RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Gnocchi... a total disaster when i first made them. I always had this misconception that Gnocchi are made using potatoes, But well The Daring Bakers cleared my misconception :) like always made me learn that they are made with different ingredients.

SO for the first ever Daring Cooks Challenge they choose 'Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi' from Zuni Cafe Cookbook, But i had to alternate the recipe to my own being a vegetarian.

The word gnocchi means "lump", and comes from nocchio, a knot in the wood. It’s been a traditional Italian pasta type of probably Middle Eastern origin since Roman times. Gnocchi are widely available dried, frozen, or fresh in vacuum sealed packages. Ive tried those too but somehow they ended up in the thrash can. :( So i was pretty hesitant to try this challenge. But well had to that's what challenges are for :)
Lets get started. Firstly u need Ricotta cheese, which i made at home as Ive done it a lot of times before. It is exactly like 'Paneer' Cottage cheese widely used in India.

Ricotta Cheese.
Milk - half gallon
1/2 cup lime juice/Vinegar
Cheese Cloth.
Boil the milk in a thick-bottomed vessel on medium heat, stirring occasionally Rinse the vessel with cold water before you put it on heat, it avoids the milk from sticking to the pan. Once the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat and add the lime juice, stirring continuously.
In few minutes, you see the milk splitting into small white clouds floating on top. Let the milk stand till the whey gets clear. This process takes few minutes, so wait at least five minutes. Switch off the heat and let it stand for few more minutes. Then pour the whole thing immediately into a clean cheese cloth in a sieve. Leave the sieved cheese for a while so that the water drains. In about 15 min or more tie the cloth tight enough and hang it under the sink and leave it over night to let the water drain well. Your cheese is ready!!! If not using immediately Refrigerate it until use.

Next step is making Gnocchi- I made up my own recipe as i cannot use eggs. It still was light and fluffy :)

Ricotta Gnocchi.

1 cup ricotta cheese

3-4 tbs Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Milk as required

Mix the above ingredients into a smooth dough using milk. Add milk gradually so that you don't over soften the mix. Once the dough is ready let is stand for 15 min. Then take a small piece of dough and roll it into a elongated tube. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch size pieces and keep aside. Using a fork I rolled each Gnocchi on it to give a ribbed texture. I heard some where that they mainly give ribbed texture to gnocchi so that the sauce clings well to the pasta. In the mean while keep a pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil, throw in your pasta and let them boil until they start floating on the top. This takes just a few minutes. Drain them well and ... Now your pasta is ready to be tossed!!!

For the sauce-

Basil pesto

1/2 cup Fresh cherry tomatoes sliced into half

Asparagus Cut into 3's

Few pimento olive's sliced.

In a pan heat a tbs of olive oil and add your pesto sauce. Stir in the Asparagus and let it tender down a bit, Add the Gnocchi and cherry tomatoes, Salt and pepper to season. Toss well to coat the pasta well with the sauce. Ready to be Served!! :)

Well the verdict for this challenge would be 'Great' I m really glad that i tried to make Gnocchi again which actually ended up in our tummies rather than the thrash can. :) I m sure to try a different variation soon again with a more basic sauce.

These Little pillows of heaven (as they are widely known as) are a must TRY!!!

Thanks to the Daring Cooks!!! for making me a better cook .......

Lasagna

The Daring Bakers!! TADAAAAAAAAAAAAA With a new majestic look! called The Daring Kitchen, I must say the whole team has done a wonderful job and is taken blogging as well as non blogging members to a whole new platform. Its just so wonderful to be a part of The Daring Bakers and The Daring Cooks, Oh yes Ivonne and Lisa have launched The Daring Cooks for passionate cooks :) So gather your cooking gear and get set for one astounding ride which will give daredevil challenges month after month :)
Now lets get to this months Daring Bakers Challenge.
Lasagna
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagna of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.
The challenge is to Make your own spinach lasagna by rolling it with hand or using your machine.Then make your bechamel sauce and ragu sauce which is a meat sauce. Or make a sweet lasagna. Well i very predictably choose not to make the sweet one :) Yea being a cheese freak i had not much choice left.
Lately Ive been reading a bit about Italian food and happen to read this about Lasagna The etymology of the word lasagna is amusing. It starts with the Greek lasanon which means 'chamber pot'! The Romans borrow it as lasanum to humorously refer to a 'cooking pot'. Later, the Italian word lasagna (plural of lasagna) came to refer to a dish cooked in such a pot - flat sheets of pasta layered with minced meat and tomatoes topped with grated cheese. Soon, the word lasagna was applied to the pasta itself. Its always good to learn stuff about what your eat, little facts make it more fun to cook and eat as well. I Have made lasagna lots of times but never happened to make the pasta sheets at home. Well i feel its totally worth the effort because i could make out the difference in softness. The shelf pasta has a lil rubber like texture which i don't enjoy at times, Fresh pasta had this amazing soft and creamy taste. (The effort one puts in to hand roll these make the result much more sweeter than it is :) lol)
MY husband lovedddddddd it!! and that's what gave me my verdict to this months challenge!!AWESOME!
So here's the recipe,
Egg less Spinach Lasagna

1.5 cup semolina flour 1.5 cup plain flour
1.5 cup blanched chopped spinach Water as required Olive oil Salt
Mix the semolina, flour, spinach and salt and gradually add water and oil as required to make a nice pliable dough. Leave the dough for about half hour to rest, covered with a cloth in a warm place. Half hour should be the at least time i feel , more the better as it gets stiff enough to let it roll easily. I left it for 3 hours before rolling.
If you are making the pasta by hand, roll the dough out as thinly as possible. It sure takes a lot of effort but trust me u wont regret. Keep dusting some flour while u roll on both the sides so that the dough does not stick. Once done cut them into rectangular sheets. Here is also a detailed version on how to hand roll your pasta . Stretching and Thinning:If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.
Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagna, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagna pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.

( I know you have to let the sheets rest after rolling but i could not wait and so added them straight to the boil.)
Meanwhile Keep a wide pan filled with water to boil, add a teaspoon of oil as well as salt. Add the pasta to the boiling water, Fresh pasta does not take too long to cook, so its just a matter of minutes that your sheets will start floating up and that's how u know that your pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta and place into cold water to stop the cooking process. Spread them on paper towels to dry.

Bechamel
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, 2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
The challenge asked us to use Ragu which is a meat sauce, so i just made my simple
Herbed Tomato sauce.
1/2 chopped onion
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
pinch salt
Saute onion in oil over medium low heat until tender. Add remaining ingredients; simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 1 cup of tomato sauce. I layered the lasagna with Grilled eggplant and cheese slices.

Peppery Basil Spaghetti

I love the flavour of paprika. The colour and the flavour both add a zing to the dish. This spaghetti is one of the most quickest and delicious recipes, Its spicy and creamy at the same time. the sweetness of basil brings out the flavour of the dish.I don't think i have ever cooked any dish without this particular ingredient. :) Paprika !!
So this ones for MIMI



Enjoy!!


Peppery Basil Spaghetti
For the sauce:
7 to 8 leaves of fresh basil
1/4Th cup of almonds
1/2 cup fresh cream
Crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to ur taste)
Olive oil
3-4 tbs of Chopped garlic

Grind Almonds, basil, fresh cream in a blender, add some olive oil to it.Boil Spaghetti mean while.In another pan add garlic and saute well, add the blended basil paste. and saute for about a minute. Then add crushed chili flakes and boiled spaghetti.Saute well till the paste blends well with spaghetti. Sever hot!

p.s I love you :)

This post is due since valentines day. But something or the other is keeping me occupied enough to blog down.Well old saying's never go amiss:) "WAY TO MANS HEART IS THROUGH HIS STOMACH"It hold perfectly true for me. A dull day but some delectable food can bring smile on his face:)I could not do much for valentines day for him because of my on the run routine with kaira(my baby girl) . But i knew i had to make some nice food for him. It had to be something ITALIAN for sure. spaghetti was habitual, Lasagna was not too appealing.. It had to be something I've never made before, RAVIOLI:) yes! I've never made that before, always wanted to try it, had a can of mushrooms lying around since long, had some lovely basil and fresh spinach too:)It sure is time consuming and tedious to make it but WORTH it:) trust me!



SPINACH MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

For the raviolis:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. olive oil
water
pinch salt

For the filling:
1bunch of spinach,chopped
Half cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 tbs. bread crumbs (to make it more creamier)
1 tsp fresh basil chopped
1tbs cottage cheese or any other creamy cheese u like.
salt Red pepper (as per Ur taste)

For the sauce:
1 can tomatoes
1 onion minced or finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed.
1 big basil leaf
salt and pepper to taste
dash of lemon
Red pepper according to taste

For the ravioli dough:In a bowl, combine the ingredients to make a dough. Wrap in a wet towel and let sit for 30 minutes.

For the sauce:
Saute the minced onion in the olive oil until the onion is pink.add garlic and saute. Add the tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer add basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and continue to simmer on a low heat. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and red pepper.

Making the ravioli:
Roll the dough into a big oval and cut out your ravioli shapes and fill with the filling. Place the top part of the sheet over the filling and close with a fork. Keep it aside fr 15 min.Put your ravioli into the salty water and cook. They are ready when they come floating to the top.When ready to serve, put a layer of sauce on the plate and lay the raviolis on top.
enjoy:)

Peperoncino

This one pasta is eaten for its own sake with the minimum amount of embellishment– just a hint of garlic, chili and olive oil :)

I ate this spaghetti first ever in japan.And my affection towards garlic took a step forward.

This has been like a Saturday eve snack, lunch, dinner....

Cuz its just soooooo easy to make n soo yummy,

BUT mind you, this one is JUST FOR GARLIC LOVERS:)

Beware the taste is nuthing but GARLIC:))

Peperoncino

1/3 cup olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Dried Red chili (according to the heat u like)
300 g spaghetti
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley (optional)
Salt

Cook the spaghetti with a good helping of salt, so that you do not need to add more salt later.While spaghetti is cooking Heat the oil in a pan.Add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden (do not brown).Add the chili peppers (either whole or finely chopped)Add the cooked, drained spaghetti to the oil and garlic, and toss to thoroughly coat the spaghetti. Garnish with a little parsley.

Add a dash of chilli oil and parmesan cheese:)

Enjoy while HOT:)

Herb garlic focaccia

If my hubby had a option of reincarnation We'd choose to b Italians..
And id B a Italian cook:) lol
There is only one thing common between my hubby n me... n that is LOVE FOR ITALIAN FOOD:)
So i tried this new recipe for focaccia:) i wish i could master this cuisine to the best..

HERB Garlic FOCACCIA

1sachet(11gms) dried yeast
t 4-5tbs olive oil
1cup tepid water
2 cups plain flour , and extra for rolling out
3-4 Tbsp rosemary leaves , Thyme leaves. u could use fresh or dried.
1 Tbs garlic powder or fresh minced garlic is good too.
salt
sugar

Make the dough By first adding Yeast in a cup of water.
Let the yeast prove for about 5 -10 min.
Then add the yeast mix to the flour, add a pinch or more salt and sugar to it.
Knead the dough well and in a greased bowl wrap a cling film around the bowl and leave it in a warm place for about 1-2 hours to prove.
The dough will double in size.
Pre-heat the oven at 160deg C for about 10 min.
Then remove the dough and take the air off the dough, then roll it into desired shape.. round or a rectangle...Using your fingers .. make finger prints to make a nice design.
Rub a little olive oil on it, n sprinkle the herbs and garlic powder on it.
Bake it for about 30 min.You could eat it hot or cold:)The trick is to drizzle a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese before u munch on it:))Enjoy