Independence Day Special Veggies in Burnt Garlic Lemon butter

Happy Independence Day Folks!!

Was thinking of having something light and vegetarian of course.  So decided upon carrots cauliflower and beans. Chopped them up and boiled them. And little did I know that I would end up having colours of the Indian Flag.  So decided to place them in the Indian Flag order. Simple fast and a delicious recipe with very few ingredients.

Ingredients :

1. Cauliflower , carrots , beans- 1 cup each ( cooked)
2. Garlic - 5-6 finely chopped.
3. Salted Butter : 1 Tbsp
4. Lemon juice : 1 Tbsp
5. Chilli flakes : as per requirement
6. Oregano : 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Cook the Cauli florets carrots and beans.
2. In a pan add butter and garlic till it roasts nicely add chilli flakes oregano and immediately add lemin juice and the veggies.
3. Toss them for a minute or two and Voilà.  Your dish is ready.
4. Now this dish can be used as a side dish with pasta or pizza or eat it just as it is.
5. And its Independence Day so I did a little bit of plating fun.
Enjoy Folks!

Macaroni in Spinach Béchamel Sauce

I believe pasta/macaroni is my take on comfort food. Something that goes with any kind of weather.  But my personal favorite is to have it during rainy cold days with a piece of  Foccacia. Béchamel sauce is a big hit at home. I like my sauce freshly made. A connoisseur of Italian food would always make his sauces fresh. So here's my favorite sauce with a little twist

Ingredients :

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour(maida or wheat flour)
1 1/4 cups milk, heated
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup blanched spinach

Method :

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan add blanched spinach. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add cooked pasta and cook for 2 - 3 mins. Serve immediately with bread of your choice.

Throw in everything

Its a very gloomy evening and I am so full with lunch but now I am feeling hungry again!!!!. As the name goes this salad is literally a game its like a party. You just have to throw in ingredients that u catch hold of. But u need to keep in mind not to overpower the flavor and keep it light fresh and simple.  The idea behind this was to come with a salad that has the crunch the zing the tang and sweetness. With minimalistic ingredients heres presenting to you  Throw in everything salad. All you need is :

Ingredients :

1. Tomato : 1 cup finely sliced
2. Onion : 1 ( roasted whole and the finely sliced)
3. Garlic : 2-3 ( roasted and then mashed)
4. Vinegar : 1/2 tsp
5. Salt and pepper to taste
6. Gherkins : 4-5
7. Chives, mint and basil : 1/3 cup.
8. Date molasses : 1 Tbsp
9. Olive Oil : 1 Tbsp
10. French baguette : 1 cup

Method :
1. In a bowl mix in vinegar olive oil salt and pepper date molasses and garlic and make a dressing.
2. Add the roasted onion tomato and gherkins toss.
3. Pop in chunks of baguettes and drizzle some more olive oil.  Serve immediately :)

Grow Your Own Herbs.

Lets look into a new topic today. Growing your own little garden is such a wonderful feeling.  I have been growing my small garden with the most essential herbs that we need all the time in a kitchen. So whenever you are out of coriander all you gotta do is hop skip and jump and get freshly plucked herbs.
And its way too easy to grow one.
Lets begin with Coriander.
All you need is :

1. medium sized clay pot or a plastic pot.
2. Soil. Depending upon the size of the pot
3. Coriander seeds. 1 Tbsp
4. Water.

Method.

Day 1

1. You will have to soak the seed in water overnight.

Day 2

2. Drain the seeds.  Fill the pot with soil. Drop these seeds randomly.  Again fill in a thin layer of soil and water them.

You will have to keep this in a warm and sunny place where the plants gets enough sun.

Too much of sun may cause harm  therefore place the pot accordingly.

Make sure the plant is watered every day.
On the 3rd week, you'll be able to see small buds.

And by the 5th week you'll have lovely baby coriander.

Bread sticks and Buns

Ingredients :

1. Fresh  yeast 21/2 tsp
2. Water (luke warm) 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup
3. 2 tbsp oil 
4.1/4  tsp Sugar
5.1tbsp  Salt
6. Flour 2 cups
7. Cumin/Sesame 1/2 tsp

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
2. Place yeast, water, sugar in a mixing bowl.
3. When becomes frothy, add flour, salt,oil and rest of the water.4. Mix till it comes together.
5. Using  the palms of your hand, knead the dough for 5-8 minutes till smooth and elastic
6. Roll thinly using your hands. Also make small buns.
7. Place them on baking tray and let it rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.
8.Sprinkle the seeds.
9. Bake for about 15-20 mins. until golden brown.

Butter Fried Garlic-Lemon Beans

Today I have a very special guest coming for dinner.  Mom and I have a feast to prepare. I wanted something delicious fresh light entrée.  And I came up with Butter Fried Garlic - Lemon Beans. All you need is.

Ingredients :

1.  250 gm of fresh French Beans : blanched in hot water and then kept to cool in ice water
2. Garlic : finely chopped 10-12 cloves.
3. Fresh Lemon juice : 1 Tbsp
4. Salted Butter : 2 Tbsp
5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Method :
1. In a pan take butter and add chopped garlic and fry till garlic turns slightly golden. 
3. Turn off the heat add lemon juice beans salt and pepper and sauté for a minute.
4. Serve hot :)

Eggless Chocolate & Date Fudglets.

I never dared to make brownies/fudge before.  But I gathered guts and thought to myself that it is now or never. Got all the ingredients. Did a little research on the recipe. Added a few ingredients of my choice.  And voilà!  The result was excellent.  Though I had made a small batch so I'd like to call these fudglets cause they are small in size. :D. Nevertheless you can double the quantity to make bigger ones. All you need is.

Ingredients:
1. 100 gms of grated dark chocolate
2.  4 tbsps unsaltened butter
3. ½ cup castor sugar,
4. 1 Tbsp dates syrup
5. 1 Tbsp milk powder
6. ½ cup maida,
7. ½ tsp baking powder,
8. ½ tsp sodium bi-carbonate,
9. ½ cup of beaten curd.

10. vanilla seeds : 1-2 pods

Method:

1.Sift the flour, baking powder, sodium bi-carbonate. Keep it aside.
2.In a pan, boil a cup of water. In a bowl, have the grated chocolate and make it sit on the pan.
3. Make sure it doesn't get drowned.
4.In a bowl, add the butter and castor sugar and stir them, till the mixture gets creamy. Now add the melted chocolate and Dates syrup mix them.Add the beaten curd, milk powder and flour to the mixture slit the vanilla pods and add all the tiny goodness and mix well.
5.Grease a glass bowl with butter and pour the flour mixture and microwave it for 5 minutes.
6.Remove it and set this aside for five minutes. Preheat the convection grill mode for five minutes at 220°C and bake the fugdlets at 220°C for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and let it cool.
7. Cut it into small squares and enjoy :)