Monday 30 June 2014

Special July 4th Recipes - Happy Independence Day

Fourth of July represents birth of the United States of America as an altogether independent nation. As this auspicious day is falling on Friday, I am definitely gonna have a great weekend. My sister, her husband along with two lovely kids are gonna pay a visit to my place. The grand day must be welcomed by grand meal. I have already decided the menu. Hence, I will be selecting, quick and easy meal plus the meal that can be pre-prepared since I will like to share nuggets of my life with my sweet sister. They will be landing by brunch time. Just have a look at the goodies, I have decided for them. I will be celebrating Fourth of July with traditional/patriotic meal.
Have a look at my special menu:-
Double Beef Cheese Burger - I will be preparing traditional American Double Beef Cheese Burger. This will consist of two spicy beef patties, with rich American cheese slices plus creamy burger spread. I prefer making this at home. 
The Patriotic Spread/Dip Recipe:-
Ingredients:-
1 Cup Mayonnaise,
2 Tablespoons sweet relish,
2 Teaspoons prepared mustard,
1/2 Teaspoons white sugar.
Preparation Method:-
Mix the ingredients thoroughly till the sugar is dissolved completely. 

You can prepare the spread in advance to have a good chit-chat time with your pals. I'm doing the same, since I have a lot many things to share with my family. Infact the beef patties can be prepared a night before, we just need to warm it up. What a quick and easy recipe! Beef is my family's all time favorite.
Seven Layer Salad -  This classic potluck salad is a quick and easy recipe, stuffed with layers of veggies, cheese and bacon. You just need placing the greens in glass bowl. Then top it with layers of celery, peppers, onions, bacon and peas at the end. Then spread mayo over the peas. This completely covers the top of salad. Lastly, sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate for 12 hours for flavors to blend completely. This recipe can be prepared in advance.
Apple Pie Pops - How can I forget the sweet children, Jane and Peter! Kids are very fond of Apple Pie Pops, what a delightful thought. Well hope you liked my recipe, Crunchy Apple Pie. I had prepared it during Christmas and everybody just loved it. Hope these Apple Pie Pops will be equally magical. I will be gifting kids a box full of this amazing sweets. 
This is not all I’ve got many coleslaw, salads etc. to share with you. Stay tuned. 


Happy Independence day!!

Thursday 26 June 2014

Cristiano Ronaldo and Grilled Cod Affair

Hi guys, hope you are enjoying the FIFA World Cup 2014 with Shakira's World Cup Anthem “La La La (Brazil 2014)”. I personally love this song. Any discussion over football is incomplete without mentioning the name of a great Portuguese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. He has great fan following and many nicknames like Ronnie, CR, The Sultan Of The Stepover, Cris, C. Ronaldo, Ron, CR7, Rocket Ronaldo. Well, who can forget his link ups from Paris Hilton to Kim Kardashian, over the past eight years. Nevertheless the Real Madrid star and his list of sizzling and steamy affairs included number of hot and sexy women. He is even among the highest paid football players in the world. 
The Portuguese sensation is undoubtedly super sexy and he has one of the greatest bodies in the sport. So lets check-out what the celeb loves to eat. CR7 is very fond of Portuguese food and gastronomy. He loves to savor the traditional food from his homeland, Madeira. Rocket Ronaldo is very fond of fish especially swordfish, sea bass, gilt-head bream etc. He loves taking fruit based diet and natural juices such as pineapple, pear and apple. The Portugal Forward player loves the grilled cod that his mother, Dolly makes. So lets add something more to our summer grill recipes along with Rocket Ronaldo’s favorite grill.
Grilled Cod with Garlic and Chillies
Ingredients:-
Coarse kosher salt,
4 whole garlic cloves,
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper,
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley,
8-ounce black cod fillets (about 1 inch thick).
Preparation Method (Serving 6)
1. Lightly brush fish grill basket with oil. Set barbecue to medium-high heat. Add coarse salt and pepper on both sides of fish.
2. Place fish in grill basket or directly onto the grill rack. Keep the skin side down. Grill fish until opaque in center, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the platter.
3. Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in small skillet over high heat. Add garlic, saute until it’s light golden, for 1 minute. Add crushed red pepper and stir for another 15 seconds.
4. Immediately pour garlic chile oil over fish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve!
Enjoy FIFA World Cup 2014 :)

Monday 23 June 2014

Tips For Skincare in Summer

Summer is accompanied by summer grills, cocktails, fresh juices and mocktails. But never forget, it brings tanning, dehydration and special care needs to be taken for skin, hair etc as well.
Fresh Juices - Most of us have a habit of coming from the office and going directly to the freeze for some chilled aerated drinks. We must keep in mind that they have high sugar content, which is not good for your health. Summer is welcomed by number of fresh fruits such as watermelon, mangoes, melons, lychee etc. Try fresh juices or cool fruits. Enjoy coconut water or green mango drink to stay hydrated and keep your skin fresh as well. Try fresh juices or cool fruits. Enjoy coconut water and refreshing milkshakes or smoothies.


Protection from Sun - The sun rays are strongest in the afternoon. Stay indoors in the afternoon if possible. Never use sunscreen with too high SPF or too low SPF. Sunscreen with too high SPF, is very strong for your skin. Sunscreen with very low SPF may not be of any use as they are very mild. Go to you skin specialist to know what your skin actually needs. Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before you go out so that it goes into the skin pores for 100%results. 
Water Based Moisturizers and Toners - If your skin is too oily, use Oil-Free Water Based Moisturizers. There are number of Water Based Moisturizers available in the market ranging from dry to normal or oily skin. Using a skin-toner or rose water is advisable to keep the skin cool. It has natural cooling trait that is very good for the skin.
Be Hydrated -  We lose lot of moisture in summer. You must not let that glow go off your face. By drinking lot of water, skin stays soft, supple and well moisturized.
Cleansing and Scrubbing - We must cleanse our face twice a day. Cleansing and moisturizing the skin before sleeping is a must. It is important to use dead skin and dirt that goes into our pores due to sweat in summer. Exfoliation of skin is very important. Using herbal scrubs is advisable. Apply homemade face pack, that suits your skin after scrubbing the face. Various skin tan removal creams are available in the market. Use these creams to avoid tanning.
 Happy Summer :)



Monday 16 June 2014

FIFA World Cup 2014 Special - Secret behind Neymar Junior's Built

Hey fitness freaks, how are you? I know you all are over-excited about FIFA World Cup 2014. Isn't it? I am desperately waiting for the same. I'm sure you are in love with Neymar Jr. the 22 year old Brazilian forward/winger, who came out with flying colors in FC Barcelona. He is now inspiration for many regarding agility, jaw-dropping dribbling skills, unbelievable crosses plus clear overhead shots. Today I'll be writing about the secret diet behind his fit and fine body plus a healthy recipe. 
I am very particular about health. Hope you liked my blog, “Tips to quit smoking on anti tobacco day”. Let’s check out what keeps Neymar fit and fine. Neymar loves to eat lentils and whole grains. Among the vegetables, spinach and beet is what he likes to consume. He is fond of clams among the seafood. He is fond of pasta as well to consume right amount of carbohydrates. So lets try a brand new 'Pasta with Basil and Clam Recipe'. Well I made it yesterday for dinner and everyone simply loved it. 
Pasta with Basil and Clam Recipe
Ingredients:-
Sea salt,
1 pound pasta,
1⁄3 cup olive oil,
1⁄2 cup dry white wine,
8 minced garlic cloves,
4 dozen littleneck clams,
4 tablespoons basil pesto,
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper,
1 teaspoon minced red hot pepper,
3 tablespoons minced basil leaves,
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley.
Preparation Method:-
1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light brown, for 1 minute.
2. Add wine and clams to it. Cover tightly. Cook until clams open-up, for 8 minutes. Shake the saute pan occasionally.
3. Remove clams as they open, setting them aside in a bowl. Throw away any clams that are chipped or fail to open.
4. In the mean time, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender. Drain pasta and add to clam sauce in a pan.
5. Add parsley and basil. Season to taste with salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper and toss with pesto.
6. Now transfer to a large serving bowl. Arrange the clams on top, sprinkle with fried garlic slices if desired.
Enjoy the treat!!

Thursday 12 June 2014

Happy Father’s Day with Vegan Grill Ideas

My dad is vegan but is very fond of summer grills. I wanna prepare something unique on "Father's Day". Lets have a look at vegan grilling ideas today. Hope you liked my blog, Chill with 6 grills. Number of vegans are increasing rapidly day by day. Grilling has been pretty simple for the non-vegetarians. Just as meaty grills blend very well with marinated sauces, similarly grilled eggplant with cashew sauce is a perfect combination to try out. You wanna have a look at more of these substitutes, here we go..
So lets talk about Substitute:-
Substitute for Fish - Hope you've heard of nori sheets, wakame and dulse. They are salty and taste like seafood. Seafood like fish and shrimp can be easily replaced by these. Check out these following vegan grill. Yummzz!!
Substitute for Cheese - Soft cheese can be flavored in a number of ways. Instead of cheese we can use raw cashews. These cashews can be pureed and seasoned with water. It becomes thick and spreadable. The creamy sauce can be very well coated on any vegetables and even fruits. The cashew sauce can be made sweet and sour accordingly. Have a look at the vegan cashew sauce that satisfy your craving.
Substitute for Milk - We can blend grains, nuts or beans with water. With the appropriate proportion of these ingredients with water, a thick solution can stick on to our favorite vegetables or fruits. You can use your favorite grains. The coating is nutritious as well. I made bean sauce. 
Substitute of Egg - Tofu is a great substitute for cream cheese. Hope you liked my homemade vegan cream cheese. This is one method. The other method is that we can crumble sauteed tofu with turmeric. This adds color to it. Yuba a.k.a tofu skin, when wrapped around vegetables such as potatoes etc. taste similar to that of an omelette. My friend had tried this in his last summer grill party. 
Substitute for Meat - Mushrooms and porcini make great broths and vegetable stocks. These when coated with smoked paprika and other chili delight, make us forget our affair with the meat. Needless to say they are great replacement for all kinds of meat. Moreover I just love mushroom grills. 
Celebrate Father’s day with these vegan delights!!
 

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Brad Pitt and His Love for Indian Food

Brad Pitt loves Angelina Jolie from the bottom of his heart. But it is often said, there is no sincerer love other than the love for food. Let’s see what the heartthrob of millions, Brad Pitt actually loves to eat.  "He really misses their Indian takeaway nights from where they lived in Surrey, 2006. Angelina arranged a surprise for a load of it to be cooked and flash-freeze packed for her to fly home" says a source. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie visited India in the year 2006. They also enjoyed an auto ride in Mumbai. During his visit to India, he was really fascinated by Indian food.
Let’s have a look at what among the Indian cuisine, he still misses. Indian cuisine or South Asian cuisine is unique coz Indian food is different in different part of India itself. From Rajma-chawal in the North to Masala Dosa in the South, India is diverse as far as food is concerned. Yes, Brad Pitt is in love with North Indian curries. He loves lamb bhuna, chicken korma and chicken tikka plus beer. Curry and beer, perfect combination. Isn’t it? So what is so special about the Indian curries?
Lamb Bhuna (Roasted Lamb Curry) - Lamb Bhuna takes time to be cooked but the result is really worth it. It is a relishing curry, flavoured with home-roasted and ground spices that blend very well with succulent cubes of lamb. It is serve with steamed rice. 
Chicken Korma (Creamy Chicken Curry) - Chicken korma consists of of boneless pieces of chicken. Chicken is cooked with almond sauce and Indian spices. The aroma of garlic, ginger and the homemade cream completely satisfy the taste buds. It is served with steamed rice, tandoori roti or naan. Tandoori roti (Indian bread) is made with up of wheat flour. It is traditionally cooked in clay oven. Naan is flat-bread.
Chicken Tikka (Skewers and Curry) - Chicken tikka is of two types, in form of skewers and in form of curry. I have written on Reshmi Kebabs, do check it out. It’s somewhat similar

  • Chicken Tikka (Skewers) - Quick and easy recipe, that is made up of marinated chunk of boneless chicken. It is grilled/roasted or barbecued and is ultimate Indian spicy comfort food. It serves as a great appetizer, and is very common in Indian weddings and parties. It goes very well with hard drinks, especially beer and variant mocktails. Punjabi’s love it. It is served with naan and mint chutney.
  • Chicken Tikka (Curry) - The creamy, red color chicken curry is so very appealing to the eyes. It is loaded with lemony garlicky zest plus thick cream from the healthy buffaloes of Punjab, he he! The grounded spices and creamy chicken is something our taste buds will always desire for. Ready-made curry-mix is also available in the shops, we just have to cook according to the package’s direction.

This is the reason why Brad Pitt fell in love with Indian food. I must compliment, really strong bond!!

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Uber Cup Celebration with Chinese Food

The Chinese women has achieved what their men failed to. Yes, Li Xuerui is very happy with 'Best' Uber Cup Performance. I really enjoyed watching the game. Hope you have not missed it either. The celebration in China was doubled with the favorite traditional Chinese food. Hope you enjoyed my blog Lantern Festival with with sweet and sour dumplings. Today we bring you with top Chinese recipes obviously after the number one dumplings. 


Rice noodle rolls :- If you love rice noodles, you are bound to love this very recipe. These are large sheets of rice noodle that are steamed. They are filled with bits of fried shrimp, beef or pork. They are rolled up and served with sweet soy sauce. Sesame seeds add to the flavor of the delightful treat. 
Deep-fried bacon-wrapped shrimp:- As the name indicates, shrimps are stuffed with pickled jalapenos, wrapped in bacon (whether it's of beef, chicken or pork) and then deep fried. It makes a great appetizers to be served on parties and occasions. It is chiefly accompanied by Chinese sauces.

Chinese broccoli:- Wanna have low-fat and low-carb food? Chinese broccoli is the answer to this. This vegetable is loaded with nutritional benefits. It absorbs Asian flavors and the fresh garlic and oyster sauce, satisfies the taste buds to the fullest. Enjoy the green crunchy broccoli treat. It is among the best stir-fry food!! 
Taro cake:- Taro cake is also known as yam cake and is one of most popular snacks in Hong Kong. These are dense and rectangular slabs of taro and rice flour that are pan fried. They are studded with bits of pork. The recipe is crispy outside and soft and mushy within. The cake is slightly sweeter than flavor of taro.

Fried sticky rice:- Fried rice is my all time favorite and I am sure it's your favorite too. Fried sticky rice is a bit different. It is traditionally steamed in lotus leaves and contains that mild soothing aroma. Then this rice is fried, making it easy to chew. It is studded with sweet and fatty bits of mushrooms, peanuts and Chinese sausage. Yummzz!!
 Enjoy the Chinese treat!!