Homemade Marinara Sauce#SundayFunday

Homemade Marinara Sauce doesn’t get any easier than this recipe! This requires just a handful of ingredients and 20 minutes on the stove. This one is a keeper.

Mariana is a tomato-based sauce made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs. It originated in Italy and is used in many dishes. Homemade marinara sauce that tastes better than any canned version.

Ingredients
1 Large Onion - finely chopped
5 Cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Chilly Flakes
½ Teaspoon Salt  or  to taste

1 Teaspoon Mixed Herbs
8 Medium Ripe Tomatoes - blanched & chopped
Few Leaves Fresh Basil
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Method

Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onion and sauté until soft, then stir in garlic sauté for a minute or until fragrant.
Add blanched and chopped tomatoes, salt, and chilly flakes. Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.  Cool and blend to a smooth sauce. Add in the mixed herbs and stir in chopped fresh basil. Homemade Marinara Sauce it ready.

This recipe is so versatile. Use it for any recipe that calls for Marinara Sauce. 

Labels: Homemade, Sauces, Italian, Sunday Funday, Tomato, Dried Herbs, Basil

Sunday Funday

Homemade Sauce

• Nasturtium Pesto by Cook with Renu
• Buffalo Chicken Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Homemade Marinara Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Carrot Greens Pesto by Food Lust People Love
• Rockfish with Cajun Butter Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Stir-Fried Squid in Black Bean Sauce by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Parsley Walnut Pesto by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pineapple BBQ Sauce by Amy's Cooking Adventures 

Vegan Italian Pasta Salad With Basil Dressing#SundayFunday

So flavorful pasta salad with fresh herbs, tomatoes, olives, pickled pepperoncini's, red onion and a basil dressing. It’s perfect for potlucks and picnic's. This Vegan Italian Pasta Salad is quick, easy to put together.

For Pasta Salads, cook the pasta a little longer than the directions given since Al denté is ideal for hot pasta dishes, but for pasta salads it should be a little softer/slightly overcooked pasta. Pasta firms up a lot once it’s cold hence a slightly overcooked pasta works best for salads.

Ingredients 
For The Basil Dressing
¼ Cup Olive Oil 
1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Water
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon Sugar
12 -15 Fresh Basil or more to your taste
¼ Teaspoon Dried Basil
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
For The Salad
2 Cups Boiled Pasta
1 Cups Cherry Tomatoes - chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs (I use basil, thyme & oregano)
⅓ Cup Green & Black Olives - chopped
1 Small Red Onion - chopped
1 Tablespoon Pickled Pepperoncini's - chopped

Method

Cook pasta according to package instructions, but add an extra minute to the cooking time. The pasta should be just slightly overcooked .
While the pasta is cooking , let's prepare the dressing.

Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until the dressing is a creamy light green with plenty of fresh basil flecks are seen throughout.

Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Immediately toss the hot pasta with ⅔ of the dressing (enough to liberally coat). Chill.
Once the pasta is cold, mix in dressing mixture, tomatoes, olives, chopped herbs, pepperoncini's, and red onion. Chill. 

Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Labels: Vegan, Italian, Basil, Dressing, Salad, Side Dish, Pasta, Healthy, Sunday Funday

For Pasta Salad and Noodle Salad Event 

Sneha's Recipe: Vegan Italian Pasta Salad With Basil Dressing 

Amy's Cooking Adventures: Caprese Pasta Salad 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Couscous Salad 

Palatable Pastime: Pineapple and Butternut Macaroni Salad 

Karen's Kitchen Stories: Chinese Egg Noodle Salad with Pork 

Mayuri's Jikoni: Tropical Pasta Salad 

Cook with Renu: Vegetable Orzo Pasta Salad   

Cheesy Mushroom Calzone#BreadBakers

Calzone is an Italian delight which looks absolutely tempting when served. This cheesy vegetarian calzone is so deliciously mouth watering, prepared using simple ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves. 

This makes a perfect snack to go with your tea or coffee, kitty parties, buffets, birthdays or picnics or pack these calzones in kids tiffin. I served this for my friends at our get-together and they relished them.

Makes 8
Ingredients
For The Filling
250 Grams Mushrooms - chopped
4 Medium Tomatoes - chopped
10 Basil Leaves
Salt & black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
175 grams Grated Mozzarella
For The Pizza Dough
200 Grams Bread Flour
10 Grams Sugar
3 Grams Instant Sugar
2 Grams Salt
10 Grams Butter
170Ml +- Milk
Method

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the water. Stir with a spoon, then knead with your hand just until the flour is moistened and the dough begins to form. Do not over-mix! The dough will be very sticky and rough looking, not silky smooth. With damp hands, roll each piece into a rough ball and place into a container with 2 tablespoons of oil. Flatten the top with an oiled hand. Cover tightly. Let rise at room temperature till double.
For The Filling 

Place a large pan on medium flame with oil and butter. Once the oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, black pepper powder in it. Fry the veggies until they are cooked. Then add the chopped capsicum and basil leaves sauté for 2 minutes Now, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the cooked veggies in a bowl.
To Make The Calzone
Pre-heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius. 

Start dividing the pizza dough into 8 small balls.  

Using a rolling pin and flatten them into circles like rotis.

Add the filling prepared in it.

Add mozzarella cheese

Fold the other half of the circle to cover it. Seal the edges well.

Grease the baking sheet now, using a little olive oil. Place the calzones over it and brush the upper layer of calzones with olive oil.  

Slide this in the pre-heated oven and bake it for minimum 20 minutes until the dough is puffed. 

Brush them with butter or oil.

Your calzones are now ready. Serve them hot with your favorite dip and enjoy.

Labels: Breads, Bread Bakers, Calzone, Italian, International Cuisine, Vegetarian, Eggless, Mushroom, Tomato, Cheese, Appetizer, Snack, Kids delight

• Pepperoni and Mushroom Pan Pizza from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Cheesy Mushroom Calzone from Sneha’s Recipe
• Wild Mushroom Flatbread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mushroom Swiss Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Mixed Mushroom Soft Bread Sticks from Food Lust People Love
• Porcini Swirl Bread from A Messy Kitchen  

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Italian Ricotta Cheese, is easy and a flexible recipe which anyone can make at home. Ricotta is a fabulous component of many Italian dessert's, such as cheese cake, cannoli etc.. It is also used in pasta's, pizza's, lasagna, ravioli and so on. Well In India this is very expensive to buy and making it at home is so easy and delicious. I love to have this as a filling for pancakes.

Makes around 350 Grams
Ingredients
2 Liters Full Fat Milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Full Fat Yogurt
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons White Vinegar - mixed in ¼ cup water

Method 

In a large pan, heat the milk, heavy cream, till it comes the temperature comes to 90°C. Then add in the full fat yogurt, salt, vinegar mixed in water,  gently stir on a low flame and let is heat for 3 -4 minutes, stirring lightly until milk curdles up. Meanwhile take a strainer and cover it with a muslin cloth and place it on top of a deep bowl. 

Once milk curdles up and comes to boil, stir and put off the flame. Strain curdled milk with a strainer having muslin cloth. Do not throw away its water also known as whey (You can use this in soups or to knead dough for making bread), let it drain for 15-20 minutes. Gather muslin cloth and squeeze properly to remove excess water or whey out of it.

Once done keep cheese covered with the cloth and keep a heavy object on top to give it shape of your choice.
Refrigerate and use this within 3-4 days. 

Homemade Ricotta Cheese is ready for which we would pay a hefty sum to buy it.
Labels: Cheese, Homemade, Ricotta, Italian, International Cuisine, Keto, Low Carb

Gluten Free Gnudi (Naked Ravioli) In Butter Garlic Sauce#Foodieextravaganza

Gnudi are little balls which are more or less like a kind of gnocchi; balls are made of spinach and ricotta without any pasta covering them. So, hence the name Naked Ravioli.
These rustic, naked ravioli have a long history, going back to Roman times, and perhaps even much earlier.

For this gnudi, I did not add the whole egg, more the dough is loose the more flour will be required. So use only the yolk, so that the gnudi is soft and succulent (and not hard) after it's cooked. These are very delicate so while adding them to the boiling water, use a slotted spoon to drop each into the pan of boiling water.

Ingredients
For The Gnudi

200 Grams Homemade Ricotta Cheese
1 Large Egg Yolk - only
100 Grams Chopped Spinach
1 Tablespoon Finely Chopped Roasted Garlic
½ Teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ Teaspoon Dried Basil
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder
2 Tablespoons Heaped Tapioca Flour/ Starch
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Heaped Tapioca Flour/ Starch - for coating
For The Butter Garlic Sauce
2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Wild Garlic - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Chopped Scallion Greens - for garnishing
½ Teaspoon Salt

Method

Blanch the spinach for a minute in the microwave. Immediately dump it in cold water. Take a muslin cloth and squeeze the spinach of all moisture. In same cloth squeeze the ricotta cheese. 

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, spinach, egg yolk, dried parsley, dried basil, black pepper powder, salt, parmesan cheese, garlic mash them all well till well combined. Add the tapioca flour a tablespoon at a time and mash till well combined. Make a nice ball. Leave it aside covered for 5 to 10  minutes.
Take a small pinch and form into a ball.

To Test whether the ball will not disintegrated in water while boiling. 

Heat water in a pan when it comes to a boil add this tiny ball let it cook it it floats to the surface. If it does not break or disintegrated in water then the dough is perfect.

Now that the dough is perfect cover and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Make 9 - 10 equal size balls. Roll them in tapioca flour, shake of any excess flour by rolling it in your hand. Keep all aside.

In the meantime heat a tall pan will water add a ¼ teaspoon salt. When the water comes to a rolling boil, place each gnudi with a slotted spoon gently into the water. Cover the pan with a lid and on medium high flame let them cook till they start to float on top. Once they float to the surface they are done. Remove each gently with slotted spoon and keep them in large plate to come to room temperature.

For The Butter Garlic Sauce

In a pan heat oil and butter, add the chopped garlic and wild garlic, when the garlic starts to brown add in the gnudi and sauté gently turning the sides.

Remove and serve hot garnish with chopped scallion greens.
These were so...ooo delicious. A must try recipe.

Labels: Keto, Low Carb, Gnudi, Ravoili, Pasta & Noodles, Ricotta, Tapioca Flour, Garlic, Spinach, Butter, Gluten free, International Cuisine, Italia, Foodie Extravaganza Party

• Easy Ravioli Lasagna from Food Lust People Love
• Garden Greens-Stuffed Ravioli from Culinary Cam
• Gluten Free Gnudi (Naked Ravioli) In Butter Garlic Sauce from Sneha’s Recipe
• Homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Sauce from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Seafood Ravioli from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Toasted Ravioli from Palatable Pastime

Eggless Berry Tiramisu#SundayFunday

This Eggless Berry Tiramisu is a no bake dessert, is a rich creamy filling, light, has no raw eggs, this eggless tiramisu will be a hit with your friends and family. It's a perfect when you want a quick, make-ahead, indulgent dessert for potlucks or larger gatherings.

Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that literally translates to pick-me-up. This eggless tiramisu has no coffee. Sponge biscuits / lady fingers, also known as Savoiardi, sponge fingers make up the structural part of this eggless berry tiramisu.

Ingredients
300 Ml Heavy Whipping Cream
⅓ Cup Caster Sugar
300 Grams Mascarpone
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
24 Savoiardi /Ladyfinger Sponge Biscuits
½  Cup Homemade Limoncello or liqueur of your choice
½ Cup Homemade Mixed Berry Compote
50 Grams Chocolate - shaved
A Few Raspberries for decoration - I used dried

Method

In a medium bowl, beat the cream with an electric beater to soft peak stage.
In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone, sugar and vanilla, until just combined (don’t overbeat).

Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the mascarpone gently so as not to knock out the air and repeat two more times until all incorporated.
Quickly dip each biscuit into the liqueur (don’t soak) and lay them side by side in a 8 inch square or rectangular tin or box lined with cling wrap will the sides hanging out.

Top the biscuit with half the cream mixture, spreading it over evenly with an offset spatula.
Spread most of the berry compote ( reserving a little for decoration) on top.
Repeat the biscuit and mascarpone cream layers again. Dot the remaining berry compote and make a design using a toothpick. Cover it with cling wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving.

Before serving top with the shave chocolate, followed by the raspberries.

Labels: Eggless, No Bake, Dessert, Italian, Savoiardi, Mascarpone, Heavy Cream, Raspberry, Sunday Funday

For our event called Sunday Funday, wherein we share recipes our families will love to enjoy on a Sunday. Our theme for Sunday Funday: "Raspberry Cake".  

• Eggless Berry Tiramisu by Sneha's Recipe
• Healthy Raspberry Frozen Yogurt (Only 3 Ingredients!) by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Raspberry Coffee Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Raspberry Lemon Pound Cake by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Raspberry Roll Cake by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Bell Pepper Soup#Soupswappers

This Italian roasted cherry tomatoes and red bell peppers soup reminds me that winter is in. I love the reddish orange color of this soup and it's the simplicity, a no-fuss cooking that makes it my favorite.

Serves 2
Ingredients 
8- 10 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic cloves – crushed lightly
1 Teaspoon Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
¼ Teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
Crispy Fried Basil leaves – to garnish

Method 
Pre-heat oven at 200°C.

Wash and pat dry ,garlic, tomatoes and pepper. Place them in a foil tray, in a single layer and drizzle ½ teaspoon olive oil . Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatoes break into juice and the bell pepper is charred.

Cool and blend in a mixer to smooth consistency. Remove in a sauce pan, add 3 cups of vegetable stock to thin and bring this to a boil. Add the seasoning of salt and lemon pepper. Taste, the soup, it should smooth and not too thick.

Serve as it is with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil on top, or with fried basil. Enjoy this delicious soup with any crusty bread.

Labels: Soup, Red Bell Pepper, Cherry Tomatoes, Oven Roasted, Garlic, Serves Two, Soup Swappers, Healthy, Appetizer, Main course, Dairy Free, Gluten free, Nut Free, Vegan, Italian, International Cuisine

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm our host and author of Soup Swapper's group, today we are making Chilly Soups to celebrate National Chili Day.  

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken Chile Verde 

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Instant Pot Spicy Turkey Chili 

Sneha’s Recipe: Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Bell Pepper Soup 

Magical Ingredients: Garbanzo Chili Verde

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Turkey, Stout, & Sweet Potato Cincinnati Chili 

Our Good Life: Six Can Chili