A Toast For The New Year

The first light of January has dawned. Let us usher in the new year with Love,Hope and Peace.Happy New Year folks!

Formula For Friendship

A recipe for friendship

1 cup unselfishness

2 cups love

¼  cup loyalty

1 teaspoon sense of humour

4 cups girlish delights

A dash of silliness

Mix them all together and you somehow end up with the best friend you

ever had...

Remember to garnish with sweetness

And plenty of blessings…

Short Snippets

Not too long ago,I started  collecting short snippets  and anecdotes from my favourite magazines which were filled with all kinds of interesting content..The most appealing topics  once read were  high lighted,So I may read them again when I get some quiet moments to myself. These ,however after a lapse of time got out of sight, until I chanced to stumble upon them quite by  accident. Sorting out some of my childrens’  previous class  work sheets, I happened to lay my hands again  on  some of these snippets which were hidden amid the clutter...

magazine snippets digitally re- created 

Mama's Macaroni

I love making pasta with an assortment  of different shapes, so as to make it  appetizing for my children . The most relished collection of dried  pasta  at home  is the conventional type :  spaghetti (thin rods) and  Macoroni , (tubes) .  I find it  irresistible to stack countless packets of dried ones in the  cabinet , so  I may try out the  new dish that I  might have seen  on the  previous day on “Fatafeat’ , a popular Middle Eastern Food Channel.

My Children love pasta in general, but get divided when choosing the condiments that go with the pasta. The four have a penchant to eat it according to their respective taste buds, which obviously vary. Eventually they end up settling with the  most  common dish , ‘Mama ‘s Macoroni’ which is  applicable to everyone. ” Mama’s Macaroni” –is   my own specified pasta  dish - the name in particular was familiarized by my children.This particular one   is also a  favorite amongst the family and  I can tag it as the ‘most cooked’ dish during  the holidays and festive season.

 Ever since my younger daughter gave up  eating cheese, an absolute condiment in  pasta,  I had to find an alternative. And  was n’t I lucky enough  to  have found it sooner. I couldn’t have found anything better than coconut cream as the substitute.  It’s absolutely delectable with pasta. Although traditionally pasta  is  cooked to the dent,  my children  prefer it flexible and  very  tender .In view of that I have adapted that method  when  cooking  pasta.The recipe I have posted today is made with macoroni, the tubed shaped pasta . And   for my vegetarian  daughter, I skip the meat and add par boiled carrots and zucchini .

^Enjoy!

^{Mama's Macaroni}

^{( Ingredients)}

A packet of macaroni (500 gm packet)

1 1/2 lbs beef ( you can substitute with chicken)

2 large onions chopped

4-5 green chilies (remove seeds if you prefer less spicy)

A small pod of garlic

1inch ginger (or a little more)

1-2 teaspoons of Cummin seeds

1-2 teaspoons of curry powder

1-2 teaspoons pepper or according to your palate

Salt to taste

2 cubes  beef/ chicken stock 

Ghee/butter

1 cup thick coconut milk  or 3-4 tablespoons of coconut milk powder added to a cup of hot water ( * or you can stir in the milk powder straight into the cooking pasta- if you use this method please add  a cup of water  into the pan when  the  pasta is being cooked with the other ingredients.)

For garnishing; 

(optional)

Cheese

Coriander leaves/ parsley

Directions

Boil the macaroni with a little salt (drain it and set aside). Wash & cut the beef into medium sized pieces. Boil the beef with 2-3 cups of water- with a little pepper & salt. Once done set aside (don’t throw the excess liquid).

Pound the ginger, garlic, green chilies & the Cummin seeds (set aside).

In a large pan, heat 2-3 tablespoon of ghee/butter, stir in the chopped onions and when it begins to get soft & translucent, put in the rest of the pounded ingredients (garlic, ginger, green chilies & Cummin seeds). Keep on stirring it you get that aroma (don’t let it brown).

Put in the curry powder and the pepper and give it a good stir. Add the boiled beef with the excess liquid into this sautéed mixture and cover the pan with a lid & cook for 10 minutes. Next add the boiled macaroni. Mix in the  stock cubes. Cover and cook for further 10-15 minutes. Pour in, the cup of coconut milk or the milk powder( If you intend to use the powder ,follow the instructions given * )

 Remember the meat stock cube is already salty, so add  salt only if it’s necessary.  Let it simmer for a while .Transfer in to dish and garnish with chopped coriander/parsley.

 (Ready to serve  for about 8-10 persons)

Or if you still fancy it with cheese

Transfer this cooked pasta into a baking dish. Grate cheese on top of the pasta and bake in a hot oven until the cheese begins to melt .Remove from oven & garnish with chopped coriander leaves/parsley (optional)

 (P.S. You can adjust the spices according to your taste bud.)