Baked Cauliflower Capsicum Milk Rice Cheese & Inspiration Casserole

...and so it was another evening, after a looooong workday. The temptation is strong to get a take away dinner from the Indian reastaurant at the mall, where they serve not so Indian food! Changed my mind... walked to the kitchen... opened the fridge... hmm ...hmmm...
cauliflower ...maybe,
leeks ...use them soon ....
cheese.... a little maybe ,
ready made thai red curry paste .......NAAAAH!
whats the main? gotto to use the rice..

INSPIRATION ..

Burner 1

Heat 2 tbs oil

throw in 3 sliced leeks
Burner 2

heat 2 tbs butter

add 2 tbs corn flour, (gotto to mix it well before it forms lumps!)

pour in milk (if measured it could be 4 tea cups)

keep stirring, stirring, on low flame.
Burner 1

Leeks are browned

Add 1/2 the giant cauliflower broken into large florets

Add salt

Generously add hot red chillie powder (we like rocket fuel)

Masalas? No No!!!

Maybe a spec of mixed herbs...just a spec.
Burner 2

Sauce is just beginning to thicken,

add salt, add pepper.

What else??

open the masala rack, cinnamon powder? ...hmm okay. Add a pinch.

Stir, Stir ....

Burner 1

Looks like cauli will take forever to cook...could burn

Hey ..throw in a sliced capsicum.

3 sliced Tomatoes too...

Shall I add water? NO!

Cover tightly with a lid, and turn flame to low
Burner 2

Smells heavenly ..

Add cheese

Stir

Add the 3 cups of cooked rice that was set aside in the morning for dinner
Mix well.

Switch off
Burner 1

Cauli has cooked ..yeah Switch off...

....in comes hubby... "something smells terrific...."

Pick up the foil tray,

lightly coat with oil spray

Pour in the red hot chillie cauli-capsi

Pour over the milky white rice

Sprinkle pizza cheese

Sprinkle bread crumbs

will the bread crumb brown without oil? ...Spray a little oil on top.

Into the fan forced oven at 200 degrees.

Forget it for 1/2 hour ....play WII golf with hubby...

Open the oven .... oh WOW ... Heaven!!!!

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Baked Butter Nut Squash, Zuchini and Cheese

Besides the usual salad-and- potato fare for a vegetarian overseas, I found Aussie offers roasted pumpkin! Every other shop has a lovely orange slice on display. People seem to love it! I bought a butternut squash yesterday to experiment. Its just like the usual 'pushnikai' but bottle shaped rather than round, with a slight difference in flavour. I have never ever cut a pumkin before, and had to struggle with two large knives to cut it in half! By the way, I needed a black background to bring out the orange of the squash in the photographs, and could only find my laptop cover to suit the purpose, and now my laptop smells of butter nut squash too! Here is my recipe for baking butternut squash. It tasted simply yummy!

Ingredients
Butternut squash - 1/2 (Cut the squash length-wise), Salt - 1/2 tsp, Red Chillie powder - 1/4 tsp, Olive Oil - 1 tsp, Brie Cheese - a 1" piece (or as much as you like), Grated Cheddar cheese - 1tbsp
For zuchini: Zuchini (Tondakai could be a good alternative!) - 1 (sliced into circles)saltolive oil - 1 1/2 tsp
For chillie white sauce: Butter - 1/2 tbsp, Corn flour - 1 tsp, Milk - 1/2 cup, Grated Cheddar cheese - 1tbsp, green chillies - 2, cinnamon powder - a pinch, pepper powder - a pinch
Method
For Butternut Squash:Wash and cut the butternut squash length-wise. (I used half for this dish.) Scoop out soft fibres and seeds. With the sharp edge of the knife, cut lines into the pulp. Sprinkle salt and red chillie powderall over. wipe the uncut side with a little oil,and drizzle some more oil on the cut side.Bake for 1/2 hou, at 250 degrees in a fan forced oven until cooked, cut side down.Test the squash with a fork, to see if it has completely cooked.
For chillie white sauce: Melt butter on a low flame. Add sliced green chillies. Add the corn flour and swish the pan, until corn flour slightly browns. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Add a pinch pinch of cinnamon powder, and cheese, pepper powder and continue to stir. In a minute about 4 tbsp of thick smooth white sauce is ready.
For zuchini: Heat a frying pan with few drops of oil. Toss the zuchini slices with salt, until they start browing. Switch off the flame.
For the final touch! Remove the squash from the oven. Arrange zuchini slices, inside the squash, and pour the white sauce on top. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese, as well as the brie and replace in the oven. Bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheeses melt, and just begin to brown. You can serve the dish completely foe a meal or cut into thick slices and then serve. Check out how it looks! This can be a meal in itself!
Note: I browsed the net for baked butternut squash - and found that baking instructions vary from mine! Most sites suggest 1" of water in the baking pan, with the cut side of the squash down, and baking for almost 1 to 1.5 hours. I guess this may make it very very soft. I had not known this, and simply baked it 'just-like-that' and it took 25 minutes to cook! The two-cheese part is because I love cheese, and anything 'fonduesque'!

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