Cheesy Spinach Mushroom Quiche

I love trying new dishes at home. Its mainly because one ~ I can customize it to our liking, second ~ I can make it as rich or as skinny as I need and third ~ simply because I love trying new dishes at home. This quiche has been in my to-do list for sometime now. Well that list is a long and ever growing one and I would need another lifetime to strike out every single bookmarked recipe from it. And by making this cheesy quiche I am one down.

Talking about this quiche, it is loaded with carbs, rich in every bite and a sure getaway from your regular meal. Its heavy and even a single slice would be heavy on the tummy. But its nice and an occasional getaway from your daily meal plans would never hurt. Next let me talk about the cheese blend. I have used mozzarella, sharp cheddar and aged parmesan cheese here. You can either use a blend or you can use a single cheese type. But I love the flavor that each cheese gives and hence used a mix here.

~*What U Need*~ For the filling: Frozen spinach - 1 box, 10 oz Mushrooms - 8 oz, sliced Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp Large eggs - 4 Whole milk - 1 cup Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup, grated Shredded cheese - 1 cup, mix of mozzarella and cheddar salt & pepper, to taste For the crust: Butter - 1/2 cup, cold, diced All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups Salt - to taste Ice water - 2 -4 tbsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. To make the crust, combine flour and salt in food processor. Pulse once to mix. Add butter and process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of water and pulse, a few times. Add water by tsp pulsing it after every addition till the dough forms a ball. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a disk and refrigerate for 30 mins covering it with cling wrap. In a skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle the garlic, salt and pepper and saute on medium high heat for 7-8 mins or till the mushrooms release all the moisture and there is no water in the skillet. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese until combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. After the 30 mins, roll to about 1/4" thickness. Place in pie plate and press to fit. Blind bake for 8 mins. Thaw the spinach. Squeeze the water out of the spinach using a cheesecloth. After the pie crust is pre-baked, remove from the oven and spread spinach on top. Add the cooked mushrooms and shredded cheeses. Pour the egg mixture on top. Bake the quiche until it is golden brown on top and the center is no longer wobbly around 45mins - 1 hr. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve warm!!!

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Palak Tofu

Just like avocado, the huss has an aversion for tofu. Paneer is welcome in his book but tofu is a strict no-no for him. But I buy it occasionally as in once a month because I like to include it in our diet atleast once a month for the sake of pappu. While I am still experimenting with tofu recipes, I have decided to give the basics a try first, like this palak tofu, tofu masala, kadai tofu etc.

Making palak paneer or palak tofu is a breeze. Blanch, grind and simmer ~ and the sauce is ready to go. And its a healthy way to use all your greens. Spinach is widely used but you can experiment with different greens like baby kale or baby collards. This makes a perfect side dish for chapathis and even better ~ jeera rice. You can add cream at the end to make it more rich or you can replace the milk with cream to give at even more richer taste and use butter or ghee to give at a restaurant style makeover.

~*What U Need*~ Tofu - 10 oz, cubed, extra firm Salt - a pinch Oil - 1 tsp Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp Chilli powder - 1 tsp For the sauce/ curry: Spinach - 2 cups, washed Water - 1/4 cup (I used the water that I blached the spinach in) Milk - 1/4 cup Almonds - a handful, soaked in warm water for 10 mins Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Green chilli - 1 Tomato - 1 Onion - 1, small, chopped Garam masala - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: In a pan, heat oil to medium heat. Add the chopped tofu and saute for 2 mins. Add the spice powders and salt and toss to coat. Cook for 8-10 mins. Meanwhile, boil water in a large pan, put the spinach and blanch for 2 mins. Remove and let cool. Add this to the blender with the water, milk, almonds, ginger garlic paste and blend well. Heat oil in a pan and add 1 tsp cumin seeds and allow to sizzle, add onions and fry till brown. Add the spinach puree and bring it to a boil, add the sauteed tofu and mix gently. Add garam masala and cook in medium heat for 10-15 mins. Taste and season as desired. Add 2 tbsp cream and remove from flame.

Serve hot with Naan or chapathis.

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Palak Paneer

Palak paneer has been in my to-do list for a very long time but the huss has never been a big fan of spinach based gravies. Spinach to him is meant for keerai masiyal and nothing more than that. I have been doing a lot of experimenting for the past three weeks since I have an extra new guinea pig at hand and this one is not as picky as the huss. He happily gorges on anything that comes out from my kitchen with a happy grin and it-tastes-awesome look.

Coming to the recipe, palak paneer is a very famous north Indian gravy that has been adapted by many all over the world. You could make the dish as rich as possible or you could make it skinny if you are so health conscious. Rich is when you make it all-butter or ghee and adding a healthy dollop of cream at the end. And skinny is when you cheat by using oil and milk. Both ways it tastes good and makes a perfect side dish for chapathis or naans.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 20 mins; Serves - 3-4 ~*What U Need*~ For the palak puree: Fresh spinach - 1 bunch Green chillies - 2 Onion - 1, medium, finely chopped Tomato - 1, medium, pureed Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp Kasuri methi - 1 tsp, crushed Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Bay leaf - 1 Paneer - 1 cup, cubed Ghee - 2 tbsp, divided Salt, water How I Made it: Rinse the spinach in water. Boil water with some salt. Add the spinach leaves and allow to sit for 2-3 mins. Drain and immediately immerse in cold water. Reserve one cup of water. Drain and then puree the spinach in a blender with 1 green chili into a smooth puree. Heat ghee in a pan and fry cumin and bayleaf and slit green chilli. Add the onions and fry till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes off. Grind the tomato and add this to the masala. Fry till oil separates. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala and fry for 2 mins. Add the spinach puree and some water and cook in medium flame for 6-7 mins. Fry the paneer cubes in remaining ghee till evenly browned and add this to the spinach gravy. Add kasuri methi leaves and mix well.

Serve warm with rotis or naan or jeera rice. You can top with some butter or cream also.

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Apple & Spinach Salad with Pesto Dressing

I always have a jar of coriander pesto in my pantry. Its so versatile ~ I spread it on toasts, I stir it into whole grain pastas or I use it to make salad dressing. All you need to do is stir 2 tbsp of pesto with some olive oil to thin it out and then season it as needed. You could add some grated parmesan cheese or if you are a fan of sour cream then a tablespoon of low fat sour cream will never harm you.

BTW, please do not get alarmed at the variety of salads that I am throwing at your face. This is the last of the lot and the next recipe that is gonna come is gonna be a show-stopper for sure. Well, atleast for hardcore non-vegetarians.

~*What U Need*~ Baby Spinach - 1 cup Walnuts - a handful Apple - 1, sliced Pesto - 2 tbsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 tsp Sour cream - 1/2 tbsp(optional) How I Made it: Rinse and pat dry the spinach. Chop the walnuts. Assemble the salad by placing the spinach first followed by the apples and walnuts. Mix the dressing ingredients and spoon over the salad.

Serve immediately!!!

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Mushroom Spinach Quesadillas

The past two weeks have been pretty emotional and exhausting for me. I have not been cooking that much and dinner mostly consisted of takeouts or 2-min quesadillas with a glass of milk. Pappu is not feeling well and with him being sick and gloomy, the whole house followed pursuit. Its been sleepless nights and restless days with the thermometer always being a part of me, checking on him every half an hour if his body temperature is sky-rocketing. Poor liitle baby is all tired and he never parts me, always winding up half-asleep on my lap. Its been just fluids and rasam saadam and kanjee and highly diluted milk. We have been having the same to give him company. My bunny keeps mumbling 'pizza', how I wish I could fast forward the present.

I made this quesadilla because I felt tired, because I wanted to give something fiber-rich to my system and because I could only spare 5 mins of my precious time by the stove. Pappu was fast asleep after having his 6-hours once dosage of paracetamol and I stole away from him so that I could make something filling. It took me just mins to put them together and another 2 mins to gobble them up and by the 10th min I was there by my champ. You could make them all the more healthy by using multi-grain tortillas.

~*What U Need*~ Mushrooms - 1 cup, sliced Baby Spinach - 1 cup, cleaned Salt, Pepper - to season Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp Butter - 1 tsp Cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup or cheese of choice Tortillas - 2 How I Made it: Heat butter in a tawa and add the sliced mushrooms in it. Season with salt and garlic and saute till it leaves water and done. Wilt the spinach to desired doneness. Meanwhile, arrange cheese on one side of the tortilla. Place the cooked mushrooms on top of this followed by the spinach. Top with more cheese and place this on a clean grill pan or non stick pan and cook each side till nicely toasted.

Serve hot!!!

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Mushroom Spinach Pulao

As much as I love mushrooms, the huss detests it. I had tried many ways to feed him mushrooms some examples being this and this with no successful results. He never took a liking to the fungi until I made a simple garlic saute with butter and served it with some focaccia and soup. It became an instant hit and these days whenever we go grocery shopping, he never forgets to grab a pack of mushrooms. The other day I saw some beautiful bella mushrooms on sale and so we grabbed 4 BOXES. While I sauted most of them for breakfast, I saved some to make this flavorful pulao for lunch.

~*What U Need*~ Basmati rice - 1 cup Water - 1 1/2 cup Mushrooms - 1 cup, sliced Baby spinach - 1 cup, packed Onions - 1, sliced Tomato - 1, medium, chopped Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or replace with 1 green chilli Garam masala - 1 tsp Salt, Oil Cinnamon - 1" Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 1, crushed Bayleaf - 1, optional Coriander leaves - to garnish How I Made it: Heat oil in a pressure cooker and temper with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bayleaf. Add onions and cook till soft. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Once soft and mushy, add the spice powders and mix well. Add the mushrooms and spinach and saute well. Add the rice followed by the water, add a tbsp of ghee and chopped coriander leaves and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Remove and fluff with a fork.

Serve with raitha.

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Sweet Potato Spinach Stir Fry

I generally include spinach, broccoli and kale atleast once in a week. While the huss complains about it everyday, I never care about it and I know that secretly he is happy about the healthy diet plan that I serve him. Mostly I make dhal out of the lot, but at times I like to experiment indianising it whenever I can like the kale sambar that I made sometime back. I have also tried kale chips and oven roasted broccoli which we usually snack on with tea.

I am was a die hard potato fan but then I had to give up eating it due to a few personal reasons. Come sweet potato to the aid. Though it tasted nowhere near potatoes something is better than nothing. This dish is inspired from the famous Aloo Methi and now its become a staple at home. This is the only way that I can feed sweet potato to my boys these days. Oh there is the occasional deep fried sweet potato fries and the often prepared baked version but this stir fry is becoming a weekly occurence at home. Toast them till nice and crispy and it makes a perfect side for a simple rasam saadam.

~*What U Need*~ Sweet potatoes - 2 / 1 lb Baby Spinach - half bunch Onion - 1, sliced Tomato - 1, medium, chopped Chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder - a pinch Salt, Oil To temper: Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Curry leaves - 1 sprig How I Made it: Pressure cook the sweet potatoes for 1 whistle. Peel the skin and chop into pieces. Heat oil in a pan, temper with mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Add onion and saute till brown. Add the tomatoes and saute well. Add the spice powders and saute well. Add the chopped spinach and saute till wilted. Add the sweet potatoes and mix without breaking them. Saute till well toasted and crisp.

Serve with white rice. I served with hot sambar and ghee.

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Watermelon Spinach Salad

There are days when I hate waking up in the morning to prepare lunch for the huss and then there are days when I hate making an elaborate lunch for the both of the us. On such days, the huss is asked to have lunch at office and I make do with a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. And then I have an apple for snack. But then there are days when you have a bunch of fresh baby spinach and a huss who is unwilling to have anything with spinach for his lunch. Those days he is again asked to have lunch at office and I make a fresh spinach walnut salad with a simple honey olive oil dressing.

Last week I bought a whole watermelon because it was on a sale and since then we have been having glasses of fresh watermelon juice on our evenings. And when that lazy feeling struck again, I knew what I was going to make for my lunch. A whole plate of this refreshing salad with that slightly sweet and sour dressing and the crunchy almonds made a light and filling lunch.

Serves - 1; Cooking time - nil; Prep time - 15 mins ~*What U Need*~ Watermelon cubes - 1 cup, deseeded Baby spinach - 1 cup, washed and patted dry Salted almonds - few For the dressing Extra virgin olive oil - 1/2 tbsp Honey - 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tsp Pepper - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: Mix all the ingredients mentioned under dressing. Place watermelon cubes, spinach in a salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle the almonds.

Serve immediately!!!

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