Mediterranean roasted vegetable and chicken

About the food:

This is a Mediterranean dish, and could be an extremely healthy and filling dinner with a chunk of garlic bread. This is very easy to prepare, and you can vary the seasonings according to your taste. And you can also add your favourite veggies, and it tastes fantastically refreshing.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 25mins


Ingredients: (serves 4)


300 gms boneless chicken, cut into 1 inch by 2 inches pieces

vegetables:

1 yellow & 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch squares
1 aubergine, cut in pieces with 1 inch thickness
2 courgettes, cut in circles with 1 inch thickness
10 small salad tomatoes
a small bowl of button mushrooms, cut vertically in thin semi-circular pieces
2 big onions, cut in chunky pieces

For marination:

4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp garlic salt
2 tbsp onion salt
2 tbsp black pepper powder
salt to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method:

1.Wash, drain and put all the cut vegetables in a big bowl. Mix it with the chicken pieces.

2.Put all the ingredients for the marination in the bowl and mix it well. Cover and let it marinate for about 2 hours. Refrigerate if the weather is warm.

3.Brush an oven tray with olive oil, and arrange all the ingredients in a single layer. Pre-heat the oven and cook for 20- 25 mins at 180 deg C. Keep a watch as not to burn the food and adjust the timing accordingly.

4. Serve it hot with garlic breads.

Cheese filled Jalapeno peppers

About the food:

Jalapeno is a Mexican hot & sweet pepper, which has a delicious flavour. I had this food at one of my friend's place, and it was so delicious that I was deeply intrigued to it. I promised myself that I had to learn to prepare this. Then some research, some alterations and here it is! It is a superb snack, or you can serve it as a starter. Try this out, it will never fail you!

Note: you can substitute the jalapeno peppers with bell peppers/capsicum, and it tastes as good.

Preparation time: 2 hrs
Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

4 jalapeno peppers, cut in halves and de-seeded.
1/2 small bowl of white flour
1/2 small bowl of cornflour
3 eggs, whisked
1/2 small bowl of bread crumbs or corn flakes crumbs
1 small pack of soft cheese, at room temperature
salt to taste
1 tbsp of garlic salt
1 tbsp of paprika powder
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Cut the halved jalapeno peppers in 3 inches stripes. Boil water in a pan. Put the peppers in the water, cover and cook for about 10mins or until they are tender.Drain the water and wipe the peppers dry with a kitchen tissue.

3.Fill all the pepper portions with a spoonful soft cheese. Freeze for about 2 hrs.

4.Take 3 bowls:

Bowl 1. Mix the corn flour, white flour, salt, garlic powder and the paprika.
Bowl 2. Keep the whisked egg.
Bowl 3. Keep the golden breadcrumbs.

5. Take out the frozen peppers. Dip and coat them with the items in the three bowls one by one. Arrange them on a plate. But do this in batches, as the frozen cheese might start melting.

6.Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Deep fry the coated peppers in batches until they are golden brown.

7. Serve hot with mayonnaise and mustard sauce.

Deep fried ice-cream

About the food: This is an amazing and most delicious food I have ever tasted. I was bewildered to learn about the food when I was in high school. Ever since I always thought of it, but did not get an chance to taste it. It is only recently I had a variation of this food at one of my friend's place, and I promised myself, that I have to explore this dish..and with a bit of research here and there, and voila..here it is! Preparation time: 10 mins cooking time: 10mins Ingredients: serves 4 1 box of two-in-one vanilla-strawberry icecream (or your favourite flavour) 1 pound sliced white bread vegetable oil for deep frying 3 heaped tbsp of cornflour 3 heaped tbsp of plain white flour Method: 1. Mix the cornflour and the white flour in a bowl. Add water to make a smooth batter. 2. Discard the side crusts of the bread slices by carefully cutting it with a knife. Put a bowl of water ready and deep a bread slice, and take it out immediately and sqeeze the water out by pressing it flat on the palms of both hands. One fried ball would need 2-3 bread pieces, so keep them ready. 3. Scoop out a big ball of ice-cream and put it at the centre of a bread slice. Make a circular mould with it, cover the top of the ice-cream with the other slice, and make a round mould as perfect as you can. 4. Deep the balls is the batter and cover all its sides. 5. Heat oil in a pan or a deep frier. Start to heat up before you are ready with the ice-cream balls, as frying process has to be very fast, and the ice-cream balls should not wait for the oil being heated. This is very crucial. Deep fry the balls in the pan, turning it on both sides for about 30 seconds. The flame should be high and any time more than this might melt the ice-cream inside. 6. Serve it immediately. You might garnish it with chocolate sauce.

Meditterrean Grilled Aubergine with Cottage cheese filling

About the food:

This is a Spanish style grilled aubergine with cottage cheese (paneer) and peas filling. I saw a Spanish recipe of grilled aubergine in a TV show sometime back: this dish is an impoverished version of that. The method of cooking is the same, only the filling has been modified upon. It is an easy to make dish, makes an delightful presentation, and could be served as a starter, or in a cocktail party.The filling is to be scooped out with a spoon and eaten just like that: taste it, and it is delicious!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 medium sized aubergine.
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 inch root ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium sized capsicum (bell pepper) finely chopped
200 gm cottage cheese (paneer) finely grated or handcrushed
2/3 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated cheese
1 cup green peas, boiled lightly and hand crushed
black pepper powder to taste
salt to taste
olive oil / vegetable oil

Method:

1. Cut off the steam of the aubergines. Cut the aubergines longitudinally in halves, so that each has a boat shape. Make incisions through the aubergine flesh, with a knife, both longitudinal and horizontal, as many as you can, taking care not to pierce the skin. Retention of the skin is very important as the dish would be served in it. Sprinkle salt and little bit of sugar on the aubergines and set it aside.

2.After 30 mins., drain the water off the aubergines, which has come out, and brush them generously with oil. Pre-heat oven for 15 mins. Set them on a lightly oiled baking tray, and grill them at 180 deg C, for about 15mins. Check from time to time, as the time might vary. Brush them with oil again once in between. The aubergines would be soft, a little charred and golden in colour when done. Scoop out the flesh of the aubergines when it has cooled down. Retain the skins as best as you can.

5. Add oil in the pan. Put the aubergine flesh and stir fry for about 5-8mins. Sprinkle some salt to taste. Take it out in bowl and keep it aside.

6.Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and the ginger and saute a little. Add the tomatoes, followed by onions, spring onions, capsicum, mashed peas and green chillies. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking on a low flame for about 10 mins or until the oil separates out. Add the cottage cheese and cook for a further 5 mins. The cottage cheese should turn a little golden in colour.The filling is done.

7. Now arrange the aubergine skins in a baking tray. Fill them up generously with the filling, and top it with grated cheese.

8. Grill them at 180 deg C for about 5-6 mins, or until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden.

9. Take the tray out, and garnish them with coriander leaves. The dish is now ready to serve.

Chicken with Worcestershire sauce

About the food:

This dish is a fusion food, and could well be said of Mediterrean origin.

It uses worcestershire sauce, the discovery of which, though controversial, has been credited to England. It was first commercialized in England in 1837. The strong taste of the worcestershire sauce is drawn from a fermented fish sauce called garum, which was a staple of the Greco-Roman cuisine in the the Roman Empire.

At present it's popularity has grown immensely, and it is now used extensively in western, eastern as well as Cantonese cuisines.

I learnt this recipe from a friend of mine, who likes to experiment a lot with foods. This is an extremely easy to cook recipe, and goes very well as a dry snack, specially in a cocktail party.


Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gms skinless & boneless chicken breast
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 big onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic salt/garlic granules
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 big bell pepper, diced
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
black pepper powder to taste
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt to taste


Method:

1.Cut the chicken in 3 inch by 1 inch stripes. Marinate it with the worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.Cover it and set it aside for an hour.

2.Heat oil in pan. Add the black pepper seeds and let them crackle.Add the onion and bell pepper. Fry for about 5mins. Add the marinated chicken and keep on cooking over a low flame.Add the turmeric powder and season it with salt and black pepper powder.

3.Toss and turn the chicken in the pan, and when they become golden in colour, add the tomato puree. Mix it well and carry on cooking until the oil separates.

4.Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best as a starter/ Dry snack served with drinks.