Red Velvet Shake

New Year Shake

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

                                                            Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
                                                            The year is going, let him go;
                                                            Ring out the false, ring in the true.
                                                            ~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

With one of my my favourite shakes at hand- Red Velvet- I'm awaiting the dawn of a new year.  2013 has been an eventful one and I look forward to welcoming 2014.  Let's drink to the New Year 2014.

It’s like a new Sunrise- of Hope, of Prosperity, of Happiness

It’s like a new Beginning- of Thoughts, of Words, of Actions

It’s like a new Day- of Energy, of Strength, of Ideas

It’s like a bunch of whole new things- of Prayers, of Friends, and of Love.

Ending 2013 on a positive note.  To All Of Us.  Cheers.

New Year's Chicken

Ma's Roast Chicken

Christmas and New Year are an occasion to join with family and close friends and eat comfort food. One of my favourite recipes is Ma’s Roast Chicken which we would beg her to make time and again. Invariably our Christmas or New Year Menu would include this and over the years it has become a firm favourite with my family too. However this year I included sweet potatoes along with the vegetables and it was a roaring hit. Happy 2013 and let’s drink to this year being a prosperous, happy and healthy one.

The Recipe:

1 medium chicken (1.5 kg), skinless and jointed, wash and drain; 1 cup mixed vegetables like carrots, French beans, cabbage boiled; 1 tbsp minced ginger garlic; few coriander leaves, chopped; 3 medium onions, sliced fine; 1 corn on the cob, cut into three pieces; salt and 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking.
3 sweet potatoes, skinned, washed and pressure cooked for two minutes. Mash and keep aside for serving.
Heat olive oil in large pan. Stir fry onions till transparent on medium heat. Add ginger garlic and fry till fragrant. Add the chicken and cook till meat is seared all over. Transfer to pressure cooker , add ½ cup water, corn and salt and cook for two minutes after the whistle. Cool and serve with sesame seed sliced bread, mixed vegetables and mashed sweet potato. A veritable feast and a good way to start the New Year. To Life, to life!  Prosperity, Peace And Good Health.