Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
• For Alfredo Sauce:
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 (6-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup chicken broth, or more, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the Alfredo sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.

• Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

• Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

• Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. 

• Stir in cheese and chicken broth until smooth, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• Add more chicken broth as needed until desired consistency is reached.

• Fry shrimps in 1 tbsp olive oil with salt & pepper until pink, firm and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes and set aside.

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

• Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine shrimp, pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, red pepper flakes and alfredo sauce.

• Add pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and top with Parmesan.

• Place into oven and bake until golden brown and cheese has melted, about 10 minutes.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

¬Enjoy!

Special Puri Paratha

Special Puri Paratha

Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ kg white flour
• 1 cup brown flour / atta
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup luke warm milk
• Lukewarm water, as required
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp ghee / purified butter
• 4 tbsp oil

Method

• Add white flour, brown flour, baking powder, milk, sugar, ghee (purified butter) and knead a soft dough adding luke warm water as required.
• Keep this dough aside, covered with wet dishcloth or with a lid for 3-4 hours.
• Divide this flour into small portions.
• Take a portion and roll it into a thin roti / tortilla.

• Brush melted ghee on it.
• Make a slit as shown in the picture and start rolling it clockwise till it makes a cone.

• Set the cone on its narrow end and with your palm, flatten the broader end.

• Roll it into a slightly thick roti / tortilla.

• Cook it on non-stick tawa pan on medium-high heat while adding melted ghee.

• Serve with omelette or potato cutlets / aaloo bhujia or cooked spicy minced meat.

¬Enjoy! 

Chicken Lo Mein

Better than Take-out

Chicken Lo Mein

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 servings of egg noodles
• 3 tbsp. of hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp hot chili siracha sauce
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. of soy sauce
• 2 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp of cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. of ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup of carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup of sugar snap peas, halved
• 1 pound of chicken breast, sliced
• Chopped scallions for garnish

Method:

• Prepare all your vegetables.

• Mix sauces, set aside.

• Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic cloves, stir until fragrant.

• Add chicken, cook until no longer pink (3 to 4 minutes) and set the chicken aside.

• In the same wok, add onions, mushrooms, carrots and sugar snap peas. Stir fry until vegetables are tender.

• Add chicken and stir.

• Add the cooked egg noodles.

• Toss in sauce and cook for another three minutes.

• Garnish with scallions and enjoy!

(Recipe courtesy #BuzzfeedTasty)

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

A decadent & most delicious South Asian dessert, popular in Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan & Nepalese Cuisines.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup NIDO or any other full cream milk powder
• 2 tbsp Sooji
• 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 tbsp Ghee / Purified Butter
• 1 Egg
• Sheera / Sugar Syrup:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• 3-4 Illaichi / Cardamom
• Yellow / Orange food color (optional)

Method:

• Make sheera (sugar syrup) first as you need it luke warm before you can add gulab jamun balls in it.
• Boil sugar in water with cardamoms until solution thickens a bit and is of syrupy consistency.
• Let it cool down to luke warm temperature and meanwhile prepare dough.
• Mix all above ingredients for gulab jamun dough and knead until smooth.

• Make smalls balls.

• Deep fry them on low heat until golden brown (or as per your liking). 

• While frying gulab jamun will increase in size.
• Now add gulab jamun in sheera / sugar syrup and let them immersed for a while and they will increase in size even more.

¬ Serve & enjoy!

Tips: 

• Make sure to stir gulab jamun continuously while frying or balls will be of uneven colour. 
• Moreover flame should be low or medium low. High flame will cause gulab jamun to get brown early from outside but dough will remain uncooked from inside.