Spinach Soufflé

A perfect brunch for you and your better half. Home made soufflé is something i have been wanting to taste for a pretty long time. I have always thought its complicated to make one, until i checked out raspberry eggplant. I substituted olive oil for butter, other than that i just followed the recipe. It came out soft and fluffy after baking and we both savored every bite of it.
Soufflé is a light, puffed up, baked cake like texture which can be made sweet and savory. It involves beaten egg whites to give the fluffiness. Soufflé generally falls after 5 or 10 mins, when removed from oven after baking. (My final picture looks a bit sunken.) And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Spinach (frozen and thawed)

1/4 cup Green bell pepper (diced & roasted)

2 Eggs (separated)

1/2 cup Milk

2/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese

2tsp Olive oil + more for greasing 

2tbsp APF + more for dusting 

Black Pepper (freshly ground)

Salt

Also required:

Soufflé dish or Ramekins

How to:

• Grease the soufflé dish or ramekins with olive oil and dust it with flour to evenly coat all the surface.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan, add the flour and whisk for few seconds, pour milk and whisk continuously until it thickens.
• Switch off or remove from heat and add the egg yolks and whisk constantly and let cool. (Careful not to scramble the yolks.)

• Beat the egg whites with a handheld mixer until it holds soft peaks.

• Add the spinach and roasted bell pepper to the yolk mixture along with the cheese, salt and pepper.

• Now add half of the egg whites and gently fold into the mixture, followed by the remaining egg whites and incorporate'em completely.

• Then pour the final mixture into the greased and floured dishes and bake for 25-28 mins or until the top is golden brown. 

• Switch on the oven light to watch the soufflé rise and never open the oven door while baking, as the risen soufflé may fall.

Serve hot from the oven.

Savoury Crackers

I was hunting for a perfect snack just to munch around in between my diet, i found this recipe "Namakpare (A Savoury Indian Snack) – The Baked Version" and very much pleased with the word 'baked'. When i read the recipe's name, it felt kind of new, but once i gone through the recipe, i remember these little bites which my mom makes for Diwali, but its deep-fried and sweeter version. I called her immediately and said, 'ma, am going to make these little crackers today', she got all excited, you know with the diwali around the corner, she started calling me to India. After i finished convincing her, *sigh*, i began kneading the dough with my hands and i could sense the smell of ajwain seeds and can't wait to bake'em. Believe me, once i popped my little fellows inside the oven, the flavor filled my kitchen and i just stood there and watched'em turn crispy. My, my the crackers tasted so good, fresh and hot, i kept eating 3,4 at a time. I never tried deep-frying these crackers, that too with ghee or butter, but with the results, i say, i won't deep-fry. Thanks to Aparna for sharing this wonderful recipe.  Well, coming to the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour (maida)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil 

1/2tsp Ajwain seeds

1/4 cup Water

Salt

How to:

• In a bowl, mix together the flours, ajwain seeds, salt and oil. 

• Then pour the water one tbsp at a time, resulting a non-sticky and stiff dough. 

• Wrap it and let rest for 30 mins.
• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions and roll it thin.

• With a sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes.

• Arrange it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or slightly oil-sprayed.

• Bake at 395 degrees for 15-18 mins or until evenly browned.

• Let cool on a cooling rack and store it in a air-tight container.

Serve the crackers with hot coffee or tea.

Tips:

• Make sure you keep an eye on the crackers after 15 mins of baking, as they brown faster. 
• Do not let them sit on the counter for longer time, as they might loose the crispness.
• Add sugar or honey and make your version of sweet crackers.