Cold Pasta Salad

Disclaimer: The idea of a cold pasta is still weird for me. And even weirder is the dressing I used for this. I don't guarantee the 'taste' because I didn't eat this. However, my brother, who usually eats everything I make, relished every bite. So if you trust his opinion, then go ahead with it. :P

Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)

I think yeast is starting to love me. ;-) How else would you explain every yeast experiment succeeding? (touch wood!!!) In fact, I've already made them thrice, in varying sizes. Homemade breadsticks are delicious! Plus there's an added satisfaction of consuming what you made - from scratch! Grissini, commonly known as breadsticks are Italian appetizers. They are perfect sides for a bowl of soup.

Pizza Pinwheels

With every new dish you learn something new. And what did I learn this time? Always buy your YEAST fresh. Since I didn't have an oven for the past 4 months, I didn't use yeast at all. And today when I used it- well, it deceived me. The dough didn't rise at all! I knew there wasn't any problem with my yeast-proofing. (let me take a moment to boast here and say, I'm a pro when it comes to yeast :-D) But I didn't realize that the dry yeast that I bought in January this year wouldn't work its magic. But I went ahead and baked it anyway. Since the dough didn't rise, I could only make 4 pinwheels instead of the estimated 8. Next time, I'm gonna try it with fresh yeast.
Of course, I could have used assorted vegetables for the filling, but since my mood was deflated by yeast, I only used tomato ketchup, cheese, garlic & onions. The final dish looked and tasted really great. All my fears were put to a rest. :-)

 

Double Decker Pizza

Here’s a dish I came up with sitting on the upper deck of a double-decker bus in Mumbai. Hence the name: Double-Decker Pizza. It’s funny how the mind comes up with ideas when you least expect it to. But that’s how it is, heh? :) Once again, with Pizza, you never have to follow the recipe to the *T*. Play with the spices & include the veggies you love!

Rotini Pasta with Cheese Sauce (Microwave)

Um.... I have been staring at the computer screen for the past 10 minutes trying to come up with a good introduction for this post. But every time I look at the Cheesy Pasta, I fail to do justice to this sinful pleasure! :-D So, I decided to just upload the pictures & get on with the recipe :-)

How to cook Pasta in the Microwave

A short post on boiling Pasta in the Microwave. Nothing much to talk here.
You probably realized that my next post would be a Pasta-based one. :-D

Cheese Sauce

It is perhaps the most versatile sauce you will ever come across. Use it as a dip or as a spread, it yields yummilicious results! Serve it with boiled vegetables or with Pasta or in classics like Macaroni & Cheese or use it as a dip for Nachos... In short, this is the perfect condiment! :-D

2 in 1: Tofu Open Sandwich & Tofu Bread Rolls

When do you realize that an interest has become a passion?
The answer is when you start creating recipes in your head when you are in a lecture with the professor teaching something really important for the exam! :-D Okay, I'm not so proud of not paying attention in class, but I'm totally proud of what I've managed to create today. :P And rest assured, today will be the last time I day-dream about food. I've got an exam to clear!

Pasta Au Gratin with Tomato & Pesto Sauce (In a Microwave)

3 days ago, when I got a mail from BBC GoodFood India inviting me to be a part of their celebration of the GoodFood day, I was mildly surprised! BBC GoodFood is launching its first international food magazine today. And to coincide with the launch, they are celebrating today as the GoodFood day. ☺ I'm a frequent visitor of the BBC website. I love their health tips, Competitions, recipes etc. This was a dream chance I was getting & I wasn't about to throw it away because of my "busy schedule". 

All they asked me to do was to don my thinking cap & come up with a dish I've never tried before & host a party for my dear ones. And that is exactly what I did. However, I did have 2 problems:

> No time during the day (or even night!) to make this.

> No oven to bake the Au Gratin

So what did I do? I made the dish after everyone went to sleep. Literally after midnight! (yes Swati, I took inspiration from you!) And then, I woke up my brother & we had a blast eating it! It was one helluva party! ;-) And no matter how hazardous it is to eat stuff (especially such high-calorie ones) at night, there is always the thrill of doing the forbidden!!  :P Plus, I really am planning to workout. :-D :-D

I made the Pesto sauce in the morning before leaving for work. (My mom thinks I'm going crazy! She thinks I'm a cookaholic! :D) This dish has a few steps to follow. But trust me, it really is very simple! Since I made it in the Microwave, it takes just about 8-10 minutes to cook. :) [I am rapidly forgetting my old oven & falling in love with the microwave!]

RECIPE -

Ingredients ~

Pasta shells - 300 grams - 2 cups (I used different shapes)

Onion - 1 medium - chopped (optional)

Mixed vegetables - 1 cup (optional)

Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon (or any other oil)

Pesto Sauce*

Tomato Sauce*

White Sauce*

Parmesan/ Cheddar/ Mozzarella Cheese*

Salt - to taste

Chili Flakes & Oregano

Microwave

* I haven't given any measurements for these because you can use as much as you want!

Steps:

I. Make the Pesto Sauce (or buy)

II. Make the White Sauce (or buy)

III. Make the Tomato Sauce (or buy)

IV. Make the Pasta

V. Prepare the Au Gratin dish.

V. Microwave away~~~

I. Make the Pesto Sauce - Check ✔

II. Make the White Sauce - Check ✔

III. Make the Tomato Sauce - Check ✔

IV. Make the Pasta -

    1. Heat water in a pan with generous amounts of salt.

    2. Put the pasta in the hot water & let it boil for about 1 minute.

          (don't cook completely since you are gonna keep in microwave too)

    3. Filter the water & transfer the pasta to cool water.

    4. Heat oil in a pan.

    5. Add onions & veggies & stir fry for about 2 minutes.

    6. Add salt per taste.

    7. Add the Pasta & mix well.

    8. Separate the Pasta into to bowls. In one, mix it with Pesto Sauce

    9. In other, mix with tomato sauce / Pizza sauce (I used ketchup)

V. Preare the Au Gratin dish -

   1. Take a microwave safe bowl/dish. Add some Pesto Pasta to the dish. 

   2. Then, drizzle white sauce all over it.

   3. Add grated cheese.

   4. Next put some Red (tomato sauce) Pasta on top of it.

   5. White Sauce & then cheese.

   6. Repeat until the dish is filled / Pasta is over.

   7. Skip if you want: Add lots of cheese all over the dish. (of course, you can be health-conscious & add just a spoon-full! :P

   8. Sprinkle some Oregano & Chili Flakes on top.

VI. Microwave Away -

My Microwave doesn't have any temperatures or anything. A simple heat or grill option. So what I did was -

   1. Cover the dish with a plastic wrap or lid

   2. Heat (for cheese to melt) for 2 minutes.

   3. Grill for 5 minutes.

Your Cheesy Pasta Au Gratin is READY! :-)

Happy GoodFood Day everyone!
===========================================

Will be announcing an event shortly. Stay tuned. ☺

Mint-Basil Pesto Sauce

2 months ago, I never knew something like this existed. And here I am today, talking about Pesto Sauce like any other Italian! ;-) I guess blogging & extensive food-searching does that to you! ☻ Why I'm making this sauce? Well you have to read my next post for that. But I can tell you that this takes just 2 minutes of your time. And it gives a wonderful flavor to the dish!

Traditionally Pesto consists of crushed garlic, basil and pine nuts, blended with Olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Wikipedia: Because pesto is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding, there are various other pestos, some traditional, some modern. For this reason, the original (and most common) pesto is now called pesto alla genovese or pesto genovese (both forms are used in both English and Italian)

But today I also added Mint leaves to the sauce. You can  totally skip it & make an original Pesto Sauce.

Ingredients

Fresh Basil (Tulsi) Leaves - 2 cups

Garlic - 3 cloves

Pine Nuts - 2 tablespoons (I used Almonds)

Salt - To taste - 1 teaspoon

Pepper - 1 teaspoon

Olive Oil - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Grated Cheese - 1/4 cup (preferably Parmesan. I used Mozzarella)

Traditional Method (The traditional method of making pesto is with a mortar and pestle.)
STEP 1: Wash the leave well. Remove the stems. Dry leaves with a cloth.
STEP 2: Peel & Chop the Garlic.
STEP 3: Grate the cheese. 
STEP 4: Add the garlic to the mortar & crush lightly.
STEP 5: Add basil, Salt, Pepper, Pine Nuts / Almonds. Grind them continuously to get a paste.
STEP 6: Pound in the cheese.
STEP 7: When you have a crushed paste, slowly whisk in the oil little by little to get the desired consistency.
Your Italian Pesto is ready!

Alternatively, In a blender / Food processor / Grinder / Mixer -

- Add the garlic & mince.

 - Next, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, and a dash of salt and pepper to the bowl of the processor.

- While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the feed tube until all the ingredients are pureed 

- You may need to stop the processor at this point and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula to get every mixed together.

- Now add Parmesan cheese and mix it into the rest of the mixture. 

- If the pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon of water

Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. This should keep for 2 - 3 days in the fridge but freezes well if you want to keep it longer.

Tandoori Paneer Pizza | Indian Cottage Cheese Pizza

Yes, I have been cooking regularly. No, I haven't forgotten that I have a very special blog. :P I've just been busy being sick! I'm back with a Pizza! Yep, another Pizza! :-D Last time, I made Mini Pizzas. which were Italian. This time, I decided to go with a quintessential Indian flavor. Even the basic sauce has a touch of Indian-ness to it! ☻

*Tandoori Paneer Pizza* |  Pizza itself is a weakness. Throw in Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and you've got yourself a master-piece! I have used all healthy ingredients in this Pizza including a wheat Pizza base. I also made this on a pan rather than a microwave or an oven. Just wanted to retain the Indian-ness/ tandoor concept as much as possible! ☺ But you can use a microwave too.

Ingredients

For the Pizza Sauce -

Tomatooes - 4 medium sized chopped

Onion - 1 medium; finely chopped

Ginger Paste - 1/4 teaspoon

Garlic paste - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - to taste; 1 teaspoon

Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder - 1 teaspoon (or use Chaat masala if you want)

Green Chili - 2; roughly chopped

Vegetable Oil - 1 teaspoon

Blender / Food Processor / Mixer

Tomato Ketchup - 1 tablespoon (optional)

For the PIZZA -

Store bought Pizza Base (I used thin crust, wheat pizza base) (or make your own base)

Pizza Sauce (as prepared)

Paneer / Cottage Cheese - 100 grams (for 2 Pizzas)

Capsicum - 1 medium; cut julienne

Oniom - 1 small, sliced (optional)

Cheese - preferably Mozzarella (just a little to cover the pizza)

Method

A. Marinating the Panner / Cottage Cheese

1) Take good quality cottage cheese / paneer & chop them into small cubes.

2) In a small bowl, take 2 tablespoons of Curd / Yogurt, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder & 1 teaspoon chicpea/besan powder (kadalai maavu) and mix it well.

3) Add the paneer / cottage cheese cubes in it & mix well. Let it rest for about 45min-1 hour

 

B) Making the PIZZA SAUCE

Remember the Pizza Sauce I made for the Calzone? This is exactly like that. Only the spices vary a bit to taste Indian! ;-)

1) Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a kadai / pan & add the chopped onions

2) Add the ginger & garlic

 

tomatoes & salt

 

red chili powder & garam masala powder

 

3) Mix well & sauté well for 3-4 minutes until the mixture shrinks & the raw smell of the spices is gone.

4) Add the mixture to a blender. (let it cool for 5 minutes) Blend / Grind to a smooth paste.

 

5) Add this paste to the pan again & let it cook for another 2 minutes. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup. I just add coz the ketchup gives the sauce a good color. It is not compulsory.

6) & Voila! The Indianized Pizza Sauce is ready! ☺

C) Making the Tandoori Pizza

1) Take the marinated cottage cheese / paneer in a pan with some Pizza Sauce. (use the same pan as the previously prepared sauce) & Just stir fry for 1 minute.

2) Take your Pizza Base on a flat surface.

3) Apply the sauce prepared generously all over it.

4) Arrange the paneer / cottage cheese on the pizza.

5) Add your onions & capsicum.

6) Add the cheese. (optional)

7) Take a flat pan. Keep your pizza on the pan & on LOW FLAME, let it cook for 5 minutes closed. To cook the pizza, take a larger vessel that covers the whole pizza but is not larger than the flat pan. Cover the pizza & cook on low flame for 5-8 minutes.

8) Your Tandoori Paneer Pizza is READY!! :-D

Alternatively,

- cook the same in Microwave on Cooking  + Grilling for 4 minutes. OR

- in the OTG model for 10 minutes

whichever works the best for you!

The spicy tangy crispy Pizza with the soft cottage cheese was absolutely delicious!!!

*Munch Munch*