Lazy Eggplant & Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

So, the other day I was craving some yummy sauce-licious pasta and then came across this recipe by Lee. This recipes contains most of my favorite ingredients : eggplant, tomato, basil and cream. Such a dreamy combination. The result was exactly what I envisioned in my mind : a rich creamy sauce, huge pasta and loads of parmesan. And to top it all, it was super easy and fast to make.

Lazy Eggplant & Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

(Serves 2)

List of ingredients

You will need:

• 350g of Pasta Of Your Choice (I Prefer big fat ones like the one pictured or Penne)
• Half of a medium Eggplant, cut into small dices
• 1 small onion or shallot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jar of roasted bell pepper, drained
• 1/2 cup Cream
• 2 small chilies (optional)
• Chopped fresh Basil (to taste)
• 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
• Shaved or grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp of Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the chopped onion/shallot and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. 
• Then add the chilies and drained bell peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and transfer the content to a blender. Purée until you get a paste (I like my sauce with some pepper chunks in it).
• Warm the same skillet and some oil. Put in the chopped eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. 
• Remove the eggplant from heat and keep.
• Transfer the roasted pepper sauce onto the skillet with the water and warm it over low heat. Stir in the eggplant and let it cook for another 8 minutes until bubbles start forming. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Finally fold in the cream and chopped basil and mix well. 
• Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat the pasta.
• Sprinkle with some grated or shaved parmesan and fresh basil and serve hot.

PS. I don't know how these big pasta twirls are called so if any of you know the name, please tell me. I am starting to make a fun pasta shape collection and this is my first proud addition. I hope you enjoy making and eating this as much as I did. Bon appétit les zamis !

Bol Renversé

Bol renversé, literally meaning Upside Down Bowl, is very a popular Mauritian dish. Although it definitely has Chinese origins, it doesn’t exist in authentic Chinese cuisine. I like to think that it is a hybrid dish that Chinese immigrants came up with by applying their cooking technique to local ingredients.

I LOVE bol renversé. 

Like love to death. I make it on special occasions such as the Independence Day or for Christmas dinners (not very traditional) but everyone loves it. One of the reasons, I like it so much is also because it is very easy to prepare and very versatile ingredient-wise. You can add any vegetables you have at hand and any meat of your choice. I usually prepare bol renversé with chicken and shrimp but I decided to pimp my bol renversé this time by substituting the meat to chicken sausage. It was a really fast and easy dinner fix.

Look at my picture. Should I say more?

Bol Renversé

(Serves 2)

You will need:

• 6 small chicken sausages, diced or sliced thickly
• 1 big onion, diced in quarters
• I small can of corn (maize)
• 1 bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
• 1 Carrot, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp maizena (cornflour)
• 4 tbsp Soy Sauce
• ½ cup water
• 1 tbsp white wine (optional)
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 cups cooked basmati rice

Steps:

• Heat wok over medium heat and add the 2 tbsp of oil.
  Add the crushed garlic followed by the sausage and the carrot. Stir-fry until half-cooked.
• Then add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook until tender.
• Lastly, add the corn and the wine and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes.
• In a glass, mix the oyster sauce, cornflour, water and soy sauce to form a sauce.
• Pour this sauce over the sausage/vegetable mixtures and let it cook a few minutes until the sauce thicken (less than 5 mins).
• Remove from heat and keep.
• Heat a pan with some oil and fry the egg with a pinch of salt.
• When cooked, transfer the fried egg to a small deep bowl, add the sausage/veggies mix and some sauce and cover with basmati rice. Cover with a flat dish. Flip the bowl over and tada! Your yummylicious bol renversé is ready.
•  

Enjoy hot with a hot chatini pomme d’amour (tomato salsa).

Quick Dinner Idea - Shrimp Pesto Pasta

Mauritius - June 9, 2012

Yesterday, after a loooong day driving around for work deliveries, I just wanted to come home and unwind. Only the parents were away for the weekend and that meant no steaming dinner waiting on the table. Tough luck! I thought long hard at my options: heat up a frozen pizza or come up with a really fast dinner. After a quick tour in the pantry I decided on my all-time favorite pasta:  the Tagliatelle. 

I discovered this yummy variation when I was visiting my sister in Paris. As all Mauritians, I am undoubtedly a great fan of macaroni (my mom used to make it veggie-style on Fridays) and spaghetti. But tagliatelle is so much easier and fun to cook with (it cooks faster than spaghetti) and I usually recommend getting it fresh. 

Anyway, I chose to whip up some quick creamy pesto tagliatelle for dinner to reward myself for another great productive day.

Creamy Shrimp Pesto Pasta
(Serves 4)

You will need:

• 500g tagliatelle pasta
• 500g large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 75g Pesto
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 garlic pods, crushed
• Small handful parsley, chopped
• Grated Parmesan cheese ( Kraft works too : )
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• Salt & Pepper
• Garam Masala (2 pinches)
  

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add tagliatelle pasta, and cook until al dente; drain.
• In a pan, heat butter and add the crushed garlic. Stir in the chopped parsley, followed closely by the shrimps. Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 mins, until they turn pink. Reserve.
• Pour the pesto in a large saucepan and heat for 2 mins. Ass the cream.
• Turn off heat and add the shrimps and tagliatelle. Mix thoroughly. Season again if need be. 
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (or Kraft) and Garam Masala and serve hot!

I added some cream to the pasta to have a more consistent sauce but you can omit it if you don't have any at hand.

Try this recipe for a romantic quick dinner. It works wonders!

Stuffed Eggplant Mauritian style

Paris - June 7, 2012

Rainy days like today make me crave for comfort foods. Except that it's been over a year since I have been to Mauritius and I am out of goodies. I know that they do sell some Mauritian goodies in Paris, at Strasbourg St Denis but I never go there. I just find it outrageous to pay 5€ for a Phoenix beer when it's worth 3 times less back home. Yes, I am cheap :)

Anywho, so I got out of work and I rummaged through my pantry looking for yummy corn mutton or mine apollo (instant noodles) but nothing so I came up with my own comfort food sample with the ingredients I had at hand namely eggplant (LOVE eggplant) and chicken. You can substitute the chicken for minced lamb for an even more amazing variation.

Now most of you here know my obsession for stuffed food. Eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, you name it. I adapted this recipe from Michael Chiarello. It's really easy and oh so good!

Stuffed Eggplant
(Serves 2)

You will need:

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 chicken breast (diced into tiny pieces)
• 1 big onion, small diced
• 3 twigs of Thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp virgin oil
• 1 green chili (optional)
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup Grated Cheese (cheddar, emmental, mozzarella)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon of Sundaram Spices Garam Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Steps:

• Cut the eggplant in half and let sit in salted water for 15 mins (it removes the bitterness).
• Preheat the oven at 180°C for 10 mins.
• Scoop out the center, leaving enought flesh on the sides for the skin to hold its shape when baked. Coat the skin evenly with some olive oil (apply the oil in your hands and rub it on the eggplant' skin so that it doesn't get burnt). Chop the scooped out flesh.
• In a deep ovenproof dish, put a dash of olive oil and the water. Put the empty eggplant halves (skin down) and cook in the oven for 15 mins or until tender.
• In the meanwhile, season the tiny diced chicken with the garlic, salt and pepper. In a pan, put the rest of the oilve oil and allow the chicken to cook for 15 mins. Add the chopped eggplant flesh, the thyme, diced onion, chili, paprika and tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Mix and let it simmer until the eggplant is fully cooked (approx. 15-20 mins).
• Turn off the heat. Add the egg, cheese (keep some on the side for the topping) and garam masala. Mix well.
• Fill the scooped-out eggplants with this mixture. Top with breadcrumbs and cheese.
• Place them back in the oven-proof dish (without the water) and cook for 25 mins in the preheated oven.
• Let cool briefly and serve with tomato salsa and bread.

Enjoy!

Bruschetta's the answer to everything!

Everyday when I get back from work, I swear to skip the frozen pizza, McDonalds or Picard frozen foods. I look forward to making delicous soups, salads and entrées and even cute cupcakes on occasions. Except that after going through the 45-min ride in the Parisian metro (hello homeless guy, zombie office workers and punk kids), a 20-min waiting line at the cash register in the Monoprix and 3 flight of stairs (I know this is not really a valid complaint to some but I wear heels, OKAY? :), I give up. I put it off to the next day... to skip the frozen pizza, Mc Donalds or Picard frozen foods but then... You get the picture.

So yesterday, after an exceptionally long day at work , I found that I only had a handful of ingredients in my fridge for a quick meal; some tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, mozzarella and bread. And then, I had an epiphany. What else but to make one's own bruschetta and indulge in a lavish homemade treat... all under 15 mins. That's when Bruschetta came on top of my list of quick, easy, and delicious fix!

Bruschetta
(Serves 2 - 3 per person)

You will need:

• A baguette cut in thin slices (or slices of any toasted bread)
• 2 diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp of Fresh minced or frozen basil
• 400g of Fresh mozarella (sliced)
• 1 Garlic crushed (optional)
• A drop of high quality Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

• Preheat the oven at 180°C for 10 mins.
• Mix the tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the mozarella in long thin slices.
• For garlic lovers, rub the bread with some garlic. If you don't like the strong taste, omit this step.
• Cover the bread with mozzarella slices.
• Put in oven until the cheese melts.
• Take out, lay tomato mix over the melted cheeseand enjoy!

Fast, easy and TASTY!

The cure of homesickness

I love Halim.

The steaming hot bowl of spice and meat. The crunchy baguette dipped in the thick soup. The tangy taste of lemon juice and chili paste.

MOUTH-WATERING!!

I never thought I knew how to prepare Halim. The list of ingredients was unfamiliar and long. It was always somebody's specialty ; an aunt or a cousin and it seemed a really tough challenge to try to make a Halim as good as them. I always insist for my mom to make it when I visit or my aunt when I'm in France but being by myself in the US and having a sudden craving for home, I had to improvise. Thankfully, I brought back some Epices pour Halim from my trip last month and so I logged on to sundaramspices.com to follow the recipe.

I actually customized the recipe with tips learned from my dad when my mom was making Halim. He told me to blend the roots of the coriander to give the soup a richer taste. I couldn't manage to find the roots but I used a lot of coriander leaves and that seemed to do the job. Now, I know that this is not the most traditional Halim recipe but it was really good and above all, very easy to prepare. I, for one, know that the next time I miss home, I can make my own steaming Halim and curl up in front of family photos.

Halim
(Serves 6)

You will need:

• 20g Sundaram Epices pour Halim
• 3 tsp Kashmiri Chili (optional)
• 1.5 lbs Lamb
• 1/2 Cup Barley (Du Blé Concassé)
• 5 tbsp of Oil
• 125g Yellow Split Peas (Dholl)
• 50g Red Lentils
• 2 Big Onions, chopped.
• 5 Garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste
• 2 bunches fresh coriander
• Chopped Spring onion
• 1 tomato
• Salt to taste
• Water

Steps:

• Wash and soak the lentils, split peas and barley together with 4 cups of water for 2 hours.
• Cut the lamb into medium-sized cubes then wash them thoroughly (I let them soak in water, lemon juice and 2 tsp of garlic paste for an hour so as to get rid of the odor of wild game. I have found that the lamb here is quite different than the one we get back home and soaking them in the acid juice takes out some of that smell. But this is optional).
• Drain the pulses and put them to cook with enough water (the water should not fill more than 3/4 of the pressure cooker) and 2 tsp salt for 15-20 min.
• In a blender, mix together 1 bunch of roughly chopped coriander, the tomato, 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves and keep aside.
• Heat the oil. Stir in the rest of the chopped onion and ginger & garlic paste. Add the Sundaram Epices pour Halim, Kashmiri Chili and 3 tbsp of the blended mix and let cook for 5 minutes on high heat. Drain the meat and add to the pan. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and add the rest of the blended mix. Simmer until meat is tender (approx. 20-25 mins - depending on the meat). By this time, your kitchen should be filled with a heavenly smell.
• Lastly, pour in the boiled pulses and taste. Add more salt if needed and let boil for another 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle the Halim with chopped coriander and spring onions. Serve hot with sliced baguette, lemon juice and chili paste.
• Close your eyes and picture yourself back in our paradise island.

Enjoy!!

Who said that careme* foods are boring?

This period (April 8 to 17) is a very special one for Tamil Mauritians as fasting for Cavadee has started. The Sittirai Cavadee is celebrated to honor the God Muruga. As I am not home to participate in the festivities, I wanted to contribute in my own way. This recipe is a delight for vegetarians and a change from the traditional vegetable curries. I adapted it from one of my favorite food blogger (B. Peltre) and made this with an original Mauritian twist.

Enjoy!!

A twist on Couscous and Vegetables

(4 big servings)

You will need:

• About 1/3 cup dry couscous per person, so 1 + 1/3 cup for 4 people
• 2 small zucchinis (courgettes)
• 1 red onion
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1 inch fresh ginger root
• Olive oil
• 1 Red Bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• Sliced olives
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly chopped
• Water or Vegetable Stock
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili

Steps:

• Preheat your oven at 300 F or 150 C.
• Chop the red bell peppers.
• Grate the ginger.
• Mix the couscous with the ginger and the bell pepper.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Put the couscous in a large ramekin. Set aside.
• Boil the water for the couscous (I usually add as much water as there is couscous) and keep it warm.
• Wash the carrots and the zucchinis (courgettes) and slice them thinly. Season with chopped garlic, Garam Masala, Kashmiri Chili, salt and pepper.
• Slice the red onion thinly.
• Layer them on top of the couscous, upright and close together (zucchini, carrot, onion and repeat)
• Add the thyme, parsley and sliced olives between the layers.
• Pour a dash of olive oil.
• Pour the hot water.
• Place in the oven for about 1 hour 30 mins. Check to make sure it stays moist (add more water if necessary.)

This couscous can also be eaten as a side dish with non-vegetarian main courses. The secret of its success is to make sure that it stays moist so don't hesitate to add more water or olive oil.

Accompanied by a chatini pomme d'amour (tomato salsa) and a cucumber raita, it is simply delicious!!

Happy Cavadee to all devotees around the world!

careme* - fasting