Involtini de Melanzane: Baked Eggplant Rolls

I admit my son is a fussy eater and I can do absolutely nothing about it!!

Deep in my heart, somewhere I feel hugely responsible that maybe I haven't done my duty as a mom, being really busy with my work when he was a small child, in introducing healthy eating habits or rather enforcing them. Seriously, put a plate of veggies in front of him and he shrinks away from it as if it is diseased. 

When he was younger, he was fixated on eating only these two vegetables - cauliflower and beans (sadly now he has renounced these too). So for years and years, that is what my maid used to prepare for him in lunch, alternating between the two for a change of flavor. Though, thankfully he loved his fruits, giving me a feeling of false assurance that somehow atleast in some way he is getting his nutrients.

I remember when he was just 7, sending my kids off for a summer camp for a week. When they came back my daughter told me that the young fella did not touch the vegetables and had only Roti (Indian flat bread) for the entire week, headstrong and obstinate that he was!!

And then there was my little daughter, who was an adorable angel as a child and never made a fuss about anything (ofcourse life changes and kids change when they reach their teens!!). To make sure that she didn't suffer the onslaught of cauliflower and beans, a separate dish was made for her as she was one who loved to explore new flavors and taste. Hats off to my good old maid that she did not give up and run away.

The fuss was only about vegetables, but give him a plate of chicken any day and he was quite happy with it. And yes, not to forget mashed potatoes with loads of butter and cheese in it. So over time, I have had my mind frazzled thinking of and devising ways in which I could feed him vegetables hidden in any form so that he doesn't recognize it and eats it happily. I know these are rantings of a frustrated mom so please go ahead and ignore me!!
I guess, I would not be the only one complaining about my kids and I am sure this would be the dilemma of half the moms in the world.  But in the long run everyone survives and so shall he!! Fingers crossed!!

I love experimenting with new recipes. A few days back I came over this recipe of Involtini and it looked delicious and most important really simple to make. Grilled eggplants rolled with a filling of ricotta and baked topped with fresh mozzarella and pasta sauce sounded deliciously appetizing. There is something about eggplants, inspite of its versatility, that most people either like it or hate it. Though the recipe is essentially a meatless version, I threw in a layer of minced meat at the bottom to make it a bit lucrative for the fussy eaters in our house. 

To my surprise the fussy eater loved it!! Yipee!! I felt I had won an Oscar because I was so sure he was not even going to taste it. Maybe the eggplants couldn't be deciphered, well hidden under the bubbling mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce or perhaps the whole combination with the mincemeat did the trick but whatever it was it left me a very happy soul!! And yes I am going to make this dish again soon to make sure it wasn't just a lucky fluke. If you too have a fussy eater in your house, do try this recipe. Who knows you too might hit a jackpot.

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 20 min    Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
3 medium sized eggplants 
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins soaked in hot water for 10 minutes until they plump up
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
11/2 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves or 1 tsp dried parsley
1 large egg (can be omitted)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
21/2 cups pasta sauce ( I used a store bought one but you can make it fresh too)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella in 1/4 inch slices

• Heat oven to 375 F.
• Cut the eggplant into slices about 1/2" thick. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat. working in batches, brush eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and cook, turning till the eggplant turns soft. Keep aside to cool.
• In a large bowl combine feta, pine nuts, raisins, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest, mint and parsley. Mix in egg and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread the eggplant slices on a surface and divide stuffing evenly among them. Place 1 to tbsp. at one end of each slice. Roll up slices tightly to secure filling and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish (or other shallow baking pan in which rolls fit snugly in a single layer)
• Pour the pasta sauce on top of the eggplant rolls. arrange mozzarella slices in a line lengthwise down center of the pan. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake until cheese  has melted and eggplant is bubbling and fragrant, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Rachel Ray's Baked Meatballs with what else but...Spaghetti!!

I am not even making excuses this time....its been weeks since my last post but I have decided to take it slow, relax and breathe easy. I realized there is no race I have to win in life so enjoy each moment thoroughly as it is handed to you, whether it is in a pot of gold or a clay pot, it is upto you to make the most of it.

I guess I am enjoying my pace of life too much. Its quiet and slow yet the day disappears quickly like smoke from fire. Its tiring yet somehow you feel a sense of achievement at the end of day. I guess that's what dignity of work does to you. I would have never thought a life bereft of maids, cook, car cleaners, my dhobi, presswala, the home delivery grocery store - life just didn't seem to be possible without them....and all of a sudden you are all of them!! And Hey you realize it's not all that bad. Life is going on pretty smooth and strong...and as they say on my own terms and time, no longer a prisoner to the whims and fancies of the merciless maid brigade.

The move to the United States has been a huge transition for all of us...my husband with kickstarting a new project in a foreign country, my son adjusting to a totally new environment, especially having studied in the same school back in India for 9 years, then coming here and trying to keep pace in class as he unfortunately missed the initial 90 days of school. But I guess, rather I hope he has finally been able to find a footing for himself in his new school and will soon make good friends. 

And that's not the end, with my daughter starting college here next week, she too would have to go through her phase of adjusting and adapting to a totally different culture. Fingers crossed the move here was well worth  the trouble and hope it's a fun ride for all of us.

As for me for the time being, I am enjoying familiarizing myself with the different supermarkets (what an enjoyable way to spend your time) and treating myself and, it goes without saying my family to my new experiments in the kitchen, out of which some are hits and quiet a few are misses, some are documented, many devoured without a wait. 

But keep a look out guys, I have quiet a few fabulous recipes lined up which hopefully will see the light of day soon on this blog. Till then enjoy yourself with this extremely light and flavorful recipe of baked meatballs and spaghetti which has been adapted from Rachel Ray's original recipe. Its easy and quick and makes you feel healthier as the meatballs are baked. The baked meatballs to my surprise turned out quite juicy and soft and good enough to eat on their own. The only thing I changed in her recipe is to reduce the worcestershire sauce to half and substituted the canned tomatoes with fresh ones. Someone anything canned always leaves a slight aftertaste in my mouth, infact it kind of reminds me of the horrid iron tablets I used to eat during pregnancy. Yucks!! Fresh is anyday healthier and tastier too!!

I also added a few slices of dried salami to up the flavor in the sauce. that's optional of course.

So that's about it. I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I enjoyed eating it. I'm telling you this one is a keeper.

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti

Salt for pasta water

To make the Meatballs:

11/4 pounds ground sirloin

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it (I found 1 tsp was enough for me)

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, a couple of handfuls

1/4 grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper

To make the Sauce:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp  crushed chilli flakes

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup beef stock

1 can(28 ounce) crushed tomatoes (I used 6-7 fresh tomatoes, boiled them, de-skinned and then blended them in a mixer for a fresher taste)

A handful chopped flat leaf parsley

10 leaves fresh basil leaves or 11/2 tsp dried basil

Grated Cheese such as Parmigiano- Reggiano or Romano for sprinkling on top.

Method:

To make the meatballs:-

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 11/2 inch medium sized meatballs and place on a nonstick cookie sheet or a greased cookie sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Bake the meatballs 10 to 12 minutes till no longer pink. Keep aside.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain. run under cold water and keep aside.

To make the sauce: Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is a bit soft and transparent. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10- 12 minutes. Add in the meatballs and cook for further 3-4 minutes so that the meatballs absorb some of the flavor from the sauce. 

Toss the drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce. Serve with the grated cheese on top.

Toasted Ravioli

Ever heard of toasted Ravioli? Imagine biting into hot crispy pasta filled with minced meat and melting mozarella cheese, rolled in bread crumbs, deep fried and then have it dipped in marinara sauce!! Sounds unfamiliar, doesn't it? I too had never thought of ravioli in this form. But believe me this is the yummiest pasta can ever get!!

Toasted ravioli is an appetizer which was created and popularized in St. Louis, Missouri. Generally, some type of meat or cheese is wrapped in a square ravioli, breaded and deep-fried until the pasta shell becomes crispy and golden brown. Of course you can bend the rules, like I did and made a round ravioli shape as I found it easier, and the choices for the filling can be varied according to your choice. These breaded pasta pockets make a delicious hot finger food that can be snacked on at any time of the day.

For the Ravioli

11/2  plain flour

2  large eggs

1-2 tbsp water

1 egg beaten slightly

a pinch of salt

For the filling

300 gms minced meat (keema)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp dried rosemary

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato puree

50 gms Mozzarella cheese, grated 

To Serve

1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

 1 egg beaten

 Vegetable oil for frying

To prepare the Mince meat filling:

Thoroughly wash the mince meat and put in a pressure cooker with 1 ½   cups of water.
Add ½ tsp salt and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. 
Then lower the gas, and simmer further for 10-12 minutes.
Remove from heat and keep aside till the pressure is released.
In a pan, heat oil and fry the onions till lightly browned. 
Add in the chopped garlic and cook for a further minute.
Add the tomato puree and the dried rosemary and boil the minced meat till the water dries up. 
Check for seasoning.
Cook for 5-7 minutes more till the meat is nicely browned.
Add the grated cheese to the meat mixture and mix thoroughly.
Keep the filling aside.

  To make the Ravioli

In a food processor, combine and process flour, eggs and salt till well mixed. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp water until mixture forms a dough.

Remove dough and shape into a ball. 

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough about 1 minute or until smooth. 

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into four portions. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll into small discs or just roll out into a big sheet, then with the help of a cutter cut round shapes.

Brush the discs lightly with beaten egg. This will help form a seal.

Fill the ravioli by dropping the mince meat in the center.

Cover the ravioli filling with another round disc. 

Press down firmly on the top to seal the edges around the filling.

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Now roll the ravioli in the flour and shake off any excess.

Then dip the floured ravioli in the beaten egg, making sure it is completely covered in the egg.

Once again dip the ravioli in the flour

Heat oil in a pan. 

Fry the ravioli in batches turning until golden brown and crispy.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to paper towels to drain. 

Sprinkle with extra cheese. 

Serve hot with marinara sauce

Home made Lasagna with Mince Meat

I like to keep things simple and even more so in this blazing heat. I made this dish for dinner last night and what I loved most about it that in spite of the dish looking and sounding so complicated, it was quite easy to make. This is how it worked for me - I kept my mince meat  in the pressure cooker on one burner, was rolling my lasagna sheets and simultaneously boiling them in a pan on the second burner and getting my white sauce ready on the third burner - And by the end of it, I actually felt like a super woman!! 

The trick was that I prepared my pasta dough the night before, so in the morning it was well rested and ready to roll. As I was using the mince meat to just layer in between the pasta sheets, it didn't need hard-core cooking but just needed to be pressure cooked and then the water to be dried (not to endlessly bhuno like in an Indian dish). The best part is that for seasoning the mince meat, I just emptied one and a half packet of Maggi Bhuna masala in the meat and nothing else!! No ginger, No garlic, No added masalas!! NO, not even a drop of oil!! The ready made masala had enough oil of its own. The masala actually worked like magic!! Just boiled the whole thing together till the water dried up and with just a little sprinkling of dried rosemary,my filling was ready and it tasted so good. The entire dish was licked up clean!!

With everything ready, all you have to do now is assemble your dish. Didn't I tell you it was really simple ?

I used the 'Maggi Bhuna Masala' for the first time and that too in a continental dish. Contrary to what I had thought, I was surprised to find the flavors really subtle, unlike so many other ready made masalas, which come out tasting artificial and awfully tangy, leaving a distinct after taste. Here, in this dish, it was hard to tell that the flavors had come out of a packet, they were so good. As for the pasta, have the dough ready at night, so in the morning you just have to roll the sheets out and boil them. Please don't skip this part and reach out for store bought pasta!! I can tell you there is a world of difference between the store bought and freshly made pasta. Once you start making pasta at home, you will find it so easy, convenient, economic and of course healthy, you will think twice before buying a packet of pasta from the stores. 

So, what are you waiting for ? Try it out as here's a complex dish I  made really simple for you!!

For the lasagna sheets

300 gms plain flour

3 large eggs

30 ml olive oil

a pinch of salt

For the filling

500 gms minced meat (keema)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp dried rosemary.

11/2 packet Maggi Bhuna Masala

1 cup Cheese sauce

50 gms Mozzarella cheese, grated 

Method

To prepare your pasta dough: 

In a food processor blend all the ingredients until the mixture begins to form a ball. At this time, if you find the dough a little dry add a tablespoon or two of water. Take it out on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic, for about 8-10 minutes. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and keep in the fridge to rest.

In the morning, take the dough and cut it into four pieces. (If you don't have a pasta machine, don't worry!! It's not the end of the world. I have one and still haven't as yet mastered its use). So go ahead, dust your work surface with flour and roll it out into thin round sheets using a rolling pin. (I rolled the sheets round as I was using a round dish, you can cut them according to the size of your dish). Boil lots of salted water with 2 tbsp oil and drop your pasta sheets in the boiling water. You will notice, they cook much quicker than the store bought pasta. In just 2-3 minutes, the pasta sheets will start floating to the top, indicating that they are done. Drain the sheets and keep them aside

Lay a damp clean towel on the rolled sheets so that they don't dry out.

To make the minced meat:

Thoroughly wash the meat and put in a pressure cooker with enough water. Add 1/2 tsp salt and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Then lower the gas, and simmer further for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep aside till the pressure is released. Add in 11/2 packet of  Maggi bhuna masala and cook the keema till the water dries up.            

To make the Cheese Sauce :

Heat 3 tbsp butter (you can use half oil, half butter). Add 3 rounded tbsp flour. Cook for a few seconds till the flour browns slightly, then add 11/2 cups cold milk. Stir well till the mixture boils and thickens.Take off the heat and add 50 gms grated cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper and mustard powder.

To assemble the dish:

Preheat oven to 200C

Take a dish and spoon a layer of cheese sauce at the bottom.

Lay the prepared lasagna sheet on top of the sauce,

Spread a layer of the mince meat filling on the sheet and top it with the cheese sauce.

Keep repeating the layers ending with the cheese sauce.

Sprinkle generously with the mozzarella cheese. 

Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and turned golden brown.

Remove from oven and cool the lasagna before serving.

Make your own Pasta from scratch

Today my work is cut out for me. 

I have decided to make pasta at home right from scratch. Till now, I have bought pasta from the stores but today I feel like being different. I had planned to make Chicken Strogannoff  for dinner but have run out of boxed pasta. Having heard and read so much about how good and fresh home made pasta tastes, I thought instead of going to the market in this heat why not try making the same at home.

This recipe is adapted from Nikki's blog "Cook with Nikki-Anyone Can Be a Chef! 
I love the way she makes the recipe look so simple and easy to follow by showing step-by-step photographs which rightly so was. When rolling out the dough, make sure that you roll it out as thin as you can (about 1/8 of an inch thick). In my hurry to make the second batch, the pasta came out much thicker. Still edible - but thinner would be much preferable. 
As this was a first time for me I am quite happy the way my pasta turned out - ofcourse the final judgement would be tonight on the dinner table.


Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp olive oil
Water - as needed to knead the dough.

Method

Combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center and break in the eggs. 

Add the olive oil and with a quick hand mix the flour and the egg. Mix in enough water to bring the flour together and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes till smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in a clingflim and keep it aside to "rest" for about 30 minutes.

When you are ready, on a clean surface roll out the dough with a rolling pin as thin as you can manage. This is what is going to make all the difference to your pasta. Between each roll, dust more flour and keep moving the dough so that it does not stick to the counter.

Cut into thin strips as required. I took the help of a pizza cutter and a ruler.

 Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 3 to 4 minutes just until al dente. Don't forget to stir in  between to ensure that the pasta does not stick together.

Remove from heat and drain the water. Add a tsp of olive oil and gently mix it in.

Put the pasta in a bowl and enjoy it with your favorite sauce.

My pasta served with Chicken Strogonaff

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Spaghetti with Eggplant, Olives and Tomato Sauce

When I saw David Rocco, host of the food show  "Dolce Vita" using eggplants in a pasta sauce, I thought it to be most unusual and frankly speaking, not the least bit appetizing. Here in India, we are more used to having eggplants (commonly known as baingan) in a  typical Indian style - roasted, grilled or fried and made into a vegetable with a lot of spices.

. David's method actually caught my attention and send my imagination soaring as to how would the sauce with eggplants taste with spaghetti. I could never have thought, even in my wildest dreams, of having these two together. Not wanting to wait, the very next day I set about making this dish, inspired by David's "Pasta Al Forno" (I can almost hear him pronouncing the name of the dish in his typical Italian accent ).

 I thought why not give it a shot especially as I also had to submit an entry for the "Crazy Cooking Challenge".  Also, as eggplants are not a great favorite with most kids (at least not mine), I was tempted by the thought that maybe it might appeal to my kids in this disguised form along with the spaghetti, which is an all time favorite of theirs - with or without the sauce. 

So, I went ahead and made the sauce with a few changes here and there and surprisingly the recipe came out much better than I had expected. I also added some minced meat (leftover from the previous day) to the sauce and the end result was a great smashing-finger-licking sauce. 

About my kids enjoying the pasta sauce?  Well !! My son, who runs miles away from this vegetable, at first did not complain much as he did not know what he was eating, but sadly the moment he realised what was in the sauce the inevitable happened and all my dubious efforts were made to naught.

Never mind, I will still determinedly keep trying, as I think it is an ongoing battle with most of us moms.

Eggplant is probably not for everyone, but if you are one of those who enjoy eggplant, or want to try introducing them to your family and don't know how, this is a good place to start.

Ingredients

400 gms spaghetti

4 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large eggplant, cut into cubes 

15 olives, pitted and halved

250 gms leftover minced meat

For the tomato sauce

6 large tomatoes                                                            

4 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp dried Thyme                                 

Method

Boil the tomatoes in water for 6 -7 minutes till the skin starts coming off. Peel off the skin and puree.

Sprinkle some salt on the cut eggplants and keep them aside for about 30 minutes to release some of their juices.

In a saucepan, heat up olive oil and saute the aubergines until golden brown. Place the fried aubergines on a kitchen paper to drain. 

In the same oil, add the onions and garlic.

Cook until onions are soft.

Stir in the pureed tomatoes, tomato ketchup, minced meat, dried thyme, olives and salt.

Simmer and cook the sauce for 15 minutes.

Add the eggplants and simmer for 5 minutes more.

While the sauce is cooking prepare the pasta according to the directions given on the package.

As soon as the sauce is ready serve it hot over spaghetti garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

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