Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

whole wheat Fettucini
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 zucchini roughly chopped
3/4 cup roasted peanuts

For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 dried red chillies chopped
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and ground pepper

Method:
Cook the noodles as per instructions in the box.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan and cook the garlic and onion until they begin to soften.
Add the peppers and zucchini and cook for 15 mins over medium heat until they begin to soften and brown.

Add the peanuts and cook for another min.


Whisk together the olive oil, grated lemon zest and 3 tbsp of the lemon juice.Add the red chillies and balsamic vinegar to taste.
Season with salt and pepper.


Toss the noodles into the vegetables and stir-fry to heat through.Add the dressing, stir to coat and serve immediately.

Tang Loaf with Apples, Walnuts and Raisins

This cake is from one of the cookbooks I own.I hadn't looked into this book in years and as I was tidying up my itsty bitsy shelf in my kitchen dedicated to cookbooks, I started going through it and found this recipe.The original recipe had orange juice which I did not have and I searched my pantry and found I had a can of tang that I substituted with and the fruits in it were apricots and apples with orange peel.

This is the the original recipe.I have added my substitutions in brackets.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder (I added baking soda)
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup sunflower or low-fat margarine (I added butter)
1 cup light brown sugar (I added 3 tbsp sugar with the brown sugar)
Juice of 1 Orange (Made one cup tang as per instructions on box and added that)
2 large eggs lightly beaten
rind,grated and juice of one Orange (Used 1 cup Tang)
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/3 cup dried apricots chopped (used 1 tbsp raisins)
1 large cooking apple (used 1 small red apple)
oil for greasing (I used oil spray with flour)

Method:
Preheat Oven to 350 deg F.
Grease a 2 pound loaf pan and line the bottom with wax paper .(I lined my loaf pan with Aluminium foil and sprayed with oil spray)

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
Add the margarine,sugar,eggs,orange rind and juice.(Instead of orange rind and juice I added tang)

Stir ,then beat with an electric beater till smooth.(I stirred and beat with a wooden ladle)

Stir in the walnuts, apricots(I used raisins).
Quarter ,core and peel the apple.Chop coarsely and add to the mixture.



Stir and spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and level the top.

Bake approximately 30 mins till you poke with a knife ad it comes our clean.My book did not have the exact time.So I kept checking every 5 mins.I baked for 30 mins and then switched off the oven and kept for a while.



Needless to say, the substitutions all worked and I love the end product.My son lapped it all up and said me-me (Yummy) :)

Sneaky Mac and Cheese

This month has been everything about sneaking in Veggies into R's diet.He refuses to eat them whole.So this is one more thing I tried and succeeded in getting him to eat.

R loves pasta..esp buttery pasta with cheese grated on top.So I sneaked in some veggies into his bowl of pasta for lunch today.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1 tsp butter
salt
grated parmesan cheese
cauliflower puree 2 tbsp (you can add more )
(Steam cauliflower florets in the microwave for 5 mins and puree in mixer.Store in freezer)

Method:

Cook the pasta as per instructions in the box
Drain and pour in a bowl
Add a pinch of salt and the cauliflower puree.Stir well.
Add the cheese and mix well.
Serve hot.It was gulped down instantly. Big grin on this moms face for today.

My lil one loves pizza

I had this premade pillsbury dough in the fridge and decided to use it today.I looked into Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook and decided to use her method of pureeing veggies and sneaking them in.My son loves pizza and nowadays refuses to eat any veggies or fruits in their true form.This pizza is a lifesaver for me.He loved it so much that I barely got to taste it myself.But from what I tasted, this is one delicious pizza .

Preheat oven to 425 deg F
1 cup frozen shopped spinach microwaved for 3 mins and pureed.
store bought pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese

roll out the dough into desired shape.I used 1/2 the dough.
Spread the pureed spinach
spread the tomato sauce
top with the cheese
Bake for 10-14 mins
Enjoy !

Sabudana Khichdi

I love love love Sabudana Khichdi.I like it only my way.It is so easy to make and so delicious.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Sabudana
4/5 green chillies finely chopped
Oil
2 tsp Cumin seeds
Handful Peanuts
2 Potatoes boiled (I wrap the chopped potatoes in cling wrap and cook in the microwave for 5 mins)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped for garnish
lime

Method:
Soak the sabudana in just enough water to cover it for an hour.
Drain it and keep it in the strainer for another hour.
Heat oil in a large vessel.
Add cumin seeds and green chillies.
Add peanuts and saute till nicely brown
Add the boiled potatoes and salt and mix well
Once the potatoes are crisp, add the sabudana.
Stir for 5 mins .
Garnish with coriander and lime juice.

I like to eat it with some curds

Kathrika Pitla (Eggplant Coconut Curry)

This is another recipe I have tried from The Budding Cook within the same week. It came out so good.I made it for the breakfast club my husband belongs to (yeah yeah his club and I cook) and I got fantastic feedback from everyone.Thanks again Budding Cook.This is her recipe.

Ingredients:
6-7 brinjals, cubed and placed in a bowl of salted water to prevent discoloration.
A big ball of tamarind soaked in hot water
1-2 tsp brown sugar or jaggery (optional)(I did not add it)
½ cup cooked toor dal/split pigeon peas

For roasting and grinding:
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp urad dal/white lentils
1 Tbsp chana dal/split chickpeas
1 ½ Tbsp coriander seeds
5-8 red chillies
2-3 Tbsp coconut

For seasoning:
I Tbsp Oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp urad dal/white lentils
4-5 curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida

Method:
Cook the eggplant cubes with some salt in the tamarind extract. Add the jaggery. Cook till eggplants are soft.

Add the roasted and ground spice mixture to the cooked eggplants and cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes.

Add the cooked dal to the above mixture. Add desired amounts of water depending on the consistency required. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

In a small pan, heat the oil and add all the ingredients for seasoning. Pour the seasoned oil over the pitla.

This went very well with the Ven Pongal I had made for the club.

Egg Curry

I had bookmarked this recipe for Egg Curry by The Budding Cook a long time ago and always meant to try it. Tonight I did try the recipe and it worked for me. I like the flavour of the curry and enjoyed it with rice.

I used the exact recipe as Budding Cook .The only thing I did different was I added the tomato paste with the sauteed onions and tomatoes and boiled it well before pureeing it and then gave the puree a boil with the spices and the eggs.

Ingredients:

6 hard-boiled eggs
3 onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
5-6 green chillies, chopped finely
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste

Seasoning :
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:
Heat oil in a pan & add the cumin seeds.
Add the ginger-garlic paste ,green chillies and chopped onions. Saute till the onions are tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes
Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup water.
Boil and grind in mixer.

Add the ground paste into a pan.
Add the coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
Add the boiled eggs and cook for 15 mins on medium.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy hot with rice.