Tag Archive | vegetarian

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Oct14

Today is your Birthday. No longer a ‘teenager’ but all grown up.

Have a wonderful, happy and fulfilling life.

With all our love.

For our special day, I made your favourite Italian dish here, lol.

Andrea’s Spaghetti Alio e Olio

Boil Spaghetti in plenty of water until al dente.

Drain, but do not rinse, and keep aside.

Peel and chop finely as much garlic as you like, app. 1 big whole bulb

In a pan heat olive oil, add chopped garlic and on medium heat let them brown lightly.

When colour changes, add salt, red chilly flakes and some finely chopped parsley, let slowly cook for a couple of minutes more.

Now add your Spaghetti, switch off heat, and with 2 forks toss the pasta in your ‘sauce’ and serve straight away.

Remember, re. measurements it all depends really on how hungry you and your friends are. 1 lb of Spaghetti is normally good for 4 people. And with the rest add as much or as little as you like – after all, everybody has a different taste and a different need for spices.

One more thing, since this is a Roman dish, remember we were told by Chef in that beautiful Trattoria near our Hotel, NEVER to use any cheese for this dish.

Another little favourite of yours, Vanilla Icecream with Nutella, delicious!

A Taste of Home from Long ago

Oct3

Mutti’s version of “Chicken Paprikash”

My mother and I both shared our love for chicken (and turkey), amongst other food. When a major health problem forced her to give up her beloved red meat, sausages etc. and was told by her ‘Medicine Men’ that she would only be allowed a daily allowance of 3 oz of lean chicken (or turkey) with some steamed vegetables, she found it at first very hard to cope with this verdict. But, in the end, her better self accepted this and in no time she concocted up yummy chicken dishes for the family and friends, even so she had to prepare 2 different sets of chicken each time she did not eat alone.

One of my favourite was this ‘chicken paprikash’. I only hope, Mutti you will forgive me that I changed your original recipe around just a little bit, mainly to add a ‘zang’ to it all.

This is really a quick Hungarian-style dish and traditionally was served in her house with either spaetzle or her famous potato dumplings. But I think that broad ribbon pasta also goes very well with this.

For 4:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

¾ pound skinned chicken breasts, cut into small strips

1 medium green and 1 red capsicum, deseeded and cut also into strips

1 onion, chopped

1 ½ Tbsp of paprika (or mild chilly powder)

1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed

A few drops of Tabasco

Some chicken stock (depends how much gravy you like)

1 Tbsp of lemon juice (or more, optional)

Sour Cream or thick Curd

1 tsp of concentrate tomato paste (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter with oil in a wok over medium heat. When the butter starts foaming add chicken and your 2 kinds of capsicum with the onion and sauté until chicken changes colour (in about 5 minutes or so).

Now add paprika and caraway seeds and sauté for an extra minute. Add chicken stock and lemon juice and boil very gently for another 5 minutes; keep stirring.

Add sour cream, tomato paste, salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to the lowest for 3-4 minutes.

In the meantime cook and drain your pasta.

Serve ‘Chicken Paprikash’ immediately over your cooked pasta.

Guten Appetit!

“Best Indian Pizza” by the name of UTTAPAM

Oct1

Here is another South Indian dish which is favoured by nearly everyone. The name is Uttapam or Oothappam (or even Indian Pizza, by some!)

What is it, you might as well ask. In simple terms it is like a thick pancake with the ingredients cooked in a batter.

Our top supermarkets now offer a small variety of quite excellent ready wet mixes, which our friends in the UK and in the USA were able to buy for some time.

I felt adventures this morning and decided to make the Uttapam for this post together, since in my 10 years of living here I never had the nerve of making them in my own kitchen, believing them to be very difficult to prepare. But how wrong I was!!

So, I happily prepared Uttapam. Since the wet-mix does not come with any instruction whatsoever, I did a trial run first and found out, that I had to make just some slight adjustments to the batter. So here now the measurements I used in the 3 different Uttapam’s you see in the pictures.

1. Empty all the wet-mix into a bowl.
2. Take a smaller bowl and measure out 5 Tbsp of the batter

and 2 Tbsp of lukewarm water. Mix well.

3. Heat a smallish (frying) pan and pour this mixture into the pan; and like you do with an Italian Pizza, spread the various toppings immediately over the batter.
4. Cook this on medium heat for app. 3-5 minutes and then cover with a large lid and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Do not flip over.
5. Your Uttapam should be ready, serve and eat whilst still warm.

So today I give you 3 different ‘recipes’ for your Uttapam – but, remember, the sky is the limit, experiment with all kind of delicious toppings until you find the ones which will become your household favourites.

The first choice:

In a bowl mix some minced ginger

1 small onion, chopped (you want the crunch on the Uttapam)

1 Tbsp Curry Leaves (cut small) or coriander leaves

2 green chillies, cut slanted

Salt, to taste

The second one is the all-round favourite:

1 small onion, chopped

½ green capsicum (or yellow or red)

Some button mushrooms, wiped with a dry paper towel and sliced

1 tomato, peeled, deseeded and sliced

1 boiled, peeled and sliced beetroot

2 green chillies, cut slanted

Salt, to taste

The third is one of the signature Uttapam of a company just off MG Road, where they sell these, and other most delicious Dosa’s etc., to cinema goers on their way home at night.

Make Uttapam exactly like the first one but carefully open an egg and set it on top of the batter. Unfortunately most eggs here have a very thin shell – we ‘wasted’ a few eggs in order to get a beautiful yolk, but had to conceit defeat in the end.

Uttapam’s is often eaten with sambar or chutney – but we prefer them just like they come out of the pan.

Enjoy

Ciao, Carina

A steaming cup of tea and Bonda

Sep30

We are suppose to be at the end of our Monsoon Season – or so we like to think, until suddenly the clouds above us thicken and heaven darkens and within minutes a deluge of rain comes down on all of us, drenching the unprepared but bringing blessed relief to most of us from the heat.

I just, in my mind, think of Autumn back in Europe and before I can go all nostalgic I find my way into my larder to bring out a few items which are needed, to quickly prepare a batch of “Bonda” to go with Jo’s steaming cup of tea. And then the telephone goes and friends announce that they will drop by on their way back to Coimbatore in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, which is a good enough reason to make a bigger batch of those snacks as originally planned. I also had promised some of our friends in Madrid/Spain to send the recipe – so here it is, Maria.

So, therefore without further ado, I herewith share with you “Jo’s Special Bonda”. But first there are two points I like to make here; I am a coffee- and not a tea-person at all, and despite this I have to admit, Bonda’s taste better with tea (question of personal taste, of course) and when we make Bonda’s for a buffet table here in Cochin or abroad, we prefer to serve them just about ‘bite-size’, i.e. not bigger than our tiny lemon. One ‘ladylike bite’ and they are gone (same goes for cutlets etc. – but more about this another day).

Ingredients:

1 kg potatoes

3 cups onions, chopped not too small

3 green chillies (or more or less), chopped

A few curry leaves (if too big, just cut them smaller)

1 tsp black Mustard Seeds

1 -2 tsp. red chilly powder (taste first and see how HOT you like it)

2 tsp. Urad Dahl

2 cups Gram Flour

Pinch of Turmeric powder

1-2 tsp. of lemon juice (again, taste!)

Some Garam Masala

Vegetable Oil for frying

Method:

Boil and mash potatoes coarsely!

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and Dhal and let it go ‘pop’.

Add chopped onions, green chilly, curry leaves, turmeric, red chilly powder and stir this for a minute or so.

Now add potatoes and stir briefly again.

Turn off heat and let mixture cool somewhat before adding lemon juice. Keep tasting to see if you have the right consistency to suit your own palate. (I often for parties make 2 different batches, one which nearly requires a fire-engine on standby for us ‘who like it hot’ and the other one is a much toned-down Bonda version).

When your mixture is cool enough to handle slightly dampen your hands with cold water and make small balls (in the photographs are the normal tea-time-Bonda’s).

Roll those balls in (yellow) Gram Flour mixed with Garam Masala powder and some salt.

Deep fry gently in oil a few at a time, drain on kitchen paper and keep slightly warm until ready to serve.

PS. The above potato mixture can be frozen for later use and also to be used as curry. I have even used this as a quick filler for Masala Dosa.

Ciao, Carina

RISOTTO al RUGGERI

Sep21

– Risotto with Gorgonzola al Ruggeri –

When I looked through my recipe cards in my collection from around the world, I found one, and had feared to have lost the original recipe long time ago, which brought back floods of very fond memories.

During our last stay in Milano a couple of years ago, Jo and I had lunch at my most favourite restaurant in that city – BICE – on Via Borgospesso 12.

Beatrice Ruggeri, simply known to everybody as ‘Bice’ was the founder of this famous Restaurant and her two sons, Remo and Roberto carried on with her vision all over the globe.

I had been to BICE’s Milano many times in my past life and was keen to go back to this place and take some photographs. But unfortunately, we had been out on a serious shopping expedition that day and therefore my camera was left behind back in our hotel.

Entering the Restaurant again after so many years was for me like stepping back in time and I was suddenly reminded of the saying “… good things seldom change …” OK, the staff had obviously changed, Signor Roberto, whom I have met at BICE Milano many times, is now settled in America, the décor – not really, the food – hardly and the clientele? What can I say – it was Fashion Week in Milan and therefore (‘like in the olden days’) it was a bit difficult not to trip over the many gorgeous looking models endless legs!!!

There are now 2 BICE Restaurants in nearby Dubai and hopefully soon we here in India will have one too.

The recipe for one of their signature dishes was given to me oh so long ago by Signor Roberto Ruggeri himself and with his permission I pass this on to you. But a word of caution – this Risotto is quite rich and very filling!!

And guess what we are having for Lunch………….right!!!

For: 6

Ingredients

2 1/1 cups short-grain rice

3 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

5 cups of chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

200 ml heavy cream

6 oz Gorgonzola Cheese, cubed small

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Some parsley, finely chopped

Method:

Take a large heavy frying pan, add ¾ of the butter, all the oil and the rice and sauté for a couple of minutes over moderate heat (avoid stirring as much as possible).

Now add chicken stock, reduce heat a bit more and simmer for app. 10-12 minutes (keep tasting – you must neither under- nor overcook your Risotto!). Shake the pan occasionally to prevent rice from sticking.

In the meantime combine cream and Gorgonzola cheese, salt and pepper in a separate pot and heat this mixture slowly until cheese has melted.

Pour sauce over the rice and simmer again for another 10 minutes or so, keep shaking (and tasting!!) Make sure rice is very tender, but not overcooked mushy.

When done remove pan from heat and gently mix the remaining butter, which has been softened and mixed with the Parmesan cheese, into the rice mixture.

Take 2 forks to do this as not to break the rice kernels too much. Transfer to a heated serving dish, sprinkle some finely chopped parsley over this and serve immediately.

Buon appetito e grazie Signore Roberto

Ciao, Carina

Pasta alla Norma

Sep19

-Pasta with Aubergine- Also known as “Pasta alla Bellini”

This simple but wonderful dish is named after the famous composer Vincenzo Bellini, who was born in 1801 in Catania/Sicily.

His most famous opera “Norma” was always thought to be the favourite of the late great Maria Callas, the undisputed Diva Assoluta of the 20th Century.

In our private music collection is a recording from a 1958 concert in Paris with Callas singing “Casta Diva” – just writing about it sends shivers down my spine – so very beautiful! I would happily have given my eye-teeth to have seen her on stage – anywhere, but alas, I never had the opportunity.

Actually my friends, you know what! If you all will excuse me for a little while. Let me go to my kitchen and whilst preparing this dish I want to share with you today, I will play “Casta Diva”; and if peeling the onion does not bring tears to my eyes the incredible voice of the great Madame Callas most certainly will – always! And for you, who do like classical music but have never listened to this Aria, I suggest you go to YouTube – it will be worth your while.

For: 4 plus

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 or 2 big garlic cloves, roughly chopped

½ kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 can of chopped Italian tomatoes)

Some vegetable oil, needed for frying

App. 350 g aubergines (eggplants) diced into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

450 g dried spaghetti (1 whole pack)

Handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded by hand

App. 150 g ricotta cheese (or any other good hard cheese in desperation), grated

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil, add garlic and cook over low heat, stirring all the time, for a couple of minutes.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Put the diced aubergines into a large colander and lightly sprinkle each layer with salt, cover and leave to rest for at least ½ hour so that the bitter juices get drawn out. When rested, pat them dry with a clean tea-towel.

Now pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan or wok. Heat until quite hot but do not allow the oil to smoke. Fry the prepared aubergines in small batches for 5 minutes only until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Cook pasta in plenty of water until al dente.

Add the fried aubergines to the tomato sauce and heat through. Check seasoning.

Drain pasta and tip immediately into previously warmed bowl or large platter. Add the sauce, basil and a generous handful of cheese. Toss well and serve.

P.S. Of course, here too are any different versions of this famous Sicilian dish, why not try out the one above which I have been making for many years now.

Bon appetito – Ciao Carina

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Sep16

PASTA AMATRICIANA

(Picture above by Wikipedia)

Originating from the town of Amatrice up in the mountainous Province of Rieti in the Lazio Region, the ‘Amatriciana’ is one of the most well-known pasta sauces in Roman- and Italian cuisine.

(Picture above by Comune di Amatrice)

This simple trattoria-style pasta dish, now eaten nearly all over the world, has as many different variations as there are cooks. It is traditionally prepared with ‘Bucatini’ a kind of thicker spaghetti. A most favourite dish in Rome and Sicily in the south of Italy, whilst in Amatrice itself traditionally spaghetti was used. But I think that now it does not really matter. And if you have neither bucatini nor spaghetti at hand, “…do what the Roman’s (and I) do and….” Use Regatoni.

For: 4

Ingredients

1 pack of dried Bucatini*or Spaghetti (or even Rigatoni)
200 gr Pancetta or nice lean bacon, cut into thin strips
2 medium sized red onions, thinly sliced
2 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 green chilly, cut into a few large pieces
400 ml good tomato sauce (which you have made earlier)
Olive Oil

Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
150 g Pecorino cheese (coarsely grated)

Method:
In a large pan fry pancetta or bacon over medium heat until quite crisp, but not so hard that you might have to give some work to your dentist. Take out with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Now add to the same pancetta fat the onion, garlic and the chilly and stir quickly. Cook for a few minutes until onions are done. Add tomato sauce and salt, stir again and cook for maybe another 10 minutes on lowish heat.

In a very large pot boil your pasta until ‘al dente’. When done, drain (keeping just a little bit of the cooking water) and immediately add to the sauce, which is still bubbling in the pan. Switch off the heat and mix everything together quite quickly. If you think the sauce is a little bit too dry for your personal taste, add some of the saved pasta water. Only now add the previously fried pancetta to the pasta – move everything onto a pre-heated platter and serve immediately.

But, make sure that your pancetta is really nice and crunchy – to serve soggy pancetta is an absolute no-no in any Italian household.

And, by-the-way, some Italian say that this dish requires no extra cheese on top, and some say exactly the opposite. You choose according to your taste buds – we like the cheese!!

Bon appetito, Carina

CAPPELINI FINI alla PUTTANESCA BIANCA

Sep12

CAPPELINI FINI alla PUTTANESCA BIANCA

(White Capellini Pasta)

Capellini literally means “thin hair”. In Italy you find that it is also known as ‘capelli d’angelo’ (Angel’s hair). But amongst some of our friends and here at home it is simply known as “Bianca’s pasta”, pretending it was named after our eldest. But as most of you by now know, ‘bianca’ in Italian means white and this dish is so called, because there for once is not a single tomato in site. So will you excuse me now, I invited a couple of friends for lunch and therefore I am off to the kitchen. Come; join me, if you like.

For: 4 plus
Ingredients
1 whole pack (450 g) of Capellini (or Vermicelli)
4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or more or less, as you like)
6 anchovy fillets, tinned (for a less strong anchovy taste, soak those in milk for 20 minutes)
2 Tbsp capers in brine, washed and dried
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (or basil or a mixture of both)
2 Tbsp bread crumbs made from multigrain bread, preferably
10-12 olives (black or green – it’s entirely up to you and what you find in the shops) de-stoned and julienned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:
Cook pasta in plenty of water until ‘al dente’ having checked the manufacturer’s instructions first – careful, it should only take a couple of minutes!

In the meantime put olive oil and anchovies into a large frying pan or better even, a wok, and cook over medium heat. Stir until anchovies have dissolved.

Add garlic and sauté until it begins to change colour. Stir in parsley, capers and olives; season with salt and pepper and cook only for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix well with cooked pasta, gradually adding the bread crumbs.
Continue to toss until thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately.

Buon appetito, Carina

ITALY: STRACCIATELLA ALLA ROMANA

Sep10

The word “stracciatella” derives from the Italian word “stracciato” – meaning “torn apart”.

This recipe is for an Italian egg-drop-soup and is usually called “…alla Romana” (the way it’s done in Rome) but is equally popular in the Marche and Emilia Romagna Region. In fact my mother made this soup when I was a child and she never, sadly, managed to go near Italy nor did she know any Italians.

This here is a slight variation on the same theme as you might call it. Really quite easy and quick to make and certainly delicious. I also find this soup a good ‘pick-me-up’ after a somewhat stressful day and ideal when I really do not feel being in my kitchen any longer than necessary. I always make sure I have a few tubs of beef-, chicken- and vegetable stock in my freezer, very useful in those lazy moments. I just fill the ‘stracciatella’ into the biggest mug I can find in my cupboard, a couple of slices (wicked!) of wonderfully delicious 4-grain-bread (the GOURMET House in Thevera stocks all kinds of first class bread) on a side plate and an apple for afterwards. Then I sit with my feet up on a sofa and listen to some beautiful music and soon I can feel the stress slowly moving out of me.

I’ll tell you what ……. this is exactly what I am going to do after having posted this article and not because I am “gestressed”, no, I just feel like it!

For: 3-4
1 ltr good homemade beef broth, seasoned (or other broth if you prefer)
4 eggs, lightly beaten with

3 Tbsp grated Parmigiano
A couple of small pieces of lemon rind, added just before serving
A pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Beat the eggs with 2 Tbsp Parmigiano and salt and pepper. Bring the broth to a slow simmer, take a small balloon whisk and bring your broth to move around in one direction inside the pot. Now drop the mixture of eggs and Parmigiano into the broth while whisking vigorously so that the eggs turn into solid drops. Add the remainder of the Parmigiano, mix well and serve immediately.

And that’s all my friends, really quick, but delicious.

Ciao, Carina

Chemmeen Ularthiyathu – Nicely fried Prawns

Aug29

For any of you who like prawns as much as we do, here is a quick, easy but so delicious Kerala dish. If you do not like your food too hot, start off with less chillies etc. as given in my own recipes – but, again if you are like us and “..like it hot” experience and add 1 or 2 more; the same goes for garlic. Whatever you fancy – as long as you enjoy your final preparation.

And with a good price for prawns in the market right now, we sure will make much use of this wonderful harvest of the Sea in the weeks to come, but, as always, you are most welcome to join our table.

Chemmeen Ularthiyathu – Nicely fried Prawns

1/2 kg prawns, shelled and deveined

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilly powder

2 biggish pieces of Kukum (Kudam puli), washed and soaked in water

¼ of the inside of a coconut , sliced smallish

1 large sprig of curry leaves

Glass of water (just enough to cover the prawns)

Salt, to taste

Method, Stage 1: Cook prawns with all the above ingredients here, covered, for 6-8 minutes on medium heat. When prawns are done drain and keep aside.

1 ½ Tbsp of Coconut Oil

1 handful of Small Onions (Ulli), peeled and thinly sliced

2 tsp of fresh ginger, julienned

5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and julienned

3 green chillies, split

1 sprig of curry leaves

Method, Stage 2: Heat oil in vessel. Add sliced onions, garlic, green chilly and curry leaves. Sauté until onions turn slightly transparent and golden. Now add the following:

2 tsp of Coriander powder

1 pinch of turmeric powder

¾ tsp of chilly powder

Black pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Stir continuously for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Add cooked prawns and stir-fry gently for another couple of minutes. Before serving sprinkle just a few more drops of oil over this dish.