finding a way back.........

After a long time of self-loathing over fast food, loss of appetite and probable renouncement of worldly affairs I have finally found my way back into the world of food with a whole new level of confidence from my partner and husband. I am back with a vengeance to not only write about food but also explore the culinary delights and secrets of my city of joy and crack the recipes one at a time with our very own healthy, home-made versions.

pasta in white sauce

ingredients:- 500gm of pasta fusilli/penne/spaghetti, one cup of milk, olive oil for cooking, 1 cup of shredded cheese(preferably sharp cheddar), roughly chopped onions about half a cup, roughly chopped garlic about 6-8 cloves, about an inch of grated ginger, one roughly chopped capsicum(any color)(optional), any other vegetable like beans and/or carrots and/or zucchini and/or mushrooms and/or baby corns and/or cherry tomatoes(whole) and/or spinach leaves about half a cup roughly chopped, peas if preferred, thinly shredded fried chicken about half a cup(optional), fried asparagus(optional), 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley(fresh/dried), 6 tablespoons of dried rosemary, 4 tea spoons of paprika, 4 tablespoons of oregano, salt according to taste, black/green/both olives(optional).


method:- boil the pasta in salt water till slightly tender/cooked; save about 3/4th cup of the starchy pasta-boiled water; in a frying pan add some olive oil, add the garlic, ginger and onions; after two minutes add the pre-steamed carrots(optional), zucchini, peas capsicum and/or other preferred veggies, fry till crisp and little softened, add the slightly cooked pasta; pour the starchy water, milk and cheese and salt according to taste; add the rosemary and paprika; simmer on medium heat till the sauce thickens and the ingredients are soft and cooked(but does not become over-cooked); now add the oregano and chopped parsley, stir nicely.


serving instructions(optional):-    serve hot with more cheddar on top/ fried chicken/asparagus/olives on top.ENJOY!

crispy sesame chicken in orient style

ingredients:- boneless chicken about 500 gm, white/olive oil about 4 tablespoons(or less if u prefer), one large red onion finely chopped, one teaspoon of ginger paste, two teaspoons of garlic paste, two tablespoons of white sesame seeds,half of a red/yellow/green or all colors of bell pepper(capsicum) finely chopped, three tablespoons of soy-sauce, two tablespoons of vinegar, two table spoon of green chili sauce, two table spoon of  tomato sauce or tomato puree.

method:- heat one tablespoon of the oil in a non-stick frying pan; add the onions, garlic and ginger paste, chopped bell peppers, and saute till  the onions have caramelized and the bell peppers look scorched; now take the ingredients off the flame and put them in a bowl. in the same unwashed pan pour the rest of the oil and heat it;  add the chicken nuggets after shredding them with a knife, then fry the shredded chicken till golden. please do not cover the pan or add salt till all ingredients have got fried, else water will come out of them and make it soggy. now add the previously fried onion. ginger-garlic paste and bell peppers into the pan and add the sauces mixed together in a bowl right into the pan. saute for a minute more till all the flavors have mixed together well and the chicken is neither saucy nor dry textured, now add salt and the sesame seeds and mix well on the flame for another 30 seconds.

serving instructions:- serve as a hot starter or a snack with lime wedges and/or a mayonnaise dip. u can add a little pepper or paprika  or garlic paste to the mayo-dip for that extra zing. enjoy!

simple yet exotic mashed potatoes

ingredients:- 4 big potatoes peeled, 4 sprigs of spring onion, 1 green chilli, finely chopped fresh or dried parsely(about two table spoons), salt and pepper according to taste, about 1/2 cup of milk, two table spoon of butter/margarine.

method:- boil the potatoes till soft. check if cooked by poking with a fork, if the fork comes out clean then the potatoes are cooked. now add 1/4 cup of milk and all the butter and mash the potatoes with a masher or a fork; when it is roughly mashed add the rest of the milk, the finely chopped spring onions, finely chopped chilli( you can remove the seeds if you want to), the parsely, salt and pepper and mix till smooth and creamy.

serving:- serve hot beside anything.
                great for lunch and dinner and even as a snack.
p.s:- if served for kids, please do not add the chilli and don't be generous with the pepper.
ENJOY.
LET ME KNOW IF U LIKED THIS AND IF U WANT ANY PARTICULAR RECIPE SIMPLIFIED YET EXOTIC.