband and kiddo are not very fond of Peas or matar. They eat it when only when pressurized or when I have to raise my eyebrow 😛 So making them eat this parantha was a challenge. I borrowed this recipe from an adorable friend whom I met in Mexico, Garima Kedia Harlalka. From the moment she shared this recipe I knew I had to make this. But unfortunately it took me soo much time as I was bust relocating to India,

I tried it and it came out soo well that both my fussy boys relished it to the core. Thank you soo much Garima this is for you.

Directions:

1. Take peas, I am using frozen, but you can use fresh if you like.

2. Defrost them in the Microwave for about 3-4 minutes. Time can vary on the power of your microwave. You can even put them in hot water to defrost without microwave. Later you can drain them.

3. Add the defrosted peas with ginger and green chilies in a grinder.

4. Add a few spoons of water to make a paste of it.

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5. In a wok or pan add oil.

6. Add cumin seeds and let them sputter.

7. Add the paste, salt, Dry Coriander powder & Amchur.

8. Also add roasted cumin powder and garam masala.

9. Combine everything and cook on medium low flame till all the moisture is absorbed and it becomes dry.

10. Take the dough and roll it into a small circle. Add two spoons full of peas mixture and place it in the center.

11. Close it from all ends to make it look like a money bag.

12. Roll it carefully in a circle using a roller pin and dry flour. Ensure you don’t put a lot of pressure while rolling as the stuffing can ooze out.

13. Add ghee on an iron tawa or pan and put it on heat.

14. Cook on both sides flipping after every few minutes until its crisp and golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with a bowl of fresh natural curd and stuffed chili pickle.

You can try other recipes with peas like Methi Matar Malai.

[whohit]MatarParantha[/whohit]

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Baking

Italian Frittata with Mushrooms and Spinach | Italian Baked Egg Omelette

By anshu November 27, 2014

I had never tasted Frittata until one night I saw a chef preparing it on a show featuring on TLC. I was smitten by it in its very first sight. It looked simply irresistible. It was almost time for dinner and me and my husband were still wondering what to eat. And then we decided we will make frittata. Although its a breakfast dish but nothing stopped us from having it for dinner. I chopped some mushrooms, bell pepper and Olives and soon we were sitting with Frittata on our dinner table. It was oh sooo delicious!

Frittata is similar to Omelette but still quite distinct. Its cooked like Omelette but for a longer time and then baked on setting. It is somewhat a crustless Quiche. It originated in Italy but many counties have similar egg dishes in their cuisine. It literally means ‘Fried’. It is usually divided into slices and eaten hot or cold and even accompanied with a bowl of salad, or beans or bread. You can add anything of your choice along with eggs like mushroom, spinach, bell pepper, feta cheese, beacon, sausage etc. And since egg is the main component in this dish its important to use good quality eggs like Eggee. The frittata came out pillowy soft. The taste, the softness was incredible.

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions). Chop some mushrooms,capsicum, zucchini, fresh leaves of spinach, previously washed. Thinly slice yellow bell pepper and Olives. Keep aside.

2. Add little oil in an iron skillet, which you can bake it in oven. Add mushrooms and saute them until little brown.

3. Add bell pepper and saute till its soft yet still crisp.

4. Add chopped spinach.

5. Grate Parmesan Cheese and Cheddar Cheese and keep aside.

6. Whisk four eggs in a jar. Season with salt and pepper. Also add red chili flakes if you like it little hot. Pour it over the sauteed vegetables in the baking dish.

7. Sprinkle on top grated cheese and spread the sliced olives.

8. Let it keep cooking undisturbed for 5-7 minutes or until the bottom of the eggs is set. Transfer to a preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until brown and everything comes together and nothing remains runny. Run a heat proof silicon spatula under the frittata to ease removing it from the baking dish. Serve hot.

You can even try Mushroom and Spinach Quiche, Wrapped French Toast or Mexican Casserole Eggs, Apple & Cinnamon Pan Cakes , Bird’s Nest Breakfast Cups Recipe, Blueberry Buttermilk Pan Cakes, Eggless Walnut Pan Cakes , Fried Egg Over Polenta with Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe,Halloween Special Pumpkin Puree Pancakes , Quick Rava Idli , Rava Pizza Bread, Shahi Poha, Shakshouka ,Soya Veggie Vermicelli for Breakfast.

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Breakfast

Apple & Cinnamon Pancakes

By anshu November 18, 2014

Pancakes are the most delicious breakfast which can be made in a jiffy. They are also known as Hotcakes, Griddlecakes or Flapjacks. They can be sweet or savoury. Each country has its own style of making them with unique toppings or ingredients. Apple Cinnamon Pancakes are a classic combination. Filling, Fast and yet so tasty.

I had so many apples which needed to be put to some use. I made apple bread, apple chutney, Apple Lapsi and what not still they were plenty. So I utilized few of them to make these amazing pancakes. The cinnamon gives the pancakes that divine flavour that its difficult to describe in words. You must try to understand it.

This is kid’s favourite. Its a good nutrition for them and they even relish the taste. Oh before I forget recently, I contributed few of my recipes to Indusladies to an event for 100 Kids Lunch Box Recipes. They got published in an e-book. You can download the e-book here for some delicious recipes.

Directions:

1. Whisk an egg in a bowl.

2. Add melted butter to the whisked egg.

3. Add milk and combine. Keep aside.

4. Wash, core and peel apples. Grate them using a grater. Add them to the wet ingredients. Keep aside.

5. In a separate bowl add All purpose Flour and Baking Soda. Combine evenly.

6. Add ground cinnamon and brown sugar. Combine.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.

8. Heat a griddle and butter it well.

9. Pour one ladle or 1/4 cup of pancake batter in the center of the griddle. Do not spread, it should spread on its own. If it doesn’t, it needs more milk to liquefy it further to achieve perfect consistency.

10. When you see holes appearing on the surface of cakes its time to flip. It should take somewhere between 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, loosely cover with some Aluminium Foil so it doesn’t get dry and cold. Repeat with remaining batter.

11. Serve hot with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped cream or even custard. You can even throw in some nuts or fruits.

You can even try Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes and Eggless Walnut Pancakes.

Other breakfast recipes you can try here are: Quick Rava Idli, Mexican Style Casserole Eggs, Wrapped French Toast, Soya Veggie Vermicelli, Rava Pizza Bread ,Italian Frittata, Shahi Poha.

Other Apple Recipes you can try: Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Apple Cider Spiced Doughnuts, Apple Spiced Butter, Apple Crisp, Apple Raisins Streusel Bread,

[yumprint-recipe id=’74’] [whohit]appleCinnamonPancakes[/whohit]

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Breakfast

Blueberry Buttermilk Pan Cakes

By anshu September 15, 2014

Pan Cakes are my all time favourite Breakfast. And when they are with Fresh Blueberries, I don’t need anything else. They are easy and soft and ready in no time. The buttermilk makes them extra fluffy. You can make instant buttermilk at home, You don’t need to plan in advance. Just put few ingredients together and you have a wholesome healthy breakfast. You can top your pancakes with Maple syrup, Honey, Caramel Sauce or simply butter. You can even put fresh chopped fruits before drizzling the syrup.

My kiddo is just like me he likes pan cakes but loves blueberries. So the combination of blueberry and pan cakes becomes irresistible.

Directions:

1. In a bowl put together All purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Sugar and Salt. Whisk them together and set aside.

2. In a smaller bowl dust the blueberries with few spoonful of flour mix. Set aside.

3. Separate the egg yolk from the egg whites.

4. In a third bowl combine egg yolk, melted butter and buttermilk. Whisk them together and set aside. You can make your own instant buttermilk at home. You can follow the recipe in link.

5. In another bowl whisk the egg whites to make stiff peaks. You can use a hand whisker or electric whisker.

6. Pour the buttermilk mixture in the flour mix an whisk everything until evenly combined. Gently fold in egg whites and blueberries. You have be very gentle in folding as the egg whites should not deflate.

7. Preheat a non stick griddle or flat bottom pan over medium high heat and brush it with butter or you can even spray with cooking oil. I used butter. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter on the griddle using a ladle.

8. After about 2-3 minutes you will spot some bubbles on the top, specially around edges. This is the time to flip it and cook it on the other side.

9. Cook the other side also for 2 minutes or till it has acquired golden colour.

Serve hot with Maple Syrup or Honey or Caramel Sauce. Top it up with fresh fruits.

Also try Eggless Walnut Pan Cakes. You can even try our other Breakfast recipes like Shahi Poha, Casserole Eggs, Quick Rava Idli, Rava Pizza Bread, Soya Veggie Vermicelli or Wrapped French Toast.

[whohit]BlueberryPanCakes[/whohit]

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Breakfast

Wrapped French Toast

By anshu April 25, 2014

This is authentically my husband’s recipe and I proudly say that he makes it better than me every single time. This is a little twist over the regular french toast as it is a omelette wrap around over a slice of bread. The grated ginger and sauteed onion gives it a unique flavor. It is so easy that you can ask your spouse to make it for you for a weekend breakfast. In this case I am lucky for my husband loves to make this for me on a Sunday morning. How romantic is that! This is definitely a pleasant change to make eggs on a busy office day. Its fast yet tasty and filling.

Directions:

1.In a mixing bowl break two eggs and whisk them using a whisker.

2. Add a spoon of milk to fluff up the eggs. Add salt and pepper. Whisk again. Set aside.

3. In a pan melt some butter. Add chopped onion and grated ginger and finely chopped green chili if you like. Seems Mr. Pande skipped it. Toss them for a couple of minutes in butter.

4. Now pour the whisked eggs over sauteed ginger onion and ensure it spreads all over the pan.

5. Without wasting time place a bread slice in the center of the pan over the eggs while they are still liquid.

6. Now flip the bread side and let the other side also absorb the egg liquid.

7. When you feel the bottom of the omelette has solidified but the top is still liquid start folding the four corners to wrap the bread.It may not be perfect but really doesn’t matter. We cook for taste and not for perfection. 🙂

8. Now flip the wrapped bread and cook on the other side till slight golden.

9. Serve it just like that or sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese with Chili Flakes.

[whohit]WrappedFrenchToast[/whohit]

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