My new play school

My brand new Play Station

getting all ready for my first lesson

It's been a while since i posted in my blog. I do apologize but last 10 days i was busy getting  trained to be the first Indian 'Food Champion' ever at the very famous 'Recipease by Jamie Oliver'.  Yes, that's my new job title and i absolutely love it. When i start something new, i try to focus on it completely and this time i started 2 new activities in the same week. One is my new job and the other is my new fitness club. I am loving both of them as i am a strong believer of 'eat healthy,live healthy' concept. So, after a week of training and observation i was allowed to do teach my very first lesson today on the amazing 'Vietnamese street food' and also i got trained today on home made pasta. So, i was teaching and learning on the same day and as i always say' Teaching is a way of learning!!!   I never tried Vietnamese food before but to be honest i fell in love with the whole concept, flavors, ingredients and visual appeal apart form being one of the most healthy cuisines in the world. The famous 'Pho'  is a bowlful of health,aroma, flavors and texture. I shall post the recipe very soon as soon as i come up with my version of it. I still need to get my head around the real names of the Vietnamese dishes as they are a bit hard to remember unlike the dishes that are so easy to make. In the picture below you can see the Pork mince balls on a bed of crunchy salad vegetables and rice noodles, a bowl of light and fragrant beef 'Pho' soup , Summer rolls with Prawns and vegetables with a Sweet and Spicy dip. All this were done form scratch in an hour. So, it's not at all hard to make them at home.

Next, was my pasta lesson. I was always scared of making home made pasta because i was not very sure of my  pasta making skills but today i was doing it fresh along with the guests while the other chef was teaching . By the end of the class i made 4 different pastas (Linguine, Spaghetti, Farfalle and Fettuccine) and cooked them using a fresh cherry tomato, basil,garlic and red chili sauce, finishing with generous amounts of Parmesan cheese and trust me Pasta never tasted better than this before. I realized what  difference fresh pasta can make to the visual appeal and taste of the dish when compared to the pastas we buy in the supermarket form a shelf or precooked pastas from fridge. I was pleasantly surprised when i realized that it was not hard at all to make pasta fresh. It could be done in 15 minutes and all you need is a small table top pasta rolling machine. I felt so happy looking at my fresh pasta and it was like this feeling when you learn your first rhyme in kindergarten and can't wait for you to get home and recite it to your mom.I just said to myself, if pasta is this easy to make and tastes so good when made fresh, why am i going to supermarkets to buy them off the shelf? That's it!!!No more dry pasta or machine made pasta for me from the shelves. It's all going to be fresh and hand made. This decision will be my way of showing  respect to all those passionate Italians who love and live fresh home made pasta.Bellissimo!!!!

A bowlful of good health!!

Simple chicken, vegetable and rice noodle sweet and sour soup.

I quite disagree when some people say soup is a form of starter or appetizer. Some even go to the extent of calling it 'Patient's food'. Well, i agree to disagree because a soup can be a complete nutritious meal and also in most of the Countries it is eaten as a full meal. It is amazing to see that the choice of soups are endless and every country has it's own versions. Be it the famous Japanese Ramen or Miso soups, Chinese Hot and Sour, Italian Minestrone, Thai Tom Yum , Indian Rasam and famous Mulligatawny, French Onion Soup, American Chowders , Fanesca of Ecuador, British Leek and Potato or Spanish Gazpacho, they are all different and great in their own ways. So, you can never get bored of making a soup or run out of choices.Forget following a recipe, you can create your own soup in no time with some veggies form your fridge and spices, herbs, lentils, rice, noodles, pasta, canned beans or sweetcorn ,whatever you may fancy. Let your imagination take over and taste buds tickle. Very very rarely you could go wrong with a soup. It's simple to make and healthy on stomach. So, next time you want to dial for a delivery or a takeaway and wait for an hour for it to be delivered think of cooking a bowlful of health and nutrition for yourself and your family.

 The soup i cooked this evening (in the photo above) is a basic sweet and sour chicken and vegetable noodle soup with coriander. It took me 20 minutes to make it and trust me, it was one of the most delicious soups i ever cooked and my stomach felt so light even after 2 bowlfuls of it. So, try your own soup and do let me know how did it go.
P.S. Keep in mind not to over cook the ingredients, especially vegetables as this will result in loss of some of the essential nutrients and also try not to use lots of heavy cream or butter to cook a soup.

Simple Stir-Fry in Chinese 5 spice Sauce

Stir-fry is one of the easiest and healthy methods of cooking and also one of my most favorites.This cooking technique has emerged from China and it basically means to toss the ingredients in a very hot wok(if you do not have a wok, use a deep frying pan) really quick and the add the liquid and cover for a minute or two to finish the dish.The whole cooking process will not take more than 10 minutes.The vegetables remain crisp and meat remains succulent in this cooking process.You can serve it piping hot with either noodles or rice.So, lets try  this easy recipe out.I am using Chinese 5 spice powder to to flavor my sauce along with some soy sauce.Chinese 5 spice powder is readily available in the super markets but its not hard to make it at home.It is a mix of star anise, fennel, cinnamon, cloves and Sichuan Pepper.I quite love the flavor and aroma of star anise so i use more star anise than the other 4 ingredients while making the 5 spice powder. Dry roast them and blend them into a fine spice powder.There is an Indian 5 spice too that is most commonly used in Bengali cooking and it's called 'panch phoran' but it's used as a whole spice mix and not powdered.OK, let's get back to China for now.

THE CHOP-CHOP STUFF
Ginger, garlic,spring onion and red chili -fine chop
Onions, tomatoes, mushrooms- Slice
Baby corn ,mix peppers- bite size cubes
Bok choy or pak choy(if you cant get hold of this,use any cabbage leaves shredded)-the trick is not to ass the leafy part till the end.Add the stalk with rest of the veggies
Boneless Chicken- cubes
As i always say use any veggies you want. Carrots , broccoli, sweetcorn ,all make a great stir-fry.
Apart from the the above you will need sesame oil, Chinese 5 spice powder,fennel, dark soy sauce, sugar,salt and pepper.

THIS IS HOW I DO IT
-Heat the wok or deep frying pan(it really has to be smoky hot even before you add the oil). This is a very old Chinese technique called 'chao'  which technically means 'hot work, cold oil'.
-Once the wok is hot add sesame oil.
-Stir in fennel seeds, chopped garlic, ginger , red chili and spring onions to the hot oil, lift the pan and toss to ensure that they don't burn.
-After 30 seconds  add chicken and stir while you sear the meat off.Stir-fry for a minute.This will ensure that the meat will remain tender and succulent.
-Add all your veggies and keep stirring and tossing for another couple of minutes.Once the peppers are half done, it's time for the Chinese 5 spice powder ,salt,pepper and soy sauce.
-I add a tsp of sugar to balance out the acid and spice but its a personal choice.
-Finally, add a little amount  of liquid, water or stock and cover with a lid just for a minute or two.If you prefer a thick sauce then use corn flour mixed in water and add it to the pan.
-Once the lid is off, taste for seasoning and the tenderness of veggies and meat.Then add the bok choy leaves to finish.This is pretty much it.
-Serve it hot with either rice or noodles and garnish it with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Pasta, Peppers, Pomodoro and Passion

I decided to clean my fridge today before i went to the market to get my weekly grocery supplies. I found some mix peppers(capsicum), tomatoes, carrots, French beans and peas,all the fresh summer vegetables that can be grown in the garden or bought from the local produce markets. I thought of doing a quick, easy and tasty pasta dish using these vegetables and decided to use Fusilli. You can choose any kind of pasta you like. I prefer to add a bit of 'zing' to my dish so i decide to use red chili to compliment the sweetness of peppers and carrots and also cumin seeds to compliment tomatoes.This is so easy to make and tastes absolutely  fantastic. My flat mate Ben likes growing herbs in our living room balcony window where i  pick some fresh basil, coriander and parsley. Those who can't get hold of fresh herbs,there is always dried and packed herbs in the supermarkets.I personally like thyme, oregano and basil for my tomato based pasta sauce. OK, let's get cooking now.

THE ART OF COOKING PASTA...
Simple!! Get water into a stock pot and cover it with a lid. Wait until it starts boiling and add olive oil and salt.Make sure there is more than double the amount of water to the amount of pasta. Get the pasta into the boiling water and let it cook for 7-8 mins giving it an occasional  stir. Bite into it to check if its cooked. Pasta is no good if it's over cooked or under cooked. It has to be cooked 'al dente'.(literally means to the tooth.It has to be cooked through but still offer a resistance when you bite into it.) Once the pasta is cooked ,drain it with the help of a strainer and run some cold water through to stop further cooking. Add some oil so that pasta doesn't stick to each other. That's about it.


THIS IS HOW I DO IT... 
As i always say, you can use any vegetable you like but i like my dish to have a balance of flavors and colors.Hence, i choose my vegetables and other ingredients based on that balance. I used mix peppers, carrots, green beans, peas and tomatoes, garlic, red chili, thyme, basil and oregano and cumin seeds.
-While your pasta is on the stove, cut the peppers, carrots and beans. (you can blanch the carrots and beans in advance)
-Rough chop garlic and red chili and tomatoes.
-Heat a pan, add olive oil and when hot throw in the cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add garlic and red chili.Stir for a minute.
-Add your mix peppers and cook till they are half done(i always like my peppers to be crisp and not over cooked) and then add in the rest of vegetables(if they are pre-cooked if not add them along with the peppers).
-Get your chopped tomatoes(along with the juice) into the pot and then add herbs. Cover the pan/pot with a lid and leave it to cook for about 4 mins. Give it an occasional stir and then when you see that the tomatoes are pretty much dissolved and becomes a bit saucy , add your seasoning and take the pot off stove.
TIP-TOP TIP

Now, never mix pasta and sauce together in the same pot and leave it as pasta will soak all the sauce in and this results in a very dry looking pasta. Always. take only as much pasta as you want for the moment and enough sauce and mix it in the last minute just before serving.
THE GRAND FINALE
Take a sauce pan, take some of the pasta sauce and add in the cooked pasta (you must have enough sauce just to coat the entire pasta) and give it a quick stir till the entire pasta is coated with sauce.
*The sauce should coat  the pasta , the pasta should not float in the sauce.
Dish it out and sprinkle some fresh basil to finish. You can use some freshly grated Parmesan as well if you prefer a 'cheesy pasta' and finally like my Italian Friends say 'BUON APPETITO!'

Chorizo,Chicken and Mexican Bean Soup

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I made this Soup last night and saved some for my friends   this evening who came down to watch Italy Vs England in Euro cup. They just loved it. To be honest, this soup like many other dishes tasted much better the day after.So, make a whole lot of it and save it for next few days because it's a meal in itself. It has fresh Vegetables, Red Kidney Beans, Chicken, Herbs, Olive oil and everything that's good and nutritious.Vegetarians no need to worry, just avoid Chorizo and Chicken and use some Mushrooms and Courgette instead or whatever pleases you. I am not going to give you the  quantities of the ingredients in my cooking, unless it's baking or pastry making. Cooking is all about following your instinct. So, give this scrumptious soup a go and let me know.

 INGREDIENTS
Olive oil, Chicken, Chorizo(i use the one from Leon which is Oak smoked so the soup gets a nice smoky flavor),Spring onion/Scallions, Red Onion, Red Chilly, Garlic, Mix Peppers/capsicum, Butternut squash or Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Sweet Corn,Red Kidney Beans, Tomatoes(ensure that they are deep red and ripe), Vegetable stock or Water , Salt, Basil and Coriander.


METHOD
-Heat Olive Oil in a stock pot and add Chorizo. The fat from Chorizo will melt and give the olive oil a nice Orange color and smoky flavor.
-Once the Chorizo is crisp from outside add garlic, red chilly and spring onion (all chopped).
-Add chopped red onions once the garlic and spring onion turn transparent. Cook for 3 -5 mins.
-Once the onions start turning golden brown add butternut squash and sweet potato(cubed) and sweet corn.
-When the butternut is cooked halfway add tomatoes(diced), red kideny beans, chicken and Mixed Peppers.
-Stir until the chicken is seared and pour in the vegetable stock or water and add salt.
-Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 5 mins on medium heat.
-Take the lid off and let it simmer for a few minutes more until you see that the broth has thickened a little.
-Check for seasoning, if you like it more hotter than add some crushed pepper to the soup.
Dish it into a bowl,garnish with coriander and basil leaves and serve it with Parisian Baguette (can use any bread to be honest)along with some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to dip it in. Simplessss.
CHORIZO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo

Let's get cooking!!!!

Finally!!!! I have been thinking a blog for a long long time and finally this morning while i was sipping my 'Elaichi Chai' (Cardamom Tea) ,decided that today will be the day. A week to go before i join  my new job  and have free time  i will dedicate some of it to my blog. The whole idea of this blog is to pass on the recipes and little kitchen secrets and tips that will make life easy.I believe in not making cooking too complicated and time consuming. I always believed in simple cooking methods and techniques. Cooking is all about having fun,spending time with your family and friends and playing with different ingredients and flavors that will make your eyes, nose and tongue very happy. 

'EASY TO COOK, LOVELY TO LOOK AND YUMMY TO EAT' has always been my Mantra. So....let's get cooking!!!!