Macaroni with Cheese and Tomoatoes

I had prepared this dish 5-6 times and the youngsters liked it very much. This recipe is from an old paper cutting of Hindu newspaper dated September '07! I don't know why I did not try all these times! It is very easy to make. I used 'True' brand wheat macaroni and the taste was very good. I took the photograph before adding the cheese.!

Macaroni & Cheese (sans Cheese here!)

Now,the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 250 gms. Macaroni

2. 2 tbsp. Butter

3. 2 Medium sized onions, finely sliced

4. 2 Capsicums, finely sliced

5. 2 Tomatoes, finely sliced

6. 3 tbsp. Tomato Ketchup

7. 4-5 tbsp. Grated cheese (add more cheese to taste better!)

8. 2 tsp. chilli Flakes (warm 6-7 red chillies and grind it coarsely in the mixie)

9. 3 cups White sauce

10. 1 tsp. Oregano

11. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Boil 5-6 cups of water in a vessel. Add half tsp. of salt and a tsp. of any cooking oil. Add the macaroni and boil for 5 mts. The macaroni should not become very soft. Strain and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp. of butter in a frying pan and add onions. Fry for 2 mts. Add capsicums and fry for 2 mts. Switch off the fire.

Now prepare the white sauce in another vessel and keep it. If you prepare it very early, it becomes very thick and sticky.

Now, switch on the fire and add macaroni, tomato ketchup and white sauce to the onion and capsicums' pan. Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes, oregano, a tsp. of salt and a tsp. of pepper. (Taste it and see if the salt is enough!). Stir well. Cook on a low flame for 2 mts. Pour the mixture in a greased baking dish. Cover with grated cheese.

Bake it in a hot oven until the cheese turns into light brown. 180 degree C for the first 10 mts. and then 150 degree for another 10-15 mts.

Serve hot.

WHITE SAUCE:

Ingredients:

1. 2 tbsp. butter

2. 3 tbsp. Maida (Plain flour)

3. 3 cups milk

4. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Melt the butter in a flat pan. add the plain flour and keep stirring on a low flame, without browning it.

Add the milk gradually, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. There should be no lumps. Add half tsp. of salt and half tsp. of pepper. The sauce can be made thin by adding more milk.

Preparation time for this recipe is very less. Any new cook can try this!

Comments are welcome!

Tomato sauce for Pasta

I am doing this sauce for Pasta, for the past one year. Everyone seems to like the taste. I took recipes from different websites and created a sauce of my own! Now, to the recipe:


Ingredients:

1. 2 Kg. Ripe Tomatoes

2. 2 nos. Medium sized onions, chopped finely

3. 4-5 flakes garlic, chopped finely

4. 1/2 bunch of spring onion (both bulbs and greens can be used), chopped finely

5. 1 Green Capsicum, chopped finely

6. 2 Carrots, chopped finely

7. 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Olive oil

8. 1 tbs. Oregano leaves

9. 1 tsp. Rosemary leaves

10. 2 Dried Bay leaves

11. 1 Stalk Celery, chopped finely

12. 1/2 Cup Basil leaves, chopped

13. 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter

14. 2 tbsp. Sea salt or according to taste

15. 1 - 2 tbsp. Freshly ground pepper

16. 1/2 tsp. Sugar

Method:

Boil water in a big vessel and immerse tomatoes, a few at a time and cover the vessel for 1-2 minutes. You can see a crack 0n the skin of the tomatoes. Keep cold water in another big vessel and take the hot tomatoes and drop them into it, one by one. You can use a ladle with holes for this purpose. When the tomatoes are a bit cold, remove the skin and keep them in a big plate/thaali. The second method is to keep the tomatoes in a glass bowl in the microwave 'high' for 3-4 mts. and then peel the skin. I follow the first method!

Heat the olive oil (fumes should not come) in a big non-stick vessel and add onion and garlic. Fry until soft and transparent, for 3-4 mts.

Add all the chopped vegetables and fry for 5 mts.

Add celery and basil leaves and fry for 2 mts. Add half quantity of the salt and pepper powder.

Now, put the tomatoes in a mixie, 2-3 at a time and grind just for half a minute, after removing the skin. It should not become watery. While removing the skin, take off the part of the tomato where the stem is connected because it will be a bit hard, with a sharp knife (hope, I am communicating what I think, correctly!). Pour them in to the vessel.

Leave it to boil for half an hour and then add the herbs, salt, pepper, bay leaves and butter. Butter is to remove the tangy acidic taste of the tomato. Taste and add more salt if you think so.

Boil for half an hour more or till the sauce thickens, in medium flame. The sauce should not be very watery or very thick.

When it cools down, you can store in an air-tight container in the fridge. The olive oil acts as a preservative and the sauce stays fresh for a week or two. You can take out the bay leaves, before storing.

This sauce has got vegetables also and so my son just boils pasta, adds this sauce to it and EAT!

Try this recipe and I would be happy to know if you liked it.