Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad

Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad 

For me the best feeling in the world is breaking bread with friends and family over laughter at the dinner table. I would happily spend the entire day in the kitchen preparing dishes and if my guests like what they are served that does make me happy but at the same time it gives me equal pleasure to prepare a dish for myself alone.

As a freelancer who works from home I am not required to step out of my home unless for that trip to the market or a quick visit to the bank or courier service . Then there are times when I want to go out and enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend.

Anyway the point is I would put in the same amount of effort when I am cooking for myself as I would when I cook for 8 guests.

So on a mundane Wednesday afternoon with Lana Del Rey's songs to keep me company I made this salad for myself which includes some of my favourite ingredients. I somehow like a sharp tart taste more than anything else . Hence I used hung curd for this salad and its not just to make the salad healthy. Another favourite ingredient is the humble potato. The softness of the boiled potato alongside the crunch of iceberg lettuce and the sweet taste of dried figs with the creamy dressing made this mundane Wednesday a little less mundane. I do not like overcrowding my dishes with too many flavours hence I used one herb alone.

My father did take a  small serving and he liked it mostly for the yogurt which is quite cooling for this sultry weather.

Here is some absolute random thought from my end :-

"Just because I appear to be a blank page

Do not take the liberty to think that you may scribble all over it 

For I have written all over it with my invisible ink " 

Makes 2 servings :-

Cup used holds 210ml liquid

1.5 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 large boiled potatoes
6 to 8 dried figs

For the dressing :-

200gm curd which you make into hung curd by tying it in a cloth and letting the excess liquid drip away for 2 hours
1 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
Salt as per taste
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil


Boil the potatoes but take care not to over boil the potatoes because if its over boiled it breaks easily and you would be unable to chop them up to a shape of your choice. Cube the potatoes. Chop the figs.

Shred the lettuce and chill the lettuce , figs and potato cubes.

Just before serving make your dressing by whisking the hung curd, EVOO, salt and finely chopped parsley and pour over your salad and enjoy a healthy meal.

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken 

One of the only diets which help me loose weight and stay fit is a high on protein with raw salad and fruit diet. Naturally I look out for recipes for grilled chicken or poached meat and poultry.

Now what I have realized is that flavours are very much subjective. You like ginger I like garlic you do not like thyme I love thyme etc etc. So unless you are recreating a classic recipe the flavour is your playground but the techniques are what matters the most.

I have previously posted about chicken breasts which are pretty hard to work with but once you know the right technique it can be juicy and moist.

Spinach Oats Chicken

Spinach Oats Chicken 

Quite honestly I feel food tastes best when it is cooked in butter, clarified butter, bacon fat or duck fat or anything which is actually far from healthy but then on a daily basis after the last morsel of that ghee laden pilaf gets over after 2 days of revelry you have to go back to eating healthy. 

Now different diets work for different people and for me a low on carbohydrate high on protein diet works best but then there are those times when you feel you crave a bit of carbs and so here is one which is not only extremely tasty but is extremely healthy and filling.

For the dish a good pot of chicken stock is an absolute must though. So before you begin make sure you have chicken stock at home. The easiest way to make it is to save the chicken bones every time you buy chicken and then the day you make the stock just throw in the bones with water and along with a few cloves of garlic, an onion, bayleaf , salt and whole peppercorn and simmer for about 2 hours or so adding a bit of water from time to time making sure that it never comes to a boil .

Remove the scum which will form on your stock.

Coming back to the recipe this serves 2 or 1 depending on how hungry you are :-

1/2 cup of oats
250gm of spinach leaves
500ml of chicken stock
2 large cloves of garlic
1 ripe red chili or Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt as per taste
Half a chicken breast weighing 200gm

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and blanch the spinach leaves in it for 3 minutes and then make a smooth paste of the spinach leaves with the garlic and chili and keep aside.

Make 2 to 3 pieces of the chicken breast and just simmer  the stock and chicken for 2 minutes and then cover and let the chicken rest in the stock for 7 minutes. This should yield the softest chicken ever. Shred this and keep aside.

Strain the stock and add 300ml of the stock to the oats with a bit of salt and simmer stirring frequently till it almost seems cooked and then add the spinach paste and simmer stirring continuously till it starts bubbling and splattering and just add the shredded chicken before serving and you have a bowl of goodness which is extremely filling.

Hearty Tomato Soup

Hearty Tomato Soup 

Soups and I have a strong connection from as long as I can remember. When I was young we would mostly have Chicken stew at home, which is basically a warm hearty soup with lots of winter vegetables thrown in with chicken in bones. My old man would cook it once every week and the entire family enjoyed it. He would say that bones have a crucial job in adding flavour. Once I grew up and discovered the maestros of cooking I realized how well my father knows about food since a good stock is crucial for good soups as suggested by all good cooks from all over the world.

The other kind of soup we would relish were those delicious Chinese soups. Calcutta has an old Chinatown. In fact some good folks from China settled in the 1700s and have ever since been serving exquisite Chinese food . Sadly most of these eating joints are closing down.

Anyway coming back to the soup of the day, the first time I tasted this tangy throat warming soup was on the Rajdhani Express Train when I was 10 years old. Rajdhani is one of the best rains in India connecting different cities to the capital. I loved it.

My mother wasn't much of a cook , rather she didn't like spending her time in the kitchen so she would constantly buy these packaged Knorr soups which I quite honestly relished till I realized how much more healthy and delicious it is to make these soups the traditional way.

The first time I tried my hands on Tomato soup was somewhere in the winters of 2003. I was 14 years old going on 15 and the year was coming to an end and I decided to make it. Well it was not the best one and over the years I have tried various recipes of this one humble and lip smacking soup, sometimes with carrots and beetroots added in , sometimes with leek and carrot , sometimes with celery and I finally decided to try a recipe where I mostly stay true to this plump and delicious fruit.

Now before I begin I have to say what stays constant and is a major flavour giver is the stock. It just wouldn't taste the same without it.

Anyway so here is the perfect tomato soup for me :-

Makes 3 to 4 servings

600gm plump red tomatoes which you shall blanch
1.5 litre of homemade stock of your choice  (I usually use chicken)
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp butter
1/2 a large chopped leek
1 large clove of minced garlic
1 tsp freshly group white pepper
Cream for serving (optional)
If you want a spicy touch instead of the optional cream you may add chili oil


Blanch and skin the tomatoes and chop them well. Now heat the butter till it foams and add the leek and garlic  and saute till they fill your kitchen with their aroma but take care to not brown them. Now add the tomatoes and cook till it for 5 minutes and add 800ml of the stock and let it come to a boil and add salt and simmer covered for 5 minutes. Now simply let it cool down and blend to a smooth puree. Get the puree back to the pot and add the remaining stock and bring to a slow boil while stirring it constantly and simmer for 5 minutes and serve it if you are having this on a normal day with a drizzle of chili oil or some cream.

In case you are serving it for a formal dinner or for guests strain the tomato soup once done and bring toa  slow boil and immediately serve it with added cream.

Chicken Yogurt Soup

Chicken Yogurt Soup

If you have read my previous post you would know that Kolkata Food Bloggers is hosting this amazing event called, Know Your Food Blogger Part 2. So basically the reason behind this initiative is interesting. So you see we are a group of cooking enthusiasts and we mostly cook, click , write and share but then again with so many recipes to be tried and tested we don't always get to explore each other's kitchens and with this event each week a blogger is chosen as the star of the week and we try out her recipes. This time our Star Blogger of the week is the lovely, Jayati Saha.

My interactions with Jayati has been virtual from the beginning. A doting mother, her blog was actually born due to her son's encouragement. She is a busy mother and holds a full time job and creates some mouthwatering dishes which she shares with us. You can find all her recipes at Jayati's Food Journal . Not only that when the very popular Calcutta based newspaper, 'The Telegraph' decided to write an article on Food Bloggers they did not forget to mention Jayati.

Since I am still on a high protein and vegetable and almost no carb diet I  chose her Chicken Stew with Curd . With a few changes here and there to suit my taste I created this dish which I am calling Chicken Yogurt Soup. Now I did have some homemade Harissa substitute which I had made the day prior to making this dish which I used in the soup and which added much flavour.

So here goes the recipe.

Makes 2 servings

400gm chicken ( leg + thigh)

For marination :-
4 heaped tsp plain yogurt
4 medium sized garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
1/4th tsp Harissa substitute paste (In case you don't have Harissa just use 1 dried red chili + small pinch of cumin seeds and a pinch of caraway seeds)
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt as per taste

Spices for the soup :-
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon
1 green cardamom

2 cups of mixed vegetables (Broccoli, Red bell pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 medium sized leek)

Make a paste of the ingredients mentioned in the marination and marinate the chicken for 1/2 an hour to 1 hour. Now heat a pot and add the marinated chicken and the bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom  and let it brown a bit on both sides and add 1 litre water and boil for 7 minutes. Now take out the chicken and drop it in a bowl of cold water and separate the meat from the bones and shred it put the bones back in the pot and boil till the liquid is reduced to half its content and then take out the bones and add the broccoli and simmer for 5 minutes and add the rest of the vegetables and the shredded chicken and taste and add salt if required and simmer for another 5 minutes and turn off the stove and rest it for 15 minutes and have some hearty soup.

This is part of

Pasta Cooked in Ground Chicken Spinach Sauce

Pasta Cooked in Ground Chicken Spinach Sauce 

Kolkata Food Bloggers is presenting another fabulous event. This time its Know Your Food Blogger 2. For those of you who still do not know who we are. We are a bunch of mad hat food lovers who loves cooking, clicking , sharing and knowing. For this event we are dedicating a week each for our members who are participating in this fabulous event and recreating some wonderful dishes. This week's star is our very own Sarani Tarafder from Cocoawind: Back to Basics.

My entire interaction with Sarani has been virtual. Early on we realized that this bubbly enthusiastic lady and I have studied in the same school and my older cousin sister has been her former classmate and has in fact attended her wedding. Talk about it being a small world but then again that must have been years ago since our lovely lady in question has spent a large chunk of her married life in the USA.

What I love about Sarani is the balance she maintains between food which is indulgent and food which is mostly healthy yet delicious.

For quite some time have I eyed and marked her fabulous recipe for Pasta Cooked in Ground Chicken Spinach Sauce . What I love about this particular recipe is how well the lovely Sarani has camouflaged Spinach for her tiny tot. Now having become an aunt at quite an early age thanks to my older cousins,  struggling to make kiddies have veggies is something which is highly familiar to me and the way our lady in question has skilfully been successful in getting her lovely child to eat Spinach is proof enough of her expertise in the kitchen. Well I have always loved spinach and it doesn't need camouflaging for me but there is something about blend spinach which gets me very excited.

Anyway coming back to recipe,  after the week long indulgence during Diwali I had sadly ruined months of exercising and careful eating and this recipe couldn't have come at a better time. Since I am following a low on carb  high on protein and vegetable diet I did modify the recipe a little bit but it essentially remains the same. The original recipe asks you to use spices or herbs as per your choice which is what I did and to make it oil-free and even more healthy I chucked out the frying part altogether and added some Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the end which is optional. This dish was so fabulous and healthy that I know that it will be a staple in my ktichen.

So here goes the recipe which serves 1 :

1/4th cup wholewheat penne pasta
Half a large bunch of fresh spinach
200gm to 250gm ground chicken
1 extra large garlic
3 to 4 peppercorn
Salt as per taste
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (optional)

Bring a pot of water to boil along with a pinch of salt and add the spinach when the water starts boiling and cook for exactly 2 minutes and take out the spinach and let it cool down and add the pasta and let it cook as per instructions on the packet. In the meantime once the spinach has cooled down blend it with salt, garlic and peppercorn and keep it aside. Once the pasta is cooked drain it but reserve the water and bring this water to a boil with the ground chicken and cook till its cooked all the way though. If there is extra water left drain it and keep aside the stock and now put the cooked ground chicken and blend spinach back in the pan and add the pasta and mix well and serve with a drizzle of 1 tsp EVOO. Enjoy a delicious healthy meal.

This is part of

Pan Seared Chicken

Pan Seared Chicken 

On a regular day I prefer having fish or chicken which is either steamed, boiled, poached or grilled . And I love grills but here in our temporary house in Bombay we have no oven which I personally feel is just sad but then again a girl needs to eat.

I was dillydallying when a lovely person whose food posts I admire posted this delightful picture of pan seared chicken legs. I immediately knew what I was having for lunch. The idea was enough and I didn't need a recipe to follow. Its pan seared and I suggest using a non-stick pan.

I am sharing my recipe but you can always alter the flavours as per your taste :-

Serves 2

2 chicken leg + thigh without the skin
4 tbsp finely chopped leek leaves
Spray of olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

For the marinate :-

1 tsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or any other vinegar
1 fat clove of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as per taste

Make a smooth paste of the ingredients for the marinate and make gashes on the chicken and marinate and leave aside for 1 hour.

Lightly spray a non-stick pan with olive oil and add the finely chopped leek and add the thyme and palce the chicken and seal its juices on high heat for 2 minutes on either side and then cover, lower heat to minimum and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides, till its thoroughly cooked. Remove cover and cook for a few seconds on high heat so that it becomes dry and then let it rest for 1 minute and  serve it with your favourite side dish. I served mine with some crisp salad.

Soft Homemade Cottage Cheese Salad

Soft Homemade Cottage Cheese Salad 

Indians do not traditionally use a lot of cheese in their food but there is one cheese which is used extensively in India and that is Homemade cottage cheese aka Paneer in India. The truth is most people buy the readymade paneer these days but then again readymade paneer can never match up to a well made homemade paneer. Basically it is split milk clustered together and then drained of all its water to make firm cheese.

In Bengal people are more specific with this homemade cottage cheese for Bengal has an intense love affair with cottage cheese as is proven by the extensive use of cottage cheese known as 'Chana' not 'Chena' in Bengal. Not only do they make the softest chana ever they use it in one other form which includes kneading the cheese really well.

Now recently there has been an increased popularity of flavoured Paneer which I love but quite frankly paneer as a whole is firm in nature and on this particular day I wanted a soft melt in the mouth cheese without the calories that come along with most good cheese.

I was struck by this idea and I put it to good use with a very satisfactory result. Basically everything remains the same except for the technique.

So here is the recipe :-

Serves 2

For the Cheese:-

1 litre toned milk
1.5 tbsp vinegar diluted with 2.5 tbsp water
Wooden platform for kneading

For flavouring :-

Herbs of your choice, I used rosemary
Salt as per taste
Chili flakes or freshly ground pepper

For the salad :-

4 cups of assorted shredded lettuce
2 green apple

For the dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt as per taste
1 large clove of garlic finely minced

Bring the milk to a roaring boil and then lower the heat and add the diluted vinegar. Within 2 minutes white cheese will be floating about in green whey. Now switch off the stove, cover the pot and leave for 5 minutes.

Now gather all the cheese in a cheesecloth or muslin cloth and wash it under cold water squeezing out all the water after you are done washing . If it still feel too hot for sqeezing out the water let it hang for 15 minutes.

Now start kneading the crumbly cheese , knead it well for 5 minutes , add the flavouring and keep kneading for another 10 minutes to 15 minutes (Remember that the more you knead the softer your cheese will be) and then make a fat roll and tie the cheesecloth after squeezing it well so that it is moist but not wet and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Now toss your salad. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing to make an emulsion and carefully slice the cheese. It is ultra soft and as a result it may break a little bit but its so soft that you can make perfectly shaped cheese cubes or balls or discs using clean hands, something which I did not do.

Enjoy a healthy meal.

Tips

1. Kneaded on a wooden surface does result in a softer texture. I can vouch for this from experience.
2. When you are kneading the cheese try rubbing it well against the wooden surface and then gathering the cheese with the sides of your finger and palm. 
3. Since you are using your hands make sure its absolutely clean for hygienic purpose 

Silky Chicken Meatball Rice Noodle Soup

Silky Chicken Meatball Rice Noodle Soup 

This is my comfort food. The truth is while India is definitely the land of spices in a small part of the beautiful city of the erstwhile Calcutta there resides the beautiful people who had immigrated from our neighboring country famous for its noodles and Kung Pao Chicken and made Calcutta their home  some centuries ago .

The truth is while the popularity of Chinese cuisine has spread far and wide , that what is served as Chinese food can sometimes be outrageous. To be fair having spent an entire Childhood visiting these tiny Chinese eateries which held on to their tradition with a firm hand I had the good luck and opportunity to get a glimpse of Chinese cuisine one which is extremely healthy, one which emphasizes on flavours infused by the fresh ingredients used and one which is soul warming and extremely hearty . Sadly with most of our Chinese population leaving Calcutta and these tiny joints shutting their shutters forever I can slowly see my favourite cuisine disappearing from Calcutta.

Even today there are a few eateries in Central Calcutta's old Chinese settlement which serves amazing traditional Chinese food. Here we must remember that having settled in Calcutta some dishes might have been adapted from the traditional ones served in China yet these eateries serve their own traditional dishes creating a tradition of their own.

One of Chin Wah's delightful offering is the meatball soup, tender, juicy succulent its a treat indeed and the flavour of garlic and ginger with a few greens (mustard green, pak choy etc) makes it one of my favourite soups ever.

Sitting in Mumbai I decided I wold make as much use of the internet as possible and create silky soft chicken meatballs. A bit of reading later I found this amazing site called, neckredrecipes.

I adapted their recipe for Chicken meat balls and made a divine lunch of Chicken meatballs and rice noodle soup

Here is the recipe which serves 2

300gm chicken breast
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
7 to 8 baby carrots (In case you don't find baby carrots use 1 large carrot and julienne it)
1 mediium sized pak choy
half a stalk of spinach
1 spring onion
Salt as per taste
100gm to 150gm of rice noodle
150m of ice cold water
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp rice flour or cornflour

Chop the chicken in small pieces and blend it in a mixer grinder of food processor and then add 2 tbsp water, salt and 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and blend well to form a smooth paste. Now mix it well with the cornflour or rice flour and let it chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

After 2 hours make little balls (13 balls) from the meat paste and then bring a big pan of water to a boil and then add salt and simmer the water and add the meatballs and wait till they float and cover and simmer for 2 minutes and immediately transfer them to a bowl filled with the ice cold water. Soak the rice noodles as per instructions on the packet.

Now in the same pan in which the chicken balls were boiled add the remaining ginger garlic paste , carrots, the root of the spring onion sliced into 4 parts  and root of the pak choy which you must slice thinly and simmer for 7 minutes to 10 minutes and then add the noodles and the spinach and pak choy leaves and boil for 1 minute and add the chicken balls and boil for 50 more seconds and have a hearty meal.

Poached chicken breast salad

Poached chicken breast salad 

Most people who love chicken love a tender moist juicy chicken breast but most of us have gone through that time when we have cooked breasts and the end result was dry and stringy chicken breast.

I have personally misunderstood chicken breasts and when it turned out dry and stringy had made it worse by cooking for some extra time. Then at a point when I was frustrated and considered myself a failure with chicken breasts I decided to read up a bit and the information stunned me.  I was completely wrong. Truth is chicken breasts are delicate and they need the minimum of time to give you juicy succulent results.

Even after reading about it I did not get immediate success because the time given in most recipes was too much time for the chicken breasts I was cooking leaving them a bit stringy. Finally after a few attempts I understood what can always result in that juicy tender result and haven't looked back since then.

Here are a few important points to be remembered when dealing with chicken breasts :-

1. Chicken breasts are very delicate and they need very little time for cooking
2. Resting the breasts is as important as cooking it right. Truth is it is full of fibre and when you are cooking it the fibres stand out which when rested clubs together to give you tender results. 
3. Lastly if you keep the two points mentioned above in your mind you shall soon discover how easy it is to know the amount of time required.  
4. You may poach, saute , bake, grill or coat the breasts with flour and saute it.
5. No matter how you are cooking the chicken the pan you use must be as small as possible to just about fit the chicken. (This tip was given by a lovely lady who is a great cook indeed, Claudia Barbara Tanna who runs My Continental Kitchen which gives you a chance to interact with other passionate cooks who love European, American and World Cuisine )  

Here is a salad which is tasty and healthy 

Serves 1 

Half of a chicken breast weighing about 120gm to 150gm
Half of a red bell pepper
Half of a yellow pepper
1 cup torn iceberg lettuce

1 tsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 finely chopped  ripe red chili
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt as per taste

Lightly smash the garlic , peel it and then take a small pan and place the chicken, fill it with enough water to just about immerse it and add salt, crushed pepper and the smashed garlic and put over medium to low heat and simmer covered for 3 minutes to 5 minutes. Timing is very very important. Take it out  and place it in a small bowl and cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes. You can also let it rest by wrapping it in foil or a kitchen towel.

Here I must admit that at times I let it rest in the same pan in which it is cooked and it usually still leaves the chicken moist and tender but for that you have to make sure that the pan can be covered well and has no gaps and in these cases I have cooked the chicken for exactly 2 minutes to 3 minutes and then let it rest  for about 7 minutes to 9 minutes after turning off the stove because here the trapped steam cooks it from inside out but doesn't over cook it.

In the meantime shred the lettuce and chop the bell peppers. Take out the garlic used for poaching and mine it.

Now slice the chicken. Heat the olive oil and add the garlic and chicken breasts along with salt and the chili and saute for 50 seconds and mix with the greens and your salad is ready after you drizzle it with the extra virgin olive oil and add the finely chopped parsley.

Have a healthy meal

Pan Seared Tilapia

Pan Seared Tilapia

I love light lunches which are colourful but in a natural way. Well it means no artificial colours are used because nature herself provides us with a riot of colours. What more I like Fresh ingredients. 

So while I love Bhetki, a river fish found in Bengal when in Mumbai I would rather use the fresh Tilapia. Well so this is a light yet filling lunch. I believe the terms light and filling are both subjective so if this seems less filling for you do add some boiled potatoes with it. 

Serves 1

200gm Tilapia (1 whole fish)
2 asparagus
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 onion
1 tsp Olive oil
1/4th tsp cayenne pepper
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
Splash of white wine vinegar

Ask your fisherman to make fillets of the 200gm fish but make sure you carry back the head and bone for a nice stock for later use. Now marinate the fillets with salt, cayenne pepper and thyme for 30 minutes. In the meantime chop the asparagus and halve the onion and tomatoes.

Heat the oil and coat your non stick pan and add the fish and cook on medium heat for a  minutes and turn over and add the vegetables and cover and lower heat. Your fish will be done in another 30 seconds to 50 seconds. Take them out and add salt to the vegetables with the vinegar and toss about and serve.

Its that simple

Upma (Savoury semolian pudding)

Upma (Savoury semolian pudding) 

I got introduced to this dish from the Southern states of India only after I was in college. Honestly while growing up, my idea of cooking semolina aka sooji was to make halwa a sweet dish - ghee laden halwa which is extremely good for your soul but not so much for the body and then once I grew up I came across magazines recommending upma a savoury semolina dish for a healthy breakfast or rather a healthy meal.

Turns out, it is actually low in calories and high on nutrition

So here is one of the easiest recipes ever and youjust take less than 15 minutes to prepare it

Serves 1

1 medium sized onion
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 green chilies finely chopped
1 large tomato
Half a cup of chopped vegetables (carrots, beans , small cauliflower)
A little less than half a cup of semolina

For tempering :-

1/4th tsp black mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
Salt as per taste
Lemon juice as per taste (I needed 2 tsp)
1 tsp oil (I use olive oil but for a traditional recipe try some sesame oil or coconut oil)


Heat the oil and lower flame and add the ginger and saute it and then add mustard seeds , curry leaves , chopped green chilies and onions and cover and cook for 1 minute. Keep checking to make sure it does not burn and then add the tomatoes and beans and saute and cook covered with 1/4th cup water till the water evaporates and then add the semolina and stir well and finally add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil and add salt and keep stirring on medium flame till it becomes a dry dish. Add lemon juice and enjoy a healthy meal. 

Tips

1. Covering and frying makes sure you fry the onions yet need the minimum of oil 
2. You must always add salt before you add the water to the semolina because it cooks fast and if you add it later it won't mix evenly in the dish. 
3. Cubing the vegetables as small leads to quick cooking. 

Balsamic Honey Grilled Chicken

Balsamic Honey Grilled Chicken 

So this is what happened I had a good amount of balsamic dressing which was a leftover from Lunch and so I marinated a few pieces of chicken in the dressing grilled it and had this delightful sweet and sour grilled chicken.

Its easy

Take 1 leg + thigh minus the skin of a chicken

For the marinate

1 tsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp paprika

Just marinate and grill till the juices run clear. Don't forget to turn the chicken midway through grilling

Tip

Place a steel tray beneath the rack on the chicken is beign grilled so that the juices fall on it . You can brush the chicken when you turn them with this and later soak a bread or chapati so that you get the awesome flavour.

Roasted garlic dressing

Roasted garlic dressing 

Don't you just love it when you accidentally discover a recipe which you immediately love and what more its a bonus when you tweak it to make it absolutely healthy. 

I am tired of vinaigrette. I mean I like a healthy low calorie dressing for my salads and the usual common easy option are different  vinaigrette and so I was browsing through Martha Stewart's website when I suddenly came across this Roasted Garlic dressing. Ah for a garlic lover such as myself I knew it was the right recipe but the original recipe had sour cream among other ingredients and so I tweaked it and had a fabulous salad . You can use this as a great dip as well.

Serves 1 to 2

200gm curd which you have to drain by hanging
1 head of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as per taste

For the salad :-

1 wedge of iceberg lettuce

Start by first hanging the curd to drain it of all the water. Preheat the oven to 200C and then take a foil and place your garlic head and lop off a bit from the bottom and pour the olive oil wrap the foil and roast for 40 minutes to 50 minutes. Once done let it cool down and squeeze out the creamy roasted garlic and smash it with a fork and then add the hung curd and whisk well and add salt.

Pour it over the ledge of iceberg lettuce for a delightful creamy garlicky meal

Balsamic Honey Paprika Bell Pepper Salad

Balsamic Honey Paprika Bell Pepper Salad 

For me a salad's success largely depends on the dressing. I don't mean that I would want my salad to be drenched in the dressing but a good dressing can definitely make a boring salad extremely delicious. 

I believe it is only balance alone which keeps everything in its place. Just like you vcan't simply keep on indulging in unhealthy fattening food you can't go on eating low calorie salads without a break. A break I did take last Saturday with an indulgent meal which included a cheese tart and brioche au chocolat so it was time for a nice healthy low calorie salad again . With a tangy sweet and sour dressing this salad is a keeper for me. The dressing is a classic one with a tiny twist

Serves 1

2 small tomatoes
Half a red bell pepper
Half an yellow bell pepper
1 tbsp dried cranberries
2 dried prunes

For the dressing

1 tsp honey
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp finely chopped mint leaves

Chop your salad to make long stripes and chill it for 1 hour. Just before serving whisk together the ingredients mentioned in the dressing to create an emulsion and pour over your salad and enjoy this tangy sweet delight.

Healthy Leek and Potato Soup

Healthy Leek and Potato Soup 

For me the perfect weekday dinner is a warm hearty soup. Sadly most creamy soups come with a heavy price. I mean laden with butter or cream it sure tastes amazing but it is a heavy price to pay for that expanding waistline. I had fresh leeks in the refrigerator and so I looked up recipes for a leek and potato soup. The potato would give me the required carbohydrate and it would be a creamy soup. Most of the recipes contained a good amount of the forbidden ingredients. So I made a basic soup which is simple and with minimum usage of ingredients it brings out the flavours of the leek and is a hearty healthy treat

Serves 1 to 2 (depending on how this is served, if its just the first course it should be divided between two else it makes for a healthy meal by itself)

2 medium sized potatoes
Half a large leek
1.5 cups of chicken stock (cups which hold 210ml of liquid)/ vegetable stock
Salt as per taste
Half a cup of skimmed milk
A bit of finely chopped parsley for garnishing
Half a tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil  (optional)


Simply wash and peel the potatoes and cube them and then finely chop the leek . Now heat the olive oil and lower the heat and add the potato and leek and saute and then cover and let it be for half a minute and stir it and add 1 cup of  chicken stock and bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 8 minutes to 9 minutes to 10 minutes. Now let it cool down for 5 minutes or so and blend it smooth in a blender and add the remaining chicken stock and milk and now put it back in the pot and bring to a slow boil while stirring in continuously.
Serve it hot with the finely chopped parsley as garnish. You may add the extra virgin olive oil or not depending on your preference.

Tips :-

For the last boil be very careful to stir continuously because the soup would be of a very thick consistency and can easily form lumps.

Low calorie Creamy Egg Carrot Salad

Low calorie Creamy Egg Carrot Salad 

So you have indulged a bit on Sunday which is much deserved well then Monday is all about the balancing act again but hey if you want a creamy dressing there is no need to worry here is a healthy creamy recipe which uses neither cream nor cheese nor mayonnaise nor butter.

Serves 1 for a principle meal :-

1 large carrot chopped to make  matchstick carrots
2 eggs which are hard boiled
1 cup to 1.5 cups of lettuce leaf kept whole

For the dressing

250ml curd hung to make it thick . In case you are using thick yogurt use about 5 to 6 tbsp
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 medium sized minced garlic cloves
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of chili flakes
Salt as per taste

Simply chop the carrots and then chill it with the lettuce leaves. Now whisk the ingredients for the dressing and mix the carrots in it and chill.

Boil the eggs by bringing the eggs to a boil with water and a pinch of salt and boil for 2 minutes and then cover and leave for 3 more minutes, crack the shell and slice the eggs .

There , a healthy creamy salad 

Thick Lentil Soup

Thick Lentil Soup 

Some soups can look and seem deceptively similar yet it is that addition or elimination of one ingredient which can give your soup a whole new dimension.

On a rainy day when you want to eat healthy this comes handy indeed and the pulse with all the vegetables blend together to make a creamy lentil soup is sheer comfort.

Makes 2 servings :-

3 small tomatoes
1/3rd cup pulse (cup which holds 210ml of liquid)
Half a medium red bell pepper
Half a medium yellow bell pepper
1 small onion
2 to 3 large cloves of garlic
2 cups of chicken stock
3 stalks of celery
Salt as per taste
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1/4th to 1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano or herb of your choice

Smash the garlic, slice the onion and chop the other vegetables. Simple pressure cook the pulse till its well cooked with 1 cup of chicken stock and 1/4th cup water. Now heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and add the smashed garlic and sliced onion. Cover and let it get sauteed on low flame for 30 seconds and then stir and add the rest of the vegetables and cover and let it be for 2 minutes and then add the rest of the chicken stock and bring to a boil and add the cooked pulse , salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Take it off the gas stove and let it cool down for 10 minutes and then blend away to make a  thick soup and then bring this to a boil and then add the oregano and chili flakes and simmer for 5 minutes to 7 minutes.

Have a healthy hearty soup