Oven roasted Veggies



Just chopped

 

One of my all time favorite easy, healthy veggie sides is the classic oven roasted veggies. This one combines the best and the freshest ingredients, can have any variations of flavor that you want, based on what you feel like on the given day, tastes absolutely great while preserving the unique taste of each one of the vegetables and is great on the calories and fat. 

While you can have any veggies that you like, the ones that work for me are usually the follows:

Potato

Onions

Egg plant

Cauliflower

Tomato

Beans

Carrots

Squash of your choice / Zuchinnis
Corn

Green Peas

Peppers of your choice (Green, colored)

The  method is really really simple.

1. Drizzle olive oil onto a baking tray
2. Chop the veggies into proportionate bite size pieces, Spread evenly across the baking tray, so that all the veggies have an equal chance of getting cooked well.
3. Drizzle some more olive oil on top
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Optional (Add Herbs/Spices as you need - Rosemary / Thyme / Oregano are all great flavors to add).
5. Preheat oven to 450F
6. Place the baking tray in the middle rack and roast for 30 mins

Enjoy a healthy, high in nutrition, tasty vegetarian delight!



I like mine with lots of pepper



Bistro Classics - Chicken with mustard vinaigrette and garlic potatoes

Bistro Classics - Chicken with mustard vinaigrette and garlic potatoes



A golden pan fried (or roasted if you will) chicken is at the heart of every bistro menu. Buy the best possible chicken and rest it well after cooking for a really tender result. Grainy mustard vinaigrette and succulent pan fried chicken, with a variation of garlic potatoes and green peas. Here goes..!

For the Chicken
Chicken Leg (or Breast) big portion (150 gm)
Butter or Olive Oil
1 tsp dried oregano

For the Mustard vinaigrette
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs dry white wine
1/2 tbs wholeseed mustard
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

For the garlic Potatoes
1 medium sized potato sliced into thick slices
Some green peas
4 Cherry Tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
Olive Oil to fry

> Pat the chicken dry inside an dout with paper towel. Rub all over with a little butter or olive oil, then scatter with dried oregano. On a heavy based pan with generous amount of olive oil, cook in medium-low heat, turning sides till chicken is crisp and golden on the outside and succulent in the inside.

> Meanwhile, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a large bowl, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

> Boil potato slices in salted water. Flatten garlic cloves with the flat side of the knife. On medium-low heat, fry the potatoes, garlic till potatoes are brown. Add fresh green peas and cherry tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes more.

> To serve chicken, slice across to make 3 or 4 pieces. Toss chicken pieces lightly in the vinaigrette and arrange on warm dinner plates. Serve the garlic potatoes on the side. Pour remaining dressing on potatoes and chicken to end it.


Dont forget your table etiquettes.
Burping after dinner is not recommended. Mint based mouthwash is.

:)

Pan Fried Chicken+Gavroche Potatoes+Caramelised Onions

Pan Fried Chicken with Gavroche Potatoes and Caramelised Onions


For a truly luxurious meat dish, try this flavourful combination of chicken, potato, caramelised onions and a rich Wine sauce
Servings: 1

Ingredients
Main:
1 potato, sliced across into disks
100 g Butter for frying
3 Shallots, roughly chopped
3 button mushrooms, roughly chopped
150ml White wine (Preferably Madeira, cd use any other as per taste)
500ml chicken stock
25g caster sugar
Few Petals of silver skin onions, peeled
1 large chicken breast
salt and fresh ground black pepper
50g green beans, topped, tailed and sliced across



Method
1. Heat 75g of butter in an frying pan. Add in the potato slices and cook briskly until the potato slices are golden-brown underneath. Invert the potato slices and cook both sides till brown. Cook potato to make it tender in microwave for 12-15 mins/oven (Or use pre-boiled potatoes)

2. Meanwhile, heat 15g butter in a frying pan. Add the chopped shallot and mushrooms and cook briskly, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the white iwne and cook briskly until reduced by two-thirds. Add the chicken stock and reduce by a further two-thirds. Bring to desired consistency.

4. Heat the caster sugar in a small heavy-based frying pan until it begins to caramelise, turning golden-brown. Mix in 5g butter and the chicken stock. Add the onions and toss them in the caramel mixture until well-coated. Set aside and keep warm.

5. Marinate chicken with Olive oil and fresh herbs (Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano).Heat 15g butter in a frying pan. Fry the chicken breast in the butter until cooked to taste, seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper.

6. Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add in the green beans and cook briskly for 2 minutes. Drain. Heat 5g butter in the pan. Add the beans to the butter, coating well, and season with freshly ground pepper.

7. To assemble the dish, place the potato slices in the middle of a serving plate. Place the onions tightly against the potato. Scatter the beans over the onions. Slice the chicken breast in two and sit on top of the potato. Pour over the sauce and serve.

Continental Dinner Plan

..::Starter::..
Start with bite-sized crunchy nachos with coleslaw Dollop, acompanied by a drink (See Drinks Plan at the end)
Or
Ready Made Spring Rolls (to be fried)

..::Main Course::..
Traditional Pasta with Roast Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes
Crunchy Veggie Djonnaise
Pot-Zu-Pop

..::Dessert::..
End with a simple Caramel Custard with Seasonal Fresh Fruits / Fruit Cake

..::Drinks::..
Plan A:Bllody(or Virgin) Mary & Screwdriver
Plan B:Sparkling Grape Juice (Non Alcoholic)Assorted Vodka/Rum/Whisky (Dont Forget the Soda/Cola/Juice to go with it !)

::Recipe Details::

Crunchy Nacho with Coleslaw Dollop:
> Finely shred Cabbage , Onion and Carrot , mix it with Mayonnaise (or Thousand Island Dressing) and ColesLaw is ready.
> Coleslaw shd be served cool. Store in refrigerator and take out minutes before arranging starter.
> Take a sinlge unbroken Nacho chip (triangular), put a dollop of coleslaw on it and arrange as many such pieces you want on a tray.
> Lay out on table for guests to pick
Ready Made Spring Rolls:
> Pick up locally available ready made spring rolls from supermarket
> Fry them, serve on a platter/tray with Chutney (or ChiliSauce/ Ketchup)

Traditional Pasta with Roast Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes:
Ingredients:
- Pasta Sauce
- Potato
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cheese (to sprinkle on top)
> Cook Pasta as per packet instructions and keep it aside.
> Gently sautee cherry tomatoes in olive oil for 2 minutes on medium flame (to get a crispy outer layer, yet firm inside)
> Dice Potatoes into bite-sized cubes (roughly size of cherry tomatoes), toss in olive oil and roast in oven till crisp golden brown from outside.
> Make pasta sauce as per package instruction.
> Mix pasta, cherry tomatoes and potatoes and cook for a minute just before serving. Sprinkle cheese on top before serving
Tip: Only the last step of mixing and heating needs to be done just before serving so as to serve the pasta hot and retain crispness of potatoes. All other steps can be completed in advance.

Pot-Zu-Pop:
Ingredients:
- Indian zucchini (Torai) piled and sliced into small square pieces
- Potato boiled and sliced into small square pieces
- 3 tb spoon of poppy seeds (For 2 persons, Extrapolate accordingly)
- Cumin seeds
- Green Chillies
- Turmeric powder
- Oil for frying
- Salt to taste

> Make a smooth paste of poppy seed with water (may be using mixer or grinder).
> Put 2 tbs of oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
> Add green chillies and the poppy seed paste. Fry them and then add turmeric and fry for 5 mts.
> Add zuchini and little water, salt and cook until zuchini and potato is cooked properly
Serve aside the pasta.

Crunchy Veggie Djonnaise:

For the Veggie
- Asparagus (Alternatively French Beans)
- Broccoli
- Green Peas
- Paneer Chunks
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Plain Flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Djonnaise Sauce
- Approx 1 cup: Vegetable Stock - (Quantity is as needed depending on consistency of sauce required)
- 1/4 cup White Wine
- 1/4 cup Cream
- 1 big onion - Finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- Plain Flour
- Tarragon
- Parsley
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Prepare the Crunchy Veggie
> After cutting veggies and egg as desired, lightly sprinkle with flour to ensure crisp exterior.> Sprinkle salt and pepper on veggies
> Heat olive oil and butter in a pan and stir fry the vegetables till golden brown and cooked. This should be ready in not more than 8 minutes.
Prepare the Djonnaise
> Coat the finely chopped onion with the remaining flour.
> In the leftover olive oil and butter used in steps above, stir fry the onions till golden brown.
> Add the Vegetable Stock, White Wine and cream and bring to a boil. Simmer cook for 2 mins after boiling starts.
> Add Tarragon and cook for 1 minute.
> Check consistency desired. Simmer more (or Add more vegetable stock if you want it lighter) if required.
> Add the Dijon mustard and cook for 1 min.

Lay the veggies on a plate and drip the sauce all over it.

Dessert: Caramel Custard with Seasonal Fresh Fruits / Fruit Cake:

> Make Custard according to normal procedure using Sugar-Free
> Cook till the consistency is almost like glue (e.g. like 'leyi').
> Grease a mould and pour the custard in it. Refrigerate till it sets.
> Before serving, gently take the custard out of the mould and serve.
> Serve with cut seasonal fruits by the side (or Fruit Cake).


Eat, Drink and be Merry !!