Pita Sandwich-My 100th post!

I am so excited about my 100th post today. Thanks to all my blogger friends and my family for their wonderful comments and encouragement. I am already looking forward to my 200th milestone :-)

Pita sandwich is a Greek food. It can be made very quickly. Toast pita bread lightly in a tawa. Spread a tablespoon of homemade or store bought hummus(I used cilantro-jalapeno store bought hummus) on one side of the pita bread. Layer with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pepperocini(or deli sliced pepper rings) and lettuce. Sprinkle salt and fold. Enjoy!

Thai Pineapple Curry - simplified version!

This is one of my favourite dishes in Thai food. It is a combination of pineapple and mixed veggies simmered in rich coconut milk and spices usually served with brown rice or jasmine rice. If you have been to Thai restaurants, you know what I am talking about. I happened to come across "thai spice blend" powder in one the ailes of the grocery store and thought of trying it out.

Ingredients:
Onions thinly sliced-1/4 cup
Carrot sliced-1/4 cup
Capsicum chopped big-1/4 cup
Pineapple chunks-1 cup
Lite Coconut milk(Canned)-3/4th of a can
Salt
Thai spice blend powder-1 tbsp(depending on the spice level)
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Oil-2 tsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add onions and carrot. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add capsicum and pineapple pieces. Fry for another minute. Add salt, coconut milk and spice powder. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with jasmine rice or brown rice.

Note: The veges should not be fully cooked. They should be crunchy.
Veggies like baby corn, broccoli, tofu can also be added.

Malaysian Veg Noodles-for all you spicy lovers out there!

Thanks to our family friend who introduced us to this dish. This noodles tastes simply superb. It actually tastes great the day after it is made.
Ingredients:
Hakka noodles-1 packet
Chopped vegetables like onion, beans, carrot, cabbage
Chilli powder as per your spice level
Salt
Oil-3 tbsp

To grind:
Tomatoes-3
Garlic pods-3

Method:
Heat oil. Fry onions to golden brown. Add beans, carrot and cabbage. Fry till veges are half cooked(takes about 5 to 8 minutes). Add the ground paste, salt, chilli powder and continue to cook till the raw smell of tomato goes and mixture becomes thick. Now it's time to mix in cooked noodles.(cook noodles as per the instruction on back side of the packet)
Toss well and serve.

Grilled Veggie Burrito - Baja fresh style

I love grilled veggie burrito from Baja Fresh(fast food mexican place). If you haven't eaten there, give it a try.

Ingredients:
Flour tortillas - 2 (burrito size)
Salsa(mixture of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, salt and lemon juice) - 1/2 cup
Onion and capsicum - chopped - 1/2 cup
Cooked chick peas - 1/4 cup
Sour cream - a dollop(optional)
Cheddar cheese(optional) - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat a pan. Add a tsp of oil and fry onions and capsicum till they are cooked. Set aside.
In another pan, heat the tortillas.
In the center of each tortilla, place a handful of salsa, cooked onions and capsicum, cooked chick peas, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Wrap the burrito as shown in http://billgrady.com/wp/2002/11/14/how-to-wrap-a-burrito/

Enjoy!

Penne Pasta with Pesto and Sun dried tomatoes

The only sauce I like in italian food is Basil Pesto. It is easy to make or readily available in stores. The recipe for pesto is as follows:

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
2. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3. 1/2 cup olive oil
4. 3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
5. 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Method:

1. Blend all the above ingredients together while slowly adding olive oil.
2. Process basil pesto till it forms a thick smooth paste.

Assembling everything together:

1. Heat oil. Fry chopped onions and any other veges as you like.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
3. Add store bought sun dried tomatoes.
4. Cook pasta as per the directions.
5. Toss in the fried veges, basil pesto and grated parmasan if needed.