Amuse Bouche: Apple Peanut Canapé

A moniker in my name for a city
A phrase with me will make you cherished
I am so good for you in my utter simplicity
In Medical dictionary the fact so furnished

I am so famous in the world of bytes
Known for many aspects of usage
I am fat and rotund and make crunchy bites
My fame known from many religious traditions – right from the old age

Am, I forbidden? Or mystical ?
or the eternal giver of Youth
I consists of five internal carpels
Am good for good health of your mouth

I am as basic a fruit as you can think of
Or as hard if you don’t try enough
If You eat me on a day to day basis
Then you don’t have worry about anything – be it cold or dry cough

Answer to Open Sesame 2: The Apple

Ever since my high school days when I meddled, a little, into French, I was captivated by their food and , of course , mon Paris:)). After marriage, in the US, I have eaten a few fine French meals, each of which I can recall accurately…..when and where, I ate what. It’s a different matter that my choice is quite limited being a vegetarian:). A restaurant ,rather, a Creperie which is a big favorite near Detroit is Josephine. Excellent food and that is where I came across the term ‘Amuse Bouche’ .

Amuse Bouche (French: amuse mouth) is/are small one bite morsels served before the first course. In restaurants, it is the signature dish of the chef, and which is not charged for. I can still recollect the cucumber slice served with a creamy topping with minty undertones served at Josephine. That was sheer  perfection:). Amuse bouche is different from hors d’œuvre, in that it is only one or two bites. . Amuse Bouche is something that will leave you feeling “Aw, I wish the chef had sent me a couple more slurp, slurp, slurp:) ” . So, this home chef, that is me, tried my hand at amuse bouche too. Keeping the same tradition at home also, I prepared only 3 bites, one for each.

A canapé or canape (French for couch and known in Italy as tartina) is a small, prepared and usually decorative food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite. Source: Wikipedia. It is in general salty but I think mine fits the bill too. Yes the name was learnt at Josephine as well:).

I chose a tart, firm, granny smith apple.I love eating apples just the way they are WITH the peal:). So, I created this for Open Sesame 2. This is a very simple and elegant way of enjoying the fruit. Guess what, the husband, after eating my apple peanut canapé said ” I could have eaten a couple more” and Aaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeee was smiling cheek to cheek:).

The Recipe: (4 servings:)

• Lite cream 1 Tbsp.
• Chunky Peanut butter 1 Tbsp.
• Sugar 3/4 tsp.
• Butter half a pinch
• Honey 1 tsp.
• Lemon juice 2 drops
• saffron a pinch

Whisk together lite cream, peanut butter and sugar till it blends well and gets a little airy. In a separate cup, first mix the tiny speck of butter with saffron. Add honey and lemon juice and whip. Even this small amount can be whipped:).

To assemble, cut the apple longitudinally into 4 thin slices, so that you avoid the seed portion completely. Spread approximately 2 tsps. of the cream and peanut butter mixture on top of  the apple slice. Top it with 3 drops of the honey mixture and swirl ever so slightly, with a sharp edge, like an end of a fork.

Voila………here it is

It can be prepared and refrigerated. Just make sure it covered airtight so that the apple doesn’t oxidize.

Tingle your taste buds with Apple Peanut Canapé

This is my simple entry for Open Sesame -2 hosted by Siri and Dhivya . Don’t make a lot, just make a little, leaving people asking for more;)

I would like to send this to Sweetnick’s ARF/5-A-Day a day too as it has the antioxidant rich granny smith apple.

Corn Flakes Bhelpuri

I am almost always late to enter the kitchen on Sunday mornings. And , I also like breakfast to be something else but whole wheat slices, sprouts and coffee. It was easier for my Mom , I think, our Sunday breakfasts were always great………samosas, kachoris, fresh mathris……….I can’t keep frying something great each weekend:(.

So, this Sunday morning I wondered what to make and saw Cornflakes. Had no time to waste, chopped a lot of stuff, mixed with masalas, in went chutneys and lo……..cornflakes bhelpuri was ready! Added a piping hot cuppa coffee, and there couldn’t have been a better breakfast on this cold snowy morning.

The Recipe:

• Cornflakes 2 cups
• Puffed rice 1 cup

• Onion 1
• Tomato 1/2 (as I just had half a tomato left, you could add more,if you want)
• Tomatillos 2
• Cucumber 1/2 (of a large one )
• Cilantro/ Coriander leaves 1/2 cup
• Potato 1 (scrubbed well & boiled)
• Peanuts 3/4 cup

• Salt 2 tsp.
• Red chili powder 1 tsp.
• Chaat Masala 1 Tbsp.
• Green Chutney (cilantro/mint/tomatillo……..any would do as long as its tart and fiery) 2 Tbsp.
• Sweet Tamarind chutney (sonth in Hindi) 2 Tbsp. (These are available readymade in Indian stores or can  be made as I explain in the note and kept for months in the refrigerator.)

Again the list is long here, but the recipe is really versatile. One can adjust as per what one has on hand. The real quick method of making is here:

1. First fork a well scrubbed potato, wet it well or place it in a microwave container with 2 Tbsp. of water and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Microwave times may vary but this is real quick.

2. Meanwhile chop fine all the rest of the veges…..tomato, tomatillo, cucumber, cilantro. Take the potato out and chop it as well. Add to a large container cause these tend to take more space.

3. Peanuts are roasted in the microwave as well. Keep microwaving for a minute at a time and checking continuously till you get them brown per your preference.

4. Puffed rice also goes in the microwave for a minute or more if you need but a minute at a time is the best idea. Its good to have it spread in a plate where you can check it easier. When it gets really crisp, its ready.

5. Let the puffed rice cool for a minute and then add it to the chopped vegetables. Add salt, red chili powder, chaat masala, green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney to the vegetables.  Add the cornflakes and peanuts. Mix really well. Check salt and spice level and adjust according to your taste. You may add lime juice, I didn’t find the need.

And you are ready to serve!! Its difficult for anyone to NOT like this sweet and spicy chaat.

Note: Sweet Tamarind Chutney/ Imli ki meethi Chutney/ Sonth is quite easy to make with tamarind concentrates available in Indian grocery stores in the U.S.

Mix 4 Tbsp. tamarind concentrate with with about 1/2 cup water and add 1/2 cup sugar to it. Mix it well and check if the sugar level is as desired. It actually is quite sweet in taste. It should also be quite thick like honey. Heat a Tbsp. of oil and add 1/4 tsp. asafetida, 1 tsp. red chili powder and 2 Tbsp. cumin powder. You could also add a handful of golden raisins. Put it in a bottle and keeps well in the refrigerator for months. If using fresh, you could also add finely chopped banana to it but do not add it and refrigerate. Lip smacking meethi chutney is ready which can be used on almost all kinds of chaat.