Herbed Oil / Flavored Oil

Flavored oils are so much handy to have on hand and it is the best way to induce flavor and aroma into a dish. I made this flavored oil long ago (when I made my Focaccia Caprese). It is quite simple to do and can be stored for at least 15 - 20 days.

Spaghetti and Veg Balls w Garlic Bread / Spaghetti w Meatless Balls

Today we are travelling to Italy by food for its very famous combo - Spaghetti and Meatless Meat Balls or Spaghetti and Veg Balls.. This marathon although was planned months ahead, I could not do much cooking or clicking as I had a baby recently and was on rest from house work and from cooking... Now that I am in to cooking, I am not yet doing it full fledged… This is one recipe which is a last minute preparation that was done just day before yesterday... As I write this post, I still have 2 more combos that I need to do for the next 2 days.. Yes it is a mess I know.. Hope I make it.. Coming to today's recipe, it was a big hit in our house and all of us enjoyed thoroughly... I made the very famous Spaghetti with Meatballs (without meat), So it is Spaghetti with veg balls and and served it with Garlic Bread… Here is the recipe to Garlic Bread

Spinach Mini Quiche w easy Crust / Mini Quiche with Crust / Eggless Quiche / Eggless Mini Quiche

Quiche is one of the recipes that I have not tried due to high amount of eggs in it.. Today I am sharing a delicious Quiche which is completely egg free.. So was this easy to do?? Yes and No.. The reason was I did mini quiche in muffin tin which does not have a loose bottom.. So had to research quite a lot to ensure that the base does not crack and also comes out clean.. I used the base recipe from cooks.com and the filling was my own.. The crust was so beautifully flaky and soft which is an interesting texture...

Bread Pizza Cups–Muffin tin recipes

Bread is an universal food and there are lots of dishes using it.. Dishes can be a very simple bread jam or a delicious bread pudding.. Today we are going to be seeing the bread in cute cup form.. Now like yesterday's recipe, today's recipe is also a different use of muffin tin rather than the regular muffins or cupcakes.. These bread pizza cups are so versatile and are sure to impress kids and adults.. They are perfect for parties, potlucks, as an evening snack, a quick bite etc..I got the idea of making the bread pizza cups from rakskitchen. Filling is a personal choice. You can bake the bread cups separately and add sundal or sprouts as a change.. You could also fill them with fresh fruits and whipped cream.. yummm.. The taste is very similar to the Bread Pizza I make..  This Bread Pizza Cups should be served hot hot!!!

 

Honey Multigrain Pizza

Pizza - Ah!! that word makes a lot of us drool.. In our house, all of us love pizza. I have tried many types of pizza.. Last time I did with whole wheat flour, this time I have included multigrain flour making it even more better. For the multigrain flour, you could use your choice of combination. A combination of corn, rye, oats, fingermillet flour, soy flour, maize flour etc..
Do check out my Whole Wheat Pizza, Pan Pizza, Deep Dish Pizza on my blog..

Honey Whole Wheat Pizza

Pizza is one of my daughter’s favorite… Actually I also like it, but the truth is I prefer home made. I have tried Pizza with regular all purpose flour, with multigrain flour (recipe coming soon), with whole wheat flour. In this recipe I have included 1/4th of all purpose flour also. You could try doing it completely with whole wheat flour, but you will need to proof for longer time.. I will try this next time with complete whole wheat flour. This will make 3 9 inch thin crust pizzas or 2 13 inch thin crust pizzas. Toppings are again a personal choice. I made 3 different group of toppings. One with Basil and mozzarella. Second with Basil, Olives and Mozzarella. Third with Cherry tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil. Also please do not use Parchment paper on the baking tray, instead grease the baking tray well.

Lemon Grass Basil Pine Pesto Pasta

Pasta is an Italian dish made with a combination of cooked pasta and a sauce. There are many types of pasta like Penne, Fettuccine, Farfalle, Spaghetti etc. Pesto is a type of a paste made with specific ingredients.. Most of the time it is uncooked.. So it has bursting flavor of fresh ingredients.. This is not a traditional pesto, but a pesto made with the ingredients I had on hand and it was flavorful and everybody in my house loved it!!! Some more types of Pastas from my blog – Pesto Ala Trapenese, Spicy Indian Style Pasta, Basil Penne, Pesto Di Noci, 

Pan Pizza

Pizza is a very famous Italian dish which has become World famous. There are many types of Pizzas and the choices are plenty. You can make Thin Crust pizzas, thicker crust, stuffed crust, Chicago Style, New York Style etc. Again choice of toppings are also plenty and personal. Make sure to enjoy the pizza hot!! Pan Pizza is a thicker crust pizza. I got this recipe from here. The toppings are a personal choice. I have used tomato sauce, olives, capers, onions and coriander leaves. This will make 1 thick 9 inch pizza.

Spicy Pasta - Indian Style

My daughter loves pasta.. Guess a lot of kids do.. Hey the truth is I also love it.. lol:).. So I surely try my best to make it healthy. I have used Whole Wheat Pasta here.. Reason - that is what I prefer.. Even my daughter likes the nutty taste of the whole wheat pasta and actually does not like the regular pasta.. This is my daughter’s favorite lunch or dinner and she is super excited when I make it.. Pasta is an Italian dish which I have customized with Indian spices and taste according to our preference and liking..

Focaccia Caprese

Focaccia is a popular Italian Bread which has toppings with herbs, vegetables and other ingredients. This is the choice for this month's We Knead to Bake where we are entering the second year from this month.. Aparna chose the Focaccia Caprese but also gave us the option to choose other toppings.. Focaccia has been on my list for such a long time and I am happy that I tried it. It was very delicious with a delicious base which was lightly crispy in the bottom with a spongy inner.. Focaccia Caprese is a basic Focaccia dough topped Caprese style. "Caprese" comes from the city of Capri, an island off the Italian coast. Capri is famous mostly for its villas, grottos and jutting limestone towers, and also for the salad named after it – “Insalata Caprese”  which is salad made with fresh tomatoes, basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella.  So this Focaccia Caprese is topped with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, in addition to the usual olive oil and herbs that are usual in focaccia. This recipe will serve 4 if served alone or 6 if served as a side

Deep Dish Pizza

Pizza is one of the most famous food in the world. It is originally from Italy. Pan Pizza is a thick crust pizza which is very tender and soft on the inside and crispy fried on the bottom. This is a quick one and can be done in less than 90 minutes from start to finish. The toppings are a personal choice and based on availability. I got this from a cooking show and was fabulous.. Do not put too many toppings on one pizza, it will not taste good and no one flavor will be enhanced. Limit to 5 or 6 toppings maximum. Toppings can be onions, bell pepper, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, olives, capers etc. and cheese. Mozzarella is the best choice for this.

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto (Pesto Alla Trapanese)

Pasta is a very famous Italian Dish. There are so many varieties of Pasta and this one is based on a almond sauce. I got this from a TV show by the chef Lidia of Lidia's Italy.

Eggless Oats Chocolate Biscottis:

For this month's HBC, the choice was to do Biscotti.. I have baked Biscotti twice before and loved it both times.Eggless Pistachio Tutti Frutti and Orange Biscotti and Pistachio Cardamom Biscotti are the other two... This one is little different with chocolate in it and has a great deep dark chocolate flavor.. A great thing about biscotti is its crunch and its shelf life.. Love this with coffee or juice as an evening snack.. So yummy!!

Walnut Pesto Pasta - Pesto Di Noci

Pesto Di Noci is a Pesto made with Walnuts and Ricotta and is also called as Walnut Pesto Pasta. The pesto is rich and creamy from ricotta and is a quick, easy and great dish. The recipe can be made in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. Make sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water as this dish can dry in a few minutes, so add some cooking water to the sauce and save 1 cup. Also serve this IMMEDIATELY – Even a few minutes will be late for this one. I made this with Multigrain Pasta.. This is my choice for W - International / Fusion

Basil Pesto Penne Pasta–Pesto Pasta - Guest post for Priya Suresh

I was super excited to be part of  Rendez Vous With A Foodie happening at Priya from Priyas Easy and Tasty Recipes's blog. Priyas blog needs no introduction.. Priya is one of bloggers from whom I have bookmarked so many recipes and also tried some.. It amazes me as to how quick can she be posting recipes for challenges.. She is definitely super fast... She has such a wonderful blog and beautiful recipes with a big variety.. Also the events that she has started are very versatile and amazing. Some to mention are CWS series and Healthy Diet Series. I have hosted both of them and she was always very friendly and great to work with.. Recently she started the Vegan Thursdays group and yes I am part of that too.. For her Rendez Vous With A Foodie series, I am sharing a very flavorful and elegant Pasta.

Rendez Vous With A Foodie is a beautiful event where Priya showcases newbie bloggers and have a small chit chat with her beautifully drafted questionnaire.. I came to know more about many of my blogger friends in a much better detail with this event.. Would you love to see the chit chat and also the recipe??? Click here to go to Priyas page for it..

I wanted to do an interesting dish with this event and I chose this pasta which is quick and easy to make... Something very special is the flavor and taste of it..

Pasta is an Italian dish which is very popular and there are so many varieties available... I did this with Whole Wheat Penne. Pesto Pasta is pasta made with pesto sauce which is made from basil. It is rich, creamy and quick to make with start and finish taking about 15 minutes. The pesto also has a very fresh flavor from the green leaves. This recipe serves 2 to 3 people. Pesto is an uncooked sauce. I used coriander instead of Parsley. Pesto sauce stored in an airtight container can keep in the refrigerator for a week.

For the recipe, please visit Priya's blog

Pistachio Cardamom Biscotti - Eggless Biscotti

Biscotti is a great Italian accompaniment to Coffee.. Biscotti means double baked and as the name suggests, it is baked twice. it will be crispy and crunchy and at the same time will melt in your mouth.. I got this recipe from here and made some changes to suit our taste. My choice for P - Baked

Eggless Tiramisu

Tiramisu is an Italian delicacy and tastes best when served cool. I have made a few changes to the original Tiramisu recipe based on our taste and preference. I have substituted Sponge cake sheets for lady fingers or savoriadi cookies; grape juice for rum or brandy; homemade substitute for mascarpone cheese. It tastes very heavenly and needs to be refrigerated at least 8 hours before serving. I am very happy that Gayathri took my suggestion for this month’s Eggless Baking Group.

Orange Granita–Ice cream (very low fat)

How about an ice cream without cream and without ice cream maker and with very very less sugar??? Very interesting... Need an ice cream with no cream (or very very less) and with very less sugar – this will be it. Also I tried this ice cream with sugar substitute and it was equally good and you can make this with ingredients that are in most homes. I have served this both as is and also topped it with whip cream. So whip cream is totally optional.. From Wiki – “Granita (in Italian also granita siciliana) is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, although available all over Italy (but granita in Sicily is somewhat different from the rest of Italy), it is related to sorbet and Italian ice. However, in most of Sicily, it has a coarser, more crystalline texture.”

Quick Pizza / Bread Pizza

On day in the morning a conversation starts between me and my daughter like this:
Me - what do you want for lunch (Yes I ask my 3 year old what she wants for school everyday)
Daughter - Pizza
Me - Pizza shops are closed in the morning
Daughter - You make it at home for me amma
Me - But it will take me at least 2 hours sweety
Daughter - No I want only Pizza for lunch
Me - Confused as to what to do!!!!
My daughter is very picky in what she wants (most moms have this complaint) and she is even more picky on the things she like. She is not going to be ok with me telling her that I will do Pizza for dinner nor can I give her a bread slice with Italian Seasoning and cheese and call it pizza. She will say this is NOT PIZZA!!! So I thought I will tell her that I will give her something similar to Pizza.... After my long thought, conversation continues
Me - Ok I will make something like Pizza
Daughter - ????? gives me a look where she questions what do u mean mom!!!
Me - It is called Quick Pizza
Daughter - How will it be
Me - It will be very yummy like pizza but I will do with bread
Daughter - Ok, but you should also do Correct Pizza for Dinner today
Me - Ok will do.. and now I rush to the kitchen to do this Quick Pizza
You can adjust the amount of salt, spices, veggies and cheese in this quick pizza. Also if you are doing this for a party, then have everything ready and do the few minutes of broil just before serving. You can broil at least 4 slices at the same in the oven.

Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids– Italian Dishes

My daughter loves pizzas and pastas and garlic bread… This event is all about Italian Dishes that you love… I am so excited to announce the “Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids – Italian Dishes” event. Would love to thank Nithu for allowing me to host her event (this is the second time I am hosting) See below for the rules and details for the giveaway and the awards!!!

Event Rules and Details:
Event runs from 10th March to 10th April.
Cook any VEGETARIAN (NO EGGS) Italian dishes and post about it. Some of the dishes I can think of are Pizzas, Pastas, Bruschetta, Pasta Salad, Garlic Bread, Stuffed Garlic Breads, Ice creams (Italian like Granita), Cakes like Tiramisu. Basically anything Italian that you would love!!! Make sure they are Vegetarian and EGGFREE
Only fresh entries are allowed
Link back to this announcement and to Nithu's page - both Mandatory. Simply copy and paste this " Sending to Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids – Italian Dishes and Nithu’s page"
Logo is Mandatory as it helps spread the word!!
Person who sends the highest number of entries will get "Top Contributor" badge which you can proudly post it in your blog
Please use the linky tool at the bottom to link up your entries. If you have issues or you are a non-blogger, please send your entries to nivedhanams@gmail.com with the following details
Subject line - Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids - Italian Dishes
Your Name -
Blog Name -
Recipe Name -
Recipe URL -
Picture of the recipe (not more than 100 KB)
A random winner will be selected for the giveaway from the entries received
Apart from the monthly giveaway, an overall winner for the event series will be selected and awarded a gift and a badge. For this Nithu will select one person randomly from the "Top Contributors"
The giveaway winner should provide a Indian Postal address to send the gift
To qualify for the giveaway, you should follow "Nithu's Kitchen" publicly. I do not qualify for the giveaway as I am the host
Note this is not a sponsored giveaway and is Nithu's own contribution to the Event series
Please like our Facebook page and join us via Google friend connect.
All participants will get a participation award
Entries that do not follow the rules will not be included in the giveaway and roundup and will be DELETED.