Mushroom and Ham pasta

While I was settling in the daughter in Newcastle, England, I had to prepare her for living alone. Eating out was not an option as it is expensive. Yet the foodie needed her share of fancy food, but it had to be easy to cook. The supermarkets offered great options for meats. A little ham would go a long way. Piping hot pasta with a simple green salad was a perfect yet fancy meal.

1 cup pasta ( cook till just about cooked)
1 cup milk
2 tblsp flour
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
salt pepper to taste
red chilli flakes ( optional)
2 tblsp cheese ( optional)
few pieces of sliced ham Chopped ( Optional) , you could use sausages , bacon, bits of chicken or even fresh shrimp.
1 tblsp olive oil
2 cloves chrushed garlic
1 knob of butter

In a pan heat the olive  oil. Toss in the ham/ meat and fry for a minute, add the garlic. Add the cooked pasta and toss it together. Add the chilli flakes . Keep warm

Mix together Milk, flour, salt - pepper, nutmeg. Heat a small knob of butter and pour in the mixture. On a slow flame, stirring constantly till the sauce thickens. Add in the Pasta mixture. Sprinkle Cheese, cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve with a Salad on the side.

Corn and Vegetable Pasta

This is made from the fancy coloured pasta available in stores today. Here I have used a corn and vegetable pasta, great for people who do not use refined flour or wheat based pasta.

The recipe is generic . The basic white sauce , I have just added a bit of basil for taste.Apart from that this is a vegetarian dish which uses no onions, garlic or root vegetables. Hence can be served in a Jain meal.

1 cup pasta , vegetables of your choice. 2 cups milk, 2 tblsp flour, basil leaves ground to a paste, about 1 tblsp of the paste, salt to taste, 2 tblsp oilve oil.pepper to taste.

Heat oil , quick cook the vegetables till they are still crunchy. take out the vegetables. Mix milk and flour to a smooth paste. Add the basil pesto till oil separates.Add the milk paste, mix well and cook on a slow flame till the sauce thickens. Add in boiled pasta, vegetables. Serve hot.

Macaroni in saffron sauce.

Lazy Sundays always bring out the frugal chef in me. No fuss food, but fancy looking is what I crave for. I have kids who are thankfully gifted with mixing up a good meal, so instructing them is easy. Big boy Boo loves subtle flavours and food that's easy on the eye. This one made by Mandira for Sunday dinner.

2 cups boiled macaroni ( al dente)
1/2 cup smoked boneless chicken
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup milk
1 heaped tbsp flour
1 generous pinch saffron, lightly heated and crushed
1 generous pinch nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt to taste

Blend the flour in milk, stirring slowly to ensure no lumps are formed.Heat butter, pour the milk into the butter, again stirring continuously till the sauce thickens and bubbles.Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and saffron. Add macaroni. Voila! Yummy, creamy and exotic. Enjoy.