The Anniversary Menu

When Nehru gave me a book on Chinese cookery twenty five years ago, I was very excited. Chinese food was available in restaurants only and our Chinese culinary expertise limited to noodles and fried rice. Today, although I say so myself, I am quite adept at cooking up a fancy Chinese menu. Through the years, Chinese cuisine has ruled our roost and every anniversary was a chance to try out something new. This year, 9th January 2010, is no exception. And so I give you some of my favourite Chinese recipes – Sweet & Sour Pork and Glass Noodles along with a family dessert, the timeless fruit salad. Try eating with chopsticks to make it a gastronomic adventure indeed.To us and ours!
The Recipe

Glass Noodles with Chicken and Scrambled Egg

250 gms. glass noodles Stand in boiling water for minutes. Drain and keep aside), 1 cup peas, 1 egg omelette cut into strips, 6 chicken sausages cooked and cut into rounds, 1 soup cube, 3 cloves minced garlic, ½ inch minced ginger, soya sauce(optional), salt to taste.
Heat 3 tbsp. oil in wok. When hot add ginger - garlic and fry for one minute. Add the peas and soup cube and stir fry for 3 minutes. Next add the noodles, lower flame and mix gently. Add the sausage. Mix well. Adjust salt to taste. Keep on fire till hot. Transfer to serving dish. Add soya sauce and garnish with omlettte strips.
Sweet & Sour Pork


Sauce: 3 tbsp. tomato sauce; 2 tbsp. chilli sauce; 2 tbsp. white rice vinegar ( can use less); 1 tbsp. light soya sauce or ½ tsp. soy sauce; 2 tbsp. sugar; salt to taste; 100 ml water; 1tbsp.cornflour for thickening. Mix sauce ingredients together and keep aside.
1 capsicum cubed.
1/4 kg pork, cubed (medium sized pieces). Marinade 10 minutes in 2 tbsp cornflour, 1 egg, salt and pepper and deep fry till golden brown. Keep aside.

1 tbsp. chopped garlic; 1 tsp. green chillies, minced; 1 tsp. chopped ginger; 1 tbsp. chopped spring onions.

Fry garlic, chillies, ginger and spring onions till fragrant in a little oil. Add the sauce ingredients. Bring to boil. Add pork and capsicum. Garnish with corriander leaves. Serve hot.
Fruit Salad

This is my Mum's recipe acquired from her mum and I daresay she got it from her mum too. Fruit salad was a great favourite at large gatherings since all one had to do was peel/cut/chop the fruits and throw in all the ingredients. The mint leaves are my addition and I must say they make the difference to a very colourful dish.

Silver Jubilee Fruit Salad
1 apple, cubed, 2 oranges, segmented and pith removed, 1 mango cubed, 1 pear, cubed, 3 bananas sliced, a handful grapes, halved, sugar to taste, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 cup milk.

Add cut fruits and essence to milk and keep in refrigerator till chilled. Garnish with mint leaves and serve cold with or without icecream.

Eat Your Way To Happiness

Lifeline- Shake to Shape



Our lives changed for the better, four years ago, when a stranger walked into our lives. She taught us the importance of nutrition and literally how to eat our way to happiness. The simple task of eating the right breakfast after a night’s fast will boost not only mood, but memory, learning power and concentration and also improve health. A change in breakfast could save your life. Or eliminate lifelong problems. Perhaps you'd prefer to start the day with a nice weight-loss smoothie? If this sounds like a fantasy, you'll be pleased to know this product already exists. This is the evolution of the trend towards food enriched with health giving ingredients designed to restore your health and make you look and feel better, slimmer and younger.
For more information visit my website
www.PeakLifestyle.com/nehruth/coi

That’s what happened to us and that’s why we are hooked to it for life. A Joyous and Prosperous 2010 to everyone.

The Recipe
250 ml cold low fat milk; 2 scoops (30 gms) Herbalife F1(Formula 1) Vanilla: 1 scoop Herbalife F3 (Formula 3) protein powder; 50gms dragon fruit.
Blend together and serve cold. Heat destroys nutrition. Only 200 calories and oh so delicious.

Dessert Of The Year

Ajamma's Apricot Custard


Apricots have always been a great favourite in our household and the dessert of the year eagerly awaited every New Year. My grandmother or Ajamma as we fondly called her would always serve up this delightful dessert every New Year and make sure that the dried apricots were dispatched well in advance to her two daughters who lived in other Indian states. Once I got married, I carried on with this tradition although I must say we have it more often. And a great way of welcoming the New Year. To 2010!
The Recipe
1/4 kg dried apricots; sugar to taste; 1 cup hot water.
Soak apricots in hot water overnight. Next day deseed and cook to boiling point with sugar to taste. Lower heat and thicken. Remove and cool. In the meanwhile extract the nuts and add to apricots. Serve cold with custard or cream.

Custard
1 cup milk; 2 dsp Bird’s Eye Custard Powder; sugar to taste.

Dissolve the custard powder in a little milk and keep aside. Mix the milk and sugar together and when it begins to boil, lower flame and add the custard mixture slowly, stirring all the while. Bring to the boil. Simmer one minute. Transfer to serving bowl and cool. Serve with the apricots.

The Chinese Connection

Fried Rice

I have always loved Chinese Food ever since my grandparents treated us at the Rice Bowl on Brigade Road, Bangalore more than forty years ago. Although my mother frequently made noodles and fried rice at home, nothing quite matched the taste and smell of authentic Chinese cuisine. So when we shifted to Kuala Lumpur, which has a large Chinese population and numerous eating spots, I took the opportunity to master the art. And my family co-operated as well, patiently eating everything I put on the table. For Christmas and other special occasions it is always Chinese food, not only because it is so easy to make and requires minimum cooking time but because it is as delicious as it looks.

Fried Rice is one of my personal favourites because you can add anything to it and it tastes good.

Honey Chicken Wings is another simple, tasty recipe.

Chinese food is always accompanied with lots and lots of vegetables, so have included a recipe that goes well with any menu.

The dessert is Serita’s achievement and am so glad she can cook, ably assisted by Ranita. You can never have too much of these luscious tarts.
So eat on and enjoy the Christmas season.

The Recipe

2 cups left over rice; 1 cup mixed, stir fried vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower, whatever); 1 omlette cut into strips; ½ cup shredded cooked chicken (optional); 1 tbsp minced ginger garlic; 2 spring onions cut really fine; oil for frying; large wok; 1 Maggi soup cube (salt not required if using soup cubes).
Heat oil in wok. Add the ginger garlic and stir fry a minute. Smash the soup cube and add to the wok. Lower flame and add the vegetables (I used only peas, since we were having mixed vegetables) and chicken and gently mix. Next, add the rice a little at a time and mix well. Add the spring onions and omlette strips and transfer to serving dish. Keep hot while you prepare the honey chicken wings.


Honey Chicken Wings


8 wings trimmed and drained. Marinade 15 minutes with salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp oyster sauce.
Grill at 450F or 260 C for five minutes each side.

Mixed Vegetables

3/4 kg mixed vegetables of your choice. I use whatever's in the refrigerator; 1/4 kg grilled potato wedges; 1 tsp garlic, minced; oil for seasoning; salt to taste; 1 tbsp almond flakes or nibs for garnishing (optional).
Blanch vegetables of your choice for 1 minute in boiling water with added salt to taste.. Pour cold water over them to retain crunchiness and drain completely. Parboil 2 large potatoes. Peel and cut into wedges. Sprinkle salt over them. Grill 5 minutes on high heat until golden brown.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in large wok. Stir fry garlic a minute. Add all the veggies and potatoes and toss gently for another minute. Garnish with almond nibs/flakes. Serve hot.

Lemon Cream Cheese Tartlets


50 tartlet cases (pre baked and available at any cake shop); 1/4 kg cream cheese at room temperature; 400 ml tin of condensed milk; ¼ cup cream; juice of 2 large lemons;1 tsp grated lemon zest; almonds for decoration.
Blend cream cheese, cream, condensed milk and lemon juice & zest in cake mixer until smooth and creamy. Pour into tart cases. Decorate with an almond each. Store in freezer until required. Can freeze the remainder in ice cream trays and use as and when required.

Garden of Eden Salad

My sister Asha loves salads. She has the knack to make elaborate ones effortlessly. While the rest of us simply throw all the ingredients together, toss it and serve it in a nondescript manner, she patiently goes through her recipes days in advance. Next she chooses the crockery to match. She then makes a list and scours the shops searching for the right ingredients. Then comes the washing, drying, cutting, scraping, grating and endless chopping. Finally the masterpiece is created and hidden in the back of the refrigerator away from greedy nieces and prying eyes. Needless to say when served not a leaf remains!
This recipe is an adaptation of the original and a great meal for weight watchers. It makes a great accompaniment to any Christmas menu.
2 carrots, skin and cut into medium rounds.
1 medium green apple, core, quarter and slice
100 gms mixed salad leaves, soak in salt water. Dry thoroughly before use.
2 tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 medium zucchini peeled and cubed
½ medium purple cauliflower, cut into flowerets, soak in salt water for 15 minutes,
Dressing: 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp curds, 1 tbsp protein powder, 1 tsp cheese spread. Salt and pepper to taste.
Beat all the ingredients to a smooth consistency in bowl. Adjust seasoning. Keep aside.
Boil cauliflower and carrot for a minute. Plunge into cold water. Drain completely.
Place the carrots, cauliflower, green apple, tomatoes, zucchini and lettuce leaves in salad bowl. Mix gently. Pour dressing over and gently toss. Store in refrigerator to retain crispness. Serve as an accompaniment or as a meal. The protein fills you up, curbs hunger, burns fat and helps to build muscle mass. Bon Apetit!


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That Special Time of The Year

Ma's Fruit Cake

Fruit Cake

What can I say about the Christmas Cake that has not already been said? Baking the annual cake at Christmas was a ritual which I remember even today. With no electric oven or cake mixers, this was no mean feat and took hours to prepare. All of us had to take turns at creaming the butter and sugar (with numerous licks and digs in between), whipping the eggs and chopping the various fruits. Of course we sampled everything liberally and I sometimes wonder how the cake turned out so well. All we had was a tiny black box with one rack inside and this had to be placed on a kersosene stove and manipulated until the cake emerged fragrant, dark brown and oh so delicious. Later on, when the black box was past its prime my mum would send the cake to the bakery to be baked for a small fee. Now, that has all changed and every household boasts an oven. The recipe below is one that has been made by my mum every Christmas, for more than fifty years. Old is gold so they say and I truly believe in that.

The Recipe

200 gms each of flour, caster sugar, tuitti fruitti, black currants, sultanas, cherries,preserved pumpkin and broken nuts; 4 eggs, 250 gms salted butter, 1 tsp. mixed spice powder, 50 gms candied peel, ½ tsp. baking powder; 1tsp vanilla; 50 gms grated ginger; 4 tbsp brandy/rum (optional), ½ cup burnt sugar. NB; I prefer salted butter as the taste is more balanced, not too sweet, just right.

Chop fruits and soak in brandy or rum overnight. I always have presoaked fruits ready at hand. Sieve flour and baking powder into large bowl. Add rest of the ingredients and stir till smooth and glossy. Bake at 150 C or till skewer inserted in centre comes out clean for 40 or 45 minutes.

N.B.I have dispensed with the laborious method of making a fruit cake and adopted the easy way to a delicious, crumbly and moist fruit cake. Try it and see for yourself.

Burnt Sugar

1 cup sugar; 1 cup water.

Place sugar in nonstick pan and place on fire on medium heat. As soon as it begins to caramelize lower heat and stir gently with wooden spoon till as dark as possible. Add water slowly. It may spurt so be careful. Stir till burnt sugar is fully dissolved. Cool and use as desired. Add required amount to cake batter to get the desired consistency.

And for the modern Mum and busy housewife, I am including 2 easy to bake recipes which I have baked over the years. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Christmas Brownies

250 gms craisins(dried cranberries), chopped can use tuitti fruitti instead of craisins; 1/3 cup each of cherries, blackcurrants, pumpkin, tuiti fruiti and sultanas, chopped; ½ cup rum, optional; 125 gms Cocoa powder; 125 gms salted butter; 100 gms almond pieces; 2 cups brown sugar; 4 eggs; 1 cup plain flour; 1/4 tsp. baking powder.
Place the chopped fruits in a small bowl and soak in rum for 1 hour. Toast nuts 5 minutes in oven (130C) for 5 minutes and cool. Strain dried fruits from rum. In large bowl combine all the ingredients. Mix to combine. Bake 35 minutes in lined and greased pan in preheated oven (180C). Pan measurements 9” square. Cool and cut into 20 squares. Can drizzle with milk chocolate if desired.

Almond Meal Cake



1 cup condensed milk; 1 cup flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 cup salted butter; 1 tsp vanilla essence; 250 gms almonds (soak overnight in water and grind to smooth paste). If using almond meal, omit this step; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 1 tbsp candied peel; minced.
Beat all ingredients together. Pour into greased baking tray. Bake 20 mins at 180C or 350F 8” pan. Cool, cut, serve. Does not keep well. So eat within 2 days.


Cheers!!

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Quick Mix

Mix And Match


Feeding a hungry family is no joke and making Christmas eats for friends and family in vast quantities can become a daunting task. So over the years, I have searched for and created some very simple recipes that could be made quickly, in vast quantities so that there would always be enough to share with others. This is another favourite, made exclusively for Christmas and as delicious as they come.
The Recipe
½ kg beaten rice; ¼ kg each of groundnuts, split chick peas and fried cashewnuts; salt to taste
For Seasoning: 1 ½ tsp chilli powder; 4 tbsp oil; large sprig of curry leaves
Pre heat oven to 275F or 140C. Spread the beaten rice on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Repeat with split chick peas and groundnuts. Add all the nuts to the beaten rice and mix well. Add salt to taste.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves. Stir fry a minute and add the chilli powder. Remove from heat and pour over the nuts and beaten rice . Cool and store. Ideal for a light, healthy snack at tea time or with drinks.

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