Roasted and Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted and Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted and Curried Butternut squash served with warm toasted bread (Asiago cheese bread here)

Come fall and the weather starts to get chilly, it is time for soups! I have been eyeing the butternut squash for quite a while now. Somehow, it has been eluding me, maybe the huge size of the squash or my mere ignorance on the squash’s versatility.
So I finally bought home a 3 lb squash, only to let it sit on the counter for about 2 weeks! I just couldn’t get over my reluctance to explore. I have never much indulged in incorporating the various squashes in my palate, except maybe pumpkin or zucchini.
So I researched on different recipes utilizing butternut squash. Apparently, this particular squash is extremely versatile! It could be roasted, pureed, steamed, grilled, baked- just about any cooking method! I decided to go with roasting and pureeing them into a smooth, creamy soup. Mind you, I’ve never had butternut squash soup before!

Butternut squash has a pale orange peel and the flesh is a surprising deep orange! It tastes nutty and sweet-almost like sweet potatoes. You guys, you must definitely try this amazingly easy, simple and flavorful soup. A bowlful filled me up!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, about 3-5lbs (should yield 3-4 cups, cooked)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup water
1 medium onion, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
1-1½ tsp cumin+coriander powder (or just cumin powder, if you don’t have coriander powder)
Salt as needed
Fresh coarsely ground pepper, 1 tsp

Note on Coriander powder: Coriander seeds are the dried fruits of the coriander/cilantro plant. The seeds are very flavorful, a mix of lemon peel and sage. They have numerous health benefits from anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic among others.

Pre-heat over to 400F. Cut the squash length-wise, scoop out the seeds and the fibrous threads. Spray the exposed flesh with cooking spray and roast in the oven, cut side down for about 45min. Let it cool and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

In a blender (or immersion blender), puree the squash. Add some water if needed to ease the pureeing. Heat the oil a deep saucepan on medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and sauté for 1 min. Now add the diced onion and sauté for about 3-5min until tender. Add the cumin-coriander powder and sauté until fragrant, for about 1 min.

Now add the pureed squash, salt and pepper. Add a cup of milk (for creaminess). You could skip this altogether. Add some water if the soup is very thick. Stir well and let it simmer on medium heat for about 8-10min. Taste for salt. Remove from stove and serve with bread, right away!
This soup could be frozen for up to 3 months as well.

See how thick it is!!

Variation:
Try flavoring the soup with garam masala or fresh Italian herbs like sage or thyme or just salt and pepper. You could also cook the squash until tender in the pan instead of roasting them.

You could add a cup of heavy cream or half and half for a creamier soup.

Vegetarian Fajita with hot tomatillo salsa, sour cream served with warm corn tortilla

Vegetarian Fajita

Vegetarian Fajita with hot tomatillo salsa, sour cream served with warm corn tortilla

I have been craving Mexican dishes lately. Me gusta la comida Mexicana! I had a burrito yesterday, tacos all of last week and been dabbling in salsas lately. Today, it is ‘fajita-fever’!
Fajita is a tex-mex dish, typically grilled meat served on a sizzling iron skillet (mostly served with bell peppers and onions as well) and condiments like guacamole, pico de gallo and spanish rice. I fell in love with this Mexican entrée the first time I had it, 2 yrs ago. Hot sizzling veggies- what’s not to love? I of course had to customize this for my veggie palate.
Here, I only had onions and green bell pepper. I have also made a quick Tomatillo Salsa as an accompaniment.

Ingredients:
1 Pepper, sliced 1” pieces
1 Onion, cut into 1” pieces
Garlic 2 cloves, minced
Cumin powder-1tsp (or fajita seasoning)
Corn or Flour tortillas, 8” diameter
Black beans (or Pinto beans)- 1 15ox can, drained
Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp
Sour cream
1/2 cup Cheese- shredded

Tomatillo Salsa
4 medium tomatillos
½ Onion, diced fine
1 Jalapeno
Cilantro, 3 tbsp, roughly chopped
Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
Salt as needed
Boil the tomatillos and jalapeno in about 3-4 cups of water for about 15min. Let cool and roughly chop and place in a bowl. Now add the diced onions, cilantro and salt. Set aside.

Pico de Gallo
2 tomatoes- diced
½ onion, diced fine
Cilantro, 3 tbsp roughly chopped
Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
Salt as needed
Add the above ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Salsa, black beans and pico de gallo

Heat a skillet with the vegetable oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, onions and peppers. Sauté the veggies for about 8 min, until they are cooked and soft. Now add the cumin powder (or the fajita seasoning). Don’t burn them, por favor. Set aside.

Sauteed Peppers and Onions

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about a min.
Now, the assembly- On the warm tortilla, add a tbsp of the onion-pepper mixture, tbsp of beans and a tbsp each of the tomatillo salsa and pico de gallo. Sprinkle some cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream. Roll up and enjoy the fajita!

Fajita

Tostada

Tostada-Layered with beans, different salsas and topped with shredded Jack cheese.

Tostada

I like this crunchy Mexican treat for its simplicity. Tostada basically is corn tortilla fried, layered with pinto beans (or beef, chicken, turkey, ceviche) and topped with salsa, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, cheese etc. You can get very creative with this. Tostadas can be quickly made and served.

I typically like to cook my own pinto beans (not canned) or I use my fav black beans on occasions. I also occasionally bake corn tortillas. Store bought ones are fried but easy and quick!

Ingredients:

-Corn tortillas (about 3”), 12 or so or store bought tostadas

-Hot Salsa- (recipe below) OR Hot Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

-Pico de Gallo- recipe below OR Black Bean Salsa

-Pinto beans- 2 cans or 2 cups cooked (whole or refried)

-Shredded lettuce-1 cup (or store bought coleslaw mix)

-Sour cream-2 tbs

-Jack cheese- 3 tbs (optional)

1. If using corn tortillas, pre-heat oven to 375F. Place tortillas on a baling sheet (in batches) and bake for about 5 min until crispy. Take care to not let it burn. Set aside.
2. If using dry pinto beans, boil about 1-1.5 cups beans in 4 cups of water. Pinto beans absorb a lot of water , so keep checking and add more water every 30min or so. When the beans are almost soft, add salt and add 1 onion (diced). Mix well and let it cook for 10 more minutes. Now mash the beans with a masher or with the back of a spoon (takes forever!). Switch stove off and set aside.
3. Now layer the tostada with 1-1.5tbs beans first. Then 1 tbs guacamole, 1 tbs pico de gallo. Top it with salsa, lettuce and cheese. Add a dollop of sour cream on top.
4. Enjoy your tostada!

Variation-

Sauté peppers (red, green orange) with oregano and salt and layer this instead or with beans on the tostada. I call this fajita-tostada!

The different elements in a tostada

Hot Salsa

-Tomatoes-2

-Onion-1, finely diced

-Jalapeno peppers- 3-4

-Cilantro-1 bunch, roughly chopped

-Salt- as needed

1. Boil tomatoes and jalapenos for about 10min. Blanch the tomatoes. Blend them as finely/chunky as you want.
2. Add the onion, cilantro and salt to this. There is your hot salsa!

Black Bean Salsa

This is a very healthy salsa, filled with protein form black beans and vitamins from the veggies. Needless to say, very flavorful as well.

Black beans, canned- 1 cup, rinsed well

Red onion, diced finely-1 /2 cup

Tomato, 1 medium- diced

Corn, thawed of using frozen or fresh-1/2 cup

Cilantro, few bunches chopped roughly

Salt, pepper- as needed

Juice of ½ a lime

Mexican Oregano, a pinch

Mix all the ingredients and let it sit for about 20min until the flavors marry.

Black Bean Salsa

Roasted Tomatillo and Black bean Salsa

Pico de Gallo

This is a salsa/condiment that comprises of tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

-Tomatoes-2, diced

-Onion-1, chopped

-Lemon juice- 1tbsp

-Cilantro-1 bunch, roughly chopped

Mix all the ingredients and set aside.

Guacamole

-Avocado-2- peeled, seeded, cut in slices

-Onion-1/2, finely chopped

-Tomato-1, diced fine

-Cumin powder-1 tsp

-Chili powder-1/2 tsp

-Lemon juice-1 tbsp

-Salt- as needed

1. To peel an avocado, slit 360˚ lengthwise. Then twist the avocado and separate the halves. Pierce the large seed with a knife and pull it out. Now scoop out the flesh with a spoon. If the avocados are ripe, the skin will peel away easily.
2. Toss the slices with lemon juice to avoid turning dark.
3. Now mash the slices with the back of a spoon. Mix tomato, onion, cumin and chili powder, salt. Mix well.

Variations- Add finely shredded cabbage. Adds a crunch to guacamole!

Hot Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Hot and tangy, a great dip

I introduced you all to the wonderful tomatillo in my last post. I bought about 2lbs tomatillos, just so I can play around with it. Here is a variation of the salsa, roasting the tomatillo. It brings out the juices even more, with a slight smokiness to it. I fire roasted the jalapeno as well. Roasting definitely imparts a different taste...umami I guess!

Oh so sweet!

Ingredients:

1 lb tomatillos, about 6, depending on size (de-husked)

1 medium red onion, finely diced

2 hot jalapeno peppers

3 garlic cloves, whole

½ a bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper, as needed
Lime, 1 (or lemon is fine too)

Preheat the oven at 400F. Cut the tomatillos in half. Grease the baking sheet with PAM. Place the tomatillos, whole jalapeno. Place the baking sheet in the oven, close to the top heating coil, also called broiling. Let it broil for about 12-15min.

After 10min, place the whole garlic cloves and let it roast for about 3-5 min. Once the tomatillo and jalapeno turns black, remove from oven and let it cool.

Once cool, remove the skin from jalapeno and garlic. Place tomatillo, jalapeno and the garlic in a blender. Pulse several times for a chunkier salsa. Transfer to a bowl. Add the diced onion, cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze the lime juice and serve right away!

Variation:

Try adding ½ tsp cumin powder for extra smokiness. You may add avocado to enhance the flavor and to cut the tanginess.

Salsa de Tomatillo con Aguacate (Tomatillo Salsa with Avocado)

Tart, hot and refreshing

Salsa, an eternal condiment of the Latin fare. I got introduced to this refreshing condiment about 6 yrs ago at a Mexican restaurant. It was mostly just tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Very basic looking and tasting! I started experimenting with salsa recently, thanks to my Mexican ex- roommate. I love Latino food, Mexican especially. I love the bold flavors it imparts to a dish.

Here, I take the pleasure of introducing the surprisingly fresh and tangy ‘TOMATILLOS’. It is related to the tomato family; not to be confused with green tomatoes or unripe tomatoes. Tomatillo is firm and green on the outside and meatier than tomatoes on the inside. It tastes tart and tangy. It is a common ingredient in the Salsa Verde. Tomatillos have a husk around them, they mature inside this. The husk should not be shriveled and dry, but a healthy light green in color-an indication of the freshness.

If you have not tasted tomatillo, you have missed something MAJOR in life! I kid you not!

Here, a variation of the Salsa Verde-adding avocado to the salsa; cuts right through the tartness of tomatillos.

Fresh, firm tomatillos

Ingredients:
6 firm tomatillos- quartered
1 medium onion, finely diced (I used red onion here)
2 Haas Avocados, diced
1-2 Jalapeno** peppers, hot, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ a bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper, as needed
Lime, 1 medium

**Look for Jalapeno that is deep green or turning black in color. The deeper the shade of green, the hotter it is. The red/orange tinge on the skin also is indicative of heat. The hottest pepper is when it is a deep shade, almost black. You mat de-seed the peppers if it is too hot. The heat lies in the seeds.


In a blender, place the tomatillo, jalapeno, garlic in the blender. You may add about a tbsp of water to ease the blending. Pulse several times for a chunky salsa (I prefer chunky) or blend it smooth. Transfer it to a bowl and add the onion, avocado, cilantro, salt and pepper. Gently mix without mashing the avocado.

Squeeze the lime juice. You may serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour and serve with tortilla chips.
¡Buen apetito!

Banana Buttermilk Pancake

Banana-Walnut Buttermilk Pancake

Pancakes, a classic American breakfast. I did not grow up in the US, and do not crave for pancakes in the morning…like most of my friends do. But it hits me occasionally and all I want is a simple buttermilk pancake, maybe with blueberries or strawberries. I am usually industrious and tend to cook food from the scratch. Although I must say, store bought blueberry pancake mix isn’t too shabby either.

Here, I had bananas at hand and came up with a Banana Walnut Buttermilk Pancake.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups All-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (I used the low-fat version)
2 large ripe bananas-roughly chopped(about 1.5 cups)
2 tbsp sugar (add more if the banana isn’t too ripe)
4-5 tbsp chopped Walnuts (or pecans, almonds, pistachios)
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
½ tsp salt


Now, mix the wet ingredients- in a bowl, beat your eggs, stir in the buttermilk and add the mashed bananas and mix. In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar-mix well. Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the wet bowl with a wire whisk or wooden spoon to mix. DO NOT OVERMIX the batter (read note below on why). Few lumps in the batter are ok.

If the batter is too watery, add some flour, a tbsp at a time. Alternatively, add some water if the batter is too viscous/thick.

Heat a skillet or griddle, medium heat. Sprinkle some water on it, once hot, the water drop will sizzle and evaporate. Butter the surface of the skillet. Now ladle the batter onto the skillet, about 4” in diameter. The batter should not run, but should stay put. Sprinkle a tbsp of chopped walnuts now (or berries, if using). Let it cook for about 2-3 min, until bubble starts to appear on the pancake. Flip the pancake and let the other side cook for about 2-3min, until golden brown and fluffy. Serve right away, with a pat of mutter, sliced fruit and real maple syrup.
Bon Appetit!




Variation:
You may add all sorts of berries (blueberry, strawberry sliced, blackberry, cranberry) or sliced fruits like peach, plum, pineapples or mangoes! Alternatively, you may puree frozen fruits and add them to the batter. Make sure to use the buttermilk and the puree sparingly.


P.S. I read up quite a bit on over-mixing the batter. You always hear about “not” over mixing…here is why. Once the flour (like wheat, all purpose, barley, rye) comes in touch with the liquid, it starts to develop a network of protein-gluten. This protein keeps the cookie/pancake/muffin together, lending structural integrity and elasticity. Once you start to mix, the gluten develops. And over mixing leads to excessive gluten, leading to a tougher pancake! AND over mixing will let all the trapped carbon dioxide out, leaving you with a flat pancake!

Also, while baking bread, gluten forms a network that traps the carbon dioxide formed from yeast fermentation, which makes the bread rise. So, gluten is good! But for delicate baked goods, less gluten is preferable and for pizza or bagel, more gluten is preferable (which is why the dough is so much over worked).

Another tip- Cook or bake immediately after adding baking powder, a leavening agent. Baking powder starts to activate as soon as it comes in contact with liquid, releasing carbon dioxide (The neutralization reaction between acid and base activates). This is why the baked good rise, the carbon dioxide escapes, leaving holes and a tender, crumbly product. Baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (a base) and cream of tartar (an acid) and a drying powder like starch.

Your daily dose of Food Chemistry 101!

Bruschetta

Toasty bread topped with bruschetta and feta cheese

Bruschetta, pronounced ‘brus-ketta’ and NOT ‘brushetta’ is a classic Italian appetizer. It is a mixture of tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic, olive oil and salt/pepper topped on sliced Italian/French baguette. Sometimes, cheese and balsamic vinegar is incorporated as well.

I used to order this at Italian restaurants. Problem is, unless the restaurant is authentic….the bruschetta is filled loaded with oil, salt and cheese (=read Olive Garden!)—none of which is true to the recipe. I read up quite a bit on this classic, simple, delicious recipe…apparently there are a gazillion different combination of cheese, veggies and meat that you can top the bread with!
Here, I have stuck with a typical classic Italian bruschetta. I have suggested some variation at the end of this recipe. Let your imagination take rul!


Ingredients:

Thin, long loaf of French or Italian baguette
3 large tomatoes, diced
½ medium onion, diced fine
2 garlic cloves, whole
5 basil leaves- chiffonade
Chiffonade= a fancy term for ‘cut into ribbons’. Stack same-sized leaves; roll them up and cut into fine ribbons.
1 Tbsp olive oil, and them some more to drizzle
Salt and pepper, as needed
1 cup crumbled Cheese- feta, gorgonzola, parmesan...whatever you got.


Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice the bread into ¾” pieces, diagonally (that’s how real chefs do it!) Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil, broil (Place the baking sheet at least 6” from the top of the oven) them in the oven until slightly brown on both sides, for about 2 min. Or simply use a flat pan to toast them.

Now, rub the garlic clove on one side of the bread. This is tradition; so the garlicky-ness (yes, I made that word up) doesn’t overpower. I sometimes mince the garlic and add them to the mixture.

In a bowl, add the diced tomatoes, onion, basil leaves, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix well and keep aside. I like to refrigerate mine for at least 30min. (in the summer usually).

Now, top each slice with a spoonful (or two) of the tomato mixture, drizzle with olive oil and serve! Wasn’t that easy and healthy and tasty? Make sure you top the bread just before serving, to avoid sogginess.





Variation:
Try topping with feta, goat or gorgonzola cheese. Try different veggies like artichokes or chick pea or hummus. Please do try a sun-dried tomato topping. Also a pesto spread! D.E.L.I.G.H.T.F.U.L.

Roasted Green Pepper Bruschetta
Yesterday, I tried a 'Roasted Green Pepper Bruschetta'. And boy, was it lip smacking! I roasted whole green peppers in the
oven for about 25min at 400F. It turns charred and black. Then peel the outer skin, and dice them gently. I used the usual ingredients as above- garlic, onion, tomatoes and basil.

Toast the bread/baguette int he oven at 350F for about 3min, until slightly brown. Top it with the bruschetta mix. I had feta cheese at home and thus used it here! ummmmmmm f.e.t.a. cheeeeeeesssssseeeeeeee......
You guys have got to try this out.

Roasted Green Pepper Bruschetta

Hash Brown

Nice and roasted potatoes on all sides

Hash Brown is a breakfast (and has now become an ‘anytime’ food, thanks to Denny’s and IHOPs of the world)…It is a potato and veggie medley, with the potatoes cooked till crispy…yummmmmm. I like my hash brown with plenty of veggies. Most common version is all potatoes with very little veggies…which is fine too, if you are running a marathon and carb-overloading!

Potatoes need to be very crisp, nicely roasted. The trick is to boil the potatoes before it hits the pan until it is soft, about 8-10min. (alternatively, nuke it in the microwave for about 5 min)

Without much delay (I am hungry as I am writing this recipe!)...Here goes-

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, diced into 1” cubes,

1 medium onion, diced

1 Green/Red pepper, diced

½ cups Mixed veggies (beans, carrots, peas, corn)- frozen or fresh

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 spring rosemary, chopped

4-5 basil leaves, chiffonade (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt & Pepper, as needed

Boil the potatoes in about 6 cups water for about 10min. You may peel the potatoes at this point, or leave them as is. Drain and keep aside. If using frozen veggies, thaw them now.

In a large skillet, add about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add rosemary and let cook for about 30sec. . The heat brings out the sweet essence of rosemary. Add the onion and sauté the onions for about 5-7 min until it starts to turn golden brown. Now add the veggies and let it sweat for about 5-7min until they turn soft. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Now, add another tbsp of olive oil and add the potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are all (or mostly) touching the skillet in one layer, avoid overlapping. The objective here is to crisp up the potato on all the sides, if possible. Let them cook for about 5-7min. Turn them over gently with a silicone spatula (or a wooden spoon). DO NOT MASH THE POTATOES.

Before roasting

Once all sides of the potato is brown, turn off the stove. Garnish with basil or cilantro.

One hearty breakfast, yes?

Variation:

Green or red peppers only (without all the other veggies) with potatoes are a classic and yummy. Try using sweet potatoes, if carb-conscious.

I bet you 10 bucks if your mouth doesn't water!

Aloo-Shimla Mirch Curry (Potato and Green Bell pepper curry)

Ah! The blessing of being born an Indian. I can enjoy lip smacking curries (among other insanely delicious goodies), with different combination of vegetables as and when I please! Potato-bell pepper curry is my fave! Its something about the combo, tastes simply amazing.
The trick is to cook the potato really well until it is almost mushy, then add the peppers and cook some more! The starch from the potato blends in with the peppery taste of the bell pepper. This is not a watery gravy dish. The starch of the potato makes for a thick gooey gravy.

Here goes—

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, diced into 1” cube

1 large green bell pepper (capsicum), diced into 1” cubes

1 medium onion, diced roughly

2-3 garlic cloves, sliced or minced

2 tsp Garam masala powder (a blend of clove, peppercorn, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, and cinnamon). Readily available in most stores, even American grocery stores in the ethnic aisle.

1 tsp turmeric powder

½-1 tsp Chilli powder

Cilantro for garnishing, 1 bunch roughly chopped

1 tbsp oil

Tempering ingredients- 1 tsp each of cumin seeds, aniseed/fennel seeds (saunf)

Water, 3-5 tbsp

Salt, as needed

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the tempering ingredients. It will start to splutter and turn brown immediately. Add the onion and garlic now. Let it sweat for 3 min or so. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and the Garam masala powder. Let it cook for about 5 min or so.

I find that if you cook the masala powder in the oil (either directly or along with onion or garlic), it releases its aroma and taste and does not taste raw.

Now add the potatoes. I don’t usually peel my potatoes. DON’T ADD SALT YET. Potatoes have a hard time cooking quickly once you add salt. Add 3 tbsp water until the potatoes are partially submerged. Mix well, cover the pot and let it cook for about 10min.

Potatoes must be at least halfway cooked. Add the peppers now. Mix, add salt and cook for another 10-12min over covered medium heat. Add some water if it looks too dry at this point.

You must start to smell the delicious aroma now, if you already haven’t. Too bad if you have not. You messed up! I kid.

Now, mix well with a wooden spoon preferably. . The potato must start to fall apart upon mixing. It is now ready! Bon Appetit!

Variation:
Feel free to use different types of potatoes. I used Yukon here. But red potatoes should be just as good. Also, use a different colored pepper like red peppers int he picture below.
And experiment with your veggies. Throw in cauliflower instead of potatoes or peppers. Voila, a different delicious curry.

Penne with Tomato sauce, Vegetables and Cheese Casserole

If you guys have read my earlier posts, you might know I am not the biggest fan of Italian food. Having said that, I agree it is easy, quick and delicious! However, baking pasta has been an obsession these days. Lasagna is one of my favs.

I like the idea of casserole dishes- it’s a one meal dish. You can freeze them; make a big batch that will last a week at least.

Here, I have used penne with veggies in a tomato sauce. Feel free to use macaroni, farfalle or rotini- or any other small pasta. This is a layered dish, with sauce, pasta, veggie mixture and cheese. You may use béchamel sauce or Alfredo even; I prefer a tomato base in most of the Italian dishes. I have made my own sauce, gives an authentic twist to your recipe, in my opinion.

Ingredients:

1 lb Penne pasta- cooked according to directions

1 cup cheese- cheddar, feta, pepper jack or any cheese you have at hand

1-2 tbsp Bread crumbs

Spring onions to top

Tomato sauce

A 28 oz canned diced tomato (or you may use crushed/ stewed tomato)

2 springs of rosemary, chopped fine

7-8 basil leaves, chiffonade

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1 medium onion, diced fine

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a pot over low heat. Add the rosemary and garlic. Let it cook for 3 min until fragrant. Do not let it burn.

Now, crank up the heat to medium. Add the onion, salt and pepper. Let it sweat for another 3 min or so. Now, add the diced tomato and garlic powder. Let it simmer over medium heat for about 30min, stirring occasionally. Tomato sauce will splatter once hot. Please be careful! Now, add the basil leaves and switch the stove off.

Home made Tomato sauce with plenty of rosemary

Vegetable mixture

2 cups of veggies like eggplant, red and green pepper, medium onion, zucchini, and mushroom, corn, carrot- all diced

2 garlic cloves- minced

1 tbsp Italian seasoning (a dry mix of oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram and rosemary)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt as needed

Heat the oil in a pot. Add the garlic and the Italian seasoning and cook them for about a minute. Now add the veggie. Let it cook for about 5-8min until all the veggies are soft. Add salt. Stir well and switch the stove off.

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a baking/casserole dish, pour the sauce as the first layer. The next layer is the pasta. Then layer the veggies and finally cheese. Repeat this all the way to the top of the dish. Top it with cheese and bread crumbs. The crumbs give a crunch texture to bite into, which we all love!

Layer of tomato sauce and pasta

Layered all the way to the top of the dish

Bake for 20-25min until the cheese is bubbly and melted and the bread crumb is toasty and golden brown. You may cover your dish with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from over-browning.

Top with the spring onion, both white and green stems.

The final look!

Variation:

To bake a Mexican flare, add black beans, jalapeno along with the veggies and try a Mexican cheese like Queso Fresca or Cotija. They are dry, saltier cheese.

Try béchamel sauce or Alfredo sauce (see the pic below) instead of the tomato sauce. Use any veggies you have at hand. I love this dish with feta cheese.

The pics below are Baked Rotini with Alfredo sauce. My sister baked them! She followed the same directions as above but used store bought Alfredo sauce and a slightly different combination of veggies.

Rotini-Alfredo pasta bake

You can see the cheese all melting and yummy!

Delicious Veggie Pizza

Now doesn't that make your mouth water?

OOOOOHHHHHHH Pizza! The mere sound of it makes my mouth water! I LOVE pizza….can't explain to what degree and magnitude!

Me being the cook-from-scratch kind of gal, have been making the dough myself for sometime now, instead of the ‘Boboli ready made’ crust. In fact, I have never bought the ready made crust. I improve on the technique every time I make the dough at home. I am still learning.

The pizza dough recipe is pretty simple. Here is the recipe linked or here it is below (in case the link is broken).

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water- microwave a cup of water for a minute or so.
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, and 1 tbsp or more for dusting

In a big bowl (plastic or glass), combine water, sugar and yeast. Stir gently and let it sit for about 5 min, until foamy. DO NOT USE METAL objects like a stainless steel spoon or a bowl. Metal inhibits enzyme production. Yeast produces the enzyme Amylase, helping it rise.

Now add salt, olive oil, and about half of the flour and knead well. Now add the rest of the flour slowly and knead well into a ball. This dough should be elastic. Add some more olive oil if the dough is too dry or alternatively, add some flour if too wet. Knead for about 5 more minutes

Lightly oil the same bowl and place the dough in it. Turn the dough to coat it with oil. Slightly cover it with a damp (NOT wet) kitchen towel and let it sit for an hour, until it doubles in size. This is a basic pizza dough recipe.

Once the dough is ready, divide it into 4 equal balls and let it sit 15min while you chop the veggie toppings. I happen to have green pepper, eggplant, basil, green onion and cheddar/mozzarella cheese blend at home. You can use any combination of veggie and cheese to suit your taste buds.

Veggie Pizza

1.5 cup Marinara/Pizza sauce- home made or store bought

1 medium bell pepper, diced

A bunch of green onion, sliced (the white and the green stem)

½ Italian eggplant, diced

5-6 basil leaves- chiffonade (a fancy term for cut in ribbons)

Italian seasoning, as needed

All purpose flour, as needed

Veggie toppings

Pre heat oven to 400F.

On a clean working space, sprinkle 1 tbsp flour. Now, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is ¼” thick. Do not worry about the ‘roundness’ of the dough. It will come with practice. If you want a think crust pizza, like I do, thin it out a bit more. Take care not to tear the dough by over-working it.

Now spread 1-2 tbsp pizza sauce on the pizza. I like mine with plenty of sauce. Top it with the diced veggies, basil and cheese. Sprinkle with cheese on top, about 2 tbsp, depending on how much you love cheese.

Repeat the same with the other 3 dough balls. Top with veggies and cheese.

Before the pizza goes into the oven.

Bake for about 10-13min until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted. Voila, veggie, pizza. NOW---DEVOUR!

Variation:

I sometimes saute a cup of chopped onion, carmelise (means cooking onions in oil with no salt unti it turns golden brown and sweet!) it and top it on the pizza. YUMMY!

I almost always use feta cheese with Greek-style toppings like olives, basil, cherry tomatoes, spinach. A Greek salad on the pizza! I also love goat cheese instead of mozarella.

Try spreading pesto or hummus for a true, unique Mediterranean feast!