Baked Asparagus Fries

My 2nd post for Earth Day... I am excited to write and publish this!

I went to Costco few days ago and bought a big bag of Asparagus and then I came across these baked Asparagus Fries pic on Pinterest. I knew immediately what I am going to do with my big bag of Asparagus. I didn't have breadcrumbs on me so I made it myself. But they turned out nice and crunchy! I didn't expect it to be so simple to make and so yummy to taste.

I served it with Spicy Sriracha Dip!

Ingredients: 
Asparagus Spears - 15-18
Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Egg, beaten - 1
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspns
Salt

Procedure: 
1. Preheat oven on 350 F
2. Mix salt and red chilli powder in breadcrumbs
3. Dip Asparagus spears in flour, then in egg wash and then in breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for all the spears and bake on a cookie sheet for 12-15mins

Variations: 
You can make this recipe with some variations like adding spices to the crumbs

Conclusion:
Crunchy Asparagus Fries dipped in Spicy Sriracha sauce tastes really great. This simple recipe goes with all kind of food.

Green Goddess Salad

I keep taking long breaks from updating my blog. This time I blame myself as I was too busy cooking and so did not find (or spare) time to update the blog. I feel really bad about it.

Anyways, now that I am back I have decided to post 3 entries which I experimented for the Earth Day! April 22nd is celebrated as Earth Day and it is very important for us to realize the value of Mother Earth. I recently read about why and how it started on this website. It's history is very interesting.

Lately, I have been on Pinterest a lot. I always thought it would be another social networking site (So dumb of me) but my friend introduced me to it and now I am ADDICTED! This recipe came from one of the Pins I found on Pinterest. The picture looked sooo pretty that I had to make it (and it tasted even better). I made major modifications to the recipe as I did not have a lot of things on hand but I used the similar idea.

Ingredients: 
Quinoa, cooked - 1 cup
Mint Coriander Chutney - 2 tbspns
Pistachio, coarsely chopped - 2 tbspns
Boiled/Cooked Peas - 2 tbspns
Asparagus, chopped - 2 tbspns
Olive Oil - 1 tbspn
Onion - Half cup
Avocado, cubed - 1/2
Salt

Procedure: 
1. Heat Oil in a pan and saute onions on medium flame
2. Once onions are browned, add mint coriander chutney and saute for 2mins. Then add all ingredients other than avocado and pistachio to it and mix well
3. Once cooled, add pistachios and avocado and mix well and serve

Variations: 
The original recipe had called for Basil Pesto instead of Mint Coriander Chutney and I am sure it would taste really yummy with that too.

Conclusion:
Enjoyed the salad a lot as it had variety of textures in it. This Green Goddess Salad was something I would make again and next time I will try when I have Basil Pesto on hand.

Pesto Cream Cheese Filled Chicken Roll Ups

After a long long time, I am back to blogging. These days it is so difficult to find time to do anything due to the adorable little darling who is 1 year old already!

We also visited our family and friends in India in Dec 2013. This was Neil's first trip to India and he did pretty well. Everyone enjoyed his company a lot especially Neil's cousins and grand parents.

We had bought a house in India and we got the possession of it, so we did a small Housewarming Ceremony.

All in all, it was a great month long vacation!

Alright, coming to the point - I found the pictures of this dish on Pinterest and just decided I will wing it as per my taste. So I added some cream cheese and pesto and rolled up the chicken. Next I am going to try it with mushrooms stuffed inside and some sauce on top of the chicken. For now, let's enjoy what we have :)

Ingredients: 
Chicken Breast, Pounded - 2
Basil Pesto - 4 tbspns
Cream Cheese - 2 tbspns
Salt
Pepper
Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
Toothpicks

Procedure: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. In the mean time, take the pounded chicken breasts and cut each piece into 3 parts lengthwise
3. Now spread the cheese and then the basil pesto on it. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top of the pesto and roll the chicken breast like a swiss roll
4. Now tuck some toothpicks inside the roll to keep it rolled and cover it in breadcrumbs and bake for 35-40 mins (or till chicken is cooked)
5. Last but not the least, relish every bite of the juicy chicken roll ups with some cajun spiced asparagus and squash.

Variations: 
There are plenty of variations to this recipe. I also added some sauteed asparagus with tomato paste, basil pesto, and mozzarella cheese and rolled it up. It tasted really delicious too!

Conclusion:
Add whatever filling you want, roll it up and roll it into your mouth....yummm!! My mouth is watering now. I better go and have a bite of the leftover chicken roll ups.

Chocolate Walnut Torte

In mood for something healthy and yummy for dessert?? How perfect would the world be, if fried chicken became healthy and eating salad would count as the most unhealthy food. In search of that health+deliciousness, I thought of something similar to Almond Torte but used chocolate and walnuts instead. The Chocolate Walnut Torte is deliciously yummy and healthy. It tastes very much like Brownie but just that there is no butter and flour in it. This was made to suffice my husband's post dinner dessert cravings. I tried to follow the recipe from Elana's Pantry with the modifications as per my taste. I hope you enjoy this!!

Ingredients: 
Walnuts, coarsely ground - 1 cup
Sugar - 6 tbspns
Eggs, separated - 3
Salt - 1/2 pinch
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup

Procedure: 

1. Grease an 8 inch pan (I used a spring form pan) and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips stirring every 1 min (It will take only 2 minutes for the chocolate to melt). Mix it well and keep it aside.
3. Now whisk the egg yolks and 4 tbspns sugar for 2mins (till it is pale yellow in color).
4. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with salt till soft peaks form. Now add remaining sugar (1/2 tbspn at a time) and beat till stiff peaks form. 
5. Now mix the chocolate and walnuts in the egg yolks and then fold 1/3rd of the egg whites and mix well. Then again add another 1/3rd of the egg whites and mix well. Repeat it once again and mix the batter till it is just combined and white streaks are not seen.
6. Pour the batter in the greased pan and bake it for 20-25mins (or until the cake springs back when pressed gently).
7. Sprinkle some white powdered sugar to garnish and serve warm with some vanilla ice cream (come on, you can have one small bite of that ice cream once in a while) and / or chocolate syrup!!! 

Variations: 
You can try different sauces with it. I am planning to make a raspberry sauce which go perfectly with it.


Conclusion: 
Super delicious Chocolate Walnut Torte is done in less than an hour!  

Orange Chicken Salad - Revealing Secrets

An Irish proverb says "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book" but I would correct it to "A good laugh, a healthy diet, a long walk and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." We need not keep on worrying about our health all the time because that is more dangerous than eating unhealthy food. One must enjoy the good health they have rather than worrying about it.



























Eating right and eating at the right time is the trick. 
You need not eat salad everyday to be healthy, you need not starve to reduce your weight, you need not eat bad tasting food to be on diet! All you need to do is, eat right and eat at the right time.


Know what you eat.
To eat right, you must know what you are eating. So wear your apron and get started in the kitchen. You can start with small things at a time. Even if you eat out, make sure you know the ingredients and opt for healthy choices like wheat bread instead of white, grilled chicken instead of fried chicken etc.


Refresh your mind and body.
Exercise refreshes your mind and body. Just 30-60mins of exercise/day is enough for a healthy mind and body. It doesn't matter if you walk to the grocery store or you run on a treadmill in the gym. The important thing is to exercise and be happy. 


Don't Be a Couch Potato.
Go out, make some friends, eat out, drink some beer, go for a comedy show but remember to exercise and stay worry-free. 

Ingredients (1 serving): 
Raw Items:
Spring Mix - 1/8 LB
Red and Orange Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup
Garbanzo Beans, canned/cooked - 1/2 cup
Mandarines - 1/2 cup
Toasted Sesame - 1/2 tspn
Chicken Tenders - 1/2LB

Dressing:
Soy Sauce - 3Tbspn
Lime Juice - 2Tbspn
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2Tbspn
Brown Sugar - 2tbspn
Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tspn
Salt - a pinch full
Garlic, minced - 1tspn
Oil/Butter for frying garlic
Orange Juice - 1/8 cup

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients for dressing other than garlic and oil for frying.
2. Now, heat a small pan and add oil to it. Fry garlic till they are golden and add to the above mentioned dressing mixture.
3. Now grill/broil/cook the chicken tender with some salt and pepper 
4. Add 1/2 of the prepared dressing to the chicken and let it sit aside.
5. Add orange juice to the remaining 1/2 of the dressing and mix it well.
6. Now mix all the raw ingredients and put the orange dressing on top of it. Add the chicken on top and garnish with some toasted sesame.

Variations: 
It can be made veg by taking off the chicken and adding Tofu/Soy chunks.

Conclusion:
Today I got up early so that I can pack this for lunch and blog about it in the spare time. I am going for Dodger's baseball game tonight (just to hog on the garlic fries and chug some beer as I do not understand the game :) ). So I am compensating for all the junk food I will be eating tonight with the salad.

Shrimp Stir Fry

Every time I make shrimp I remember 'Bubba' from Forrest Gump. His love towards shrimp and how he spoke about them all the time. I remember that Bubba suggests the shrimping business and Forrest pursues the idea after Bubba's death.
The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company started as an idea between Bubba and Forrest during their war duty in Vietnam. There Bubba proposes the idea of starting a shrimping business and Forrest agress and promises to be his partner after the service is over. But Bubba dies in the war and Forrest is left alone to go into that business. Forrest then goes to plays in the All America Ping Pong team and after his tour, he earns $25,000 enough to buy a boat. He buys a boat and names it 'Jenny'. This is how he starts the shrimping business and Lt. Dan Taylor joins him as his mate on the boat.
It is a pretty nice movie and Tom Hanks has acted really well and so has 'Bubba.' I think pretty soon, I will be called 'Bubba.'

Ingredients: 
Uncooked Shrimp, deveined - 1 LB
Soy Sauce - 2 tbspn
Tomato Ketchup - 4 tbspn
Water- 5tbspn
Red Chilli Flakes - 1 tspn
Ginger Paste - 1/2 tspn
Garlic, Minced - 2 + 4 cloves
Honey - 2 tspn
Cornstarch - 2 tspn
Green Onions - 1/4 + 1/4 cup
Bell Peppers - 1 cup
Brocolli - 1 cup
Mushroom - 1/4 cup
Oil

Procedure: 

1. Mix all the sauces, water, honey, red chilli flakes, 2 garlic cloves, cornstarch and ginger paste and keep it aside.
2. Now heat a skillet on med-high heat and put a tbspn oil on it. Then add garlic and all the vegetables and green onions to it and cook it for 2 mins. Then add the sauce to it and cook for 3-4 mins or till the sauce begins to boil.
3. Now add the shrimp and cook till the shrimp is cooked.

Variations: 
You can make it vegetarian by substituting shrimp with Tofu or Paneer/Cottage Cheese.

Conclusion:
The 'Always-Available-At-Home' ingredients makes it unbelievably awesome stir fry.

Mix vegetable Soup

Now a days I am eating more number of times in smaller portion only because I read in an article (and my mother always followed that rule) that eating in smaller portions is better that eating a lot at once. So I make one pot of soup for the whole week and refrigerate. I take a cup of soup everyday to work and reduce the portion of lunch. Also, reducing the quantity of carbs (Like roti, rice, bread) and increasing the portion of vegetables, poultry or seafood is advisable.
So here is an easy recipe for a mix vegetable soup in which you can add or substract the ingredients as per your taste. Always remember, playing a little bit with the ingredients is good for experimenting and knowing what you like more. So go ahead and experiment with this soup.


Ingredients: 
Vegetable Broth/Water - 3 cups
Spinach, chopped - 1/2 bunch
Squash, cubed - 2
Carrots, cubed - 2
Bell Peppers, cubed - 1
Green Chillies, slit - 2
Garlic, minced - 2 cloves
Black Beans - 1Can
Cooked Pasta - 1 cup (Optional)
Cooked Rice - 1/2 cup (Optional)
Oregano - 1 tspn
Ground Pepper - 1 tspn, or as per taste


Procedure: 

1. Add the broth in a pot and add spinach to it. Cook it for 10mins or so, then add everything other than pasta, rice and beans.
2. Let it cook with lid closed for 35-40 mins. Then add rice, pasta and beans and cook for another 5mins and the soup is ready.

Variations: 
This soup has been my favorite and I add whatever vegetables I have. I also add some cooked lentils, if I have them handy.


Conclusion:
The soup has been a Saviour as I serve this to my hubby whenever he comes home after work and then he doesn't demand for dinner immediately.

Fish Masala Curry (Hot n' Sour)

We get fish from the Chinese market nearby which is super crowded if you go after 10am. The line for cleaning and cutting the fish increases with time. Once I went early morning, and I got out within 15mins but if I go after 930am or so, I have to surely wait for an hour or more.
I always get Pompano to make fish curry. But I have seen humongous sized fish in the market the name of which I have never heard.
Today I wanted to try some different curry for the fish and I did some research online and saw this recipe which looked really yummy. I thought that version would be very spicy for my taste buds and hence I modified it as per my taste and it turned out really good.

Ingredients:
Fish (pompano) - 2LBs

Onion, Finely chopped - 1+1

Tomato, Finely chopped - 1

Green chillies, slit - 3

Garlic- 3 cloves

Ginger - 2 inch 

Red chilli powder - 3 tspn

Coriander powder - 2 tspn

Black pepper - 1 tspn

Garam masala - 1 tspn

Ajwain - a pinch

Methi seeds - a pinch

Yogurt - 2Tbspn

Tamarind pulp - 1 tspn

Lime Juice - 1 tspn

Salt

Oil
Cilantro to garnish

Procedure: 

1. Sautee one portion onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic together till the onions are golden brown.
2. When it is done, keep that aside and roast red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, pepper, methi seeds and ajwain together for 4-5 mins on med-low heat.
3. Grind the above two things together. Then saute remaining onions till they are golden brown.
4. Then add the ground masala and fry for a few minutes. 
5. Now add tomatoes, tamarind, salt and 1/2 cup of water.
6. Now add the fish pieces and cook for 7-10 mins turning the fish pieces over once.
7. Garnish it with cilantro and serve with hot dill rice or roti.

Variations: 
I couldn't think of any variation but you can reduce the sourness by using whole cream instead of yogurt.


Conclusion:
I made this without anything in mind. I was not sure how this would turn but it turned out pretty yummy. It had a distinct hot n' sour taste.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I am a soup lover and make soup at home very often. I became a soup lover because I love to eat or drink hot things during winter and in US of A, it is always cold, even in California. So I make a big pot of soup once a week and have it with lunch or dinner.
Today I only had cauliflower and wanted to make some soup out of it. So I called a friend of mine and she gave me her recipe.

Ingredients: 
Cauliflower - 1LB
Sliced Onion - 1/2 cup
Potato, peeled and cubed - 1
Ginger Paste - 1tspn
Garlic - 3 cloves
Black Peppercorns - 8-10
Green Chillies - 2
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tspn (Optional)
Water or chicken or vegetable stock - 3cups
Salt to taste

Procedure: 

1. Cut and clean the cauliflower. Pressure cook all the above ingredients with 3 cups of water or chicken or vegetable stock. (I used water as I didn't have the broth handy)
2. Take 2 whistles and when cooker is cooled, blend the cauliflower mixture into a smooth paste.
3. Now add some milk and blend again.

Variations: 
My friend said that she gives a 'tadka' of oil and jeera to add some flavor to it. I didn't want to add oil to the soup so I skipped that step.

Conclusion:

When I told my husband that I am making cauliflower soup, he made faces but when I made him taste it, he loved it. Even I was surprised with its distinct taste.... very creamy without adding butter or cream. One cannot make out that it is cauliflower soup. Thanks to Louloua (Pronounced as Lulua) who suggested this soup and gave me the recipe.

Pecan & Macademia-crusted Salmon with Dill Sauce

My love towards seafood is increasing day-by-day. I was bored with the same old coconut curry recipe with Pomfret, so I decided to try something with Salmon.
When we were on our delayed honeymoon (as we went after 4months of marriage) to Hawaii, we visited this 'Highly-Recommended' restaurant called Mama's Fish House. It is very famous for its ambiance and awesome seafood. The menu changes everyday. The day we went for lunch, they were serving Macademia crusted Salmon stuffed with crab and shrimp. Yes, I know you all must be drooling as you read this. Trust me, it was worth every penny we spent. That was the best Seafood I have ever tried. I still drool as I dream about it, so I had to atleast try the easy part of it, nut-crusted Salmon without the stuffing.

Ingredients: 
Marinade:
Salmon Fillet - 1LB
Lime Juice - 2Tbspn
Salt

Outer Coating:
Pecans - 1/2 cup
Macademia nuts - 1/2 cup
Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tspn (I used Cajun Seasoning instead)
Egg White - 1
Olive Oil
Salt

Sauce:
Fresh Dill, Finely chopped - 2 tbspn
Yogurt - 1 cup
Sour Cream/Mayonnaise - 2tbspn
Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tspn
Lime Juice - 2tbspn
Salt

Procedure: 

1. Marinate the Salmon with the marinade and keep it aside.
2. Now blend together pecan, macademia nuts, bread crumbs, red chilli powder and salt and make a coarse powder.
3. Whisk the egg whites till it is a little frothy and then dip the salmon in it and then coat it with the coarse nuts powder. Try pressing the powder on the salmon. 
4. Heat a skillet on medium heat and put some oil on it.
5. Now put the salmon on the skillet and cook it till the crust is golden brown but make sure the fish is cooked from inside too (Fish is cooked when it flakes when a fork is inserted in it). Cook approximately for 7minutes on each sides.
6. Sauce: Mix all ingredients for the sauce.
7. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve it with rice.\

Variations:
Any type of nuts can be used for this recipe. Also, this dill sauce can be used with a variety of fish dishes.


Conclusion:

We remembered our meal at Mama's Fish House as we were enjoying the Pecan and Macademia Nut-Crusted Salmon... Yummm!

Tandoori Chicken

'Tandoor' is a special type of clay oven which uses wood or charcoal as a fuel. The tandoor ovens are bell-shaped and was used to make naan in earlier days. It is used in various countries to cook and bake.
The tandoor is used for cooking variety of Afghan, Iranian, Pakistani and Indian food.
The taste of the chicken is enhanced by the Tandoor oven. I always disliked people eating the chicken leg the way they usually eat - holding the bone and pulling the meat off! But when I tried the same thing, I loved it. I became a great fan of chicken tandoori. We had BBQ parties in our apartment complex once in a while (Organized by my Husband and I) and the attractions were Chicken Tandoori and Mojitos!!

Ingredients: 
Chicken Legs - 6 pieces
Yogurt - 1 tbspn
Tandoori Masala - 2 tbspn
Chicken Curry Masala - 1 tbspn
Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1 tbspn
Lime Juice - 1tbspn
Mint - 2 sprigs
Cilantro - 3 sprigs
Green Chilli - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Salt

Procedure: 

1. Clean the chicken by removing the skin and fat. Make 3-4 slits in the leg pieces so that the marinade penetrates deep inside.
2. Make a paste of green chilli, mint and cilantro.
3. Now mix all the ingredients and make a paste of it and cover chicken legs in it.
4. Keep the marinated chicken for 4-6 hours or overnight.
5. I do not have a grill, so I used a broiler which gives a great result too! I use the charcoal grill during the BBQ parties in my complex.
6. Heat the oven/broiler on HIGH heat and place the chicken in it for 15 mins and then turn them over and cook it for another 10-15mins. 
7. The chicken is done when a fork pricked in, enters easily in the chicken.
8. Relish the tandoori chicken with green chutney, chaat masala and lime juice.

Variations: 
You can use coconut milk instead of yogurt or not use yogurt at all. You can use your cooking skills and enhance the taste according to your taste buds.

Conclusion:
A hit BBQ party in which I taught everyone to make Mojitos and grill the chicken.

Pomfret Chettinad (Baked)

I came to US of A and tried Shrimp for the first time in my life, rather that was the first seafood item I ever tried! I Loved It! That was when I converted to Seafood Lover (and non-vegetarian).

My husband being a Konkani loves seafood and he was super happy that I liked Shrimp. He still remembers that day when I hogged on the batter fried shrimp at the Pier at New Port Beach, CA. He still repents for that time as he has a competition in seafood eating. :)

Ingredients:
Whole Pomfret - 2
Coriander Powder - 1.5 tbspn
Cumin Powder - 1 tspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tspn
Garam Masala - 1 tspn
Ajwain - 3/4 tspn
Green Chillies - 2
Shredded Coconut - 3 tbspn
cilantro - 3 strands
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 3/4 tbspn
Curry Leaves - 10-12 leaves
Salt

Method of Preparation:

1. Wash and clean the pomfrets
2. Make horizontal slits in the pomfret so that it holds the marinade inside it while baking
3. Place the pomfrets on two different aluminium foil sheets (big enough to wrap a pomfret)
4. Now grind all the ingredients other than the curry leaves and pomfret and make a paste
5. Now add the curry leaves to the paste and rub the paste on the Pomfrets on both sides making sure the paste is inside the slits
6. Wrap them in the foil and keep them aside for 2 hours or so
7. Pre-heat the oven on 350F for 10 minutes then place the Pomfrets inside
8. Let it bake for 40 minutes or till the fish flakes when a fork is inserted inside.
9. Now relish the beautiful looking Pomfret with Rice and Sol Kadhi

Variation:This can be broiled as well. Instead of placing it in oven, put the fish in the broiler but for lesser time i.e. 30 minutes or so. Make sure you turn it after 15minutes.

Conclusion:
The look and taste of the Pomfret Chettinadu was awesome! My Husband rated the fish 10/10.

Healthy Potato Chips

I had recently made the Turkey patty and my Husband demanded the Spicy Turkey Patty Burger for dinner. I was so sure that he wouldn't eat only turkey burger, he needs some kind of side dish with it (it's his food habits, can't blame him). So I thought of making Potato Chips with it.

This was a simple recipe I found online and I had to experiment with it with some modifications to it.

Objective: 

An accompaniment with Turkey burger.

Ingredients:
Red Potatoes Sliced Paper-thin  - 3

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Ground Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon (Optional)

Parchment Paper

Oil - 2 tbspoon

Method of Preparation:

1. Place the parchment paper on a dinner plate or microwave turntable.
2. Put the potato slices in a ziploc bag with oil in it and mix the potatoes well.
3. Place one slice at a time on the parchment paper (Do not overlap)
4. Put it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes (Depending on the power of the microwave. I burnt my first lot due to the high power of my microwave)
5. Let the slices be golden brown (Else they won't be crispy enuff)
6. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the slices and let them cool
7. Repeat the procedure till all the slices are done.

Variations:

You can add cajun flavoring or any other flavoring as per your taste.

Conclusion:

Happy Husband who would (hopefully) not complain that there was no side dish. :)

These taste like the store bought ones but much more healthier.