I flipped a pancake! After trying for months! I did it. Yay! I am ecstatic.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Stirring It Up
My life had been losing a lot of flavor. Between work and paying off grad schools loans I was losing my will to do much else. Then me and a friend took a road trip to West Virginia. I tasted fresh apple cider, ate good cheese and got some beautiful wood wick candles that crackle when they are lit. I also went for to the pumpkin patch and ate some more good food and more fresh apple cider. To top it all off I watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Which I had been avoiding like plague for a while. Obviously this post then had to be about pasta. But not just any kind of pasta. I am going to share with you my successful pasta-from-scratch recipe. And no you don't need a pasta machine :)
What you do need is:
1. 1 cup of all purpose flour
2. 1 egg beaten
3. Pinch of salt
4. Water to knead the dough & make it soft
5. 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
Add all the ingredients in a bowl and stir till its mixed. Knead the dough to make it soft. Let it sit for 15 mins if you have the time. If not - no problem. Roll out the dough using either of the following: rolling pin, full beer bottle, wine bottle or bare hands. Make it as thin as possible because it is bound to thicken when you boil it. Cut up the strips of dough to the width that you would like. Pour them in boiling water. Check to see whether it has cooked or not. Then add it into a sauce of your preference. Because I am so generous I have shared my simplest pasta sauce recipe with you below:
1. Handful of Basil
2. 2 Handfuls of Spinach
3. 2 cloves of Garlic
4. Half a Tomato
5. Some cheese to sprinkle (optional)
6. Salt to taste
Add the basil and spinach (after quickly blanching in warm water) to a blender. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic to oil. Add in tomato and cook for a while. When tomato is cooked add in the blended basil and spinach. Add salt. Let this cook for about 5-8 mins before adding in your home made pasta noodles (yay!) Sprinkle some cheese on top with flair!
These quantities should be enough for two people. So invite that friend you have been meaning to call for the longest time over :)
It should look something like this without the meat:
What you do need is:
1. 1 cup of all purpose flour
2. 1 egg beaten
3. Pinch of salt
4. Water to knead the dough & make it soft
5. 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
Add all the ingredients in a bowl and stir till its mixed. Knead the dough to make it soft. Let it sit for 15 mins if you have the time. If not - no problem. Roll out the dough using either of the following: rolling pin, full beer bottle, wine bottle or bare hands. Make it as thin as possible because it is bound to thicken when you boil it. Cut up the strips of dough to the width that you would like. Pour them in boiling water. Check to see whether it has cooked or not. Then add it into a sauce of your preference. Because I am so generous I have shared my simplest pasta sauce recipe with you below:
1. Handful of Basil
2. 2 Handfuls of Spinach
3. 2 cloves of Garlic
4. Half a Tomato
5. Some cheese to sprinkle (optional)
6. Salt to taste
Add the basil and spinach (after quickly blanching in warm water) to a blender. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic to oil. Add in tomato and cook for a while. When tomato is cooked add in the blended basil and spinach. Add salt. Let this cook for about 5-8 mins before adding in your home made pasta noodles (yay!) Sprinkle some cheese on top with flair!
These quantities should be enough for two people. So invite that friend you have been meaning to call for the longest time over :)
It should look something like this without the meat:
Monday, July 25, 2011
Palak Paneer (Spinach and Farmers Cheese)
If you haven't guessed already - I am Indian. A very dear Peruvian friend of mine just pinged me asking me how to make Palak Paneer. Boy she knows how to tug at my heart strings. I am ashamed that I have no put up this recipe yet. Its so good and its vegetarian! Double whammy. So here goes:
1. 1 lb spinach (any kind is good)
2. 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
3. One large tomato
4. 4-5 green thai chillies that are slit vertically
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Chili powder - 1 tbsp
7. 1/2 tsp cumin
8. 1/2 tsp coriander powder
9. 1/4th tsp garam masala
10. Cooking oil as required
11. Salt to taste
12. Queso Fresco or Farmers cheese cut into rectangles about 1/2 lb.
Lightly boil the spinach leaves and add it to a food processor/blender till its a smoothie like consistency. Add water while blending if required. In a pan heat some oil. Add the green chillies. After 1 min add the the onions. Let onions caramelize. Once they are brown add tomatoes and spinach blend. Add in spices (tweak if you think its too spicy and add fewer spices.)
When the blend comes to a boil add in the cheese. Queso fresco tends to melt quickly so add it in after cooking the spinach till you see oil on the surface. Let the cheese cook for a bit in the gravy. Take it off when it looks done... tasting is the best way to tell how well its done.
Enjoy with a lightly heated tortilla or naan.
1. 1 lb spinach (any kind is good)
2. 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
3. One large tomato
4. 4-5 green thai chillies that are slit vertically
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Chili powder - 1 tbsp
7. 1/2 tsp cumin
8. 1/2 tsp coriander powder
9. 1/4th tsp garam masala
10. Cooking oil as required
11. Salt to taste
12. Queso Fresco or Farmers cheese cut into rectangles about 1/2 lb.
Lightly boil the spinach leaves and add it to a food processor/blender till its a smoothie like consistency. Add water while blending if required. In a pan heat some oil. Add the green chillies. After 1 min add the the onions. Let onions caramelize. Once they are brown add tomatoes and spinach blend. Add in spices (tweak if you think its too spicy and add fewer spices.)
When the blend comes to a boil add in the cheese. Queso fresco tends to melt quickly so add it in after cooking the spinach till you see oil on the surface. Let the cheese cook for a bit in the gravy. Take it off when it looks done... tasting is the best way to tell how well its done.
Enjoy with a lightly heated tortilla or naan.
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