Baked Homemade French Fries !

Who doesnt like french fries!! Especially when they are of reduced guilt. I would never say this is guilt-free but theses are certainly a healthier option compared to the deep fried ones. I hear someone saying how can you make french 'fries' without 'frying' them. I definitely assure that these were a close replica of the normal deep fried ones crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I made an Indian kinda seasoning with Indian spices. They turned out perfect and made a great meal with homemade burgers! I added spices and chilli powder to suit our taste, they can be varied according to your liking.


Ingredients

Russet Potatoes - 2 large ones (or any potato variety)
Salt to taste
Spices (I used coriander powder, chilli powder and cumin powder) - 1 teaspoon each
Oil - 2 tablespoons


Directions
Wash the potato. I left the skin on. You can peel it if you wish. Slice them into wedges of about half inch thick. Take care that they are about the same thickness so that they get baked evenly.

Bring a big pot of water to a boil and drop the sliced potatoes for about 4 minutes. They should be half-cooked. Remove them and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a bowl mix together the salt, oil and spices. Coat the potatoes evenly with the spice mixture by rolling them around with your hands.

Preheat oven to 450 degree F.



Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spread the potatoes evenly in a single layer.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss and turn the potatoes. Bake for another 10 minutes, until you see the potatoes beginning to brown.

Serve warm with ketchup!

Also do check out my
Oven Baked Potato Chips
Sweet Potato Fries


Sending this Oven baked french fries to Cooking for Kids: Evening Snacks started by Sharmi and being hosted this month in Dil Se..
And Sending this to Cook for Yourself event and
Food For 7 stages of life:Kids initially started by Radhika .

Basil RIce

This is a hearty flavorful rice made with fresh herbs. I used homegrown basil, mint and coriander. After making pesto with basil, I had a lot of basil leaves left-over. So I ventured into making basil rice for our lunchboxes. The subtle flavor of basil paired very well with flavorful mint and coriander. Any vegetables can also be added to make it more healthy. It is a one-pot meal and very easy to prepare. We had it with chips and cucumber raita.


Ingredients

Basil - 2 cups chopped
Mint - 1/2 cup chopped
Coriander/Cilantro - 1 cup chopped
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Garam masala - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1
Ginger - 1 inch minced
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cumin seeds /Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 3
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt to
Cashews roasted in ghee

Directions

Wash and soak the basmati rice for atleast 15 minutes. Wash the basil, mint and coriander/cilantro leaves and grind them into a coarse paste using a blender. In a pressure cooker or a deep bottomed vessel, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick and saute for a minute. Then add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and saute till they turn translucent. Add the slit green chillies and saute for a while. Add the ground basil-mint-coriander paste and green peas and saute until the raw smell goes away. Add the garam masala followed by the basmati rice. Saute until the entire mixture gets mixed with the rice. Add 3.5 cups of water. Cover and cook until the rice is done.
Garnish with roasted cashews.


Serve with raita and chips. The quantity of basil-mint and coriander can be adjusted according to availability and taste.

Here is a picture of my basil plant!

Sending this to Rice Feast hosted by Chaitra

Bread Pizza

I love making my own pizzas at home with several fun toppings. I try to make it more healthy my reducing the fat content and using whole wheat flour. I also experiment with various kinds of healthy toppings. I have also made tortilla pizza which is fun and easy to make as a simple starter or snack. This time I tried making the pizza with a bread as base. I used a whole wheat bread as a base. I also used a store bought pizza sauce. All I had to do was chop a handful of veggies, and assemble the ingredients. It is a matter of minutes and makes a great healthy snack.


It is a great way to sneak in veggies in a kids diet making it more appealing. There is no particular way to make this bread pizza / breadizza. But here is my version. you can experiment with your own favorite veggies.

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

Whole wheat bread - 2 slices
Veggies - 1/2 cup (combination of mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapenos, onions)
Pizza sauce / Marinara sauce - 3 tablespoons
Cheese - a handful. I used mozzarella
Butter - 1 teaspoon (optional)

Directions


Toast the bread with a little butter. Spread the pizza sauce on one side. and top with the chopped vegetables. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

For the finishing part. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese melts. Alternatively, you could microwave the bread for two minutes. Or you can heat the tawa till medium heat, place the bread pizza and cover with a lid until the cheese melts.

Serve warm!

Topping suggestions : Pineapple, olives, jalapenos, broccoli, tomatoes, capsicum etc.

Isnt it that simple!

Sending this to Cooking for Kids:Healthy Snacks being hosted in my blog and also to Sunday Snacks:Snack with bread hosted by Priya and started by Pallavi
And Sending this to Cook for Yourself event
Food For 7 stages of life:Kids initially started by Radhika .
Food for 7 stages of life hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

Show Me Your Sandwich Roundup

A big thanks to everyone who contributed to the Show Me Your Sandwich event. After the huge success of Show me Your Breakfast event I was encouraged to continue with the series. And here is the roundup of Show Me Your Sandwich!
Pavithra - Pesto Sandwich
Shanthi Krishnakumar - Simple veg sandwich



Ramki - 1001 Rolls
Sadhana - Tomato Cabbage omelette wholegrain sandwich



Jyoti V - Shallow Fried Hot Dog
Jyoti V - Deep Fried Hot Dog



Valarmathi - Palak paneer sandwich
Sudeshna - Boiled egg sandwich



Sudeshna - Egg Sandwich
Sushma Mallya - Chutney sandwich



Saraswathi Iyer - Veg sandwich
Mriganayani - Eggplant panini



Sushma Mallya - Double Decker Bread Chat
EC - Potato Breadizza



Sudha - Pickled Chicken Tortilla
Kanchan - Bombay toast sandwich



Priya Suresh - Chicken n veggies tortilla sandwich
Priya Suresh - Scrambled eggs and broccoli sandwich



Minu - Bhujia Sev sandwich
Minu - Dutch Waffles



Nutan dodbele - Masala sandwich
Jyoti V - Open sandwich indian style



Lakshmi Venkatesh - Toast Sandwich
Arti Agarwal - Potato Sandwich



Saraswathi Iyer - Veg Sandwich Toast
Bergamot - Whey Olive Foccacia Open Sandwich



Deepti Srivastava - Samosa sandwich
Nisha - Moong Salad Wrap Sandwich



Shri - Cilantro pesto-hummus sandwich
Vaishali - Cucumber sandwiches



Aqua - Egg and Tomato Sandwich with Eggless Mayonnaise
Nithi - Mr and Mrs.Marie sandwiches



Nithi - Desi monaco sandwich
Divya Vikram - Egg Cheese English Muffin Sandwich



Divya Vikram - Vegetable Club Sandwich
Divya Vikram - Lavash Falafel Wrap



Divya Vikram - Bottlegourd Wraps
Faiza Ali - Club Sandwich



And do check out the current events:
Show Me Your Omelette
Cooking For Kids : Evening Snacks

Arbi Fry

Arbi / Colocassia or Seppankizhangu is a starchy tuber similar to potato. It can be cooked in several different ways. Tastes best when roasted with several spice powders until crispy and served with some rice and dal. It can also be served with rotis and chapatis.

Ingredients
Arbi/Colocasia/Seppankizhangu - 1 lb / half kg
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 teaspoons

Directions

Boil the arbi in a pressure cooker for about one whistle. Peel the skin and cut each into quarters or into half inch thick pieces. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the start spluttering, add the chopped srbi along with the spice powders and salt. Shallow fry for about ten minutes until the spice powders coat the arbi and turn them crispy and golden brown. Serve warm with rice or rotis.