Bread making had always intimidated me. I mean, working with yeast has always been scary. But when you zero in on the menu to make for one special evening, you got to roll up your sleeves and be ready to face your fear. Ok, I am not talking about a huge wrestling competition. My menu had Foccacia and Vegetarian chili to be made on Valentine's day. Foccacia is a pretty simple yeasted bread that can be made by anyone with no experience in leavened bread.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour / Maida - 3 cups
Salt - 1-1/2 tsp
Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
Sugar - a pinch
Warm Water - 3/4 cup to 1 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 3 tbsp + 2 tbsp + more for greasing
Sea salt - 1/2 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Onion - thinly sliced - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 3 cloves - julienne
Method:
Sieve the flour and salt together. Place the yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Pour 3/4 cup of lukewarm* water over it and allow the yeast to bloom, about 3-5 minutes. Mix 3 tbsp of oil to the water. Pour the warm water with yeast over the flour and knead together to form a dough, sprinkling water as needed. After the dough comes together, knead for about 5 minutes. Place in a well oiled glass bowl and cover with a plastic wrap. Place in a warm place for about 2 hours to rise, or it doubles it size. Punch down the dough and spread it in a 9x9 square pan greased with olive oil. If the dough does not spread to the whole pan, give it a few minutes and try again. When the dough is fully spread in the pan, make little dimples all over it with the index finger. Mix the italian seasoning with 2 tbsp of oil and brush all over the dough. Spread the onion and garlic and gently press over the dough. Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, in an oven preheated to 375 F.
Cool the pan over the cooling rack. Slice the bread into little pieces and serve.
Notes: This foccacia is thick enough to slice for a sandwich. To help the dough rise, I preheated my oven to "Warm" mode for a couple of minutes and then turned it off and placed the dough inside to rise.
*Lukewarm - warm to the touch, like a baby's bottle.
I have a sweet tooth and I often crave for simple desserts which does not make me spend hours in the kitchen. This is one such recipe I came across. It is similar to ice cream but has just one-third of the calories in ice cream and is actually good for you. The part-skim ricotta cheese fills you up without weighing you down. And how can anything chocolate-flavored does not taste good.
Coming to the "Celebration" part, my space crossed 5 lakh hits last week. Whats more perfect for a celebration than something chocolatey?!!
Ingredients:
Preparation time: 10 mins; Serves - 2
Part skim ricotta cheese - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp
Bittersweet / Semi sweet Chocolate chips - 1 tbsp
Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
Low fat milk - 2 tbsp
Sugar or Sugar substitute - 2 - 3 tbsp
Method:
Mix all the ingredients except cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Mix well and allow it to cool. When cooled mix with the cheese and pulse a couple of times in a blender. Serve Chilled.
Linking this yummy goodness to the following events..
Anu's Healthy Recipe Substitution; PJ's Celebrate Women's day; Sumee's Bon vivant - Kid's Delight; Let's Cook for Kids; Nithu's Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids; Jagruti's Choc Full Easter.
It has been a while since I posted any pasta recipes. Not that I am not cooking pasta anymore, just that I didn't get a chance to click. I make pasta at least once every two weeks and DH loves the regular way I make it - pasta, veggies and pasta sauce. This time I made this mushroom pasta with onions and chicken stock. Garnished with some fresh herbs this dish is very flavorful and appetizing.
Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Preparation time - 10 mins; Cooking time - 30 mins
Whole grain Spaghetti - 1/4th of a box
White Mushrooms (or any variety) - 8 oz approx 250 g - sliced
Onion - thinly sliced - 1/2 cup
Low sodium Vegetable broth / Chicken Stock - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - a few twigs (You can substitute Parsley, Mint, Basil or any fresh herb of your choice)
Olive oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Boil water in a wide pot with a tsp of salt. In a wide skillet add butter and 1 tsp of oil and layer the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Allow it to brown for a couple of minutes and flip over to brown the other side. You can do this in batches if desired. When done remove the mushrooms to a plate. Add the remaining oil and saute the onions in high heat until they turn light brown. Sprinkle little salt and pepper and add the italian seasoning. Add the stock and allow it to reduce to half. Meanwhile drop the pasta in boiling water and cook for the time specified in the box. When it is cooked drain and transfer to the onion skillet with mushrooms and toss well. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Note: You could use any variety of pasta. Adding red pepper flakes for heat would give a different level of heat and taste.
Minestrone (pronounced min-NESS-throw-nay) is a hearty Italian Soup made with vegetables, beans and pasta (or rice). There is no set recipe for this soup but the basic recipe has vegetables (and/or meat), vegetables in season and different types of beans. I have used the vegetables I had at hand with a combination of black-eyed beans and garbanzo beans. It calls for a very simple preparation with a variety of flavoring. This makes a whole meal in itself and we enjoyed it for Saturday night dinner to keep ourselves warm when it was snowing outside. Yes it was snowing in October here!!
Ingredients:
Serves - 4-5
Vegetables:
Onion - Chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 cloves - chopped fine
Carrots - 2 - cubed - 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Potato - 1 small - cubed - 1/2 cup
Baby Spinach - 1/2 cup - packed tightly
Tomato - 1 - cubed
For flavoring:
Vegetable Stock - 4 cups (I used 2 Knorr Bouillon cubes with 4 cups of water)
Red pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
For the texture:
Pasta - any short cut variety - 1/2 cup (I used Mini Penne)
Blackeye peas / Cowpeas - cooked - 1 cup
Garbanzo beans / White Sundal - cooked - 1 cup
Method:
Heat butter and olive oil in a wide saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until it is transparent. Add cauliflower, carrot and potatoes in the said order frying for 2 mins after each addition. Add baby spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the red pepper flakes, pepper, beans and the vegetable stock. Check for salt and add if needed, note that the stock would already contain salt. Add the tomatoes and cook covered until it boils. Add the pasta and cook in medium heat until the pasta is cooked and soft. Simmer for about 5 minutes and serve hot with your favorite bread.
Note: You can add any vegetables of your choice. Feel free to add seasonal vegetables. Red kidney beans is also an excellent addition. I mashed about a tablespoon of cooked garbanzo beans and cowpeas and added it to the soup for thickness. I used canned beans.
Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salads Mela and to Radhika's Winter Carnival.
Basil is one of the aromatic and flavorful herbs. Often termed as the "king of herbs" by many cookery authors, it has is origin from Asia. Basil has a mild to sweet flavor depending on the type. Tomato Basil soup is one of my favorites soups in Italian Cuisine. The first time I tasted it was in Noodles & Company in the name of Tomato Basil Bisque. It has a warm flavor from the basil, tangy sweetness from the tomatoes, richness from the cream with a mild spicy undertone from the red pepper. This recipe here although does not have cream (not bisque) but still has the same great taste.
Ingredients:
Adapted from Giada's recipe here
Crushed Tomatoes - 1 - 28 oz can
Vegetable Stock - 3 cups (I used 3 vegetable bouillon cubes with 3 cups of water)
Fresh Basil Leaves - leaves from 3 twigs
Onion - chopped - 1 cup
Garlic cloves - 3
Carrots - 2 medium sized - diced
Bay leaf - 1
Red chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Ground Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Method:
Heat butter in a big pot and add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic. Saute in med-high heat for about 4 to 5 mins until the onions soften. Add the bay leaf, red chilli flakes and mix. Now add the crushed tomatoes and the vegetable stock with chopped basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste and bring to boil. When it boils reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid and let it simmer for 30 mins. Transfer the contents to a food processor and pulse until pureed. Take precaution that the contents would be hot. A hand blender works like a charm. Keep warm until you serve. Serve with any bread of your choice. I enjoyed this as a wholesome lunch with french baguette bread.
Sending this tasty and colorful Tomato Basil Soup to Reva's Herbs & Flowers - Basil event by PJ and Dish It Out - Tomato and Chilli event by Vardhini.
Also sending the Thai Green Curry and Pasta with Spinach Basil Pesto to Herbs & Flowers - Basil event.
Pasta with eggplant is a great combination. DH is a great fan of pasta and his favorite Italian dish is Eggplant Parmigiana. When I saw Giada's Trenette with Eggplant and Basil Pesto recipe, I got inspired. So tried my hands on it but tried with a red bell pepper pesto. I roasted my red bell pepper at home but jarred ones work perfectly good. This dish is very easy to put together and tastes great.
Ingredients:
Serves - 3 to 4
Wholegrain Mini Rotelle pasta - 2 cups
Eggplant - 1 large - cut into 1" pieces
For the pesto:
Roasted Red bell peppers - 1 cup or 2 Fresh Red bell peppers
Walnuts - toasted - 3 tbsp
Parmesan cheese - grated - 2 tbsp
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 1 or 2
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Paprika or Red chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
Method:
Blend the ingredients for making pesto into a smooth paste. Boil enough water for pasta with salt. Add a tsp of olive oil and add the pasta. Cook for the time mentioned in the box and check for the doneness. When it is firm to the bite (al-dente) it is done. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain excess water. In a wide pan heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and add the eggplant. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and roast until soft brown. Do not over mix because it would make the eggplants mushy. Add the eggplants and the pesto to the pasta and toss gently to mix. You could use the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve hot with your favorite side.
To roast fresh red bell peppers at home:
For roasting fresh red bell peppers, set the oven in broil mode. Apply vegetable oil all over the bell peppers and place it in a baking sheet. Place it in the top most rack of the oven. Allow it to char and turn over and broil it again. Mine took 3 minutes on each side. When done place it in a bowl and cover with a tight fitting lid or cover with a plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, this would allow the bell pepper to sweat and loosen the skins. Remove the skin and use as needed.
Sending this scrumptious pasta dish to 'Only'-Pasta Pizza and Noodles event by Pari, guest hosted by Jayasri and also to Fusion-Pasta event by Ramya.
Also sending my other pasta entries to these two events. Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic and Homemade Marinara and Pasta in white sauce with Roasted Vegetables.
It was one fine afternoon last week, I was munching some almonds and reading when it stuck that I had never really baked anything with almonds. Oh how wonderful it would be to get some baked goodies with almonds fresh from the oven. I tried googling for some butterless recipes since I ran out of butter and came across these wonderful and flavorful Coffee and roasted almond biscotti at Deeba's Passionate about Baking.
Biscotti is an Italian word, which has its roots from Latin biscoctus, meaning 'twice baked/cooked'. These are biscuits/cakes which are baked twice to ensure longer shelf life. These are quick and easy to make goodies which are perfect for anytime munching or for travel.
Ingredients:
Original recipe from here
Wheat flour - 1 cup
AP flour - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Sugar - 2/3 cup
Eggs - 2 (room temperature)
Instant coffee powder - 2 tbsp
Almond essence - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Almonds - slightly less than 1 cup
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the almonds on a non-stick pan and roast in the oven for 10 mins. Roasting the almonds or any nuts for that matter, intensifies its flavor. When done, cool and chop into coarse pieces or pulse for 2 secs in a food processor. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 300 F.
Whisk/sieve together the flours, salt and baking powder. In a big mixing bowl, mix the oil and sugar. Add eggs, coffee powder and essences. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until well combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing with a whisk everytime until blended. Finally fold in the almonds. Divide the dough into two parts and shape each part into a a log of 12" x 3". My log was rather flat. Have a bowl of water to wet your fingers to shape the log, since the dough will be sticky. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 mins and cool for 10 mins. Carefully transfer the log to a cutting board and cut into 1" pieces. A serrated knife works great for cutting. Repeat for the other log. Return the pieces to the cookie sheet with cut side down.
Reduce the temperature of the oven further to 275 F. Bake the cut biscottis for 8 mins, turn over and bake for another 8 mins. Cool in a wire rack and store in air tight containers.
Note: I have added more wheat flour than all-purpose flour, although you may use purely wheat flour or all purpose flour. It is just mildly sweetened and perfect to compliment the coffee flavor, you may add more sugar if you like it more sweet.
I am sending this to Tried & Tasted event which features Deeba's Passionate about baking guest hosted by Jayasri Ravi of Samayalarai Cooking is divine, original event by Zlamuska and Lakshmi.
I am also sending this to Drive me Nuts event by Anamika of Taste Junction and to Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event by Aipi and Priya.
Also linking it up to Flavours of Cuisines - Italian event by Julie.
