“Blown away…”, can’t take less than that for a compliment, but that would be something for me to maintain. Now for a lazy like me by nature, there has to be some pressure. I do my best in these kind of conditions. So the spinning continues……….

And that’s what happened, the urge to impress DV was phenomenal, though not required, in his words. For him I was already wondrous.

From day one each dish, each drink, each………… anything he had, made by me, I have received a feed back. He is the biggest critic I have known and the one who would never step back to appreciate a good one.

“To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art.” -Chinese proverb-

And so the artist in me was never willing to give up. I had gifted myself a beautiful book much before I got hooked, “The Foolproof Cookbook for Brides, Bachelors & Those Who Hate Cooking” by Rohini Singh. Now that was simplified Indian cooking.

As the book says,” Create a menu “, isn’t that simple. And so, I did, saw how quick I could finish the biggest chore ever,”COOKING”. Its just mere planning.

Things got easier, hosting was never a problem. Being a host came very natural to me. It was easy to take over any party. Seeing friends and family relaxed and having fun always gave me a high.

Time for my Dinner plate……….

Dhania Chicken

Dhania, also known as cilantro, Chinese parsley or coriander, like many spices, contains antioxidants, which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with this spice. A study found both the leaves and seed to contain antioxidants, but the leaves were found to have a stronger effect.

Chicken, now what can I say special about this, it is the world’s primary source of animal protein and a healthy alternative to red meat, providing 67.6% of the daily value for protein in 4 ounces.

In this recipe I have used chicken tenderloins. It can be replaced with thinly sliced chicken breasts.

Dhania Chicken: Makes 4 serving ( 6 oz each)

• Chicken                         1.5 lbs
• Plain yogurt                  1 cup
• Turmeric                       3/4 tsp
• Coriander powder       1 1/2 tbsp
• Ginger & garlic paste  1 tbsp
• Green chillies               5 to 6 (as per taste)
• Kotmir/Cilantro           2/3 cup
• Lime Juice                    1 1/2  Lime
• Salt                                 to taste
• Oil                                   1 1/2 tbsp

Directions:

In a deep bowl, marinate chicken with all the above ingredients. Let it sit for 10 mins.

Preheat oven to 400F

Take a baking vessel (no pan), this will stop any liquid from spelling and hold it close to the meat so it stays moist. Wrap it with aluminium sheet for mess free cooking or just spray non stick oil.

Place the pieces side by side and drizzle over the remaining marination. Bake for 25 mins. You may see some liquid around the pieces, it’s ok, it gets soaked up. The meat stays moist.

Never leave any food after the cooking time in the oven, it gets overcooked or dries up.

DONE DONE DONE……….Serve with your favorite salad and a bowl of plain yogurt, the dinner is ready. I wouldn’t miss a glass of wine with it……

Guilt free, protein rich dinner……… ENJOY