Creamy Bow Tie Pasta with Broccoli and Bell Peppers - Lemon n spice Kids Lunchbox ideas

9th blog anniversary with my daughters favorite Pasta recipe  

In her Planet box  : Cubed mangoes, Babybel Mozzarella cheese with crunchy Pretzel and Creamy bow tie pasta with Broccoli and Bell peppers / Pasta in white sauce.

Creamy Bow Tie Pasta with Broccoli and Bell Peppers - Lemon n spice Kids Lunchbox ideas

How to make Bow tie Pasta for Kids lunch box / Bow tie pasta in white sauce / Creamy bow tie pasta with veggies ?
Serves :1 child, Cooking time : 10 - 12 minutes 

Ingredients :

Bow Tie Pasta : 1/2 Cup
Butter : 1 tbsp
Garlic :1 clove, finely chopped
Broccoli : 2 Florets, chopped
Bell pepper : 2 Slice, finely chopped 
Arrowroot powder / All purpose flour : 1 tbsp
Milk : 1/4 Cup to 1/2 cup (warm) 
Nutmeg powder / Italian seasoning / Parsley : a pinch
Pepper powder : a pinch
Salt : a pinch

Directions :

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions (Approximately 10minutes). Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add broccoli and bell peppers. Next, sprinkle the flour and combine  with the veggies (1 minute). 

3. Gradually add the milk and whisk constantly. Bring the sauce to a boil and allow to thick (2 minutes). Now sprinkle the seasonings -  salt, pepper and nutmeg powder.  If the creamy sauce gets too thick, you may thin it with a little pasta water / broth.

4. When the sauce looks good, Add boiled pasta and combine with the sauce. You can add Parmesan or cheddar to the pasta. But my daughter loves just the way it is!!!

5. To pack for lunchbox, you can transfer this hot creamy bow tie pasta to a Thermos / any heat resisting lunchbox. If your child likes it cold, allow it to cool and then pack in their regular lunchbox.

Happy Cooking,

Lena

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star themed Baby Shower cake

A Twinkle Twinkle Little Star baby shower is a fabulous way to honor Mommy-To-Be. Yesterday I made this cake for my close friend Saranya's baby shower. Its a Vanilla cake With Buttercream frosting. 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star themed Baby Shower cake By Lena

I made 5 vanilla cakes one day before the party, three - 9-inch cakes and two - 6-inch cakes, which I layered into four layers. Next day I made my classic vanilla Buttercream, increased the quantity to one and half times. For the decorations - I used 1M cake decorating tip to make rosettes and golden sugar dust sprinkles (from Michael's) to cover top layer. The cake toppers for my "Twinkle Twinkle Little star cake"are from Rashmin and Rithika :)

Similar Recipes

• My failproof 1-2-3-4 cake for cake decoration
• Another Pink baby shower cake
• Lego Friends birthday cake
• Frozen Birthday cake
• Rosette cake with Lemon Buttercream
• Classic Buttercream

Happy cooking,
Lena

Poori, Boiled Sweet potato and Onion Pakoda - Lemon n spice Kids Lunch box ideas

In her Planet box : Onion pakoda (Onion fritters), Boiled Sweet potato, Indian poori's and carrots. 

1. Poori - I used 1/2 cup wheat flower and a pinch of salt  to make the Poori's. You can see the fail proof poori recipe here. Use the smallest Kadai to fry these, so you dont have to use much oil.

2. Rithika loves Ulli vada / Crispy onion fritters. I made 2 fritters today with 1/2 of a small purple onion. After finishing the Poori's, I fried the pakoda's in the same oil. use the smallest Kadai to fry these, so you dont have to use much oil.

3. Boil the cleaned sweet potatoes with skin in a pressure cooker for a whistle. When pressure releases, peel the sweet potato skin and cut into cubes.

Similar Recipes : 

• Parippu vada / Daal Vada
• Dhokla
• Avocado Paratha

Happy Cooking,

Lena

Buttery Garlic Pasta / Pasta with no sauce - Lemon n spice Kids Lunch box Series

I believe a good cook is someone who can make a great dish with only few ingredients. Today in our Lemon n Spice Lunch box series,  I am presenting a simple Pasta dish without any sauce. This is perfect for kids lunch boxes / Picnics.

In her Planet box : Olives, Orange slices, Garlic Pasta without sauce, Cucumber coin and 2 candy corns :)

How to make Pasta for kids lunch box without any sauce? Buttery garlic pasta recipe

Cooking time : 15 minutes, Serves : 1 kid

Ingredients :

Pasta : 1/2 Cup

Butter : 1 tsp

Olive oil : 1/2 tsp

Garlic : 2 , finely chopped

Fresh Parsley : 1 tsp, finely chopped / Dried Pasta seasoning : 1/2 tsp

Salt & Pepper

Directions :

1. Cook Pasta according to the package directions. (boil 4 cups of water in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp of salt.Now add pasta and allow to boil for 10 - 12 minutes. Drain and keep aside)

2. Heat oil, butter and garlic over medium heat in a skillet until garlic turn pale gold. Remove pan from heat and add parsley, black pepper and salt. Now add the drained pasta and toss it in the skillet.

Notes : You can add any veggies along with garlic in this recipe  without ruining the main garlic and parsley flavor. Options - 4 Snap peas / 1 tbsp of frozen peas / 1 tbsp sweetcorn / 1/2 carrot etc. 

Similar recipe 

• Lemon n spice Kids lunch box - Ginger garlic friend brown rice
• Lemon n spice Kids lunch box - Lemon rice and Daal vada
• Lemon n spice Kids lunch box - Whole wheat banana pancakes and grilled sweet potatoes

Happy cooking,

Lena