Homemade Pasta

I love pasta.

First of all carbs, cheese and meat make me a very happy person 🙂

Second of all I lurve Italian food. For some reason it really goes well with my palette.

If that wasn’t enough if it is… ahem made fresh and with wholewheat flour?? what more do I want in life? 😀

I made this from scratch, by hand, without any machine or anything.

What you need:

3 cups of wholewheat flour
2 tbs EVOO (for those who don’t know/love Rachel Ray, evoo stands for extra virgin olive oil)
2 eggs
Salt as per taste
just a drop of water for kneading (only if needed)
lots of water for cooking

What to do:

1. Mix all the ingredients except for the water and knead for a good 15 minutes to form a reasonably firm dough. If the dough is too firm add a little water (do not over do it)

2. Roll out thinly. Cut into any shape you want.

3. Spread out the pasta onto trays and leave to dry for 2 hours.

3. In a large saucepan heat a lot of water till boiling add salt if wanted. Drop the pasta into the bubbling water and cook for no more than 3-5 minutes. Overcooking will ruin the pasta.

4. Drain pasta and use as desired.

Be sure to consume the pasta within two days. Since it’s fresh and preservative free, it doesn’t keep well for long.

my pasta, drying

The cooked, drained pasta; still steamy.

What I did with my pasta 🙂

Organic, vegan, low fat, paper thin PIZZA!

I hope you die hard sloppy-joe lovers don’t hate me for desecrating the full fat, soft, cheesy, deep pan pizza.

All my experiments generally start with a craving and this time it was pizza. I created something that is remotely close to a pizza as we know it but is still technically a pizza.

It was delicious in an organic, vegan, low fat way and it was a fun eat.

What you need: (for two large pizzas)

(For the base)
2 cups wholewheat/ grain flour
5 gm fresh yeast
1 tsp EVOO
salt
water

(For the topping)
1 cup grated firm tofu (buy it or make you own)
¼ cup shredded cabbage
¼ cup sliced mushroom
2 tbs peas
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
1 red onion finely chopped
2 flakes finely garlic chopped
1 green chilli chopped
EVOO to saute
Oregano and salt to taste

(For the sauce)
2 tbs barbeque sauce
¼ cup tomato ketchup
¼ cup tomato puree/paste
fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tbs water

What to do:

(Base)
1. Mix all ingredients for the base and work into smooth dough. Leave to rise in a drought free place.

(Topping)
2. Heat evoo in a wok. Stir fry vegetables starting with garlic, chillies and onions then adding the rest (except for the tofu). Add salt and oregano as per taste. Stir fry for only about a minute.

(Sauce)
3. In the same wok add the ingredients for the sauce and simmer for a minute.

(Assemble)
4. Punch out the risen dough and roll out till paper thin. Top with sauce, then vegetables and sprinkle the grated tofu all over. Bake in a 180°C preheated oven for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 100°C and bake for 20 minutes more till the base is crisp.

Cola Chicken

I came across this on Spark Recipes and actually read the ingredients twice. Who would ever want to make chicken in Cola??!!

But I love experimenting, So I went for it.

The original recipe is quite basic, has just three ingredients but just reading them make me shift about my seat. I needed something more. So I modified it as I usually do and I loved the results. This is supposed to be a Southern American/Texan type dish, but honestly it tasted too Chinese-y to me and it paired brilliantly with stir fried egg-noodles.

What you need:

1 full chicken cut into curry pieces ( about 1 kg)
1 (330 ml) can of Coca Cola/ Pepsi ( I used diet)
¼ cup barbecue sauce
¼ cup of tomato ketchup
2-3 flakes of garlic, sliced
1-2 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp cornflour
Salt and pepper as per taste

What to do:

1. Rub salt all over the chicken and let it sit for about 15-20 min
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
3. Place the chicken in a nonstick roasting tin
4. Mix all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken
5. Bake covered with foil for 1 hour. Then bake uncovered for 20-30 min more till sauce is thick and chicken is cooked.

Stuffed Chicken Steaks with Coconut Sauce

The other day I saw this recipe on TV and I just wanted to try it so so so badly!! it looked so good just watching it made my mouth water.

This one is rich in spices but has a rather simple preparation. Chicken breasts are marinaded and then stuffed with cottage cheese and herbs and broiled in hot water that has been tempered with spices. The sauce is prepared separately and topped on the cooked chicken just before serving.

I loved the result. However I was not satisfied with the stuffing. The original recipe called for pomegranate seeds and chopped onion in the stuffing along with other things but personally I didn’t like the taste of the hot pomegranate and soggy onion. In fact the onion turned the pomegranate into a pale shade of purple and it looked quite strange so it’s best avoided. It is a rich dish, but if you want it really light avoid the cheese in the stuffing and you can have this without the sauce. It’s lovely and light without the sauce and the cheese and still great in taste.

What you need:

For the Marinade:
4 chicken breasts, pounded and flattened
1½ tbs ginger paste
1½ tbs garlic paste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
juice of half a lemon
Salt as per taste

For the stuffing:
1 cup cottage cheese, crumbled
¼ cup grated cheese (any one that melts really well)
2 tbs coriander leaves
½ tsp chopped green chilies
juice of half a lemon
Salt as per taste

For the broil:
4-5 sticks of cinnamon
4-5 green cardamoms
1 tsp mace powder
a few black peppercorns
2 tsp of clarified butter or oil

For the Sauce:
½ cup cashews
½ cup dessicated coconut
1 tbs butter or oil
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
½ cup whisked yogurt
½ tsp fennel seed powder
½ tsp green cardamom powder
a pinch of mace powder
a pinch of nutmeg powder
1 tsp chili powder
1½ tsp black cardamom powder
Salt as per taste

What you need to do:

1. Marinade: marinade the chicken breasts with the spices listed for the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Stuffing: Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing and divide into four parts. Lay it on each marinaded chicken breast and join edges of the chicken. Secure with toothpicks.

3. Broil: Heat the clarified butter/oil in a large deep bottomed dish and add the listed spices. When spices splutter, pour about 1½ cups of water into the dish and immediately place the stuffed chicken breasts. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes till well done. Add more water if needed.

4. Prepare Sauce: Dry roast the cashews and dessicated coconut till browned and then puree with a little water. In a wok heat the oil/butter, add ginger, garlic and when it browns add the yogurt and salt and let it cook for a while. Then add the cashew and coconut paste and rest of listed spices and saute for 5 min. In the end add 3-4 tbs of the water left behind after the steaks have broiled and stir well.

5. Serve: Place the chicken breasts on a dish and pour the gravy over it. Enjoy!

That’s how the original version looked from inside.. but the onions and pomegranate seeds are not mentioned in the modified and better version listed above. This dish was a real winner.