Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

As the name suggests this is an easy pasta dish that can be put together in no time. I had a couple of bottles of roasted red peppers that was using up my pantry space I was looking for a way to use them and that is when Jai told me about the delicious pasta with roasted red pepper sauce he had a few days back. In no time I found this recipe and we had this for dinner tonight. I am planning to store more roasted red peppers for when my family have an urge for more of this delicious dish.
Recipe source:The pioneer woman
Ingredients
12 ounces, weight Pasta Of Your Choice
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced
3 to 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 to 2 tsp chilli paste optional
1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped
1 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
 Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Heavy Cream (more To Taste)
1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For Serving)
 Finely Minced Parsley

Method:
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Place on the lid and puree the pepper mixture until totally blended (there will still be some texture to the peppers.)
Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter back to the skillet over medium heat. Pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, chilli paste, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Splash in the cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.
Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.
Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley on top.

Zuccotto

Yesterday was the wedding of Jai's one and only niece. She is very dear to Jai and us and we very much wanted to be part of her big day. But unfortunately, we couldn't make it to the wedding. Jai and Aishwarya were so down and disappointed; so to cheer them up I made a special dinner yesterday and to top it off I had made this chocolaty delight.
Zuccotto is an Italian chilled dessert. It can be frozen, then thawed before serving. This dessert is traditionally made in a special pumpkin-shaped mold (Zuccotto means "little pumpkin" in Italian). This is an easy and  fun dessert to make and it is good. Especially if you like chocolate  this is a dessert for you.


Ingredients:
Brownie-1 qty/ Pound cake / sponge cake  
Vanilla Ice cream - 2 cups or enough to fill the cup
Kahlua-1/4 cup
Chocolate syrup/ Nutella-4tbs/ Cocoa powder
Method:
Make brownie in a jelly roll pan, or if you want you can use a store bought pound cake or sponge cake. Line a bowl with plastic wrap. Trace the bottom of the bowl and cut it out and use it to line the bottom of the bowl.( If using a pound cake /sponge cake cut  crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half, forming 2 triangles and use the triangles and line the bowl with it). Now cut long strips of brownie and line the sides of the prepared bowl. Brush some of the Kahlua over the brownie or cake lining the bowl. Reserve the extra brownie. Fill the brownie lined bowl with ice cream. Brush the remaining brownie/cake slices on one side with kahlua and arrange them, kahlua side down, over the ice cream, covering the filling completely and trimming to fit if necessary. Cover  Zuccotto with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Invert the cake onto a platter. Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap.Pour slightly microwaved chocolate syrup/ nutella over or  dust with cocoa powder and serve.

Thin crust Pizza

Friday nights are pizza nights at our home. We love to have variety, so we always try different versions like thin crust /thick crust as well as different toppings. Mostly this thin crust is the base when I make thin crust pizza. The toppings are typically based on what we feel like having that day or what I have in my pantry.
Recipe source: Tammy's Recipes
Crust Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 2.5 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup Light or Fat Free Italian salad dressing
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
or you can just use pizza sauce of your choice

Toppings:
3-4 cups (12-16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup Sun Dried tomatoes
1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup diced onions, optional
1 cup (or one small handful) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 medium-large Roma tomato, diced
Crushed red pepper, for serving (optional)
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Method:
 To make pizza crust, combine warm water and salt in a mixing bowl. Add about 2 cups of the flour, along with the yeast, and stir until a sticky dough forms. Add more flour as needed, and knead dough with clean hands until a soft, elastic dough forms. Knead for 5 minutes or so.
 Liberally butter a 16-inch round pizza pan. With clean buttery hands, spread and press the dough into the pan to form a pizza crust.

 Mix sauce ingredients together and spread over the dough. Sprinkle toppings on.  The toppings are listed  in the order  that is preferred to add them (sun dried tomatoes can get too dark if they're added last; the spinach shrinks substantially as it cooks and will look like a lot less in the end!).

If you like a thinner crust, pre-heat oven and bake immediately. If you prefer a slightly thicker/fluffier crust, allow pizza to rest for 15-20 minutes before baking.

 Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pizza for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is browned on bottom and the toppings are hot and bubbly.

If  using a thinner, non-stick pizza pan, bake it on the top oven rack. For a heavier/thicker stainless steel pan, use the bottom oven rack to ensure that the crust gets fully cooked.
 Remove pizza from oven; cut into slices after about 5 minutes. Serve with crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese if desired.

Italian Cream Soda with Homemade Syrup

I typically go for Italian soda when we dine Italian. I had been thinking of recreating it for some time now.
With the thermometer showing the north of 90s on many days, now was a good time to try this out. The best thing about this is that since we are using home made syrup, it tastes way better than the restaurant ones. You also can control your calorie intake by reducing the sugar content in the syrup or by substituting cream with whole milk and still have an awesome drink.
Recipe adapted from: Curly girl Kitchen
Homemade Berry Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups berries ( Any berry would do)
Method:
Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the berries, return to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Reduce to low and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Remove from the heat; pour through a mesh strainer, pressing the fruit with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid.  Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar until chilled and ready to use. Yields 1 and 1/2 cups syrup

Italian Cream Sodas
Ingredients:
Ice
1-2 tablespoons syrup
Club soda
Splash of cream, half 'n' half or whole milk
Method:
Fill a tall glass halfway full of  ice.  Pour the syrup over the ice,add more if you like it sweet.  Add the club soda, filling an inch from  the top of the glass.  Add the cream . Enjoy

Cheesy'N Garlicy Cauliflower Bread

I am yet to see any kid who doesn't like pizza. But that is not the same when it comes to veggies for most kids. One of the complaints that I often hear from moms is about how difficult it is for them to make their little ones have their daily dose of veggies. But what if you can make a pizza with just the veggies only - and tasting as delicious as a real pizza? Well, look no further. This recipe is so easy to make and so...so delicious that your little ones would be after you asking for more.

Recipe Source:Mom,What's For Dinner
Ingredients:
1 &1/2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Olive oil
For Topping:
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
*Optional Marinara sauce for dipping
 Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash the cauliflower and rice the cauliflower. I minced it in my food processor.The minced cauliflower should be around 1 1/2 cups, for that amount I used half a medium sized cauliflower.Now microwave this for 5 minutes.Let it cool.

Meanwhile prepare your baking sheet or pan by spreading a small amount of olive oil on it and top with parchment paper,I used aluminium foil and it turned out sticky at the edges.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg, Parmesan and Mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir.
Transfer to the baking stone or sheet, and using your hands, pat out into desired shape
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven.

Mix 2 Tbs butter and garlic in a small bowl and.spread the butter and garlic mixture over baked cauliflower bread and top with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.

Place back in the 450 degree oven until all cheese is melted.
Slice and Serve!

Pizza Pull-Apart Bread for Super Bowl Sunday!

With the Super Bowl fever on, everyone is loading up with foods to go with the big occasion. Of course, being San Francisco Bay Area residents, we would be rooting for 49ers. But whichever team you are rooting for, this would be a good snack to root for.
Recipe source: Southern Bite
Ingredients
2 – 6.3 oz can of large southern style biscuits (8 in each can)
1 – 14.5 oz jar of pizza sauce
1/2 green pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 onion, diced
2.25 oz can sliced black olives
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
Open biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Place in a large bowl.
Add pizza sauce to bowl and Stir gently to coat. Add diced pepper and onion, Parmesan, olives,  and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir gently to combine.
Pour mixture into a greased Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are done throughout.
Remove from oven and invert onto a platter while hot. Top with remaining cup of mozzarella.

Spinach and Ricotta Vegetarian Meatballs

As I was out of action for the last few days sick, Jai was the chef of the house. He was managing the show with omelette and simple stir-fries. As I have got well now, I am getting so many requests from Aishwarya and Jai for their favorite foods.
This spinach ricotta veggie balls with spaghetti was what Aishwarya wanted. This is the vegetarian version of spaghetti and meatballs. Try this and and if you love Italian cuisine as we do, this would be a winner for you.
Ingredients:
Veggie balls
1 Cup ricotta cheese
1 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 1/2-2 Cups Italian breadcrumbs (plus some for rolling)
4 Eggs
1/2 medium sized onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 jalapeno
1 tbs coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper
Olive oil and butter
cilantro

Sauce:
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
1tbs of red pepper flakes (opt.)
1 pound pasta ( whole grain spaghetti.)
Method:
Cook onion ,garlic,jalapeno along with butter and olive oil.When the onion turns translucent add coriander powder,cumin powder,curry powder,turmeric and cilantro, cook this for another minute till the powders are cooked.Remove from heat and let it cool.
Mean while chop the spinach and stir it in with the cheeses.If possible use a fine grater to grate the Parmesan so it kind of melts into the veggie balls.
Mix this all together  along with the cooked and cooled onion mix and add eggs and enough bread crumbs to pull it together. About 1 1/2 Cups should be enough but if you used very large eggs you might need an extra 1/2 Cup. Stir this all together but try to keep the mixture nice and light. Make a ball using about a heaping tablespoon of the mixture. Make sure it holds together, but try not to press it together too much. Then roll the ball in some extra breadcrumbs and add it to a baking sheet lined with foil.
You can either bake this or pan fry it. If you want to pan fry, just add a bit of oil to a large skillet and add the veggie balls over medium high heat. Cook and turn until all the balls are lightly browned all around.If you’re baking them, which is also delicious, then add all the balls to the baking sheet and drizzle on a bit of oil over each one.You should end up with about 30 veggie balls.Bake them at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so.They should be nice and golden brown when you pull them out!

For the sauce.
In a medium-large pot, heat oil and then all your diced onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, then add diced tomatoes,followed by oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Let this simmer for about 20 minutes and as it gets thick, add a bit more water to keep it saucy. The tomatoes will break down a bit after a few minutes.If you like a smooth sauce you can puree the sauce.Taste it and adjust it to your liking.When you’re about ready to serve this dish, add the veggie balls straight into the sauce.
Then serve the sauce and veggie balls over some cooked pasta.

Easy Tiramisu

Today I turned a year younger- ahem! a year older  :).This is what Jai made to make this already special day sweeter.As per our  family tradition b'day cakes or desserts are always made by the family, but Aishwarya stayed away from making this as she had sniffles and didn't want to pass it on to us.As my birthday fell on Tuesday which is a working day Jai chose to this make this Tiramisu, which had to be made ahead, on Sunday. It was a bit hard on us to wait two days to take a bite into this.The wait was well worth it, it was delicious as anticipated.This is an easy recipe if you can get all the ingredients and doesn't require any cooking.
Ingredients:
1 (7-oz.) pkg. ladyfingers, bakery fresh or store-bought
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 cup milk
1 tbs pure vanilla extract
3 tbs. instant coffee
1cup water, room temperature
3/4 cup Kahlua, or similar coffee flavored liqueur
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Method:
Lightly spray 8X8-inch glass Pyrex baking dish with vegetable spray.
Whip softened cream cheese and sugar on medium to high speed until smooth and creamy. Add milk and vanilla .Whip heavy whipping cream on high speed until stiff. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture with spatula and blend well. Beat again until fluffy.
In a small bowl, dissolve instant coffee in room temperature water. Add Kahlua, stir and set aside.
one at a time, quickly dip only the bottoms of the ladyfingers into Kahlua. Place the soaked side down and line the entire bottom of the pan with ladyfingers. The ladyfingers soak up the Kahlua very quickly, so be careful not to dip them too long.Spread half the cream cheese over the ladyfingers using an off-set spatula or plastic spatula. Sprinkle or dust with 1/4 cup cocoa.
Repeat with the rest of the ladyfingers in Kahlua and place on top of the cream. Spread the remaining cream cheese mix evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining cocoa over the tiramisu.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill for 6 hours or overnight. You may need to use a few toothpicks to keep the plastic from sticking to the tiramisu. Before serving garnish more if you like.
Use a sharp, thin knife to cut into pieces. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Dry Fruits Cinnamon Focaccia

I was on a search for a new dish to try out.When I found this recipe for sweet Focaccia I didn't have to think further on what to make. The reasons why I stopped my search there were: 1) It had cinnamon,which I love so very much and 2) it was a sweet dish. As usual I have added a few twists to the recipe to personalize it.The end result was one delicious Focaccia. Thank you Achu for this delectable bread.

Recipe Adapted from Tangy Minds
Ingredients:
1 cup Lukewarm water
1/2 Tbsp Active dry yeast
2 cups All purpose flour
1and1/2 tsp Gluten
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1/8 cup Butter, melted
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Sugar
1/4 cup Brown sugar
Raisins and cranberry as required
Method:
In a large mixing bowl mix flour,gluten and salt. Mix yeast  1 tsp sugar  and water. After 5 minutes add this to flour mix and Stir with a spoon until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth.
Cover dough and let rise for 1 hour.Pour onto greased cookie sheet.With greased hands, spread dough on the cookie sheet. Using your knuckles spread dough out forming holes in the dough. Brush melted butter onto bread.Sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar and brown sugar,add a raisin or a cranberry into each hole in the dough.Rest this for 15 minutes.Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for about 12 minutes or until bread is golden brown.Drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze or spread with cream cheese frosting.

Zucchini Pizza

It is summer-time and whenever I go out for grocery and produce shopping, I find zucchini in abundance (though here in the bay area I find it year round ). I love eating Zucchini by itself, but wanted to try out some variations. So the last time Aishwarya wanted a pizza, I thought of trying this out as the topping so that I could put some veggies also into her. The result turned out to be a keeper.
Ingredients:
2 large zucchinis
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup feta cheese
sea salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
pizza dough(used the same recipe used for this bread)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
Grate the zucchinis and press out the water from zucchini using your hand.Soak up any extra water with paper towels. Mix the zucchini with the mozzarella feta and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning or seasoning of your choice and garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
Work the pizza dough into whatever shape your heart desires. Spread the ricotta cheese on top and then top with the zucchini mixture. Add some red pepper flakes if you like . Reduce oven temperature to 450 and bake pizza for about 11 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn golden and the cheese has started to bubble.

Campanelle with Marinara Sauce

Aishwarya is a big fan of Italian cuisine. I love any recipe that uses more than one veggie in it and is always on the lookout for such recipes. So when I came across this recipe at ABC's The Chew, I adapted it to make a vegetarian version of it. It turned out to be the best Marinara Sauce that I ever tried.

Recipe source: ABC's The Chew
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups soaked soy granules/1 pack of morning star meal starters
1 Onion (diced)
3 cloves Garlic
2 Carrots (small diced)
2 ribs of Celery (small diced)
1 28-ounce can Whole Plum Tomatoes
1 cup Dry Red Wine/vegetable broth
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
6 sprigs Fresh Oregano
Salt to taste
1 cup Flat Leaf Italian Parsley (torn)
1/2 cup Parmesan (grated)
2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
2 pound Campanelle / pasta of your choice
Method:
Heat a large saucepan with olive oil. Brown the soy granules/meal starters with a large pinch of salt.(I love to add a 1/4 tsp garam masala and 1/4 tsp of chilli powder to this). Add garlic to saucepan and cook for 3 minutes.Meanwhile add onion, carrots and celery into a food processor and pulse to finely chop vegetable. Add vegetable mix to pan and cook for another 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Add in the tomatoes, breaking them up as you stir them and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf and oregano and taste for seasoning. You may want to add a little salt here. Simmer for about 2 hours, skimming off any excess fat that comes to the top.Once the sauce is done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Drop the pasta in and cook until al dente. Remove from the water with a spider or slotted spoon and add to the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of your pasta water.
Remove from the heat and stir in parsley, parmesan, butter and a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.

Spinach Rice Frittata

Frittata is an egg based dish similar to an omelette or quiche, with additional ingredients like meat, cheese, vegetables or pasta and flavored with herbs. This is a dish of Italian origin.
Ingredients:
1 small onion
2 Tbsp butter
1 package frozen but thawed spinach
2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup of Parmesan  cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup mozzarella
Method:
Saute onion in butter. Add spinach, garlic, rice and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Combine eggs, milk and seasonings, stir into rice mixture. Turn into well buttered 2 quart casserole. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This original recipe is a mild one, suitable even for kids. But if you are someone who likes a little fire on their palette, you may add some spices or add some chilli powder to the mix before baking.

Mediterranean Pizza

Friday nights are pizza nights for us. But the last Friday,  when I checked my refrigerator, I realized that I had so much of left-overs from the New Year celebrations that I decided to make it a left-over Friday instead! So to make up for that (and owing to the persistent demands of the pizza lovers in my family), I ended up making this pizza today. As it was a Sunday, I wanted to make something simple, easy, yet delicious; and this was the perfect choice.

Serves: 3-4
Ingredients:
Crust Ingredients:
3/4 cup water (110-115 degrees, preferably)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, melted or very softened
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon yeast
Toppings:
Crumbled feta cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Minced Parsley
Red onion, sliced
Black olives, chopped
Sliced tomato
Chilli flakes
Dried oregano
Olive oil, to top

Method:
Proof the yeast by mixing with lukewarm water and sugar.Add butter and flour,knead for  6-8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Set dough in  a bowl and grease the top. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 45 minutes. After dough has risen the first time, punch down and knead until air bubbles are removed.
Liberally butter a 16-inch round pizza pan, and press dough onto pan.  Then top with veggies and cheeses of your choice. Let the dough rise for 15-20 minutes (as the oven heats up).
Place pizza in oven and turn heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes; rotate crust and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until top is browned. (Be sure to watch so it doesn't burn; every oven is different!)
 When pizza is browned, turn off heat and open oven door. Leave pizza in oven until ready to serve.

Stuffed Artichoke Indian Style

Today Jay was in a mood to experiment. So he asked me to take my day off from kitchen and that he would make something different. He went out and came back with the artichokes and while I  enjoyed my Sunday, reading a book, he came up with a delicious artichoke bake. When I asked him how he did it (I know he was checking through many recipes on the internet), he said that he has combined many of what was there on the net and he would rather blog his recipe on my blog !!  Thus it saved me the job of posting a new recipe on Sugar'n Spice as well. Thanks to him I had a totally relaxed Sunday!

Ingredients:
4 large artichokes
4 button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup soy-granules , Morningstar meal starters
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion; diced
4 cloves garlic; minced
2 teaspoonLemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 tablespoonsfresh parsley; minced
1 1/2 cupsbreadcrumbs; (fresh and soft)
1/2 cupParmesan cheese; grated
1/4 cup Mozzarella optional
For drizzling:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method:
Trim the stem off the bottom so artichokes can stand flat. Peel off the bottom leaves (the hardest ones).Place artichoke on its side and cut off the top inch or so to remove top thorns. With scissors, snip thorny tips from remaining leaves. With a spoon, scoop out the choke (the fuzzy part) in the center of the artichokes. Cut one lemon in half and squeeze into a large bowl of cold water. Put the cut artichokes in this water so that the lemon water coats the cut portions. This is to avoid discoloration. Steam the artichokes and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until the leaves pull away easily. Once done, drain out any water onto a towel, keeping the artichokes upside down.
While the artichokes are being steamed, prepare the stuffing.
Saute garlic and onion in butter till they turn translucent. Add the curry powder and saute for another minute. Add mushrooms and the soy-granules and saute again. Now add all the remaining herbs  and salt to this and when it is almost dry add the bread-crumbs and Parmesan cheese to this.
Combine the olive oil with the seasonings (for drizzling). Now drizzle half of this oil over the artichokes. Stuff the artichokes in the center as well as in between the leaves gently with the stuffing prepared. If you prefer you may put some mozzarella cheese over the stuffed artichokes. Now drizzle the artichokes with the remaining oil and bake at 350 degree F for 20 minutes till it is heated through.

Curried Pizza

For this month's Sweet Punch challenge, our host Divya chose Pizza by  Pioneer Woman. The topping was to be of one's own choice. So for the topping I used my mushroom fry and curried soy. It was well liked and enjoyed to the last bite.Those of you who love spicy pizzas do try this combo.
Recipe source - Pioneer Woman
Ingredients:
For the crust :Makes 2 crusts
 Active Dry Or Instant Yeast-1 teaspoon
All-purpose Flour-4 cups
 Kosher Salt-1 teaspoon
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil-⅓ cups
Method:
Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.
Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. ***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.
For the Topping:(for 1 crust)
Curried Soy Granules Ingredients:
Soy granules Morningstar meal starters-1 cup
Onions-1/4 cup
Tomatoe paste-1tbs
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 teaspoon
Meat masala-1tsp
Cheese-1/2 cup
Mushroom Fry-1/2 recipe
Method:
Heat a pan and add 2 tbs oil to it add the onion and ginger garlic paste when the onions turn light brown add the tomato paste and saute for another 2 minutes.Add meat masala to this and saute till the oil oozes out .Add the Soy granules(meal starter) and saute till well combined ,add salt to taste!
To make the Pizza
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and use fingers to coat thoroughly. Remove HALF the pizza dough from the bowl. Stretch pizza dough into a large rectangle, pressing with fingers to finish forming. Dough will be very thin.
Lightly drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and use fingers to spread.Apply a little bit more of olive oil over the surface of the dough. Spread mushroom fry and curried soy granules all over the pizza. Sprinkle cheese on the top .
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from pan and slice with a pizza cutter. Serve immediately!
Sending  this to  Pari’s ONLY FUSION event  Guest hosted by Priya.

Spinach'N Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Here is one more Italian recipe, one serving of which I promise you,would give your daily dose of green vegetables:) . Jokes apart, this is one recipe that you can use to finish off those spinach and cilantro bunches that may be sitting in your refrigerator for long. If you have made too much of pesto you can even store some for later, by storing it in airtight containers - just make sure you add a teaspoon of olive oil covering the top of the pesto sauce so that it doesn't oxidize and discolor.
Ingredients:
For Pesto
Yield:1cups
Fresh spinach leaves, well-washed and stemmed-1 cup
Cilantro or Parsley-1/4 cup
Almonds or  pine nuts, toasted-1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated-1/8 cup
Garlic cloves-1 1/2
Extra virgin olive oil-1 tablespoon
Sea salt-1/8 teaspoon
Fresh ground black pepper-1/4 teaspoon
Green chilli-2
Lime juice - from 1/2 a lime or 1 TBSP (Could use lemon juice too)
Place all ingredients into food processor and process to a fine paste.Add or reduce amount of oil to thin or thicken the sauce.
For Pasta.
Vegetable oil-1 tablespoon
Extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling pasta once cooked)-1 tablespoon
Garlic cloves (minced or pressed)-1
Dried basil-1 tablespoon
Vegetable mix(cut)-3 cups
Whole grain pasta, uncooked -16 ounces (I have used Rotini pasta)
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Method:
Cook pasta as indicated on package or until tender (usually 8 to 14 minutes).Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.Meanwhile, in a pan, heat vegetable oil and olive oil over low heat and immediately add garlic ,dried basil and vegetables, season with salt and pepper sauté for 3 minutes.Once pasta is cooked, drain on colander, drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, mix lightly.Now Add pesto sauce and pasta to the cooked vegetables cook for about 3 minutes on low heat (avoid over cooking to allow pesto to retain its nutrients intact) and serve.
Sending this over to"Herbs and Flowers in my Platter" - Coriander leaves/Cilantro event at Krithi's Kitchen

Curry Pizza with Paneer and Soy Granules

What would you do if you have one meal to make and two different recipes that look inviting? Well, that was the dilemma I had when I wanted to try out an Indian version of the pizza. I came across these two wonderful looking recipes-US Masala and Cilantro and wanted to try out both at the same time - well, almost! So I combined what I thought were the best parts of both and came up with my version of the Curry Pizza with Paneer and Soy Granules - it turned out to be a killer combo, by the reaction of my family. Both father and daughter declared this as the best pizza they ever had  and are pleading with me to make this more often.

Yield: One 16-inch pizza ("family size")

Ingredients: 

Crust Ingredients:

 Lukewarm water-1 cup

 Sugar-1 teaspoon 

 Salt-1/2 teaspoon 

 All-purpose flour or bread flour-2 cups

 Active dry yeast-2 teaspoons

Paneer Tikka Ingredients:

 Paneer -8 oz

 Cilantro-1/2 cup

 Green chilli-2

 Ginger-1/2"slice

 Sourcream-1 tbs

 Salt -1/2 tsp (as required)

 Oil-2 tsp

Curried Soy Granules Ingredients:

 Soy granules Morningstar meal starters-1 cup

 Onions-1/4 cup 

 Tomatoe paste-1tbs

 Ginger garlic paste-1/2 teaspoon 

 Meat masala-1tsp

Pizza Sauce-1/2 cup

Cheese-1/2 cup

Method:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, salt,a pinch of flour and yeast let it ferment for about 5 minute . Add flour  to yeast mix , and stir until a soft dough forms. Add additional flour if needed, and knead gently for 5-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.Leave it in the oven with the lights on if its cold outside for 20 minutes.

Mean while make a paste using all the ingredients mentioned under the paneer tikka ingredients except paneer and apply on the paneer cubes (it would be good if you could marinate the paneer at least for a few hours if possible or else you can make the the tikkas straight away).Broil this in oven for around 4 minutes.

While paneer is in the oven lets prepare curried soy granules.Heat a pan and add 2 tbs oil to it add the onion and ginger garlic paste when the onions turn light brown add the tomato paste and saute for another 2 minutes.Add meat masala to this and saute till the oil oozes out .Add the Soy granules(meal starter) and saute till well combined ,add salt to taste. Butter or grease a 16-inch round pizza pan. Using your buttery hands, lift the soft, sticky dough onto the pizza pan and gently spread to the edges.Now spread a layer of pizza sauce,top it with prepared paneer tikkas and curried soy granules evenly ,You can also add sliced peppers and onion if you like.Put a layer of cheese on the top and bake it in a preheated oven at 425 degree Fahrenheit for  12 to 15 minutes.Check pizza after 10 minutes, and continue to check every few minutes until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.Cut and serve.

Lazy Hubbie's Panini

My husband doesn't like cooking much.If he has to cook something for survival this is one dish he like to make. He has become such a fan of this that now-a-days he even volunteers to make this when I am not around. I am sure you would also enjoy this simple sandwich.
Ingredients:

Bread-2 slices

Cheese spread-1tbs

Onion-2tbs

Tomatoes-1tbs

Cilantro-1tsp

Butter-1tbs

Pepper- to taste

Salt-to taste

Method:

Spread cheese-spread  on one side of the first slice of bread. Layer with chopped onions (we prefer this as it is less messy to eat this way),de-seeded tomatoes (this prevents the bread turning mushy),cilantro,pepper and salt. To the other slice of the bread apply butter on one side and then put the buttered slice facing the fillings. Place it in the preheated panini press and cook till the sandwich turns golden brown.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus is something which we don't usually try out; though we had tried it on a few occasions previously. But because of its medicinal properties whenever I find a recipe that I think would suit us, I try it out, but it never seemed to work for us. Last week while watching Kitchen Boss in TLC, I came across this recipe being presented and thought that it would work, seeing the ingredients that went into making it. And it really did.
Ingredients:
1pound medium-thick stalks asparagus
I tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse Kosher or sea salt
Red chilli flakes
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Chunk of Parmesan for grating
Method:
Preheat oven to 450° with a rack set in the middle. Rinse and pat dry the asparagus. One spear at a time, snap off the bottoms of each stalk where it wants to breaks naturally.If you are a person who doesn't like asparagus's tough skin you can peel the skin using a peeler
Place the asparagus on a sheet pan and toss the asparagus with enough evo just to coat. Add a generous pinch of salt and red chilli flakes and toss to coat.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan evenly across the spears and place the sheet tray in the oven to roast for 7-10 minutes.
Remove the asparagus from the oven when the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the asparagus tips are starting to brown.

Potato Gnocchi in Spinach Sauce

Gnocchi are Italian dumplings served with a sauce. I had tried making this before, but never turned out that good. I was telling this to my husband's cousin, and she suggested that the reason may be that I wasn't using the potato ricer - and guess what, I got this from her for Christmas along with this wonderful recipe!
Thanking her once again, I am dedicating this post to her.

Source:sfgate.com
It is important to cook the gnocchi immediately after making them. If they stand, they become sticky and difficult to work with. Begin heating your cooking water before you rice the potatoes. You should also have a skillet of sauce or melted butter ready so that you can transfer the cooked gnocchi directly to the skillet.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (preferably 2 large potatoes)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Several scrapings of freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Approximately 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, or as needed
Olive oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the potatoes until a knife pierces them easily, about 1 hour.
When the potatoes are almost done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for cooking the gnocchi.
Peel the potatoes while they are hot. Cut them into manageable chunks and pass them through a ricer directly onto a work surface. With a table fork, spread the potatoes out until they are about 1/2 inch thick and let them cool to room temperature.
It would be good to go through the images of making the gnocchi before you proceed to the next steps
Drizzle the beaten egg over the potatoes. Sprinkle with nutmeg and salt, then scatter 1 cup flour over the potatoes.
Working quickly and gently, use a bench scraper to reach underneath the ingredients and lightly toss them together, as if you were working a pie dough.
Continue fluffing the ingredients without kneading them, using the scraper and your free hand, until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs.When you have made all 6 ropes, line them up 3 at a time and use the scraper to cut them crosswise into 3/4-inch-square nuggets. Flour the nuggets lightly and gently toss them with the flour to prevent sticking.
Now you are ready to shape the gnocchi. Hold a table fork, tines up, in one hand. With the other hand, pick up a gnocco with your thumb and index finger, grasping it on the cut sides. Place it on the tines of the fork as far from the end as possible. With your thumb, gently press the gnocco with a forward movement so that it curls slightly. One side will have the indentations from the tines; the other side will be slightly concave. Keep the gnocchi on the work surface, lightly floured, until you make them all.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil into a large baking dish.Boil the gnocchi about 2 dozen at a time. After they float to the surface, count 20 seconds, then lift them out with a skimmer/strainer and transfer them to the oiled baking dish, turning to coat them with the oil. Continue until all the gnocchi are cooked and lightly oiled, adding more oil if needed, then transfer them to a skillet containing your sauce. Reheat them gently in the sauce and serve immediately with a spoon, not tongs.
Yields enough gnocchi for 6 servings

For the sauce I had used my own recipe as below:
Ingredients:
Tomato paste- 3tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Garlic- 2 cloves, chopped fine
Curry powder - 2 tsp
Spinach - 1 cup, chopped fine
Parsley - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
Brown the butter in a pan; add garlic and the tomato paste. When the butter starts to separate  from the tomato paste, add curry powder and saute for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and parsley, and saute till they wilt. Add about half a cup (or  a little less) of water, salt and let it simmer till it thickens to the consistency of your liking.

Additional tip: When the Gnocchi is done, prior to transferring it into the oiled baking dish, I had added 1/4 teaspoon of chilli-flakes and 1/8 tsp of salt to the oil to add a little more zing to the Gnocchi.

Sending this to Veggie/Fruit of the month:Potato hosted by Divya and,event by Priya