Aarti's Loaded Nachos

Loaded Nachos

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
• 1 can (14-5 Ounce) Pinto Beans, Chili Beans, Or Ranch Style Beans
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• Tortilla Chips
• 1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1-1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese
• 6 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Diced Finely
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro Leaves, Chopped
• Juice Of 1 Lime
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 whole Avocado (pitted And Diced)
• Sour Cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and half the onion. Cook it until starting to soften, then add the ground beef. Cook the meat until it's totally browned, then drain the fat. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the beans and hot water and stir. Reduce the heat to low and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

To make the pico de gallo, combine the other half of the onion with the tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir it together and set it aside.

To build the nachos, place a layer of tortilla chips on a platter or plate. Top with a layer of the beef/bean mixture, then all but 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add another layer of chips, another layer of the beef/bean mixture, and the Monterey Jack cheese. Add a final small layer of chips, then a small layer of beef and beans, then a final sprinkling of cheddar.

Microwave in 45 second increments until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (You may also place the platter into a 325 degree oven if it's heatproof. Just leave it in until the cheese is melted.)

Immediately sprinkle on the diced avocado and plenty of pico de gallo.

Optional: Add dollops of sour cream here and there!

Serve immediately!

Garvita's oooh so healthy pizzzzza base!

Ingredients 

1 full Cauliflower 

1 egg

1tsp oregano

2tsp dried herbs

Salt

Red Chilli powder(optional)

Shredded mozzarella (optional)

Square muslin cloth

Directions

1)  Cut and clean the florets grind it. In a covered bowl microwave it for 4 minutes. Place it on a clean muslin cloth and wring out the excess water(important for a crisp base). Hang it till cool and well drained.

2)  Pre heat the oven to 250.

3)  Now place the cauliflower in a bowl and add egg, salt, chilli powder, oregano, dried herbs and handful of shredded mozzarella. knead all the ingredients together.

4)  Now on a baking paper, spray a little olive oil and spread the mixture on it, do not make it v thick or too thin(use an inverted pan for better support and a spatula to even out the base)

5) Pop it into the oven for 20mins or till golden

6) Be creative with the toppings and enjoy a healthy pizza.

1 cauliflower makes 1 medium size pizza.

Suggestion do not let your better half/kids/parents know what the base is made off before hand or its gonna be a task to get them to eat it :P:P

Foram's Pizza Bread Cups

Ingredients:

6 bread slices
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
1 medium capsicum (finely chopped)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup or pizza sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese of cheese block
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp butter
Salt to taste

Method:
Take the bread slices & roll dem flat wid a roll pin. Once rolled, cut them into four equal pieces.
On the other hand, in a pan heat the butter. Then add the onions & sauté for two mins. After that add the capsicum & tomato & sauté again for a min or two. Now add the tomato ketchup/pizza sauce, oregano, chilli flakes & salt. Mix well & let it cool.
Now take an appam pan & grease it wid butter. Now take the bread slices and press it in the pan as it will become cups. Fill the cups wid the veg filling and grate cheese over it. Sprinkle oregano on top.
Now keep the appam pan on stove and cover it wid a lid.
Within 5 mins the pizza cups would be ready. Serve hot.

Note: Personally I have tried it wid tomato ketchup and pizza sauce. I prefer pizza sauce over the tomato ketchup. Also in cheese I have tried both. But the taste of block is more better than that of the mozzarella.

Garvita's Healthy Chicken Taco

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2kg ground chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 head lettuce

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
• Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and ginger  until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.

Jovee's Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients

1) 1 kg Chicken Mince

2)3-4 onions finely chopped very fine

3)2 tomatoes very finely chopped

4) 4-5 green chillies

5) 1 egg beaten

6) salt to taste

7) bread crumbs

8) oil for shallow frying

9) half tsp haldi powder&garam masala

10) finely chopped coriander leaves

11) 2tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

METHOD

1) Wash clean the mince and add salt ginger garlic paste and keep aside for marination for about half an hour

2) In a Pan combine together finely chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, garam masala andhaldi powder and the marinated mince and cook it till the mince is done.

3) Now let the cooked mince become cold then put in the mixer and grind it till fine. Dont add any water or oil..just give 1 round.

4) Now add the beaten eggs to the mince and finely chopped coriander leaves. If the mixture is watery then add some wheat flour for binding ... don’t add too much..

5)Now give an oval or round shape or ur desired shape to the cutlets and coat itwith bread crumbs and then shallow fry.

Shamika's Friend Reema's Chilli Cheese Toast

(I have copy pasted the recipe as it was sent to me via email on 2/1/11 by my friend Reema who is an awesome chick and my best friend!)




When I was very little, I developed great respect for Dr. V. Kurien.
Apart from that fact that he fitted my definition of how old men
should look - positively cute and huggable (I was six, don't snigger);
he had also led to Amul, the biggest boon of my life. And Amul Butter
and Amul Cheese Spread make up some of the DNA in my body I think.


I was introduced to cheese spread by my mother, who once packed it
into my tiffin and I still remember that day with tears of happiness.
But my real introduction to cheese happened in Shirdi. I was little, I
was being jostled through the crowds and I managed to procure
blessings and then got whooshed out of the temple hall. The next thing
I did was throw a tantrum about being hungry. I was rushed back to the
hotel immediately (my tantrums were loud and scary) and they gave me
the snack menu so I could order 'something fit for an early evening'.


I closed my eyes, ran my finger down the menu and stopped to look at
what it had landed on.


Chilli Cheese Toast.


"Is it too pungent?" my mother asked the matron. "No, it is
well-balanced," he replied. I ordered.


I don't remember anything that happened after that except for how it
tasted when I sunk my teeth into the toast. Crisp, crunchy and then
suddenly, warm, gooey, creamy, cheesy, and a burst of flavour. I could
not have said it in so many words at that age but I made up by
ordering it for the next five meals we ate in Shirdi, be it dinner,
breakfast or lunch. Or even snack time. That was all I ate.


I was always a nice child that way and did not scream and shout and
demand that mom make it for me at home too - so I went back to my
world of sandwiches, poha, upma, kheer, omelettes etc. Many years
later, I encountered the chilli cheese toast again but in a slightly
new avatar and a new name -cheese capsicum toast. In my college.


Now you know why I decided that I would finish both junior AND senior
college at Xavier's. Five years of eating chilli cheese toast.


I now make it for P. He loves it, I love it, and that's why we are
married. Here it is for you :)

Name: Chilli Cheese Toast aka Cheese Capsicum Toast
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Time: 5 minutes.
Source: That hotel in Shirdi and My college, St. Xavier's in Mumbai,
and my memory that managed to replicate it :)
Serves: 2... OR 1 if you have all of it, you greedy pig!


You need:


100 gms Cheddar cheese, grated (I prefer sharp, use anything you like.
Parmesan is good too)
1 capsicum, deseeded and cut into teensy pieces
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped
A few sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped
A dash of freshly ground pepper
Four slices of bread
A little butter


- In a bowl, mix the cheese, capsicum, onion, green chilli, pepper and
coriander leaves with a fork.


- Take the bread slices, butter them on both sides lightly.


- Pile your cheese mixture onto the bread slices and then slow cook
the breads on a non-stick frying pan with a cover on top for 3-4
minutes.


- Meanwhile, scrape out the bowl with a fork and wolf down the
remaining cheese mixture and don't tell anybody you just did that.


- Serve hot with nothing else. Don't dilute that burst of flavour you
are about to experience with anything. NOT even coffee.


- Send a prayer heavenwards that I shared this with you :)

Garvita's Kale chips

Kale chips:


Wash 1/2 bunch


Remove stem


Dry (I use hair dryer)


Break into bite sized pieces


Add 1/2 tsp olive oil n seasoning


Mix well


Bake for 5-10 min at 160


But keep checking as they burn quickly