fascinatingfoodworld

BASIL PESTO Pesto is a classic Italian sauce which traditionally consists of fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt, olive oil and parmigiano reggiano cheese. It adds big burst of flavor to dishes. It's fragrant, vibrant and green too! Remember green is always good for you and so is pesto if eaten in moderation. Earlier when I was making pesto, I was blitzing everything together which was giving my pesto a dull green color. I have improvised the method and now I can proudly say that I have perfected the recipe of pesto. Now it is yummier, creamier and I for one have a big grin on my face whenever I make it :D There is so much you can do with pesto :- Make sandwiches. Use it as a dressing to make salads. Dish up beautiful risottos using pesto. Meat lovers can spread pesto over their meat and relish. Use it as a pizza sauce. Mix pesto in mayonnaise or sour cream for a delicious dip. Who doesn't like pesto pasta! Flavour soups with pesto. Whe...

Bro-in-law's 5 sauce Pizza Apologies for being M.I.A. for so long. Parents had come down for a week and before that this and that happened. Regardless, I am back! Today I am going to share recipe of a pizza which was a revelation to me. This is my bro-in-law's recipe and I almost made a face when I heard about the sauces that go in this pizza. As apprehensive as I was, I jumped with excitement after tucking into it. It is a cracker pizza which combines amazing flavours. Being a fan of Italian food, I love thin crust pizza. Pizza as we all know is a flat bread with toppings on it. Who doesn't love a classic margherita! Simple marinara sauce+ basil+ mozzarella is a match made in heaven. INGREDIENTS Peanut butter - 1 tsp Mustard sauce - 1 tsp Mint mayonnaise - 1tsp Garlic mayonnaise- 1 tsp Pizza sauce - 1tsp Tobasco( optional) Chopped vegetables ( sweetcorn, tomato, onion, bell-peppers, baby-corn, olives) Mixed herbs, chilli flakes ...

Gnocchi in Marinara Sauce If you are a lover of Italian flavours like me, then you must be familiar with what gnocchi is. Gnocchi is soft Italian dumplings or pasta which is made with soft dough of boiled potatoes, flour and seasoning. Dough is rolled and shaped into small ovals. Gnocchi is then poached in boiling water and added in desired sauce. Sauce can be as simple as brown butter with sage, pesto, marinara and alfredo. Italian food is all about simple flavours. Basil, tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic are one of the staples of Italian pantry. Like any other recipe, gnocchi has many variations. Some recipes call for semolina, eggs, bread-crumbs too. It really depends on how you want to make it. You can experiment and even add spinach, pumpkin, ricotta, mascarpone. This recipe which I have used is eggless and gnocchi comes out beautiful. Marinara sauce is a classic Italian sauce. Marinara is just so wonderful. It is made usi...

Its cold outside and I like tucking myself in a blanket in front of TV with a hot bowl of soup. Minestrone soup is a classic Italian soup.  Bursting with the flavour of tomatoes and fresh basil, this soup is loaded with vegetables.  Its one of my favourite soups.  I particularly love this soup because it's one pot magic! Its really simple to make and takes just about 30 minutes or less to get ready. Its perfect to make when you have people coming over. I make it all the time and everyone love it. All you have to do is saute some vegetables, add tomato puree and stock and let it bubble away.  If you are into Italian food like me, then this soup would pair really well with my Pasta salad , Fusilli pesto with cherry tomatoes , Margherita Pizza which I make with homemade Pizza dough , Bruschetta bar , Penne Arabiatta and Gnocchi in Marinara sauce . Steaming bowl of soup is all I want when it's chilly! It really is very comforting!! I can't tel...

Caramelized Onions/ Onion Jam Caramelization of onion is a process which involves slow cooking of onions for 35-40 minutes over low heat. When you cook them slowly, natural sugar of onions caramelize making them intensely sweet and full of flavour. Caramelized onions are mostly used in French Onion Soup but they are beautiful in salad, crostini, tart and pizza too. Another name of caramelized name is onion jam which can be stored for about a week in refrigerator. INGREDIENTS 4-5 medium sized onions- thinly sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper powder 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar/ white wine vinegar/ red wine vinegar/ lemon juice 1 tbsp sugar METHOD Heat oil in a non-stick deep pan and add onions once the oil is hot. Sprinkle salt and sugar over onions, stir properly and finally spread onions evenly over the pan to cook. Keep stirring every 5 minutes. After 30 minutes, add black pepper and balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan which...

Happy Winters everyone! Just when I was thinking of what recipe to put next, Mom got barley from the market. It instantly urged me to make risotto using barley!  Pearl barley is barley with its husks taken off. Its a healthy high fiber, high protein whole grain having numerous health benefits. Once cooked, barley has a chewy and  nutty texture which is an ultimate comfort food. In India, pearly barley is commonly known as "ghooghree". My Mom makes delicious kheer also with it which is to die for! You can substitute rice with barley to make pulao or serve cooked barley with stir fried vegetables or curry. Risotto is an Italian dish. Traditional risotto recipe calls for Arborio rice but I was keen on trying with barley. I like simplicity in food so haven't added too many ingredients. Normally risotto requires adding one ladle of water/ veg stock at a time till the time rice soaks all the liquid but I am getting married soon so didn't have time to stan...

The thing about being in love with food is it just increases and increases every passing day! There is so much inspiration everywhere around us. We all hail from different food background and everyday is a learning experience!!!  Not that I don't like shopping,  I get more fascinated seeing fresh vegetables and fruits with the vendors than checking out new collection of clothes in stores. Been a while since I reminded you guys of Italian love!!! Simple but spectacular flavors in mouth! Italian cuisine focuses on ingredients and not elaborate preparation. Beautiful olives, tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, basil leaves, olive oil, mozzarella! Oh man! I am thinking of freshly baked Pizza already ;) Pasta in Arabiatta Sauce is something I have been making for years now. Honestly, I am quite surprised that I haven't shared the recipe till now. Its a constant favorite among all my friends. Served with warm garlic bread, it is an absolute stunner and complete meal i...