# 24: Creamy Pasta

Pasta!?!?

I am not very crazy about pastas but yes.. I do like some preparations. Normally, I would prefer a red gravy over a white. But there's always an exception. And the exception is PASTA! :)

Like Pizza, Pasta is something I have always had at a restaurant only. Apart from Macaroni which mom used to prepare for us at home.

There was cream & cheese already in the fridge. Could not think of any thing better and quicker than PASTA..and so my experiments with cooking Pasta began. :)

Ingredients:

(Serves 7)

1. Penne - 1 packet
2. Cream - 500 ml
3. Cheese - 3 cubes
4. Red Chilies - 3 (cut in circular rings)
5. Black Olives - 1 cup ( i just love black olives.. )
6. Baby Corn - 8 pcs ( circularly cut)
7. Oil/Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
8. Pepper - 1 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Oregano ( if you like to add else peper is best!)

Procedure:

Boil some water with 1 tsp of salt and add the penne. Leave the penne to cook. Strain the Penne and wash lightly with cold water and strain. Dab some oil in the boiled penne. Mix and leave. (The oil will ensure the penne do not stick to each other or get soggy.)

Heat oil in a pan and add the red chilies to it. Stir a li'l. Add the baby corn and olives as well. Let the 3 cook for a minute or two. Now, add the cheese cubes to it and let it melt into the pan. Later add the cream and leave it to cook.

Add the Penne to the cream mixture. Mix well. Add salt as per taste as well as sprinkle pepper. Mix well.

The Creamy pasta is all done!

Yummy!!!!   :)

Bon Appetite!

# 23: The Pizza Mania ( Completely Homemade!)

Ummmmm...I love Pizzas! :)

Somehow, ordering for one is a lot more easier and that's probably why i never ventured out to even try making a Pizza at home. The max i can think was to get the pizza base from the market and just chop a few veggies and bake it!

But what if i could not find the pizza base, and i do not have an oven to do the baking for me.. Sigh!

No worries.. i figured out that i can still have the yummy pizza i am longing for despite all the restrictions. Moreover, it was absolutely amazing to be trying to make the base (for which i had no clue of any recipe and was wholly depending on my instinct and taste buds and the zillion pizzas i have had so far.. ), garnishing with available veggies, and last but not the least pan frying the pizzas as i did not have my oven with me... :)

And all the 4 pan pizzas were ready in just 30 mins. :D

My family & friends loved it as much as i did. Do try it out!

Ingredients:

Base-

1. All purpose flour (Maida) - 4 cups
2. Curd/yogurt - 2-3 Tbsp
3. Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
4. Salt - 1tsp

Toppings/Garnishing-

1. Parsley - a bunch (chopped)
2. Onions - 1 (sliced into rings)
3. Tomatoes - 1 (-do-)
4. Red Pepper - 1
5. Yellow pepper- 1
6. Green Pepper-1
7. Black Olives - 1 cup ( sliced into rings) 
8. Red Chilies - 2 (sliced into rings)
9. Base sauce : Peri peri sauce & Parmesan Cheese Spaghetti sauce
10. Mixed herbs
11. Oregano
12. Salt to taste
13. Cheese (grated)
14. Sesame seeds (white)
15. Olive oil

  

Procedure:

Base: Roast the cumin seeds. Add the cumin seeds to the flour. Kneed the maida+cumin seeds+salt using curd. Leave for a while.

Now, roll out the maida dough. While rolling out sprinkle little flour and sesame seeds under the rolled out bread so that when you flatten the bread further the sesame seeds stick to the surface below adding to the crunchiness while pan frying it on the pan.

Garnishing the base:

Step 1: Spread the sauce on the base as shown. Either use peri-peri or the spaghetti sauce or even mix both and spread evenly.

Step 2: Add the toppings starting with parsley, onions, tomatoes, peppers, olives, red chilies, and sprinkle mixed herbs and oregano. Also sprinkle a pinch of salt over it. Grate the cheese and sprinkle some olive oil on it.

Step 3: Place the pizza on the pan and cover it with a lid so it can self cook. Later spread a li'l olive oil around the base. It will ideally take 5-7 minutes to cook and base becomes amazingly crunchy.



Ta da! :)

Take a bite!!!  :P

(P.S: you can create different garnishings on all 4 pan pizzas bases and grub on some yummy home made Pizzas .. Have Fun!) 

Eat Healthy..Live healthy :)

Hair is probably one thing that we women are always so concerned and worried about. A thousand shampoos, conditioners, oils, treatments.. etc.. we have no end to it. But i guess, eating right always helps.


The other day i was discussing with my father about hospital food and my observation on hair growth while admitted in hospitals! :P I know you might find it weird but its true... the sheen is also amazing.


It was then that dad told me that it is coz of the hospital food which we so hate to consume... Its afterall the best diet for anyone. Being from the military, the hospital rules, the food, everything is just the best!
Anyways, i was reading through an article posted on Yahoo..and thought i shoul share it with you'll.
" Verbatum"

Happy Eating!!! Eat Healthy..Live healthy :)

What to Eat for Healthy Hair and Nails

By Olivia Putnal 

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/what-to-eat-for-healthy-hair-and-nails-2460561/

No doubt you know that eating healthy is good for you in a plethora of ways—it can decrease your risk of disease, improve your immune system, increase your energy levels and even affect your sleeping habits. But did you know certain foods can improve the way you look, too? Read on to find out which nutrients will give your hair and nails extra luster, strength and shine.

Biotin/Vitamin H

Biotin (a.k.a. vitamin H) can improve hair that is splitting or thinning as well as strengthen weakened nails. Taken with zinc and the corticosteroid clobetasol propionate, biotin has even been used to treat alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease marked by the loss of hair. Nina DiBona, RD, dietitian and nutritionist at the Sports Club/LA in Boston, agrees. “A deficiency in biotin may result in brittle hair or even hair loss.” An easy way to remember: The H in vitamin H stands for “haar and haut,” which means “hair and nails” in German, DiBona notes.

Foods to Try: Bananas, beans, cauliflower, eggs, lentils, peanuts and salmon.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

To get shinier hair, introduce more omega-3s into your diet, which “help support scalp health and may give your locks extra luster and shine,” according to DiBona. The three active ingredients—alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid—are all essential fatty acids and "are important components of the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of the epidermis that contains keratin and has water-holding capabilities. Deficiency in essential fatty acids can result in dry scalp or dandruff," she says.

Foods to Try: Eggs, flaxseed, fish oil, mackerel, salmon, sardines, spinach, tuna and walnuts.


Protein

Protein intake is important for many reasons, notably when it comes to hair and nails. Both "are made of structural proteins known as keratin, so adequate dietary protein is important for providing the building blocks for growing strong hair and nails,” explains DiBona. Lean meats are the easiest way to pack protein into your diet—just make sure to steer clear of any that are overly fatty.

Foods to Try: Chicken, eggs, lean red meats, lowfat dairy, nuts, seafood, soybeans and whole grains.

Vitamin A

“Vitamin A helps produce a conditioning substance for the scalp known as sebum, which keeps hair looking and feeling healthy,” says DiBona. In addition to these beauty benefits, this vitamin contributes to better eye health and immune system function, which keeps you vital and strong from head to toe.

Foods to Try: Apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, Cheddar cheese, egg yolks, mangoes, oatmeal, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Zinc

Zinc is another nutrient active in helping the immune system function properly, and DiBona also notes that it plays an important role in the formation of your connective tissues. "Zinc is a component of hundreds of enzymes in the body, some of which regulate the body’s ability to make new proteins that will become building blocks of healthy hair and nails," she says. "Alopecia, hair dryness and brittleness can be signs of zinc deficiency."

Foods to Try: Cashews, green beans, lean beef, lobster, oysters and soybeans.




*Original article appeared on WomansDay.com