Jalepeno and Cheddar Chicken Burgers

Last night I had a hankering for some burgers and when I remembered this recipe from Annie's Eats I knew I had to make it. These burgers pack a super flavourful punch and are really quick to put together. Though the original recipe serves them with Guacamole don't be deterred if you don't have any on hand or cannot find ripe avocados. These are amazing just as is with some mayonnaise and ketchup as well, or you could try them with sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa etc. I have used chicken breasts below but you can use ground chicken to make things easier. If you don't have a food processor just chop everything finely by hand and mix in a large bowl.

Recipe - From Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes 4 Large or 6 Medium Burgers
For the Burgers
500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and skinless)
1 Jalapeno (I used pickled)
1 Medium Red Onion (Peeled and Cut in half)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Garlic cloves
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Coriander
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

To Serve
Burger Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

1. Place the onion, garlic, coriander and jalapeno in a food processor. Pulse till finely chopped.

2. Add the chicken breast and process till finely ground.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse till the mixture comes together.

4. Divide the mixture into 4 or 6 portions and form patties.

5. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a non stick frying pan and cook the patties, flipping once, till cooked through.

6. Toast the buns, add the patty and the toppings as desired. Serve and Enjoy.

Chicken Pizza

We had this fabulous pizza for dinner last night and everyone loved it. Hubby's friends were at home for dinner and even they gave it full marks. The recipe is from Eat Laugh Love, my partner for Taste and Create for the month of March. I know its a bit too late to be posting this but I didn't want to miss it.

I had made a similar pizza for the previous taste and create but the BBQ sauce was different from this recipe. I couldn't find liquid smoke and made a few changes in the sauce. Some great bad luck befell me and I added two teaspoons salt in the sauce thinking it was sugar (a mistake many people have done in my house as my salt and sugar containers are very similar and kept next to each other, LOL!). To rectify, I added some more tomato sauce and a whole lot of sugar. The end result was a very yummy sauce and I am glad I have frozen the rest of it for the future.

The Pizza dough is good and rises well. I mixed the whole thing by hand and kept it in the oven (switched off) to rise for one hour as I had time to spare.

Recipe Source - Eat Laugh Love

Ingredients

For The Pizza Toppings

BBQ Sauce (Recipe Below)

Sliced Mushrooms

Green Peppers

Onions

Mozzarella Cheese

Chicken (Cooked and tossed in the BBQ sauce, Chopped to 1/2 Inch pieces)

Oregano

Coriander Leaves

For the Pizza Dough  - I got two crusts from this dough as I doubled the recipe.

2 Cups Whole-wheat Flour

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 1/2 Tsp Quick Rising Yeast (I used instant yeast)

2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Hot Water (120-130°F)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Sauce

1 Cup Tomato Sauce - I used 2 Cups

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onions

3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1 Tsp Chili Powder - I used two tsp.

1 Tsp Paprika - Omitted 

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke - Omitted

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Cumin - I used cumin powder

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Oregano

1 Tsp Basil

Make The Dough

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the hot water and olive oil and knead till the dough comes together and forms a soft ball. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add more water if required.

2. Slightly oil the bottom and sides of the bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and swirl in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and keep aside to rise if using regular yeast.

3. If using rapid rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

Make The Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Cool sauce.

Top the Pizza and Bake

Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (about a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes, or as directed by your recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Prawn Biryani

My husbands love for prawns is well documented here and it should not come as a surprise to you that we got 3 kg's of fabulous prawns from the fish market (my first trip there in two years mind you) last week. I decided to make a prawn biryani from one batch and made this quick and easy version. It is very simple to make and is a nice dish to serve to guests as well.

Recipe - From Everybunny Loves Food

Ingredients - Serves 6

1 Kg Medium Sized Prawns (Weighed with the shell)

2 Large Potatoes (Peeled and Cut in 8 Pieces each)

For the Marinade*

2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder (Dhanya Powder)

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)

Salt To Taste

1 Cup Yogurt

For the Masala

4 Cups Finely Chopped Onions

2 Cups Chopped Tomatoes

2 Green Chilies (Slit Vertically Halfway)

1/2 Cup Cooking Oil

For The Rice

6 Cups Basmati Rice

4 Cardamom Pods (Elaichi)

1 Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)

2 Bay Leaves (Tej patta)

4 Cloves (Lavang)

Salt To Taste

For The Garnish

1/2 Cup Fried Onions (Sliced And Deep Fried)

Coriander Leaves (As Needed) (Hara dhanya)

Mint Leaves (As Needed) (Pudina)

1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/4 Cup Milk

Food Color (Yellow, Red or Orange)

Saffron Strands (Zaffran)

1 Tbsp Ghee

*Note on ingredient quantities - The quantities given are what we prefer at home. You must taste and adjust the quantities as per your personal preferences. Add a little at a time. Taste  and add more spice, salt or lemon accordingly.

Prep Work

Wash, shell and de-vein the prawns. Clean thoroughly with water and drain. Mix all the marinate ingredients in a bowl and marinate the prawns for an hour.

Wash and soak the rice.

Make the Masala

Heat the oil in a large bottomed pot over medium high heat and fry the potatoes till done. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside. Add the onions  to the oil and fry till soft and brown in colour, turning the heat to low if needed to prevent burning. When the onions become brown, add the tomatoes and green chillies. Turn the heat to high again; Cook till the tomatoes are soft and oil separates. Add the marinated prawns and stir well. Cook till prawns are almost cooked. Turn off the heat.

Boil the Rice

In a separate pot, heat 6 cups of water; throw in the whole garam masalas and salt. Keep a wide colander ready in the sink to drain the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and let it cook on high, uncovered till the rice is almost done. It is very important to watch the rice closely at this point as we want it to be cooked but not completely. There should still be a bite to the grain and must not be easily squished between your fingers. Once the rice reaches this point, turn off the heat and drain the rice in the colander.

Assemble the Biryani

When the rice is boiling keep all the garnish ingredients ready near the stove. Wash and chop the coriander and mint leaves. Dissolve the saffron and food colour in the milk. We need a big bottomed and high pot for this. Place the pot on the stove, and spread half of the prawn masala in the bottom. Add half of the rice on this layer and repeat the prawn and rice layers once again.

Pour the colored milk on the rice evenly. Sprinkle the garam masala powder on the rice and place the ghee on top. Garnish with all the fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Cook
Cover the pot with a tight lid to ensure no steam escapes from it. Keep the flame on high for a minute or two to ensure sufficient heat is generated in the pot. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking till steam starts forming on top and the rice is complete cooked. Serve hot with raita.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken 65

Another weekend has gone by and its a brand new week at work. Friday was very hectic for me as we had guests at home and I was cooking non stop all day! I served this chicken for dinner along with mutton curry and chicken kheema with some pulav and rotis. My mutton curry didn't turn out so good but this chicken was good as always. It is a very easy recipe which I learnt from Latifs aunt. My mom used to make this a lot a few years back but somehow she 'forgot' how to make it. How can you forget a recipe??? Anyways, when I ate it again in Dubai I remembered the same taste and learnt the recipe to make at home. The ingredient quantities given below are a rough estimate. You can increase or decrease the quantities to your personal tastes.

Recipe - Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken - Small Pieces, Bone - In

1 Cup Onion (Diced In 1 Inch Pieces)

1 Cup Capsicum (Diced In 1 Inch Pieces)

3 Tbsp Butter, Divided (Salted Or Unsalted)

4 Green Chillies (Slit Vertically Halfway Through)

8-9 Curry Leaves

For the Marinade

2 Cups Thick Yogurt (Strain If Yogurt Has Too Much Water)

2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Cup Tomato Ketchup

Red Food Colouring (Optional)

Salt To Taste

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a big bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings as required. This is supposed to be a little sweet and sour. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade and keep in the fridge for an hour. After an hour, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and keep aside. Reserve the marinade.

2. Meanwhile, melt one tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and capsicum till translucent. Do not soften as we want them crunchy. Remove from pan and keep aside.

3. In another pot, melt the remaining two tablespoon butter over medium heat and add the curry leaves and green chillies.
4. Add the chicken marinade reserved earlier and let it cook till it changes colour. Place all the chicken pieces in the pot, stir well and lower the flame. Cover and cook till chicken is no longer pink. If gravy is required add some water and cook for five more minutes.
5. Add the sauteed onions and capsicum just before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.

Spinach, Ricotta and Chicken Lasagna

It's once again time for Taste and Create and this month my partner is Dragon Musings. She has a lot of lovely recipes for cupcakes and desserts which would have been great to make but I am on a sugar overload (is that even possible?) this month and decided to go the savory route this time. First I thought of making a pizza as she has some fantastic recipes but then I saw this lasagna recipe and got a sudden craving for it. I had not made lasagna in a long time and the last time I made it, it was a bit of a flop. So, armed with this recipe I assembled all my ingredients and got ready to make it. It was very easy and straightforward and the only change I made was to add cooked minced chicken (Latif will never touch anything vegetarian!) with some spices to the pasta sauce (home made)and simmer it for some time. This was the first time that I ever cooked with Ricotta cheese and the spinach - cheese mixture was lovely and creamy.  Overall it was very delicious and I will surely use this recipe again.

Click here for the recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Say Hello to the Zucchini - Zucchini Rice

So, one day we are all having lunch in the office and the talk turns to food (as usual) and someone starts talking about zucchinis and I casually remark that I have never cooked it. Everyone stares at me like I have grown two heads or something. Never? They ask. Never. I go to the grocery the same day and pick out a shiny green zucchini and bring it home. After all I had decided to tackle new vegetables, and after the Pumpkin it was this vegetable.

Hello Zucchini!!

Since I had never cooked it before I had no idea what to do with it. But the internet quickly rescued me and I got the right recipe for a nice meal. This rice is very flavorful and good for children who are picky about veggies. The zucchini is grated and added to the rice so that you cannot really taste it but you know that you are eating it. We had this with paneer bhurji and raita which made for a tasty and complete meal.

Recipe Source - Manjula's Kitchen

Ingredients
1 Cup Rice
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Zucchini (Shredded With Skin)
1/2 Cup Onion (Sliced Thinly)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Butter
1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seed (Rai)
2 Bay Leaves (Tejpat)
Salt To Taste
1 Inch Piece Cinnamon (Dalchini)
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

1. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat. When the oil is ready, Add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Stir for 30 seconds and add the onions. Saute them till they turn soft and transparent.

3. Stir in the rice and fry for about 2 minutes till toasted.

3. Add water, zucchini, salt and lemon juice. Stir and taste the water to check the salt. Adjust if needed. Stir and bring to boil.

4. After the rice comes to a boil turn the heat down to low and cover the pan. Cook rice for about fifteen minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated.

Happy Eating!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Before making this recipe, I had only ever eaten frozen meatballs (eeks) and always wanted to try making them at home but shied away thinking that it was a difficult process. Well how wrong was I!! I saw this recipe  on The Pioneer Woman and decided to use it only adding a few more spices and changing the sauce a little bit. The meatballs on their own are so good I couldn’t resist eating one fresh out of the pot (yum!). I loved this dinner so much I have already made it twice and this is surely going on my regular menu.

Recipe Source - Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients - Makes Sauce for approx. 200 Gms Dry Uncooked Spaghetti - Serves 2 - 3

For The Meatballs
500 Gms Ground Beef
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Fine Bread Crumbs
1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
1/8 Cup Flat-leaf Parsley (Finely Chopped)
Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Tsp Ground Cumin (Zeera Powder)
1/2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
Splash Of Milk
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

For The Sauce
2 Cups (Finely Chopped) Onion
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 (200 Gms) Can of Tomato Sauce
Salt To Taste
1 Tsp Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/8 Cup Flat-leaf Parsley (Finely Chopped)
Sprinkling Of Dried Basil (Optional)

Make The Meatballs

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Mix well with hands and roll into 24 balls (the size of a small lemon) and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs (8 at a time), turning to brown (no need to cook completely as it will cook in the sauce). Remove and drain on a paper towel and repeat. Keep aside.

Make The Sauce

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for 10 - 15 minutes on low heat until the onions are slightly golden brown in colour. This is to bring out the sweetness in them. Pour in the tomato sauce. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine, cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add meatballs to pot and stir gently. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer. Serve over spaghetti sprinkled with additional parmesan and dried Basil.

Happy Eating!!

Baked Chicken Pasta in Tomato Sauce

 Oh my God! I am in love! Again? Uh, yes again!! This pasta dish is amazing. Well Latif has gone to India for a few days (miss you honey!) and my brother has come over to stay with me. We both have very similar taste in food and love a lot of the same things. So as soon as Latif was out of the house I asked my brother if he wanted to eat pasta!! Hahaha (Sorry honey!) When he said yes, I quickly logged onto Annie's Eats (She has a lot of amazing pasta recipes) and searched for something to make with the ingredients I had on hand. I saw her baked ziti and then made this recipe which is loosely adapted from hers. I used the same tomato sauce recipe which I used in the Enchiladas(again from Annie's Eats). This pasta is creamy, a little spicy and oh so delicious. It is very easy to make and can feed a lot of people. I ate mine with a green salad (yes I eat salad now, I am a good girl!) and loved it!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Serves 3 - 4

2 1/2 Cups Dry Uncooked Small Cut Pasta (I Used Fusilli)
100 Gms Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 Large Egg
1/4 Tsp Cornflour

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (Or Whole Milk)

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

For The Sauce

1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped)

2 Jalapenos (Seeded And Chopped Fine)
3 Medium Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tbsp Dried Basil

500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless - Cubed)

1 Cup Diced Mixed Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Broccoli etc)

Salt To Taste

Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Boil the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Make the Sauce

While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and  saute till the onions are soft. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and vegetables. Cook till done. Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Mix and Assemble

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F). In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and egg. Stir well with a fork.  Keep aside.

Pour the heavy cream in the same pot which was used to boil the pasta. Place on medium heat and add in the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese and egg mixture, 3/4 of the sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Bake

Transfer the pasta to a small baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with a little basil and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Grilled Chicken Wraps with Tahini Sauce

I made these wraps for dinner one night and if I could have them every night for dinner I would be the happiest person on earth! These are so easy to throw together that it took me one hour from start to finish to make this. The grilled chicken on its own is simply fabulous (I even ate it cold straight from the fridge!) and after pairing it with the grilled onions and peppers! Oh boy! I was in heaven! It was actually supposed to go into a tortilla wrap and become a fajita (As seen on Annie's Eats) but I decided to change it up and wrapped it with a khubus and added the tahini sauce instead of sour cream (Thanks Syrian Foodie for the idea!). The marinate is very simple with no fuss ingredients and may taste a bit odd when the chicken is marinating (it did to me and I was worried about how it would turn out) but I didn’t have to worry coz after cooking the flavors just melded together and worked great. I didn’t cook the chicken on a grill (as we don’t have one) but cooked it in my oven.

I am submitting this recipe for the Sandwiches and Wraps event at One Hot Stove.

Recipe Sources – Grilled Chicken from Annie's Eats and Tahini Sauce from Syrian Foodie

Ingredients

For the Grilled Chicken
2-3 (Approx. 500 Gms) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, (Cut In 2 Inch Cubes)
1/3 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
6 Tbsp Olive Oil, Divided
3 Cloves Garlic (Minced Or Pressed)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
11/2 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Jalapeno (Seeded, Ribbed And Diced)
1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Cilantro
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper

For the Tahini Sauce
4 Tbsp Tahini
Juice Of Half A Lemon
Salt To Taste
Water

For the Wraps
1 Large Red Onion (Sliced Into ½-Inch Thick Slices, Rings Not Separated)
2 Large Bell Peppers (Stemmed, Quartered And Seeded)
1 Large Tomato (Sliced Thinly)
6 Brown Pita Bread

Marinate the Chicken - In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Sauce – While the chicken is marinating, make the sauce. Add the tahini paste and lemon juice to a bowl and start mixing with a spoon. The mixture will become stiff and light in colour. Add a little water and mix again. Keep adding a little water at a time until the mixture loosens to the consistency you want. It needs to be fairly loose but not water-runny. Add salt to taste.

Grill the Chicken and Vegetables - Preheat oven to 180 degree C (350 degree F). Cover a baking sheet with a large piece of foil. Drizzle the foil with a teaspoon of olive oil and spread it. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to the sheet. Discard the left over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers in between the chicken pieces. If you don’t have enough space place them on another baking sheet covered with foil. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink inside (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160˚ F.) turning once in between. Fold the foil over the chicken to form a tent and cook for 5 more minutes. Cook the onions and peppers until crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a hot pot to keep warm.

Make the Wraps - Heat the pita bread over direct flame on the stove to make it a little crispy. Place it on a plate and add the chicken, onions, peppers, tomatoes and tahini sauce. Roll into a wrap and enjoy!!

Happy Eating!!

30 Minute Shepherd's Pie

I love trying out new recipes and sometimes try to make things that I have never eaten before! While browsing the net, I came across this recipe for a Shepherds pie and thought that it sounded great. I mean mashed potatoes and minced meat? What’s not to like here! After making this easy recipe I must say that it is fabulous. All it requires is a big green salad to go with it and you have a complete meal. I halved the recipe as it was only for the two of us and used minced chicken as I only had that on hand. Also, I added a few more spices like garam masala, coriander seeds powder etc (as usual to indianize it, hehehe ) as I found the meat a bit bland for my palette.

And guess what I did with the leftovers? Meat cutlets of course! Just mash up everything in a big bowl and make small round patties. Dip in a whipped egg and roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry in a little oil and you have amazing cutlets!

Recipe Source – Rachel Ray from the Food Network

Ingredients (My changes in red)

2 pounds potatoes, such as russet, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons sour cream or softened cream cheese (used cream cheese)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream, for a lighter version substitute vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb (used ground chicken)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth (used chicken stock)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it
1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (omitted)
1 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Add the spices. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Enchiladas

Like any Food loving blogger, I love trying out new recipes and eating different cuisines. So it was only natural that when I saw this recipe at Annie's Eats I knew I had to make it. The chicken is cooked in a tomato based sauce which makes it soft and juicy. I used a different cheese (more because I only had mozarella on hand) than what the recipe called for and even though it was not authentic it was absolutely delicious. I was a bit hesitant to try it at first as Latif is not a fan of too much tomato in his food. So I decided to reduce the amount of the sauce that is added in the end before baking. As a result I got not too saucy enchiladas which were great to eat as leftovers too. I will be definitely making this again as it was a very easy recipe and it makes a lot of food!

Recipe Source – Annie's Eats (With my notes and changes in red)

Ingredients

1 Medium Onion, Chopped Fine (Used two as I wanted more bite)

2 Jalapenos, Seeded And Chopped Fine (Used pickled)

1 Tsp Canola Oil (Used Olive Oil)

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 Tsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce

1 Cup Water

1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

Salt And Pepper

500 Gms Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, Divided (Used Mozzarella)

1 Cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Divided (Omitted)

1/2 Cup Minced Fresh Coriander Leaves

12 (6-inch) Soft Corn Tortillas

Cooking spray

Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the coriander. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 220 degree C (425 degree F). Oil a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray (I used a smaller dish as I used only 8 tortillas) . Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup (I used 1/2 cup filling for each) of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 205 degree C (400 degree F). Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce over the top (I used only one cup of the sauce and freezed the remaining). Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Happy Eating !!

Prawns Balchaun

My dear hubby has a never ending love for prawns. He can eat them three times a day everyday and in any way you make them (theory not tested). Whenever I ask him what he wants for dinner I don’t even have to wait for his answer as I know what it is going to be. Not that I make him prawns every time he asks for them (who is going to sit and clean the buggers all the time) but I do include it in the menu at least twice a month. At my in laws place and surrounding places back in India they make a paste out of red chilies which is applied to fish which is then fried. This same paste is used for prawns as well and I cook the prawns along with garlic and tomato. Tired of making them the same (although very tasty) way every time I searched the net for a new recipe. I got this recipe on Shilpa’s website (check it out to get some detail on the dish and its origin) and loved it as I love anything with ketchup in it.. hehehe.. I did reduce the number of red chilies when I made it again as the first time I made this I was literally on fire. The vinegar gives it a tangy taste and this is a great dish for any sweet and sour lovers out there. In the original recipe the prawns are fried and then added to the gravy but since I am on a diet (ahem) I just sautéed them in a tablespoon of olive oil. Also, I added more water to it to get gravy since we were having this with rice. Any way you make it is a great dish that can be served with rice or chapattis.

Recipe Source – Aayi’s Recipes

Ingredients - Serves 4

2 cups Prawns (Shelled and De-veined)

1 Tsp Turmeric Powder

For The Paste

10 Peppercorns 10

8 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds

4 Red chilies

6 Cloves

2 1/2 cm Cinnamon Stick

2 cm Piece of Ginger

For The Gravy

1 Cup Chopped Tomato

1 Cup Chopped Onion

1 Cup Tomato Ketchup

2 Tsp White Vinegar

Salt To Taste

Coriander Leaves For Garnish

1 Tbsp Oil  

1. Apply turmeric to the cleaned prawns and keep aside.
2. Grind all the ingredients for the paste with a little water.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan and shallow fry the prawns till fully cooked. Remove from pan and add the remaining oil to the same pan. Sauté the onions and once transparent add the ground paste and stir to evaporate any water in the paste.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook till soft.
5. Add the ketchup, prawns and salt (at this point you can add water if you want more gravy), mix well and cover with a lid.
6. Let the prawns absorb the flavors for a minute, remove the lid and add the vinegar. Cook for a minute and turn off the heat.
7. Garnish with coriander.

Happy Eating!!

Punjabi Kadhi With Onion Pakoras

Kadhi is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. It packs a great tangy flavour and I love the fluffy pakoras (deep fried onion dumplings) that are soaked in it. This recipe is from my mom and is so easy to make that you can never go wrong with it. Moreover, it requires only two main ingredients i.e., curds and besan (chickpea flour) which are a staple in every Indian home. The best part about this is that the older your curd is the better the dish will be (great way to use tons of leftover curd). This is because the older the curd the tangier it will be and this gives the dish its true taste. There is another version of this which is the Gujarati Kadhi. It is thinner and has sugar in it but I prefer this version as we are not very fond of sweet curries. The onion pakoras are different from the onion bhajjis that we eat coz here the ratio of flour to onion is different. It is best served with plain white rice the day it is made and the leftovers are great with rotis as it thickens on heating.

Recipe

Ingredients

For The Curry
400 Gms (2 cups) Yogurt
2 Tbsp Besan (Chickpea Flour)
3 Green Chilies
1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Cup Sliced Onions
Coriander Leaves for Garnish
Salt To Taste

For The Tadka (Tempering)
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds (Rai)
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
3 Dried Red Chilies
2 Cloves Of Garlic
Few Curry Leaves
4 Tbsp Oil

1. In the jar of a blender, put all the ingredients for the curry (except the onions) and run for 1 minute till all the ingredients are mixed well. (You can do this in a bowl and beat with a whisk or fork).
2. Place a wide bottomed pot on medium flame and pour the contents of the blender into it. Add the onions and let it cook on medium flame for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. The mixture will come to a boil so keep an eye on it. Add 2 cups water and stir. It will keep thickening so add more water if required. Cook till the smell of besan goes away (around 5 minutes). Taste and adjust seasonings. Lower the flame and prepare the tadka.
3. In a pan, heat the oil and add the mustard and zeera when the oil is ready. Add the garlic, curry leaves and red chilies. When done pour directly over the curry. Remove the curry from the heat. Add the pakoras and garnish with coriander. Let the pakoras soften a bit before serving.

Happy Eating!!

Fish Biryani with Hamour

I work in the marine department of a real estate company and although my boss is an avid swimmer and diver I am the last person who will ever go in the water (I can’t swim!!). I am extremely scared of the water and wont even go in a boat without a million thoughts running in my head (all similar to the fate of the titanic). However, I do love all things that come from the sea (fish, prawns, crab.. yum!!, and was thrilled when one of our divers brought a fresh catch for the sea for me!! Yay! I got an excellent fillet of Hamour (Grouper) fish (all nicely cleaned and de-boned) weighing almost 2 kgs! When I was younger my mom used to make Hamour Biryani and that was the first thing that came to my mind. I gave a quick call to her and got the recipe. This was my first attempt at making a fish biryani and when I told Latif what I was making he made a face coz he had never eaten it before and thought it would taste fishy!! This fish is meaty and has a great flavour to it. Even after cooking for long it didn’t become rubbery. It is important to use a fish with white, firm flesh (King fish will also do) here as it needs to stand up to the cooking and not dissolve in the masala. Since the biryani was only for the two of us I used half of it to make the biryani and the other half went for fish cutlets (recipe coming soon!).

Recipe – Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Kg Hamour (Fillets Cut Into Serving Portions)
For the Marinade
2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
For the Masala
4 Large Onions (Thinly Sliced)
2 Medium Tomatoes (Sliced)
4 Green Chilies (Slit Vertically Halfway)
1 Cup Yogurt
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 Cup Hara Masala*
1 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder (Dhanya Powder)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
1 Tbsp Garam Masala Powder
Salt To Taste
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil
For The Rice
2 1/2 Cups Basmati Rice
4 Cardamom Pods
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Bay Leaves
4 Cloves
Salt To Taste
For The Garnish
1/2 Cup Fried Onions (Sliced And Deep Fried)
Coriander Leaves (As Needed)
Mint Leaves (As Needed)
1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Cup Milk
Food Color (Yellow, Red or Orange)
Saffron Strands
1 Tbsp Ghee

*To make the hara masala, grind a bunch of coriander leaves, a bunch of mint leaves and 10 green chilies along with some water to a smooth consistency. This masala can be used in any chicken or meat gravy.

1. 
   
   Wash the fish with water and pat dry with paper towels. In a plate, mix the marinade ingredients and marinade the fish in it. Cover and keep aside. Wash the rice changing the water two-three times and keep for soaking.
2. 
   
   Heat the ½ cup oil in a wide bottomed pot; add the sliced onions and green chilies. Fry on high for two to three minutes then turn the heat to low. Keep stirring every few minutes to ensure the onions do not burn; we want to get them to a golden brown color and not dark brown. When the onions become golden brown, add the tomatoes. Turn the heat to high again; add the salt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, coriander seeds powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder. Mix it well and lower the heat. Cook till the tomatoes are soft. Add the Hara masala and yogurt and mix well. Add the lemon juice, mix well and taste. Adjust all the seasonings as per taste. Lower the heat and gently nestle the marinated fish pieces in the masala. Lay each piece separately ensuring not to overlap. Do not touch the masala surrounding it. Pour all the marinade remaining in the plate along with the fish on top. Do not stir. Cover the pot with a lid and let the fish cook on low heat. The fish will cook very quickly so keep checking. We will be cooking it once again in the dum so be careful not to overcook it. Once the fish is done, turn off the heat and gently remove the fish pieces from the masala and keep on a separate plate. Stir the masala well.
3. 
   
   In a separate pot, heat 6 cups of water; throw in the whole garam masalas and salt. Keep a wide colander ready in the sink to drain the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and let it cook on high, uncovered till the rice is almost done. It is very important to watch the rice closely at this point as we want it to be cooked but not completely. There should still be a bite to the grain and must not be easily squished between your fingers. Once the rice reaches this point, turn off the heat and drain the rice in the colander.
4. 
   
   When the rice is boiling keep all the garnish ingredients ready near the stove. Wash and chop the coriander and mint leaves. Dissolve the saffron and food colour in the milk. We want to layer the biryani while the rice is still steaming. We need a big bottomed as well high pot for this. Place the pot on the stove, and begin with a layer of the rice. We need three layers of rice and two layers of masala so divide accordingly. Add a layer of masala and sprinkle some fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves on it. Add another layer of rice followed by a layer of the masala. Add the last layer of the rice and Pour the colored milk on the rice evenly. Sprinkle the garam masala powder on the rice and place the ghee on top. Gently keep the cooked fish pieces on top of the rice and garnish with all the fried onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves.
5. 
   
   Cover the pot with a tight lid to ensure no steam escapes from it. Keep the flame on high for a minute or two to ensure sufficient heat is generated in the pot. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking till steam starts forming on top and the rice is complete cooked.
6. 
   
   Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and remove the fish pieces to a separate plate. Mix all the layers together and serve in individual plates with a piece of fish.

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Spaghetti With Mushroom Sauce

Latif and I stand divided on the pasta issue. While I love it, he is not a very big fan (I can’t say he hates it coz he will eat what I make). So I rarely go to make it (as I have mentioned earlier), but this weekend I wanted to use up the spaghetti I had in my pantry and decided to make something with chicken. Usually I just add a few veggies, cut up the cooked chicken, mix and serve. So this time I decided to try a new recipe and went over to The Pioneer woman where there a whole lot of spaghetti recipes. First I wanted to try the Chicken Parmigiana, but knowing that latif is not a big fan of tomato based sauces I went over to the other recipes. And this one just blew me away. Who knew you can use mushroom soup as a base for your sauce! (At least I did'nt!!) Although I had to indianize (is that a word??) the recipe to make it more Latif friendly, the basic idea was the same, and it was a fab idea! I didn’t have canned soup so I made some with the dry mix I had at home. I combined two recipes from there and got this fantastic one which I will definitely make again. I made the chicken using the Chicken Scallopine recipe and with just salt and pepper it was very flavorful.

Recipe Source - Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

200 gms Uncooked Spaghetti
Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Olive Oil

For the Sauce
4 Cups Cream of Mushroom soup* (E.g. Knorr, Maggi etc)
1/4 Cup Grated Carrot
1/4 Cup Chopped Capsicum
1/4 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Oil

For the Chicken
2 (500 Gms) Chicken Breasts (Boneless and Skinless)
Salt To Taste
1 Tsp Black Pepper Powder
Flour For Dredging
2 Tbsp Butter

* - you can used canned cream of mushroom available in the supermarket. I had a dry powder mix at home so I just made it (just boil it with 1 liter water) and used it.

Place the chicken breast in a Ziploc bag (or any transparent food bag) and flatten them using a rolling pin or mallet. The breast should be flattened to 1/8 inch thickness and should be uniform throughout to ensure that it cooks evenly. Rub them with salt and pepper and keep aside. (I cut the breasts into 4 inch squares for easier handling)

Boil water in a big pot with salt and olive oil. When ready add the spaghetti and cook till done. Drain and keep aside.

Place the flour in a plate and dredge the chicken breasts to coat both sides with flour. Heat the butter in a pot and fry on one side for two minutes and flip. Fry the other side for three minutes till the chicken is golden brown and cooked. It won’t take long since the breasts are quite flat. Remove from pot and keep aside.

In the same pot, heat the remaining oil and sauté the onions, capsicums, mushrooms and carrots. Keep them a little on the crunchy side. Add the peppers and prepared soup. Taste and adjust salt as the soup will have its own seasonings. Add the grated cheese and mix well to combine.

To serve, place the spaghetti on a plate and top with a generous amount of the sauce. Mix well. Place the chicken breast on top and enjoy!

Happy Eating!!

Kheema Biryani and a Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to me!! Yay!! Oh sorry, Happy Anniversary to my darling husband! Yeah that’s better. Well, two years are up and I am so lucky to be with a person like Latif. But this post is not about Latif, it is about the biryani I made, kheema biryani to be exact. What is kheema biryani you ask? Rather what my cousin asked me when I told her I made this for lunch on Friday. Hmm, lets see.. it is a biryani mixed with kheema (minced meat) and not pieces of any meat. This is a very yummy and simple dish which my mom used to make (no idea which part of the world this belongs to) and I remembered this when I saw a lot of minced mutton lying in my freezer. The technique for this biryani is the same as with other biryanis so there is nothing new here but just wanted to share something that I made.

After Latif ate his lunch I asked him how the food was, he said it was good, but where were the chicken pieces??? I was speechless.

Recipe

Ingredients

For Kheema
500 Gms Minced Meat
1/2 Cup Green Peas (Optional)
3 Large Onions (Sliced)
1 Tbsp Assorted Whole Garam Masala
4 Green Chilies
2 Medium Tomatoes (Sliced)
1 Large Potato (Peeled and Quartered)
2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 Tbsp Yogurt
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil
Salt to taste
For Rice
2 Cups Uncooked Basmati Rice
6 Cups Water
1 Tbsp Assorted Whole Garam Masala
Salt to taste
For Garnish
Saffron or Yellow Food Color
1/4 Cup Milk (Warm)
Pinch of Saffron
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
Fried Onions
Mint Leaves
1 Tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)

Wash and drain the minced meat. Keep aside. Wash and soak the basmati rice. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a pot; add the sliced onions, green chilies and whole garam masala. Fry on high for two to three minutes then turn the heat to low. Keep stirring every few minutes to ensure the onions do not burn; we want to get them to a golden brown color and not dark brown (I say this from experience, believe me when I say that you will cry if you burn your onions. Not that I cried when this happened to me not too long ago! Ahem...)

Sliced Onion, Tomatoes and Green Chilies

Frying the Onions

Whole Garam Masala

Powdered Masalas

When the onions become golden brown, add the tomatoes and potatoes. Turn the heat to high again; add the salt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, coriander seeds powder, turmeric powder, fennel seeds powder and garam masala powder. Mix it well and keep cooking till the tomatoes are soft. The masala will look like the below picture (a little better if the onions are golden brown)

Add the minced meat and sauté on high till the smell of the meat goes and it gets a nice brown color. Add the green peas and pour in the lemon juice and yogurt. Stir and cover with lid. Cook on medium flame till the kheema is completely cooked and the potatoes are done. Taste and adjust the seasonings at this point as this is the point of no return... Just kidding... no, seriously it is.. coz you cant do anything about it once the biryani is layered. Anyways, add more salt if you want to or more chili powder if you want it to be spicier.

In a separate pot, heat the 6 cups of water; throw in the whole garam masalas and salt. Keep a wide colander ready in the sink to drain the rice. When the water comes to a boil, add the rice and let it cook on high, uncovered till the rice is almost done. It is very important to watch the rice closely at this point as we want it to be cooked but not completely. There should still be a bite to the grain and must not be easily squished between your fingers. Once the rice reaches this point, turn off the heat and drain the rice in the colander.

Now we will layer the biryani and give the much needed dum. You can use the same pot in which you boiled the rice provided it is big. We need a pot that is big enough to hold all the rice and the kheema.

Wash and chop the coriander and mint leaves. Dissolve the saffron and food colour in the milk. Place the pot on the stove, and add 1/2 tsp ghee. I made four layers so divide the rice in two halves and the kheema as well. Add a layer of the kheema and cover the bottom completely with it. Cover the kheema with a layer of the rice. Sprinkle some fried onion on it and cover again with one layer of the kheema and the last layer of the rice.

Pour the milk on top of the rice spreading it all over.

Scatter the remaining fried onions on top of the milk.

Spread the coriander and mint leaves on top of the onions.

Sprinkle garam masala powder at the end along with a dollop of ghee.

Cover the pot with a tight lid to ensure no steam escape from it. Keep the flame on high for a minute or two to ensure sufficient heat is generated in the pot. Turn the heat to low and keep cooking till steam starts forming on top and the rice is complete cooked.

Open the pot, stir to mix the layers and serve hot with raita

Pieces or not, I’m sure you will enjoy this.

Happy Eating!!

Spicy Mutton Curry

When my in laws were here I had made this spicy mutton dish that Ammi liked a lot. It does not have too much of gravy but is not very dry either making it a perfect compliment for rice or roti. The lime gives it a nice tanginess and the red pepper powder makes it fiery. I just threw in whatever masalas I had on hand and cooked it in the easiest possible manner. I didn’t expect it to turn out so good and was very happy with the results. All of us enjoyed this with hot rotis.

The best part about this is that there is no grinding of masalas and you don’t need any pre made stuff as well. It is simple enough for new cooks to try but very tasty that it can be served to guests as well.

I had made this again last night and added a bit too much red chili powder (uh oh). Latif kept on eating it and after some time looked up and asked “Are you testing my limit?” (hehehe) “Is it too spicy for you?” I asked (worried look on my face), “No, I like it.” Yay!!

Recipe - An Everybunny Loves Food Original

Ingredients

½ Kg Mutton (medium pieces with bones)

For the Marinade:
4 Tbsp Red Chili Powder (Kashmiri Chili Powder)
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
4 Tbsp Lemon Concentrate
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds Powder
½ Tsp Pepper Powder
Salt To Taste
For The Gravy:
¼ Cup Oil
2 Onions (Large – Peeled And Sliced)
1 Tomatoes (Medium – Sliced)
1 Potato (Large – Boiled And Quartered)
For Garnish:
Coriander Leaves
Mint Leaves

Wash and pat dry the meat. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Coat the meat evenly in this, cover and keep aside for an hour.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker (or any big dish), add the sliced onions and fry till golden. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft. Add the meat and one cup of water for it to cook. Close the lid with the whistle. Good quality mutton usually cooks in two whistles. You may have to cook it according to the meat and the quantity used. Once the meat is cooked, open the cooker and add the boiled potatoes, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Happy Eating!!

Baked Pasta

I don’t know what to call this dish so I'll just call it Baked Pasta, OK? Right, so now that that is clear let me tell you that I absolutely LOVE pasta (Why is it that everything fattening in the world is my best friend?). Anyways, I am a big fan of pasta and unfortunately Latif is not. So, I never make it at home coz I cannot go through all the effort for one person. But last night I was not in the mood to cook any roti or rice so thought of making pasta. This is one of my favorite versions wherein I mix vegetables, some chicken and the pasta with a nice white sauce, top it with some cheese and bake it. Usually I just eyeball the sauce ingredient quantities and make up something but this time I thought of following a recipe. I found this post on Annies Eats where Annie had done a comparison of five different types of Mac and Cheese (phew!!). The Pioneer Woman’s recipe was the winner and after making this sauce I know why. I used the quantities mentioned in the recipe and also added the egg and some mustard. Next time I will use more mustard as the flavor was not very strong this time. But I didn’t add any cheese to it coz I didn’t have any cheddar on hand. It was very yummy, creamy and I loved it. The cheese to be used with this is basically cheddar but I used mozzarella. Whatever cheese you use it is going to taste great!! (its cheese after all right?)

P.S - this picture does not have the bread crumb topping as it is the second batch. I was very hungry to wait and take pics of the first one :)

Recipe Source - Adapted from Annies Eats and The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

4 Cups Uncooked Pasta (any cut pasta, I used Penne)

Sauce:

4 Tbsp Butter

1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour

2 1/2 Cups Milk

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Mustard or 1/2 Tsp Dry Mustard

Salt

Seasonings: (Use all or what you prefer)

Pepper

Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Hot Sauce

Topping:

Mozzarella Cheese/ Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs

2 Tbsp Butter

Mix Ins:

Mixed Vegetables*

Chicken**

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C. Cook the pasta according to package directions until slightly firm. Drain and set aside (we want the pasta to be a little undercooked as we are going to bake it).

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook the mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk and the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook the mixture for five minutes until very thick keeping the heat low at all times.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. Take 1/4 cup of the warm sauce and slowly pour it into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in salt and other seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings according to personal preference.

Add the drained cooked pasta to the pot and mix well. Then add whatever mix ins you like with the pasta (I used shredded chicken and mixed vegetables that I had cooked sometime back and was in my freezer).

Take a baking dish (big enough for all the pasta) and butter it lightly. Put the pasta in this dish and top with the cheese. In the same pot in which the sauce was cooked (empty by now) melt the butter for the topping and add the bread crumbs. Mix it well and spread this on top of the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for additional 5 minutes or till the top is golden brown.

I like to eat the pasta with a dollop of mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together. Yum!! How do you eat yours?

* - I used mixed frozen vegetables. Boiled, drained and tossed with salt and pepper.

** - Take two medium chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), apply ginger garlic paste, salt and pepper and keep for an hour. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Chop one onion and sauté in a pan with a little oil. Add the chicken and cook till done.

When cooled, mix the vegetables to the chicken and run once in a choppper to get smaller pieces.