Pesto penne pasta with veggies and beans

Ingredients :
For 1 medium size aluminum tray serving 3 cups of whole wheat dry pasta.

Olive oil
Sun dried tomatoes or small cherry tomatoes
Carrots thinly sliced
Green beans thinly sliced or can of French cut green beans
1/2 cup green peas or Lima beans
1 and 1/2 cup soaked dark red kidney beans
Zucchini 1
Broccoli heads
Red chilli flex
Garlic cloves 4
Cashew nuts/toasted pine nuts
Parmesan cheese
Mozerella cheese
Basil leaves
Dry oregano leaves
onions 1 medium
Fresh parsley
Salt
Black pepper
Green chillies

Steps:
1. Boil soaked dark red kidney beans in pressure cooker, 3 whistles should be enough.

2. Toast pine nuts/ cashews. Grind nuts, basil leaves, olive oil, mozerella cheese together to make green pesto sauce.

3. Blanch carrots, green beans, peas/lime beans, broccoli.

4. Boil penn pasta as per package instructions. Add salt to pasta boiling water.

5. Drain pasta ( you can also use shell pasta/bow tie pasta. These varieties look very pretty and make falourful dish compared to penne)and spread it in aluminum tray.

6. Heat olive oil in a pan and heat it. Add chopped garlic . Once garlic is fragrant add thinly sliced red onion ,cubed zucchini and cook till tender. You can also add sliced green or chillies or broken red chillies at this stage if you want extra heat.

7. Spread above mixture,blanched veggies, boiled beans, sun dried tomatoes( I squeeze out oil if they are oil packed) on top of pasta.

8. Add pesto sauce , salt, pepper, dried oregano leaves, red chilli flex, crumbled mozerella cheese. > Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently

9. Season with cilantro and Parmesan cheese.

This colorful dish is a good starter/ side dish for parties, pot lucks Also first thing that gone from table :)

Hope you have fun making it and eating it... - By Swapna G

Summer Vegetable Ratatouille

Ingredients
• 2 onion, sliced into thin rings
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced into discs
• 2 zucchini, sliced into discs
• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced into discs
• 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced into rings
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into rings
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• dried oregano
• dried or fresh Thyme
• dried or fresh Basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• small can of tomato paste
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation Steps

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.

 

2. Preheat oven to 375F

3. Generously coat a baking dish with Olive oil

 

4. Spread the onion mixture on the baking dish

 

5. Top it with tomato paste. Stir in Bay leaf, Basil, Thyme,Oregano, black pepper and salt as per your taste.

6. Let it bake for 5 min and stir occasionally.

7. Coat all vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper.

8. Arrange eggplant slices first, red bell pepper, yellow squash, zucchini , mushroom slice concentrically just like you see in movie :)

9. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.

10. Throw some Italian herbs and black pepper on top to bring more flavor.

11. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil with spoon on top

12. Let it bake for 45 min. Sprinkle the fresh parsley on top.

13. Remove the bay leaf and serve on bed of white rice or pasta with Lettuce,carrots salad as side. Serve french bread or garlic bread to make it filling.

Upma (Uppit)

Ingredients

Semolina 1 Cup

1 Small Onion

1 Small Tomato

2 Green chilli's

little curry leaves

little ginger

1 Tbsp Oil

3 cups water

Salt to taste

Steps to Prepare

1. Place a dry container on stove once little hot, add semolina into the container keep stirring for 5 min or until the color changes to little brown. Once roasted little take it out into bowl and allow it to cool.

2. Cut Onion, tomato, green chilli, ginger into small pieces.

3. Place a container on stove add oil once hot add poppu ingredients, once they splutter add onions, allow them to fry until golden brown. After a little while add curry leaves, ginger, green chilli, tomato keep stirring. Let them cook for a while.

4. Add 3 cups water, salt to taste and allow it to boil for some time.

5. Simmer the stove. add the roasted semolina to the boiling water and keep stirring it lightly. Make sure balls of semolina are not formed which will leave the inside portion of the ball uncooked.

6. Once the mixture reaches the thick consistency let it cook for 2-3 Min's on stove. Add cilantro for garnishing. And so, simple upma is ready to eat. Decorate to server as you wish.

Tips

1. Add more small cut vegetables(carrot, beans, peas, etc..) to make it more delicious.

2. Add ghee on top while serving for rich aroma, dry roasted cashews for more taste.

3. Add less water for thicker consistency and more water for thinner consistency.

   

Ministrone Soup - Olive Garden Style

Recipe by Swapna G

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) great northern or small white beans, drained
3 cups hot water
1/2 cup small shell pasta 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

Spices

2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Vegetables

1 small minced white onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
1/2 stalk minced celery

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded carrot

4 cups fresh baby spinach

Steps for preparation

Step 1: Measure olive oil into a large stock pot and heat on medium.

Step 2: Put the onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini into the pot and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions become see-through.

Step 3: Add the vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, beans, carrots, hot water and spices to the pot.

Step 4: Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Add the spinach leaves and the pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Step 6: Add salt at the end depending on the taste (make sure you add less initially since water gets evaporated, and canned beans have sodium included already) 

So, the soup is done and ready in serving bowl as a main dish with garlic bread and vegetable garden salad dressed with ranch as sides.

Vanilla flavored, chocolate on the bottom, almond cookies

Cookies made by Swapna.
This is a easy recipe for homemade delicious cookies. While you bake it, your whole home will smell so festive, that you can't resist these beautiful cookies....

Ingredients
Unsalted Butter – 1 stick (1/2 cup, 4 oz) at room temperature
Powdered Sugar – 1/2 cup
Vanilla flavour - 1/2 tsp
All Purpose Flour (Maida) – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp
almonds- soaked and sliced to put on cookies.
chocolate chips - to melt

Preparation Steps

Step 1. Preheat oven to 300 F
Step 2. In a mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar (little at a time) with the softened butter until mixture is light and creamy.

2. Add vanilla flavor and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, add All Purpose Flour with Baking Powder and Salt.

4. Combine Flour mixture (little at a time) with Butter Mixture to form a soft dough. It will be very soft.

5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
6. Knead dough once again and divide into 22 equal portions.
7. Roll each portion into a smooth ball with no cracks. Put a pie of almond in the middle of ball and place on a baking sheet.

7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Remove from oven. They will be soft when taken out. Cookies will harden after 5 mins once baked.
9. Melt the chocolate in microwave and apply to the bottom of cookie and refrigerate for 5 mins.
Do not leave cookies in freezer for more than 5 mins, they might get soggy. The chocolate will harden in freezer for 5 mins.
10 . Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Vegetable Amchur Rice (Quick Tasty Rice)

Ingredients
Rice 2 Cups (Basmathi/ Normal Sona Masoori)
Carrot 1 Cup Grated
Beans 1 Cup (Thin slices)
Onion1 Small
Green Chilli 2-3
Oil 2 Tbsp
Chilli Powder 1/2 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 Tbsp
Amchur Powder 1.5 Tbsp
Salt to taste


Preparation Steps

Step 1: Wash and cook the rice.

Step 2: Wash and cut vegetables, Grated carrot, thinly sliced beans. If you want to add extra vegetables you can add but slice them very thin. Easy to fry.

Step 3: Place container on stove, add oil, once hot add sliced onions. Fry them to golden brown, now add cut green chilli, fry for 1-2 mins.

Step 3: Add all cut vegetables, let them fry for some time. Since vegetables are grated and thinly sliced simple fry should be ok to make them tender. If not you can add some water to cook.

Step 4: Once vegetables are well cooked add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder mix with vegetables, let it sit for another 5 mins.

Step 5: Add the cooked rice into the above mixture now add Amchur powder to it, mix thoroughly. Add additional salt and Amchur powder if needed based on your taste.

That's all tasty veggie tangy simple quick Amchur rice is read to eat.

Tomato Chutney/ Pachadi

Ingredients

Tomato's 3 Nos
Turmeric Powder 1/2 Tbsp
Chilli Powder 1 1/2 Tbsp (more if you want more spicy since it is chutney)
Methi Powder 1/4 Tbsp (FenuGreek Powder)
Oil 4 Tbsp
Salt to Taste


Preparation Steps


Step 1: Wash Tomato's and cut into small pieces.

Step 2: Place pan on stove top add oil, once hot add the cut Tomato pieces in the pan. Allow them to cook simmering the stove for a long time until Tomato's are cooked half way to smooth paste. (All the water or juices released from the Tomato's should evaporate while cooking. This is a very important step.) Do not close the lid of the pan keep it open so that water/ juices extracted will evaporate. Cook time may be around 15-20 min.

Step 3: Add salt to taste, turmeric powder and chilli powder, mix well. Allow it to further cook for next 10 min. By this time you should see oil separating from the mixture/ the mixture getting sticky to the pan. This is good indication that the water content in tomato's evaporated and tomato's are well cooked for the chutney.

Step 4: Add methi powder mix well and let it further cook for 2-3 Min's. Then take out the mixture in a serving bowl. At the same time place another small pan on stove top add 1 Tbsp of oil, once hot add 1 Tbsp of mustard let them splutter, add a pinch of methi powder again in the oil, take if off the stove.

Step 5: Mix the oil mustard mixture with the tomato mixture in a bowl and mix well.Taste and add salt if needed.

Cool the hot red tomato chutney is ready to eat with rice or roti (bread).

Tip: If you like garlic, cut garlic in to small pieces fry in oil and add to the tomato chutney mix well. Enjoy the Tomato chutney with Garlic taste also.