Hasselback Potatoes

6-7 large potatoe

4 tbsp butter, cut into tiny cubes

2 tbsp olive oil3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

salt

1. Preheat the oven to 225C/440F
2. Scrub the potatoes clean, we’re going to be leaving the skin on. Oh yes, crispy, golden skin at the end of 40 minutes.
3. Boil them in salted water for 10-15 minutes. This will make sure the potatoes are absolutely clean as well as reduce the cooking time in the oven. If you’d like, you can skip this step, and cook the potatoes in the oven for 1 hour.
4. Now, slice a thin layer off the base of the potato so that it won’t roll while you are slicing through.
5. Cut across the potatoes at a 3mm/0.2inches interval, making sure that you don’t cut all the way through, but leave 1/3rd (about 1 cm) of an inch of potato.
6. Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet.
7. Place the sliced garlic in between the layers of potatoes, and push the cubes of butter in at equal intervals.
8. Give it a good sprinkle of coarse salt and then drizzle the olive oil over it and put it in the oven for 40 minutes, or 60 minutes (if you haven’t parboiled them).
9. While the potatoes are in the oven, baste the top of the potatoes with the olive oil from the pan to make the outside extra crispy.
10. Remove from oven and eat warm spooned with some pesto sauce!

Pesto Sauce

1/4th cup pine nuts
1/4th cup walnuts
6-9 cloves of garlic
1/2 – 1 tsp coarse sea salt
4 cups basil, washed and dried
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3/4th cup olive oil
3/4th cup pine nut oil (or olive oil, if you don’t have pine nut oil)

1. In a food processor, grind the walnut, pinenuts and garlic to a paste. Add the salt.
2. Add the basil leaves and maybe a tiny little bit of oil or water for it to come together.
3. Add the parmesan cheese.
4. Now through the feed tube, pour in the oils until evenly blended.
5. Transfer to a jar and serve and use as you like!

Herb Butter Mushrooms With Smoked Mozzarella

Serves: 2

8 oz./225g button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs of thyme leaves
15g/1tbsp cold butter, cut into tiny cubes
Olive oil to brush the baking sheet and mushrooms
1 oz./30g smoked mozzarella or Danish mozzarella ( I prefer smoky flavours, any day)
Salt and pepper
Scant handful of chopped parsley for garnish

1. Brush the pan with olive oil and place the mushrooms gill sides up with the stem removed.
2. Chop the stem and mix it with the garlic and thyme and stuff it back into the mushroom.
3. Dot the mushroom stuffing with cold butter.
4. Brush with olive oil and top it with thin slices of mozzarella cheese.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Slip the pan under a broiler for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the mushrooms fragrant.
7. Transfer to a plate, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately!

Apple Chips

2 gala or granny smith apples

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp lemon juice

Water

1. Turn the oven on its lowest setting (80C/175F)
2. Fill a bowl with 1 cup cold water and the lemon.
3. Holding a mandoline over the bowl, slice the apples, letting them fall in the water immediately. This prevents premature browning of the apples.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat and place the apple slices on the sheet after shaking off the excess liquid off it.
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (this will make the apple slices brown though, so skip the cinnamon if you want them white).
6. Push it into the oven for 1.5-2 hours, until the apple slices are crisp. Try not to finish these in one go!

Update: If at the end of 2 hours, the chips are still soft, continue to bake them in the oven for another 1-2 hours. Depending on how large the slices are and how watery the apples are, it might just take a longer.

Deep Fried Pizza

Pizza Fritta is a Neapolitan street food that has never quite taken on outside Naples but enjoys a cult-like reverence amongst the locals. The concept is simple - seal the toppings between two layers of pizza dough and deep-fry it until crispy

On the picture above you see little balls of dough - they have raised for 7-8 hours to reach that stage. The cook flattens two discs per pizza and covers one with the toppings. Tomato coulis, mozzarella and meat.



He takes the second disc and covers the pizza with it, sealing the sides with his fingers.



Now the fun begins. The stuffed pizza is immersed in a hot oil bath (180-200C°). The first pizza of the day makes quite an impression as the oil bath appeared so far to be almost cold. But as soon as the soft and very flat pizza enteres the bath, it bubbles like the pits of hells and the pizza starts to dance.

Cauliflower Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust

Serves 8 as a side dish; 4 as a main course

Looking at online versions of this recipe now, I’m seeing that most call for the shredded potatoes to be salted and drained. I didn’t do this, and in fact, I thought the starch from the potatoes would help form a cohesive crust. I was very happy with how my crust turned out without the draining step.

I recommend using a food processor to shred the potatoes, grate the onion, and shred the cheese.

Crust:
2 cups packed shredded raw potatoes, preferably russet
¼ cup grated onion
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
2 tablespoons butter
½ onion, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 dash thyme
1 medium cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 cup packed grated strong cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
black pepper
paprika

1. Adjust a rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick spray.

2. Combine the shredded potatoes, onion, salt, and egg. Pat the potato mixture into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then give the crust a spritz with nonstick spray. Continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes, until browned. Lower the oven temperature to 375ºF.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, add the onion and cook just until they start to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thyme, cauliflower, and salt; cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is just tender, about 8 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, a pinch of salt and another of black pepper, and the milk until evenly colored.

5. Spread half of the cheese on the baked crust. Top with the cauliflower mixture and the rest of the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the pie. Dust with paprika.

6. Bake the pie until the custard is set and the top is slightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Potato and Vegetable Salad

Serves 4 to 6

You can also try microwaving the oiled potatoes in a covered bowl for a few minutes before grilling, if you’re concerned about the centers cooking all the way through. Sometimes I do this; sometimes I don’t.

2 pounds asparagus, red onions, mushrooms, summer squash, and/or red peppers
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced ½-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and/or basil)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Prepare the vegetables – trim the asparagus; cut the onions into ½-inch slices, keeping the rings together; leave the mushrooms whole; cut the squash on a bias into half-inch slices; cut the bottom and top off the peppers and cut the middle section in half length-wise. Season the vegetables and potatoes with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil.

2. Whisk the lemon juice, shallot, herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.

3. Prepare a grill to medium heat. Lay the vegetables in a single layer on the rack and grill until browned and tender, about 8 minutes per side for potatoes, 6 minutes per side for peppers and onions, 4 minutes per side for mushrooms and squash.

4. Chop the cooked vegetables and potatoes into ½-inch cubes; place them in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Onion and Bacon Dip

Makes about 1½ cups

3 medium yellow onions, unpeeled
½ tablespoon olive oil
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and drained, crumbled
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped fine
½ teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or with aluminum foil; rub foil with oil. Cut onions in half crosswise (along their equators). Cut an X, about 1-inch deep, in the root and stem ends. Place onions cut side down on baking sheet. Roast until dark brown around bottom edge, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; let onions rest for 5 minutes before peeling off the pan. Let onions cool, then peel and chop fine.

2. Mix all ingredients (including onions) in medium bowl. Serve immediately or chill.

Yogurt Honey Dip

1 (7-ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tablespoons honey
1/8-¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix the ingredients together. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with fresh fruit.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Makes 18

½ ounce sun-dried tomatoes (about 5)
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 white mushrooms, caps reserved, stems pulled out and chopped fine
½ cup finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, washed well, spun dry, and minced
½ teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. If your tomatoes are packed in oil, rinse them before chopping them finely. If they’re not packed in oil, soak them in a small bowl in hot water to cover for 5 minutes. Reserving 1 tablespoon soaking liquid, drain tomatoes well and chop fine.

3. Lay mushroom caps, stems removed, face down on baking sheet either lightly sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake them approximately 10 minutes, or until their liquid puddles underneath. Remove from the oven. Carefully pour off liquid that has gathered in the bottom of the pan, and then again, carefully, turn mushroom caps over so they are ready to be filled.

4. In a small skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook chopped mushrooms stems, shallots and garlic, stirring until shallots are softened. In a bowl stir together mushrooms mixture, bread crumbs, tomatoes, reserved soaking liquid, yolk, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mound stuffing in reserved mushroom caps and arrange caps in a lightly greased shallow baking dish, or the same parchment-lined pan you’ve roasted your mushrooms in. Sprinkle mushrooms with Parmesan and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.

Shrimp Canapes

Makes 12 appetizers

12 (2-inch) rounds of bread, sliced ¼-inch thick
Salted butter, softened
12 medium shrimp, cooked and sliced lengthwise (to make two symmetrical spirals)
Mayonnaise
12 small dill sprigs
Freshly ground black pepper
12 small lemon wedges

Toast the bread until lightly browned; let cool. Butter the toast rounds and top each with two shrimp halves. Garnish the canapés with mayonnaise stars pressed from a pastry bag (or just dollop a scant ½ teaspoon on each). Top with the dill springs and season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Scotch Eggs

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup (2½ ounces) unbleached flour
1 pound bulk sausage
2 cups breadcrumbs, either panko or fresh
5 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Mix egg and mustard in a medium bowl to blend. Place flour in another bowl. Place breadcrumbs in another bowl. Roll 1 hard-boiled egg in flour. Using wet hands, press 1/5 of sausage around egg to coat. Roll sausage-covered egg in beaten egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs, covering completely and pressing to adhere. Place Scotch egg on plate. Repeat with remaining eggs. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Add enough oil to heavy large saucepan to reach depth of 1½ inches. Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 360-370 °F. Add 3 prepared eggs to oil; fry until sausage is cooked through and coating is deep brown, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining 2 eggs. Serve warm.

Deep Fried Oreo Cookies

1. Oreo cookies
2. Pancake flour
3. Milk
4. Cooking oil
5. Eggs

10 Easy Steps to Make 19 Fried Oreo Cookies

Step 1: Measure out 1 cup of pancake flour. 


Step 2: Add one egg into your pancake flour. 


Step 3: Add in one cup of milk. 
Step 4:  add in two teaspoons of cooking oil into your batter.
Step 5: Stir your pancake batter until all ingredients are well mixed. 

Step 6: Stir mixture until its consistency is smooth.
Step 7: Next, fill up a saucepan with enough oil to cover your Oreo cookies when you dip them in. 

Step 8: Now it's time to dip your Oreo cookies into the pancake batter

Step 9: Carefully release your soaking Oreo captives into the hot oil. If you really aren't sure if the oil is hot enough before you put the cookies in, just let a few drops of the batter trickle from the spoon into the oil and see if they start frying.

Step 10: The Oreos don't need to be in the oil for more than two minutes tops. Before they start burning, scoop the cookies out from the oil with a spatula, but let the excess oil drain first at the side of the saucepan. Then place the fried cookies onto a serviette-lined plate that will further absorb the

Rice and Lentil Loaf

 
Served with mashed spuds and gravy, and a side of peas, this is sure to be a hit with the meat-and-potatoes crowd.

• 1 c. brown rice
• 1 ½ c. lentils
• 2 onions, finely minced
• 1 t. granulated garlic
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. poultry seasoning, or a combination of sage, thyme, and marjoram
• 2 T vegan onion soup mix (optional)
• ¼ c. ketchup
• extra ketchup for basting
• chopped scallions for garnish (optional)

Cook brown rice, using your favorite method.

While rice is cooking, boil lentils in 4 c. water until tender.  Drain off excess water if necessary.  Mash very well, then combine with cooked rice and remaining ingredients, mixing until uniform.

Place mixture into a loaf pan, an 8” square pan, or 4 mini loaf tins and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, baste top(s) with ketchup, and bake for another 15 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with chopped scallions, if desired.

Rice with Lentils

This is a Panamanian method of cooking rice that uses lentils to boost flavor, nutritional value, and viual appeal. Lentils take a little longer to cook than rice, so I give them a head start. Serves 4 or 5.

Simmer 1/2 cup lentils in 2 cups chicken stock for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup medium grain rice, bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to medium low, and let cook 20 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit, without lifting lid, for 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff rice and lentils with a fork, and serve.

Simple Panamanian cabbage salad recipe:

In Panama and Central America, the salads are mostly made with a base of cabbage as opposed to lettuce. 

Cabbage is easy to grow and does well in the warm climates. I usually only eat cabbage in cole slaw with BBQ, but cabbage is loaded with Vitamin C and other nutrients which make it an awesome variation for salads and sides. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable which makes it rich in fiber. Here’s a delicious salad recipe inspired by my recent trip to Panama: 

• 1 head of cabbage (red or green)
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 2 carrots (shredded) 
• 1 red bell pepper
• handful of cilantro
• Vinegar or lemon to taste 
• pinch of salt  

Dice whole cabbage very finely. Dice tomatoes and red pepper. Combine cabbage, tomatoes, shredded carrots, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixture with vinegar or fresh lemon juice and cilantro. Add salt to taste.

Simple Panamanian cabbage salad recipe:

In Panama and Central America, the salads are mostly made with a base of cabbage as opposed to lettuce. 

Cabbage is easy to grow and does well in the warm climates. I usually only eat cabbage in cole slaw with BBQ, but cabbage is loaded with Vitamin C and other nutrients which make it an awesome variation for salads and sides. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable which makes it rich in fiber. Here’s a delicious salad recipe inspired by my recent trip to Panama: 

• 1 head of cabbage (red or green)
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 2 carrots (shredded) 
• 1 red bell pepper
• handful of cilantro
• Vinegar or lemon to taste 
• pinch of salt  

Dice whole cabbage very finely. Dice tomatoes and red pepper. Combine cabbage, tomatoes, shredded carrots, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixture with vinegar or fresh lemon juice and cilantro. Add salt to taste.

Thai Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

For the Curry Paste

Grind together:

1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp ginger
3 chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ cup water or coconut milk
For the Curry

1 sweet potato, cubed and cooked (I microwaved mine)
100g green beans (French beans), trimmed and cut in half
100g spinach, washed
1 small potato, cubed and cooked (again, I microwaved)
50g mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 cup firm tofu, deep fried
1 onion, sliced lengthways
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 star anise (or 2 tsp star anise powder)
100g chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 tbsp peanut butter ( use ground peanuts if you like)
2 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
500ml coconut milk
1 to 2 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp maggi liquid seasoning
Salt to taste



Method

1. Grind up all the ingredients for the curry paste.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the curry paste and cook this on a medium heat until aromatic and when the oil separates from the paste. Add the peanut butter. Keep stirring and don’t let it burn.

3. Add the coconut milk, star anise, ground cumin, cardamom powder, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, sugar, maggi seasoning, salt, tamarind juice. Allow to simmer until it becomes a little thicker.

4. Add the tofu, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions and chickpeas. Simmer for five minutes. If your mixture becomes too thick just thin it out using a little water.

5. Add the spinach and turn the heat off. It will cook perfectly in the heat of the curry.

6. Remove the whole star anise before serving. Enjoy with beautiful Thai jasmine rice. 

Thai Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

For the Curry Paste

Grind together:

1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp ginger
3 chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ cup water or coconut milk
For the Curry

1 sweet potato, cubed and cooked (I microwaved mine)
100g green beans (French beans), trimmed and cut in half
100g spinach, washed
1 small potato, cubed and cooked (again, I microwaved)
50g mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 cup firm tofu, deep fried
1 onion, sliced lengthways
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 star anise (or 2 tsp star anise powder)
100g chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 tbsp peanut butter ( use ground peanuts if you like)
2 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
500ml coconut milk
1 to 2 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp maggi liquid seasoning
Salt to taste



Method

1. Grind up all the ingredients for the curry paste.

2. Heat the oil in a wok, add the curry paste and cook this on a medium heat until aromatic and when the oil separates from the paste. Add the peanut butter. Keep stirring and don’t let it burn.

3. Add the coconut milk, star anise, ground cumin, cardamom powder, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, sugar, maggi seasoning, salt, tamarind juice. Allow to simmer until it becomes a little thicker.

4. Add the tofu, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions and chickpeas. Simmer for five minutes. If your mixture becomes too thick just thin it out using a little water.

5. Add the spinach and turn the heat off. It will cook perfectly in the heat of the curry.

6. Remove the whole star anise before serving. Enjoy with beautiful Thai jasmine rice. 

Baklava...Rose and Pista

Ingredients
250g pistachios, ground coarsely
400ml single cream
200ml ghee (clarified butter), melted
270g frozen filo pastry, defrosted (cut it to the size of your baking dish)
120g jasmine rice
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp rose syrup
1 tbsp rose water

For the syrup
225g granulated white sugar
½ cup hot water
2 tbsp lemon juice (this stops the syrup from crystallising)

Method

1. Gently boil the rice in the single cream and 1 tbsp sugar until creamy. Keep stirring it as it simmers because it will stick. When thick and luscious, add the rose water, rose syrup and cardamom powder and stir well. Set aside to cool.

2. Brush a deep baking dish with a generous amount of ghee.

3. Begin by placing a sheet of filo in the pan, butter it and cover with ground pistachios.

4. Repeat step two until you have used half of the filo and pistachios. This is a bit like layering up a lasagne. Always remember to be generous with the ghee- this is what makes the baklava crisp.

5. Halfway through the pastry layering, spread the cooled rice mixture on top of the filo. Now you can carry on layering the sheets and nuts up (always brushing with ghee) until everything is used up. Brush the top layer with lots of ghee to create a beautiful golden top.

6. Cut the baklava into diamond shapes or squares. I went for diamonds because they look very elegant this way.

7. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for around an hour until crisp and golden.

8. Meanwhile, heat the ingredients for the sugar syrup until it is of a one string consistency (this is called the ‘soft ball’ stage on a sugar thermometer). Set aside.

9. Remove the baklava from the oven. By now it should be super crisp and smelling divine. Carefully pour over the sugar syrup and allow it to stand and absorb for at least 8 hours. I left mine for 24 hours and it was just perfect.

Tip: For super chewy baklava, return the baking tray to the warm (but turned off) oven as the sugar syrup is absorbing and leave it for 8+ hours,  or up to 24 hours. 

Store in an airtight container in a very cool place for up to three days.

Two Potato, Chilli and Cumin Gratin

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes/500g, peeled and sliced thinly 
3 medium sweet potatoes/500g, peeled and sliced thinly
600ml double cream 
60g cheddar cheese
1 tsp cumin seed powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp chilli powder
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt or to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp garam masala

Method

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients except the potato slices. 

2. Make a layer of potato and sweet potato slices in a deep baking dish and pour over some of the cream mixture. Repeat until all of the ingredients are used up.

3. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 180°C for 35-45 minutes.

4. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Kheer....Makhana and Dry Fruits

Ingredients:
Milk: 750 ml
Makhana (Puffed Lotus seeds / Fox nut), cut in halves: 2 cups
Almonds: 15 – 20, finely chopped
Cashew nuts: 15 – 20, finely chopped
Chironji / Chiraunji / Chiroli: 2 tbsp
Cardamom / Ilaichi powder: 1 tsp
Saffron threads: a few, soaked in 2 tsp of warm milk
Condensed milk: ¼ cup, or Sugar: 3 tbsp (Can be adjusted as per taste)

Method:
- Heat milk in a heavy bottomed pan. When it comes to a boil, add the makhana, cashew, almonds and chironji
- Let it cook on low heat, stirring occasionally
- When the milk thickens and reduces to almost half the original quantity, add the condensed milk / sugar, saffron threads and cardamom powder
- Keep stirring till the sugar / condensed milk is mixed completely. Let it cook for another 3 – 4 minutes
- Serve hot or chilled

Maggi Noodle Soup

Ingredients (Serves 2):1 packet Maggi Noodles with Masala Tastemaker
One small onion, sliced
One medium tomato, chopped roughly
A handful of spring onion greens, chopped
2 tsp oil
3 cups water
Salt to taste

Method:
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and sauté till translucent
- Add the tomatoes and stir fry till they are cooked, and the oil begins to separate
- Add the spring onions and cook for another minute
- Add the water and the tastemaker, and bring to a boil
- Add the noodles, and cook till they are soft
- Adjust salt to taste
- Serve hot!
*Can add vinegar or chilli sauce to add more flavor.

Colorful Veggie Soup

Ingredients:
Frozen Peas: ¾ Cup
Mixed vegetables (chopped Carrots, Broccoli florets, cauliflower florets): 1 cup
Mushrooms (Sliced / quartered): 8 – 10
Capsicum (Red / Yellow / Green): 1 cup (cut in cubes)
Onion (chopped): ½ cup
Spring Onion greens (chopped): ¼ cup
Corn flour: 1 tbsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: To taste
Vegetable Stock / water: 3 cups
Whole dry red chili (crushed) / Chili flakes: ½ tsp
Method:
- If you are using fresh vegetables (peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), microwave them in 2 cups of water for 5 min, or boil them on the gas stove for 5 – 7 min
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add the chopped onions, and sauté till they turn translucent
- Add the (frozen) peas, mixed vegetables (frozen / boiled) and stir fry on medium heat for 2 – 3 minutes
- Add the mushrooms and capsicum and stir fry for another 2 – 3 minutes
- Add half the spring onions and stir fry for another minute
- Add the vegetable stock / water and bring to a boil. Add the salt, and lower the flame
- Dissolve the corn flour in half cup of water and add, stirring continuously
- Add the crushed red chilies and the rest of the spring onions
- Boil on high heat for another 1 – 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately
It allows flexibility and you can add corn niblets, tofu, paneer and / or french beans based on your choice.

Malai methi matar paneer with kasoori methi

Ingredients

 

Cottage cheese/Paneer - 2 cups cubed

 

Cashew nuts - 15-20

 

Kasoori Methi/Dried Fenugreek leaves - 3 tbs

 

Khus Khus/Poppy seeds - 2 tsps

 

Tomato - 1 small

 

Green chillies - 2

 

Garam Masala powder - 1/2(half) tsp

 

Onion - 1 small

 

White pepper powder (optional) - 1/4rth tsp

 

Green peas - 1/2 (half)cup

 

Whipped cream - 1/2 (half) cup

 

Milk - 2 cups

 

Water - 1 cup

 

Salt - to taste.

Directions

Chop 1 small onion,tomato and green chillies and fry in 1 tbs oil until onion starts to change color.

Grind fried onion, tomato, green chillies, cashews, khus khus, garam masala powder, white pepper powder (optional) salt, add a cup of water and grind into a smooth paste.

Heat a deep skillet. Add 2 tbs of oil. Add kasoori methi and add the ground mixture as soon as the methi starts becoming brown (the leaves tend to burn very soon and hence be careful not to burn them).

Add cooked green peas (If using frozen peas, you can add them directly otherwise, add peas after boiling them for 2 minutes in the microwave).

Add 2 cups of milk. Stir and allow the mixture to come to a boil.

Add cubed Paneer pieces. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes (Do not over-cook as the Paneer might start falling part).

Stir in half a cup of whipped cream just before removing from stove.