Tomato Souffle ~ November's Savoury Punch!

We were excited to have 3 choices of recipes for the Punch this month. Chocolate mousse; with egg and eggless versions and Tomato Souffle.

I chose to carry on with Tomato Souffle as inclined towards the savoury side and preferred to take a break with baking chocolates for a while.

Like Maria, me too had associated souffles with sweet desserts rather than the whipped up egg whites, on the contrary, being incorporated with tomatoes and white sauce blending into a perfect concoction with a touch of difference!

I enjoyed every stage of it, tasting now and then and surprisingly found it tasted great all while the process of making ;).. try it, bet you can't help doing the same, often ;)

And here's the recipe source- adapted from Australian Women's Weekly via Marias menu

Yielded me 4 ramekins upto the brim

1. Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup firmly packed

2. Butter- 45 gms (refer healthier version)

Onion- 1 medium, finely chopped

Plain flour(maida)-2 tbsp

Milk- 1 cup

3. Tomato paste- 3 tbsp

Basil- 1 tbsp, finely chopped (this does give a unique extra Zing to the souffle and see to it you do NOT omit! :))

4. Eggs- 3, separated

5. Grated cheese- a handful ( I used cheddar)

Grease 4 souffle dishes (1/2 cup capacity), sprinkle with bread crumbs. Melt butter in small saucepan, add finely chopped onion. Stir over low heat for 2 mins (or MW on HIGH for about 2 mins). Cook until onion is soft, it doesn't have to becosme brown. Stir in flour and stir over medium heat for a minute (or MW on HIGH for a min). Remove from heat. gradually stir in milk, return to heat, stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens and reaches a thick sauce like consistency (or MW on HIGH for about 3 mins).

Transfer to large bowl, stir in tomato paste and basil Leaves. Cover the dish and let it stand for 5 mins. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add egg yolks to the onion and milk mixture and mix well. Fold the egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 mins or until lightly browned.

I was getting excited to see souffle puffing up so well in the oven but a little disappointed, watching it settling down the next second, when the oven was put off. It looked golden brown while puffed up and had a deeper brown colour when the dome was lost.

Doubt I cooked them a little more than in Maria's :)

Healthier version: use brown bread crumbs and low fat milk. Also use yolks of only 2 eggs and white of 3 eggs. Use only lesser qty of butter.

Notes: The above qty serves 2 adults served with garlic bread or soup. You can use any oven safe dish to prepare this. The original recipe calls for no spices, but you can add crushed pepper while cooking onion, if you wish.

Substitute for tomato paste: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/312148

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