CILANTRO LEMON PASTA IN CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE :

Pasta is my definition of easy dinner !
Prawns are my definition of easy cooking(if such a phrase exists) Proteins !
So more often than not these two find a place on our dinner plates, especially on weekdays.

Now that I have officially given calorie count a miss, I can indulge in cheesy goodness totally without guilt. Maybe the man, has to spend some extra hours at the gym for all this calorie overload, but he ain't complaining.So it was Cilantro Lemon Pasta in a creamy Alfredo Sauce !!

Some of my friends tell me, that why do I take the trouble of making Alfredo sauce, when I can just pour it out of a bottle. Yes, I can do that, but somehow, I find store bought Alfredo Sauce to be very clawing. So I try and whip up some, whenever I am in the mood. I am all for semi-homemade meals, only when the end result does not taste like cardboard.

I swear by heavy Cream and I am proud of it .

Sometime back, we had picked up a packet of Green Pasta ! The color caught Deb's eye, and when he read the ingredient list, he was all smiles. The Pasta was flavored with cilantro and lemon, and that's combination which is very pleasing to our desi taste buds. The recipe on the packet, asked for a sweet and tangy orange sauce, made with orange juice concentrate and and some slices of ham. Off late, Deli Meats(though super favorites) are off limits for me, courtesy the Doc. So I reached out for the Prawns in the freezer instead and settled for an almost basic Alfredo Sauce.

A colorful and tasty dinner plate, which made the weeknight not seem so mundane.

CILANTRO LEMON PASTA IN CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE : 

Ingredients: 
Cilantro Lemon Pasta: 8 oz: You can cook with any kind of Pasta. Just bump up the lemon zest and cilantro proportions. 
Cilantro: A handful: Chopped finely
Lemon Zest: 1 tbsp
Heavy Cream: 1/2 cup
Prawns: 1 cup (Shelled and De-veined)
Olive Oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 1/2 : Sliced finely
Garlic: 4 large cloves: Minced
Salt: to taste
Black Pepper: 1 tsp
Butter: 1 tbsp(more if you wanna OD like me)
Grated Parmesan Cheese: 2 tbsp:
Gouda:: 3-4 shavings or more

Procedure: 
In a large non stick pan, add in the olive oil, butter and the onions. Once the onion starts getting translucent, add in the minced garlic and fry for another minute or so.

Add in the prawns and the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the Pasta al dente(with a bite) according to package instructions, with some salt. Drain and keep aside. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.

 Fry the prawns , till they start turning pink.

Add in the cream and some more butter(the butter at this stage is optional.)Mix everytging well. Make sure that you have turned the heat to low.

Add in the cheeses and let it all bubble away. Make sure to stir in between.

Once the sauce starts thickening, do a  taste test and add in the pasta.

Toss everything together, add in the chopped cilantro. Add in some pasta water, if you feel that the sauce has thickened way too much.

Serve hot !!

Bon Appetit !!

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HARYALI CHICKEN NUGGETS by MIL

I LOVE this time of the year and I also HATE this time of the year. Why so, you might ask ? Come September and I am on a spinning spree socially. It begins with Hubby's Birthday, Pujo, Halloween, Kailpujo, Diwali, loads of other Pujo and parties and parties, rolls on to the Holiday season. Every weekend is booked, tied and we are on an endless rush. I am a party animal so why should I hate this time of the year? Well, these days, I get tired faster. Moreover some of these parties also happen at my residence. And playing host, is also a tiring job, when I cannot sit for long at one place. So I really want time to rush and run by. I start looking at the watch when I go for a party these days. I feel exceptionally drowsy after Bhog has been served at the Pujo. And poor Deb has to tag along, keeping up with the uber hormonal me, trying to fathom my feelings at every step. He had suggested quite coyly that we can skip Kali Pujo, as I am so tired. But I would not even hear that. I have to attend all the social dos.

Parties mean a lot of hors d'oeuvres. One actually gets exposed to a lot of creativity from the kitchen where appetizers are concerned in this festive season. Kebabs, twice baked potatoes, grilled shrimps, stuffed mushrooms continue to be the favorites. I always binge on kebabs so much, that by the time, either I am serving dinner or someone else is, I am already full. I am a  self confessed Kebabo-holic. Often during my Delhi days, I dined on Kebabs and rotis days at a stretch, ordered from the neighborhood Kebab Corner, or picked up from the Jama Masjid area, after work. Needless to say, whenever someone serves up one variation or the other of a Kebab, I am a happy woman. 

It was a party this Summer and my ILs were in town. Lunch was a lengthy affair and MIL wanted to contribute to all that was being cooked by Deb and Moi. She suggested that she would take care of hors d'oeuvres along with her son. Her suggestion: Haryali Chicken Nuggets. A close cousin of Haryali Kebabs, but these were fried, or could even be baked for a healthier version. Interesting. Deb took care of some grapes he was turning into a tasty hors d'oeuvre, to pair with the Chardonnay we were about to serve.Both kinds of hors d'oeuvres flew off the plates even before the wine was over. Being the hostess, I was controlling myself, as to how much I lapped up. The Nuggets  had a very fresh taste. Mint and Cilantro and along with Yogurt, is always such a great combination, for any kind of meat. MIL added some Thai Chilies, Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice to the party. Kicker, absolutely !!!  As MIL was doing the prep work, for the Nuggets, she coyly(not her usual tone, at all) asked me, whether  I would like this recipe, to be featured on my blog. I got the hint. So amidst all the cooking I was doing, I made sure that I documented the steps. She seemed happy and I smiled a smile to myself. Not all was bad at the household that day.

HARYALI CHICKEN NUGGETS : 

Ingredients: 
Boneless Skinless Chicken: 1 lb: cubed into 2 inch pieces.
Canola Oil for Frying
Marinade: 
Plain Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp
Lemon Zest: 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves/Cilantro: 1 1/2  big bunches (which would yield around 1/2 cup of paste)
Mint leaves: 1/2  small bunch
Salt: To taste
Thai Chilies: 2 (according to heat preferences)

Procedure: 
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a blender or food processor, adding little or no water. You might have to scrape the sides of the blender and then blend again. The marinade should be a bright green. The proportion of cilantro to mint leaves should be 1: 3, so adjust it to your convenience.

Marinate the chicken, in this mixture, at least for a few hours, or overnight, if possible, in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

If you are planning to fry them, then heat oil, in a pan for deep frying. Let the nuggets come to room temperature, before you start to fry or bake them. That ensures that they are cooked evenly. Fry the nuggets in batches, till they start  changing color to a light golden, on both sides. Over frying them, might make them bitter.

Drain them on paper towels and serve hot.

If you are planning to bake them, then you could bake them on a greased baking tray at 350F in a pre-heated oven. Do not bread the nuggets, as that would mask the subtle notes of the cilantro and mint.

Goes very well with medium to full bodied White Wines.

Bon Appetit !!!

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