Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Papaya Ginger Smoothie


Ingredients

Papaya Chunks: two and a half cups

Ice cubes: one cup

Plain yoghurt: two third cup

Fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped: one tbsp

Honey: one tbsp

Juice of two lemons

Fresh mint leaves: 10-15

Method

Refrigerate papaya until very cold. Blend papaya, ice, yoghurt, ginger, honey and lemon juice in a blender. Add up to one-fourth cup of water, until the mixture is smooth and thinned to desired consistency. Blend in mint leaves. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serves four.

The hindu Metroplus wellness December 18 2008


Striped Bass with Sauce

Ingredients

Sea Bass Fillet 80gms

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour for dusting

Olive oil for frying: 1 tbsp

Shallot, finely chopped: 1 tsp

Red wine: 1 small glass

Fish stock: 1 tbsp

Unsalted butter: 1 tbsp

Mushrooms: 10 nos

Method

1. Cook sea bass. Put a heavy bottomed frying pan on the stove to heat.

2. Make three or four cuts in the skin side of the fish approximately half an inch deep.

3. Season and flour the fish and fry the sea bass in olive oil until lightly colored.

4. Roast the sea bass in the oven at a very high temperature by placing the frying pan in the oven with the sea bass skin side up for three minutes.

5. Turn the sea bass so that it is skin side down and put back in the over for 2-3 minutes (to make skin crispy)

6. Remove from the pan and keep hot

7. Prepare sauce. Put shallots, mushrooms, red wine and fish stock into the hot pan and bring it to boil and reduce it by half(this will happen very quickly if the pan is very hot)

8. Finish sauce. Whisk the butter into the wine sauce. (it should have a syrupy consistency; if it looks a bit thin, then reduce it)

The Hindu Metroplus The food file December 20 2008


Monday, December 15, 2008

Atta Biscuits

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour(atta) : 1 ¼ cups

Bran: 2 tbsp

Refined flour(maida)1/3 cup

Butter(chilled) 110gm

Powdered sugar: ½ cup

Milk as required

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 C

Take the atta in a bowl. Add bran refined flour and mix. Add chilled butter cut into small pieces and mix with finger tips till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add powdered sugar and mix. Add cold milk (or water or a mixture of the two and knead lightly. Sprinkle some flour on the worktop and roll out the dough to one-forth inch thickness. With different shaped cookie cutters cut out the biscuits. Place the biscuits on a baking tray keeping a space between each. Bake in preheated oven at 160C till done.


India Today November 2008


Clear chicken soup

Ingredients

Chicken bones: 500gm

Boneless chicken: 125 gm

Onion : 1

Garlic: 4 to 6 cloves

Tamarind:1/2

Tomato: 1

Curry leaves: 16 to 20

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Asafoetida: ¼ tsp

Gram flour(besan) 2 tbsp

Coconut Scraped: ½ cup

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Method

Clean and wash chicken bones and boneless chicken. Peel, wash and roughly chop onion and garlic. Soak tamarind in quarter cup warm water remove the pulp strain and reserve. Wash and roughly chop the tomato and curry leaves. Boil the chicken bones in about seven to eight cups water, skim the scum from the surface and simmer for ten minutes. Add roughly, chopped onion, garlic, tamarind pulp, tomatoes, boneless chicken, salt and turmeric powder red chilli powder, asafetida and chopped curry leaves. Continue to simmer on medium heat for another 15 minutes. Remove cooked boneless chicken, cool and chop into bite sized pieces. Blend besan in quarter cup water and mix into the simmering soup. Add scraped coconut cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Strain soup, pressing the residue well to extract the entire flavor. Reheat the soup add chopped chicken, adjust the seasoning, mix in lemon juice and serve piping hot.


India today November 2008



Masur dal kebabs

Ingredients

Masur dal: 1 cup

Salt to taste

Black pepper: ¼ tsp

Coriander finely chopped: 1 tbsp

Whole wheat bread crumbs: 4 tbsp

Green chilli finely chopped: 1

Oil 1 tsp, 1 tsp for sautéing

Water: 2 cups

Method

Soak the masur dal in a saucepan for one to two hours. Add oil chillies and water and cook till completely blended, making sure the water does not dry out. Mash the dal add, bread crumbs and spices. Roll into small balls and then flatten them to look like little cylinders. Each kebab should be the size of your thumb in length and thickness. In a non stick saucepan put a little olive oil into the surface and then sauté the kebas over medium heat till they are golden brown. Serve with fresh onion rings a lemon wedge and raita


India Today November 2008




Apple banana cake

Ingredients

Flour: 1 ½ cup

Sugar:2/3 cup

Baking soda: 1 tbsp

Salt: ½ tsp

Apple: 1

Ripe mashed bananas : 1 cup

Eggs 2or for a low cholesterol version 4 egg whites

Oil: ½ cup

Method

Preheat oven to 350 f. Grease an 8X8 in square pan (non stick variety is best) Sift together the all purpose flour sugar baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Blend the apples bananas eggs and oil in a blender. Stir together all the ingredients until mixed. Pour into the prepared pan and put in the preheated oven to bake for 45 minutes or until done. Cool on a cooling rack. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.


Indian today November 2008





Veggie wrap

Ingredients

For the wrap

Whole wheat flour: 50 gm

Soy flour: 40 gm

Maida: 2tsp

Skimmed milk: 100ml

Egg: ½

Oil:3 tsp

A pinch of salt

For the filling

Potato: 50gm

Cauliflower: 50gm

Carrot: 50gm

Peas: 75gm

Tomato: 50gm

Oil: tbsp

Tomato Sauce: ½ tbsp

Salt and Chilli powder

Herbs to taste

Method

To make the wrap sift the flour along with the salt. Add the egg and gradually add the milk using a whisk to beat up the batter. Mix and beat thoroughly till the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Allow the batter to remain in a cool place for about an hour. Heat ¼ tsp oil in non-stick frying pan or use a non stick oil spray. Pour a spoonful of the batter on it. Spread it in a circular motion. Cook one side till it is light brown and then turn the side. Now cook on the other side. Make all the pancake by using up all the batter.

For the filling

Cut the vegetables into small pieces and shred the carrots. Heat oil in a pan add the vegetables and the seasoning. Cook it on low flame till the vegetables are done. Now add the tomato sauce. Divide this filling among the four pancakes, roll them and serve hot with chutney.

India today November 2008



Chicken roll

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

Olive oil 1 tbsp

Garlic thinly sliced 1

Carrot 1

Diced red bell pepper: 1

Tomatoes: 5

Salt 1 tsp

Chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Ground cumin: ¼ tsp

For the wrap

Maida 1 cup

Wheat flour: ½ cup

Water : ¾ cup

For the filling

Cooked shredded chicken: 1.25 cups

Cheese: 150 gm

Method

To prepare the sauce

Heat the oil in a pan. Add onions and garlic. Saute till golden brown. Add the carrots and bell pepper and cook till soft. Add tomatoes and the seasoning and cook for about 20 minutes.

To prepare wrap for the roll

Mix the flour: add water to form a soft and elastic dough. Add slowly and knead. Cover and set aside for an hour or a little more. Divide the dough into five equal balls. Roll each ball into a thin round roti-like shape. Heat a skillet, place the roti on the hot skillet and cook for a few seconds, until bubbles begin to form on the upper surface. Flip the roti and cook the other side for a few more seconds. Remove from fire and place on a plate. The roti should not be brown. Finish making the other roti similarly. Keep aside.

To Assemble the wrap

Keep the roti flat on a plate. Spread about 2 tbsp of the tomato sauce on it. Divide the chicken and the cheese into five equal portions. Spread one portion each of the chicken and cheese on half of the roti. Fold the other half over it and make it into a roll.

India Today November 2008


Saturday, December 13, 2008

Chocolate cherry smoothie

Ingredients

Unsweetened, frozen pitted cherries: one to one and a half cups

Low fat vanilla soy milk: 1 cup

Cranberry – raspberry juice: quarter cup

Chocolate hazelnut spread: one tbsp

Non-fat vanilla yoghurt: half cup

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree them until smooth.


Supplementary the wellness
the hindu dated february 7 2008

Rice Stuffed Omelette

Ingredients

6-8 eggs

Milk3 tbsp

pepper

oil 3 tbsp

salt to taste

For the filling

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

Small onion1

Carrot scraped and cut into small pieces

Mushrooms2

Cooked rice 1 CUP

Butter 2 tbsp

Method

Heat the butter and fry the onions till translucent. Mix in the carrots and stir fry for a further 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and fry. Mix in the chicken pieces, salt, pepper, parsley and mix well. Now mix in the rice to the chicken mixture and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Keep the filling aside. Lightly beat the eggs and add the milk salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and pour half the quantity of the egg. Place a portion of the filling in the centre and roll from both ends to cover make a roll. Remove carefully to a serving plate and garnish with ketchup and serve. Prepare the other omelet in the same way.


Omlet Rolls

Ingredients

Eggs 6

Sugar 3 tbsp

Soy sauce 2 tsp

Luke warm water or sugar cyrup 4 tbsp

Cooking oil 3 – 4 tbsp

For the Garnishing

Radish

Ginger

Soy sauce

Method

Beat the eggs very lightly using a pair of chopsticks. Mix the sugar, soy sauce and the lukewarm water or sugar cyrup in a small bowl and mix this into the eggs. Divide the egg batter into two portions. Heat 1 – 2 tbsp of oil in a non stick pan and pour quarter portion of the beaten eggs and tilt the frying pan to spread the egg batter so that it cooks in a thin layer. When the edge s beginning to set, roll up the egg towards yourself and pour another 1 tsp of oil in the empty side and pour one more quarter of the quantity of the beaten egg. Once one side is cooked, lift the egg with a chopstick so that the raw egg runs underneath. Then with the chopstick start rolling the omelet in the opposite direction. Turn over with the help of chopsticks and cook the other side. Take a bamboo mat and slide the cooked omelet on to it and roll up tightly with the help of the bamboo mat. Allow to cool and slice the cold omelet into thick 1 inch pieces. Prepare the other half of the beaten eggs in the same way. Cut into rolls and serve garnished with grated mooli. Accompaniments to this omelet will be the soy sauce and the pickled ginger.


Ginger Pickle

ngredients

Fresh young ginger 2 lb

Rice vinegar 3 cups

Sugar 2 cups

Salt 2 tsp

Method

Wash the ginger root and rub off skin. Slice the ginger very thinly into very thin and salt them. Leave salted ginger slices in a bowl for one hour. Dry the ginger slices with paper towels and put them in a sterilized container or jar. Mix rice vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour the hot mixture of vinegar and sugar over the ginger slices. Cool them. Pickled ginger changes its color to light pink. Cover the jar and store it in the refrigerator.


Radish and Carrot Salad

Radish and Carrot Salad

Radish 250gm

Carrots 2

Rice Vinegar 120 ml

Salt to taste

For garnishing

Black sesame seeds 1 tsp

Lemon rind or fine strips of lime 2 tsp

Method

Finely grate the radish and carrots and keep these separately. Cover with very cold water and leave to soak for about 15-20 minutes. Drain well, add salt, stir and separate into portions in individual bowls. Garnish with black sesame seeds, lemon rind or fine strips of lime. Pour the rice vinegar over the salad or serve separately to be used as per taste.


Potato Salad

Ingredients

Potatoes 4 -5

Carrots 2

Onion 1

Oil 4 tsp

Vegetables stock 1 cup

Rice Vinegar 4 tsp

Sugar 2 tsp

Eggs beaten 4

Cucumber 1

Salt to taste

Method

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces. Scrape the carrots lightly and cut into chunks and cut the onions.

Heat the oil in a pan and stir fry the potatoes, carrots and onions for 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable stock. Lower the heat and add the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Cover and simmer till the potatoes are just tender but not over cooked. Increase the heat to dry up all the liquid. Remove the vegetables before these stick to the bottom of the pan. Allow the potato mixture to cool for only 30 seconds and ten mix in the beaten eggs, stirring so that the eggs mix well into the potato mixture. Do not peel the cucumber. Cut into small pieces and add salt and leave aside for five minutes. Drain out all the liquid from the cucumber and add the cucumber pieces to the potato egg salad and serve.


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Apple Salsa

Ingredients

Red apples: 2

Lime juice: 2 tbsp

Chopped orange segments: half a cup

Onion, finely chopped: half a cup

Green pepper, finely chopped : half a cup

Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped: 1

Garlic minced: 1 clove

Cilantro chopped : 2 tbsp

Cider vinegar: 1 tbsp

Ground cumin: half tsp

Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp

Method

Core and dice the apples. Toss immediately with lime juice. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Chill 2 hours before serving. Serve with pork, chicken, turkey and fish.

The hindu Wellness December 11 2008


Monday, December 08, 2008

Spicy chicken with Groundnuts

Boneless chicken cut into 1 inch 500gm

Cyster sauce 1 tbsp

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Spring onions 3

Garlic 4or 5 flakes

Groundnuts ½ cup

Green chillies 2or 3

Black peppercorns 8-10

Red chilli flakes 1 tsp

Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Tomato ketchup ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Water 1 ½ cups

Spring onions greens 2

Method

Place the chicken in a bowl add the oyster sauce and marinate for at least one hour preferably in the refrigerator. Heat the oil in a pan add the spring onions and sauce for a few seconds. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for a while. Add the groundnuts and sauce for a few seconds. Add the marinated chicken and sauté for two minutes. Stir in the green chillies, four or five of the crushed black peppercorns and the red chilli flakes. Add the cinnamon powder salt tomato ketchup and lemon juice. Mix the cornflour` into half a cup of water and add to the pan with one cup of water. Cook till the sauce thickens. Add the spring onion greens and serve hot, sprinkled with the remaining crushed black peppercorns.



Kaju katli

Ingredients

Cashew nuts: 1 cup

Sugar: three fourth cup

Milk: 2 tbsp

Ghee: 1tbsp

Vanilla essence: 1 tsp

Boiling water: 1 cup

Method

Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water for 1 hour. Drain them and process them smoothly in a food processor by adding milk and then sugar. Heat the ghee in a large pan, add the cashew nut paste and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick. Then, add vanilla essence and mix thoroughly. Put this mixture in a greased tray and spread it evenly. Let it cool for 45 minutes. After it is cooled, cut into diamond shaped pieces.


Supplementary: Metro plus + Wellness

The hindu dated march 13 2008






Passion Fruit Milk shake

Ingredients

Cold milk 1 cup

Passion fruit:2

Chocolate icecream: 2 large scoops

Whipped cream for granish (optional)

Method:

Scoop the pulp from the two fruits and put it into the milk. Stir the mixture with a fork to extract the juice from the pulp. Strain if desired to remove the seeds. Put the ingredients in a blender and process on high for 30 seconds or till smooth and creamy. Serve in a tall, chilled glass with a straw. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Note: use more fruit if a stronger flavor is desired.


Corn Bhel

American Sweet corn boiled: 4 tea cups

Potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes: 4-5

Spring onions, chopped with the leaves: 3

Tomatoes, chopped: 3

Capsicum , chopped:3

Green chillies:6-7

Ginger: a piece( to be grounded into paste with juice of lemon)

Asafoetida: a pinch

Cooking oil: 3-4 tbsp

Sugar: 3-4 tsp

Salt to taste

For Garnishing

Gujrati sev(optional):100gm

Coconut, grated

Coriander, chopped

Method

In a frying pan heat the oil and stir fry the chilli ginger paste. Add the asafetida, spring onions, potatoes and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add the corn and stir fry for a few minutes.

Then add the potatoes and stir fry again. Add the tomatoes, coriander leaves and sugar, salt and lemon juice. Spread the corn mixture in a serving dish. Sprinkle sev over it.

Top with grated coconut and chopped coriander. Serve hot.

The hindu metrol plus dated september 2 2008.



Chocolate cherry smoothie

Ingredients

Unsweetened, frozen pitted cherries: one to one and a half cups

Low fat vanilla soy milk: 1 cup

Cranberry – raspberry juice: quarter cup

Chocolate hazelnut spread: one tbsp

Non-fat vanilla yoghurt: half cup

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree them until smooth.

Supplementary the wellness
the hindu dated february 7 2008

Bread chat

Ingredients

Bread Slices: 8-10

Big potato, finely chopped: 1

Onion, finely chopped:1

Capsicum, finely chopped: 1

Tomato, finely chopped: 1

Lemon juice: 2 tsp

Chat masala: 1 1/2tsp

Corinader leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Method

Cut the bread slices into medium size cubes. Deep fry. Mix all the chopped ingredients with the fired bread cubes. Add chat masala, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve immediately.

he hindu metrolplus september 2 2008.


Stuffed bitter melon (Karela)

Ingredients

Karela(bitter melon/gourd): 1 Ib

Select medium-sized ones.

Salt: 1 tsp

Stuffing

Cooking oil: 1 tsp

Onions:2

Garlic cloves:4

Fresh ginger:1 piece

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: half a tsp

Salt: half a tsp or to taste

Amchoor(mango powder): 1 tsp

Water: 1 tbsp

Cooking /Frying

Thread to wrap and tie up the bitter

Gourd

Cooking oil:quarter cup

Water: 2 tbsp

Method:

Step1 to prepare the karela, wash it well and scrape off the skin with a knife. Cut a slit vertically into the belly of the karela. Rub the skin and the insides with salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. During this time the stuffing may be prepared. After 20 minutes, you will see lots of water as a result of salting. Squeeze out as much water as possible. To control salt, wash rinse, squeeze out water and pat the karela dry.

Step2 To make the stuffing first the vegetables must be prepared. Chop the onions finely, about the size of cooked rice with a knife or a grater. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the ginger finely. In a heavy pan, heat cooking oil. Add onions and salt. Sauté till onions are transparent. Add garlic and ginger stir well. Add cumin, coriander turmeric powder and amchoor. Stir well. Sauté for about two minutes. Add water and sauté another two minutes. Turn off the heat.

Step3: to cook/fry the karela first fill the belly of the karela with the stuffing. Wrap karela with thread so that the stuffing does not fall out. Ina heavy bottomed pan, put cooking oil, water and stuffed karela. Turn on the heat. As soon as the steam starts to build, cover the pan with the lid, and turn the heat to medium low and cook for about four minutes. Turn over the karela, cover and cook for another four minutes.


Stuffed Katori Chat

Ingredients

For the katori

Maida : 1 cup

Suji(semolina) : ½ cup

Refined oil: 2 tsp

A little Salt

Oil for frying

For the filling

Potatoes(boiled and chopped):1/2kg

Sprouts(red gram and moong-parboiled):1 cup

Thick curd: 2 cups

Sweet and sour chutney

Green chutney

Gujrati sev

Salt

Char masala

Pepper

Roasted jeera

Red Chilli powder: to taste

Coriander leaves: finely chopped

Method

Mix the two flours. Add salt and oil. Add sufficient water and make a stiff dough. Roll out small puris and stick at the back of small greased katoris or tart moulds. Deep fry on a medium flame. The katoris will come out in hot oil.

Mix the sprouts and potatoes with salt, chat masala, roasted jeera and red chilli powder. Mix well. Fill the katoris with this filling. Spread the curd over it. Then spread sweet and sour chutney and green chutney over the curds. Sprinkle Gujrati sev and top it with coriander leaves.

The hindu Metroplus dated september 2 2008


Peppermint Oatmeal shake

Ingredients

Condensed milk: half a scoop

Sugar – free vanilla ice cream : 1 cup

Oatmeal: 1 cup

Non-fat milk: 2 cups

Water: 1.2 cups

A dash of mint extract

Method

Blend the oatmeal, water and milk. Now add condensed milk, vanilla ice cream and a dash of mint. Blend again for four minutes. Served chilled.


Friday, December 05, 2008

Panzanella

Ingredients

White bread cut into ½ inch pieces 6 to 7

Salt to taste

Tomatoes deseeded and cut into ½ inch 5 nos

Onion 1

Cucumber cut into ½ inch pieces 1 no

Fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 bunch

For the dressing

Salad oil ¼ cup

Vinegar 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Black pepper powder ½ tsp

Mixed dried herbs ½ tsp

Mustard paste ½ tsp

Method

Add a pinch of salt to two cups of water, dip the bread pieces in this and remove. Press the bread to squeeze out the water. In a salad bowl, mix together the bread tomatoes onion cucumber and the fresh basil. Chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. To make the dressing mix together the salad oil vinegar salt pepper powder dried herbs and mustard paste. Just before serving remove the salad bowl from the refrigerator add the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly. Served Chilled.


Power Punch

ingredients

Carrots 1 kg

Beetroot 500 gm

Oranges 4

Ice cubes 10

Black salt to taste

1 piece orange rind, cut into thin strips

Method

Put the carrots, beetroot and oranges through a juicer and collect the juice. Put the juices in a blender with the ice cubes and black salt. Blend for a minute and pour into glasses. Decorate with strips of orange rind


Chilli Mushrrom Fried Rice

Ingredients

Vegetable Oil 3 tbsp

Ginger piece finely chopped 1 inch

Garlic flakes finely chopped 8

Green chillies finely chopped 4

Spring onions finely chopped 6

Fresh button mushrooms sliced 1 1/2 cups

Ajinomoto a pinch

White pepper powder ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Cooked rice 1 1/2 cup

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Spring onion greens finely chopped 3or 4

Method

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and stir fry for two minutes. Add spring onions, mushrooms, ajinomoto white pepper powder and salt and stir fry on high heat for two minutes Add cooked rice soya sauce and spring onion greens. Stir fry over high heat for three minutes. Serve hot.