Novak Djokovic and his Gluten Free Journey

These are hard times for all the health conscious people, including me. I say hard times because almost everything can be harmful for health, so what should we go for or not go for? I won’t answer for ‘what should we go for’ as I’ll end up a mentioning a lot of recipes, ironically making the whole meal “NOT” so very healthy. As far as ‘what should we NOT go for’ is concerned, a diet containing Gluten should be avoided. I haven’t implemented this yet but was simply thinking why not including gluten free diet twice or thrice in a week (whenever I can), so that even if I or you have to turn on to a complete gluten free diet, it can be done hassle free. This world number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic, suffered a lot before going for a gluten free diet. Gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye was affecting his metabolism. Eventually he was diagnosed as gluten intolerant and shifted to gluten free diet.

Consider someone whose parents own a pizza restaurant but son is sensitive to gluten. Sad! But his hard work and results after going gluten free are evident enough to make me think twice. I was going through a book, Serve Serve to Win, wherein Djokovic says - “What amazed me the most was how simple these changes were to make, and how dramatic the results were. All I did was eliminate gluten - the protein found in wheat - for a few days, and my body instantly felt better. I was lighter, quicker, clearer in mind and spirit. After two weeks, I knew that my life had changed. I sprang out of bed, ready to tear into the day ahead. And I realized that I had to share what I’d learned with others.” I can’t recall when was the last time I sprang out of bed, but let me try this healthy gluten-free recipe. Anyone, anytime may require turning to a gluten-free diet. Let’s practice now onwards.

Gluten-free Curry Noodles Soup

Ingredients:-

1 fresh Red Chilli,

200 ml Coconut Milk,

3.5 cm sliced Ginger,

1 teaspoon Turmeric,

1 litre Chicken Stock,

150 grams Rice Noodles,

1 teaspoon Brown Sugar,

2 tablespoons Lime juice,

1 teaspoon Tamarind paste,

2 tablespoons Thai Fish Sauce,

250 grams stir fry mix Vegetables,

150 grams cooked diced Chicken.

For Garnishing:-

2 Curry Leaves,

1 chopped Red Chilli,

1 piece chopped lemongrass.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a pan and heat the chicken stock.

2. Boil the noodles in another pan. Drain water and set aside.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the vegetables, to the pan and bring to a boil.

4. When the chicken is hot, add the vegetables. When they are tender, add the drained noodles.

5. Divide the noodles between bowls. Pour the soup over them.

6. Serve sprinkled with curry leaves, red chili and lemongrass.

 The Gluten-free diet can be so yummilicious!

Quick and Easy Recipes on St. Patrick’s Day

Hey friends! Hope you enjoyed my St. Patrick’s Day cocktails. Now it’s time to enjoy some quick and easy green recipes. So here we go!

Green Fritters (Broccoli and Peas Fritters) - These green crispy and quick fritters make a perfect party appetizers for St. Patrick's Day celebration. Broccoli boosts up the immune system and also helps in preventing cancer. It also maintains the cholesterol level. On the other hand, peas help in managing weight and blood sugar level and cholesterol level. It prevents from aging and keeps the heart healthy. I would love pairing these fritters with my all time fav Cheesy Beer Dip. What would you pair it with?

Green Bars (Creamy Lime Bars) - Green lime bars are made up of simple ingredients. This recipe is quite similar to key lime pie, except that I add in few drops of mint syrup to get that green color for St. Patrick's Day. Despite of the creamy texture, I find the recipe refreshing and sweet. The best part is that you can offer green bars to your guests at home and also gift the bars to someone special. I couldn't resist having few bars while preparing the recipe. 

Green Chicken (Mint Sauce Chicken) - Having green chicken on St Patrick's day is definitely a big hit! The idea behind this green chicken is simple. Broil chicken pieces with ginger and garlic paste coated on them. Set aside. Prefer boneless. Prepare a green sauce (this does not require cooking). In the blender, add in coriander, mint leaves, lemon juice, green chillies, salt and pepper. Take a wok and add in broiled pieces. Add the green sauce, toss the pieces and heat for two minutes. Serve at once as bitings on St Patrick's day.

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Traditional Rajasthani Red Meat Recipe

Hello friends! What’s up? My tenants are Indian. The couple is very lively, social, they relish American food and vice-versa. They had to attend their relative’s wedding in India and invited me too. I did not want to miss this chance, so I packed my bags along with them. The trip was for a week. The marriage ceremony  was in Rajasthan. Luckily I got an opportunity to attend the Desert festival of Jaisalmer as well. Rajasthan is a tourist place. The rich culture and heritage is well portrayed by the royal palaces, serene lakes, golden desert full of camels, ornaments, traditional clothes, food and ofcourse the people out there.

I would definitely love to share the flavors of India with you. The first recipe is red meat called Laal Maans in Hindi. Laal means red and maans means meat. This is an extra spicy mutton curry, that is prepared in curd and hot spices chiefly red chillies. I thoroughly enjoyed the traditional recipes of Rajasthan on the wedding. Best served with rice or Bajra roti/puri (Millet Tortillas), this is an excellent dinner or lunch recipe for all. There’s a lot more to share especially the experience of desert festival, so stay tuned.

Ingredients:-

4 Cloves,

7 oz. Curd,

Salt To Taste,

2 Lbs. Mutton,

2 Bay Leaves,

7 oz. Cooking Oil,

2 oz. Garlic Paste,

2 oz. Ginger Paste,

4 Cardamom Black,

14 oz. Tomato Paste,

1/3 teaspoon Turmeric,

2 teaspoons Coriander,

2 Lbs. chopped Onions,

10 crushed Black Peppers,

2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a wok and add cooking oil. When hot, add chopped onions and fry them until golden brown.
2. Add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for 15 minutes. Add mutton and let it cook for another 35 minutes.
3. Now add bay leaves, black pepper, chili powder, black cardamom, turmeric powder and beaten curd. Add salt to taste.
4. Cook until the spices are well cooked and mixed. Add tomato paste. Cook on low for 30 minutes.
5. When ready, remove the meat from the fire. Garnish with coriander leaves just as shown. Serve hot!
   

Happy Eating!

Tangy Turkey Treat for Thanksgiving

Plan your ultimate holiday feast with sumptuous recipes of turkey. Hope you enjoyed my post, Food ideas for Thanksgiving. As we all know that Thanksgiving is incomplete without a roasted turkey, that would serve as the main dish on the  huge dinner table, I decided to prepare something different. This is Tangy Turkey with Asian herbs. I promise that all the herbs are readily available in your nearest stores and the recipe is gonna be super delish. 

I’ve used in Thai basil. It has a different flavor unlike other traditional basil. The aroma is stronger. It has a sweeter, peppery flavor, reminding me of the star anise. It comes with hearty purple stems. Besides this, I juz love the rich, creamy and delicious mayo. Garlic is my all time favorite. If you are not a huge fan of garlic, you can use garlic salt keeping in mind the quantity of the normal salt you use while cooking. The mild flavor is equally enticing. You can use extra spicy chilli sauce to increase the hotness quotient of the recipe. :P

Ingredients:

1 bunch Scallions,

1 bunch Thai Basil,

2 cups Mayonnaise,

1/3 cup Chilli sauce,

4 stalks Lemongrass,

Salt and Pepper to taste,

2 tablespoons Lemon juice,

50 grams sliced fresh Ginger,

2 tablespoons ground Ginger,

2 tablespoons Garlic powder,

1 12-14 lb. Turkey, thawed and brined.

Preparation Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 D. F and lower the rack to the lowest position. Dry the turkey thoroughly with paper towels. Stuff the turkey with basil, lemongrass, scallions and ginger slices in the main cavity and smaller neck cavity.

2. Close the neck cavity with a toothpick. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Mix the mayonnaise, chilli sauce (your favorite), ginger powder and garlic powder in a bowl. Brush over the turkey, leaving 2 tablespoons of mayo mix for later. Then salt and pepper.

3. Place the turkey, breast side down, in a roasting pan on a rack. Pour two cups of water in the pan and place in the oven. Roast for 1 hour. Using paper towels, carefully flip the bird, breast side up.

4. Brush the remaining mayo mixture over the top. Add additional water to the pan if needed, and roast another 60 minutes. The internal temperature of the bird must be 165 D. F. If the turkey starts getting too dark on top, cover it loosely with foil.

5. Brush lemon juice on its surface. Allow the turkey to rest at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with roasted veggies.

The ‘Turk Turk’ Day is Here :)

Enjoy Pig Festival with French-Style Roasted Pork

I can feel the tempting aroma of roasted pork for this porcine fest. The festival is not only accompanied by yummy pork recipes, but there are various funny and enthusiastic competitions and engaging activities like piglet race, best pig outfit, best sausage eater etc. There is a competition called Black-Pudding-Eating Competition. In this the competitors eat congealed blood, stretching over 1m. The criteria is pretty simple, how much and how fast. The main events include Pig Imitating Competition and aural extravaganza. In this, the competitors squeal like a pig. However the festival gives a boost to the declining pig-farming industry. So here I go with the luscious French-Style Roasted Pork recipe to keep up the spirit of the fest at the par. 

French-Style Roasted Pork Recipe

Ingredients:-

1 Bay leaf,

1 teaspoon Sugar,

2 teaspoons Herbs,

Pepper as required,

3 Lbs Pork loin roast,

2 tablespoons Butter,

2 sprigs Fresh thyme,

3/4 cup Chicken broth,

1/3 cup Dry white wine,

1 finely chopped Onion,

Kosher salt as required,

6 cloves thinly sliced Garlic,

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil,

1 tablespoon chopped Parsley,

1 tablespoon Unflavored gelatin,

1 thinly sliced Granny Smith apple.

Preparation Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 225 D. C and place oven rack in lower middle position. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Now set aside to cool.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over both sides of butterflied pork loin and rub into the pork. Sprinkle sugar over inside of pork, and then spread with cooled garlic mixture. Fold roast back together like a letter, Keep the fat portion outside and tie with twine at one-inch intervals.

3. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbs and season with pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven over medium heat until very hot; add roast, fat side down for 8 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate.

4. To the dutch oven add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, apple and onion. Cook, stirring frequently until onion is softened and browned for 6 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for another 30 seconds.

5. Return roast to pot, fat side up. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over top of pot and cover tightly with a lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork at 140 D. C for 90 minutes. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, let it rest for 20 minutes.

6. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf; pour just into 2 cup measuring cup and; if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1-1/4 cups.

7. Return to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and parsley and season to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

8. Slice pork in ½ inch slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, pass sauce separately. Enjoy with wine of your choice. :)

Enjoy the Pig Festival!