Penne With Basil Cream Sauce

Last weekend, we were baby sitting one of our friend's little daughter who likes princesses, creamy pastas, and all things pink and sweet! So, I made pasta with pesto/ground basil in bechamel sauce.  I was warned that she would pick out every bit of vegetable on her plate, and true to that, she picked out all the grape tomatoes I added, but finished the pasta. Good thing I refrained from adding broccoli and asparagus... the presence of such veggies would have upset her appetite ;). It's a whole new creative process to incorporate veggies while cooking for kids!

There was also a pinkish strawberry cake (post coming up) and we had a good time eating comforting pasta, cake, and watching Little Mermaid and Turbo. I was so happy to have a little girl at home enjoying Little Mermaid as much as I do!

Aloo Mattar / Potaoes & Peas Gravy

Aloo Mattar is a simple and common Indian gravy/curry. Potatoes and peas are cooked in a standard onion-tomato gravy and flavored with the usual Indian spice blends. 

In the spirit of recording all kinds of foods and recipes - simple, common, unique, different and otherwise - I'm putting this recipe up as well.

Apple Pear and Almond Clafoutis

While browsing for dessert recipes in this book, my eye locked onto this dish. I love fruit based desserts because it makes me feel less guilty while baking! I also love cardamom flavored desserts to the point of obsession. I add cardamom to almost any dessert or dish. So when I saw "cardamom" in this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I am shockingly predictable in many ways!

But, I did adapt and change a few things from the recipe. I did borrow the basic structure, because I'd never baked clafoutis or even eaten one. So, I started by using pears and apples instead of peaches. I think the natural sweetness of both apples and pears complement each other and enhance the taste quotient of any dessert. I also added more almond flour and reduced the quantity of all-purpose flour, used low fat milk, and yes, I increased the quantity of ground cardamom :). The original recipe calls for 4 pods of cardamom seeds... and I laughed to myself! The seeds of 4 cardamom pods are what I add for one cup of tea for myself. It's not enough for an entire dessert! ;)

Anyway, here's my tweaked recipe. The clafoutis was awesome! It was mild, fragrant, and so flavorful. The dish didn't brown as much as the pictures in the book, and the texture was different, but I went for three helpings - unheard of when it comes to desserts!

I am really enjoying The French Market Cookbook!

Savory Swiss Chard Pie

How could I pass on this? I'd always wanted to try a savory pie, and last week seemed the perfect opportunity. I adapted the recipe of this delectable dish from the awesome book - The French Market Cookbook. 

The original recipe calls for baking swiss chard, prunes and pine nuts in a spelt flour dough. Definitely a healthy and hardy flour! But since I didn't have any on hand, I tried it with puff pastry and it turned out lovely. Anything stuffed inside puff pastry turns out beautifully! But in the spirit of being more healthy, I should definitely try baking with spelt flour - a gluten-free flour I have never used.

I also added sun-dried tomatoes (tart tomatoes with sweet prunes is a wonderful pairing), and walnuts and almond flour for crunch. Finally, I generously increased the quantities of chard leaves (I love them), shallots and prunes for a stronger flavor. Subtle flavors are not an Indian thing :). I strongly recommend using red swiss chard. They are so much more flavorful than regular ones. 

So here is how to put together this extremely easy dish. No cooking involved! Just assemble and bake!

Avocado & Radish Mini Tartines

Our friends TK and Sindhu gave me this wonderful book by Clotilde Dusoulier as a gift. Right after the book was published, it was on my Amazon wishlist. So it was a delightful coincidence when I received it as a gift! Thanks to them for knowing me so well :). 

I've been trying out the recipes in the book, and they are all fantastic. The recipes defy the common notions and misunderstandings surrounding French cuisine. None of the recipes are high-brow or daunting. The book is a collection of healthy recipes based on fresh seasonal produce, and they are all accessible and easy to prepare. It's yet another testament to how simple ingredients and tasteful, minimalistic seasonings pair together to make amazingly delicious dishes. Although there are some ingredients that are perhaps a little hard to find in common stores, Clotilde makes sure to suggest substitutions and alternatives. 

Anyway, when my friends visited last week, I decided to make a three course simple meal from the book.

Starting with this appetizer, I adapted the recipe from the book, and thanks to TK's feedback and suggestions, it was improvised further for an addictive and incredibly easy finger food!