Spaghetti/Noodles is a favorite meal in my house. Even my little one has started to like it. This meal gives enough opportunities to sneak healthy ingredients like vegetables and meat. Basil pesto is a very fresh and subtly delicious flavor to add to the spaghetti.
Ingredients:
- 300 gms spaghetti noodles
- 2 cups of fresh italian basil leaves (I have used 1 cup of thai basil leaves, as that's what I had)
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp walnuts(I didn't use)
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil for the pesto
- 1 tbsp olive oil for spaghetti
- 10 green or black pitted olives
- 1 yellow/red bell pepper
- about 200 gms salad shrimps (optional -- for non-veg version)
- or you can add 1 or 3/4 cup of frozen corn (optional -- for vegetarian version)
- extra basil leaves, chopped walnuts, lemon slices and Parmesan cheese to garnish
- salt, pepper and red chili flakes according to taste
Recipe:
- Boil the spaghetti in enough salted water according to package directions.
- Mine took 13 minutes. Reserve around half cup of salted spaghetti water.
- Drain in a colander, and keep aside.
- Wash and clean the basil leaves. Remove the thick stalks. Peel garlic. Chop about half of it.
- Take the basil leaves, remaining garlic, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice and pulse in a food processor or a blender for few seconds ....till u get a smooth puree.
- Add fresh lemon zest to the puree and mix.
- Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add chopped garlic, red chili and saute for a minute.
- Add the pesto paste and saute for another minute.
- Add the chopped bell pepper and olives. Mix for 30 secs.
- Add the frozen shrimps or the corn. Saute for another 30 secs to a minute.
- Add the spaghetti, along with the salted water and mix well.
- Add salt, pepper and dried chili flakes according to taste or if needed.(I didn't add any more salt)
- Serve hot, garnished with lemon slices, basil leaves, toasted walnuts and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Quantity:
- Use Italian basil leaves. That will give deep green color to the spaghetti and stronger flavor.
- Leave out shrimps to make a vegetarian version. Add corn, baby corn or maybe grilled zucchini or eggplants.
- Keep the heat, low to moderate after adding the basil pesto. Add other ingredients one after the other after the pesto, so as not to over cook it...!!! It doesn't really need to cook or over cook.
- I didn't defrost the shrimps. It's better to defrost the shrimps or corn and bring it to room temperature, especially the cooked salad shrimps. You do not want to overcook(or even cook) them(as they are already cooked).
You can try these other spaghetti/pasta recipes too....
This is our favorite recipe, to be made anytime. If I ask my son, what shall I make for dinner or lunch, he would say "chili chicken" or "grilled salmon". I make this recipe, so many times.... usually, in a rush at last minute, so never had time to properly photograph it. I had photographed this, long time back and I did not like the pictures, so I want to do it again sometime, but as I said, I always make it in a hurry.... so if I make it in leisure, will try to take better photographs for this recipe.
Ingredients:
- about 400 gms chicken fillets( or breasts)
- 1 red and 1 green capsicum
- 1 red onion
- 7 garlic flakes
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 3 green chilies
- 1 red chili
- 2 tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2 -3 tsp vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp of ajinomoto( msg-- optional)
- a bunch of spring onions chopped for garnish
Recipe:
- Wash and clean the chicken. Pat it dry with kitchen paper. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Grate 4 garlic cloves and ginger, chop 2 chilies and keep them in a bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp vinegar and mix well.
- Add chicken pieces to this marinade. Add about 1/2 a tsp of salt and 1 tsp of freshly pounded black pepper.
- Keep it aside covered with cling wrap in a refrigerator for about 1 hour ...to even 24 hours(1 day)
- Mince the remaining 3 pieces of garlic, 1 green and red chili, onions and capsicums.
- Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan.
- Add garlic, chilies and stir-fry on high for 30 secs.
- Add onion, stir-fry again for a minute.
- Add the capsicum, stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add another tbsp of soy sauce and 1 to 2 tsp of vinegar.
- Add marinated chicken. Lower the heat to medium and stir-fry .....for 3-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked.
- Serve hot, garnished with spring onions as an accompaniment with rice or just as is ....if it's a snack or an appetizer.
Quantity:
- 3-5 servings with rice/other curry or 2-3 servings as an appetizer
Notes:
- The chicken requires only 4-5 minutes to cook, if they are in small bite size pieces.
- If u get chicken shreds,(like I have got, in the picture) that means, it's slightly over cooked. You need to get a nice even brownish coating. A tip, I recently learnt about cooking chicken from my friend Lakshmi. However, this chicken is delicious, even if it is slightly overcooked.
- You can make it a day ahead... or marinate longer to get maximum flavor.
- Msg can be added after sauteing the onions, before adding capsicum. It gives good flavor to the chicken.
- You can also add a chicken stock cube in the end and some water and corn flour to make a gravy.
- The number of chilis and flavorings, I use..will make it a mildly spicy chicken. Do increase the number of chilies for a fiery taste..... :) Adjust the quantity of soy sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper accordingly.
- For vegetarian version of this recipe -- Try out the chili paneer recipe here....:)
- You can make similar recipe with boiled eggs.
I named this sandwich, with this unusual name, when I saw it on a blog here.... Melinda has a beautiful blog, I found many interesting recipes and this is one of them. I love pumpkin, and it symbolises the Autumn season for most of the northern hemisphere. Though, pumpkin is available here, most of the year, in October the "blogosphere" is full of pumpkin recipes ...:) Usually, I make a yogurt based pumpkin salad(raita), or a soup or use it-- for bread/cake, etc. I loved this recipe, as it is so unusual and yet so simple. It was delicious too.
In the original recipe, the author has baked the pumpkin, in an oven, for about an hour, which will definitely give it a lovely flavor. But, I chose the easier and faster way-- I cooked the pumpkin, in a pressure cooker.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of whole wheat/multi-grain or white bread (or any other kind you prefer)
- 1 red/green apple
- 4-6 salad leaves (lettuce/baby spinach/rocket leaves or any other kind you like)
- about 4 tbsp of pumpkin puree (made fresh)
- 2 tbsps of cheddar cheese
- a few drops of olive oil (or butter)
Recipe:
- I usually buy sliced pumpkin which is sold in supermarkets here, wrapped in cling wrap around 150 gms or so. Wash the pumpkin thoroughly and keep it whole, in a pressure cooker container -- skin, seeds and all.
- Pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles. Let the cooker cool.
- Once the pumpkin is a bit cool to handle, remove the skin and the seeds. Take out the pumpkin flesh and give it a whizz in the blender for 30-60 seconds to get a fine puree.
- Keep it aside. I didn't photograph this step. I made a puree a night before thinking, I would make the usual soup....:)
- Rest is simple.
- Heat a pan. Grease it with olive oil. Take two slices of bread. Butter it on one side(optional-- I omitted this step). Spread about a tbsp of pumpkin puree on the other side. Place it puree side up on the pan.
- Slice an apple thinly, arrange the slices on the salad leaves.
- Grate a tbsp of cheddar cheese on top, or you can also place a cheddar cheese slice.
- More puree on the other slice of bread, and put the bread on top.
- Grill/Pan fry it on both sides for 1-2 minutes, till the cheese is melted.
- Enjoy it, "hot" off the grill and imagine you are in a nice chilly place with colourful fall trees around you. (Unless, you already live in such a place) .... :)
Quantity:
- 2 sandwiches(serves 1 or 2)
Notes:
- If you use a grill pan, you will get nice grill marks on the sandwich.
- Roast the pumpkin in the oven, to get a different flavor.
- More cheese, than just a tablespoon will make it tastier :)
