Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a desert which is near and dear to most of us... so rich, so full and so decadent! I have been in love with it ever since I first tried it at The Cheesecake Factory a few years ago! I wanted to try making it for a long time and so I started my research on the web. Below is my version of the recipe that I used (combining multiple versions out there)... It may look difficult; but believe me I had the same opinion about making cheesecake until I tried making this one, I'd say it is super easy (yes you will need patience as unlike traditional cakes, you cannot dig into it moments after you take it out of the oven!). So here is the recipe; I hope you try it soon and let me know your experiences in the comments below!

 Ingredients

• For the base
• 2 ¹/₂ cups of powdered graham crackers
• One stick + 2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted in microwave)
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• For the main cheesecake layer
• 16 ounces of cream cheese (I used reduced fat) - softened at room temperature
• ¹/₂ cup of Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)
• ²/₃ cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ³/₄ cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• For the topping
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)

• For decoration (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp Dulce de Leche (freshly prepared or room temperature)

 Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9" spring pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the outside of the pan with a heavy duty aluminum foil (we need this for the water bath of the cheesecake later in the cooking process)
• Using a hand held blender, mix the ingredients for the cheesecake base. Now layer it on your pan using your fingers and a flattened spoon press it down to even out the base keeping it raised from the edge by a bit (I like the edge of my cheesecake to be slightly raised, about ¹/₂ cm.. If that is not your preference, simply flatten it out evenly all across). Bake in the oven for approx. 12-13 min.
• Once your base has baked well, take it out and let it cool for about 20 min so that you are able to handle the pan using bare hands. This step is very important to ensure even baking of the cream cheese layer of the cake. If you do not let it cool down, you risk burning your cream cheese mixture at the layer where it sandwiches with the base.
• Heat water in a kettle (we are prepping this for baking our cheesecake in the water bath).
• While the base is baking, lets prepare the cream-cheese layer. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and using a hand held/standing mixer blend it smooth (ensure no lumps of the cream remain else it will not be good when that gets to your finished product). Scrape down from the sides so that everything is mixed well.
• Now to the cream cheese, add the Dulce de Leche and blend smooth again. 
• To the mixture, add sour cream and blend smooth.
• Mix all purpose flour, sugar and salt together and add to the mixture and blend smooth (incorporate very well). This step will take longer than others.
• Blend in vanilla extract. At this point, the mixture should be very well incorporated so that no lumps remain.
• As a last step, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after the addition of each egg just enough to incorporate it. DO NOT over mix.
• Add your cream cheese mixture to your pan and jiggle it a little to even it out and remove air bubbles (if any).
• Now, in a large tray (you can use a large aluminum serving tray), place your pan and then slowly add the hot water from the kettle and place it for baking (you can do this however you are comfortable; I find it easy to place the tray and the pan in the oven first by pulling the rack partially out and add the hot water to the tray while it is lying on the rack.)
• Bake at 325F for 45-60 min. This stage of the cheesecake is considered done when you touch the top of the cake and it is not wet anymore and on gently shaking the pan, it jiggles (like jelly). A toothpick inserted would come out almost clean. I always say not all ovens are same so it is best if after 30 min, you keep checking at every 5-10 min to see if it is done.
• Remove the pan from the tray (let the tray continue to be in the oven; this will ensure the water maintains its temperature) and let it cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the top layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Dulce de Leche and sour cream using a hand-held/standing mixer. I personally find it easier to just whisk it manually; the method you use is totally up to you!
• Add the topping to the cooled down cake and even it out using an offset icing spatula (try and even out all the bubbles as much as possible as that will give a very finished look to your cake)
• Bake at 325F for 20-25 min in the water-bath (similar to the cream cheese layer, you'll know it is done when you see a jelly-like-jiggle).
• Take the pan out of the tray and let it cool on a wire rack. Once it has cooled down a bit and it is easy to handle, remove the outer aluminum foil covering (do not open the spring pan yet... the cake has not set completely yet). If you see a bit of water in the foil, DO NOT panic... your cake will still be fine as it chills in the refrigerator :)
• Once the pan is cool enough for you to handle it with bare hands, wrap a cling wrap by carefully putting it on the layer of your topping and then cover the sides of the pan; remove air bubbles if any... (if you wrap it at the top of your pan, when your cake is cooling in the refrigerator, water bubbles will form on your cling wrap which will then drip on your cake and that will steal away the perfect look of your cake!)
• Now, this step will be extremely difficult but it is very important - let it chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• To remove the cake from the pan, run a knife on the sides to to ensure nothing is sticking to the walls of the pan. Open the spring (this should come out easily if you have sprayed it well). Now, to remove the cake out of the base of the pan, run a large offset icing spatula (or anything that is long enough and doesn't have a sharp edge) all around and carefully lift it and supporting it by your hand, quickly place it on your serving plate. 
• Now, this decoration layer is completely optional (I love Dulce de Leche so for me, the more the merrier!). Once the cheesecake has cooled down a bit, spread a thin layer of Dulce de Leche atop your cheesecake using an offset spatula and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 min to ensure it sets well.
• Your cheesecake is now ready to serve.

Enjoy!!

Black Bean n Corn Veggie Burger

Burger!! Just the name by itself rings in so many savory bells!! Instead of the traditional method of deep/shallow frying the patties, this version calls for baking them... So much healthier and so much full of flavor... You gotta try it to believe it :). Here is how simple it is...

Ingredients:

• For the patty:
• Black bean - 2 cans rinsed well
• Sweet corn kernels - 1 can rinsed well
• 1 large onion
• ¹/₂ bell pepper
• 2 cups bread crumbs (you may need to vary this quantity based on the juiciness of your onion and bell pepper)
• 1¹/₂ tsp minced Serrano pepper
• 1¹/₂ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste

• For assembling the burger:
• Hamburger buns
• Large tomato - cut into thick slices
• Large onion cut into medium slices
• Lettuce leaves
• Sriracha mayo
• Ketchup
• Hot Sriracha sauce

Method:

• Pulse the onion in a food processor (alternatively chop the onion finely); include garlic and Serrano pepper as well so they are incorporated well; set aside in a large bowl
• In the same food processor bowl, add all the black beans and sweet corn (leave aside 1/4 cup of each aside to add in later for texture) and pulse till they are mashed well. Add to the bowl with your onion mixture.
• Add all the remaining ingredients except for bread crumbs and start mixing by adding the bread crumbs half cup at a time until you get to a consistency where you'd be able to make the patties
• Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking tray with aluminum foil (less mess that way..) and spray some cooking spray on it
• Take heaping quantity of the mixture to roll a patty approx 4 inches in diameter and 1/3 inch thick (this should make about 8 patties); place them on the prepared tray. Spray some cooking spray on the top of the patties as well.

Above: The patties ready to go into the oven.

Above: Close-up view of the to-be-baked patty

• Bake them in the oven for 15 min (rotate the tray half way to ensure even baking). Now flip the patties and bake them again for 12 min. Note that each oven is different and may take more/less time; when the patties are done, they will feel crisp.

 

Above: Post baking process

Assembly:

• Toast the hamburger buns on a skillet (personally I like those which have sesame seeds on top :-)..)
• Spread some Sriracha mayo (and/or hot Sriracha sauce, ketchup) on the inside of the buns and layer a lettuce leaf, the patty, a slice of your favorite cheese and a thick slice each of tomato and onion.. 
• I also like to season my tomato and onion with some salt and black pepper when I assemble.

Above: Assembled Burger :)


Enjoy!!

Baingan Ka Salan

Baingan ka Salan - I was introduced to this heavenly dish by a friend of mine.. It has this amazing nutty tangy flavor to it (you'll know when you taste it).. It is very easy to cook and here is how :-)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Indian Baby Eggplant 
• ¹/₄cup oil (to cook the eggplant)
• 2 large onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 1¹/₂ tsp crushed green chillies (I use Serrano pepper) - adjust to the level of heat you prefer in your food 
• ¹/₃ cup sesame seeds (roasted)
• ¹/₃ cup + 1 tbsp - peanuts (roasted)
• ¹/₂ cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1¹/₂ cup tomato purée 
• ¹/₂ cup oil (to cook the gravy) 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• ¹/₂ tsp turmeric powder 
• 1¹/₂ tsp red chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
• 1 tsp tamarind extract dissolved in 1¹/₂ cups of water
• Salt - to taste

Garnishing:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Above - Eggplants wrapped in aluminum foil

Above - The different purées used in this recipe

Method:

• First of all we will prep our eggplants. Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash the eggplants and dry them thoroughly. Keep their crowns attached; coat eggplants with a thin layer of oil and wrap each individually with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 minutes.
• Let them cool down a bit (enough for you to handle them) and then remove the aluminum foil.
• Add the oil to a skillet and once hot, add the eggplants and cook them on a medium-low flame for about 5 minutes.
• In a food processor/blender, add the roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and fennel seeds and make a fine paste. To this, add the grated coconut and process again. Set the paste aside.
• Purée the onion, Serrano pepper, ginger & garlic and set aside.
• In a saucepan, add the oil; once the oil is hot, add cumin, mustard & fenugreek seeds and when they crackle, add the asafoetida and the prepared onion purée. Stir and let it cook covered for 3-5 minutes or until the onion changes color (this is to get the rawness of onion out before we proceed to the next step).
• Now add the tomato purée, stir and let it cook covered for another 8-10 minutes (till you see the oil separate from the side.
• Now stir in the sesame, peanut, coconut paste, spices and the tamarind water. Let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes (add more water if you like the consistency of the gravy thinner).
• Garnish with the cilantro and serve!

Serving Suggestions:

The baingan ka salan can be served and relished with Roti and/or Rice
Enjoy!

Veg. Fried Rice (Indo-Chinese Recipe)

This is an Indo-Chinese fusion recipe which is very quick and super easy to make

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice (uncooked) - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Carrots diced into small cubes - ¹/₃ cup
• Green onion (the white bulb) diced into small cubes - ¹/₃ cup
• Green beans cut diagonally - ¹/₃ cup
• Green onion (the greens) cut diagonally - ¹/₄ cup
• Garlic minced - 1 ¹/₂ tsp
• Ginger minced - ³/₄ tsp
• Serrano pepper finely chopped - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - ¹/₂ tsp
• Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
• White vinegar - 1 ¹/₂ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Garnishing
• Green onion greens - 1 tbsp

Method:

• To cook the rice
• Wash & soak the rice for about 30 min
• In a pan add the rice, water, oil and salt; cook on a medium flame for about 10-15 min. (until they are 90% done)
• Drain excess water and set aside
•  In a big pan/wok, heat oil on high flame. The Indo-Chinese cuisine is usually cooked on high flame (begin to end).
• Add garlic, ginger & Serrano pepper and stir for half a minute.
• Add in carrots, green beans and green onion (whites) stirring periodically for 4-5 min.
• Season it with salt.
• Add the green onion (greens), cooked rice, soy sauce, chilli sauce and white vinegar; stir together and cook for a minute.
• Garnish with the reserved green onion greens
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggstions:
Veg. fried rice is popularly served with veg. manchurian with gravy (recipe coming shortly!)

Spaghetti with garlic and olive oil (Spaghetti aglio e olio)

Spaghetti Aglio e olio in Italian simply means spaghetti with olive oil and garlic.. It is a delight for all garlic lovers and takes very less time to put together! 

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti pasta - ¹/2 lb. 
• Water - to boil spaghetti 
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Pine nuts (toasted) - 1 ¹/2 tbsp
• Garlic thinly sliced - 1 ¹/₂ tsp
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• Garnishing
• Parsley - 1 tbsp

Method:

• In a big pot, bring water to boil. Add  spaghetti pasta and sprinkle generous amount of salt (remember this is the only chance your pasta gets to absorb the seasoning)
• In a flat pan, add the olive oil and garlic. Let the garlic turn golden brownish (this will help infuse the garlic flavor in the oil) stirring occasionally. 
• Now add the pine nuts and stir it for  about a minute or until the pine nuts turn lightly golden. 
• Now add the cooked pasta and season with salt and pepper. 
• Garnish with parsley and serve hot 
• Enjoy!!

Serving Suggstions:
I like to eat this pasta just as is (yummy garlic..) 

Nonetheless, any breadstick/cheesy toast/Garlic toast/bread will go well with this

Enjoy!!

Spinach Soup

Spinach soup is a very healthy soup that is quick and easy to cook and tastes delicious too. I am sure even people not very fond of spinach would enjoy this.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups roughly chopped spinach
• 1 cup roughly chopped onion
• ¹/₄ cup moong dal (preferably soaked for about an hour)
• ³/₄ tsp chopped garlic
• ³/₄ tsp grated ginger
• 4-5 cups of water
• 1 tsp oil
• ¹/₂ cup milk
• Salt & Pepper to taste
•  For garnishing:
• ¹/₂ cup paneer (cut into small cubes)

Method:

• In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté on medium high heat until the onion turn translucent.
• In a pressure cooker, add the onion mixture from the saucepan, moong dal, spinach and half of the water; season with salt and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Once the steam has escaped, open the cooker and pureé the mixture in a blender.
• Add the remaining water and season with ground black pepper and cook for a 1-2 minutes.
• Add milk and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Garnishing:
• On a nonstick pan, spray some cooking spray and cook the paneer cubes. 
• Stir continuously so that the paneer cubes are not burnt. I have found that this is the best way to roast the paneer using minimum oil.
• Add the paneer to the soup while serving

Serving suggestions:

Serve with bread-sticks (for healthier version, choose whole wheat bread-sticks)
 
Enjoy!

How to sprout moong

Sprouting the moong (or any pulses for that matter) is very easy, super delicious and extremely healthy. Once you realize how easy it is to do this at home, you'll never buy sprouts at the store, I promise!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole moong

Method:

• In a bowl, wash and soak the moong in hot water. Let it rest overnight (approx 8-10 hours).
• Drain all the water. You will notice that the moong has softened. Now cover the bowl with a lid and let it rest for the remainder of the day in a warm place. 
• Depending on the temperature in the room the sprouting process may take longer. 

Serving suggestions:

Can be eaten raw incorporating it in green salad 
Can also be served in cooked  form

Enjoy!!

Gujarati Kadhi

Gujarati Kadhi is a very light gravy-based sweet n sour dish popularly served with Khichadi

Ingredients:

• ¹/₃ cup yogurt (curd/dahi)
• 1¹/₃ cup water
• 5 tsp besan (chickpea flour)
• ¹/₂ tsp grated ginger
• ³/₄ tsp finely chopped serrano pepper 
• 1 tsp ghee/butter
• ¹/₂ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 6-8 curry leaves
• ¹/₄ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 3 whole cloves
• 3-4 small pieces of cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp cilantro

Method:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the yogurt and water. 
• Add the besan and whisk again - ensure no lumps remain
• Add ginger, serrano pepper, sugar and salt; set it aside.
• In a tadka-pan, at a medium heat, add the ghee (or butter) and cumin seeds; wait until they crack. While the cumin seeds are cracking, add the cloves and cinnamon stick pieces. This will help your cloves crack as well before you add the tadka to the yogurt mixture.
• Switch off the heat and add  curry leaves and asafoetida; add this tadka immediately to the prepared yogurt mixture.
• Cook the mixture on a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Take the pan off the heat when the mixture comes to a boil. Cover with a lid.
• After a couple of minutes, mix in the cilantro and cover the lid back again.

Serving Suggestions:

Kadhi is traditionally served with Khichadi
Can also be served with rice/roti/pulav/etc.

Enjoy!

Cooked Moong Sprouts

Cooked moong sprouts is a very quick and healthy recipe that can be eaten as breakfast/side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sprouted moong
• 1 cup water
• ¹/₂ tsp oil
• ¹/₂ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp finely chopped serrano pepper (~1 medium serrano pepper)
• ¹/₈ tsp asafetida (hing)
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric (haldi)
• Salt to taste
• ¹/₂ tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp chopped cilantro for garnishing

Method:

• In a pan, add oil, cumin seeds and cook on medium high heat until the cumin seeds crack; reduce the heat to low and add asafetida, ginger garlic paste and serrano pepper, mix together
• Add the sprouted moong and water. Mix together and increase the heat to medium high and cook covered for about 5-7 minutes stirring intermittently. You need to cook until your sprouts are tender. If they are not cooked, and all the water has evaporated, add some more water and continue to cook them covered. If your sprouts have cooked and you still have surplus water in the pan, remove the lid and cook on high heat to allow the water to evaporate quickly. 
• Switch off the heat and add the lime juice and cilantro. Mix well.

Serving Suggestions:

If serving for breakfast, it goes well with Khakhra
If serving as a side dish, can be served with any curry+roti combination

Enjoy!!

Lentil Spinach Soup (दाल पालक सूप)

Lentil Spinach Soup is super easy and incredibly healthy soup... Just try it once, you'll sink into the amazingness, I promise!!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion (~ ¹/₃ cup) sliced onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp (3-4 cloves) roughly minced garlic
• 1 tsp roughly minced ginger
• 3 medium tomatoes (~2¹/₂ cups) roughly chopped
• ³/₄ cup soaked lentils (masoor dal)
• 2 cup water - to be added for pressure cook
• 1 cup water - to be added later
• ²/₃ cup milk
• 1¹/₃ cup chopped spinach
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tsp red chilli powder (depending on your preference)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¹/₂ tsp olive oil (you can substitute other oil if necessary)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, add the oil, ginger, garlic and onion and saute for ~2 minutes
• Add the soaked lentils, tomatoes and water; pressure cook for ~ 4 whistles (you probably will need to adjust the number of whistles depending on your cooker)
• Once the cooker has cooled down, puree it in a blender
• I did not strain it to retain the fiber content and believe me since it has cooked so well, you will not feel any fiber while eating!
• Now, take the puree out in a large pan, add spinach, cilantro, red chilli powder, ground black pepper, ground cumin and salt. Mix well and heat over medium high heat for a minute.
• Add milk (you don't need to use cream... I used 2% fat milk) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Serve hot..!

Serving suggestions:

• Serve with breadsticks/toast

Enjoy!!

Instant Khaman

Khaman is a quick and easy healthy Gujarati (the western state of India) dish which can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish to the main course.

Ingredients:

• ¹/₂ cup Besan (chickpea flour)
• ³/₄ tbsp Semolina/Sooji/Rawa
• ¹/₄ tsp Citric acid (nimbu ka phool)
• ³/₄ tbsp Sugar
• ¹/₂ tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Oil
• ¹/₂ cup Water
• 1 tsp Ginger+green chilli (I use serrano pepper) paste
• ¹/₈ tsp Haldi (turmeric powder)
• ³/₄ tsp Fruit salt (I use eno-lemon flavor; you can get this at any Indian grocery stores)
• For the glaze:
• ¹/₂ tsp Sesame seeds
• ¹/₂ tsp Mustard seeds
• 1¹/₂ tsp Oil
• ¹/₃ cup Water
• 1 Serrano pepper - cut horizontally into ¹/₂ inch thick pieces
• Finely chopped cilantro
• Grated coconut

Method:

• This recipe requires to be steam-cooked. Now, those of you who are not familiar with steam-cooking, it is a process of cooking with the heat from the steam wherein the food being cooked gets direct contact of ONLY the steam and not the boiling water. This is very important. To know more about this process, this article in wikipedia gives a decent description. Now, if you don't have a steam-cooker like I do, there is no need to worry, we can always improvise! What you'd basically need is a big pot with a lid, a plate with at least 1/2 inch wall (something like this) that is smaller in diameter than the pot so that it can be placed into the pot and a steamer rack like this one or a bowl of sorts which will elevate the plate above the boiling water so that the bottom of the plate comes in contact only with the steam. I have always used all stainless-steel utensils for the steamer so I wouldn't be able to vouch for other materials like glass/bamboo... But if you do, please leave me the details in a comment below!  
• Please note, my ingredients are for a plate that is 6¹/₂ inches in diameter and about ¹/₂ an inch deep; so if the size of your plate varies drastically, alter the quantities proportionately!
• In your pot, place the steamer rack with enough water so that it stays below the level of your steamer rack. Put this pot on high heat and make sure to cover it
• In a bowl, mix besan, sooji, nimbu ka phool, sugar and salt together (sift the besan if it has lumps)
• Add oil & water and whisk it until you get smooth consistency (make sure you don't have any lumps in the mixture)
• Stir in the ginger+green chilli paste and haldi
• Spray your plate with some non-stick cooking spray or just coat it with a few drops of oil
• Once your water has started to boil, add the fruit salt to your mixture and mix well. You will notice that the mixture rises.
• Pour the mixture in your plate and place it in the pot. Be careful not to get burnt by the steam.. Reduce the heat while placing the plate in your pot, cover the lid and increase the heat back to high again
• Cook for 10-12 minutes. To check, you can reduce the heat, remove the lid (ensure you don't tilt the lid while removing or else you'll have water droplets in your khaman!) and insert a knife in the middle of the khaman. If it comes out clean, your khaman has cooked completely. Take the plate out of the pot.
• For the glaze:
• In a small saucepan, heat the sesame seeds until they crack; take them out into a bowl
• In the same saucepan, heat the mustard seeds until they crack; take them out in a bowl
• Again, in the same saucepan, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot, turn off the heat and add water and serrano pepper
• Cut the khaman in the plate horizontally and vertically to form square pieces of your desired size (I prefer them to be of 1 to 1¹/₂ inch in length)
• Sprinkle the cracked sesame and mustard seeds. Using a spoon or a shallow ladle, pour the oil+pepper+water combination to cover all the pieces 
• Garnish with cilantro and grated coconut
• To remove the khaman pieces from the plate, use a stainless steel spatula and insert it where you've formed cuts and push it forward so you have a few pieces on your spatula. Once you've removed the first couple of pieces, it is fairly simple to remove the others; follow the same process

Serving suggestion:

Serve with cilantro peanut dip

Enjoy!!

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• Baguette
• 2 cup Tomatoes - pulp removed and medium diced
• ¹/₃ cup basil leaves - rolled and cut horizontally into thin stripes 
• ¹/₂ cup finely diced onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (and some extra to brush on the bread)
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:

• In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, basil leaves, onion and olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. If you don't like the taste of raw onion, feel free to omit it... This recipe tastes equally amazing without the onions too!
• Let this mixture marinade for about 20-25 minutes (this helps infuse the flavor of olive oil, salt and pepper into the veggies)
• Preheat the oven to 350 F
• Cut the baguette into slices diagonally (at a 45 degree angle) about ¹/₂ to ³/₄ inches thick
• Lay the slices onto a baking sheet (single layer)
• Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and spread about a pinch of minced garlic
• Bake them for about 5 minutes (or until your desired crispiness)
• On each slice, spread about a tablespoonful tomato mixture and serve! If you are having a party over, you can also leave the slices separately on a plate and the tomato mixture in a bowl and allow your guests to help themselves!

Enjoy!!

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Panini

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Panini - as the name suggests is made with thick slices of tomatoes & mozzarella and few leaves of basil between slices of ciabatta bread. Although it sounds simple, the tomato and basil combination brings in wonderful flavors. And who doesn't like mozzarella? 

Do give this recipe a try and share your feedback in the comments section below! Happy cooking!!

Ingredients:

• Ciabatta bread slices (about ¹/₃ inch thick)
• Handful of fresh basil leaves
• Tomato slices (approx. ¹/₄ inch thick)
• Mozzarella cheese slices (approx. ¹/₈ inch thick)
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil - to brush on the outside for crisp grilling

Method:

• Paninis are best prepared using ciabatta (pronounced as CHI-BA-TTA) bread but you can use sourdough or flatbread too 
• Switch on your griddle/panini press. If your griddle is one layer like this, you'll need to put some weight on it in order to get the grill marks.  
• Brush olive oil on one side of all the bread slices
• Lay it upside down (the side brushed with olive oil on the bottom side)
• 1^st layer, arrange mozzarella slices on the bread slice (count of slices needed will depend on the size of your cheese slice and the size of your bread... But layer enough to cover the whole bread); season with salt & pepper
• 2^nd layer, arrange the tomatoes slices over the cheese layer (again, count of slices you'd need would vary); season again with salt & pepper 
• 3^rd layer, arrange the basil leaves over the tomatoes
• 4^th layer, arrange mozzarella cheese again and season with salt & pepper
• Cover with a bread slice (the side brushed with olive oil stays on top
• Grill until crisp (approx. 5 minutes)

Serving suggestion:

Serve hot with mayonnaise and/or ketchup and a few pieces of pickles!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti pasta cooked in home-made marinara sauce

For the marinara sauce

Ingredients:

• 1¹/₂ cup finely diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• ¹/₄ cup roughly chopped basil
• 1¹/₂ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:

• In a sauce-pan, add olive oil, onion, garlic and half of basil and saute on medium-high heat until onion is translucent. Season with salt (not for tomatoes yet, only for the quantity in the pan). Adding garlic & basil initially along-with the onion helps infuse their flavor really well.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, remaining basil, red pepper flakes, dried oregano and ground black pepper. Do not forget to check your can of crushed tomatoes to see if they already have salt, because if your tomatoes are already salted, you might want to taste your sauce before you add any more salt to the pan! If not, go ahead and season your pan with salt appropriate to the quantity of tomatoes you just added
• Cook on medium low heat for about 15-20 minutes; cover your pan with a lid when the sauce starts bubbling up. You can also reduce the heat if need be. 

Note - When stored in an airtight container, the sauce stays in the refrigerator for about a month!

For the pasta

Ingredients:

• ¹/₃ lb. of spaghetti pasta (I have chosen spaghetti but this basic recipe goes well with any pasta)
•  Boiling water
• Salt
• Finely chopped parsley to garnish

Method:

• Bring a big pot of water to boil; when the  water comes to a boil, add a generous quantity of salt. Remember not all salt added to the water will be infused in your pasta; also, this is the only chance your pasta has to get seasoned!
• Add your pasta and cook per the instructions on your package (it usually takes about 10 minutes). To check if it is cooked, you can also pull out a spaghetti strand while it is cooking and break a strand to see if it has cooked completely. 
• Once done, drain out the water and add 2-3 ladles of the sauce and mix together. You can vary the sauce quantity to your liking!
• Garnish with parsley. You can also garnish with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano (aka. Parmesan cheese)

Enjoy!!

Cilantro Peanut Dip (Dhaniya Chutney)

Cilantro peanut dip (known as chutney in Hindi) is the best dip/spread you'll ever taste... I guarantee you that... just give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro (hara dhaniya) - including stems is ok... rather it is encouraged!
• 2 tbsp roughly crushed peanuts
• 1½ tsp minced serrano pepper
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ large lime's juice (you can increase/decrease this per your liking... my advise would be to start with less quantity and add more as necessary)
• 1½ tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tsp water (optional) - this is just to help the pureeing process 

Method:

• Add the cilantro, peanuts, serrano pepper, ginger & garlic to a food processor and puree together using water if necessary

• Once you get this into a paste-like consistency (you should continue until you don't see any cilantro leaves/stem in its original form), add in the lime juice, sugar, salt and mix them together

Serving suggestions:

This is a great healthy recipe that can be used as a spread on bread/english muffins/etc or as a dip with tortilla chips... Serve it with anything that suits your fancy! :)

Crispy Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

• Pack of tortilla (I used medium sized, 10 pcs. flour tortillas - you may use corn tortillas)
• Oil (any; I used extra virgin olive oil) - to coat the tortilla
• 1½ tsp Ground cumin powder
• 1½ tsp Black salt
• 1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
• Salt to taste

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375F
• Lightly oil the tortillas (on both the sides) using a pastry brush (you may also use any cooking spray)
• Cut the tortillas into wedges (8-10 from each tortilla)
• Mix all the spices together 
• Arrange the wedges onto baking sheets (yes you are gonna need more than one!) on a single layer... This is very important, to get the crispy texture.
• Sprinkle the spice-mix on the lined wedges so that they cover all of them individually.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes (my tortillas were thick so they needed about 20 minutes of baking time, if yours are thinner, you can check at 8-10 minutes to see if they are done). The sign that signifies that they are done would be to feel the crispiness when you are taking the baking tray out of the oven. However, they will turn completely crispy only after they cool down completely (approx. 10 minutes). 

Serving Suggestion

Can be served with any salsa or dip; e.g. guacamole,  black bean & corn salsa, spinach-artichoke dip etc.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

This is my go-to salsa/salad for get-togethers and is equally popular amongst young & adults. It pairs very well with chips, specially the baked version - you can get the recipe here. Although it is named "black bean and corn salsa", it is loaded with other veggies too. Kids like to munch on this even when they are not a fan of vegetables. 

Do give this a try and let me know your feedback in the comments section below! Happy cooking!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Diced Bell-Peppers (I used equal amounts of red & green peppers - you can use any you like)
• 1 cup Diced Red Onion
• 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
• 1 can Black Beans
• 1 can Whole Kernel Corn
• 1 whole Serrano Pepper Minced
• ¼ cup Chopped Cilantro
• ½ tsp Garlic Salt
• 2 tsp Ground Cumin
• ½ tsp Black Salt
• 1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 large Lime's Juice (~ 2 tbsp)
• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Method:

• Mix all the listed ingredients.

Serving suggestion:
Best served with tortilla chips. Click here for the recipe for crispy baked tortilla chips, choose the healthier way!