Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros is a classical Mexican breakfast dish.

Ingredients
Eggs: 4
Olive oil: 2 tsp
Corn tortillas: 4 (each of 6 inch)
Refried beans with green chilies: 1 cup
Butter: 1 tsp
Shredded Cheddar cheese: 1 cup
Chicken: 1 cup (cooked and crumbled)
Salsa: 1/2 cup

Method
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high flame. Fry tortillas one at a time until firm, but not crisp. Remove on paper towels and drain extra oil. Meanwhile, combine the refried beans and butter in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook in the microwave until heated through. When tortillas are done, fry eggs in the same pan. Spread tortillas onto a plate and spread a layer of beans on them. Top with cheese, a fried egg, crumbled chicken and salsa.

Panko Lamb Chops

Ingredients
Thick bone-in lamb chops: 2
Panko breadcrumbs: ½ cup
All-purpose flour: ¼ cup
Grated Parmesan cheese: 2 tsp
Minced Italian Parsley: 1 tsp
Eggs: 2
Salt: To taste
Black pepper: To taste
Oil: 5-6 tsp

Method
Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F.

Season lamb chops with salt and black pepper and set aside.

Mix Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and salt. Keep flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in another and the Panko mixture in another bowl.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium high flame. Roll the lamb chops first in the flour, then in the egg and lastly in the Panko mixture. Make sure to coat the chops evenly. Add the chops to the pan and cook till golden brown and crispy on each side.

Remove the chops from the pan to a baking sheet. Cook the chops in the oven, uncovered, for about 12-15 minutes. Serve the crisp and juicy lamb chops with slices of onion.

Spinach Dip

Ingredients

Chopped fresh spinach: 1 cup
Sour cream: ¼ cup
Cream cheese: ¼ cup
Yogurt: 1 cup
Chopped fresh mint: ¼ cup
Soy sauce: 1 tsp
Honey: 1 tsp
Red chili flakes: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste

Method
Mix all the ingredients and chill for at least 4-5 hours before serving with crackers.

Milk Peda

Ingredients

Paneer: 2 cups

Milk powder: ¼ cup

Milk: ¼ cup

Sugar: ½ cup

Butter: 2-3 tsp

Cardamom powder: ¼ tsp

Saffron: 2-3 strands

Sliced pistachios or almonds: 2-3 tsp

Milk peda

Khoya

Sugar and cardamom to be mixed with khoya

Peda garnished with sliced almonds

Method:

Prepare paneer from milk. Heat a thick-bottomed pan and melt butter. Add milk, milk powder, saffron and paneer and mix well. Keep stirring continuously till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and becomes like dough. This dough is called Khoya. Transfer khoya to a bowl and allow it to cool. Add sugar and cardamom powder and knead the khoya for 2-3 minutes so that everything is blended well. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll them into small balls. Lightly press them and garnish each peda with sliced pistachios or almonds. 

Note: If you add sugar when the khoya is hot, it becomes too soft and will be difficult to make balls.

Grilled Apple

Ingredients

Apple: 1-2 (peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick round)
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Sugar: 1-2 tsp
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese: 2-3 tsp (cut in thin strips)
Chopped peacons: 2-3 tsp
Honey: 2-3 tsp

Method
Preheat grill on medium heat.

Toss apple slices with oil and sugar in a large bowl. Grill the apple slices till tender and lightly golden, turning once. It takes about five minutes in total.

Transfer the grilled apple slices to a serving plate and sprinkle cheese, nuts and drizzle honey.

Note: Instead of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, you can use Cheddar cheese also.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
Potatoes: 4-5 (washed, peeled and quartered)
Minced garlic: 2-3 cloves

Grated Parmesan cheese: ¼ cup

Butter: ¼ cup

Cream: ¼ cup

Pepper: To taste

Salt: To taste

Method

Cook potatoes in salted water till tender. Drain water and add garlic, cheese, butter, cream, salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes till smooth. Sprinkle coriander or Italian seasoning if you wish, before serving.

Spicy Pasta

Ingredients
Boiled pasta: 2 cups (I use Penne Rigate for this recipe)

Chopped garlic: 3-4 tsp
Chopped red chillies: 1 tsp

Broccoli: ½ cup
Grated Parmesan cheese: 2 tsp

Pepper powder: ½ tsp

Salt: To taste

Olive oil: 2-3 tsp

Method
Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté garlic. Add red chillies and season with pepper and salt. Add broccoli and sauté for two minutes. Add boiled pasta followed by Parmesan cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve hot.

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is commonly used in Italian pastas and trust me, no other substitute can match its taste. Basil leaves is one of the main ingredients. Pesto sauce is supposed to have originated in Genoa, northern Italy. Traditionally, it consisted crushed garlic, basil leaves and pine nuts blended with olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano and Fiore Sardo.

Ingredients
Basil leaves: 1 cup
Pine nuts: 3-4 tsp
Garlic: 2-3 pods
Grated Parmesan cheese: 5-6 tsp
Grated Sardinian pecorino cheese: 2 tsp
Rock salt: ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil: 5-6 tsp

Method
Wash the basil leaves gently in plenty of cold water. Make sure that the leaves don’t break or get crushed while washing. Allow the leaves to dry on a towel. 

A friend told me that a marble mortar and a wooden pestle is used to prepare authentic pesto. And many of us use the same back home to crush ginger-garlic, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and other spices in small quantities. And there comes the advantage of having a marble mortar in the kitchen.

Crush garlic and pine nuts in the mortar till they are creamy. Add salt and dry basil leaves, a few at a time, and rotate the wooden pestle delicately against the sides of the mortar. Make sure you never beat the leaves. The delicate rotation of the pestle helps in extracting the essential oils from the basil leaves which are not broken, but are rubbed against the walls of the mortar. Rub the leaves till the sauce is mixed well and basil becomes a fine paste. Slowly add Parmesan and Sardinian pecorino cheese and mix with the pestle. Lastly, add extra virgin oil and mix well till all the ingredients blend well. Use the sauce for any cooked pasta. 

Note: Though grinder can make the sauce in a few seconds, taste definitely changes. 

If you are not using the sauce immediately, store in the refrigerator in a glass container by covering it with a layer of olive oil.

Cavatappi Pasta

Ingredients
Pasta (Cavatappi): 2 cups
Tomato: 2 medium sized
Capsicum: 1 small size
Onion: 1 small size
Garlic: 2 cloves
Pepper powder: ½ tsp
Oregano: ¼ tsp
Basil: ¼ tsp
Salt: As per taste
Olive oil: 5-6 tsp
Fresh cream: 3-4 tsp
Cheese: 3-4 tsp

Method
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the Cavatappi pasta. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through, but is still firm to the bite. Drain well in a colander and add a few drops of olive oil, toss it well and keep aside. Remove seeds from tomato and chop them finely. Chop capsicum, onion and garlic also finely. Heat olive oil in a pan and add onion and garlic and saute till they turn golden brown. Add chopped tomato and fry well for 4-5 minutes. Mash the tomato well so that it leaves all its juice in the pan. Add pepper, basil, oregano and salt and saute for a minute. Add capsicum and fresh cream and mix well. Add the cooked pasta followed by cheese before tossing everything gently. Transfer to serving bowl and add olive oil on top.

Note: Normally, Parmesan cheese is used in Italian pasta, but Mozzarella cheese will also do.