Shrimp Fajita Pasta

Living in Los Angeles you are introduced to the myriad of Mexican recipes. And my favorite of them all where the dishes which had a ton of sauce in them. And the next favorite were fajitas.  The dish I made today is with Pasta and it us super saucy and delicious

Shrimp Fajita Pasta (Pasta in enchilada sauce with Shrimp)

Shells with Shrimp Fajita

Ingredients:

1. 16 oz frozen shrimp thawed, peeled and deviened
2. 1/2 can black beans
3. 2 cups small pasta like small shells or dittalini
4. 2 tablespoons oil divided
5. 1 bell peppers chopped into 1 inch cubes
6. 1 medium onion chopped fine
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, , garlic powder, black pepper, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, Finely chopped garlic
8. 1 cup enchilada sauce, plus extra if desired

Cook pasta according to the package directions.

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and chilli powder and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat a pan and add 1 tablespoon oil. Fry the shrimp and cook until the shrimp curl up and cook through. About 5 minutes. Drain and set aside

In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry the onions and bell pepper until they start changing color. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add black beans and enchilada sauce and everything else and mix well. Add cooked pasta and lower the heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and mix well. Top with cheese and serve

Carrot pulihora

As any other mother I am always trying to sneek-in some vegetables into my meat eater's diet. He loves the plain old tamarind rice or yellow rice or pulihora. So I am startng to make it with different vegetables. Today it is with Carrot and it is super delicious and healthy

Carrot pulihora (Rice with carrots cooked in tamarind juice)

Carrot pulihora

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice cooked according to directions
2. 2 cups finely grated carrot
3. 3 tablespoons oil
4. 1 handful each of cashew pieces and peanuts
5. 1-2 tablespoons sliced onions
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, salt, turmeric, finely chopped ginger
7. 1 teaspoon each of urad dal, chana dal (soaked for 10 minutes), sesame seeds
8. 1 big or 2 green chillies chopped, few curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies
9. Cilantro for garnish
10. 1 cup of thick juice from 1 lemon sized tamarind

*Soak the tamarind in warm water and get the juice


In a pan heat the oil fry the peanuts for two minutes. Add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashew pieces and let them splutter. Add onions, ginger and carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the tamarind juice and cook for 5-7 minutes on high till oil floats on top.  Now add rice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and let it cool a bit and enjoy

Sweet and spicy Korean beef

• Sweet and spicy Korean beef (Beef cooked in sweet and spicy sauce with veggies)

Korean Beef with vegetables

Sweet and Spicy Korean beef

 Ingredients:

1. 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2. 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
3. 1 tablespoon white or rice wine vinegar 
4. 1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, or sambal
5. 1 teaspoon each of  ground ginger, garlic, minced, corn starch
6. 1 pound ground beef or fine beef cubes
7. 2 green onions, thinly sliced
8. 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
9. 1/2 cup each of cubed carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, chopped onions and broccoli
10. 1/2 tablespoons oil (only if using beef cubes else skip)

Heat a pan and cook the ground beef without oil or beef cubes with oil for 7-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Mix the sugar, vinegar, red peppers or sambal, soya sauce and corn starch along with 1/2 cup water.

Add onions and carrots to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the veggies and garlic and ginger and stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pan along with the sauce reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes

Garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve over plain rice

Shrimp with Okra

Goan Shrimp with Okra(Shrimp with Okra in coconut gravy)

Goan Shrimp with okra

Ingredients:

1. 12-15 oz large shrimp
2. 12 oz frozen cut okra thawed
3. 1 medium onion ground to paste
4. 1 tomato chopped fine
5. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1 cup desiccated coconut or 1 cup coconut milk + 1 tablespoon dried coconut
7. 1 heaped teaspoon coriander powder
8. 1 teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric
9. salt to taste
10. 1 chicken bouillon
11. 2 tablespoon oil
12. 1/2 cup thick juice from a mini golf ball sized tamarind

Marinate the shrimp with salt and  turmeric for 15-30 minutes.

If using only dried coconut, grind it to paste. 

Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the okra on medium high for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1 more tablespoon oil in a pan and fry the ground onions till golden brown. Add all spices and ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and cook for 6-7 minutes until the tomato gets all pulpy. Add shrimp and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes  Add coconut milk and tamarind juice along with the chicken bouillon and the okra and 1 cup water and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and sliced green chillies and serve.

Cashew stir fried cauliflower

This is one of the most delicious and fasted dishes you would ever make and it is super healthy too. You can serve it with roti or with rice and dal

Cashew stir fried cauliflower 

Cashew stir fried cauliflower

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cauliflower chopped in food processor to about 1/2 cm pieces
2. 1 tablespoon oil
3. 1/4 cup chopped onions
4. 1/2 cup cashews
5. 3/4 teaspoon each of salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, finely chopped garlic

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cashew and fry for 1 more minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Butter lemon sauteed spinach

Off late sauteed spinach has become my favorite. Its is great when done right. The only complaint I have about it is, you cook a whole bunch of fresh spinach and you end up with 20 percent of the original volume

Butter lemon sauteed spinach(Spinach sauteed in butter and lemon juice)

Butter lemon sauteed spinach

Ingredients:

1. 5 oz fresh baby spinach
2. 1/4 cup sliced sweet onions
3. 1 medium large garlic shopped fine (optional)
4. 1 tablespoon butter
5. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions and fry for 3 minutes. Add garlic if using and stir. Add spinach and the rest of the ingredients and cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir to combine. Cover and let cook for 2 more minutes. Enjoy

Spinach and Mushrooms sauteed

Veggie filled MeatLoaf

Meat loaf is super yummy. But only problem with it is...where are the veggies???

These days it has become a struggle for people to incorporate vegetables in their diet. So the meat loaf I made is filled with veggies and is super delicious. Once you have eaten this meat loaf you will never go back to the plain old regular meat loaf

Veggie filled Meat Loaf (Meat loaf filled with vegetables)

Veggie Filled Meat load

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb ground sirloin, 1 lb ground chicken
2. 1 egg beaten
3. 1 each of medium small zucchini, yellow squash, carrots
4. 1/2 cup well drained canned/frozen spinach chopped
5. 1/2 cup fine grated onion
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
7. 1 teaspoon coriander powder (optional)
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10.  ketchup
11.  1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 cup milk
12. 1 stalk green onion chopped
13. 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander or parsley

Grate all the vegetables on the fine side and squeeze as much water out of them as possible.

Mix all the ingredients for the meat loaf cover and set aside for 30-60 minutes

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Pack the meat in a loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Around 40 minutes, drain the liquid from the pan and continue to bake

Take the meat loaf and turn it upside down and slather a thin layer to ketchup or barbecue sauce on top and let it rest for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy

Meat loaf with Hash potatoes
Asparagus and Garlic bread

Meat Loaf with butter sauteed
spinach, Asparagus and garlic bread

Meat loaf with Sweet potato hash