Pesto with a Twist

The other day, I went to the supermarket and saw various bottles of pesto. Picked up one and checked for date, it was beyond expiry date, kept it back. Picked another bottle and checked the price…my eyes popped out..a small bottle of pesto was around Rs300…gosh!..it sure is rich-men’s food, how will common man eat?

Well! A commoner like me does eat it when I can make it on my own in the comfort of my home. I relish these kinds of food but then I always believe that what we like we should be able to make it…..

And it is so easy to make, all we need is the right ingredients, little time to spend in the kitchen and little creativity. I checked few sites and few u-tube presentations, learnt the basics and then decided to make my own version to suit my palate..

So off I was, on my way to kitchen, making the first ever pesto……

Step 1: 

Collect all the ingredients such as 7-8 pods garlic, 4 red chilies, 2 green chilies, 1 cup basil leaves, 2 tbsp pine nuts, 20grams cheese and 4 tbsp olive oil

Step 2

Chop together basil and garlic

Step 3

Add Pine nuts and chop it again, mixing with basil n garlic

Step 4

Add Red and Green Chilies and chop it again into the mixture

Step 5

Grate the cheese and mix it 

Step 6

Transfer the mixture into the clean and sterilized bottle

Step 7

Add Olive oil on the top

Step 8

Store it in the refrigerator

Best enjoyed with boiled macaroni, mix the pesto with macaroni and top it with stir fried mixed vegetables

The stir fried vegetables I have made many times, remember this?

First Bite of the Day

How many times have we heard people advising us to eat the first meal of the day like a king? How many of us know one king personally? I would love to share a meal with a King if I had a chance, but know none in India. I am sure he must be eating same Vada Sambar, Puri Bhajji or perhaps Parathas for breakfast. In that case I say “No, thank you!”

I would rather eat toast and have a glass of fresh fruit juice.

For toast I would need bread, but who needs to bake bread if they are freely available at bread boutiques? On the second thought I think I could try...

I like the Baguette,

Image source: http://wholesomemommy.com/french-baguette/

When in Spain, this French Baguette was must-shop item on our shopping list. The supermarket near our house used to sell these freshly baked and I would finish half of it while waiting at parking lot. Crusty on the top and chewy within, this long thin loaf was a delight.

Have you tried Sourdough bread?

Image source: http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/1940007.html

This is another favorite choice of breads on the days when I am too lazy to make chappatis. This has a distinctly tangy and complex flavor and can be used in the most innovative way. Slice it and top it with vegetables and cheese or simple have it with stew or soups, a perfect meal by itself.

Now-a-days I normally prefer Multi-Grain bread.

Image Source: http://www.featurepics.com/online/Multi-Grain-Bread-958025.aspx

Prefer this multi-grain bread because it is most nutritionally complex of all. It has less refined flour and more of other grains like oats, rye, millet and yellow corn. Moreover, it is easily available at the supermarket near my house.

So if my guest plan to spend the night at my house, multi-grain toast is what she gets as the first bite of the day.

Like this morning, I had some straw mushrooms in the fridge and I decided to cook it to make a topping for the toast. In a pan, stir fried garlic, straw mushroom, spring onions, tomatoes, green chilies and coriander leaves.

Transfer the cooked veggies on the bread

 Grate the cheese over the veggies

 and Bake it for 5 minutes.

My guests was all smiles from ear to ear, who wouldn't be?