Vegetarian Spaghetti Alla Putanesca

The reason I’m calling this a vegetarian Spaghetti Alla Putanesca is because the original recipe calls for anchovy fillets and I haven’t used any! Come to think of it, I actually have consciously avoided any recipe that calls for the use of anchovy. I love fish, I really do.. But in the form of canned fillets which remind me of cat food by the way… I have avoided them. I’ll let you know when I pick up the nerve to try some, but till then this recipe will be what it is. It’s a really simple, tasty and speedy dish by the way, so don’t hesitate to try it.

Spaghetti Alla Putanesca (sans anchovies)

Cooking time: 35 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1/2 cup Black olives (pitted and chopped)
1 Tbsp Capers, drained and rinsed

1 kg tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Pinch of Cayenne pepper/ chilli powder
1 dried Red Chilli, torn into pieces

Salt

400 gms dried Spaghetti

2 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley to garnish

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add the garlic and cook over low heat stirring frequently for about 2 mins. Add the tomatoes and mash them with a fork. Sauté for a few minutes. Add the olives,chilli and capers and season to taste with the salt and cayenne pepper. Cover and let simmer for 25 mins. Meanwhile bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 8-10 mins. Drain and transfer to a serving dish. Spoon the sauce into the dish and toss to coat the spaghetti. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. Simple!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

What is it about the color yellow that makes us think of summer and feel happy at the same time? Perfect for a dreary winter night, this chowder has loads of yellow in it! Corn, cheese, potatoes and cream. When you finally eat it, the happiness of the yellow gets transferred onto your face in the form of a content smile. Chowder is a thick soup, usually milk based, made with seafood, fish, vegetables or chicken. The name comes from the French chaudiere, a copper pot in which fishermen’s wives cooked a communal soup from a share of each man’s catch to celebrate the safe return of the fishing fleet from the sea. OK, so this recipe does not have fish but the story does make you feel all warm and benevolent, just like this soup!

Corn and Cheese Chowder

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 8

What you need:

90 gm Butter

2 large Onions, finely chopped

1 clove Garlic, crushed

2 tsps Cumin seeds

4 cups (1 ltr) Chicken stock

2 medium Potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup canned creamed Corn

2 cups fresh Corn kernels

1 cup cooked Macaroni

¼ cup chopped fresh Parsley

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper to taste

¼ cup Cream (optional)

What to do:

Heat butter in a large heavy-based pan. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5 mins or until golden. Add garlic and cumin seeds and cook for 1 min, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil. Add potato; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add creamed corn, corn kernels and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins more. Stir in cooked pasta, cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and cream. Heat gently until cheese melts. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Heavenly summer in a bowl!

Hariyali Paneer Tikka (Grilled Cottage Cheese in Spicy Herb-Yoghurt Marinade)

If I had to have only one type of cuisine for the rest of my life it would have to be Indian food. Maybe I’m partial to it because I’m an Indian, but I’m lying if I say that’s the only reason. I’m actually kinda cheating when I say ONE type of cuisine, cause it’s not one actually :) Indian Cuisine is so diverse you can just spend the whole of your life sampling all the dishes and you would still have not covered half the country. Anyway, the recipe below is a North Indian favorite. You can serve it as a starter or a main course (like I have with some Ghee rice). You can substitute Ricotta for Cottage cheese, it would give you the same results. As for the Indian spices, if you don’t have them… then don't make the dish! It won’t be the same … Honest.

Hariyali Paneer Tikka

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Serves 6 as starter and 4 as main course

What you need:

500 gms paneer (cubed)

1 big Capsicum (diced)

1 big Tomato (diced)

1 big Onion (diced)

Marinade:

1 cup hung Yoghurt

1 Tbsp ground Mint leaves

1 Tbsp ground Coriander leaves

4 Green chillies

1 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp Garlic paste

½ tsp Garam masala powder

½ tsp Turmeric powder

Garnish:

1 tsp Chaat Masala

1 Tbsp Butter/ Oil

Salt to taste

Wooden skewers for grilling

What to do:

Soak the wooden skewers in water to avoid burning. Cut the cheese (paneer) and vegetables into big cubes. Mix all the marinade ingredients with the paneer and vegetables and refrigerate for half hour. Heat the grill. Skewer the paneer, capsicum, onion and tomato. Brush with butter. Grill for 15-20 mins till golden brown on all sides. Make sure you reposition frequently and brush with butter.

Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve with hot ghee rice and some raita. Wah!