Crunchy Stir Fry

Once again I find myself on a weight loss / eat healthy trip. I am doing my best to work out 60 to 90 minutes a day and really don't want to be eating the wrong thing and undoing all my good work. Inspired by a friend (who is on a similar regime), I wanted to try out a warm stir fry kinda salad. Of course it was the weekend and I had no where to go, nothing to do and no one to do it with; so I turned it into an evening of fun with a Netflix binge, some lovely white wine and myself for company.

A post on social media had someone ask me for the recipe and since I still had a glass of wine in my hand & humour in my head - here is what I gave her. 

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

Garlic, thinly sliced

Mushrooms, cubed

Carrots, cut on the bias; blanched

Green beans, cut on the bias; blanched

Baby corn, cut on the bias; blanched

Spring onions, cut on the bias

Spinach leaves, cut to 1" squares

Olive oil

Salt, freshly ground lemon pepper

Some white wine (I used a lovely California White)

Method

Pour a glass of wine. Enjoy it. Pour another and get to the stove. 

Pictures by ime ©

Use the bare minimum olive oil you would need in a nonstick heavy bottom pan. Add the garlic and then turn on the heat to low. 

Once the garlic is cooking (be careful not to burn it), toss in the mushrooms and sauté. 

Increase the heat & add the beans, carrots and baby corn & lots of freshly ground lemon pepper and keep tossing so that it cooks but doesn't get soggy.

Refill your glass.

Add the spring onions and spinach and allow it to cook just enough for the leaves to slightly soften.

Add a dash of salt. Toss vigorously and remove off the heat immediately. 

EAT

Don’t forget to refill the glass again. 😊

Note

These are just the vegetables I happened to have on hand; you can add in paneer, bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, you name it. The key is to cook with allowing the vegetables to go soft. 

If you don't have lemon pepper (In India Keya sells it); substitute with freshly ground black pepper and fresh lemon juice. Careful not to put too much and to stir it in fast so it doesn't cause sogginess. 

If you don't have a California White, any other nice white or blush will do 😊

Cheers & happy eating!

Mango & Mint Sangria

Mangoes and summer afternoons; a tale that goes back to the beginning of time (or so it seems)..

I love mangoes (don't we all) and every year I try and see what new I can do with them! Flashback to last Sunday (yes, I know its been just 3 days); my husband and I were expecting friends over to watch the cricket and we got talking about what to serve them. Its hot where I live, so it had to be something cool and fresh. A chilled white wine sangria fit the bill especially after I realised I had some ripe and sweet mangoes in the house. I tried the old trick of looking up a recipe on the internet but didn't find anything that made sense, so I decided it was time to concoct my own. It was a resounding success! I say this because we ran out and had to make more half way through the day. I hope you enjoy it..

Ingredients

Pictures by ime ©

2 bottles white wine (I used a Sauvignon blanc)
4 shots white rum (or vodka)
1 cup sugar
1 to 1 ½ cups mango juice (store bought)
1 cup mangoes (the ripest, mushiest parts)
3 cups mangoes, diced small (to serve)
Handful of fresh mint leaves
Lemon / Sprite
Club Soda
Ice

Method

Combine the wine, rum, sugar, juice, ripe mangoes and ice & refrigerate. After an hour, do taste the mixture and adjust the juice, sugar, lemon (if too sweet) to your choice. Different wines have different sweetness / acidic levels
Take half the mint and break it down with a mortar and pestle with a little sugar and lemon & water if need be (I used a short cut and used a few tablespoons of Sprite - which worked superbly too). Allow it to rest.
To serve, first strain and squeeze the ground mint into the sangria, then strain the whole thing into the jar of your choice.
Prep the glasses by adding a few spoons of the diced mango and fresh mint leaves to each one and then pouring half a glass of sangria. Top with ice and soda.

And there you have it.. To good health & happiness..

Salud y felicidad!

Caprese

Many women all over the world have been where I found myself a few weeks ago. It was on my way home from work that an impromptu plan was made. Some friends decided to come for dinner. Fortunately they agreed to go halfsies on take out. That still left some appetisers to create.

When in doubt stick to the simple and easy - it usually is the best tasting too. Here's one of my versions of a quick, easy and delicious Caprese. 

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

Fresh tomatoes, cut to rough chunks

Mozzarella, roughly shredded

Fresh basil, sliced thin and fine

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Method

Take a shallow glass bowl and sprinkle lightly with olive oil. 

Layer with chopped tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, salt & pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Repeat the layering. 

Final garnish with the basil & microwave or bake in the oven till the cheese has melted. 

Note

Left overs make super sandwiches - open or closed.  

That's all there is to it.. if you make it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.. Please write and tell me, I would love to hear from fellow foodies. 

"Food is an important part of a balanced diet" ~ Fran Lebowitz

Sangria

I love cooking with wine...

...sometimes I even put it in the food!

Many years ago I got elected to create cocktails for a fancy-schmancy party (I also cooked the entire meal, now that I think about it). The birthday girl's favourite drink in those days was red wine sangria, so naturally this was part of the menu. I looked online and found a couple of recipes but none of them spoke to me. So I decided to create my own and boy am I glad. I am still making them this way and not a drop gets wasted. Here goes.

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

1 bottle red wine
2 shot glasses white rum (can sub with vodka)
1 shot glass lemon juice
1 cup sugar
3 cups fruit, diced small (apples, pears, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries; depending on the season)
Club soda

Method

Combine all ingredients (except the soda) and chill for at least 6 hours
Serve topped with club soda, garnish with fruit.
Serves 4

Salud Amigos!

Bell Pepper & Feta Salad

Sometimes I like to cook when I don't need to, if you know what I mean. I get home from work and just feel like pottering about in the kitchen. The last time I felt like doing this, here is what I made.

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

Garlic paste

Bell peppers

Feta cheese

Spinach (optional)

Olive oil

Mixed herbs

Pepper (freshly ground)

Method

Heat the garlic & olive oil in an thick bottom pan. Once you can smell the garlic cooking, add the bell peppers and toss them to coat well. Continue stirring / tossing them so that they cook but don't go too soft. The fragrance should tell you when they are heated through. 

Plate them on a bed of roughly torn spinach (if using), crumble the feta on top and season with herbs & pepper

& there you have it. A quick and light lunch, or a nice salad to accompany your dinner. Works both ways. 

Mushroom & Spinach Frittata

This isn't my first rodeo (or frittata) and nor will it be my last..

I love eggs and all the yum stuff you can do with it; and this would qualify as my one of my favourites. I have seen many versions of this recipe on various websites, but the inspiration (its not an exact match) of what you are about to read comes from Pinterest.

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

Garlic, minced
Mushroom, sliced
Spinach, roughly chopped
Eggs, beaten with a teaspoon of water
Parmesan, grated
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper, to taste
Olive Oil
Sriracha Sauce / Tabasco, to serve

Method

Heat the olive oil with the garlic, then stir in the mushrooms. On a high flame, keep adding the spinach; all the while stirring quickly, till everything is soft and well coated with the oil and garlic.
Once again give the eggs a quick beating and add them to the pan, add the seasoning, and half the cheese and stir well and then stop. Lower the heat and allow the eggs to start cooking and setting. If you feel that the bottom is cooking faster, poke gentle holes in to allow the heat to dissipate.
Once the eggs are almost entirely set, sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top and stick the pan into a pre-heated oven. The eggs will rise and the parmesan will brown.
Check with a knife if the eggs are done in the centre and if they are, remove from the heat and let it sit.
Gently remove the frittata to a plate, cut and serve with a generous helping of Sriracha / Tabasco.

Note

Use a nonstick pan without handles so that you can stick it into the oven. If your pan has handles, then cover the handle with a wet napkin and let it stick out of the oven a bit.
This dish tastes crazy good hot and cold and at any time of the day or night, so make a large lot when you do try it out.

Have fun..

Chicken Cacciatore with Cheese & Pea Rice

Now here's an old favourite that never goes out of style.

Mum used to make this when I was growing up and it was one of the first recipes I took from her. I make it for friends and family and have earned a lot of appreciation and satisfied bellies. Time to share it here as well, me thinks :-)

Ingredients

Pictures by ime ©

For the chicken:
Boneless chicken, cleaned & cut to size
Onions, chopped long
Olives, chopped round
Tomato purée
Italian mixed herbs
Green pepper corns in brine, crushed roughly
Vinegar
Flour, properly mixed with cold water (optional)
Salt, sugar, pepper
Olive oil

For the rice:
Rice, boiled & cooled
Peas, boiled & cooled
Grated cheese (I usually use normal cheddar)
Butter

Method

Chicken:
Heat the olive oil & sauté the onions till transparent. Add the tomato purée, vinegar herbs, salt, pepper, sugar and add some water. Boil.
In another pan, heat some oil and sauté the chicken with salt till the water cooks burns away. Then transfer to the curry to continue cooking.
Add in the peppercorns and olives. If using flour to thicken the curry, this is the time to add it to the curry.
Cook off any excess water till you are happy with the consistency.

Rice:
In a heavy bottom pan, take the butter and peas and sauté till the peas are soft.
Add in the rice, salt and a little pepper and stir well.
Sprinkle in the grated cheese while stirring, so that it spreads well. Careful not to break the rice.

Note

Mum adds mushrooms to the rice sometimes; its nice for a change. Just sauté them in the butter before the peas.
Serve hot with a cold salad or garlic bread to make this wholesome meal complete.

Buon Appetito!

Quick Dip

A little spicy, a little tangy and perfect on a hot summer's evening.

I'll say it again, the simplest food is the best tasting. I make many versions of this dip, today's is the most basic and most popular. It works with chips, with dry toast, with cheese straws or vegetables. You could also use it as a sandwich spread.

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

2 boxes Amul dahi
2 tbsp Amul cheese spread
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder (mine is not spicy)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Salt if needed

Method

Hang the curd for a while till the water separates; retain the water.
Stir in all the other ingredients, tasting as you go. Careful with the spice since there are two kinds of chilli being used.
Add back about half the water that was removed, to bring it to a nice smooth consistency.
Refrigerate. Serve cold.

... & that's how it's done!

Peppery Tomato Soup

The best part about winter, aside from.. well the cold, is yummy vegetables. Everything you eat at this time tastes better because all the vegetables are fresh and crisp and flavourful. One of my favourite things to do with these yummy vegetables, is to make soups, more soups and yet more soups. What can I say, I love them!

Most of the time my soups consist of things that are already in the house and once in a while, when it turns out exceptionally well, I will write down the recipe to duplicate. Today's soup falls into this category.

Pictures by ime © 

I have already been asked to duplicate it, so I best write down the recipe before I forget it and in the bargain, I get to share it with you. So here we go..

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes
2 medium onions
1 beetroot
1 each red and yellow bell pepper
1 tbsp green pepper corns (in brine)
White vinegar
Mixed Italian seasoning
Chicken / Vegetable stock cube
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Method

Roughly chop and boil all the vegetables till properly cooked through. Strain (retain the water) and cool the vegetables before blending them well. Once the pulp is a nice consistency, mix it back with the cooking water.
Crush the pepper corns and add them to the soup, along with the vinegar, pepper, seasoning and stock cube. Taste the salt and pepper and adjust.
Once the flavours are blended through, strain the soup in a normal sieve..

& there you have it...

Palak Chicken

Sometimes the most basic of food hits the sweetest spot. 

I started out imagining a nice palak paneer in my head, but halfway through it, my husband sticks his head into the kitchen and goes: “What are you cooking, it smells like meat.” This changed my mind and from there grew the idea of a palak chicken dish - made with a slight North Indian influence.

I would never eat this kind of food without inviting over one of dearest friends and biggest food fans. He and his wife loved it (and that’s all the praise I need). They also helped with the plating. I guess they weren’t wrong. Soul food doesn’t need fancy plating, it needs to go back to the basics!

My version of this simple fare:

Ingredients

3 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned & chopped into thin strips
½ bunch fresh methi (optional)

500 gm boneless chicken

4 onions, chopped fine

4 tomatoes, chopped fine

Garlic paste

Ginger paste

Green chilli paste

Dry masalas - jeera, hing, red chilli powder, haldi powder, dhania / jeera powder, garam masala

Salt to taste

Ghee

Oil

Method

Heat a tablespoon of oil with the jeera and hing. As soon as it starts bubbling, add the onions and cook (on a slow flame) till transparent. Add in the ginger, garlic and green chilli pastes and cook for a bit.

Add the dry masalas (except for the garam masala), saute well. Then add the tomatoes and cook till the oil releases (or all the tomatoes are broken down and most of the water has dried). 

Meanwhile in another pan, heat a teaspoon of oil mixed with a teaspoon of ghee and add the chicken with a little salt. Cook till the water releases and dries. 

Once the tomatoes are done, fold in the chopped spinach and methi (if using) bit by bit till it is mixed through and add a pinch of salt to this. Cover and cook on a slow flame, for 10 minutes, stirring once. 

Open the pan, cook for 5 mins till some water burns of. Then add the chicken and some garam masala and some water. Once again cover and cook on a slow flame for about 10 to 15 mins, stirring occasionally.  

Uncover the pan, check the seasoning, cook till the consistency is something you are happy with and eat hot!

pictures by ime © 

Notes

When I make this, I do not increase the flame till the absolute last step, I prefer to slow cook this from start to finish. 

Yummy accompaniments are onions (with lemon and salt), haldi achaar (two kinds of haldi with lemon and salt) and garam garam rotis (would work with rotlas too). 

I put chicken in this, but I know this would work as well with paneer or fish, or mutton, or even without any additions. 

I hope you make it and I hope you enjoy it. 

Best wishes for 2015 from IME’s Kitchen!!!

Easy Peasy Chicken Stroganoff

I have been toying with two recipes in my mind, one is a nice creamy chicken stroganoff and the other a mushroom & paprika chicken. Since I couldn't decide which one I would rather have, I kinda went for a little bit of both. The best part is I used only ingredients I had in the house.

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

Spaghetti / Fettuccine / Tagliatelle
1 packet maggi mushroom soup
400 - 500 ml milk
1 packet boneless chicken, cubed
1 packet fresh mushrooms, cubed
2 onions, cubed
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried parsley
Red chilli powder / flakes to taste
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

Make the mushroom soup with the milk and about 100 - 200 ml water, stirring continuously. Once it thickens slightly, turn off the heat and set aside.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the chicken with a pinch of salt. Once the water is released and before it burns off, add ½ teaspoon of paprika. Once dry, set aside.
In another pan, heat the onions in a little olive oil till they start to get translucent. Add the mushrooms and remaining paprika. Once they are half cooked add the chicken and cook till almost dry.
Add the dried parsley and the mushroom soup to the pan and cook on medium flame while stirring occasionally till the chicken is nice and tender. If you want to add spice to this, use some red chilli. Remember paprika is only for flavour and colour, not spice.
Cook the pasta al dente & serve hot!

Note

Turn this vegetarian by adding par boiled potatoes and eliminating the chicken. Even peas would be a nice add in.

Roasted Vegetables with Citrus Thyme Dressing

On a recent flight, I was lucky to have a fresh and tasty warm salad. I liked it so much that I have been wanting to recreate it all these days. Finally last night, I did!

Ingredients

Pictures by ime ©

4 small potatoes
1 medium zucchini
1 each colour medium bell pepper
2 oranges
1 tbsp thyme (I used dried)
Olive oil

Method

Peal and cut the potatoes into wedges and soak in water for 15 minutes. Then drain and pat dry.
Cut the zucchini into cubes and salt them over a sieve for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Cut the peppers into squares.
Peal and separate the orange slices of 1 piece and extract juice from the 2nd.
In a heavy skillet, heat a little oil with half the thyme and let rest for a few minutes so that the flavour permeates the oil.
Once cool, start the heat on full and heat the skillet and oil through. Toss in the potatoes, coat well with oil and cook till the colour changes and the edges start browning.
Toss in a little more oil, herbs and the zucchini and sauté. Add the bell peppers and cook some more. Make sure the vegetables remain crisp.
Pour in the orange juice and toss vigorously. Once most of the juice is absorbed / burnt away, switch of the heat and allow it to rest for a minute, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with orange slices.

Note

I have deliberately not used any salt. If you feel the need to add salt, please do so only after you have switched of the heat and just before plating. Or it will release the water from the vegetables, making it all soggy!
Next time, I am going to add a little orange rind as well. I am quite convinced it will add hugely to the flavour..

Spinach & Tomato salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

Sometimes the simplest ingredients come together to make the most delicious food. This one here is a winner in flavours and looks.

Pictures by ime © 

Ingredients 

Spinach leaves, cleaned and roughly chopped

Firm tomatoes, diced

Parmesan cheese powder 

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Method 

Whisk the Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together till the mix well. 

Revive the spinach in cold water and then remove the water. Place in a bowl.

Add the tomatoes and then the dressing and eat cold. 

That's it!

Notes

You can use rocket instead of spinach and / or cherry tomatoes instead of normal ones
Add lemon zest for extra zing.  

Yummy Shortcut Breakfast

Everyone says that breakfast is the important meal of the day, but no one tells you what a chore it can be. As if you don't have enough to do in the morning what with getting things done in the house and preparing for work.  Shortcut breakfasts are sometimes the only way to go, especially when you decide on yummy combinations.

Ingredients

Store bought ready made cinnamon waffles (can make at home, if you know how)
Store bought vanilla ice cream (can substitute with frozen yogurt for a healthier option)
Fresh strawberries (can use any fresh berries and / or other fruit)

Method

Heat waffle, top with ice cream / yoghurt, sprinkle fruit and gorge! :-)

Notes

Try some hot chocolate sauce, or sugar sprinkles for some extra pizzaz

Mushroom Frittata

Every now and then I find myself alone at meal times on a lazy Sunday and I can never figure out what to eat. Usual day to day food is a tad boring for me and I'm too lazy to create anything elaborate. Plus who wants to go shopping for ingredients.

Flashback to Sunday past and I find myself staring at a sparse refrigerator. I was thrilled to find the right ingredients for my favourite kind of quick food. A mushroom frittata! Here's how I make it...

Pictures by ime ©

Ingredients

1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped spring onions
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
A pat of butter and a little more
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Method

In a pan, take a little olive oil, along with the butter and the minced garlic. Stir it around till well mixed and then put the flame on; keeping it at a minimum till the garlic softens.
Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Allow the water to release and when half of it is burnt through, add in the spring onions (retain a few for later).
Once the water is burnt off, add in the eggs and the remaining onions and stir well. Keep the heat on medium and cook till the eggs start solidifying - you may need to stir once or twice until this happens.
In the meantime, start the oven to bottom and top grills at 250 deg (please adjust for your own oven's settings).
Once the eggs are more or less solid, take a little butter on a spoon and just touch it to the edge of the eggs and the pan (makes it easier to remove the dish after cooking) and sprinkle the whole thing with some parmesan and stick into the oven.
Give it 5 minutes and do a knife test to check if the eggs are cooked on the inside. When they are just done, shift the oven to only top grill and brown the parmesan lightly.
Remove and set aside to cool for 5 minutes or so and gently remove from the pan into a waiting plate.
Dig in & Enjoy!!!

My 'what's in the fridge' Salad

Much as I would love to; there is no way I can cook everyday. Sometimes it's easier using the ready made way out. Honestly I don't think its such a bad thing. If its available, why not use it. A sudden desire for a salad some time ago and with no energy nor inclination to make a dressing, resulted in this.

Picture by ime ©

Ingredients

Half a head of iceberg lettuce

Some cherry tomatoes

Kraft Ranch dressing

Freshly ground salt & pepper

Method

Tear the lettuce by hand, wash well and soak in chilled ice water for 10 minutes. Remove and pat dry.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and mix it with the lettuce
Pour some dressing over it, and season with ground salt and ground pepper.
Eat immediately.

Notes

Last week, I felt like having a similar salad but didn't have the cherry tomatoes or the ranch dressing. My substitutes were normal tomatoes largely diced and thousand island dressing with home made mustard.

Basically - what I had in my fridge.

Cheers!

Baked Chilli Potato Wedges

Here's a dish that I learnt from a very good friend and second mother to me, Nina Kedar. Its quick and easy to make. It's baked, so not too unhealthy. Perfect for an impromptu snack or appetiser and so so so delicious. The original recipe calls for oil and red chilli powder, but I improvised a little with some delicious chilli oil that I have at home and it turned out super! Can't wait for Nina to come and try it.

Picture by ime ©

Ingredients

Potatoes
Schezwan chilli oil
Salt

Method

Wash and clean the potatoes. Slice them into slim wedges with the skin on and soak them in water for about 30 minutes. Drain the water and pat them dry.
Coat one side of the wedges lightly with the oil and place them on a baking tray (oil side up). Sprinkle some salt over the lot and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Make sure they don't start burning up.
Serve hot and enjoy.

That's it!!!

Stir Fried Mushrooms

The first time I cooked with whatever ingredients I had in the house, I was so impressed with myself that I wrote a blog about it and called it  Ad Hoc Cooking (click if you want to read). Today it isn't so unusual for me to do this. A few weeks ago I had a friend stopping by and I know she loves my salads. She is also a garlic and a chili freak, so I decided to make sure I gave her a little of it all. I had mushrooms in the house and this is how I stir fried them.

Ingredients

Mushrooms, 1 packet; washed and sliced
Garlic, 12 cloves; sliced thin
Ginger 1" piece; julienned
Bird's eye chilies about 4; sliced thin on the diagonal (can substitute with green chilies)
Spring onions, 4 heads & stalks; cut on the diagonal about and 1" long
Lemon grass, 1 small stick; sliced thin on the diagonal (if available)

Picture by Ulupi

Lemon zest, 2 lemons
White pepper
Salt
Oil

Method

Use a wok or heavy bottomed pan. Pour in the oil and stir in the garlic. Start the flame on slow and watch for the oil to heat.
Add the ginger, lemon zest, lemon grass and chilies and cook till the edges turn colour.
Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and stir well. Allow the water to release and burn off most of it.
Just before the mixture loses all the water, add the spring onions and white pepper. Toss till the water burns off.
Serve hot

Notes

The same recipe works great with shredded chicken.
You can also add bean sprouts.

Broccoli Soup with a Twist

The other day I had lunch at the Hyatt and they had a lovely spinach and pea shorba for their soup course. I really loved the consistency and the flavour hitting the back of my throat. Naturally I wanted to try my hand at creating something on the same lines. So here's what I did to make a broccoli soup with a twist.

Images courtesy the world wide web

Ingredients
Broccoli, 1 head
Maggi vegetable stock cubes, 2
Bay leaf, 2 / 3
Butter, a pat
Pesto sauce, 2 / 3 tbsp
White pepper, 2 / 3 tsp

Method

Chop and boil the broccoli (including stalks). Once cooled, puree and strain into a large pan.
Add 3 times the amount of water to the broccoli puree, along with the stock cubes and bring to boil.
In the meantime, in a small pan, heat the butter with the bay leaf and then add the pesto sauce and cook a little for the flavours to emerge and then add it to the boiling soup.
Add the white pepper and salt (if needed, the stock cubes have enough) and boil thoroughly till quantity  is reduced to 2/3rd.

That's it!

Cheers!!!

Hello...

For many many years, my father told me to keep a blog for the food I create, he loved my cooking and he loved my writing. Unfortunately I never ended up doing it, till now. Better late than never I say. This one is for you dad and for all my family and friends who have been more than appreciative of my handiwork.

In this blog I will attempt to record all the food I cook, either my own inventions or versions of other people's work. In case I miss out on giving proper credit to anyone, please feel free to let me know so that I can correct myself.

Cheers, from the writing chef :-)