Chickpea Salad in Parmesan Bowl by him :-)

Hope you all had a beautiful weekend! We had a lovely time over Diwali, had loads of good food and sweets and the icing on the cake was that my hubby made this recipe for me over the weekend. I really really loved this one. He is a cheese freak and I am turning into one too, well, trying to...I do not like all varieties yet, especially the strong and pungent ones, but have definitely developed a taste for many kinds of cheeses. 

This parmesan cheese bowl tastes absolutely fantastic, it's easy to make and looks great too. It's also always an eye-catcher when we invite people over for a meal. You can also shape it almost any way you want while its still hot. It needs to be eaten fresh, however - the same day is fine, overnight it becomes dry and hard.

The cheese bowls work very well with any kind of salad or pasta. We had some chickpeas and some greens lying aruond, so used these in the salad. Other types of hard cheeses generally also work (but not all, so be careful!) - but the unique taste of parmesan makes it unequalled.

Of course, the best part about this recipe was...He did all the cooking, I was pampered like a child, and I totally loved it !!! :-)

Ingredients for the salad

1 cup - chickpeas, boiled

100 gram - corn salad / lamb's lettuce (Feldsalat)

1 - yellow tomato, chopped

walnuts, roughly chopped

For the dressing

4 tbsp - balsamico vinegar

4 tbsp - chilli oil

1 tbsp - honey (more or less)

salt and pepper to taste

(to be mixed together)

For the cheese bowl

120 grams - parmiggiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

Method 

1. Mix the ingredients of the salad, except the walnuts in a bowl, toss in the dressing and let it stand for 15-20 mins.
2. Spread the grated cheese on a non stick pan in a rough circle, 15cm to 20cm in diameter, according to the size of the pan and the size of the bowl you want.
3. Place the pan on a medium flame and let the cheese cook for a minute to a minute and a half, until it turns slightly brownish and stops "sweating" oil. 
4. Carefully remove the cheese with a spatula. Immediately, while still hot, place the cheese "plate" onto the backside of a bowl (or any other shape you want). 
5. Press very gently into the shape of the bowl with a piece of tissue paper or a napkin.
6. Remove carefully and let the cheese bowl cool and harden for a few minutes.
7. Fill in the salad into the bowl, garnish with the walnuts, and serve!

Enjoy!

Cornflake Capers

After tons and tons of unhealthy (but yummy!) food during the vacation, I was yearning for something healthier. And my wardrobe and waistline were challenging me as well. Having already been dubbed a cow by my family for my love of green leaves, I decided to do something different. 

This is a very simple and quick recipe - and healthy as well - the capers are full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, apples are always good and I used organic cornflakes without sugar and salt. If you use "normal" cornflakes, reduce the amount of salt.

Ingredients 

1 - apple, chopped

2 tbsp - capers

1 - cucumber small size, chopped

2 - tomatoes medium size, chopped

2/3 cup - corn, boiled

2 tbsp - coriander leaves, chopped

1 cup - organic cornflakes (without sugar n salt)

For the dressing

2 tbsp - coriander chutney

1 bsp - ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp - honey

1/4 tsp - rock salt

4  tsp - lemon juice

a generous pinch of - red chilli flakes (adjust according to your taste)

salt to taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Toss in the dressing and serve immediately.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Feta Nuggets on a Bed of Salad

With our love for green leaves, my husband and I could almost put cows to shame....if we do not have salad for a few days, both of us start displaying withdrawal symptoms. Cheese is not too far behind on the pecking order - at least for my husband, though I am more selective when it comes to cheese. I do love Feta, however, so putting the two together was but a natural consequence, especially after we ate something similar at the neighborhood restaurant.

By the way....guess what we are having for dinner tonight??? :-)

Ingredients 

4 handfuls - mixed salad greens ( mixed pack of endive and frisee)

2 handfuls - radicchio, cleaned, washed and dried

1 medium size - carrot, peeled and grated

3-4 - cocktail tomatoes, quartered

200 gram - feta cheese 

1/4 cup - bread crumbs

a few drops of olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil 

Dressing 

4 tbsp - olive oil

4tbsp - balsamic vinegar

3tbsp - honey

salt and pepper to taste 

Whisk together eveything in a bowl/jar and adjust the flavours if needed.

Method

1. Cut the feta cheese into squares, drizzle a few drops of olive oil over them and apply the bread crumbs. Coat them well.  
2. Heat a non-stick pan, and pan fry feta cheese using 1 tsp olive oil until brown.
3. In a bowl, add the salad greens, radicchio,carrots, tomatoes and toss in the dressing. Add the feta cheese and serve immediately.

This goes to Sudeshna's Salad Carnival 

and to Divya's Show Me Your Salad

Enjoy and have a great weekend:)