Gnocchi in a Red Wine & Scotch Sauce - A "Spirited" Fare

Spirited Cooking! Gee, Cheeky as it sounds - this pasta was a finger-licking proof of a spirited fare on the platter. There is something about adding alcohol into cooking - it elevates the feel of the dish to another level and the flavor and aroma it gives, gets your taste buds tingling. It goes without saying that the content of alcohol in the final output depends upon the type of spirit used, how much of the liquid was plopped, how long was it cooked, what method of cooking was employed etc. In this pasta dish 2 shot glasses of red wine and a shot glass of whiskey was plopped for making the sauce. The dish did not scream the use of these tipsy liquids but the taste was a total knock out!  

Yes, I am back with another Pasta dish. It is surprising how the varied forms of dried pasta has woven magic in to my household. Not a fortnight goes when at least one pasta dish makes an appearance on the table. This week the small dumpling like pasta made of durum wheat was the collective choice.

Before I go on and on about how this dish tasted let me tell you that the dish though originally my brain child was seen to its perfect execution by hubby dearest. What actually happened was, Sreeram got excited about the inclusion of the booze and decided to don the apron himself. Well, who am I to complain! But let me remind you once again that it was me who thought of the long forgotten whiskey & red wine bottles :D That brings me to the star of the dishes - half finished bottles of red wine and scotch whiskey was vying for attention and bingo the pasta dish was gonna be their spot in the sunshine!

Pasta all glammed up never looked and tasted this Uber-Cool !

• Gnocchi - 300 grams
• Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Shallots - 100 gms
• Green Pepper - 1 (diced)
• Garlic - 6 to 7 big pods (thinly sliced)
• Oregano - 3 to 4 tbsp
• Thyme - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Tomato - 400 grams
• Red Wine - 120 ml
• Whiskey - 60 ml
• Milk - 100 ml
• Black & Green Olives - 50 gms each (deseeded)
• Dried Basil - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Chilly Flakes -  2 to 3 tbsp (to taste)
• Mozarella Cheese - 200 grams
• Salt and pepper to taste

Here's How:-

The pasta of my choice was Gnocchi. Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the pan. Well to quickly sum it up boil enough water in a wide pan to cover the pasta . Add some salt and some olive oil as it boils up and tip in the dried pasta. Stir it every once in a while to give it enough space for getting cooked. And just cook it al-dente. The pasta will offer little resistance when poked in to it. At this point take it off flame and drain the pasta. Refresh it in cold water and apply a little olive oil evenly to ensure that it does not stick to each other. You can retain a little of the starch water to add to the sauce later. 

In a thick bottomed pan, add the oil and as it warms up tip in the shallots, green pepper and the garlic. Saute it for a few minutes . Add the spice mix of oregano, thyme, chilly flakes and basil. Retain some of the oregano and chilly flakes to add finally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the raw smell goes away add the diced tomatoes and saute it for a few minutes till they are evenly cooked. Add the red wine and whiskey and let it simmer for a few minutes till the rawness goes away and the sauce is well cooked. Now add the milk and half of the cheese and cook for some time till the sauce is thick. Finally add the cooked pasta, remaining cheese, olives and give it a good toss. Now add the remaining oregano and chilly flakes and serve hot.

E.N.J.O.Y !

Wheat Penne Salad

IPL fever is on everywhere and our home is no different. My 3 musketeers are crazy about this mega cricketing carnival; the weekends and especially Sundays are a hoot! The clock strikes 3 pm and the house turns in to a mini stadium of sorts - the couches are pulled forward, phones kept on mute and the mister along with his band of 2 minions is ready to enjoy the fun. While popcorn and a never ending pitcher of green tea is staple, last sunday saw a huge bowl of pasta salad. Do you know what I love about the IPL ? Besides the eat fest that ensues, Jumping Japhak is my only reason for enduring the IPL madness - the catchy tune is groovy and brings out the dancing shoes of yours truly :)

Coming to the salad, the star of the dish is definitely the wheat penne supported by the fruits in it - the luscious mangoes, the crisp apples and the red pearly pomegranates add to the zing. Besides, the slightly pungent taste of the onions and the succulent cottage cheese cubes ups the ante!

The recipe is no rocket science but the taste and flavor is bang on. Have to credit my HUBBY for making the Sunday TV session a lip smacking affair.

The health quotient is intact as the pasta in it is Penne and that too from Whole Durum wheat. You can use any other type of pasta like macaroni or fusilli.

What's in it :- 

Cottage Cheese, Fruits and Vegetables are cut into Macedoine.

• Ripe, Luscious Mangoes - 2  medium - peeled
• Pomegranate - Red pearls from 1 a medium fruit
• Cottage CHeese - 200 grams
• Apple - 1 large
• Onion - 1 large
• Penne - 300 grams (I used Whole Durum Wheat Penne)
• Green Pepper - 1 large
• Peanuts - two fistfuls or to taste
• Green Olives - a fistful - halved
• Black Olives - a fistful - halved
• Black Pepper Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Italian Seasonings - 1 tbsp crushed
• Mayonnaise - 3 to 4 tbsp (I used egg-less mayonnaise)

Here's How :-

In a big bowl add the cubed mangoes, apples, red pearls, cottage cheese, peanuts, olives, green pepper and the onion. Mix it and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. In the meanwhile, cook the pasta as per the instructions of the packet. The penne should not be overtly mushy, neither should it be al dente but just perfectly cooked.  Bring the nutty mix from the fridge and add the cooked pasta, black pepper powder, Italian seasoning and salt and mix well.

Finally tip in the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly so that it coats all the ingredients  evenly. Serve in big bowls along with toasted or garlic bread if you please.

Farfalle with creamy corn, pepper & tomatoes and Happy 2013

Wishing  you all a Rocking 2013. Hope the year is blessed and bestows all happiness & prosperity. 

What is life without hope ? The recent brutal carnage of the 23 year old has left an indelible sorrow,anguish and angst in all of us. In her death, she has awakened us. Hopefully, we channel all those energies in to shaping our system in such a way that it puts a morbid fear of law to the would be perpetrators. Besides its time we shed our lethargy & negativity, boot out insensitivity and embark on a spirited self. Rather than poke & point fingers and blame the system, we become the change and get proactive. In this context, I salute the indomitable spirit of the women of India. She faces obstacles at every step,  survives the jeers & catcalls as well as the sexist remarks. All talks of gender equality bite the dust amidst the taunts for the way she dresses and talks.  She is bracketed & stereotyped. Many a times, her very existence is questioned and she falters & stumbles. Yet she rises like a phoenix and faces the world boldly. Her hope to make the world a better place gets a thumping resolve every minute she is written off. She braves the odds and embraces life. Here's me doffing an imaginary hat to us ladies. WE ROCK !

The first day of 2013 blossomed amidst all these positive thoughts for me. The hearth buzzed with my daughter's favourite. This pasta dish got repeated yet again yesterday and why not ? It is simple to make and hugely filling. Besides it is a sure kid pleaser !

Rustling a lunch or dinner by spending little time in the kitchen is something I dote on. And if the dish is delicious and creamy with staple pantry ingredients and spells P.A.S.T.A then it has a stamp of approval from the kids too ! Go on and indulge in this creamy and blissful dish :)

What's in it :- (Prep time ; 15 mins, Cooking time : 10 mins, Serves :4)

• Farfalle (Bowties) – 2 cups of dried butterfly shaped pasta
• Olive Oil – 3 to 4 tbsp
• Garlic – 5 large pods (chopped)
• Green pepper (small) – 1 diced in to small cubes
• Tomatoes (small) – 2 (cubed)
• Sweet Corn (cooked) – 1/2 cup
• Capers – a fistful
• Italian Seasoning – a very generous sprinkle ( about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp)
• Fresh Cream – about 1 to 1 1/2 cups (250 to 300 ml)
• Salt & Pepper – to taste
• Water – as required (retained from the cooked pasta)
• Grated Cheese – as required

Here's How :-

Cook pasta as per instructions in the pack. Take care it is al dente (firm to the bite).

Heat the olive oil and add garlic. Saute it for a few seconds. Tip in the pepper and tomatoes and saute for a 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet corn,capers, the seasoning, cream, salt & pepper. Cook it for 5 minutes or a little less.

Add the starchy water retained while draining the cooked pasta (as required) if the mix becomes too thick. Dunk the farfalle and cook for a minute or two until the pasta is totally coated with the sauce. Remove from flame and generously grate the cheese all over.

Serve hot & enjoy.


Chef Notes :-

• You can add veggies of your choice like asparagus, broccoli.
• Be sure to retain some water from the cooked pasta. This starchy liquid will add to the texture of the dish and lighten if the creamy mix becomes too thick.

Linking this to Nancy's YBR FEB

Spaghetti with Charred Peppers in a Spiced White Sauce

P.A.S.T.A - What's not to like about this magical word ? Why magical you ask - for seldom have I seen my daughter say no to it and the fact that I always sneak in a load of veggies to up it's health quotient has never dettered her from devouring it. Delighting the world with about 600 different shapes and forms, I find pastas simple to cook, fun to dress up and delicious to eat.I am sure that most of you will agree with me when I say that one can never get bored with pasta; springing a hearty and satisfying dish is fun because it is open to so many make overs. If you are that sort of person who loves to make pasta from a scratch, then the pleasure of eating the final dish gets even more delightful. However stocking the pantry with dry pasta available in so many varieties is equally satisfying. 

Do you know that eating pasta dates back very long ago – as far as 400 BC?

The Avant Garde Week 3 : Month 1 - Secret Ingredient challenge had me paired with Radhika. And guess what was the lady's choice for me - "Pasta" of course. While I definitely need no excuse to dish out pasta frequently, the challenge saw me pretty excited because hubby decided to don the aprons for a change. So while the kitchen saw a whole lot of buzz under his helm, yours truly just took the opportunity to relax with Harry Potter for company :D

The pasta he used was made with durum wheat which is a bundle of fibre content and  lends a nutty flavor to the dish.

To add to the magic of the pasta, he charred some peppers on the stove top. The smoky flavour of the peppers elevated the dish a couple of notches.

What's in it :-

(Serves: 4 , Preparation Time : 30 minutes, Cooking Time : 10 minutes)

• Spaghetti - 200 to 250 grams
• Bell Pepper - Green/Yellow/Red - 1 each - diced in to medium sized chunks
• Onion - 1 large - diced
• Green Chillis - 2 to taste (To make it hot)
• Salt - to taste
• Capers - As Required
• Olives - Green/Black - As Required
• Olive Oil - 2-3 tbsp
• Mozzarella - 25 grams (approx - grated) 

For the Sauce :-

• Butter (Salted) - 50 grams
• All Purpose Flour - 50 grams
• Milk - 1/2 litre
• Oregano - 3 grams
• Red chilli flakes - 3 grams
• Wild Thyme - 1 pinch
• Aromatic Rosemary - 1 pinch
• Basil - 1 pinch
• Chives - 1 pinch

Here's How :-

In a heavy bottomed vessel add butter and as it melts add the flour. This is called as Roux. Add the herbs and seasonings to the roux. Boil milk and add this to the roux to make a sauce. (Strain if required) 

In a heavy bottomed pan, add olive oil, tip in the diced onions and add green chillis when the onions are translucent. Add the charred bell peppers, saute and then add the cooked spaghetti and mix well. Add the sauce and mix well. Then tip in the capers and olives and give it a good swirl.

Adjust the seasonings, add the Mozzarella cheese and mix well. Garnish with Olives before serving.

E.N.J.O.Y

Linking it to Reshmi's Around the world - Italian guest hosted by Renuka

Spaghetti with Dried Basil and Grilled Cheesy Tomatoes

There are days when I don't want to potter around the kitchen ; neither does the tingling warmth from the burner pep me nor does the clanging of the pans and the buzz of the sizzling spices excite me. While a few of those days covet for my undivided attention towards the must-watch flicks, a few others lure me with the promise of engaging reads; to put it simply I don't want to cook. But, the tummy doesn't understand this - the slowly growling belly starts rumbling steadily and as the time ticks on it starts sending you howlers indicating that it needs to be fed and nourished. There is of-course the simpler option of ringing up a near-by restaurant to deliver something piping hot. However, if you just prefer to not loosen the purse-string then this bowl of hearty chomping is a life saver. Without much time in the hearth, the dish is a perfect sunday afternoon lunch. Grab the to-read fiction or prop yourself dainty before the idiot box along with a cool glass of Lemon & Ginger and you are all set to indulge yourself

Inspired from a recipe from the lady behind the Noble Pig , the pasta was a delight. What's not to like - cheese,tomatoes, pasta and some more cheese :P

Grilling the chunky slices of the tomatoes with the cheese warms up the heart.Cook the pasta as per instruction on the pack and toss it with garlic infused olive oil and you are all set for the magical afternoon.

The spaghetti I used was Wholemeal and that promised to kick in the health buzz.

What's in it (Serves :3)

How to :-


 Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and set aside. 


Preheat the oven on the grill mode. Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices on a lightly greased baking pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the slices liberally with the cheese gratings. Grill until the cheese is bubbly and golden for a few minutes.


In a small pan, warm the oil with the garlic and the chilli flakes over medium heat until fragrant for a minute or two. Tip in the dried basil and give it a good swirl. Season it with salt and pepper and add the pasta. Toss to combine.  Serve topped with the grilled cheesy tomatoes, dried basil, olives and more cheese.

E.N.J.O.Y

Is it Italian-Is it Indian ? - Fusilli Marries Sambhar !!

Trust Hubby Dearest to cook up a storm (literally !) :D . Not in the mood for anything elaborate, I made a hasty lunch on Sunday which was to be a quickie rice n sambhar. Hubby had his own plans of making the sombre affair into something devilishly good! He spotted fusilli in the pantry and the sambhar that I had cooked for lunch and guess what makeover it got - yup Italy meets Chennai in my hearth and what a jolly good encounter it was! 

In hubby's hand the fusilli happily gels with all n sundry items in the fridge - on its way to yum city it embraces charred onions & amp; pepper, fried mushrooms & cottage cheese before finally blending with sambhar mixed white sauce. 


Verdict:- It had something for everybody - mushrooms & olives kept my daughter hooked while my son was happy with cottage cheese in it. As for me, the whole dish got me all  =p~ and :) . Hubby "Chef" Take a Bow ! 
For the un-initiated Sambhar is a tangy gravy of lentils with veggies spiked with Sambhar Powder that is a fuse of various spices like coriander seeds,red chillis etc and is usually paired with rice or tiffins like dosa/idlis /uthappams.

Sambhar & Sambhar Powder (Spice Mix)

So what's in it :- (adjust quantity as required)

• Fusilli Tricolure  - 200gms -approx - use any pasta you like
• Podi Sambhar - 150 ml or as required
• Sambhar Powder - 1 tbsp -(I used store bought)
• Butter - 50 gms
• Al Purpose Flour - 50 gms
• Milk- 500 ml - boiled
• Cottage Cheese - 100 gms - cubed & fried
• Mushrooms - 100 gms - sliced & fried
• Onion - 1 or 2 large - sliced & grilled
• Green pepper - 1 char grilled
• Olives - a few
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - 5 gms
• Nutmeg Powder - 5 gms

How:-


First take equal amounts of the butter and flour. Mix well after melting the butter - this mix called as roux. Add the boiled milk into the roux and mix it well to avoid any lumps. Thicken it on a low flame to a sauce like consistency. This is the basic white sauce of french cooking also known as Bechamel Sauce. To this add the Sambhar powder. Take it off the flame and add about 150 ml of sambhar, a pinch of salt (if needed), about 5 gms of pepper and 5 gms of nutmeg powder, to get an Indo-Italian Sauce.

Keep the other ingredients ready. Cook the fusilli as per instructions on the pack and set aside. On a skewer add the onion slices  & pepper and char it directly on stove top. The cottage cheese & mushroom pieces are deep fried for a few seconds and put on the absorbent paper.

Charred Veggies/Fried Mushrooms & Cottage Cheese

Finally mixing time :-
In a big wok , add the pasta and olives. To it add the charred veggies & fried mushrooms & paneer. Toss it well. Finally add the sauce and mix it well with a fork.

Serve hot & Enjoy !

Sending the dish to Fusion Food : Pasta happening @ Ramya's Recipes





Linking it to Vardhini's Dish it Out - Mushrooms & Onions, guest hosted by Kalyani@Momchef

Spaghetti in Medici sauce

One last reminder - Fast Food Not Fat Food #3 ends on June 15th ! Do rush in your entries & be part of this healthy cooking travail !


Give me Pasta any day any time- I so love it and constantly look to new recipes & different sauces to pep it up. Tarla Dalal's Pizzas & Pasta mini-book had this nice recipe for a creamy tangy sauce called as Medici Sauce and I tossed in spaghetti in that to dish out a very tasty pasta !! 

The spaghetti I had was made from durum wheat semolina and was a healthier option compared to the flour made thin strings . The sauce was a spicier & creamier version of the Arrabbiata Sauce sans basil .

Ingredients:- ( Serves 3 to4)

• The star of the recipe -- Spaghetti - I used a full pack of 250 gms

For the Sauce:-

•  Tomatoes - 4 to 5 for the tomato pulp
• Garlic - 4 to 5 pods - chopped
• Spring Onions/Scallions - 1/4 cup
• Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tbsp - to taste
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp - to taste
• Tomato Puree /Ketchup - 2 to 3 tbsp
• Fresh Cream - 4 to 5 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

For Garnish :-

• Grated Cheese - as required
• Black olives - a few - sliced

How:-

Cook the spaghetti as per instructions on the box and set aside.

Make the tomato pulp by blanching the whole tomatoes in hot water and then peeling & chopping them (de-seed before chopping if you want, i skipped it ).

The skinned beauties ready for action !!

In a wok, add  olive oil & saute chopped garlic & scallions for a few seconds. Now add the tomato pulp and cook it till the mix thickens. There after add the chilli flakes & the chilli powder to taste, tomato puree and season it with salt. Add a cup of water and bring it to a boil. let it simmer for a while; finally add the cream and mix well.

The sauce  is ready.

Just before serving, gently heat up the medici sauce and toss the cooked spaghetti in it (use sauce as required) . Serve hot garnished with cheese & black olives !

Enjoy

Olives & Rosemary Focaccia

 I am a very reluctant bread maker. To hop, skip & run to the market for a fresh loaf appeals to me more than the agonizing time spent in waiting for the bread to prove & bake :P . A bread-baking newbie the walls of hesitation are strong, but the many tantalizing loaves of fellow bloggers are pushing me towards breaking them- and there is good news, I am slowly enjoying the many joys of a freshly minted home loaf !! Now take this focaccia for instance- there are so many posts on this bread with various combination of herbs & spices & toppings on the net ! The pictures of the various bookmarked recipes finally pushed me in to bringing this wonderful & delicious bread to my hearth.

Focaccia is an Italian oven-baked  flat bread.It's much like a poor man's pizza and can be made either sweet or savory. The bread is dented/punctured on the surface(to relieve bubbling over) just before baking and that gives it a distinct flat-bread look !! The best thing about this bread is it can be customized to what your taste buds crave for at that moment ;also it does not require much sweating and generally can not go wrong. I recommend it to any novice bread maker to give this a try and get over the initial fear of making breads ! That said, I was totally anxious the whole time,, I heaved a sigh of relief only after the first bite of the crunchy yet moist n fluffy piece of delight !

The recipe is courtesy a whole lot of blog-hopping & in particular The Purple Foodie ! The bread was well loved and enjoyed with & without a variety of accompaniments ! This bread will sure make many more appearances in my kitchen !!


What's in the bread :-

• All Purpose Flour -  250 gms
• Active Dry Yeast - 7 grams
• Olive Oil - 40 to 50 ml
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Warm water - 125 to 150 ml- as required
• Olives (Black & Green) - 1/2 cup - roughly chopped
• Dried Rosemary  & Oregano - generous sprinkles

Here's How:-

Activating the dry yeast was the first step. Refer the pack for instructions  - I mixed little warm milk & sugar to get it frothy.

Now in a bowl, add the flour, salt, oil (retain a little for brushing over the dough later & for oiling the bread tin) & the warm water little by little(as required) and blend it to a sticky dough. 

Work on the dough for a good 10-15 minutes to achieve a nice elastic consistency.

Return the dough to a well-oiled bowl, keep it covered and allow it rise. Let it rest for a minimum hour or two.

Once the dough has risen, return it to a dusted surface and blend in the chopped olives and knead again for 5 more minutes.

Transfer the dough to the greased baking tin and spread the dough to the size of the tin/tray (with hands) ! Let it rest again for 10-15 minutes covered.

Now  dent/poke/dimple the dough with your finger tips gently and brush it with a coat of olive oil & sprinkle the dried rosemary & oregano generously.

In a preheated oven bake @ 220 C for 30 minutes or till it is golden brown.

Serve warm ! You can also store it in air-tight container once it is cooled completely !

Enjoy !

Linking it to Kankana's Hearth &Soul Blog Hop #51