Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza

White Whole Wheat Flour - 13/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Dry Active Yeast - 1 packet / 1.5 tsp
Warm Water - 6 tbsp
Warm Milk - 6 tbsp
Homemade Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp
Dried Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Toppings - Sliced tomato, Onion, Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Corn, Pineapple
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 cup
Makes two 9 inch pizzas

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside for 3 to 4 minutes.

Combine milk and oil in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, then salt and garlic powder, mixing well.

Gradually add whole wheat flour making a soft workable dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put dough in an oiled bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Cover bowl and let dough rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

After dough has doubled in bulk, preheat oven to 500°F.

Form dough into a round ball (for 2 9-inch pizzas make 2 balls). Roll out on a floured surface, turning it regularly to keep a round shape. It should be about 1/8-inch thick. Lay dough on an lightly oiled cast iron pan and brush lightly with olive oil.
 
Spread homemade tomato sauce on the dough, right over to the edges. Sprinkle some dried oregano. and spread the toppings.

Finally add shredded cheese on top and bake for 8 to 12 minutes until crust is crisp and golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded basil leaves and red pepper flakes. Cut into triangles and serve immediately.

Basic Tomato Sauce for Pizza

Fresh Tomatoes - 3 large, peeled,  (preferably from the local farmers market)
Garlic Cloves - 4, minced
Dried Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Fresh Basil Leaves - 5
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and immediately add the minced garlic cloves. Saute for a few seconds.

Add the peeled tomatoes, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Cook over low heat and after a while crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Cook for around 10 minutes till the sauce becomes thick. The sauce is ready when it becomes a little glossy and oil separates from it. Add the chopped basil leaves and remove from heat.

Whole Grain Pasta in a mushroom thyme sauce

Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta / Brown Rice Pasta - 1 cup
Sliced Button Mushroom - 2 cups
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Shallot - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely sliced
Fresh Thyme - a couple of sprigs, tear off the tiny leaves
Heavy Cream - 1/4 cup

Boil 8 cups of water in a big pan. Once water starts boiling, add 3 tsp salt and drop the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a big skillet. Add the shallots and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook till they get soft. Now add the sliced mushroom and saute till the mushroom is cooked.

Add the heavy cream and thyme leaves. Cook till the sauce reaches desired consistency. Drain the pasta and add it directly to the sauce. Mix well and serve.

Walnut Pesto Pasta

Whole Wheat / Brown Rice Elbow pasta - 1 cup
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - a handful, chopped
Basil - a handful, chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, grated
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Green Chili - 1
Salt
Parmesan Cheese - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Boil 8 cups of water in a big pan. Once water starts boiling, add 3 tsp salt and drop the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, lightly toast the walnuts in a cast iron skillet. Add basil, cilantro, garlic, walnuts, green chili, cheese and olive oil together and make a paste in the food processor or the grinder.

Cook the pasta to desired softness. Drain water and immediately add the pesto. Toss everything together to coat the pasta with the sauce. If it feels dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water. Add some shredded fresh basil leaves on top and serve.

Pasta with Peas, Carrot & Mascarpone Cheese

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pastina-with-peas-and-carrots-recipe/index.html

Whole Grain Pasta - 1 cup
Shallots - 2, finely chopped
Green Chili - 2, finely chopped or 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely sliced
Carrot - 1, cut into very small cubes
Frozen Green Peas - 1 cup
Homemade vegetable stock / water - 1/4 cup
Mascarpone Cheese - 1 tbsp
Salt
Black Pepper
Basil Leaves - 5
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Cook the pasta in plenty of salt water till al dente. Drain and mix a tsp of olive oil and keep aside. (Ideally we should cook the noodles and the vegetables simultaneously so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the almost cooked vegetable and sauce without waiting).

Add half tbsp of olive oil in a big skillet. Add the garlic, green chili and shallot and saute till the shallot gets soft and slightly caramelised.

Add the carrot and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Mix well. Add some vegetable stock and cover and cook for a few minutes till the liquid evaporates.

Add the frozen peas and cook for a minute.

Now add the cooked pasta and mascarpone cheese. Toss everything together.

Remove from heat, add some chopped basil leaves on top and serve.

Spaghetti with No-Meat Balls

Brown Rice Spaghetti - 4 oz
Salt for pasta water

For spaghetti sauce:
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Roma Tomatoes - 10, peeled, deseeded and chopped
Yellow Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, thinly sliced
Paprika - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Fresh Basil Leaves - 15
Vegetable Stock / Water - 1/2 cup

For No-Meat balls:
Boiled Baby Red Potato - 1, grated
Cooked Chickpeas or Green Peas - 1/4 cup, coarsely mashed
Cooked Kidney Beans or Black Beans  - 1/4 cup, coarsely mashed
Parsley - a handful, chopped
Pecorino Romano Cheese - 1 tbsp
Worcestireshire Sauce - 1 tsp
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Egg - 1
Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Grated Cheese - to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and run under cold water. Keep aside. (Ideally we should cook the pasta and the sauce in such a way so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the cooked sauce without waiting).

Mix beans, potato, parsley, cheese, worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt. Make small balls, dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs. Drizzle olive oil on top and bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, till they turn brown and crispy. Alternatively they can also be deep fried in peanut oil till golden brown on both sides.

To prepare the sauce, heat a deep skillet over moderate heat. Add olive oil, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion gets soft.

Add tomatoes and basil leaves. Bring to a simmer, add a little water or vegetable stock and cook for about 30 minutes till the sauce thickens.

Place pasta on dinner plates, top with meatballs and sauce and grated cheese and serve immediately.

Basil Pesto Pasta

Today I tried brown rice pasta for the first time. Unlike the nutty and slightly coarse whole wheat pasta, this pasta was light in taste and had the perfect texture and tasted a lot like the white flour pasta.

Brown Rice Shell Pasta - 1 cup (I used Tinkyada gluten free whole grain brown rice pasta)
Basil Leaves - 2 handfuls, reserve a couple of leaves for garnishing
Garlic Cloves - 4, grated
Pinenuts - 1 tbsp, lightly toasted
Pecorino Romano Cheese - 1 tbsp, grated and some more for garnishing
Green Chilli - 1
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Cook the pasta in water with lots of salt to the desired softness. Rinse with cold water, drain and keep aside. Reserve a cup of the pasta water. (Ideally we should cook the pasta and the sauce in such a way so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the cooked sauce without waiting).

Add basil, garlic, pinenuts, green chilli, cheese and olive oil together and make a paste in the food processor or the grinder.

Mix the pesto with the pasta. If required add a little bit of the reserved pasta water. Add some shredded fresh basil leaves and grated cheese on top and serve with a side of salad.

Pasta with Broccoli, Mushroom and Peas

A well balanced one pot meal. Can be cooked in less than 20 minutes. Baby Broccoli is very nutrious and quick to cook, whole grain pasta provides a lot of fiber and good carb and mushrooms gives the protein. I packed it for A's lunch today and surprisingly, he loved it even though he is not very fond of pasta.

Whole Wheat Pasta / Gluten free Brown Rice Pasta - 1 cup
Baby Broccoli Florets - 1 cup, chopped
Frozen Peas- 1/2 cup
Sliced Shitake Mushroom - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 4, finely sliced
Shallot - 1, thinly sliced
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Shredded Parmesan Cheese - 1 tbsp
Salt

Cook the pasta in boiling water with lots of salt till al dente. Reserve some of the pasta liquid in a cup, drain the pasta well and keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a big skillet. Add the sliced garlic, shallot and red chilli flakes and saute till slightly caramelised.

Add the broccoli florets, salt and toss for a minute. Then add the green peas and the sliced shitake mushroom. Cook for a couple of minutes more. Add the reserved pasta liquid and the drained pasta. Toss well. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Roasted Tomato Basil Pasta

Whole Wheat / Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta - 2 cups (serves two)
Tomato on the vine - 4
Fresh Basil - a bunch
Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 4 cloves, sliced
Sweet Onion - 1/2, thinly sliced
Red Pepper Flakes - 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar - a pinch
Shredded parmesan cheese - 3 tbsp
Pasta Cooked Water - 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut each tomato into 4 quarters, drizzle with olive oil and roast in a foil lined baking sheet for 45 - 60 minutes, until soft and slightly dried.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water till al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. (Ideally we should cook the pasta and the sauce in such a way so that the noodles can be drained and directly added to the cooked sauce without waiting).

Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic slices and saute for 10 seconds. Then add the sliced onion and saute till caramelised. Add the roasted tomatoes, basil, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes. Stir in 1/2 cup of pasta water to make a sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and toss everything well. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaf on top and remove from heat.