Me and My Gusto

Let’s enjoy, let’s have fun…….can be interpreted in different ways, it could be about having fun at a particular place, enjoying  somebody’s company, rejoicing different occasions or in my simple ways – watch a beautiful sunrise in the morning along with my family at the beach, having dinner on the open top floor of a parking lot, while watching firework’s, or just pull two chairs out in our backyard, have our drinks in hand and something spicy to eat, watch the stars and share some tales of those young old days, now nothing can beat that……

We all have our own ways to enjoy, but we forget everything in the chaos of our daily duties……a never ending story. I am not asking to let go off something to have some good time, but sincerely asking to make time.

The greatest gift you can give yourself is a little bit of your own attention. -Anthony J. D Angelo-

The joy you experience, when you are happy, cannot be compared with anything in the world, everything around looks pleasant, problems don’t look hard to solve, and truly the level of confidence is at its peak.

I am a little selfish in this case I make sure I do something that
keeps my mind/heart happy. Me happy, everybody happy. Can be anything, just ignore my dirty dishes to enjoy a good movie, or just go window shopping, DV is safe here because spending was never my criteria, just being out, out of those daily stuff.

Call me selfish (because sometimes I do use our family time to do the incomplete work…..hahahha) or careless or just lazy, but I like it. I like to
just quit everyday work and goof off.

A lazy recipe but truly nutritious, something I make once a week………

Cauliflower and broccoli stir fry

Cauliflower and broccoli are low in fat, low in carbohydrates but high in dietary fiber and vitamin C. Low carbohydrate dieters can use cauliflower as a reasonable substitute for potatoes. Both retain all nutrients in these preparation methods such as steaming, microwaving, and stir frying. Avoid boiling them.

Cauliflower and broccoli stir fry: Makes 3 to 4 servings

• Cauliflower                                    1 pound (a small cauliflower)
• Broccoli                                          1 pound
• Ginger                                             1 tbsp (small pieces)
• Green Chilies                                5 to 6 (as per taste, I like it spicy)
• Mustard seeds                               1 tsp
• Cumin seeds                                  1 1/2 tsp
• Split black gram/urad                 1 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric                                        1/2 tsp
• Salt                                                  as per taste
• Olive oil                                          1 1/2 tsp
• Cilantro                                           for garnish

Directions:

Cut cauliflower and broccoli in to small florets, bite size ones. Peel and chop ginger into tiny pieces. Slit green chilies and chop cilantro.

Heat oil in a deep wok or a shallow skillet. Add mustard seeds, wait till they pop. Reduce the heat to medium or little below medium high, now add cumin and split black gram, fry till the gram is light brown. Add green chilies and ginger, fry for another 45 secs. Time to add the florets, turmeric and salt. Mix them well and cover with a lid. cook for 3 mins, mix once in the middle. Now uncover and cook for another 7 mins, stirring frequently, this is to make sure the pieces are all evenly cooked. Garnish with cilantro.

Depending on the size of the florets, the time may vary. Don’t overcook, remember the food is still cooking as long as it is hot. If you think it’ll take another 1 min or so to cook, turn of the stove.

 Lets enjoy it as a breakfast with 3 egg omelet or as lunch with dal and rice or as dinner with dal and roti. Yuuummmmmm

Puzzles me, how things work around us, how each person reacts to a situation in different ways, how some things are taken for granted, how the day starts and ends and finally how we are still puzzled even at the end of all the chaos……………….

Can I be in control in all kind of situations, now this is something I like to talk….but I won’t start, it will get difficult to stop. But, yes…to a very decent extent.

The beautiful part of all this………..

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.               -Robert Frost-

Rather than thinking why, I am used to thinking why not, it only sharpened the optimist side of me. Situation gets better or worse depending on how we handle it. Some need more consideration, whereas for some, we give unwanted attention. To prioritize is the important key. Put yourself as the focal point and start spinning right.

Now when it comes to hosting a party too, there is tension, anxiety, cluelessness and like few others would say, it’s a nightmare. Solving this puzzle was my best past time. Let me help you put this puzzle together….Make The List of everything needed for the party, I seriously mean writing it down. Puzzles can’t be solved in mid-air………

Stuffing up your head with all To do things would only lead to a headache, put it down on a piece of paper for some peace for yourself. Everything looks very clear and at times may even look much easier to handle.

It worked wonders for me, growing up with a notepad and a pencil…..hahahaha

A beautiful puzzle I solved long back and my favorite:

Cucumber Boats

I would consider this as an Appetizer salad, something light to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal. But if not stopped would seriously fill you up too.
Presentation is a key factor to attract guests and it’s not difficult to do too. Come up with color coordinated menu, garnish every item or just make the tableware attractive.

pleasant colors, pleasant mind and a very pleasant party………..

Cucumber Boats: Makes 6 servings (2 piece each)

• Cucumbers                               6 whole (5 to 6 inch ones)
• Carrots                                      3 cups grated
• Oil                                              1 1/2  tablespoon
• Mustard seeds                         3/4 teaspoon
• Green Chillies                          3 to 4 (as per taste)
• Peanuts                                     3/4 cup coarsely grounded
• Coconut Flakes                       1/4 cup (fresh or dry)
• Salt                                            3/4 teaspoon (as per taste)
• Sugar                                        3/4 tablespoon
• Lemon/lime                            1/2  or 2 tsp
• Grapes                                      for decoration
• Green bell pepper                  for decoration

Directions:

• Peel the cucumbers, cut them in to 2 halves horizontally.
• Scrape of the seeds, don’t throw them away, kids love them..
• Put these pieces of cucumber in the fridge, so that they stay fresh.
• Cut the bell pepper/ capsicum in strips to be used as sail.
• Have the grapes ready too.
• Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
• Heat olive oil on medium high in a deep saute pan.
• Add mustard seeds, wait till it starts to pop,
• Reduce the flame and add green chillies, fry them for 15 seconds
• Add grounded peanuts and coconut flakes, fry another 20 seconds
• Add grated carrots, salt and sugar, slowly mix them for another 5 mins or 3/4 done
• Switch off the heat, now add the lemon/lime juice.

Filling is ready for the boats.

Let the filling cool. Hot or warm filling would spoil the crunchy cucumber and make it soft, even shedding water.

Cucumbers could be uneven, to make them stable, use a peeler to peel some layer in the bottom. Fill them and decorate… use toothpicks to hold the grape and to make the sail.

Puzzle solved

Enjoy the crunch with your favorite drink for the evening………..

“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

Never ever thought being caught in the Web would be sooo exciting. Not sure whether I am caught in the web or spinning one of my own, which ever it may be, it’s giving me a great buzz…….

Love eating out but amazingly loved eating out alone, before I got married. Wondering how somebody can eat alone, I hated sharing ……….was very difficult.

Made it very clear to DV that it’s not going to happen, me and sharing, no way……..can’t even think about it. But things do change, and they change for good.

“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” -Ronald Reagan-

Now what can I say………………

My time changed in a snap, here I was talking about not sharing and then saw myself cooking, ofcourse for DV’s friends or I would say my extended family, almost every weekend.

Enjoyed every bit of it, it was like a caterer in the making. Different people different tastes, incorporated everything for wonderful evenings.

My Gusto – My passion for cooking began…………..

Eating healthy and healthy eating are 2 different set of words with totally different meaning. Let me make it easy to understand, eating healthy is like eating good, nutritious and healthy food, but whereas healthy eating is eating good, nutritious and healthy food in a controlled manner or in right proportions.

This is what I meant when I said we were healthy but not fit in my earlier post. Took some right decisions and turned our stirring the right way, thanks to my coach who made me realize it.

Amazingly wonderful and healthy recipe for chilling evenings:

Turkey/Chicken meatballs

Turkey is relatively a new addition to the world’s protein menu, and it’s great. It’s generally a white meat, and packs more flavor than chicken. It is low in fat, high in protein, an inexpensive source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins.

In this recipe turkey can be replaced with chicken, and no, it is not going to mess the taste, they are both equally good. As I would say “don’t be scared to try”.

Turkey/chicken meatballs – 4 servings as appetizers

• Lean ground turkey                   20 oz (1.25 lbs)
• Minced Onion                             3/4 cup
• Minced bell pepper                    3/4 cup
• Kotmir/Cilantro                          1/2 cup finely chopped
• Green chillies                               4/5 (according to taste)
• Ginger garlic paste                      3/4 tablespoon (both in equal quantity)
• Turmeric                                        1/2 teaspoon
• Garam masala                               3/4 teaspoon
• Corriander powder                       1 tablespoon
• Salt                                                   to taste
• oil/non stick spray

**optional:Can replace green chillies for red chilly flakes or ground black pepper. Try each once to know the difference.

Garam Masala: Blend of ground spices- I used Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, except oil, in a mixing bowl. Take a flat nonstick saute pan apply (not pour) oil to it or just spray nonstick oil.

Apply little oil to the hands to avoid too much sticking. Make small balls and arrange them close, in the pan. Put a tight-fitting lid and let it cook in medium flame . Cook till the water comes out of them(8 to 10 mins). Now take off the lid and slowly separate them with a spatula. Increase the flame and keep on turning them slowly till the water evaporates. NO liquid…. VOILA!!!! you are done cooking.

Different ways to make/eat:

• Make it like patties for burgers
• Make it like links/sausages for hot dog buns
• Or just toss these meatballs in some spicy/tangy sauce and serve with your favorite salad

Cheers for chilling evenings……………

After all the wait or should I add, and laziness, “Me and My Gusto” finally made it to the blogging world. This is something I wanted to do for a long time…. 

Newly wed, flew in from India with my tall, dark and handsome 13 yrs ago. When the plane lands at Detroit, just before we get to the gate, my sweetheart tells me ” don’t get mad, we don’t have a home, will have to stay with some friends…………..and the adventure begins.

Its been 13 beautiful years with all kinds of adventures or should I quote “Variety is the spice of life”.

Its a NEW DAY everyday…………….

“Me and My Gusto” !!! I am sure many of my friends and to be friends would wonder why Gusto, stumbled on the word while searching for something synonym for passion for food. Never ever thought I would be blogging about food, and specially how to make them.

Grew up in Hyderabad, the place for food lovers, this is where my favorite quote comes to life, variety at its large and enough to spice up any ones life each day.

I learn atleast one new thing everyday, from a book while browsing it, from my kids while being around them, from near and dear ones I land up talking to….But there is one thing I have learned which keeps me going….you have to love yourself.

Lets stop about Me and start something about My Gusto. Cooking, partying, having people over is very normal at DV’s.  After I got married my name has become synonym to food, 7 yrs later I am known for food, did catering… now its obvious, right!!!

Going through a phase of getting strong and fit, were healthy always but not fit. Into high protein kind of diet or low carbs, which ever suits.

Here I present my first piece of art:  A very simple but nutritious item

Bagara Quinoa

Quinoa is known for its nutritional value, high in protein, magnesium, iron, good source of calcium and dietary fiber. It is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

For us it is an alternative to white rice. Mostly anything you make with rice can be replaced with quinoa. When a new item has to be made, not everybody is comfortable. For me it is easy to remember when I see or its hands on. Don’t be afraid to try. It can be made with ease and quick. Quick fix for your hunger and guilt free.

Bagara Quinoa – Makes 4 servings

• Quinoa                             2 cups
• Mustard seeds                1 teaspoon
• Jeera/Cumin seeds       1 teaspoon
• Peanuts                            1/2 cup
• Split urad dal                  2 teaspoon (split black gram)
• Sliced Onion                    1 large (sliced lengthwise)
• Green Chillies                 4 to 5 or according to taste
• Curry leaves                     4 leaves
• Turmeric                           1/2 teaspoon
• Kotmir/Cilantro              to garnish
• Lemon/lime                     1 whole
• Salt                                     to taste
• Olive oil                             1 1/2 tablespoon

Directions to cook Quinoa:

Rinse quinoa with your hand and pour off the water, can use a mesh strainer too. Transfer drained quinoa to a cooking vessel, add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, now cover with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat down to simmer. Cook till the water is almost gone (10mins). Switch off the stove and let it sit for another 5 mins. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork.

To make Bagara quinoa:

1. Heat olive oil on medium  in a deep saute pan.
2. Add mustard seeds, wait till it starts to pop, then add Cumin.
3. Add peanuts and fry them, (don’t burn them), now add split urad dal, wait till it turns light brown.
4. Add onions, green chillies and curry leaves, saute them till onions are transparent.
5. Add salt and turmeric, saute for another 1 min
6. Add fluffy Quinoa, mix it gently, once properly mixed, get it off the stove
7. Add the lemon/lime juice and garnish with kotmir/cilantro.

Can add more lime juice for a tangy taste or offer individual pieces of lime.