India Unlimited

I absolutely love the Holiday season! In fact, I am so much in awe of it that through the rest of the year I either reminisce about the season past or dream of the joy ahead. There is definitely something about the crisp weather, festive lights, gatherings with family and friends and, you guessed it - all the yummy food and drinks!!

Over the years, ‘yours truly’ has witnessed several Holiday parties. I’ve eagerly awaited the casual and laid-back potlucks while dragging myself to the fancier dress-up counterparts. Nevertheless, once the feast hit the table, I really didn’t care much about the surroundings. 

In the next few weeks, I will share with you my choicest pick of Holiday recipes that you can whip up in a snap and be the star of the evening. To good health, good food and good friends, Cheers! Seasons Eatings and a happy New Year! 
Heavenly Yogurt Parfait

Things You’ll Need

·         1 small size/individual serving size favored yogurt

·         1/3 cup granola

·         ½ cup chopped fruits (I prefer sturdy fruits like banana, dates, berries, cantaloupe, papaya, mango)

·         1 tbsp raisins

·         Honey (optional)

How To Make

At the bottom of a parfait cup (a tall cup with wide mouth and narrow bottom), scoop 1/3^rd of the granola, Spread 1/3^rd of the yogurt, followed by 1/3^rd of the fruit. Repeat these layers until you reach the top such that the top most layer is of fruits and granola. Sprinkle raisins and drizzle honey if you like.

This is a no-guilt dessert that’s suitable for any time of the day. It makes a great breakfast as well!

Tips

1) You can try any combinations for flavored yogurt, granola and fruits. You are only limited by your imagination. My favorite combos are Berry-Banana, Vanilla – Tropical Fruits (Mango & Papaya), Banana – Dates

2) You can also top the parfait with finely chopped honey roasted nuts

 

 Caramel Sweet Potato Bites

Things You’ll Need

·         2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato

·         1 cup non-fat dry milk/milk powder

·         1 cup evaporated milk

·         4 tsps sugar

·         Slivered almonds

·         Caramel sauce (store bought works just fine)

How To Make

Thoroughly mix the mashed sweet potato, milk powder, evaporated milk and sugar. Cook the mixture in a microwave for 8 – 9 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Cool the mix until its warm to touch and then make bite size discs (about 1 inch in diameter). Garnish each disc with slivered almonds.

Allow to cool to room temperature and drizzle caramel sauce before serving, This treat can also be served chilled.

Tips

1) You can garnish the bites with cashews, raisins or other nuts of your choice.

 

Holiday Green & Red Salad

Things You’ll Need

·         4 handfuls of cut romaine lettuce

·         1 medium red apple, thinly sliced

·         2 cups red grapes

·         ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced

·         1 ½ cups feta cheese

·         2 cups shredded carrots

·         1 cup chopped celery

·         ¼ cup dijon mustard

·         2 tbsp honey

·         Juice of 1 to 2 large lemons

·         Olive oil enough to thin out the dressing

How To Make

Mix the mustard, honey, lime juice and oil to make dressing. In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients with the dressing and serve.

Tips

1) Goat cheese is a great substitute for feta. You can substitute dijon with brown mustard.

2) For protein, you can add herb grilled or rotisserie chicken strips.

Veggie Casserole
Things You’ll Need

·         2 pounds frozen mixed veggies (cauliflower, carrots, peas)

·         1 pound mild cheddar cheese, cubed small

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

·         4 cups crumbled salted crackers (I prefer Ritz crackers)

·         2 tablespoons smoked paprika or cumin powder

·         1 teaspoon cayenne or red chilli powder

·         1 tablespoon black pepper

·         1 stick melted butter

How To Make

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Defrost the frozen veggies in microwave.

Using a plastic bag, crush crackers. Add the thyme, oregano, paprika/cumin, cayenne/chilli powder, pepper and melted butter until well combined. Set aside the topping.

Prepare a large baking dish by lightly greasing with butter. Add the veggies, cheese and spread the cracker topping on top. Wrap with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until all the cheese is well melted. Remove the foil and bake up to 5 more minutes until the topping is golden brown in color. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips

1) You can make this casserole beforehand and warm up in the oven at 200   degrees for 10 minutes before serving.

2) For a less spicy version, you can omit cumin and chilli powder from the topping.

3) You can use other sturdy cheeses like colby jack and pepper jack.

 

Orange-Vanilla Bread Pudding 

Things You’ll Need

·         12 slices white bread

·         2 eggs

·         2 cups (1 can) evaporated milk

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         4 tsps sugar

·         ½ cup raisins

·         Softened butter

·         Orange flavored chocolate bar (I prefer Lindt Excellence Orange)

·         Orange zest (1/2 of a medium side orange or 1 small orange)

How To Make

Mix eggs, vanilla extract, evaporated milk and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Remove the edges from the bread slices and cut into triangles. Butter one side of each triangle and set aside. Break half of the orange chocolate bar into small pieces. Zest the orange, avoiding the white part. Prepare an 8x8 inch baking dish by buttering it. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees.

Arrange the bread triangles in a single layer to cover the bottom of the dish (takes about 4 slices or 8 triangles). Make sure that the buttered side faces up. Sprinkle 1/3 rd of the raisins and pour 1/3^rd of the liquid mix evenly over the bread slices. Arrange the next layer of bread slices and repeat the raisins and liquid mix. Finish with a third layer of bread, raisins, liquid mix and let it stand for a couple of minutes.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. At this point, sprinkle the chocolate pieces and orange zest evenly on top. Bake for another 10 minutes until the chocolate is melted.

This pudding can be served warm or cold – tastes great either ways!

Tips

1)       For a healthier version, use wheat bread.

2)       You can add chopped nuts as desired with or instead of the raisins.

3)       You can substitute the white bread with other semi-sweet varieties like brioche and raisin bread. Adjust sugar accordingly.

4)   This is a basic recipe with which you can create your own flavor pairings. You can use sweet flavored breads or substitute chocolate with peanut butter chips. Do not add any sugar when using a sweet bread. Some suggested variations are Pumpkin-Cinnamon, Banana-Walnut,  Peanut Butter – Honey.