VEGGIE STIR-FRY IN TERIYAKI SAUCE

 

I wish I were more experimental in the kitchen. There are very few dishes that I can cook without referring to a written recipe. I’m almost embarrassed to say that I often have to sneak a peek into my recipe book even when I make something as simple as Dal (in my defense, I don’t cook daily). Even when it comes to following recipes, I rarely divert from the given instructions. There are times when I’ve reduced or increased the quantity of an ingredient and what follows is a stressful wait to taste the end product. I rather just stick to the written instructions and this is why I research quite a bit before I make a new dish so I know that the dish turns out right.

On the other hand, Skip (my 8-year-old son),  likes exploring new ways to cook a particular dish or food product. He always has to add something ‘extra’ to what he’s cooking. While Skip gives instructions, Radha or I execute them. The other day Radha was cooking an omelette for Skip and I saw huge chunks of what looked like cheese on the egg. A closer inspection revealed those chunks to be slices of banana!!!

I lifted an eyebrow, Radha pointed at Skip.

Skip said it tasted awesome and tried to get me to eat it too. Needless to say, I didn’t.

Skip wants to add bananas with cheese omelette next. He said the sweet and salty combo would taste better!!!

I love sweet-savoury combo too and that’s just what this dish is. It is easy to make , perfect for those nights when you don’t have leftovers from lunch or when you have a few random vegetables lying around in the fridge and want to dump them all to make a quick stir-fry. It tastes best with steamed rice.

VEGGIE STIR-FRY IN TERIYAKI SAUCE

Ingredients:

Carrot – 1

Zucchini – 1

Paneer (cottage cheese) – 100 gm

Capsicum – ½

Salt - as per taste

For the sauce:

Soy Sauce – 1/3 cup

Sugar/honey – 1 ½ tbsp

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Minced garlic cloves – 1 tsp

Cornflour/cornstarch – 2 tsp

 

Method:

 

1.     Whisk all the sauce ingredients until the sugar melts.

2.     Heat a skillet on high and sauté the vegetables ( starting from the hard vegetables) and cook until done. Add salt for taste. 

3.   Pour the sauce on the cooked vegetables and cook for another minute. The sauce will thicken.

4.     Done.

 

Recipe Notes:

·       I’ve mentioned the vegetables I used. You could also add other vegetables of your choice such as mushrooms, broccoli.

·       Do not over-cook the vegetables else they’ll turn soggy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZUCCHINI FRIES

 

I had made these fries some time back and as I sat down to write this post yesterday, I kept searching for the recipe on my phone only to realise in some time that I hadn’t used a recipe from the internet. I hadn’t used any recipe at all.

I almost always have a pencil and a battered notepad with me. While some may mistake this for a sign of diligence and prolificity, the truth is that I need these to make notes lest I forget things I have discussed or brainwaves I have had. I do have a good memory but sometimes there just isn’t space for all the information I receive in a day.

I had made these fries for the first time and for some reason proceeded without referring to a recipe. I am  a stickler to following recipes and the rare occasion that I happen to make something without following one, I usually jot it down somewhere but I perhaps this time, I didn’t feel the need to do so for this basic dish.

I zoomed into my pictures trying to discern the ingredients used. There’s nothing really elaborate about these fries but the recipes I came across whilst looking for THE recipe had a list of ingredients I know I didn’t use. Most of them call for a light coating in flour and eggs, which I know I didn’t use as I typically don’t like using eggs for coating. I also didn’t use an egg substitute such as milk or yoghurt. Hmm, no wonder I struggled a bit trying to coat the fries with bread crumbs!

I also didn’t have garlic powder or cheese powder. I used freshly, crushed garlic and chopped the cheese cubes into tiny bits. I tossed the Zucchini in these and butter (or was it oil?). I, then, powdered the heel of a loaf of bread ( I did not toast these) in the grinder, rolled the greased Zucchini slices on the bread crumbs (the butter (or oil) helped them stick) and the fries that had chunks of cheese and garlic sticking on it, tasted the best!

No quantities mentioned, just eyeball it. Don’t add too  much salt if the oregano and cheese is salty. 1 tsp crushed garlic should do for 1 Zucchini.

I also have the recipes for Zucchini Boats,  Zucchini Fritters and Lemon Zucchini Loaf on my blog. 

If you like Zucchini too, please do follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

ZUCCHINI FRIES

Ingredients:

Zucchini (yellow squash) – 1

Butter/oil

Crushed garlic 

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

Cheese 

Bread crumbs

Method:

1.     Slice the Zucchini into thin slices ( the thinner they are, the crispier they get but the more difficult to coat).

2.     Transfer the slices into a bowl. Drizzle enough butter/oil on them and give them a good toss until they are glossy. Add crushed garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cheese and give it a good toss.

3.     Roll each slice on bread crumbs and placed it on a baking dish.

4.     Drizzle a little oil on the Zucchini slices.

5.     Bake at 180C for about 15 mins or until they look crunchy.

6.     Done.

 

Recipe Notes :

·       If you don’t have an oven, fry them on stove top, I bet they’ll be crispier, though you can’t claim to be snacking healthy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

 

05.11.2020: Skip started Hindi this year. (Finally, a 'second language' subject that I can confidently teach).

We started with 4 letter words today. While Skip faltered and read, patience soon wore thin after half a page of reading.

Skip: Aakash aa, khaana kha.

Kaveri: What does ‘aa’ mean?

Skip *holds his chest, pretends to fall off the chair and shouts in pain*: Aaaaaa

Kaveri *not amused*

 

Kaveri: ‘Prashnon ke uttar poore karo.’ Do you know what that means?

Skip *imitates Amitabh Bachchan in a South Indian accent*: Aur sahin uttar hain …Kaun Banega Karodpathi.

Kaveri: Mamma needs a break.

Back to fritters.

I’m just going to call them cutlets here. These are soft and mushy cutlets (but not soggy) that just melt in your mouth. The addition of cheese imparts a creamy flavour. I generally don’t like adding eggs to cutlets, but since these cutlets aren’t of the crispy/crunchy kind and aren’t coated with a batter, the egg helped in binding the ingredients together.

Make sure to squeeze out all excess water from the grated Zucchini, you don’t want your cutlet falling apart. If you like Zucchini, I also have the recipe for Zucchini Boats on my blog. I generally buy Zucchini in twos. I used the other Zucchini to make fries. Recipe will be up shortly.

For more such simple recipes, please do follow me on Facebook @Lucidlucent and Instagram @lucidlucent.

 

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Ingredients:

Zucchini – 1 large

Bread crumbs – ½ cup

Egg – 1

Cheese cubes – 2

Cornflour – 1 tbsp

Crushed garlic – 1 tbsp

Pepper – to taste

Salt – to taste

 

Method:

1.     Grate the Zucchini. Use a muslin cloth and squeeze out as much water as possible from the grated bits.

2.     Transfer the grated Zucchini to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix it well. (The mixture will be slightly wet)

3.     Heat oil in a pan, scoop a spoonful of the mixture onto the pan (I used an ice-cream scoop) and spread it.

4.     Heat for a few minutes on each side until the sides are browned and cooked.

5.     Done.

   

       Recipe Notes

·       You may use any cheese of your choice. I used Nandini Cheese cubes. Do not add too much salt if the cheese is salty. My fritters were a tad bit on the salty side.

·       Instead of an egg, you may increase the quantity of breadcrumbs and use milk to bind the fritters. ( I haven't tried it, if it works let me know :D) 

·       Avoiding flipping the fritters more than once, as they are tender, they may fall apart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEMON ZUCCHINI CAKE

01.08.2020: The whole time that I was baking this cake, I wondered what MNR would have to say about this cake as he considered my post on Kheer with Bottlegourd a blasphemy! Hahaha.

Ever since I made Zucchini Boats, Zucchinis have been a staple at my place. I make them atleast once a month and each time I try them out with a different topping. Earlier this month, I craved to eat a nice, lemony cake. As I was mentally going through the list of lemon-based cake recipes I had saved, Radha was rattling off the vegetables we had in our fridge and asked me if I was planning on baking Zucchinis that night. I decided to bake a Zucchini cake.instead. I remembered having seen Zucchini Cake recipes on the internet but never dared to use a vegetable in my cakes earlier.

The Zucchini Chocolate cake seems to be the most popular amongst the Zucchini cakes, this vegetable makes the chocolate cake moist and delicious and you would never ever notice its presence in the cake (so they said). I wanted my Zucchini’s presence to be felt.

So, I zeroed in on the Lemon Zucchini Cake (lemon in it, tadaaaa 😊). I got this recipe from the blog- icecreaminspiration.

The answer is NO. In case you were wondering if you could taste Zucchini in the cake. You get bits of it in your mouth but these by itself lack any distinct taste or flavour. An unsuspecting person would just think it to be lemon rind having lost its tartness in the cake. Is the cake delicious? It ABSOLUTELY is! The cake is moist and the sweet and tangy lemon glaze makes it taste heavenly.

I do not have a loaf tin so I decided to use a glass dish for baking the cake. Please check the bottom of the glassware if it is oven safe before you decide to use one. Metal pans can withstand higher temperatures, hence while using a glass dish, make sure to reduce the heating temperature by about 20C. Also, it takes longer to bake in a glass dish.

After being emboldened by the success of this cake, I also baked an Avocado Cake with Avocado Frosting. More on that in my next post.

Skip was helping me with the photography and after my 10th click, lost patience! 

Skip was excited to eat Zucchini in the cake and wouldn’t let Sky have the second slice until he guessed the vegetable in it. He couldn’t but needless to say he did get the second slice.

Curious about the Avocado cake? Follow me on Facebook and Instagram @lucidlucent and you will know when that post is out.

LEMON ZUCCHINI CAKE

Ingredients:

For the cake:

Granulated sugar : 1 1/3 (One and one thirds) cups

Vegetable oil – ½ cup

Eggs – 2

Buttermilk – ½ cup ( if you don’t have buttermilk at home, refer to recipe notes)

Lemon juice – 2 tbsp

Lemon zest – 1 tbsp

All purpose flour (maida) – 2 cups

Salt – a pinch

Baking powder – 2 tsps

Zucchini (grated) – 1 cup

For the lemon glaze:

Powdered sugar – ½ cup

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Milk – 1 tbsp

Method:

1.     Preheat oven and grease a baking dish.  I used a 9*5 baking dish.

2.     Sieve the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

3.   In a bowl, add eggs and beat them well. Add oil and sugar to the eggs and beat until it is mixed well.

4.     Add buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest to the above mixture and blend well.

5.     Add the sieved ingredients and mix only until no lumps are visible.

6.    Add the grated Zucchini and gently fold it into the mixture. Do not over – mix at this stage.

7.     Pour the batter into the dish and bake at for about 40-45 minutes or until done. Remove the cake from the dish and let it cool completely.

8.     For the glaze: mix the sugar, lemon juice and milk and drizzle the liquid over the cake. The glaze will harden in time.

9.     Done.

Recipe Notes:

• How to make Buttermilk at home: Take half a cup of milk and add 2 tsps of vinegar/lemon juice and stir it. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Voila, you have buttermilk ready.

Zucchini Boats

Skip sprouted teeth quite late, when he was almost two and now, of all times, he had three of his milk teeth shaking! The other day, with a wad of cotton in his hand, he came and sat on my lap, opened his mouth and instructed me to pull out the loose tooth (this was the lower incisor).  I looked at Sky who suddenly had a work related call to attend to. I took in deep breaths which didn’t help my light-headedness. It brought back memories of my mother chasing me around the house to pluck my tooth that would be dangerously hanging from a thread of gum tissue.  I am still being chased around, only this time I had to be the one pulling out the teeth. This isn’t the kind of “life has come a full circle” that I was expecting. (I am feeling dizzy even as I type this post). Seems like such a joke that I once wanted to become a Doctor (a cardiothoracic surgeon to be specific) and now I can’t even pluck a tooth.

After a few attempts (or may have been many, I can’t say, it all seems a blur now), blood gushing out and a “bloody” smile, Sky came to me and held my hands sympathetically while I tried to hold the bile back in. Skip was busy admiring his bloody mouth in front of the mirror.

His upper teeth are wobbly now. After multiple attempts by Sky and me, those stubborn teeth still continue to cling on to the gums, for their dear lives. I wake up daily with a prayer that those teeth just pop off by themselves!

Why so much talk about teeth for a Zucchini post, you may ask?

I send pictures of my cooking to my parents and I proudly sent these pretty Zucchini Boats to them and my mother found onions that she said looked like teeth sticking out of the Zucchini!

I love roasted Zucchini and I think they always taste better with some sort of topping. This is a recipe for those days when you don’t know what to cook for dinner and but want to whip up something quick and delicious. It’s also a great appetizer for parties (not that you would be attending or hosting any for some time) and it looks ‘fancy’ too.  You can add whatever veggies/cottage cheese/meat you love, on them. Cheese and sautéed onions enhance the flavour. I had sausages at home so I put them on the Zucchini. Roasted Zucchini and Sausage, best combo ever!!! The ones without the sausage (made for Skip) tasted delicious too. The Zucchini is succulent, the earthy taste of the pizza sauce goes well with the caramelised onions and the salty cheese and the sausage is the bonus!

ZUCCHINI BOATS

Ingredients:

Zucchini – 2

Pizza sauce – 2 tbsps

Onion – One quarter of a medium sized one

Italian herbs – 1 tbsp

Sausages – 4

Cheese(grated) – as required

Oil – as required

Salt – as per taste

Method:

1.   Chop the Zucchini into 4 slices and scoop out the pulp. Finely chop the scooped out pulp.

2.   In a pan, sauté chopped onion until it begins to caramelise and add the chopped Zucchini bits to it. Add salt and Italian herbs (I added oregano, thank you Dominos). Mix well and set aside.

3.    In a separate pan, fry the sausages until done.

4.    Poke holes into the Zucchini shells, rub oil on them and place on the baking tray.

5.    Smear a teaspoonful of pizza sauce on each. Spoon in the onion-zucchini mixture. Sprinkle cheese on it and top it with the sausage.

6.    Roast the Zucchinis at 180C for around 25 minutes until the Zucchini is tender.

7.   Done

Recipe notes:

•       Mozarella works best, I added Cheddar as I kept the wrong block of cheese out to thaw.
•       Cooked Bell peppers, ground meat, mushrooms, cottage cheese would taste great with Zucchini too or you could just have it with onions and cheese!