Veggie Pasta Alfredo

White sauce that is generally used for pasta has different variations. There are different ways in making a sauce and different types of sauces that you make for pasta. These sauces need not necessarily be used only for pasta, also for sandwich, as dips and dressing for salads. One such sauce is what we will be seeing in the below post. Traditionally, this Alfredo sauce is made using eggs. I've made the egg less version. Trust me, this sauce is so easy to make with readily available ingredients in your super market. This is so Yummmy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients

1. Fresh Cream- 200 ml (I used Amul)
2. Salted Butter-1 tbsp
3. Penne Pasta- 2 Cups
4. Garlic - 4 pods(minced finely)
5. Italian Seasoning- 2 tsp
6. Freshly ground pepper- 2 tsp
7. Chili Flakes as required
8. Cheese Cubes-2
9. Vegetables of your choice-(I used Onion, carrot, Capsicum)
10. Milk as required
11. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp
12. Salt as required.

Method

1. Take a thick bottomed pan or non stick pan, on medium head,add olive oil and garlic and saute nicely till nice garlic flavor comes. Remember not to burn the garlic.

2. Add onion and saute nicely till they turn translucent. 

3. Add all other vegetables and saute nicely in the olive oil.

4. Add fresh cream and bring it to boil. Use only medium heat.

5. Add cheese cubes and stir constantly until cheese is well dissolved in the mixture.You can adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding milk.

6. Add needed salt and seasoning, chili flakes and keep stirring.

7. The sauce slowly starts thickening. Add pepper to it. 

9. Alfredo Sauce is Ready:):)!!!

10. Cook pasta till Al Dente

11. Add the cooked pasta to the Alfredo creamy sauce mixture and toss well till pasta is completely covered with sauce.

12. Close the lid and allow pasta to absorb the sauce for 5 mins.

13. Serve hot with Crispy Potato Wedges

Cooking Al Dente Pasta

Cooking pasta al dente is definitely an art and comes only with repeated trial and error. Still some quick tips can definitely help you from overcooking/under cooking your pasta. When you over cook your pasta, it becomes too soft and mushy. That is not right. Neither should you under cook your pasta, which makes it raw and on the harder side when you bite it.

The right Al Dente pasta looks and feels firm, but when you bite it you will easily break it. This is the perfect state of an al dente pasta. Some of the pasta pack come with package instructions on how to cook them. Sometimes, these instructions may work out or may not. hence, it is essential that we know to cook rightly.

 

Steps

1. Take a large pan filled with water. Add salt such that the water tastes salty.

2. Bring the water to boil.

3. Now, add the raw pasta to the above pan and keep stirring occassionally.

4. Check the softness of the pasta at regular intervals.

5. When you are able to break the pasta easily with a bite and the pasta outside still looks       firm, thats when you need to drain the pasta.Drizzle some olive oil so that the pasta does not stick to each other.

6. Pasta Al Dente is now ready:)

Mexican Bean Salad (Red Kidney Bean Salad)

Red Kidney Beans also called as rajma in India, has numerous nutritional value. Click here to read the innumerable benefits of Red Kidney Beans.It is quite popular in Italian and Mexican cuisine as Mexican Beans. I chose to use this in my vegan salad. This salad makes a great starter,snack or main course and are just crunchy.This is made in Italian style seasoned with Italian Herbs.

Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

1. Red Kidney Beans- 1 Cup
2. Carrot - 1/4 cup(chopped)
3. Cucumber - 1/4 cup(chopped)
4. Tomatoes -1/4 cup chopped)
5. Onions(White or Red)-1/4 Cup(chopped)
6. Lemon Juice-1/2 lemon
7. Salt to taste
8. Pepper-2 tsp
9. Dried Parsley for Seasoning
10. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp for drizzling
11. Water for pressure cook-3 Cups

Method

1. Rinse and soak the beans in water, fully immersed for overnight-minimum of 12 hrs.

2.  Drain the soaked beans and pressure cook with a tsp of salt and water for 3-4 whistles. 

3. Drain the beans and add them to a bowl. Reserve the stock for using it in soups or for any other gravy cooking. It is very healthy and hence do not discard it.

4. Add all other veggies,lime juice,needed salt, pepper,olive oil and parsley. Toss gently.

5. Mexican salad is now ready to be munched on. :)

Navaratna Salad (Sprout Bean Salad)

This is a protein packed healthy salad which is also made during navarathri days as "Sundal". Each of these ingredients is made as separate sundal on each day of navarathri. I have combined all the ingredients into one sundal and hence called Navaratna(9 gems). This salad is very low in calories making it a healthy mid evening snacks.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1. Sprouted green moong - 1 tbsp
2. Green peas - 1 tbsp
3. Black eyed beans /brown karamani - 1 tbsp
4. White eyed beans/white karamani - 1 tbsp
5. Small Black channa/chickpea - 1 tbsp
6. Small White channa/chickpea - 1 tbsp
7. Red Kidney beans/Rajma- 1 tbsp
8. Lima Beans/mochakottai  - 1 tbsp
9. Peanuts Raw - 1 tbsp

Tempering

1. Mustard- 1 tsp
2. Urad dhal - 1 tsp
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Coconut grated - 2 tbsp 
5. Green chili - 1 big
6. Hing- a pinch
7. Curry leaves - 3-4

Method 

1. Soak all the legumes (except sprouts and green peas) in water overnight.

2. Pressure cook all legumes together for 3 whistles with needed salt. Drain the legumes after pressure cook. Reserve the stock for cooking soups etc.

3. In a pan, heat oil and add mustard and hing. Once the mustard starts crackling, add other  tempering ingredients and saute for a minute on a medium low flame. 

4. Now add the tempering to the bowl of cooked sundal and mix well.

5. Healthy Protein Bowl is ready to be eaten:):)

Notes,Tips & Add-On's

• You can use your choice of pulse/legumes. Anything you use is definitely a healthy option.
• You also get readily available navaratna sundal packet at any supermarket with combination of 9 legumes. I used the readily available packet here.

Whole Wheat Bread Upma

When it comes to bread, we always eat it either as sandwich or toast, but there is an interesting recipe that you can make with bread which forms a wholesome breakfast or an evening tiffin. I had some left over wheat bread at home and didn't really know how to use them. That is when my husband came up with this idea of bread upma. Here, I list below my version of bread upma.

Serves:2

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Bread- 6 slices (sides removed)
2. Bangalore Tomatoes-2 (finely chopped) 
3. Green capsicum - 1/2 of small capsicum (chopped)
4. Onion-1 large (roughly chopped) 
5. Butter - 1 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds-1 tsp 
7. Cumin seeds-1 tsp 
8. Sugar - 1 tsp
9. Hing-pinch 
10. Coriander leaves-1/4 cup chopped
11. Curry leaves-4
12. Green Chili -1 (chopped finely)
13. Turmeric-1/2 tsp 
14. Red Chili Powder-1 tsp 
15. sambar powder - 1 tsp (optional)
16. water-1/4 cup 
17. Oil - 1 tbsp 
18. Salt to taste 

Toast the bread on tawa with some butter

Turns golden brown and crisp

Cut them to cubes

Saute Vegetables

cook with covered lid

Mix the sliced bread with sauteed veggies

Method

1. In a pan, heat cooking oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing.

2. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and green chilies and saute for a min on a low flame.

3. Add onions and saute until they become translucent.

4. Add the tomatoes, capsicum and saute well. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, sambar powder, sugar and required salt - saute well.

5. Add water and cover the lid and cook tomatoes until they become soft and mushy.

6. Toast the bread sliced with butter until they become crisp. Chop the bread into cubes or you can roughly tear into small pieces.

7. Now add the chopped bread slices to the above mixture and mix gently. Ensure the bread slices are uniformly coated with the mixture and blended well.

7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and roasted peanuts.

8. Yummy Bread Upma ready:) Serve with combination of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce. Tastes yum...!!!

Notes,Tips & Add-on's 

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice like red bell pepper, grated carrot etc.
2. You can also add a tsp of tomato ketchup and red chili sauce before mixing the bread. This also tastes equally awesome.

Flattened Red Rice Upma (Red Poha)

I had consulted one dietitian at my office for a better diet option to have a low fat alternative which i can have as a dinner. She suggested this flattened Red Rice or the Red Poha. Generally, the white aval or white poha is consumed as a staple diet in Maharashtra. This is easily digested and forms a filling and satisfactory breakfast recipe. A better and healthy substitute to this is Red Poha :) Now we have a double healthy treat, isn't t?? Let's look into some of the health benefits of this Red Poha.

Benefits

• It is rich in fiber which increases the bowel movement.
• Highly rich in Iron content and hence,increases the hemoglobin in blood.
• Aids in quick digestion.
• Highly low in calories and aids weight loss

Ingredients

1. Red Poha- 1 Cup
2. Carrot - 1 (chopped)
3. French beans- 5 (Chopped)
4. Onion-1 (chopped)
5. Tomato- 2 small or 1 big (chopped)
6. Green Chili - 1 slit
7. Urad dal-2 tsp
8. Mustard seeds-2 tsp
9. Curry leaves - 4-5
10. Coriander leaves for garnishing
11. Oil-3 tsp
12. Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
13. Salt as needed

                                              

Method

1. Soak the red poha in medium hot water for 10 mins and cover it. Use the required amount of water that is needed just to immerse the poha completely. Don't use excess water as it may drain the nutrition content from the poha.

2. In a pan,add oil. Add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal and saute on a medium flame.

3. Add curry leaves, green chili and saute with a pinch of asafoetida.

4. Add onions and saute until they are transparent.

5. Add tomatoes and saute for min.

6. Add all other veggies and saute for 2 mins on a low flame.

7. Add needed salt and cook the veggies with closed lid for 5 mins.

5. Add the fluffed up poha to the pan with some more salt if required and mix gently.

6. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with chutney or raitha.

Notes,Tips & Add-on's

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice like red bell pepper, green capsicum, baby corn etc.

Garden Fresh Vegetable Soup

This is one of the most healthiest and nutritious soup. This makes a great appetizer as well as a comforting meal. Yes, this can be a great comforting meal because all the veggies loaded in this soup is sure to satisfy your hunger. This is a very good low calorie substitute to a satisfying full course meal. I had made this for a dinner as an appetizer. This is my version of making a simple and healthy Soup combining the goodness of all the healthy vegetables.

Serves:4

Ingredients

1. Red Onions- 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
2. Carrot-2 tbsp (finely chopped)
3. French Beans-2 tbsp (finely chopped)
4. Capsicum-2 tbsp (finely chopped)
5. Cabbage -2 tbsp (finely chopped)
6. Garlic Pods-5 (crushed)
7. Key Chinese Seasoning - 1.5 tsp (optional)
8. Butter-1 tbsp
9. Celery-1 tbsp (roughly chopped)
10. Bay Leaf-1
11. Water-4 cups
12. Cornflour paste-1 tbsp cornflour +1/4 cup of water
13. Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a pan, add the butter and bay leaf and saute for a minute.

2. Add Onion,garlic pods,celery leaves.Saute till the raw flavor of garlic goes off and onions become translucent.

3. Add all the other chopped vegetables and saute for 2 mins. Add the necessary salt to taste. Add water and close the lid and allow it to simmer for 8 mins on a low flame.

4. Open the lid, add the cornflour paste and mix gently. Allow it to simmer for another 2 mins.

5. Season with pepper and serve it hot.

Notes,Tips & Add-on's

Butter can be substituted with olive oil for a healthier version. This is a great recipe for a vegan detox diet.