Kale Pesto Pasta

 I am not a big pesto pasta fan but I saw this recipe on the TV and thought it was interesting and since I had all the ingredients, I made it. It was delicious. This is my newest favorite pasta dish

Kale Pesto Pasta (Spaghetti in kale and pistachio sauce)

Kale Pesto pasta

Ingredients:

1. 4 oz spaghetti
2. leaves from 2 or 3 big kale stalks, chopped roughly
3. 2 garlic gloves
4. water for boiling and salt for the water
5. salt to taste + fresh ground black pepper
6. 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios
7. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Boil the water with some salt in it. Add the kale and let it boil for a minute. Drain and add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Grind the garlic and pistachios until the pistachios are almost ground to paste. Add kale and olive oil and about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Ground to a smooth paste.

Add the pasta to a bowl and add the sauce to it and mix to combine. Add a tad bit more water if the sauce is too thick. Serve as is or with egg of your choice or any other protein 

Instant Oats Idli

These days there are shortages of various items in the super markets. And when you can't find the items you have to improvise. I have been looking for masala oats in the Indian stores for quite some time and I haven't been able to find it. SO instead of masala oats, I am using instant oats which are readily available in the grocery stores here. Only difference is, you might have to add more spices like garam masala and chilli powder to it, if you want it really spicy. But I like it not too spicy.

Instant Oats Idli

Instant Oats Idli

Ingredients

1. 1 cup instant oats
2. 1/2 cup ravva or sooji fine samolina
3. 1 tablespoons+ extra oil for basting the idli moulds
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and mustard seeds
5. 1 teaspoon baking soda or Eno Fruit salt
6. 1 teaspoon Chana dal soaked in water for 10 minutes
7. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
8. 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
   
9. 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped ginger, green chillies and cilantro, cashew, green peas
10. 2 tablespoon each of grated carrot, beetroot

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, few curry and fry for a minute. Add cashew and fry for a minute. Add Chana Dal and all the veggies and fry for 3 more minutes. Add soji and instant oats and fry/roast for 5-7 minutes.

In a bowl mix the yogurt with lemon juice. Add the oats and sooji to the yogurt and set aside for 10 minutes. Add baking soda or eno fruit salt and add more water to get the consistency of a thick pan cake batter.


Prepare the idli pans by applying oil with a finger. Add a tablespoon of batter. Stream in a cooker for 15-17 minutes. Let the steam escape and cool for a minute before taking the idlis off the pan. Enjoy with your favorite chutney or curry leaf powder

More idli recipes

Classic Plain Idli

Carrot Idli

Ravva Idli

Mint Idli

Corn Meal Idli

Ravva Idli #2

Instant Idli
Masala Oats Ravva Idli
Raagi Idli

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

 I have been wanting to make this dish for the longest time, but I just can't bring myself up to make something easily which has frying involved in it. I found this recipe with baked eggplants and it turned out pretty awesome. The eggs plants were melt in your mouth delicious.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

1. 1 American eggplant peeled and sliced 1/2 cm thick
2. 2 eggs beaten
3. 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
4. 1/2-3/4 cup all purpose flour
5. 1/4-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
7. 11/2-2 cups marinara sauce (I used Ragu old fashioned)
8. 1/2-1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded 

Set up the dredging stations. 1. Flour mixed with pepper 2. Beaten eggs 3. Bread crumbs.

Have a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray ready.

Dredge the egg plan slices in the flour on both side. Dip in egg and dredge with breadcrumbs on both side. Press it gently in the breadcrumbs so that they stick.

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the eggplants 5 minutes on each side.

Prepare a baking dish with some marinara sauce spread at the bottom. The layer with the baked eggplant slices. Add some mozzarella and a spoonful of marinara and some parmesan cheese. (I did not add a lot of the cheese , as one of the diners' at home doesn't like too much cheese). Repeat the layers. 

At the top I added more marinara sauce so as not to show to cheese (again for the picky cheese eater in my house)

Bake it at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.

I served with Beef Stagganoff

Cranberry Orange Chocolate Cheese Cake

 Today being Christmas, I wanted to make something with Cranberries in them. I like those little red jewels, how they make everything look a bit more "Christmasi " 

The original recipe called for white chocolate chips and all I had were Orange coloured whiye chocolate chips. Hence my cheese cake turned out to be orange in color.

But this is one of the best cheese cakes I made yet!!!

Here is original cheese cake recipe

Cranberry Orange Chocolate Cheese Cake

Ingredients for crust:

1. 12 oreo cookies scrapped out of the cream (reserve this) and pound into powder
2. 1/4  cup melted butter

Ingredients for cheese cake:

1. 16 oz 1 pack  or 2 packs of 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2. 2 large eggs
3. 1/3-1/2 cup white chocolate chips of your choice of color
4. 1/3-1/2 cups dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the ingredients of the crust and prepare a 9 inch round pan. Add the crust mix and press it onto the bottom and by the sides

For the filling, beat the cream cheese with the melted chocolate chips. If some of them do not melt completely , do not worry...they turn out to be extra fun in the cheese cake . Add the eggs one at a time and  mix again until everything is incorporated. Add cranberries if using. Add the filling to the pie pan and bake for 45-50  minutes. Let it cool and freeze for 1-2 hours before serving. Enjoy

Buffalo chicken rollups from scratch

 These buffalo chicken roll ups are so easy to make and so delicious to make, I think I found my new favorite.

You can use the pillsbury crescent rolls or pizza dough if you do not want to make the dough from scratch . But because I did not want to use the pillsbury crescent rolls and they are a bit sweet for me for this recipe, I made my own dough, which is also super simple to make

Buffalo chicken rollups from scratch

Buffalo Chicken Rollups

Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Filling

1. 1 12.05oz canned chicken breast drained completely
2. 3-4 tablespoons Frank's hot buffalo sauce
3. 1 tablespoon each of ranch dressing mix, sour cream or mayo
4. 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Recipe for the Dough

Mix all the ingredients for the chicken filling .

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and roll it into 8X6 inches rectangle about 1/3 inch thick. Lay the filling on the sheet about 1 inch away from all side. Roll it jelly roll like.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cut the log into 1 inch bites and lay them 1 inch apart in a prepared sheet to bake. Bake them 30 minutes .

If you want you can melt 2 tablespoons of butter with a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and a pinch a salt and apply to the sides of the roll ups. Enjoy!!!

Here is another recipe Chicken Stromboli

Grilled chicken

 This grilled chicken recipe is super delicious.

Do not want to grill...pan fry it with a bit of an oil and its equally delicious.

Serve it with Naan, Pita bread, rice, spaghetti..whatever you live...eat it on the side with a salad as the main dish. 

Grilled chicken (Chicken marinated with Indian spices)

Chicken grilled on stove top grill

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
2. 1 small/medium small onion ground to paste
3. 1 inch x 1 inch ginger peeled
4. 2-3 cloves of garlic
5. 1 tablespoon each of oil, fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
6. 1 teaspoon each of salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala
7. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon chilli powder

Grind the onions and ginger and garlic into paste. Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the chicken 30 minutes to 4 hours

Heat a pan or a grill. If you are grilling it, put the pieces of chicken on skewers and grill on a pan, else all the "masala" (onions and spices) will fall on the grill fire and make a mess.

If cooking in a pan, heat the pan and on high heat cook the chicken for 15-20 minutes until it becomes dry and light brown in color. Enjoy

Garlic baked Salmon and Broccoli

 This is a super easy and super delicious recipe. The Salmon and Broccoli just flew out of the pan

Garlic baked Salmon and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1. 3-4 Salmon Fillets
2. 2-3 crowns of broccoli and cut into florets
3. 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
6. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat oven to 400°F or 375 degrees for dark pan. On a large rimmed baking sheet, lay the Salmon fillets and the broccoli.  Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the fish and the broccoli. Run the chopped garlic onto the fish. Drizzle with oil all over. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn the fish and broccoli and bake for 10 more minutes. 
Enjoy Salmon and Broccoli with some brown rice