Pork Stew in Red Chile Sauce by Diana Kennedy

(Part of a weekly series by a group of bloggers, featuring Gourmet Live's 50 Women Game Changers in Food - see end of post for list of bloggers participating & their blogs)

Like many grand dames and queens of various cuisines we've featured in the 50 Women Game Changers in Food series, we have one such person at #45 with prestigious honors in Mexican cuisine - Diana Kennedy. She is a firecracker, for sure, giving even the Jalapeno chile a run for its money. Not one to suffer fools, Diana does not pay any attention to hospitality or little niceties, like many journalists/interviewers who've witnessed it first hand will tell you. Food is of the essence. A correspondent for AP wrote in an article, "The queen of mexican cuisine is scolding me with a wooden spoon." She apparently wasn't very happy with the way he was handling ingredients. 

Source: Edible Austin

She's a perfectionist and anyone who's eaten her food will attest to that. She's a strong supporter of the local food movement and the preservation of local and cultural richness of true Mexican cuisine. She has an expansive garden at her home in Mexico, where she grows her own fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, coffee and just about anything under the sun, including a few almost-forgotten edible plants from the old days in Mexico. 

Diana was born in England in 1923. She emigrated to Canada in 1953 and four years after her stay there, she was headed back to the UK via the Caribbean to visit a friend in Jamaica. On her way, she visited Port Au Prince, where she met her husband, Paul Kennedy, whom she married within a year. Paul was a New York Times correspondent and they moved to Mexico in 1957. That is when her love affair with Mexican cuisine began. Taught by her maids, friends and their families, Diana grew more and more interested in discovering the real flavors and ingredients of food in Mexico. 

Roasted Portobello & Spinach Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I'd been dreaming of a grilled cheese sandwich for a while now. Not literally, but figuratively.

During my sleep though, I never have ordinary dreams. Only over-the-top bizarre ones where I wake up wondering what in the world just happened. My dreams will start with one scenario but switch to different scenarios seamlessly. It's actually fun waking up and piecing things together. Like watching a movie with a random storyline which shifts and changes during the entire course with no purpose at all. I never remember my dreams beyond half an hour, but for that half hour, it's a thrilling ride to decipher what I dreamt about.

For the longest time, I had a recurring dream where I'd be all alone in a deserted place. The place resembled the house and colony we lived in at that time. I'd be running through the streets and eventually the house looking for someone, anyone. But, there would never be anyone. It was quite a disturbing dream, come to think of it. All I'm glad is that I don't have those anymore. Nowadays my dreams mostly revolve around friends and family and some random storyline. These I'm actually cool with.

But, even better than the real dreams are my dreams of a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. I'll take dreams of that ANY DAY. In fact, I pray for these grilled cheese kinda dreams to become real. Who wouldn't??

Farfalle with Wild Mushrooms and Crème Fraîche

(Part of a weekly series by a group of bloggers, featuring Gourmet Live's 50 Women Game Changers in Food - see end of post for list of bloggers participating & their blogs)

This week we're shining the spotlight on Delia Smith at #35 on the list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food. For someone who is Britain's best selling cookbook author and has been teaching the nation to cook since the 1970s, Delia doesn't evoke the kind of recognition or awe one would assume came with those accolades. That could also be because she has humble roots in the world of cooking and appeals to cooks all across the board. She's not one of your exuberant chefs that display complicated or fancy techniques. She's more down-to-earth, working her way through the kitchen in a laid-back manner, teaching you the basics and simple techniques in cooking. That has obviously endeared her to the larger population.

Critics sometimes call her dull, lacking in passion while working with her ingredients but, who are we kidding - she's sold 21 million copies of her cook books. She's had no formal training in culinary school. She started out enthusiastically cooking for her boyfriend when she was a young girl. I guess she truly believed the phrase - the way to a man's heart is through his stomach - even though they eventually didn't stay together. But, that was the beginning of her journey with food. She started working in the kitchen of a restaurant, doing the dishes, slowly working her way up to waitressing and then even cooking. She landed a food writer's role at The Daily Mirror's new magazine in 1969 and was on her own cooking show by the early 70s. Cook books followed and slowly she was educating the whole nation on British cooking. You can read an exhaustive biography of hers in an article by The Independent and also pore through tons of her recipes on her website, Delia Online.

I picked a pasta recipe because it is both simple and unassuming like her but, incredibly delicious in taste. The husband and I ate this along with baked meatballs in a white wine sauce and it was one of the most perfect meals! The crème fraîche really makes the difference here and lends such a delicate, creamy touch to the pasta. I love mushrooms in any shape or form, so having them in the dish was just the perfect combination for me. You should really try this, it's simple and easy to make. Bon Appetit!

Penne with Wild Mushrooms and Crème Fraîche by Delia Smith

Ingredients and instructions:

• 1 lb 2 oz penne rigate (I used farfalle) 
• 1 lb mixed fresh mushrooms (flat, chestnut, shiitake or mixed wild mushrooms, for example), finely chopped 
• ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms 
• 9 fl oz (250 ml) crème fraîche (If you don't have this, you could substitute with 3/4 measure sour cream and 1/4 measure heavy cream - still tastes divine) 
• 3 tablespoons milk 
• 4 tablespoons butter 
• 4 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
• ¼ whole nutmeg, grated 
• lots of freshly grated Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), to serve 
• salt and freshly milled black pepper 

First pop the porcini in a small bowl, then heat the milk, pour it over the mushrooms and leave them to soak for 30 minutes. Then heat the butter in a medium frying pan over a gentle heat, stir in the shallots and let them cook gently for 5 minutes.

Next, strain the porcini into a sieve lined with kitchen paper, reserving the soaking liquid, and squeeze the porcini dry. Then chop them finely and add them to the pan, along with the fresh mushrooms and the balsamic vinegar.

Next, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Give it all a good stir, then cook gently, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until all the liquid has evaporated.

About 15 minutes before the mushrooms are ready, put the pasta on to cook (see How to Cook Perfect Pasta below). Then, 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked, mix the crème fraîche into the mushrooms with the soaking liquid, and warm through.

Drain the pasta in a colander, return it to the hot pan and quickly mix in the mushroom mixture, then place the pasta back on a gentle heat so it continues to cook for 1 more minute while it absorbs the sauce.

Take it to the table in a hot serving bowl and hand the Parmesan round separately.

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Here's a list of the other bloggers participating in this series. Do go over to their blogs to see what yummy dishes they've whipped up. If you'd like to join the group, please get in touch with Mary of One Perfect Bite.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast [] Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed [] Susan - The Spice Garden [] Heather - girlichef [] Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney [] Jeanette - Healthy Living [] Mary - One Perfect Bite [] Kathleen - Bake Away with Me [] Sue - The View from Great Island [] Barbara - Movable Feasts [] Linda A - There and Back Again [] Nancy - Picadillo [] Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits [] Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen [] Annie - Most Lovely Things [] Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook [] Alyce - More Time at the Table [] Amrita -Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Stuffed Poblanos with Goat Cheese & Andouille Sausage by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian

(Part of a series featuring 50 Women Game Changers in Food by Gourmet Live)

I just joined a group of bloggers (there's a list of who's participating at the end of this post), founded by Mary of One Perfect Bite, who are celebrating Gourmet Live's 50 Women Game Changers in Food. Each week, the group features one of the women ranked on the list (going sequentially) and make a dish of hers. The group's currently on #32. I'm sad that I missed 31 of them but, I'm glad that I jumped on the boat some time and best of all, one of my favorites, Ina Garten, is yet to come! :D


This week, at #32, we have Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian. I'd never heard of them before but, once I researched them, it was interesting to read about them championing the cause of eating fresh, healthy food daily and helping people connect with resources to make that happen. They co-founded Edible Communities, Inc., America’s largest publishing company dedicated to the local foods movement, in 2002. The company currently publishes 70 titles across North America and is currently adding new magazines at a rate of 10 per year. The content for each publication is region-specific and focuses on the farmers, fishermen, chefs and food artisans from each area. They also launched their first cookbook, "Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods", in April 2010 and have 4 more in the pipeline.

I naturally picked a recipe featured in their cookbook for my dish of the week for the series. And boy, was I glad I chose the one I did because these stuffed poblanos were beyond delicious. I am generally a very humble cook but, I couldn't stop gasping in wonder at how good it tasted, thanks to Tracey and Carole. 

The goat cheese mixture with basil and cilantro is a dream (I ate spoonfuls of the mixture even before stuffing the poblanos, it was THAT GOOD) and the roasted red pepper sauce knocks this dish into the heavens and back!

There are still some notes I would make to myself. The recipe calls for roasting the peppers and chiles. Since I've never roasted anything on an open flame before, I was overly cautious. I think I removed them off the flame a little too early since I wasn't able to get all the skin off without spending hours on it. I just got what I could and left the rest on. Roasting them longer would've also made them softer and more tender. So, just be a little mindful of this if this is the first time you're roasting peppers too. Don't be worried about scorching them whole, they need to get as black as they can!

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Poblanos with Goat Cheese & Andouille Sausage (adapted from Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods)

Ingredients & instructions:

Roasted poblanos and red peppers:

• 8 poblano chiles
• 2 large red bell peppers

Stuffed Poblanos:

• 4 ounces mild goat cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated Panela cheese or Monterey Jack
• 3/4 cup chopped Andouille sausages
• 1 shallot, very finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1-2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed

Red Bell Pepper Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
• 2/3 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roast and peel the poblano chiles and red peppers: Over an open gas flame (on the stovetop or outdoor grill), roast the chiles and peppers, turning with tongs for even roasting, about 5 minutes each (you can roast two or three at a time on each gas burner). You can use your oven's broiler as well, if you don't have a gas stove or grill. Make sure you get the chiles and peppers blackened and blistered all over. While they should be soft, be careful not to overcook them since they need to hold the stuffing while baking.

Place the hot chiles and peppers into a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or with plastic wrap; set aside for about 15 minutes. Using a paring knife, gently rub the skin off of the flesh of each chile and pepper. Wipe the surface of the flesh with paper towels to remove most of the excess skin and charred bits; discard the skin and set the chiles and peppers aside. 

Make the stuffed poblanos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum baking sheet. Carefully slit each chile down one side and remove the seeds, leaving the stems attached. In a medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, Panela cheese, chopped sausages, shallot, chopped red pepper, cilantro, basil, salt and pepper; stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Divide the cheese mixture into eight equal portions. Place one portion into each chile, being careful not to overfill. Close each chile, overlapping the edges slightly. Transfer the stuffed poblanos to the baking sheet. Bake until just warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Make the sauce: Cut open the roasted red bell peppers; remove and discard the stems and seeds. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and Serrano chile and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the roasted red peppers, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add more broth as needed to reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Return the sauce to the skillet to warm slightly.

To serve, pour shallow bed of sauce on the plate, place a stuffed poblano pepper in the middle and spoon a little more on it. I cut my peppers in half, sprinkled a little more Monterey Jack cheese and baked them for a few minutes till the cheese melted. 

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Here's a list of the other bloggers participating in this series. Do go over to their blogs to see what yummy dishes they've whipped up. If you'd like to join the group, please get in touch with Mary of One Perfect Bite. 

Val - More Than Burnt Toast [] Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed [] Susan - The Spice Garden [] Heather - girlichef [] Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney [] Jeanette - Healthy Living [] Mary - One Perfect Bite [] Kathleen - Bake Away with Me [] Sue - The View from Great Island [] Barbara - Movable Feasts [] Linda A - There and Back Again [] Nancy - Picadillo [] Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits [] Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen [] Annie - Most Lovely Things [] Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook [] Alyce - More Time at the Table [] Amrita -Beetles Kitchen Escapades

Southern comfort: Shrimp and Grits

Last year was a good vacation year for me. I traveled quite a bit. The cities that found a special place in my heart were New Orleans and Savannah. I LOVED both places. The food - out of this world since it is the kind of comfort food I can live on. The sights - just plain beautiful with lots of French and Victorian architecture. The shopping - pretty, quaint little knick-knacks. The company - the husband. I couldn't have asked for better vacations.

At both cities, we indulged in a lot of southern staples, including Shrimp and Grits. Well, the husband did since I was busy stuffing my face with other yummy foods like Jambalaya, fried Chicken, Beignets and much more!

I remember watching this Food Network Throwdown with Bobby Flay and a native of one of the cities in Louisiana, if I'm not mistaken - a Throwdown of Shrimp and Grits! I remember scribbling down instructions of what they created and putting that in my list of to-make recipes. But I promptly forgot about it. After my trip to New Orleans (and Savannah, most recently), I knew I had to dig it up and quickly make it!

Here's what I managed to gather from the show though I don't remember whose recipe I was following and whether this is accurate. It tasted yummy, nonetheless! I must say, though, this dish is best eaten fresh and hot off the stove! Bon Appetit!

Shrimp and grits

Ingredients and instructions:

For the grits

• 1 cup grits
• 2 cups water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1/2 cup of your favorite cheese

For the Shrimp

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 scallion sprigs, chopped

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Bring the water to a boil. Add the bouillon cubes and stir to dissolve. Add the grits and let it cook according to manufacturer's directions. Once it's cooked, add the butter and stir. Add the cream and cheese, stir till the cheese is melted. Remove from flame and keep aside.

In a bowl, mix the shrimp, salt, powdered pepper, cayenne pepper and italian seasoning. In a frying pan, melt the butter on medium high heat. Saute the garlic in the butter till it starts to brown. Add the shrimp and let it cook. Add the chopped scallions, stir for a minute. Turn off the flame.

In another pan on medium heat, add the butter and once it's melted, add the flour. Stir constantly for a minute till the raw smell of the flour goes. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Add the chicken broth slowly and stir till the flour mixture is completely incorporated. Add the worcestershire and hot sauce. Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir till the sauce thickens.

You can add the shrimp to the sauce before serving over the grits or you could assemble them individually.

Turkey Meatloaf Pie with a simple Mushroom Sauce

Earlier this week, we had a freak day of snow. I mean that in every sense of the word. The day started out with flurries and got me all excited about the prospect of snow.

I'm in love with gazing out the window and soaking in the picture-perfect pretty white snow-topped trees and roofs. My eyes happily ignore the madness on the ground, where people have to slog over shoveling sidewalks or walk gingerly to avoid ski-ing down the road (I'm glad I haven't had the pleasure yet, but, being the klutz I am, I'm sure it's coming sooner than later) or leave the house an hour early to make up for snow traffic or crazies on the road.

We've had flurries before but they've never lasted this long. It started in the morning and lasted all day! Yes, so I was hopeful that days of snow were here again. And Voila, by late afternoon, the ground started turning white and the tree and roof tops too. I was ecstatic. Well, at least till next morning, when the sun decided it wasn't time to give me a good snowy landscape yet.

Though it's been sunny here and there ever since, winter is definitely here and it is time for nice, comforting, meaty meals. That's when I thought of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. What's even better? I put everything together and made a meatloaf pie so it was just one dish of goodness. Yumm! I'm a sucker for simple, easy to make meals. You top it off with some sauteed mushrooms or a sauce and you're set with a dinner that you can curl up to on the couch (yes, we break rules by eating dinner on the couch but it's so much more cosy!). Bon Appetit!

Turkey Meatloaf Pie (adapted from one of my favorite cooks, Ina Garten)

Ingredients and instructions:

Seasoning sauce

• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1/2 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 
• 4-5 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

For the meat

• 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup

For the mashed potatoes topping

• 1 large russet potato (or 2 small/medium)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt to season
• Handful of mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a pie dish. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1-1 1/2 hours (if its a meatloaf, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F - I'm not sure how this guage works for the pie because it isn't a big chunk like the loaf). 

While the meatloaf base is baking, boil and mash your potato. Add the milk, garlic powder and salt. Mix well till you get a nice, creamy texture. You can adjust the amount of milk accordingly.

Just 5 minutes before the meatloaf base is done, take it out, spread the mashed potatoes on top, sprinkle with cheese and send it back to the oven. Once it's done, slice, pour mushroom sauce over it and enjoy!

Simple Mushroom Sauce (serves 2)

• 10-12 baby bella mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup of any dry white wine from your stash (use red if you're using beef broth)
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with a little water
• Sprinkling of dried parsley

Saute the mushrooms in butter. Once it's softened, add the white wine and let it cook for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth and simmer for a few minutes. Slowly pour in the cornflour mix and stir till the sauce thickens, a couple of minutes. If your sauce is till too watery, add more cornflour mixed with water. I added more cornflour and it got a bit thick but, I was too lazy to thin it out with more broth.

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

It's 2012 and I can't believe how fast 2011 flew. That's because I was having the time of my life and as they alway say, time flies when you're having fun. So true! 

2011 was full of adventures - traveling to different places, eating different types of food, experimenting in the kitchen with new dishes. Ever since I started this blog, I've noticed that I have this urge to dig out recipes I would never have tried under normal circumstances. Looking back, I am very pleased with the variety of dishes I've tried and added to my recipe book - though this is more virtual than physical at the moment and I'm hoping I can finally get it organized into a nice recipe folder this year. Hey, I think I found a resolution! Do you have any?

Last December (wow, saying that makes it feel like it was ages ago, though it was only a week back), I had this crazy craving for Thai Basil Chicken and rice. The type I used to go ga-ga over in Singapore. It was one of the number of dishes that I counted under my 'comfort food' category and it would never fail to satisfy me, no matter where I ate it. So, I wanted to find the best recipe that came close to the way the Singaporean cooks make it. 

The first recipe I tried from Thai Food & Travel was delicious but it didn't quench my craving since it wasn't as close to the ones from Singapore. So, I hunt again and found a recipe here that was apparently adapted from the cookbook, Simply Thai Cooking. It was the closest I could get to what I wanted and I was an extremely happy camper after that. The flavor basil adds to the chicken is just divine. So, this is the recipe I'm sticking to until someone can share one that's exactly like the Singaporean ones. Bon Appetit!

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Apparently adapted from Simply Thai Cooking - the cookbook)

Ingredients and instructions:

• 1 onion , sliced
• 1/2 green/red bell pepper , sliced
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 12-15 thai green chillies (add more for spiciness that will kill and reduce if you aren't tolerant towards spice)
• 1/2 cup shredded basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sesame/peanut oil , for stir-fying

Sauce 1

• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

Sauce 2

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 5 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon chili paste

Sauce 3

• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water

Heat oil in wok. Stir-fry onions and peppers. Remove and keep warm.

Add another tablespoon of oil to wok if needed and heat in wok on high. Saute garlic for a few seconds. Add chicken and chillies and stir-fry until chicken is done. Add sauces in order, stirring between each addition to coat. Add cooked vegetables back and stir to coat.

Add basil, stirring just unti hot-crisp, and beginning to wilt. Serve immediately. This goes best with a fried egg, rice and a side of cucumbers to cool off the spicy chicken.

Curried Chicken Pasta

When it comes to quick dinners, I love dishing out pasta and experimenting with the sauce or the meat that goes in it. I was a bit bored of the regular white sauce or meat sauce and wanted something different. I remember watching this short ad segment on Food Network where Aarti Sequeira demonstrates a quick and easy butter chicken where she'd first marinated chicken in yoghurt, ginger and garlic pastes before frying and adding it in a readymade mix.

I thought I'd incorporate that style and come up with my own marinade, making my pasta sauce with that as the base. I'd run out of yoghurt and had to look for substitutes. By the time I fiddled around the kitchen and threw stuff in my marinade, it turned out to be a curry-based chicken. It was so yummy! The final dish didn't taste completely like curry but, the hints of it added a beautiful touch. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients and directions:


For the marinade

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Season with salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Cut about 3/4 pound boneless chicken into small cubes and toss in the marinade and refrigerate for half an hour. 

For the sauce

• 400 ml chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons cream

Heat pan. Put the chicken and the marinade in the pan directly and let it cook for a while. That's right, you don't need oil in the pan since the marinade already has olive oil, you can add a little bit of olive oil later on when you mix the pasta and it feels too dry. 

Saute the chicken till they brown slightly on all sides. Add the chicken stock, minced onions, dried basil, tomato sauce and cream. Once the mixture comes to a boil, simmer and let the chicken cook completely, for about 15-20 minutes. 

If the sauce is still very watery, turn the heat up to high and let the liquid thicken. I added some frozen broccoli and mushroom mix 5 minutes before it was done.

Toss with your favorite pasta and enjoy!

Spinach Basil Pesto

Pesto sauce is one of the easiest sauces to put together. You throw a couple of ingredients in the blender and voila, your pasta sauce is ready. If you team it with whole wheat pasta and baked chicken, you have a wholesome healthy meal right there. It's a great way to get your greens in.

The spinach and basil complement each other beautifully, giving you a fresh burst of flavor. You can have fun with any number of combinations, though I feel the little bit of basil you add in really makes a huge difference. So, go to town with your experiments. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups spinach, with stems cut and washed
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 4 cloves of garlic (if they're tiny ones, add more depending on your taste)
• 4 tablespoons mix of roasted pine nuts and walnuts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt to season, if you like

Directions:
Add a few spinach leaves in the blender along with the garlic, basil leaves, nuts and one tablespoon of olive oil. Blend till finely grainy. Add more spinach leaves and olive oil, blend. Continue this process till you've added all the spinach and olive oil. Blend the parmesan cheese. Season and serve mixed with pasta.

There are certain variations to mixing it with your pasta. You can mix it with the pasta on a stove with medium low flame and let it cook for a few minutes. Or, you could put the pasta mixed with pesto in a baking dish, top with a little cheese and bake it.

Chicken meatballs in gravy

(Archived from Nuts & Sprinkles)

As I've been actively cooking, I'm beginning to wean off religiously following recipes and putting dishes together on my own. I do this only when I'm cooking day-to-day stuff so my experiments don't bomb on guests ;) Instead, the hubbs gets to be the loyal guinea pig! If the dish comes out well, I write it down immediately before I forget what went into it.

So, I'd made meatballs before by following a recipe. This time I decided to trust my instincts. And voila, it was quite yummy! I even got the nod from 'pro chef' hubby. Here's how I made it.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:
500 gms Minced meat
1 Egg
½ cup Breadcrumbs
Few sprigs of Coriander leaves
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste
½ teaspoon Roasted garlic and herb powder
½ teaspoon Garlic powder 

For the gravy: 

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 cup Minced tomatoes
1 medium Onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste
½ teaspoon Cayenne powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
½ teaspoon Curry powder
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 ½ cups of Chicken broth
½ cup Heavy whipping cream
Salt to taste

Mix all the meatball ingredients together, make 1-inch sized balls and keep aside. 

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes, salt, curry powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and a little water and fry till tomatoes are tender and mushy. Pour in the chicken broth and mix well.

Gently add in the meatballs, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat. Add the thick whipping cream. Check salt level and add if necessary. Mix well, cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes to let the meatballs absorb some of the cream too. (If the gravy is too watery, cook on high till it gets thicker. Be careful to stir regularly otherwise the bottom might get burnt.)

Creamy Cheese Sauce for Pasta

(Archived from Nuts & Sprinkles)

What do you do when you have to make a meal appealing to a 4-year-old? Dump oodles of cheese in it, of course. And that's what I did when I decided to make a creamy sauce for pasta for my niece who was coming over for a night stay. You can't go wrong with cheese and pasta. And I was right. The little munchkin ate this without a fuss. Well, even the hubbs and I couldn't get our paws off. So, thought I'd share this recipe with you and wish you many merry cheese-y meals!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons butter/olive oil 
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock 
• 2/3 cup light cream/low fat milk 
• ½ tomato pureed 
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Mix chicken stock, cream/milk and pureed tomatoes and keep aside.

Heat oil and add the flour to it and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and slowly add the liquid mixture, continuously stirring to avoid formation of lumps. Place it back on the stove on medium heat and stir till it thickens. Add the cheese and let it melt in.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your favourite cooked pasta and serve.

Home-made Pizza from scratch

(Archived from Nuts & Sprinkles)

Making pizza at home from scratch is one of the easiest and most convenient recipes. Both in time & ease of following the recipe as well as throwing in leftover meat and vegetables as toppings. This is a great way of sprucing up leftovers so you don't feel bored of eating the same food for days.

I had leftover chicken (a funky mix of roast chicken and spices/sauces that the hubbs concocted) and spinach sauteed with garlic begging me to try them on something new. So, I yanked out my pizza recipe! The reason why I love this recipe is the fact that the pizza base is a no yeast recipe, so there's no waiting for the dough to rise etc. You can finish everything in one go from prep to finish.

This is the second time I tried this and it definitely improved in quality from the first time. But, I believe that's because of the tomato sauce that I put together this time. I usually just throw in whatever I feel like when I'm cooking without a recipe. This time I wrote the recipe down immediately since it did complement the pizza really well. The only note/change I'd make to the recipe is baking the pizza base alone for 5-7 minutes before adding the toppings and sending it back into the oven. It's a fun recipe, so any experiment goes! Bon Appétit!

Ingredients & directions:

For the base/crust -

• 1½ cups plain/all purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
• ½ tsp salt 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
• ½ cup of water 

Preheat oven to 450F.

Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the olive oil and water. Combine well until the mixture comes together in a slightly sticky dough. Now turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for a minute or two, then roll out onto a pizza peel.

With a traditional dough, you can shape and stretch the crust with your hands but a no yeast pizza dough tends to be a little less elastic so you will probably find that a rolling pin comes in useful here.

Top the pizza with your usual sauce and toppings and bake at 450F/220C, preferably on a pizza stone, for about 10 minutes. A thicker crust may need a few minutes more.

For the Pizza sauce - 

• 3 medium tomatoes, pureed 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 tsp parsley or any dried herb of choice 
• 1/3 tsp cayenne pepper 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder 

Heat pan on medium-high flame and pour the tomato puree in. Add all the other ingredients and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, till the tomatoes are cooked. You can add chicken stock/broth if the liquid dries up quickly.

For my toppings, I first slathered the pizza sauce on the base, followed by the chicken, spinach, onion slices and Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese.