Showing posts with label Noodles/Pasta. Show all posts

4th Anniversary, 400th Post, Winner Announcement & Quick Farfalle-Basil Pasta to celebrate

Hi All!!

It seems ages that I posted something here, I have been too busy lately..travelling, guests, health issues and many more things but today no reason, no excuse could keep me away from my blog baby. Yes!! My blog turns 4today and it also happens to be my 400th post here. Yippee, Hurray!!! Party smile

I must thank my family, friends, readers and blogger friends for being so supportive, for being there to see me grow, to praise me for my creativity and critically analyze me to improve further. Nothing of this was possible without YOU so a big THANK YOU!!! I hope to see your continued support here. I love reading your feedback so please keep giving me that.

I wanted to post an elaborate and a more creative dish here but pardon me friends, I’m just not able to bear the heat and I simply dread long hours in the kitchen. I’m more into one pot or quick meals and my one BIG savior these days is Pasta which can be cooked in few minutes and you have ample choice to work on the flavors and play around with the veggies. The only thing I ensure is that I use Durum Wheat or Wheat Pasta, so that’s it’s good for my health too.

The pasta I’m posting today has no big recipe and has simple basic flavors and can be cooked on any lazy day without thinking too much..It’s a complete stress free recipe and that’s how I cook these days, which is no tension cooking Smile

. Also, I’m hoping that my face book fan page reaches 2000likes today so please head there and join me where I post kitchen tips everyday.

Farfalle With Basil

Preparation Time:15mins

Cooking Time:5mins

Serves:2

Difficulty Level:Easy

Ingredients

2cups Farfalle pasta ( cooked al dente)

1medium onion, cubed

6-7garlic pods, chopped finely

1/4 of green and red bell pepper, cubed

1small tomato cubed

1tsp oregano

9-10basil leaves

1tsp crushed black pepper/ paprika/ cayenne pepper

salt to taste

olive oil + butter mix, about 3tbsp

Method

Boil about a cup of pasta in about 8-10cups of water with a teaspoon oil and a table spoon salt.

Simultaneously, chop the veggies while the pasta gets cooked.

In a pan take butter and olive oil and once hot add the garlic and let it brown lightly.

Add the onions and sauté. Add the seasonings.

Tip in the pasta and toss on high flame for a few seconds. Add the remaining veggies and cook for 1-2minutes on medium before serving.

Add the basil leaves just before the final tossing on flame.

Serve hot garnished with more basil leaves.

Tips:

Add sufficient salt to the boiling pasta and always add the pasta once the water starts boiling, never add pasta to cold water.

Try to boil the pasta while the veggies/ sauce gets cooked. Always add hot pasta to the sauce. If the pasta is already cooked before adding it to the sauce, dip it in boiling water for 5secs and then add to the sauce.

Now comes the winner of last month’s ‘Only’ Cooking With Legumes event which was hosted by Nalini. Out of the 24 entries sent in Indian category

The random picker has chosen 11, which is Anu’s Masoor Patli Dal. Congrats Anu, please mail me within 48hrs to cookingoodfood@gmail.com to claim your win.

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Green Pasta..Pizza Hut Style??? No, No..better than that ( Step Wise)

Hi All!

It seems like ages that I wrote a post, and today as I type this post, I’m wondering, how many things happened in the past few days and I was so involved and engrossed in all those activities that I simply forgot that I have a blog too, which was completely ignored all these days and yes, I did not visit any blogs too..

I want to do so much for my blog but unfortunately I’m not able to. Some times I feel that I’m too slow hence I’m not able to accomplish what I actually want to, but at night, when I sit and try to look back at what all I completed in the day, it appears humongous. I guess I’m just trying to be positive about myself and the life I lead, but must confess, the pressures of life are taking over me.

My regular readers would know that about 2yrs back I was fighting a continuous low grade fever which had weakened my system and immunity, looks like I’m getting back into the fever mode (I’m not talking about the game, Moon Chaser here…LOL) but on a serious note, I’m not too well… I do drag myself through the day but by night I’m tired and definitely irritable as I’m left with no energy but the multitude of work does not let me sit and relax..

Anyways, enough of my health saga, do not want to bore my readers with that but I thought I do owe you an apology for disappearing suddenly, hence the explanation..

On a positive note, my elder kid joined Pizza Hut as a part timer, we thought that this will help him earn his pocket money and at the same time since it’s his hard earned money, he will learn to spend it thoughtfully. I feel todays generation loves to spend more and do not think and plan their future. Hopefully, my kid will learn to spend money thoughtfully. The kid had to undergo a training and then he worked in the kitchen for a week before he joined the front office. While working in the kitchen, he asked us to visit Pizza Hut, so that he could make a Pizza for us.

Personally I prefer Domino’s over Pizza Hut but for the kid we went.. he made two pizzas for us, which were nice. During the visit, the younger one also ordered a green pasta which was basically Fusilli and green veggies tossed in Pesto Cream Sauce. To our disappointment the pesto had no flavor and that was one of the worst pastas we ever tasted. I personally feel that Pizza Hut is over priced for the kind of food it serves but this is my personal opinion..

But then, I promised myself to make my version of that horrendous pasta that I ate, as the Pesto I make is definitely good. Fortunately I got hold of good basil leaves a few days back and that too at a good rate!! Yes, basil leaves are quite expensive here!! So, I did make the Pesto and then I did make the green pasta. You know what, it was finger licking good and at the same time very simple to make, hence I thought of sharing it here, as for Moms like me, this is an easy way of feeding the kid so many greens in one take.. Winking smile One helping of this pasta is quite filling. This version can make a main course as well as can be served as after play snack.

Green Pasta

Preparation Time: 15mins

Cooking Time: 5mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1cup boiled pasta (use any durum wheat pasta)

5-6 small broccoli florets (par boiled)

2french beans cut into thin oblong pieces

1/4th green capsicum, cubed

2-3inch piece green zucchini, sliced

2-3tbsp basil Pesto

3-4tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

100ml fresh cream ( I used low fat)

1tbsp butter +| 1tsp oil

1tsp chili flakes

a pinch of oregano

a few basil leaves

salt (if required)

Method

Boil the pasta al dente in surplus water with salt. Remove in a strainer and use immediately.

Heat the butter and oil together.

Add chili flakes and oregano, followed by French beans and Zucchini, sauté.

Add the Pesto and sauté for a few seconds.

Add the broccoli and pasta and toss on high flame.

Add the cream and capsicum and mix. Keep the flame low while doing this else the cream could curdle or scathe.

Lastly add the grated cheese and mix I’ve used Parmesan cheese but one can use cheddar or processed cheese). Switch off the flame immediately, taste for salt requirement (if you feel that the sauce is too thick, add a few spoons of water and bring the sauce to a boil). Normally additional salt is not required as the pasta is boiled in salted water and the cheese also has the salt.

Serve immediately.

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Pasta in Roasted Veggie Sauce..a hit with my kid and his friends

Hi.

Making an interesting lunch box for children is an ever daunting task we all mothers have. We all know that the kids love eating junk food and snacks and will finish that easily as compared to the meals and my kid is surely and easily one of them. So it’s always challenging and interesting to innovate dishes which appear fast food but still are very healthy.

There are times when the vegetables go unused and show signs of aging on the skin, especially the delicate ones like the capsicum. I’m surely not one of them who will get intimidated by such things, I always take it up as a challenge and come up with something more interesting by using them wisely. On one such occasion I roasted them to make an interesting sauce and brought them to good use and using the sauce and with a few additional vegetables, made a pasta. The kid surely loved it but more than him his school friends freaked out, and it became an ‘ON DEMAND’ item. Then on, I started making the sauce frequently and once in two weeks I would give the pasta in his lunch box. I always use durum wheat pasta as it’s much more healthier to eat and digest.

Pasta made this way ensured a good intake of vegetables by the kid and he was happy that he could eat fast food in school, his palate was pampered and satiated. I was more than happy as the kid was satisfied eating his lunch box and was eating a diet rich in fibre and minerals.

Ingredients

(serves 1)

For Roasted Veggie Sauce

1 red capsicum

1 green capsicum

6-7 shallots

2-3 green chillies

2 garlic pods

14-15 cherry tomatoes

For cooking

3/4 cup dry pasta

1/2 yellow capsicum, sliced

3-4 florets of broccoli chopped

3-4 cherry tomatoes, halved

1tsp oregano

1tbsp butter

1tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

2tbsp grated cheese

Method

Chop all the vegetables and bake at 180C for half an hour or more till the surface starts wilting and develops roast spots. Grind together using water. This makes about a cup and half of sauce. The sauce can be cooked in advance and be used as and when required.It can be frozen till then.

Boil about 3/4 cups of pasta in 4-5cups of water with 2tsp salt and 1tsp oil. Cook pasta al dente and immediately strain and pour cold water on it to prevent further cooking.

Heat oil and butter together and sauté the broccoli and cheery tomatoes.

Put oregano and add the yellow capsicum. Do not overcook the veggies.

Mix in about 1-1/4cups (about 2handfuls) of boiled pasta (I used fusilli) and toss in the oil and veggies.

Mix about 9-10tsp of roasted veggie sauce and mix in a little salt.

Add the grated cheese (I used tomato flavoured cheddar) and mix. Serve hot. Garnish with sliced yellow capsicum and cherry tomatoes.

Sending it to Vardhini’s New U

Priya Mahadevan’s event guest hosted by Priya Sreeram

Indrani’s

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Restaurant Style Cheese Macaroni

Hi!

Today was special as I started my month long vacation and so thought of treating the kid with his favourite food. A few days back when S was travelling I and the kid went out to have some fun, we played and we ate out. He decided to have pasta from the live pasta corner and ordered a fusilli in cheese sauce with no veggies. One strong look from me and he requested the chef, please add some corn to mine. He loved the pasta which even I personally liked.

My kid can avoid veggies to any extent and is quite picky about it, so when I asked him today that whether he would like to have a similar kind of pasta he had the other day, he simply beamed. I assured him that I would make the pasta provided he lets me put veggies in that. With some reluctance he agreed and I did make him a similar kind rather a better kind of cheese pasta which he ate wholeheartedly and I was more than happy as I made him eat the veggies too.

Ingredients

1tsp finely chopped garlic

2 cups boiled macaroni

2tsp butter

3/4-1cup of milk

1/4-1/2 cup cream

1 large pinch oregano

1 large pinch basil

1/4 cup grated cheese

salt to taste

freshly crushed black pepper to taste

3tbsp of chopped coloured bell peppers

chilli flakes and cilantro for garnishing

Method

In a pan take the garlic and butter and heat it, once you start getting the aroma of garlic (do not let it change the colour) add the milk followed by the cream.

Tip in the herbs, fresh pepper and salt to taste.

Mix in the macaroni followed by the cheese. Keep the flame low and do not cook much as the sauce thickens fast.

Pour the pasta into the serving bowl and sprinkle cilantro and chilli flakes.

Eat immediately Winking smile .

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Microwave Creamy Dino Pasta With Veggies & Greens

Hi All!

Today I share a quick version of Pasta which I cooked in the microwave and was ready to be served in fifteen minutes. It’s a perfect delight for kids and is loaded with veggies. Yes, you got me right, this version was again made so that the junior gets his dose of veggies which he conveniently wants to miss out, but surely not this time again. He had loved the Italian Veggie Squares and now this pasta was a feast again and Mommy was surely delighted to see him gobble up the entire bowl.

I am surely going to make this again for his lunch box as this method does not need to cook the pasta and the sauce separately. It is filling and nutritious too. I have used a dino shaped pasta but one is free to use pasta of their choice.

Ingredients

about cup and a half of pasta

5-6 tbsp chopped french beans

5-6 tbsp chopped carrot

5-6 spinach leaves chopped

a few tbsp of red and yellow capsicum cubed

3 spoons of cornstarch

150-200 ml fresh cream

1/4 tsp garlic pwd

1-2 tsp white pepper pwd

salt to taste

Method

Take pasta and the chopped beans and carrot in a microwave safe bowl and pour enough water that all the ingredients are immersed in it. Add salt to taste and cook on a 100% micro for about 8-10 minutes or till the pasta is done. Mine was done in 8 mins.

Now add the chopped spinach and capsicum to the pasta.

In the cream mix the white pepper, garlic and corn starch and mix.

Add the veggie-pasta mix to the cream and check the salt.

Cook on 100% microwave again for 3-4 minutes or more till the sauce thickens. One can also add cheese at this stage but I did not find it’s requirement as the cream helped.

Garnish with chopped chives and coloured capsicum.

P1050052

Sending this to my event, ‘Only’ Greens hosted this time by Saraswathy.

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Teddie Pasta and Veggies in Tomatoey Cheese Sauce and ‘Only’ Series Event Announcement

Hi friends!

I feel glad to announce that I am starting off with ‘ONLY’ series from this month onwards. Every month I will pick up a new topic thus enabling us to innovate more recipes. For this month the topic is “KIDS DELIGHT”.

Kids are a source of inspiration to our cooking as we really have to think hard to provide a tasty and at the same time nutritional food to them, so that they are nourished properly. So feel free to make any kids friendly recipe, which you believe will provide a balanced diet and at the same time will pamper their taste buds too.

Though this is a vegetarian blog I will accept non-veg entries also as many kids only eat non-veg. Send in your fresh entries (no limit) but I will accept only two archived posts if reposted. E-mail to cookingoodfood@gmail.com with the Subject- Kids Delight in the following format:-

Your Name

Blog’s Name

Recipe link

Picture of size 350pixel

Link back your post to the event page. Use of logo is Mandatory as it helps spread the word. Non bloggers can also participate, just send in your entry and picture to the above mentioned email and I will post your recipes in my space.

Here is the list of people hosting the events for the next few months.

Month	Host	Theme	Round Up
August’10	Pari	Only-Kids-Delight	Part I Part II
Sept’10	Piya(Yallapantula) Mitharwal	Only-Low Oil/ Low Calorie Food	Part I
October’10	Preeti Binniwale	Only-Festive Food	Part I
Nov’10	Pari	Only- Chaat	Part I
Dec’10	Saraswathi Iyer	Only- Greens
Jan’11	Prathibha Garre	Only- Salad
Feb’11	Pari	Only-Cooking with Bread
March’11	Nivedita	Only-Original Recipes
April’11		Only- Fusion Cooking
May’11	Nayana Kanabar	Only- Coolers and Mocktails
June’11	Reva	Only- Ice-Creams
July’11	Harini-Jaya	Only- Baked

Coming to the recipe,

My kids love different shaped pastas, dino, mickey, teddie and so on. My co-sister keeps providing me with small goodie bags of these cute shaped pastas. These are very light to digest and extremely easy to cook. My job is to make different kinds of sauce and add the pasta to it. Earlier I have shared a recipe with dinosaurs pasta too.

Today, I share another very tasty and hassle free preparation and is loved by my kids. The cheese sauce is very simple to make and the addition of tomato puree gives it a mild tomatoey flavor and a beautiful color. I have kept the spice level and flavors as per my child’s palate, one is free to make suitable changes.

I had made this for my kids lunch but this can also make a heavy evening snack too. My kid loved it and to my delight did not even observe that there were veggies going in it which were beautifully hidden under the thick cheese sauce.

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups milk

5-6 cheese slices

1 tsp butter

3-4 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp white pepper pwd

1 tsp oregano

a large pinch nutmeg pwd

a few celery leaves

about 3 cups boiled pasta (I used mickey shaped)

mixed veggies cut into triangles ( I used zucchini and colored bell peppers)

1 garlic pod finely chopped