Invention IV- Asian Avtar of Potato Salad

Ingredients-

Baked potatoes

Raw but finely cut onions

Cilantro

Toasted Sesame seeds

Parsley

Fennel powder

Fresh lemon juice to taste

Salt and Sugar to taste

For the dressing - 

Plum sauce(found in 'ethnic food' aisle or Asian Markets)

Toasted Sesame seed oil

How to-

After potatoes are baked in microwave, peel, dice and add to a mixing bowl. Add all the dry ingredients except for the sesame seeds. Add in the dressing and mix the salad with bare hands in order to crush the potatoes and make the herbs stick to the potatoes evenly. Add sesame seeds last which keeps them crunchy at the time of serving. Serve hot or cold. I preferred it hot.

Onions can be dropped, but they lend a extra zing to this dish in the inventor's opinion.

Invention VI - Simplest pasta ever!

For the days when you won't make a sauce but yet want a tasty pasta.

Ingredients are the must have ingredients of any Italian dish-

• Any filled pasta, preferably veggie filled kind.
  
• Onions, julienned
  
• Basil paste/leaves/any other form to your liking
  
• Pepper
  
• Overwhelming amount of garlic cloves peeled and sliced.
  
• Walnuts for garnish
  
• Olive oil
  
• Salt
  

How to -

Set aside water for boiling the pasta. 

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent/pink, add garlic cloves, ground black pepper, saute slightly longer, add basil, salt. You can add a slew of herbs at this point to suit your nose and palate. Set aside.

When the water comes to a boil, add salt and then pasta. Remove pasta while it is still al dente. 

On the serving dish, add 4-5 ravioli pieces, add the sauted onions in herbs. Top with walnuts that have also been either toasted or roasted in olive oil.

It is amazing how such simple ingredients make for a lovely Sunday dinner. Goes well with a Viognier! I am having my glass even while I blog this.