Tri Color Pasta & Freedom Haiku Poem

Freedom Haiku Poem

I hear patriotic voices

Makes my heart cheer

Our Constitution give us

The right to freedom

If Freedom was a dish of Pasta

I would cook the way I like it.

And would eat it any time or all the time.

Thank you Stacy for making me rack my brains and write a poem, which is not my forte.

This Tricolor Pasta , represents the color of our national flag. The best thing about this Tri Color Pasta it that you can assemble it and cover with a foil. Just before serving place it in the air fryer or a preheated oven and bake it 180°C for 20 minutes or till it is heated through, I, used the air fryer. 

You also add how ever much cheese you want between the layers, I have used the minimum amount of cheese since, am, health conscious.

Serves 2 -3
Ingredients
3 Cups Penne Pasta 
For The Carrot Pesto
4 Medium Ooty Carrots - peeled
2 Dried Red Chilly - chopped
1 Tablespoon Yellow Bell Pepper - chopped
1 Tablespoon Heaped Toasted Pine nuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Heaped Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt to taste
For the Spinach Pesto
½ Cup Packed Blanched Spinach
1 Green Chilly
1 Tablespoon Heaped Toasted Pine nuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tablespoon Heaped Parmesan Cheese
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt to taste 
A Pinch of Black pepper powder
For the White Sauce/Bechamel Sauce
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Heaped Homemade Cream Of Soup Mix
3 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Heaped Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tablespoons Heaped Shredded Processed Cheese
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
A Pinch of Nutmeg powder
Extra Butter as required
Extra Cheese as required

Method 

Boil the pasta as per package instructions. Drain, reserve the pasta water and keep both aside. Divide the pasta into three equal parts.

For The Carrot Pesto

In a pressure pan add the carrot, red chillies, yellow bell pepper and ¼ cup water, cover and cook them on high flame for 2 whistles. Cool the cooker completely, then open it. Remove the carrot and red chillies from the cooker, if there is any water, keep it aside.  

Add the carrot, red chillies and rest of the ingredients for the carrot pesto and blend to a smooth paste, if necessary add the water that the carrot were cooked in. Remove this into a bowl and keep aside.

Carrot Pesto is ready!!
For the Spinach Pesto

Add the spinach (squeeze out all the water), red chillies and rest of the ingredients for the spinach pesto and blend to a smooth paste. Remove this into a bowl and keep aside.

Spinach Pesto is ready!!

For the White Sauce Pasta

Melt butter in a pan. Add Homemade Cream Of Soup Mix  and sauté, stirring continuously till the raw smell disappears, remove from flame and add milk gradually, whisking continuously. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer. Continue to whisk for 10-12 minutes or till the sauce is smooth and slightly thick.
Add cheddar and processed cheese and keep whisking. Add salt, pepper powder, and nutmeg powder. Divide the sauce into 3 pots/pans.

For The Spinach Pesto Pasta

In one pan add a tablespoon of butter, all of the spinach pesto and one part of the pasta and the white sauce, cook till it thickens a little. 

Do not dry this completely, because we want a saucy pasta. Keep aside
For The Carrot Pesto Pasta

Similarly do the same in seperate pots/pan for the carrot pesto and 

keep this aside too.
For The White Sauce Pasta

In the same white sauce pan add a additional tablespoon of butter, add one part of pasta, taste for salt and pepper powder and add according to your taste.
Now all our Tri Color pasta is ready.

Let's Assemble - Tri Color Pasta 

In a large baking big soufflé dish, butter the dish well. Add the spinach pesto pasta, sprinkle cheese 

then top it with the white sauce pasta, then again sprinkle cheese on top, 

lastly top it with the carrot pesto pasta and again sprinkle cheese. 

It's ready for the air fryer.. see all the layers

Place this foiled covered dish in the Air Fryer basket @ 180°C for 20 minutes. Let it sit in the air fryer for 3 minutes. Remove and un mold it.

I could have turned it into another serving dish, but, since I sprinkled little cheese in between layers, was apprehensive that it would crumble.

This was a truly delicious, worth the effort and time taken to make it.

Labels: Tri Color, Spinach Pesto, Carrot Pesto, White Sauce ,Vegetarian, Main course, Sunday Funday, Pasta & Noodles, Italian, Air Fryer 

April is National Poetry Month. Our Host for  Sunday Funday is Stacy - https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com asked us to "Share a recipe and a poem about your chosen recipe or motivational ingredient".  

• An Ode to Kung Pao Tacos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bacon Queso from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Chicken Parmesan Pizza by Making Miracles
• Foraging-Shy, a Haiku + Mushroom Ragù from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• I Cooked for Pleasure: Chicken Fried Bacon by Palatable Pastime
• Tri Color Pasta & Freedom Haiku Poem from Sneha's Recipe
• Vegan Thai Iced Tea by Mayuri's Jikoni

Green Masala Meat Pulao - Pressure Cooker#MultiCookerMonday

Meat Pulao is an amazing and delicious one pot meal made with boneless meat and rice, here I have used boneless mutton, you can make this with, chicken or boneless beef. It's quick and easy to make, just one pan, pressure cooker.
1 Cup Measurement = 250 Ml Cup

Serves 3 -4

Ingredients
1½ Cups Rice
300 Grams Boneless Mutton - cut into small cubes
½ Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Onion - finely chopped
3 Tablespoons  Green Masala Paste/Hirva Vatan
1 Teaspoon Shahi Biryani Masala

3 Cups Mutton Stock
Salt to taste
1- 2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon Lime juice
Salt to taste
Whole Spices
½ Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 Big Piece of Cinnamon
2 Green Cardamoms
6 Black Peppercorns
6 Cloves

Method 

Cook the mutton with ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder with 2 cups for water in a pressure cooker.  Take one whistle on high flame then reduce the flame and keep it  for 20 to 25 minutes. When cooked strain the meat and the stock. Keep aside the meat and the stock separately.

Heat oil in the same pressure pan, add all the whole spices, when it starts to crackle, add the onions and sauté till light brown add the green masala paste and fry till oil leaves the sides of the pan. Then add the biryani masala, lime juice and sauté for a minute. Add the mutton and sauté for a minute.
Add the rice and lightly fry it for a minute add salt to taste and the stock (if the stock is less add water). Bring this to a rolling boil, cover the pan and cook for on high flame for 2 whistles. After 2 whistles switch off the flame. Open the cooker when ready to serve. Serve hot with a salad and curds. 

Enjoy !! The taste of this pulao is so delicious and yummy that one would make this very often.

My Notes
You can use chicken or beef to make this pulao.

Labels : Mutton, Pulao, Pressure Cooker, Main course, Rice, One Pot Meal, Multi Cooker Monday

Multicooker Monday - April 2021

• Air Fryer Lamb Chops with Roasted Carrots and Mustard Thyme Sauce from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Green Masala Meat Pulao - Pressure Cooker from Sneha's Recipe
• Instant Pot Mushroom and Red Wine Sauced Short Ribs from Making Miracles
• Mexican Style Rice (Instant Pot) from Palatable Pastime
• Slow Cooker Sunday Gravy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Chach- A Dessert Soup - East Indian#Soupswappers

What is Chach? That's a question many will be asking! This is an East Indian dessert soup which is made with sweet potatoes on Maundy Thursday. This is also called by many East Indians as Gorache. My mother made this every year on Maundy Thursday and we loved it. She made it without tapioca pearls, this is my addition to it. My hubby loves this Chach too. He had it as his meal, two bowls full. This dessert Soup is, no oil or butter, sugar free, vegan and gluten free too.
Make 3 Bowls
Ingredients
220 Grams Sweet Potatoes- cut into thick roundels
1/3 Cup Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls
180 Grams Jaggery - chopped
1 Medium Size Coconut - to make coconut Milk
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
A Pinch of Salt
Method
Wash the sabudana/tapioca pearls in water 2 times then soak it in water till an inch above the pearls. Keep this covered for at least an hour or two.

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut into medium thick pieces.

This should be the thickness or else they will melt when cooking. Soak them in water, keep aside.

Now let's make the Coconut Milk

Peel all the brown part of the coconut we require only the white meat, chop it into pieces

Then grate it in a blender jar.

Warm 4 cups of water.

In big blender jar add the grated coconut, add 250Ml warm water and run the blender for 2 minutes. 

Take this out into a fine muslin cloth and squeeze out all the coconut milk 

this makes the first thick extract. Keep this extract a side.

Again add the coconut from the muslin cloth into the blender jar 

add 250Ml warm water and again run the blender for 2 minutes.

Remove this into the muslin cloth and squeeze out all the coconut milk this makes the second extract, 

pour this into a airtight bottle . These are the two bottles (250Ml Each) that I filled and labeled thick and thin coconut milk.
If you require another thin extract you can do this process again by adding just a cup of water. After this you cannot extract any more coconut milk. Use can use how much you want and freeze the remaining coconut milk.

To Make the Chach

In a large pot/pan add the 2 cups thin extract of coconut milk , salt and the sweet potatoes slices. Place this on medium low flame and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes or till nearly done, stirring once or twice in between. 

When the sweet potatoes are nearly done then add the tapioca pearls and give it a quick stir, let this cook again on medium low flame till done/ transparent and the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, do not make them mushy they should remain whole. 

Now add the jaggery and let it melt and comes to just a boil. Add the thick extract of coconut milk and give it stir, bring this to just a boil. 

Switch off the flame add the cardamom powder.

Serve into large bowls and enjoy warm!!
Labels : Dessert Soup, East Indian, Soup, Sweet Potato, Jaggery, Cardamom Powder, Healthy, No Oil Or Butter, Vegan, Gluten free, Soup Swappers, Homemade, Coconut Milk

For Soup Swappers April 2021, we asked to "Share a soup that provides a link to your ancestry". and our Host is Sidsel of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking. 

• Apong Meling's Sinigang from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Blomkål- og ostesuppe (Cauliflower and Cheese Soup) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Chach- A Dessert Soup - East Indian from Sneha's Recipe
• Cock-a-leekie Scottish Chicken Soup from Making Miracles
• Mulligatawny Soup from Magical Ingredients
• Scottish Red Lentil Soup from Pandemonium Noshery 
• Ticinese Minestrone from Karen's Kitchen Stories

African Tin Mackerel & Bell Peppers Stew#FishFriday

A very versatile recipe can use any vegetable of your choice. This so quick to make especially when you have a tiring day and your want something easy and tasty then this recipe is for you. You can substitute sardines in tomato sauce for the mackerel.
Ingredients
¼ Cup Oil
1 Medium Onion - sliced
2 Scallions/spring Onions - chopped
1 Small Tomato - sliced
1 Small Red Bell Pepper - sliced
1 Small Green Bell Pepper - sliced
1 Small Yellow Bell Pepper - sliced
3 Cloves Garlic - finely copped
1 Green Or Red Chilly - chopped
1 (425 Grams ) Can Mackerel In Tomato Sauce
½ Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, or to taste
¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
½ Teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Method

In a pan heat the oil add the sliced onion and scallions sauté till the onions soften add the tomato, garlic and sauté till the tomato softens add the bell peppers and chilly, sauté for a minute or two, now add the salt, black pepper, chilly flakes and vinegar and sauté for 2 minutes. Empty in the can of mackerel, mix well lightly and reduce the flame to medium low. Let it simmer until heated for about 7 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot with boiled yams, plantains, potatoes or rice. 
Labels : Seafood/Fish, Tinned Mackerel, Colored Bell Peppers, African, Main Course, Fish Friday

This month, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories is hosting  Fish Friday Foodies' April 2021 event . She asked us to share a fish recipe from any country or region of Africa!  We are a group of seafood-loving bloggers, wherein we  share fish and seafood recipes on the third Friday of the month. 

Here's the April 2021 recipes.

• African Tin Mackerel & Bell Peppers Stew from Sneha's Recipe
• Caldo de Peixe (Cape Verdean Fish Stew) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Camaroonian Fish Stew from Making Miracles
• Madagascar Coconut Shrimp Curry (Coco Crevettes) from Palatable Pastime
• Moroccan Shrimp Tagine with Ginger and Fennel from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Devil's Food Cake With Hard Icing#BundtBakers

This is Nigella's Lawson recipe. I have used the cake recipe and the icing is mine own. It's a hard icing that set immediately, you have to pour it on a cold cake immediately it set's immediately.

Ingredients
For The Bundt
50 Grams Cocoa powder
100 Grams Brown Sugar
250 ML Boiling Water
125 Grams Unsalted Butter
A Pinch of Salt
150 Grams Caster Sugar
225 Grams All Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs - I used 3 Small Eggs
For the Hard Icing
200 Grams Icing sugar
30 ML Water
25 Grams Coco powder
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease a bundt pan with butter very well, then dust it cocoa powder.

Add the cocoa and brown sugar into a bowl and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix, then set aside.
Cream the butter and caster sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy.
Then stir in the flour, baking powder and soda together in another bowl, and set aside.
Add the vanilla essence into the creamed butter and sugar – mixing – then drop in 1 egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of flour mixture, then the second egg.

Keep mixing and incorporate the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake, then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping its bowl well with a spatula.

Pour this batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake it in a preheated oven for about 55 -60 minutes( since mine was a tall bundt pan) or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Take the tins out and leave them on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool it completely.

For the Hard icing

Mix all ingredients well and then cook it on low flame till it becomes watery / flowy. 

Pour this into a piping bag and spread it on the cake. Leave it to set/ harden and then slice with a warm knife ( placed in hot water ).

Since our theme for this month event is "Blooming Bundt" I decorated the bundt with Bougainville flowers. 

Enjoy!!
Labels: Bundt, Bundt Bakers, Chocolate Cake, Hard Icing

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page

This month my Bundt Baker, our host is Camilla M. Mann of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, thank you for this wonderful theme. Check out the flavors from our Blooming Bundts below:

• Cranberry and Rosewater Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Devil's Food Cake With Hard Icing by Sneha's Recipe
• Hibiscus Glazed Chocolate Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• Jasmine-Infused Tres Leches Bundt by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Saffron Mini Bundts by Magical Ingredients
• Orange Blossom Bundt Cake by Patyco Candybar
• White Chocolate Lavender Bundt by Sweet Sensations