More Starters...

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

I have come across these Vietnamese Rice paper rolls at Nature's basket recently and have found them super easy to use and great for a quick healthy snack as well as a good starter that you can impress your guests with. Beware these spring rolls are slightly expensive (INR 145 for 11 sheets - which will make the same number of dumplings) as well as very delicate to make. Plus you will have to make them last minute as you can't reheat this stuff otherwise it becomes sticky and the rolls tend to break so this is better for an intimate dinner of maximum 10 - 15 people if you do want to use this starter for entertaining.

Ingredients for 11 Wraps

1 packet Bean sprouts

1/4 Red Capsicum cut into short thin strips

1/4 Yellow Capsicum cut into short thin strips

1 Carrot cut into short thin strips

(11 medium sized prawns, or 200g boneless chicken)

Method

if you are making this with prawns clean, de-vein and pan fry the prawns in olive oil, salt pepper until cooked ( this should take around 5 minutes on the pan), squeeze lemon juice on top of prawns when done and keep aside

if you are making this with Chicken, Clean and cut the chicken into strips, pan fry in olive oil, salt, pepper until cooked (which would be around 7 minutes) and squeeze lemon juice on it and keep aside

If you have a steamer great, if you don't have a steamer, take a vessel, fill it with around 100ml of water and stick a colander on top of it (and make sure you have a cover to fit on top of the colander)

heat the vessel with water/ prepare the steamer and steam the carrots first till they are tender then switch off the heat and throw in the bell peppers (red and yellow capsicums) and the bean sprouts.

Take all this out onto a plate (and if you're not on a major diet I would highly recommend you put a small knob of butter in this and mix it up whilst everything is still hot - it tastes awesome)

Also season this vegetable mixture with salt and pepper

Now comes the fun part.

Prepare your mise en place (all the things required to assemble your super duper vietnamese rolls) on a free table top

you have to have on the work space:

a) A clean kitchen towel on which you will assemble everything

b) Your Chicken/Prawns or both dishes on the side

c) Your vegetables mixtures well seasoned

d) A large flat shallow dish which should be filled with hot water

Once you have this prepared, open the Vietnamese rice flour spring rolls packet and take one rice sheet

Dip the rice sheet in the hot water for around 10 seconds until it is soft

Remove the rice sheet and place it onto your clean towel

Put a tablespoon of the stuffing in the centre of your sheet, not forgetting your veggies prawns and/or your chicken

Follow the instructions on the back of the spring roll sheet and make a fold upwards, then fold in the two sides of the round sheet and roll up the spring roll to make a cylindrical shaped spring roll (it's really easy once you do one)

you can serve with some soya sauce, chilli sauce or any sauce of your preference

et Voila! you are ready to impress your guests!

5 Starters you can cook up in 5 Minutes (each)!!!

Hey all you people out there who love hosting parties! Here is a sure fire way to impress your guests with some party appetisers that are delicious and easy not only to prepare but to pick up and eat as well. So guys don’t be shy to show off your culinary and party hosting skills with these easy to make cocktail starters. All you need is a bunch of toothpicks for all these dishes and you can use an assortment of mixed plates and bowls for your starters and dips - the more colourful the better!

1) Paneer and Pineapple Brochette with Thai Sweet Chilli sauce

Ingredients

250 gm Paneer

1 Tin Canned Pineapple

1 Tbsp Flour

1/4^th Tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Salt

Pepper (as much as you like!)

2 Tsp oil and

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce (can be bought at any

You will also need

A Frying pan, Knife, Chopping Board, Toothpicks, A serving plate and bowl for the sauce

Method

1) Cut the paneer into bite sized cubes

2) Mix salt pepper, chilli powder and flour together

3) Dust this mixture onto the paneer pieces so that all the pieces are lightly coated

4) Take 1 tsp oil per batch of paneer and lightly fry the paneer until it is light golden

5) Take the canned pineapple pieces and cut into similarly sized bites

6) Put the pineapple first and then the paneer onto a toothpick

7) Place on a dish and serve with the Thai Sweet Chilli sauce

2) Green Olive and Brie Brochettes

Ingredients

1 bottle Green Salty Olives with any stuffing you like (you know if you find this too saltyyou can do the same thing with those large Californian grapes halved and de seeded instead of the olives

2 roundels of Brie Cheese

A little bit of cumin seeds

(All three ingredients are easily available at any store near you)

You will also need

Toothpicks, Knife chopping board

Method

1) Take the Brie and cut it like a pizza into several small triangles each.

2) Take a toothpick and put the olive/(one half of the grape), the brie and (the second half of the grape)

3) Decorate with cumin (jeera) seeds

3) Strawberry and Blue Cheese Brochettes with Honey Sauce

Ingredients

1 box strawberries (approximately 400g)

150g Blue Cheese

40ml Honey

20ml Cream

You will also need:

Toothpicks, saucepan, knife, a serving dish and bowl to serve

Method

1) In a saucepan on a low heat add the honey and let it thin out over a gentle heat

2) Add the Cream and switch off the heat and allow to cool

3) Wash the strawberries and cut the top green part and cut into half

4) Cut the blue cheese very gently into small bits

5) Put the strawberries on a toothpick and put just a small piece of Blue cheese on the bottom of this toothpick

6) Serve in a dish with the honey cream dipping sauce

4) Yoghurt Chicken Tenders on Brochettes with Mint Chutney

Ingredients

400 Grams boneless chicken

150 Grams Yoghurt

1 Tbsp Honey

½ Tsp Cumin Powder

½ Tsp Coriander Powder

2 cloves crushed garlic

One small piece ginger, grated

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp pepper

2 slit green chillies

Mint and Coriander Chutney – ½ bunch coriander, ½ bunch mint, ½ green chilly salt to taste all whizzed in a blender with ¼ cup water

You will also need

Preparation one night in advance, a large bowl for marinating, a food mixer, an oven, toothpicks, a serving dish and a bowl to serve

Method

1) Cube the chicken into bit sized pieces

2) Dump all Chicken and marinade ingredients in a bowl mix and cover in a cling film or put in an airtight box

3) The next day preheat your oven to 160 Degrees Centigrade

4) Take out the chicken, put one or two pieces on each toothpick depending on their size and bake for 35 minutes

5) Place onto a plate and serve with mint chutney

5) Fish Fingers with Tartar Sauce

Well I know this is a no brainer but it is a great success at parties. Also, trust me you would rather get the readymade tartar sauce because there are way too many ingredients that go in actually making one fresh!

Ingredients

A Packet of Fish fingers

Ready Made Tartar Sauce

Oil to fry it up!

You will also need

A Frying pan, loads of tissue paper to absorb the oil, toothpicks, a platter and a bowl to serve

Method

1) Fry the fish fingers

2) Line your platter with tissue to absorb the oil and serve with the tartar sauce

6) Cherry Tomatoes and Feta with Pistachio

This is a cool recipe I caught in one of the editions of the ME Magazine and it really caught my eye and attention as it's super quick, easy, looks fancy and yummy!

Ingredients

2 packets Cherry tomatoes

1 small packet Feta Cheese

50 Grams Pistachios

½ Green Chilly

You will also need:

Toothpicks, a mixie, a serving platter

Method

1) Mash up the feta till it is a paste

2) Grind together the pistachios and the ½ chilly together

3) Wash the cherry tomatoes

4) Coat each tomato first with feta cheese and then with the pistachio mix and place on individual toothpicks and they are ready to serve!

7) Potato Wedges with Sour Cream

Ingredients

1 packet Mc Cain readymade Potato wedges

Oil for frying

For the Sour Cream -

100 gm Fresh cream

200 Grams yoghurt tied in a muslin cloth and hung overnight

1 pod garlic grated

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Corriander and Mint – one handful Chopped

½ a chilly chopped finely

You will also need

A frying pan, tissue papers, a plate and bowl to serve

Method

1) Fry the potato wedges

2) In a bowl mix all sour cream ingredients together. Be careful not to over-mix the fresh cream as it could curdle.

3) Tweak the salt and sugar f the sour cream according to your taste buds

4) Place on a plate and they are ready to serve!

Hey I never claimed these to be healthy but they all taste reaaaaaly good and are genuinely super quick to make!

Healthiest Pancakes EVER!

So my husband loves the sweet stuff and we are all fans of big breakfasts so I've created this recipe simply so that he can enjoy nice pancakes for breakfast without the stress that they are super unhealthy. Look, this recipe ain't for the super duper calorie concious, but it sure as hell is much healthier than having the regular pancakes!

This recipe is also ideal for people with kids who love to have a good breakfast but don't want their kids to be eating super unhealthy

Ingredients

1/2 cup wheat flour (the regular atta that we use for making chapatis)

1/2 cup oats (the ones that you make porridge with - Quaker or any other brand you prefer)

1/4 cup yoghurt

3/4 cup water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

3 tbsp sugar (you can put according to your taste)

Method

1. Whiz all this in a blender till smooth you can add more water or milk depending on how thick you want your pancakes to be - the thinner the batter, the thinner the pancakes will be. This is entirely up to your personal tastes. but just a reminder, when you have thick pancakes, make sure that you cook them through on a low flame without burning the outside

2. So. Take a pan the size that you want your pancake to be and heat it. if you have one of those oil sprays this is ideal for it as it coats the pan and yet leaves no excess oil

3. Take the pan in one hand and a soup ladle with the pancake batter in the other hand.

4. Slowly pour the pancake batter onto the pan and swirl the pan gently so that all areas of the pan are evenly covered with the batter

5. Cook on one side for around 30 seconds, then flip and turn to cook the other side till done

6. Serve hot with butter and honey, jams or any other topping that you prefer

Muesli Power

I have this power muesli that I make every morning and although it does seem like a lot of ingredients, trust me you just have to buy it all one time and then you can enjoy the benefits of this absolutely fabulous and nutritious meal for at least a month or two after.

Ingredients for 1 bowl

1 ½ cup skimmed milk (for calcium)

1 pinch cinnamon (to cut the cravings in the evenings)

2 tea spoons Harvest Crunch (full of raisins and good stuff)

2 tea spoons Quaker oats (yes you can eat them raw!)

2 tea spoons Baggry’s What bran or oat bran (for fibre)

1 tsp chopped almonds (essential fats and oils)

1 tsp flax seeds (omega 3 + fibre) roasted and lightly ground

¼ tsp onion seeds roasted and lightly ground

¼ tsp black sesame seeds roasted and lightly ground

½ a banana (potassium, energy for your day and it makes the muesli sweet) optional

Honey optional as per your taste or requirement

Method

Mix it all up in a bowl and have it fresh first thing in the morning it’s awesome!

Breakfast Tryst

Breakfast has always been the most important meal of the day. Although, in today’s world, people tend to skip this vital energy boosting meal because they’re too lazy or mornings are too hectic. In reality, it’s very easy to include breakfast into your life and with just a few changes in your lifestyle you will be well on your way to a healthier happier you!

The meaning of breakfast literally means breaking your “fast”. This is the longest gap that the body takes without food. Breakfast gives your body the much needed nutrients and energy to sustain itself and have all bodily functions running smoothly. If you start having breakfast you will notice that you will have more energy, tend to binge on junk foods less through the day and be sharper. Therefore, you need to give your body its required nutrition so that you can start your mornings well and continue to be on top of things throughout the day

This is also the best time that you can indulge on your high calorie intake foods as well. All dieticians would recommend that if you really really must binge, it should be done first thing in the morning.

Breakfast Tips:

· Avoid having tea of coffee first thing in the morning

· You can prepare your breakfast the previous day and carry it along with you to work

· There is NO excuse to skip breakfast (you are not a morning person is not an excuse)

· This is the perfect time to have a small slice of your favorite chocolate cake or a spoon of your preferred dessert (only once a week mind you!)

Breakfast Ideas that you can use:

On the go breakfasts are fun and fast when in a hurry to leave and don’t have time for breakfast at home. You can have these either on the way to work or at your work desk first thing in the morning. These would need to be prepared in advance and kept overnight so that in the morning you can grab and go

1. Aloo Parathas – you can make them completely and heat them in your office microwave
2. Milkshakes – skimmed milk and fruits give you a great energy boost
3. Fruit yoghurt smoothies – instead of milk you can put yoghurt and enjoy
4. Muesli as you like – soak oats overnight in skimmed milk or orange juice and the next morning you can add fruit and nuts and have it to go
5. Idli – these can be easily steamed in the microwave fresh in the morning
6. Fruit Salad – mix it up, the more colourful the better
7. Sandwiches – Ideas for sandwiches can be Paneer, Coleslaw, Vegetable, Mushroom and bell peppers, Chutney, Tomato Mozzarella with pesto, Chicken, Club, Lamb Kebab Sandwiches

Eat At home breakfasts can be made a family activity on weekends and are really great fun too. You can have a whole bunch of things such as: all sorts of eggs, brioches, Malpuas, Sausages, Idlis and Dosas, Waffles and Pancakes, Meat and Cheese platters, jams and preserves …etc. Just lay it all on the table with different kinds of breads and just let everyone enjoy their breakfast!

So guys and girls, don't ignore your daily nutrition and energy and Keep loving mornings!!