Spaghetti

Pasta can be made in n number of ways the reason being the number of variables involved. Different combination of pasta type, sauce and the veggies/meat used can give you different flavored pastas. I am describing just one of those ways here. This is a noodle pasta (Spaghetti) with marinara sauce and many veggies. The proportions of ingredients doesn't matter much if you are not making the proper authentic pasta (which is quite bland and not liked by Indians usually :P). So feel free to tweak the proportions given in this recipe. The pasta I make is quick since I use ready-made pasta sauce..makes life much easier! :)

Ingredients
1 small packet of pasta noodles (Use wheat pasta if you dont prefer maida)
1 cup red pasta sauce (choose any of the pasta sauces you get in the grocery store or even a combination of multiple sauces)
1 tspoon minced garlic
shredded parmesan cheese according to liking
2 tbspoons olive oil
red/white wine (opt)
1 or more of these veggies - onions, red pepper, green pepper, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes (cherry tomatoes taste better in pasta), basil

Method
Boil the pasta for 10-12 min in a large vessel so that the noodles completely immerse in the water. Add some salt to this water while boiling. After 10-12 minutes, try to break the pasta and see if it easily breaks or taste it to check if its cooked well. If yes, take it out and put it in a strainer so that extra water drains out. Pour cold water on this pasta so that the noodles dont stick to each other and form a lump.

In a separate flattish non-stick pan, add the olive oil. Add garlic and let it cook. Then add all the veggies one by one and saute them. Close the lid for 2 minutes so that they cook with the steam. Then add the pasta sauce and some wine. Let the pasta sauce cook. Once its cooked, add the noodles and mix well. Again close the lid for 2 min. Add some salt and pepper if you like. Add cheese in the end. serve hot.

Goes well with italian salad, bread sticks, garlic bread, soup.

Healthy Spinach Wraps

Preparation time: 20 min
This is a quick and healthy meal to make when you don't feel like doing extensive cooking. I make this on days when I come tired from gym and have zero enthu to cook. I have given three different variations of the wraps. You can decide based on your likes or the ingredients that you have :)

Ingredients:
Chinese: 1 spinach tortilla packet,
1 onion cut vertically (long and thin like in fajita)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 garlic cloves
soy sauce, chilly sauce
pepper powder
grated parmesan cheese

Mexican: 1 packet spinach tortilla
1 can black beans (mexican)
1 onion cut vertically (long and thin like in fajita)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 tomato (opt)
2 garlic cloves
2 cups chopped lettuce
pepper powder
grated parmesan cheese
any spread like cream cheese, avacado spread, hummus spread

Indian: 1 packet spinach tortillas
ANY veggies that you like
jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala, chat masala, chilly powder, salt and pepper
cheese (opt)

Method:

Chinese: take some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves to it. Add green chillies if you want it spicy. Then add the chopped onions, red and green peppers in it. Let it cook for sometime. Add soy sauce, chilly sauce and ketchup as per taste. Add salt and pepper powder too. Add a pinch of aginomototo to get the chinese flavor. Let these veggies partially cook. I dont overcook them coz i like the crunchy taste of peppers. Now put the filling in a spinach tortilla or a regular tortilla and roll it. Put these rolls in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 min. You can also put the tortilla on a pan, put the filling and roll it once it cooks.

Mexican: Take some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic cloves to it. Then add the chopped onions and green peppers. Let it cook for just 5 min. Add salt and pepper for taste. Add the black beans to this if you like the taste of black beans. The filling is ready. Now take a spinach tortilla, put some avocado spread or salsa on the base. Then add lettuce and some fresh cut tomatoes (don't put tomatoes if you add the mild salsa, it already has tomatoes) followed by the filling that we prepared just now. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Put only so much filling that you can make a roll easily. Now make a roll and keep it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 min till the cheese melts.

Indian: Take whatever veggies you like - onions, peppers, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, green peas, carrots, paneer and cut them small. Make a sabji from these - add oil in a pan and saute all veggies in it. Add jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala, salt, chilly powder, chat masala to this. Once they are cooked, put them inside the tortilla, add some cheese if you want and roll it. Put it in oven or cook it on a pan.

The picture given below is of the mexican spinach wraps. It has avocado spread, lettuce, salsa, onions, peppers, and some cheese

Idli-shaped Dhoklas

Dhokla, originally a Gujarati dish, is very easy to make and serves as a light evening snack. I used to avoid making it since I didn't have the right vessels (flat steel vessel and big pressure cooker). But after I tried it in the microwaveable idli maker, I found it really easy and convenient. You can find this idli maker in any kitchenware shop in India. I use the Gits dhokla mix (or any other gujju dhokla mix) available in Indian stores just coz of laziness to make it from scratch :P and convenience. You can find the procedure to make it from scratch by googling other dhokla recipes J

Ingredients:

1 Gits dhokla mix packet

Oil for seasoning

Mustard seeds, jeera seeds

Curry leaves

Coriander (cilantro)

Red chilly powder or green chillies

Til (sesame seeds)

Hing (Asophoetida)

Fresh coconut (opt)

Method:

Follow the method mentioned on the cover of the Gits dhokla mix i.e. add water to the mix and keep for 10 min. Beware of the consistency- if you make it too thin, it will drop out of the stand and if you make it too thick, the dhoklas will become stones :P. In this 10 min time, grease the idli stand with oil and keep it ready. You can also start preparing for the seasoning on the side. After 10 min, put batter in the idli maker (similar to how you do for idlis) and keep it in microwave for 5 min.

Seasoning – Heat some oil in a small tadka kadhai. Add mustard, jeera, hing, curry leaves, chillies or chilly powder, til and turn off the heat before it starts burning. Add some water to this mixture (this prevents dhoklas from becoming dry) and very little salt and sugar as per taste. Remember the mix already has salt and sugar.

Remove dhoklas from the idli maker after checking that they are cooked from inside. Pour this mixture evenly on top of these dhoklas. Garnish with coriander and fresh coconut.

Goes well with mint or tamarind chutney