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Rajni Hatti
completed her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Cornell
University in 1998. From 1998 to 2004, she worked in various corporate roles in the
IT field. In 2004, Rajni changed to part time work so that she could be home with her new son. In early 2005, Rajni began writing a cookbook which features dishes
from all over India, with a focus on using shortcuts and methods to make cooking easy but still delicious.
Rajni lives with her husband and son in Charles Town, WV. |
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This is the first issue that I am writing for NRI Pulse and I look forward to sharing my recipes with you. My life (like yours too, I’m sure) is busy and I look for cooking shortcuts to make food faster but keep it flavorful and healthy. In my column I’ll give you tasty Indian and American recipes with lots of time savers and tips.
Here are three recipes that I use all the time because they are so versatile. You can make these recipes when entertaining or if you want something quick for a weeknight dinner. Each recipe is very easy and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
If you have any questions or comments about my column, email me at askrajni@yahoo.com. Enjoy!
Chunky
Homemade Salsa
Serves 6-8
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons jalapenos from jar, finely chopped
1 tablespoon jalapeno juice, from jalapenos jar
1 teaspoon vinegar
Tip:
This salsa can be used in many ways. Mix it with cooked rice to make a Spanish rice or serve it along with Mexican dishes such as quesadillas, tacos, or nachos.
Mix all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.
Easy
Quesadillas
Serves 4
8-10 tortillas
8 oz packet of Pepper Jack or Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tsp butter
Tip:
Put leftover chicken breast (chopped into small pieces), ground meat, or refried beans inside the quesadilla along with the cheese.
Cut cheese into slices. Put a frying pan over medium heat. Coat pan with a little butter and add one tortilla to the pan. When the bottom of the tortilla starts to brown, flip over. Place slices of cheese (adjust amount as desired) on one half of the tortilla. When bottom of tortilla starts to brown, fold tortilla in half. Repeat for all tortillas. Serve with Chunky Homemade Salsa (recipe above) and sour cream.
Italian
Garlic Bread
Serves 4
1 medium size garlic clove, chopped finely
1 tablespoon melted butter
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 medium size loaf of French or Italian bread
Time Saver:
Make extra and have it ready for a busy night when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. Just put olive oil mixture on bread, stack the bread slices together and wrap in aluminum foil, then refrigerate. At serving time, place on baking sheet and put in oven as directed below. Bread will keep fresh for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
Put oven rack at top of oven and preheat the broiler. Cut bread into 1 inch slices and put on baking sheet. In a bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Use a spoon to spread mixture onto the bread slices. Put into oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until top of bread is golden brown.
Copyright © 2006 Rajni Hatti. All rights reserved.
Archives:
December16th:
issue: Christmas Goodies!
December
1st issue: Salads Rock
November16th
issue: Indian Bread Recipes
November1st
issue: Mithai Sensations
October
1st issue: In a Jiffy!
September
16th issue: Veggie Flavors
September
1st issue: Dip ' Dressings
August
16th issue: Four Ways To Say Cheese
August
1st issue: Thanda Thanda, Cool Cool
July
16th issue: Sweet Temptations
July
1st issue: Chini Chow
June
1st issue: Mango
Tango
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