Zoodles - Zucchini Noodles in Red Pepper Sauce

Zucchini noodles in red pepper sauce.. The taste of noodles in a healthy way.. Im very fond of anything noodliee.. Be it maggiee, schezwan noodles or spaghetti.. It comes in my list of comfort food.. Having these on a regular basis was unhealthy.. So I had to think of a way out.. And after surfing a lot on the net, i came across something known as "Zoodles".. As the diet conscious people would love to call it.. The feeling of having noodles in a healthy way.. This served my purpose of having noodles on a regular basis..

Ingredients:

1 zucchini

1 red bell pepper

4 garlic flakes chopped

2tbsp tomato sauce

2tsp red chilli sauce

Salt to taste

1tsp vinegar

1tsp mixed herbs

1tbsp olive oil

Method: Grate zucchini into big juliennes along with skin.. Remove the middle soft part.. Now apply oil to the bell pepper and roast on medium flame till it gets charred.. Alternatively you can grill it in oven too for 12-15mins, rotating in between.. Once charred, let it cool, then peel it and blend into a smooth paste.. Heat olive oil in a pan.. Add garlic and saute for few seconds.. Donot brown.. Add in roasted bell pepper puree and cook for 2-3minutes.. Add in the sauces and herbs.. Add salt according to taste.. You might want to add only 1/4tsp of salt and not more.. Mix well and then add in zucchini noodles... Mix well on high flame.. Zucchini tends to leave water.. So you will have to cook it on high flame for a min.. Off gas and leave it covered for few minutes till the flavours blend well.. Sprinkle little more herbs and serve warm..

 Zucchini grated into juliennes

Baked Vanilla Yogurt

                

Baked Vanilla Yogurt is often made by me during summers.. Its a chilled creamy yogurt pudding which I love to have on lazy afternoons.. It soothes me internally and also satiates my craving for something sweet as well as healthy..

                I remember the first time my mom mentioned of this baked yoghurt to me around 3yrs back, when she had on a trip abroad.. Before that i never even heard of this pudding.. She loved it so much, that she wanted me to try it once.. Till then, I only had "mishti doi" and not baked vanilla yoghurt.. Though there is no much of difference between the two, "mishti doi" is a traditional make and "baked vanilla yogurt" is a more modish..

                I generally make baked yogurt only with condensed milk and yogurt.. But many recipes use cream as well.. Cream gives a more velvety texture to the pudding.. This doesnt mean only yogurt doesnt.. The only difference I could make out is of made with only yogurt, the pudding is dense, and cream makes it light on the palette, and heavy on the stomach.. So, when i bake for my family and me, it has to be only yogurt and condensed milk.. And when i expect some guests, I add in some cream as well for the richness..

Baked Vanilla Yogurt

Ingredients:

2 cups thick yoghurt

1 cup condensed milk

1tsp vanilla essence

Method: Preheat oven at 160c. Whisk the yoghurt till it is smooth and there are no lumps.. Add in condensed milk and vanilla essence and whisk again till well combined.. Pour into individual shot glasses or ramekin moulds.. Take and oven proof tray and fill half with water.. Place the shot glasses in the tray and bake at 160c for exact 12mins.. To check if the yoghurt is set, insert a toothpick in one of the glasses.. If it comes out clean, it is done.. Otherwise bake for another 2minutes.. (Im sure it will be done in 12mins and you won't need to bake it further).. Switch off and open the door of the oven and leave it to cool.. Once it comes down to room temperature, chill for few hours and serve topped with fruit filling or preserve of your choice..

Note: You can even add nuts or 2tbsp of any fruit crush in the mixture before baking for a flavourful yoghurt..

If you want to use cream, everything goes in the ratio of 1:1:1 ie 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup cream and 1 cup condensed milk..  This is ideal.. But then you can use more of yogurt and less of cream too ie 1 1/2 cup yoghurt, 1/2 cup cream and 1 cup milkmaid..

The only thumb rule here is 2 parts of yoghurt / yoghurt and cream and 1 part condensed milk..