HAPPY DIWALI & HAPPY NEW YEAR :))

Dear Friends,

Wish u and your family a very happy diwali & prosperous new year. May God fulfill all your wishes in wealth, health & happiness in your life.




May this diwali be a wonderful new beginning to a year filled with happiness and prosperity for you.



God Bless You All..Have a rocking year ahead :)



Enjoy ...

Open Faced Macaroni Sandwich

Open-faced sandwiches are nothing but single slice of lightly toasted bread with various toppings. They are also called messy sandwiches as well because toppings, sauce will drip sometimes, so keep a napkin handy). These sandwiches are very famous these days as restaurants are serving them in breakfasts, lunch, and dinner. Poached eggs with grilled asparagus and paprika on toast is typically American breakfast item at diners. Smoked salmon pate and shrimp pate on bread are Netherlands ' favorite. Kidney Beans, pomegranate, and cheese pate on toasted bread slice is Mediterraneans' favorite. Italians love their tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, eggplants, red bell peppers, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil on top of their open sandwich. Any kind of meat, seafood, fruits, cheeses, and vegetables are perfect for the open faced sandwiches. The toppings are endless for this sandwiches, and one can even make sweet open sandwiches as well. Spread Nutella on warm toast and put strawberry slices or banana slices, and dust little powdered sugar on top and boy o boy it is slice of the heaven, party in your mouth! :)))

I am making this Open Faced Macaroni sandwich for a quite while now, and still me and DH can't get enough of it. It is very easy to make and super creamy, little sweet, little tangy, little spicy, and yes little messy. All ingredients compliment each other, and they mix very well with each other. One can make this sandwich spicy but I like mild so I used pinch of cayenne pepper. One can use hot sauce as well. One more thing to keep in mind that, bread slices should be lightly toasted and but strong enough to be able hold toppings well. And no no for griddle toasting, use only oven or bread toaster. That way they remain their shapes after toasting. And serving.


Ingredients:-

• 1 Cup Small Elbow Macaroni (Or your choice of small pasta), boiled
  
• 1/4 cup Carrot, grated
  
• 1/8 cup Corn, boiled
  
• 2 tbsp Tomato, deseeded and chopped
  
• 1 tbsp Sweet Cucumber Pickle, chopped
  
• 3 tbsp Low Fat Mayonise
  
• 4 tbsp Fat Free Sour Cream or Yogurt
  
• 1/2 tsp Ketchup
  
• 1/8 tsp Paprika
  
• 1 tbsp Fresh Mint, chopped
  
• Pinch of Cayenne pepper
  
• Olive Oil
  
• White Bread Slices
  
• Fresh Garlic Cloves, peeled and cut into half.
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Mix well all above ingredients in bowl. Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

2. Drizzle little olive oil on bread slices and toast them lightly in oven or in toaster.

3. Now rub little garlic on hot bread slice. Put 2-3 tbsp macaroni salad on top of the bread.

4. Serve immediately with iced tea, soda, and paper napkin :)

Enjoy...

Roasted Tomato & Corn Bhartha

This is one of my and my family's favorite dish these days. In my family, we all love corn and get loads of fresh corns in markets. I am making this bhartha very often, and can't get enough.

One can use store bought fire roasted tomatoes or you can use the grilled tomatoes as well. The sweetness of corn with chared tomatoes tastes heavenly. If you use fronze corn, please make sure they are boiled enough, otherwise it will come out chewy. You can also use spinach to give it a bit of flavor, color, and maybe a little twist in taste. I also used tomato paste for more intense Color and tomato flavor. Enjoy this bhartha with kulchas or with jeera rice.


Ingredients:-

• 4 Fresh Corn On The Cob
  
• 3 Big Tomatoes, (I used Costco's Beef Steak Tomatoes)
  
• 1 Potato, boiled and cut into small bite size peices
  
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 1 Onion, chopped
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 1 Thai Green Chili, chopped
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 1 tsp Garam masala
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
  
• 1 tbsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  
• 1/2 tsp Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
  
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil + 1 tbsp Extra
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Lemon Wedge
  
• Chopped Cilantro
  

Method:-

1. Pressure cook 3 whole corns with salt, whole potato, and little turmeric powder for 3 whistles.

2. Cut the corn Kernels from the cobs.

3. Preheat oven on 375 degrees F. Wash and dry tomatoes well.

3. Cut the tomatoes into 6-8 peices and place them in grease baking sheet.

4. Drizzel 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and black pepper powder.

5. Roast them for 25-30 minutes or until skin is lightly charred.

6. In the mean time, heat oil in pan. Add cumin seeds, and fennel seeds.

7. When they start to brown, add onion, garlic, ginger, little salt, and green chili. Saute till onion becomes translucent.

8. Now add, roasted tomatoes, with tomato paste, red chili powder, dhania-jeera powder, turmeric powder, and paprika.

9. Mix well, and Cook this for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

10. After 5 minutes, blend this mixer well in blender.

11. Pour gravy back to the pan, add corn, and potato.

12. With corn add garam masala, salt, and 1/2 cup of water or vegetable stock.

13. Mix well amd cover the pan with lid, and let it simmer the bhartha for 4-5 minutes on medium-low heat.

14 .In meanwhile, roast remaining one corn on gas. And cut the kernels of the cob. Keep aside.

15. Mix the bhartha, turn of the heat and transfer to the serving bowl.

16. Serve hot with chopped cilantro, and roasted corn on top.

Enjoy...

Spiced Pomegranate Ice Tea

This is perfect drink for the hot summer days, complements sandwiches and pizzas at the picnics, and perfect by itself as well. This ice tea is sweet and florally-refreshing, and has some cick from the spices and fresh herbs. Refresh your palate with this cool drink.

Ingredients:-

• 4 Pomegranate Tea Bags
  
• 5 cups Water
  
• 4 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• Ice Cubes
  
• Lemon Slices
  

-- For Spiced Syrup

• 1-1/2 cups Water
  
• 1 cup Sugar
  
• 4-5 Fresh Basil Leaves
  
• 1 Thyme Spring
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
  
• 1 Star Anise
  
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
  
• 2 Cloves
  

Method:-

1. Combine all syrup ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil on over medium-high heat, stir occasionally.

2. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is slightly thickened. Let it cool completely.

3. In the mean time, in a sauce pan, heat water to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and drop in the tea bags. Cover and let steep for 20-25 minutes.

4. Now discard the tea bags and let the tea cool completely.

5. Mix spiced syrup, lemon juice, and tea well in the pitcher and Refrigerate until chilled or atleast for an hour.

6. Add ice cubes in serving glasses, pour tea in it.

7. Put slice of lemon on top and serve.

Enjoy...

Baked Cauliflower & Carrot Subji

If you love cauliflower, this curry is for you. If you love carrot, this curry is for you. Cauliflower and carrot combo lovers like me will love this subji. Haters will still find it interesting, so it is a must-try recipe for everyone.

Cauliflower has milky, little sweet and nutty flavor. Carrot is sweet in taste and very popular root vegetable. If cauliflower is overcooked, it becomes waterlogged and/or mushy and will most certainly lose most of its flavor. I ualually bake cauliflower to avoid that problem. It also helps to control oil, salt, and crunch of the cauliflower that way. One of the best chacteristic of carrot is they never lose their shape when boiled, cooked on pan, or baked. Baking brings out the sweetness of the carrot nicely.

I marinated cauliflower and carrot with potato, yogurt and some spices. The blend of the spices and yogurt helps make semi-thick gravy, which is perfect with chapati, naan, or with rice. I used a little sugar in marinate to give it a thin-crunchy layer. I want to strees here that don't worry about sweetness from sugar as it doesn't get added to the taste of the subji.

One more thing to keep in mind is to bake this in cookie sheet. It'll help keep vegies separated from each other and cooked evenly. In deep baking dish, it will be mushy and take more time to cook.

Ingredients:-

• 1 Cauliflower, Cut into Bite size Florets/pieces
  
• 3 Carrot, Cut into Bite size pieces
  
• 1 Potato, Cut into Bite size pieces
  
• 1-1/4 cup Thick Yogurt
  
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
  
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
  
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Green Chili Paste
  
• 1 tsp Rajwadi Garam Masala
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
  
• 1 tsp Kasoori Methi
  
• 1 tbsp Sugar
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Cilantro, chopped
  
• Cooking Spray
  

Method:-

1. Wash cauliflower, carrot, and potato. Let them dry completely.

2. Pour thick yogurt into large bowl, and wisk lightly.

3. Add ginger, garlic, red chili, green chili, garam masala, cumin powder, turmeric, asafoetida, kasoori methi, sugar, olive oil, and salt.

4. Add veggies, mix very well, cover bowl with lid, and leave for 30 minutes on kitchen counter. Preheat oven for 400 degree.

5. Cover baking tray with aluminium foil, and grease with cooking spray.

6. Transfer marinated vegetables into the tray.

7. Bake it for 20-25 minutes. Then take it out in serving bowl.

8. Sprinkle fresh cilantro, red chili powder, and serve hot.

Enjoy...

Pasta With Vegetable Cream Sauce

Time flies. I still can not believe that he is two..my baby dear just turned 2 a few days ago, yeyyyy. :) This is his favorite pasta dish as he is pasta lover as well, just like his mommy:) In his words, "I love pakka (Pasta)...nummmmm(yummm):

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup Pasta, cooked
  
• 1/4 cup Mix Vegetables (Corn, peas, limabean, etc), bolied
  
• 1 tbsp Oil
  
• 1 Small Garlic Clove, chopped
  
• 1/4 tsp All Purpose Flour
  
• 1/8 cup Water + 3 tbsp extra
  
• 2 tbsp Milk
  
• 2 tbsp Cream Cheese
  
• 4 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, greated
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Black to taste
  
• Pinch Of Oregano
  

Method:-

1. Puree mix boiled vegetables, garlic, with 3-4 tbsp of water. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in pan, and saute this vegetable puree for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

3. Add APF in it and cook for another 1 minute.

4. Add milk, cream cheese, and water. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Now add pasta in sauce, with salt, oregano and ground black pepper. Mix well and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

6. Now turn off the gas and add parmesan cheese in it, and mix.

7. Serve with peice of garlic bread.

Enjoy...

Warm Kalonji Potato Salad & Radish Pickle For - Maitri

MAITRI means frendship.... MAITRI Friendship Chain is about sending along a mystery ingredient to your blogger friends. And they have to make something new, old, tasty with this mystery ingrediens, and it has to be vegetarian. The dish has to be made within a week of the ingredient arriving and posted on your blog. Hatts of to PRIYA and RESHMI who created this wonderful event, thanks gals :)) I also encourge my bloggi friends to join this chain.

I got matched with SWAPNA. Visit her blog for some amazing recipes. I reiceved a package from Swapna. She sent me Kalonji/Nigella seeds as a mystry ingredient. She also sent me this cute little baking dish and a greeting card too, that is so sweet of her.



I never used Kalonji before. I tasted it once or twice in killer Punjabi Kadhi one of my friends make so had an idea that it is usually used in PanchPoran for tadka. I wanted to make something different with it so I made two dishes.


1. WARM KALONJI POTATO SALAD: Easy to make and Kalonji gives very aromatic and distinct flavor. I also used fresh ingredints like orange wedges and fresh orange juice for the dressing.



Ingredients:-

• 3 Medium Red Potatoes, cut into small pieces
  
• 1 Garlic Clove, thinly Sliced
  
• 1 tsp Kalonji/Nigella Seeds
  
• 1 Orange, cut into wedges
  
• 4 tbsp Orange Juice, fresh
  
• 4 Cherry Tomatoes, cut into half
  
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Fresh Tyme, chopped
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil in pan, cook sliced garlic and kalonji till garlic get little golden.

2. Add potatoes, cayyenne pepper, and salt.

3. Cook them until tender, than add cherry tomatoes. And let them warm.

4. Take it out salad in serving bowl, add orange, orange juice, and chopped thyme.

5. Mix well and serve warm.

Enjoy...

2. RED RADISH PICKLE: Instant, easy, and flavorful. Can be stored in refrigerator for week.



Ingredients:-

• 8-9 Red Radish, julienne cut or Shredded
  
• 1/2 tsp Kalonji/Nigella Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Methi Kuria
  
• 1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
  
• 1/4 tsp Hing
  
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder
  
• 3 Thai Chilies, rufly chopped
  
• 1 tsp Amchur
  
• 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. In bowl mix radish with, salt, amchur, and lemon juice well. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil in pan and splutter mustard seeds. Turn down the heat on low.

3. Now add hing, kalonji, fennel seeds, methi kuria, thai chilies, turmeric, and red chili powder. Saute them for 20-25 seconds.

4. Pour this tadka on radhish. Mix well and cover with lid or plastic wrap for 15 minutes.

5. Serve with your favorite food.

Enjoy...