Love and Calories!!

When I go for my weekly shopping at the Tescos or Waitrose, I spend atleast 4-5 minutes in the Cereal aisle. I love to see and read those different varieties and colourful packages of corn flakes, bran flakes, weetabix, cheerios, different flavoured oats, muesli etc. Out of these, Granola always stood out. This luxury cereal always grabbed my attention. By the look of those golden honey roasted oats, mixed with nuts and berries of different combination, my mind imagines a bowl, spoon and a dollop of greek yoghurt and me having Granola in some island in Greece. (the luxury advertisements influence my thoughts)!! :P So the love for granola made me look for a homemade version of it and 'BBC food' helped me come out with this one. The entire process of mixing the rolled oats in maple syrup and honey and later roasting it with the mixed nuts and berries was indeed therapeutic. I have made a tin full of granola and safely stored in an air-tight container. It should suffice for ...

Fish make a quick, easy yet delectable dish with the ingredients readily available in your pantry. Haddock fillets came to my rescue on a Saturday night when I was tired of the general weekend routine. The dinner was done and dusted within twenty minutes and it looked like a Michelin  star restaurant dish. Arun was ready with two glasses of wine while I served him a great looking and delicious dinner!! Saturday was well spent at home. Ingredients: 2 fresh haddock fillets  handful of cherry tomatoes (I used the normal ones as I didn't have cherry tomatoes) 2 tbsp mayonnaise 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and grated) 1 cup of breadcrumbs (I used Japanese penko crumbs, you can use the normal ones too) juice of 1/2 lemon handful of fresh parsley or 1 tbsp of dried parsley 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to season Method:  Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius. Lightly oil a large baking tray, then lay the haddock and tomatoes alongside each other. In a s...

During the past couple of months, I have tried out many of my favourite dishes at home but when coming to posting recipes, I seriously am not getting time for it. June was completely bland as I have posted hardly one recipe. So to compensate that, I promise, July will be more palatable and interesting. So to start off, am bringing to you, everyone's favourite....the irresistible "Garlic Bread"!! This warm, buttery, garlicky bread can be made at home in no time that you will stop ordering  it from any pizza joint after relishing the home made. Perfect for any tea time parties. Bake it in 10 minutes and earn your brownie points. Forget the frozen garlic bread that you buy from the superstore and make your own at home, only it will be more fresh and delicious!!      Ingredients: 1 french loaf (I have used a cheese baton)  50 gm butter (room temperature) 4-5 cloves of garlic (or more according to your taste) 1 tbsp of finely ch...

Last two weeks were so hectic for me that I didn't find time to even open my blog page. Lots of friends coming home, cooking, eating junk, visiting places, our famous festival "Vishu" came up  & finally I ended up getting sick. I am still in bed but was so frustrated doing nothing that I thought let me post one of my healthy salad recipes which I had promised earlier. I saw this salad recipe in one of the BBC cookery shows & was quiet eager to make it. The original recipe suggests the use of Halloumi instead of Paneer. Halloumi is a type of Greek cheese made of mostly Goat's milk. It has the same texture of that as Paneer, hence I used Paneer. Must say, It was quite filling and delicious, perfect for a Summer afternoon. Ingredients: 200 gm couscous 200 ml hot vegetable stock / hot chicken stock 400 g can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 courgette/zucchini (sliced) 200 gm paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese), cut 1 inch length wise 2 medi...

This fresh tasting, Asian inspired noodle salad is speedy & nutritious. I always make this when am super lazy or in a mood to eat low fat food for a change. This noodle salad then comes to my rescue. Its tasty, quick and super filling. :) Ingredients: 100 g medium egg noodles 1/2 cucumber (sliced into thick baton) 1 bell pepper/capsicum (any colour, sliced) 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced) 4 tbsp sweet soy sauce (preferably ketjap manis, an Indonesian soy sauce) 1 lime 1 tbsp roasted peanuts (coarsely crushed) 1 egg (soft or hard boiled) 1/2 tinned cannellini beans (this is completely optional. I simply added it to my salad. You can use any other tinned beans or completely omit it) Method: Cook the noodles in boiling water until just tender. Drain & arrange on a serving platter. Top with cucumber batons, sliced bell pepper & onion. Add the beans at this stage if you want. Drizzle over the soy sauce & squeeze over the lime. To finish, sprinkle over the crushed roasted peanu...

My last few days at Chesterfield, home alone, cherishing all the happy memories of the last 4 years. Spent whole day flipping through the photographs with a hot mug of Coffee relaxing on my recliner. I was in no mood to cook but then getting hungry is human, so I had to visit my kitchen to see what could be made. I decided to go light today so made use of all the remaining veggies (to clear off the fridge) to make a healthy Vegetable Soup. I finished off making a warm, healthy, filling soup for my lunch just within half an hour & went back to my couch only to get more lazy. Sometimes its good when you do nothing at all!! ;) Ingredients: 1/2 of medium cauliflower (cut into florets) 2 medium carrots (peeled & finely diced) 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas 1 medium potato (finely diced) 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 2-3 cloves of garlic (crushed) 25 gm butter salt & pepper to season Method: Melt the butter in a pressure cooker. Now add the crushed garlic & the chopped ...

Two days back. when I was browsing the TV channels, I came across some chef making a grilled Sea bass Thai style. It was so damn easy & healthy that I thought, this should definitely go in to my blog. I don't know the chef's name, neither do I remember the programme's name, what I do remember is the recipe. I have improvised a bit from the original recipe. It taste yum. Trust me, you should try making it. Within 30 minutes, your healthy dinner is ready. Ingredients: 1 whole sea bass (cleaned, scales removed, if you want keep the head & tails on, its ok but I usually cut it off) 60 gm coriander leaves (finely chopped) 1 lemon (cut into thin round slices) juice of 2 lemons 1 big onion (cut into thin round rings) 1 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp fish sauce (if not available, then use soy sauce) 2 tbsp of ginger ( julienne) 2-3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 2 thai red chillies (if not available, use the finger chillies) (cut into strips, seeds removed) 1 tbsp sesame ...

I rarely diet, but when I do, I still try to eat delicious and not disappoint my taste buds. These days are some of my "am on a diet" days. Dieting for me works or not but I make sure, one week in a month I eat less oil, no fry food, just to silence my inner conscience!! This is a good healthy, light salad which I make along with a vegetable soup (will soon share the recipe) for brunch or even for supper. It keeps your tummy full, also the taste buds are happy & you can still say that "I am on a diet". ;) Check it out!! Ingredients: 1-2 capsicum/bell pepper (green colour preferably, deseeded & diced into 1 inch cubes) 200 gm paneer/indian cottage cheese (cubed into 1 inch ) 1 medium onion (diced into 1 inch cubes) 1 cup pineapple (optional, diced into 1 inch cubes) 1 big tomato (diced into 1 inch cubes) 4 tsp chaat masala 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil (or any other oil) salt to taste Method: Take a big mixing bowl & pop in a...

Light Cooking for me is a healthy approach to cooking. It is nothing but swapping your high calorie ingredient with a much less calorie one or use of less oil & no frying process. If you are health conscious or on a diet & would want to try out low calorie, Light cooking recipes, this is one of the dishes which you can try. Summer is in its peak & summer veggies are also in plenty, so why not include them into your diet at least once in a week. Less oil, no hassle frying, just boil it or bake it. Roasted Carrots & Spring Veggies can be a great accompaniment too with your roasted Chicken or steak. May the goodness of nature prevail & cheers to a healthy Life!! Roasted Carrots Ingredients: 750 gm /8-10 medium carrots (halved lengthways) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander salt & pepper to season Method: Boil the halved carrots in a saucepan for 10-12 minutes until they are tender but not so much. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160 degree...

Arun and I got up early on 2nd April 2011 to watch the India-Sri Lanka Cricket World Cup Finals. Arun took his favourite side of his couch with the TV remote (well he wasn't going to the change the channel for sure :)...I was equally excited, took our Indian flag and wrapped around me and was all set to cheer team India. But slowly I started to feel hungry (am human after all ).But I didn't want to spend the whole day inside the kitchen, so I had already decided what would be the menu for the day....Ghee Rice, Kerala style Egg Curry and Caramel Custard :) All the recipes will be uploaded soon, but today am gonna share with you, the appetizer for the D-day. "Tiger Prawns on Skewers" was the appetizer to go with our celebrations, Beer and Breezer. Prawns, the King of Sea-Food is such a delicacy that I can do anything for it. Seriously it is so yummy yum. And the recipe is super-duper easy that you can make it in a jiffy. So Let's cook people! By the way....I...

Love and Calories present to you some healthy eating options as well. I thought of including some quick to make dishes, which anybody can prepare, in no time and will be a "less oil, no fry" task too. My first recipe will be a "Cretan Potato & Egg Salad". Sounds posh isn't it?? :) Well, I believe that more complicated or sophisticated the name of a recipe, the more easier it is to be prepared. You will know why.....:) The two main ingredients of this Greek Summer salad are the Cretan potatoes and hard boiled eggs. Potatoes grown in Crete (a sunny coastal region in Greece) has a warmer flavour to it, which makes this salad more flavourful. Now we can't go to Greece to get those potatoes but we definitely can use the normal ones for this salad. Because potatoes will be always delicious, wherever it is grown..Right?? ;) Ingredients: 4 medium sized potatoes (cut to medium cubes, do not peel the skin) 3 eggs (hard boiled) 1 big red onion (chopped) 2 mediu...

Come weekend, and there's non vegetarian cooking in my kitchen. And if it is a sunny day, daffodils blossoming in the lawn, a cricket match on the television and hubby dear relaxing with a beer or two, then there's definitely some non vegetarian cooking in my kitchen. :) :). So I have brought to you this weekend, another mother's signature dish ...PUDINA CHICKEN!! Pudina (Mint) Chicken is very special in many ways. It is a dry dish with absolutely no gravy, no onions, no OIL, no water whatsoever. That's right....Love and Calories does sometimes bring you a calorie less meal too. ;) This dish is great to serve with chapathis and rice and also served as an appetizer!! So bring on your plate and let me serve you Pudina Chicken. :) Marinade: A bunch of Mint leaves (approx 40 gm chopped) 1 tbsp ginger - garlic paste 1 big cinnamon stick 5-6 cloves 3-4 cardamoms 10 black peppercorns 4 green chillies 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tbsp vinegar salt to taste Blend the above ingredients ...

I often feel that my vegetarian friends have much lesser options than the non-vegetarians, when comes to having exotic, different and delicious recipes. So I thought of another quick veggie option which is very popular in most of the restaurants and i.e "Vegetable Jalfrezi". It is an easy to make, delightfully quick vegetable mix in a tomato gravy. Ingredients: 120 gm beans 120 gm cabbage 120 gm capsicum 120 gm carrots 1/2 of the whole cauliflower 4 tbsp cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp chopped ginger 1/2 tsp pepper powder 120 gm potato (cut into thick strips like french fries) 2 whole red chillies 4 tbsp tomato puree (I use the tomato ketchup for tanginess) 1 tbsp Vinegar 1 tbsp coriander leaves (for garnishing) salt to taste Method: Wash and chop all the vegetables, except potatoes. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add the cumin & whole red chillies and saute. Add all the vegetables, salt, pepper & ginger. Mix well. Cover with lid & cook on slow flame till alm...