Bruschetta a la Italia - Red, White and Green

This appetizer is so packed with flavor and color and taste, that it’s always a hit at a party. It doesn’t even need any cooking! So if you want to impress with minimal effort and maximum style – this is the one for you. I call it ‘a la Italia’ because once I assembled it, I realized that it had Red, White and Green. I was giggling away to myself very bemused, that an Italian dish must encompass the colors of the Italian flag – hence the christening.

Bruschetta (bru-sket-ta) is a very popular starter to an Italian meal. Though many people assume that bruschetta is bread topped with tomato and Basil and olive oil (that’s a popular topping), it is actually just roasted/ toasted bread rubbed with garlic and some olive oil. You can top this up with interesting combinations and have a fun start to a meal. I always have Pesto and Sun Dried tomatoes at home, so this combo was a no breezer for me. I also picked up some lovely bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) to top it all off. So without further adieu, I give you Bruschetta a la Italia.

Bruschetta with Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Prep time: 10 mins

Serves 6

What you need:

1 French Baguette/ Ciabatta, sliced horizontally (about 12 slices)

4 Tbsp Pesto

4 Sun dried tomatoes, sliced

6 Bocconcini Balls, sliced

¼ cup Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What to do:

Slice the baguette and toast till a light golden brown. Rub with a clove of garlic and drizzle some olive oil on top. Now spread some pesto on it. Top with sun dried tomato slices and bocconcini. Season with Salt and Pepper. Serve with aplomb!

Sun Dried Tomato Pita-Pizza

Featured in Tastespotting.com - 19th Mar 2012

I know I have a penchant for extremely long, all-encompassing titles to the post. But trust me this one is the modified version of the original title, which was – Sun Dried Tomato Pita-Pizza with Ham, Mozzarella and Basil. When I read that, it struck me that the entire recipe was in the title itself. Wow! My job is done right? Just chuck whatever I told you onto the pita and bake it in an oven. No really, Pizza making is that simple! (If you’re not kneading the dough that is - which I am not. I don’t have the arms for it!) I also am not rich enough to invest in a Kitchen Aid, so I will be cheap and buy some readymade pizza bases and get the job done. No one has to know! I know the true blue Italians are turning in their graves, but honestly who has the time to appease everyone these days?! My motto is to ‘get the job done’. I’m pretty partial to the thin crust variety but no one sells them at the bakery, so I improvise and use Pita bread as the base. No, I’m not insane. It works as a fantastic substitute. Also even though the 3 hour reduced pizza sauce is marvelous, my sun dried tomato instant pizza sauce is such a good imitation, that no one will be able to tell the difference! The rest as they say is history, or rather my-story. Cheesy? Well a pizza has to be :P

Sun Dried Tomato Pita-Pizza

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

4 Med Pita Breads

8 sundried Tomatoes in Oil

4 Tbsp Tomato sauce

100 gms Ham slices

200 gms Mozzarella, grated

Handful of Basil leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried herbs to garnish

Red Chilli flakes for added heat

What to do:

Grind the sundried tomatoes along with the tomato paste and 5 basil leaves to make an instant pizza sauce. Add in 2 Tbsp of the reserved sun dried tomato oil, mix well and keep aside. Check seasoning.

Divide the rest of the ingredients into four portions. Now spread one portion of the pizza sauce on the pita bread. Top with one portion of ham slices and mozzarella. Garnish with some basil leaves. Bake/ Place under a preheated grill for 8-10 mins till the cheese melts and is all bubbly. Season if required. Repeat with the other three pitas. Serve hot, sprinkled with some dried herbs (oregano, parsley) and red chilli flakes for added heat! Voila.

P.S. Go ahead and use pepperoni instead of Ham. That’s a different kind of heaven!

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com

Gorgeous Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera was the classic 70’s dish. Apparently invented in a French restaurant in New York City, it was the popular high style dish that you indulged in, when you ate out. Indulged in because, it’s a host of veggies but doused in butter, cream and cheese. Of course that got my attention and now it is one of my favorite veggie pasta versions. The sauce is almost a smackdown copy of the Alfredo but the treatment is a little different with the addition of cornstarch and stock. Since it’s got cream, I would suggest making the sauce just before serving as reheating tends to make the cream go all watery. The original dish uses French beans, peas and asparagus. I din’t have any of that at home, but mushrooms, spinach and broccoli sounded way good. To zing it up, I added sun dried tomatoes and jalapenos, trust me this is the only way I’m going to me making it henceforth!  The colors and textures were just beautiful to look at and amazing to eat. I know why it was called the high style dish! The co-resident and me ate for four…at one go!

Pasta Primavera

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

2 cups Broccoli florets

2 cups Spinach leaves, roughly torn

200 gms Mushrooms (Oyster/ Button), sliced

1 Onion (quartered)

4 cloves Garlic sliced

4 Sun dried tomatoes in Oil (chopped)

4 Jalepenoes (chopped)

400 gms Pasta

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil

60 gms Butter

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

200ml Cream

400ml Vegetable/ Chicken Stock

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Salt and Pepper to taste

What to do:

Blanch the broccoli florets in salted boiling water till cooked but still firm. Do the same with the spinach for 45 seconds. Immediately plunge both in cold water to retain the colour. Drain and keep aside. (Alternately you can microwave the broccoli with a Tbsp of water for 3 mins).

Heat the olive oil in a pan and toss in the garlic and Onion. Saute for 2-3 mins. Toss in the mushrooms and saute till the mushrooms start to brown. Keep aside.

Meanwhile put a pot of salted water on the boil for the pasta. Once the water is on a rolling boil, toss the pasta in. Cook the pasta al dente. (10-12 mins or according to packet instructions). Drain and toss with some olive oil to prevent sticking together. Reserve some liquid.

In another big saucepan, heat the butter. Remove off the fire and add the cornstarch. Stir to ensure there are no lumps. Now bring back to heat and let small bubbles appear on the surface. Keep stirring and add the stock slowly to incorporate. The mixture will start to thicken, so ensure to stir to avoid lumps. (I use a whisk). Now lower the heat and slowly mix in 3/4th of the cream (this is to avoid it from curdling). Wait till the sauce starts to simmer and now toss in 3/4th of the parmesan cheese. Mix to make a smooth sauce. Now add all the remaining cream, vegetables, sun dried tomato pieces and jalapenoes. Stir. Season with Salt and Pepper. Toss in the cooked pasta. Mix well. You can add some of the reserved liquid to get the desired consistency. Serve hot garnished with the remaining pasrmesan cheese.