Mediterranean Fish En Papillote #FishFridayFoodie

French refer to parchment paper cooking as En Papillote means "In Paper". This method of cooking is healthy and cuts down the amount of fat / calories in the dish.  In this method the fish is place on a parchment paper and then folded and sealed. This is baked and hence the fish is juicy and tasty too.

Serves 1
Ingredients

165 Grams fillet of white fish - I used Surmai
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
1/4 Teaspoon Red Chilly Flakes
1 Clove of garlic - grated
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Tomato - Cut into thick roundel
1 Lemon - cut into roundel
1 Small Onion - Cut into thick roundel
1/4 of a Green Capsicum - Cut into thick roundel
2 Teaspoons Olives - sliced
2 Teaspoons Olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees . 

Take a 20-inch long piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil (foil is actually easier to use. So use it if you don’t have parchment), fold it in half, unfold, and place it on a foiled baking tray.

Wash and pat dry the fish fillet with a kitchen towel.Feel the fish on all sides and check to see if any thorns are still in it, remove them.  Score the fish with a knife lightly and then season it with salt, pepper, chilly flakes, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Keep it aside for at least 15 minutes.

Place 3 slices of lemon on the on right side of the parchment paper, then lay the seasoned fish fillet on it. Place the tomato slices on the fish, and then the onions, lime pieces, capsicum, scatter the olives. Pour the remaining seasoning on top of the veggies. 

Now, seal up the pouch.  Fold the parchment over on top of the fish. Starting at the top inner corner, fold and crimp the edges approximately every quarter-inch, until you’ve created a half-moon. Be sure the folds are well-creased, to keep the steam from pushing the pouch open in the oven.  I used beaten egg to seal the sides.  Brush the crimped edges with the egg wash well ( this will prevent the steam from pushing the pouch open).

Bake for  15 minutes. After 15 minutes place on broil at 200 degrees for 5 minutes.  Take the tray out of the oven. Slide the packet onto the plate, let it cool for 5 minutes then with a scissor make a cut on top let the steam escape and then tear it open fully. Serve and enjoy this healthy, light and juicy Mediterranean Fish En Papillote .

Sending this to Fish Friday Foodies - Host of the month Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories, theme  En Papillote. Thank you Karen for choosing such a healthy method of cooking. Enjoyed making and also eating Fish En Papillote for my lunch.

Labels :  Fish, Continental Cuisine, Healthy,Baked, Fish Friday,  Seafood/Fish, Mediterranean, Fish En Papillote, Parchment paper, Surmai Fish

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MURTABAK – A Savory Pan Fried Bread of SAUDI ARABIA

In Mena's Cooking Club, this month we are going to make a savory pan fried bread of Saudi Arabia called Murtabak .

Murtabak, is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread. The name Murtabak in Arabic means "folded". This is a savory pan fried bread filled with minced meat and eggs  which can be served as snack or a complete meal. This bread originated in Yemen, but  also spread to Asian Countries. 

Let's see the ingredients to make this....

Ingredients
For the covering

3 Cups All Purpose flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Warm Milk or Water to make a dough

For the Filling

500 Grams Minced Meat (mutton/beef/chicken)
2 Onions – finely chopped
1.1/2 Teaspoon Ginger - Garlic paste
4 Green chilies - finely chopped
2 Teaspoon Meat Masala powder
1.1/4 Teaspoon Chilly Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Oil
A pinch of Sugar

3 Tablespoon Coriander leaves – finely chopped
4 to 6 Eggs - beaten

For the Pickle

1 Small Cucumber
1 Small Onion
1 Tablespoon  Apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 Cup Water

A pinch of Salt

Method
First Let's Make the Pickle

Mix all the ingredients and keep in fridge.

To Make the Filling

To make the filling  I, used chicken mince.

 
Mix chili powder, turmeric, meat masala powder and ginger garlic paste with a little water to form a paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and saute till translucent, add masala paste and saute for 2 minutes then add the mince and saute till the colour changes. Add salt mix well cover and cook till the mince is done. Open and check if the mince is cooked and it is completely dry. Keep aside to cool. Add chopped coriander.

Let's Make the Dough

Sift the flour and salt together.

Take the flour, sugar, oil in a bowl and knead with milk (a little at a time) to make a soft and smooth dough. Let it rest covered for 30 minutes .

Let's Assemble the Murtabak
Divide dough into equal parts. Shape it into balls.

Divide the Mince into equal portions depending on the size of murtabak and dough balls.

Take a bowl beat an egg add a portion of filling, mix well.

Flatten each ball with a rolling pin into a medium thick roti. Add the egg filling in the middle of the flattened dough.

Fold the sides

Enclose the filling by wrapping completely.

Spread a little ghee in a frying pan place the murtabak and on medium flame fry one side till golden brown then

Turn it over and cook the other side. Keep frying and turning until both sides are crispy and golden.

Serve the Murtabak

with the pickle and tomato kethcup.... Enjoy!

Labels : Murtabak, Breads, Saudi Arabia, Continental Cuisine, Rotis, Chicken Mince, Mena Cooking Club

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Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach - Vegetarian

Rollatini is an Italian-style dish that is usually made with thin slices of eggplant, which are dusted in wheat flour or lightly breaded and covered with ricotta and often other cheeses and seasonings, then rolled up and baked ( taken from wiki).

This is a one dish meal and filling, we had this as our dinner with garlic bread.

Sending this to this month's BM week 3 - Do Eggplant Dishes.
The eggplant is sliced so thin (I used the V slicer for even thickness of slices)

Ingredients

2 Long Black Brinjals -  sliced lenthwise
1/2 Teaspoon  salt 

1/2 Teaspoons Fresh black pepper
1 1/2 cups  Marinara sauce - homemade
1/2 Cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 Cup  Cheeza Cheese - grated
1 Cup Blanched Spinach
1/2  Garlic  -  minced
1/3  Cup Mozzarella cheese - grated

1 Tablespoons Fresh Bread crumbs

1/2 Teaspoon each Oregano and Rosemary herb

Method
Cut the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slices .  I used the V slicer on the thick sides to get even slices. 

Sprinkle little salt to remove excess moisture and bitterness from the eggplants. Set aside for about 10 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Season the eggplant with a little pepper, then grease a frying pan and arrange eggplant is just tender for a minute on each side only. Then place the eggplants on a a absorbent paper towel to remove any oil. I used this method.

OR in the oven - arrange the slices on a greased baking tray for about 4 minutes on each side.

Mix the ricotta cheese, pepper to taste, garlic and spinach together and keep aside.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a greased baking dish. 

Dividing the ricotta-spinach mixture according to the slices of eggplant  (about a tablespoon each). 

Spoon onto one end of each eggplant slice, spreading to cover. 

Starting at the end, roll up slices and arrange them each seam side down in the prepared dish. 

Top with remaining marinara sauce and  grated cheeza. 

 mozzarella cheese and  again spinkle bread crumbs on top with  oregano and rosemary , tightly cover with foil.

Bake until the eggplant is very tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Devour the yummy rollatini

My Notes :

You must have  noticed that I have not added salt in the mixture, cause spinach has enough salt and even the ricotta cheese has some quantity of salt.  If you wish add salt but taste it then add.



Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

Labels : Brinjal, Continental Cuisine, Italy, Cheese, Baked, Vegetarian, Blogging Marathon, Marinara Sauce

Coddled Eggs With Mashed Potato

An egg coddler is a porcelain or pottery cup with a lid that is used to prepare a dish called coddled eggs. The eggs are soft-cooked and similar to poached eggs, but the eggs are cooked more slowly than a boiled egg.  We love to eat these eggs, once a month for a change instead of frying eggs for dinner, I make this.  Let's go to the recipe.

Sending this to this month's BM week 2 - Mug treats

Ingredients

3 Large Potatoes - boiled and mashed
2 Tablespoons Red and Green Capsicum - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Rosemary  - powdered
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
3 Eggs
3 Tablespoons Cheeza Cheese - grated
Salt & Pepper- to taste

Method
Mix together the mashed potatoes, capsicums, butter, rosemary, thyme and season with salt and pepper, mix well till you get a smooth consistency.

Butter 3 ramekins or small bowls ( I butter two bowls and one small cup cake mold).

Divide the potato mix equally in each bowl.

Crack an egg, carefully over the mashed potato in each bowl.

Sprinkle pepper to taste on the egg. 

Sprinkle a tablespoon of grated cheese in each bowl. Cover the bowl with an aluminum foil.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Place the bowls in a baking tray. Fill the tray with enough hot water making sure they come half way up the bowl. 

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the egg whites are set but the yolk is still soft.

Take it out of the oven and serve on its own or as a side to any meal.  

We have this for our dinner along with our sabzi - roti.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

Labels :  Continental Cuisine, Egg, Cheese, Potato, Blogging Marathon, Mug Treats

Mujaddara with Spiced Yogurt

My second recipe from this site Food 52 Weekly contest.  I, followed this recipe as given and turned out prefect and great.

Recipe source here
Serves 4

Ingredients 

3/4 Cup Puy lentils / Sabut Masoor
1/2 + 1/2  Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Basmati Rice
1.1/2 Cups Water

2 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
3 Onions  -  thinly sliced

For the Spiced Yogurt 

Ingredients1/2 Cup Hung Curds  
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon coriander powder 
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika powder 
3 Tablespoons Mint - chopped 
Juice and zest of half a lemon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt 

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Put lentils, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups water in a large pot/ vessel  and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer lentils until soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside. Rinse  the pot / vessel.

In the same pot,  add rice, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1. 1/2 cups water, set over medium heat, and bring to a boil. When water begins to boil, cover it, transfer to oven, and cook for 15 minutes, until perfectly cooked. Remove from oven, uncover, and fluff with a fork. Set aside.

While rice cooks, set a wide, deep saute pan over medium-low heat and add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter has mostly melted, add onions and toss to incorporate with butter and oil.
After 5 minutes, onions will have softened slightly and started to release their liquid. Raise heat to medium and cook 10 to 12 minutes more, until onions are very soft and browned. Add water by the tablespoon if pan gets too dry or if onions start to stick. When onions are well browned, add last tablespoon of olive oil and raise heat to high. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until bottom layer of onions has charred and crisped; try not to stir too much, or onions won't crisp up.
Combine rice, lentils, and most of the onions in large serving bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes, to blend the flavors together.  Taste, and add more onions if desired. 

Meanwhile, make the spiced yogurt: mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. 

If mujaddara has cooled significantly, reheat in a low oven or even in the microwave for a couple minutes. To serve, plate a big scoop of mujaddara and serve it with spiced yogurt.  Enjoy....

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

Labels : Rice, Sabut Masoor, Lentils, Yogurt, Vegetarian, Continental Cuisine, Lebanese, Blogging Marathon

Hafragrautur / Oats Porridge - Iceland

Hafragrautur, or oatmeal is a staple diet of Icelandic families.

Oats and water or milk are mixed in a pot, left to simmer. Hafragrautur is usually served with a sprinkle of brown sugar or  a handful of raisins or a small cube of butter. This bowl of porridge really brighten our day, because in our we love oats.

Week 4 day 5 of our Mega marathon and this week the theme is Breakfast from Countries.
Serving 3 Persons

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Oats
2 Cups Milk
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar ( or more according to your taste)
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Raisins - rinsed
A pinch of  freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Soak the oats in water for 3 - 4 minutes.

While the oats are soaking, bring the milk to a boil. When it begins to boil, add the soaked oats along with the liquid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 - 6 minutes or until the mixture becomes very thick.

Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg along with sugar and mix well. Serve it in a bowl spinkle brown sugar and raisins.

Have this comforting  and filling porridge warm.

Labels : Blogging Marathon, Breakfast, Healthy, Milk, Oats, Iceland, Continental Cuisine

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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Spanish Omelet - Spain

We are in the fourth week of our Mega marathon and this week the theme is Breakfast from Countries.

My third post is from Spain a country, recently visited and loved my stay there - the Tapas restaurants, the beautifully designed architectural buildings and other places. As usual enjoyed my food there but my hubby a veggie had to live on eggs and pastas. I even had to opportunity to visit a food festival and simply enjoyed it. Let's go to the post my hubby's favorite ...

Ingredients
2 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 Capsicum - finely sliced
1 Small Onion - finely sliced
1 Tablespoon Sweet corn - boiled
1 Large Mushrooms - sliced
2 Tablespoon Oil

Method
Beat the eggs with salt, pepper and milk well.

Heat a frying pan with oil, add the capsicum, onion, mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes then pour the eggs on it, spread the eggs evenly in the pan, cover and cook till done, and press gently. Remove it on a serving plate and serve hot with buttered toast. 

Labels : Breakfast, Egg, Healthy, Spain, Blogging Marathon, Continental Cuisine
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Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 56

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