Author: thefoodporndiaries

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

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We generally buy our seafood fresh from the local market and nothing can really beat the taste of the sea. However there is no shame opening up a can of tuna for a quick weekday meal. Considering the fish was a favorite of the ancient Phoenicians (And the Greeks and Romans loved it as well)…it’s already got a good reputation. With all the Omega3 that doctors keep saying we need to incorporate into our diet, this fish is heart healthy! I found this recipe in my cooking bible – The Family Circle Cooking Encyclopedia.  So there’s really no going wrong. The co-resident and I give this one a thumbs-up! So does Muesli, who thought the can of tuna was for her… 🙂 Pasta with Tuna and Capers Cooking time: 20 mins Serves: 4 What you need:500 gms Pasta¼ cup Olive Oil4 cloves Garlic, minced225 gm Tuna drained60 gms Butter1/3 cup Lemon Juice2 Tbsp chopped Capers½ tsp chopped Chilli What to do:Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender. Heat …

Muesli and my new Canon 500D

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I know this has nothing to do with food… but considering I just upgraded from my old kodak of 5 years ( I know I know.. tsk tsk.. practically a fossil) I can’t help but gloat. No food pics on this post.. just one of my darling baby Muesli. (Yes, I named my cat after cereal! But what do you expect from a foodie?!) Hopefully I can turn out some better pictures with this one… Wish me luck!

Lemon Rice (Chitranna)

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This post is for ‘someone’ who asked me recently, whether I had locked my kitchen up as he dint see any new posts on the blog 😛 Considering that ‘someone’ is also a Vegetarian and South Indian … this recipe should appeal to him. Lemon Rice is something that mom made in a jiffy for breakfast IF – she was out of time or there was rice leftover from last night’s dinner. So as a teenager I used to ho and hum when I saw lemon rice on my plate. But now I completely understand the lemon rice logic – it’s a healthy, simple, no wastage dish. Not to mention for all the ho-ing and hum-ing it was and is delicious! Lemon Rice Prep time: 15 minsServes: 4 What you need:1 ½ cups Rice (uncooked) / 2 ½ cups cooked Rice1 Onion sliced1 Lemon (Juice of)3-4 green Chilies½ tsp Channa Dal½ tsp Urd Dal½ tsp Turmeric½ tsp Ginger paste½ tsp Mustard seeds4 tsps Oil6-7 Curry leavesSalt to tasteHandful of peanutsGrated coconut to Garnish What to …

Spinach and Corn Quiche

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This quiche recipe is for all the non-meat eaters who obviously ignored my Bacon and Mushroom Quiche recipe. This recipe is also for everyone who likes a nice chewy cheesy quiche. So basically this recipe is for everyone 🙂 Spinach and Corn is one of those excellent combinations that you can’t go wrong with. The colors compliment each other as well – yellow and green. I’ve told you all about quiches before – savory pastry with a filling of your choice. If you buy ready pastry shells then you can roll out quiches in minutes. Perfect for a weekday! Spinach and Corn Quiche Baking time: 25 mins + 10 minsCooking time: 15 mins Serves: 4What you need:For Pastry1 cup plain Flour75 gms Butter, choppedLarge pinch of saltWater For Filling2 cups blanched and chopped Spinach leaves1 cup crumbled fresh Cottage Cheese3/4th cup Sweet Corn kernels3/4th cup Milk2 Tbsp Cream1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese½ tsp dried Oregano2 Tbsps ButterSalt and PepperWhat to do: To Make Pastry: Place flour and butter in a cold bowl. Rub together until the …

Panchamrutam – The five Nectars

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South Indian festivals are an excuse to indulge in food of the sweet and heavy kind. One of the staples is ‘Panchamrutam’ which means the five nectars. This is prepared as a festive offering and is a medley of all things sweet! It’s a sugar high to say the least and considering this is what we offer our Gods they must be getting off on the sugar buzz! Anyway there are no fixed five ingredients though Milk, Curd, Honey, Ghee, Fruits (esp bananas), Coconut and Sugar are interchangeable. My recipe is almost a fruit salad, but with a holy twist! Bless you… Panchamrutam Prep time: 10 mins Serves: 10 -12 What you need: 2 Bananas 1 Apple 2 Guava 1 Sweet Lime (peeled and segmented) Handful of Black Grapes Half a Pomegranate (peeled and separated) 500 gms Thick Curd 250ml Milk 2 Tbsp Ghee 1 Tbsp Honey 5 Tbsp Granulated Sugar What to do: Wash and dice the apples, guava and Bananas. Peel the Sweet lime and segment it. Remove seeds and transparent layer as …

Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in a Brown Sauce

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This is the kind of steak I remember eating as a kid, when there were no fancy restaurants in Bangalore and Chicken pepper steak was a special treat. You will still get this type of food in a Tiffany’s or Juke Box, but other restaurants have upgraded to more sophisticated versions. I found this recipe on a homely site – wholesome food, no pretence. It sounded very similar to the days of yore, so I gave it a shot and here’s the result. (Sorry for the pictures, I was too hungry and dint bother about appropriate lighting!) The brown sauce is great, I salted it a bit too much though. So just add your seasoning at the end. And don’t forget to go back in time to some childhood foods you can never forget! Happy Reminiscing! Chicken Steak with Mushrooms in Brown Sauce Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves: 4 What you need:   4 X 200 gms Chicken breast pieces Marinade: 1/2 tsp crushed Black Pepper 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp …

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes

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First of all I would like to apologize to my beloved food – The Egg. I’m surprised I haven’t done a post on it as yet! Eggs are so versatile and so tasty and kind of a staple in the diet, so it’s easy to overlook them. Egg whites are often considered the perfect source of protein because the body uses 100 percent of the nutrients they provide. Plus they are free of saturated fats and excess carbohydrates. The egg yolk (the best part according to me) is jam packed with nutrients. There is a controversy with the cholesterol bit, but the doctors are changing their stance now to saying its OK to have about 4 yolks in a week. So there, we’ve tackled that bit. Remember when we were kids and we had half boiled eggs in a cup? Well, this is the more sophisticated adult version. According to me, serving anything in a mini ramekin is très chic 🙂 Baked Eggs with Tomatoes Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 15 mins Serves: 4 What …

Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

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I’ve already extolled the virtues of mushrooms in another blog post, so it would be a waste of space to do it here. So let’s talk about the much maligned garlic. People shy away from garlic-flavored-anything cause of the strong smell. Even a big wad of gum can’t get rid of it easily. But if you knew that garlic is fantastic for a healthy heart and even ups your immunity, you would probably give it a second chance. I on the other hand, am a lover of garlic. Give me stinky garlicky nosh every day. 🙂 Actually this isn’t a stinky dish at all. It’s so earthy and comforting that it reminds you of rain on a hot summer day. Poetic huh? The fusili on the other hand adds the ‘twist’ to the tale. The End. Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 30 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 200 gms Mushrooms (diced) 10 cloves of Garlic (chopped) 11/2 Tbsp Butter 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 cups Milk 2 Tbsp …