Cajun Chicken Pasta

Life takes a turn at times. That which interested you becomes distant and that hobby which you thought would never peak into your mind becomes a favorite passtime. I am in that phase right now. I have been blogging for 4 years now and I would never want to give that up just like that. And so I am taking my time to settle my mind and start blogging again. I was pretty busy for the past few weeks with pappu's birthday celebrations. I will write a separate post on that soon. But as for now lets talk about this easy to make cajun chicken pasta.

Pasta is one thing that I make when I am pressed for time or when we need a quick fix meal. Pappu is a sucker for mac and cheese and so I make it atleast once a month. As for pasta, I try a different recipe and that is how this cajun pasta happened. It happened and it is now a favorite.

~*What U Need*~ Boneless skinless chicken thighs - 1/2 cup, cut into bite size pieces Linguine - 6 oz Onion - 1/2, sliced Mushrooms - 1 cup, sliced Red bell pepper - 1/2, sliced, I didnt have this so skipped Garlic - 2, chopped Cajun seasoning - 1 tbsp Chicken stock - 1/2 cup Heavy cream - 2 tbsp Coriander - 1 tbsp, chopped Butter - 1 tbsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Salt, pepper - to season How I Made it: Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Season the chicken thighs with the cajun seasoning and set aside. In a large skillet add the butter and cook the chick thighs for 4-5 mins. Remove to a plate. Add the olive oil, add the onions, mushrooms, garlic and peppers and cook for 5-6 mins. Add the chicken stock, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add the cream and season lightly with salt and pepper, toss in the cooked pasta and cook everything together for about a minute or until the sauce thickens. Add the coriander and remove.

Serve warm!!!

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Asparagus Stir Fry

The past one week was chaos in our house. I could even go back and say the past on month has been chaos. It first started with the kid, he got the flu, passed it over to me and then the huss took it from there. And then the second cycle started with the kid ofcourse. This time his temperatures started soaring. His birthday has come and gone with no big deal. We kept it simple with a funfetti cake and his favorite t-rex dino fondant topper. He's starting to recover and we are still not into routine. I am keeping it simple for lunch with rasam saadam for the kid and a simple asparagus or broccoli stir fry for me and the night leftovers packed for the huss's lunchbox.

~*What U Need*~ Asparagus - 1 bunch, cleaned and pat dry Olive oil - 1/2 tbsp Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp Garlic - 3 cloves, sliced Salt to season How I made it: Clean the asparagus and pat dry. Break the stem till the part of the asparagus that is tender. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute till golden brown. Add the red chilli flakes and saute for 20 seconds. Add the asparagus and saute in high heat till it has brown spots and slightly tender but still crisp.

Serve with a salad.

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Quinoa, Brown Rice Turkey Chilli

The thing about chillis is that they are so damn easy to put together, they taste yummy and it is protein rich. Well the last part depends on what you put into the chilli. I make chilli atleast once in a month because that is the only way that my son and huss take beans. And also I can add all the other stuff that they hesitate to eat into it and they never complain. This chilli is kinda a leftover version. I had some quinoa and some brown rice which couldn't be made into dishes of their own and hence I made this chilli. Warm chilli on a wintery night is bliss I would say.

~*What U Need*~ Quinoa - 1/2 cup Brown rice - 1/2 cup, cooked as per instructions Black beans - 1 can, rinsed and drained (15 oz can) Kidney beans - 1 can, rinsed and drained (15 oz c Corn - 1/2 cup Ground turkey - 1/2 lb Olive oil - 1 tbsp Onion -1 , chopped Garlic - 3, minced Diced tomatoes - 1, 15 oz can Tomato sauce - 1/2 of a can Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp Cumin powder - 1 tsp Salt, pepper Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp Juice of 1/2 lime Avocado - 1, diced Sour cream How I Made it: Rinse the qunioa and set aside. Heat oil in a large pan, add garlic and onion and cook till brown. Add the turkey and cook till almost done. Add the quinoa, brown rice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce heat to low; simmer and cook until thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice, and heat for another 3 mins.

Serve immediately with avocado and sour cream.

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Wholewheat Burger Buns

Burgers are my favorite. That paired with some coke is a blissful Friday night meal for me. This time when we thought of burger night I decided to make it homemade ~ homemade in the sense everything from scratch right from the patty to the burger buns. Well, then because its me and because its homemade, I thought of making it healthy and sneak in some wholewheat flour and then because I am too ambitious I decided to make whole wheat burger buns with just a tad bit of flour. The only thing that I would like to add add here is that flatten the balls to a disc so that the buns dont rise like a big football.

Adapted from KingArthurFlour Prep time: 15 mins; Bake time: 18 mins; Makes - 4 buns ~*What U Need*~ Water - 3/4 cup Olive oil - 1 tbsp Sugar - 3/4 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Instant yeast - 1 tsp Whole wheat flour - 1 cup Vital wheat gluten - 1 tbsp Bread flour - 1/2 cup Egg wash - to brush buns before baking Sesame seeds - to sprinkle How I Made it: Sprinkle yeast onto warm water with the sugar. Allow to become frothy for 10 mins. Add the remaining ingredients and form a dough. Knead for 5-10 mins. Allow to rise until doubled for 1 hour. Divide dough into 4 pieces and smoothen each into a ball. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and allow to double again for 45 mins. Brush with eggs or milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes until tops are golden brown.

Serve as desired!!!

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Lettuce Salad with feta cheese

When I first moved to the US and when it was confirmed that it was Wisconsin, the first thing that got me hooked to the place was the cheese. Well it was a tough battle between the weather and the cheese. The cheese dragged me to the place and the weather kinda wanted me to get shooed away. So the cheese, Wisconsin specializes in Cheese and the cheesecurds here are the best. Ever since I came here, I have been eating cheese to my hearts content and I have been happy with the local cheese. So my salads and pastas have always got an extra helping of cheese and that is how I love them these days.

After all that eating and bingeing all through the holidays and there after, which is clearly visible in my blog, I have decided to go salads and green smoothies and here is a very simple salad for a start.

~*What U Need*~ Iceberg lettuce - 1 head, rinsed and dried Tomato - 1, deseeded and cubed Onions - 1/2 sliced Olives - 1/4 cup, chopped Feta cheese - 2oz, crumbled For the dressing Lemon juice - 1 tbsp White wine vinegar - 1/2 tsp Olive oil - 2-3 tbsp Salt, pepper - to taste Honey - 1 tsp {Mix everything and whisk well} How I Made it: Chop the lettuce into chunks. Mix lettuce, tomato, onions, olives in a salad bowl. Top with feta cheese. When serving drizzle the dressing, toss well. Serve with a healthy grating of parmesan cheese.

Serve with some wine!!!
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Whole wheat Breadsticks

I just can't stop talking about the weather here. It was snowing non stop last week and the temperature was so low the actual feel plummeted down to -21C. Well actually its better than yesterday. With the weather so cold, I had to take a a day off for pappu. I had to calm him down with some activity and so finally we ended up making straw necklaces. It was a great passtime and it really helped in hand and eye co-ordination for the kid.

Now lets talk winter food. We have been making a lot of soups lately and I make some sort of homemade whole wheat buns to go with it. I made these breadsticks for a change and it was a winner. Pappu totally loved it, he simply soaked it in some garlic butter and devoured it.

~*What U Need*~ Warm water - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Olive oil - 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1 tsp Garlic powder - 1 1/2 tsp Salt - 3/4 tsp Dried basil - 1/4 tsp Bread flour - 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour - 1 cup Vital wheat gluten - 1 tbsp Instant yeast - 1 tsp Butter - to brush the sticks How I Made it: Sprinkle the yeast and sugar on the water and allow to activate for 10 mins. Take the flour, cheese, garlic powder, salt, basil and olive oil in a bowl, add the yeast water and knead or 10 mins. Cover and let rise for 45 mins to 1 hour. Once doubled, divide into 8-10 portions. Shape each into a ball; roll into a rope. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Brush warm breadsticks with butter.

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Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Baking is something like an integral part of my life these days. Its like no day passes by without me cranking up the oven. Mostly its something for breakfast or to refill our cookie jar. And then there are potlucks and friends coming over. Coming to the breakfast part, I generally make banana breads when there are over-ripe bananas in the basket or some kind of yeasted breads with whole wheat flour. But this time we wanted a change and this baked banana oatmeal was what I made. Reheated the next day morning, dunked it into some milk, poured in some maple syrup and it was a yummy breakfast.

~*What U Need*~ Old fashioned rolled oats - 1 cup Chopped pecans - 1/4 cup Baking powder - 1/4 tsp Cinnamon - 3/4 tsp Salt - a pinch Maple syrup - 1/4 cup Milk - 1 cup Egg - 1, large Canola oil - 2 tbsp Vanilla - 1 tsp Blueberries - 1 cup, fresh/frozen How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease 8x8 cake pan. Spread half of the berries in the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. In a medium bowl, mix the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the syrup, milk, egg, oil, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the nuts and remaining berries over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm!!!

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ABC Cake | Apple Banana Carrot Cake | Breakfast Cake

Well if you are looking for a bake which incorporates fruits, veggies, nuts and very little fat, then look no more, for I have a very simple breakfast cake for you today. Its filled with carrots, apple, banana and uses only quarter cup of sugar. Slice them up, toast 'em with some butter and serve it with some freshly squeezed orange juice or freshly brewed coffee and you have a delicious, kid-friendly breakfast to serve. So lets move on to the recipe.

~*What U Need*~ Whole wheat flour - 1 cup All purpose flour - 1/2 cup Brown sugar - 1/4 cup, packed Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Baking powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Cinnamon - 1 tsp Canola oil - 2 tbsp Egg - 1 Honey - 2 tbsp Sour cream - 2 tbsp Whole milk - 1/4 cup Vanilla - 1 tsp Carrots - 1 cup, shredded Apple - 1, shredded Bananas - 2, mashed Walnuts - 1/2 cup Cranberries - 1/4 cup, dried How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine carrot, apple, sour cream, oil, egg, milk and vanilla; stir well. Add the mashed bananas and mix gently. Add honey and mix well. In a large bowl, combine all purpose and whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir well with a whisk. Add the cranberries and walnuts and mix. Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Spoon batter into a bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.

Slice and serve!!!

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Whole Wheat Cinnamon Sugar Banana Bread

If you have been following my blog, then you now know that I love banana breads. They are a handy way to use those heavily speckled bananas without throwing them in the bin. Last week saw the men in the house down with severe cold attacks. Fruits too a backseat and there were no takers for the bananas. The bananas got spots, the spots turned brown and finally I left them undisturbed from another two days. And then they were perfect, perfect to make banana breads. I went a step ahead this time and topped it with a cinnamon sugar and sliced almonds.

Adapted from here Mashed Bananas - 1 cup EVOO - 1/3 cup Maple syrup - 1/4 cup Brown sugar - 1/4 cup Eggs - 2 Salt - a pinch Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp Whole wheat flour - 1 3/4 cup Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Hot Milk - 1/4 cup + 1 tsp vinegar Sliced almonds - 2 tbsp 1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1 tbsp sugar How I Made it: Preheat oven to 325 F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, beat oil and maple syrup and sugar together. Add eggs and beat well. Stir in bananas and vanilla, then stir in the salt and cinnamon. In a bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda. Whisk the flour into the wet ingredients and mix till combined. Add the milk and mix into batter until it is evenly distributed. Spread batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and sliced almonds. Bake for 50-60 mins. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve with tea or coffee!!!

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Quinoa Recipes | Healthy foods

Quinoa is one among the world's healthiest food. It was one among the many to-try things that I had wanted to try when I moved to the US. But its taken me time and that too a long one but as they say better late than never. I gave in last week and bought a packet of qunioa from my local grocery store. I love the Mediterranean flavors a lot and I thought of making a simple salad to start with it. I served it with some Jamaican Jerk spiced roasted chicken and it was a filling meal on the whole.

~*What U Need*~ Quinoa - 1/2 cup Water - 1 cup Red onion - 2 tbsp, chopped Lemon - 1/2, juiced Olives - 1/8 cup, chopped Red and yellow peppers - 1/4 cup, chopped Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp Cucumber - 1 cup, peeled and diced Tomatoes - 1/2 cup, deseeded and cubed Feta cheese - 1/3 cup, crumbled Chickpeas / Garbanzo - 1/2 cup, cooked till soft Salt and pepper - to season Avocado slices and spur cream - to serve How I Made it: Rinse quinoa and cook as per package instructions with salt. Then fluff with a fork and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool. Prep the vegetables. Add everything to the quinoa, season with salt and toss. Add the olive oil and feta cheese and toss gently. Adjust seasoning as you taste.

Top with avocado slices and sour cream and serve!!!

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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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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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Roasted Capsicum & Tomato soup

Its time to post the recipe for the Ssshhh Cooking secretly challenge and I am glad that I am on time. I was paired with +Nalini of Nalini's Kitchen and the secret ingredient was capsicum and/or ginger. I first thought of a simple stir fry but then its been a long time since we had had soup and bread and so settled for this flavorful soup. To me any soup needs to have bread by the side or atleast in the form of croutons. Since I didn't have any bread at hand, I made some rosemary olive oil focaccia from scratch. The crusty and flavorful bread was a perfect accompaniment for the soup and we really enjoyed it for dinner.

~*What U Need*~ Olive oil - 1 tbsp Onion - 1, small, chopped Garlic - 1, chopped Diced tomatoes - 1 can(440g), I used Italian style Red Capsicum - 1 Water/Vegetable stock - 1 cup or more Salt - to taste Pepper - to taste Italian seasoning - to taste How I Made it: Cut the capsicum and remove the seeds. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and broil for 5-7 mins till the skin is deeply black. Once out the oven cover and allow to sit for 10 mins. Peel and chop the roasted capsicum. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and onion and cook till soft. Add the tomato, capsicum and water, season and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 mins. Cool slightly and blend well. You can pass through a sieve too. Reheat over low heat. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with extra seasoning and olive oil.

Serve with some bread. I made some focaccia to go with the soup. A perfect combo.

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