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!

Jazz and Jambalaya - Guide to Ecstasy

It’s been two years since I have been to New Orleans Jazz fest. My love for jazz goes long back when I was in college and used to roam around with my huge discman, playing - ‘Hold me close and hold me fast, The magic spell you cast, This is la vie en rose’ - by Louis Armstrong. I have even mentioned Jazz a few times in this blog too with my cocktail recipes, the Mulled Wine etc. New Orleans has this history of people coming and going. Let it be French, Spanish or African. But thanks to this process of people passing by this city, New Orleans gave birth to a lot of new things. African workers found comfort in music after a hard days work. They used to sit in groups, sing and play instruments and create music - they were creating Jazz. This city has been celebrating this festival since 1970s. But there is a reason why a lot of people pass by this city - its port. Now if you are in a city with one of the largest ports in America, you can expect this ‘port’ on your plate.

People pass by but leave their cuisines behind. New Orleans has a mashup of various cuisines and Jambalaya proves this right. Jambalaya is a popular rice dish, especially at family get together or events like this. Even huge quantity of it is simple to make. The best part is that you can play around from seafood, sausages to red or white meat, or mixture of all. There is a small story behind the recipe. Many years ago, a traveler arrived at New Orleans, in an inn, long after the dinner time. He asked the cook to throw in the available ingredients and this gave birth to the famous Jambalaya recipe, which is a staple of New Orleans. Jazz fest begins on April 24, 2014 and this combination of Jazz and Jambalaya might be too overwhelming for you.

Ingredients:-

1 Bay Leaf,

1 chopped Onion,

2 cups cooked Rice,

1/2 teaspoon Thyme,

1 cup Chicken Broth,

2 teaspoons Oregano,

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce,

1 stalk chopped Celery,

1 pound diced Chicken,

1/2 pound diced Sausage,

28 ounce canned Tomatoes,

1 chopped Red Bell Pepper,

2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning,

1 pound cooked thawed Shrimps.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a slow cooker. Combine in it, chicken, sausage, chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, pepper and celery.
2. Now add in bay leaves, thyme, oregano, Cajun seasoning and hot sauce of your choice. I prefer red hot sauce.
3. Cover it up. Cook on high for 3 hours. Stir in thawed shrimps. Cover and cook until the shrimps are heated thoroughly. This will take around 5 minutes.
4. Spoon the mixture over cooked rice. Serve hot!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Enjoy the Jazz Music!

Celebrate the Seville Fair with Crema Catalana

The spring season in Seville, Spain comes with a special atmosphere. It brings with it the intoxicating fragrance of jasmine and orange blossoms. This is not all, spring also brings with it two major events, Semana Santa and the Spring Fair. The Seville Fair AKA Spring Fair takes place in Los-Remedios, that is next to the river. The event calls for singing, dancing, eating, drinking and ofcourse socializing. The attraction includes parades, horse rides, bullfights etc. wherein bullfight is the best part.

Hope you liked my Spanish meat recipe, Meatballs with Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce. I’m trying a dessert this time. Crema Catalana is AKA Catalan Cream. It is actually Spanish variation of French dessert called Creme brulee. It is considered as a great spring dessert. This is a quick and easy recipe. The best part is that this dessert can be prepared in advance. All you need to do is refrigerating it 3 hours before serving. And just as cheese, it will melt in your mouth. So let’s all dance to the beat of the Spanish music with mushy and sugar treat, the Crema Catalana.

Crema Catalana

Ingredients:-

2 cups Milk,

1 cup Sugar,

4 Egg Yolks,

1 Cinnamon stick,

1⁄2 grated Lemon rind,

1 tablespoon Cornstarch.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a bowl. Beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until blended. Let the mixture turn frothy. Add cinnamon stick and grated lemon rind. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold milk. When well mixed, return it to the remaining 2 cups of milk.
2. Take a pot. Pour in milk. Slowly heat the mixture. Stir constantly until thick. Remove pot from heat immediately. Prevent it from curdling or separating.
3. The texture of the finished crema will be grainy. This is exactly how it should be. Remove the cinnamon stick. Ladle the milk mixture into 4 ramekins. Allow to cool. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Before serving, preheat the broiler.
4. Remove ramekins with the crema catalana from refrigerator. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each ramekin. When broiler is hot, place the ramekins under the broiler on the top shelf. Allow the sugar to caramelize, turning golden brown.
5. This may take 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately. Serve warm or cold as per choice.
   
   
   

Enjoy the Seville Fair!

Celebrate Nepali New Year with Pork Choila

Bisket Jatra marks the starting of the Nepali New Year, AKA Navavarsha. The celebration of the festival goes on for a week. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show accompanied by parades, parties, family get together and ofcourse huge family dinner. Infact, for a foodie like me, that's the best part, haha! Bhaktapur looks beautiful that day as it is sponsors the most exciting annual events right at the Kathmandu valley. A huge chariot, that carries the idols of Bhairab God, is dragged by number of villagers to the Khalna Tole. The tug of war competition takes place between the Eastern and Western sides of town, accompanied by huge applause.

Hope you enjoyed my meat recipe, red meat gravy, which was an authentic recipe of Rajasthan, India. Now here I am with one more traditional recipe called Choila. Choila is very popular dish in Nepal and relished by the localites. Choila can be made with any kinda meat, be it chicken, duck, beef or pork. I've tried the one with pork. The recipe is very spicy but you can make minor alteration as per taste. Traditionally served with the local beaten rice, the dish is definitely a winner in all respect. So let’s celebrate the Nepali New Year with Pork Choila.

Ingredients:-

For Curry

3 lbs. boneless Pork,

1 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and Pepper to taste,

1 tablespoon Chili paste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon Garlic paste,

1 tablespoon Ginger paste,

2 tablespoons Lemon juice,

1 tablespoon Cumin powder,

1/4 teaspoon grated Nutmeg,

1/4 teaspoon Sichuan pepper,

3 medium diced, boiled and fried potatoes.

Marinade for Choila

1 inch sliced ginger,

5 sliced Red chilies,

3 minced Garlic cloves,

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and pepper to taste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

3 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon toasted Cumin seeds.

For Garnish

1 teaspoon Fenugreek,

2 minced Garlic cloves,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1/2 chopped Green onion,

Handful chopped Coriander.

Preparation Method:-

1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for curry into a paste.  Add pork chops to the paste and mix to coat thoroughly. Set aside for two hours.
2. Then, grill the chops until cooked thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes when done. Now prepare a smooth paste of marinade for Choila.
3. In a bowl, mix the smooth paste, of marinade for Choila, with the grilled pork cubes. Pour two tablespoons of mustard oil, toss it well to coat thoroughly.
4. Add into a wok, along with potatoes, and cook thoroughly till the paste blends well with the pork. This will take 20 minutes on slow. You can simply use boiled potatoes or boiled and fried potatoes here.
5. For garnishing, in a pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, splitter fenugreek till it turns dark. Add garlic and fry till light brown.
6. Pour this oil mixture over the cooked meat. Add green onions and coriander. Toss the meat. Serve with steamed rice. 

Happy New Year!

Vegan Tour with Vegan Celebs

“Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better” this song by The Beatles helped me when I ran out of recipes for my aunt. My aunt is a vegan and allergic to a lot of ingredients. I had to go vegan and less spicy for her a week. She heard this song and said “You know, Paul is also a vegan, just like me” where she emphasized on just like me. Therefore, I thought let me make her happy. Hope you liked my vegan recipe, vegan cream cheese and vegan sandwiches. Former Beatles member, Paul McCartney has been a vegan for quite a long time. His former wife was a figurehead of the vegan movement. 

 

Paul looks 10 years younger than his age, I guess that’s how vegan food works. Not only him but many more including Bryan Adams, Ellen DeGeneres, Jared Leto, Jessica Chastain, Samuel L Jackson are working really hard to make people go vegan. Though it’s a difficult to make everybody vegan, these vegan celebs have substitutes for the meat to match their craving despite of their hectic schedule. I am not sure when or whether I’ll go vegan, but let me try something for my aunt atleast. I have planned a little treat for my aunt with everything vegan definitely inspired by all the vegan people and ofcourse the options they have with something like polenta. 

 

Vegan Baked Polenta 

 

Ingredients:-

Pepper to taste,

2 chopped Onions,

Garlic Salt to taste,

2 teaspoon Olive Oil,

1 chopped Tomatoes,

100 gms Vegan Cheese,

2 Squares Vegan Polenta,

20 gms chopped Coriander,

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano,

1 tablespoon Red Chili Sauce,

200 gms ground Vegan Sausage,

50 gms chopped Mushrooms (Optional).

Preparation Method:-

1. Take 1 teaspoon olive oil and saute in it onions and tomatoes. Now add in salt, ground vegan sausage and mushrooms (optional). Add garlic salt and stir it for a minutes. Set aside.

2. After removing from heat, add red chili sauce. Mix well. Now take a pan and heat the polenta squares with 1 teaspoon olive oil. You can directly bake the polenta squares but I prefer to heat them a bit first.

3. Make a sandwich of polenta with the filling. Add the remaining filling above the sandwich. Sprinkle vegan cheese inside and above the sandwich as shown.

4. Bake for 3 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with pepper, oregano and coriander. Your little vegan treat is ready.

Sometimes it’s good to enjoy a Vegan Treat!

Easter Fun with Easter Simnel Cake

Easter 2015 is over but the charm remains yet. Isn't it? I'm was set for the occasion with Traditional songs and Easter recipes. The games including Easter eggs, basket hunt and the Easter bunny were really exciting and my family thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope you enjoyed my last blog, Hot Cross Buns. Preparing Simnel cake is a tradition followed in many countries and I followed the same. The cake is decorated with toasted marzipan balls, that represent 11 Apostles. Judas is not included here. 

According to Bible, the Apostles were major disciples of Jesus and the central figure in Christianity. Just like hot cross buns, there are several legendary stories associated to the cake. Simnel name for the cake came from brother, Simon and sister, Nell. Together they make Simnel. One decided to bake the cake while other decided to boil. Therefore, this cake consists of both Bake and Boil method. Hope you’ve shared the sweetness of Easter Simnel Cake with your loved ones.

For the Cake:-

3 Eggs,

200 grams Butter,

90 grams Currants,

1 grated Zest Lemon,

175 grams Sultanas,

175 grams Self-raising Flour,

175 grams Muscovado Sugar,

1 teaspoon Ground Mixed Spice,

30 grams chopped Candied Peel,

90 grams chopped Dried Cherries.

For Presentation:-

1 Egg white,

500 grams Almond Paste,

2 tablespoons Apricot Jam,

11 toasted Marzipan Balls.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take one-third of almond paste. Using the base of the cake tin, cut an 18 centimetre round. Oil the cake tin and set the bottom and side with greaseproof paper.

2. Combine all the cake ingredients in a bowl. Beat well. Spoon half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Top with the round of almond paste.

3. Now spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and level the surface. Bake at 150 D.C for two hours or until golden brown. Cover the top of the cake with greaseproof paper if it is browning too quickly.

4. Cool for 10 minutes. Warm the jam and brush the top of the cake with it. To decorate the cake, take half of the remaining almond paste and place above the surface. Put on top of the jam and crimp the edges.

5. Place toasted marzipan balls on the surface. Place under a hot grill for one to two minutes, until the balls are golden. Serve!

Happy Easter!

Easter Special - Hot Cross Buns

I was just remembering how I use to rhyme the poem, in my childhood..

Hot-cross buns, Hot-cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

It is often said, "Easter is the only time of the year when it is safe to put all your eggs in one basket". My friends, you already know that no Easter is complete without baking the rich and aromatic, spongy, hot cross buns. This bun, marked with a cross, is eaten since many many years. These are traditionally served on Good Friday and Easter. Nevertheless, lot many myths are related to these hot cross buns. Some people believe that if the buns are baked plus served on Good Friday, they will never spoil during that year. Others use the buns for medicinal use. If an ill person consumes it, he recovers very soon. 

On the other hand, if this bun is shared with a friend, there has to have a strong bond between the two in near future, especially if you say, "half for you and half for me, between us two shall goodwill be". Isn't it interesting? Not only this, if these buns are carried in the ship, during the voyage, the journey is considered to be safe throughout. The hanging bun is also replaced each year in the kitchen and is consider to protect the kitchen against fire. Similar Easter recipes served on the auspicious occasion are Easter Ham and Simnel cakes. I will be sharing my recipe of Simnel cake with you shortly. So let's bake the Hot Cross Buns together on Easter.

For Buns:-

2 Eggs,

200 ml Milk,

50 grams Butter,

½ teaspoon Salt,

7 grams Dry Yeast,

500 grams White Flour,

50 grams Caster Sugar,

2 teaspoon Mixed Spice,

200 grams Mixed Dried Fruits.

For the Cross and Glaze:-

Honey for brushing,

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a bowl and add flour, salt, mixed spice and sugar, butter, dried fruits and yeast. Beat eggs and pour into this mixture.

2. Mix the ingredients with warm milk to form a moist dough. Leave for 5 minutes. Bring dough out of the bowl and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

3. Shape the dough into buns placing on a floured surface. Place in baking sheet. This will take 30 minutes.

4. In the meantime, prepare glaze. Mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste. Pour into a plastic food bag. Make a nick in one of the corners.

5. Take the buns out. Make crosses on top of each bun. Bake for another 15 minutes until risen and golden. Brush buns with honey. Serve!

Happy Easter 2015!