Spinach soup

A very simple, quick cooking recipe for my fussy kiddo who refuses to eat vegetables. I usually make soups for him, boil some assorted veges in a pressure cooker and then grind them and season with salt and pepper. This recipe was shared by my friend +gautami khadkatkar. I have used two different varieties of spinach to make this soup. The long green chinese spinach and the lovely red spinach. This is what we get here locally in Singapore.

Ingredients:

• A bunch of chinese spinach
  
• A bunch of red spinach
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 red chilies (I used the round variety)
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil or fresh cream to garnish

Recipe:

• Remove thicker part of stalks of the spinach. Discard them.

• Wash the leaves in running water thoroughly.

• Microwave the spinach for about 2-3 minutes and wilt them slightly. (alternatively, you can blanch the spinach leaves in a pot of water and discard the water)

• Grind the spinach to a fine puree in a food processor or a blender. I got about 1.5 cups of puree.

• Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a pan.
• Add the grated garlic and red chilies.

• Saute till the garlic is browned for about a minute.

• Add the spinach puree and saute for another minute.

• Now lower the heat and add milk, while stirring the mixture continuously.

• Heat it for about 4/5 minutes till the soup starts bubbling.

• Season with salt and serve hot.

• You can garnish with a few drops of olive oil, fresh cream or butter. (or just some leaves of spinach)

Quantity:

• 3-4 servings

Notes:

• You can use any variety of spinach available locally.
• You can use part cream to make the soup richer or part water to make the soup lighter.
• You can add a paste made with 1-2 tsp of cornflour or plain flour mixed with 1/4 cup of water and add it to the soup to make the soup thicker.
• You can arnish with toasted walnuts, fried onions or red peppers too!!

loved photographing fresh leaves :)

Chili Chicken

This is our favorite recipe, to be made anytime. If I ask my son, what shall I make for dinner or lunch, he would say "chili chicken" or "grilled salmon". I make this recipe, so many times.... usually, in a rush at last minute, so never had time to properly photograph it. I had photographed this, long time back and I did not like the pictures, so I want to do it again sometime, but as I said, I always make it in a hurry.... so if I make it in leisure, will try to take better photographs for this recipe. 

Ingredients:

• about 400 gms chicken fillets( or breasts)
  
• 1 red  and 1 green capsicum
• 1 red onion
• 7 garlic flakes
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 3 green chilies
• 1 red chili
• 2 tbsps dark soy sauce
• 2 -3 tsp vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp of ajinomoto( msg-- optional)
• a bunch of spring onions chopped for garnish

Recipe:

• Wash and clean the chicken. Pat it dry with kitchen paper. Chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Grate 4 garlic cloves and ginger, chop 2 chilies and keep them in a bowl.

• Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp vinegar and mix well.

• Add chicken pieces to this marinade. Add about 1/2 a tsp of salt and 1 tsp of freshly pounded black pepper.
• Keep it aside covered with cling wrap in a refrigerator for about 1 hour ...to even 24 hours(1 day)

• Mince the remaining 3 pieces of garlic, 1 green and red chili, onions and capsicums.

• Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. 

• Add garlic, chilies and stir-fry on high for 30 secs.

• Add onion, stir-fry again for a minute.

• Add the capsicum, stir-fry for 2 minutes.

• Add another tbsp of soy sauce and 1 to 2 tsp of vinegar.

• Add marinated chicken. Lower the heat to medium and stir-fry .....for 3-5 minutes till the chicken is cooked. 

• Serve hot, garnished with spring onions as an accompaniment with rice or just as is ....if it's a snack or an appetizer.

Quantity:

• 3-5 servings with rice/other curry or 2-3 servings as an appetizer

Notes:

• The chicken requires only 4-5 minutes to cook, if they are in small bite size pieces.
• If u get chicken shreds,(like I have got, in the picture) that means, it's slightly over cooked. You need to get a  nice even brownish coating. A tip, I recently learnt about cooking chicken from my friend Lakshmi. However, this chicken is delicious, even if it is slightly overcooked.
• You can make it a day ahead... or marinate longer to get maximum flavor.
• Msg can be added after sauteing the onions, before adding capsicum. It gives good flavor to the chicken. 
• You can also add a chicken stock cube in the end and some water and corn flour to make a gravy.
• The number of chilis and flavorings, I use..will make it a mildly spicy chicken. Do increase the number of chilies for a fiery taste..... :) Adjust the quantity of soy sauce, vinegar and salt and pepper accordingly.
• For vegetarian version of this recipe -- Try out the chili paneer recipe here....:)

•  You can make similar recipe with boiled eggs.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

A simple everyday recipe. I had a few vegetables and a pack of chicken which needed to be used and not a lot of time, before my kids came home hungry for lunch. This is my quick-fix recipe, when I am short of time and need hot food in a hurry. I washed and cleaned the rice and put it in a microwave-safe bowl and set it to a 22 minute timer and started chopping the ingredients. This recipe was done just after the rice was done... so give or take 30 minutes from start to finish. It can be made faster, if u chop the ingredients in a food processor....