Are you packing lunch?

This sammich is turning out to have staying power.

Start with whole wheat bread, from Costco.

On one slice, first lather on a generous glop of plain hummus, from Costco.

Then, cut cherry tomatoes (from Costco) in half and artfully place the halves, flat face down, all across the hummus coat.

Next, slice into thin strips, cold, red (must be red. I mean, if you are going to splurge on a Mustang, it must be yellow. Same reason), peppers. These go on, and around the tomato halves.

A teaspoon of extra virgin Spanish olive oil, from a barrel in the Strip district, sprinkled on the veggies.

Top this with crushed red pepper.

Did I mention that the peppers came from Costco?

Almost there.

Cover this edifice with exactly two slices of cheese. I used Swiss, and cheddar. Swiss is good, because it is hard, and gives you an element of crunch. Crunch is important. Close it off with another slice of bread.

The home stretch.

Wrap the whole thing in a crisp sheet of wax paper. Into a sandwich bag, and the fridge, for a few hours.

Eat it cold.

Wait. Forgot two things.

Throw in some fresh cilantro. And the cheese, wax paper, and sandwich bags came from Costco.

You probably guessed by now , I have a thing for Costco. Their stuff gives me an amazing warm and fuzzy – unfailingly decent quality, and with extra warranty. I wish I was from Costco.

Cracked Wheat Upma – First attempt

Starting out

Using the recipe at Mahanandi as a guide.

Nothing different from what we usually do for upma.  Nothing different to account for the cracked wheat – heavier, larger, less processed grains.  4 cups of water though, for a cup of cracked wheat.  Regular Rava does not need this much.

I will fry the cracked wheat a bit ….  Also will add roasted peanuts ….

Here goes nothing.

The proof of the pudding

Just finished the making, and the eating.   Very promising.  Passed the smoke test – I could eat it without any accompaniments.

Ingredients

  • I used the cracked wheat from the Indian store – Swad brand.
  • One medium-sized yellow onion.
  • One Roma tomato
  • All of one green pepper (only it was red)
  • 3/4 inch diameter, and length, ginger, chopped into thin strips
  • a handful of peanuts, which I roasted.
  • Salt, and Olive oil
  • I did not have any of the dhals for seasoning, nor even cumin.  Only had mustard seeds.

Method

I followed the Mahanandi recipe pretty closely.  I did not roast the cracked wheat. And I was not my usual timid self with the salt.

Aftermath

One cup of uncooked cracked wheat, produced an astounding amount of upma – enough for a light breakfast for 4 to 6 people.  How economical!  Perfect for people that have to watch the budget – cheap, voluminous, and healthy.

For one person, I would just use half a cup.  Throw vegetables in, and even this will make enough for a 3 light meals, I think.

What will this taste like cold?  How to best heat it?  Don’t know.

The grains, when cooked, were huge.  Very rice like.  I think this is a viable substitute for rice.  I am thinking we could even serve it at dinner, like they do jeera rice.  How to make jeera cracked wheat?

Next time, I will try adding garlic, and maybe spinach or methi.  This will make it more palau like, and perhaps more appropriate for lunch, or dinner.