Bread pakoda (not fried), broccoli with ranch

Bread pakoda (not fried) : I used honey whole wheat bread. Cut the slices into strips. Mix all the ingredients - 1 cup of besan (garbanzo beans flour), salt, red chili powder, ovaa (known as - ajwain, ajwan, ajowan, omam, caraway seeds). Add water and whisk it to a little thinner than pancake batter consistency. Dip the bread strips into the batter and cook it from both sides on the nonstick pan with little oil. [just like french toast]

with ketchup.

blanched broccoli with ranch.

I added few grapes in the lunch box after taking picture.

10 Minute Banana Bread

I bake banana breads often, atleast once a month. I make sure we have a few ripe bananas left just to make this banana bread. i have experimented different banana bread recipes, but this one has been a recent favorite and a regular at my kitchen these days. It is so simple and takes about 10 minutes from the start till it gets into the oven.

Picnics are all about food and snacking. A fresh loaf of this banana bread makes a great picnic snack. it can be stored easily and sliced just before enjoying. Also makes a great quick and filling breakfast/snack with some coffee or tea. This is my second post for the blogging marathon!

Ingredients (Yields 1 full sized loaf or 2 small loaves)
Recipe Source: www.thefreshloaf.com


Bowl 1
Butter - 1/2 stick or 5 tablespoons
Eggs - 2
Ripe bananas - 2 or 3
Sugar - 2/3 cups

Bowl 2
Maida/All purpose flour - 11/3 cup
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Walnuts - 1/2 cup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl combine all ingredients listed under 'Bowl 1' and using a potato masher, or a fork or a spoon mash the bananas well. The banana should be mashed well, but a few chunks here and there should be fine.

In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients listed under 'Bowl 2.'

Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients together and stir in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the prepared batter into a greased loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

It take 40 minutes for small sized loaf pans and 50 minutes for large loaf pans approximately, depending on ovens.

Remove from the oven and allow the loaves to cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing the bread.

Serve warm or cold. This bread also freezes well when wrapped in foil and stored in a ziploc bag.

Banana bread with grated carrots, Strawberry jam, grapes and straberries

Banana bread : All the ripe fruits bread :

3 ripe bananas, 1 ripe pear, 1 orange - all cut into small pieces, 1 cup finely grated carrots, 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup flaxmeal, 1/2 cup sugar (u can add 1/4 cup more sugar as per taste), 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/2 cup walnuts and pecans, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda.

Mix egg, sugar, salt, soda then add fruits, carrots, flaxmeal and flour. I use kitchenaid stand mixer to mix. This becomes a cakey mixture and not dough. bake it 350F for 50min in small pans...to avoid moist center. If you use large pan bake for longer time.

with Strawberry jam.

grapes and starwberry on the side.

Roo ate 2 and 1/2 slice of bread and kept 2 bites for me. She ate all the fruits.

Pita bread boats (sandwiches), strawberries and blueberries

Pita bread sandwiches : Whole wheat pita bread filled in with finely cut lettuce, cucumber, grated carrots, feta cheese, salad dressing and topped with Parmesan cheese. One Pita boat with cream cheese and pepper jelly (sometimes I give ghee-sugar/ chutney-oil)

with berries.

Bread Upma, grapes, vegetables

Bread Upma : White bread cut into small pieces (cubes). Mix some lemon juice, salt and sugar with bread cubes.

Heat some oil for tempring (tadka) add cumin seeds, turmeric, grated ginger, finely chopped onion, pinch of salt. let it cook. add peanuts and bread cubes. Mix it all together and turn off the heat.

Brocolli (your kids favorite veggies) with dip.

Grapes.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Pepperoni pizza but in small bites.  Yeah, I wish I could take credit for this but I am not that smart LOL

When I came across this recipe at Confessions of a Foodie Bride I thought "why didn't I think of that?".  It's so easy but such a great snack you will wonderful why you didn't think of it either.

Needless to say, I made it for lunch today and within 10 minutes there was only 2 small pieces left which, by the way, have now been eaten by the kids, so there is nothing but crumbs.....and the thought that I need to make it again.

I took a shortcut and used biscuits instead of the pizza dough, next time I'll make my own pizza dough and I think it will be just as good.

You can take the long route and make your favorite pizza dough and marinara sauce, or the short route and pick up your favorite pizza dough and red sauce from the store.

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

Credit:  Confessions of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 lbs pizza dough (I used refrigerated biscuits)
• 6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (I used  mozzarella sticks)
• 48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)
• 2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.
2. Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.
3. Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

4. Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.
5. Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).
6. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
7. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.
8. Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.
9. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
10. Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Notes

Yields: 48 pieces