Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:
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5 Lasagna Noodles
1 handful Spinach
1 cup sliced mushroom
Tomato sauce( i use Ragu 7 herbs )
white sauce(recipe below)
Roughly 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp italian seasonng
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup onion
1 Loaf pan

Method:
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

For the White Sauce or Bechamel:
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Ingredients:
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2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups milk Heated
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
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In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until blended, 1 minute.Add the bay leaf.
Gradually add the Heated milk, whisking constantly.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt,white pepper and Nutmeg.Discard the bay leaf and add parmesan cheese.Keep aside

Saute Vegetables:
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Heat a pan,Add EVOO,when hot add chopped garlic,onion,Mushroom and spinach.Saute for 2 mins.Add chopped parsley and italian seasoning.season with salt and pepper.Keep aside.

Lasgna Assembly:
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I use a loaf pan for making this recipe.Serves 2
Pour a thin layer of tomato mixture into the loaf pan.

Top with a layer of lasagna noodles placed side-by-side. Add a layer of sauted vegetables; sprinkle some of the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables.Top with a layer white sauce.

Add another layer of lasagna, more tomato sauce, another layer of Vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and white sauce; Continue building the lasagna, alternating layers of noodle, red sauce,Vegetables,cheese,white sauce until all the noodles are covered. End the lasagna on a layer of red sauce and top it off with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the noodles are tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes to let the lasagna set. Cut with serated knife.Serve.

Grilled Chicken Taco

Ingredients:
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For Chicken Marinade:
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4-Chicken Breast(Grill Slices)
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp-Garlic Powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp mixed herbs(i used fresh thyme and parsley)
1 freshly squeezed Lemon Juice or 1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp chili flakes
1/4 cup-Olive oil

Garnish:
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Avacado
Sour cream
shredded Ice berg lettuce or Cabbage
Pico De Gallo

For Southwest Pico De gallo:
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1 small Onion chopped
1 Jalapeno sedded and minced
1 small Tomato
few sprigs chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup Black Beans
1/4 cup Corn
1 freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper

Mix all the ingredients listed under Pico De Gallo and keep aside.

Preparation:
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Wash the chicken slices and pat dry.Add garlic powder,cumin,paprika,lemon juice,mixed herbs,chili flakes,salt,pepper and olive oil.Marinade atleast 2 hrs or overnight.

Heat the Grill ,Spray or Brush the grill with olive oil.Place the marinated grill slices and cook 4 mins per side until the chicken is lightly charred and cooked through.Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.Let sit for 5 mins.Cut the grill chicken into strips and serve with warmed corn tortilla.Top with with pico De Gallo,shreded lettuce,avacado and sour cream.

Parotta(without Egg)

Ingredients
4 cup Maida
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Water (approx)
5 tsp Oil (for dough making)
¼ cup Oil (for kneading)
½ cup Oil (for shapping)
½ cup Oil (for toasting)

Method:
Dough making and kneading:
Mix maida, salt, 5 tsp of oil and water. Knead to make a soft dough, like how we make for chappattis and puris. Put it in a bowl and close it with a plate, let it stay for 30 minutes. Meanwhile clean your kitchen counter to make a big work surface.Now press the dough and knead it by slowly adding oil (1/4 cup) little by little. Repeat the process until the dough becomes very soft (20 minutes approx). Beat the dough , which ofcourse need expertise, but the same can be done by using a rolling pin. (10 minutes approx). Now make ten equal portions (4 cups maida yeilds only 10 parottas) and put them under a damp cloth or kitchen towel, this helps it from becoming dry.

Stretching the dough:
Take one portion and roll it as much as you can with a rolling pin, the funny part is, you can watch as you stretch, it rolls back, so apply oil say about a tsp for each parotta and stretch it to paper thin size. It might tear in some areas… thats ok. Stretch using your hands or use the rolling pin, oil makes the work easier.

Shaping the dough:-
Again apply little oil on the stretched surface of the dough. Now using both your hands try making pleates and fold as you do that. Just like making a paper fan. Start from one side and finsih on the other end. Tap it a couple of times on the conter real fast inother to stretch it lengthwise. Start rolling it backwards from both ends to form a little heart shape. Keep on half of the heart on the other and press it with the center of your palm. Repeat the whole process for each parotta and store them back under the damp towel.

Toasting the parotta:-
Keep a tawa hot and ready while you do the last stretch. Flame should be on meduim high throughout the frying process. Now take one portion of the shped dough and slightly roll it lenthwise and widthwise with a rolling pin, just one side only. The other side should be the firm on the bottom do not flip while doing this. Transfer it straight to the tawa and let cook for few minutes, now flip on the other side and a tsp of oil, you will see it becoming fluffy, flip one more time and then put it back on the counter. Using both hands, try to beat it once, just like clapping, to seperate the layers. Serve hot with your favorite side dish.

Minced Parotta

Ingredients
3 Plain parotta
2 Onions
1 Tomato
1 Green chilli (long)
¼ tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3 Eggs
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Red chilli powder
Few Curry leaves
3 stks Coriander leaves - for garnishing
½ tsp Salt (or to taste)
5 tsp Oil

Directions:
Shred parottas using a food processor and keep aside.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and season with cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Fry the chopped onions and green chillies until golden.
Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes away,
then add the chopped tomatoes along with turmeric, chilli powder and salt.
Fry them for couple of minutes and then add the shredded parotta
and toss to coat the masala.
Now turn the flame to high setting and pour the beaten eggs and
cook until everything is well mixed. Garnish with coriander leaves.
serve.

Hakka Noodles

Ingredients:
1 packet Hakka Noodles
1 cup cabbage shredded
1 large carrot diced
2 capsicums,sliced
3 green onions chopped
sesame oil-2 tbsp
1 cup sliced mushrooms

Seasonings:
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp green chili sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt to taste

Directions:
Cook the noodles as per instructions.Heat oil in a wok on high flame.Add all the vegetables,seasonings and stir fry.Add noodles and stir fry on high for 2 -3 mins.Garnish with chopped green onions.serve hot.

Egg PAROTTA

Ingredients :-

Maida - 8 cups

Eggs - 2

Sugar -2tsp

Salt - as needed

Water - as needed

Method:

STEP1:Sieve maida and mix it with egg,sugar and salt.

STEP2:Knead it into soft dough using water.

STEP3:Divide the dough into equal sized balls

and rub each ball well with oil and keep it in an airtight containerfor 4-5 hrs.

STEP4:After 5 hrs Roll each ball into a small chappathi.

STEP5:Start beating it on the counter top.Keep going around the chappathi doing this until, the chappathi is very thin.

STEP6:Now try streching the chappathi with your hand to max level.Sometimes the chappathi breaks, that's just fine. Now pick the chappathi up by one end.Hold it vertically and try streching a little, careful not to break it.

STEP7:Now keep rolling this in spirals and tuck the end into the center.

STEP8:just spread little oil on the sprial ball.After done making all the spiral balls.

STEP9:Take one spiral ball at a time, roll it into small thick chappathi.Cook this in a hot griddle till it's golden brown on both the sides.add little oil while cooking.

STEP10:Now try pushing them with both the hands from all the sides.This is just to separate the layers.
READY TO SERVE.

Rava Kichadi

Ingredients:-

Rava - 2 C
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Tomato - 1(chopped)
Green peas - 1/2 C
Carrot - 1/4 C (grated)
Ghee - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Salt - as needed
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Curry leaves- as needed
Oil - 2 tspCashews - as needed (opional)

To grind:
Garlic - 2 pods
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Fennel seeds/Perunjeeragam - 1/2tsp
Green chillies - 3

Method:

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of ghee and fry rava until aroma. Keep it aside and let it cool down.In a kadai, heat oil and ghee.Add mustard seeds,curryleaves.Add Onions and tomatoes.Add green peas, carrot,turmeric powder and the grounded paste and fry well till raw smell goes.Now add 5 cups of water and salt to this and let it come to boil.Now add rava to this and mix well ,then cover the lid and keep it in low flame for about 8-10mts.Serve hot with coconut or peanut chutney.