Zaiqa

It has been snowing very hard here in Toronto since a few days. Everyday I get up, and draw the curtains only to see thick layers of snow on roofs, ground and everywhere. Even now it is still snowing.

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Magical, amazing wonder, but still a pain as it needs shoveling everyday, makes walking and driving on the slippery roads difficult and dangerous, and the unbearable chilly winds. I am wishing that the sun comes out as soon as possible and I get to see color everywhere soon inshallah. In the meantime, keep warm everyone.

Capellini pasta rolls

I love to prepare khare seviyan, or sometimes a simple tomato and leftover chicken + oats soup for breakfasts as a change to the very usual parathas, idli, egg sandwiches or cereals. As the name suggests khare seviyan are savory thin vermicelli noodles cooked in a tomato based sauce. Easy to prepare, simple yet filling. You can prepare it totally vegetarian or add leftover prepared qimah or shredded chicken or lamb meat or even paneer if you wish. Other than enjoying it as a quick breakfast, I also sometimes prepare it as a snack or even as a packed lunch.

Khare Seviyan – Savory Breakfast Noodles
Serves – 5

Ingredients:

Canola oil – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Nigella seeds – 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Green chillies – 4, finely chopped
Bell Pepper – 1, cut into thin strips (I used green bell pepper)
Tomatoes – 4, large, red and ripe, finely chopped
Leftover qimah or shredded chicken or lamb meat or paneer – 1 cup (optional)
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Water – 4 cups
Capellini pasta rolls – around 300 gms, broken into small pieces (or any semolina vermicelli noodles)

Khare Seviyan – Savory Breakfast Noodles

Method:

In a large pan at medium high heat, pour oil and as soon as it warms up add mustard seeds and nigella seeds. As the begin to crackle, add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add green chillies, turmeric powder and bell pepper. Fry them for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, leftover qimah or shredded chicken or lamb meat or paneer, salt and red chilli powder. Mix well and let cook covered until the tomatoes are soft. Add water and cover. Let it come to a boil. Once boiling, add the broken pasta and mix well. Let it come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium low and let cook until the pasta has absorbed all water. Serve immediately along with boiled eggs if you wish.

My blogger buddy Tamanna has recently announced an event she is hosting on her blog – ‘Winter Comfort Foods‘~ Classic home cooked meals that make you want to come home and whip up that favorite meal you learnt from your grandmother that gives solace when you are feeling low and uplift your moods. Especially good during this harsh winter season. So do drop by her blog to go through the details and join in the fun.
Khare Seviyan is my contribution to the event she is hosting.

Luv,
Mona

After having enjoyed aplenty of locally grown sweet red peppers in various forms, I had made a batch of roasted red pepper sauce and froze it to use later early this year. Yesterday, I had the urge to make pasta for dinner for everyone. So I combined the sauce with minced meat, few herbs and spices and some penne pasta, and the meal was so yummy.

Vibrant red color from the silky roasted red pepper sauce along with the delicious meaty flavor, this pasta meal was satisfying and loved by everyone. I will definitely be making this again and again.

Penne in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Minced Meat and Cilantro

Ingredients:

Penne pasta – 750 gms
Roasted Red Pepper sauce (see below for instructions on how to prepare) – 350 ml
Minced Lamb/Veal meat – 650 gms
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Beef stock – 3 cups
Chopped cilantro – 4 tbsp
Grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Prepare Roasted red pepper sauce, see below for instructions.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil and as soon as it warms up, add ginger garlic paste and fry until it is lightly brown. Add the minced meat, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder and stir well to mix. Cook stirring frequently and breaking lumps until there is little or no moisture left and the meat is well cooked. Add the roasted red pepper sauce, beef broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook according to instructions. Drian and add the cooked penne to the cooking sauce of red pepper and minced meat. Add chopped cilantro, mix well and cook until there is just little sauce left. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes for the pasta to absorb flavors. Serve immediately garnished with grated cheddar cheese.

For Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
On a rimmed baking tray, arrange 6 halved and cleaned red bell peppers (or) long sweet peppers(red shepherd peppers). Brush them lightly with oil. Sprinkle salt, black pepper powder and dried herbs of your choice.

Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Grill/broil them for a few minutes until the skins brown and blister, approx 15-20 minutes. Turn the peppers once in between. Keep a close eye. Remove, let cool and puree them all until smooth. Store in the refrigerator and use in a week, or freeze to use later.
Note:
1. You can use an assortment of colored peppers, or just use red peppers. I didnt peel the peppers after I grilled/broiled them, you can if you want to.
2. You can also use roma tomatoes that are red but not over-ripe instead or peppers. Halve each tomato, season the halves and grill/broil them similarly for a few minutes, then puree into sauce and use instead of pepper sauce in the pasta for a different but equally delicious taste.

Luv,
Mona

Pasta is loved by everyone, and i believe it is one of those simplest one dish meals one can think of which is also everyone’s favorite for times when you have to serve the meal in less than 35 minutes. This is one such dish that i prepare using the usual ingredients and turns out to be a great hit with my loved ones.

This is my lovely Sisters recipe. She taught me this recipe and i prepare this along with any noodles that I have in my house. I also serve it along with Chicken Tikka, Salmon Tikka or Lamb Tikka. Children will especially devour upon it, and the elders too.  

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk 

Coconut Milk here makes a creamy sauce giving it a rich golden colour. Its healthy and nutritious.

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk  

Ingredients:

To Prepare Sauce

• Canola Oil – 4 tbsp 
• Yellow Onions – 2, thinly sliced
• Tomatoes – 1, large, finely diced
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Cornmeal – 2 tbsp
• Coconut Milk – 3 tbsp
• Light Cream – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups approx
• Green Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Red Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Cremini Mushrooms – 100 gms, sliced

To Prepare Pasta 

• Fettuccine Noodles – 500 gms
• Water – 5.5 litres
• Salt – 1 tbsp

Method:

• In a heavy non-stick saucepan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onions and sauté them till they are light brown in colour. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Mix and let it cook on medium heat till the tomatoes are mushy.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender container and add cornmeal to it. Blend till pasty.
• Pour this paste back in the same pan and let it cook till oil seperates.
• Add Coconut milk, cream and water to it. Let it cook for 3 minutes.Throw in the chopped red and green capsicums and mushrooms. Bring to a boil at medium high heat.
• Meanwhile in a large saucepan , pour water and add the remaining salt to it. Bring it to a boil and add the pasta and stir until water again returns to a boil. Cook uncovered for 9 minutes stirring occassionally or until al dente. Drain.
• Mix the drained pasta with the prepared Coconut milk sauce in the saupan and cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve it hot along with Boiled halved Eggs, and sliced Black Olives, Chicken Tikka or Lamb Tikka or Salmon Tikka, Chicken Croquettes, Pan Grilled Chicken Mustard, Grilled Sweet Chilli Chicken.

Luv,
Mona

Pasta and left overs go well with each other. Especially when we homecooks, dont feel like being in the kitchen for longer times. I had many left over cut vegetables and some chicken in the refrigerator, so I thought of preparing a simple one dish meal adding pasta to it.

Spiral Veg-Chicken Pasta

You can enjoy this it at lunch, dinner or even at breakfast. You can even pack it in a lunch box and have this healthy and filling meal for lunch. Here goes the recipe:

Spiral Veg-Chicken Pasta

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Chicken breast pieces – 250 gms, cut into 1 or 1 1/2 cm cubes
• Yellow Onion – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Baby Carrots – 3/4 cup, sliced thinly
• Green capsicum – 3/4 cup, chopped
• Red capsicum – 3/4 cup
• Cabbage – 3/4 cup
• Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups
• Maggi Chicken Bouillon-Halal -2 cubes
• Dry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Cilantro – for garnish
• Spiral pasta – 250 gms

Method:

To Prepare the Pasta Sauce-

• In a pan on medium heat, pour oil and put the cut chicken pieces. Stir fry it for 5 minutes.
• Now add the chopped onion. Fry it till it is translucent in colour. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir it well for 2 minutes or so.
• Add all the cup vegetables and sprinkle a little bit of salt over it, maybe a big pinch, just to enhance the colour of the veggies. Stir fry the contents in the pan for about 5-7 minutes. Then add the tomato paste, water and the cubed chicken stock. Break the cube once it softens up and mix well.
• Cover the pan so the the chicken and vegetables soften up and absorb the flavours. The pasta sauce is ready.

To prepare the Pasta Dish-

• Prepare the Spiral pasta according to the instructions on the package.
• When you drain the pasta once it is done, reserve a cup of water and drain off all the remaining pasta water.
• In a bowl at medium heat, pour the earlier prepared pasta sauce, the reserved cup of pasta water, and the drained pasta.
• Mix well to coat the pasta with the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle with fresh coriander powder and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and serve hot.

This recipe goes to Ruth hosting Presto Pasta Nights every friday, with the theme as to send her pasta recipes every week. I really liked her theme and the idea because, i cook pasta every weekend, and i look forward to try out different and new recipes of pasta dishes everytime. Her blog will surely help me 🙂 Thanks Ruth !

Interesting Read: Do you know your pasta shapes?

Luv,
Mona

This is one of my favourite salads I had got hold of sometime back. I actually found the recipe in one of the Sun-Maid recipe books and thought of sharing with you guys. There are a lot of proteins in a contrast of textures in this recipe. The raisins add a sweet, chewy accent to crisp apples, and almonds add crunch to the whole grain pasta. A hearty, all in one salad perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. Enjoy the Salad.

Raisin and Red Apple Chicken Pasta Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta – (any of your choice) 2 1/2 cups
Chicken breast – 2 cups, cooked and cubed
Raisins – 1 cup
Red Apple – 1, cored, cubed
Green Onions – 2, sliced
Mayonnaise – 1/3 cup
Honey – 2 tbsp
Dijon Mustard – 1 tbsp
Almonds – silvered and toasted, 1/4 cup

Method:

• Cook pasta as directed on box, drain and rince with cold water.
• Combine cooked pasta, chicken, raisins, apple and onions in a large bowl.
• Combine mayonnaise, honey, and mustard in a small bowl.
• Add to pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate 1 hour or unto overnight to bleand flavours.
• Top with almonds just before serving.

Luv,
Mona