Breakfast idea

This Saturday morning breakfast turned out to be a bit out of the ordinary...it was so instantly liked by all,that it may well become a part of future breakfast /brunch ideas !
I had some leftover sundried tomato and black olive tapenade...too small a quantity to make a meal out of,but i thought maybe it would work as a spread for toast, so i set it out this morning and paired it with chive omelets and whadya know...it worked ! No waste and everyone felt like they had a 'pampered breakfast' so win win !!!Worked great with egg white omelets too...even better i thought !
If you do try this combo and you love it like we did,let me know !

Ingredients-makes for 2 omelets
Eggs -2
Milk-5 tbsp
Chives-chopped-1 or 2 tbsp
Salt,pepper,olive oil
Tomatoes-deseeded and quartered(optional)
Method:
In a bowl,add the eggs,milk,seasoning and whisk well with a fork.
Add in the chives and whisk
Heat a flat pan,with a little olive oil
Pour in the egg mixture-half,for 1 omelet
With a wooden spoon draw the liquid in,so that the liquid egg in the middle will flow outward and cook,this ensures that the omelet stays fluffy and moist.
Just when it starts to set,if using,add the quartered tomatoes...a crack of fresh black pepper..turn off the flame
Fold the omelet and serve hot !
Repeat with the remaining half of the egg mixture.
Note: If you want a more hearty omelet,you can also add in some grated cheese(cheddar) or some bits of ham or bacon would go well too !

Beetroot Salad with mint and lemon

Beetroot salad

Nivedita's version of the salad with bell peppers !

Beetroot Salad with mint and lemon

As mum used to say, this should put some colour into your cheeks ;)... I still believe her !

Ingredients:

Beetroot -3

Onion -1

Mint leaves-10/12

Lemon-1

EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)

Feta cheese (optional) -30 gms

Salt and pepper

Method;

Steam the beetroot whole,for about 15- 20mts,skin and all.

When cool,peel and slice into discs of medium thickness.

Spread it out on a baking dish

Slice the onion into circles and scatter the onion rings over the beetroot.

Drizzle about 2 Tbsp of EVOO,add salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Roast/Grill in the oven on medium heat for about 15 mts or until you see the edges of the onion and beetroot turn colour...that's my favourite part !

Meanwhile,roll the mint leaves and chop finely,they will be in long strips

Once the beetroot is done,Scatter the mint leaves,add a dash of lemon juice(to taste)

Crumble the feta on top ,if using and serve.
.I made the beetroot salad for lunch,minus the feta...glad i shared this recipe because it was perfect for a hot day...or as an accompaniement to a heavy biryani meal...Lol !...a palate cleanser ,if u will ;))


The second picture is a slight variation of the beetroot salad,by adding red bell peppers made by a salad lover...looks good too :))

Salad trivia

PLT is Pink Lemon Tree...a very special person who lives across the seas requested for some quick salad recipes and i'm happy to oblige because the salads i make are super easy and quick quick ! So,do try the PLT salads...and do add your suggestions/recommendations please !

The one thing that i must stress on while adding raw onion is to add it at the very end,as cut onions have the properties to draw in bacteria from the air and can make you sick,very often it's the onion and not anything else that leads to an upset tummy or in worst cases food poisoning....or you could try the alternative and do as some members of my family and few special friends do...and that is to avoid the 'offensive' (to some ;D) vegetable altogether...so dunking in lime juice is a great way to use in salads or use it just before you eat !

Tangy green mango salad

This one is a salad I make ever so often...it came into existence one afternoon when I had mum over for a simple lunch and hurriedly wanted to add a refreshing salad for a hot summer afternoon and has become well liked by family and friends alike :))

One of the things about being a foodie is to read up about chefs and learn about various cuisines.When you get an opportunity to show a celebrity chef around your city,it's an exciting experience,for sure ! Karen Anand,I discovered is more than a foodie,a famous chef etc...she is also with all her successes a very grounded and warm human being,eager to learn in a different environment and see what best she can get out of that study ! The 'know it all' attitude is non-existant which made it very easy for my family and friends to interact with her and want to be a part of her idea for a farmer's market !

Showing her around the city is one thing but having her over for a meal did unnerve me a bit.Then good sense prevailed,a true foodie is looking for one thing,clean well prepared food that tastes good...to a world traveller such as her,typical  family favourites,I decided were the way to go...so we started with a tangy mango salad with green mangoes from my tree,refreshing for this time of year,I'm sure you will like it too !

Mango salad

 

2. Tangy green mango salad-serves 6

Ingredients

Green mango-1 

Carrots-5

Onion-1 

Chaat masala-1 Tbsp

Lemon juice-juice of 2 limes

Method  

Halve the mango,peel the skin and make fine juliennes..long thin strips of mango...it's a bit of work at first but worth it !

Make similar fine juliennes of the carrots ...mix with the mango and set aside

Slice the onion also into long ,fine,thin strips and soak in the juice of 1 lime/lemon

After about 10 minutes...add the onion to the mango and carrot

Add about a Tablespoonful of chaat masala and give a good mix...check for seasoning...add or reduce as you prefer !

Something this simple and easy,will you believe i have served it at dinner parties,simple lunches,pot luck meals and I'm amazed every time how well it goes down with most people...so as humble as it is,I just had to share this one :)) 

  

    

Lettuce cup salad

 This picture was taken at a kids' competition...when u do find a good head of lettuce with firm leaves,there is no need for a container,the lettuce leaf will form the cup...but as this was made by little hands, for the first time,a bit of precaution was necessary ;))

PLT Salads for every day 

Salads,have fast become a meal,they are quick to make,have endless possibilities...so it's perfect for the creative cook and to top it all off...can be super healthy...a win win ,if you ask me :) !!!

1. Lettuce cups with cherry tomatoes,corn and olives in a honey mustard vinaigerette

Now,this recipe will always bring a smile to my face,it was conjured up in the kitchen with the youngest member of my family and consists of all things,the little one finds yummy ;)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Iceberg lettuce,washed ,soaked in cold water and pulled apart to form cups

Cherry tomatoes 20-25

Corn,boiled 2 cups/ if using tinned niblets,1 small tin

Black olives 4 Tbsp fulls(pitted and sliced)

Dressing-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil(EVOO),honey 2 Tbsp,White wine vinegar 1 Tbsp,mustard 2/3 Tbsp,depending on taste,salt,pepper,chilli flakes to taste.

Method:-

Halve the cherry tomatoes

Mix in the drained olives and corn...set aside.

Beat with a small salad whisk or a fork,the EVOO,honey,mustard,vinegar until it forms an emulsion where you cannot see the oil floating...add the seasonings...mix in to the tomatoes,corn and olives...just before serving fill it in the lettuce cups,serve in individual bowls/small platters...

The little chef suggests rolling it up and taking a big bite :)...however if u prefer,the lettuce can also be torn up and tossed together to be served on one big platter !   

Coriander and mint chutney

A simple refreshing twist on a coriander chutney
This is a recipe like many others that came into existence 1 hot summer morning...with time to kill and a bounty of coriander and mint...this recipe was born and to my complete surprise was loved by my family and also others who are used to food tasting a certain way...so i'm eager to know what u may think of this one !
Refreshing coriander chutney
A big hand full of coriander leaves
A big handfull of mint/pudina leaves
A teeny clove of garlic
a half cup of fried bengal gram (pottu kadalai)
Squeeze of half a lemon
Rock Salt to taste
3 green chillies(de seeded-optional)
water to grind
Method:-
 Please ensure that the coriander and mint are thoroughly washed and drained,please include the coriander stems...full of flavour :)
You may either use a blender or your faithful grinding stone,add all the ingridients,except the lemon ,pulse it if using a blender adding a little water at a time,until you reach the consistency of your choice...we prefer a paste that is neither runny nor too coarse.
If you are using a grinding stone,the chutney develops into a paste as fast as the hand moves,a totally different experience!
Taste at this stage,to adjust seasoning and spice...add the lime/lemon juice a bit at a time,tasting a teeny bit at every point...we like it quite lemony :)))
It's ready to eat at this stage,if you want to store it ,it keeps well in a tightly closed dish,in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
We like it as an accompaniment to idlis,dosas,uthappams or with bread..it makes a light refeshing sandwich
don't forget to smile while making it ;D

Memories

Today,my food journey is enriched every single day,with discussing food with my foodie friends who are fabulous cooks ,to finding ways to bring nutritious healthy meals to the table,while still staying true to my roots...it's an exciting time to be a foodie !
I would like to share my limited knowledge of everyday quick nourishing but fun food for people on the move,the ones that enjoy being in the kitchen,kids that are starting to venture into the unknown maybe slightly intimidating world of cooking and/or people that just want to eat the best food they can with the limited time on hand....i look forward to sharing stories/recipes with each one of you :)

Pic perfect !

Memories

Now looking back my interest in food started way back when i was very little,it had a lot to do with having a mum who was a fantastic cook and exposed our family to global cuisine even way back then 30 + years ago....Enid Blyton who always graphically described food in her stories,soon became my favourite writer,without me even realising it,as to why until very recently :))
Thew folk of the faraway tree,their mysteriously interesting food,the fairies,the lands of make believe all along with an aura of magic,did indeed romanticise food !

The begining...

Pink Lemon Tree...brings a smile to my face ! My home finds a use for the humble lemon at every meal...and yet every time ,feels like the first...new...different,so pink lemon tree,it is :))!!!