Baked Sweet Potatoes

In this increasingly conscious diet world, healthy food choices are a must than ever. We are under constant look out to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, or in good carbs or rich in protein. One such Vegetable which falls into this health group is "sweet potato".

Sweet potato is ranked high in nutrition of all vegetables, for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.

It has almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories!

Among root vegetables, sweet potatoes offer the lowest glycemic index rating. That’s because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar so you feel satisfied longer. Many of the most popular diets these days have this in the "good" carb list.

Growing up I and my brothers used to enjoy a sweet potato each, as an after school evening snack..passionately boiled by my great grandmother. At present I go one step further to bake the semi boiled sweet potatoes, brushed with a little butter and sprinkled with brown sugar to get the best flavour and caramelized effect.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tbsp Butter/PAM/I can't believe its Butter/Becel Margarine
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Salt to taste
Pepper dust as required
Aluminium Foil
1 Baking Tray

Directions:
Semi Boil the sweet potatoes with enough salt, cut into large chucks and discard water
Remove skin and cut into 1 inch semi circle pieces.
Mean while pre-heat the oven to 325F
Spread a foil on the baking tray.
Spray some PAM or any kind of melted butter on the foil and arrange the sweet potato pieces

Pour the remaining butter on the top the pieces to coat them moist
Now sprinkle brown sugar and pepper dust on the pieces and bake them for 20 - 25 mints.
After 12- 15 mins, flip the pieces to the other for even browning on both sides.
Remove from the oven and serve as side dish for any main course.
Mostly good for spicy meat or chickpeas or beans.

Baked Cubed potatoes packets

I've adapted this recipe from one of my canadian friend and Indianized it...You guessed it right...I've added the chilly spice for which India is famous for to this western style baked cubed potato.

Recipe is quiet simple. Preparation is only to peel and cut potatoes and onions.

Gather all the other ingredients and mix everything in a bowl and pack them in foil and bake for 25 mins.

These can be accompanied with tandoori/barbarque chicken, any dry chicken curry, a steak or lamb or pork chops.

For my vegie friend's try it with spicy chick peas stir fry or Sundal as it is called in tamil.

Ingredients :
1 lb - Potatoes ( Any kind) - peeled and cubed (In western style they are skin on)
1 Carrot (optional) - cut into thick small strips (I didn't use)
1 medium onion cut length and breath wise
4 long Green Chillies - slit into half and then cut again in half
1 tbsp - Olive oil

Herbs:
Finely chopped :
Curry leaves
Coriander/Cilantro leaves
Optional: If you don't mind the flavour
Pudina/Mint leaves
Basil (I didn't use)

Seasonings:
Black pepper powder
a pinch of Amchur(dry mango powder) -if desired
Salt

Sheets of aluminium foil depending upon how many packets you want to make.

Procedure :

Preheat the oven to 350c.
1. In a mixing bowl, add peeled cubed potatoes, cut onions, green chillies, oil, herbs, and seasonings.
2. Mix thoroughly to coat the potatoes with the oil, herbs and seasoning.
3. Place two laddleful of this potatoe mixture on the pre cut aluminium foil sheets and wrap them into packets like this.
4. Place the prepared foil packet inside the oven on the heated racs and bake for 20- 25 mins at 350c.
5. After the set time take one packet out of the oven and unwrap gently, taking care that the hot steam doesn't hurt your fingers.
6. Poke a knife or fork thru the potato cubes to see if they are done.
7. If the fork doesn't pass thru smoothly then bake for some more time till done.
8. Once done remove from the oven and open the wraps to void further cooking if the potatoes are already well done.

These wraps are quiet good for barbaque pinics, as they can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge.

The juices from the potatoes and onions keep them moist to enjoy with any dry dish.

Tandoori Chicken Baked in Oven

The word Tandoori is synonomous to India. Tandoori Chicken is so famous in India as Pizza is in Italy.

My Tandoori chicken recipe is not made in the traditional Tandoori oven but can be baked in our home conventional oven or on a Barbaque Oven.

It has a simple recipe and except for the time to bake all that takes is a 3-5 minutes to prepare the marinade for marinating the chicken overnight.

It tastes better when consumed fresh and hot. So at times when we feel we may not finish all the chicken that is marinated, bake only the amount that can be finished at that time. We can save the remaining for the next day to bake it fresh.

Ingredients:
Chicken Thighs with Drum sticks : 4 (Skin and fat removed)
Magarine to coat a Baking Tray lined with foil.
Marination:
Yogurt : 1/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 Tbsp
Tandoori Chicken Masala : 2 Tbsp ( I use Kissan Brand)
Finely chopped Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Optional
A hint of Seekh & Bihari Kabab Masalas - 1 tsp together ( I use Shan brand)
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (for extra spice)

Procedure:
1. Prepare marinade with the marination ingredients above.
2. Marinate the chicken in the marinade masala, preferably overnight or atleast for 3 hours, in the fridge.
3. Pre heat the oven for 350 C,
4. Arrange the Chicken on the foiled tray and place it in the oven to bake for 20 - 25 minutes on one side.
5. Now drain off the excess water and the oil that comes out of the baking chicken in the tray and turn the chicken peices and bake them on this side for another 10 - 15 minutes.
6. Again drain off any excess oil and water, turn the chicken again and bake for 5 minutes more for the final finish and the red color.
7. Remove the tray from the oven, keep aside for 5 minutes and then transfer the chicken peices into the serving plate.

This is served with a salad, slices of cucumber, onions and lemon.

Lemon Talapia

I've never seen or tasted this fish back home. But in North America almost every grocery store carries it. In the beginning my hubby encouraged me to get it so that we can try it out. Not knowing in which form I'm going to cook it I just bought it, and dared to explore the this fish in my ways, slice it and fry, make gravy etc. Then I recollected that I have eaten this fish in one of our dear Chinese friend's home on time and in our dear dear Trinadad friend's home the other time. Both of them Baked this fish as whole.

So I deceided to Bake it marinating it with my Indian Masalas and Lemon slices. Uuuuhh!!! that was a real treat.

Most of the time baked fish becomes very dry. But in this recipe the juices from the lemon keep the fish moist. And the lemon tarty flavour really compliments this mild fish.

Ingredients:

Talapia Fish - 1 whole ( Cleaned and open in the tummy, with some lateral slits on both sides to apply the marination)
Lemon - 1 whole (Cut into thin Slices)

Marination:
Lemon Pepper - 1 tsp
Fish Masala - 2 tsp ( I use Shan Brand Fish Masala)
Red Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp (for Extra Hot- optional)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tsp
Salt - to Taste
Oil - 1/2 tbp

Baking :

Line the foil on a tray and apply magarine;
oil to brush the fish while baking.



Procedure :
Preheat the oven to 350 C .
1. Mix all the marination items with enough water to make a thick paste
2. Apply the marination on all sides and inside the tummy of the fish.
3. See that the marination penetrates into the slits cut.
4. Place the fish on the foil tray.
5. Insert some lemon slices into the tummy slit and in the mouth of the fish.
6. Place a slice at the bottom and the top of the fish.
7. Bake the fish for almost 20 - 25 minutes, brush the fish 2 - 3 times with oil in between to keep it moist.



This fish is right portion for a couple. Since it is spicy I don't think kids can handle it. So it will make the right dish for that candle light dinner for a couple, accompanied by Ceasar Salad.