keeping a promise

And again, it’s been months since a published my last post! I don’t have any excuses other than simply being busy with life. Work definitely takes up most of my time and the rest goes juggling in between a kindergartner and all other things that come in between me and my blog. Weekends start off with lazying around and then before I know I’m back to the grind.

Nonetheless I have been cooking and clicking quite a few of my signature concoctions…

When I download the photos from my camera every now and then, I realize how much I love doing this. Yes, I’ve really missed blogging all these months. Now, I am going to make every effort to keeping a promise I have made to myself and that is to write at least 1 post every month.

That said, here’s the first concoction of 2013 – homemade juice!

Read on … »

food for my tot

My sweet babydoll, Nia, is growing up real fast. BabyCenter even classifies her now as a preschooler. While she is still in her very terrible two’s, I don’t have to cook special food for all the time! My budding foodie seems to be totally enjoying “big people’s food” these days. As much as I love watching her eat different dishes like parathas, curries, pizzas or even spicy Thai fried rice, I, sometimes, miss cooking her absolutely yummy “toddler” food

Join me as I take a trip down memory lane to last year when I would cook special food for my tot.

(The recipes posted here are for toddlers between the ages 12-24 months. Please note that some ingredients may not be suitable for your child. Use your discretion to substitute ingredients in the recipes below)

Khichadi/Pulav for Toddlers

(Rice & Split Peas with Vegetables)

Nia used to adore the mushy rice-daal-khichadi as a baby, but around 13-14 months, as she was developing her teeth, she wanted to try her hand (er, teeth) at chewing things. So, instead of grinding the rice and lentils, I started cooking them with some veggies and made a whole grain khichadi for her.

A good source of carbs, proteins, irons and vitamins, this nutritious khichadi is great for one or even two servings a day for your growing toddler!

: Tomato-Rice-Toor Daal Khichadi (Above) & Green Beans-Rice-Masoor Daal Pulav (Below)

Makes about 1½ packed cups of khichadi/pulav (about 2-3 servings depending on your toddler’s appetite)

¼ cup basmati rice

¼ cup daal of your choice (I have used Split Pigeon Peas i.e. Toor Daal in the first picture and Split Lentils i.e. Split Masoor Daal in the second picture above)

1 cup water

½ small tomato, diced (or 2-4 tbsp vegetables like chopped spinach, peas, corn or tiny chunks of potatoes, carrots, green beans, etc that are ok for your toddler)

¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

a pinch garam masala

salt

fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

½ tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Combine all the ingredients above and cook covered in a small stainless steel vessel placed inside a pressure cooker.

Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and bring the it to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.

Alternatively, you can cook the khichadi stove top over medium heat by combining all the ingredients in a small pot till everything is cooked and most of the water is absorbed.

After the pressure cooker cools down, remove the vessel and gently mix the cooked daal-rice khichadi to combine the vegetables that have settled on top.

Garnish with a few drops of ghee and feed your little one at a warm-cool temperature or let your toddler try and eat just like Nia!

Kiddie Crepes

(Savory Chickpea Flour Crepes)

Here’s a five-minute concoction that is perfect for toddlers-on-the-go! This is the Maharashtrian version of dosa or crepe and is called “dhirda” or “ghavan” in Marathi. We, Maharashtrians, have it for breakfast, snack or even for a meal along with chutney or pickle on the side.

A smooth batter of chickpea flour with minimal seasonings quickly turns into a thin and soft crepe that is ideal for toddlers learning to self feed. Try making one of these – for yourself or for your tot!

besan crepes

Makes 1 crepe, about 4-5″ in diameter

¼ cup chickpea (besan) /rice/wheat flour

¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

a pinch of red chilli powder/cayenne pepper (optional)

salt

fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped

water

oil or ghee (clarified butter)

Combine all the dry ingredients along with chopped cilantro in a bowl and whisk it into a smooth, silky batter by adding sufficient amount of water.

Dip a piece of kitchen paper in oil or ghee (clarified butter) and grease a small frying pan. Ladle a generous spoonful of batter into the pan. With a flick of the wrist swivel the pan in order to get a nice even covering all over the pan, about 1/8th inch thickness.

Cook on a medium-high heat and flip it over when you see the edge turning golden brown. Serve it with butter, ketchup, yogurt to your little one. (It’s great with chutney or pickle for adults)

*Add diced tomato, onion or chopped spinach, fenugreek leaves (methi) to the batter for variation.

Pasta with Vegetables in Light Butter Sauce

This is one of the dishes I created specially for my little one, but it’s so good that surprisingly even my other (BIG-)baby loved it! Colorful rotini pasta is cooked and stirred alongwith veggies which have been sautéed in a light butter sauce. I, specifically, did not use mini or short shaped pasta because as a toddler, my daughter seemed to crave foods that she could hold in her own hands and bite or chew off. It’s a quick and easy way to prepare good home-cooked food for your kid, packed with carbs, vitamins and those fat calories from butter, that kids don’t need to worry about at their age!

Makes about ½ cup serving

¼ cup pasta (rotini, elbow, penne)

water

¼ cup vegetables (like sliced zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peas, corn, cut asparagus, green beans, etc.)

1 tsp butter or olive oil

salt

black pepper

garlic powder

grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and season with salt. Cook the pasta in it for about 5-7 mins. (Since its a small quantity of pasta, it gets done quickly)

In the meantime, heat oil or melt butter in a small frying pan and add the vegetables. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder and continue sautéing over low heat till they get slighly brown and crispy and the pasta cooks.

Drain the pasta and stir it in to the frying pan along with the vegetables. Mix well and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and serve it at warm-cool temperature.

playing around with pesto

This summer, as the markets started filling up with all the wonderful veggies, fruits and herbs, I brought home for the very first time a pot (yes! they actually sell the herbs directly in the pots these days, it’s taking “freshness” to the next level, I must say) of leafy, aromatic, vibrant green Basil.

herb pots - basil, parsley and mint

I have seen Giada De Laurentis on TV, going crazy for this one particular herb. She uses it practically in all of her recipes, savory and sweet too! I have had basil in several concoctions before, but never really handled it myself. Talking of basil, what’s the first thing that jumps right at you? For me, it’s the good ol’ pesto! Naturally, that was my first experiment with it.

I followed the renowned chef’s recipe step-by-step.

“

2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a blender, pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped. With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency. Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper, to taste.

”

The result was an intensely aromatic and very flavorful chutney-like concoction! I decided to play around with it……

Italian Chutney Sandwich

Yes, that’s what I made first with the pesto, which looked and felt just like our very own desi coriander-coconut chutney. Smothered with generous amounts of pesto and stuffed with grilled chicken and crunchy grilled vegetables, this hearty sandwich is now a lunchtime favorite!

Serves 2

4 individual ciabatta/olive rolls or 1 large loaf of ciabatta

basil pesto

2 portobello mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices

1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

salt

fresh ground black pepper

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. One after another, grill the chicken breasts, eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms until they are tender and grill marks appear. Cool completely.

Slice the ciabatta bread in half and spread both sides with pesto. On the bottom slice, stack the grilled veggies and chicken breast pieces. Sprinkle some more fresh ground black pepper and place the top half of the ciabatta.

Alternatively, you can use any of your other favorite vegies, fresh mozeralla cheese slices, prosciutto slices, etc. and have your sandwich your way. Don’t forget the key ingredient, Pesto!

Primavera Pizza

In summer, the vegetables are definitely more flavorful than the rest of the year. With all the fresh vegetables that are suddenly available, you see a lot of “primavera” around you in restaurants, cafes, etc. Pasta Primavera is the most common dish made by tossing all the vegetables with pasta. But another dish that is equally popular is the Primavera Pizza. Smothered with the pesto as a base sauce, loaded with summer veggies, topped with oooey gooey cheese and a little meat factor (the hubby has to have it in every meal!), every slice is a triangle of paradise!

Serves 2

15oz. store-bought whole wheat pizza dough

basil pesto

1 portobello mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices

1 small Japanese eggplant or 1/2 regular medium eggplant, cut at diagonals into 1/2 cm slices

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1/2 green pepper, sliced

2 jarred roasted red peppers

2-3 tbsp EVOO (Rachel Ray’s abbreviation for Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup (1/2 packet) Sargento Reduced Fat Mozeralla shredded cheese

Grill the chicken and vegetables as in the above recipe and cut into thin, long slices.

Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2-inch thick and transfer it to a pizza or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the pesto, top it with the chicken, onion and green pepper on one half of the pizza and roeasted vegetables on the other half and finally sprinkle the cheese.

Bake on the bottom rack for about 18 – 20 minutes till the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

Take it out of the oven and season with black pepper. Cut it into slices and serve hot with some ice cold beer.

*Recommended Heineken Premium Light beer

Pesto, Pasta & Peas

Pasta dinners are the quickest and the easiest and pesto makes a perfect no-cooking sauce. I toss hot cooked fetuccini in the pesto and throw in some green peas. The peas look like little beads entagled in the fetuccini ribbons, drenched in the pesto sauce. This elegant pasta dish is not only a treat for your eyes but also for your tastebuds!

Serves 2

1/2 pound (i.e. 1/2 packet) of fetuccini ( or other types like rotini, bow ties, fusilli etc that allow the pesto to get in and coat well)

1/4 cup frozen green peas, defrosted

3-4 tbsp basil pesto

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to add to the pasta later, if needed.

In a mixing bowl, add the hot pasta and the peas to the pesto and toss well to coat evenly. Add the required quantity of reserved liquid for desired moisture level. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Serve warm with garlic bread or on a side of vegetables, meat or fish.

Summer Vegetables Au Pistou

So, what else did I do with the pesto, still holding it’s wholesome goodness and sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks? Eureka! I had some zucchini, and red pepper also hanging in the refrigerator along with the pesto. I just sautéed the vegetables in the pesto and look what I got?!

Serves 2

1 zucchini, cut into quarter slices

1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips

2-3 tbsp basil pesto

salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a small frying pan or skillet on medium heat, warm the pesto and add the vegetables. Sauté for 3-4 minutes and season with some salt and pepper. Serve hot as a side dish with pasta, meats or fish or make an elegant bruschetta topping!

You may add other vegetables like asparagus, green beans, summer squash or yellow onions. Chicken tenderloins or shrimps would definitely kick it up a notch!

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keeping a promise

food for my tot

Khichadi/Pulav for Toddlers

Kiddie Crepes

Pasta with Vegetables in Light Butter Sauce

playing around with pesto

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Italian Chutney Sandwich

Primavera Pizza

Pesto, Pasta & Peas

Summer Vegetables Au Pistou

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