Monsoon but no rains yet!

Waiting for days of endless shower so can sit and rejoice a bowl of khicharee, a soulful food. Everyone have a recipe for KHICHAREE… their own unique memories twined with the recipe….smell by the way is the strongest way of revoking memories!
I smell ghee and the hastily made burnt pappadam :)

Pasta, faster

A easy quick meaty meal to fix yourself when you're short of time, drunk, & hungry:

Fettuccine with Italian Sausage:

Serves one person:

• Onion - 1 medium size, finely chopped.
• Tomato - 2 small or 1.5 medium sized; coarse chunky pieces.
• Italian Sausage - Chunky pieces;Cut 1 sausage into 4-5 pieces.
• Bacon (optional) - Nothing like cooking in animal fat
• Fettuccine - A little less than enough for one person.
• Mozzarella (optional) - You're not calorie conscious, are you?
• Salt, Pepper, & cooking oil.

Preparing the pasta:

• Simply heat the fettuccine in boiling water. Add a little salt to avoid sticking. Taste a strand or two & set aside when its not fully cooked, but cooked enough so you can eat it if you had to. So about 90% cooked.

Preparing the Sausage:

• Heat about 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a flat saucepan. Turn the heat to low.
• Saute the chopped onions until they are sort-of, kind-of brownish.
• Add the chunky tomatoes, bacon, & sausages.
• Stir to mix everything well, cover the pan, & cook for about 8-10 minutes.
• Put the Fettuccine into the mix & stir well. Cover the pan & let it sit for 3-4 minutes. Stir from time to time to avoid sticking.

Sprinkle a little cheese, throw in a little salt to taste, & enamour with some pepper.

Your pasta is ready to eat, so hope you have some beer stocked up .

S!

Name: Grilled Shrimp Salad
Description: Spicy grilled shrimp and vegetable salad
Accomplice: Bread and Soup

This recipe is a take off from the mouth watering seared salmon salad I had at TGIF a while ago.
I discovered shitake mushrooms which are super delicious variety of mushrooms specially when grilled.

Recipe: Marinate the shrimps with mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley) salt, chili, onion and garlic powder. I used a ready made essence here. Rub in all the ingredients well along with olive oil, add lemon juice for zest.
Marinade vegetables ( shitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or any variety you use, onions, tomatoes, yellow squash, red capsicum, etc) the same way .
Now grill the shrimp at 350 degrees till they are smoky and caramelized. I broiled the vegetables separately for 20 mins while giving them a stir once in a while. Avoid over grilling by removing from heat as soon as they are done. You can also stir fry them over high heat in a greased wok/pan.
Serve on a layer of salad leaves, cucumber and tomatoes followed by the veges and shrimps sprinkle some freshly diced mint leaves or green onions and for colour add crumbled egg yoke.


Comments: If you wish to stir fry the veges and the shrimp try cooking them over very high temperature for not more than 15 min, while tossing them regularly. The trick is to not let water seep away from them. The right texture should be crunchy yet cooked. If your spice mix do not have salt, it'll be easier for you to retain the crunchiness of the vegetables. Always add a pinch of salt later to avoid loss of water during sauteeing or stir frying.

Name: Potatoes and cottage cheese with dill

Description: Oven cooked potatoes with a delectable cottage cheese and dill topping.

Accomplice: Bread

Home made panner/cottage cheese works best.

Sometimes in extreme summer the milk get spoiled even if it's in your refrigerator, do not trash it just add juice of 1 lime in the milk and heat, when the water totally separates rest it for some time, strain all the excess water, let it cool and refrigerate.

Recipe: A conventional oven is ideal for the preparation but you can also use a convection microwave.
Take 2-3 potatoes, few garlic cloves one small onion do not take off their skin, sprinkle pinch of salt and pepper and coat them with butter or olive oil. Place it in a foil and cover up cook it in the oven for 15 min at 300 temp. Check the potatoes by pricking it with a tooth pick.
Remove the skin of the potato, garlic and onion and do not throw away the juices and mash them up all together.
Now in a bowl mix cottage cheese, finely chopped dill, green chili and salt, beat them together in a grainy mixture. Grease an oven proof bowl and layer it with mash potatoes add diced tomatoes or pureed tomatoes (optional)
spread the cottage cheese mix and repeat the layer of mashed potato with tomatoes and finally the cottage cheese mix.
Bake it for 20 min at 330 degree temperature.
Watch it disappear!


Comments: You can also buy fresh panner crumble and use. Add blanched spinach or baby spinach before baking if you wish.

Name: Chili pork with Noodles


Description: Hot and Spicy pork with egg noddles


Accomplice: Cold beverage.(you might need it!)

A simple variation of shrimp in noodle soup.

Recipe: Marinate boneless pork pieces in soy sauce, ginger and garlic (paste or finely chopped) rub salt and red chili powder and keep it aside for 2 hours. Chop some green onion and mushrooms or any vegetable of your choice try tofu or broccoli. Blanch broccoli before if not tender.
Boil the noodles in plenty of water and drain the excess water arrange it in serving dish.
Heat oil in a wok add some sesame seeds and fresh basil leaves add the marinated pork, stir fry in high heat, add a dash of chili vinegar paste and let the pork cook completely .Now add vegetables ( young spinach leaves can also be added) toss till pork is done and the sauce coats the vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste and pour the stir fried vegetables over the noodles garnish with lemon ring.

Comments: You can make the sauce thicker by adding Corn flour paste or make the sauce sour by adding 4-5 table spoon of orange juice and bring it to a quick boil.

I am well aware how boring it can get to make instant noodle for dinner again and again, but just adding a couple of ingredients can make a huge amount of difference. A few changes can keep you away from the routine, Try use egg noodles or rice noodle instead of instant noodle packs, use chicken cubes ( maggi chicken stock cubes) or make your own spice mix by adding china salt, salt, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet pepper powder and fish powder. Keep stock of different spices and try using them together.

Recipe: Boil noodles in enough water and keep it aside, in a greased pan add a dry red chili and stir fry the prawns, ( Vegetarians can use broccoli, tofu, carrots and peas) add a splash of soy sauce and a table spoon of chili vinegar paste ( blend fresh red chili and vinegar, 2-3 cloves of Garlic in a blender add salt to taste and pinch of sugar store in refrigerator). Toss them well and add chopped mushrooms just before removing from pan add thinly chopped green onions.
In a sauce pan add garnish mix or maggi cube and add 2cups of water and bring to boil stir in the noodles and the stir fried prawns along with the spicy sauce....

The classic roll is always a great meal when you have no time or energy to cook.It can be vary depending upon the palate or ingredients that can to be used. Without a doubt the origin of a roll comes from best use of food leftovers from a meal put together without any fuss.
You need : Any form of flat bread, naan, chapati, paratha or even dosa. Here I have used basic chapati or roti, 2Eggs.

Filling: Chicken, onions, mushrooms, green, chili, cheese... the list really depends upon what you'll like for the filling. I've used chicken used in curry , left over vegetables can also be used.
Prepare: Mix or heat the filling, add ketchup, cheese etc. and keep it aside. Beat the eggs and pour it in the greased pan ,add the chapati and flip over, now flip it back when both sides are done add a scoop-full of the filling and roll it over.
Enjoy with a yogurt dip and chilled beer.