Chocolate Cheese Macaroni

A relaxing afternoon..Lazing on the couch..Watching food network and watch the pretty and overly expressive (it is nice though) Giada De Laurentis cook with mascarpone cheese, ricotta cheese, pasta and yummy cake laden with chocolate. My stomach rumbles and craves for cheese and chocolate (though I kept reminding myself that I need to work out and lose some fat). Finally something flashed in my occasionally brilliant mind and EUREKA!!

I went into the kitchen and picked exactly 3 ingredients from the pantry. And a delicious Friday night dessert was ready in less than 15 minutes. Lets take a look at how this yummy delicacy is made.

Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

Elbow Macaroni - 1 cup
Nutella Chocolate and Hazelnut spread - 2 tbsp
Ricotta cheese - 1/3rd cup

Method:

• Add the elbow macaroni in a pan of boiling water and cool till it is Al-dente. Drain the pasta and transfer it into a bowl.

• Add 2 tbsp of Nutella and mix well. The Nutella will melt with the heat of the pasta and become a creamy sauce.

• Finally add the ricotta cheese and mix well.

• Add chopped walnuts and garnish. Serve it warm or chill it and serve it cold.
• Enjoy your Chocolate Cheese Macaroni!!

Notes:

• You can use any kind of pasta to make this dish.
• You can alter the amount of Nutella and cheese depending on your taste.
• Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of ghee or melted butter to the pasta water so that the pasta does not stick together.
• You can add chopped nuts of your choice.

Pachai Poondu Takkaali Chutney - Raw Garlic Tomato Chutney

PACHAI POONDU TAKKAALI CHUTNEY 

We love to visit our native village as often as possible. The hospitality showered on us by the ever smiling Rukmini is one of the great attractions besides the pristine environment and the serene temples of the village. Rukmini's preparations especially the Chettinaad dishes are real tongue ticklers.I always return home with more knowledge handed down by her regarding the secret ingredients and the special tips which make the everyday dishes more tastier.

During our latest visit, Rukmini treated us to a delicious Idly - Vade - Saambaar breakfast along with Pachai Poondu Takkaali Chutney. Initially the rawness in the garlic hit our palates strongly. But towards the end of our breakfast we were surprised to see that we had polished off all the chutney that Rukmini had prepared along with the fat and fluffy idlies.

 Raw Poondu or garlic is recommended by doctors as a cure for various illnesses. It is also considered as a general health tonic. For people who abhor raw garlic, savouring Pachai Poondu Takkaali Chutney with the morning breakfast is the best way to imbibe its benefits without much fuss!

You can always use a strong mouth wash after breakfast if you do not like the lingering garlic flavour!

 

INGREDIENTS

 Raw garlic ( Peeled ) - 1/2 cup 

Tomatoes ( Chopped ) - 1/2 cup 

Red chillies - 4 

Salt - 1/2 tsp 

Sesame oil - 2 tsps 

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

METHOD

 1. Grind the peeled garlic, chopped tomatoes, red chillies and salt together into a smooth paste without adding water. 

 2. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. 

 3. When the mustard seeds splutter add the ground paste and immediately switch off flame. 

 4. Mix thoroughly and store in a cup. 

 

Yesterday we enjoyed Pachai Poondu Takkaali Chutney with Raagi Muddae. It was a deadly combination!

OATS VEGETABLE KANJI

This is Oats Kunji. Health wise, it is nutritious and good for people with ailments like Diabetes and Hypertension. This is a fine breakfast dish for elders as well as for small babies. We can add so many vegetables to our likings. But cauliflower, drumsticks, root vegetables like potato, yam and ladiesfinger are not suitable to add in this kunji. Carrot, peas, baby corn, tomatoes, a little raddish, a little palak, French beans and onions will enhance the taste. Thin kunji is effective in healthwise.




OATS VEGETABLE KANJI [ஓட்ஸ் காய்கறி கஞ்சி]


Ingredients:

Oats- 4 to 5 tbsp
Finely chopped Tomato-1
Finely chopped onion-half
Small garlic flakes-5
Finely Shredded ginger-a pinch
Finely chopped coriander- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tsp
Fennel seeds or cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- half sp

Procedure:

Heat a pan and pour the oil.
Add the fennel or cumin seeds and when they splutter, add the onion with the other vegetables and fry nicely until they are well cooked and the oil floats on top.
Pour 5 cups of water with enough salt.
Immediately add the oats.
Mix well and let it boil for a few minutes until the oats are cooked.
The delicious oats kunji is ready now!

Variations:


If fennel seeds are used, a few mint leaves can be added when frying the vegetables. It will give a delicious touch. 1 or 2 teaspoons of Shredded coconut can be added in the end. 2 tbsps of coconut milk can be added in the end to give an extra taste. But it is not good for elderly people. Instead of vegetables, cooked chicken pieces can be added along with onion, tomato, garlic, mint and ginger.