ALMOND AND WALNUT CAKE (NO GHEE VERSION)

Festive season is always fun. And sweets go synonymous with it. I am not much of a sweet person but this one is sure to make me go crazy. It is hard for me to keep a count of how much of these I gobble up. And it has no ghee in the making. Almonds and Walnuts can be substituted with other nuts too. Make some and start digging.

Ingredients
makes atleast 20

3 cups of raw nuts (I took 2 cups of almonds and 1 cup of walnuts)
3/4th cup of sugar
1.2 cup of water
some butter to grease the pan

How to do it

- Grind the nuts into a fine powder. Just make sure it doesn't turn into a paste.

- In a pan(preferably non-stick), combine sugar and the water and heat it to make a sugar syrup.

- Let it boil until it reaches a one string consistency.

-  Immediately pour into the pan with the grounded nuts and mix gently until well combined. Take a small amount and see if you are able to roll it into a soft ball. If you are, then it's ready. Otherwise, cook for a bit longer.

- When the right consistency is reached, remove from fire and pat into a greased (with butter or ghee) plate or tray.

- Once it cools, cut into desired shape

Note -  To check if the sugar syrup is  ready, take a small amount of the sugar syrup on the back of a spoon, take a bit with your finger tip and check between the index finger and thumb. If the sugar syrup is sticky and extends into a string, it's done!

DOUBLE TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

I have never tasted Italian until I came to US. I wasn't impressed at first. But later, I realized Italian cuisine has a flair of its own. And now, Italian and Indian go side by side in my kitchen. 

I recently bought a jar of julienne cut sun dried tomatoes and a french baguette and wanted to use both. This recipe from allreceipes.com caught my attention. This is the usual Bruschetta with a twist..yes! the twist is the sun dried tomato.I made some changes to the recipe and it turned out yummy every single time. Let me know how it turned out for you :)

Ingredients

Makes 12 slices

2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon pesto sauce ( I din't have fresh basil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 French baguette

A handul of shredded Mozzarella chesse

How to make it

- Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

- In a bowl, combine tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and pesto sauce 

- Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

- Cut the baguette(for about 12 slices) into 3/4-inch slices 

- On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. 

- Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

- Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slice with mozzarella cheese.

- Broil until the cheese is melted.

Take it out and enjoy.

PASTA CASSEROLE

Baking fascinates me. I am often tempted to attempt it. I have had my bad days. But there are some days when it turns out to be real good. This is one such. Though this recipe doesn't involve too much of oven time and doesn't come under 'baking', I still it call it the same. I am grateful to Gayathri for introducing me to this, a good friend who is also like a sister to me.

I have done lots of experiment with the ingredients and this one is always a

 

classic. If you are looking for mouth watering, irresistible dish, this is the one.

Ingredients              

serves 2

1/2 a box of Pasta of your Choice (but not the noodle ones)
1 tsp Olive oil
2 cloves of Garlic, crushed and minced
1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
2 green chillies (adjust according to your spice level)
A bowl of Chopped Cauliflowers, Brocolli, Carrots, Brussel sprouts 
(You can always change the choice of veggies. Go wild on that!)
1 Jar of pasta sauce of your choice ( I used garden vegetables)
2 tsp of Mccormick Garlic pepper grinder (This one is real good)

(if not)

2 tsp of grounded black pepper, ,red chilli flakes, a little bit of Oregano leaves
salt to taste (I usually don't add salt as pasta sauce already has it)
3 handful of shredded cheese of your choice for topping(I used American, Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar and Mozzarella)
Some bread crumbs 

How to make it

- Boil desired amount of Pasta according to package instructions. I usually boil around 1/3rd and add a lot of veggies for two people.

- Heat the pan and add oil. Add chopped Garlic and chillies and saute. Add onions and wait till they get translucent. Add Pepper and chilli flakes and add the chopped veggies. Let it cook but be careful not to burn them.

- Add pasta sauce adequate enough for both veggies and the boiled pasta and cook it covered until the raw smell goes off.

- Drain the boiled pasta and add it to the sauce and mix them well.

- Take a 8x10inch pan and fill them with these. Top them with shredded cheese and bread crumbs.

- Place it in an pre-heated oven at 425 F for about 20 minutes.

- Broil it for 2-3 mins. Here is a step-by-step photo of how to make.

FETTUCCINE PASTA

This recipe is inspired by Carabba's Italian grill's Pasta Sostanza. Srik and I are big time foodies and we loved this entree. I wanted to try this for a very long time and of course I did some variations. Here is the recipe. Try it and let me know. I am sure it will be a hit.

Ingredients

serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used California estate oil by Trader joe's)

2 tsp of pine nuts
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
8 mushrooms, diced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 tsp of pesto sauce(I used Trader joe's)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

How to make it

- Boil Fettuccine(as needed) in salted water according to packaged instructions.

- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil and add garlic, pine nuts and saute.

Add the chopped tomatoes stirring frequently. When its done, add the salt and pepper to taste.  Add pesto sauce and blend it with the tomato sauce.

- As pasta is cooking, add chopped mushrooms and chopped drained artichoke hearts. When done, drain pasta and add the cooked veggies mixing to sufficiently coat.Transfer to plate or pasta bowl.  Sprinkle Italian bread crumbs and 1 tsp of olive oil(optional) prior to serving.