Lusting Life: November 2012

Tomato Pasta Sauce cooked two ways

Tomato Basil Sauce with Soya Chunks & Spaghetti

Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients
4 Tomatoes, blanched and peeled
1/2 cup Tomato Puree
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
2 Onions, finely chopped
1 Chilli, finely chopped
100gms of Soya Chunks (I would prefer using chicken cubes or minced lamb)
6 cloves of Garlic, smashed whole
2 Bay Leaves
Fresh Basil Leaves
Fresh Sage Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Cheese, as much as you like

Boil water in a deep pan. Add the soya chunks with a pinch of salt and a few sage leaves. Turn down the flame and simmer the soya till light and fluffy (for around 2 minutes). Strain and retain the water. Chop the soya chunks to smaller pieces.

To Blanch Tomatoes:
Bring the same water to boil again and add the full tomatoes, a pinch of salt and a few basil leaves.The tomatoes will absorb the flavour from basil leaves. Strain the tomatoes. You can refregerate the stock for later use. Pinch the skin off the tomatoes while hot. It should come out easily. Remove the Now just mash the tomatoes with hand in a bowl and keep them aside.

To Make the Pasta Sauce:
In a pan, heat the olive oil and add the bay leaves, chilies & garlic to it. Now add the onions and caramelize it. Add Soya and saute for 2 minutes.Now put the blanched tomatoes, basil leaves and puree into the pan. Add salt to taste. Keep in mind that the soya and tomatoes will be slightly salty. Stir well and put a lid on, for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the tomato ketchup and pepper. Stir well and take it off the flame.

Serve with 200gms of Spaghetti. Garnish with some cheese, basil leaves and a drizzle of Olive Oil.

Roasted Bell pepper and Tomato Sauce with Penne Pasta

Serves 2-3 people
Ingredients
2 Tomatoes, blanched and peeled (See above)
3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/2 cup Tomato Puree
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Bay Leaf
4 Garlic Cloves, smashed whole
1 Green chilli, whole
1 tsp Paprika
Coriander Stem, finely chopped
Coriander leaves, chopped
Red Bell Pepper paste (1 whole)
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped in square chunks
1 Green Capsicum, chopped in square chunks
3 tbsp Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cheese, as much as you like

To Make Bell Pepper Paste:
Roast the Red Bell Pepper on direct flame till its soft and its skin is burnt.Peel the skin while its hot. Put it in a mixer grinder to make a paste.

To Make the Pasta Sauce:
In a pan, heat oil and add garlic, bay leaf and green chilli. Now, put the onions and salt on to the pan, and sweat them. Add blanched tomatoes, coriander stem, chilli paste, bell pepper paste and the puree. Stir well and put the lid on. Cook in low flame for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Add the yellow bell pepper and capsicum and cook for another 5 minutes till they soften. Add pepper, paprika and tomato ketchup. Add the Penne Pasta and mix well. Generously grate cheese over it and let the cheese melt. Take the pan off the flame.

Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve.

Food Marriage Tips:
1) Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil Leaves, chillies, need each other to bring out the flavours
2) Spaghetti needs ample sauce and meat. Be generous in your servings.
3) Penne Pasta need a little less sauce than spaghetti, but need to be coated well. Penne Pasta goes best with ample amount of cheese.
4) Whenever you boil the pasta, make sure you add a tsp of oil and some salt in the water. This way, the Pasta won't be bland and wont stick to one another. You can also add other aromatic seasonings into the boiling water.

Potato Rosti with Ham and Fried Egg

Serves 1
Ingredients
1 potato, peeled and grated (washed and dried)
2 slice of ham, cut into small squares
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil (Olive Oil will add a nice flavour)
1/4 tsp fresh Rosemary (any seasoning that you may like. Oregano works well)
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
1 Egg
Fresh Parsley or Coriander leaves, chopped

Mix the grated potato and salt. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Drain the excess liquid out of this mixture and dry the potatoes with a cloth. This will help in draining out the starch. Add ham, rosemary, chillies to it.

Heat a flat pan in medium heat and add theoil. Pick the potato mixture and squeeze the excess liquid out. . Now place it on the pan gently and flatten it into a thin layer without breaking it. Turn the flame to low and let the Rosti cook for 5 minutes on one side. Turn up the flame to make it crisp. Now use a flat spindle to turn it on the pan without breaking it.You should see a nice golden brown crispy layer on top. Let the other side cook for another 3-4 minutes again in low flame. Turn up the heat for another minute. Keep it in the pan for longer if needed, to make it crispy and crunchy.

Once done, take the Rosti off the pan and put it on a plate. Fry the egg on the pan, season with salt and place it gently on top of the Rosti. Add the freshly chopped coriander/parsley on top and serve.

You can just about use other ingredients in the Rosti Mix. I made another version of the Rosti with peas that were blanched and crushed and added to the grated potato.