Gnocchi in a minty tomato sauce

Phew....what started as a hobby has now become a high pressure job! Yes, I am talking about the blog ;) - I have so many ideas floating and buzzing but when it comes to execution less than 1% of my ideas actually become a reality. I have to put in a praise for some blogs that I frequent and follow- the pictures, the innovative recipes & some are exceptionally talented in writing. Here I am struggling to get in one decent post per week :(

Okay, enough with the negativity and focussing on creativity here is my post on a pasta dish- Gnocchi (soft dumplings made with flour, egg, cheese and potato). I love gnocchi & cooking it is super easy. You can make gnocchi from scratch but a lazy bone like me prefers to get it ready made from the shop and keep things easier ;) What is special is the sauce I made for the dish- a simple blend of tomatoes with mint touch. I am partial to this pasta and can eat gnocchi all day long! ah, yum! Go on, indulge-

Ingredients-

• 500 grams Gnocchi 
• Olive oil 
• 4-5 tomatoes (pureed)
• One large onion (chopped)
• Mint leaves (small bunch of leaves)
• 1 or 2 dry hot red chillies, broken into pieces/ alternatively you can use paprika powder 3/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp depending on your spice level
• Salt (according to taste)
• Garlic- 4-5 cloves, minced
• Crushed black pepper 
• Grated cheese (parmesan) for topping

Preparation-

In a pan, saute the onion and garlic with olive oil. Once the onion has softened, add the pureed tomatoes and paprika powder. Cook the mixture for few minutes before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes till it thickens to a good sauce consistency. Wash the mint leaves and chop them roughly. Add it to the simmering sauce and give it a quick stir. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi for two minutes in salted boiling water. Once cooked, drain excess water and keep it aside. Final touch- add the sauce to gnocchi and mix well. Serve with grated parmesan!

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.

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!

Eggplant pizza

It's all in the dough- that's what I realised yesterday when making my pizza. The art of making a pizza completely depends on how well you get the dough. I worked hard on my base yesterday and made a good one! Toppings are just a matter of choice and I chose eggplant. If you search the web for pizza, you will have millions of search results and zillions of websites all trying to teach you the art of perfect pizza making. My blog post is another drop in that ocean- If you are new to pizza making and have never tried it from the scratch then you are in the right place.....

For the base-

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp Italian herbs (optional)
Olive oil
1 tsp dry yeast
warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

For the toppings-

1 eggplant chopped
3 cloves of garlic- crushed and chopped
1 medium sized onion chopped
crushed pepper (optional)
green chillies (2) chopped
standard pizza sauce (you can get it from the store or make it yourself)
Mozzarella cheese shredded (3/4 cup)

Dough preparation- 

Allow your yeast to awaken by mixing it in a small cup of warm water and sugar. Wait for five minutes and allow the yeast to froth up. In a mixing bowl add flour, salt, Italian herbs and mix well. Make a well in middle and pour the yeast mixture. Slowly start mixing yeast water with the flour. Add a bit of warm water and knead your dough till it is soft and elastic. Add around 1 tbsp olive oil towards the end and give the dough one final kneading. Store the dough in a fresh bowl and cover it with damp cloth. Allow it to raise for an hour.

Toppings- Saute garlic and green chillies in olive oil for a couple of seconds before adding onions. As the onions begin to turn brown in color, add eggplant. Toss in the pepper and adjust salt according to taste. Cook till the eggplant becomes soft and tender.

Final preparation-

After an hour or so, when the dough has doubled in size simply punch out the air from it and gently knead it on a floured surface. Flatten the dough to a square shape and fold the edges. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the base before adding the pizza sauce. Spread the pizza sauce, eggplant topping and mozzarella cheese on the base. Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes @ 220 degree celsius.

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!

Fusilli pasta on the go...

Of late, I have been busy cooking and eating all unhealthy stuff that I realized it's time to wake up. So I am browsing for healthy options these days. This recipe has been adapted from a book called "Eat, shrink and be merry". I tweaked the recipe a bit and modified it to my taste. According to the book, this dish has only 331 calories per serving (the original recipe contains bacon  and chopped chicken breast which I omitted). I guess, the calories per serving should be lesser than 331 (if you omit cheese, it should be significantly less). Using wheat pasta would he a healthier option!

For the sauce-

2 tbsp basil pesto
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Other ingredients-

2 cups fusilli pasta
1/2 cup blanched and chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup bell peppers (red)

Preparation- Just combine all the ingredients for sauce in a bowl and keep it aside. Cook the fusilli pasta till they are soft (but not mushy). In a wok, add olive oil and stir fry bell peppers and onions.  After 5 minutes add the chopped tomatoes. Add cooked fusilli, sauce and mix all the ingredients well.  Remove the wok from heat and serve immediately with ground pepper and parmesan cheese (optional).

Penne Arrabiata

Everyone has a comfort food that they love whipping up in a short span of time...My comfort food is penne arabiata- With the main star as tomato, you could practically get this on the table within 10 minutes. There are countless variations of making this one- with white wine, red wine, balsamic vinegar....I like to keep it simple with just tomatoes and a strong flavor of garlic (I am nuts about garlic)

If you need something tangy and spicy which doesn't take too much time, then this dish is ideal-

Ingredients-

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4-5 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can Italian tomatoes with their juice, chopped 
• 1 or 2 dried hot red chilies, broken into pieces, or 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt to taste
• Penne pasta
• Crushed black pepper
• Grated parmesan to serve

Preparation-

In a pan, saute the onion and garlic with olive oil. Once the onion has softened, add the chopped tomatoes and chilli flakes. Cook the mixture for a few minutes before seasoning it with salt and pepper. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes till it thickens to a good sauce consistency. Meanwhile, cook the penne pasta in plenty of salted water until it is softened. Remove from fire and drain the excess water. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Serve with grated parmesan!

Pizza for a rainy saturday afternoon?

Rain, rain come again coz I wanna eat pizza again...Lol! Yeah, that is my theme song for this afternoon after having eaten a sumptuous home-made pizza :) Pizza is my all time favorite. I have eaten almost every brand available in the market. Love all versions- thin, thick, stuffed. So, when a lovely saturday is ruined by rain gods, all you can do is wander around your kitchen thinking of all possible food items you can eat. Why not pizza? Why not make it from a scratch- dough, topping? Why not settle down on your couch with a good pizza and watch a slick flick? That is how the rest of my story unfolds....

Sound- pitter, patter...(Rain)
Characters-  (Base/ Main characters) All purpose flour, yeast, italian herbs, salt, water, sugar
Characters- (side role/toppings) - Tomato sauce, garlic, jalapenos, onion, baby corn, olive oil

** Warning- This is my first shot at pizza making (turned out pretty good)- Will improvise to a thin crust in my next attempt!

Action- mix, knead, roll, spread...

Pizza is all about the base! The base has to be perfect- Any one can spread the topping if you get the base ready made. How do you make a good base? I did a lot of research on net to learn about the base (courtesy- Youtube videos). This is what I did to get it correct-

Take about 300 ml of warm water and mix about 2 tsp of yeast. Allow the yeast to grow and ferment in the warm water for a few minutes. Add 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp Italian herb mix, 1 tsp salt and mix it with the yeast water. Dump about 2 cups of flour on a flat surface. With the help of yeast water knead the flour till it is soft and fluffy. Put the dough in a container and seal it with a cloth. Allow the dough to raise for an hour.

Once the dough has risen, with the help of your hands flatten the dough. You will really get a good pizza with a pizza stone- Unfortunately, I don't have a stone and had to use a deep pan to make it.  Put your flattened pizza in a pan-

For the tomato sauce- Saute chopped tomatoes in olive oil with some oregano, garlic, chilli flakes and salt. Simmer it on a low flame till it thickens to a sauce consistency!

Spread some olive oil on the base before spreading the tomato sauce. Spread some chopped onions, chopped red bell peppers, shredded pizza cheese, jalapenos and baby corn. Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes at 400°F. 

Not bad for a first attempt- I will be back next time with a thin crust...Watch out !

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!