VEGETABLE AND PESTO PASTA

For Pesto
Fresh basil – 2 cups
Fresh parsley – 1 cup
Garlic cloves – 4-5
Walnuts – 1 ½ cups, toasted
Extra virgin olive oil – ½ cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Parmesan cheese – 1 cup
Pepper to taste

For pasta:
Penne pasta – ½ lb
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Garlic – 2-3 cloves
Carrot – 2 small, chopped
Red bell pepper – 1 big, chopped
Broccoli florets – 2-3 cups
Salt
Black pepper powder – ¼ tsp
Red chili flakes – ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 1 tsp
Pesto sauce – 3-4 tbsp or as required
Grated mozzarella cheese – ½ cup

Cooking Procedure:
To make the pesto, place the basil, parsley, garlic cloves in the food processor and pulse it for a few times, till it gets roughly chopped. Then add the walnuts, cheese and pulse for few more minutes. Add the olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Stir in salt and pepper. You can store the pesto in a glass jar, in the refrigerator of a week or in the freezer of about four months. Thaw the frozen pesto and add to the desired recipe. You can add the thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto, to avoid oxidation and turning the upper layer into black color.
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli by adding salt to the boiling water. Then add the broccoli floret and boil them for a minute. Then transfer to the ice bath to stop cooking. In the same pot add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Preheat the oven to 425F.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic for a minute and then add the onion, salt and pepper. Fry the onion on medium heat till they become translucent, stirring occasionally. Then add red chili flakes, carrot and red bell pepper. Mix everything well and let cook till the carrots are half cooked. Then add the broccoli florets and mix everything well. Stir in the pesto sauce. Add the boiled pasta to the vegetables and mix everything well. If you think the pasta looks dry, then add a laddle full of water in which you are boiling pasta.

Transfer the pasta to oven safe dish and sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on the top. Bake the pasta till the cheese gets melted and crust is formed on the top. Serve hot. In this recipe you can make the pasta a day ahead and before you serve, top it with mozzarella cheese and bake it. This was a recipe given to me by my friend, she also added zucchini chunks.

SIMPLE MOONG DAL AND GREEN ONION SUBZI

Ingredients:
Moong dal – ½ cup
Chana dal – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – 1/8 tsp
Dry grated coconut – 2-3 tbsp
Garlic – 2 cloves
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Salt
Freshly chopped coriander leaves

Cooking procedure:
Wash the moong dal and chana dal in same container till the water runs clear. Then add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 10 minutes or 3 whistles. Add 1 tsp of salt and oil in the dal so that it doesn’t overflow. Grind the coconut, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafetida and salt to form a coarse powder.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, as the mustard seeds splutter, add the cumin seeds. Add the coconut garlic powder. Reduce the flame to low before you add the coconut powder otherwise it will burn. Then add the dal and mix everything well. Adjust the amount of water as per the required consistency. Bring it to a boil and let cook for 5-6 minutes. Finally add freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with some ghee and lemon juice. This dal taste good with roti/ chapatti or rice.

GREEN ONION SUBZI

Ingredients:
Green onions- 5-6 bunches
Chana dal – ¼ cup
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Garlic – 4-5 cloves, crushed
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt
Roasted peanut powder – 1 tbsp (optional)

Cooking Procedure:
Wash the chana dal till the water runs clear and soak it in 1 cup of water for an hour. Wash and cut the green onions. To remove sand from the green onions soak them in water for 5 minutes and sand will settle down. Chop the green onion in 1 inch pieces.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, as the mustard seeds splutter, add asafetida. Reduce the flame and add garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder and asafetida. Mix everything well then add the chana dal. Then add the green onions and mix everything well. Now cover the pan let cook till the green onions become tender. This vegetable preparation will be dry so if you see water in this subzi, just remove the lid and let cook on high heat, stirring occasionally. After the green onions get cooked, add the peanut powder, which is optional. Mix well and continue cooking for another minute. Serve hot with roti/ bhakri. We like to eat this vegetable with millet/bajri bhakri. You can pair this vegetable with any dal.

TOMATO SOUP WITH PASTA AND CANNELINI BEANS

Ingredients:
Tomato – 1 tin, 15 oz petite diced
Cannellini beans – 1 tin, 15 oz
Vegetable stock – 1 tin, 15 oz
Water – 15 oz
Onion – 1 medium chopped
Garlic – 3-4 chopped
Dry basil – ½ tsp
Dry oregano – ¼ tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 1 tbsp
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Red chili flakes

Cooking Procedure:
Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic till it becomes golden brown. Then add the onions. Mix well, and then add salt, pepper, red chili flakes. Sauté the onion till it becomes soft. Then add the basil and oregano. Then add the tomato and mix well. Bring it to a boil and add the vegetable stock and water. Add the beans and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot and let the soup boil on medium to low heat till you can see little oil on the top. It means that the tomatoes have cooked. Then add the pasta and cook for 5- 7 minutes, till the pasta gets cooked. Serve hot with a slice of toasted bread or bread stick.