Coleslaw & A Yummy Sandwich

I just gobbled up what you are seeing in the picture .. It looks a plain-jane plate , but I must say, it IS one super-duper sandwich once you take a bite !
Coleslaw is my favorite summer-salad.. Well! I do make it in all seasons , but when I think of Coleslaw , summer BBQs comes to my mind ... and in winter I make it just to re-live those summer moments . I do make some other versions of it too , and I will post them in due course of time (... well, that is as soon as the grill is fired up next !)

Now that we are talking about this much savored salad, and if you feel like reading a bit more on who made it first , or the different variants of it , or how the name came to be... Click here;
Wiki has an entire page on it :)

In the meantime, here is the recipe:
(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded Cabbage
1/4 cup grated Carrot ( optional)
1/4 cup minced Celery
1/4 cup Alfalfa Sprouts (optional)
1/4 cup Raisins ( or dried Cranberries)
1/4 cup chopped Cashew-nuts ( or pecans , again optional... i love the crunch it gives!)

2 tbs of Mayonnaise
1 tbs of Cream Cheese
1 tsp sugar
A pinch of black-pepper powder
A pinch of salt

How to go about :

• In a medium bowl combine the Cream Cheese, Mayonnaise, Salt , Pepper and Sugar
• Toss in all the other ingredients (mentioned above) and mix well

....and Voila !!
To make the sandwich: Toast Bread , slather a lavish spoon of the slaw on one side and top with another slice of bread . Yumm... !! I have noticed that if stored in a sealed container and refrigerated , this coleslaw keeps well for at-least another day . More tips on storing coleslaw.

This salad is a great way to incorporate something as nutritious as Alfalfa Sprouts.
Please note that the nutrition data I have provided is approximate and for 1 serving, and is calculated with all the ingredients listed above.

Happy Summer Meals to you !

Fish Moily with Halibut

I have been scouring the internet for the past couple of hours trying to find the origin of this curry. Any mention on the history was available just in this blog and it has the recipe as well. Though fish Moily is very famous in Keralite Christian cuisine, the combination of ginger-garlic with coconut in a fish preparation somehow made me think that it could have been from another cuisine. My reference says that it is a Goan recipe.. please do correct me if am wrong.

Fish Moily is not a very common preparation amongst the cooks in my family. And the couple of times I have had it was with friends while visiting. This is my first attempt at making Fish Moily, and the guidelines are from my friend,Minnu. In Kerala, it is traditionally prepared with Karimeen (Pearl Spot) or Aavoli ( Pomfret) , the marinated fish is fried first ( to avoid the flesh from breaking up when cooking in the gravy) and the cooked in the coconut milk gravy. Here I have used Halibut and because Halibut's flesh is more firm, I have omitted the frying-part and cooked it straight in the gravy . So you see there are some definite deviations from the traditional recipe , needless to say..this is my easy-version. Well, it didn't matter that I cheated a little because in the end it all worked out :)

Prep time :15 min
Cook time:10 min
Ready In :25 min

Makes : 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb halibut ( cut to small pieces )
• 2-3 tbs of cooking oil
• 15-20 pepper corns
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 1 small piece of cinnamon
  
• 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
  
• 1 big onion thinly sliced
  
• 3 big cloves of garlic
  
• 1 medium piece of ginger ( should yield about the same quantity as the garlic)
• 2-3 green chillies ( use less for less heat) slit length-wise
  
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 8 oz of thick Coconut Milk ,divided into 2 portions (I used the Chaokoh brand)
  
• 2 cups of water ( use less if you want a thicker gravy)
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 1 tomato cut into rings , for garnish (optional)
  

Procedure

• Grind the Ginger and Garlic to a fine paste.
  
• Set a large pan in high heat and once it is hot , add the oil.
• Add the whole spices (pepper, cardamom,cloves, cinnamon and fennel), and reduce the heat to medium.
• When the spices are fragrant, add the sliced onion and green chillies turning them with a spatula every now and then.
• When the onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and salt. Keep turning till everything turns golden brown.
  
• Thin down 4oz of the coconut milk with 2 cups of water and add to the fried onions. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
• Add the fish pieces and let cook for about 10 min ( The flesh turns from pink to white by the time the fish is cooked )
• Once the fish pieces are cooked turn off the stove and add the remaining 4oz of thick coconut milk.

Garnish : Slice tomatoes in rings and fry slightly in oil. Serve the fish with the sauce/gravy , garnished with the fried tomato-rings.

Spinach Saute

Prep time :10 min
Cook time :15 min
Ready in :25 min

Makes : 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbs of cooking oil
• 1 medium red onion, cut thinly lengthwise
• 12 oz spinach ( 1 small bag )
• 1-2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• Salt to taste

You will also need

• A large pan
  

Procedure

• Wash and roughly chop the spinach
  
• Set the skillet in high heat, and add the oil
• When the oil is hot, add the onion slices and the slit green chillies and and wait for them to brown, turning slightly with a spatula
  
• Add the chopped up the spinach
  
• Add salt
  
• It will take about 10 min of high heat for the water content to dry up. Turn with a spatula till it starts getting slightly crisp.
• Remove from heat
  

Afterthoughts: I enjoyed this saute with some Rice and Yogurt today. I think it will also make a great side for Indian breads like Roti or make a nice sandwich with toasted-bread and some melted cheese.