January 2021 – Mrs. Mack's Spice of Life!

Chicken and Pepper Pasta

So Mr. Mack has been cooking again and this is one of his favorites (and now mine too!). Here is the recipe is his own words. Ingredients: Chicken breasts (500g) 1 Onion 1 Green Pepper Oil Penne pasta (250 g) 1 bottle M&S Made in Italian Pasta sauce Method: Chop the onions, and then fryContinue reading “Chicken and Pepper Pasta”

Shepherd’s Pie

So today’s dish is Shepherd’s Pie. We are going to use Coleman’s Shepherd’s Pie Mix to save some time (and amplify the flavours). So I doubled the recipe as was cooking in bulk and made two pies as you can see from the collage of pics of the cooking process), but have listed the recipeContinue reading “Shepherd’s Pie”

Basic Pesto

This is simple pesto with great flavours. Ingredients: 1 bunch Basil (25 gms) 2 cloves of garlic 2 handfuls of pine nuts Olive Oil Method: Coarsely grind all ingredients except olive oil in a mixer. Remove to a bowl and add olive oil. Pesto is ready to be served.

French Onion Soup

I taste this soup (rather sneaked a couple of spoonfuls from Mr. Mack’s bowl) in Cornwall last October and fell in love with the flavours. Per usual I googled the recipe and found traditionally it is made with strong beef stock, but in my version I have used chicken stock and it tastes just right.Continue reading “French Onion Soup”

Wraps with Cheesy Prawn Filling

So I had tortillas left over from making wraps last week and I decided to experiment with a prawn filling along with my favourite piccerella peppers, the result was a delightfully tasty, moreish treat that is ready in less than 30 minutes (prep and cooking time included). Ingredients: Ingredients: 310 gms raw Prawns (I usedContinue reading “Wraps with Cheesy Prawn Filling”

Chicken Sukka

Traditional South Indian Chicken dish, with roasted coconut and spices. Sukka mean dry so this is a dry preparation and is served with chapattis, rice roti or rice and dal. Here is the original recipe in my sister’s own words. It is a little involved and calls for a lot of whole spices but theContinue reading “Chicken Sukka”

Lamb Stew in Slow Cooker

My slow cooker has been one of my best investments in the kitchen. I like the idea of food cooking slowly overnight and ready to be served in the morning. Of the several recipes I have tested this lamb stew (I like to use minced lamb) is my favourite. Ingredients: 800 gms of Minced LambContinue reading “Lamb Stew in Slow Cooker”

Spinach Rice

A simple dish with huge flavours and can be put together in no time. Ingredients: 1 cup Basmati Rice 150 gms Baby Spinach leaves 1 Onion (sliced finely) 1 tsp Ginger powder 1 tsp Garlic powder Whole Spices (1 inch piece or cinnamon, 5 green cardamons, 7 peppercorns, 5 cloves, 3 bay leaves) Salt toContinue reading “Spinach Rice”

Puli Munchi

Literally translated it means, Tamarind (Puli) Chilly (Munchi). This is the name of a sauce that is amazing personified. It is a specialty from the coastal city of Mangalore where I have my roots, and my sister has reached the Zen level in making this particular dish. Here is the recipe in her own wordsContinue reading “Puli Munchi”

Surmai Fry

Surmai or Kingfish is my favorite, I love the round steaks when they are coated with spices, dredged in semolina and shallow fried. My sister Div, is a fantastic cook and has her own twist to the traditional dressing (chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt) here is the recipe in her own words. Ingredients: 1/2Continue reading “Surmai Fry”