Cold Pasta Salad from leftover pasta

Bite-Sized Post No. 3

When you boil pasta for a pasta dish, it's always nice to boil a handful extra and save it in the fridge. The leftover pasta is perfect for a chilled pasta salad when you want something light and refreshing for lunch or dinner. It's also a yummy lunchbox idea for your kids, no cooking required in the morning. Just don't add too much dressing that can make it soggy.

It's also a good idea to make this, when you are asking yourself 'what to do with leftover pasta' in case you cooked more pasta than required for dinner, which is always the case with me. I never know how much pasta to put to boil.

So here goes - quick, easy, light and refreshing, my version of the cold pasta salad.

Text only:
Recipe for Cold Pasta Salad
Serves 2
Time taken : Under 15 minutes
Recipe Type : Easy





In a large bowl, toss-
a cup of any leftover cooked pasta
a cup of diced pineapple
1 cucumber, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced


dressing
Whisk in a small bowl-
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried crushed basil
Pinch of chilli flakes


Pour on salad and toss well.


Serve chilled.

Read More...

Celery Rice with Orange Zest

Bite-Sized Post No.2


Celery has to be one of the most fragrant vegetables of them all. It is possibly an acquired taste, but a tiny bit added to salads or soups does its job. I got a fresh bunch of celery with beautiful greens in my home-delivered vegetables yesterday and I wanted to use them before they wilted. This recipe is a great way to use a whole bunch of celery, which is very high on nutritive value, especially fibre.


This rice is a good variation to regular pulao, and it goes well with both Indian curries and 'continental' style baked vegetables. It is mild enough to serve to young kids too. The orange zest provides just that tinge of citrus in the background and will keep your guests guessing as to what's that mystery aroma in the  dish!


We had this with a mixed seasonal winter vegetables curry, recipe of which I shall blog soon.

Click on image to enlarge

If you are lucky to find celery bunch with roots intact, chop off the stems leaving an inch of stem above the root, place in a jar of water for a week or so until new roots appear and then stick it into a pot with good soil. You will have your own supply of celery for soups and salads.

Read More...

Oven Crisped Bhindi (okra)

Bite-Sized Post No.1


To make sure I am blogging more frequently, I'm going to do these bite-sized posts. These are recipe cards made using iPhone pics and coming straight to the recipe without any (much) rambling.


Who doesn't like fried Bhindi / Okra? But truth is okra can soak in a whole oil tank to get crisp. Here's my almost no-oil (compared to the deep frying method) method to get crispy crunchy okra in minutes. Even if you are the lucky ones who doesn't need to watch your waist line, deep frying is such a hassle. So here's the cheat code.


The only thing you need to be careful about is the baking time. At 200 C, once the slices have browned, they can get charred in no time. So, please keep a watch post the 8-9 min mark.


I made this for lunch today to go on top of my (boring) tomato-cucumber-dill salad. And it did take the salad up by several notches.

Text Version Recipe of Crispy Bhindi




Wash bhindi and pat dry.
Thinly slice them.
Take 2 cups sliced bhindi.
Preheat oven.
Heat 2 tsp oil in wok.
Add bhindi slices, toss well to coat with oil.
Line a 10X10 baking tray with foil.
Spread bhindi slices in single layer.
Bake at 200 C for 10-12 minutes until it turns golden brown.
Remove, cool for 2 minutes and use in raita, as salad topping or just like that.
You can sprinkle salt / chaat masala on it once cooled.


(Picture formatted in Instagram)

Read More...