Author: cookingwithshy

Dinner Tonight or Lunch Tomorrow?

Published by

On most weeknights I find myself frantically scurrying around the kitchen in order to put a healthy, flavorful yet simple meal on the table. This is especially so when I’ve had a series of cooking workshops through the day and insufficient left over for dinner. I term these as “Fright nights”! Let’s face it we all have these nights. Well here is a great recipe for Spaghetti And Meatballs,pretty much a fuss free one to put together. I received a coupon from OBE  Organic Halal, the Australian Organic meat wholesalers of free range,organic and grass fed export beef. OBE Organic is 100% owned and operated by Australian organic farmers who are committed to the provision of high quality organic food products and the highest possible standard of food safety for the families of the world.Their meat products are available at Carrefour supermarkets in UAE.The OBE Organic group was founded in the early 1990s by a far-sighted group of Australian pastoral families which are continuing century-old family traditions. Today, OBE Organic is the world’s oldest, largest and most trustworthy …

Indulge your Senses: Tuscan Grape Cake with lemon Drizzle

Published by

 A couple of weeks ago, I had devoured the most delectable and moist Vineyard cake at Baker & Spice. The flavors of this fabulous cake lingered on for quite some time. I loved this cake as it was not overly sweet, and had just the right hint of olive oil. Today is my husband Jd’s birthday and I knew this cake would just be  perfect to celebrate with. Now while he loves the traditional chocolate cake, I was in a ,”want to bake a tea cake” frame of mind and the Tuscan Grape cake seemed to be the one to make. I’ve never really baked with grapes before, and I had been browsing for recipes,in trying to recollect the flavors and ingredients that went into the one I had eaten. Traditionally most recipes call for red grapes, all though I like the green ones for some tartness and a rustic crunch.The lemon zest adds a burst of flavor and that sure was a key ingredient. I love the fact that the recipe here has very little butter and uses more of …

Crescendo: Premium Vinegars & Oils

Published by

I was recently invited for the official launch of Crescendo,one of Germany’s largest retail franchises.They specialize in a wide range of premium quality Vinegar, Oils and a great selection of spices and herbs sourced from all over the globe. The afternoon spent at Crescendo was indeed a very informative one. Kaspars Vendelis Crescendo’s in-house Good taste consultant educated us on a variety of uses and benefits of the various Oils and Vinegar in store. The range is fairly unique and can be adapted into various cuisines as well. The Vinegar range from the Classic to Balsamic Aceto Balsamico and the wonderful Balsamic Crème varieties. We sampled some great varieties such as Raspberry vinegar,Date vinegar and Kalamansi vinegar.It was interesting to learn that the Crème vinegar have a higher percentage of fruit which makes the flavor more powerful. The blueberry vinegar was indeed a winner for me…and any wonder it has been awarded a three star rating by the International Taste and Quality Institute. We then went onto sampling a variety of Oils. These were classified as Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Nut Oils,Seed oils …

Zespri Kiwi: 14 Day Challenge

Published by

I recently took on a 14 day Kiwi challenge which is being promoted by Kiwi supplier Zespri. The challenge required me to consume two Kiwi fruit everyday for a period of 14 days and note down the benefits of this during this period. As a matter of fact I quite love Kiwi fruit and eat it fairly often. So the challenge seemed to be a great one to take on and well-timed too. I’ve been planning a weight loss challenge for a bit now. Apart for the a rigorous exercise regime I also wanted to start off on a fruit diet for breakfast. Some sort of Eat clean and Detox plan. And thus began this challenge of eating two Kiwi fruit everyday. I started off with one in the morning  and the other later in the day. I must say I felt absolutely energized and fabulous. More so it seemed to have kick started my weight loss plan. Now while Kiwi may not directly burn fat it has a very high percentage of dietary fiber which aids weight …

Lebanese kafta (with Garlic & Parsley)

Published by

Well let’s say the past week has been Arabic theme nights in my kitchen. The earlier post on the Hummus and Moutabal got me experimenting with some Lebanese grills last night. I do make the Indian version of the seekh kebab quite often.This Arabic meat mixture has just a few key ingredients and the main difference being it’s heavy on the chopped parsley. With the weather turning slightly cooler we decided to brave the outdoors last evening and dusted off the outdoor grill. These kaftas get done quite easily on a Gas grill or even a charcoal one. I personally love the smoky flavors of charcoal but the less messy one to use would be the gas grill. Some key tips in making Kaftas: It is essential to use slightly fatty minced meat versus very lean meat as the fat helps in binding the kaftas together. Try not molding the kaftas too long as they then tend to fall apart. Beaten egg white works as a great binder. If you are using an outdoor grill do first lightly …