Superbowl Super Snack

Here are a few of my successful experiments of the day – three kinds of crispy snacks with two different kind of dips. It all started with a craving for crisp onion rings and french fries to mindlessly reach for while watching the game. But that unfortunately entails waiting forever to have it delivered and eating something with an unimaginable amount of grease and salt. Making a snack at home turned out to be easy, healthy and just incredibly delicious.

I made two dips – Caramelized onion Dip and a Herb infused ketchup. Served with two types of crispy potatoes and oven toasted pierogi.

Pierogis are stuffed dumplings much like ravioli. You could call this the eastern/central european ravioli! It is a pillowy soft dough typically filled with potatoes, onions and cheese. Although they taste the best made from scratch, the second best option is to buy them from the frozen section usually next to the stuffed pastas. Unlike pasta, they are typically not served with heavy sauces but more with light sauces like a brown butter sauce or just plain fried onions on top.

Inspired by fried raviolis, I oven roasted the pierogis and served then as a snack and not an entrée.

Two kinds of potatoes:
4 large potatoes( You will need long ones than the round kind)
1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp  red chilli powder (substitute paprika if you don’t want any heat)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tbsp dried basil

For the dips:
Dip 1 :
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup indian yogurt or greek yogurt ( if you are using regular yogurt, drain using a cheese cloth overnight to remove all excess water. you will be left with a creamy thick yogurt)
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp canola oil
Dip 2:
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp  green chilli paste
1/2 tsp mint paste
1/2 tsp coriander paste
1 tbsp water

Oven toasted pierogis:
1 pound pierogi ( frozen)
1/2 tsp salt

Pre heat the oven to 400F.

Dip 1:

Heat a non-stick pan with a tsp of canola oil. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until the onions are browned and crispy. In a bowl mix together the sour cream and yogurt. Add the crispy onions, cilantro, crushed red peppers and salt. Mix well and serve with the crispy potatoes.

Dip 2:

Mix all the dip ingredients together and this is ready to serve! Although adding ketchup with herbs seems kinda crazy, trust me, this is the best dip you have ever eaten. It pairs extremely well with potatoes and anything that needs a kick up.

Oven toasted Pierogis:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the frozen pierogis in and cook until the pierogis float to the top. That means they are ready to come out. Drain any excess water and place them on baking sheet greased with a little canola oil. Bake for 10 minutes until brown on one side. Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes until crispy. Serve with the spicy herbed ketchup. This turned out to be the perfect combination. Crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside,  dipped into a spicy tangy sauce is just heavenly!

Potato Crisps:
Wash the potatoes well. Slice two potatoes lengthwise into large thin strips about a 1/4 inch thin. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread the slides evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, turn the slices around and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder.

Bake for another 5 minutes and serve hot with dips.

Fries:
Cut the remaining two potatoes into french fries style pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes. They should be browned  by now, then add salt, cumin, chilli and coriander powders along with the dried basil.

Back to baking for 5 more minutes and serve hot with the dips.

Roasted Basil Potatoes with Garlic Sour Cream Topping

This is super simple, yet incredibly tasty. It makes a great snack, side dish or an appetizer. This one is standard fare in my parties.

4 medium potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Topping :

1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tbsp dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1/8 tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 450 F.

Slice potatoes into 1/4″ slices. Use a paper towel to pat them dry. Toss with olive oil, basil, pepper and salt.

Spread the potatoes out in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 mins when the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom side, flip them over and roast for another 8 minutes. When the potatoes have roasted on both sides, remove from heat and set aside.

Mix sour cream, basil, garlic, crushed red peppers and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Serve the roasted potatoes with a dollop of the sour cream mixture on top.

(Inspired from this recipe)

Leftover Makeover – Vegetarian Burrito

The leftover black bean-cilantro pilaf made a great base for  this easy to assemble burrito. I made a simple grilled onion and green pepper mixture to make the filling.

You will need :

1 cup guacamole
1 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa
1 cup black bean pilaf
2 cups shredded cheese, I used a mixture of  pepper jack, monterey jack and cheddar
2 green peppers, sliced lengthwise
1 large red onion, sliced lengthwise
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
4 tortillas

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapenos. Fry for a minute and add the sliced onions. Cook until they soften and start browning. Add the green bell peppers and salt. Saute for 5-6 more minutes just until the peppers soften. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Here’s a little assembly line I made to make things easy. A bowl of mildly spic salsa, a bowl of guacamole, a bowl of sour cream, a bowl of leftover black bean cilantro pilaf, the grilled onions and peppers, the mixed shredded cheese and the tortilla. Warm the tortillas for 20-30 seconds in the microwave before you make the burrito.

Sprinkle an even layer of cheese on the tortilla. lay a dollop of the salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Top with the black bean pilaf.

Add the onion-green pepper mixture and top off with more cheese. Fold over the right and left edges and fold the top and bottom flap over it like a package.

Line them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 5-8 minutes just until the tortilla is slightly crisped and the inside is hot, cheesy and melted. Serve with more sour cream, salsa and guacamole if needed.

Quesadilla – A quick Indian inspired version

After a long day at work or at home, making different things to eat is always frustrating and puzzling! I always wonder how my mom managed to cook different meals 3 times a day every single day, and work full time, and have kids and still stand at the end of the day! Kudos to my mom and mothers everywhere.

This dish will hopefully make your lives a little easier!  It’s quick, easy and tasty.

4 flour tortillas (You could also use chapattis/rotis)

1 cup shredded cheese (I use a mixture or monterey jack, pepper jack and cheddar)
1/3 cup Pickled jalapenos (optional)

For the Filling :
1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped into 2 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (discard seeds for a milder flavor)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapenos and fry for 30 seconds. Add onions and stir fry until onions are cooked and completely translucent. Add tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes until they breakdown and start to form a sauce with the onion. Add green bell peppers, salt, coriander and cumin powders and mix well . Cook 7-8 minutes until the spices mellow and the bell pepper softens. Stir in cilantro, remove from heat and set aside.

Grease a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and spread one tablespoon of the veggie filling evenly just shy of the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheeses over the filling and top with 3-4 pickled jalapenos. (To make the dish mild, skip this step with the extra pickled jalapenos)

Top the second tortilla over this and gently press down and the filling will gently fill out to the edges. Turn the quesadilla over and cook until this side crisps and browns. Remove and let cool.

Make the rest of the tortillas, filling and cheese into quesadillas. Once they are easy to handle and cooled down for a few minutes, halve or quarter them and serve with sour cream.

I have sent this recipe to Culinarty’s Original Recipes.

Tsatsiki with Pita

The two ingredients I always have in stock are cucumbers and yogurt. I usually end up making Raita with them, but I decided it was time I tried something new! Here is a greek classic that is totally addictive. Grilled pita bread goes great with this.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2  cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, grated
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
pita bread, toasted

Place a sieve over a small bowl. Line the sieve with cheese cloth. Pour yogurt on top, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight to drain. If you use greek yogurt it will be extra creamy. Sometimes greek yogurt is so expensive, so I tend to buy indian yogurt which is just as creamy and thick as greek but not as gooey as regular store bought.

Combine cucumber, dill, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic, salt and add to the yogurt. Season with a little pepper. Serve with toasted pita bread wedges.