Let's cook. And eat.

The inspiration came from a friend who made a chicken pot pie. And when I saw the pictures of her  prebaked dish it reminded me of my mom’s own baked vegetables in white sauce.  The process itself was straightforward, especially since Mr. S helped with the prep work.  Sautéed chopped onion and garlic in a little butter. Kept adding chopped veggies to it - carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, peas etc. Once they are a little done, sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of flour. Mix. Add milk - 1.5 cups. Flavor with salt, pepper, paprika. Let the sauce thicken. Top with chopped green onions and thyme.  Put in baking dish, cover with a puff pastry lattice and brush with egg wash. Bake for 30 minutes at 400F. Big hit with Master S too. He called dibs on leftovers for next day lunch. 😃

Finally got around to making home made pasta. So good. And fairly easy. Not going back to storemade pasta anytime soon.  Recipe followed:  https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/homemade-pasta/ Used 2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 cup semolina. 

When your friend shares some bhaji, you make some pav from scratch.  Followed this recipe and they turned out great. Gone in a jiffy!  I did use some sourdough starter to replace some of the flour-water. Used a cup of starter and reduced flour and water by half cup each.  https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/homemade-ladi-pav-and-buns/ And I also asked my friend for her pav bhaji recipe - she did such a good job with what she shared with us. Here is what she messaged back with -  “ https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/pav-bhaji-recipe/ I make it in the instant pot, I also add a little bit of beetroot for color.  I’ve used badshah pav bhaaji masala and I don’t add tomato paste, just fresh tomatoes.  Top with chopped onions, butter, lemon juice and cilantro.  “ Life is good. 

Homemade brioche buns just came out of the oven. Master S has braces now and loves to eat them because they are soft.  Recipe followed as is:  https://www.theclevercarrot.com/2013/05/light-brioche-hamburger-buns/ Super easy and I love how my house smells when I have just baked fresh bread. 

Mr. S steps into the kitchen occasionally and always dishes out yummy stuff.  He made Eggs Kejriwal today. Picked the recipe from Dishoom’s cookbook but you can find it (and many variations) online easily.  And to help here is his photo stream of the process. Fairly easy! And colorful. And yummy. 

So hot today it was ridiculous. I was reminded of how my mom used to give us Roohafza with milk on such days.  Made this rose flavored Israeli dessert - it was refreshing and just what we needed. Used rice flour to make it and added cardamom for some extra flavor. Replaced the vanilla essence with rose essence and used rose syrup to top it.  https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/israeli-kitchen/recipes/how-make-malabi-milk-pudding

Greek or hung yoghurt mixed with minced garlic, salt and black pepper to form the base sauce Greek salad with lettuce, red onion, cucumbers, grape tomatoes tossed in lemon juice, olive oil, seasonings for the pickled stuffing.  Halloumi sliced, coated with olive oil, red pepper flakes, dried oregano or Greek seasoning. Grill the halloumi on a hot griddle for 2-3 minutes each side.  All these 3 go on warmed lavash to form a wrap. Oh so good!