Broccoli Rice

Just four days  left when we will be in a totally fresh New year 2013.In this New Year rush if you want something to cook that is really quick and easy then Broccoli rice can be a good choice.It is healthy, quick to cook and even you can use your leftover rice and it taste awesome. You can please your guest and your loved ones within minutes. So what are you looking for give broccoli rice a try and make your New Year delicious, special and stress free.

Broccoli Rice

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 cups cooked  rice (basmati)
• 1 cup small florets of broccoli
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup finely shredded beetroot
• 2 tbsp butter/ olive oil
• 1 chicken seasoning cube
• 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Heat butter or oil . Add chopped ginger fry till red then add chopped garlic. Stir for few seconds. Add broccoli, beet root and red bell pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice. Add chicken seasoning cube, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with delicious herbed chicken .....coming up next.
2. Till then.... enjoy...

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.

Orange Chocolate Cake

Truly speaking I am not good when it comes to baking. My kitchen counter become messy and sometimes my Mom start shouting when she find I grew few years older  coz my hair is all white by all those flour dust (haha). I am not a cake artist so the final product is also not picture perfect but one thing is for sure  the effort I put to make this orange chocolate cake is worth .......it came out delicious. I put lots of love when I mix and bake the cake. I am sure anything with this one ingredient takes your dish in such heights which no one else can compare. I am sure you will like this Christmas celebration cake of mine.


Orange Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 31/2 cup cake flour
• 1tsp coco powder
• 1 cup milk
• 6 egg yolk
• 2 tsp orange extract
• 4 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 cup grated candied orange peel
  For Chocolate Topping
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp orange extract ( optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven 180 degrees C.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients - cake flour, coco powder. Mix well. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar well.Add one egg at a time and beat well after each addition.Add the milk and orange extract and combine well again.Add orange juice and candied peel and give it a stir. Add the sifted dry ingredients gradually little by little and combine well.
4. Pour the prepared cake mix into the greased cake tin and bake at 180 degree C for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
5. Cool the cake for 20 minutes before removing it out of the pan. Cool completely before pouring frosting on top of the cake.
6. Chocolate Topping
7. I use double boiler to melt the chocolate. Pour a few inches of water into a large saucepan and place a small pan on it so that base sits in the water. Put the dark chocolate in the smaller pan and bring the water to a low boil.Once the chocolate starts to melt, add in butter, milk and sugar and keep stirring until everything combines well.The mixture will start to froth up and thicken at one point, that's when you switch off the flame.Then add the orange extract . Mix well. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
8. Once both cake and the chocolate topping cool down. Now place the cake on a serving plate. Spread the chocolate topping well on the top of the cake. Now garnish with orange wedges and cadbury gems.
9. Delicious Orange Chocolate Cake for Christmas is ready. Relish and have fun.
   
   
   
   
   
   Wish all my friends and loved ones world over  Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.

Sending this recipe to Christmas Food Fair Event

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Healthy Winter Vegetable Bowl

 This festive season midst of cream loaded cakes and yummy chocolaty cookies if you want to give your sweet tooth a little rest then this delicious healthy winter vegetable bowl can be a fresh and healthy choice. Mushroom added in this recipe make it more healthy as it is good source of Vitamin D and iron and the best part is the calorie count is very low. Easy and quick to make healthy winter vegetable bowl is good way to stay in shape.

Healthy Winter Vegetable Bowl

Ingredients

• 3 cup coarsely chopped cabbage ( slightly blanched )
• 2 cup carrot sliced (slightly blanched )
• 1 cup white button mushroom cut into halved
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 cup green bell pepper
• 1tbsp tomato sauce
• 1tbsp chilly sauce (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp sugar (optional)
• 1/2 tsp butter/ diet butter
• 1 tbsp lemon juice and orange juice each
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan . Give whole cumin and chopped garlic. When the cumin start to crackle then add the blanched carrots, green peas, green bell pepper, and mushroom. Toss the veggies in high flame. Then add the cabbage. Toss on high flame. Then add all the sauces one after another. Then add salt , sugar and pepper.Give few good toss. Add butter and lemon and orange juice. You can skip one of the lemon juice or orange juice. You can add more of this juices according to your taste. Put off the flame and serve hot. You can have this with your favorite bread roll or just as it is .

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Hot And Sour Onion Soup

Delicious comfy hot soup in a lazy winter night has no substitutes. This hot and sour onion soup is not like the regular Chinese soup. I mix and match few flavors which  is the specialty of this hot and sour onion soup.. Instead of  vinegar I use lemon juice to make it sour and to make it hot I use pepper and chilly garlic sauce. If you want to keep the heat low you can skip the chilly garlic sauce but I suggest that use it once may be you can lower the quantity according to your taste.With all this the main  twist of the recipe is the roasted spice used.  I am sure if you are bored having the same hot and sour soup then it can be a change. Give it a try and let me know.

Hot And Sour Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 2 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup very finely shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup finely chopped spring onion
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 chicken seasoning cube
• 1tbsp tomato sauce
• 1tsp chilly garlic sauce ( optional)
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil/ olive oil/ canola oil
• 1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Take a pan and heat oil in it then add the chopped onions. Slightly fry them. Now add other vegetables. Stir for a minutes . Now add warm stock . When it come to boil add the chicken seasoning cube, tomato sauce, chilly garlic sauce if using, soy sauce. Let it boil for a minute. Now add little soup to the cornstarch mix well then return all to the pan. Adjust seasoning. Now add lemon juice and roasted cumin powder. Mix well and put off the flame. Serve hot.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.

Broccoli with Lemon Garlic Sauce

If you want to stay healthy during this festive months you have to choose something light and healthy in between those hefty festive meals . Broccoli with lemon garlic sauce can be a good choice. This colorful dish will give you a fresh and healthy feeling and it taste awesome. As you know I love to do something which is super easy and taste delicious so this is one of my fav type. Garlic used in this recipe has immune boosting benefits containing allicin, can effectively prevent and cure colds. On the other hand winter veggie broccoli is a great source of vitamins K, A, and C, in addition to fiber, potassium, folate, and lutein. I am sure you will enjoy this delicious healthy dish broccoli with lemon garlic sauce.

Broccoli with Lemon Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 large broccoli
• 1/2 cup carrots chunks
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 11/2 tsp corn starch
• 2 pinch sugar
• 1tbsp olive oil/ butter
• 1tsp lemon juice
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Trim broccoli and cut into florets. Wash and pat dry and set aside. Heat oil or butter whatever you are using. Now add the chopped garlic. Saute, when you get the smell of garlic add the the broccoli florets and carrots chunks. Give few good toss and then add chicken stock, sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat from high to medium low. Cover and cook till broccoli and carrots are little tender but crisp. Mix corn flour with little water or stock add to the broccoli and wait till it is almost dry. Add lemon juice and toss. Serve immediately.

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Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce

My friends who are with me for long they already know my love for pasta….in any form and shape. Today’s recipe is one which is bit similar to pasta omelets but the main twist is I use veggies and scrambled egg base which make this simple pasta bit unique and healthy. I slightly fried the veggies but if you are a weight watcher use raw vegetable, you can also skip butter used in the egg mixture and while you sprinkle the cheese on top don’t be so generous ( haha) . With this low fat variation the taste will differ a bit but still you can enjoy very delicious pasta. I am on a happy mood so generously used cheese and butter but you chose what is better for you and go for it and let me know how you liked it.

Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 2tbsp finely chopped carrot
• 3 tbsp finely chopped red green and yellow bell pepper
• 1tsp chopped garlic
• 1tsp chopped ginger
• 1tsp finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1tsp finely chopped fresh mint
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 5 to 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup boiled pasta
• 2 to 3 tbsp roasted pepper sauce
• 1 tsp tomato sauce ( optional )
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp butter
• 5 tbsp shredded mozzarella
• a pinch sugar
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the chopped ginger fry it till brown and little burnt then add chopped garlic fry a bit then add the veggies. Add little salt and pepper. Toss and keep aside and let it cool down.
2. Whisk egg in a bowl now add the fried veggies, butter and fresh mint and coriander, thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well till bit fluffy. Swirl 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Then add the egg mixture. Watch that as the eggs start to cook. As soon as this starts happening, move the mixture around the pan with a spatula to scrape the cooked eggs from the bottom to the top of the mixture Put the heat low add the boiled paste. Mix tomato sauce if using with roasted pepper sauce and spread on the pasta. Now generously sprinkle cheese over it and cover and cook for few minutes till the cheese is melted.
3. This is a very delicious full meal you can have it in your breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Scrambles flavored egg below above it saucy pasta topped with melting creamy cheese a yummy combo to make your day.You can also add bacon or shredded cooked chicken if you want to make it more delicious.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.

Spicy Oats

Spicy oats is a very delicious quick meal. In times when you are in hurry or not feeling to cook much then this serves as a full meal. As for me after all those festive hustle bustle and lots of cooking different types of delicacies, I am bit tired and want to try out something simple but with good nutritional benefits and which take hardly 10 minutes to cook. Spicy oats have it all and  also this food is low in saturated fats, Cholesterol and Sodium. Oats is also good source of dietary fiber, Thiamin, Magnesium. This dish may not look so appetizing but sometimes a normal looking dish can be very satisfying specially during fall nights. I am sure you will love simple spicy oats.

Spicy Oats

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 medium size boiled potato
• 1 tsp butter/ diet butter
• 3 tbsp  grated cheese
• 1 tbsp chopped tomato
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander /mint
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp roasted garlic
• 1 tsp fried onion
• a pinch nutmeg and mace powder
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
• 6 to 8 raisin
• 6 to 8 toasted cashew
• to taste salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Slightly toast the oats.
2. Now take a bowl and take boiled potato mash it then add ginger, onion and garlic, tomato,salt, pepper, butter and freshly chopped coriander or mint or both, this is up to your choice. Mix well and keep side.
3. Now boil 3 cups of water add the toasted oats let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes then add the mashed potato prepared before.Mix well.
4. Add the nutmeg and mace powder and mix well. Adjust seasoning. Then add grated cheese. Mix well. Add raisin and lemon juice if using.
5. Garnish with grated cheese and toasted cashew. 
6. Serve warm.

Be Happy And Stay Healthy.