Ravioli with Asparagus in Anchovy sauce

Ravioli with Asparagus in Anchovy sauce

Ravioli in Anchovy sauce

Ingredients:

1.  1 can anchovies in olive oil (2 oz) mashed
2. 1 bunch asparagus, the hard parts trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
3. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
4. 1 package 12 oz your fav ravioli
5. ½ cut whole milk
6. 1 tablespoon olive oil
7. 2 large or 3 3 small garlic pods minced

Mix the anchovies with 1 teaspoon of its oil and the milk and set aside.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they start turning translucent. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add the asparagus and cook for 5 minutes or until they turning bright green.  Cook the ravioli as per the package directions.

Add the anchovy and milk mixture and stir well to combine. Add the ravioli and stir to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy

Ravioli with Asparagus

Ravioli with Asparagus

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the asparagus and fry for 5 minutes or until they turning bright green.  Cook the ravioli as per the package directions. Enjoy

Roasted eggplant with Chickpeas

Roasted eggplant with Chickpeas

Chickpeas with Eggplant

Ingredients:

1. 1 American eggplant
2. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
3. 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
4. ½ teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger garlic paste, amchur (dried mango powder) or ½ table spoon lemon juice
5. ¼ cup yogurt beaten
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. Handful of chopped cilantro

Cut the eggplant length wise and roast it on the open flame of the stove. If you do not have a flame stove, roast the egg plant with some oil brushed on the cut side at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Let it cool a bit and peel the skin off and chop the eggplant into small pieces

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till they start turning brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the egg plant and all the spices and mix well and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and the beaten yogurt cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with a handful of chopped cilantro and enjoy with rice or roti

Veggie Quinoa and brown rice

This veggie filled brown rice and quinoa is such a filling and healthy dish that it has become one of my favorite.

Since you are already here looking for either quinoa or brown rice dishes you should definitely try it

Veggie Quinoa and brown rice

Veggie Quinoa and brown rice

Ingredients

1. 1 cup brown rice
2. 1/2 cup quinoa washed
3. 1/2 cup each of mushrooms chopped, carrots chopped, peas, zucchini, corn
4. 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
5. 2 garlic pods  grated
6. 1 teaspoon butter + 1 teaspoon olive oil
7. 1 chicken bouillon
8. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Note: Read the cooking directions for the brown rice and quinoa. Mine needed 55 minutes for brown rice and 10-12 minutes for quinoa. So I cooked brown rice for 40 minutes before putting in the quinoa in the same pot

In a pot boil 2 cups of water with the chicken bouillon and add the brown rice to it. Let it simmer for 40 minutes.

In a pan heat the butter + olive oil and fry the onions till they become tender. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add all the vegetables and fry for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

After the rice cooks for 40 minutes add 1/2 more cup of water and add quinoa and mix well. Add all the vegetables and stir to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cut the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Mix in the black pepper. Serve as is or if desired sprinkle with some cheese and enjoy with grilled chicken or salmon

Tamale Pie

Tamales' are great if made well. And Los Angeles has some of the best Tamale makers outside Mexico.

It is very hard work to make Tamale and you need to have banana leaves and many other things. So I made the next best thing...Tamale Pie

Tamale Pie (Meat with corn bread crust)

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb ground beef
2. 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onions, canned drained black beans, thawed or canned corn, bell pepper (your fav color...I used orange), Mexican three cheese blend, salsa (whatever level heat you can handle...I used hot)
3. 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
4. 1/4 cup each of (green beans cut into 1/2 cm pieces), zucchini, carrot (These are all optional)
5. 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder, oregano
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, paprika
7. 1 box jiffy corn muffin mix mixed as the directions on the box

Heat a pan and cook the ground meat with all the spices for 5-6 minutes. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add all the vegetables EXCEPT CORN if using and fry for 5 minutes. Add salsa and mix well and cut the heat.

Mix the corn muffin mix with cheese and corn .

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

(9 inch pie pan was a bit small for me...so 11 inch circular pan or 11x9 or a 9x9 pan will be just right.

Add the meat mixture and top if off with the corn muffin mix and bake for 20-25 minutes and enjoy

Semiyah Kesari

Semiyah, seviyah, semiyalu, vermicelli...call whatever you want in whatever language you speak are those little thread of wheat you can eat. They are yummy any way you make it. And today its a dessert I made with them called Kesari. My whole family loved it. Gonna be making more of it more often

Semiyah Kesari (Vermicelli cooked with Sugar)

Semiyah Kesari

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup very thin vermicelli (with which you make kheer)
2. 1/8 cup sooji
3. 1/2 cup sugar (if not using splenda use 1 whole cup)
4. 4 packets splenda
5. 2 teaspoons ghee
6. 1 teaspoon each of raisins and cashew (optional)
7. 1 teaspoon rose essence or 2 cardamoms

In a non stick pan melt the ghee or butter and fry the raisins and cashews and cardamom if using for a couple of minutes. Add 2 cups water and bring it to boil. Add a pinch of food coloring if desired. Reduce heat and add toasted sooji and vermicelli. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and sugar free if using and keep stirring until it starts to become thick. If cardamom was not used add the rose essence at this point Butter a deep dish and add the kesari to it and smooth the top. Let it cool a bit and cut it into cubes and enjoy

Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes

This Spring we have been having a bounty of Asparagus in the super market I shop. So, every week I have been getting a bunch of asparagus and the asparagus I got this time were super fresh.

So, the dinner for today is one pan baked salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes and I also baked some broccoli

Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes (All baked in one pan)

Salmon with Asparagus and Potatoes

Ingredients:

1. 3 -4 salmon fillets (about a lb)
2. 2-3 medium large potatoes (Boiled for 10 minutes, peeled and cut into 8 pieces)
3. 1 bunch asparagus
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
6. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray with cooking spray and spread the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 salt and bake for 15 minutes. Don't touch them.

Move the potatoes to one side of the pan, add the asparagus in the middle of the pan and the salmon on the other side. drizzle with oil all over and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper and bake for 10-12 minutes more. Serve

Also here are a few more ways to serve a salmon fillet

Salmon dinner

Glazed carrot and waxed beans

Salmon curry

Boori

This is one of those sweet dishes which ate made by the people in Andhra Pradesh during festivals. I have eaten this whenever my friends used to give it to us during festivals. I liked it but the only thing which I did not like it is they used to put too much cardamom in it. And I am not a big fan of the spices in big quantities.

So, I made these "Boori" about 20 of them and I put 1 cardamom, opened it and spread the seeds and the skin. And after making the boori I got one to eat and lo and behold I get a couple of seeds and the cardamom skin :(

Boori (Deep fried fritters filled with Sweet split peas)

Dal Bonda 

Pappu Boori

Ingredients for stuffing:

1. 1 cup chana dal
2. 1/2 cup brown sugar (or more if you like it very sweet) (mine are mildly sweet)
3. 2-3 cardamom pods pounded

Ingredients for boori:

1. 2 cups all purpose flour
2. 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. water to make a thick batter
4. oil for deep frying
5. 1 teaspoon baking soda

In a pressure cooker cook the dal for 2 cups of water for about 5-6 whistles. After the steam escapes open the cooker and check if the dal  is totally cooked. Else cook it for few more whistles. After opening the cooker add the salt and the cardamom and simmer till it becomes thick. Let it cool and make it into 20-24 balls and set aside

Make a thick batter. Heat the oil. Dip the sweet balls into the batter and fry till it becomes golden brown. Drain and enjoy

bendakaaya pulusu

Bendakaaya or ivy gourd , I have noticed that people with either love it or hate it. My husband loves it, my kids hates it. But this sour curry with tamarind juice is liked by all because I have mixed lima beans with it. It is great. I love it.

Tindora Khatta (Ivy gourd Lima Beans in Tamarind Juice)

Kandoori ka khatta

Ingredients:

1. 12 oz ivygourd sliced lengthwise
2. 1/2 can lima beans washed and rained
3. 1 tablespoon oil
4. 1/2 cup chopped onions
5. 2-3 cups of juice from a golf sized tamarind
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, turmeric, chilli powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon or more salt

In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin and fry till they start spluttering. Add the ivy gourd and fry for 10 minutes. Add onions and fry till they become transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro an serve with hot steamed rice