Cook. Eat. Rinse. Repeat.
Brownies have been done to death, I know. But it’s a great base to add more flavours and change it up every once in a while. So, what I did this time was give it an orange touch. No adding orange juice or such liquids to ruin the batter. Instead, by simply grating some zest off an orange and sprinkling it all over the batter just before it hits the oven will give it that orange flavour. It also fills your kitchen with the fragrance of orange.
There used to be something snobbish about people who ate salads. I’m saying ‘used to’, because now I also eat them without complaining that they don’t make me feel full. Having said that, I do prefer salads with meat/fish. That’s what fills me up!
It was my birthday yesterday and I think I’ve had enough sugar to last me a month. And to top it all, a big juicy tenderloin burger. You know why the salad now, don’t you? Besides that, I found some really beautiful straw mushrooms and snow peas at a fancy supermarket here. Also, I didn’t use basa. I got myself some sole fish.
Ingredients for marinade:
2 pieces boneless fish fillets (180 gms approximately)
1 tbsp mustard sauce
1 tsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Marinate fish in mentioned ingredients for a couple of hours or overnight.
Rest of the salad:
Pan fry the fish in 1 tbsp olive oil till brown and done. Keep aside.
In the same pan, toss the mushrooms in and saute for a couple of mins.
Now saute the snow peas as well for another 2 mins.
Assemble the salad with the fish, mushrooms and snow peas along with whatever greens you have with you. I had rocket, and then I tossed in some green apple slices and pomegranate seeds.
Dressing:
Mix together extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp mustard sauce, 1 tsp dried herbs, 1 tsp chilli paste/powder, a dash of honey and a tsp of balsamic vinegar.
I’ve been looking for rocket leaves for a while now. They are my favourite in salads. And quite honestly, I didn’t want lettuce. There’s too much lettuce everywhere, in every salad. I finally found a bag of rocket leaves in my local grocery store. These fancy supermarkets are of no use sometimes, I tell you. Also, colleagues from Chile sent across all sorts of condiments and spices to a few colleagues here. I did what I could and managed to get some for myself. I’m using this particular kind where I could taste chilli and coriander distinctively. I used it in the vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil and orange juice. Makes for a good Saturday meal. Not too heavy, and not too light. Just the right kind for a post lunch nap.
Recipe for one.
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, sliced horizontally
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder or any other spicy condiment you can find (there are tons in the market)
1/4 orange juice
Salt to taste
Marinate chicken in mentioned ingredients for an hour or two.
Method:
1. In a large pan, heat some olive oil and place chicken breast pieces.
2. Let it cook for 3 – 4 mins on each side and take it off the heat.
Marinade:
Mix together
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp spicy condiment powder/paste
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp orange juice
You can serve this with rocket leaves, sliced green apples, pomegranate leaves and sauted mushrooms like I did, or with mash potatoes or rice.
All I wanted was a good pan grilled chicken breast for dinner. The rest just came into picture (quite literally) when I thought of sides for my chicken. Instead of the usual steam veggies, I thought of watermelon and green apples. Thankfully, the shop that is almost never well stocked had the fruits I needed. Also, a pretty plate food never hurt anybody.
Ingredients:
Boneless chicken breasts – 2
Orange juice – 1/2 cup (freshly squeezed or store bought)
Lemon juice – 1 lemon’s
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Coriander – 1/2 cup finely chopped
Watermelon cubes – 1 cup
Green apple cubes – 1/2 cup
Feta cheese – 1 tbsp
Basil – a few leaves for garnish (optional)
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Cut the chicken breasts horizontally (just so it cooks fast) and marinate in orange juice, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and salt for at least 30 mins.
2. In the meanwhile prep your fruits by cutting them into cubes.
3. Grease a nonstick pan with olive oil.
4. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken and cook till each side is nicely charred and cooked through. Around 4 mins each side (but please check yourself thoroughly).
5. Take it off the pan and keep aside.
6. Pass the rest of the marinate through a sieve or a tea strainer.
7. Heat the marinade in the same pan the chicken was cooked in for 4 – 5 mins.
8. Take it off the heat and keep aside.
Plate your dish – Chicken on one side of the plate and fruits on the other side. Crumble the feta over the fruits and pour the warm sauce made from the marinade all over the chicken. Toss a few basil leaves for freshness if you’d like.