squeeze - Travels for Taste

Baked Salmon and a crunchy vegetable salad

December 21, 2012 by manjirichitnis 1 Comment

This is probably my simplest ,fastest and yet very tasty AND healthy meal option. All you need is 2 slices of salmon some salad leaves and a hotch potch collection of any thing that can yumm up a salad! Few Minutes in the oven and hey Presto ! a healthy meal is ready to tuck in.

What I love about the after feel of this kind of a lunch or dinner is that it leaves me full and satiated and not feeling bloaty or heavy or drowsy for that matter!

So my ingredient list goes like this , but honestly for the salad just use any combination of leafy stuff and spices that you have in your fridge and cupboard and slam them together to make your own accompaniment!

2 slices of salmon fresh
2 thick slices of lime to wedge into the fish and a large slice to splash over the salad.
one spoon olive oil
Mixed italian herbs to season the fish – better if you have fresh herbs
crushed black pepper and rock salt to sprinkle
some capers for seasoning
Salad leaves of your liking I use the mix leaves packets from the supermarket – rocket,spinach,lettuce mixed with some peppers and red onion sliced for some colour, crunch and taste.
Cherry Tomatoes
A cheese slice – anything that you fancy
Some onion flakes to dust over the salad

This meal takes lesser time to cook than it took me to write this blog post 🙂

Method:

place the salom piece on a foil, lightly drizzle olive oil , wedge a slice of lime in between and sprinkle sea salt and crcaked black pepper and a generous sprinkle of italian herbs, mine came out of a bottle.
Give the Salmon just enough time in the oven to cook, fish cooks fairly fast and these 2 slices took less that 7 minutes in a pre heated oven.
Once done serve the salmon alongside a generous helping of salad leaves and juicy cherry tomatoes,toss a few capers , tear some cheese to season, give another drizzle of olive oil and a big squeeze of lime ,finally add some crispy fried onion bits, finish off with sea salt.
Dig in and feel full inside and light and skippity on a full stomach.

P.S: of the time you save when you choose this light, easy and quick dish , grab that novel you have been waiting to get done with enjoy a relaxed afternoon curled up on the sofa…I did…:)

Cauliflower ani vatanyachi bhaji, Gobi Vatana Sabzi, Cauliflower side dish with green peas

September 5, 2012 by manjirichitnis 8 Comments

Cauliflower green peas Sabzi

I love cauliflower as a vegetable for its taste and sheer possibilities in the kitchen, my fav everyday vegetable to be eaten with chapatis is a mix of cauliflower and green peas in a spicy, semi-dry sabzi form. I used biryani masala to add a twang to my usual taste and the result was worth sharing:)

फ्लॉवर वाटाणा मसाला भाजी

Skill level beginner, basic

Serves :2 with rotis and curd to make a light meal

Manjiri Chitnis

Cauliflower and Green peas Masala Sabzi

5 from 2 votes

Easy, delicious vegetarian sabzi, an everday dish in a Maharashtrian home

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

1 medium-sized Cauliflower
4 tbsp Green peas
1 pinch Asafoetida/hing
1-2 Red Onions very finely sliced
3 – 4 Curry leaves
2 Green chillies
2 tbsp Biryani masala
1/2 Red juicy tomato
1 tsp Ginger paste
2 cloves Garlic very finely sliced
2 tsp Oil for tadka
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 Cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp each of Turmeric n Red Chilli powders
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Jeera Powder
Few Sprigs Fresh Coriander leaves finely chopped to garnish
1 tsp Lime Juice

Equipment

Kadhai or Work or saucepan
Chopping Board
Sharp Knife
Spatula

Method

Heat cooking oil in a Kadhai/wok/ saucepan
When the oil is hot, add the asafoetida and mustard seed, when the seeds start to pop add cumin seeds and the finely chopped garlic bits
Ensure the cumin seeds turn a toasty brown and then swiftly move on to the next ingredients
Next, go in with the fresh green curry leaves and green chillies followed by the finely chopped onion
Add the coriander powder, ginger and garlic pastes and stir well and allow it to become a sticky sort of paste
Then add the biryani masala and feel the explosion in the aroma as it marries well with the onion and spice paste
Then go in with the cauliflower florets and the green peas
Turn off the heat for a bit, sprinkle turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder
Season with salt as per taste
Turn the heat back on, ideally a low flame on the hob and a really low setting on the electric cooker
Sprinkle some water enough to wet the veggies and allow for some steam to form, this will allow the cauliflower to cook
Stirring occasionally, cook with a lid for about under 5 minutes
Check after first 3 minutes to ensure the cauliflower does not overcook
To serve, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine and a tiny squeeze of lime juice to add an extra twang
Best enjoyed served with hot puffy Polya (Marathi for Chapatis or Rotis ) off the hob!

Gobi Vatana Sabzi

I am linking my recipe, which happens to be my favourite fusion-Maharashtrian vegetarian recipe for Cauliflower and Green Peas Sabzi with In My Veg Box for May 2014 hosted by me for Nayna who Blogs at Simply. Food and Citrus Spice.

An Omelette with a twist

January 23, 2012 by manjirichitnis 4 Comments

Your regular omelette but better

What’s life without a bit of a twist I say!

So here’s one of my “different” omelette recipes, I love eating eggs in all shapes and forms and am more so obsessed with omelettes and scrambled eggs.

This recipe is for hungry morning times when you have a rumbling tummy and need time to hold the tummy quiet and prepare for rest of the day. It is a filling, satisfying yummy start to the day, I serve this with 2 slices of toast buttered with a generous blog of organic grass-fed butter and a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to wash it down 🙂

Ok so you will need the following ingredients and a really easy short process to cook this yummy egg omelette

An Omelette with a twist

5 from 6 votes

Fluffy, delicious egg omelette

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 6

Servings: 1 person

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Fusion

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

2 Eggs
1 large Red onion chopped lengthwise
1/2 Garlic cloves sliced very fine lengthwise again
1 Chicken Sausage
2 Green chillies
1 tsp Red chilli powder
Olive Oil as required or unsalted butter
Salt as per taste

Equipment

1 Non-stick frying pan
1 egg-whisk or fork
1 Spatula
1 Knife
1 Chopping Board

Method

Chop the red onion lengthwise and so also the garlic clove.
Heat frying pan over medium heat.
Sauté the red onion n garlic slices in a generous blob of butter on a pan until the onion starts to reduce turns a mild brown n stays ab it soft.
Transfer the onion and garlic onto a creamic plate and allow to cool down a bit.
Crack two eggs in a mixing bowl, beat them well using a whisk or a fork until you see loads of bubbles forming and the eggs have a nice thick consistency.
Now mix in the onions and garlic into the eggs, add the chopped chillies, red chilli powder.
Roughly chop the chicken sausage and add into the egg mixture, mix well
Heat the same frying pan on a medium add and add some more butter if you like, when the pan is hot , pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Cook with a lid for a few minutes, then using a wooden spatula loosen the omelette around the eggs, flip and cook until done on the other side without a lid, reduce the heat as required.
Serve hot with toasted sourdough smothered in butter, a nice strong cup of masala chai and some freshly squeezed orange juice or a slice of grapefruit.

Recipe Notes:

I like to chop the red onion and garlic lengthwise. Why, you ask? Because in an omelette the tiny square bits will loose themselves and vanish I like to chomp on and feel the taste of all the ingredients as I eat the omelette and appreciate each and every ingredient, it’s just so much more fulfilling and creates an immense feeling of happiness as a creator of a true mouth-watering masterpiece.
The red onion should be sauteed to the point it is still soft and light brown so that when you bite into it, it releases a sweet burst of onion taste on your palate.
Feel free to swap the butter for olive oil or an oil spray.
I prefer to use unsalted butter, I mean who wants to pump their body with extra sodium, not me, hellow normal blood pressure!
A fluffy, well-cooked omelette is a joy to cook and serve and even nigger pleasure to eat so it is imperative to get the timing of flipping it over absolutely spot-on and correct, it comes with practise and you will love it!
Feel free to innovate and improvise this recipe, throw in bits of sweet pepper, sweet corn, spinach that is about to go off, or some kale that is looking tired, add in your favourite cheese or not. I leave that to your imagination, creativity, and what is available at hand!

AAAHHH pure omelette pleasure.