Veggies are in vogue!

Plant based substitutes are hot on the culinary scene in 2016. From spiralised veggies and cauliflower crust pizzas to cauliflower rice, vegetable chips and steaks – creative uses of vegetables is the in-thing and everything is going plant based! Good news for the vegetarians, and time for some change for the meat eaters! Read on…

Cauliflowered!

Cauliflower saw its use in various versions in the year 2015 and it still is going to be in fashion in the coming days. So, it’s more and more of this white vegetable everywhere. You can use it to make a rice, steak, pancakes, pizza crust or even bulk-up your mashed potatoes – go healthy with your favourite foods. We teach you a simple, yet fabulous Cauliflower Rice right here:

Mix up grated cauliflower and broccoli in a pot full of boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes. Strain and cool. Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil till light golden, add cooked cauliflower and broccoli, cook for 1-2 minutes. Season right with salt, crushed peppercorns, mix and let it get heated through. Sprinkle chopped parsley and mix. Off the heat and its good to go!

Oodles of noodles!

Create your kind noodles/pastas with spiralised veggies – zoodles with zucchini and coodles with carrot! Or you can choose any other vegetable you like – innovate with beetroot, radish and so on. Use your choice of sauce or make an aglio e olio, these are fun, add a dash of colour in your dishes and level-up the health quotient for sure. Try this one here (a bit of cheese would do no harm):

Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil till golden. Add chopped onion, sauté till translucent. Throw in some halved cherry tomatoes, stir for a minute. Season with salt, pepper powder and mix. Add mixed zucchini and carrot strips, toss for a minute or two. Switch off the flame, sprinkle some parmesan cheese powder and torn basil leaves. Mix and serve at once!

All for chips!

Kale, sweet potato, beetroot, raw banana, radish or whatever you want to experiment with. Just slice them real thin and bake them to perfection instead of frying for that ultimate crisp bite! Veggie chips are nutritious. Veggie chips are unique. Veggie chips are super. Here is a Kale Chips recipe right from our bank:

Tear fresh kale and scatter them on a baking tray. Drizzle some olive oil and mix gently. Put the tray in a preheated oven at 150ºC and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove, sprinkle salt and some parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Yes, it is that easy!

Do tell us what you think the food trends of 2016 will be.

Raising the flag

The Standard Charted Marathon has evolved into a tradition that I look forward to each year, just like the cause, Autism, that I run for has become something that I totally and wholeheartedly believe in. The forum for autism is a parent support group, which does a commendable job, day in and day out, making life for autistic people easier. Running and garnering support for this cause gives a whole new perspective to my life. A big thank you to Chef Ranveer Brar, Ravi and Chitra Iyer, my colleagues, family members and friends for making the marathon this year a memorable one- The dream run is indeed help fulfilling some dreams.

You can know more about the forum for Autism here. http://forumforautism.org/about-us/

While on the topic, not all causes need a monetary donation and our precious time works just as well. The NDTV Cleanathon is one such thing.

The NDTV Cleanathon requires each one of us to aim and work for a cleaner India, together and by starting from our very own homes, streets and surroundings. Sharing the stage with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign ambassador was inspiring as always. Along with my team of 40,000 entrepreneurs of WonderChef, my team members at SK Restaurants have pledged 2.4 Lac hours towards in the next 1 year. Along with support and pledges from several prestigious individuals and organizations, the 12 hour live Cleanathon on Sunday garnered a total of 1.16 crore hours this year for clean-up drives across India. It’s time each one of us does the little things that make our bodies, minds, home environment, society, city and country clean and green and beautiful – like it is meant to be!

Go ahead and pledge your time here http://swachhindia.ndtv.com/pledge-time-join-clean-drive-across-india/

It’s a great cause and plus it is YOU who is going to reap the benefits of a clean, healthy and beautiful India!

Raise the flag, spread awareness and do your bit for a cause everyone should believe in.

Start today start now to realize the dream of a #swachchbharat!

#mycleanIndia #swachhbharat #cleanathon #ndtvcleanathon #mumbaimarathon #forumforautism #cause #support #india

Hacks to an easy day in the kitchen

Need a fuss-free, quick-fix idea with your favourite ingredients? Well, here are some kitchen hacks that will surely make your life easier! And they are super cool, just enough to blow your mind! Check them out.

1. Merry marinades

Try out these combinations for that easy-peasy marinade for your chicken. You don’t need to look-out for exotic ingredients. Just use things of the shelf and stir a tasty base.

• For a basic 3-ingredient one with Asian and tropical flavours – mix up 2 tbsps pineapple juice and 2 tsps fish sauce with ¼ cup coconut milk.

• For a sweet basic one, go with this 4-ingredient fix – mix up 2 tbsps red wine vinegar, 2 tsps mustard paste and 2 tsps honey with ¼ cup olive oil.

• Love your liquors? Try this – mix up 2 tbsps lemon juice, 2 tsps sea salt, 1 tsp brandy and 1 tsp red wine with ¼ cup oil.

2. Honestly healthy

You want to eat your favourite food and watch those extra kilos too!? That’s easy. We give you simple yet tasty substitutes that you can opt for on a daily routine.

• Give a miss to the oily French Fries by baking veggie slices to get exciting options. Kale, sweet potato, beetroot, zucchini and raw banana or whatever you wish to. Sprinkle your favourite spice mix to make them zingier!

• Love you sandwiches? So, next time use a simple avocado spread/guacamole or sesame butter/tahini instead of the fattening mayonnaise.

• Create nutritious pancakes with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, buttermilk and finish off by topping with fresh fruits like berries, bananas, peaches instead of artificial syrups.

• Instead of sugar, use fresh dates and honey as a sweetener for your yummy shakes and smoothies.

• Craving for spaghetti? Try the new avatar – sauté garlic in olive oil. Add onion, sauté till translucent. Dunk in cherry tomatoes, cook for a minute. Season with salt, crushed peppercorns, mix. Add green and yellow zucchini strips and carrot strips, toss for a minute. Finish with a dash of parmesan, basil.

3. Good grains

Still worked-up about not getting your grains perfectly done? Put a print-out on your refrigerator or sticky-note this how-to guide in your kitchen.

• Quinoa and millets – 2 cups water for 1 cup quinoa/millets. Dry-roast grains before adding water and cook covered for 20 minutes on low heat.

• Barley – 3 cups water for 1 cup barley. Boil, cook covered for 30-45 minutes on low heat.

• Oats – 2 cups water for 1 cup oats. Boil, cook covered for 10-20 minutes on low heat. Keep stirring in between.

Just a few of them in here. Keep reading and following us for more such cool stuff. And remember sharing is caring.