Dates and Grapes Covered With Cheese (Cheese Balls)

This is a simple snack for the evening, of course if you like cheese... You can use any cheese of your liking.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil – ¼ tsp Seedless grapes Ground black pepper Medjool dates, pitted Goat cheese – 2 ounces Salted pistachios, roasted and chopped – 2 ounces Method:

• Pour olive oil onto a plate. Add grapes and roll to coat.
• Grind pepper onto grapes.
• Slice open dates, flatten between hands and set aside.
• Divide goat cheese into 4 pieces. Place each piece in your hand and flatten with the heel of your hand.
• To assemble, place each grape on a flattened date and set in the center of the flattened goat cheese.
• Form the cheese around the date-grape, covering completely.
• Roll in chopped pistachios

This is my contribution to the Click Event -Cheese/Tofu hosted by BEE & JAI of Jugalbandhi.

I would like to thank Vidhas, Trupti for passing on the "Super - Duper Chef " award. I am very humbled to receive it.

I would also like to thank Archy for including me in her "Circle of Friends". Thank you Archy..Very glad to be one of your friend. Cute award..

PS: You can use any cheese of your choice. I had Goat cheese, so used that..It is little bland for this..You can use any shape cheese with little spice in it.

You can use any filling inside the cheese.

You can also use any nuts like walnut, pecans, peanuts etc..Instead of nuts you can also roll on fresh herbs of your choice.

You can also make savory cheese balls.

Bruschetta

Ingredients: Red seedless grapes – 1 cup Green seedless grapes – 1 cup Cinnamon – ¼ tsp Nutmeg – 1/8 tsp Dash of ground cloves Almond extract – 1/8 tsp (optional) Part – skim Ricotta cheese – 1 cup Candied ginger (minced) – 1 Tb spoon Walnuts (chopped) – 1 Tb spoon Baguette – 1 (cut into 16 slices) Fresh mint leaves for garnish Method:

• Pulse grapes in a food processor 3- 4 times, just until chopped. Drain thoroughly.
• Transfer grapes to a bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and almond extract.
• Stir to blend.
• Place ricotta, ginger and walnuts in another bowl and stir to blend.
• Toast bread slices.
• Spread 1 Tb spoon of the ricotta mixture on each bread slices. Top with a spoonful of the grape mixture.
• Garnish with mint or halved grapes, if desired. This makes 4- 6 servings.

PS:

• Thin – slices biscotti, toasted mini bagels or English muffins can be substituted for the baguette.
• If you like the flavour of cinnamon with cheese , then this is a perfect snack.
• This can be served as breakfast or as a snack in the evening.
• Original recipe is from Amy Muzyka - dietition/certified culinary professional.

Egg Puffs

Puffs is one of the favourite evening snack for every body. I remember, whenever we felt like eating one, our dad used to bring us hot puffs from a local bakery. I miss that especially during winter season.. So, whenever we crave for them I make veggie puffs, using different vegetables all the time. My hubby dear was having a flash back of old days... He was remembering how he and his friend, on their pay day, after finishing work, both used to have hot egg puffs near Domlur bus stand and then part their ways to their homes. This was the reason for making the egg puffs. I have included methi leaves and green pepper to it. It came out wonderful and hubby loved it told me that it tasted like the one he used to eat. Nothing is better than hot puffs for winter..

Egg Puffs are off to the Bookmarked Recipe Event hosted by Ruth. This tempting snack is also off to Winter Treat Event hosted by Trupti.

Ingredients: Puff Pastry Eggs - 2 Onions - 1 Tomato - 1 Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp Methi Leaves - 1/4 cup (Optional) Green Bell Pepper - 1 Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil - 1 Tb spoon Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degree.
• Boil eggs, cut them into halves and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan, add onions and fry till golden brown.
• Then add methi leaves, fry for a min and then add tomatoes pieces.
• Add ginger and garlic paste and fry till oil leaves.
• Then add all powders to it and at last add green pepper, salt and fry till soft.
• Add egg halves into the masala and cover the eggs with it so that the eggs will soak the masala.
• Allow the masala to cool.
• Take one pastry sheet and cut them into 4 equal parts.
• Take one part of pastry sheet, put one spoon of the masala at the bottom and then place one half of the egg along with some masala on top.
• Then apply water on four sides of the pastry sheet so that it will hold together.
• Fold all four corners together as shown below.

• Repeat the procedures for the other halves of the eggs.
• Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes or till golden brown.

• Serve hot along with a cup of hot tea.

PS: Methi and green pepper is optional for this egg puff. If you are doing a veggi puff, you can follow the same procedure, just add vegetables of your choice.

Kallepuri Avalakki / Puffed Rice Poha

This is something you can eat as breakfast or as a snack in the evening. Usually in Bangalore, most of them make this as a snack without the veggies. I just added the veggies and made it as a breakfast.

Ingredients: Puffed rice - 6 cups Onion - 1 Potato - 1 small Chillies - 5 Curry Leaves Coriander Leaves - 2 Tb spoon Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Ground nuts - 2 Tb spoon Channa Dhal - 1/2 tsp Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp Peas - 2 Tb spoon Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil - 2 Tb spoon

Method:

• Soak the puffed rice in water for 1 minute.
• Press the puffed rice and remove all the water and keep it aside.
• In a pan, add oil and then mustard seeds.
• When the mustard splutters, add ground nuts, channa dhal and Urad dhal.
• After it is golden brown, add onions, chillies and curry leaves. Fry till the onion is golden brown.
• Then add the veggies, add salt and turmeric powder and fry till they are soft.
• Then add the puffed rice and mix well . Sprinkle coriander leaves on top.
• Serve hot with some lemon juice on top.

Madhur Vada

In Karnataka, there is a small town by name "Madhur" between Bangalore and Mysore. This is the place where these vadas are very famous and you will see them being sold in all restaurants, railway stations and bus stops. If you are travelling via Madhur, you cannot resist the smell, crispiness, taste and the size of this vada. So, it has got its name too as Madhur Vada.

I make these very often, as everybody loves this and is also very easy to make if you have all the ingredients.

I would also like to post this as my savoury for the Event for the month hosted by Srilekha.

This is the recipe..

Ingredients: ಅಕ್ಕಿ ಹಿಟ್ಟು / Rice Flour - 1 cup ಮೈದಾ ಹಿಟ್ಟು / Maida Flour - 1/2 cup ಚಿರೋಟಿ ರವೆ / Fine sooji - 1/2 cup ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ / Onions - 2 ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು / Coriander Leaves - 1 cup ಕರಿಬೇವಿನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು /Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup ಎಳ್ಳು / Till - 2 Tb spoons(Optional) ಜೀರಿಗೆ /Jeera / Cumin - 2 Tb spoons ಎಣ್ಣೆ / Oil ಉಪ್ಪು/ Salt Method:

• Mix all the above ingredients except oil.
• Heat half cup oil, then add the hot oil to the above mixture and mix well.
• Add water accordingly till you get the consistency of a chapati dough.
• Cover it and leave it for 1 hour.
• Take a lemon sized dough and press it with hand (or on cover) to the required size and deep fry them till brown.
• Drain it on paper towel.
• Serve it with coconut chutney or just like that.

PS: You can also add grated ginger too. It can be kept for 2-3 days.