Pasta

Indian spiced vegan mac and cheese

August 20, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

This Indian spiced vegan mac and cheese recipe is incredibly creamy, spiced and remarkably cheese-like! You won’t believe how delicious dairy-free mac and cheese can be and it’s got lot of veggies, hidden:).

Indian spiced vegan mac and cheese

Personally, I never was cheese fan before, until I got introduced to the fancier ones, but I still am quite picky. I know, it probably seems sacrilegious to you, but it’s just the way I am. My teen an experimental cook, made cashew cheese once and I was hooked. So, when my teen made this Indian spiced vegan mac and cheese for me with cashews, I was floored. It’s lighter than normal mac and cheese, and has a different cheesy touch from the paneer. It’s one of my favorite recipes.…

Creamy Veggie Sauce Pasta with Chicken/Zucchini Golden Beet Sauce Chicken Pasta

April 1, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Zucchini and Yellow Beet Creamy Veggie Sauce Pasta with Chicken. Zucchini so soft,some floral notes and some sweetness to it, yellow beet is sweet and crispy– nothing overpowering! The combo in a sauce is SO GOOD. This pasta is loaded with fresh vegetables and herbs, this hearty, meatless sauce is a perfect way for gardeners to make delicious use of their harvest. Add chicken for the extra protien and it is winning recipe.

Happy April!! Happy Spring!

This simple pasta primavera aka creamy veggie sauce pasta uses a combination of the earliest vegetables available in spring — beets, peas and zucchini, spring onions, asparagus— making it a true celebration of the season. The sauce works best with any pasta of your choice, preferably homemade or a good purchased brand. Make sure not to overcook it; you need the chewy bite to stand up to the gently cooked vegetables….

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage butter sauce

March 20, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

I am so excited to share this Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter Sage sauce from my friend’s Adam and Ryan’s Husbands That Cook: More Than 120 Irresistible Vegetarian Recipes and Tales from Our Tiny Kitchen. This gnocchi is so flavorful and comforting, with a Southwest twist. Pan fried until crispy and tossed in a savory browned butter and sage sauce, these pillows are soft and so good. Then best, it’s quite simple to make. It will be a winner with everyone.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Adam and Ryan over the past few years thanks to IG. They both are just the kindest people I know. Their food is comforting and is accessible everyday food. You can see for yourself if you visit their blog, Husbands that Cook. So, when they came out with their book, I was beyond thrilled and happy for them. Congrats on your beautiful book!

There are so many recipes that I can’t wait to try. Their unique twist on a Sweet potato gnocchi gave me all the feels, and I was just itching to make it!! I did, and LOVED IT. They have a wonderful Sweet and Salt CAke that I can’t wait to make. Then there’s the Yuca con mojo. Their moo shu vegetable lettuce wraps with peanut sauce is so much fun to whip up, and very versatile. Are you intrigued yet?…

Crusty Cauliflower Pasta Bake with Peppery Almonds Manchego Crust -GF

October 11, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

With just four ingredients, you have the best cauliflower pasta bake ever. The sauteed cauliflower feels decadent with spicy almonds in this crunchy baked pasta. You can cook this over the stove top, or bake it. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.

This pasta bake is just the kind of thing for these dark and dreary days. It’s warm, crusty, and soul-satisfying. Yet it’s full of healthy ingredients. Chickpea pasta, crushed cauliflower, and a good peppery almond crust.

The pasta is a vessel that holds the cauliflower and with every bite, you get a bit of the creamy from the cauliflower and crunch from the almonds….

Shrimp Scampi in Coconut Rum Sauce with Linguine

April 1, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This shrimp scampi in coconut rum sauce with linguine is perfect for a thirty-minute meal. A restaurant quality meal, right at home!

HAPPY APRIL!!! Happy Easter!!

My last few months were all in fast forward motion, with one deadline after another, and one project after another… The book release was a huge relief. A sense of a huge responsibility went off my shoulder, replaced by a sense of happiness, contentment, and accomplishment. Masala and Meatballs is doing well, thanks to all of you. Very little things happen overnight, but what’s the fun in that anyway? The excitement is in the anticipation, the work and that time which brings pleasure in ticking off all the boxes. It is the journey that matters, not the destination.

After a beautiful launch party, book signings, and a few other events later, I felt the need to take a breather….

Garlicky Tomato-Vegetable Chickpea Orzo/pasta soup with a touch of heat

February 11, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

We are still in soup season. It’s raining, and it’s still cold around here. Our umbrellas are in full use, and so are our scarves. Our weekend evenings are filled with soup under blankets on the sofa. Mornings are dark, with no peeking of sunlight, and I want to sleep in more. Sometimes, the best things can happen in dark moments on a rainy day. I wake up, bake a batch of muffins, and put on a kettle of water to brew some coffee.

There are some quiet moments before the boys get down. No one to talk to, just me and my coffee with little Waffles (our puppy) by my feet. Silence sometimes is healing. Kind of a rehab. That feeling cannot be explained to the fullest. Silence is about feelings. I go out for a small walk with my large polka dot umbrella with frills, and it’s still drizzling. That moment, when there’s not a worry about anything that’s happening around.

I open the door after my walk, setting the umbrella down, I get a jump from my puppy and a hug and kiss. One by one the boys come down to hug and kiss me “Morning!”

Yes, sometimes I don’t want to think of what’s happening around.

On that note, there are many things happening right now, and there will always be. Let’s do something about it. Do what you believe in, go for it, fight for it. Speak your mind, or write what’s in your mind. We spend way too many nights thinking if everything would get alright. In the end, though, there’s nothing given up and nothing to quit as yet. In the end, love will always win.

Soups are not my thing, but this is one of my favorite soups. There are so many variations to make with this. You can add any vegetable you want, and the base for the soup can be made to your liking. It’s a hearty and a delicious soup which is great any time of the year.

This is a take on a chutney I make and the recipe was an accident, a very happy one. I love adding beets to it; not only does it add color but also lot of flavor and the slight sweetness.

Hope you get to try it out sometime.

Sending hugs!!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Tomato-Vegetable Soup with Orzo

Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Ash

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

5 roma tomatoes or vine tomatoes
2 whole garlic
3 carrots
½ Beet
1 red onion
10 dried red chilies
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper
2 cups low sodium or no sodium vegetable stock
½ cup orzo pasta(use more or less)
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans or canned(rinsed and drained)
10-12 basil leaves

For garnish

chives, toasted pine nuts and thinly sliced jalapenos

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the tomatoes in half, cut the garlic in halves, carrots and beet cut to 1 inch size, 1 inch onion. Put all this in a baking tray, add the red chilies, drizzle oil, add the salt and pepper and toss well. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Take it out and grind with 2 cups of vegetable stock or water. Transfer in a soup pot, add the orzo, onion and garlic powder. Let it simmer and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the chickpeas, tear the basil leaves and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with chopped chives, jalapeno and toasted pine nuts.

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Garlicky Tomato-Vegetable Chickpea Orzo/pasta Soup with a touch of heat |foodfashionparty| #soup #wintersoup

Butter Bean Walnut Hummus and Broccoli-Spinach Butter Bean Pasta

October 3, 2016 By Asha Shivakumar

Life is Perfectly Imperfect.

The last three weeks have been blurry, chaotic, rushed, and imperfect in a way. My car is messy, it looks like my garage has been hit by a mini torpedo, and my carpet, in a few places, looks muddy. While folding laundry, I noticed my teen’s pants have rips…. I had to be careful that my little human boy has not been bitten in his private area ;). I am more jittery, forgetful and haven’t got the time to spend a cozy huggy time with my human boys.

WE GOT A PUPPY. Waffles. He is a doll, a sweet sweet baby who turns rowdy for just a few minutes a day.

Yes, my laundry doesn’t get done fast enough. My to-do list has been growing a little bit too fast, nothing gets ticked off. As I drive off to a meeting, I have puppy hair on my pants. My hair smells like Waffles, our home suddenly smells like a puppy.

I haven’t had anyone cling to my feet in 10 yrs. All I do now is send pictures of Waffles shake hands, behave and just his cutest little pointy ears to everyone who shows the merest interest. I’m like this crazy mamma.

As crazy as life sounds and looks right now, isn’t it what it is all about?! Life is a learning process. Sometimes, small simple struggles are exactly what we need in our life. I had a period when everything was calm, and life was always quiet and peaceful. Now, I appreciate the peace and silence, even if it’s for an hour a day. When we have it all, we don’t miss it. Why do we only miss something when it’s taken away?

I like my chaos. I love my Waffles, the energy and endless kisses and love he gives us. I like that my boys feel responsible for someone. I feel COMPLETE.

Loving life in all it’s imperfections is the best. Don’t you agree?

This pasta, in a way, is what I call my accidental recipe gone good. A bit of this, a touch of that, and some cheese, and it’s perfect in all it’s hotchpotch mess.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Butter Bean Walnut Hummus and Broccoli-Spinach Butter Bean Pasta

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

35 mins

Author: Ash

Recipe type: Appetizer Lunch

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the Hummus

2 16 oz cans butter beans rinsed and drained or 1 cup dried beans soaked in water overnight
6 cloves of garlic
¼ cup walnuts
1 tsp red chili flakes
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ lemon zest
2 tbsp chopped cilantro(optional) or parsley
1 tsp toasted and crushed cumin
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp of freshly cracked pepper
1 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp water

For the pasta

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 head of broccoli chopped to small 1 inch size
1 cup of chickpeas/garbanzo cooked(use canned or cooked)
1 cup packed spinach finely chopped
½ cup of the hummus
½ cup pasta water
4 cups cooked wheat/semolina fusili pasta
Pepper jack cheese to top the pasta with or flavored hard cheese

Instructions

For the Hummus

If you are using dry beans, soak it in water overnight. Cook with 4 cups of water with NO SALT. After about 15 minutes, check if it is cooked. Then add some salt, let it sit in the salted water for few minutes and drain. This way you will ensure that the beans are lightly salted and it does not get tough or rubbery. Cool before making hummus.
If you are using canned, it's very easy, just drain and rinse well before using.
Add everything for the hummus in a food processor except for the water and whip and grind it under a coarse paste is formed. If you want add a few tablespoons of water to make it slighly thinner. The thicker consistency is great for dips with crackers or bread sticks.

For the Pasta.

Cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes in salted water or until al dente. Drain it, keep some pasta water aside.
In a saute pan, add a tbsp of olive oil, let it get hot and add the fennel seeds and let it splutter. Add the chopped broccoli and salt it, saute and cook for a minute. Then add the chickpeas and the spinach and saute until the spinach wilts. Add the hummus and add hot pasta water to water it down and mix well. Add the cooked pasta, mix through and turn off the heat.
Add the cheese and serve immediately.

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Butter Bean Walnut Hummus and Broccoli-Spinach Butter Bean Pasta |foodfashionparty|

Chickpea-Cherry Tomatoes-Basil Pasta Salad in a Peanut-Curry Dressing

August 30, 2016 By Asha Shivakumar

Hello there my friends!! Long time, no see.

Boy, is it hard to get to a routine after a fun 2 months of no cooking, no photography, and just lazing around.

Hope your summer went well. Any interesting things you did during summer, would love to hear.

It’s quite appropriate to say that we traveled the whole globe in the last 2 months. It was one heck of a fun summer, travels, family, lots of food and more food.

I have a post coming up soon on my travels, with pictures of monuments, food, and all the colors. Well, before I could jump into that post, life happened. School and routine began, and what to pack for school lunch is now always on my mind. This is one of my go to lunches for the boys and makes for a colorful and healthy meal. Pack the sauce separately and add any veggies you like. It’s a base and tastes absolutely good even when it’s only slightly warm.

Healthy and a perfectly balanced dish, with an amazing sauce. Hope you get to try it out!

Have a wonderful week! All the best for all the kids who start school this week.

Hugs,

Ash

5.0 from 2 reviews

Chickpea-Cherry Tomatoes-Basil Pasta Salad with Peanut Curry Dressing

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Ash

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 cups dry pasta(any pasta with some
8 oz of canned chickpea or cooked chickpea 1 cup
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
basil - 15-20 leaves

For the dressing

Toasted Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Almonds 2 tbsp
sesame seeds -1 tbsp
Lime juice from ½ lime
⅓ tsp red chili flakes
sriracha- 1tsp
1 tsp honey
4 garlic
1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp curry powder
Olive oil -1 tsp
cumin seeds- ½ tsp
roasted fennel seeds -1/3 tsp(optional)
1 stalk green onion/scallion
Water to thin the dressing

Instructions

Cook the pasta till al dante and run it through cold water to take away any starch. Set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, you can make the dressing.
Grind everything required for the dressing to a smooth paste. Add a tablespoon or so of the hot water to thin it down. It should be of pourable consistency.
Take a pan, add a tsp of oil and ⅓ tsp fennel and add the cooked chickpeas. If you are using the canned, drain it very well and then use.
Toss them well and add the cherry tomatoes and toss for 30 seconds to a minute. Take it off the heat.
Add the pasta and veggies in a bowl and top it with basil.
Add the dressing 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy

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SQUID INK PASTA WITH FENNEL,GARLIC AND BASIL

October 23, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

I was scared by a person wearing a monkey paper mask when I was 12. That’s the most a scary costume could get in those days. It was called ‘fancy dress competition’ growing up, wasn’t a big deal. I remember one year couple of my friends and I decided to be the cha cha dancers, a day before the competition. All we did was wear long flowery dresses and a plastic flower pinned to the side of our hair. It was darn cute but so silly.

Do you remember your most memorable Halloween costume?
…

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND GARBANZO COUSCOUS With BALSAMIC CANDIED WALNUTS

August 8, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

“I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is two weeks”- Totie Fields

Do you love crazy scary rides?

We were in Disney for the weekend.
We ate Churros, Mickey Ice creams, cheesy pasta, frozen lemonade and a lot in between. I am not even making up what I ate, it was a little too much. I feel stuffed and not so a little guilty to have eaten my way to happiness. Now, I fear the scale. Why am I only talking about food, we were in Disney right???…

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