Rosemary Focaccia

Also known as Italian flat bread, Focaccia is one of my personal favorite. You can mix and match different ingredients and come up with something spectacular.  I got to work again with my favorite herb- rosemary and my whole house smelt so good after baking this :)

Ingredients-

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast

luke warm water

olive oil

1 small red onion (sliced)
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped fine)

rosemary leaves

salt (1/2 tsp)
5-6 Black olives (optional)

Preparation-

• Sift the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast.
• Pour in warm water, crushed/chopped garlic, olive oil and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (for good 10 minutes)
• The dough should be smooth and elastic.
• Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel.
• Leave it in a warm place for an hour till it doubles in volume.
• After an hour (when the dough has doubled up), punch the air and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to a large circle (about 1 cm thick)and transfer to a greased baking tray.
• Brush the dough generously with olive oil.
• Sprinkle the sliced onions, chopped rosemary and some salt on the dough (generally sea salt is used- I just used the regular salt) - Press them gently on the dough so that they stick and get embedded.
• Using a finger, make deep indentations in the dough- stick the black olives in a pattern.
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and leave it to rise for 30 minutes. 
• After 30 minutes, when the dough has risen a bit, pop it in a preheated oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes (220 degree celsius)
• Serve warm with salad/soup.

Garlic & herb Rolls

This recipe has been adapted from the lovely blogs- Sprinkles of parsley & Torviewtoronto - I just added my own twist to the original recipe. It was a mega success and within minutes all the rolls vanished. You can be super-creative with the recipe and try using different ingredients- I used a combination of Italian herbs, dash of pepper and crushed garlic for the filling- So here goes my version....

Ingredients for the base- (Makes about 8-10 rolls)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp yeast (dry active yeast)
2 tbsp luke warm water
olive oil (about a tbsp)
1/2 tsp salt
luke warm water for kneading dough

For the filling

4-5 garlic pods minced
5 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
dash of pepper
salt (according to taste)
Italian herb mix- 1 tsp(oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary mix)

Preparation


Combine yeast and sugar in a tablespoon of luke warm water and set it aside for five minutes. The yeast becomes active and froths up. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add the yeast liquid, olive oil and start kneading the dough with luke warm water. After five minutes of kneading the dough should become smooth and silky. Roll it into a ball and keep it in a clean bowl- cover it with a cling wrap. Allow the dough to raise for an hour. In the meanwhile, we must get our filling ready. In a bowl, combine garlic, pepper, Italian herbs and salt with butter. Mix well and keep it aside. After an hour when the dough doubles up in size, punch the air out and knead it for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.  Roll your dough in a long rectangle and spread the garlic-butter mixture evenly on it. Roll it up along the long edge till it forms into one big roll. Slice the roll into equal sized pieces and place it on a baking tray. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to raise for 10 to 15 minutes. Brush the rolls with melted butter. Pre heat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes till golden brown. Give enough space for the rolls and don't cramp them. Enjoy!

Comforting Tortellini soup

Instead of making my own pasta or even think of making it, I quickly ran to the super market and got a packet of frozen tortellini. A quick soup with dash of all veggies in my fridge took care of the dinner time! I have never tried a soupy tortellini. I always saute it with veggies or eat it with arabiatta sauce. If you are tired and want to spend minimum time in your kitchen with less pressure on "after-cooking" clean up then it's a perfect one-pot recipe (should I say one-pan??)- very comforting with nice flavors and a healthy way to finish your day. Read on....

Ingredients-

1 big cup mixed assortment of veggies (I used mushrooms, beans, shallots, peas, carrots, zucchini)

1 bay leaf (how cannot I use this when I have a food blog titled Flavors??)

5-6 cups of Vegetable broth

1 onion (medium sized) chopped

salt according to taste

1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes

Frozen tortellini (used spinach and ricotta filled tortellini)

1 tsp dried basil

fresh parsley for garnishing

black pepper to taste

Olive oil to cook

3-4 crushed garlic cloves (I can't cook without my star ingredient)

Preparation-

Heat olive oil in a pot/pan. Saute onions, garlic and other veggies over medium flame (for about 8 min). Add broth, bay leaf, basil, tomatoes and salt to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high flame. Mix the tortellini and cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes. Allow it to simmer well before adding pepper. Toss in the parsley for garnishing. Enjoy!

Ravioli- Spinach, ricotta & more....

If there was one dish that I always wanted to create, it is ravioli- The spinach and ricotta cheese works its magic and creates a unique flavor. I always get a ready made packet and never tried it from scratch. Over the weekend, I got my lazy bones to work and created my very own spinach & ricotta filled ravioli. Do invest in a good pasta machine, if you want things simpler and easier- otherwise, you will literally be spending half a day making this (like me)-

What do we need- (for the base)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

What do we need- (for the filling)

4-5 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

250 gms spinach leaves chopped

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

freshly ground black pepper

How did I make it?

Combine the flour, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix it to a fine dough (if need be add a bit of water). Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until smooth. Wrap in a clear film and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

Filling preparation-

In a wok, saute garlic and add the chopped spinach leaves. Cook the spinach leaves till they have reduced in volume and tender. Once the spinach is cooked, place it in a bowl, blend in the ricotta and season with black pepper.

Final touch-

Divide the dough into 4 pieces and flatten slightly. With the help of a rolling pin, roll out each piece into thin sheets. Using a cookie cutter, stamp out small rounds. Top half the rounds with filling. Brush the edges with water and place another round of pasta on top of each. Press the edges firmly to seal. Cook in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well and toss with Arrabiata sauce (enough to liberally coat the pasta but not drown it)- Enjoyyyyyy!

Calzone

Calzone is one of my favorite Italian dish. I never got around to make it till yesterday. I thought that it was going to be a messy job to prepare it from the scratch. Surprise, surprise, I not only found it easy to make but realized that you could practically fill any leftovers and pop it in the oven for a refreshing snack!

Ingredients for the dough-

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
olive oil to brush on flour
warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp any Italian herb mix

Ingredients for the filling-

1 onion chopped
2 ripe tomatoes (crushed)
3 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
salt and pepper (according to taste)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
veggies- I used artichokes and bell peppers (you can practically fill up the calzone with anything)

Preparation-

First you gotta get the dough ready- Mix yeast in warm water with sugar and allow it to ferment a bit (it tends to become a bit frothy- takes few minutes). Mix the flour, salt, italian herb mix in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dough and start adding yeast water to mix the dough. Knead the dough till it becomes soft. The test is, when you press your finger in the dough and leave it, dough should bounce back to normal shape (dough should be soft and elastic). Put the dough in a separate bowl and cover it with a clear film. Leave it for an hour till it has doubled in bulk.

Let's get our filling ready- In a pan saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Combine crushed tomatoes or tomato paste and allow it to get incorporated. Add any seasoning you fancy. Mix salt, pepper and allow it to simmer till it reaches sauce consistency.

After an hour, press the dough to release air and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a circle. On one half of the piece of dough, spread the sauce and veggies (artichoke, bell peppers). Make sure you leave the edge of the dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of your vegetable stuffing. Fold the other side of the dough completely over the filling and seal the exposed edges. With a fork or a spoon press the edges (this will make a good pattern and completely seal calzone). Dust the top of calzone with olive oil and bake till it is golden brown (12 to 15 minutes, 230 degree celsius). Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Avocado sauce

Somehow the combination of avocado with onions, tomatoes and garlic is magical... I remember eating avocado rolls at one restaurant and boy I was simply floored! Instead of the usual spring roll filling they had made a filling out of avocado with onions, tomatoes and garlic. I will try and make it someday...After eating those rolls, I am suddenly hooked to avocado and here is a good recipe for all you avocado lovers like me. It's pretty simple and takes minimal time/effort to put it on the table. Check out-

Ingredients for the sauce-

2 Avocados (peeled and chopped)
3  tomatoes chopped finely
one onion chopped finely
2 big garlic cloves- crushed and chopped
crushed black pepper (optional)
red chilli flakes
olive oil for cooking
Spaghetti- 450 g

Preparation-

Cook the Spaghetti in salted water. Drain well and set it aside. In a wok add olive oil and toss in the chopped garlic & onions. Cook for couple of minutes then add the chopped tomatoes. As the tomatoes start blending with the onions add chopped avocados and cook on a high flame till avocado becomes a paste and blends well with onions and tomatoes!  Add salt, pepper and red chilli flakes for seasoning. Add the mixture to the cooked spaghetti and toss together in a pan until the pasta is well coated. Serve with grated parmesan cheese (optional).

Spaghetti with Mushroom and olive sauce!

This recipe has been adapted from the cook book called "The Italian Vegetarian" by Gabriella Rossi. It is a simple recipe and tastes sumptuous.

What do we need?

1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 cup stoned black olives
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped
Boiled spaghetti
cherry tomatoes for topping
parmesan cheese slivers (optional for serving)

How did I put together?

Heat oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Tip the mushroom mixture into a blender and add the olives, parsley and red chilli. Blend till it is a smooth paste. In a separate pan add the boiled spaghetti and toss the olive mixture till the pasta is well coated. Cover and keep warm. Heat an ungreased frying pan and shake the cherry tomatoes around for 2-3 minutes or until they are roasted. Serve the pasta topped with the tomatoes. Garnish with parmesan and enjoy!

Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and garlic butter

Absolutely love this simple Italian starter. Easy to make and really sumptuous!


What do we need?


2 ripe tomatoes
slices of cut Italian bread
4-5 cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped)
fresh basil leaves (chopped)
olive oil (1/2 tsp)
butter
salt and pepper
mozzarella cheese for the topping


How did I put together?


Step 1: First we need to prepare the tomatoes. Boil water in a saucepan and drop the tomatoes in as the water starts boiling. Cook for a couple of minutes till the skin starts to split. Take the tomatoes out of boiling water and run them under cold water for a minute. Peel the skin, remove the seeds and roughly chop them.
Step 2: Prepare some garlic butter. Put the chopped garlic in a small cup and mix butter and salt. Blend them well till you achieve a spread consistency.
Step 3: Get the topping ready. Mix chopped tomatoes, basil leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil in a bowl.
Step 4: Rub the bread slices with garlic butter and toast them in a oven/griller till they are light brown on both sides.
Final step: Pile up the tomato filling on the bruschetta and add the mozzarella on top- Pop them in the oven for a couple of minutes till the cheese melts. Enjoy!