"Everyday Cooking"- Field Green Salad with Nectarines,Gloden Raisins,Nuts and Feta cheese

I was a pretty 'healthy' eater until I was pregnant with 'A'. I had severe aversion towards some foods in pregnancy and ate only what 'comforted' my stomach.Now you know what comforts a stomach don't you?????.....Calorie rich... Carbohydrate rich foods!! I ate cold sweet cereals and milk 3 times a day, I ate warm cheesy pastas, steaming hot rice with ghee ...
Now, I am trying to get back on track. I highlighted trying....because IT IS DIFFICULT to give up all that good food!!!! But with inspiration from my new friends 'G' and 'S'...the path to 'healthy eating ' seems 'walkable'!

Ingredients:
Any field greens of your choice like -Romaine lettuce, Arugula with Radicchio etc
2 unripe Nectarines (The juices will run out if they are too ripe)
Handful of toasted Almonds and Walnuts
1 tbsp golden raisins
1tbsp Feta cheese
1 tbsp Low fat 'Thousand Island dressing'- only a slight drizzle (I like its creaminess with fruits and nuts...but you can use 'Vinegrette' style dressings too)
Salt
Black pepper

Method:
1) Wash all the greens and chop.Drain well
2) Slice the nectarines.
3) Put everything together and add salt and pepper and Dig in!

"Everyday Cooking"- Cauliflower Potato Soup

Last week was all about 'colds' and 'coughs' in the house. M and E both were down with cold. Since 'E' started preschool, he comes with a new cold almost every week. A friend mentioned that something with lots of 'black ground pepper' can help colds...and since a steaming hot soup can surely do that...I put together this soup.Actually I would rather have made a 'broth' based soup, but I did not have the right veggies and all I had was cauliflower and potatoes.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely chopped Cauliflower
1/4th cup boiled mashed potato
1 cup whole milk
1cup water(add more depending on how thick you want the soup or just use 2 cups milk)
1/4 cup shredded cheese(I used Cheddar and Asadero blend)
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/2tsp garlic paste
1/2tsp Black ground pepper
Red pepper flakes
Croutons
Cilantro
Salt
oil

Method:
1) Heat 1 tsp oil.Fry the cauliflower till tender.
2) Add garlic paste and onions and fry till tender
3) Add the mashed potato, milk, water, black pepper.Boil together till the veggies are cooked. The soup should be semi thick consistency.
4) Add 2 tbsp cheese to the soup.Use the remaining for garnishing.
5) Garnisg with red pepper flakes, cilantro and serve hot along with toasted crunchy croutons.

                        Serve steaming hot with extra dash of black pepper!

"Everyday Cooking"- Chicken Chettinad/ Paneer Chettinad

For a long long time...Chicken Chettinad is on my 'to do' list. 'V' and 'P' had mentioned about this dish that they had in a restaurant in NJ and how delicious, spicy and mouthwatering it was. I hadn't had 'Chettinad' so far.I tried it couple months ago and..yes...it was love at first bite!!!
Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of 'Chettinad' region in Tamil Nadu State in South India.
This recipe was passed on from V to P to me. I made few changes here and there and made this amazingly delicious, aromatic ( my house smelled of Chicken chettinad the whole day!)  dish. By the way...I also had 'Paneer Chettinad' the other day at an Indian restaurant. So all you Vegeterians out there...you can substitute Chicken for Paneer in the recipe.

Here is V's recipe and some modifications by 'me'

Part A: In a tsp oil fry the following and make a powder:

Whole Pepper: 1 tsp/ I used ground pepper
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds: 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds: 1 1/2 tbsp
Red chillies: 6 Nos
Cardamom: 2/ I used 1/2 tsp powder
Cinnamon: 1 inch piece - 1/ I used 1/2tsp powder
Grated Coconut- 1/4th cup
Poppy Seeds- 1tsp

                                              Powdered masala for the Chicken Chettinad

Part B:
1)Oil - 2 tbsp
2)Onions - 2 Big finely chopped
3)Curry Leaves 10-12
- Saute until oil oozes out and separates

4)Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
5)Tomato - 1 Medium
-Saute till the tomatoes soften

6)Chicken (1.5 lbs) or USE PANEER for Paneer Chettinad
- Cook on high for 3 - 4 min, then reduce to med;
Salt
Add Part A : as desired - either all of it or as little as u want.
- Cook uncovered until it all comes together like a dry masala.
Add Cilantro

DONE!!!

Serve Hot with Rice, Rotis or Naan.