Broccoli pepper and cheese Breakfast casserole

 Bell Pepper, Breakfast/Brunch, Broccoli, Diabetes Friendly, Egg, Phase 1, South Beach Diet
Jan 082013
 

broccoli cheese casserole1

This breakfast casserole is a quick and easy way of serving a breakfast for a crowd. It is a great alternative to making individual omelettes or baking a big quiche, its a very dish to put together and wins rave reviews when put on the table. This, plus toast or waffles, a gallon of orange juice should make your guests say ‘wow’. The best thing about this dish is that it reheats really well, so you an even bake it ahead of time and reheat it. This also is a great dish to bring to a potluck, and would be a great welcome compared to the usual suspects.

The added advantage: This is an extremely healthy dish, and the recipe is actually adapted from one of the SBD cookbooks. If you were to just eat a slice of this for breakfast, you are starting the new year off in style and in health. I have made this several times and have always loved it. You can change this recipe around by using veggies you like. Spinach and mushrooms are some of the substitutes I have tried and liked.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup 1 % milk
1/3 cup part skim ricotta
2 tbsp chickpea flour/besan
6 large eggs
2 large egg whites(1/4 cup, if using out of a carton)
3/4 tsp salt
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped broccoli, defrosted
1 large red pepper chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
freshly cracked black pepper
non stick cooking spray

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Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

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Place the eggs and the egg whites in a bowl, beat with a whisk to break up the eggs, and beat until its frothy. Add the ricotta cheese and beat it to incorporate. Add salt and chickpea flour/besan and combine. Use a paper towel to absorb any water from the defrosted broccoli. Stir in the broccoli, chopped red bell pepper and the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle in the freshly cracked black pepper. Stir to combine and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Baked in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until the casserole is set and a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.

Let cool, cut into slices and serve.

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Verdict: Fluffy, creamy eggs that are guilt free and nutritious. If you have a new year resolution to eat breakfast everyday and a healthy breakfast too, this recipe is for you!

Sending this delicious breakfast to:
- Healthy Appetite
- Mission Breakfast
- New U 2013
- Lets Cook: Healthy Breakfast
- Bake Fest #15
- Cook like a Celebrity Chef

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Broccoli Bell Pepper Zunka

 Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Diabetes Friendly, Phase 2, South Beach Diet, Varuval/Poriyal
Mar 292012
 

If you’re wondering what ‘Zunka’ is, like I did…here is a little intro: Zunka is traditional Maharashtrian dish, where vegetables are sauteed and then sprinkled with a spicy chickpea mixture, such that the chickpea mixture forms a crust around the veggies, adding flavor and texture to the veggies. It was originally devised by Marathi housewives as a way to ‘stretch the buck’, since chickpea flour was much cheaper and ready available than fresh vegetables and would help put enough of the dish on the table to feed a large family. This is now a tradition in most Maharashtrian homes, and not just for the ‘money saving’ attributes mentioned above. :)

Any vegetable you have on hand or a combination of veggies can be used. Typical choices tend to be: Bell pepper, Cabbage, Okra etc. I have used Broccoli and sweet Red bell pepper here. This is a dry vegetable dish and can be used as a side for rice or roti.

Ingredients:
2 heads Broccoli, cut into bite sized florets
1 large red pepper, cut into cubes
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 tsp asafoetida
1/2 cup chickpea flour(besan)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp salt, or to taste.

Method:
In a bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, turmeric powder, garam masala, chilli powder and coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Add the remaining tbsp of oil and mix it thoroughly with your fingers into the flour mixture. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add the garlic and asafoetida. Stir to infuse the oil with the flavor of garlic and asafoetida. Add the broccoli florets and saute for 2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and stir fry for another couple of minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt and stir. The veggies will let out water. Stir fry the veggies, don’t cover – because that will steam the veggies and not have them crispy.

Gently sprinkle the chickpea flour mixture on top of the veggies and toss to coat. The flour will stick to the veggies. Keep sprinkling and stirring and slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the veggies. It will appear that you have more chickpea flour than is needed, but the idea is to coat the flour over the veggies and in the nooks and crannies that the broccoli florets have. Sprinkle and saute until the entire flour mixture is used up. Keep on medium flame and cook such that the chickpea flour forms a crust over the veggies, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with roti or rice and dhal.

Verdict: This was a delicious side dish and a great way to eat broccoli. I was picking off pieces from the bowl while taking the pictures. It reminded me of a pakora or bajji, without the excess oil. It is important to keep the broccoli and the bell pepper crunchy and not get mushy to truly savor this dish. The dish presents varied flavors and textures – with the bell pepper rendering a sweet taste in combination with the spicy chickpea covering. Add to the fact that this dish is rich in protein from the chickpea flour and essential nutrients from the veggies. Could make a great filling for a wrap too.

I am submitting this delicious dish to our own event: ‘Serve it – Stir Fried’, happening here at OhTastenSee and Krithi’s Kitchen. Also to:
1. Bon Vivant – Savory Moments
2. ‘CC – Vegan Diet: Only Plant Based’
3. Holi Fest – Colorful Palette
4. My Legume Love Affair #45 even series by Susan of ‘The Well Seasoned Cook’.
5. Comfort Food
6. Healthy Morsels – Pregnancy

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Not your regular Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 Broccoli, Cheese, Phase 1, Soups, South Beach Diet
Nov 042011
 

Broccoli maybe one of the most detested vegetables..universally. It is so not the case in our house, I buy broccoli, almost every time I go grocery shopping and my toddler son just loves it. Serve it steamed, roasted, in a sandwich or in a soup – it is always a sure hit. Come fall season, we automatically reach for warm, comforting foods – and there is no better dish to fit this bill than a soup. This soup is particularly filling and also healthy from the addition of white cannelini beans. Even if you don’t like broccoli, try it in this creamy soup, and you will really like it. :)

Ingredients:
1 large head of broccoli, chopped(approximately 3-4 cups chopped broccoli)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 can cannelini beans/white navy beans
extra cheese, for garnish.

Method:
Heat the oil and butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until soft and translucent. Add the chopped broccoli and the broth. Let cook until the broccoli florets are tender. Open the canned cannelini beans and rinse thoroughly. Add this to the broth and simmer for another couple of minutes. Puree the entire mixture either by transferring to a blender or using an immersion blender. Return the puree to the pan again, add the milk and the cheddar cheese and let simmer until the cheese melts. Serve hot, with a garnish of grated cheese!

Notes:
* You can add grated carrots along with the cheddar. It adds taste and also adds an extra orangey look to the soup.
* You may use a package of frozen chopped broccoli, instead of fresh, it doesn’t make a difference in the taste of the soup.
* For a richer soup, add half and half or cream to the soup instead of the milk

Verdict: This was the perfect soup for the weather we are having right now. Smooth and creamy, gooey and cheesey, rich and comforting! Not to mention that it is protein rich from the beans, calcium rich from the cheese and milk and vitamin rich from the broccoli itself. It was quite filling, with a side of bread and some fruit, made for a nice weekday dinner. YUMMY..

 

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