Week #5 - Couscous with a Ratatouille Ragout!!!

Hi everyone, If you like the blog, please do feel free to share with your friends!!!

Since there were no correct guesses this week, I am dedicating this week to all who of you who played good sport and tried to guess the recipe. So, here's to Gautam Belday, Swetha Srivatsan, Periamma,Feroz Khan,Deepa Subramaniam, and Siva.


I am so excited to share the 10 minute, 1 pot,gourmet lunch box meals starting this week and for the next 2-3 weeks.... All your messages makes me want to come up with exciting recipes. Thank you all for your encouragement for this blog.

While the dish I have chosen today is a quick version, I will post an elaborated version which is just divine on a cold dreary day. But that is for another time, another day.

As said before, I am going to include the carbohydrate, the protein and the vegetable in the same dish. And the best part is its all going to be done in TEN minutes.

This dish reminds me of my time in Paris. Many North African countries were French colonies and so the influence of the food of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia can be found in France.
Couscous is a very verstaile pasta that is best for a weekday lunch box menu. Its roots are mostly in the North African, Middle East countries. I first ate couscous in France in a Moroccon restauarant when it was accompanied by a delicious stew. That recipe will be featured later on in my blog. Couscous soon became my favorite whenever I visited Paris. The best part is that nowadays you can get Whole wheat couscous which cooks in 3-4 minutes!!!!
I have chosen Ratatouille as an accompaniment to couscous as the vegetables used in this dont need much cooking time.
Ratatouille is a French dish, one of the very few that is a vegetarian melange of colorful vegetables. When I used to travel for tournaments in France, this is one dish that I longed to eat as I was vegetarian and there were not that many vegetarian options for me.
I am adding Chickpeas (channa) and sunflower seeds to add protein to this dish. Non vegetarians can add cooked chicken pieces or cooked shrimp while sauteing the veggies. I "flash cooked" the Ratatouille- meaning, High Heat, less time which helps sear the veggies, but doesnt over cook it.

The following recipe is good for 2 kids lunch boxes or one adult
Ingredients :

Ratatouille
1/4 cup each of Red Bell Peppers and Green Bell Pepper( capsicum) diced
1/4 cup of zucchini diced
1/4 cup red onions diced
1 garlic pod- minced
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon -tomato paste
1-2 tablespoons- Extra Virgin Oilive oil
1/4 cup- cooked chick peas or canned chick peas
2 tablespoons- Sunflower seeds
2 tabelspoons -water
Red pepper flakes- optional

Couscous-
1 Cup - couscous
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons- Lemon juice
1 tablespoon- Olive oil
2 teaspoons- Salt


Method:
Bring water to a boil water with salt and olive oil in a medium pot. Take it off the stove. Add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and add the couscous. Stir and cover the pot tightly and leave it alone for 5 minutes. Thats all there is to cook the couscous. Just fluff with a fork in 5 minutes.
In the meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. We are "flash cooking" this, so make sure to use high heat. Add minced garlic and onion. Give it 30 seconds and then add the bell peppers and zucchini. Stir for 1 minute, add salt, pepper and parsley. At this point, you can add chicken or shrimp. Now add tomato paste and stir. Add 2 tablespoons water and stir to combine for another minute. Turn off the stove. Add the pepper flakes if you want now.The whole cooking of Rataouille should be only 3-4 minutes. Now toss the Rataouille and mix with the fluffed up couscous. Lastly, sprinkle the sunflower seeds and toss and Enjoy!!!!
You can substitute Carrots or Broccoli insetad of zucchini...

Guessing time!!

One pot, 10 minute, lunch box, gourmet meals coming up!!!!

By popular request, for the next 4-5 weeks,I am going to be posting some lunch box options for parents. These recipes are going to be a one-pot meal, meaning , I am going to include the carbohydrate, the protein and the vegetable in the same dish. And the best part is its all going to be done in TEN minutes. Its going to be fresh and healthy yet interesting enough that even adults may choose to take it for a healthy office lunch.

Stay tuned and message me if you are looking for any particular recipes.

Week #4 Lemony Kale and Spinach with Tofu Pasta

This week's dedication goes to Siva. He was my senior in Perks school and now lives in Perth, Australia. From the photos he posts, I am quite sure he is an ardent and enthusiastic cook. So, Siva- heres to you!!!

Though Kale is touted as the new superfood, not many know about it or have tried it the right way. I, on, the other hand, am a huge fan of Kale, spinach, collard greens, etc. So, here is my concoction of Kale and spinach with lemon zest and tofu is a slightly Mediterranean inspired pasta. This entire combo is so full of nutrients and is a power packed meal. I used a flat rice noodle, but you can use any noodle in this dish. I have completely omitted cheese in this dish, so its Vegan friendly! I especially, like the lemon flavor going through the dish and the added flavor also from a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Lemony Kale and Spinach with Tofu Pasta
Ingredients
Kale- 1 bunch
spinach 1 bunch
Noodles- Any Spaghetti,angel hair,linguine, etc. cooked according to package instructions
Garlic- 2-3 pods- minced
Extra firm tofu- drained and crumbled
Onion- 1 medium
Lemon zest- 1 tablespoon
Lemon Juice- 1 Tablespoon
Good quality Extra Virgin Olive oil- 2 tablespoon
Black Pepper- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste



Method:
Wash and trim Kale and spinach and cut into bite size pieces. Pour 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin oil in a hot saute pan. Add garlic, and onions and saute for 1 min until onion starts getting brown. Then add the greens( Kale and spinach) and saute on high heat or 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water and reduce heat and cover by letting the Kale cook for about 7-10 minutes until it has fairly softened. Increase heat, so most of the water is gone.Please note Kale holds its shape and its not necessary to cook it further in this recipe. The crunch of the Kale is essential. Now add salt, black pepper and lemon zest and tofu and keep the heat at high for 2 inutes, stirring carefully the whole time. Now squeeze lemon juice. Run the cooked noodles in cold water and drain and immediately toss with the Kale and Tofu mixture. Add the other tablespoon of Olive oil on top and enjoy!!!!

Week #3 Protein Packed Pongal

I am happy to announce the person that I am dedicating Week #3 Dish to my Periamma(aunt) Prema Viswanathan. She hit the nail on the head in 2 min after I asked the question. I am so happy to start the deidcation with her because she is an amazing cook and a great personality. So, here's to you Prema Periamma!!!
Anu Krishnan- guessed it right, but I also added 2 other special grains- Barley and Samo Seeds to my Pongal. and the others were so close-Sundal and Pongal- this is a combo of both. Both Samo and Barley dont get mushy and stand to cooking at high temperatures without breaking apart, but the barley especially gives such good texture to the dish.


Week # 3 of my 52 weeks of 52 recipes is inspired by the Indian festival of Pongal. Pongal is the harvest festival of India and celebrated over three days. We eat a lot of Pongal in those three days which mainly consists of 2 kinds, Sweet Pongal and Venn( Savory)Pongal. I'll be honest with you all, I have never really cared much for the Sweet Pongal as its just rice and jaggery with the cashews and raisins. But I prefer the Savory Pongal especially because I am able to tweak it the way I want with all the nutrients and some very special ingredients. While the traditional one just has rice and moong dal or moong lentils, mine are way out of the ordinary.... this is actually good for us and SUPER easy!! This could easily be a week day comfort meal.So, in all, this is a low glycemic index Pongal packed with protein. Here is Pongal- MY WAY.

PPP- Protein Packed Pongal

Rice- 3/4 cup
Split Moong Dal- 1/4 cup
Barley- 1/4 cup
Quinoa- 1/4 cup
Samo seeds- 1/4 cup
Boiled Moong and Kala Channa- 1/4 cup each
Cashew nuts or peanuts- 2 tablesoons
1 tablespoon- Black whole pepper
1 tablespoon- cumin seeds
A handful curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon- turmeric
1/4 teaspoon- Asafoetida( can be omitted)
1 Green chilli- chopped
Shredded coconut- 1 tablespoon (optional)
Salt as needed
Vegetable oil- 1 tablespoon
1/4 cup water

Method:
Cook Rice,Split Moong Dal,Barley and Quinoa in Rice Cooker with 3 1/2 cups water.
In the meanwhile, add oil to a pan. Then add cumin and let the seeds turn black.Add whole pepper and then curry leaves, green chillies, turmeric, asafoetida and saute. Reduce heat to medium. Add cashew nuts and let it turn brown followed by the Kala Channa and whole moong.

Add salt and coconut. Now add the cooked rice, barley,quinoa and samo mixture. Add 1/4 cup water and increase heat to high and let it all come together. Serve hot with either Sambar or Gotsu(eggplant in tomato sauce). Enjoy

Week #3 Guess the Dish!!

These are just some of the ingredients!! Guess the dish!!

Pappardelle Creme Champignon Aka Noodles with a creamy mushroom sauce

This dish was my most favorite in the Italian restaurant on top of my tennis club in Luxembourg. The noodles were soft and the flavor of the mushrooms and creme together was simply divine. I am an ardent mushroom fan, so this was one of the best mushroom dishes I have had. The Cremini mushrooms which are baby portabella have so much flavor and are quite earthy and stand very well to cooking in high temperatures as opposed to regular white mushrooms which are more subtle in flavor. But a combination of both works best.

Ingredients :

Cremini mushrooms and White Mushrooms- 1 cup each (cleaned, washed and sliced)
Garlic- 3-4 cloves minced
Shallots- 2-3 minced
Gorgonzola cheese- 3 tablespoons
Parmesan cheese-3 tablespoons
Heavy cream- 1/4 cup
Pappardelle- or any wide noodles - Cooked and ready to use
Dried Oregano and dried parsley- 1 tablespoon each
Olive oil- 1 tablespoon
Chilli flakes- optional
Vegetable broth or Mushroom broth or white wine- 1/4 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish



Method:

In a large hot skillet, add olive oil and the sliced mushrooms. Ideally, you want them in one layer. Reduce heat to medium once you hear the searing sound. Do not move it for at least 2 minutes, so the mushrooms get browned. After 2 minutes, turn mushrooms around and cook another couple of minutes. Now add the garlic and shallots cook until shallots turn translucent and start to brown. Pour the broth or the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan and get all the flavor from the mushrooms into your sauce. Add Oregano and Parsley and chilli flakes.When the sauce starts a slow boil, add cream and the gorgonzola cheese. Reduce flame to low, so the flavors can blend in. Now is the time to taste and adjust salt and pepper. The Gorgonzola has lot of sodium, so you have be careful not to add to much salt beforehand.Remember the sauce has to be slightly runny as it has to coat the pappardelle. Combine the pappardelle and the mushroom sauce and sprinkle parmesan and minced parsley on top and enjoy.

A Stir Fry Recipe with a twist

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for reading my posts.
Most of you know me as a tennis player and an author now. I am very passionate about two things, post tennis phase.
One is writing and my other passion is cooking. My dad gave me tennis and my mother gave me the gift of cooking. While I dont mention much of my mother in my autobiography, this blog post is mostly dedicated to her expertise and phenomenal culinary skills.

After traveling to more than 30 countries around the world, I am constantly trying to recreate what I ate in a particular country in the comfort of my kitchen with ingredients thatI find in the USA. Whether its the Nasi Goreng( Indonesian Fried Rice) I had in Indonesia or the Swedish pancakes I had in Bastad, Sweden or the pasta in Italy, I have always
wanted to bring the authentic taste home and make it as close to what I ate. Also, being a vegetarian, I also try to cut out the meat, but still add protein to my diet. Being Indian, I will also have many Indian recipes, but with a twist :)
I have taken on this project to bring 52 of my favorite recipes for every week of the year in 2015.I hope you all enjoy my recipes and any feedback is welcome.



My first recipe is a very easy, yet healthy Stir Fry Noodle Recipe. I am always looking to add protein to a vegetarian diet. This recipe mixes peanut butter with chillies and soy sauce and is very unique and super tasty. I adopted this after eating Sesame and Chilli Noodles in Guangzhou, China.

Preparation time 15 minutes.
Ingredients

1 package linguine pasta cooked and drained
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
salt- as required
pepper -as required
1 spoon chilli paste
2 tablespoons smooth peanut better
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch brocoli
1 packet extra firm tofu
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons vegetable oil.




Drain tofu and squeeze out excess water. Place on paper towels and pat dry. Cut into thin strips. Salt and pepper it. In a shallow non-stick pan, add cooking spray or very little oil just to coat the bottom. Place tofu strips in single layer and leave them untouched until it starts browning. Turn and just lightly fry. Drain and keep on a plate.
Whisk peanut butter and soy sauce together till its smooth and there are no lumps.

Cut brocoli into florets. Heat oil in the same pan. Add garlic and ginger.Saute for 1 min and add brocoli. Saute for 2-3 min and cover for 1 min till brocoli gets cooked.Add chili paste/sauce and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix the linguine and tofu and add the peanut butter mixture. If the mixture is a bit thick, sprinkle a spoonful of hot water and toss everything with a tong. Finish with toasted sesame seeds on top. Enjoy !!!