Ricotta Cheese Fritters or Eggs in a nest?

Remember the two angels from this post? Everytime they come to my place, something special always seem to happen and this time was no exception. It was rainy, day was gloomy and the kids got hungry. They asked me to make some thing with cheese - "I luv jeeze - lotta jeez" said the little one. Her mother informed me that although she has just started making sentences, she can ask for cheese (jeez, i.e) very well and thats the first thing she ever said!:) Adorable! I had some Ricotta cheese waiting to be used, a little slab of Parmesan and was wondering what I could make for them when it happened!!!



Last time they had visited us, there was a bird's nest right outside our house, on the porch light where we could see all the eggs. It was right where we could sit in our living room and check them out. It had 4 eggs, brown and cute. The kids spent hours last time (I had to lift them every 5 minutes to let them check if they have hatched or not! My hands were paining like crazy at the end of the day! Oh well that's a topic for another day!) The eggs dint hatch that day although they did 2 days later and I went on to see little ones being hatched, open their sweet beaks to get food from mama bird, take their first flight and then leave the nest for ever! Capturing them in photo was really hard given that they were so close. The smart mama bird seemed to have tought them well..the minute the little ones see us watching, they will lie down subdued but the minute we hide or go away from their line of sight they will start chirping like crazy :) It was funny indeed!



So when the little ones came this time and found the nest empty with only Bird droppings inside, the little one started crying. She wanted to see the eggs. I was amazed how she rememberd this after all this while. Thats when I told them that we would make our own eggs and put them in our own nest - clean one and not filled with droppings.

I also told them, these will be delicious looking ones and which they can eat too :) :) So here are my eggs and nests

Ingredients


• Approx 2 cups of Part skim ricotta cheese
  
  
• About 4 whole grain stale bread slices
  
  
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (optional. You can use the whole grain bread crumbs instead)
  
  
• 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
  
  
• few sprigs of cilnatro/parsley
  
  
• salt to taste
  
  
• few tbsp of italian seasoned Bread crumbs for coating
  

Method

Grind the bread slices to make fresh bread crumbs. This should make approximately 2 cups.



Add all the ingredients together.



It will come together into one dough



Make small balls out of it and then coat it with bread crumbs



Drop them in a hot oil



and fry them until golden brown



Serve warm, as they are or with ketchup.



I used cilantro leaves to make the nest and placed these goodies in the middle.



Which of these final photos should I send to Click ? One of the two in the top of this page or one of the two at the bottom? Can you help me decide?

Update: Thanks Guyz. I have decided to send the second last snap for the event.

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Sending these over to Trupti's MBP : Kids event. This recipe has been inspired by Amy Savoury Ricotta Fritters post

Sending the snap to Jugalbandi's Click : Tofu/Cheese Event

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Ricotta and Fontina Pizza for Pizza Challenge at Daring Bakers

I have had my share of making Pizzas from scratch, but I have to say that I never dared to do the "toss and flip" method EVER! Why? Cos I knew that mine will be more "Toss and Flop" than anything else! :) But well , being a part of Daring Bakers, how could I have even imagined for a minute that I would be allowed to go scot free and be self contented with a simple roll and bake method! And so of course Rosa at Yummy Yums sprung this months challenge which was - to my surprise - PIZZA! and WE HAD TO TOSS! Oh well, I have to say special thanks to her, cos I did try and I was not as miserable as I thought I would be. Yes - there were casualities, but all in all, with a "delicate womanly" toss, I managed to retain most of the shape and did not "wear and tear" out the dough!





We had to use both sauce and toppings - so I used a home made Oregano Tomato sauce with mixed mushroom, Ricotta and Fontina topping and it was absolute heaven. So without further delay, here's the ingredients.

• 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled - FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum
  
  
• 1 3/4 Tsp Salt
  
  
• 1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp
  
  
• 1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)
  
  
• 1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)
  
  
• 1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup
  
  
• Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting
  

Method

1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.
The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas). [ I cut it into 4 pieces ]

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.


7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8. FOR GF: On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C).

NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.


Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.
During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping.
In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.
You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.

13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.

If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.

14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Say Cheese to a healthy 4 cheese Baked Pasta Shells

This girl chewed my brains out, threatened me, argued endlessly to make me take part in this particular event. Me - being as strong and level headed that I am - I remained steadfast. Hmph! What did you think ? As if I could give in easily ..mmm... But cunning girl from that special corner very sweetly said - Ok Ok dont take part - I am going to go ahead and announce the theme "Cheese". Ha ha - as if that would make me succumb to that bait.



(cough) (cough) Darn! This girl knows me so damn well...anyways she sure knows to make me do things which I would make a face that would not improve with any makeover - even as seemingly good as this. Siri - U owe me girl ( Oh well why so much for the event - u ask? Thats a secret thats going to die a brutal death between her and me! But I sure made u curious dint I ? ;-))

I had about 3/4 cup of cottage cheese left in my fridge for a while and I dint want to test its patience anymore from not going yellow, so was thinking of what to do with it and googled for something simple and quick for dinner when I chanced upon this recipe for Lasagna which used Cottage cheese. I was like yeah, why not and decided for pasta then and there. But there is only one hitch. Its hard - no make it almost impossible for me to stick to a recipe verbatim. Do you have this problem too? I consider myself the "customization queen" :) :)- so made some changes to incorporate my needs - High Protein, Less Fat, Healthy But Simple and Fast! And the following is what I ended up making.

Ingredients
1 pkt Jumbo Pasta Shells ( use about 10-15 shells for 2 ppl)
1 1/2 cup home made Marinara sauce ( or go for store bought like Prego!)
2-3 tsp approx Italian seasoning, as per taste ( Its a mix of dried herbs like Marjoram,Basil,thyme,rosemary etc)
3/4 cup of Cottage Cheese, low fat (less fat, more protein.)
1 cup Ricotta cheese, low fat
1 cup Mozzarella, grated, part skim
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
handful of cilantro/Parsley, chopped
1 onion,chopped finely
2-3 garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.Cook the Pasta shells in large pot, so that they dont stick to each other. Cook only for about 10min till slightly soft since it would cook more in the Oven.Drain.



2.In a skillet, cook the onions and garlic in 1 tsp of Olive oil and then add the marinara sauce.



Add seasoning and the salt/pepper if needed. bring to a boil.



3.Mix the 4 cheeses along with cilantro/parsley.



4.Spray non stick oil spray in a shallow baking pan and ladle some of the sauce at the bottom. Now pipe the cheese mixture into the jumbo shells one by one and place in the pan. Once done, pour rest of the marinara on top.



5.Bake at 350F for about 15-20min and serve hot.



This goes off to my dear Siri for her MBP : Cheese Event :) Say Cheese along with me will you :) :)

A.W.E.D - Italiano Menu Please ......

I asked for an Italian Menu and you guyz delivered like a PRO! Or should I say like a Chef! It would really take experts to find out that many of you have actually made some Pasta or Pizza from scratch for only the first time since the presentation and the way you showcased the recipe looks too good.



Like last time, I tried out few of your recipes and bookmarked few more. The taste, the creativity and the combinations that the Menu sees here is fantabulous to say the least. And with such masters in the kitchen, I have decided to call each of you as a Chef, why not, since the masterpieces that you bring out of the kitchen makes you a chef in your own right for your household. And here I present the AWED - Italiano Menu and in this restaurants you will find the creations of many chef's with their specialities in full display. Decide for yourself - what you would want to order? :)

Appetizers



1. Chef Madhavi will soon to be known to all of you as a true blue Italian Chef. Why so? Let her dishes all over this round up speak for her. I will just concentrate now on her yummy looking Garbanzo and Zucchini soup. This for one will not only warm me up but as the chef says will also be perfect while watching out for my fav. tv shows.

2.Chef Madhavi comes back once again with her Navy bean and pasta soup -It has protein and delicious written all over it. Nothing which could stop all of us from trying some soon.

3.Chef Madhavi still holding your attention with her v rich looking roasted tomato and red bell pepper soup. Its no wonder about that beautiful red color. She shares that this goes very well with panini's , grilled cheese sandwich and with parathas. I am sure it will.

4.Chef Curry Leaf brings out a beautiful appetizer from her kitchen with Crostata which she has adapted from a Giada's recipe. Usually it is made with fruit stuffing but she went ahead and filled with assortment of vegetables to make a very appetizing looking bites.

5.Chef Uma presents her cant-fail recipe of Italian tomato and basil soup. I mean with a combo as this, what could possibly go wrong?

6.Chef Karuna tempted me totally with her Tortellini pasta soup with blue cheese! aaah! That's a fast ticket to feeling heavenly without leaving anywhere! And while there don't forget to check out her garlic bread too. And one more thing - I have special request to Karuna to continue her Costco expeditions since the creativity that's oozing out of her thanks to that, is mind boggling. Her "effort" will be totally "worth" it for "all of us" ! what say ;-)

7.Chef Roma displays her v attractive looking Gnocchi and who doesn't like these "lumps". I for one can never get bored of them and the variations are endless. If you haven't tried making one , then take her ideas and start one right away.

8.Chef PJ makes the Italian version of the French soup with her Umbrian Cipollata. Though she feels that she couldn't serve her soup on a bread, she used it by way of a dip. All said and done , it looks so rich and scrummy

9.Chef notyet100 gives us a wonderful platter filled with hearty appetizers starting from her creamy Potato and garlic soup along with Panzenella and Tomato and Cheese Crostini. With such a plate on a Sunday, what more can one ask for?



10.Chef Vani makes a rich Button Mushroom soup served with some croutons/garlic bread. This recipe has earned her some v good grades with her husband and am sure we will too when we try it in our own kitchens too :)

11. Thats Yours truly with a Basil and Parmesan grissini and this is one breadstick which you wouldnt want to miss.


Side-Dishes





1. Chef Curry Leaf tempts you with an Italian classic - Eggplant Parmigiana tossed and baked in marinara sauce, basil leaves , Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Note the word "Baked".

2.Chef Curry Leaf takes the lead yet again with her Eggplant Pizza. you ask what a Pizza doing in the Side-dish section. ? You have to check out her ingenuity at this dish which would make even eggplant haters take a bite out of this.

3.Chef Simran brings out a knock out. Potatoes cooked with a delicious Balsamic dressing which is such a delight to the taste buds. I adapted her recipe a wee bit and it was a total hit at my place recently. This is one "must-try" recipe.


Pizzas/Breads




1. Chef Divya presents an flat crust pizza with a colorful topping of gooey Mozzarella Cheese, Onions, green peppers and black olives enriching the tomato sauce.

2. Chef Notyet100 takes a complete different take on a pizza topping with very unique ingredients ranging from Coriander chutney, Home made ricotta cheese with Tobasco sauce. Was the taste unique too? That's for you to find out :) Check her recipe card and chk it out yourself

3.Chef Ranji will take you to heaven with her Calzones. It has paneer as its stuffing. Do I need to even say anything more. Check out her kitchen for the recipe card and indulge yourself.

4.Chef Madhavi brings out an appetizing looking "Spicy Tomato and Olive Focaccia Bread". Focaccia is an all time Italian favorite and this one from her kitchen looks like a winner all the way.

5.Chef Aparna tempts even the most strict dieters with her Onion-Paneer Calzone. This paneer stuffing is so tempting and that which forced me to try. A toss up between Chef Aparna's and Chef Ranji and the result is showing in my weighing scale! :)

6.Chef Saroja will make even the most newbies to venture out to make Pizzas from scratch. Along with her husband (who's supposed to have done the man's work;-)) bring about a very beautiful looking Pizza and she also furnishes a link to make your perfect pizza dough.

7.Chef Richa goes all the way when she says "home made". Her grilled Vegetable Panini had fresh vegetables right from her garden and coriander walnut pesto.Yummmmm..Do I need to talk more? I cant seem to with all this salivating that's going on at my end!

8.Chef Bhags could make anyone venture into bread making. Her step by step visual treat is only too enticing and her Panmarino was completely new to me. Its seemed little like Potato bread to me and I sat around to make small dinner rolls instead of loaves. The taste was mind blowing and this recipe is not to be missed.

9.Chef Liv2Cook reasserts about the lengths mothers go for their Kids. Her little one inspired her to try out Pizza al tegame and this is one recipe where you wouldn't have to think about not having a Oven. This is Oven free recipe and has come out looking as good as Oven made. That's one recipe that made not only her little one happy since am sure there are many of us out here to jump that bandwagon along with him too.

10.Chef Arundathi takes the concept of 'Tried and Tested" to a whole new level. I mean what can be more reliable than something which has undergone utmost scrutiny for straight 15 days! You can do a blindfold and bookmark this recipe and make it at home. I know I did ( though had to remove my blindfold when I actually started making the pizza !;-)) and its super duper yummy.

11.Chef Cooking Station is another mother who got inspired to try out pizzas at home by her little one. Pizza is a very creative dish - meaning that the scope that it provides by way of topping is simple amazing and she proves just that by topping her Pizza with vegetables and pineapple.

12.Chef Curry leaf brings out her Italian Grinder - No i am not talking about pepper grinder but a type of sub/sandwich which is prominent in Italy too just like subways are in US. She stuffs these with some wonderful assortment of vegetables and cheese and pic is yummy enough to make a full person go hungry again.



13. Chef Kamala will make you drool right in front of your computer screens with her Cheesy Pizza. It is as simple and yummy as it can get. :)

14.Chef Vaishali reminds me of one Ad for Chips where they say that you can just stop at one. Vaishali promises that you wont stop at one when it comes to her Basil Pizza, freshly home made and the good news is its V E G A N. Yes you heard me right - No Cheese ! Yeh!

15.Chef Cham never fails to make me drool at her pics and her Naanini only re-confirmed that fact. This is simply so innovative making use of Naan bread to make the Panini and that stuffing is totally mouth watering to say the least. Another one of my bookmarked recipes.

16.Chef Madhumathi will make you salivate with her authentic Italian thin crust pizza. The topping and the crust look so drool worthy. Her step-by-step instructions also make it very easy to follow for first timers.

17. Chef PJ presents us with her beautiful Bruschetta which is so simple to make and that one can make it in a matter of minutes .Looks very appetizing too.

18.Chef Notyet100 not only make a Veggie Pizza right in the middle of the night..( yes 12:00 AM!) but also had the time to take some pics of it. It was a good thing that she had her better half to prepare the topping for her Pizza which also has home made cottage cheese recipe in it. Colorful and rich which am sure made for a wonderful snack late night.

Pastas




1. Chef Divya showcases a Sicilian favorite - Spaghetti with Eggplant, Tomato and Cheese sauce. Cant go wrong in there.

2.Chef Curry Leaf uses the magic ingredient which cant help but be a hit everywhere. What's that magic ingredient? Cheese of course! Her cheesy pasta looks so delicious enough to be grabbed right from the screen.

3..Chef Madhavi brings out a super duper dish - i mean what else can I say when you have a linguine cooked with toasted bread crumbs, almonds and dry cranberries? There is no talk whatsoever of the usual marinara sauce here but instead of variety of unique ingredients combined with dry herbs. The result = an aromatic and appetizing bowl.

4. Chef Madhavi presents another dish worth taking the drool trip. I personally was not acquainted with mint oil and this is so new combined with Tortellini cooked along with beans. A very healthy and wealthy dish.

5..Chef Cham makes sure that you would never miss meat again. Her yummy spaghetti with soy balls is a keeper and worth making more often than not. Her pic is as drool worthy as the recipe.

6.Chef Pavani made my all time fav and also in such a way that the next time I make I wont completely feel bad for having gorged on it to no end. Her Mac and Cheese has spinach in it! Yeah! More reason for me to make it more often now ;-)

7.Chef Bhawana shows what little creativity can do to some dishes. Like her Lemony Spaghetti for instance. She turned her simple spaghetti noodles into a lemon rice..oopps, I mean lemon spaghetti ;-). She uses the same ingredients as for lemon rice and the results she assures is simple too good. One look at her pic and we know that we can believe :)

8.Chef Meera brings out her "cook healthy" theme in style. Her Oat Flax Linguine with a Basil and Almond Pesto speaks of everything that's healthy. That's one recipe to watch out for to get back into shape mode without depriving of anything delicious.

9.Chef Apu tries her hand at eggless cooking and bought out an utterly yummy looking Spinach and Ricotta Manicotti. It brims of health thanks to spinach and ricotta and also of creamy deliciousness.

10.Chef Sunita, the Spice Queen, is a delight to sore -oops - hungry eyes! Or should I say a pain to the hungry eyes - cos she sure will only make you more hungry with her pics! Oh my, you think I am being mean am I? Chk her snaps of the delicious looking Almond, Tomato and Bell Pepper Pesto and you will know what I am talking about - ( *growl* - there starts my hunger pangs again ) ;-)

11.Chef Sireesha has a beautiful Tomato Basil pasta for takes and she assures you that with the tomato and basil base you can bring about a zillion other ideas for new dishes. Now who doesn't want a zillion ideas?

12.Chef Arundati gives you that much needed know-how of making Pasta at home and with her instructions, it is as easy making it as it is eating it! And here I have to tell you, nothing beats out that satisfaction of having made fresh pasta right from scratch. I still remember the time I made my first ravioli and couldn't stop grinning for one whole week! It was something like winning an Olympic medal or something! Oh ok! Not that great - but something close ! :) What are you still waiting for? Hop over to her blog and start making right away!



13.Chef Aartee presents a very healthy and colorful looking Bowtie Pasta with Chickpeas which she says she had for Breakfast. Although I have never known anyone having Pasta for breakfast, her pic and the ease of the dish put my mind into rest about having it in the morning! So simple and convenient and healthy to boot too - so why not?:)

14.Chef Aartee also gives her recipe for Vegetable Pasta where she also adds Soy chunks making them more healthy and hearty.

15.Chef Mythreyee makes an elegant presentation of her Pasta made with pesto and home made Marinara Sauce. Her sauce looks very simple to make and looks as good as any store bought you could find. Time to bookmark - don't you think?

16.Chef Yasmeen presents us with a fragrant Mint and Cilantro Pesto Pasta. We know the aroma of cilantro and of mint - but them together! That's total bliss and it looks so heavenly. It tastes heavenly too, it did when I tried my hand at it during the past month.

17.Chef Mints gives you a wonderful and simple recipe for Pasta sauce which was shared by her classmate. She has Marathi based website and am sure is going to be a wonderful place for Maharashtrians.

18.Chef Mansi assures you that with her Cheese Ravioli enriched by Tomato, Basil and Cream Sauce , you will never miss the restaurant anymore and from the looks of it, I am sure of that too :)

19.Chef Renuka made a very beautiful presentation with her Creamy Pasta pie. I never made anything like this before and am sure this would make a great center piece for party dinners.

20.Chef Jaya gives us a Penne Pasta with stir fried cabbage. I have never used cabbage with my pasta and this was so new to me.

21.Chef Madhumati makes us a very delicious looking Penne in Alfredo sauce. Don't we all know what that means to our taste buds? A quick trip to heaven and back.! Delicious.

22.Chef Srimathi combines very fresh and beautiful looking cherry tomatoes and Whole wheat Pasta to whip up a smart and healthy Italian dish which is not only good for the taste buds but also for the health.

23.Chef Srimathi gives us another of her healthy and wealthy dish - this time she makes a fruity and green salad - some crusty Omega 3 rich bread served along with a delicious Brown Rice spaghetti pasta cooked in sun dried tomatoes, garlic and pine nuts. With a spread as such, what else do we need?

24.Chef Meera gives you the answer to all the meat lover folks out there with a perfect fix which will satisfy your taste buds without missing your meat. How so? Check out her Ground Beef Ricotta Pesto Lasagna and you will know exactly what I mean.



25.Chef Sripriya presents us with a myriad variety of vegetables for her Lasagna and cooks it with some tomato and white sauce with a topping of Parmesan and Grueyre Cheese! With such ingredients how can it go wrong?

26.Chef Hima adds her unique touch to Pasta with her Almond, Sun Dried Tomato and Cilantro Pesto. The Pesto sounds so classy and rich and am sure that it would have made such a tasty addition to her Angel hair Pasta. Bookmarked.

27.Chef Jaya blows my mind away with her Pasta, Mango and Pomegranate Salad with a sprinkling of pine nuts. Wasn't this so creative. I never thought of putting these ingredients together. I cant wait to give it a try.

28.Chef Lubna Karim gives us her very simple yet colorful recipe of Penne Pasta cooked with home made Tomato and Basil sauce. And she also shares her *tip* of making this dish even more yummy with her "secret" ingredient.:)

29.Chef Priti combines the unbeatable combo of eggplant and pasta - with her Fusilli Eggplant recipe adding a touch of fragrant rosemary topped with mozzarella cheese. Yum!

30.Chef Namratha donned the apron to bring out a gemilli pasta cooked with basil and walnut pesto. I have a special place for pesto with its wonderful and aromatic flavor and I love this unique combo of basil with walnuts only more - if that's even possible.


Rice




1. Chef Madhavi presents a true Italian gourmet food - Her Peas and Red wine Risotto would be a center piece in any party flavor.

2. Chef Madhavi back again with her Orzo pasta salad. Orzo is also called as Italian rice and thus I have grouped this delicious looking salad in this section. She promises this to be low calorie and when low calorie is combined with tasty then we know that we have a winner in our hands.

3.Chef Jugalbandits as always continue to stun and leave me spell bound with their antics - be it in their Kitchen/Garden or when they are busy deliberating the pros and cons of the way of the world. I mean what can say about something like Parsnip and Rosemary Risotto. No not the name but the way it is cooked and the Black rice substituted for what you would have concluded as Arborio when you see the picture and the title. I for now never knew that Black rice would come out looking as creamy as it does in their pic. If you are as fascinated, then time to bookmark and check that out in your own kitchen!

4.Chef Siri breathes down her roomie's neck to check out her healthy and wealthy Orzo with pasta sauce and also gives you *tips* which I am forced to tell you will not reflect on her slender structure ( not even a teeny weeny ounce) while it would do so "largely" on some ppl like me even if all I am doing is just sniffing at it.

Snacks




1. Chef Divya would have sure brought in neighbors the day she made these Chocolate and Anise biscotti's. Who doesn't like biscotti and this one made with chocolate chips and star anise would give anyone their run for their money's (in this case their effort's) worth.

2.Chef Madhuram needs no introduction. Her myriad egg less recipe has been grabbing attention of so many for so long and when she makes something like Italian Cookies which is made of gooey chocolate which instead of being just chewy would surprise you also with delicious crunch , thanks to those nuts, would only make you sit up more and take notice.

3.Chef Dee gives us a killer recipe. Her Basil fritters impressed me so much that I made them almost as soon as I saw them and this is one innovative recipe that's going into my recipe diary.

4.Chef Usha really intrigued me with her Tuscan mushrooms. They sounded so different and new that I knew I had to try them. The recipe is a must try. I loved it. Give it a chance - u might like it too.

5.Chef Liv2cook gives us her "Suppli" which most probably, like me, you never heard of. With such a name, she made me sit up and also take notice to that wonderful anecdote in the beginning of the post which is a must read. As with the story is also baked rice balls which is sure going to be enjoyed by all. Another one of those in my "made and enjoyed" lists.

6.Chef Madhu baking repertoire is on a hi-speed race. This time its the very well known and most soughted Almond Biscottis and its Eggless! of course. They look too good and the lack of egg does not seem to have harmed the looks of this recipe.

Desserts




1.Chef Aparna gives you a total party winner and something which is good for us too. Her watermelon Granita looks so refreshing and yum!

2. Chef Bhagyashri informs that she has Meeta as her inspiration to try out her Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta and once you get to see her pic, you will realize that you would want to in turn get inspired to try this dessert pronto. Yum!

Hope you liked the Menu. Confused what first to order right? It was bound to happen.:) I have tried my level best to include each one of your lovely recipes and if at all, I have skipped yours, it was an unfortunate and unintentional mistake. Pls do let me know and I will rectify it Pronto.

Basil and Parmesan Grissini

Grissini are Italian Breadsticks. They are usually thin and long individual pieces of dry bread and are often used as an accompaniment to many Italian meals. It has been said to have originated from Turin and are still famous there. The recipe is v simple using basic flour and yeast combo. Mostly leftover Pizza dough can be used to make Grissini.



Although usually Grissini are very thin, I wanted to make it little thicker - more meat the better ;-). You can shape your grissini's any way you prefer - stright or twisted. I went for more a rustic look and there's a story behind it.

( a little flashback)
As soon as I was married, I was all enthu to try my hands at cooking. We had some relatives coming over and thought why not prove my cooking 'prowess' and prepared elaborate courses and this Grissini was an accompaniment to my soup. I took great pains to make it just right and as Italians would say "perfetto". Came guests and ate with gusto and also asked me from where I got the Grissini from. I said with a broad million dollar smile - "Home Made". She gave me back a too understanding a smile and was like - ok ok stop kidding. Tell me which bakery? Do you get in normal grocery stores here? Have to buy this. (slap) (slap) Realisation really hit me hard! She dint believe me until the end and till date probably thinks that I had lots of help from "outside" to prepare the meal....!!!

So next time you know you have "such" relatives coming, save yourself all the trouble, make stuff like Breadsticks little rustic looking and not "store" bought! The effort is not worth it - me thinks! :) :) This recipe was influenced by Pizza dough made with Basil and Parmesan by an acquaintance and I liked the taste to try the same in Grissini.

Ingrediants
1 packet active dried yeast ( 1 packt will have approx 2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh Basil
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
2 tsp salt

Method

1.PLace the yeast, sugar and water together in a bowl adn set aside till frothy - takes approx 5-8min. Then sift the flour and salt into a bowl and stir in the yeast mixture along with olive oil.



2.Knead well into a pliable dough.



3.Roll it out on a floured surface and knead for 10min. It should be soft and elastic.



4.Roll out into a circle and fill in the center with chopped Basil and Parmesan. Can add some minced garlic too.



5.Bring the ends up, close the filling and knead well till the filling is well incorporated all over the dough.

6.Place in a well oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. It will double in size.



8. Now take the dough into 12 pieces. If you want it very thin, then it will yeild approx 25 pieces. Now roll each of the pieces into a long stick about 12 inches long. Place on a greased baking sheet and top it off with more parmesan or chilli flakes.



9. Bake for 15-20min or until golden in a preheated Oven to 400F.



I served my grissini with Mint and Peas soup. The creaminess of the soup complimented the crunchy yet bready grissini very well.


Off goes this to Dee's Herb Mania : Basil and to my own event AWED : Italian


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The deadline for AWED : Italian is coming 15th, so if you have been meaning to make that bookmarked Italian dish or thinking of getting creative and wild with the theme, then its now time to get it done in a jiffy.

Mushrooms and Grilled Zucchini Panino

I came across this recipe in a vegetarian book ( at Barnes and Nobles) and fell in love with it immedietly. If you like sandwiches or are a fan of Subway, then you will surely like this one. This panino is simple and v filling. A good one esp when going for picnics or for easy/healthy lunch boxes.



Serve it cold, serve it hot - it will be your fav whichever way.

Ingredients

• 1 country syle loaf
  
  
• 3 zucchini, sliced into thin slices, lengthwise
  
  
• 2-3 cups of cremini mushrooms
  
  
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  
  
• 1 tsp dried oregano
  
  
• 3 tbps pesto ( you can even use green chutney ( made of mint,coriander, onions, chillies and lemon juice)
  
  
• slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese
  
  
• 2 cups salad greens
  
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Method

1.Slice the top third of the loaf and remove the inside of both the lid and base, leaving a thickness of about 1/2 inch around the edge. ( I used these left over breads to make Upma along with normal bread. No wastages)



2. Grill the zucchini and set aside.



You can grill mushrooms too if you want. Or you can simply saute them for a while in a non stick pan with little olive oil, garlic and oregano.



3.Arrange half of Zucchini in the base of the loaf, spread with little pesto ( or green chutney). Top it with half cheese slices and salad greens and all the mushroom mixture.



4.Add one more layer each of the remaining cheese , salad greens and Zucchini.



5.Press the lid down gently on top, wrap in plastic wrap and leave to chill. If you like it warm, set it in the oven for 5-10min in 350F till the cheese slowly melts.Cut into wedges and serve.



This is my entry to Anupama's Sandwich festival

Reminder : Just two more days to go before you make your BOX selection for the ongoing contest. Am glad for those who cracked the riddle and it was good to know that you had fun...Take my word this is just a start.