Hawaiin Macaroni salad

 There used to be a restaurant in Los Angeles which used to serve Hawaiian food. One of the side dishes was a macaroni salad which was a bit sweet. I used to like it. Its been so long time ago that we had it. Finally I made it the other day, to go with my store bough coconut shrimp and yum...dinner was ready in no time

Hawaiian Macaroni salad

Hawaiian Macaroni salad

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups macaroni cooked according to package directions in salted water
2. 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3. 1 medium carrot chopped or shredded
4. 1/4 cup each of onion finely chopped, milk, mayonnaise, sweet relish
5.  1-2 teaspoon sugar
6. fresh ground black pepper
7. chopped green onions

• Mix all the ingredients together to form nice smooth consistency. Add the over the paste and mix well. Give it a taste test and add bit more sugar and/or salt according to taste. Chill in the fridge for 1 hr to let the ingredients mix well together and serve as a side dish

Chicken Zucchini Waffles

 This is one of those dinner ideas when you are bored with the regular dinner recipes. Waffles for dinner!!! yum. My fam loves it and so do I. They are so easy to make and super yummy

Chicken Zucchini Waffles 

Chicken Zucchini Waffles

Ingredients:

1. 1 can cooked chicken breasts drained
2. 1 medium small zucchini grated fine and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible
3. 1 small carrot grated fine and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, freshly ground black pepper
5. 1 large egg beaten
6. 1-2 tablespoons all purpose flour if needed

Mix all the ingredients together except the flour. Add it only if the mixture looks too runny.

Heat a waffle iron and spray with with non stick spray. Divide the mixture into 6 parts and cook the waffles for 4-5 minutes.

Let cool for 2 minutes and enjoy with a dollop of sour cream

Coconut Chickpeas Curry with Kale

 Chickpeas curry is the beat no matter how you cook it. But this curry takes it up a notch and it us super healthy and super delicious. I made this curry in less than 15 minutes and dinner was ready. Better than getting a take out and so much faster.

Serve with over rice or like me enjoy with Naan

Coconut Chickpeas Curry with Kale (Chickpeas cooked with coconut and Thai Red Curry)

Coconut Chickpeas Curry with Kale

Ingredients:

1. 1 can chickpeas drained and washed
2. 1 can Thai coconut milk
3. 1 tablespoon Thai curry paste
4. 1/2 tablespoon oil
5. 1 small onions chopped fine
6. 2-3 big leaves of Kale, ripped off of the center and chopped into small pieces

In a pan heat the oil and on medium high heat cook the onions till they become translucent. Add the curry paste and stir well and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk and reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add Kale and simmer for 5 more minutes. Give a taste test and add salt according to taste. Sprinkle with green onions and/or cilantro and enjoy over a bed of brown rice or with Naan

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