Fettuccine Alfredo ... with a difference

I love pasta especially Fettuccine Alfredo but have always wished it had a little more kick to it than
the bland taste. Here is what I tried.....

1 Packet Fettuccine (I got the Garden Delight)
1 pack of Low fat Cream Cheese (8oz)
2 cups1% Milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Chilli Powder 1/2 teaspoon
Grated Ginger 1 tablespoon
Mixed Vegetables  cut in long pieces(carrots, Green and Red Peppers, Onions)
2 Tablespoons snipped Parsley
1 Tablespoon snipped Dill
2-3 cloves Garlic

• Boil Water and boil the pasta aldente.
•  Steam the vegetables
• Blend the cream cheese and milk together.
• Heat the butter in a large pan.
• When melted, add the crushed garlic and cook for a minute.
• Add the cream cheese/milk mixture and stir till the cream cheese is melted.
• Once the sauce is thickened slightly, add the ginger, chilli powder, pepper, salt, dill and parsley.
• Finally stir in the pasta and the vegetables.
• Enjoy Warm with Garlic Bread or Salad

Mixed Fruit Jam........With a Twist!

I had an assortment of fruit, sorely abandoned by the family! I hated to throw them away and they were overripe. Then I hit upon the tedious job of making Mixed Fruit Jam. There is a twist to this jam as it is not wholly sweet! but has a tang and a twinge that makes it interesting!


Here is what I used.....

MIXED FRUIT JAM Ingredients used:

A sandwich bag full of Red Grapes
12 Strawberries
2 large Peaches
2 medium Apples
1 big Banana
4 Cups Sugar
2" piece Ginger (grated and the juice squeezed into a cup)
5-6 Cloves( powdered well)
1 Packet Real Fruit pectin
1 tbsp bottled lemon juice

• Mash all the fruit in the food processor.
• In a large pot, mix the sugar and fruit and boil.
• Keep stirring often and continue boiling the mixture.
• When slightly thickened, add the lemon juice and ginger juice.
• Add the clove powder and continue boiling till thick.
• Once thickened check consistency by putting a little jam on a cold plate.
• After cooling, the jam should be set, not runny.
• Take off fire and put them while still hot into sterilized glass container

Healthy Delicious Thai noodles

I had Tofu which I had to use and some avocado and bits and pieces of other veg and decided
to make a dish. Here is the outcome. The measurements are not exact, Please use your discretion and
experience in measuring the ingredients.

Firm Tofu, I packet
Angel Hair Pasta (For 4 servings)
4 Carrots cut into sticks
Cabbage chopped long strips
1 avocado chopped to cubed
1 Green pepper cut to strips
Cherry tomatoes (10-15)
handful Mint leaves, chopped fine
Handful Cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped fine
Juice of 1 big lime
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
chilli powder
salt
Sesame oil 1 tablespoon.

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 garlic pod
crushed red pepper or chilli powder
1" piece of ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt
Blend all this together with 1/3 cup of water. Taste it and add any of the above ingredients according
to taste. Sauce should be neither too thick nor too watery.

1. Boil the pasta al dente
2. Cut the tofu into slabs and grill on a ridged griddle with oil. Once browned, cut to pieces
(Remember to weight down the tofu to extract all water/liquid)
3. Heat the sesame oi.
4. Add sesame seeds.
5. Add the vegetables and saute on high flame till crunchily cooked.
6. Add all the other ingredients.
7. Add the pasta. Mix well
8. Add the salt, peanut sauce, lime juice, cilantro and mint and mix well.
ENJOY!

Peanut and Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney

 This Chutney is full of goodness in every way...especially fibre.
Using the  peels/skin of the veg. gives a whole lot of fibre
The peanuts adds protein and fibre
Sesame seeds add calcium and fibre again
While Olive oil has all the goodness to reduce cholesterol

1 Ridge gourd (Turai, Dodka)
Handful Peanuts
4 green chillies
1 red chilli
1 tsp Urad dal
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
Hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp Sesame seeds (Til)
handful Coriander leaves
1 sprig curry leaves
small piece of tamarind
1 tsp Jaggery
1 tbsp Olive oil
salt to taste

Peel and throw away only the hard ridges of the gourd.
Now the gourd is ready for peeling.... peel the vegetable thoroughly and collect all the peels.
You can make dal, or curry with the vegetable.

Chop the  peels and keep ready.
Heat the oil in a pan and when heated, add mustard seeds, red chilli  and urad dal.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the peanuts and sesame seeds
Fry for a minute and add the curry leaves and hing.
Next add the green chillies and vegetable peels.
Cook till the peels are slightly softened. ( do not make it mushy)
Let this cool and grind in a food processor along with the coriander, jaggery,  tamarind and salt.
Grind it to a rough texture.

This can be had ....
With hot rice
Bread and chutney sandwich
Apply it over a hot chapathi
Mix with yoghurt/dahi and have after a meal