Baked Penne with Pink Sauce

Pasta is one food that finds appreciation in every household, and also a staple that can adapt itself to numerous amount of creativity, to suit the occasion, flavor and the ingredients in the pantry! For our family, there can never be enough of pasta recipes, and though I love experimenting in the kitchen, they don't always gel well with my 3-year old. So sometimes, sticking to favorites is the only way to go, and luckily for me, there are a few favorites that stick with all of us - like this incredibly simple but delicious-looking Baked Penne with 3 kinds of cheese and a pink tomato sauce!

3-Cheese Baked Penne with Pink Sauce
Adapted from Fine Cooking; serves 4

Ingredients
2 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
1 lb. yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried red chili flakes, more to taste
1 lb. dried penne rigate pasta
4 oz. shredded Fontina
4 oz. freshly grated Pamigiano-Reggiano
4 oz. shredded Mozzarella
4 tbsp store-bought alfredo sauce

Method Drain and discard 1 cup of the juice from one of the cans of tomatoes. Put the tomatoes and the remaining juices in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Set aside.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Put a large pot with 6 quarts water and 2 Tbs. kosher salt on to boil. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, about 1 minute, add the onions and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, push the onions to the side. If the pan is dry, add 1 Tbs. olive oil, and then the garlic, and cook until it just starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the puréed tomatoes plus 1 tsp. kosher salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the sauce thickens slightly. As it starts to thicken, add 4 tbsp of alfredo sauce and remove from heat, giving it all a quick stir.

Add the rosemary and chili flakes and cook until they’re heated through and their flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until it’s just tender to the tooth, about 10 minutes. (Cook the pasta a little less than you normally might, because it will cook more in the oven later.) Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

Add half each of the Fontina, Pamigiano-Reggiano, and Mozzarella to the pasta mixture and toss well. Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

You can't go wrong with a baked pasta recipe. This one is very simple, but you can kick it up a notch by adding a bunch of your favorite veggies like peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, squash or any seasonal favorites that add health, flavor and color to an already mouth-watering recipe. Feel free to improvise for a busy weeknight, or jazz it up for a comfy family-style Italian dinner!

Vegetarian Croquettes

As a mom, I am always on the look-out for healthy delicious recipes for my child, and as she is still a toddler, finger foods seem to top the list. Last week, I came across these beautiful Carrot Croquettes on Patricia's blog [photo courtesy Technicolor Kitchen]. They were delicious to look at, and I knew these would appeal to my whole family. But as I was going through the ingredient list, I saw that it contained Apricots along with the carrots. Fruit and veggies, both together in one recipe?! I had to try it to know if this works, and I am so thrilled to say that it does work! I didn't have apricots, so I threw in some dried cranberries, and also added a bunch of chopped cilantro along with the parsley. The recipe also includes some almonds - fruits, veggies and nuts, plus its Baked - how much more nutritious can a recipe get!

This recipe is a wonderful change from the tried and tested Potato croquettes. It has a balanced nutritional value, and kids can eat these even while running around in the backyard! If you are looking for an ideal finger food for your kids, or a delicious appetizer for your pot-lucks, this one is for you!

Healthy Carrot Croquettes
Makes about 25 patties

5 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup day-old white breadcrumbs + more for coating the croquettes
5 dried apricots, finely diced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons flaked almonds
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
1 egg
salt and black pepper - to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, for shallow-frying

Method
Steam carrots in a steamer over a saucepan of boiling water until tender (20-25 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and mash them to make a smooth purée.

Now add the breadcrumbs, apricots, spring onions, almonds, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, egg, and season to taste by adding salt and pepper.

Mix it all together to form a soft dough, adding more breadcrumbs if dough is too sticky. Divide into 25 equal portions. Roll each portion between your palms to make a croquette or a patty, if you like.

Place all croquettes on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until firm, about 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Heat olive oil in a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs, then cook them in the olive oil, in batches, until golden on the outside. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. This double-cooking method might sound like extra work, but believe me, it really works in developing a nice crisp outer texture for the croquettes.

Once done, serve these warm with your favorite sipping sauce on the side.

Related Recipes
Healthy Carrot Cookies
Paneer & Asparagus Lollipops
Cranberry & Cream Cheese Dip
Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Mixed Fruit Jello Cupcakes

Kids love sweet treats, but its the responsibility of parents to watch what they eat, and how much, so we can prevent childhood obesity. Everyone knows the importance of eating at least 2 servings of fruits per day, and here's an innovative way to get your kids to eat fruits, and enjoy then too! These Mixed Fruit Jello Cupcakes are very easy to make, and extremely versatile. I've made mine using POM juice, cranberries, pineapple, mango and some chopped nuts. And the most important thing, these all natural fruit cups contain less than 2 tbsp of sugar! So, these low-sugar, high antioxidant, high vitamin-C treats are perfect for your kids, and your maternal instincts!

This is my contribution to the MM-Low Sugar Treats event that we are proudly hosting over at The Daily Tiffin this month!

Ingredients
2 cups POM juice
1 cup Kerns Mango-Pineapple juice
1 pkg JELL-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup craisins
a handful of chopped walnuts and pistachios

Method
Boil the 2 cups of POM juice till it starts to bubble. In another bowl, take the mango-pineapple juice and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let stand for about 1 min, and allow the gelatin to bloom.

Now pour the warm POM juice into this bowl and stir well to mix the gelatin. Add the craisins and chopped nuts.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Pour the juice mixture into each cup, about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Sprinkle with some more nuts if needed. Then refrigerate it for at least 3-4 hours, until the Jello sets.

Before serving, remove the paper liners and serve the delicious and healthy Mixed Fruit Jello Cupcakes - an ideal treat any time of the day!

Fruit and Cheese Appetizer Skewers

When you want a lavish party with appetizers, main course and desserts, yet you want to keep it as simple as possible, fruits and cheese are the best combinations for an appetizer. My husband made these for me once, and since then these simple Fruit and Cheese Sticks have become my favourites! With all the goodness of fruits, lots of anti-oxidants, vitamins, fiber and water content, as well as the proteins coming from the cheese , they are a perfect snack anytime of the day. Believe me, these tiny delights are so good you wouldn't be able to stop at one:)

Ingredients
1 pkt Monterey-Jack Cheese-cut into small cubes (you can choose any other cheese too)
seedless red/green grapes
small strawberries - cut into halves
kiwis (optional) - cut into small pieces
fresh pineapples - cut into cubes the size of the cheese cubes
Toothpicks or small wooden skewers

For Dipping Sauce
1 small pkt of JELL-O Vanilla Pudding
1 pkt flavored low-fat yogurt (strawberry or peach)

Method
Arrange 2 pieces of cheese cubes, grapes and strawberries on each toothpick.
Make the jello pudding as directed on the packet. Serve these beautiful and tasty fruit and cheese kababs with the flavored yoghurt and pudding as dipping sauces. This makes a great appetizer or a side dish with salads.

Tip: If you are not keen on the sweet dipping sauces, you can combine lemon juice, sugar, and some chaat masala and drizzle it on the fruits only (not cheese) before arranging the sticks and serve it as a sweet and sour treat!