Roast Pork

After a whirlwind of posts at the beginning of the lockdown, I hit a roadblock. With no inspirations striking I decided to look further at my cooking experiments.

I have never cooked pork before. Just eat the Vindaloo that mom usually cooks. My brother doesn’t really like that so when she cooks it, only I have to finish it. So, thought about coming up with something that we both can enjoy. After a bit of experimenting came up with this recipe that we both now enjoy.

This disk is Absolutely incredible. Roasted pork look beautiful, taste amazing and create their own sauce when cooked in the oven, mixing through the flavours.

This time I used the cooker. Next time I’m going to try roasting it completely in the over and see if there is any difference on the flavours. I tried the recipe out with both ribs and normal cut pieces and both turned out amazing.

Ingredients

• ½ Kg Pork cut into pieces
• 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1 tbsp Soya sauce
• 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp White vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 5-6 pods of Garlic finely chopped
• 1 Onion thinly sliced
• 1 Red pepper thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley, chopped

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the cinnamon, pepper, chilli powder, soya sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce.
2. Marinade the pork with the mixture above for about 1-2 hours.
3. If the meat is tough, then you can put it in the cooker for 2 whistles. Otherwise 1 is fine.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C.
5. Arrange the cooked meat in a single layer along with half the juice from the cooker on a prepared baking dish.
6. Add the garlic, onion & red pepper slices on top and roast in the hot oven.
7. After 5 minutes, baste with half of the reserved juice and continue roasting for 5 minutes till the pork turns crisp.

 

10 THINGS I’M GRATEFUL FOR!

-We have never been as connected or as isolated as we are now!

Just a few weeks ago I was reading an article about the novel coronavirus, and there was a line that really struck me. It said, “It’s only a matter of time before you know someone who has it.” That scared me because I knew it was probably true. Since then, I have been stress-scrolling through social media, my eyes gobbling up every single corona-virus update possible. And then I caught myself: There are better ways to cope. So, I thought about writing a post on things that I am grateful for. I see the sad stories of the migrants and am feeling more and more grateful for what I have.

Family time – We as a family haven’t really been spending too much time together off late. All of us were busy in our own little worlds. This lock-down has given us time with each other. We are watching movies, playing games and eating together as family. Of course we still have our fighting matches and do drive each other crazy but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Sometimes I do feel like I’m going crazy, but having my family with me is something I’m incredibly grateful for.

Catch-up with the team – At office, we are all so busy and running around like headless chickens most of the time. During the lock-down, we have daily morning catch-ups that started to give us updates on what is happening but now has become a time for all of us to catch-up and have a laugh, share ideas on how to entertain kids, tips on which delivery app is delivering etc. I really cherish this time that we have together.

Reading – I love to read but with the new job I haven’t had much time and the books have been piling up. I have had time to catch up with my reading and now I’m running out of books!

Cooking – As I said in my previous post, I love to cook but don’t feel like cooking after I get back home. Now as I am home all the time, if I feel like eating something nice, I just go in the kitchen and whip it up. Thai Chicken, Chilli Beef, Mug brownie, Chicken salad have been my go to lately. So easy and quick to make.

Hair Care – I oil my hair about once a week but this is not enough as I have very dry hair. I don’t have the time or inclination to do this during the week so I’m using this time that I have to oil my hair at-least twice a week and I have seen the texture improve a lot. Trying out DIY hair masks with Methi seeds and that’s working too.

Skin Care – I read all these beauty blogs and have bought all these serums, creams, face masks, sheet masks but hardly use them as I’m either too busy or too lazy. During this lock-down have been making good use of those. Also trying out some DIY face masks. Hopefully, I’ll come out of it with better skin

Declutter – I have been slowly decluttering one drawer at a time. Giving away clothes and building a sustainable wardrobe has been great. Also, have been rearranging furniture, getting rid of unused stuff at home

Hanging out with my pet – I love my dog! I take her on walks, cuddle with her. Working with her sleeping near my feet has been great. I have to just look at her and feel my anxiety levels come down

Sleeping in – Not having to dress up and travel to work has given me time to sleep in. I am so grateful for the extra 1 hour that I get every morning

Blogging – My creative juices have been buzzing and I have already written 3 posts since I have been home

Exercise – I really wish I can add this to the list but sleeping in has been taking precedence, but I hope to change it

THAI CHICKEN

My love for Thai food spawned from the time I visited Thailand and since then there is no going back. I have always preferred dry dishes to curries/gravies so while I enjoy the Thai curry, I always longed for something else to go with it. I scoured the internet looking for something that would appease my taste buds and came up with a hodgepodge of recipes to make my own. Unfortunately, I didn’t think about documenting it earlier so I have only one picture. But it’s a simple tasty dish to try out. You can skip the Thai herbs if you don’t have them on hand and it will still come out good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of mixed Thai herbs (I bought it from Big Basket)

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha or any other chilli sauce that you have, or more, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the sauce, whisk together chili sauce, soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and Sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until cooked. Add the mix Thai herbs and saute it for about 2-3 mins.
3. Stir in chili sauce mixture.
4. Serve immediately, garnished with peanuts, if desired.

Let me know in the comments if you try it out.

Thai Yellow Curry

This quick Thai yellow curry will both impress you and leave you craving for more. It’s so easy, and you don’t even need any paste.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

10 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 green chilies, thinly sliced

1 tbsp curry powder (yellow curry powder from Thai store)

⅓ tsp turmeric powder

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper or red bell pepper

½ head of broccoli, cut to 2 inch pieces

1 cup cut carrots

1 cup cut baby corn

Sauce:

1 cup thick coconut milk

1 cup thin coconut milk

3 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

⅓ tsp chili flakes

½ tsp sugar

2 tsp fish sauce

Thai basil

Dried herbs (Mix of lemongrass, Thai ginger, chilies, kafir lime leaves)

Instructions

In a large pan, add oil and let it get hot. Add the garlic, green chilies and curry powder. Keep sautéing to toast the curry powder for about a minute. Then add the turmeric powder, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrot and baby corn. On medium heat, sauté and cook for a few minutes. Stirring it continuously until the vegetables have slightly lost their rawness, but still has a bite, add the thin coconut milk and bring to simmer. While that is cooking, mix everything for the sauce.

In a bowl, add the add the thick coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, chili flakes, sugar and mix it very well.

Add all of this to the vegetable mixture. Add lots of Thai basil & the dried herbs and mix very well. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat.

Serve hot with some steamed rice and extra basil for some added fresh and tasty curry.

PS: This recipe is adapted from www.foodfashionparty.com

This is a very versatile recipe. You can make it with vegetables that you already have in your pantry. I use whatever veggies I have on hand when I make this curry. Sometimes I add mushrooms, others it’s only carrots & bell peppers. Doesn’t really change the taste much but adding more veggies make it a nice wholesome meal. You can also add some grilled chicken from this recipe. I use the dried herbs that I picked up in Thailand but you can use the fresh herbs. In fact it would be better with the fresh herbs. The heat of the chilies also makes this dish perfect for the cooler months coming.

I hadn’t really tried Thai food till I visited Thailand in May. And since then, I’m a big fan. I’ve yet to find a good restaurant that would take me back to those days here in Bangalore. So, for the days on which I’m hankering for a good Thai curry, I make this and in half an hour I’m transported right back to Thailand. Hope you enjoy it too.

Do let me know if you try it in your comments.

10 Things

This year has been quite eventful. Haven’t had the chance to write a lot or even think about the blog. So sharing a few finds, pictures, interests and highlights from the year so far..

I’ve always been a fan of Bath and body work. Lovely Dreamer is my new favourite fragrance from them. Also loving this Lavendar and Cedarwood body butter.

This Mug Brownie recipe has become a favourite for a quick chocolate fix. Easy to make with ingredients always available in my pantry. And This creamy sauce has become by go to recipe when I’m in a time crunch. Can use it with steaks, pastas.. Makes for a quick, easy dinner.

Thinking about incorporating healthy recipes in my diet. Going to try this cashew sauce with my pasta next.

I just finished the Netflix series YOU and OMG I just loved it!Looking forward to Season 2 : Everything we know so far .

I loved watching Animal Planet, Discovery channel as a child. Looking forward to start watching Our Planet on Netflix.

Recently finished the Throne of Glass series and already having withdrawal symptoms!

If you’re terrible at remembering all of your passwords like I am, then this app: 1Password is for you. This is literally life changing for me!

I finally found the red houndstooth skirt that I’ve been looking for. Got it in the Marks & Spencers sale to boot!

Talking about sales – Almost bit the bullet on this jacket! Yay or Nay?

Also, loving this dress (Birthday gift to myself!) that I bought from The Label Life.

So what have you guys been upto? Let me know in the comments section… Thank you for reading.

Mug Brownie

I was in the mood for brownies but didn’t really feel like making a whole batch. I wanted something quick and easy with ingredients that I already had at home. So after a lot of searching and some mixing and matching I came up with this recipe. Apologising in advance for the picture clarity. I didn’t have chocolate chips so I used a 70% dark Lindt chocolate bar which I think was a bad idea as it left a slightly bitter aftertaste. But the vanilla ice cream helped with it. Next time I’ll just skip it. I was very happy with the overall result. It had a nice fudgy consistency. Just the way I like it. Easy to make and so tasty! An afternoon craving satisfied.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons maida
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons Cocoa Powder ( I used Hershey’s)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons water
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 teaspoons chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a microwavable mug (roughly 1 cup measurement) mix together all of the ingredients.
2. Mix in the chocolate chips.
3. If you don’t want to cook them off straight away, then place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
4. Microwave for 60-90 seconds. (Timing is based on my microwave so your timing might vary). Always keep a close eye on your mug while in the microwave so it doesn’t over flow or over cook
5. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream & enjoy!

Lemon Pound Cake

It’s been a while since I have baked anything. Today being a holiday, I thought I’d give it a shot. To be honest, it was the 7UP in the recipe that caught my attention and made me want to try it out. I did make a few changes to the recipe that I found online to customise it to my liking and minimize some of the steps that I thought were unnecessary. Overall, it was an easy and tasty recipe.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (345 gms) butter, softened

3 cups (500 gms) sugar

5 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups (384 gms) all-purpose flour

1-cup (340 ml) lemon-lime soft drink (such as 7UP)

Lemon Glaze

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180° C. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat at medium speed 3 to 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest and extract.
2. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with lemon-lime soft drink, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured pan.
3. Bake at 180° C for ½ and hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
4. Spoon Lemon Glaze over warm or room temperature cake.

Lemon Glaze

Ingredients

2 cups(400 gms) powdered sugar

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Method

Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, in a bowl until blended and smooth. (For a thinner glaze, stir in an additional 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp. at a time, if desired.)

PS: People enjoyed it so much that I decided to sell this cake at a Mission Sunday event that my church conducted. Happy to report that it completely sold out!!

Thank you for reading! And have a good weekend

Chicken in Creamy Sauce

I had a lot of Chicken breasts left over and have been looking for recipes to use them up. I like cooking but try to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. Therefore, I look for recipes with either fewer ingredients or shorter cooking time. By mixing and matching recipes & ingredients came up with this recipe. There was a bit left over. Thinking about chopping it up & making a pasta with cream sauce for another night’s no fuss dinner.

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:

• 6 Chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic , crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper , to taste

FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:

• 4 cloves garlic , crushed
• 200 grams diced bacon
• 400 grams sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (I use half a maggi cube mixed with half cup of warm water)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and pepper , to taste
• Fresh shaved or grated parmesan , to garnish

Method

1. Arrange chicken on a plate. Combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a jug. Rub the oil mixture over the chicken to completely coat.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry breasts on both sides until golden browned and completely cooked through (about 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets). Once cooked, transfer to a plate.
3. Once the chicken is done, remove from skillet; set aside.
4. Using the same skillet the chicken was in; fry the garlic in the reserved chicken juices over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the bacon and fry until just beginning to crisp. Add in the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms begin to soften.
5. Pour in the cream, chicken broth and Parmesan; allow to simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
6. Season with pepper. Taste first before adding in any extra salt, as the bacon will add the salt.
7. Add the chicken back into the pan; allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes in the cream to take on the flavours.
8. Garnish with shaved or grated parmesan, if desired. Serve over rice, pasta, or steamed/grilled vegetables.

This is a dish that just keeps on giving. I have been using this sauce with a slight variation of ingredients to make an easy fuss free white sauce for pasta. It is so easy to make and is ready in minutes. You can skip bacon, mushrooms and make an easy sauce with just garlic, cream & broth.

Note: The bacon I had was very fatty (From Bangalore Ham shop), so I cut off the fat & used it instead of oil. It made the dish even more tasty..

Do let me know in the comments section if you try any of these recipes.

Thank you for reading

Garlic Tomato Chicken with Grilled Veggies

While I love food with a lot of different spices & flavours, there are times when a simple meal, with few ingredients, is very satisfying. Mix tomatoes with some garlic and pan seared chicken breasts, and you have the best buttery, tomatoes and garlic flavours in this recipe! I added less tomato when I first prepared this dish so the tomatoes were charred when I reheated the leftovers. But, the charred tomato added such a wonderful flavour to the meal the next time I prepare it I will add more tomatoes and char it to begin with. This is an easy peasy summer recipe. You won’t have to spend too much time in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 2 cups tomatoes cubed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic or 6 large cloves of garlic

Method

• Lightly pound chicken breasts until they are all the same thickness. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of oil and 2 teaspoons of butter in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Fry breasts on both sides until golden browned and completely cooked through (about 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fillets). Once cooked, transfer to a plate.
• Heat remaining butter and oil in the pan. Fry garlic until fragrant (about one minute). Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes, or until they just begin to soften. Turn off the heat.
• Season with any extra salt and pepper, if needed. Add the chicken back into the pan, and spoon the pan juices and tomato/garlic mixture all over the chicken!
• Perfect to serve with a salad, garlic bread, rice or pasta!
• Another variation to this dish would be to add some Italian spices or veggies like mushrooms or brocoli.

Grilled Veggies

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes.
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 3 teaspoons garlic powder)
• 3 teaspoons salt (adjust to your tastes)
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C | 390°F.
• Cut each potato in half lengthways, then cut each half in half lengthways again, and then cut each half in half lengthways again until you have 8 wedges. (Make sure they are about the same thickness and size).
• In a small jug, combine the oil, garlic, salt and paprika. Place wedges onto the baking sheets. Pour the oil mixture over the potatoes and toss together to coat evenly. Arrange potato wedges in a single layer on a large baking tray, skin-sides-down. Bake for 35 minutes, turning wedges half way through baking time, until golden, crisp and cooked through when tested with a fork.
• You can use the same method for carrots, mushrooms or any veggies that you want to use.

Stuffed Eggplant

I thought about starting this blog after being inspired by the various fashion bloggers that I follow. However, the lack of a photographer was a hindrance.

I love cooking and best part about documenting it is that I don’t need a photographer. I snap pictures on the go, edit and post them. There’s no planning required either. Dad wanted to try stuffed eggplant so with a bit of research came up with this recipe. He can’t eat too much spice so this is mild and tasty

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 50g pitted green olives, chopped
• handful basil leaves, chopped
• 125g grated mozzarella
• handful fresh white breadcrumbs
• parmesan to sprinkle on top
• salt to taste

Method

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Slice the eggplants in half lengthways, leaving the stem intact. Using a small knife, cut a border inside each eggplant about ½-1cm thick. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the eggplant flesh, so that you have 2 shells. Brush these with a little of the oil, season and place in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins. Chop the flesh and place to one side.
• Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to a non-stick frying pan. Tip in the onion and cook until soft. Add the chopped eggplant flesh and cook through. Tip in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 3 mins more. Stir in olives, basil, mozzarella and seasoning.
• When the eggplant shells are tender, remove from the oven and reduce heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pile stuffing into shells, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and drizzle with a little more oil. Bake for 15-20 mins, until the cheese is gooey and the breadcrumbs are golden.