Mexican vegetarian lasagna

2015 .... a first post in the new year.... haven't been blogging ...though I cooked and tried a lot of old and new recipes in the final months of 2014. I find photographing difficult in my kitchen here.... I do not have any natural light.... but, hoping to change and blog more, about the recipes I learnt.

Asian cuisine ingredients are difficult to find here, but you can easily get mexican cuisine stuff. I have started liking mexican food here....and this is one of the mexican inspired recipes.... I have used some store bought ingredients for it, but you can make the sauces at home too. It feeds many and a good recipe to take to a potluck.

Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas 1 pack -- I used about 18 for 3 layers
  
• Picante sauce -- I used Pace brand available in my grocery store, about 1.5 cups
• Salsa sauce -- I used Red Gold medium spicy, about 1.5 cups
• 1 can -- black beans
• 1 can -- pitted and sliced black olives
• 1 red onion
• 200 grams button mushrooms
• 1 green capsicum
• 3 small carrots
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups mixed mexican/southwestern blend cheese
•  5 cloves garlic
• 2-3 green chilies
• 2 avocadoes
• salt and pepper and about 1-2 tsp olive oil

Recipe:

• Prep and chop the fresh ingredients. Peel and grate the garlic. Wash vegetables and chop the onions, garlic, chilies, mushrooms, capsicum. Defrost the corn.

• Heat the oil in the pan.
• Saute the chopped onions, till they are translucent.

• Add the garlic, chilies, capsicum, carrots, mushrooms and finally the corn.

• Keep sauteing on medium heat till the vegetables are cooked. Add salt and pepper and keep them aside to cool.

• Cut the corn tortillas in half and heat them on a skillet for about 30 seconds each side.

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
• Assemble the lasagna.
• Take a glass or metal baking pan. (I used 13*9 glass pan). Layer the bottom of the pan with 2-3 tbsp of salsa sauce.
• Place the corn tortilla halves in single layer on the salsa.
• Spread 2-3 tbsp of picante sauce on top of the tortillas.
• Spread the prepared vegetable layer.
• Sprinkle beans and olives.
• Finally, add cheese.
• Repeat all the layers. 
• I made about 3 layers.

• Top the lasagna with picante sauce and more cheese and olives.
• Bake for about 30-35 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the lasagna in hot oven for about 5 minutes.
• Take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes more.

• Garnish with chopped avocados and /or sour cream. 

• Serve hot.

Quantity:

• Makes about 8-10 servings.

Notes:

• You can make it with chicken mince. Add about 2 cups of chicken mince to the vegetarian ingredients.
• You can use either salsa or picante, or both.
• Increase or omit cheese and avocados.
• Also, a big tip is to top the lasagna with avocado slices just before serving. Cut the avocados only when you are going to serve. If u leave them they will turn black soon.  (as you see in the following picture )

Tofu coconut noodles

I have been missing Asian food here. Authentic Japanese, Chinese or Thai restaurants...especially thai..... and also thai ingredients..... Things like lemon grass, lime leaves, galangal and basil leaves. Last week, I came to know that my friend Ruchi has a "basil" potted plant at home. She offered the use of her plant and leaves....at my disposal..and as I was craving for some thai inspired meal.... I cooked these noodles....with the ingredients, I found here...

Ingredients:

• 400 gms angel hair or regular spaghetti noodles ( fresh or dried egg noodles would be nice)
• 300 grams of extra firm tofu
  
• green capsicum -- 1 medium sized
• red onion --1 medium sized
• carrot -- 1 medium sized
• frozen corn -- 1/2 cup
• garlic -- 6 cloves
• ginger -- 1 inch piece
• coconut milk -- 1/4 cup
• green chili -- 2-3 according to taste
• oil -- 1 tbsp
• soya sauce -- 1 to 2 tbsp
• spring onion  -- 2 
• basil leaves -- 7 to 8 leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

• Remove tofu from the package and put it in 2-3 paper towels so as to drain the water. Keep aside.
• Boil spaghetti or egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain and wash with cold water and keep aside.
• Chop the onion, capsicum and carrot to long pieces. Grate the ginger and garlic. Chop chilies. Defrost the corn. Keep aside.
• Heat oil, add onion. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Then add capsicum, carrot. Stir-fry till it is soft and cooked another 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies.

• Add frozen corn, mix well. Add soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.

• Chop tofu to half inch cubes. Add to the vegetable mix. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

• Add the boiled spaghetti/noodles and mix everything well. Keep the heat medium high.

• Add coconut milk and chopped basil leaves and turn off the heat. Mix.

• Add more salt, pepper and soy sauce if required.
• Garnish with chopped spring onion.

• Serve hot off the pan.

Quantity:

• 3-4 servings

Notes:

• I have used italian dried spaghetti noodles. You can use asian egg or rice noodles.
• You can also use buckwheat/soba noodles or glass rice noodles.
• You can add different vegetables like mushrooms, beans or cabbage.... or even chicken or shrimp.
• You can add fish sauce, about a tbsp along with the soy sauce.

Punjabi Tinda Stir-fry

American supermarkets have different vegetables than what I have been using in Asia(like asparagus, brussel sprouts, kale, different salad leaves). Also, Indian grocery stores here do not have as many fresh vegetables as the stores/market in Singapore. (atleast, my store doesn't stock them). However, the indian grocery store near my place stocks up on variety of Indian vegetables in the frozen section. Some of which, I haven't seen in years. Such a vegetable is "punjabi tinda" ...!!  I have never seen this vegetable before, even back in India.

The tinda and plural called tinday (in Urdu ٹنڈه or ٹنڈے), also called Indian round gourd or apple gourd or Indian Baby Pumpkin, is a squash-like cucurbit grown for its immature fruit, a vegetable especially popular in South Asia. It is the only member of the genus Praecitrullus. "tinda" is also called "tindsi" in rajasthan. In Marathi, it is called Dhemase ढेमसे. In Sindhi language, it is called Meha ميها.

The plant is, as with all cucurbits, a prolific vine, and is grown as an annual. The fruit is approximately spherical, and 5–8 cm in diameter. The seeds may also be roasted and eaten. Tinda is a famous nickname among Punjabi families in India. This unique squash-like gourd is native to India, very popular in Indian and Pakistani cooking with curry and many gourmet dishes. Green colored, apple sized fruits are flattish round in shape and 50-60 grams in weight. Plants are vigorous, productive and begin to bear fruits in 70 days after planting. Information source " wikipedia" 

I actually confused it with "tendli" or "tindora" ... which is a different vegetable and i have another "recipe" for it on my blog. The recipe for this vegetable, I made up while cooking and adding the ingredients which i thought would go well and were available in my fridge/pantry. I came to know through my friends that it's not very popular vegetable... people either like it or don't !!!  :) So, if u do not like tinda, do try out this recipe with regular favorites like potato or green peas or beans. 

Ingredients:

• about 340 grams(12 oz. ) bag of frozen "tinda" (fresh would be nice)
• 1/2 red onion
  
• 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut(or frozen)
• 2/3 pieces of garlic
• 1 red dried chili
• 1-2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp each of coriander and cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp of garam masala
• lemon juice ... a few drops
• coriander leaves to garnish

Recipe:

• Keep the frozen tinda bag out on the kitchen counter for about 15/20 mins, so that the vegetable gets thawed. Also keep the frozen coconut to thaw.
• If using fresh vegetable, wash the vegetable well and chop in 4 pieces.
• Chop the red onion to long slices.
• Combine the freshly grated coconut, garlic and red chili in a blender or food processor and process it for half a minute. It will come together as a coarse paste. I used a chutney made from these ingredients and a few more. 
• Heat a skillet with a tsp or two of oil.
• Add cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add the chopped onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes till the onions are translucent and slightly browned. 

• Add the coconut-garlic-chili paste and saute further on moderate heat for 2-3 minutes.

• Finally, add the tinda and mix well.
• Add about 1/4 cup of water. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook for 5/7 minutes till the vegetable is tender. 

• Add salt and garam masala.

• Turn off the heat and add few drops of lemon juice.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Quantity:

• 2-3 servings with other accompaniments like roti/rice/salad/dal, etc

Notes:

• Can be made with other vegetables like green peas/ green beans/ potatoes, etc.
• I have used a coconut chutney (dosa chutney) instead of fresh coconut/garlic.

Bharvan bhindi / Stuffed okra

Bhindi or lady's finger as it is popularly known in India, is my favorite vegetable. It makes a very tasty stir fried dry vegetable(side) in an Indian meal. A few weeks ago, I had seen a very tasty picture on this blog, and I wanted to make this recipe. However, it took me a long time to find the picture again. When I read the recipe, I realised I use the same stuffing for brinjals(eggplants). So, I knew that the recipe would be a success.....:) 

Roasted Vegetables and pasta salad

I had seen a recipe of roasted vegetable pasta on my friend Gayatri's blog here and wished to make it. I usually like to make my meals which are kid friendly, yet full of vegetables. So pasta is liked by all and this recipe is a winner with the kids and the adults. I have used colourful pasta spirals, but any  pasta can be used like penne, fusilli, rotelle or shell shaped ones.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

A simple everyday recipe. I had a few vegetables and a pack of chicken which needed to be used and not a lot of time, before my kids came home hungry for lunch. This is my quick-fix recipe, when I am short of time and need hot food in a hurry. I washed and cleaned the rice and put it in a microwave-safe bowl and set it to a 22 minute timer and started chopping the ingredients. This recipe was done just after the rice was done... so give or take 30 minutes from start to finish. It can be made faster, if u chop the ingredients in a food processor....