Sweet Peppers Upside Down Cornbread

Every time I see cornbread in the cafe at work, I get excited since it looks so delicious. It was indeed delicious the first time I tried it there, but I was extremely disappointed the second (way too dry) and third (way too salty) time. Since then, I stopped getting it from the cafe, but every time I see it, I crave for some good cornbread! So a few weeks ago I decided to make some at home to satiate those cravings. I like adding veggies to cornbread (like these cornmeal muffins), but the only fresh vegetables I had on hand were mini sweet peppers. I decided to roast them a little to add some nice smokiness. Instead of chopping them up and adding to the batter, I lined them at the bottom of my baking pan, hoping they wouldn’t rise up while baking. Since cornbread batter is quite dense, it worked out just fine and the result was a lovely colorful upside down cornbread.

Ingredients:

~10 mini sweet peppers

Ingredients for cornbread from your favorite cornbread recipe. I used this cornmeal muffin recipe without the added veggies.

Wash and trim the stems of the sweet peppers. Slice vertically in halves or quarters (depending on the size of the peppers) and remove all seeds. In a nonstick pan, place the peppers skin side up in a single layer (you could use some oil/butter if needed, but generally they’re okay without it). Cover and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes until the peppers begin to brown. Flip them over and let the skin side get some char. Repeat until the peppers are soft to touch and have been browned on both sides.

Line a 8-9” baking pan with parchment paper. Lay down the peppers skin side down in the pan.

Prepare the cornbread batter, and gently pour it over the peppers. Bake as per cornbread recipe instructions (I baked mine at 400 F) until it is cooked through in the middle (test with a knife or toothpick).

Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before flipping it over and slicing the cornbread. Serve warm with a dab of butter.

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, March 21, 2016

Caprese Salad on a Stick

Summer is the time for picnics and potlucks. Taking advantage of the good weather, my Toastmasters club recently had an outdoor meeting in a park. We made it a potluck - because any gathering is better with food! Since we meet on a weekday, I had to think of something that was quick and easy to make. Typically I bake desserts for potlucks but I didn’t quite have the time for that, so I changed things up this time and brought a Caprese salad. Salad isn’t really finger food unless you put it on a stick! To make it easy to pick up and eat without utensils, I used a toothpick to hold the tomatoes and cheese. Not only is this bite sized snack easy to make, it is also summery with bright colors and juicy tomatoes, and the salad on a stick makes for a fun presentation.
 

Ingredients

~40 red cherry tomatoes (I used 20 red grape tomatoes cut in half)

~40 yellow cherry tomatoes

8oz fresh mozzarella balls (the ones that are stored in water in a small container). If you can find the tiny ones, those would be perfect, but I halved the larger ones and it worked just fine

Marinade

⅛-¼ cup olive oil

2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp chopped basil leaves (fresh works best!)

A pinch of salt

~1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Drain the mozzarella balls. Cut them in half if using the larger ones like I did. There were about 20 in the container, so I got 40 halves. Add the mozzarella balls to the marinade, coat evenly and let it rest for about half hour (or longer).

 

In the meantime, cut the red grape tomatoes in half breadthwise (not end-to-end). If using cherry tomatoes skip this step because they’re small enough.

To assemble, insert a toothpick through a red tomato (or half if using grape tomato), followed by a piece of marinated mozzarella cheese (gently squeeze out excess oil if needed), and then a yellow tomato. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Arrange on a plate and serve sprinkled with additional chopped basil leaves. You can also drizzle a balsamic reduction for extra tangy and sweet flavor. To make the reduction, heat ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar with a small pinch of sugar over low-medium heat until reduced to half. If it gets too thick, mix in some water or some of the marinade. Let it cool before drizzling on the tomatoes.

 

~Gayatri

Note: Leftover marinade can be used as a salad dressing.

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, September 17, 2015

Eggs Baked in Pepper Cups

Low carb, no added oil or sugar, packed with veggies, and very delicious! - eggs and vegetables baked in bell peppers make a healthy and satisfying meal. It’s a great way to incorporate different veggies, and can be easily customized to your taste or to whatever you have in the fridge.
 

Ingredients: (2 large servings)

2 bell peppers (any color)

½ cup chopped spinach

½ cup mushrooms - sliced

¼-½ cup broccoli florets

Grated cheese - any kind (optional - I didn’t use any)

2 eggs (or more if you prefer)

Salt, black pepper (to taste)

Chopped parsley/chives for garnish (optional)

Any other vegetables would work as well - I used what I had at hand.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Heat a pan over medium high heat and sauté the mushrooms and broccoli (I didn’t use any oil). Cut the tops off the peppers. Save it for a salad or just snack on it while the peppers bake :-). Remove the seeds. Make sure the peppers can stand upright on their own. If required slice off part of the bottom of the peppers (leaving the “pepper cup” intact).

Divide the spinach between the peppers. Add the sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle with some salt if the veggies are not seasoned. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The idea is to soften up the peppers a little and to let some of the water from the veggies evaporate so it doesn’t puddle up under the eggs. Remove the peppers from the oven.

Add the cheese to the cups if using. Break an egg into a small bowl and carefully transfer it to one of the peppers. Add the other egg to the other pepper.  If you like, you can add 2 eggs per pepper cup. Season with salt and pepper. Return the peppers back to the oven for another 20 - 25 minutes until the egg whites are set. Poke with a knife and check if you’re not sure.

Remove from oven and serve warm garnished with chopped herbs.

~Gayatri

Note: Slightly runny yolks work as a delicious sauce!

Other recipes you might like:
Stuffed peppers
Stuffed sweet cubanelles


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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, September 10, 2015

Asian Lasagna

A few years ago, we cooked a ‘mostly vegetarian’ Thanksgiving meal, with the star of our dinner being a zucchini lasagna. The Parmesan-vegetable sauce blanketing layers of zucchini, topped with mozzarella cheese was just what we needed for a scrumptious Thanksgiving meal. If prepped properly, the vegetables don’t get soggy, and form beautiful layers. Its a great substitute for pasta if you want a lighter, healthier lasagna.

This recipe is a similar preparation, but with an Asian twist! I used extra firm tofu along with vegetables - its the best thing to soak up all the amazing flavors from the marinade and the vegetables, and it firms up as it bakes making the texture quite delectable.

Ingredients (For a 9x13 baking pan: ~10 servings)

For the layers

1 large eggplant

3 small-medium zucchini squash (I used 2 green + 1 yellow)

1 medium carrot

3-4 radishes

14 oz (or more) extra firm tofu

For the sauce

16 oz mushrooms (finely chopped - I used food processor)

5-6 green onions (separate the onion bulb from the shoots and slice the onion part for the sauce, reserving the shoots for marinade and/or garnish; Can also use regular onion chopped)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp grated ginger (or ginger powder)

1 tsp sesame oil (or olive oil)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

For marinade (Adjust ingredients to taste if required)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp honey

sliced green onions (optional)

Prepping the veggies for layering:

This step is required to remove excess water from the vegetables so that they don’t get soggy while baking. It can be done in a pan on the stovetop, or in the oven. Since the volume was quite high, I decided to use the oven for this.

Slice the eggplant about ⅛ - ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with some salt and lay them on paper towels. Put some weight on eggplant slices to let some of the moisture drain out.

Slice the zucchini ⅛ - ¼ inch thick. I decided not to slice them lengthwise, but that would also work. Sprinkle with just a little bit of salt.

Spread out the eggplant and zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet if possible (it’s okay if it overlaps though). Preheat oven to 400 F and roast the eggplant and zucchini for ~20 minutes until they are a little tender (they will cook more later, so don’t keep them in too long).

Thinly slice the carrots and radishes.

Prepping the tofu:

While the veggies are roasting, drain and squeeze the block of tofu; cut it into ¼ inch slices. I like to squeeze out water one more time after slicing. Mix all the marinade ingredients, and let the tofu soak in the marinade for ~20-30 minutes.

Making the sauce:

Heat sesame oil on medium heat, add the onions, ginger, garlic. Saute for a minute, then add the mushrooms and cook uncovered stirring frequently till the moisture from the mushrooms is reduced. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and honey, adjusting to taste. The sauce shouldn’t be very liquidy.

Assembling:

Line a baking dish (I used a 9x13 pan) with aluminum foil (it’s okay not to, just makes cleanup easier). Spread a thin layer of the mushroom sauce on the bottom. Lay down marinated tofu in a single layer, followed by a layer of eggplant slices. Top that with a layer of zucchini, another thin layer of mushroom sauce, and then the carrots and radishes. Repeat layering the eggplant-zucchini-sauce-carrots-radishes until you run out (I got 2 layers). Top with the remaining tofu (I was just short of a complete layer). Spoon over about ¼-⅓ cup of the leftover marinade evenly on top.

Baking!

Bake in preheated oven (400 F) for 25-30 min until all the vegetables are cooked through and there aren’t any noticeable pools of liquid.

Remove from the oven, let it stand for a few minutes, then slice and serve topped with more marinade if desired.

Serving suggestion:

I served this Asian lasagna with a simple coleslaw salad tossed with a lemon-ginger dressing. However, it would go very well with rice or noodles. The marinade is quick and easy to make, and can be used as a sauce for the noodles or rice.

~Gayatri

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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, August 6, 2015

Garlicky Oven-roasted Asparagus

I always try to make balanced meals, with good portions of protein and vegetables. With time in short supply, however, I rarely have time to prepare interesting veggies and generally resort to the steam-in-a-bag frozen peas, corn, or green beans. On occasion, though, I plan well enough to be able to cook some fresh vegetables, which always taste better than frozen! I especially love asparagus because it’s super healthy (good source of fiber and vitamins A, C, E, K; contains antioxidants; low in calories) and there’s not much chopping involved. This method of preparing asparagus has quickly become a go-to for dinner, and it could easily be applied to other fresh veggies, such as zucchini, summer squash, or green beans.

 

Ingredients:

1 large bunch (~2 lbs) asparagus

~2 TBSP canola oil (or oil of choice)
~1 tsp ground black pepper
~1-2 TBSP ground or minced garlic

Preheat oven to 425F. In a bowl or plastic bag, combine the oil and spices.
 



Rinse the asparagus and chop off about 1.5 inch off the woody base. Place asparagus in the bag, seal, and shake well so that each stalk is coated. Lay the asparagus in a foil or parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, per desired crunchiness or softness.

Let cool a few minutes, then serve up as a delicious side for any meal!

~Karla


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Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Balsamic stir-fried vegetables

This recipe is inspired from my impatience and Karla’s delicious balsamic marinated mushroom and bell pepper sandwiches. To cut down the time between me and the tangy, delectable vegetables, I decided to use the marinade for making a stir fry. Since the marination time was omitted, I chopped the vegetables smaller to make sure they soak up the flavor from the sauce. Just like the previous recipe, any crunchy vegetables like carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas etc. would work well in this recipe. 

Ingredients: (Makes ~1.5 cups of stir fry)

~8 mini sweet peppers - seeded and julienned

½ cup shredded carrots

white/portobello mushrooms - sliced (need to check package size at walmart)

1 clove of garlic - chopped / 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

½ tsp olive oil

salt (or a drizzle of soy sauce)

black pepper

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

For the Marinade

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp honey mustard (or other type of mustard)

½ tsp olive oil
lemon juice (optional) - Balsamic vinegar made it tart enough for me, so I didn't add any lemon juice, but if you like it more tangy, add lemon juice to taste.

To make the marinade mix all the ingredients. If required, adjust the quantities as per your liking.

Saute the mushrooms and garlic with ½ tsp oil (just enough to prevent the mushrooms from sticking to the pan until they start sweating) over medium heat. Depending on how soft you like your carrots you can add them while the liquid from mushrooms is reducing. To keep the crunch in the peppers, add them when most of the liquid has evaporated. Add about 2 tbsp of the marinade. Season with salt/soy sauce and pepper. Keep cooking over medium high heat stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes, until the liquid evaporates and the veggies get a little charred (but not burned!). Mix in toasted sesame seeds and take pan off the heat.

Serving suggestions: 

1. Serve as is with the remaining marinade drizzled on top. 
   

   
   

 

2. Make a delicious sandwich! - I used mini ciabatta rolls, spread a little bit of the marinade on one side, topped with a couple pieces of lettuce, a simple chive omelette, and the crunchy stir fried vegetables - so many different textures!
   
   

These little colorful sandwiches are packed with a lot of flavor. This is definitely my favorite way of eating the vegetable stir-fry.

~Gayatri

Adobo-don

It’s the Filipino Godfather of chicken dishes. Get it? Don…Godfather…

Actually, “don” in this case comes from the Japanese donburi, meaning “rice bowl dish,” and one of my husband’s standby’s when we go to our favorite Japanese restaurant is katsu-don (pork rice bowl). One of his other favorite meals is adobo (uh-doh-boh), a traditional Filipino dish made from pork or chicken stewed in a spiced vinegar-soy broth. One evening while making adobo, he proposed combining the two, so with the addition of some leeks and onions, Adobo-don was born!

Ingredients

12-16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 bunch of leeks

1 bunch of green onions

1-2 small sweet onions

½ cup soy sayce

¾ cup vinegar

1½ cups water

Black pepper

Garlic powder

Canola oil

Rice (I prefer brown)

 

Making the adobo

Layer the bottom of a large pot with chicken. Dust with pepper and garlic. Add another layer of chicken, and again season with pepper and garlic. Repeat until all the chicken is in the pot. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar and water and add to the pot, making sure all the pieces of chicken are submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce to med-lo and cook for about an hour.

Making the “don”

Prepare rice according to directions on the package.

While the rice and chicken are cooking, prepare the leeks. They can be especially dirty, so after rinsing the outside and shedding some of the outer layers (much like lettuce) I like to slice them length-wise in quarters so I can rinse between the inner layers as well. Chop off the root end and the super green top ends, keeping the white part and about 2-3 inches of green. Chop these remaining parts of the leeks into segments about 3 inches long. Rinse the green onions and similarly chop them into 3-inch segments, discarding the root end. Coarsely slice the sweet onions into strips approximately the same size as the leeks and green onions.

Sauté the leeks, onions, and green onions in about 3 tablespoons of canola oil until they are soft. Add a few ladles of the chicken broth (once the chicken is done cooking) to the vegetables for flavor, and season with additional garlic powder and a sprinkling of soy sauce as desired.

A chicken bowl you can’t refuse!

Now it’s time to assemble the bowls! Rice on the bottom, followed by some vegetables, then top with a few piece of chicken, adding some adobo broth for more flavor and moisture. Then enjoy the bowl of deliciousness!

~Karla

Stuffed Peppers

Sadly, there isn’t a particularly noteworthy back-story for posting this recipe. I simply wanted to try my hand at stuffed peppers. I’ve had lots of stuffed vegetables before – stuffed zucchini in Italy that was to die for, stuffed baby eggplants that I still need to learn from Gayatri how to make, stuffed tomatoes, etc. Peppers seemed like a good place to start – mix a bunch of stuff together, put inside peppers, and bake. Easy, right? Right! :-)

Ingredients

6-8 bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange all taste better than green, in my opinion)

~2 lbs ground turkey

~ ½ - ¾ cup chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)

~2 cups cooked brown rice (I used 2 bags of the 10-minute boil-in-a-bag kind)

~ ½ cup chopped onion (I usually use dried)

Black pepper to taste

Ground red pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

~ ¾ - 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

~2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Small jar pimientos (optional)

Low-fat or fat-free Feta cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the peppers in half and clean out the insides. Place them cut-side-up on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

While the peppers are baking, cook the ground turkey in a pan or skillet over med-hi heat. Add in the spinach, chopped onions and spices. The brown rice can also be cooked at the same time according to the boil-in-a-bag directions (bring water to a boil in a pot, add the rice – still in the bag – and let boil for 10 minutes). When the rice is done, drain the water. In a large bowl, mix the turkey and rice, and stir in the ricotta cheese. Add pimientos and Feta cheese if desired.

After the un-stuffed peppers have baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and let cool before stuffing. Stuff each pepper – be sure to get filling into every nook and cranny! You will more than likely have a bunch of extra filling that can be used to make delicious wraps, sandwiches and pasta.

Top the stuffed peppers with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake the stuffed peppers for another 15-20 minutes. Let cool before serving…then enjoy!

~Karla