#Title
Method
Cut and prepare your selection of seafood into bite-sized pieces; this recipe includes a mix of shrimp, squid, octopus, and cuttlefish. Add spices, including turmeric, chilli powder, salt, black pepper powder, garlic powder, Cajun spice, and mixed herbs to the prepared seafood. Mix this well and let it marinate for about 30 minutes. Also, finely chop the onion and garlic clove.
Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the macaroni in it. Let this boil until fully cooked while still firm. Meanwhile, cook the seafood; in a pan add 2 tablespoons of oil and allow it to heat up. Drop the seafood mix and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring.
The seafood will release moisture so cover this and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until all the moisture evaporates. Stir 2-3 times in between ensuring all sides are equally heated. Once fully cooked, remove the seafood onto a plate using a slotted spoon.
In the same pan, add in 50 grams of butter and let it melt. Add chopped onions followed by chopped garlic and cook them until translucent. Drop in 2 tablespoons of flour in two additions and whisk to combine fully. Next, pour in 2½ cups of milk in a steady stream while stirring all the while.
Following this, add in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to the sauce and stir — cover with a lid and let the cheese melt entirely. Meanwhile, drain the pasta using a fine mesh sieve. Once the sauce is thick and bubbling, add the seafood back, along with the cooked pasta.
Mix everything together to incorporate fully and sprinkle chopped coriander and chilli flakes on top as garnish.
STUFFED BELL PEPPER MAC AND CHEESE
If you ever find yourself confronted with a dilemma of choosing between Bolognese pasta and macaroni and cheese, then this recipe shall be your fix. Cheesy pasta loaded with Bolognese sauce that is filled inside bell peppers and baked to perfection with a crunchy top; every spoonful of this will leave you craving for more.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
2 large green bell peppers
2 large yellow bell peppers
2 cups elbow pasta
For the Bolognese sauce —
2 tbsp olive oil
500g beef mince
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup tomato purée
1½ cup beef stock
1 tsp black pepper powder
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp paprika powder
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
For the cheese sauce —
50g butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
For the topping —
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp butter
Method
Begin by preparing the bell peppers — chop off the tops and remove seeds from the centre, leaving a cavity in each bell pepper. Brush the exterior with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and keep them aside. Finely dice the bell pepper scraps, onions, and garlic cloves and let the pasta cook inside a pot with salted boiling water until al dente.
To make the Bolognese sauce, add 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan followed by the chopped onion and garlic to cook them until fragrant and translucent. Next, add in the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Then add beef mince and stir to cook for about 5 minutes until it changes colour. Once in that stage, add the diced bell peppers.
Next, pour in the tomato purée along with beef stock and add the condiments including salt, black pepper powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, paprika powder, sugar, and bay leaves. Add in balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Cover this with a lid and let it cook for 15-20 minutes until most of the moisture is evaporated and you are left with a thick Bolognese sauce.
Meanwhile, in another pan, add in butter and allow it to melt. Once molten, drop in flour and whisk until fully incorporated. Then gradually pour in milk along with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese and stir to combine until the cheese is completely molten. Into the cheese sauce, add the cooked pasta along with prepared Bolognese sauce and mix to combine.
Preheat your oven at 160° C and mix the breadcrumb and mixed herbs together along with butter. Scoop the mac n’ cheese inside the prepared bell peppers and top generously with the breadcrumb mixture. Let them cook in the oven for 10 minutes until the tops are crunchy.
MAC AND CHEESE WITH CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Do you really have to ditch the mac and cheese for being a healthy eater? Not with this recipe! This macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with the goodness of cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables that are well incorporated into the sauce, making it a great way to sneak these healthy ingredients into your diet.
Ingredients
2 cups elbow pasta
1 head cauliflower
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp lemon pepper powder
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp mixed herbs
1½ cups milk
40g butter
2 tbsp flour
½ cup cream cheese
Method
Add enough salted water to cover the pasta completely and allow it to boil. Meanwhile, chop the cauliflower head into little bite-size chunks and do the same with broccoli. Once the pasta is cooked and al dente, drain the water using a fine-mesh sieve and reserve a cup of the starchy water.
In a blender, drop the cauliflower chunks along with the reserved pasta water in gradual additions and blend them together to make a fine purée. If the water is still hot, remove the funnel from the blender’s lid and cover the top with a cloth while using it. The cauliflower purée should have a thick consistency.
In a pan, add the butter followed by flour and whisk them together for a couple of minutes until the raw flour taste is cooked off completely. Next, add in the shredded cabbage followed by salt, garlic powder, mixed herbs, and lemon pepper powder. Stir everything together and cover the pan with a lid in order to allow the cabbage to fully cook, for about 10 minutes.
Next, gradually add in milk while stirring simultaneously. Add the cauliflower purée along with mustard and cream cheese and stir to attain a homogenous mixture. Lastly, add the cooked pasta into this concoction along with broccoli florets and stir to combine.
By Fariha Amber
Food and Photo: Fariha Amber