THE RECIPE LARDER

One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz

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One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
One Pot Pasta with Mukka Pyaz
Print Recipe
Easy and quick, and makes use of all your left over veggies.
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings Prep Time
3 pax 10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Ingredients
Servings: pax
Instructions
  1. Without peeling the onion, cut off both the bases.
  2. With the broad side up, pound it hard a few times with your fist.(ie mukka pyaz)
  3. Tears will appear. Starting from the tear peel the onion and then start cutting and tearing the layers (see video) Keep aside
  4. In a thick bottom pan, add the olive oil and butter. When a little brown add the sliced garlic. Saute for a few minutes
  5. Add the black pepper then the onions
  6. Saute till onion is a translucent.
  7. Add the cherry tomato and saute for a few minutes.
  8. Add the herbs (basil and rosemary).
  9. Add the broccoli and then add the salt.
  10. Add the pasta and break it with the spoon and then douse it with water till the top of the pan. (see recipe notes - IMPORTANT)
  11. Dilute the bouillon in water and add to the pasta. (IMPORTANT - see recipe notes )
  12. Cook on medium heat till the pasta cooks and water soaks up completely.
  13. Keep stirring intermediately.
  14. If the water soaks up and the pasta hasn't cooked, add more water, but little at a time.
  15. If the pasta has cooked and some water is left, let it be. The pasta will soak it up.
  16. Add chilly flakes.
  17. When done and just before taking off the fire add the asparagus and mushrooms and mix into the pasta.
  18. Serve with garlic bread on the side.
Recipe Notes

 

Times have come when we are very very careful about wasting any food. This recipe hits the spot because it uses up all the left over veggies and wilting herbs in your fridge. It's an amazing recipe for students or those who need to cook quickly and minimally. Needless to say both my kids made this quite often when in college. But- for this recipe my son used a very Indian road side restaurant trick of Mucca Pyaz - ie fist broken onion.

Somehow when the onion is broken with the fist, the juices flow and dissipate in such a manner that the onion looses its fiery pungency and for some reason tastes way sweeter. Just for your info - try this with the very Indian Chola Kulcha.

We have used broccoli, asparagus, some left over mushrooms, herbs that existed in our fridge. You can of course replace with any other her you have. Parsley, chives, oregano etc all go really well. If you dont have fresh herbs, dried herbs will also do the trick.

You want more heat add  some Spicy chillies while the pasta boils. Green chilly does not do well, so I would avoid that.

You can add any cheese you have, just before taking off the fire, stir some in.

We add the asparagus and mushrooms last, as they are veggies that cook really fast, and adding them earlier would have turned it to mush.

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Do tag us on #therecipelarder on instagram.

VEG STOCK V/S VEG BOUILLON

Since I did not want to use any extra veggies to make veg stock, I used veg Bouillon. I rather use veg stock as however organic bouillon is processed. But having said that bouillon has strong flavours and works well when you don't have too much time or patience at hand.

HOW TO MAKE VEG STOCK. For this recipe - take 4 cups of water. Add to a pan and in it add some bay leaf, black pepper and roughly cut white veggies - ie onions, bottle gourd, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin (not the very sweet one)etc. Boil everything together till the water boils down to half. Strain. Use the veggies in your chapati dough, or  mix it into your dal. Use this water for cooking pasta.

If you use stock do not add veg bouillon.

SEE VIDEO HERE:

 

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Melted Caprese Salad

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melted caprese salad

You have all the right to give me a few kicks on the backside. Talking off which, I promise you, the lack of communique and posts were nothing to do with me lying on my backside. I have been travelling non-stop and in a good way. Went visited the son in San Diego, and then the daughter in San Jose.

Immediately after that, there was a quick trip to Delhi, Bangalore, Chikmanglur, UK and Scotland – so you tell me, other than amassing a repertoire of good food recipes to develop, where would I have found the time to write a post? HUH?

I sent the husband to Food Hall (our best gourmet store in Bombay), for a spot of food shopping. Foodie that he is, he went quite unhinged and brought me back so much food, that when I think of it even now, I break out into a sweat!

melted caprese salad

Within this shopping frenzy, he got back fresh Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese. Since it was staring at me from the fridge shelf for more than two days, I wanted to make something with it. Frankly, I was quite done and dusted with the typical Caprese Salad. Using the same ingredients, we went about trying something completely new. I first considered topping it with mango salsa, but it sounded so bleh! And – the son made such a face, I immediately gave up the idea. So while standing and staring at the Mozzarella for more than 5 minutes, I came up with this concept.

melted caprese salad

One can call it a Baked Caprese Salad, but somehow the word “melted” made it sound a bit exotic and intriguing.

You will need a cast iron skillet. Mine was too deep, so I used my sizzler plate instead.

I sliced tomatoes and onions and sautéd them in a non-stick pan with good old olive oil. Then transferred them to the sizzler plate. Then –  added the mozzarella and popped it into a hot oven. The Mozzarella melted overwhelmingly, and Voila I had a brand new dish in my hands.

melted caprese salad

I could have set the sizzler plate on top of the stove and roasted the tomatoes and onions directly on it, but I found it easier and cleaner to use the non-stick and then transfer the contents.

I wanted to use basil leaves and/or pesto, but again not the same typical recipe. Instead, I made Basil oil.

Melted Caprese Salad, is different, outlandish and out of the box. But hey! It’s tasty, wholesome and the best thing is it’s not boring. Enjoy it as a starter, or even as a heavy serving of side dish. I served it with thin slices of toasted baguettes drizzled with aged extra virgin olive oil. Melted Caprese Salad is garnished with pickled green peppers, but I think even capers would add an additional piquant flavour.

melted Caprese salad

ENJOY!!

 

Melted Caprese Salad
Print Recipe
A new take on the old Caprese Salad.
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 10 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 Minutes 10 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 10 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 Minutes 10 Minutes
Melted Caprese Salad
Print Recipe
A new take on the old Caprese Salad.
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 10 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 Minutes 10 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 Pax 10 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
15 Minutes 10 Minutes
Ingredients
Caprese Salad
For the Basil Oil
Servings: Pax
Instructions
For the Basil Oli
  1. Crush and grind the Basil leaves in a mortar pestle.
  2. Taking a clean muslin cloth, put all the ingredients of the ground basil leaves (juice and crushed leaves) into the cloth and twist the tops to make a small pouch.
  3. Using clean hands, squeeze out all the juice into a container.
  4. Discard the leaves
  5. Transfer the juice into olive oil
  6. Keep aside. If you can make this a day or so in advance its even better, as all the flavours will seep into the oil, making the taste more enhanced.
For the Caprese Salad
  1. Pre heat oven to 200 Deg C.
  2. Set the non stick on medium heat.
  3. Pour the olive oil and let it heat, but not smoke and burn.
  4. Add the onions and garlic. Add half the salt and Italian seasoning.
  5. Sauté for not more than a minute - or till the onions starts looking a bit wilted. Remember its going to cook again inside a oven.
  6. Transfer the onions and garlic, on the sizzler plate, scraping as much of the seasoning with it, as possible.
  7. Arrange the onions next to each other and the garlic should be scattered all around.
  8. Add the tomatoes to the non stick along with the balance half of the salt and Italian seasoning.
  9. Do not over cook. When the tomatoes sizzle,immediately take off the fire and transfer the tomatoes on the sizzler plate. Arrange them on top of the onions.
  10. Arrange the slices of Mozzarella rounds on the onions and tomatoes.
  11. Pop them into the oven, keeping the sizzler plate on the top part of the oven.
  12. Heat till the Mozzarella melts and bubble. Do not over bake, else tomato will reduce to mush.
  13. Garnish with green peppers / capers, basil leaves, basil oil and chilli flakes.
  14. Serve immediately with thinly toasted baguettes, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
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Italian Tomato Sauce

By 2 Comments

 

italian tomato sauce

Apologies about the link —- this is the corrected version.

———————————————————————————————————————

I am super super excited about this recipe. It’s complicated (a little bit!) but it looked so brilliant. I saw a version of this on a cooking channel and I got up from my chair, headed to my bar, collected the vodka, (yup! It has Vodka!!) and all the ingredients and started making it, changing a little bit of the recipe here and there.

After 15 minutes into cooking, the fragrance wafting from the kitchen to the rest of the house drew many of the family members and a few neighbours into our kitchen. I tell you I am on my knees, worshipping this sauce.

It’s a thick sauce. Really thick. It’s not to be had on its own (but you might finish a lot of it while tasting it – I warn you!). You will have to mix it with some stock water, hell even mixing it in the water used to cook pasta lends it an amazing flavour.

Use it as a pizza base, as a base for Bruschetta, in a salad! Just make it, creative ideas will flow in.

I don’t want you to read all these descriptions and explanations. What I want you to do is get hold of all the ingredients and start making it. Let the family members walk in with appreciative sniffs and exclamations. Keep them waiting, and then hit them with a pasta made from this recipe. Lie back and bask in the glory!

PS: There is one very important thing that you have to follow, that’s – the instructions. There will be times while making the recipe you might think I am joking or that I have lost my mind. Have faith. I am very serious when I say what I say, and I am very sane and going to wait for your comments after you have made this recipe. You can advocate my sanity.

Without more blah blah – here is the recipe for Italian Tomato Sauce.

PS _AGAIN__and here is the link to the video —–

A shout out to my school friends who always have my back — hey there girls 🙂

Thanks to Brinda – for helping me with this video.

 

Italian Tomato Sauce
Print Recipe
An amazing base sauce. Let your imagination flow and get creative.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Italian Tomato Sauce
Print Recipe
An amazing base sauce. Let your imagination flow and get creative.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat a heavy bottomed non stick pan. Add olive oil and butter. Olive oil should completely cover the bottom of the pan. Let the butter melt
  2. Add garlic and saute till it's a bit brown. Take out the garlic and keep it aside.
  3. Add 1 1/2 tubes of tomato paste to the hot oil/ butter mix. DO NOT STIR. I kid you not - DO NOT STIR!! Just see to it that the paste is completely submerged in the oil.
  4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes in med/ high flame.
  5. Add Brown sugar, salt and pepper. Once the bubbles subside, add the diced onions and cherry tomatoes.
  6. Now you can stir and mix. You might see a little blackened sauce when you mix. Don't worry, its normal. Ofcourse the entire bottom shouldnt be burnt. This means your pan wasn't thick enough at the bottom.
  7. Cook covered till tomatoes get squishy and cooked.
  8. Add the left over 1/2 tube of tomato paste.
  9. Add lemon zest and cayenne pepper and mix.
  10. Add the pre cooked garlic.
  11. Mix
  12. Add the vodka and mix.
  13. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Then add the basil. Cook again for 2 minutes.
  14. Add the red wine vinegar and taste!!! Voila-- you are done.
Recipe Notes

Dilute with pasta water or stock and add to pasta.

Liberally coat a salad.

Layer your pizza.

Use in baked dishes.

Use for base of crostini or bruschetta.

 

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Natural insect repellent. Spiders and Flies

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natural fly repellent

natural fly repellent

Ghastly flies buzzing around over every piece of food that is lying around? Spiders making their palaces on hinges of your ration cupboard doors? Join me — in my teeth gritting irritation!

I was- well for a lack of a better word “bugged”.I came back from a long vacation and opened my ration cupboard to find that an extended family of spiders had taken roost and claimed all the corners – the entire lot of cousins and uncles and aunts! Enough was enough! I mean you just look away for a few minutes and they come prancing in, ready to take over without paying any rent?!

I went on a savage google and pinterest hunt! Every single site suggested this trick – peppermint essential oil! Each site had their own version, so I made a hotchpotch of all and came up with my own recipe.

I ordered the peppermint essential oil online, to be delivered within 24 hours. Them spiders were not going to stay in my cupboard longer than I could help it! I got a spray bottle, made the lethal concoction and went psycho with the mixture.

peppermint essential oil with water

peppermint essential oil with water

Now I am writing this after a month of having sprayed the brew, and my hinges stay unoccupied and shelves devoid of spider debris (they create filth!) Its sheer pleasure to open a cupboard, peek into its — and not get gluey spiders’ web stuck on your nose and ears, leaving you with a feeling that the spiders are crawling around somewhere inside your clothes. UGH!!

My other ugh! is the common house fly. Bloody things are found hovering around every place you can rest your eyes on! Try eating a meal without inviting them? They get offended and land on every morsel about to go into your mouth, and then quench their thirst in your glass of water. I’ve had a few who thought they could swim in my class of cocktail, and then fly away feeling mighty pleased and tipsy!

Ewwww! Right?

Last night I was having a party at home. It is heavy, pelting rainy, season, we held the do indoors and had the bar set up under an awning outside our door near the car park. At 10 am, when I went to check the layout, I almost screamed blue murder! Flies – hordes of flies – gossiping in corners, flying around courting their mates! And this was to be a bar – with sugar syrup, and other nectarous medley of ingredients. Party time for flies. I was about to sit down with my head weighing heavy on my hands when “google” came up in my mind’s eye.

natural organic fly repellent

natural organic fly repellent

I was doing a jig in the evening when I went to get a drink! Not a fly- NOT ONE! All it took was a lemon and some cloves.

These hacks are all repellents and not killers. The smell of peppermint drives the spider batty and the cloves make the flies dizzy.Go forth and squash them gnats!

PS: For flies burning camphor has also proven very effective.

 

Natural insect repellent. Spiders and Flies
Print Recipe
Easy and effective remedy to repel spiders and flies.
Natural insect repellent. Spiders and Flies
Print Recipe
Easy and effective remedy to repel spiders and flies.
Ingredients
Spider Repellent
Fly Repellent
Fly Repellent 2
Servings:
Instructions
Spider Repellent
  1. Add the water into the spray bottles.
  2. Add the peppermint drops into the water and shake well.
  3. Spray in all the areas those blasted spiders congregate.
  4. Spray twice a week initially, then once a week should suffice.
Fly Repellent
  1. Bury 5 cloves in each half of the lemon. (see picture)
  2. Place in areas of high gathering of flies. Place in your cooking and chopping counters.
  3. Replace daily.
Fly Repellent 2
  1. Burn camphor in all places flies congregate.
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