Mexican Taco Pasta Salad

Mexican Pasta Salad makes a quick and easy dish in our dinner rotation. I have used penne pasta here but any other pasta shape should work pretty well. Make sure to use a great quality olive oil. This is the kind of recipe you can make any day with everything you already have in your pantry and fridge. Keep things fun by changing up the toppings each time based on what ingredients we have on hand.

September Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge Theme

This month Shhhh secretly cooking challenge concept is Mexican cuisine suggested by Narmada, blogs at "Nams Corner".

Check out some her interesting recipes like

 Italian Frittata

Dark Chocolate Truffles

My Partner for the Mexican Cuisine

It was a lovely experience to work with these types of cuisines. This month I was paired with Poonam Bachhav who has a very beautiful and a lovely blog with step wise clear pictures for everyone to understand. She gave me two secret ingredients Salsa and Black bean.(I have made Mexican Pasta). I gave her Cumin and Tomato as secret ingredients, whereas she prepared Mexican One-Pot Quinoa.

Check out some of her wonderful recipes like

Coconut stuffed banana

Eggless Butterless choco muffins

Thank you once again Narmada and Poonam Bachhav for the lovely ingredients.

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
30  mins	20 mins	4 persons

Recipe Type: Main course

Course: Mexican

Ingredients Penne pasta – 2 cups Olive oil – 2 tbsp. Onions – 2 no’s Capsicum(deseeded) – 2 no’s Minced garlic -2 tbsp. American Sweet corn – ½ cup Onion tomato salsa – ½ cup Taco seasoning mix – 2 tbsp. Black beans – 1 cup Salt and pepper – to taste Grated cheese – optional (if needed)

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until cooked, drain and set aside. 

2. Keep all the ingredients ready.

3. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat, add in minced garlic for 2 minutes.

4. Now add onions, red or green bell pepper and sauté for about 3-4 minutes. 

5. Add in onion tomato salsa.

6. Season with taco seasoning mix, salt and black pepper to taste.

7. Stir in occasionally and now add the sweet corn and black beans. 

8. Add in some cooked pasta, stir until combined and heated through.

9. Top with grated cheddar cheese if desired. (Optional).

Notes

• If using fresh or frozen corn, simply steam/thaw first before adding to pasta.
• You can prefer avocado and cilantro for toppings which gives a lovely taste.

Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins

Wheat Dark Chocolate Muffins are an all-time favorite, and I am so glad to have found this healthier recipe that yields the same moist and spongy muffins, without using eggs, butter or all-purpose flour. Just reduce the sugar content a bit and these are great as a snack for kids after school.Made with whole wheat flour and real chocolate chips, these are perfect for my son who is as much of a chocolate fan as me, plus it’s an eggless recipe that does not use butter too, so works for me as well! I decide to omit the coffee flavor as I was baking these for the kids, and substituted vanilla instead. But I think these would work well even with other flavors like cinnamon or nutmeg.

The beauty of the recipe lies in the fact that it uses melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder to impart the chocolate flavor, as well as keeping the muffins moist at the same time. The oil and milk combined with the baking soda act as a leavening agent, making them rise beautifully.These whole wheat dark chocolate muffins have no eggs and no butter. They are chocolatey, super moist with a very tender crumb. There is plenty of chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips. Also, you can use full fat milk, almond milk or soy milk.

Shhhhh Secretly Cooking Challenge Event

I am a part of Shhh secretly cooking where lots of bloggers are exchanged every month with partners.Our Mayuri Patel who is  another lovely and creative blogger makes amazing recipes all time.

Check her lovely recipes like

Fresh Tuvar (lilva) kachori

Passion Fruit Sauce

My partner Priya Iyer, amazing blogger who tried many wonderful recipes. She gave me dark chocolate and milk. I gave her cocoa powder and creamc and she made Dark chocolate ganache.

Check our her recipes like

Bajra adai

Tomato Khejur Aamshotter Chaatni

Prep  time	Baking time	Serves
10  mins	20 mins	4 persons

Recipe Type: Baking

Cuisine:  American

Ingredients Whole wheat flour – 1 ¾ cup Chopped Dark chocolate – ¾ cup Cocoa powder – 3 tbsp. Brown sugar – ¾ cup Milk – 1 cup Oil –  1/3 cup Bakig powder -2 tsp Baking soda – ½ tsp Salt – ½ tsp Vanilla extract – ½ tsp

 

Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with muffin cups, and grease the muffin cups) a standard-size muffin pan.

2.     Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, alng with the sugar.

3.     Melt ¾ cup chocolate chips with 1 tbsp. milk in a microwave by heating for 30 seconds or so, in 10 second intervals, and stirring in between.

4.     In another bowl, mix the oil, milk, and vanilla extract, then add in the melted dark chocolate and stir to mix well.

5.     Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredient bowl and combine with a spatula until everything is incorporated and no dry flour can be seen. Do not beat or over-mix, or the muffins will turn out flat.

6.     Fill the mixture in the prepared muffin pan, filling them upto ¾ level. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of each muffin cup.

7.     bake for around 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8.     Remove from oven and let them cool on a wire rack, then let them cool to room temperature before serving.

Serving suggestions

Moist, soft and perfectly baked muffins are good for lunch boxes or with your morning coffee.

Notes

Don’t over-mix the batter if you want tender muffins. Use a rubber spatula and mix just until no flour pockets remains.

Store the double chocolate muffins in an airtight container for up the 3 days or freeze them, individually wrapped in cling film. Thaw at room temperature or in the microwave.

They also make an excellent snack during the day when you’re looking for something more indulgent than a plain old granola bar. 

Sprouted Matki or Moth Beans Salad

Moth Beans are used in the form of sprouts in this salad. A tasty and unique salad goes perfectly with the meal. I simply love this salad because it makes raw mango so delightful. It's always my favorite for lunch or during evening tea time. 

This is other version of salad with steamed sprouts and they are extremely nutritious which is high in fiber, low in fat and rich in vitamins and minerals. We generally make it a point to have at least some type of sprout legumes in a week. Matki salad is the easiest to make, tastes amazing and very healthy. 

June Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge Theme

During the month of June Shhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge, “Summer Salad” theme was suggested by our co blogger Kalyani Sri who owns a lovely and fantastic blog. She is blogging at www.sizzlintastebuds.com

Check out some of Kalyan Sri recipes like
Microwave pineapple kesari
Arachuvitta Sambar

This month I have paired with Jayashree Trao who is really an amazing blogger at www.evergreendishes.com. She gave me two lovely secret ingredients Raw Mango and Salt. 
I gave two secret ingredients as Lemon and Black Channa for her. Wow …….She made a wonderful and lovely salad with my secret ingredients too.

Check out her awesome recipes like

Sel roti
Chocolate and floral cookies
Spicy chitpotle chilli corn soup

Try out other raw mango recipes on my blog like

Raw mango rasam
(Raw Mango) lemon rice 
Raw mango Pappu

MORE SALAD RECIPES ARE LINKED BELOW

Kachumber
Papaya Cucumber salad
Carrot kosambari

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
15 mins	10 mins	3 persons

Recipe Course: Salad

Recipe type: Indian cuisine

Ingredients Sprouted Moth beans (Matki) – 2 cups Onion – 1 no Tomato -1 no Raw mango – 1 cup Green chilies – 1 no’s Lemon juice -2 tsp Red chili powder – ½ tsp Jeera powder – ¼ tsp (optional) Chaat masala-1 tsp Coriander leaves – ¼ cup Black Salt or Salt– to taste

Method

Preparation of sprouts

1. Ensure Moth Beans are clean and free of small rocks or any foreign objects. Put Moth Beans in a large bowl and add enough water that rises well above the Moth Beans. Keep the bowl covered for 8-10 hours.

2. After 10 hours, uncover the bowl.Matki should have soaked all the water. Next day, drain water and place them in a clean cloth. Tie and keep the cloth in an open vessel. Sprinkle water on cloth 2-3 times or when it looks dry. 

3. Moth beans sprouts a tail next morning. If not, wait for few more days till bean sprouts or keep them in warm place. Sprinkle water 2-3 times daily. Wash sprouted moth beans properly. Drain excess water. Keep aside.

Preparation of Sprouted Moth Bean –Matki Salad

1. Cut all the vegetables and keep all the masala powders ready. 

2. Steam the sprouted beans with salt for 10 mins. 

3. Allow the beans to cool for few minutes.

4.Transfer the matki in a serving bowl followed by chopped raw mango. 

5.Add chopped onions, tomatoes and green chilies.

6. Now add black salt (salt), red chilli powder, Chaat masala and lemon juice. 

7.Mix everything well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

8.Serve immediately. Sprouted Moth Beans Salad is ready. 

Notes

• Add some salt to sprouted moth beans and rub it with hands to coat well. 
• Rinse well with cold water. 
• This will remove the foul smell.
• Refrigerated sprouts last well for 10-12 days.  
• If you wish to store sprouts for more than 2 weeks, then you must deep freeze it.

Soya Thongba - Manipuri Cuisine

Manipuri cuisine is simple and healthy. Dishes are typically boiled, smoked or spicy foods that use chilli pepper. The staple diet of Manipur consists of rice, leafy vegetables, fish and meat. The meals are simple but very well prepared. Dishes are typically spicy foods that use chili pepper rather than garam masala. Oil is uncommon in most Manipuri styles. The taste is very different from other Indian cuisines because of the use of various aromatic herbs and roots.

January month challenge for Shhhh secretly cooking challenge is Manipuri cuisine.My partner is Mayuri Patel blogs at Mayuris jikoni.(https://mayuris-jikoni.com/)
She gave me two secret ingredients Soya and Onions. I have prepared Soya Thongba dish. A very simple and quick recipe which goes well with both roti and rice varieties. Thanks dear for the ingredients and lovely to have the dish

    

A Manipuri curry prepared with soy chunks, potatoes, and green peas. Thongba means curry and soya Thongba is soy chunks curry. All you need to spice up the gravy is green chili, some ginger garlic paste, and cumin seeds. I love it that it’s simple and uses minimal ingredients. There is no chilli powder and no tomatoes in this dish. The beautiful yellow of the curry is from the turmeric and milk in it.

 Check out some more curry recipes

Prep  time	Cooking time	Serves
30 mins	15 mins	4 persons

Recipe type:  Curry varieties

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Soya chunks (small) – 1 cup Small potatoes -2 no’s Fresh Green peas -1/4 cup Onion -1 medium Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp Green chili -2 no’s Oil -1 tbsp. Cumin seeds -1 tsp Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp Milk -1 cup Water -1/2 cup Coriander leaves –few sprigs Salt – to taste

Method:

1.Soak the soya chunks in water for 15 minutes and drain the water. Also, squeeze the soya chunks and remove the excess water. Chop the onion and set aside. Cut the potato into cubes and soak it water to prevent it from turning black. Slit the green chilies into two.

2. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and slit green chilies and fry for a minute. Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté them till onions turn soft. Now add green peas followed by turmeric powder and salt.Mix them and add a half cup of water.

3. Add soya chunks and potatoes to the pan. Fry for few minutes and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. & close it with a lid.

4. Now add milk to the pan and cook on low heat with a lid till gravy gets little thick with salt & spice. 

5. Make sure the potatoes are not mashed up.Garnish with coriander leaves & serve warm with rice & roti.

 Notes:

• If using frozen peas, thaw 1/3 cup of the peas or soak them in water to bring it to room temperature.