Baked Jacket Potatoes

Everyone loves potatoes, I love them fried but also baked. Most of the time the potatoes I get are just small to medium sized, but when I do get nice chunky potatoes, baked jackets are on the menu.

You'll need:

4 large potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup cheese (any sort)
1/2 cup cooked meat or cold cut (optional)
Seasoning
Cayenne pepper to sprinkle


Clean and parboil the potatoes for 5 minutes in the microwave. They should be soft enough to just scoop out the flesh but not cooked.

Cut in half and scoop out the flesh as close to the skin as possible without the jacket breaking. You can use the scooped out potatoes to make mashed potatoes or for any other dish.

Coat the jackets (inside and out) with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Bake at 180 deg C for 30 minutes, or till it starts to brown slightly.

Take out from the oven and fill the jackets with toppings of choice. Bake for another 10-15 minutes till the cheese starts to brown.

Serve as a snack or side dish with relish or mustard sauce.

Zucchini Pasta with Green Sauce

I find that Zucchini tends to feel soggy if you don't have them freshly-grilled, but as a replacement for pasta, it tasted delicious. Word of caution, use this as a side dish or salad because you will feel hungry soon after eating only this.


For the pasta, you'll need
1 large zucchini
1 red onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp oil
Pinch of chilli flakes
Seasoning
*You can also have it raw in which case you only need to season it

If you have a peeler that lets you peel the vegetable in strips then great, or use a regular peeler to get ribbons. You can use the ribbons as it is or manually cut them into thin strips to resemble pasta. I prefer to use the skin of the zucchini as well. It's healthy so don't throw it away. Peel it till the seedy core. If you want to use the core, then chop it up and add it to the mix.

In a pan, heat the oil, add the onion, garlic, and chilli flakes and cook till onions start to brown. Next, add the zucchini and season it. You don't need to cook it much - just a minute to get some flavour into it.

For the Green Sauce:
1/2 cup blanched and pureed spinach leaves
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Seasoning
Tortilla chips for crunch (optional)
*you could also add some pesto and/or cheese

Keep the spinach and avocado at room temperature and mix them together with the seasoning. Then add it to the pasta.

It is advisable not to heat the avocado but you could heat up the spinach with the pasta above then mix in the avocado after you take it off the heat. Or you could have it as a salad with all items at room temperature.

Add the cheese if using, and crush some chips on top before serving.

This serves 2 as a salad, and just 1 as a light meal.

Bombay Bruschetta

This is a mix of a classic bruschetta and a Bombay sandwich. The chutney base can be made and stored for a few days so it's also a good quick breakfast option.

For the chutney:
1 bunch of coriander
1-2 green chillies
2-3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Seasoning
1/2 cup water

Wash and dry the coriander leaves properly. Mix all ingredients in a blender and add water according to desired consistency. It should not be too watery else it'll get the bread soggy.

For the assembly:
Bread (hard bread like ciabatta or baguette)
1 finely chopped tomato
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves (optional)
Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Mix the tomato, onion, and seasoning in a bowl. You can either add the oil to it now or drizzle on top after assembling the bruschetta.

On sliced bread, spread the chutney and top it up with the salad mix. Drizzle the olive oil and add crushed pepper on top.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Potatoes

These are quick to prepare and easy to make with just a few ingredients.

You'll need:
500 gms potatoes 
2 carrots (cleaned and peeled)
A few sprigs of Rosemary or Sage
1 large Onion (peeled and cut in half)
3-4 cloves of Garlic
3-4 tbsp Olive oil
Seasoning

1. Par boil the potatoes (I put it in the microwave for about 5 minutes) - this apparently helps in absorption of flavours.
2. In a pan, heat the oil on high heat, add the garlic and herb of choice, quickly add the potatoes and carrots making sure they're coated in the oil. Season and remove from heat after 2 minutes.
3. Put everything in a baking pan and add the onion. Make sure the pan is big enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. They shouldn't be on top of each other else, it will not roast properly.
4. Put in a pre-heated oven to 200 deg C for about 40 minutes. Serve hot

Kale Salad done Two Ways

After reading so much about the benefits of Kale all over the Internet, I finally found a place that stores these leaves in Bombay. 

I assumed I would use it as I do any other salad leaf, wash, pat dry, dress, and eat. It is fortunate I looked up recipes for kale salad hoping for a new salad combo I could try. It turns out kale is not to be used like any other salad leaf...it is a much tougher variety. So, the first step is to get the kale ready.

For the Kale:

1 bunch of Kale
2 tbsp walnut or olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar or lemon juice

Wash the kale leaves thoroughly. I soak it in salt water for 5 minutes then rinse it our with fresh water. Remove the stalk completely - it is too tough to be eaten. Roughly chop the leaves and put it in a large bowl. 

Add the oil and vinegar, then with your fingers, gently massage the oil into the leaves for a minute or two. Leave this to marinate for 15 minutes at least to 24 hours at the most. It won't wilt like regular leaves.

I used half of the leaves for a dinner salad (top picture), and the other half for lunch (bottom picture) the next day. It still retained some crunch and felt fresh.

Salad 1:

A bowl of the prepared kale leaves

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped tomato (or a few cherry tomatoes)

4-5 walnuts

2 chopped figs

1 chopped carrot

2 tbsp Ranch dressing

1 bunch of other salad leaves (I used rocket and celery leaves)

Mix it all together. I like something crunchy and a hint of sweetness in my salad. Here, onion, walnuts and fig do that, but you can substitute (with something like apples or oranges) or remove any of the ingredients.

Salad 2:
A bowl of the prepared kale leaves

1 chopped tomato

3-4 orange segments (peeled and seeded)

4-5 walnuts

This is a much simpler salad. It can be used as a side but it was a filling lunch for me.

Baby Potatoes with Mustard Salad

This is a quick and easy recipe for a starter or salad...when you want some variety for your guests but don't to spend the whole day in the kitchen. It can be made in advance and kept in the fridge.

You'll need:
500gms baby potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp mustard (I like the grainy variety)
Salt/pepper to taste
2 tbsp thick yogurt (optional)
Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
Small bunch of chives or coriander (optional)

Wash the potatoes, cut them in half, and boil them in salted water till they are cooked (but not mushy). Remove from water and let it cool. Pat dry (if required) before adding the mustard and other seasonings.

Chopped Salad with Apple and Dill

Summer's here and salads are the best meal options for the season. I had read of an apple and dill salad, but that would've been very light on its own. So I combined it with my regular salad mix and it had a subtle hint of sweet and sour (?).

I prefer to chop up my greens and veggies making it easier to eat and it mixes evenly with the rest of the salad.

This makes for a meal for 1 or a side for 2.

Salad bits:
Romaine lettuce - 5-6 leaves
Rocket leaves - 1 small bunch
Dill leaves - 6-7 stems
Carrot (peeled and diced) - 1
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Apple (peeled and diced) - 2 small or 1 large
Cucumber (peeled and diced) - 1

Dressing:
Option 1: Light Ranch (store bought)
Option 2: Olive oil 3 tbsps with 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Chickpea Salad with Spinach and Coriander Dressing

This was a really easy and super YUM side dish, or in our case, our entire dinner.

1 cup chickpeas soaked overnight, and boiled till soft. Wait to cool. (or 1 can pre-cooked, drained)
1 sliced cucumber
1 sliced onion
1 boiled potato (optional)

The dressing:
1 small bunch of spinach leaves (about 15 leaves)
1 small bunch of coriander
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin (roasted optional)
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp Olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Combine the dressing ingredients in a mixer and blitz till smooth. Pour over the salad and mix well. That's it.

Baked Beetroot with Feta

This is a great appetizer - easy to make, healthy and delicious! I don't like beetroot normally, but I should be having them to increase my hemoglobin levels. I liked this dish well enough to eat a few pieces.

You'll need:
2-3 beetroots
Olive oil 3-4 tbsps
1tbsp cumin seeds
100 gms Feta cheese
Salt to taste

Peel and dice 2-3 beetroots. Put in an baking dish.
Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil

In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add 1 tbsp cumin seeds and fry till they sizzle.
Pour this on top of the beets, season with salt, and bake at 10 deg C for 30 minutes.

Chop pieces of Feta cheese and mix with the beets. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve as a mix or combine with picks.

Summer Salad

I had something similar at a restaurant and loved it, so tried to replicate it at home and it turned out quite well.
I love this salad because it makes me eat 2 things that I don't normally eat but I should beacuse they're healthy - beets and prunes.

Rinse out a bunch of lettuce leaves.
A good way to dry them is to take a few leaves and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and shake. It's a longer process but better than eating a soggy salad, or buying a salad spinner that takes up space I don't have to spare.

Add:
1 boiled (or baked), and peeled beetroot
1 onion
1 large tomato (or a few cherry tomatoes)
1 large carrot (peeled)
2 cucumbers
5-6 chopped prunes 
6-8 pieces of Walnut (broken in halves)
4-5 olives

Dressing (pour just before serving):
2 tbsp Olive or Flax seed Oil
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey

Cheese:
Top with either Feta or Blue cheese

Shawarma

Just hummus with pita is a snack, hummus with some cottage cheese and veggies is a tasty meal that is easy to make.

Make a batch of hummus.

Meanwhile, marinate for an hour in the fridge (or overnight if you have the time):

250 gms of cottage cheese (or boneless chicken cubes)

2-3 tbsps of yogurt

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder/roasted cumin

Salt/pepper to taste

Transfer this to a baking dish and slow roast it for an hour at 150 deg C, then at 200 deg C for 10-15 min so that the juices evaporate. But make sure to not burn the tops and keep tossing them every 5 minutes for the last 15 minutes.

For the salad:

1 beet: peeled, boiled and sliced

1 carrot, sliced

A few olives 

Start layering with the hummus at the bottom, then the salad, and top it up with the cottage cheese. You could even add some Greek yogurt to the base.

Serve with toasted Pita bread

Hummus

I love hummus, and it feels good to indulge because it is also very healthy.
We made this and had it with baked thins from the leftover pizza base dough.

For Tahini:

2 tbsb sesame seeds roasted lightly in an oven or on a pan (they shouldn't brown)
2 tbsp olive oil

For Hummus:
Tahini
2 cups boiled chickpeas (they should be soft enough to mash with your fingers)
3 cloves garlic
3-4 tbsp water left over from the boiled chickpeas
4-5 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4-5 pieces of olives, sliced (optional)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Coriander/parsley to garnish

Blend the chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and the water...adding some more water if needed. The consistency should be of a smooth paste.
While serving, top with lemon juice, olive oil, olives, chilli, and top with the greens.

You could also use this as a dip for salad, spread for sandwiches, or pasta dressing.

Grilled fish with Baked Potatoes and Red Cabbage Salad

A great dinner option is something light but filling. It is also quite easy to make.

For the potatoes:
Potatoes sliced. Toss it in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes. Bake for about 40 minutes at 200 deg C. Around the half way mark, flip it around for an even texture.

While that is getting ready you can prepare the other two items.

For the salad:
1 small red cabbage
2 onions
A splash of vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Some oilive oil
(Boiled corn kernels optional)

Heat up the oil and add the onions. Stir till they start to get a little color, then add the cabbage. Cook till soft...about 5 minutes. Then add the vinegar and honey and cook till the liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool.

For the fish:
Fish fillet
Olive oil to coat
Salt / pepper to taste
Breadcrumbs
Cornflour to coat (only if required to soak up moisture)

You can marinate the fish in oil, salt & pepper for an hour or so but if you haven't had the time, it doesn't matter. Just coat the fillets with oil and seasoning, and dip it in a plate of breadcrumbs and press it so that it is evenly covered on both sides. If you feel that there is excess water, then coat the fillet with some cornflour before the breadcrumb layer. I didn't need to use any extra oil to grill it.

The whole process took me less than an hour!

Som Tam

I usually do not find all the ingredients readily to make authentic non-Indian food, so I have to make do with alternatives, or I just skip the ingredient altogether if it is not crucial. Here's a version of the Som Tam (Thai for Papaya Salad) in the absence of fish oil and shrimp paste.

1 medium-sized Raw papaya

Roasted peanuts (whole or crushed)

Some red chili powder

1 green chili, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2-3 tomatoes, chopped

Handful of basil leaves

Bunch of coriander

Soya sauce

Honey

Lemon

Olive oil (or fish oil if you have it)

The raw papaya should be slightly yellow in color to be used. Peel it, remove the seeds and grate it, or use a potato peeler to get thin strips. Just throw all the rest of it in together. You can play around with the quantities to make it more spicy, tangy, or sweet. Add salt if you need to...usually the soy sauce compensates. The original recipe calls for mixing it up using a mortar and pestle to get the juices flowing. Try it if you have it!

Adding raw beans or sprouts will make it more wholesome.

Cous cous with Aubergine and Blue Cheese

Cous cous is a great form of pasta...mainly because it cooks in 5 minutes flat. Moreover, I am always looking for recipes that include some mint since I have a mint plant and I need to use it often, else it will wither. This is a nice light meal in itself, or a good side dish for some grill.

About half a cup of cous cous (pour some boiling water in it, and after 5 minutes...Voila!)

1 large Aubergine cut in thin slices

1 Onion, chopped

Handful of mint

Some Blue Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Oil (preferably olive)

Juice of 1 lemon

Firstly, grill the aubergine slices and season with salt/pepper. This is the most time consuming part, but make sure it is cooked evenly on both sides. The cut the pieces in quarters.

The cous cous is cooked by just the boiling water. Use a fork to fluff it and separate the grains as much as possible.

Then comes the best part...you simply put in all the ingredients (including a dash of olive oil) together and mix. Add and subtract the quantity of the ingredients as you prefer. I like more of veggies than cous cous.

Sprout Hummus

Here's an alternative to the 'normal' recipe, not that we need one, but I had a bag of mixed sprouts lying around.

I added the following in a blender:

1 cup mixed sprouts

some garlic cloves

4-5 teaspoons of roasted sesame seeds (or Tahini if you have some...I didn't)

a bit o' ginger

a spoon of ground cumin

juice of 1 lemon

some olive oil (you'll need some more to sprinkle on top as well)

water (for a paste-like consistency)

Blend it all into a smooth paste. top with some olive oil and serve with some toast or fresh salad.