Saut'eed Potatoes with Cumin and Thyme

This is really a very simple dish but at the same time very fulfilling, appetizing and not to forget very delicious at the same time. Usually this kind of dish is popular in more of the Vegetarian communities in the South Asian culture. Since spices such as cumin is not that used and consumed in the Western society or say in the continental cuisines, but it may come as a surprise to the Western communities as well as to how  easy the combination of the spices and yet how tasty it can be.

Like I said its a very simple and easy to prepare dish so hope yous guys give a definite try at making it.....please my high recommendations. Here are the ingredients and the procedure to prepare this dish.

PREPARATION TIME: 2 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 15-18 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS
800 g/ 1 lb, Charlotte potatoes
4 tbsp, olive oil
1 tsp lightly ground cumin
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves( you can substitute the fresh herb with any other herbs such as fresh coriander leaves/ dill leaves/ fresh rosemary)
Salt & pepper as to taste

Now,
. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8 minutes then drain well and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes.
. Heat the oil in a large saute' pan.
. Sprinkle the potatoes with cumin, (fresh herb of your choice) here i am using thyme and plenty of salt and pepper then fry fro 10 minutes, shaking the pan and stirring occasionally.
. Voila! the dish is ready to be served.
. Well, like i said this is a pretty simple and straight forward dish and you can have it as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to any main course.

The other more familiar dish to this dish which I am sure more of the gourmet' food consumers or say the westerners are familiar is, is the Sautee'd Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary. And its not that of a different dish than this, i say this because the procedure to prepare this dish is more over similar to the one i  just explained above...the only tweak you are going have to make is; just break 1 bulb of garlic into cloves and boil in their skins with the potatoes before saute'ing, leave out the cumin and replace thyme with chopped fresh rosemary. That's  about it.  So like i said earlier, its a very simple and easy to make dish hope you all will give it a try. And like always, enjoy & cheers. 

I will be coming with all the videos of the cuisines that i have shared with you guys so far, pretty soon. So if you have any suggestions, comments please feel free to share with me....I'd be more than grateful.

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Strawberry and Mozzarella Salad

I came up with this concept of putting up strawberry and mozzarella salad as an alternative to tomato and mozzarella salad because every member of our family was kinda like, "We've had enough of the tomato-mozzarella combination" so i looked in the refrigerator one fine afternoon i should say and there i saw some strawberries so thinking about all the disgruntle of my family members, especially my mum 'cos shes not allowed to eat as much tomato as she'd have liked because of her health reasons.

So there i was garnering some thought to it then i said to myself why not mix things up and instead of tomato i decided i put the strawberries in place of it. So here's how i made it. I know you all must be thinking this has already been tries and tested out several times but please check out my version.

PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4)

200 g/ 2 cups strawberries, halved

200 g/ 1 1/2 cups mozzarella balls

a few spring of fresh young basil or thyme

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil/or balsamic vinegar( whichever dressing u prefer)

Now,

. Mix the strawberries with the mozzarella and the fresh herbs( your choice of herbs) and divide between 4 plates.

. Dress with the olive oil or the balsamic vinegar and season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Well for some other variations we can also try these options.

#Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Just replace the strawberries with 200 g of halved cherry tomatoes.

#Melon, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Salad

Just replace the strawberries with 200 g melons balls and tear 4 thin slices of prosciutto into strips.

This is just my version dear friends, I am sure there's a whole lot of variations that can made into so if you wish to share or have your opinions on some of the recipes and articles that i have put up please feel free to share on the comments section. And like always, Cheers & Enjoy.

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Fresh Spring Rolls

Deep fried spring rolls are a firm favourite at Chinese restaurants and takeaways. This version is kinda adopted from a Vietnamese recipe and uses soft rice paper sheets stuffed with fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables, which is accompanied by a tasty lemon and chilli dipping sauce.

Preparation time- 45 minutes
Cooking time- 20 minutes

Ingredients
(8 1/2 inches) round dried paper sheets
Lemon and fish sauce- for dipping
Now, for the filling
Chinese dried mushrooms- 6
Thin rice noodles- 50 g
Fresh beansprouts- 250 g
1 small cucumber- cut into stripes
Fresh mint leaves- 2 tbsn (roughly torn)
Fresh coriander leaves- 2 tbsn (roughly torn)
Carrot- 1(grated)
Unsalted roasted peanuts- 2 tbsn ( coarsely chopped)
Now,
Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and put a plate on top to keep the steam in. Set aside for 20-30 minutes or until soft. Drain the mushrooms, discard the stalks and squeeze the water from the caps, then shred them finely.
Place the rice noodles in a bowl, pour over some boiling water and leave to stand, covered, for about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Soak the sheets of rice paper in a bowl of warm water, one at a time, for about 30-60 seconds until softened, then place on a clean dry towel.
To prepare the spring rolls, put a little of all the filling ingredients on each rice paper sheets, roll up the bottom half of the rice paper, fold in the sides and roll over to enclose the filling.
The spring rolls can be prepared about 20-30 minutes before serving. Cover them with the clingfilm and place in the refrigerator until required.
Serve the spring rolls with the Lemon and Fish sauce (click to read about the lemon n fish sauce)

This will make for about 8 rolls, serves 4 as a starter.
I will be posting the videos as well in the near days.....but in the meantime like always, Enjoy & Cheers.

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Perfect Asian Meal for The Summer

Spicy Duck Breast with A Blackberry Recipe

You don’t have to go to a restaurant to have duck for dinner. Many home cooks leave duck cooking to the professionals, but once you know the technique, cooking a large Muscovy duck breast is no more difficult than cooking a steak.


The Muscovy duck is a large bird compared with the Peking, which is sometimes called Long Island duckling because of the many duck farms that once dotted that region.

Muscovy Duck Breast 

Peking is the bird widely sold in Chinese restaurant, typically roasted. Muscovy duck is what you get in high-end restaurants, sometimes with the moniker “magret de canard,” sliced and sauced. The breast fillets are large, often weighing up to a pound, enough for two or three servings.

Blackberry Sauce...A bit Sweet N Sour

They are relatively simple to prepare; trim them a bit and season to your taste. It’s best to do this in advance of cooking but if there’s time, I like to do it a day ahead to really allow the flavors to penetrate.

Fragrant Chinese five-spice powder — a heady mix of Sichuan pepper, fennel, clove, star anise and cinnamon — is the ideal seasoning. Both sweet and spicy, it complements the meat perfectly, even if the preparation is, like this one, in the French style. Make your own or buy it in an Asian market.

Sweet Green Spinach

A cast-iron skillet works well to sear and crisp the skin side of the breast. On the stove top, it will cook in 10 to 12 minutes. (Grill the duck if you prefer, but make sure to keep dripping fat from igniting and scorching the meat.)

After you flip the breast skin-side up, look for the same clue as when cooking a steak: When juices appear on the surface, the meat is medium rare. Use a thermometer to be sure; it would be a shame to overcook it. Muscovy breast meat is quite lean despite its fatty skin, so it is best cooked to medium rare or it will be dry.

For an accompaniment, consider Asian greens stir-fried quickly with ginger and garlic. I found beautiful sweet-potato greens at the market, but the dish is just as nice with uncooked arugula or watercress, lightly dressed.

Whether the meat is served warm, at room temperature or cold, it’s the fat, juicy blackberries that make this a brilliant summertime dish. Some go into the sweet-and-sour pan sauce, while others look gorgeous perched atop the rosy meat.  

 ENJOY trying out this dish.

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LEMON AND FISH SAUCE

PREPARATION TIME 5 MINUTES
MAKING TIME 5 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
1/2 garlic clove, chrused
60 ml, fresh lemon juice
60 ml, Thai fish sauce
3 tbsn, light muscovado sugar
125 ml, water
Now,
1. Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Transfer to screw-top jar. This sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

The above quantity will make about 275 ml so you can always make the sauce as your requirement.
Its a very basic, simple dipping sauce which will be a very good accompanying sauce to any Chinese or say for any Asian snacks. Hope you guys give it a try and as always.....Enjoy & Cheers.

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Health Benefits Of Oriental Foods...especially for the Hot and Humid Season.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the world is a harmonious and holistic entity where all living beings are viewed in relation to the surrounding environment. Since ancient times, the Chinese have tried to explain different complicated phenomena by creating yin yang or the five elements theories. Man is part of the holistic entity, and takes his cue from nature. He is influenced directly and indirectly by changes in weather and needs to make corresponding physiological and pathological responses. For example, a change of season causes the rate, rhythm, volume and tension of the pulse to vary. The pulse tends to be taut in spring, full in summer, floating in autumn, and sunken in winter. TCM physicians will take this into account when distinguishing the abnormal pulse from the normal. The occurrence, development and change in the pattern of many diseases are seasonal such as wenbing occurring in spring, sun strokes in summer, dryness-related symptoms in autumn, and cold stroke syndromes in winter.

However, we can take active measures to prevent disease and maintain good health. One common method is to consume different foods according to the season. The Chinese widely believe that we are what we eat, and most dietary guidelines follow on from nature. According to TCM philosophies, if we imbibe seasonal foods that are similar in nature to the external environment, we remain in harmony with the environment, adapt better to changes in season and stay healthy. The basic applying principle is "nourishing yang in spring and summer time, and nourishing yin in autumn and winter time." The ancient Chinese realized that in accordance with seasonal changes, yang qi tends to flow outwards and occupies the body surface in spring and summer and therefore, the innards get relatively depleted of yang qi and need replenishing. At the same time, the weather in autumn and winter is cold and dry, and it is important to keep warm and prevent dryness. Through the methods of replenishing yin and nourishing dryness, TCM believes it is a way to build up energy and prepare for the coming seasons.

Spring
Spring is the season of new birth and new growth. According to TCM, spring belongs to the wood element and dominates liver functioning. If we don’t adapt to the changing climate in spring, we may susceptible to seasonal health problems, such as flu, pneumonia, or a relapse of chronic diseases. It is advisable to reduce the intake of sour flavors and increase sweet and pungent flavors as this facilitates the liver to regulate the qi (vital energy) throughout the body. Examples of recommended foods for the spring include onions, leeks, leaf mustard, Chinese yam, wheat, dates, cilantro, mushrooms, spinach and bamboo shoots. Fresh green and leafy vegetables should also be included in meals; sprouts from seeds are also valuable. In addition, uncooked, frozen and fried foods should only be taken in moderation since these are harmful to the spleen and stomach if consumed in large amounts. As cold winter keeps us indoors and tends to make us eat too much, people may develop a heat balance in the spring, which leads to dry throats, bad breath, constipation, thick tongue coating and yellowish urine. Foods like bananas, pears, water chestnuts, sugar cane, celery and cucumber help to clear the excessive heat.

Summer foods: tomato, wax gourd and lotus root.

Summer

Plants grow fast in summer. People act energetically, and the body’s qi and blood become relatively more vigorous than in other seasons. TCM claims that the physiological changes make the heart over-function, and there is too much yang qi flows outward to the exterior part of the body. According to the five elements theory, an over-functioning heart restricts the lung functioning, it is advisable to eat more food with pungent flavors and reduce bitter flavors; this enhances the lung and maintains the normal sweating mechanism in summer. Sweat is the fluid of the heart; excessive sweating scatters heart-qi and weakens the mind causing symptoms like being easily annoyed, low spirit, restless and sleeping difficulties. Foods with sour and salty flavors help to ease these symptoms. Summer is hot and rainy in some regions, which disturb the fluid and electrolyte balance of the body and lead to lethargy, weakness, fever, thirst, lack of appetite and possibly loose bowels. Some foods are recommended for keeping the body cool and balanced, such as bitter gourd, watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, mung beans, cucumber, wax gourd, lotus root, lotus seed, Job’s tears, bean sprouts, duck and fish. In general, the daily diet should contain more vegetables and fruit at this time so as to stimulate the appetite and provide adequate fluids. Warm and cooked foods ensure the digestive system work more effectively; too many greasy, raw and frozen foods can damage the digestive system and lead to a poor appetite, diarrhea or stomach upset. It is a Chinese tradition in summer to make soups for clearing summer heat, eliminating dampness and promoting digestion.

I have accumulated all these information just through my researches and surveys of some articles on the Asian foods so experts opinions on the above topic would be a great welcome. 

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