Mac and Cheese

This usually bland staple had a wonderful zing when I made it for the kids' lunch boxes last week - thanx to my mother's home made tomato sauce. I'm not a big fan of macaroni but this batch was super yummy ... and simple to make.

Ingredients:

1. Small shell pasta: 250 grams (you get about 8 portions of mac and cheese)
2. Cheddar cheese grated: 1 cup
3. Flour (Maida or corn flour): 1 tbsp
4. Butter: 1 tbsp
5. Milk: 250 ml
6. Tomato sauce (not ketchup): any nice store bought or home made about half a cup
7. Bread crumbs(optional): 1/2 cup
8. Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the pasta in a pot of salted water till cooked.
Drain in a colander, wash thouroughly in cold running water and keep aside.
2. Make a cheese sauce as follows:
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Add the flour and stir for a few seconds.
- Now add the milk in a slow stream while continuously whisking the butter and flour mixture to avoid lumps.
- Simmer the sauce till it thickens and add some of the grated cheese towards the end.
- Remove from flame, season with salt and black pepper.

3. In a baking tray spread out a layer of the cooked pasta and pour the tomato sauce over it.




4. Add the remaining layer of pasta and pour the cheese sauce over it.

5. Sprinkle the grated cheese (add more if you feel it will not top the entire pasta mixture) and bread crumbs over the pasta and bake in a pre heated oven at 175 degrees till the pasta begins to bubble.



6. When slightly cooled cut out wedges and serve.

7. This will keep in the fridge for a day - just warm the pasta for 10 seconds in a microwave before serving.

Pan Fried Honey Sesame Chicken

This one is an easy peasey Drumstick recipe that will do for everything for a simple children's dinner to a fairly hearty party snack. The best part is that even if you don't have a grill or barbecue it can be done quickly in a non-stick pan.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Drumsticks : 8 pieces thawed.

Marinade:

1. Soy sauce: 1/4 cup
2. Any hot sauce (or plain tomato sauce for kids): 1/4 cup
3. Cornflour: 1 heaped tsp
4. Milk: 1/4 cup
5. Salt and Pepper to taste
6. Sesame seeds: about 1 1/2 heaped tbsps
7. Honey: 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade except the sesame seeds in a bowl.
2. Pat dry the drumsticks and pour the marinade over them.
3. Mix well, add sesame seeds and mix again.




4. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes (These can be marinated in advance for a party or get-together).
5. Brush some oil in a non-stick pan.
6. When hot place the drumsticks and cook on either side till well browned (insert a sharp knife in them after turning over to check if cooked).



7. Serve with any dipping sauce of your choice or with steamed rice and veggies.

Baked Keema Biryani

Ingredients:




1. Indian Lamb mince : 500 gms
2. Long grained Basmati rice washed and soaked : 3 cups
3. Finely chopped onion : 1 large
4. Finely chopped tomato : 1 large
5. Spice : 5 cloves, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp chillie powder and salt to taste.
6. Oil : half and half of vegetable and olive oils for frying (approx 2 tbsps)
7. Saffron : few threads soaked in cold milk.

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil,



add rice + a pinch of salt and cook till 3/4th done - where the grains are separate. Drain and keep aside.

2.. Heat oil in a shallow pan, add cloves and when puffed add the onions. Fry till golden brown.
3. Turn up the heat, add mince and dry spices and stir fry till the mince is almost done.



4. Add the tomatoes and simmer till most of the water has evaporated.




5. Take a deep baking dish and arrange the keema in the bottom layer.



6. Top evenly with a layer of rice.



7. Sprinkle the soaked saffron on top.
8. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes on medium gas mark in the centre rack of the oven.
9. Serve with onion raitha.