Strawberry Lemon Basil Pasta Salad#Improv

Strawberry Lemon Basil Pasta Salad is a healthy and delicious dish that will brighten up any plate. A pasta side dish made with strawberries, lemon and fresh basil , it's perfect for a light and filling  summer meal. A  simple salad wherein the dressing can be made a day ahead and tossed  just before serving.

Ingredients 
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Sendhav Namak / Himalayan Pink Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Red Chilly Flakes
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Cups Campanella Pasta
A Handful of Fresh Baby Basil leaves
2 Cups Sliced Strawberries
1 Lemon - cut into round slices

Method

Boil the pasta in water with a tablespoon of sea salt when the water comes to a boil add the pasta and cook it on high flame till al dente. It took 10 to 12 minutes to cook. Drain and cool it completely. 

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until sugar is dissolved. Add pasta, basil, lemon zest and strawberries, toss to coat.
Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.  

Serve garnished with a lemon slices and enjoy.  

Labels: Pasta, Salads, Strawberry, Healthy, Main course, Improv Cooking Challenge, Vegetarian, Vegan,  Pasta & Noodles

Check out what the other bloggers have made!

Improv Cooking Challenge: June 2020

Ingredients: Strawberries and Basil

• Strawberry Basil Lemonade by Making Miracles
• Grilled Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Strawberry Basil Topping by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Basil Crumb Bars by Veggies First Then Dessert
• Strawberry Lemon Basil Pasta Salad by Sneha's Recipe
• Strawberry Basil Avocado Toast by Palatable Pastime
• Strawberry Basil Smoothies by Our Good Life
• Grilled Strawberry & Blue Basil Granita by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Strawberry Basil Bourbon Smash by Cookaholic Wife

Colombian Arroz Atollado

For the Eat The World, this month we are travelling to Colombia.  Arroz atollado is a traditional Colombian cuisine dish, more like a risotto except it’s a bit more mushy. Apart from rice, it contains chicken, pork, potatoes of various kinds, vegetables and seasonings. 

Recipe Adpated From Here  

Serves 2 - 3
Ingredients 
3 Tablespoons Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Medium Red bell pepper - chopped
1 Medium Yellow bell pepper - chopped
2 Cloves Garlic - chopped
1 Medium Onion - chopped
100 Grams Bacon - chopped
100 Grams Beef strips- cooked
100 Grams Boneless Chicken - chopped

½ Teaspoon Black Pepper powder 
1½  Cups  Homemade Rice Roni 

3 Cups Water
Salt to taste
1 Chicken  Stock cube

Method

In large pan, heat  oil to medium heat. Add garlic and onion. As soon as they are golden, add the chicken and bacon, stir-fry till the chicken changes from pink to white, now add the beef  and black pepper powder, let is fry for a minute.  Cover and let the chicken cook completely.  

Add the water, stock cube bring it to a rolling boil. Add the rice roni and stir it well.  Let this come to a rolling boil. Cover and reduce to flame to low, let it cook till  the rice roni  is nearly done. Now stir in the veggies and mix it lightly. Cover and cook again till the rice roni is done and the flavors have blended well. Taste for salt, add the butter and give it a light stir.  

Serve hot.

Labels : Rice, Spaghetti, Beef, Chicken, Bacon, Colombia, Main course, Eat the World, International Cuisine


Check out all the wonderful Colombian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Bollos de Mazorca (Steamed Fresh Corn Rolls) 

Sneha’s Recipe: Colombian Arroz Atollado 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast) Pandemonium Noshery: Bandeja Paisa - Colombian Platter 

Making Miracles: Arepas Con Carne Asada 

Dinner By Dennis: Pan De Bono (Cassava and Corn Cheese Bread) 

Sugarlovespices: Aguacate Relleno (Stuffed Avocado with Smoked Salmon and Egg) 

Kitchen Frau: Pan de Yuca (Warm Cheesy Buns) 

Palatable Pastime: Sweet & Spicy Fried Plantains (Platanos Maduros Dulces y Picante)

Corn Bread#BreadBakers

Soft and spongy corn bread, my hubby who does not like corn also enjoyed this  corn bread. This corn bread contains cornmeal as well as corn kernels. It's a yeasted bread.

Ingredients 
75 Grams All Purpose Flour 

45 Grams Cornmeal  

60 Grams Caster Sugar 

1 Egg 

90 Ml Milk 
25 Grams Unsalted Butter - melted 

½ Teaspoon Instant Yeast 

120 Grams Fresh Corn Kernels
¼ Teaspoon Salt

Method

Grease and line a 6" square pan with parchment paper.

Sieve the all purpose flour. In a bowl add the all the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix it with a hand whisk.

In a another sauce pan melt the butter. Keep it to cool.

When the butter cools add the egg, milk and whisk till just blended, do not over whisk till it is foamy.

Mix in the dry ingredients and whisk till it is incorporated and no traces of flour is seen, now add in the corn kernels and mix it lightly. 

Cover the bowl and keep it aside till it doubles in volume (it took around an hour or so).

When it doubles in volume, give it a light mix and pour this into the prepared pan. 

Cover and leave it aside till it again doubles in volume for about 30 minutes or so. After 20 minutes preheat the oven at 170°C for 15 minutes. 

When the batter doubles in volume, bake it in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. 

When baked keep it on a wire rack to cool for 15 - 20 minutes. 

Lift the corn bread by the parchment paper and 

place it on the wire rack till it comes to room temperature. 

Slice it when warm and enjoy it with your tea.

 This make a perfect bread for breakfast for Hi Tea party.

Enjoy!!

Labels:  Breads, Corn kernels, Cornmeal, Egg, Yeast, Baked, Breakfast, Hi Tea, Healthy

"Let's get corny' is our tag line for this month's bread baker's and our host is Stacy of Food Lust People Love.

Do check here some of the corny breads our other baker's have done this month. 

Bacon Country Bread with Corn from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Corn Bread from Sneha's Recipe
Grits Sandwich Bread from Pastry Chef Online
Honey Skillet Cornbread from Making Miracles
Hot Water Cornbread from Palatable Pastime
Iowa "Corn" Pancakes from A Messy Kitchen
Polenta Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread from Spiceroots
Polenta-Crusted, Kernel-Dotted Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Sourdough Cornmeal Dinner Rolls from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
Southwestern Chicken Skillet with Cornbread Topping from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Studded Golden Cornbread from What Smells So Good?
Sweet Peach Cornbread from Food Lust People Love
Yeast Corn Breakfast Bread from AmbrosiaBlurb and badge: #BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Dulce De Leche Banana Cake#BakingBloggers

• 

  Made this cake using all the leftovers ingredients I, had in the fridge. Over ripe bananas, leftover dulce de leche, little fresh cream and 3 triangles of cream cheese. 
  

  

  My hubby doesn't eat bananas, but, clever me finds endless ways of giving him this fruit, in smoothies, parathas and cakes. The only thing, I, have to be careful while using it, if he see it going into the dish then he will not eat it. Thinks that he will catch cold and cough if he eat's bananas, tried reasoning with him, but in vain.

  

   This cake it turns out moist, buttery and delicious. It tastes even better the next day.   You can see flakes of DDL, since it was thick and refrigerated, looks like chocolate chips.

  Ingredients  
• 150 Grams Butter
  55 Grams Cream cheese
  75 Grams Caster Sugar
  3 Small Eggs
  210 Grams All Purpose Flour
  1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  ½ Teaspoon Baking soda
  ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Cup Fresh Cream
  1/3 Cup Packed Dulce De Leche
  3 Medium Size Bananas – mashed /blended
  1 Sachet(8 grams) Vanilla Sugar
  
  Method

  

  Preheat the oven to 180°C. . Greased and line an 9” round baking pan ( used an 8" pan silicone mould, had leftover batter so made it in a small bundt pan).
  

  

  Blend the bananas, you can mash them with a fork too. (had to blend them cause hubby shouldn't see traces of it). 

  In a bowl sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla sugar and salt. Set it aside.
  

  

  Beat the butter, cream cheese, DDL and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time and mix until smooth. Mix in bananas.

  Slowly add in the flour mixture and  little of cream, blend just until smooth and all the flour and cream is incorporated.
  

  

  Pour batter into the baking pan. Bake for 45  minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  

  

  The Bundt pan too 20 minutes to bake.
  

  

  While baking the house was filled with the fragrant aroma.
  

  

  Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it. Let the cool completely before cutting into it. 
  

  

  

  The big cake I dusted with icing sugar

  

  the small one got over in one go along with our tea.

  

  Lables : Cake, , Banana, Cream Cheese, Dulce De Leche, Baking Bloggers, Hi Tea
  Baking Bloggers
  
  June 2020: Let's Go Bananas!
  Banana After School Snack Cake from Karen's Kitchen Stories
  Banana Oatmeal Muffins from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
  Brown Sugar Banana Cake from Cookaholic Wife
  Chocolate Sunflower Seed Breakfast Muffins from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
  Dulce De Leche Banana Cake from Sneha's Recipe
  Hummingbird Muffins from Veggies First Then Dessert
  Margy's Best Banana Bread from Food Lust People Love
  Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal from Making Miracles
  Raw Banana Baked Chips from Cook with Renu
  Roasted Banana Ice Cream from Caroline's Cooking
  Soft Baked Banana Oatmeal Bars from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  Sourdough Banana Bread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
  Triple Chocolate Banana Bread from Palatable Pastime    

Pathare Prabhu Style Egg Drop Curry#FoodieExtravaganza

Have this masala in hand and this curry takes just 30 minutes to prepare, coconut milk is used to make this dish. This curry goes well with rice, chapati, roti , I love to have this with crusty bread.

Ingredients
6 Eggs
For the Gravy
Grind to Fine paste
1 Large Onion - chopped
3 Cloves Garlic 
½ Teaspoon Chopped Ginger
Other Ingredients 
1½ Tablespoons Pathare Prabhu Masala- Homemade
1 Teaspoon Heaped Red Chilly powder
1 Teaspoon Heaped Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi
3/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
1 Teaspoon Sugar
½ Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
2 Medium Tomatoes - blended
1 Cup Thick Coconut Milk - I used canned
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cream

Method

Heat oil in a broad base kadai /pan, add the ground paste and little water, cook till the paste start to turn light golden. Then add the tomato pure and cook till oil surfaces. Now add all the dry spices except the garam masala powder and kasuri methi ,add a of cup water ,mix well , cover and cook till oil surfaces . Add salt and mix well. 

Add the coconut milk and sugar , adjust the gravy consistency by adding water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on low flame. Stirring in between. Add the kasoori methi, taste for seasoning. Bring it to a rolling boil, now break the eggs into the curry keep enough space between each egg. Reduce the flame, cover and cook till the eggs are cooked, but soft, do no over cook the eggs or else the whites will be the hard. Add cream and mix well. Take off flame. 

Garnish with cream and serve hot.
Labels: Egg, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Pathare Prabhu, Homemade, Main course, Coconut Milk 

This month, the Foodie Extravaganza celebration is all about eggs, hosted by Karen's Kitchen Stories. We celebrate various food holidays. This month, we are celebrating eggs because today is National Egg Day?

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

Check out everyone's recipes with eggs:
Baked Scotch Eggs from Making Miracles
Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) from Tara's Multicultural Table
Country Biscuit Breakfast (Copycat) from Palatable Pastime
Pathare Prabhu Style Egg Drop Curry from Sneha's Recipe
Smoky Honey Chili & Paprika Deviled Eggs / Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice /
Sourdough Waffles and Eggs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Soy Braised Pork with Eggs from Food Lust People Love
Spanish Tortilla from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Umami Egg Salad on Homemade Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla