Zaiqa

Our weekend breakfast: Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam along with Afghani Bread. Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam is an Indian brand jam. It is different, delicious, and I have always enjoyed it since my childhood. Always love to pick a jar of this particular brand from the Indian stores during weekend grocery shopping visits.

Any more fans out there who love Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam like me?

Luv,
Mona

Today was such day when I was craving for some mood uplifting, indulging dessert. Rich and decadent fool is what I thought of. You can use any fruits such as Cherries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Mango, Plum, Passionfruit, Kiwi etc instead of Strawberries that I have used today.

Strawberry Fool

Strawberry Fool

Ingredients:

Strawberry – 1 lb
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Chopped Mint leaves – 1 tsp
Light cream – 2 cups
Vanilla powder – 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and slice the strawberries. Reserve a few for garnish. Add the remaining into a blender container. Add mint leaves, sugar and lemon juice and blend until smoothly pureed.
2. Add vanilla to the light cream. Whip the light cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Gently using a rubber spatula, fold in the the pureed strawberry with the cream. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
4. To serve, spoon the refrigerated cream+strawberry puree mixture into cups and drizzle with the reserved strawberry puree. Garnish with the strawberry slices.

Updated June 15th ’09: I forward Strawberry Fool to Happy Cook for the event – Strawberry Feast, that she is hosting this month on her blog for her love for Strawberries. Hope she enjoys it.

Luv,
Mona

Kiwi Fruit

Kiwifruit ~ an egg shaped, brown, thin and furry skinned fruit, rich in Vitamin C, other vitamins and minerals, fibre and antioxidants, also called as Chinese Gooseberry and native to China, with syrupy bright emerald green inner flesh and flecked attractively with tiny edible black seeds, and white rays that shoot out from the center. Its peel is inedible

To remove the flesh, cut the fruit into half, and scoop it out using a spoon. Slice it and serve immediately. It tastes deliciously sweet and tart, similar to strawberry.

Did you know: Kiwi fruit is also used as a meat tenderizer as it contains a protein dissolving enzyme.

Luv,
Mona

Cantaloupe is a Muskmelon, a very fragrant melon, also called as Kharbooza in Urdu. It is a delicious fruit with its origins in India. It has a hard netted rind with delicious sweet juicy edible pulpy peach colored flesh with a musky aroma and flavor. The seeds are arranged in the center in a fibrous net.

Cantaloupe ~ Kharbooza

This fruit is very easily digested, and has a high water content. It is rich in folate, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, fructose, glucose, sucrose, traces of copper, manganese and zinc; the phytonutrients include beta carotene, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and rutin. Cantaloupe contains more beta-carotene than any other melon.

Kharbooza helps lower blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. It helps lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, boosts immune system, protects against macular degenaration, and aid liver health. It has also has antitumur and anti-inflammatory properties.

Choose Cantaloupes that have a prominent veins on the thick beige colored rind. They should be firm to touch, not soft, and heavy. Store them at room temperature for around 4 days. Then refrigerate and store them for almost 5 days. Wash the Cantaloupe thoroughly, so to avoid any risk of carrying the bacteria from the skin into the fruit with the knife. Cut the melon into thin slices. Peel the skin of the individual slices and cut the flesh into pieces and chill in the refrigerator. Serve the required melon pieces into invividual bowls and pour chilled milk. Sprinkle granulated sugar and serve. You can store the remaining in an air tight plastic box for almost 3 days.

Luv,
Mona

Rainbow trout is a large, beautiful moderately fatty fish. It is very rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, just like Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Albacore Tuna, and Herring, so very good for your heart health. These fish are also considered low in methyl mercury levels.

Fresh Cleaned Rainbow Trout

In this recipe the beautiful fresh fish is marinated in a Tandoori masala of yogurt and aromatic spices for atleast 2 hours, and later grilled to perfection. It is crisp outside and spicy and succulent inside. Tandoori Machli is a delicacy.

Tandoori Rainbow Trout

Ingredients:

Fish alternatives: Char, Swordfish, Pink Salmon

Rainbow trout – 1 large fish, about 2.2 pounds, cleaned with head and tail intact (you can remove the head and tail if you like)
Thick Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Ajwain – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Roasted Coriander/Dhaniya powder – 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin/Zeera powder – 1/2 tsp

Tandoori Rainbow Trout, 
served on a bed of fresh Napa cabbage leaves and Chopped Carrot Fingers

Method:

1. In a small bowl, add all the ingredients except the fish and mix well. This is the aromatic Tandoori masala. Slather it on the fish, inside and outside. Transfer the fish into a large resealable plastic bag along with all the marinade and let it rest for not more than 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Bring the fish back to room temperature before you grill. Oil a fish grilling basket and place the marinated fish in the fish basket and clip it closed.
You can either grill the fish using your charcoal grill, gas grill or even bake it in your oven indoors.
For Charcoal grilling:
Light the charcoal briquettes and build a fire on direct medium grilling and let burn until the coals are almost completely covered in white ash. Oil the grill grate. Place the fish basket on the grill grate and cover the grill. Let it cook for 15 minutes until the fish meat is opaque. Turn the fish in the basket and cover the grill. Let cook for an another 10-15 minutes. Remove the fish from the basket and serve.
For Gas Grilling:
Preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes with the lid covered. Once the grill is hot, turn to medium or medium low. Oil the grill grate. Place the basket on the grill grate and cover the grill. Let it cook for 15 minutes until the fish meat is opaque. Turn the fish in the basket and cover the grill. Let cook for an another 10-15 minutes. Remove the fish from the basket and serve on a platter.
For Baking:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the fish basket on the baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and let cook for 15-20 minutes per side. Remove the fish from the basket and serve on a platter.
3. Extract as much meat as possible from the head and tail and discard them. Remove the backbone, and cut the fish into pieces and serve.

Note: The exact time for grilling varies depending on the size and thickness of the fish.

I enjoyed the Tandoori Rainbow Trout along with some broad noodles served with the store brought ‘Thick and Chunky Catelli Garden Select Six Vegetable Recipe-Diced Tomatoes & Basil Pasta Sauce’.

Luv,
Mona