Lasagne with vegetables and cheese

Valentine's days special dinner.  The goodness of fresh vegetables and cheese and mild herbs. 

Lasagne with vegetables and cheese

Ingredients

Lasagne sheets 10
Zucchini 1
Carrot 2
Beans 10
Mushroom 20 no's.
Broccoli 1 cup florets
Herbs like oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, basil a pinch of each.
Pasta sauce 1 1/2 cup
Cheese 8 slices
Be careful with salt. If required add a little. As cheese and sauce is added with salt.

Method of Preparation

Wash peel and chop all vegetables.

In a large bowl of hot water boil lasagne sheets for about 7 minutes. Drain water spread the half of the sheets in baking tray. 

In a heated pan pour olive oil saute vegetables like beans and carrot at first followed by rest of the vegetables.  Once soft add pasta sauce. Let it cook for a while. Now spread the vegetables on top of the spread sheets. Cover it with left over lasagne sheets. 

Garnish with cheese slices. Spread the herbs and on a pre heated oven 215 degree bake for about 20 minutes. Remove, cut into square and serve hot.

Avarakkai Poduthuval

Avarakkai poduthuval

Ingredients

Avarakkai - 1/4 kg
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Red chiili - 1 broken
Salt as per your taste.

Method of preparation

Was trim and slit avarakkai into thin slices. In a heated kadai pour oil add mustard, urad dhal and red chilli. Let mustard crackle. Now add chopped avarakkai. Mix well in high flame allow it to cook. Don't put the lid as the avarakkai lose its fresh jade green color. Add salt and cook till soft. Serve hot with rice or phulkas.

Variation. You can add grated coconut and one green chill. 

Minestrone Soup with vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

1 Carrot
1 Radish
10 Long Beans
1 Corn cob(preferably American Corn)/frozen corn kernels
100g pasta
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Tomatoes
1 Capsicum
1 Potato
Water
Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

According to your taste:

Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Oregano
Fresh Basil

Mwthod

*Dice the carrots, radish and capsicum and potato into cubes

*Cut the long beans horizontally (about 5mm)

*In a pot, boil the pasta until cooked, and strain out the water. keep it aside.

*Cut the cob length-wise, so as to obtain corn kernels.

*Chop the tomatoes, and blend them, to form a paste. It should not be too runny.

*In a saucepan, put in tomato paste, and the FRESH tomato paste. 

*Add water. Do not be hasty about the amount, because on heating it will slowly reduce.

*When it starts to boil, take it off heat, and add the spices, according to your preference. 

*Leave it to cool, and heat it again. It will reduce some more.

*In another pan, put about 1 tbsp of olive oil, and add in the vegetables, and a few basil leaves.

* Do not add the capsicum. Add about 1 cup of water, and half a tbsp of butter and cover the pan with a lid. allow the vegetables to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until cooked. Add the spices into this too.

*Into the Tomato reduction, add the other half of the tbsp of butter. Keep it aside.

*In a third pan, Pour in a tbsp of olive oil and toss in the pasta. add in spices again. 

*It seems like a lot, but you must remember each of the three(tomato reduction, vegetables and pasta) individually have a minimal amount. 

*After the pasta is well coated, keep it aside.

*By now, your vegetables would probably be cooked. Add in the chopped capsicum and stir for about a minute. 

*Put the tomato soup back on heat, and into it add the vegetables(there will be some leftover stock,you can add this in the soup too, or you can keep it for future use.) and the pasta. 

*Garnish it with Parmesan and chopped Basil.

*Stir the mixture for about 2 minutes, take it off heat and serve hot.

TIPS:

*You can add an onion if you like. Make sure you caramelize it first, though.

*It's better to keep tasting, so that you can check the balance of the spices.

Whole wheat dosa with green chutney

Whole wheat dosa and green chutney

Ingredients

Whole wheat - 1/4 kg

green chilli - 1

Ginger - 1 small piece

crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp

Method of Preparation

Wash and soak whole wheat for about 6 hours. Grind to a coarse paste by adding green chilli, ginger, pepper and salt. You can leave it for 2 hours to ferment.

Place a dosa tawa heat it and clean it with a kitchen napkin. Pour a little oil and spread it on the taa before you start making dosa. Place a ladleful of wheat dosa batter and spread it like dosa. You will find it forms plenty of holes. Allow the dosa to cook well till its crispy and golden brown. Turn the other side pour a little gingely/sesame oil  and cook till done. Its should be crispy and golden brown. Remove from the tawa serve hot with green chutney.

Rice paper spring roll

Rice paper spring roll. 



Its the simplest roll which you can make as evening snack for children.

Its can be made as a starter for party. 

Ingredients

Rice paper - one packet
Cabbage - 1/4 piece
Spring onion - a small bunch
Carrot - 1

Method of preparation

Soak individual rice paper in water for 30 seconds. Remove from water allow it to become soft.

Grate cabbage and carrot. Chop spring onion. Crush pepper.

Pour a little gingly oil and saute cabbage and carrot. Add salt pepper and spring onion. Mix well. Allow vegetables to cook. Scoop one spoon and fill in the rice paper. Cover it from by folding from all four sides.
Continue doing till you finish the rice paper and the stuffing.
In a non stick pan pour a little gingly oil and heat the pan. Carefully place about 10 rolls. Allow it to roast for a while. Turn the other way. Roast the rest. Serve hot with chilli sauce.

Sweet Potato Fry

A quick healthy after school snack.

Sweet Potato fry

Ingredients

Sweet potato - 1 large
Rosemary - 1 spring
Garlic - 2 pod
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt as required
Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method of preparation

Wash peel and slice sweet potato into thin long pieces. Peel and slit garlic. Break rosemary into two pieces.
In a heated non stick pan pour olive oil and gently place sweet potato slices. Toss gently add salt, red chilli powder, rosemary pieces and garlic. Cook in medium flame till the sweet potato is cooked and turns into golden brown(roasted )

Serve with chilled tomato/cranberry juice

Mixed vegetable and Paneer curry for roti roll.

Mixed vegetable and Paneer curry for roti roll.

Ingredients

Mixed vegetables - 2 cups 
(onion, carrot, capsicum, tomato and sweet corn)
Green chilli - 2
Ginger - a small piece finely chopped
Coriander leaves - 1/2 tsp
Fresh Paneer -300 grams ( I bought from Anand)
Salt as required
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Chat Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp.

Method of preparation

In a heated pan pour oil add Jeera. Let it splutter. Add onion green chilli ginger saute for a while. Add carrot, corn, capsicum, tomato. Mix well. Allow vegetables to cook. Once all vegetables are cooked add chopped Paneer. Add salt and dry Masala. Mix well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Stuff it in roti rolls or Serve hot with phulkas.