Chocolate Rolls

Phyllo sheets can be used to make lots of delicious dishes.. Here is a quick and tasty dessert.
I made these rolls for my friends and they loved it :) :)

Things Needed:
6 phyllo sheets (or more if you want more rolls)
Melted unsalted butter - half stick
Chocolate chips - half pack

Method:
Cut the phyllo sheets into 3 rectangles. Each rectangle will look like the picture below.

Take one piece and brush melted butter on the sheet and fold once to form a square.

 Place chocolate chips along the center of the square and fold once to form a triangle.

Then roll and place in a baking tray. Repeat for each piece of phyllo.









Bake at 275 for 15 mins or till the rolls turn a pleasant brown and smell like delicious pastry.

Cool and serve.. My friends loved it and I'm sure it will be a crowd pleaser. 

Salmon Cakes with Aioli dip

We recently went to the REI members event where they had a few finger foods and one of them were these yummy looking tiny crab cakes that were out of the world..So I came back home totally wanting to make something similar..I dint have crab at home but had some left over salmon from making fish puttu the other day. So I decided to make salmon cakes instead..
This is a healthy and utterly delicious recipe that just will make your taste buds very happy!!

Ingredients:
Salmon, cooked, shredded - 1 lb
Onion, large, finely chopped - 1/2 no
Bell Pepper, finely chopped - 1/2 no
Eggs, slightly beaten - 2
Garlic powder - 1tsp
Worcestershire sauce - 1Tbsp
Hot sauce - 1/2 Tbsp (or to taste)
Old bay seasoning - 1/2 Tbsp
All purpose seasoning - 2 tsp (opt)
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Pepper - 2-3tsp
Mayo - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 1/2 Tbsp
Olive oil -
Salt, to taste

For Garlic Lemon Aioli Dip:
Garlic pods, crushed - 2
Mayo - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Pepper - 1 pinch
Capers - 1 Tbsp (optional)

 

Method:

1. Roast salmon in very little oil in a flat pan until completely cooked and slightly golden on both sides. Remove from pan, cool and shred into small pieces once cooled.
2. In the same pan, add butter, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and add the onions and bell peppers, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder and all the seasonings, salt, pepper and let it cook until soft and slightly golden. Once done, remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together salmon, onion mixture, beaten eggs, bread crumbs and Mayo. Adjust seasonings per taste if need be. 
4. Heat in low flame about a tbsp of olive oil in a flat pan or griddle.
5. Take equal amounts of the mixture (I used an ice cream scoop for this) and make them into balls and then flatten them out a little like biscuits about 3-4 inches in diameter and place them in the oil one by one. 
6. Slowly brown both sides of the cake until completely firm and well done. 
7. Remove from heat and serve hot with garlic lemon aioli dip or tartar sauce. 
8. For the dip, mix all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning.

P.S : I used leftover salmon in this case. You can precook and refrigerate the fish for more than a week and use it when you need it. You can prepare the mixture and store it for a few days ahead before making the cakes as well.
Breadcrumbs substitute:  If you dont have breadcrumbs, you can use ritz crackers or any salt crackers or toasted bread to bind the ingredients together.

Mini Breakfast Ramekins

Eggs and mexican on a weekend morning goes great together and here's my simple and tasty mexican breakfast ramekins with the stuff you probably will find in your pantry already!

Ingredients:

Eggs - 3

Egg whites - 3

Salsa - 1 cup

Milk - 4 Tbsp

deli turkey slices - 4

Cheese, shredded - 1/2 cup (any variety)

Roasted peppers - 1 cup
Roasted chillies/Jalapenos - 1/4 cup (optional)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper, to taste

Servings: 4 (6oz) ramekins

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Take small ramekins, or any size according to your number of servings and spray on some non-stick cooking spray. 
3. Beat together eggs,egg whites, milk, salt and pepper.
4. Evenly distribute the following from bottom to top in layers in each of the ramekins.
• Salsa
• Roasted red peppers
• Roasted chillies/Jalapeños
• Smoked turkey breast deli slice(s)
• Egg mixture
• Cheese
5. Bake in the oven for about 25 mins for 6oz ramekins and more if you're using a larger one until a fork comes out clean and the top browns to golden. Serve hot. 

To my surprise, this was one of my little picky eater's favorite breakfasts :)
And this is a perfect breakfast if you have a some time in your hand since baking takes about 30 mins. But you can get absolutely creative with this dish and add any kind of meat or layering that you like.

Easy chicken dish

Hungry for a mid afternoon snack or have no time for a perfect curry for your chapatis? Here's a curry type dish which is super easy and can be made in a few minutes. All that you need is some frozen chicken and frozen spinach..

Ingredients:
Frozen Chicken strips - 1 cup
Frozen spinach - 1/2 cup
curry powder - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salsa - 1/4 cup
Salt, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, Shredded - 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a small pan and add the chicken and spinach and saute until cooked and the spinach is all wilted.
2. Add salsa, chilly powder, curry powder and salt and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the cheese and cook until the cheese melts and makes a gooey gravy like consistency.

Can be served with chapatis, rice or even as filler for your panini..Enjoy!
If you don't have salsa, you can try adding diced tomatoes as well..just let it cook for a few extra minutes. I bought the chicken strips from Costco which is my lifesaver for instant sandwiches, dishes and salads. Try and let me know how you made it..