CHICKEN NUGGETS ITALIANO

OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN NUGGETS ITALIANO
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tbsp. low calorie Italian salad dressing
4 tbsp. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
3 tbsp. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Cut chicken into bite-size cubes. Mix with salad dressing. Marinate one hour.
Combine bread crumbs and cheese. Roll chicken cubes in this mixture or shake in a closed plastic bag. Arrange in a single layer on a shallow non-stick baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven (475 degrees) about 8 minutes. Makes 4 servings (220 calories each).

Paneer butter Masala

Ingredients
3 big tomatoes - pureed
250 gms paneer - cubed
2 big onions
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
3 tbsps cashewnut paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhania powder (dry coriander powder)
1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp tandoori masala (optional for color)
2 tsp garam masala powder
salt and lemon juice - to taste
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp fresh cream
fresh coriander - chopped for garnish

Method
Skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 mins, then ouree them to form a paste. Do the same with tomaotes, unless you are using tomato puree directly.

Take 1 tbsp of ghee, heat in a pan for 2 mins, the saute the paneer cubes in it till golden brown; Now take 1 cup hot water, add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to it and immerse the paneer cubes in it for 10-12 mins. Then remove the pieces, drain them on a tissue paper and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pan, add the bay leaf and the cloves, then add the onion paste and saute till light-brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes. Add chilli powder, followed by the cashew paste and fry for 5 mins.

Add tomato puree, crushed kasuri methi,coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Stir and let it simmer for some time.

Add the paneer cubes and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add a small cup of water and let it cook on medium heat till you get the desired curry consistency. Remove from fire, stir in remaining butter and fresh cream.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve the Paneer Butter Masala with any bread of your choice, pulao or simply jeera rice.

Mughlai Paratha

Make a meal of this wholesome and tasty Mughlai-style stuffed bread. Serve it with your favorite chutney.
Ingredients:

For the dough:
500 gms wholewheat flour
1 cup milk
Warm water
Salt to taste
For the filling:
500 gms Masala Kheema (spicy minced meat) - Recipe below
3 eggs
Ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil for pan frying Parathas
Preparation:

Prepare the Masala Kheema (spicy minced meat) as per recipe.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt to taste. Add the milk a little at a time and knead. Once the milk is used up, add water. Knead well to make a medium-soft, smooth dough. Wet your hand and rub all over the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Whisk the eggs with salt to taste and keep aside.
Divide the dough into equal-sized balls and then press flat. On a floured surface, roll a ball out into a 4" circle. Put a large spoonful of the Masala Kheema in the center of the circle and fold edges of circle up to completely cover and seal the Masala Kheema inside. Pich the folds to shut.
Gently press down on the filled ball to flatten it and then roll it, with very gentle pressure, into a 6" circle. Do this for as many Parathas as you want. The unused dough can be refrigerated and used later for upto 3 days. As you finish rolling out the Parathas, keep them aside (ready to fry) - place them one over the other with a sheet of plastic wrap in between each so they don't stick to each other.
Heat a griddle on a medium flame till hot. Put a Paratha on it. Cook till you see tiny bubbles appearing on the upper surface. Now flip.
Wait for bubbles to appear on the surface that is now on top. Grease this surface with a little ghee/ cooking oil and flip again.
Brush the surface now on top with some egg and flip again. Grease the other side and brush egg on it also.
The Paratha is ready when the egg on both sides is cooked.
Serve hot with your favorite chutney.

Italian Pizza

Begin by either making or buying pizza dough. And now, some suggestions:

Pizza Margherita: to honor the Queen
You'll want 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, about a quarter pound of shredded mozzarella, and 3-4 fresh basil leaves. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough, sprinkle with the mozzarella, drizzle with a few drops olive oil, add the basil and bake.

Pizza Marinara: the garlic-lover's delight
You'll want two cloves (or more or less to taste) finely sliced garlic, and 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes. Spread the sauce over the pizza, sprinkle the garlic, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza al Prosciutto: a standby
You'll want 2-3 ounces finely sliced cooked ham, shredded, 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, and 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella. Spread the tomato sauce, sprinkle the with the mozzarella and ham, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi: another standby
You'll want about a cup finely sliced Champignon mushrooms, 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 2-3 ounces finely sliced ham, and 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella. Spread the tomato sauce, sprinkle the other toppings over it, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

La Napoletana: yet another standby
1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella, 3-4 anchovy filets or more to taste, 1 tablespoon or so rinsed salted or pickled capers, a dusting of oregano. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza, dot it with the remaining ingredients, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

L'Atomica: A fiery wonder
Though the one constant is a healthy jolt of crumbled red pepper, the other ingredients vary considerably from pizzaiolo to pizzaiolo.
Variation 1: 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, a tablespoon or to taste salted or pickled capers (rinsed), 3-4 anchovy fillets, boned, a dusting of oregano, and crumbled red pepper, to taste. 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella is optional. Assemble the pizza, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.
Variation 2: 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 3/4 cup finely sliced mushrooms, a dusting of oregano, crumbled red pepper to taste, and 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella (optional). Assemble the pizza, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza Quattro Stagioni: The four seasons
1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 3-4 canned artichoke hearts, quartered, 5-6 black olives packed in brine (you'll want the sweet variety), 1/2 cup finely sliced mushrooms, 2 ounces finely sliced ham, shredded, and 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella. Spread the tomato and the mozzarella, arrange the other four toppings each in its quarter of the pizza; drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza Capricciosa: Everything in the house
Not really, but it seems like that. It's usually the richest pizza offered, and every pizzaiolo makes it differently. This is based on the Pizzaria Giancarlo, outside Florence's Porta San Frediano. 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella, 1 finely sliced hot dog, 1 link sweet Italian sausage (about 2 inches long), skinned and shredded, 8 thin slices salamino piccante (pepperoni in the anglo-saxon world) 2 ounces thinly sliced ham, shredded, 2 canned artichoke hearts, quartered. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza, sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the sauce, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza ai Quattro Formaggi: Cheese Galore!
1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella, 1/3 cup (each) shredded pecorino, gorgonzola, groviera (Swiss Cheese), and fontina or asiago, one black olive. Spread the tomato, and sprinkle it with the cheeses; the pizza will look almost white. Dot it with the olive and bake.

Pizza alla Bismark:
For reasons unknown to me a pizza with an egg cracked over it so it emerges from the oven sunny-side-up is called a Bismark. Excactly what else goes onto the pizza is up to the pizzaiolo, but ham goes quite well. So: 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes, 2-3 ounces thinly sliced ham, shredded, and an egg. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza, sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the sauce, crack the egg over the middle of the pizza, drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.

Pizza Vegetariana:
Again lots of variability, though the vegetables used are almost always cooked: stewed peppers, stewed eggplant, artichoke hearts, spinach, and what have you Begin with the standard 1/2 cup tomato sauce or chopped canned tomatoes and 1/4 pound shredded mozzarella, and go from there, adding the cooked vegetables you prefer. Drizzle with a few drops olive oil and bake.