MIXED VEGETABLES OATS FISH SNACK

Sometimes blunder leads towards betterment, what seen is example. It was Sunday, Cristine wasn't around. I prefer day light for photography, hence went ahead. Each blogpost is project to me, I am sincere about choosing ingredients, cooking, writing blogpost! Shaping fish cakes, I went haywire, finally managed well. I am satisfied, we enjoyed having them with yogurt-cucumber cold sandwich!

I ain't sandwich fan, loved this one. I avoid having cheese, thankfully my stomach didn't rebel. Certain kind of food I used to dislike earlier, I enjoy nowadays! Southern Indian fried"vadai"I don't eat,"dahi vada / doi bora"I like. I avoid chaats at Southern Indian eateries. Madras cafe beside Mustafa Centre, Entry-1 sells"dahi vada"each for 2$, yesterday felt let me try! I liked, had cooling effect. They sell variety of snacks, sweets! I would go back soon.

I am writing blogposts frequently, each year during this time I do. Not really I like routined life, "I have to do" isn't my favourite phrase! However, curating new recipes, sharing with readers is pleasure. What I am meaning to say is do writers enjoy going too fast paced? I am just food writer! Routines kill pleasure, that I fear! My agenda isn't to talk about recipes alone! Formatting stories I aim for.

I am getting distracted, its 11pm, Tuesday, "Kalia" movie is been played, "tum saath ho jab apne"! We are Big B fans, I loved Parveen Babi, most natural glamour quotient Bollywood ever produced. Her tragic life should be included in psychology textbooks. How could an idol be lonely in real life. I wonder what causes schizophrenia! I had / have mental issues, not as severe as it. Babi had many male suitors, no lover. This is pathetic, princess of Junagadh died of lovelessness. We shouldn't fall prey of praises, accept it, enjoy, stay levelheaded; safest practice. One who genuinely expects your win never leaves, that doesn't require legal bond, just remaining by side works as medicine. 

My kind of "being"can be keeping fresh flowers, hanging door beads outside of main door, let people feel good, let them keep guessing who's it. Making people feel important is game changer, this world has someone somewhere to feel! May be Parveen wanted such companion without legal hassles. Not all relationships have to have name, lifetime promises, reason! Many such ailments occur from loneliness, wanted serving voluntarily without getting ill myself as in "Deep Jele Jai". 

In home, cooking MIXED VEGETABLES OATS FISH SNACK gets happiness. A sense of entitlement prevails at home, we own it, care for; otherwise no point being. Cooking it on Sunday with food packed in refrigerator meant wanting to have unusual lunch with man, I miss son while on such missions! I want him to cook these recipes. 

Before having, taking decent photographs of what I cooked is another kind of responsibility, my blog should look beautiful. Whatever we do, we must do it well, there isn't halfway for me. My initial plan was to wrap fish cubes in mixture of oats, vegetables, shallow fry until crisp. I found it difficult wraping. Time ran out, kitchen sink was full, I had to clean up post photoshoot, lunch. Most importantly, the non-vegetarian, gluten-free fish snack / starter / appetiser had to look good. I did what you see next, took help of oven!

INGREDIENTS :

BONELESS FISH : 500 GM [I USED SUTCHI FILLET]

LETTUCE OR CABBAGE : A HANDFUL

CARROT : 1 SMALL SIZED

GREEN BEAN : 6-7

GREEN CHILLI : 2 [I USED 1 GREEN 1 RED]

BLACK PEPPER POWDER : 1/2 TSP

ITALIAN MIX HERBS : 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TSP

PROCEDURE : 

Wash, cube fish fillets, using kitchen tissues, discard excess water.

Cut them small. Marinate with salt, lemon juice, Italian herbs mix, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder. Keep covered for an hour.

Wash, mince vegetables, add oats, mix well.

Discard excess marinade from fish pieces. 

My initial plan didn't work out, took everything in blender, just pulsed, don't make fine paste.

Add 1 tsp oil to mixture, shape as you wish.

Grease an ovenproof plate with oil, place uncooked fish snackers.

Place low height stand inside oven, atop plate!

Cook one side at Combination Mode C-2 for 15 minutes. 

Take out, brush oil! Turn over, brush oil again! Cook in the same mode for 8-9 minutes.

Serve fresh, hot with choice of sauces / pickle / chutney! Make some sandwiches / fried rice / handmade breads!

You may also shallow fry them on stovetop, that requires more of oil!

CRISPY BAKED PASTRY SHEET ROLL

AFTER A PRETTY LONG TIME, I AM WRITING A BLOGPOST, A FEEL GOOD THING FOR SURE!

Yesterday was a day full of tensed moments! It was World Cup Cricket's Final Match last evening, India was one of the contestant! You can imagine the amount of pressure on our minds! The man hides it tactfully, I am expressive! We have to accept that the Australian Cricket Team had been strong all through, they do not go out of form ever! Our son never sits to watch a game of cricket, he is an ardent fan of Formula-1 matches, of what else mumma does not know! In my side of the family, except for me, every one else had been good in sports; all of the three sisters including our mother earned medals in sports, the father played football, my brother used to be a good swimmer, cricketer, sprinter! The entire family would watch any sport on our black & white television, the maternal grandfather who stayed with us in Kolkata during his posting there would insist all of us watch the important football, cricket, lawn tennis matches! Then the man entered my life who did not play any game but is fond of watching sports! I would sit with him & watch the game of cricket! I do not watch the Wimbledon or American Open anymore! Well, to watch the Gymnasts perform in the Olympics used to be my another hobby! I am myself far from playing any game! Today, I feel I had to learn something besides the text books, may be music!

HOW DO I SPEND MY SUNDAYS?

Ever since the son has left for his college, we hardly have anything to do on this day! For long, I continued the practice of getting store bought food for the man! Then one day, I stopped going out to the mall opposite to fetch food! Sundays seem long with most of the cooking done on the Saturdays! Yet, at least one meal I wish to cook on a Sunday, it can be the simplest! I enjoy the exercise, it helps me spend some quality time! The son would not pick up the phone always, the man would prefer having his beer, wine or whisky over going out with me on a lunch date! I have a license but cannot drive, drink driving is out of question at this home! Every country should have strict rules with regards to drink driving & playing music while driving! Yesterday, under the stress of India's possibility of losing the match, I cooked this!

For yesterday's lunch, we had a scrumptious Bengali platter, all items of our choice! That chicken curry I wish to blog about, I liked it! Today, after a swimming session, my first meal was a noodle bowl, corn+butter+chilli+salt cup & I do the latter better than any outlet selling it!

The problem is I cannot have that butter corn cup alone for a better looking, fitter body! Hence, my hanging belly keeps showing up prominent! Cristine cooked the noodles pretty well!

WHAT IS THIS CRISPY BAKED PASTRY SHEET ROLL?

I always have a pastry sheet packet kept in my freezer, I like cooking various snacks using it! The problem is I am poor at shaping them with the filling! Cristine wasn't around, I rolled them the simplest way because they were to be baked! I do like Bengali style rolls, specially the egg rolls but cannot digest those heavy stuffs! I started liking spring rolls when I first had them in my college days, did not have much of idea how Far East had it or South East Asia had it! I only knew it as Chinese Food! Funny enough, sitting in Singapore, I find their spring rolls pretty bland, having only some shredded & boiled cabbage or turnips with a hint of salt! For a desi like me, it is not welcome! Also spring rolls are deep fried! If I have learnt using pastry sheets for snacks that are oven cooked just brushing some oil, why would not I? I do have one or two similar recipes in the blog! The filling made for this CRISPY FRIED PASTRY SHEET ROLLS is one of a kind! Though I wished for a vegetarian snack, sometime back I discovered this Spring Home's pastry sheets have eggs used in the making, consider these non-vegetarian snackers!

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE FILLING]

CHOPPED CARROT : A BOWLFUL

BOILED POTATO : A BOWLFUL

CHOPPED ONION : 2 TBSP

ROASTED PEANUT : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED COCONUT : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

CURRY LEAF : 7-8

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2 TSP

DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

ASAFOETIDA : A PINCH

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TSP

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE BAKED ROLLS]

THE FILLING

THE PASTRY SHEETS

SOME OIL OR GHEE OR BUTTER TO BRUSH

PROCEDURE :

Take the cut coconut, carrot, onion, green chillies together, wash & marinate with salt & turmeric! 

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok, temper with the cumin seeds & asafoetida!

Add the marinated vegetables, stir & cover cook! My initial plan was not to add the boiled potato, later I changed my mind, I love potatoes!

Remove the cover, add the rest of the spice powders, curry leaves & give a stir! Add the boiled & mashed potatoes, fold in well! 

Add the roasted peanuts, fold in well & take down! Let it cool!

Cristine wasn't there at home & I am poor at folding a pastry sheet!

I felt free to just roll them & bake! I filled one side with some filling, applied water to the two ends, rolled the simplest way, pressed!

I greased one oven proof tray and placed the rolls with the two ends side placed down! I brushed some ghee on them for a better flavour!

Inside my convection mode microwave, I placed the low height wired stand, preheated the oven at 160*C!

I had placed the oven proof plate inside, closed the door, baked for 15 minutes at 160*C! 

The cooking time varies for different machines, be careful!