All posts filed under: Main Course

Coq Au Vin with a Twist

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 Coq Au Vin simply means Chicken in Wine. The French sure know how to make simple things sound so ooh-la-la. Traditionally Coq Au Vin is made with red wine and mushrooms. This recipe however is made with white wine and green olives. The result is simply delish! Use chicken pieces with the skin on – this gives it a lovely brown color on the outside, while keeping the flesh inside nice and juicy. Serve it with some mashed potatoes or some buttered carrots to make a complete meal. This takes 50 mins tops to make, so if you want to impress the family on a weekday… I’d say go for it. Coq Au Vin with a Twist Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 1 kg Chicken, cut into serving pieces 1 Onion, sliced 12 Garlic cloves, to taste, crushed 1 tsp dried Thyme 2 cups dry white wine 1 cup pitted Green Olives (16-18) 1 bay leaf 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1-2 Tbsp Butter Salt and Black Pepper …

Spirulina Spaghetti with Garlic Butter

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Spirulina is a blue-green algae which is being developed as the superfood of the future. Spirulina is 70% complete protein in comparison to beef which is only 22% – it has all amino acids in complete balance. That being said, you can imagine why I fell for the fancy all organic packing of the spirulina spaghetti. I thought I’d toss it with Garlic butter to serve as a simple sauce so that the flavor of the spirulina can shine through. And shine through it did… actually all I could taste was the spirulina! It was a completely new taste on my palate… sea like, veggie like, earth like…. I don’t like!!! The co-resident graciously took a small portion and insisted that he was really full. I on the other hand had to prove that I had an iron gut and frankly bit off more than I could chew! On the whole … what’s life without a little jolt to the palate once in a while?? Recommended for the earth mother loving organic farming people who …

Prawns in Garlic Butter

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Like most seafood dishes this one is non fussy and just divine tasting. Well, the fate of anything doused in butter is sealed – the final result has to be Fantabulous! I use fresh prawns which I clean and devein myself… yes its fishy business, but somebody’s got to do it. Frozen prawns are fine as well, but it tends to be less juicy. Prawns can be just as easily substituted with mussels, lobster, crayfish or calamari. You can eat this as a starter or serve it on top of homemade fettuccine. Either way it’s a weekday winner. Well anything you can whip up in 10 minutes flat should be right?? Prawns in Butter Garlic  Prep time: 5 mins Cooking time: 5 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 400 gms Shrimp 4 Tbsp Butter 25-30 cloves Garlic 1 Tbsp Mustard paste 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 8-10 Peppercorns A few sprigs Parsley Salt (if needed) What to do: Wash and drain cleaned shrimps thoroughly. Chop parsley finely, keep aside. Crush peppercorns. Grind garlic to a rough …

Too good to be true Pesto

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 What would you say, if I told you that I had the best Pesto recipe ever??!! Impossible right, cause I’m not even Italian, nor can I trace any of my roots to that hallowed land of food. (Ya, sometimes I dream I was Italian, eating their food everyday … bliss, bliss.) But I DO have the best pesto recipe. The result of trial, error, trial, error, consultation of many books and amalgamation of the best tips from the net – I give to you – Too Good to be True Pesto. I can’t even tell you it kicks store bought pesto’s ass because that would be like comparing a diamond to a piece of coal! I’m not claiming its authentic, I’m not even claiming that its by the book, but what it is, is heavenly green awesomeness that I could wrap my tongue around and ride off into the sunset with! Am I getting carried away? No, No, No… when you’ve found the holy grail of pesto’s wouldn’t you be shouting it out from the …

Chicken and Mushroom Pie

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Comfort  Food! This is a classic one. The smell of tender chicken and veggies in a hearty sauce, simmering away on the stove … pure rustic joy!  There are days when you want to eat fancy restaurant food and other days when nothing but a home cooked meal of goodness will do. Well, this is for the other days! I make this often, not just cause its yummy but cause its really easy as well. Actually it’s easy cause I skip the pastry crust on top. I know its cheating, but who wants the unnecessary calories? OK fine… that’s a lie as well… the truth my darlings – ready pastry is not available in India. Well not the cheap variety anyway and it’s a pain to make short crust pastry in a hurry. I’ll give you the pastry recipe however, for lazy Sundays when you can luxuriously knead the dough till it cries foul BUT today my friends I’m going to enjoy this sans the frills. (Eg: Minus Pie Crust , Add Dinner Rolls). Its …

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

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I made this as soon as I got back from my holiday, but posting it has taken me this long. You know how January is … tying up all the loose ends and brushing away all the lint from the previous year! Anyway I was lusting for some more seafood (The Lankan Hangover I like to call it!) and Fish and Chips always hits the spot. The recipe is so easy I would like to think a kindergarten kid could pull it off (except the frying bit which needs parental intervention). That doesn’t mean you start getting your kids to work in the kitchen…I wouldn’t want to be promoting child labor on this site now would I? Anyway they will be thanking you for this… it’s got a whole fast food aura to it, though you’ll always know its way healthier. Our little secret!  Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 8 fillets of Sear/ White fish (800 gms in total) 1 Lemon …

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 …

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 …