Pita wrap

I used store bought lot of items to combine this together and have a quick bite for dinner. I made some cilantro kind of rice and crumbled one falafel into it also to give it a little notch up. I used the tzaziki sauce (home made - mid Yogurt/Curd, Salt, Lemon, grated cucumber), hot sauce(you can use any but I used the sri racha), and store bought falafels along with Hummas and made a little cucumer and tomato salad (Add finely chopped cucumbers, tomato, salt and coriander).

Heat up the pita slightly (toasting level). Then add the 1 scoop of rice in middle. Add cucumber and tomato salad. Add the falafels on top of it. Drizle the sauces on top (tzaziki and hot sauce). Roll and enjoy.

Noodles with peanut touch

 I loved the outside recipe from a store which I do not want to mention name. I got inspired from them, and started trying my own at home with linguine which I made it ready. So Linguine in peanut with little other ingredients I got the recipe and taste which I like. Adding a couple of veggies to make it healthy.

Ingredients
Onions - 1 chopped
Carrots - 2 grated
Brocolli florets - 1 cup
Peanuts - grinded (not total soft... but nutty flavor) - 1/4-1/2cup
Linguine - cooked as per instructions on box. (you can use other noodles also)
Oil - 2-3 tablespoons
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Soy sauce - 1 spoon
hot and sweet sauce - 2- 3 spoons (can adjust according to your taste)

Method of preparation

The recipe is simple. Cook the linguini or noodles according to the package instructions. drain it and make them ready. Take a pan and add oil to it. once oil is heated add cumin and then rest of the veggies. once the veggies are slightly cooked, add the soy sauce and hot and sweet sauce to it along with the noodles (linguine in this case). Add the peanut powder at this point so that the noodles have it mixed in between. serve it hot once done.

Pita pockets - Instant lunch

last week on Saturday my husband was insisting on eating something different. The previous day we got some nice falafel and pita pockets. I asked my husband to get some hummus and made these  nice tasting and quick lunch. You might need to buy some ingredients to make it but its healthy, tasty and nice variety to give it a try. So here goes the recipe which I tried.

Ingredients
Pita bread - makes 2 pita pockets with one full bread
Roasted red pepper hummus - (you can add your flavor of the hummus to it)
Cucumber
Tomato
Falafel (we bought the big falafel packet from costco. You can use your own or get different flavor)

Method of preparation

Pre-preparation
      - heat falafel in microwave as per the instructions
      - peel and chop cucumber and tomatos to small pieces
      - Cut the pita bread into two pieces.
Carefully open the pita bread in the middle and apply the hummus to it. In a bowl, smash the falafel, add chopped cucumber and tomatos. If you like you can add onions also. Stuff the mixture into the pita pockets. Do not overcrowd it.
Heat a tawa on medium flame. Put these pita pockets prepared and turn sides once the side becomes a little golden brown. This will give a nice feeling of having it hot. If you do not like eating hot, you can skip this step.

Hope you enjoyed the recipe.

Veggie Penne Pasta

Ingredients
Penne Pasta
Capsicum
Onion
Marinara Sauce
Olive oil

Method of preparation
1) Boil Penne pasta in a water as per the instructions on the pasta box. For me, I did

2) Take a kadai/wok. Add olive oil and then after it is warm, add chopped onions capsicum to it.

3) after a minute or two when you feel that they are cooked but they are stilled crunchy, add marinara sauce.

4) Boil it for few minutes or until it is heated.

5) Now add drained pasta to the above mixture. Adjust salt and red pepper flakes if needed.

6) Mix it properly and let it stand for a  minute or two and serve hot. While serving add some cheese on top if needed.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients
All purpose floor(Maida)
Corn Floor
Cauliflower(Gobi)
Onions
Ginger Garlic and Green Chilli Paste
Tomato Ketchup
Soy Sauce
Capsicum - chopped lengthwise(optional)
Garlic Slices (Optional)

Method of preparation
1. Make the cauliflower into small florets. put the florets in water and Microwave it, until they are half cooked.

2. Mix the all purpose floor, corn floor(very less quantity), Ginger Garlic and chilli paste and Salt in a bowl
(Note: More quantity of the corn floor makes it much crispy).

3. Make the above mixture a batter by adding water.

4.Heat Oil in a deep pan. Dip the Cauliflower in the above batter and deep fry until they are golden brown.



5. Take another vessel/pan. Put a small quantity of oil and let it heat.

6. Add the onions(long cut slices), capcicum(long cut slices),Garlic (long cut) and Chilli(long cut) and fry it for some time.



7. Add Soyasause and Tomato Ketchup to the above. Mix it well.




8. Add the Florets to the above, and toss. Garnish it with the Spring onions.

Tasty Gobi Manchurian is ready. Serve hot as appetizer along with your favourite red or green sause.

Burrito or Tacos

One of our friends were making it so took a quick memory recap and made at home. Its fast to make it at home too, if you have all the ingredients. We dont like the rice in burrito or tacos so I did not add it in my recipe but it can be added if desired.

Ingredients
Tortillas
Black beans
Shredded Cheese (We bought the Mexican Shredded Cheese)
Red Onion - 1
Tomato - 1 and 1/2
Avacados - 2
Guacamole Mix
Salsa (can make fresh salsa at home or buy it from store)
Jalepenos (dipped in vinegar, from store)
Rice (Optional)
Sour Cream (Optional)




Guacamole Preparation
1. Chop 1/2 of the onion into very small pieces. Chop one Tomato into small pieces.

2. Peel the Avacados and cut into small pieces. Make sure you dont include the inside big nut.

3. Add the chopped onions, avacado pieces and guacamole mix into a bowl and try to mash them. If you have a pestel, I would recommend to use it. Your Guacamole is ready.



Note: Avacados are very sensitive to feel or see but when you try to crush it, its not that easy :) So I would recommend make it very small pieces so that your life becomes easy for crushing it.

Method of Preparation
1. Fry the Tortialla on a pan for a less than a minute.

2. Take the tortilla in hand and put a spoon of black beans, Guacamole, Jalepenos (1 or 2 depending upon your spice level required), Salsa, some onions and tomato's in the middle of the tortilla. Also add sour Cream, and at the end add the shredded cheese. Wrap it up and have a bite.....

Will post the Fresh Mild Salsa preparation soon.

Pizza Margarita

Dont mistake by the name that it contains some kind of alcohol or anything. Pizza Margarita is the pizza name. I learned this from one of my cousin, Hema. The pictures are also from her Kichen. Thanks Hema for nice recipe.

Ingredients
To make crust
All Purpose Floor - Maida - 4-5 cups
Yeast - 1 packet
Sugar - 1 Table Spoon
Salt to Taste
Water - to make batter
Olive Oil - 3 Table Spoons

For Toppings (Topings can be varied according to your own taste)
Tomato Paste - Mandatory
Mozarella Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Onions
Tomatos
Green Peppers (Capsicum)
Yellow Peppers
Basil Leaves
Olives
Mushrooms
Jalepenos dipped in Vinegar

Method of Preparation
For Batter:

1. Add Yeast to 3/4 cup warm water. The water will bubble up a lot. Then add a table spoon of Sugar, Salt and 2 table spoons of Olive Oil.

2. Mix it well. Add the all purpose floor to the mix. Make sure it wont form lumps. Keep it covered with wet cloth or wet kichen towel(paper towel). Keep it in warm place like oven/Microwave so that the temparature is maintained at a contant level.

3. Keep the above until the batter doubles.

Pizza Preparation:
1. Take the pizza pan, apply butter to the surface and sprinkle the all purpose floor on the pan.

2. Spread the all purpose floor through out the pan and Dust it.

3. Keep the pan aside. Now take the batter on a flat surface. Spread all purpose floor and press it with hand or belan to make it round shape. It can also be made in any shape desired. press it to make thick or thin depending upon the type of pizza you desire.

4. Spread the flattenned batter (kind of big roti) on the pizza pan.


5. Take a little olive oil and apply it through out the surface of the pizza batter.

6. Spread the Tomato Paste. Add the sliced garlic, at this point if you want. Sprinkle Salt and pepper to taste.



7. Now arrange the green pepper, yellow pepper, onions, mushrooms, olives and basil on the pizza.



8. Now Spread the Mozarella and Cheddar cheese one by one.



9. Preheat the Oven to 400 degrees. Put the pizza pan inside the oven for 15 minutes(if it is medium sized pizza, add more minutes or till it is done for large pizza's).

10. Remove from the oven and serve hot.



Preparation Time: 15 minutes Baking time
+ 15 minutes preparation time
+ 15-60 minutes waiting time.
Category: Main Coarse
Servings: 4 persons

Variations:
1. Do not put normal Jalepenos from store as it will be too hot that you cannot eat it. Try using the Jalepenos dipped in Vinegar which will give us the same taste when we order from outside.

2. For Cheese Pizza you can avoid all the toppings except for Tomato Paste and Cheese.

3. If the Yeast is not active, the bubbles will not come when you add it to warm water. Sugar is food for yeast. So by adding sugar the yeast will still help batter to become double the quantity.

4. Fry onions in a very little Olive oil if it is yellow onions. Since Red Onions are sweet we dont need to do this procedure.