Are you feeling a little gloom about being stuck in a rut? The lockdown is inescapable. Working now consists of us lounging on our sofas all day, watching a bit of Netflix while replying to emails and the sinking feeling of monotony. Unwinding after a long day is essential, even when you’re working from home. But you know, what works best? Getting into the kitchen and getting those hands moving. Haven’t you noticed the sudden surge of Masterchefs on your social media?
We know that it’s not an option to go out after work and grab a drink before heading home for the day, but with these few tips and tricks you’ll be able to peacefully unwind. Create a beautiful ambience with the right music and mocktails, try these simple and moreish recipes and embrace your inner masterchefs.
A. Mocktails
Arnold Palmer:
The Arnold Palmer is a refreshing non-alcoholic mixed drink that mixes two great summer beverages. This simple recipe of ice tea and lemonade was created by the golfing legend, Arnold Palmer.
Ingredients: 1 part lemonade, 2 parts iced tea.
Preparation: Pour the lemonade and iced tea into a tall glass filled with ice. Stir well.
Standard Garnish: Lime slice
Virgin Pina Colada:
Sit back and sip those cares away with a non-alcoholic pina colada that’s basically a tropical milkshake. It’s creamy, tart, and sweet.
Ingredients: 1 bag of fresh pineapple chunks, 4 large scoops of icecream, 1 cup of coconut milk, ½ cup pineapple juice.
Preparation: In a blender, blend together frozen pineapple, ice cream, coconut milk, and pineapple juice.
Served: Straight up; without ice
Standard Garnish: Pineapple wedge and cherry.
Tips: Chill the glasses while blending the drink. Fill them with crushed ice or ice water, then empty the glasses before pouring the pina coladas.
Designated Appletini:
The designated appletini is a non-alcoholic version of the apple martini. It is perfect for those evenings when you’re the designated driver, don’t feel like drinking, or when you simply want a great cocktail without the booze.
Ingredients: 4 tablespoon apple juice (freshly pressed), 1 tablespoon simple syrup, some lemon juice.
Preparation: Rim a chilled cocktail glass with sugar. Blend the ingredients with ice. Shake well.Strain into the prepared glass.
Standard Garnish: Apple slice
B. Entrees
Fish Fingers:
A delectable appetizer is made with boneless fish pieces that are cut in the shape of fingers. These fish fingers are seasoned with tongue-tingling spices and coated in breadcrumbs. Serve it with yoghurt dip with mint and garlic.
Ingredients: Boneless fillets of any white fish cut in the shape of fingers (preferably basa fish), lemon juice, turmeric, red chilli flakes, black pepper, ginger, garlic, all purpose flour, rice flour, corn flour, egg, breadcrumbs, baking soda.
Preparation:
- Add fish fingers in a bowl and add salt, lemon juice, turmeric powder, red chilli flakes, crushed black pepper and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and keep this marination aside for 10 minutes.
- Mix all purpose flour, corn flour, rice flour, egg and baking soda in another bowl
- Add the marinated fish in this mixture and keep aside for another 10 minutes
- Coat the marinated fish fingers with bread crumbs
- Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the fish fingers until golden brown on medium heat
- Serve hot with ketchup or yoghurt dip with mint and garlic.
Andhra Pepper Chicken Recipe:
Andhra Pepper Chicken Recipe is a delicious chicken recipe that you can serve either as a starter or as a side dish along with your meal.
Try this recipe, if you are looking for a delicious chicken recipe.
Ingredients: 500 grams chicken chopped to cubes, 1 onion chopped, 2 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoon grated ginger, 3 chopped green chillies, salt to taste, 3 tablespoon lemon juice, curry leaves, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 ½ tablespoons freshly crushed whole black peppercorns, ½ cup chopped coriander leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks
Preparation: To begin making Andhra Pepper Chicken Recipe, take a big bowl and marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and lemon juice, mix and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.
- To begin making Andhra Pepper Chicken Recipe, take a big bowl and marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt and lemon juice. Mix and keep the marination refrigerated for 30 mins.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Once the oil is heated,temper the oil with cinnamon sticks, cloves and some curry leaves and saute it for about 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped onions and saute till they are golden brownish
- Add chopped green chillies and marinated chicken. Saute for about 2 minutes.
- Add coriander powder and crushed pepper. Mix well and cook on low flame until the curry leaves the sides of the pan. Sprinkle water as and when required. This will take about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add about 1/4th cup water, once water starts boiling, reduce the heat and cover. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked. Once the chicken is soft cooked, open the lid and stir on medium heat till the moisture evaporates .
- Add chopped coriander and cook for 2 minutes.
- Before serving garnish with crushed pepper, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and remaining coriander leaves.
Chilli Cheese Mushroom Momos:
Momo filled with creamy and spicy chilli mushrooms.
Ingredients: 250 gms chopped button mushrooms, ½ onion finely chopped, 1 inch chopped ginger, 2 finely chopped green chillies, 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 50gms grated cheese, salt, 2 tablespoon finely chopped spring opinion, 1 cup all purpose flour, water.
Preparation:
- In a mixing bowl, take maida, add water slowly and knead to form a medium stiff dough. The dough should not be very sticky
- Keep the momo dough covered for 2 hours before making Chilli Cheese Mushroom stuffing
- Heat a pan with oil over medium heat; add ginger, garlic, onion that are finely chopped and saute till they soften
- Add in mushrooms, green chillies, turn the heat to high saute till the mushrooms are cooked and the water is evaporated
- Once the mushroom is cooked, you can add in black pepper powder, spring onions and salt and give it a toss
- Turn off the heat and allow the mushroom mixture to cool down completely
- Once cooled, add grated cheese and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool down for a few minutes
- Take a steamer, or idli steamer and fill it with water and heat it over a medium heat
- Divide the dough into equal portions, to the size of a lemon
- Take each ball and start rolling it out on a surface. Roll out the dough as thin so that the outer layer of the momo is thin and delicate.
- In every flatten dough leaf, add the Chilli Cheese Mushroom filling and fold the edges to semicircles and start pleating to give a nice characteristic pleats
- Do the same with all the rest of the dough and filling. Place the completed Chilli Cheese Mushroom Momos under a moist cloth to prevent drying
- Grease the steamer with oil before placing momo to prevent sticking
- Steam the Chilli Cheese Mushroom Momo for 10 – 15 minutes until you get a shine on the momo
- Serve the Chilli Cheese Mushroom Momo Recipe as a starter along with hot chilli sauce.
Now that you know the drill, add some flavour to your already mundane lifestyle. Marinate, roast and saute the ingredients and sport the torque blanch.
