Red pepper soup

When we need something warm and comforting on a rainy evening, then soup is the answer.

This pepper soup was an inspiration from a picture in a cookbook which I was sifting through.

Then I saw a some fresh peppers in the market and voila!

Serves- 2 large portions
Ingredients

1. Pasta (any shape)- 1/2 to 3/4 cup
2. Red pepper/ Red color capsicum- 5
3. Garlic- 2-3 cloves
4. Olive oil - 1 tbsp
5. Shallots- 2, chopped fine
6. Vegetable broth- 1 cup
7. Black pepper- 1/4 tsp or as per taste
8. Salt as per taste

Method

• Boil the pasta till al dente. Reserve the water.
• Grind the peppers and garlic together with 1 tsp of olive oil to a puree.
• Heat the remaining olive oil. Saute the shallots in it.
• Pour the puree into the pot. Add vegetable broth and salt. Mix and cook for a few minutes.
• Now add the pasta with the water reserved. Cook for a few minutes. Add black pepper.
• Taste and check for salt and pepper.
• Serve hot for a fulfilling meal.
• It'll go great with some cheesy garlic bread, or buttered french bread even some plain boiled rice.

Shell Pasta with mixed peppers and black olives

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Paastaa!!" (the little one cries out)

I smile...She has shared my love for pasta. She wants it almost every week now.

I keep the pasta for boiling . 

"I want to see pasta." 

"ok, but you can't touch anything"

"Put tomatoes"

"I will. Now sit and watch."

"Don't put vegetables"

"hmmm"

I chop basil

"What is that?"

A glimpse of the chitter - chatter which goes on when I cook for my daughter. I just put a few ingredients together and came with this simple but satisfying recipe. The best thing was that it was really enjoyed by my little one. She even took second helpings (my inner domestic goddess was dancing!).

You will need

Pasta - 1 and 1/2 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tomatoes- 4 medium,chopped finely

Fresh basil- 2-3 tbsp, chopped finely

Mixed pepper strips - 2 tbsp

Broccoli florets- small, 1/2 cup approx.

Black olives- 5, chopped like small rings.

Black pepper- 1 tsp

Kosher salt- 1 tsp  or according to taste (you can use normal salt also)

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Method

Cook pasta till al dente. Add turmeric powder while boiling.

Take a wok. Pour olive oil and heat on low flame.

Add Broccoli and mixed pepper strips and cook for a few minutes.

Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. cook for 4-5 minutes. I just wanted to release flavours but if you want a sauce like consistency then cook tomatoes for longer.

Add the cooked pasta. Mix well. Taste for adjustments in salt and pepper.

Serve and enjoy with your loved ones.

Yields 2 hearty servings

Tomato salsa- the Italian way

Salsa is mostly defined as a spicy sauce having tomatoes, onions and chilli to accompany Mexican foods like nachos.

Salsa is also a dance...how apt!

You can dance around with the ingredients and make salsa to your liking, just like Mark Bittman

Here is a little something which I made over weekend with Foccacia bread.

You need:

• Tomatoes- 3, chopped
• Parsley- 2 Tbsp , chopped 
• Olive oil- 2 tsp
• Vinegar- 1 Tbsp
• Black Pepper- 1 tsp, crushed
• Kosher salt - to taste

How to

1. Pour oil in a flat pan. 
2. Add chopped tomatoes (you can de-seed them if u like. it'll change the texture a bit)
3. Add the parsley.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Mix and cook for a minute.
5. Add vinegar. Simmer and cook till its mushy, but still chunky.

Serve at room temperature.

PS: my mom would call it a simple chutney but Rose would smell sweet even if it was called by some other name. 

Pasta Al pomodoro

"Life is a combination of magic and Pasta"

-Fedrico Fellini

I have a pasta cookbook, gifted by hubby. He knew that I loved pasta and so this book happened.
The recipes are good and somehow they turn out well even if I improvise ...simply because I don't have all ingredients at all times!

Ingredients (makes for 2)

• Onion-1 large, chopped
• Penne pasta- 250 gm, cooked in boiling water till al dante
• Garlic- 2 big cloves, crushed
• Tomatoes- 3 chopped fine (you can use ready-made paste or puree also, or sieve the tomatoes to remove seeds..I did neither)
• Parmesan cheese- 1/4 C, grated
• Kosher salt- 1 heaped tsp (you can use regular salt, but in less quantity)
• Basil leaves- 1 tbsp, chopped (you can add parsley or any other favorite herb)
• Butter- 2 spoons
• Tomato ketchup- 1 Tbsp
• Black Pepper- 1 and 1/2 tsp

How to

1. Melt the butter (I already love this!)
2. Add the crushed Garlic. Fry for a minute.
3. Add Onions, cook till soft and pink.
4. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
5. Cook and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Add Basil leaves. Add the cooked pasta. Add ketchup and mix.
7. Adjust salt at this stage. 
8. Serve , sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Along with a nice Greek salad.

Enjoy!

Italian dinner Menu- Bruschetta, Pasta & Salad

Sometimes we don't want a party.
Sometimes we just want a little conversation.
Sometimes we just want to retell our stories.
Sometimes we are short of time.
Sometimes... a little time together is enough.

Hence we eat less and talk more...

Meeting with friends is very uncomplicated and, so we make what seems as the most fulfilling of meals, for an evening together.

Pasta and salad is one of those meals. You put in a starter just like that and, well dessert is there to sweeten the memories...

Menu for the evening
Starter- Bruschetta
Main course - Pasta and Salad
Dessert- Fruit custard (Ok! I know that is not Italian)
Coke, Sprite and Water to drink. (I'm a teetotaler!)

Bruschetta

• French bread- sliced into 20 pieces
• Tomatoes- 3 medium, chopped
• Olive oil-1tsp + 2 tbsp (for toasting the bread)
• Mozzarella cheese- grated, half cup
• Garlic- 2 halves
• Oregano- 1/4 tsp (dried)
• Black pepper- 1/4 tsp (crushed)
• Salt to taste

To make

Mix tomatoes, 1tsp olive oil, oregano, pepper and salt. Keep in refrigerator.

Heat a skillet and pour 1 tbsp olive oil on it. Keep as many slices as possible and toast it well.

Now rub the garlic halves on the toasted bread and top it up with a spoon of tomato mix.  

Spread some cheese over it.Serve.

Salad

• Cucumber- 2, chopped
• Onion- 1, chopped
• Tomatoes- 1 medium, chopped
• Capsicum- 1 medium, chopped small
• Feta - 30 gm, make cubes
• Olive oil- 1 tsp 
• Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Parsley- Chopped, 1 tbsp
• Kosher salt- to taste

To Make:

Mix the chopped vegetables. Add olive oil , pepper and salt.

Add feta cubes. Chill in the fridge and serve.

Pasta

• Penne Pasta- Cooked in hot water till al dante
• Onions- 1 medium,thinly sliced
• Mush rooms- 3-4, quartered or chopped ( you can put more if u like)
• Olive oil- 1 Tbsp
• Capsicum/bell pepper- 1, thinly sliced
• Broccoli- 2-3 large pieces which are chopped small( I used frozen florets)
• Parmesan cheese- about 2 Tbsp, grated
• White sauce (recipe below)
• Tomato and mint sauce (recipe below)

Tomato & Mint sauce

• Tomatoes- 4
• Mint-1/2 cup
• Whole red chili- 1
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Garlic- 4-6 cloves
• Olive oil- 1tbsp (optional)

Blend all the ingredients together. Keep aside for use.

White sauce

• Refined flour (maida)- 3 Tbsp
• Cold milk- 2 cups
• Salt to taste
• Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp
• Butter- 1.5 tsp (5-7 grams)

1. Mix refined flour in milk with a wire whisk. Add salt & pepper. Mix.
2. At this point you can refrigerate it to make the actual sauce later.
3. Melt the butter in a pan and add the milk mixture. Keep stirring till it thickens and forms a smooth paste.

To make Pasta

1. Heat live oil in a wok/Kadhai.
2. Add Onion, capsicum, broccoli and mushrooms in that order. Fry at medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add Tomato & mint sauce. Cook till the raw garlicky smell is gone. 
4. Add Penne pasta. Top this up with the white sauce.
5. Mix well till the pasta is coated with the sauce (both tomato and white one).
6. Adjust for salt and seasoning (you can add ready-made Italian seasoning if you want).
7. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Enjoy a relaxed evening!

Garlic bread- a trick recipe

Who is not fond of warm, fragrant garlic bread?? Add a little grated cheese and you have got a winner!!
 They are a perpetual accompaniment of the Italian dishes and we love them.


 I buy garlic bread from a local bakery but sometimes  they are out of stock.
Now what does a lazy foodie do?


Find a trick!


So here's what I do when I have to have garlic bread.
Make garlic butter, smear on ordinary bread and toast it and….eureka! 


Ingredients
1. Butter- melted, 1 tbsp
2. Garlic- 4-5 cloves, minced
3. Salt & pepper- to taste (the use is optional)
4. White bread-4 slices


Method
1. Mix garlic, salt and pepper in the butter
2. Apply this garlicky butter onto the bread. I spread about 1tsp of the mix onto the bread.
3. Place it on a non-stick skillet or tava. When one side it done, put the buttered side down and let it brown on a low flame.
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese and microwave it for melted cheesey and garlicky bread
5. Serve hot with your pasta or use it as a starter.

Savory cheese pasta cups

Sometimes you need something new to add to your evening snack apart from cheese and crackers. These pasta cups were a perfect filler. Easy to make and tasty (its got cheese..right!). I would say a thumbs -up to it anytime.

Cheese Pasta Cups
Please serve freshly made ones, reheating makes them lose flavor.  
Adapted from eCurry

Ingredients:

1. 1 Cup Cooked Pasta: Boil the pasta as per instructions.( I used macroni..u can use shell or any other small sized pasta)
2. 1 Cup Grated/Shredded Cheese (Any Cheese or any combination of 2 or 3 cheeses – cheddar, parmesean, amul or britannia cheese cubes will also do) I used grated paneer alongwith cheese cubes.
3. 2 Tablespoons of whole wheat flour
4. Salt to taste
5. Black Pepper to taste
6. Herbs (optional- any herbs you want to use…. I used dried Parsely and a mix of Italian seasoning)
7. Garlic -3-4 cloves minced or grated

Preparation:

• Lightly grease muffin pans/cup cake liners or silicon cups.
• Combine all the ingredients above & spoon it into muffins pan or cup cake liners.
• Bake at 375 Degree F for about 15-20 minutes or till the cheese melts & start to brown on the top.
• Cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
• Carefully take out the Pasta cups. Serve Warm.