Stove top Mac & Cheese

When I need cheese, I need cheese and I need the good one and when I mean good cheese, I usually mean cheddar cheese. Something about cheddar makes you want more and more. My son is a great sucker for mac and cheese and I make this atleast once every two weeks for the sake of him and me. Although I have tried the baked version, the ease of this stove top version always makes me to attempt the later every time.

~*What U Need*~ Elbow pasta - 1/2 a pack Whole milk 3/4 cup Flour -1 tbsp Sharp cheddar cheese - 1 1/2 cups Salt, pepper Pinch of chilli powder How I Made it: Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Warm 1/2 cup of milk. Whisk together the remaining milk and flour until there are no lumps in a separate bowl. When the milk begins to steam, whisk in the flour mixture. Whisk until it begins to thicken, about 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cheese. Season well and cook till the the cheese has completely melted, add the pasta. Coat the pasta completely in cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

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Cheesy Spinach Mushroom Quiche

I love trying new dishes at home. Its mainly because one ~ I can customize it to our liking, second ~ I can make it as rich or as skinny as I need and third ~ simply because I love trying new dishes at home. This quiche has been in my to-do list for sometime now. Well that list is a long and ever growing one and I would need another lifetime to strike out every single bookmarked recipe from it. And by making this cheesy quiche I am one down.

Talking about this quiche, it is loaded with carbs, rich in every bite and a sure getaway from your regular meal. Its heavy and even a single slice would be heavy on the tummy. But its nice and an occasional getaway from your daily meal plans would never hurt. Next let me talk about the cheese blend. I have used mozzarella, sharp cheddar and aged parmesan cheese here. You can either use a blend or you can use a single cheese type. But I love the flavor that each cheese gives and hence used a mix here.

~*What U Need*~ For the filling: Frozen spinach - 1 box, 10 oz Mushrooms - 8 oz, sliced Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp Large eggs - 4 Whole milk - 1 cup Parmesan cheese - 1/3 cup, grated Shredded cheese - 1 cup, mix of mozzarella and cheddar salt & pepper, to taste For the crust: Butter - 1/2 cup, cold, diced All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups Salt - to taste Ice water - 2 -4 tbsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. To make the crust, combine flour and salt in food processor. Pulse once to mix. Add butter and process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of water and pulse, a few times. Add water by tsp pulsing it after every addition till the dough forms a ball. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a disk and refrigerate for 30 mins covering it with cling wrap. In a skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle the garlic, salt and pepper and saute on medium high heat for 7-8 mins or till the mushrooms release all the moisture and there is no water in the skillet. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and parmesan cheese until combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. After the 30 mins, roll to about 1/4" thickness. Place in pie plate and press to fit. Blind bake for 8 mins. Thaw the spinach. Squeeze the water out of the spinach using a cheesecloth. After the pie crust is pre-baked, remove from the oven and spread spinach on top. Add the cooked mushrooms and shredded cheeses. Pour the egg mixture on top. Bake the quiche until it is golden brown on top and the center is no longer wobbly around 45mins - 1 hr. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve warm!!!

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Three Pepper Casserole | Tomato & pepper Casserole | Easy kids Lunchbox Recipes

It was a big day for us, today. Another milestone in our lives; another day to be marked in the calendar. Today we enrolled our son into preschool and he starts school from Thursday. All these changes are really making us emotional. Well there are lots to take in, right from look he is already ready for school to how is he gonna adjust to the new environment to is he gonna be okay without me. But that needs to be done has to be done at the right time. So wish me luck everyone for all that is happening right now.

A few days back, I got an email from Indusladies about their Kids lunch box recipe book event announcement asking me if I would like to participate. With everything going on, the concept fitted the bill just right and I sent out an okay e-mail right away. And this is what I came up with. Kids love anything with cheese and that layer of melty stringy cheese will definitely ooohhh your kids to take a mouthful and more...

~*What U Need*~ Cooked rice - 2 cups Red, yellow, orange peppers - 1 cup, chopped Crushed tomatoes - 1/2 cup Garlic - 2, chopped Onion - 1, medium, chopped Olive oil - 1 tbsp Salt, pepper - to taste Italian seasoning - 1 tsp Mozzarella cheese - 1 cup How I Made it: Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and saute for a minute followed by the onions. Saute till brown. Add the peppers and saute for 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and combine together. Season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning. Transfer to a greased loaf pan and top with loads of grated cheese. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake the casserole for 25-30 mins or until the cheese is melty and bubbly.

Serve warm!!!

I am linking this to the kids lunchbox event @ Indusladies

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Barbecue Pulled Chicken & Sandwiches

Well, its fall here. As in officially. The climate has started getting cooler, the leaves have started changing colors and we have brought out our sweaters and fall shoes. I like this weather but I hate what it has in store and the aftermath. Winter is never our thing. It would be if it was a matter of months. But not when you have to face that thick blanket of whiteness for more than four months. And thats why I hate and love fall.

I have always been a fan of trying new recipes. And the leftover rotisserie chicken called out my name to try something new. Barbecue pulled chicken has been in my head for quite some time and I decided to give it a try keeping in my mind my palate preferences. If you are using leftover rotisserie chicken use the two breast pieces and if you are using frozen chicken then use two chicken breasts.

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Serves - 3-4 ~*What U Need*~ Chicken breasts - 2, 1 lb Onion - 1/2, sliced Chilli powder - 1 tsp Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp Chicken stock - 1/4 cup BBQ sauce - 3/4 cup Salt, pepper - to season Toasted buns of choice - to serve Cheese slices - to serve How I Made it: In the pressure cooker, heat oil, add the sliced onion and allow to brown. Add the dry spices and mix well. Fry for 2-3 mins. Place the chicken breast and mix well. Add the chicken stock, barbeque sauce and give it a toss. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and reduce the heat to low, cook for 10 mins. Release the pressure, season with salt and pepper and if you need more sauce, add as per liking. Cook in medium flame till you get the desired consistency. Using two forks, shred the chicken and toss in the gravy.

Serve on toasted buns with cheese!!!

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Honey Lime Sweet Potato Tacos

I love tacos because it is easy to assemble and makes for a delicious dinner. Well its only me when it comes to world cuisine, the huss has never been a big fan. The thing he never enjoys when I try new dishes at home but for that reason he never detests what that is served for him. He eats the dinner whole heartedly, but he would always prefer a plate of biryani. I love trying new taco recipes and I came across this honey lime sweet potato tacos from Cooking Classy when I was browsing Pinterest and it immediately caught my attention. The flavor pairing was so good and even pappu loved the filling. He loved picking the beans, the corn and the sweet potatoes and calling out names everytime he popped one into his mouth.

~*What U Need*~ Sweet potatoes - 3/4 lb, peeled and diced Olive oil - 1 tbsp Cumin - 1/2 tsp Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp Ground coriander - 1/8 tsp Onion - 1/2, chopped Garlic - 1 clove, minced Black beans - 1 can, rinsed & drained Frozen Corn - 1/2 cup, thawed and drained Honey - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped Corn tortillas - to serve Lettuce - chopped Cheese - to serve How I Made it: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, chilli powder, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Spread this on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins. In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and saute until golden brown. Add minced garlic and saute well. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in black beans, corn, honey and lime juice. Heat until warm. Toss in roasted sweet potatoes and cilantro. Serve over warm tortillas with desired toppings.

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Spaghetti Aglio E Olio | Aglio E Olio | Pasta recipes

Pasta is not a regular at home these days mainly because the huss is not a big fan of pastas except for the Chicken Tortilleni Alfredo from Panera. He loves it totally and it is always part of his order whenever we visit our local Panera. I like Pasta not love but like because I like to take a break from dosas and idlis with homemade pizzas or pastas. Coming to today's recipe, I made this for my lunch when this sudden craving of pasta hit me. I didn't want anything fancy and this simple aglio e olio was just right for the day.

"Spaghetti aglio e olio ("spaghetti with garlic and oil" in Italian) is a traditional Italian pasta dish, coming from Napoli, as it is a variant of the original one: Spaghetti alle Vongole. The dish is made by lightly sauteeing minced or pressed garlic in olive oil, sometimes with the addition of dried red chili flakes, and tossing with spaghetti. Finely chopped parsley can also be added as a garnish, along with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, although according to some traditional recipes, cheese should not be added."

Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 5 mins; Serves - 2 ~*What U Need*~ Spaghetti - 1/2 a box Extra virgin olive oil - 3-4 tbsp Garlic - 1 fat clove, minced Dry red chilli flakes - 1 tsp Salt, Water Parsley - 1 tbsp(optional) Parmesan cheese - 1 tbsp How I Made it: Cook the pasta as per the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and chilli flakes. Once the garlic is golden remove the pan from flame and toss the pasta in the oil. Serve warm topped with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Serve with some wine!!!

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Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Sandwiches are a staple at house. Whenever I am lazy to make lunch for us I make sandwich for self and a simple paruppu saadam for pappu. Well, the huss eats at office, ofcourse. Since its sandwich just for me, I like to play with the fillings. Add something of this, something of that, give it a taste test, season it some more, more garlic would never hurt. This is how I go about when I make salads or sandwich fillings. Its really therapeutic when you make a delicious cheese laden sandwich which you know that no one is there to share it with.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches, can have them anytime but sometimes I like these cheese laden sandwiches too... And when its got parmesan in the filling its just the best.

~*What U Need*~ Bread slices - 2 Chicken breast - 1, cooked and chopped Basil - 1 handful, chopped Mayo - 4 tbsp Garlic powder - a big pinch Salt, pepper - to taste Parmesan cheese, grated - 3-4 tbsp Sour cream - 2 tbsp Butter How I Made it: Mix the chicken with the basil, mayo, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. When ready to serve, butter the bread slices, place the filling in between and toast in a medium hot pan or preheated grill.

Serve warm!!!

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Naanizza ~ Indianised | Dal Makhani Naanizza

What do you do when you have leftover naans and the urge to have something different, you make naanizza. To put it simple it is jut naan + pizza. And if you still don't get it, let me simplify it for you. You are so lazy that you buy frozen naans or use leftover naan breads for the pizza base and top it just as you would do for a regular pizza. It tastes just right like any pan pizza and you can get creative adding loads of cheese or shredded chicken or pepperoni or just capsicum and mushroom. The sky is your limit when it comes to toppings.

This naanizza is fully Indianised!!! And I mean totally. The pizza sauce is replaced with dhal makani and I topped that with chopped onions and tomatoes and just a few sprinkles of mozzarella. But just go overboard with the cheese if you are in for it. If you do not have leftover dal then just use 1/4 cup of pizza sauce. I will share the basic naanizza recipe soon.

~*What U Need*~ Leftover Naan - 2 to 3 Onion - 1/4 cup, sliced Tomatoes - 1/4 cup, diced Dal makhani - 1/2 cup Grated mozzarella - 1/2 cup Italian seasoning - 1 tsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 425F. Brush olive oil on the naan, spread dak makhani and top it with onion, tomatoes, cheese and italian seasoning. Bake for 7-10 mins depending on how crisp u need the pizza to be.

Serve warm.

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Easy Chicken Sandwich | Sandwich recipes | Easy Party Ideas

I try new recipes mostly for dinner. Like different soups and salads, loaded focaccia breads, pizzas and many more. Remember the pot pie that I mentioned in my last post, that was made for dinner too. The pot pie was brilliant, the crust perfectly flaky and the gravy rightly seasoned. Then again I was not able to take pics as I have very bad lighting in my place and it was night. Many such good stuff are getting missed here at the blog and thats making me sad, very sad indeed. I am feeling the need to document those recipes somewhere and here on I am going to share a casual shot of the dish and how to cook it in my fb page. Whenever I get to take a decent picture of the dish I will update my blog with step by step pictures. Lets see how this is gonna work out.

Do you still remember the rotisserie chicken that I had bought a week back. This is what happened with the leftovers. A simple and easy chicken sandwich which could be had for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. This makes a perfect kids lunchbox recipe too. I had some light sour cream on hand and so used that for dressing. You could easily replace it with greek yogurt or mayonnaise. I kept the seasonings simple but you could jazz it up too with italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder or anything that your heart wishes at the time.

~*What U Need*~ Cooked chicken - 1 cup Garlic powder - 1/8 tsp Low fat Sour cream - 2 tbsp Salt - a pinch Pepper - to taste Spring mix - 1/2 cup Bread slices - 2 Cheese slices - if needed Cooking spray/butter - to grease pan How I Made it: Mix the chicken, garlic powder, sour cream, salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours. When ready to serve, spread the salad on the bread slices, top with the spring mix and cheese if using and close with the second bread slice. Heat a tawa and when medium hot, grease with butter and cook till crisp on both sides.

Serve warm!!!

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Mushroom Spinach Quesadillas

The past two weeks have been pretty emotional and exhausting for me. I have not been cooking that much and dinner mostly consisted of takeouts or 2-min quesadillas with a glass of milk. Pappu is not feeling well and with him being sick and gloomy, the whole house followed pursuit. Its been sleepless nights and restless days with the thermometer always being a part of me, checking on him every half an hour if his body temperature is sky-rocketing. Poor liitle baby is all tired and he never parts me, always winding up half-asleep on my lap. Its been just fluids and rasam saadam and kanjee and highly diluted milk. We have been having the same to give him company. My bunny keeps mumbling 'pizza', how I wish I could fast forward the present.

I made this quesadilla because I felt tired, because I wanted to give something fiber-rich to my system and because I could only spare 5 mins of my precious time by the stove. Pappu was fast asleep after having his 6-hours once dosage of paracetamol and I stole away from him so that I could make something filling. It took me just mins to put them together and another 2 mins to gobble them up and by the 10th min I was there by my champ. You could make them all the more healthy by using multi-grain tortillas.

~*What U Need*~ Mushrooms - 1 cup, sliced Baby Spinach - 1 cup, cleaned Salt, Pepper - to season Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp Butter - 1 tsp Cheddar cheese - 1/2 cup or cheese of choice Tortillas - 2 How I Made it: Heat butter in a tawa and add the sliced mushrooms in it. Season with salt and garlic and saute till it leaves water and done. Wilt the spinach to desired doneness. Meanwhile, arrange cheese on one side of the tortilla. Place the cooked mushrooms on top of this followed by the spinach. Top with more cheese and place this on a clean grill pan or non stick pan and cook each side till nicely toasted.

Serve hot!!!

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Goldfish Crackers or lets say Cheese crackers...

Crunchy, cheesy, salty, total perfectness in every bite is what I can say about these crackers. It spells sharp cheese in every bite and if you are a cheese lover like me or the kid or the huss, then you definitely have to make this. And when you are attempting this, you are very much making the famous gold fish crackers minus the preservatives at home. I gave this a shot because pappu is very much into Cheetos these days thanks to me. I wanted to try a healthy alternative at home and google search led me to this. If you are very much into perfection unlike me then try making the goldfish cutter at home or stick to an icing tip just like I did. Thats absolutely fine with me when it gets the job done.

The crackers were a total winner both with the huss and pappu. The huss keeps stealing his way to grab a mouthful while pappu runs whenever he hears the cupboard door being shut and gobbles atleast 4 or 5 at a time. Like anytime I halved the recipe and the cracker bin is almost done. This weekend is going to be cracker making week again and I am so going to double the original recipe. Coming to the baking time, keep an eye throughout, cos it tends to go from golden to brown in a minute. One basic rule though is that the thinner you roll out the dough, the crunchier the cracker comes out and the lesser the baking time. Keep that in mind and you are good to go.

Adapted from Tastykitchen Prep Time 15 Mins; Cooking time: 15 mins; Makes - 2 1/2 cups ~*What U Need*~ Sharp cheddar cheese - 4 ounces, shredded (~2 cups) Cold Butter- 1 tbsp Unbleached all purpose flour - 1/2 cfup Salt - 1/4 tsp Cold water - 1 1/2 tbsp How I Made it: Pulse cheese, flour, salt and cold butter together in a food processor until it resembles wet sand. Add water 1/2 tbsp at a time and pulse till it comes together. Gather to a dough and chill for 20 mins. Roll out the dough and cut desired shapes. I used the back of a icing tip. Place in a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 12-14 mins or until crispy, puffed and golden.

Store in an air tight container upto 2 weeks...

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