TGIF + Unlikely Yet Scrumptious Combo!!!

So, Thank God its Friday(almost Sat...what the hey, its the weekend)...TGIF...the days seem to fly past nowadays and I love coming up with new recipes to post!!!

Its another weekend and I always try to make something fun and different on Fri. evenings!!!! Let me go back to something I served last Fri. at home...which was met with oohs! and aahs! from the kids...

Pav bhaji : According to wikipedia... is a fast food dish native to Maharashtrians and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, particularly in the Maharashtrian city of Mumbai & Pune. (पाव भाजी, also transliterated as pao bhaji and pau bhaji). According to wiktionary... a Maharashtrian fast food dish served on (पाव) bread and garnished with coriander and chopped onions. For most desis, Pav Bhaji is a well-known dish that most of us have feasted on since childhood, even though the recipe might vary slightly in every household.

And, Pizza???...again, according to wikipedia...it is an oven-baked, flat, disc shaped bread usually topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella and then a selection of meats/vegetables and herbs depending on taste and culture. Modern pizza originated in Italy as the Neapolitan pie with tomato. In 1889 cheese was added. King Ferdinand I (1751–1825) is said to have disguised himself as a commoner and, in clandestine fashion, visited a poor neighborhood in Naples. One story has it that he wanted to sink his teeth into a food that the queen had banned from the royal court—pizza.

Now, you may definitely wonder why I talk about two such diverse foods in the same breath. After all, we have all heard this..."East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet..." But I beg to differ when it comes to...Pav Bhaji Pizza!!!

This is a scrumptious dish we first ate at an entertainment/videogame arcade run by desi Indians, here in the Bay area...they have a restaurant where they sell among other things, this Indianised version of pizza... which has a pizza base and topping of pav bhaji curry and cheese, cilantro, onions...yummm! Since then, we have had three birthday parties for our daughter in that entertainment arcade(they specialise in kids' themed parties) and after the first time, when we served the pav bhaji pizza to our guests...we have requests every year from our friends to have her birthday party at the same arcade...they all say  they cant wait to try the pizza at her party:))

So, I made this last Fri. evening for my family...I used store-bought pizza base, but of course, you could make it at home...hope you all try this scrumptious dish and give me your comments.

This surprisingly wonderful recipe(normally, pizza is not my favorite dish, but loved this variation)... Pav Bhaji Pizza is making its way to Lavi's Global Kadai - Indian Flavored Pizza event...started by Cilantro.

Recipe for Pav Bhaji Pizza:-
Serves: 4
Prep/Cook time: 35-40 mins.(with store-bought pizza dough)

For Pizza Base/Dough: Alton Brown's Recipe  and Emeril's Recipe on Food Network

For Curry/Bhaji Topping:
Ingredients:
Potatoes, boiled and mashed - 3 medium or big size + cauliflower - 1 boiled and mashed
Tomatoes, chopped  - 3 medium
Onions, chopped  - 2 medium or 1 big size
Green peas, shelled 1/2 cup
Ginger, chopped 1 inch piece
Garlic 6 or 7 cloves
Oil  - 2 to 3 tablespoons
Green chillies, chopped 3-4
Pav bhaji masala 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 medium or big size
Onion - 1/2 cut finely for garnish(optional)
Cheese - mozzarella, grated 3 or 4 tbsp

Method:
Boil green peas in water till soft, drain, mash lightly and set aside. Grind ginger and garlic to a fine paste.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Sauté till light brown. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute. Add half the quantity of tomatoes and cook on medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala.

Add  mashed peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for seven to ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed.

Add Pavbhaji Masala, salt and remaining tomatoes. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously.  Then set aside.

Now, spread parchment paper/foil on baking sheet and place the pizza base/crust on it. Spread an even layer of the curry/bhaji on the pizza base.

Next, add the fresh cut onions, cheese and cilantro on top of the curry. Optionally, you could place some butter on the top of the pizza crust. Bake for 10 - 12 mins(or according to package directions for pizza crust)

When the pizza comes out of the oven, drizzle some lemon juice on top of pizza...serve hot / at room temp.

Enjoy!!!

A Holiday Adventure and a Pasta Dish

As I mentioned in my tag awards post, Napa Valley is a favorite vacation destination in my family. We always get to see the best vista points,  also the scenery and landscape are always breathtaking...especially during the grape harvest season, the Valley is beautiful not only because of the grapes hanging from the vines but also from the sour-sweet smell of grapes in the air...plus we always have the best food at the restaurants in downtown Napa and Sonoma.

On one such trip, a few years back we also had a funny misadventure, when we traveled to Napa with some friends... we were so busy looking at the landscape in the beautiful wineries that we were late for lunch...by the time we reached downtown Napa it was almost beyond lunchtime and most of the restaurants were way too full and until we found one where there was no wait, we had to handle the fun experience of three kids with their constant "are we there yet"?

The lunch, that followed was definitely one of the best we had in Napa(probably, also because of the long drive to get there) and here is the recipe for one of the pasta dishes that we enjoyed that afternoon, which I have recreated many times, based on memory after that day, at home.

The thing that is different about this pasta is, for one, that it has a crunchy garnish from some fried sage and basil leaves on top of the penne pasta dish with ricotta and bell peppers. For my version, I just tend to saute some sage and basil leaves and garnish the pasta with it...makes for a very nice finish...Hope you enjoy it as much as we did that afternoon!

This dish goes to the Pasta Party Event hosted by Jyoti of Panch Pakwan and Jagruti's event, Joyful eating whilst traveling.

Recipe for Penne Pasta with Ricotta and Bell Peppers:
Serves: 5 or 6
Prep/cook time: 30-35 mins.
Ingredients:
1lb.penne pasta (I used whole wheat penne and some spaghetti as well)
1tsp butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic cut finely
1tbsp red pepper flakes
2 or 3 bell peppers - cut finely(I used red and green variety)
1 cup skimmed milk ricotta or low-fat ricotta cheese crumbled finely

For topping the pasta:
3 to 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
sage and/or basil - few leaves sauted in a little butter or light olive oil
breadcrumbs or toasted croutons - 2tbsp

For seasoning
1 tbsp. light olive oil
Salt, black pepper to taste

Method:
1. Start large pot of water to boil for cooking pasta. When water starts to boil, add a little salt(to season pasta) and then add the pasta itself. Let cook for 6 to 7 minutes (whole wheat pasta takes a minute or two longer than the regular pasta to cook). Take off stove and drain pasta when almost done(but not fully cooked - pasta needs to be baked finally)

2. In a pan, add the olive oil, cut/crushed garlic and red pepper flakes(and any additional salt) and saute for a minute or two. Add the vegs. before the garlic starts turning brown.  Let cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Then, add the half-cooked pasta to it, alongwith the ricotta cheese. Set aside. Now, set oven to pre-heat at 350degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Once the sauce and the pasta-veg mixture is ready, grease a baking pan with light cooking spray(or butter, if you wish)

4. Now, add the pasta-veg. mixture then, add all the seasonings and toppings over the pasta.

5.Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and bake for 15 - 20 mins(at 350F), until the top turns golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature with garlic bread or soup or side of vegs.
 

CROWD - PLEASING PASTA SERVED WITH GARLIC BREAD AND GRILLED EGGPLANT!

I had not cooked pasta for the last few weeks which was surprising for me...especially since it brings the whole family to the dinner table like a magnet, everytime... irrespective of whether it is mac n cheese, spaghetti or penne  pasta...you name it, they love it.

So, when the kids mentioned pasta, I went hunting in the pantry and came up with fettucini noodles...I normally make fettucini with bell-pepper and/or spinach...but didnt have either of those veggies so came up with the idea of trying some new veggies to go into the alfredo sauce (for the fettucini)...had some garlic bread too.

My alfredo sauce has no cheese in it, it is quite light and definitely has a saucy but not very heavy consistency...very low-fat...you can of course, add cheese to it, if you wish. I normally add the cheese as a topping, only. This is the recipe I served one day last weekend...hope you enjoy it as much as my family did...

This recipe goes to the event: Pasta Party hosted by Jyoti V. of Panch Pakwan.

RECIPE FOR:
BAKED FETTUCINI PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER AND BROCCOLI IN LIGHT ALFREDO SAUCE  -

Serves: 5 to 6
Prep/cook time: 30 to 35 mins.


Ingredients:
1 lb.fettucini noodles (I used whole wheat fettucini)
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tsp butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic cut finely
1tbsp red pepper flakes
1/2 head of broccoli cut into medium size florets
1/2 head of  cauliflower cut into medium size florets

For topping the pasta:
3 to 4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
parsley or basil - few leaves(optional)
breadcrumbs or toasted croutons - 2tbsp

For seasoning
1 tbsp. light olive oil, salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Start large pot of water to boil for cooking noodles. When water starts to boil, add a little salt(to season pasta) and then add the fettucini itself. Let cook for 6 to 7 minutes (whole wheat pasta takes a minute or two longer than the regular pasta to cook). Take off stove and drain pasta when almost done(but not fully cooked - pasta needs to be baked finally)

2. In a pan, add the olive oil, cut/crushed garlic and red pepper flakes(and any additional salt) and saute for a minute or two. Add the vegs. before the garlic starts turning brown. Let cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Then, add the drained pasta to it. Set aside. Now, set oven to pre-heat at 350degrees Fahrenheit.

3. In another non-stick pan, add the butter and flour and nicely stir together to remove any lumps from the flour...when the mixture starts bubbling and almost starts changing color, add the milk and let simmer for 3 or 4 mins. Keep whisking in between, to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Take off the stove when well-mixed and the sauce has become thick. Dont leave the sauce unattended when it is boiling because then the sauce starts to become too thick and pasty(not good!)

TIP: The sauce takes typically 3 to 4 minutes to thicken up nicely...beyond 5 mins...could start sticking to pan and become pasty.

4. Once the sauce and the pasta-veg mixture is ready, grease a baking pan with light cooking spray(or butter, if you wish) and add some sauce on the bottom.

5. Now, add the pasta-veg. mixture over the layer of sauce and then, finally add a final layer of the remaining sauce.

6. Top the pasta with the parmesan cheese, black pepper, basil/parsley(optional) and breadcrumbs/croutons. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and bake for 15 - 20 mins(at 350F), until the top turns golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature with garlic bread or soup or side of vegs...I served with a side of garlic bread and grilled eggplant(recipe follows)

For grilled eggplant:

Cut 1 big - sized eggplant in round slices...arrange on baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle a mixture of breadcrumbs, red pepper flakes, little tomato puree and parmesan cheese on top(Sometimes I use mozzarella cheese too). Sprinkle some light olive oil on the slices of eggplant and bake at  350 F for about 10 to 15 mins...till nice and crispy. Season with salt and pepper as soon as it comes out of the oven.

International Flavors Series # 1 - Penne Pasta and Asparagus with Tangy Spinach Sauce

After talking about dry topics like Technorati and Technorati rankings for bloggers, I have now decided to go back to my original interest - food blogging. So, here is an easy-fix pasta recipe that gets even my picky kids to eat spinach because the recipe involves 'pasta' and 'cheese' - two items I find most kids love (not to mention, the adults also dont hesitate to dig in) 

Penne Pasta and Asparagus with Tangy Spinach Sauce Recipe:

Serves: 4

Prep/cook time: 20 - 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta(I used Penne, but in the past, I have used macaroni and even fettucini in this recipe in place of Penne) - 1/2 box, normally about 150 to 200gms or 8 oz

Spinach - 1 bunch, chopped

Asparagus - 5 or 6 spears cut in 1 inch long pieces

Garlic - 3 or 4 pods, chopped up

Cilantro and/or mint - few leaves

Basil leaves(optional) - 3 or 4

Almonds or walnuts or a combination of both - 6 or 7 nuts

Lemon juice - 3 or 4 tsp

Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup grated( mozarella cheese also tastes great in this recipe)

For Seasoning: Salt and Black Pepper

Method:

Add the pasta to a pot of  boiling water(seasoned with salt) and let cook for 6 - 7 minutes or according to pasta's package directions. Drain the water and set the pasta aside.

Simultaneously, you could also cook the asparagus for 5 - 6 minutes in boiling water and then, take off the heat and drain (make sure that you dont overcook asparagus or otherwise it loses the bright green color)

In a blender, puree the spinach, cilantro and/or mint, garlic, almonds(or walnuts), lemon juice well till you have a fine paste.

In a pan, add some light olive oil(or any light vegetable oil). When it starts to heat up, add the spinach puree and let it cook for 5 - 6 minutes.

Then, add the cooked pasta and asparagus to the puree.

Add the seasonings(salt amd pepper) and finally, add the grated cheese on top for garnish.

Note: Alternately, if you would like to add a creamier texture to the pasta, you could make a white sauce* and pour on top of the pasta and then add cheese before serving.

White sauce recipe:

In a pan, add a couple of teaspoons of butter and when it starts melting, add 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour and stir well. When the flour thickens up and starts to turn brown, immediately you could pour a cup of milk or cream to the butter-flour mixture and then keep stirring to prevent lumps till the sauce thickens - at which point you can add it to the pasta.