HOPPIN' JOHN !

Hoppin' John or Black-Eyed Peas and Rice with "Garlic" is my contribution to 'Weekend Herb Blogging'. Kalyn is herself is hosting this week at "Kalyn's kitchen",thank you for that Kalyn.


Garlic:


Here is the most fascinating history of Garlic as explained by Peggy T. Filippone of 'homecooking.com'!!
What's Garlic?
Garlic is one of the most versatile flavors to ever grace a kitchen. It not only tastes wonderful,it's very good for you too. It is one of Mother Nature's most precious gift to cooks of all levels of expertise.Garlic (allium sativum) has "lovingly" been dubbed The Stinking Rose,yet it is actually a member of the lily (Liliaceae) family and a cousin to onions, leeks, chives, and shallots!(info:homecooking.com)


Hoppin' John/Black-Eyed Peas Rice with Garlic:
Hoppin' John is one of the popular 'Soul Food' and also considered as 'Good Luck' dish which is prepared on New Year's day in African American families as informed by a cookbook "A Taste of Heritage, The New African American Cuisine" by Chef Joe Randall and Toni Martin.



This dish is very simple with few ingredients but tasty and nutritious as you can see.Of course I added a few of my own vegetables.You see,I am from India and I NEED to see lot of colors in everything! ;D
Hope you give it try and enjoy the food for the soul!


You Need:


1 cup (or 15oz)canned Black-Eyed Peas drained,1 cup rice any kind you like,cooked and cooled, 1/2 tbsp butter,1 small onion diced finely,2-3 Garlic chopped,1/2 Jalapeno minced,1 Tomato chopped,salt and 6 pepper corns crushed coarsely.I also added 1/2 cup Spinach cooked ,1 carrot grated,minced Cilantro and 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder for color and taste.


How To: Serves 2-3



Heat butter,saute onion,garlic and Jalapeno until sightly reddish at the edges.Add grated carrots saute for few mins.Add in Spinach,tomato and 1 tsp cumin seeds pd,fry until soft.





Add Black-eyed Peas ,mix well for few mins.Now,add cooked and cooled rice,salt and pepper to taste, mix and heat through.Sprinkle minced cilantro.Serve with Lemon slices if you like.





NOTE: If you feel that dish is a little dry,sprinkle few tbsps of water or veg stock on it and heat it again.You can skip the vegetables like Carrots and Spinach if you like.


Would you like to try "Hoppin' Juan"?!
Can you guess what makes Hoppin' John into Hoppin' Juan?!


Why do we call this dish Hoppin' John?
Good question!! Here is the answer.

Why don't we call this dish Hoppin' Juan??
Great question?! ;p
Here is the answer!


Enjoy the delicious and nutritious Hoppin' John!!:))

MEDITERRANEAN SAVORY CAKE

Mediterranean Savory cake is my contribution to Meeta of what'sforlunchhoney's Monthly Mingle "Savory Cakes" event this month.Thanks for hosting Meeta.



Here is a wonderful tasting and filled with Mediterranean flavors such as Olives and sun-dried Tomatoes along with others to make it a great savory cake.The basic recipe for this cake is from a cookbook called "Quick Breads" which has sweet as well as savory cakes.I have added my own ingredients to make it Mediterranean.
For Vegetarian Savory cake: just skip all the non-veg additions and add your own vegetables.Without adding the egg,you might get a little dense cake but will taste great.


Mediterranean Savory cake:





You Need:


1 1/2 cups Plain flour,2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp salt,2 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp garlic pd,1 tsp Oregano,2 tbsp melted Butter,1 Egg beaten,1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese,2 tbsp Parmesan cheese,3 tbsp Bacon bits,3 tbsp Green Olives chopped,few chili flakes,4 tbsp chopped Sun-dried Tomatoes,1/4 cup milk.For topping: 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese,1/2 tsp Parsley.


How To:

First: Take medium sized loaf pan,line it with parchment paper and spray no-stick oil on top and keep aside.Pre-heat the oven to 375F.



Take all the above ingredients except the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix just until combined.It will be little stiff and sticky.





Add the dough to the loaf pan,press gently to flatten and sprinkle 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and Parsley on top of the dough.Put it in the Oven and bake for approximately 35-40mins or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.Take out and cool it on the rack.




Note: In addition to above ingredients,you could add roasted red bell peppers,Jalapenos,1 tsp Poppy seeds etc.Don't add anything watery to make the dough soggy,it won't rise properly if you do.
Do not try to slice when it's warm because you won't be able with ease.Let it rest for few hours before slicing.Taste excellent after 3-4 hrs.


Here it is; baked golden and delicious!





Serve: sliced with little savory cream cheese or on the side with a bowl of warm soup.Enjoy!:))

CHIPOTLE CORN CHOWDER/SOUP

Chipotle Corn Chowder/Soup is my contribution to Alanna's February's Focus "Soup's on" event.This would be my first ever entry to her soup collection.Thank you for hosting Alanna.




Chipotle Corn Chowder :



This recipe is from a cookbook called "Hotter than Hell" which I love.I did make changes in the recipe to make it milder to my taste since it's supposed to be very spicy and uses multiple kinds of chillies!

You Need:
3 cups frozen or canned or fresh white or yellow Corn,1 tsp butter,1/2 onion,1-2 dry Chipotle chillies or 1/2 tsp chipotle chill pd,1 cup water,3 cups fat-free cream or Half and Half, 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder,1 garlic,1 tsp Honey,salt.
For Garnish:
1/4 cup reserved corn from above,1/2 tbsp each minced green bell pepper,red bell pepper(I used bottled roasted red bell pepper),Green onion chopped,1/2 Jalapeno minced(optional),2 tsp lemon juice. Some Tortilla chips to serve.


How To: Makes 4 servings



Heat butter,saute drained corn until they get very slight brown color.Save 1/4 cup and put the rest of the corn in the blender.Now saute onion,garlic,chipotle chillies(do not saute chilli pd,if you are using that but add to the blender) for few mins and add to the corn.Add water,cumin pd,chilli pd and grind to a smooth liquid.




Pour into a sauce pan and add salt, cream or Half and Half,honey and heat slowly and keep stirring.Adjust the spices,salt and simmer.Prepare the garnish.
Garnish:Mix all the sweet bell peppers minced,saved corn,green onion,little salt and lemon juice,keep aside.



To Serve:
Ladle soup into a bowl,top with a spoonful of topping and serve immediately with some Tortilla chips on the side.

Enjoy the great tasting Chipotle flavored Corn Chowder!

CARDAMOM-RAISIN QUICK BUNS

Cardamom-Raisin Quick Buns/Biscuits are my contribution to Kalyn's 'Weekend Herb Blogging'. My choice this week is Cardamoms! This week's host is Anna of "anna's cool finds" blog.Thank you for hosting Anna!:)


Cardamom:



Cardamom, sometimes called Grains of Paradise, is a pungent, aromatic herb first used around the eighth century, and is a native of India. It was probably imported into Europe around A.D. 1214.Cardamom is cultivated in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico, Thailand and Central America.The spice known as cardamom is the fruit of several plants of the genera Elettaria belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, whose principal member is Elletaria Cardamomum. The plant it self is a perennial herb with a thick, fleshy rootstock which sends up flowering stems from 6 to 12 feet high.
Cardamom is usually purchased either in seed pods,or in its "decorticated" form, that is, taken out of the seed pods or the seeds are ground into a powder.They are always most aromatic when they are ground fresh to use.(Info:www.Avalon.net)



Cardamom-Raisin Quick Buns:Makes 6-8
(Recipe from "Quick Breads" by Beatrice A. Ojakangas with some changes)
Here is a wonderful tasting (almost like Southern Biscuits)Buns and what can I tell you about the aroma which fills up the whole house!!Mmm..!!





You Need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,2 tsp baking pd,1/2 salt, 1 tsp Cardamom pd freshly ground,1/4 cup sugar,1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted,1 Egg, 1/3 cup milk, 2 tbsp dark or golden raisins or dry mixed fruits.


How To:


1. Pre heat oven to 400F.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with no-stick oil.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients first,make a well in the center and pour in the well beaten liquid ingredients and mix all just enough to make thick droppable dough.


3. Do not overmix the dough.Drop (or make)6-8 mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Brush the the top lightly with milk(optional) and bake for 10-12 mins or until golden on top.Cool on the racks.


Serve warm or tastes better a day after,split and with or without buttered for breakfast! Enjoy:))

ERISSERY!

Erissery with "E", is my contribution to Nupur's "A to Z of Indian Vegetables" event which is rounded up every week.This week's letter is "E". Thanks for hosting Nupur!:)

Well..this would be my first entry to this event which I found out about recently.This week's letter "E" vegetable or Indian dish starts with "E" was pretty hard to find at least for me! After going through several Indian cookbooks I finally found one dish called "Erissery",in one of my Kerala cookbooks.I said 'thank God' and cooked immediately before somebody else will post the same before me!;D


Erissery with Cauliflower:


But I did make lot of changes in the recipe because I didn't have the traditional Erissery vegetables (Yam,Pumpkin,Plantains,Suran etc),chose to make it with Cauliflower and use red chilli pd instead of green chillies.Hope my Keralite friends will forgive me!;D


How to make it:


Microwave 3 cups of Cauliflower with water and salt until soft.Drain the water leaving just enough for gravy.
Grind: 1/4 onion,1 garlic,2 tsp cumin seeds,1/4 cup fresh or dry coconut,1 tbsp tamarind juice,turmeric, red chilli powder or red chillies,1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt to a smooth paste.Keep it aside.



Heat 2 tsp oil,add 1/2 tsp each mustard seeds and cumin seeds,1 red chilli,few curry leaves,1/2 onion and 2 garlic both minced.When reddish,add ground masala,fry for few mins.Add cooked cauliflower with enough water,some cilantro and simmer until you get a thickish gravy.




That's it,wasn't that easy?! Enjoy! :))

(Breaking news!! Somebody else has sent Erissery before me to this event!Boo Hoo!;D)

CARIBBEAN SALAD

The Weekend Cookbook Challenge #14, event was started by Sara of "Iliketocook" blog. This month's theme "Salads" is chosen by Tami from "runningwithtweezers" who is also hosting and a recipe is to be picked from a cookbook,Magazine or Internet and cooked to be submitted. Thank you for hosting Tami.

Caribbean Salad would be my first ever entry to this cookbook challenge.I am thrilled to find this event recently since I own unmentionable number of cookbooks and would love to showcase a few at least!:)


The book I used to make this salad!



"Hotter Than Hell" by the author Jane Butel.It has some delicious dishes I have ever come across,although you don't have to make these dishes THAT hot. Contrary to the belief that all Indians eat spicy food and Indians dishes are hot,most Indians do not eat very spicy food at all! The amount of chillies we use in the dishes depends on each family's liking. We do have few "VERY HOT" dishes like Vindaloo and spicy pickles from some regions of India.Again,it depends on individual taste of how much spice can a person handle!!:))




Caribbean Salad:




You Need: Serves 4
1 cup canned Black Beans,1 cup Whole Corn Kernels,1/4 cup chopped Green onions,1/4 cup chopped Red sweet Onions,1/2 cup each diced Green and Red Bell Pepper or bottled Roasted Red Bell Pepper,1 carrot diced finely,1/8 cup Cilantro,1/2 tsp minced Jalapeno or few slices of colorful mild bottled Banana peppers, 1 tbsp Olive oil,2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon/Lime Juice,salt, 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds powder,few grinds of freshly ground black Pepper,1/8 tsp Chipotle chilli pd(optional).Few Iceberg Lettuce leaves to serve the salad.


How To:
1. Drain and rinse canned beans and corn, add to a bowl.Add in all the other ingredients and toss well to coat.Chill in fridge until needed or you can serve this wonderful tasty salad on a bed of icy lettuce immedietely.
2. You can serve on it's own as light but delicious lunch or as a side dish with any meat dishes or Seafood or Poultry.



Note:
I did not follow the recipe as it was in the book which called for 1 tsp Chipotle chilli pd which can be expected from a book called "Hotter than Hell" but adjusted the spices to my taste!!;D
I used lot less chilli pd and added additional veggies like carrots,green peepers,sweet onions,cumin seeds pd, and lemon juice in addition to the original recipe to make it milder,tastier and even more nutritious.

Enjoy!:))

CHICKEN-BELL PEPPER KURMA

Chicken Kurma/Korma with Bell peppers is my entry to Kalyn's "Weekend Herb Blogging", event to cook a dish featuring any herb, plant, vegetable, or flower.This week's host is The Chocolate Lady at "Inmolaraan" . Thank you hosting. My choice of vegetable this week is Green Bell Peppers!


Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum:



Bell Pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Colors include red, yellow, green and orange. Bell peppers contain a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin in the fruit meaning that they have none of the "heat" that many other varieties of peppers have. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".They are nutritious vegetables full of Vitamin6 ,Potassium and Vitamin C. (More info at WIKI)



Chicken-Bell Pepper Kurma:Serves 3-4

Chicken Kurma or Korma as it is called sometimes is a mild sauce with veg or non-veg, which is usually made with mild spices ,ground nuts and/or coconut.I have tried to cut down some calories by skipping coconut,adding just a few Almonds.You can make it spicy or mild by adding just enough chilli pd to your liking.



You Need:
3-4 skinless boneless Chicken Breast,1 large Onion minced,1" fresh Ginger and 2 Garlic minced, 1 large Green Bell Pepper diced, 1 Tbsp butter or canola oil,1 tsp Cumin seeds,1 tbsp Coriander seeds powder,1/2 tsp each cayenne pd and Paprika,1 tsp Garam Masala or 1/2 tsp Allspice pd,1/4 tsp cardamom pd,1/2 tsp Fennel seeds pd,1/2 tsp sugar,1/4 tsp Turmeric pd, 2 tbsp toasted Almonds ground with little milk,1/2 cup Plain Yogurt or fat-free Sour Cream,2 small tomatoes chopped or 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, salt and Cilantro.


How To:

Heat oil or butter,add cumin seeds.When brown,add minced onion and saute until soft and reddish.Put in ginger-garlic minced and stir-fry for 2 mins and chopped Green Peppers,fry.Add in all the dry spices and tomatoes.Saute until you see the oil specks on top.Add diced chicken,stir until they become white.Add 1 cup water or stock.



Cover and cook on medium heat taking care not to burn the bottom,add a little water more if needed.When cooked with thickish gravy,lower the heat,stir in sour cream or yogurt spoon by spoon and mix well.Adjust the salt and spices and simmer again until you get fairly thick gravy.Add almond paste and Cilantro,simmer for 5 mins.



Serve: with plain cooked Basmati or long grain rice or Pita bread along with Raita(salad) and some Potato crisps.

Note:
You could skip Yogurt and add a cup of coconut milk if you like.
You can skip any spices you don't have like Fennel seeds or Cardamom.
Add enough stock or water to make gravy enough for 4 servings but not too thin.
Always tastes better the next day if you have the patience to keep in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!:))

CRUNCHY MUNCHIES!

These are my entries to Coffee's "Monthly Blog Patrolling". We are supposed to pick "Finger Foods" from other bloggers to cook for this event. I chose these snacks from my dear fellow bloggers and enjoyed making them too.Thanks for hosting Coffee!(Need a pretty logo for this event Coffee!;))


Maddur Vadas:
Here are those famous Maddur Vadas, which are sold at Maddur Railway station wrapped in Banana leaves sometimes and in small restaurants served in Steel plates, in a small town called "Maddur" between Bangalore and Mysore in Karanataka,India.The recipe I have for these Maddur Vadas are the same, and if I had to pick a fellow blogger's recipe for this event,I would choose Latha of Masala Magic's recipe who is also from my home town Bangalore.I added a little baking soda and some minced ginger in addition to this recipe.Enjoy the wonderful Maddur Vadas with Coconut Chutney!






Worthy of another look! ;D



You Need:
1 cup Fine Suji or Fine Semolina or Cream of wheat,1/2 cup Rice Flour,1/4 cup All Purpose Flour,1 tsp Red chilli powder,5 tbsp Hot oil ,2 big onions finely chopped onions,1 small bunch Cilantro, Curry leaves,7 Green chillies,2 tsp salt,1 tsp minced ginger and 1/8 tsp baking soda.
How To:
1. In a mixing bowl put the rice flour, maida, suji, red chilli powder salt and hot oil and mix well.
2. Add the chopped onions. cilantro, curry leaves and chillies and mix with water to make a thick paste.
3. Make balls of this mixture and flatten on your hand,deep fry.
5. Serve hot with cocounut chutney.


Thattai/Nippattu:

Another classic South Indian snack Thattai in Tamil or Nippattu as we call them in Kannada. I chose the recipe of these snacks from "Menu Today" blog which has the most authentic Indian recipes and I always enjoy visiting her.I skipped Fenugreek leaves or Methi because I didn't have it unfortunately but if you have it,make sure you add those to Thattai.Have fun making these most wonderful,delicious, crunchy and easy snack for winter.



You Need:
Maida 1 cup,Wheat Flour 1 cup,Besan 1 cup, Finely chopped chillies ,Salt, Ghee 1 tablespoon,Turmeric 1/2 tsp,Hing,Finely chopped methi leaves 1 cup, Sesame seeds 2 tsp,Coriander Powder 1 tsp,Red Chilli Powder.
How To:
1. In a bowl add and mix everything util you get thick dough.
2. Roll out to a big circle and cut with biscuit cutter and prick each small circle with fork.
4. Deep fry in hot oil till crisp.
5. Cool it and store in an air tight container.


Enjoy the crunchy Thattais and Vadas!!:)
PS: Next post here will be a Chicken dish,all vegetatrians ,RUN AWAY!:D

VEGETABLE BHATH

Vegetable Pulao/Bhath is my entry to Pooja at "creativepooja". Her theme this week is Valentine's day and to post some of our memorable moments of our lives and post a dish which our spouses like!Since I have already posted two desserts for V' day,I thought it's the right time for some nutritious savory dish.

Well..my husband likes everything and anything made with rice like Pulaos and Biryanis.So,this would be the perfect dish for him.I am sure he will like it.

Vegetable Pulao or Bhath:



You Need:

3 cups cooked long grain rice or Basmati,1-2 tbsp ghee or butter,1 tsp cumin seeds,2" cinnamon stick,2 green cardamom,4 cloves,1" ginger-2 garlic,1 tsp chili pd,1 onion,thinly sliced, 2 tbsp yogurt,2 tomatoes,chopped,1 cup sliced cooked Cholia(brown beans),1 cup chopped Zucchini,1 cup cubed cooked carrots, 1 tsp tumeric,2 tbsp coriander seeds, ,salt,cilantro and pinch of Saffron mixed with 1 tbsp of milk to sprinkle on rice(optional).


How To:


Toast cinnamon,cardamom seeds,cloves,coriander seeds,and grind with ginger,garlic,chill pd,turmeric with little water.Keep aside.Cook rice with little salt and 1/2 tbsp butter until done.Fluff the rice to seperate the grains,spread and let it cool in a wide pan.



Heat ghee or butter,add cumin seeds and onions and saute until they are golden.Add Zucchini pieces,saute.Add ground masala,fry for 3 mins,add in yoghurt,tomatoes, and fry until you see the oil on top. Now add all the cooked beans and carrots with salt,mix well and simmer for 5 mins until thickish paste.When rice is cooled,sprinkle saffron milk(optional),mix.



Add the cooked Pulao masala into the rice and mix well gently, adjust the salt and sprinkle some cilantro and mix.
That's it.Tastes great after few hrs of resting the Pulao.Serve with Salad,lemon slices and crisps or Pakoras and a yummy dessert!




Another arial look!! :D




What's my most memorable moment?
We used to live in Dover, England at that time.We were married for 4yrs by then, we felt we are ready to have a baby and we had our daughter about 9 months later.She was born 5 weeks pre-mature.Although she was healthy and perfect,the hospital kept her there for the first 4 days just keep an eye on her very mild Jaundice she had, which is normal for most newborns.

I went home on the 2nd day without her,felt strange but had to think of her wellbeing.When she came home on the 5th day, Arvind suddenly disappeared for few hrs and here I was, upset and thinking how insensitive of him to leave me alone NOW with the new baby!! He showed up hrs later and as I was about to open my mouth,he gave me a red little box!I opened it and my jaw dropped.

There it was! A beautiful Diamond Necklace with 5 stones in it for every year we have been married,my first ever diamond jewelry! He had driven from Dover to Canterbury just to buy it and drove back within few hrs to surprise me!! How about that for a memorable moment!!It did make me forget those 4 days alone at home without our brand new baby with us!

And that baby Trisha is going to be 16yrs old next month and just recieved a "National Association of High School Scholars" membership and a medal!! How about that for a "preemie"?!:)) Enjoy...

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE !

Strawberry Shortcake is my contribution to Maheswari's AFAM 'Fruit of a month' event.Can you guess what fruit for February the "month of love" would be? Strawberries of course!!:) Thank you for hosting Mahesh.



Strawberry Shortcake:Serves 4-6




To make Strawberry Shortcake,you need:
Pre-heat the oven to 450F.
Slice 1 cup Strawberries.Chill in the Fridge.
Add few strawberries to 1/2 cup Yogurt,2 tbsp Sugar and blend until smooth,,chill in the fridge.
You need Whipped Cream home made or store-bought.
Some powdered Sugar to sprinkle on top.

Here's how:



Mix 1 cup Plain flour, 3tbsp softened butter,1/4 cup sugar,1 tsp grated Lemon zest,1/4 tsp Ginger pd,2 tsp Baking powder/1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence until crumbly.Add 4 Strawberries chopped and 7-9 tbsp milk,mix gently just until it clings together.



Take a double layer ed thick bottomed baking sheet,divide the dough into four or six(do not mix the dough too much)and place them on the sheet few inches apart.Put in the oven and bake for 6-10 mins or until puffed and lightly golden on top.Do not overbake!




Take them,slide them onto a cooling rack and cool them completely.Carefully slice across each Shortcake into two.It's easy to slice if you chill them in the fridge covered for a while to soften them.These will not feel like soft cake but crumbly on top,softer inside.




To serve: Take a dessert plate,place bottom half of Shortcake,layer with 2-4 tbsp of Strawberry Yoghurt,whipped cream,slices of Strawberries and put the top of shortcake and sprinkle with sugar powder to serve immedietely.Tastes divine!!:))




Did you know that Strawberry is the state fruit of Louisiana?!


Some known facts about Strawberries:
Garden Strawberry is the most common variety of strawberry cultivated worldwide. Like all strawberries,it is in the family Rosaceae.It's fruit is technically known as an accessory fruit,in that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the peg at the bottom of the bowl-shaped hypanthium that holds the ovaries.The Garden Strawberry originated in Europe in the early 18th century.More Info at WIKI.
Nutrition: One cup (144 g) of strawberries constitutes approximately 45 calories (188 kJ) and is an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.


Now get a fork and dig in!



Enjoy with your honey!;))

SOUTH OF THE BORDER FARFALLE!

South of the Border Farfalle is my contribution to Kalyn's "Weekend Herb Blogging",who is also the hosting this week at 'Kalynskitchen'.Thank you Kalyn. The herb I am using today is Cilantro.





Cilantro:





Cilantro/Coriander leaves is the leaf of the young coriander plant,an herb in the parsley family.Cilantro and Coriander seeds from the Coriander plants are traditionally used in Middle Eastern,Mexican and Asian cooking extensively.
History Of Cilantro:
Coriander is probably one of the first herbs to be used by mankind, perhaps going back as far back as 5000 BC. It is mentioned in early Sanskrit writings in India dating from about 1500 BC.The Romans spread it throughout Europe and it was one of the first spices to arrive in America!






Cilantro should be used crushed or chopped in the dishes in small amounts as it has a strong flavor.Cilantro is a perfect addition to Mexican and Indian dishes.Add Cilantro to salsas and bean dips, in sour cream and use it as a topping for chili, tacos,enchiladas and most Indian dishes as well.(www.culinarycafe.com) More info here.

South of the Border Cilantro-Cream Cheese Farfalle Pasta:


You Need: Serves Two

1 cup Farfalle(Bow Tie) pasta,1/2 of 8oz block of 1/3rd fat Cream Cheese(Neufchatel),1 tbsp minced Jalapenos,1-2 tbsp minced Cilantro,1 tsp Garlic pd,3 tbsp Green Onions chopped,1/2 cup Spinach chopped and cooked,1/4 cup 2% milk,1 tbsp low-fat Sour Cream,salt.

How to:


In a bowl,take Cream Cheese and bring it to room temp..To this add 1 tsp minced Jalapenos,1-2tbsp minced Cilantro,1 tsp Garlic pd,3tbsp Green onions chopped,,1/2 cup frozen Spinach cooked,1/4 cup milk,1 tbsp Fat-Free Sour cream, pinch of salt,mix well.



Warm the above mixture in the microwave with 50% power if you have it just for a minute or two until warm, NOT SIMMER OR BOIL.Adjust the seasoning.
Cook 1 cup Farfalle or Bow Tie pasta,drain,let it cool a bit and add to the Cream Cheese sauce and mix well.




Note:
1. You could add more Cilantro if you like or replace it with Dill or Parsley.
2. The above block of spicy Cream Cheese you see in the photo,I usually make it without adding milk or sour cream,mould to a rectangle and chill in the fridge.Tastes great with Bagels.

Your spicy and Tangy "South of the Border Farfalle"
is ready to be served!



Enjoy the quick and delicious Pasta!:)