Penne Pasta Tomato Delight

Quick,Easy and Filling recipe that has goodness of vegetables and Durum-Wheat Pasta.You can experiment with a variety of Pasta shapes but this is my personal favorite. You can add any veggies of your choice and even spinach puree and treat your senses with this yummy recipe.I have added flaxseeds for that extra dash of health.

Ingredients:

• Penne Pasta 1 cup boiled as per instructions on the pack
• Thinly sliced onions
• Thinly sliced carrots
• Thinly sliced capsicum(use all 3 colored capsicum for extra colors)
• Boiled sweet corn 1/4 cup
• Garlic pods 1 to 2
• Oregano 1 tsp
• Salt,Pepper to taste
• Few flaxseeds
• Red chilli flakes 1 tsp
• Pasta sauce 1/4 cup or more as your taste preference.
• Mozzarella/Any Cheese of your choice shredded

Note: I used readymade Delmonte Pasta sauce.You can prepare your own if time permits and preserve for future use.

Pasta sauce:

Chop some tomatoes

Puree some tomatoes

Heat oil,add garlic followed by the tomatoes and pureed ones,add oregano, chilli flakes,pepper and salt.Let it boil nicely till raw smell vanishes.Mix few drops of tomato ketchep and preserve for use.

Method:

• Boil Pasta as per pack instructions and drain the water completely.Set aside.Do not overcook else it doesn't taste good.
• In a pan,heat olive oil.Saute garlic and onions.Follow it by carrots,capsicums and boiled sweet corn.The vegetables can be maintained crunchy.
• Add in oregano, salt,pepper ,flaxseeds and chilli flakes.
• Add in the Pasta and mix well.
• Switch off the flame.Now add in the Pasta sauce and give a nice stir.
• Top it off with cheese shredding and enjoy with ketchup.

Beetroot Millet Pakodas/Fritters

These colourful crispy fritters is a delicious twist to the normal pakodas made with leftover rice.Here I have uplifted the health quotient(I know its a fried snack..But sshhhh! once a while is OK I say :)) by adding my leftover beetroot curry & foxtail millet rice.You can try with any of your leftover veggie and I'm sure kids would relish it and ask for more.

Ingredients:

• Leftover rice 1 cup. I used foxtail millet rice.
• Beetroot Curry/Poriyal leftover 
• Onions 1/4 cup
• Fried cashewnuts few
• Green chillies according to taste
• Rice flour 3 to 4 tsp
• Salt to adjust
• Lemon juice 
• Chilli powder to taste
• Coriander and Pudhina leaves few

Method:

Mix all the ingredients well and add rice flour to get a binding consistency. Make sure you are able to make small balls.

Deep fry in hot oil.Serve with chutney or ketchup.

Hot and crunchy on the outside,soft and flavourful on the inside ,these Pakodas are a good way to use leftover rice and veggies.

The mint flavor and colour of beetroot gives a visual treat apart from delighting your taste buds.

Dates Flavoured Millet Cookies

Millet cookies - Yes you heard it right.No Maida .No whole wheat.These are healthy munch-ons with the goodness of dates.

Ingredients:
Millet Flour 1 1/2 cup
Corn flakes 2 tsp -I used organic ones
Palm sugar 1/4 cup
Melted Butter or oil little more than 1/4 cup
Dates Syrup 2 tsp
Baking powder a pinch
Vanilla flavour a tsp
Milk for kneading

Method
1. Sieve the Millet Flour with baking powder.
2.Powder the palm sugar with cornflakes.
3.Mix the above with Oil or butter, Vanilla essence and dates syrup in a wide bowl.
4.Start kneading and add few tsp of milk if you find the dough too try.You need not make a round ball from it,just make sure you are able to make small round cookies that held firm and do not break if you shape it.
5.Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.Bake these goodies at 180 degree for 15 mins and 160 degrees for last 5 to 10 mins.Check by looking at the base of the cookies,should be slightly brown.
6.Once you remove the cookies from the oven, they will be soft.Let them allow to cool and you will get melt in mouth crisp cookies.

With no added Maida,the goodness of these Dates Flavoured Millet Cookies will delight your taste buds.

Note:

• At any time you can adjust the sweetness of your cookies.
• Make sure the mixture do not crumble when you try to shape them.If so add more milk or oil to hold it together.