Friday, April 06, 2012

Tea-totally!

Dear All,

I used to be a passionate coffee drinker, never leaving my quarters without a beer-mug full of home churned cold coffee. As the morning would turn to afternoon and then evening, I would rarely shy away from cups of machine-spewed latte or a cafe's hot cappuccino. And any coffee with a hint of Irish Cream -- oh heaven! Big on regular coffee and bigger on the exotic kind (Read: Ethiopian Yergacheffe), I shared a special, warming-the-very-cockles-of-my-heart (literally!) relationship with this dark berry native to the African continent, through Summer, Winter et al. There was a time, two years ago, that I became such a coffee fanatic that I even stored a few beans in my drawer at work!

But then the earth twisted, and since every twist comes with its own set of turns that can be somewhat life changing, I found my turn: My mother FORCED me to try her latest find - the Organics Tulsi Tea. I mocked her, and I made faces. I laughed and I sipped, and by Jove, I took to it like a fish to water, and every night, like a healthy child, I began to partake of a cup just before sleeping. Stress relieving and slimming? Hell yea!

A few months into drinking this potent tulsi leaf concoction, and I already had a few more friends hooked -- I was literally Brand Ambassador, Organics Tea, India! And then this te'a'-amore became more serious and passionate, thanks to my colleague Tanya, who turned out to be a herbal tea zealot and who made me more than a slave to this green and healthy beverage, for we would now begin each morning at work not with the traditional cappuccino, but with a cup of steaming hot lemon tea!


As this relationship progressed beyond a few months, I took THE PLUNGE and got more daring with my new found love, while Coffee ji, oh he, he was as forgotten as can be, for the jasmines, lavenders, the licorice, the chamomile, peppermint and Earl Gray, ginger and masala, put together were too much for even Yerga boy to handle! From great sleep to heightened digestion and even improved skin, these various herbal permutations & combinations were working wonders on my system and how! And what fanfare surrounding the service of any of these great teas -- fancy crockery, fancier strainers and even pretty looking rock sugar sticks!! If this isn't pure luxury, then what is!?


Dear all, you must be wondering -- "What the #$%@$*# hell is the point of writing this post!? Is there nothing more she can cook now!? Is she feeling imperialist with this new British love or is the Tea Board of India paying her for this mini promotion (probably not, considering Orange Zest is almost a forgotten entity these days!)" No point, really, except that GO AHEAD, break out of the rut of things, try something new, savor life and LIVE!!! And you may just discover something that has you tea-totally addicted, whether for a while or for life!

My only clarification -- I do not, nor intend to in the future, ever EVER drink/ fall in love with the great Indian suuurrr surrrr chai...

But then again, never say never!!!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

With a Zing!

I woke up at 4:50 AM with the worst bout of sneezing I had had so far this year and then, just as I managed to doze off an hour later, the crazy pigeon family outside my window began driving me berserk with their maniacal wing flapping and extremely-loud-for-that-hour chirping. This was one bird family taking the "early bird" idiom quite seriously! As I finally dragged myself out of bed for work with an ache ripping my poor head apart, the day only got worse. My gadgets started to give me trouble. The Tata Photon wouldn't work and my phone kept experiencing network drop issues. The tea was bad and the day cold. In short, I wanted to shoot someone!

But then came the evening, and as I walked out of the office, there she stood demurely, waiting to get inside my bag -- a curvaceous bottle of Chilean Chardonnay (thanks a lot, Sir!) -- and BOOM! My energy levels sky rocketed and the evening was suddenly pleasant again. I called up a couple of friends in the neighborhood but none were free for the evening. Oh well, I wasn't going to let that dampen my mood or my Friday evening and so I was on a date with myself - wining, dining and basically making merry for absolutely no reason!

I got home in no time, via Star Bazaar of course, (yes, Star, yes, you're the SHIT!) and there I stood in the kitchen, blasting music and cooking, aaaalllllllll the way after November, however, it took me shorter than a split second to decide upon what I was cooking - two special somethings using seasonal Vitamin C ingredients, one of which inspires the very name of this blog. Recipes below:

#1 Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken breast - 1 (about 200 grams)
Ginger (grated) - 1/2 tbsp
Green chilli - A quarter, chopped
Lemon juice - Half a lemon 
Salt & Pepper - For seasoning
Peppercorns - 3 to 4
Coriander -  A few crushed leaves

Method:
  • Take the chicken breast and wash it thoroughly with water. Pat dry
  • Make deep gashes on both sides of the breast and season with salt and pepper, rubbing in and spreading evenly
  • Next, rub the grated ginger all over the chicken along with the green chillies and the roughly crushed peppercorns
  • Put the chicken into a pressure cooker and squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top and add a few crushed leaves of coriander
  • Now allow the chicken to cook in the pressure cooker in the lemon juice as well as its own juices for about 10 minutes or till you hear at least 3 whistles
  • Remove off the stove, open the cooker and enjoy as the zingy aroma wafts from the kitchen to every single corner of your house -- oh YUM YUM YUMMM!!! *delighted, dancing smiley*
Lemon Chicken
As easy as falling off a log, this simple to make chicken dish is packed with vitamins and proteins - go dig into some if nursing the common cold, go dig into some, even if you aren't... Point is just go DIG IN or, or wait! Cook chicken dish #2


#2 Chicken Breast with Spicy Honey-Orange Glaze
This is a recipe I had found on the internet nearly 6 years ago, but sadly I do not remember which website I found it on. It is a dish that tastes better than it reads and/ or even looks, so go ahead! Give this dish a try, of course with the usual Anka additions/ twists... 

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast - 1 (about 200 gms)
Honey - 1 tbsp
Orange Juice - Of half a kinnow
Orange Zest - 1 tsp, grated or in strips
Garlic - 1/2 tsp, minced
Chilli Flakes - 1/2 tsp, crushed [If you do not have chilli flakes, red chilli powder works just as well]
Salt - For Seasoning
Vegetable Oil - 1/2 tsp
Green Onion - For garnishing

Method:
  • In a small bowl combine the honey with the freshly squeezed orange juice, the orange zest, garlic, salt and red chilli powder
  • Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry
  • Make brutal gashes on the breast and then season lightly with salt 
  • In large non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over a medium-high flame
  • Add the chicken breast and cook for about 4 minutes, until seared. Turn chicken and cook for another 4 minutes or until just cooked through
  • Pour the orange - honey mixture over the chicken and cook, turning chicken to coat as sauce begins to thicken in about 5 minutes 
  • VOILA mes chers, miei cari, mis queridos --- the sumptuous dish is pronto! 

And so the date went fantastically by - Me, the dishes, the Chilean and SATC! Siiiigh! What I'd do to have each day just the same! While I wonder, go cook, dear readers, and DIG INNN... for this is what these easy-to-cook dishes are worth --- to be savored, all WITH A ZING! :)

Romantic Friday Night date with self <3