CREAMY CAPRESE PASTA

Creamy pasta loaded with tomato and cheese flavors. No cream is used in the recipe. Milk and cheese give the creaminess to the pasta. 

Serves: 6 

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Ingredients

·      1 lb pipe rigate pasta

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      ½ tablespoon butter

·      1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

·      1 tablespoon tomato paste

·      ¼ cup milk

·      3 ounces mini mozzarella balls

·      A few fresh basil leaves

·      A few fresh mint leaves

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to the package in a pot of salted water. When it’s completely cooked, drain leaving a little water in the pot.
2.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté halved grape tomatoes and tomato paste in it.
3. Pour milk in it and stir.
4. Transfer the pasta into the pan with that little juice and stir.
5. Add in mozzarella balls and butter and cover the pan. Let them melt in the pan for about 2 minutes. Finally toss in the basil leaves and stir to combine them all well.
6. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve hot or warm.

Source from: http://www.giverecipe.com/creamy-caprese-pasta.html

Baked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients for oven roasted baby red potatoes: 

• 3 lbs baby red potatoes, unpeeled
• ½ cup buttermilk ranch or yogurt ranch dressing
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 1 to 1½ cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend

How to make oven roasted potatoes:1. Cut potatoes into 1″ to 1 1/2″ pieces. Fill a 5 Qt pot half full with salted warm water (about 7 cups water and 1 tsp salt). Add potatoes and bring to a boil then cook at a low boil for 8-12 min depending on size of potatoes (they should be nearly done and should be fairly easy to pierce with a fork) Drain well.



2. Drizzle 1/2 cup ranch dressing directly into the pot with drained potatoes and gently toss – just enough to coat evenly.



3. Transfer potatoes into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle potatoes with garlic salt to taste. Bake uncovered at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and set oven to broil.



4. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, return to oven and broil for 2-3 min or until cheese is melted. It’s perfectly ok to add more garlic salt at the end if you under-seasoned it the first time (speaking from experience).







Source from: http://natashaskitchen.com/2015/03/11/baked-cheesy-ranch-potatoes/

Crepes

Ingredients

• ½ all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup whole wheat flour 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• ¾ cup milk 
• ½ cup water 
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted 
• 1 tsp (or less) vegetable oil for cooking 

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and water until smooth. Add the flour mixture and melted butter to the whisked milk and eggs, then whisk again until no lumps remain.
2. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two days.
3. When you're ready to make the crepes, lightly oil an 8" to 10" non-stick skillet. Pre-heat the skillet over medium flame. When the skillet is fully heated, scoop about ⅓ cup of the batter into the center of the skillet. Immediately lift the skillet and tilt it in a circular motion to allow the batter to run in a circular pattern and fill the bottom of the skillet. This is a quick motion and the batter should run and spread readily to a very thin layer on the surface of the skillet. If the batter is too thick to easily run and spread, whisk in a couple tablespoons of water and try again. If the skillet is too hot and the batter solidifies too fast, try lowering the heat a bit.
4. Once the batter has spread over the surface of the skillet, return the skillet to the burner and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove the cooked crepe to a plate and start on the next one. Continue until all the batter has been used (6 to 8 8" crepes).

Notes

The crepes should be very thin and floppy. The batter should be the consistency of thick cream. If it's too thick to spread easily on the skillet, add a little water and try again. The first crepe or two are usually "test crepes" and will let you know if you need to adjust the heat under your skillet or the consistency of your batter.

Step by Step Photos

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until evenly combined. I decided to make my crepes with half whole wheat flour for a little more texture, fiber, and flavor, but you can use all all-purpose flour if you prefer.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/2 cup water until smooth.

Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, along with 3 Tbsp melted butter.

Whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth, there are no lumps, and it’s about as thick as heavy whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to two days. You can make the batter the night before so the crepes are ready to go in the skillet when you wake! Woot! (I’ve heard that you can just put all the ingredients into a blender and once and pulse until smooth, but I haven’t tried that. I hate cleaning blenders. Ha.)

When you’re ready to make the crepes, add a touch of oil to an 8-10 inch non-stick skillet. This is one of the few recipes that I really suggest using non-stick. Preheat the skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the skillet. Pick the skillet up and quickly tilt it around in a circular motion to make the batter run out to the edges of the pan. It should form a super thin layer over the entire surface of the skillet. If the batter is too thick to run easily when the skillet is tilted, whisk in a couple tablespoons of water and try again. The first crepe or two usually help you get a feel for the batter and the heat under the skillet. You may need to adjust either one. It’s a little like riding a bike, so don’t stress it. My first crepe looked like an amoeba!

After you’ve successfully spread the batter over the surface of the skillet, return it to the heat and let it cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the crepe and cook on the second side until golden brown. I promise this is quick and easy, but it may take a crepe or two to get the hang of. :)

As you cook the crepes, remove them to a clean plate until all the batter is used. You can cover the plate with foil to keep them warm. If you want to freeze your crepes, let them cool completely and then transfer them to a gallon sized freezer bag (laying flat). To thaw, just transfer them to the refrigerator or let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/05/homemade-crepes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Curry Puff Recipe

Recipe makes 14 pieces

Ingredients: 

For the filling:
2 medium potatoes or about 250g 
3 Tbsp oil 1 sprig curry leaves 
2cm or 20g ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 medium onion or 100g, finely chopped 
2 Tbsp (meat) curry powder 
2 Tbsp water, to be mixed with curry powder to form a paste 
150g minced beef 
¾ tsp salt 
½ tsp sugar 

For the pastry:
250g plain flour 
½ tsp salt 
60g butter or margarine 
125ml water 

Other ingredients:
Oil, for deep-frying 

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes, about ½cm each. Heat the oil in a shallow pan or wok over medium heat. Add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic and onion, frying till the garlic and ginger start to brown. 

2. Mix the curry powder and water to form a paste. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and well-cooked. Add the beef and stir-fry till crumbly before adding potatoes. Add ½ cup water and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste. Take the pan off the heat and transfer filling onto a plate and cool completely. 

3. Meanwhile, make the pastry. Stir the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl and add butter or margarine. Mix with your fingertips until well-distributed. Sprinkle in water and stir until the mixture comes together to form a firm dough. Knead lightly for 1 to 2 minutes, then set aside for 10 minutes to rest the dough. 

4. Pinch off balls of dough (about 2cm in diameter) and roll into balls. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into thin circles, each about 7 to 8cm in diameter. Place a tablespoon of cooled filling in the centre of each dough circle and fold over to enclose (in a semi-circle). Pinch dough around the edges and seal by fluting or pressing with the tines of a fork. Fry in hot oil until golden brown and drain well in wire basket. Serve hot.  

Country Breakfast Bowls (freezable)

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. russet potatoes 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• ½ tsp garlic powder 
• ½ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• 9 large eggs 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 1½ cups salsa 
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes. Place the potato cubes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and seasoning.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light spritz of non-stick spray. Spread the potatoes out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer. If they don't fit, prepare a second baking sheet and divide the potatoes between the two. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 45min to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown. Stir the potatoes once, about half way through.
3. When the potatoes are close to being finished, crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently whisk them. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, pour in the eggs. Gently move the eggs around the skillet until they are mostly solid, but still moist in appearance. Be careful not to over cook the eggs at this point because they will cook further upon reheating the breakfast bowls.
4. To prepare the bowls, divide the roasted potatoes between six freezer safe containers. Add ¼ cup of salsa to each container. Divide the scrambled eggs among the six containers and then top with about ¼ cup of shredded cheese.
5. Chill the bowls in the refrigerator before transferring to the freezer. Or, leave them in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them within 5-6 days.

Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and then cut the potatoes into one inch cube. Season the potatoes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in the seasoning.

Spread the potatoes out over a baking sheet covered with foil. Because I didn’t use a lot of olive oil when seasoning the potatoes, I added a little non-stick spray to the foil to prevent them from sticking. If your potatoes don’t fit onto your baking sheet without them piling up on top of each other, use two baking sheets.

Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown on the edges. Stir them once half way through.

When the potatoes are almost done, begin to cook the eggs. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Cook the eggs until they are mostly solid, but still moist. You want to avoid over cooking the eggs at this step because they will inevitably cook further when the bowls are reheated. Just gently move the eggs around in the skillet as the bottom layer sets. Avoid over stirring or you’ll end up with dry, pellet like eggs.

Now it’s time to build the bowls. I only have five here because I was also building one in an actual dish to photograph (and to eat!). Divide the potatoes among six containers. These little roasted potatoes were so good that I ate at least a cup of them before making the bowls… I couldn’t stop popping them into my mouth.

Next, add about 1/4 cup of salsa to each bowl. Salsa is optional, I just LOVE salsa with eggs.

Then add a scoop of eggs to each bowl.

And lastly, add some shredded cheese on top. Like I said, I wish I would have topped this off with some green onions, too. If you want, you can cook up some breakfast sausage or bacon and add that into the bowls. Ham and bell peppers would also be a nice combo!

Frozen foods maintain better quality if you refrigerate them until they’re completely cool before freezing. They don’t form big, destructive ice crystals that way. So, pop them in the refrigerator and then later on transfer whatever you think you won’t be able to consume within 5-6 days into the freezer. 

Source from http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/country-breakfast-bowls-freezable/