Mushroom Paneer Pesto Pasta

A quick pasta with paneer and a green pesto sauce made with cilantro as the main ingredient. I love to bring indian flavors into western dishes and try to create fusion recipes. This is one such recipe which turned out super delicious and is a keeper for our traditional taste buds :)

Ingredients

Serves - 2-3
Spice Level - Moderate
Prep Time - 20 min
Cook time - 15 min

Spaghetti - 200 gm
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves  - 7-8 chopped finely
Mushroom - 6 chopped into medium size pieces
Paneer - 150 gm, cubed
salt - as required
Freshly ground pepper - as required

For the green pesto sauce

Blend all the below together with 2tbsp water and keep aside

Cilantro - 2 cups
Green chilli - 3
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Oilve oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic clove - 2
Salt - as required

How do you do it

1. Cook the spaghetti as per packet instruction in salted water with a couple of drops of oil, drain and wash under cold water and keep aside.

2. Blend all the ingredients for the cilantro sauce and keep aside.

3. Take a tawa and coat with a layer of oil. Toast the paneer pieces and keep aside.

4. Heat oil in a wok, add chopped garlic and saute till they brown slightly, add chopped mushroom and saute well. Cook mushroom until it gives a shiny gleam and all the water the mushroom let out dries. Add little salt and pepper.

5. Lower the flame and add the cooked sphagetti now amd saute for a couple of minutes until it absorbs all the flavour. Toss well.

6. Add 2 tbsp of the cilantro sauce and mix well. Remove pan from flame and check to see if more salt or pepper is needed. Add if required.

7. Add the toasted paneer finally and mix well. Paneer mushroom pasta is ready :)

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Veg Hakka Noodles | 660 Curries

This is a different take on Veg Hakka Noodles by Raghavan Iyer. I always have a standard recipe for Indo-Chinese items and was glad to see a different set of veggies and sauces used :). I could actually taste the sweet-hot-sour combination in this dish in a subtle manner and loved the choice of paneer, cauliflower and carrots for this chinese noodles against the usual cabbage-capsicum-carrot trio. A thumbs up for this dish from 660 curries.

Dump a few ladle full of this noodles in your favorite bowl , carry along a glass of chilled lemonade and relish this dinner watching your favorite program on TV. Completely de-stresses you on a bad day. :)



Ingredients

Serves - 2
Spice Level - mild but flavorful
Prep Time - 20 min
Cook time - 10 min

Veg Hakka noodles pack - 110 gms
Tomato ketchup - 1/8 cup
Light Soy sauce - 1/8 cup
Cider Vinegar - 1/2 Tbsp
1/2 Tsp cayenne [ground red pepper] mixed with 1 1/2 Tsp sweet paprika
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Panner - 60 gm , cut into medium sized cubes
Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup, cut into medium sized pieces
Carrot - 1 medium sized, sliced thinly
Garlic cloves - 2 finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup , finely chopped
Tomato - 1 medium sized , cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Spring onions - 2 , green tops and white bulbs , cut into 1 inch lengths
Ginger - 1 inch piece, cut into thin strips
Bean sprouts - 1/2 cup [ I did not use this]
Salt - as per need

How do you do it

1. Bring a large saucepan filled with 3/4 water and 1 tsp salt to boil, add the noodles and cook as per packet instruction until cooked al-dente.

2. While the noodles are cooking , microwave the cauliflower florets with 1 cup water, a pinch of turmeric and salt for 3 minutes. Stir well and drain the water and keep the cauliflower aside. Drizzle 1/2 tsp oil on a pan and toast the paneer pieces until both sides are lightly browned. Keep aside

3.Drain the noodles into a colander and run cold water through them to cool and stop the cooking process.

4. Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar ,ketchup , cayenne-paprika mix, 1/2 Tsp salt in a bowl.

5. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a wok. Add the cauliflower, carrot, garlic, half the chopped coriander. Stir-fry until the veggies are browned and crunchy - 5 minutes.Add the paneer pieces now and stir in well once.

6. Fill a large bowl with warm water and dunk the noodles into it to to provide moisture needed to quickly re-warm them. Drain them again and add it to the wok. A little dripping water is alright. Don't omit this step, this keep the noodles soft and moist. Cook, stirring the noodles, until the noodles are warmed through - 3-4 minutes.

7.Add the sauce mix now and stir well so the noodles and veggies are coated well. Add in the tomatoes, ginger and spring onions now. Stir for 2-4 minutes. Check for salt now and add more if needed.

8. Top with remaining coriander leaves and bean sprouts [if using] and serve.

 
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Mushroom Pesto Bruschetta

Did I tell you that I am head over heels in love with mushroom?  I have no issues having a mushroom soup as an appetizer, tandoori mushroom for an entree, mushroom tikka masala with naan for main course :).  Any restaurant I visit for the first time, I always choose at least one mushroom dish, that way I am quite adventures with mushroom dishes. S was one among the many people who dint like mushroom, now I wonder if he doesn't mind the vegetable due to my obsession with it or did he acquire the taste naturally. This month my kitchen has been quite mushroom heavy and I have been forbidden to buy any mushroom by S until further asked otherwise!  Ha ha! So during the mushroom month, I wanted to make a mushroom bruschetta and it was a winner :).

Another Aromas cafe inspired dish this is. One of my favorite frequent orders is their cheese mushroom bruschetta, and  bruschettas are quite simple to make if you don't have to make the baguette itself  :). Some french baguette, sauteed mushroom and some pesto and you are ready to put up an awesome starter for a party.

Mushroom Pesto Bruschetta

Ingredients

Serves - 2 [Makes around 10-12 pieces]
Prep Time - 20 min
Cook time - 15 min

1 French baguette
Mushroom - 200 gm cleaned and chopped finely
Shallots - 4-5 , chopped finely
Coriander leaves - 4 Tbsp finely chopped
Salt - as per need
Pepper - to season as per need
Garlic cloves - 4 chopped finely
Shredded Parmesan/mozzarella cheese - 5 Tbsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

For the Pesto

Basil Leaves - 1 Handful
Almonds - 5-6
Garlic cloves - 2
Olive oil -  4-5 Tbsp
Salt - as per need

How do you do it

First to make the pesto , chop the almonds and dry roast them until they give out a nice aroma and slightly start to brown.

Bring 1 cup salted water to a boil; add basil, and submerge with a spoon. Let it boil for a minute or two. Immediately drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water until cool, then pat basil completely dry in paper towels

Combine the basil leaves, toasted almonds , garlic cloves , salt and grind in a food processor without any water for first few pulses. Then add olive oil tbsp by tbsp and grind until all of them come together well. The final texture of pesto will be a little coarse. Keep aside.

In a frying pan heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute until liquid evaporates (about 3-5 min.). Add shallots and garlic, saute for 1 more minute. Add coriander leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Cut the french baguette into diagonal cross section of 1 inch. Brush one side with olive oil. Place slices on a baking sheet and broil in oven until LIGHTLY golden brown (this takes only 2 min). Remove from oven and spread each slice with basil pesto and topped with mushroom mixture. Last sprinkle some cheese on top. Return to a preheated 180 degree C. oven. Bake until cheese is melted and center toppings are hot (about 2-5 minutes).

You can toast the baguette even in a frying pan if you don't have an oven. Brush the baguette on both sides with oil and toast only one side until slightly browned. Don't let it brown a lot. Remove from frying pan, spread with pesto, top with mushroom mixture and some cheese on the browned side, return to pan and close with a lid and heat on low flame until  the cheese melts.



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Aglio Olio Pasta with Mushroom and Peas

This is probably one of the easiest pasta that can be made. Aglio Olio basically is wrapping up your favorite pasta in olive oil infused with chilli and garlic and is usually made with spaghetti. Unlike other pasta dishes that are sauce-heavy, here the spaghetti/pasta is the star of the dish.

I don't make Italian dishes much at home , not really fond of them either, but once in a while its a welcome change in my kitchen :). Me and S enjoyed this pasta with mango lemonade on a raining friday evening. :)

Aglio Olio Pasta

Ingredients

Adapted from noobcook

Serves - 2
Spice Level - Moderately spicy
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook time 10 min

Spaghetti - 150 gm  [or any other type of pasta that you like , I used whole wheat semolina durum spaghettini ]
Garlic cloves - 12 small, finely chopped
Fresh/Dry red chilli - 1, remove seeds and break into pieces
Red chilli Flakes - 1 Tsp
Parsley leaves - 3 Tbsp
Button Mushroom - 4 , chopped roughly
Peas - 1/4 cup boiled
Olive oil - 3 Tbsp
Salt as per need


How do you do it

First cook your spaghetti al-dente or as per packet instructions. What I did - Bring water to a rapid boil in a huge pot. Add 1 tsp salt in the water. Drop your spaghetti in and let it cook for 12 minutes in high flame. Drain the water and put the spaghetti under running cold water for a few secs and then spread on a plate and keep aside.

Heat olive oil in low flame. Add in chopped garlic , red chilli and 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes.Let the garlic get cooked completely - 4-5 min. Add in the mushroom and peas now and saute for a couple of minutes till the mushrooms gives that shiny look. Add about half he quantity of salt now and give it a stir. Now toss in the cooked spaghetti , remaining salt , parsley, 1/2 Tsp red chilli flakes and wrap well with the garlic-chilli infused olive oil. Stir for a couple of more minutes and switch off flame.

Serve this aglio olio pasta with your favorite chilled drink.

Notes

1. Make sure not to burn the garlic. Burnt garlic will ruin the entire dish. So if necessary, saute mushroom and peas separately in a Tsp of olive oil for a few minutes and then add that to the oil which is already infused with garlic and chilli and continue as per the above instructions.

2. Also remember we have already added 1 tsp salt when the pasta was cooking, so be careful when you add salt at later stages.



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Chicken Schnitzel

Little did i know about chicken schnitzel when I made it. I googled later to find out what schnitzel meant. The below is the wiki description of this dish.:).

Chicken schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinned with a hammer, coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a popular part of Viennese, Austrian cuisine and German cuisine. In Austria, the dish called Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese schnitzel), is traditionally garnished with a slice of lemon and either potato salad or potatoes with parsley and butter.

Me and S have been on a low/no carb diet for a couple of weeks now. So all types of food which are protein rich catch my eye.I saw this simple dish in the Master-Chef Australia show and decided to try my hand at this. It turned out well and here goes my first dish with an international twist.

Chicken Schnitzel

 

Ingredients

Serves - 2
Spice Level - Not spicy but flavorful
Prep Time - 20 minutes
Cooking time - 15 min

Chicken Breast pieces [boneless] - 4
Toasted Bread - 8 slices
Parsley leaves - a handful
Thyme - a Handful
Parmesan cheese - 50g
Salt - 1 Tspn + 1 Tspn + 1 tspn
Pepper 1 Tspn + 1 Tspn + 1 tspn
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1
Olive oil - for sauteing the chicken pieces

Cling film - 1 sheet
A hammer or hammer shaped tool for flattening/thinning the breast pieces


Method

Wash/clean the chicken breast pieces and slice them into pieces with approx 1 inch thickness and around 5 inches in length.Place the sliced pieces on a wooden slab and cover the top of wooden slab with a cling film.Use the hammer/hammer shaped tool and slightly pound/tap the breast pieces to flatten/thin them down. A few taps on each piece until they are evenly thinned.Keep aside.

Gather the toasted bread pieces , cheese , parsely , thyme , 1 Tsp salt , 1 Tspn pepper into your food processor and pulse it until you get the bread crumbs texture.This is your herbed bread crumb mixture. Keep aside.

Break the egg into a bowl and add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper , mix well and keep aside. Gather the all purpose flour in a bowl and mix it with 1 tspn salt and 1 tsp pepper and keep aside.

Now take a chicken piece , dip in flour, make sure its coated well with flour. Then dip the flour coated chicken piece in egg and coat well. Next step is to coat this piece with the herbed bread crumb mixture. Make sure its coated well with the bread crumbs, that forms the crunchy outer texture of the chicken.Repeat for all chicken pieces and arrange on a plate.

Take a pan, add 2-3 tbsp olive oil on it and heat it.Place one of the coated chicken pieces on the pan. On low heat, let it get cooked/browned. Once the bottom browns flip it to brown/cook the other side. Transfer to a plate.Repeat for all chicken pieces.Each piece will take about 3-4 minutes to cook well.

Serve with Tomato ketchup and lemon pieces.


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