Tag: bread

Go on and try some Bread based meal
Bread is one of the oldest foods which people use in their daily life. It is available all around the world anywhere and anytime. It is the simplest and the easiest option available to the people whenever they are hungry and are not in a mood to do any type of effort. It is a type of staple food which is prepared by mixing water and flour together. The dough we obtained is then baked and given its ordinary shape. Since from the emergence of agriculture, it has found its existence and till now it has come up wide varieties which are differentiated on the basis of shape, size and color. Bread is sometimes taken as the most popular snack item and sometimes it is used as ingredients in our dishes. It is hard to believe the fact that bread has found its existence in religious rituals too in Europe and East Asia.

Bread is a rich source of carbohydrate and at the same time it consists of various other nutrients such as iron, magnesium, Vitamin B and fiber. Regular intake of bread will tends to increase the overall intake of grains in our body. So to maintain the regular amount of grain and carbohydrate in our body we must take the bread or dishes involving bread into our meal. To defeat the hunger, bread dishes are the best way as they are very easy in their preparation and at the same time it fulfills all the demands of our stomach. . Bread can also be used as an ingredient in various other preparations like bread crumbs are used to provide crunchy and crispy crusts. Some common bread recipes which are popular all over the world are:

Bread Patties:

It is a very famous snack which was originated and firstly prepared in Maharashtra. It is perfect when eaten in rainy season along with the cup of tea.

Ingredients:
- Chickpea and rice flour
- Red chili powder
- Baking Soda
- Carom Seeds
- Turmeric powder and salt
- Potato and green chillies
- Ginger paste and chat masala
Preparation:
- Heat oil along with mustard seeds, pinch of hing, ginger garlic paste and salt.
- Add green chilies which are chopped, turmeric powder and salt together.
- Add chat masala to the boiled potatoes.
- Take a bowl and add besan, rice flour, red chili powder, carom seeds, salt and any other spices if needed.
- Mix and add some amount of water and prepare a batter.
- Cut bread into a shape required. Spread the prepared potato filling on the slices evenly.
- Dip potato filled slices into batter and fry till it gets golden color.
The patties are ready to be served with tamarind chutney or mint chutney.

Bread Roll:

A Bread roll is hot and crispy in nature and is very popular in the northern parts of India.
- Large Potatoes and Green Chillies
- Pinch of hing and garlic paste
- Turmeric powder and salt
- Lemon juice and oil
- Coriander Leaves
- Bread slices
Method:
- Initially blend green chilies and garlic together and make a paste.
- Grind to make that into a coarse paste.
- Heat oil and add hing along with the paste prepared above.
- Also add turmeric powder to it.
- After this heat is turned off and the mixture is mixed with the mashed potatoes.
- Add potatoes with salt and lemon juice and mix it well.
- Then take the slices of bread and trim its edges.
- Dip slices into cold water and drain out all the excess water.
- Now take that potato mixture and roll it out into a desired shape.
- Stuff that roll in bread slices.
- Fry till it gets golden color and then absorb all the excess oil from it.
- Bread roll is ready to be served..!
Bread Cutlet:

Bread cutlet is a very appetizing and tasty dish liked by all the children. It is usually prepared on several occasions like parties, picnics and sometime eaten as an evening snack too. They are crispy and crunchy in nature.

Ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Green chili
- Ginger piece
- Red chili powder
- Garam masala
- Mustard seed
- Oil and Salt
- Slices of bread
Method:
- Heat oil and add mustard seed and curry leaves. After 10 minutes, add mashed potatoes along with green chilies, ginger, red chili powder, garam masala and salt.
- Now make small round balls from that mixture.
- Dip slices into cold water and drain out all the excess water.
- Cover the balls with the slices of bread and evenly spread the mixture.
- Now heat the oil and let the cutlet to be fried in it till it gets golden in color.
- Take them out and sprinkle out the chat masala over it.
- Serve the cutlet with green chutney.
So if your mouth is craving for something chatpata.. And you are only left with bread, then go on and try these simple recipes to prepare a bread based meal.
July 30, 2014
Simple Side Dishes!

A side dish is as important as the main dish.

Simple Sides add on to the value and taste of the star of the meal, that is, the mains. Without them, the mains might have lost a considerable amount of their zing.

Be it mashed potatoes, baked beans, dinner rolls, couscous, rice, bread, macaroni and cheese, salads, baked potatoes, French fries or soups – all are delicious sides and compliment wholeheartedly their respective main courses.

In a restaurant, the side is usually included with the combination meal, as for example when you order the Chicken Zinger Meal in KFC, you are served French Fries (the side) along with your Chicken Zinger Burger (the main).

While ordering a sumptuous Sizzler at, say, Peter Cat, the simple sautéed vegetables serve as your side dish.

Here are Eight Simple Sides for you:

(Enjoy!)

Garlic Bread Toasts

Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 12

Great side with: Broad bean bruschetta

Ingredients: 2 ciabatta loaves, 140g butter (softened), 4-6 garlic cloves (crushed), handful parsley (chopped), 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan

Directions: Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Toast the crust side for 2 minutes until really crispy. Mix together butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Spread over the cut bread halves. Sprinkle over the Parmesan. Just before serving place on a baking sheet, then cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes until toasty and lightly golden. Let it cool for 1 min before cutting into thick slices.

Cracked Potato Salad

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Great side with: Bbq

Ingredients: 750g small new potatoes, 4 tbsp white wine, 2 tbsp olive oil, a small sliced red onion, 3 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

Directions: Boil the new potatoes for 15-20 minutes then drain and return to the pan. Lightly bash each potato with a masher or fork so they are cracked but still whole. Return to the heat and pour in the white wine. Boil fiercely for 2-3 minutes until most of the wine has evaporated. Stir in the olive oil, small thinly sliced red onion and roughly chopped parsley. Season and toss together.

Sweet Potato Chips

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Great side with: Homemade burgers

Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes (scrubbed and cut into large chips), 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, freshly grated nutmeg

Directions: Heat oven to 200C.In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato chips with oil and soy sauce. Transfer to a shallow roasting tin and season with black pepper and nutmeg, if you like. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crisp.

Pea Mash and Mint Vinaigrette

Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Great side with: Fish

Ingredients:

4 spring onions, knob of butter, 1 head Little Gem lettuce (leaves shredded), 250g frozen peas, large bunch of mint, ½ glass white wine, 5-6 tbsp double cream

For the dressing- 3 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar, 100ml light olive oil

Directions: Shred the spring onions and soften in a pan with the butter. Add the lettuce leaves, peas, half the mint, white wine and a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes.Stir in the cream, then purée until smooth. Return to a pan to keep warm.Finely chop remaining mint leaves. Add vinegar, then whisk in the oil in a steady trickle. Season.Cook the fish to your liking and serve on the pea mash with a trickle of mint vinaigrette.

Wild Rice Salad

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 5

Great side with: Spicy Stews

Ingredients: 250g pouch microwavable wild rice, 1 red onion (thinly sliced), small handful of sultanas, 3 carrots (grated), zest and juice 1 lemon, 1 tbsp honey

Directions: Heat rice according to the pack instructions. Put onion and sultanas in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Leave to stand 1 min, then drain and stir in rice and carrot.Mix in the lemon zest and juice, honey and seasoning, and then serve.

Sweet and Sour Kale with Garlic and Anchovy

Time: 10minutes

Serves: 4

Great side with: Roasted Lamb

Ingredients:400g kale (shredded), 4 tbsp olive oil, 4 garlic cloves (sliced), 2 anchovies (chopped), 1 tsp golden caster sugar, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Directions: Cook the kale in a large pan of boiling water for about 4 minutes until just tender. Drain, then place the empty pan back on the heat with the oil. Sizzle the garlic and anchovy, and then add the sugar and vinegar and bubble for a moment. Toss the kale back into the pan to reheat, and then tip everything into a side dish.

Roast Tomatoes with Pesto

Time: 20

Serves: 4

Great side with: Lemon Rubbed Salmon

Ingredients: 6 large ripe tomatoes, 50g fresh basil, 25g toasted pine nuts, 2 garlic cloves, 100ml olive oil, 25g freshly grated parmesan

Directions: Heat oven to 190 C. Halve the tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer, cut side up in a roasting tin.To make the pesto: put the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and whizz to a paste. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the parmesan, then season to taste. Spoon about 2 tsp pesto over each tomato, and then roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender. Serve with grilled lamb and a crisp green salad.

Wilted Chicory with Melted Taleggio Cheese

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Great side with: Pork Sausages

Ingredients: 2 heads white chicory, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 small shallot (chopped), 100g taleggio cheese, pinch of dried oregano

Directions: Preheat the grill to high. Trim the chicory and cut lengthways into quarters. Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat and soften the shallot for 2 minutes. Add the chicory quarters, cut side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn them over, cover the pan and cook for another 3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.Slice the cheese, arrange the pieces over the chicory and sprinkle the oregano on top. Slide under the hot grill for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.

July 7, 2014
Here is why you should stop eating bread

Bread is one such food item which we extensively use in our daily life. It is prepared by mixing flour with water. The mixture obtained is then baked. If you will look at the history of the bread you will find its existence in almost every civilization. People find bread as the easiest food option available in front of them, so whenever they feel hungry, they eat the dishes made using them. But most of the people are not aware that the white bread consumption affects the human health in many ways. It simply means that bread isn’t healthy at all and you should start avoiding bread instantly. Many research conducted on this topic have yielded the same result. It is so recommended by the dietitians to stop eating bread and instead go for other food items which are available. We will hereby give you some of the adverse effect which bread can cause on the human health.

Bread is a rich source of the protein named as Gluten which has the properties found in glue and it is responsible for the viscoelastic properties of the dough. It has been proved in various research conducted worldwide that those people who regularly eat bread have the excess amount of Gluten in their body. This in turn seriously damages the digestive tract which results in lots of pain, tiredness and inconsistency in stool. The Gluten also causes disorder in brain and people get affected by the cerebellar ataxia disease. So you should stop eating bread and go for other options that are available.

People believe that bread is made using grains and is healthy for the body but they are not aware that it is not made using actual whole grains. They are made using grains which have been pulverized so as to get fine flour. Because of this process the breads gets digested easily and moreover the starch present in the bread also breaks down and so they enter as glucose into the bloodstream. This results into the steep rise of the insulin and blood sugar which is not at all good for human body. Again when the blood sugar level comes down we feel hungry. That is why people who are dieting and those who are affected with the blood sugar disease should avoid it instantly. Moreover if the blood sugar level is above the permitted value, it results into the formation of glycation and it is one such component which results into aging.

Bread is deprived of any sort of nutrients which is beneficial for the human body. Bread contains fructose which if present in access amount affects the health. This is proved worldwide that bread has sugar in it which is not at all healthy. They also have phytic acid in it which is generally known as the anti-nutrient. This phytic acid if present in the body makes the minerals required by the human body for growth and development to get stick to each other and so they do not get absorbed. The human body produces two types of cholesterol. While one is bad for the human health, other one is actually good and its presence is required. If you are a regular bread consumer then it is likely that the LDL cholesterol of the body will increase by 60 % which is quite a big figure and for your information LDL cholesterol is in fact the bad cholesterol which we have in our body. So it makes you prone to the different diseases such as the heath and lung diseases.

In all the bottom line is bread is not at all good for you as it is not at all nutritious. If we compare bread with other food items which are easily available to us, bread lie below them in terms of essential nutrition and minerals that they provide. Since the acid formed due to the bread consumption damages the intestinal lining, the absorption of the minerals and nutrients is not carried on by the human body and consequently its deficiency causes various diseases.

While this may be a bad news for all those people who love to eat bread or the dishes made using breads, it is for their own safety and healthy body that we hereby ask them to stop eating bread. It is not that you should completely eliminate it from your diet but then the frequency with which you eat bread and bread products must be decreased. So the next time you feel like eating bread, just remember that it will not only affect the functioning of your digestive system but will also not allow you to lose weight. We have given enough evidence which clearly states the adverse effects the human body. Other than bread there are various food items which are available and if you will eat those then you will certainly have a healthy body. So go for those and stop eating bread. Stay healthy.

June 26, 2014
La Cucina Romana
When in Rome, do as The Romans do. Meaning it is polite, and possibly advantageous, to stand by the customs of a society when one is a visitor. But of course, if you’d rather literally do as The Romans do, whether or not in Rome, the best place to start is food.

Tasting the various flavours of the place you are visiting is one of the best ways of saying “I come in peace” and also, the best way to enjoy. All you need to know is what you are eating and all you need to do is try to find out how it is made.

Roman cuisine is the cuisine of the city of Rome, in Italy. Rome is city that is generally referred to as an empire. Though size has a major role to play in that title, it is also so called due to the widely spread culture. Roman food has grown through centuries of social, political, and cultural changes. The city became a chief gastronomic centre during the ancient times. Since Rome was, in many ways, a derivative of Greece, ancient Roman cuisine was highly influenced by Ancient Greek culture. The empire’s constant and enormous expansion exposed its people to new culinary habits and cooking techniques.

The most original and traditional Roman food can still be found in Testaccio Rione. Gladly, you needn’t go all the way.

PASTA

Pasta is one major constituent of Roman food. There are various shapes of pasta, the most common being Spaghetti. There are others like Fusilli, Gemelli, Lasagna, Linguine, Macaroni, Orecchiette, Penne, Ravioli, Riccioli, Rotini, Tortellini, Tripolini, Vermicelli, Tubini, Zitti and many, many more.

However, the diversity in pastas doesn’t come from their shape alone, but also from their sauces.

Agrodolce is a traditional sweet and sour sauce. Its name comes from “agro” meaning “sour” and “dolce”, meaning “sweet”. Agrodolce is made traditionally using vinegar and sugar. Sometimes, additional flavouring is added, such as wine, fruit, or even chocolate. It is served over rigatoni or wide noodles, such as pappardelleand can also be served with salmon or lamb meat.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
METHOD
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame till it shimmers
2. Sauté onions until they turn golden brown and crisp-tender. This takes 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt
4. Cook until sauce is syrupy. This usually takes about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
Arrabbiata sauce is a pasta sauce meaning “angry sauce” in Italian. It is so named because of its spicy nature.

Arrabbiata sauce with Penne pasta

INGREDIENTS
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/8 cup red wine
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2bsps tomato paste
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 peeled and diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley
METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in wine, sugar, red pepper, basil, lemon juice, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, black pepper and tomatoes. Bring mixture to boil. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in parsley.
4. Serve with the hot cooked pasta of your choice.
It is a myth to think that Roman cuisine consists of pasta alone. Sure, they eat pasta all the time, but not as a main course. In Italy, pasta is actually more of a starter (primo). It is eaten in very little quantities, followed by the main course (secondo).

BREADS

In Rome, bread varies in quality depending on the flour, which depends on the grain used, the setting of the millstones and the distinction of the sieves. The very best bread is made from wheat flour and the very worst is from bran alone. Traditionally, bread loaves were cylindrical yet somewhat flat, like a coffee cake, but shape is hardly a fixed parameter now.

The types of bread include
1. Libae—small rolls
2. Panis Primus—cheap, coarse grain bread
3. Panis Secondus—Bread one step above Panis Primus
4. Panis Plebeius—Common Bread
5. Panis Castrensis— Army Bread
6. Panis Sordidus—Dark Bread
7. Panis Rusticus— Country Bread
8. Siligineus— White Bread.
Legumes like beans, green peas, chick peas, lentils, etc. were also added to bread.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

The common fruits eaten by Ancient Romans are almonds, plums, walnuts, apple, figs, pomegranates, filberts, quinces, grapes, chestnuts, pears. Fruits were generally eaten raw, dried, preserved, and cooked. They were generally dried and preserved for winter. However, this is not the case in modern Rome. Nowadays, all sorts of fruits are eaten all over the world and Rome is no exception. Vegetables were eaten in variety too—artichokes, garlic, beans, lentils, onions, parsnips, peas, pumpkins, radishes, melons, cabbages, cucumbers, lettuce etc.

BEVERAGES

Wine was a major beverage, considered as a symbol of richness and prosperity. It was always watered down. Romans never drank wine straight. It was taken in small quantities with breakfast and in moderately large quantities during the main meal—Cena. Cena was taken between lunch and supper. Supper was generally a light affair, but wine was mostly taken during Cena.

Other beverages included:
1. Calda, which was a mixture of warm water and wine laced with spices. It was typically a winter drink.
2. Mulsum; honeyed wine.
3. Posca; Vinegar diluted with enough water to make it potable. It was a soldier’s or a slave’s drink.
MEAT AND FISH

Roman meats included Beef & Veal, pork, lamb, sausage, snails, sucking pig, hare, goat kid, venison, mutton, boar, mackerel, mullet, crab, eel, flounder, hake, lobster, rays, octopus, oysters, perch, duck, swordfish, flamingo, fig-peckers, dove, partridge, peacock, pigeon, thrushes, crane, goose, ostrich, etc.

The poor Romans could seldom afford meat. Out of the listed, pork was considered a great delicacy. Peacocks were served to impress guests at dinner parties and you were considered a happy guest if you belched loudly. It was a “polite” gesture, stating that you enjoyed your meal.

Well, after having read the scrumptious list of foods the Romans savoured, all one can say is Buon Appetito!
June 15, 2014
Basic and easy DIY snacks.

Morning blues are very real and in fact would remain so till you retire. From the moment you enter the secondary school, getting up in the morning is a bane to be faced and dealt with. Might as well do it head on. How ? Well, with food of course. For those lucky few who have breakfast waiting on the table when they get ready and have a mother hen forcing them to eat, please stop reading the misery of those who are on their own. Life outside home is more about understanding the value of a MOM and a Home cooked meal than anything else. Having had six year experience staying away and fending for my own meals, I bring to you few tricks for putting together a happy meal so that the day starts of just right and morning blues get a nice surprise. After this you will defiantly not jump up to the idea of getting up, for lets accept it, sleeping is all the more fun, but it will help you deal graciously.

POHA.

Among the easiest to make breakfast or snack ever. All you need is boiled potatoes, chopped onions, challis, salt, sugar, turmeric and poha of course. The meal starts with boiling the potatoes, chop them in eatable pieces once you are done. By the time have the dry poha soaked in water; add little salt when you do this. After the boiling, sauté the chopped onions, add turmeric, challis, chopped potato and salt. Stir till you get a faint yummy smell. In case you need a more specific indicator, make sure the turmeric is spread in the mix, the onions look slightly reddish. Now add the poha after straining the water. Make sure you dislodge the lumps formed in the poha. Now mix the poha into the pan. See the yellow color spread and the delicious smell waft through the house. Add little sugar, more like sprinkle it. Sprinkle few drops of water on the dish, turn down the flames and cover the pan for few minutes.

TIP: this tastes all the more delicious if you add sev on top with few drops of lemon. A cup of piping hot tea/coffee won’t hurt at all.

Bread Poha.

This is called a Friday poha or the leftovers dish for this dish uses all the things most likely to be leftover with you at the end of the week. Simply replace the poha with bread pieces, no soaking required! Cut them into pieces and add to the onion, potato chili, salt and turmeric mix. It tastes just as good and more interesting.

Boiled Corn.

Now this has been a rescue item to me and I have seriously strong feelings for the dish. Just get an ear of sweet corn, shell it out and boil them. Add salt at this point for your taste. In time when the corn is boiled, you can check with putting a fork through it or just taste one, one just needs to strain out the excess water and the perfect snack is ready.

TIP: a dollop of butter will go a long way into making the dish irresistible.

Sprouts

This is same as boiled corn. Do not get into the hassle of bringing in unshrouded ones and then do it yourself. Chip in additional 10 bucks for already sprouted and ready to cook kind of deal. Add all the spices like salt, chili powder turmeric to make the basic version. One can add tomato, onions etc. to spice it up. Get the taste of it and then experiment. Lemon drops won’t hurt either.

Eggs!

Probably a go-to dish for youngsters on their own. Boil them for a nice English feel, poach them or make a nice omelet. Practice making a sunny side up for a delightful breakfast. Make it Mexican style of Indian way; egg is a versatile way to start your day. IF you love to cook, French toast is one of the most loved snacks. Have a go at it.

Mashed Potatoes:

This is a little fancy and really easy way to get your meal ready. Boil a potato, add salt while boiling. They mash it. In an aluminum vessel, cook the potato with milk, chili flakes. This is the most basic way to do it and among the easiest way as well.

Bread delight.

Get a loaf of bread and then let the creativity flow. Go for classic bread butter, bread jam or a toast. Go nuts with Nutella or peanut butter sandwiches. For the health freaks, add on your veggies. OF make boiled egg sandwich. If you have a pan, then put the breads on the pan slathered with ketchup. Add grated cheese on it. Cover the pan for some time. And you have a delicious cheesy snack ready. It is hassle free, cheaper than a pizza and a move over the same old sandwich.

This concludes the easy snack tips. Look out for the one about easy lunches/dinners. Happy munching!

June 11, 2014