‘Food’ Category

Kale Goat Cheese Frittata

January 27th, 2010 Tushar Mathur

Ingredients
2 cups coarsely torn fresh kale
1 medium onion, halved and thinly
sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
6 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup drained oil-packed dried
tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Preparation
Preheat broiler. In 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, cook and stir kale and onion in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes until onion is tender.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt, and pepper. Pour over kale mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-low heat. As egg mixture sets, run a spatula around the edge of the skillet, lifting egg mixture so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edge until egg mixture is almost set but still glossy and moist.

Sprinkle egg mixture with dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until eggs are set. Cut into wedges to serve.

Serves 6.

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Recipe: Asparagus Pasta Spring Rolls

January 7th, 2010 Tushar Mathur

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 dried lasagna noodles
1 pound asparagus spears
1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream
cheese (Neufchatel)
2 tablespoons snipped chives
2 tablespoons milk
1 to 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
8 fresh chives (optional)

Preparation
Bring 3 quarts water to boiling in a large pot; add salt and lasagna noodles. Cook noodles for 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is nearly tender.

Snap off and discard fibrous stem ends of asparagus. If necessary, trim asparagus to 5-inch lengths. Add asparagus to pasta; cook 3 minutes more. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again, and pat pasta dry with paper towels.

Combine cream cheese, snipped chives, milk, dill, garlic, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each lasagna noodle. Divide salmon evenly among the noodles, placing a single layer of salmon on each noodle.

Place three asparagus spears on one end of each noodle, letting the tips extend beyond the edge. Roll up each noodle. Tie with a fresh chive, if desired. Stand spring rolls upright to serve.

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Recipe for Mac & Cheese

October 25th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

Few meals bring up fond memories of our childhoods more than this staple, which is still one of the most popular processed foods in the market. Here we present a quick-and-easy variety that will surely please while making sure that your family is enjoying a heart-healthy entrée. Serve with our Roasted Vegetables.

Ingredients

* Refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray
* 6 ounces whole wheat medium shells, elbow macaroni, or other small pasta
* ½ teaspoon cornstarch
* ¾ cup evaporated skim milk
* 6 ounces low-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (about 1¼ cups)
* 2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* Freshly ground white pepper
* 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

Cooking Process

1. Coat an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. In a saucepan, stir the cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of the evaporated milk, then whisk in the remaining milk. Add the cheese, mustard to taste, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sauce thickens a bit and the cheese is completely melted. Stir in the cooked pasta and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the diced tomatoes and place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the top browns. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Dietitian’s Note:

Our mac and cheese, packed with dietary fiber and anti-oxidant-rich carotenoids, is a sure winner over traditional macaroni and cheese, which has 25 percent more calories and double the fat!

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 290 calories (19% calories from fat), 7 g total fat (4 g saturated fat), 20 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 387 mg potassium

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Recipe: Black Bean and Corn Salsa

October 1st, 2009 Tushar Mathur

Ingredients

  • 2 15-ounce cans whole kernel corn, drained
  • 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped finely
  • 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/3-cup fresh limejuice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 medium avocados, peeled and chopped

Preparation

  • Mix all ingredients together, cover and chill.
  • Before serving add chopped avocado.
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Food poisoning

August 15th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

Food poisoning is defined as a sickness caused by the utilization of food or water contaminated with toxins or chemicals. Usual symptoms of food poisoning are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea that happen rapidly after taking an impure and dirty food or drink.
The main cause of traveler’s diarrhea is Escherichia coli bacteria. E. coli enteritis is swelling of the small intestine. It is also called food poisoning or E. coli diarrhea. The main causes of food poisoning are eating unsanitary food, or drinking untreated or impure water. Sometimes it is due to traveling to the places that may not have clean drinking water.
The time between infection and development of symptoms is generally 24 – 72 hours. The symptoms due to food poisoning: abdominal Pain, diarrhea (sudden and severe), sometimes bloody, fever, gas, loss of appetite, stomach cramping and vomiting. The doctor will generally take a physical examination. A stool test can be done to check for severity of the disease. This type of food poisoning has no treatment. The sickness typically completes its course in a few days, without treatment. Only few patients may need to be admitted to the hospital if they become highly dehydrated.
Carefully wash your hands, do not drink unprocessed or impure food or water, Always cook meats properly and cook meats at high temperatures to kill germs
Always make your first aid kit while traveling to fight against food poisoning. The first aid kit should contain bamboo charcoal sesame seed. This is made by heating bamboo and then mixed with sesame seed and other components. It has minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It has the capacity to soak chlorine from drinking tap water.
First Aid: If you are under food poisoning – take 50-100 grams if you are adult (10-25 grams for children) to wash out the toxic stuff from your body because bamboo charcoals can absorb toxins from our body.

Advantages of consuming bamboo charcoal sesame seed are: relieves pressure, anxiety, nervousness and promotes blood circulation, prevents from harmful bacteria and toughen the body immune system

Use it like other seasonings. Add to rice, salads, noodles, soups, dishes, pastas, vegetables etc.

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A Malaysian meal in London (and a hotel or two)

March 24th, 2009 Tushar Mathur

I’d love to blog freely tonight but let’s just say my internet connection leaves much to be desired.

I just wanted to share my dinner… Satay House at 13 Sale Place near Paddington A delicious Malaysian restaurant located just off of Sussex Gardens. I had a delicious dinner there… Udang Galah Goreng – king prawns sauteed in chilies, peppers, lime leaves, turmeric and coconut milk. Very good flavor – not at all spicy (despite what the waitress told me). Let’s face it – spicy in the UK is not spicy in Texas. I also tried a Monarch beer (nice beer from Singapore) and some kind of special Malaysian coffee which tasted like… coffee. If you can, try to get seated in the basement… it is much nicer and hipper than the ground level. Trust me – it’s like two different restaurants. Next door was a Lebanese place called Rotana… looked kind of plain and a bit empty but some reviews I found looked good.

By the way, I ended up really liking my Paddington area hotel… what a convenient neighborhood. There are dozens upon dozens around here, ranging in quality to meh to extremely nice (Hilton over Paddington). No idea what it was like but the Stylotel looked kind of call. Most of these hotels are small establishments and there all lined up like toy soldiers… one after the other. Usually train station areas are sketchy but this one seemed fine. There are probably 3-4 dozen alone along Sussex Gardens, not to mention other side street hotels.

Oh… and if you’re in the area and want to try something different, walk along Edgware Road. It won’t take long to realize that the area is a Middle Eastern community… stores selling Arab wares, food, services to Middle Eastern clients and many Persian and Lebanese restaurants, many of which have hookahs available for their primarily ethnic clientele.

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Haveli Indian Restaurant in Downtown Atlanta

September 5th, 2008 Tushar Mathur

This is One of a Kind Indian Food in Downtown Atlanta. The food is really great and truly Indian.

We live in a Northern suburb of Atlanta, so Haveli, which is located in Downtown Atlanta, is about 30 minutes away. But we had heard good things about it, so we had to try it for ourselves.

The staff came to our table and chat with us. The owner who is also the chef comes to our table and talks to us about how we like our food and then goes and cooks it a la carte. The waiters are extremely friendly, attentive and cordial.

We started off with an appetizer platter of different meats. It had Tandoori Chicken, Chicken tikka, seekh kabab, grilled fish (salmon) and Tandoori shrimp. The taste was awesome. We really enjoyed it.

For the main course, we ordered Chicken Vindaloo, Daal Makhani, Chicken Briyani and Naan. The Vindaloo was really spicy and tasty, we loved it. My wife liked the Daal a lot because it had this burnt flavor that she just loves.

The chicken biryani was good but I have had better though. The raita (yogurt) that came with it was pretty good. My daughter really enjoyed the mango lassi that the waiter brought for her and didn’t even charge us for it. Now thats service !! :)

The food is worth every penny (which isn’t that much) portions are extremely generous and is cooked to each individuals specifications (where else can you get that?), the restaurant is also beautifully decorated with a inviting atmosphere.

Unlike some downtown restaurants, Haveli has convenient parking which always a bonus.

All in all this is a good Indian restaurant, but since its 30 minutes away we would not visit it too often since we have better Indian restaurants close to where we live.  But if you happen to be in downtown Atlanta craving Indian food be sure to check out ‘Haveli’.

Here are some photos of the food we ate.

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Good Indian Food in Atlanta: Sri Krishna Vilas

July 16th, 2008 Tushar Mathur

Best Indian food in the Atlanta area

Since we moved to Atlanta in 2006, we have been to all the Indian restaurants in the Alpharetta/Roswell area and have yet to find a better restaurant tan Sri Krishna Vilas. They have a good lunch buffet but what we like better is their ala carte menu in the evenings. Since they moved to their new location on Windward Parkway, we have been at least 3 times and ordered different dishes and each and every time we were extremely satisfied.

Their Chicken Tikka comes on a sizzling skillet that tastes very good. The butter chicken is very authentic. Next time we will try their South Indian style Chola-Batura and the grilled Malai Jhinga (grilled shrimp).

This new location is beautiful. Nice hardwood floors, big screen TVs showing Bollywood movies, a large buffet with a good selection. They serve fresh breads including naan that are wonderful.

The food is surprisingly made to taste,  extra hot, hot, medium, and mild.  There is quite a noticeable difference between these levels.  So, for once, the level of heat means something to the chef.  It would be interesting to see for how long they keep this up.  If they do that long enough, they will be one of the best Indian restaurants in Atlanta.

The variety is pretty decent so that this can be a one-stop-shop for all popular Indian cuisines. They also serve local Indian beers like Kingfisher.

Update 7/14/2008:

We started with 2 appetizers Papdi Chaat and Malai Jhinga. The Jhinga (shrimp) were awesome , marinated and grilled to perfection. We then ordered Kadhai Bhindi Masala (curried okra) and Methi Malai Chicken for the main course. The chicken was fantastic, not very hot but very flavorful. Both the dishes come with Naan. Okra was also very good, went very well with the buttered naan bread. I would highly recommend trying the Methi Malai Chicken.

Below are some pictures of the food we ordered.

Overall, we love the food at Sri Krishna Vilas. If you are in the Alpharetta area, you must definitely try the food here.

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Tips For Healthy Vegetarian Recipes

July 1st, 2008 Tushar Mathur

tips for healthy Vegetarian recipies

There is a common misconception that vegetarians only have very limited recipes allowed them. On the contrary, there are so many options available for easy healthy vegetarian recipes. The wealth of choices actually makes vegetarianism an exciting journey into healthy food. Here are some things you need to remember when preparing easy healthy vegetarian recipes.

Check the Label

The most convenient way to create healthy recipes is to stock ahead on sauces and ingredients. This way you just have to open packs and cans when you need to whip up something fast. This is generally a good idea especially if you’re thinking of canned beans, salsa sauce, dried peas, canned mushrooms and tomato sauce.

You should however always make it a point to read labels before adding unfamiliar ingredients to easy healthy vegetarian recipes. Some products may seem vegetarian but may contain animal based ingredients like gelatin and animal oil. Pure vegans might also want to find out if instant foods contain cheese, milk and other dairy products.

Cook the Same Way

Easy healthy vegetarian recipes are basically similar to regular meat containing recipes. The only thing lacking is meat. This means that you just have to cook like you always do. Just have a little knowledge to supplement your nutrients and a little creativity to make easy healthy vegetarian recipes as tasty as meat dishes.

Poultry substitute can be found in beans, legumes, soy-based products and nuts. Calcium can be obtained from milk and green leafy vegetables. To make your easy healthy vegetarian recipes especially tasty you can experiment with herbs and spices like chilies, oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil.

Don’t Overdo Plain Dishes

Serving steamed vegetables, corn and peas are among the most common favorite. They are also obviously easy healthy vegetarian recipes. Sometimes though, you might want to cut back on these basic dishes so that your family doesn’t get too bored with the same taste. Serve the same dishes but maybe you can saute these food items first with some tasty onions, garlic and some pepper.

Serve Healthy Snacks

Some recipes would take a little bit more time. To make sure that your family members don’t come home hungry and ready for a big meal at six, serve them healthy snacks to delay their craving for dinner. Pack some nuts, dried fruits, fruit mixes, crackers and cheese for them to take to school or work.

Serve Raw and Simple

Raw vegetarianism is another way of maximizing the greatest source of healthy nutrients from your recipe. You might want to try one night in seven as a raw night.

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Free Chick-fil-A food

May 6th, 2008 Tushar Mathur

Yesterday I wrote about the grand opening of the Avenue Mall in Forsyth County, GA. Now here is some good news for Chick-fil-A lovers here in Cumming, GA.

Chick-fil-A Inc. is giving away $26,000 in food to the first 100 adult customers in line for the May 8 grand opening of its new store at Avenue Forsyth at 430 Peachtree Parkway in Cumming, Ga.

The Atlanta-based chicken sandwich chain said it will give a one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A Combo Meals (52 coupons) to each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, at the new restaurant. The line can begin forming up to 24 hours before the opening, with the prizes being given away on May 8 sometime between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. The restaurant will open for business immediately afterward.

Chick-fil-A’s popular grand opening giveaway started in 2003.

“When we started the First 100 Fans promotion we were stunned when someone arrived 18 hours in advance and asked where he could wait in line,” said Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A president. “Almost five years later, we’ve given away more than $7 million in free Chick-fil-A food across the country to raving fans who’ve braved snow, wind, rain and triple-digit temperatures to help us celebrate the opening of each new Chick-fil-A.”

Chick-fil-A has more than 1,380 locations in 37 states and Washington, D.C. Its sales jumped 16 percent to $2.64 billion in 2007. The chain which plans to add 88 locations this year, including 70 stand-alone restaurants.

We should be hearing some more promotions like these because nothing attracts customers better than free stuff :)

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