Bell pepper and shrimp stir fry

Serving size : 4
Total preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 10 mins


Ingredients :
For marination :
15 shrimps, headless, washed, and cleaned
1 tspn paprika
1tspn freshly ground black pepper powder
1 tspn salt
1 tspn apple cider vinegar
1 tspn ginger garlic paste

For stir fry :
1.5 tspn olive oil
1 cup sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced white onion
1 cup tomato puree
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tspn ginger paste

For garnish
1 tspn freshly chopped parsley /basil leaves

Method:
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, Saute the ginger and garlic. Add the onion and saute for 1 min with salt till transparent. Add the tomato puree and cook covered for 5 mins on low heat. Stir at intervals and cook till the mixture is thick and saucy. Now turn the heat to medium - high and add the marinated shrimp. Stir fry for about 2 mins till shrimp are tender. Add the bell peppers and cook on high heat for about 2 mins till the bell peppers are tender and the shrimp are fully cooked. Mix well and turn off the heat. Serve hot as a side garnished with parsley/ basil leaves.

Tip :
You could add cumin powder for extra flavor.
You could skip the parsley and make it indianized adding garam masala or chinese adding soya sauce for alternative flavor.
The mix of onions and bell peppers should be equal to the quantity of the shrimps
Do not overcook the shrimp or it will taste rubbery.

Bell peppers and parmesan cheese stuffed Mushroom

Serving size : 4
Total preparation time : 5 mins
Cooking time : 8 mins

Ingredients :
15 medium sized mushrooms, washed and dried
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
4 garlic cloves. minced
2 tspn olive oil
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/2 tspn oregano
1 tspn dried parsley leaves

For baking :
1 tspn butter.

For garnish.
Grated cheese
1 tspn freshly chopped parsley leaves

Method :
Remove the stems of the mushroom and chop them. Heat 1 tspn oil in a pan and saute the garlic. Add the red bell peppers and the chopped mushroom stems and saute for a min. Add salt, parsley, black pepper and oregano.Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Mix well and set aside.
Preheat the oven at 350*F and line a baking sheet with oil or parchment paper. Now stuff each of the mushrooms with the stuffing and line them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle some butter over each of the mushrooms and bake for 5-6 mins until cooked. Remove from the oven, top each of the mushrooms with some more grated cheese as preferred and a dash of chopped parsley. You could again transfer these into the switched off still hot oven for the cheese to melt. Serve hot as an appetizer.

Tips :
You could use sweet corn kernels, chicken, tofu, potato, green peas as the stuffing or a veg mix of your choice.
You could use butter for extra extra and skip the olive oil totally
You could use 1 tbpsn bread crumbs for preparing the stuffing of this recipes to give a crunchy topping.
You can prepare the stuffin,stuff the mushrooms and keep in the refrigerator and bake just mins before your guests arrive.

Asparagus and mushroom rice

Serving size :4
Total preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time: 18 mins

Ingredients :
1 cup white rice, washed and pre soaked for 10 mins
12 stalks of asparagus, washed, cleaned and blanched into 2 inch length.
1 knorr/maggi vegetable stock cube.
1 finely chopped onion.
1 cup diced mushroom
5 garlic cloves, minced.
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tspn black pepper
1 tbspn olive oil
1 tspn freshly chopped parsley leaves

Method :
Cook the rice with 2 cups water, bay leaf and vegetable stock cube and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and the cloves and saute well for 2 mins.
Add the chopped onion and saute on medium heat for 2 mins till transparent. Now add the blanched asparagus,mushrooms, salt and black pepper and cook on medium heat for 3 mins. Once the asparagus and mushrooms are cooked, add the cooked rice and parsley leaves and mix well.
Best served with seafood or any choice of protein.

Tips :
You could use home made vegetable stock or chicken broth instead of the readymade stock cube.
Note that if you are adding the stock cube, it already contains salt. So do not add salt to the rice.
However if using your own stock you can add salt accordingly.
Do not overcook the asparagus. Cook it till tender but crispy.
Cook the rice 90% such that its not sticky and the grains are separated.

Herby Mahi Mahi pan seared in white wine

Serving size : 4-8
Total preparation time : 30 mins
Cooking time : 8 mins.

Ingredients :

For the marination :
8 Mahi mahi boneless pieces
1 tspn Salt
1 tspn Black pepper
1 tbpn lime juice
1tspn paprika
1.5 tspn finely chopped italian herbs (basil, parsley and oregano)

For the frying :
1.5 tspn  white wine
1.5 tspn olive oil
1/2 tspn garlic powder
1/2 tspn paprika mixed with vinegar.

Method :
Marinate the fish with the marinating ingredients for 30 mins under refrigeration.
Heat a non stick pan on medium heat, Put some olive oil and place the marinated fish pieces on the pan.Once the fish starts cooking, sprinkle the white wine over the fish and cook on high heat for 2 mins.Turn the fish on each side in the white wine and cook on medium heat for 5 mins.Sprinkle  Pan sear for another 2 mins until cooked evenly and browned on all sides. drizzle the paprika mixed with vinegar and sprinkle the garlic power over the fish. Once done, turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with herbs and lemon wedges. Best served as a side with pasta, rice or any other entree.

Penne Broccoli with tomato basil creamy cheese sauce

Ingredients :
2 cups boiled and salted Penne pasta.
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

For the sauce :
3 large ripened roma tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
 3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup basil leaves finely chopped.
2 tbspn olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbspn heavy cream.
1 tspn black pepper
salt to taste

Method :
Heat oil in a pan, and saute the garlic and onion. Once they become transparent, add the diced tomatoes and basil leaves and cook covered till mushy and soft. Transfer these contents to a blender and make a paste. Now transfer the same puree back in the pan,add salt, black pepper and simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick. Once the sauce is ready, add whipped cream and grated cheese into this and mix well. In a separate pan, heat butter and saute broccoli with salt for a minute. Add the cooked pasta and top with the tomato basil cheese sauce. Mix well without breaking the pasta and serve  hot immediately garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Tip : You could use canned tomatoes or home made tomato puree instead of whole tomatoes.
You can use the choice of your cheese for this recipe.

Sweet Corn cheese and onion stuffed roasted poblano peppers

Serving size : 2

Total prepartion time : 20 mins 

Ingredients :

2 poblano peppers, washed, deseeded and slit into 2 each, marinated with salt and apple cider vinegar.

1/2 sweet con kernels

1/2 cup finely chopped Roma tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped purple onion

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 tspn ginger paste 

1//2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 cheese cubes ( cheddar/ any cheese) 

1 tspn black pepper powder

1 tspn finely chopped chillies

Salt to taste

2 tspn olive oil 

1 tbspn fresh chopped parsley

1/2 tspn basil and oregano 

Method: 

Heat olive oil in a a non stick pan and sauté ginger garlic,green chillies and onion. Once onion is transparent, add the tomatoes and corn kernels, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle some chopped parsley and turn off the heat. 

Now take the marinated poblano peppers, stuff a cheese cube in each of them, and too it up with the above sautéed corn stuffing. Line these stuffed peppers on a Greased baking tray and make at 375 for 10mins.

Top with shredded cheese, basil and oregano and serve immediately.

Tri color rotini with broccoli and fire roasted red bell pepper sauce.

Serving size : 2

Total preparation time : 30 mins 

Cooking time : 20 mins

Ingredients : 

3 cups boiled tri color rotini pasta with salt. 

3-4 large red bell peppers, fire roasted chopped or chopped and sautéed on high heat till slightly burnt on the sides and mushy. 

2 cups broccoli florets steamed with salt. 

1/2 white onion finely chopped

4 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 tbspn fresh parsley leaves

1 cup veg stock

Salt to taste

1 tbspn butter

1 tspn olive oil

1 tspn Black pepper powder

1 tspn dried/ fresh finely chopped basil 

Grated cheese as desired.

Method: 

Heat butter in a pan, add the garlic and onion with salt and sauté till transparent. Now add the chopped roasted bell peppers, and half of the parsley leaves. Mix well and blend into a purée. Now heat olive oil in the same pan, add the puréed red bell pepper mix, add veg stock, black pepper and simmer covered for 10mins. Add more water or stock for the desired thickness and consistency.Stir in intervals as the sauce leaves the sides of the pan, sprinkle fresh basil on top. Check salt and spice and adjust as desired. You can add the hot boiled pasta at this stage and mix it well in the sauce, add the steamed broccoli and serve topped with grated cheese. 

Tip : Use dark red peppers to get a deep red color. Fire roast the bell peppers on a flame and then blanch it for better aroma and taste. 

Caesar salad

Serving size: 2
Total Preparation time :10 mins

Ingredients : 

4-6 Romaine lettuce leaves blanched or torn by hand.

1/2 Stalk celery chopped 

3 baby carrots chopped

4 cherry tomatoes or 1 small chopped salad tomato 

1 sliced pink radish

1 cup butter garlic croutons

1 tbspn grated Parmesan cheese.

Dressing : 

1 tspn garlic powder

1 tspn freshly grounded black pepper powder 

1 tbspn Olive oil 

1 tbspn lime juice 

Salt to taste

1 Raw beaten egg white ( optional)

Method: 

Toss all the ingredients together and serve immediately. 

Minestrone soup with tri color rotini pasta, beans and vegetables

Serving size :4

Cooking time 15 mins.
Total Preparation time : 45- 60 mins

Ingredients :

1/4 cup pre soaked and boiled kidney beans 

1/4 cup pre soaked and boiled black eyed peas
1 cup boiled tri color rotini pasta

3-4 cups home made veg stock

1 tbspn tomato purée

1 zucchini chopped into cubes

3-4 baby carrots finely chopped

1/2 finely chopped med sized white onion

1 stalk of celery chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tspn finely chopped fresh basil leaves.

1 tspn black pepper powder

Salt to taste

1 tbspn butter

1 tspn olive oil

1/2 tspn oregano and thyme

Method:
Heat butter in a stock pot, add the garlic and  onion and sauté. Add the celery, zucchini and carrots with salt and black pepper and sauté for 1 min. Now add the veg stock and tomato purée and bring it to a boil. Add the boiled kidney beans and black eyed peas along with the pasta, the fresh parsley, basil, thyme and oregano and add more water/ stock if needed. Simmer for another 2 mins. Serve hot topped with grated cheese and fresh herbs.