Pasta Salad with Vinaigrette

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 20 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL + Refrigeration Time

Ingredients

1-cup pasta (small shell or penne)

2 tbsp sweet onion vinaigrette

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese or cheese powder

Italian seasoning (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Salad veggies

You can have one or more or all from below options:

Carrot, corn, pepper, zucchini, cucumber, onion, olive, broccoli

I prefer onion, corn and green pepper combination

Procedure

1.    Cook pasta per instructions

2.    Once cool down, add veggies, olive oil, vinaigrette and cheese

3.    Season with salt-pepper and Italian seasoning

4.    Refrigerate before serving for couple of hours

This salad is a great option for picnics and potlucks – easy to make and even easier to carry. When in mood for light supper, we love this with juice or soup.

Kidney Bean Salad

I am quite punctual about having protein supplement in everyday food and being vegetarian, lentils and beans are main options. Had it be India, dal-bhat-shak-rotli would be routine Gujarati food, at least in weekdays. But here, none of us is much fond of having dal everyday and hence I have to look for healthy but tasty alternatives. So I keep on experimenting with such salads which are high in nutrition yet tasty and would perfectly work as a side dish.

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 10 Minute + soaking time

Cooking Time: NIL + Refrigeration Time

Ingredients

½ cup of kidney beans

¼ cup of corn kernel

¼ cup green pepper

1 small onion

Croutons or toasted soy nuts (optional)

For Dressing,

2 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp red pepper sweet salsa

1 tbsp olive oil

Rosemary

Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1. Soak kidney beans in warm water for about 6-8 hours and pressure cook them

2. Cook corn kernel – steam or boil

3. Cut onion and pepper in small pieces

4. Mix above all ingredients

5. In another bowl, whisk together sour cream, salsa, olive oil and rosemary

6. Pour dressing to beans mixture

7. Season with salt and pepper

8. Refrigerate the salad, when ready to serve, add croutons or soy nut for crunchy taste

Strawberry with Ice Cream

Well..what could be the best use of few left over strawberries and couple of scoops of ice cream? I had to use them before they went bad. So here is what I came up with..

Serves 2

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL

Ingredients

2 scoops of ice cream (I had butter-pecan, but I guess Vanilla would the best)

3-4 pieces of strawberries

2 tsp chocolate syrup

4-5 pieces almonds, sliced

Procedure

1. Create alternate layers for ice cream, strawberry pieces and chocolate syrup 
2. On top, garnish with almonds

I did not have whipped cream otherwise this would be just right. What could be the better option for Sunday night dessert? :)

Missi Roti

I have fond memories of a nearby restaurant during my school days. They used to serve missi roti and gujarati style bhakhri with punjabi curries. May sound little strange, but eventually we would go there just to have these rotis. Mainly, to avoid maida and secondly, I could have it more than one as opposite to naan or butter roti where I am full just in one piece!

Makes 12-14 rotis
Preparation Time: 10 Minute
Cooking Time: 30 Minute

Ingredients
2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup corn flour
1/2 cup besan
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp kasoori methi
1 tsp ajwain
Salt

Procedure

1. Mix above all ingredients and make a dough. Should be harder than regular roti dough, so you can make roties without using dusting flour
2.  Divide dough into equal portions and make rotis. Apply butter in the last.

Hot or cold, these rotis taste delicious and leftover would be a good opton for breakfast as well :)

Aloo Corn Palak

Serves 3-4

Preparation Time: 15 Minute

Cooking Time: 30 Minute

Ingredients

1 bunch of palak (About 1 LB) - washed and cut

1 cup of boiled potatoes - cut into pieces

1/2 cup of corn kernels

2 medium onions - finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 dried chili

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp dhaniya powder

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp butter

Salt

Procedure

1. Take a skillet and heat the oil

2. Add dried chili and jeera, when crackles, add onion

3. Once onion turns golden brown, add cut palak

4. Add corn kernels,salt and water if required

5. Cook covered until palak is tender

6. Add potato and tomato paste

7. Add red chili and coriendar powder

8. In last, add butter and turn off the heat

Serve hot with chapati, roti or paratha. Our pick was Missi Roti.

.....Eggplant....

Well, don't get scared looking at the title of the post :) My experiment with eggplant turned out delicious and I am not sure how to name my recipe.
I was craving for anything but Gujarati/Indian food and I also wanted to use ricotta cheese (I bought 4lb jar of ricotta cheese in sale and had to use before it went bad). So here is what I came up with

Serves 2-4
Preparation Time: 10 Minute
Cooking Time: 45 Minute

Ingredients
1 large eggplant
2-cup ricotta cheese
2-cup marinara sauce (I used homemade, store bought is equally fine)
1/2-cup Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs, approx.
1/2 cup finely chopped basil leaves
Salt & Pepper

Procedure
1.Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch round slices. Brush them gently on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
2. Coat them with breadcrumbs on both sides
3. Put these slices directly on grill at 350 F for 15-20 minutes on each side
4. Add salt, pepper and basil leaves to ricotta cheese
5. Place eggplant slices in a large baking tray in single layer and top them with ricotta cheese mixture
6. Cover with marinara sauce and lastly, top with Parmesan cheese
7. Bake them for 20 minutes at 400 F

I am not a huge fan of eggplant, but after making this dish I realized that combination of ricotta cheese and marinara sauce is just irresistible :).