A Mojito, A Pasta, And A Crumble

A mid week meal made almost special with a virgin mojito, an Indianized pasta and an apple crumble. All of this is vegetarian but you can add pieces of chicken or bacon to the pasta while making the sauce and of course, don't forget white rum for the mojito!

Traditionally, a mojito includes white rum, sugar, lemon juice, sparkling water/club soda, and mint. You can find a lot of variations in Delhi eateries. My recipe for a virgin mojito is quite simple and flavorful. Here's what you need:

Ginger Mojito (Non Alcoholic) - makes two

3 tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar
15-20 mint leaves
Juice of two medium sized lemons
A very small piece of ginger
Limca
Lots of ice

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the mint and ginger just enough to release the flavor and some juice, about 3-4 times is okay. Take care not to over grind the mixture, the mint leaves should retain their shape. Mix the lemon juice with brown sugar in a bowl.

Transfer the sweetened lemon juice in your serving glass. Add the mint and ginger mixture and stir twice, just enough to mix all the flavors together. Top it up with lots of ice and Limca if you want it really sweet or just use club soda.

A Very Indian Pasta - makes enough for three or two very hungry people.

This pasta is very simple to make and taste amazing! The sauce is quite versatile so you can incorporate additional flavors to it - add corn, broccoli, mushroom, chicken and whatever else that you love in your pasta. Personally, I eat pasta more for the sauce and avoid anything with a vegetable overload but feel free to experiment.

Ingredients:

1/2 packet Del Monte or any other pasta (I used Penne)

1/2 cup lobia/black eyed beans or red kidney beans, boiled and roughly crushed

6 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

2 medium sized onions, finely chopped

1 capsicum (green bell pepper), finely chopped

1 whole garlic, crushed

1 packet store bought tomato puree

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1 cup grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Boil the pasta per instructions on the packet and set aside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and add crushed garlic and onions to it. Add the bell pepper and chopped tomatoes when onions become translucent. You can add the salt at this stage to speed up the cooking. Once the tomatoes become soft and mixture resembles a thick sauce, add the tomato puree, boiled black eye beans, and sugar. Let it cook for about ten minutes on a medium low flame.

Add the ground black pepper, chilli flakes, and oregano. Set aside and let cool. 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease a large baking dish and layer the pasta on it. Pour over the sauce and grated cheese. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot with a crusty bread of your choice.

Apple Crumble - makes enough for four

Recipe here: http://twomegapixelfood.blogspot.com/2010/11/apple-crumble.html - I used only one apple in this recipe and added melted butter instead of cold butter.

Overall, the dinner was amazing. I felt the mojito could have used a little more sugar and lemon but I guess it will take time to perfect the recipe. The pasta and apple crumble can be refrigerated for 2-3 days.