Posted by Monica Puri Bangia | Under Italian Cuisine, Sauce, Vegetarian
Wednesday Dec 7, 2011
I love making pestos. I don’t find myself making a whole lot of different kinds of basil pesto for some reason. I do love it but I always find myself making a sauce with another herb or vegetable.
This on is an arugula pesto. Arugula is one of my favorite greens. I love its versatility.. I can use it in a salad, cook with it and now make a pesto with it.
I simply paired it with garlic and pine nuts. I don’t like to use too much olive oil but it is important to use a really good quality one- so a little goes a long way. I used Pecorino instead of Parmesan as Pecorino has a stronger taste which is great for the bitter greens.
That is all I needed to make a delicious sauce. I used it for pasta and in this case- for pizza. Even my daughter ate it- she doesn’t usually like arugula but she really enjoyed the pesto on the pizza.
Click here for the recipe… »
Posted by Monica Puri Bangia | Under Holiday Ideas, Sauce, Sides, Vegetarian
Monday Nov 21, 2011
You can’t have a Latin style Thanksgiving dinner without a cranberry salsa- right? Well as I was thinking of all the different flavors I could add to a cranberry sauce- I somehow decided to pair the red berries with pineapple. I of course cooked it all in yummy pineapple juice and added the usual suspects- smoked paprika, cilantro and green onions. You can make this a week before and freeze. I would freeze it after the cranberries and pineapple are cooked. Add the fresh cilantro and green onions the day of the feast once the salsa is thawed.
The sweet and tangy sauce was absolutely delicious with the chipotle turkey, scalloped potatoes, chorizo stuffing and of course chorizo brussels sprouts.
Click here for the recipe… »
Posted by Monica Puri Bangia | Under Latin Flavors, Sauce
Wednesday Aug 31, 2011
As summer officially comes to an end. I can’t help but post another salsa recipe. I am still getting delicious apricots- somehow they have lasted quite long this year. Usually they are gone by end of July. Anyway, I had a big pack of them and decided to turn the fruit into a delicious chunky sauce.
I used what I had in the fridge… that is what I like about making salsas- there are no rules. You can add whatever you want. I happen to have green onions on hand and I always have cilantro. I chopped everything and added the usual lime juice. I also added smoked paprika. To make it sweet, I usually add honey. This time I decided to use agave. I recently bought a bottle of it and have started experimenting. It is a great substitute for sugar and has a very low glycemic index. I even tried duffins with agave and they were a big hit.
Click here for the recipe… »
Posted by Monica Puri Bangia | Under Latin Flavors, Sauce, Vegetarian
Sunday Aug 28, 2011
Labor Day is upon us. It is unbelievable how quickly summer has gone by. Mine was very busy with lots of family, a wedding, a few trips and lots and lots of good food. When I think of the food- one cuisine comes to mind.. yes, you guessed it- Latin. Somehow I have been in a Latin ’state of mind’ for a while and whenever I think about what to cook- only Latin flavors come to mind. So, I am going with the them once again.
I thought I would post a few recipes for the upcoming long weekend. I am starting with a quick and delicious appetizer. I love making fresh salsa for a barbecue meal. In this one I have used mango and avocado. It may sound like a strange combination but they work really well together. They have a similar consistency but completely different flavors. To make it interesting, I added a nectarine as well. The salsa is amazing with tortilla chips. Burger recipe coming up for tomorrow…
Click here for the recipe… »
Posted by Monica Puri Bangia | Under Entrées, Latin Flavors, Meats, Sauce
Sunday Jul 31, 2011
This was a new sauce I tried after reading about La Esquina’s chef and how easy his signature sauces are to make. The salsa verde was easy with tomatillos, lime juice, cilantro and avocado. It was delicious with shrimp and then yummy used in the fish and rice I made with the leftover sauce. This particular sauce used a particular kind of dried Mexican chilies I couldn’t find at the store… so, I decided to make some substitutions. I am sure the actual sauce is delicious especially since my version was yummy as well.
I recently made my way to the La Esquina brasserie and the food was unbelievable.. by far the best Mexican food I have had in New York. It is hard to get reservations but it is definitely worth it once you are able to get in there.
Anyway, I roasted poblano peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion and paired it with raisins. It resulted in a well balanced, delicious sauce. I grilled some steak and served the delicious sauce on top- it was a big hit. I had a lot leftover and made a delicious stew.. recipe to follow…
Click here for the recipe… »
