New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions

As we gear up to say goodbye to 2008 and ring in 2009, I'm sure the thought of New Year's Resolutions is going through people's minds. A fresh new year, with a fresh new start.

Who's making New Year's Resolutions this year? Who actually sticks to them?

Around here, we don't make resolutions, we make a list of goals for the upcoming year. We sit down and think about concrete things that we can work towards and then post it up somewhere so we can be reminded of it. Instead of the New Year's Resolution "I will lose weight this year", on our list of goals we would put stuff like "Cook at least 3 healthy meals per week" and "Go for a walk or to the gym at least 3 times a week". We try to make it attainable things that we can actually see progress in. This helps us to see if we actually reached our goals.

Since I am all about meal planning and I think everyone should be doing it, I'm going to do a series of posts on "Meal Planning Goals" starting January 1st, 2009. I want to help you with your meal plans and I want to help you set some goals for yourself. I have some great stuff lined up:

January 1st - Trimming the Grocery Budget
It seems we are all a little more conscious of what we are spending these days, so if you are finding that you too are feeling penny-pinched in this area hopefully you can find some useful tips.

January 2nd - Eating More Organic Food
Since I know jack squat about this subject, my lovely friend Vanessa wrote a very thorough and awesome post about why we should consider eating organic food, how to incorporate it into our budget and meal plans, and lots of great links and websites.

January 3rd - Eating Healthier
We could all be eating a little healthier - less fats, less red meats, more veggies and fruit, more whole grains. I think this one will be my 2009 goal...I'll need to work off some of this baby weight anyways ;)

January 4th - Trying New Things
If you are stuck in the rut of the same recycled recipes week in and week out on your meal plan, this should give you some good ideas of how to get out and try something new.


And if right now you are saying to me "that's great, but I don't even meal plan", let me yell at the top of my lungs to you right now START MEAL PLANNING! If you aren't already a meal planner let me strongly suggest that this become one of your 2009 goals. Read here for:

• The Benefits of Meal Planning
• How to Get Started
• Tips for Better Meal Planning

I hope you all have a Happy New Year and a great time ringing in 2009! Hopefully I finish the last two posts before the little one makes her presence into the world....fingers crossed ;) And good luck with your Goals for 2009.

Katsu Donburi (Breaded Pork & Rice Bowl)

Katsu Donburi (Breaded Pork & Rice Bowl)

I didn't want a perfectly good meal to go to waste since I had all the fresh veggies hanging out in my fridge begging to be used, so I went ahead and made Katsu Donburi (also called Katsudon). Ever since I tasted the deliciousness of Donburi I knew I wanted to try making it with tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet). I thought it would add a bit of variation in texture since the pork would be crispy. I was right. This was good. Really good. I even used a cheap cut of pork and I was worried it might be a little tough but I made it work and it was delicious.

Adapted from Kikuchan @ Allrecipes
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Serves 4

3/4 lb boneless pork loin chops (or a cheap cut like pork shoulder)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs...don't substitute. These breadcrumbs are amazing)

1 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
6 shitake mushrooms, sliced into strips (regular button mushrooms work fine too)
1 carrot, julienned
2 tbsp white sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped green onions
5 eggs, beaten

2 cups cooked Japanese sticky rice (Calrose rice)


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If using pork shoulder instead of pork loin chops, slice the pork steak in half horizontally to make it about 1/2 inch thick. This works better if it's still slightly frozen...if it's thawed you can put it in the freezer for 15 minutes to achieve the proper texture. Next cut the steak into cutlet size chunks. Cover the pieces of pork shoulder in plastic wrap and using a meat tenderizer, bash the meat until the piece is about 1/4 inch thick (this feels surprisingly good :) Make sure you flip it over and do the other side as well. Do this to all your pieces. (If your pork loin chops are thicker than 1/4 inch you may still want to do this step).

Now that your pieces of pork are cut and tenderized, season both sides with salt and pepper. In three separate bowls put flour in the first, beaten eggs in the second and panko breadcrumbs in the third. Dredge each piece of pork in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and place on a baking sheet with a baking rack on it. The panko breadcrumbs are amazing and make the coating extra crisp and light. Regular breadcrumbs just wouldn't be the same. Drizzle lightly with vegetable oil and place in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the pork, drizzle the other side lightly with oil and then place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

While the pork is baking, chop up all veggies. In a large frying pan set to medium-high heat saute the onion in oil for 3-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and carrot and stir-fry a couple more minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, sugar, soy sauce and salt and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle in half of the green onions, stirring gently.

When pork comes out of the oven, cut into strips.

Turn the heat down to medium-low for the veggies and pour beaten eggs over the mixture, stirring a bit to incorporate the sauce and egg. Gently add the pork over the top and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. You may need to add a lid for part of the cooking time to get the eggs to cook through on top.

To serve, scoop Japanese sticky rice into four bowls. Divide katsu donburi mixture into four, and place on top of rice. Garnish with a little more chopped green onion.

Click here for printable version of Katsu Donburi
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THE RESULTS?
We loved this variation of donburi. All the recipes I found online for it deep-fried or pan-fried the pork and I really liked that I took away some of the fat by baking it. The pork was still perfectly crisp and crunchy and the secret is the panko breadcrumbs and the rack on the baking sheet.

Coming Soon....

Coming Soon....

Not only do I have a baby coming soon, but some new ideas for meal planning and Meal Planning New Year's Resolutions. I plan to do a series of posts on Eating Organic, Eating Healthier, Trying New Things, and Cutting Down the Budget for ringin' in the New Year. Hopefully I can accomplish these posts while I patiently await our new arrival.

I have also never done the Freezer Stockpiling thing, except for my little Baking Spree, but I plan to do a bit of that to prepare for the new baby as well. I have an amazing husband who is totally willing to be in the kitchen cooking while I am strapped to my rocking chair with an infant and a jealous toddler in my lap, but I want to have a few things prepared that are easy for me to throw in the oven on days when my husband is busy. I'll post my ideas as well as links and websites I have been visiting in my preparation for this.

Also, speaking of baby....be prepared for me to drop off the face of the planet at any time. I'm due January 7 but my first came a week early and I am already 2 cm dilated. My hope is to get a buttload of rest as well as things organized and accomplished, but this baby may have other plans. I promise not to desert you for too long....only until I feel human again. Or when I need a break from the insanity of life with two babies and no sleep. I plan to continue to meal plan because I would be utterly lost in the void without it. You just may see "Husband Friendly" recipes on the plan for a couple weeks ;)

With that said, I'm excited for the new year! New baby, new posts, new recipes, new goals for the year.

What would you like to see more of on Meal Planning 101 in the new year? Ideas for topics, questions, or suggestions? Anything to make the meal plans more useful?

Meal Plan Week 12

Meal Plan Week 12

It was really nice to have my meal plan as a guideline for Christmas Week, but of course with the festivities my plan didn't really go as planned. My Dad, Brother & his Girlfriend came for Christmas so besides our huge Christmas dinner we also went out for a big sushi feast to introduce my brother to the wonders of raw fish and maki. He was pretty stoked but his girlfriend was rather squeamish and after seeing our platter of raw fish and sushi rolls she lost her appetite and couldn't finish her bowl of Chicken Teriyaki. We also have an amazing local pizza place that my Dad loves to order from when he's in town visiting us, so my homemade Katsu Donburi got scrapped in lieu of Chicken Soprano Pizza with artichokes & spinach. I was hoping to post the recipe for Katsu Donburi but it will have to be put on hold until I can get around to making it.

Despite not posting any new recipes I did post pictures for Hummus and Butter Chicken, as well as pictures and updated versions of Aloo Pakoras and Carla's Not Calorie Conscious but Delicious Mashed Potatoes.

I feel exhasted after the craziness of Christmas and all the food preparing I did this past week, and want some time to relax. This baby could be coming any day now, so I've got a pretty low-key week planned and they all reflect the comforts of my childhood. I'm usually all about trying new things and visiting the corners of the world in our food for the week....but I'm looking forward to settling in to prepare for the baby and delving into some low-energy, satisfying favorites.

Day 1: Asparagus Stuffed Chicken with Hollandaise Sauce and Roasted Potatoes

Day 2: Hamburger Soup & Cheese Biscuits
We've had a long cold stretch here with lots of snow and I haven't even made a single soup yet. This will be nice for cuddling up on a cold evening.

Day 3: New Years Eve - Homemade Pizza
We are going to hang out with friends for New Year's Eve and I'll bring the homemade pizza dough (made in my new bread maker!) so we can have fun making pizzas, eating food and playing games.

Day 4: Leftover Soup

Day 5: Dijon-Honey Ham, Hashbrown Casserole and Broccoli
Hashbrown casserole is a classic recipe that reminds me of my Mom (who passed away) every time I eat it. I love it with ham so this is making me really excited to eat. I won't post the recipe for the casserole since I've seen variations of the recipe all over the internet, and I'm sure everyone has eaten it at some time so it's not really that original. This link is to Allrecipes and is pretty close to the one my Mom made...we don't use any onions, and I use Cream of Mushroom instead of Cream of Chicken. But everything else is the same.

Day 6: Leftovers

Grocery List:

MEAT
4 chicken breasts
1lb ground beef
Pepperoni/Ham for pizza
3 lb ham

PRODUCE
4 cloves garlic
Asparagus bunch
5 sprigs fresh thyme
5 potatoes
1 bunch broccoli
Veggies you like for pizza
1 onion
4 carrots
3 celery stalks

DAIRY
3 eggs
3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup grated cheddar
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup sour cream

BAKERY
Pizza crusts (or make your own dough from scratch)

FROZEN
2 lb bag of hashbrowns

CANNED GOODS
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
4 cups beef broth
Olive oil
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Pizza sauce
28 oz. can of tomatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 tbsp orange juice

DRY GOODS
1/2 cup barley
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
Crushed cornflakes

SPICES, SEASONINGS & SAUCES
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
Favorite seasoning for roasted potatoes
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar

For more meal plan ideas check out my Complete List of Meal Plans or the Menu Plan Monday Links at Orgjunkie.

Meal Plan Week 11

Meal Plan Week 11

This week is filled with Christmas parties, family get-together's, and a big ol' Christmas Dinner. Of course we are resorting to some of our all-time favorite recipes (as well as one new one on a day with no company ;) Time to bust out the big guns and impress some peeps!

Day 1: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno’s Stuffed with Cream Cheese
These things are incredibly addicting, and I always get major compliments for them. We went to a Couple's Christmas Party over the weekend and I knocked a few socks off. The Pioneer Woman is right: How ever many you think you need to make....DOUBLE IT! The whole plate disappears in about 10 minutes.

Day 2: Homemade Hummus served with Pita Bread
We had a small get-together with close friends to have appetizers and egg nog before we all go our separate ways for Christmas. This is such an easy satisfying appetizer I got my husband to make it.

Day 3: Katsu Donburi
My husband and I tried Donburi for the first time not too long ago and loved it. I plan to try it this time with breaded pork instead of chicken.

Day 4: Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef Stir-Fry
My Dad will be here and likes trying new things. We just tried this a few weeks ago and loved it, so I hope he will too (plus I still have some leftover Chinese egg noodles I want to use up...sneaky :)

Day 5: Butter Chicken over Basmati Rice, Naan & Aloo Pakora's with Mango Chutney
We served Butter Chicken last year for Christmas Eve dinner and both my brother and Dad have requested it again. They have never tried my Aloo Pakora's so I'm hoping they will become a new favorite.

Day 6: Christmas Dinner - Garlic-Thyme Brined Turkey, Carla’s Not Calorie Conscious but Delicious Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli Salad, Perogies, Mushroom Sauce, Stuffing, Gravy, and Corn
This turkey really is the best ever and I can't wait to blow my family's mind with how good it is. The mashed potatoes can be made a day in advance and they taste heavenly. Our polish family can't have a Christmas dinner without perogies and mushroom sauce so of course we have to include them in there.....mmmm, my mouth is watering already!!!

Day 7: Leftovers Out the Ying-Yang
Wow....we are going to have so many leftovers we'll be rolling in them.


For more menu plans, check out my Complete List of Meal Plans or check out OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday Links.

Spicy Honey BBQ Chicken

Spicy Honey BBQ Chicken

The prospect of cooking BBQ Chicken in my oven that was more involved than just opening up a bottle of BBQ Sauce and dumping it on, really had me excited about this recipe. I liked that it seemed to have a lot of different dimensions: sweet, tangy, and spicy. But...it didn't knock my socks off. Not like I was hoping it would. Maybe with some tweaks it could be really good.

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
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Serves 4


8 chicken legs
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp sriracha (hot red pepper chili paste)
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp sesame oil

Combine all ingredients into a casserole dish or jellyroll pan. Toss chicken in sauce and let marinate for at least a couple hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put pan in oven and let bake for about 45 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes.


Click here for printable version of Spicy Honey BBQ Chicken
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THE RESULTS?
Honestly? Kind of disappointing. The chicken was pretty salty....the original recipe called for 1 cup of soy sauce and I thought that was over the top, so I cut that down to 1/2 cup but it was still too much. I've adjusted the recipe to use only 1/4 cup. I really expected more of an interesting flavor profile, but probably because the soy sauce was so overwhelming I didn't get to taste the delicate balance of flavors. I think trying this again with the adjusted measurements, and possibly even using the same procedure to cook it that Ginger Maple Glazed Chicken uses would work well. I have not given up hope on this recipe yet!

I will update the recipe if I am successful in my modifications.

Taco Pasta Bake

Taco Pasta Bake

This was an unusual meal for me to make. We never eat anything in our house that resembles "Hamburger Helper" or that is even thrown together in a "casserole" sort of way. I guess that kind of makes us food snobs (not in a bad way I hope). Anyways, I set out to create a dish from "whatever I had in the pantry, fridge, freezer, etc." Again, not like me....BUT! I totally succeeded in my mission. My husband who originally turned up his nose at the description of "homemade hamburger helper" LOVED it and ate it for 3 days in a row as leftovers. I also pleased my own palate as well as my toddlers. I think I did good.

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Serves 8-10


1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 lb penne
2 cups salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
½ cup frozen corn
1 can black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put on a big pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, fry the ground beef with onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Once browned, add the taco seasoning.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (you want the pasta to be just slightly underdone because it will continue to cook in the oven.) Drain pasta.

In a large casserole dish, stir together beef mixture, pasta, corn, beans, salsa and sour cream. Once all combined, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Place in oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is nice and melted and the dish is heated through.

Click here for printable version of Taco Pasta Bake
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THE RESULTS?
I have to admit I kind of surprised myself with this one. I didn't expect it to be so tasty! It's weird for me to say, but I definitely will make this again for my family since everyone devoured it. This makes a TON of food so it would be great to feed a crowd or even to make and freeze half. This whole dish could be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

First of all this is not my experiment but its my mom's expertee. When everybody asks me about garam masala I use to tell that its my mom's speciality. So now that I am in pune I actually got the chance to see how this is prepared and wrote the recipe. Obviously this needs more patience than what one thinks of and quite lengthy process but the result i guarantee to be awesome :) So here is the recipe for for all interested parties :)


Ingredients
500g Corriander Seeds
50g Cumin Seeds
50g Fennel Seeds or Saunf
40g Poppy Seeds
20g Bay Leaves
10g Star Anise
10g Black Cardamom
10g Mace or Jayapatri
10g Naak Kesar
10g Cinnamon
10g Black Pepper
10g Cloves
5g Turmeric Stick
1/2 Nutmeg
1cm Asafoetida Block
20g Stone Flower or Dagad Phool
20g Caraway Seeds or Shahi Jeera
Oil

Method

• Heat Pan and add 1/2 Spoon of oil. Roast Jayapatri in this oil on low flame till reddish in color. Transfer to the mixie.
• In same pan add 2 drops of oil and Naak Kesar. Roast it for around 3 min on low flame till it becomes little bigger. Transfer to mixie.
• In same pan add 2 drops of oil and roast Stone Flower in it on low flame for around 3 minutes. Transfer it to the mixie
• Add 2 drops on oil in the same pan and roast Cloves on low flame for 3-4 minutes till they get little bigger. Transfer to the mixie.
• Add 2 drops of oil in same pan and roast black pepper on low flame for around 4 minutes. Transfer to the mixie
• In same pan add 2 more drops of oil and roast cinnamons on low flame till they turn dark brown in colour. Transfer to the mixie
• Add 2 drops of oil and roast Saunf on low flame till it becomes light brown in color. Transfer to the mixie.
• Break nutmeg into small pieces and roast it on low flame for 2 minutes in same pan with 1 drop of oil. Transfer it to the mixie
• Break Asafoetida block into small pieces and roast it on low flame in the same pan with 1 drop of oil till it turns white in color. Transfer it to the mixie
• Break Turmeric stick into the small pieces and roast it on low flame in 1 drop of oil till reddish in color. Transfer to the mixie.
• In same pan roast the bay leaves on low flame in 2 drop oil for 3 minutes. Transfer the contents to the mixie
• Roast Star Anise on low flame with 2 drop of oil for 2 minutes and transfer to the mixie.
• Roast Black Cardamom with 2 drop of oil on low flame till it turns little bigger and dark brown in color. Transfer to the mixe.
• In same pan roast the Jeera with 1 drop of oil on medium flame till it turns brown in color. Transfer the contents to the mixie.
• Roast Shahi Jeera on low flame with 1 drop of oil for around 2 minutes. Transfer it to the mixie
• Roast the Poppy Seeds with 1 drop of oil for 1 minute on low flame. Transfer to the mixie
• Grind all the contents transferred till now to fine powder.
• Sieve the powder and transfer the non so fine powder to the mixie
• Grind again and sieve the contents. transfer the contents which didnot pass through sieve into mixie.
• Roast half of the Corriander seeds with 2 spoon of oil on medium flame. When the seeds start spluttering turn the flame to low and roast for another minute. Transfer the half of them to mixie and Grind
• Sieve the masala again and transfer the not so fine contents to the mixie.
• Add remaining of roasted corriander seeds to mixie and again grind.
• Sieve the contents through and again grind the not so fine contents. Sieve again. Transfer the contents that did not get sieved into the mixie
• Roast remaining corriander seeds in 2 drops of oil on medium flame till they splutter. Turn the flame to low and roast for another minute. Transfer half of them to the mixie and Grind.
• Sieve the masala again and transfer the not so fine contents to the mixie.
• Add remaining of roasted corriander seeds to mixie and again grind.
• Sieve the contents through and again grind the not so fine contents. Sieve again.
• Mix well all the sieved contents and masala is ready.

Notes
Use exact given qunatities of oil for the best results as if you exceed oil quantity it becomes difficult to grind the spices.
Also Fry the spices in same order for the best results as this is the oder that maximises the aroma and will retain it in the masala.
You can use the Not sieved through contents in the non veg gravies or when you would be grinding masala with wet contents.
The above ingredients make around 3/4Kg of masala

Hashbrown Quiche

Hashbrown Quiche

This quiche replaces the traditional pie crust with hashbrowns to create a delicious breakfast "all in one". We make this for "Brupper" (breakfast for supper), but could be made for brunch as well. This reheats really well, so you could even make it the night before and reheat and serve the next morning for a quick breakfast.

The recipe calls for ham which is my preferred choice of meat in this dish. Bacon makes a good substitute, but I like that the ham isn't as greasy. Leftover ham from a big roasted ham would work well and so does store-bought deli ham. You can also leave out or substitute any of the veggies; basically use whatever you like in an omelet.

*Recipe adapted from Paula Deen
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Serves 4-6


3 cups frozen hashbrowns, thawed
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup diced ham (or 6 strips of bacon cooked and diced)
1 tomato, diced and deseeded
3 green onions, chopped
Handful of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Thaw the hashbrowns and drain any excess moisture. Press paper towel to them to make sure they are good and dry. Melt the butter and mix with the hashbrowns, then pour them into a pie plate. Press them into the plate so that the hashbrowns start to come up the sides and form a crust. Place in hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until they start to get slightly browned.

While the hashbrown crust is baking whisk together the eggs, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Add the ham, veggies and cheese. When the hashbrown crust has finished baking, pour the egg mixture into the crust. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the egg puffs up and is no longer runny and jiggly in the middle.

Click here for printable version of Hashbrown Quiche
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THE RESULTS?

I've made this quite a few times and we always really enjoy it. This time I used bacon instead of ham and like I said it was just a bit too greasy. And I also forgot that this is a PAULA DEEN recipe and that I should have scaled back on the "buttah"....when I pulled my hashbrown crust out of the oven it was sopping with greasy butter. I tried to scoop out the excess, and as I shook my head and spooned out the fat I thought "you've made this recipe before...you KNOW Paula Deen bathes in cream cheese, mayo and butter!!"

My recipe reflects the changes you should definitely make because all that excess butter, cream and cheese are not necessary.

Chutney For Medu Wada

Chutney For Medu Wada

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

I read about this special chutney for the medu wada in the cookery book that I have and tried this. It tastes amazing with the wada obviously not as nice as sambar (wada sambar being my favourite). But I was in kind of wrapping up mode that time and hence didnt want to prepare sambar so this chutney made nice alternative.


Ingredients
1/2 Coconut
1/4 Cup Chana Daal
6 Green Chillies
1 Bunch Corriander
1/2 Cup Curd
1/2 Spoon Mustard
1/2 Spoon Udid Daal
A pinch of Asafoetida
1 Spoon of Oil
Salt to taste

Method

• Grate coconut and grind it in mixie with green chillies, corriander leaves, chana daal(one used in chivadas) and salt.
• In this mixture mix curd
• In a small pan heat the oil and let mustard and udid daal splutter in it. Also add Asafoetida.
• Mix this oil into the chutney and serve.

Notes
I used coconut water itself while grinding coconut so that it tastes nice and i dont need to add sugar.
You can also add Red Chillies into the oil for even better taste but i didnt have it so had to skip that.

Medu Wada

Medu Wada

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

Medu wada is my all time favourite and if you know that guests are coming in the evening even by afternoon this is something you can try. This time I really managed to get real crisp and nice medu wada with little help from the book.


Ingredients
2 Cup Udid Daal
2 Green Chillies
4 Spoon Coconut Pieces
1 Onion
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Wash and soak the udid daal for around 5-6 hours.
• Once daal is soaked enough, remove the excess water and grind to fine paste.
• Add Salt, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped onion and coconut pieces and mix well.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the wadas on low flame.

Notes
Fry the wadas immediately after grinding the daal so that wadas are not oily.
When you put the wada in the hot oil it should float instantly, otherwise add little water to the mixture and loosen the mixture and mix really well.
One can also add little ginger but i prefer non gingery flavour for the wadas.

Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

Its been long time since ajoy had been asking me to prepare mutton biryani. But mutton is not my liking and hence I had been conviniently ignoring it. Then it was that fine day that I wished his grant :) and prepared it. It turned out quite well.


Ingredients
3 Cup Rice
1/2 Kg Mutton Pieces
7 Onions
2 Tomatoes
2 Potatoes
1/2 Cup Curd
1/4 Cup Milk
A Handful of Cashews
5 Almonds
1 Ginger Stick
10-15 Garlic Cloves
1 Spoon Garam Masala
2 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
A Pinch of Turmeric Powder
1 Spoon Corriander Seeds
1 Spoon Poppy Seeds
1.5 Spoon Black Pepper
1/2 Spoon Jeera
1 Spoon Saunf
1 Spoon Dry Coconut
8 Cloves
5 Cinnamon
2 Bay Leaves
5-6 Cardamom
A Pinch of Saffron
1/2 Cup Ghee
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Grind ginger and garlic to paste and keep aside.
• Wash mutton and add curd, turmeric powder, 1 spoon of red chilli powder, half of garlic ginger paste. Mix well and store it in the fridge for atleast 8 hours
• Next Day, Wash the rice and keep it in warm water for half an hour. Remove the excess water and keep aside
• Boil potatoes side by side, cut them in circular pieces and keep aside.
• Warm the milk and mix safron in it and keep aside.
• Chop around 3 onions into fine pieces and keep aside.
• In a pan heat around a spoon of oil and add the chopped onions. Cook till golden brown and keep aside.
• In same pan, heat another spoon of oil and add Jeera, 3 sticks of cinnamon, 5 cloves, 1 spoon of black pepper, corriander seeds, dry coconut, saunf, poppy seeds and remaining spoon of red chilli powder.
• Once the aroma starts coming out of this mixture, add the chopped golden brown mixture of onions in it.
• Add remaining ginger garlic paste to it and mix well and keep aside.
• Grind almonds, the cashews(8-10) that were kept aside and the above fried masala with little water to form paste. Keep aside
• Cut the 4 onions into thin slices and fry it in the ghee and keep aside.
• Keep aside around 8-10 cashews and fry remaining and keep aside.
• Keep aside around a spoon of ghee and transfer remaining ghee to the pressure cooker
• Add the masala paste that we kept aside to this ghee and fry till ghee separates from the paste.
• Add mutton pieces that were kept for marination in this with the marination leftover as well. Cook till ghee separates.
• Puree the tomato in the mixer and add it to this cooking mutton.
• Add around 1/4 cup of water and salt to taste and then cook the mixture on pressure.
• When complete pressure builds up, turn the flame to minimum flame and cook for another 10 minutes. And then remove the pressure cooker from the flame and keep aside to cool down.
• In the mean time, Boil around 10 cups of water and add salt to taste, rice and cook till rice is almost done.
• Remove the excess water from the rice and spread it in the plate to let it cool down.
• In a small pan heat a spoon of ghee(that was kept aside) and add remaining 3 cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 spoon black pepper, bay leaves, cardamom. Fry till aroma comes and mix it with the rice and keep aside.
• Now transfer the cooked mutton from pressure cooker to the pan and cook on high flame till it is dry.
• Transfer the excess ghee from this cooked mixture that is now separated into small cup and keep aside.
• Take a pressure cooker(which has good height), Grease it with ghee and arrange the potato discs onto the bottom to cover the bottom completely
• Spread a layer of 1/3 of rice followed by 1/2 of cooked mutton, 1/3 of fried onions, 1/3 of fried cashews.
• Then add next layer of 1/3 rice, followed by another layer of remaining cooked mutton, 1/3 of fried onions, 1/3 of fried cashews
• Layer remaining rice on the top, followed by remaining onions and cashews.
• With the back side of the cooking spoon make 5-6 wholes in this layer biryani till bottom
• Spread the ghee separated out from cooked mutton stored earlier evenly over here. Also spread the milk-safron mixture evenly.
• Close the cooker with the lid, heat tawa and put this cooker on top of it. Cook on low flame for 15 minutes
• Serve hot :)

Notes
While serving, insert the spoon till bottom and get all layers in each servings to get the best taste for the serving :)

Palak Pakoda Kadhi(Spinach Pakoda Curry)

Palak Pakoda Kadhi(Spinach Pakoda Curry)

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

Since I was small, My Dad always tells mom that in his company canteen he gets amazing Kadhi Bhaji(Curry Pakoda). And there use to always an attempt from mom to get the same taste and even then dad would be more inclined towards his canteen bhaji. So as kids we normally had this item almost twice a week or so giving another reason that this type of curry wont give cough unlike butter milk. So when I thought of preparing this, I decided to use Green vegetable for pakodas for more nutrition value of the curry. And here I got amazing item in my favourite list.


Ingredients
3 Cup Palak Pakodas
6 Cup Butter Milk
A Pinch of Turmeric Powder
1/4 Spoon of Mustard
A Pinch of Asafoetida
3 Spoon Sugar
1 Spoon Ghee
Salt to taste

Method

• In the butter milk, mix sugar and salt to taste and keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in a small pan and let the mustard splutter in it.
• Add Asafoetida, turmeric powder and take off from the flame
• In the buttermilk add this ghee mixture and mix well.
• While serving, add the pakodas to the above curry and serve.

Notes
You can additionally add Curry leaves in the ghee to give it that flavour but I perferred not to so that I can relish palak and the curry taste rather than the curry taste only.

Palak (Spinach) Pakoda

Palak (Spinach) Pakoda

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

It been more than a month since I prepared this but due to all sort of logistic issues in moving out of hyderabad I got little busy and couldnt post the recipe even though I had clicked the photos. So today I am going to post all 5 recipes that were pending. New ones will come as and when I try them :)


Ingredients
1 Bunch of Palak
1/2 Cup Bason
1/2 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
A Pinch of Jeera Powder
1/2 Spoon Corriander Powder
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Wash Palak leaves and keep aside.
• Mix bason, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder, corriander powder and salt to taste with water to form a paste
• Heat oil in a pan
• When its slightly warm, add a spoon of oil into the bason paste.
• When oil is hot, dip the two palak leaves at a time in the bason paste and add it into the pan and fry the pakoda on the golden colour
• Repeat for remaining leaves

Notes
I used smalled leaves of palak and the pakodas turned out amazing. Especially the palak was crisp and tasty because of its freshness and tenderness.
Also I dipped two palak leaves at a time so that the pakoda has its taste and still not too much of spinach which wont get crisp.

Aloo Pakoras (Indian Potato Fritters)

Aloo Pakoras (Indian Potato Fritters)

These are so yummy and I would describe them as an Indian-spiced french fry. The flavors of the batter really make them stand out and not bland at all. For our Secret-Secret Geography Club Indian Feast, I sent out an email telling my group members what dishes I would be bringing and this was one of them. Dan is our biggest food critic and he admitted later that when I said I was bringing Indian "Potato Fritters" he thought "how boring?" But after trying them and everyone making them disappear very quickly he retracted this thought and said they were amazing.

"Why do I doubt you Kindra?" he said.

I'm not sure Dan. But neither you or anyone else would be disappointed if these showed up on your dinner table.

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Serves 4-6 as an appetizer



2/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup warm water
½ tsp baking powder
3 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
3/4 tsp salt
2 green onions, chopped
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1/4-1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Oil for deep frying
Mango chutney for dipping

In a bowl put the chick pea flour and half the water and beat with an electric mixer until it becomes a thick batter. Beat hard for 5 minutes gradually adding the rest of the water and set it aside for 10 minutes. Add salt, cumin powder, chili powder, garlic, ginger, baking powder, green onion and chopped cilantro and beat again.

Slice the potatoes into 1/8 slices. Put the sliced potatoes into a microwave safe dish and cover with water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes so the potatoes are par-boiled. Drain them well and add to the batter a few at a time. Drop them into the hot oil which is heated to medium-high heat (about 350 degrees) until golden brown and crispy. Put them on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt as they come out of the oil. Keep adding the potatoes to the batter and dropping them into the oil until all potatoes are gone. Serve with mango chutney for dipping.

Click here for printable version of Aloo Pakoras

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THE RESULTS?
Every time I make these they get better and better. I have adapted the recipe from a few different authentic Indian recipes, as well as tweaked and added and changed the method each time I make them to produce an even better pakora. The mango chutney for dipping is a great accompaniment.

Meal Plan Week 10

Meal Plan Week 10

It's my last week of work before maternity leave! I'm trying to get in all the delicious recipes I want to try before I have this baby and send my husband into the kitchen to cook for me.

Day 1: Indian Feast with Friends - Aloo Pakoras with Mango Chutney, Tandoori Chicken & Basmati Rice
This is for our Secret-Secret Geography Club night. Our friends are making Butter Chicken (Lisa is the originator of this recipe), naan bread cooked in the woodstove (most incredible naan EVER), malai koftas (veggie "meatballs" in sauce), dahl (lentils) and mango's with ginger-mint syrup.


Day 2: Hashbrown Quiche
My husband is pretty much in love with anything breakfast related, so this will be a good "Brupper" (breakfast for supper) meal.

Day 3: Firecracker Shrimp Bowties with Baguette dipped in Balsamic/Olive Oil
This is a delicious and healthy pasta that I recreated after the dish of the same name at East Side Mario's. Just to make us feel like we are at a real pasta bistro I'm serving it with french bread and balsamic/olive oil to dip.

Day 4:Taco Pasta Bake
Coming up with casserole dish based on things I have in my cupboards.

Day 5: Spicy Honey Barbecued Chicken with Rice and Peas with Mint
This week at the Interfaith Kitchen we are making stuffing from scratch and sugar cookies. This chicken is a new recipe I'm trying out that I thought would pair well with the stuffing.




For more ideas for meal plans, check my Complete List of Meal Plans or check out OrgJunkie's Meal Plan Monday links.

Turkey & Spinach Cobbler

Turkey & Spinach Cobbler

You know when you try out a recipe and you have high expectations for it? And then after all the hard work and labor you put into making it, you take one bite and all your expectations fall to the floor? That's kind of how this recipe was for me. It wasn't bad per se, and it definitely wasn't inedible, it just wasn't...good. I thought this would be a great recipe for using up leftover chicken or turkey (I used my Thanksgiving turkey that was in the freezer) and I expected warm, creamy, comforting chicken stew with crunchy buttermilk biscuits on top. It didn't quite turn out that way.

*Recipe from TGirl @ Recipezaar
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Serves about 6


Filling:
2 cups turkey or chicken, cooked and shredded
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried or fresh thyme

Biscuit Topping:
1 2/3 cups flour, all purpose
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 cup milk mixed with 3/4 tbsp lemon juice - let sit for 5 minutes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the chicken or turkey, red pepper, spinach, sour cream, egg, salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Grease a casserole dish and dump the filling into it.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, butter, buttermilk, baking powder and salt to create a biscuit dough. Drop spoonfuls of dough on top of the chicken/spinach mixture until all the dough is gone and the top is covered. Place in hot oven for 40 minutes. Check the cobbler and if the biscuits are nice and golden brown you can take it out and serve it. If they aren't brown yet, brush the tops of the biscuits with milk and place it back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until browned.

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THE RESULTS?

I didn't like it all that much. I was expecting the filling to be creamier and to have more flavor. The biscuit topping took FOREVER to get brown (about 50 minutes) and it still could have been more browned. It was better if it was crunchy. I rated this recipe about a 5, but my hubby said it was good and he gave it about a 7.5 rating. My toddler ate up a lot of this which makes me very happy....so even if I didn't like it, I guess I still pleased my family's palates. I'm just not looking forward to the leftovers today ;)

Slow Cooker Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken

Slow Cooker Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken

I love coming across new blogs with great recipes. I've just recently discovered Alanna at Kitchen Parade. I actually came across her blog when I was looking for Weight Watchers recipes for a friend, and Alanna has a great resource for Weight Watchers; she marks all her recipes with the nutrition information and how many points the dishes are. At first I thought I had discovered a goldmine for my friend, but as I browsed I realized....her recipes looked so yummy I didn't need to be on a diet to try them!

This chicken recipe of hers takes only 15 minutes if you use chicken breasts in your broiler. I don't have any on hand, only a ton of chicken legs and I needed to be able to cook it in my slow cooker because I was at work all day. I took her sauce ingredients and adapted it to cook in the slow cooker.

*Recipe adapted from Kitchen Parade
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Serves 4


8 chicken legs
1/2 cup honey mustard (or 2 tbsp honey mixed with 1/3 cup Dijon Mustard)
1 lime, juice and zest (or 3 tbsp lime juice)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, and stir to evenly coat the chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Serve with rice to spoon extra sauce on top.

Click here for printable version of Slow Cooker Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken
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THE RESULTS?

My only problem was that by the time I had gotten home from work, the chicken had been in the crockpot for 9 hours....a little too long. The flavor of the sauce was really good, and the chicken fell right off the bone; it just kind of had that "overcooked chicken" flavor. Either I would make sure that the chicken cooked for only 6-8 hours next time, or I'll try the recipe Alanna's way. I loved the tang of the lime.

Guacamole

Guacamole

I'm not sure there is an easier dip to throw together than guacamole. Because avocado's are quite bland and buttery, I like the pungency of fresh garlic and lot's of lime juice...so it's good and tangy. It's a perfect add-on to nacho's, taco's, quesadilla's....pretty much anything. Even my California Chicken Burger.

____________________________________________________________________

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

2 ripe avocado's
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2-1 clove garlic, grated
Big pinch of salt (I use kosher. It tastes better and is more forgiving)

Slice avocado's in half and scoop flesh into a bowl, removing the big stone in the middle. Grate the clove of garlic into the bowl, add lime juice and salt. Mash with a fork until desired consistency and serve. To add a bit of extra creaminess you can also stir in a tbsp or so of sour cream.

Tip: To keep guacamole from turning black, put saran wrap directly on the surface, pressed right up to the guacamole and store in the fridge. This keeps it from oxidizing.

Tip: If your avocado's aren't ripe, place them on the counter with some other ripening fruit like banana's or apples (I put my avocado's right on top of my banana's). The ripening fruit releases chemicals that will help them ripen really quickly. I had some totally green and hard avocado's and only 2 days on the counter with my banana's and they were perfectly soft and ripe. If they are already ripe and you aren't planning on using them yet, put them in the fridge to slow down the ripening process.

Click here for printable version of Guacamole

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THE RESULTS?
You gotta love when a recipe only has three sentences for directions. That tells you there's no excuse for you not whipping up a batch of this RIGHT NOW. Sooooo good.

Refried Beans

Refried Beans

My only thoughts about refried beans used to be that they tasted like dog food....not very appetizing. If they didn't taste like dog food, they sure were bland and I really didn't get the big fuss over them. Until my Mother in Law who is a full-time missionary in Guatemala showed me how to make homemade refried beans. I was converted!

Homemade refried beans have so much delicious flavor. My husband who is a big canivorous meat fan, even told me that I could replace the beef in his taco's for these refried beans....WHA?!?! Okay, I guess they ARE pretty good.


Recipe adapted from Virginia Birss
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Makes about 1 1/2 cups


1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
Salt to taste
3 slices of bacon (optional)

In a bow, dump in the kidney beans and begin to mash with a potato masher. This is where I add the water to get them mashed a little better. It's okay if they start to look soupy because the liquid will cook out. Add the garlic, taco seasoning and a good pinch of salt to the bowl and continue mashing.

If you are using bacon (and it's just as good if you don't), then chop up into small bits and add to frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry them until almost crispy. Drain the fat except for about 1 tsp. If you aren't using bacon, use 1 tsp oil. Dump the mashed, seasoned beans into the pan with the bacon and let cook for about 3 minutes or so stirring often. You will see the beans really start to thicken up. Taste them to see if you need more salt or other seasonings. When they are a thick consistency like refried beans should be, remove from heat, and scoop into a bowl.

Serve warm or at room temperature as a fixin' for taco's, quesadilla's and nacho's. You could also use as a filling for taco's, burrito's or enchilada's. Or just grab a bag of tortilla's and some salsa and start dipping away as a delicious snack or appetizer.

Click here for printable version of Refried Beans

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THE RESULTS?
I used to complain when my husband would ask me to make these in addition to all the other fixin's for our tacos....now I can't do without. Our taco's just wouldn't be the same. These are so yummy, inexpensive to make, and totally easy.

Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef Stir-Fry

Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef Stir-Fry

I've ordered this dish a couple times from our favorite Vietnamese restaurant, but it is so HUGE that I can never even eat half of it by myself. My husband is too busy eating bun and spring rolls to help me devour my plate, so it's not very often that I get to enjoy this dish. I was super excited to discover Wandering Chopsticks recipe for this great dish and that I could make it at home. This one is definitely worth trying.


Recipe from Wandering Chopsticks
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Serves 4

1 lb beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp corn starch

1 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 baby bok choy, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 cup mushrooms, sliced

2 bundles of fresh chow mein egg noodles

In a bowl combine the garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, cornstarch sugar and black pepper and stir until it is thoroughly mixed. Thinly slice the beef and add it to the bowl of marinade. Mix so that the meat is entirely covered with marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge while you chop veggies and cook the egg noodles.

Chop all veggies and have them ready to go.

In a large frying pan turned to medium-high heat, add a few tbsp of oil. Separate the bundles of chow mein noodles. When the pan is nice and hot, add the noodles. Let get brown and crispy on one side and then flip and let the other side crisp up as well. This is supposed to hold together like a pancake, but mine totally didn't. It still tasted great, but just know that you aren't screwing anything up if yours doesn't hold together either. Just try to flip it once as best you can, keeping it in a "pancake" form. Once browned on both sides, slide onto a plate.

In the same hot frying pan, add a bit more oil as well as the sliced onions. Saute for a couple of minutes until they are softened, then add the meat and marinade to the pan. Keep sauteing until the meat gets browned and then add 1/2 cup of water to create the gravy. It will thicken up nicely as it cooks because of the cornstarch. Then add the rest of your veggies, reserving the bok choy until the end. Let cook until the gravy is thickened and the veggies are softened. In the last couple minutes of cooking time, add the bok choy.

Serve the beef stir-fry over the plate of crispy noodles.


Click here for printable version of Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef Stir-Fry
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THE RESULTS?
Wonderful. Exactly like the restaurant's. Actually....probably better than the restaurant! Whatever our restaurant does to their noodles, the gravy makes the noodles in the center get super-soggified, so of course my favorite part is the outsides with all the crispy noodles. Maybe it was the brand of egg noodles I used or Wandering Chopsticks techniques, but the noodles in this recipe don't get super soggy in the middle...they just get nice and soft like a normal noodle. So you get to enjoy both worlds: crispy on the outside and nice and noodley on the inside.

Madras Vegetable Curry

Madras Vegetable Curry

My friend just introduced me to a program in our area called "The Interfaith Country Kitchen". It is a completely FREE program where you come in and cook two recipes that they provide you with, along with providing you all the ingredients and the equipment for making the recipes. At the end of cooking, you get to take home your creations for your family. It has been a real blessing discovering this program since we will be trying to cut down our food budget a bit really soon, and this provides us with one free meal a week. There is also FREE childcare! I went with my friend and we had so much fun cooking together and visiting and meeting new people. I plan to attend every week.

I showed up this past week as my first session, not sure what to expect. To my pleasant surprise we were making curry! My family members are curry fiends so it was nice to discover a new curry to make....and there's no meat involved so it's really frugal too.

If you need any other frugal meal ideas, check out $5 Dinners.


*Recipe adapted from Company's Coming Slow Cooker Dinners
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Serves 4

1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp Madras curry paste (I really like Patak's)
1 1/2 tbsp flour
3 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 potato, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 onion, cut into thin slices
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced

In a large pot, stir together coconut milk, curry paste and flour. Then add all other ingredients and set on medium-high heat. Once mixture has come up to a boil, turn down to a low simmer and continue cooking covered for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Serve over basmati rice.

Click here for printable version of Madras Vegetable Curry
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THE RESULTS?

This curry was ridiculously easy to make, inexpensive and our family really liked it. I was so surprised that my husband didn't even mention the lack of meat. The chick peas really fill it out and make it hearty. Madras is a bit spicy, but has delicious smokey cumin flavors. You could always cut down a bit on the curry paste if your family doesn't like spicy food.

Meal Plan Week 9

Meal Plan Week 9

I'm finally posting, I'm finally posting!! I promise I have been keeping up with my own meal plans and following them (I do practice what I preach!) life has just been hectic and I don't seem to get around to posting them. But it's Sunday and I'm relaxing on the couch with some tea and a muffin, so I plan on bustin' out a couple recipe posts as well.

Remember this post I did about our monthly grocery budget not too long ago? And remember how I said we love food, and love to eat well so we don't want to sacrifice our food budget? Well we are kind of being forced into it starting next month since I will be having a baby and not teaching anymore. We've discovered I haven't worked enough hours for maternity leave, so I have been thinking and planning and reading all my favorite frugal blogs to come up with ideas of slashing our budget without sacrificing lovely suppers with my family. One great resource I have discovered is a program in town called the "Interfaith Country Kitchen" that is completely FREE and you just come and cook 2 recipes and take home all the food you make. I started going with a friend and it has been a lot of fun to cook with others and chat and meet new people, while also being able to have one meal provided for a week as well as not having to cook that evening at supper time. They also have FREE childcare! How can that be any better? Because I tried the program last week, I included the recipe as the first day of my meal plan (since the recipe was so yummy) and because I'm not sure exactly what is coming up this week.

Day 1: Madras Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice
My first Interfaith Cooking experience and I came home with this delicious meal for my family and a great frugal recipe to share with you!

Day 2: Vietnamese Crispy Chow Mein with Beef Stir-Fry
I have only ordered this dish a couple times at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant but every time I do I LOVE it. I was so happy to have come across this recipe to make it at home.

Day 3: Taco’s with Homemade Guacamole and Refried Beans
My hubby's request and I obliged. Making taco's with all the fixin's from scratch is a lot of work, but SOOOO yummy. I always make my hubby help though ;)

Day 4: Slow Cooker Honey-Mustard Lime Chicken, Basmati Rice and Broccoli
A new recipe for my busy work day.

Day 5: Crunchy Oven-Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Carrots
Mmm...I've been craving this chicken since I last made it.

Day 6: Turkey and Spinach Cobbler and Corn
I ended up throwing away most of my buttermilk the last time I made Crunchy Oven-Fried Chicken so I was smart enough to plan another meal that uses buttermilk. I'll also be using up a bunch of turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving that I still have in my freezer.

Grocery List:

MEAT
1 lb beef steak (Inside Round Steak is fine)
1 lb ground beef
16 chicken legs
2 cups leftover chicken or turkey

PRODUCE
6 baby bok choy
2 red peppers
1 1/2 onion
7 carrots
1 cup mushrooms
11 cloves garlic
Romaine Lettuce
1 tomato
2 avocado's
Head of broccoli
3 cups of cauliflower
1 potato
Ginger root
1 green onion
4 turnips


DAIRY
2 bundles of fresh chow mein egg noodles (this one is hard to categorize since I found it in the fresh deli section with the other fresh Asian things)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or 1 1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp margarine


FROZEN
1 10oz. pkg frozen spinach
2 cups frozen corn


DRY GOODS
Hard or soft taco shells
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups cornflakes
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar


CANNED GOODS
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp Madras Curry Paste (Patak's is great)
1 can chick peas


SPICES, SEASONINGS & SAUCES
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp black pepper
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 pkg taco seasoning
4 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup honey mustard (or 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup Dijon mustard)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg


For more ideas for meal plans, check my Complete List of Meal Plans or check out OrgJunkie's Meal Plan Monday links.

No lipservice this

No lipservice this

I love lipstick. Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by it. In my childhood, in most conservative families this was a banned item. You could apply thick Kajal under your eyes which was considered very appropriate and even good for the eyes; on festive occasions grown-ups could use betel leaves and lime which reddened their lips which was completely acceptable. But applying lipstick was a strict no-no. My father said only ‘chattaikaris’ (anglo-Indians) used lipstick. – to my young mind it seemed like there was some sort of a law against non Anglo-Indians using it. And there wasn’t even the possibility of stealing lipstick from an adult’s cosmetic bag – none of my relatives used it. So lipstick came to symbolise all that I wanted to be when I grew up – rebellious, liberated and free to do what I wanted.

In my high school days whenever we participated in school plays or dances we were allowed to wear rose powder and lipstick which was all the make-up we knew about. The teacher in charge of these cultural activities had the budget to buy one container of the said powder ( cheapest of course – might have been Ponds in those days, not sure) and one bright red lip stick which was applied across the board irrespective of the colour of their dress and their own complexion. On those rare occasions I felt like Miss world and as Ugich Konitari mentions in this post, we always hoped we would be allowed to sleep with the make-up on. Most of us would be scared to close our painted lips for fear of erasing it. Imagine having to use words with sounds like M and P! That would have meant danger to the colour on the lips and we were quite sure that the teacher would not have entertained any request for a touch up. I remember rushing back to the house after the event with all the powder and lipstick on my face making sure that the lips were pursed inward all the way home. It might have meant trouble if any adult we knew had spotted me with lipstick on the street.

Lipstick and trouble seem to go together as though they were meant for each other. Remember the ‘lipstick on the pig’ remark by the American President-elect Obama during his election campaign? And of course ‘lipstick on the collar’ has always meant trouble for married men!! In ancient Egypt it was a source of much trouble because ancient Egyptian women squeezed out purple-red color from iodine and bromine, leading to serious diseases and hence it came to be referred to as ‘the kiss of death’. Cleopatra’s lipsticks spelt trouble too - not to her but to certain species of insects. It is said that Cleopatra’s lipstick were made from carmine beetles, which when worked with pestle gave a strong red color pigment. This was mixed with ant’s eggs, which provided the base. And in recent history, a certain Mr. Naqvi may not have had much peace since he mentioned the word lipstick..

I have courted trouble too with my obsession with the lipstick. When I was in the seventh or eighth grade, there was this friend in our class who was very fair and had naturally pink lips. She had this habit of biting her lips every now and then which made her lips even redder. I remember spending many an evening trying to bite my lips in the hope of turning them naturally red and finally I only ended with sore lips, blood and all. And then came the discovery of Asha. My mother used a sort of wax as the base before applying her kumkum on the forehead – it was called ‘asha” for some reason. Perhaps that was the name of the brand. Now this was a bright red wax much like today’s lip balm and a little of it was enough to give a bright red colour. For a while it became a favorite clandestine activity to steal ‘asha” and apply it all over the lips. Suddenly one felt all grown up and ‘sophisticated’ – there was a change in the way one spoke and walked with ‘asha’ on the lips. One fine afternoon, my father caught me red-handed ( red-lipped rather) and he asked me to wipe it off right away – he said I looked like a monkey .

I was twenty-one by the time I owned by first lipstick which was part of a make-up set gifted by my college friends for my wedding. And by the early eighties it was quite common for middle-class working women to wear lipstick though generally not among teachers, doctors etc. Just as the lipstick was coming within my reach there was a change in fashion which made the un-made-up look popular at the workplace unless you were in the entertainment or hospitality industries. Otherwise people wore lipstick only for parties, weddings etc. Or they wore shades that blended naturally with their lip colour which made it almost invisible. None of the maroon that actress Rekha sported and looked gorgeous and which I so longed to wear. Not that I'd have been able to carry it off but did I care? And on the rare occasions that I actually got to use a lipstick I realised that I simply did not possess the panache to keep it on. One glass of juice was enough to get rid of it all; and I don’t think I would choose to starve in order just to keep the colour on.So finally I have accepted that I was never born to wear a lipstick and yet, if you see me lingering in a page in any magazine it would most certainly have an ad for some brand of lipstick.

Now that I have established clearly that I do not wear any lipstick, Mr. Naqvi, may I shout some slogans against you?

When the rose turned plastic

When the rose turned plastic

Aarti sat on the steps that led from her drawing room to the dining space and surveyed the arrangement – new covers for the cushions in rich hues and soft fabric, fresh flowers in the vases, carpet vacuumed to look as good as new. The room looked warm and welcoming. She closed her eyes savoring the feeling of contentment. She loved to surround herself with beautiful things and worked hard to keep them beautiful. She was naturally gifted with the creativity to transform simple spaces into artistic niches by furnishing them inventively. Visitors to the house never failed to comment on how good they felt in her house where everything blended beautifully and harmoniously.

Except Karthik, Aarti’s husband. A busy surgeon at one of the best hospitals in the city, he spent very little time at home and even those hours were spent reading or watching the television. His skill, dedication and patience had made him very popular among his patients. It also helped that his father was one of the most respected surgeons in the city. With her too he was patient, willing to listen and respectful of her opinions. Their life lacked no comfort as they lived on an unlimited budget and he never questioned her about any expense however extravagant or unnecessary.

To all their friends theirs was the charmed life fairy tales were made of. Their lifestyle was something they could hope to have if they worked hard for another ten years. Many of her friends from college still lived in the city and they met every few months to share an afternoon of fun and laughter. Sometimes there were tears too about their husbands and their insensitivity or disappointment over their failures. A couple of them had even separated. To all of them, Aaarti’s life with Karthik was the model of a happy marriage. They openly told her how jealous they were of her to have someone like Karthik – handsome, successful and liberal.

Although she allowed her friends to believe that her life was perfect, Aaarti had her secret longings. Karthik had no romantic streak in him – if she said she wanted Romance, he might tell her to go ahead and buy it never mind the cost! He was down-to-earth about everything. He did not notice any of her efforts in beautifying the house and even when she deliberately drew his attention to these all he could think of saying was: ‘Nice, but I thought it looked nice earlier too”. After the first few months of their marriage, Aarti gave up expecting him to appreciate her efforts. But there were days when she longed that he would send her flowers or bring her a surprise gift or call her from work just to say he was thinking of her.

Those were the times she missed Anand. Anand who never forgot her birthdays, who noticed every little thing she did and appreciated it, who worshipped the ground she walked on, who made sure she was escorted everywhere. His family lived on the same street as her parents and they were also related in some distant way. Both parents approved of their friendship and there was a tacit understanding that they would be married eventually. Until Aarti’s grandmother decided to match their horoscopes! Everything went awry when the astrologer declared that his natal chart alignment signified an early death for his wife. So naturally the grandmother’s iron will prevailed and the parents were not so sure anymore. A disappointed Anand applied for a job overseas. When he found one in Singapore he disappeared from her life. He never wrote to her and eventually Aarti accepted that he was gone forever from her life.

She did not think of Anand often in the early years of her life with Karthik. It felt good to be married to the sort of man whom all her friends admired and wanted. And in any case it was tough to find anything wrong with Karthik who was kind and gentle and never demanded or complained. But after the first year she felt that Karthik and she were already like an old couple, married for 25 years or so and comfortable with each other – no surprises, nothing unpredictable, everything was a given. Life was placid, calm and ... she searched for the right word in her mind and found it - and... BORING.

It lacked the excitement her friends seemed to be having – the romance of struggling together , seeking reassurance and comfort in each other, joy in simple things. Often she thought of what it might have been had she married Anand. Life might have been full of spice –romantic walks in the park, saving for exotic holidays, candle light dinners, surprise gifts and cards, valentine days, fighting and making up (fighting just to make up perhaps) - she imagined all the candy floss from Bollywood and Hollywood. They would still be struggling financially but she imagined their love might have compensated for everything they lacked materially. When she heard romantic songs, especially from the past, she was reminded of him.

Now as she sat there on the steps looking at the room she wondered what Anand might have said about it. She knew that he would have noticed every minor detail and made her feel special. He always did.

She emerged from the reverie she had drifted into when the phone rang. It was from her mother who called to give her news that was music to her ears. Anand had come visiting his parents after all these years! Aaarti could not believe that this was indeed happening. She asked her mother a hundred questions about him – how he looked, how he spoke, had he acquired an accent, did he look happy, was he back for good, what had she told him about her, and about Karthik. Her mother laughed at her questions and simply said that he was the same old Anand they knew and that he had taken her number to call before visiting her.
Aarti felt strange after the call. She could not focus her thoughts. She felt nervous all of a sudden. She picked up a book to read but couldn’t concentrate. She tried to nap but was worried she might miss his call. She made sure she carried the handset along wherever she went in the house. Finally the phone rang.

To her relief it was from Anand. She tried to sound casual but her voice made her excitement clear. His happiness was palpable too. They made plans for him to meet Karthik over the weekend but she wanted to meet him before that. So they decidced to meet for lunch the next day.

She put the phone down and suddenly she was all frazzled, feeling like a teenager before her first date. She couldn’t decide what she wanted to wear. She wanted to look perfect for this meeting but at the same time appear casual. Suddenly her wardrobe seemed inadequate. She wished she had more time and then she wished she didn’t have to wait till next afternoon. She wanted to cry. For once she was happy that Karthik did not notice how nervous she was.

After the longest 20 hours of her life, finally it was it was time to leave. She could still not think of the perfect thing to say when they met. She knew this would be a Kodak moment in her memory and she wanted this to be perfect for both of them. No blunders.
She did not want him to be disappointed in anyway either.

When she entered the restaurant he was already at their table and got up to greet her. He looked just the same and she said that. He laughed and then said:
‘But you seem to have graduated to the contented Indian housewife look. Your husband’s prosperity shows on you, you know ’ he winked and then he laughed.
In the past she had never been offended by his references to her appearance and weight. It was true that she had added a few kilos since her marriage but she was by no means fat and in any case this was not warranted.
She excused herself and went to the restroom and when she came back he announced that he had already placed the order for starters.
“Hey I know your taste and I am sure you will like what I ordered”, he said and she tried valiantly to hide her irritation.
He updated her on his job, life in Singapore etc. She relaxed soon and asked him whether he had lost his way all these years and finally strayed back home.
He laughed and announced he was back to find a bride : ‘ There’s no substitute to a good Indian girl for a happy married life”
“How so?’ Aarti asked a bit confused.
“Someone who’d be content to take care of the husband and house, who would put her family before her career you know, like you for example. No feminist nonsense for me. In any case I make enough money so there is no need for her to go out and work.”

‘What do you even know about my life to make these comments?’ Aaarti thought and it suddenly occurred to her that Karthik had laid no conditions about her decision to have a career or not. She was free to do what she wanted. She tried to recollect if he had ever attempted to force anything on her – be it books or food preferences or clothing. Never.
It had always been “whatever you want to do.”

As the afternoon progressed and they talked more she was struggling to figure out why she was ever in love with this person. He still made her laugh but it was not the subtle , intelligent kind of humour but of the adolescent and boisterous variety. She found it loud. And he was dominating and sometimes insensitive. It seemed to her that you need the naïveté of romantic love to dull the edge of selfishness and oppression and make them seem as protectiveness and attention and care.
“I am glad we finally met again after all these years. I feel so much better now” she said while parting and meant every word of it.

She got into the car and suddenly she couldn’t wait to get back to her boring life.

P.s: This is a real story from a friend's life. She dreamt of her college boyfriend for 5 years after her marriage and then when they met again, she couldn't wait to take the flight back to her husband. And then she lived happily ever after. I have used it here upon her suggestion.