Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Bechamel Sauce

Not for weight watchers! This rich and tasty dish will be loved by kids and adults! I baked this dish without using a baking sheet as I do not have a proper oven. I own a microwave oven with a convection for baking, and i feel that is not as effective as a baking oven. There are very few shops in chennai that sell baking sheets, and so most of my baking is done without a baking sheet :)

What I used:
200 gms Macaroni
2 cups corn (either packet corn or corn cob)
2  fresh tomatoes sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp tobasco sauce
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Salt and Pepper

For bechamel sauce:
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
1 onion sliced into two
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp maida/cornflour

How I did it:

1. Boil the milk with the onion, peppercorns and bay leaf. When it starts to boil, switch it off and strain the milk.
2. Melt the butter in the pan, add the flour stirring consistently for 1 minute.
3. Gradually stir in the milk, then bring to boil and stir constantly till a thick creamy texture is formed.
4. Add the corn and stir again.
5. Switch of the pan and garnish with salt and pepper.
6.Add the macaroni to the bechamel sauce and mix it well.
7. Add tobasco, oregano,tomato ketchup and mix it such that the sauce is coated well on the macaroni.
8. Pour the Macaroni mixture into the baking dish and place the tomatoes on top.
9. Sprinkle the cheese on top and the basil.
10. Bake the Macaroni and Cheese at 190C for 20 minutes and serve hot!

A 10 minute recipe - Spaghetti Olio e Aglio

Strictly for garlic lovers, this can be done when you are tired to cut vegetables, use vessels (or wash them after!), and are hard pressed for time! A simple recipe with lots of olive oil and garlic flavored just about right to give a rich and amazing taste.

What I used:

450 g Spaghetti
150 ml olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp parsley
3 tbsp oregano or chilli flakes
1 tsp of tobasco sauce
2 tsp pepper
Salt to taste

How I did it:

1. Bring a large vessel with water to boil. Pour a drop of olive oil and let it boil for 2 minutes.
2. Add the spaghetti and cook it for 8-10 minutes or al-dente.
3. Remove from heat and drain the water from the pasta. Now add cold water to the pasta and drain again to ensure that it is cooked well and is not hot.
4. Drain the pasta and set aside.
5. Take a non-stick pan and heat the olive oil.
6. Add garlic and a pinch of salt, stirring constantly, till golden.
NOTE: Ensure that the garlic does not turn brown as this will bring about a bitter taste when mixed with the pasta.
7. Remove the olive oil from the heat and pour it to the drained spaghetti.
8. Use thongs to mix the garlic-flavored olive oil with the spaghetti so that the pasta is coated well with the oil.
9. Add pepper, oregano, tobasco sauce and salt and mix again using the thongs.
10. Garnish with parsley and serve with tomato chilli sauce.

My hubby and mom loved this with maggi tomato and chilli sauce as the spice went very well with the garlicky flavor!

Me, Myself and My Kitchen!

This is how my story begins, My husband took me out on a surprise vacation to Koonor, Devashola resorts. The serene beauty of the hills, the chirping birds and squeaking squirrels (they were many) was bringing out the best of nature and the cool, fresh breeze just made it better! While enjoying the beauty of nature and relaxing our senses in a 150 year old bungalow, I came across a book on Healthy Cooking and Simple Recipes! And behold, I forgot all about my surroundings latching onto the book which took all my interest. My hubby started laughing and told me that I have become an addict to cooking and learning ! J That’s what got me thinking, why not I start spreading my passion for cooking in this beautiful place and lay the foundation with my first blog!!!

I am Vandhana, and I was working as a Software Professional before giving birth to my beautiful and naughty son Aarav. Motherhood kept me busy, but I had a lot of time in my hands since I have never  stayed at home full time! My husband was my inspiration for cooking as he loves to try out all types of cuisine and loves to eat whatever I cook J I started trying my hand in Italian cooking, expanding to many types of bakes and pasta sauces, now expanding to North indian, Mediterranean, Thai  and more!

My recipes are old, borrowed and new with a dash of innovation from my side. Last minute additions of some ingredients or a change in the cooking method have always made my recipes somewhat special. The basic problem arises while making international cuisine is the limited number of ingredients available in our country (I am from Chennai, india) and the vessels that we use for cooking these dishes. My innovative style mainly deals with substituting these ingredients with something more close to international flavors and hence retaining the same taste we find in international cuisine. These are tried and tested recipes by my best critics – My parents and friends J Some have been disasters, some have turned out incredible and I am here to share with you only my well turned out recipes!! J

Hope you guys like my recipes, and being an amateur I would love some tips from you on how I can make them even better, so please don’t forget to give me your feedback!