Vegan Zoodles Recipe | Zucchini/Courgette Noodles with Almond, Cashew and Cilantro Pesto Recipe with OXO Good Grip Spiralizer Product Review and A Giveaway

Learn how to make Vegan Zoodles or Zucchini Noodles with Almond, Cashew and Cilantro Pesto ~ Vegan and gluten free low carb zucchini or courgette pasta with blanched broad beans and almonds and flavoured with creamy almond, cashew nuts and coriander pesto

Gardening, especially growing fruits and vegetables has never been my ‘thing’! I am notorious among my family and friends as a person with black thumb who even managed to kill succulents! I am that bad! A complete contrast to my very keen and green gardener parents who have a lush and lovely garden back home growing flowers of every colour, fruits and veggies of every kind!

Then something happened and suddenly little seeds that we planted actually sprouted and then grew into large plants finally bearing fruits of our labour! How? I am still struggling to find an answer. It could be the quality of seeds or the compost or most likely to do with my little helper who might have inherited green fingers from both sets of his grandparents. They say that the genes skips generation and it might very well be true!

Avocado Mint Pesto Recipe | Guest Post by Prerna of Indian Simmer

Learn how to make Avocado Mint Pesto from Prerna of Indian Simmer

“The most talented people are always the nicest.”
― James Caan

That really holds true for a very talented and gorgeous Prerna behind equally gorgeous blog Indian Simmer. As her food simmers on a stove, she takes you on a beautiful food journey with stunning food photographs and heart-warming anecdotes. Through her lens she magically transforms everyday food into the most beautiful, exotic and exciting visual experience. If you enjoy good writing which makes you walk down the memory lane and nostalgic, then Prerna’s blog is sure to win your heart! Thank you dear Prerna for taking time from your busy schedule to do a guest post. Please make sure to follow her on Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram if you do not want to miss any amazing posts that Prerna churns out!

Thank you Sia for sharing your beautiful space with me today. Monsoon Spice was one of the few Indian food blogs which I literally grew up following as a food blogger so you can imagine my excitement today when I get to share my work on the space.

Mango Panna Cotta Recipe | How to Make Panna Cotta

How to make Mango Panna Cotta ~ Italian dessert of layered cream flavoured with vanilla and a Desi twist of mango flavoured with cardamoms 

She looked at pregnancy test kit in her hands again to make sure what she was seeing was true! There they were two pink lines as clear as they could be! 

She came running out of the bathroom screaming at top of her voice, “We really are pregnant! The nurse was right. We really are pregnant!” 

 “Of course she is right”, husband said with big smile on his face. 

“What are we going to do? We don’t know anything about babies!” wife said with worry lines etched on her face. 

“Well, we will figure out”, husband tried to reassure her. 

And figuring out is what we are still doing after 3 years!!! ;)

Farfalle in a Creamy Roasted Mushroom Sauce - A Guest Post by Deesha @ Vegetable Platter

Farfalle in a Creamy Roasted Mushroom Sauce

There are few food blogs which grabs your attention from very first visit. It could be the way it is designed (uncluttered and clean works for me), the narration, eye catching photography or the precise, clear instructions. Deesha’s Vegetable Platter is one such blog which has all these qualities and much more! Her authentic and traditional recipes married well with the modern and fusion style of cooking along with her crisp and beautiful food photography which is like a cherry on top of already delicious and beautiful cake! I am honoured to have her today as a guest blogger. Please welcome Deesha and don’t forget to follow her on Twitter.

Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread: From Baking Virgin!!!

Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread

“Lady, you have been staring at me since last fifteen minute”, said handsome fellow with twinkle in his eyes.
“No I am not!” I said indignantly.
“Oh yes, you are. I am quite sure of it”. He was amused.
“Excuse me! You are imagining things”, I said trying to avoid his eyes.
“Its not the first time I noticed you looking at me ‘that’ way you know. I think I know what you want”, he said looking deep into my eyes.
“Oh, really? So you think you can read my mind? Tell me what’s in mind?” I challenged him as I was quite sure that he was bluffing.
“It’s very easy to read your mind. Well, I know for fact that you want to master me!”

And that’s exactly what I wanted to do all these years even when I was kitchen virgin!
I wanted to master him…

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Some Crabby Bites...

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Disclaimer: Author can not be held responsible for any pain in the eyes or fingers caused by reading this lengthy post and scrolling the page and also if you were to get caught sleeping/dozing during office hours. So proceed with caution.
Inspiration for this article: Mumbai Meri Jaan (Of course, a Bollywood movie) and 24/7 News channels

Do you know the consequence of watching 24/7 news channels continuously for one week? I know. And I can tell you that they have helped me in making life changing decision. I am going to become a TV news reporter.

It sounds really exciting, isn’t it? No more sitting in front of a monitor and hitting the key board and then hitting my head on wall or my desk or whatever that can take my head banging sessions when the latest code/program I am working on goes haywire! Becoming a TV reporter is my free ticket to exciting world tours (well at least some trip to Jhumri Thalayya or Timbuktu) and chit–chatting with all those so called hot celebrities. I’ll get to hang on the top branch just outside the celebrity’s house where everyday I will be breaking the 'breaking news 'on how and when they sneeze, how it sounds, how different it is from common man’s sneezing! And other days when I get a glimpse of them, I will be able to report another breaking news of colour and type of dress they are wearing which sure will become season's trend setter in the fashion world. Who knows I may even get to hear juicy gossip from Ramu Khakas and Driver John and create a big scoop of the year.

And since I have closely watched all the breaking news in the past one week I also have learned how to be a good interviewer. It is so easy that even a kid in diapers next door can do it. All you need is an ability to ask probing, intelligent questions which will extract juicy information that will make the couch potatoes like me to get glued to their TV screen. Hear these tips and tricks I have collected after watching one of the top 24/7 news channel and you will kow how simple it is! Well, only one question is enough to start your budding TV reporter career, “Aap ko kaisa lag raha hai?” Ask this same question with different tones, depending on the place and situation. When you see this devasted farmer looking sadly at the flooded water in his farm which has completely destroyed his hard work of past 6 months and his family is going to starve for next 6 months you simply have to push the furry mike to his face and ask “This flood has destroyed all your crops. Aap ko kaisa lag raha hai?” When you see a victim of serial bomb blast who is bleeding to death and waiting to be taken to the nearest hospital, you just have to ask him “you have lost your family members in this serial blasts. Bhai saab, Aap ko iske barey mein kya kehna hai aur aap ko kaisa lag raha hai?” When you see the family members of a rape victim fighting for justice, all you need to do is hold the mic high and ask “So you will continue to fight for justice for your daughter who was raped and then brutally murdered. Aap ko kaisa lag raha hai?” you know what is the best part? I can get away asking the same question as I am yet to see any interviewee slapping/hitting the interviewer back and asking “Ab aap ko kaisa lag raha hai?” Well, this kind of freedom is impossible in my current work place! And I can save all the money which goes to my monthly healthy insurance and spend it on shoes and books! How cool is that?

Well, I can see all the awards I will get for all my “breaking news” and I can see my bright, rosy future as a TV reporter. Who knows, I might even own my 24/7 news channel in near future. And I have already thought about the name for my news channel and its tag line: “24/7 Breaking News Channel… Aap ko rakhe aage…Pechey se…”

Oh yes, the crabby in me is wide awake and ready to bite!!! So all “breaking news” reporters back off…

And all foodies, here is today’s recipe. A simple, delicious and comforting bowl of Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto which is perfect for this cold weather. This recipe is from my archive which I had made some weeks back when there was sudden dip in temperature in our neck of woods. One spoon of this creamy delight and we could feel the warmth spreading. I have made risotto many a times but wonder why I haven’t posted it till now. So without much delay let me give you a simple recipe of this delicious Risotto. And this bowl of creamy goodness is packed for Valli’s Rice Mela.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Print This Recipe

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Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 60-70 mins (including roasting time)
Serves: 2

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Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio or other Italian risotto rice
1 small Onion, finely chopped
2 medium Garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ - 1 litre Vegetable Stock, heated
¼ cup White Wine (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Butter
1-2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Small handful of fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
A pinch of Saffron
Cheddar or Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Black Pepper Powder to taste

For Roasted Butternut Squash:
½ medium Butternut Squash, peeled, deseeded and diced into ½ inch cubes
1 tsp Dried Italian Herbs
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper Powder to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Method:

Preheat oven at 200 degree Celsius/400 degree Fahrenheit/Gas mark 6. Line a backing tray with aluminium foil and keep it aside. Take all the ingredients listed for roasted butternut squash in a large bowl and mix well. Spread them in a baking tray and pop it into the oven and let it roast for 10 mins till it roasted well. After 10 mins, open the oven and take out the baking tray and gently toss the butternut squash pieces and roast again for 10-15 minutes till it is cooked through. Keep it aside until needed.
Heat 1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and add finely chopped onion and garlic. Sauté till they turn translucent.
Now add Arborio rice and stir it for a minute till every grain is coated with oil. Pour in a good ladle of hot stock and the white wine, if using, and stir continuously until it has cooked into the rice. Turn the heat down so the stock is simmering gently.
Keep adding ladles of stock as it cooks into the rice, stirring the rice continuously. Add salt and pepper to taste along with a knob of butter and good pinch of saffron in the halfway. It will take about 15-20 minutes for the rice to become soft but still have a bit of bite left in it. Remember that the texture of the risotto should be thick and creamy, but not runny. Add extra stock if necessary. It may seem tedious standing and stirring but the end result will be worth it.
Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir the roasted butternut squash and finely chopped coriander leaves into the risotto with the parmesan or cheddar cheese and the remaining butter. Adjust the seasoning and add any extra stock if the risotto seems particularly thick. Cover the pan with a lid for a couple of minutes as this will give the risotto an even creamier texture.
Serve this delicious, creamy Risotto topped with extra gratings of cheese and enjoy this creamy delight.