Carola's latest pole dancing progress

A little video showing Carola's latest pole progress that she has worked very hard at.

She started pole dancing for fun and to keep fit and flexible in August this year and has come a long way. She picked up an injury in October which put her out of action for 4 weeks but now she is back and being safer.

I for India

India officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world.Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east; and it is bordered by Pakistan to the west Bhutan, the People's Republic of China and Nepal to the north; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. In the Indian Ocean, mainland India and the Lakshadweep Islands are in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share maritime border with Thailand and the Indonesian island of Sumatra in the Andaman Sea. India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi).

Indian food is different from rest of the world not only in taste but also in cooking methods. It reflects a perfect blend of various cultures and ages. Just like Indian culture, food in India has also been influenced by various civilizations, which have contributed their share in its overall development and the present form.

Foods of India are better known for its spiciness. Throughout India, be it North India or South India, spices are used generously in food. But one must not forget that every single spice used in Indian dishes carries some or the other nutritional as well as medicinal properties. 

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Tandoori Chicken

4 Chicken pieces (Leg and thigh part) Skin and score pieces

150ml Plain yoghurt

1.5 tsp Ground cumin

1.5 tsp Ground coriander

1.5 tsp Paprika

1.5 tsp Salt

1.5 tsp minced garlic

1.5 tsp minced ginger

2 tsp oil

Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Coriander

Methodology:-

In a bowl combine the yoghurt, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, garlic, ginger, oil

Add the chicken pieces to bowl and fully coat and rub in mixture into chicken

Cover chicken and place in fridge for 4 hours to marinade

Preheat oven to 200°C 

Add marinaded chicken to baking dish and place in oven for 25 - 30 mins turning once. 

Then char grill or BBQ chicken each side until charred. 

If you have no Char grill or BBQ then a regular grill can be used but not as effective.

Serve with fresh tomatoes and roasted peppers & onions 

Garnish with Coriander and squeeze some Lemon juice on

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Dal Tadka

1 cup of dried red lentils split

2 cups of water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

Fenugreek leaves small handful of (or 1 tsp ground fenugreek)

1 Onion diced

1 tsp of minced garlic

1 large tomato diced

1 tsp of turmeric

½ tsp of chilli powder

3 tsp of ground coriander

 2 tsp of ground cumin

1 tsp of salt

Fresh coriander

Methodology:-

Add lentils water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric to pan

Bring to the boil cover and simmer until all water is absorbed

In a frying pan heat 2 tsp of oil

Add cumin seeds for 1 min

Add Fenugreek for a few seconds

Add onion and brown 

Add garlic for 1 min

Add tomato, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, salt.

Cook until it becomes a thick pulp and add to lentils and stir in

If the lentils are too thick stir in a little water until right consistency 

Stir in coriander

Serve as a side dish or as a soup with some naan bread.

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Methi Chicken

8 chicken thighs skinned de-boned and diced

Handful of Methi leaves 

100ml plain yoghurt

2 Tbsp oil

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion diced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp of turmeric

1 large tomato diced

½ tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 medium green chilli diced

1 tsp of Garam Masala

Fresh coriander

Methodology:-

Heat oil in large pan

Add cumin seeds fry for about 1 min

Add onion and fry until golden brown

Add salt, ginger, garlic, turmeric fry for 1 min

Add tomato, chilli powder, fresh chilli, coriander powder fry for about 3-5 mins

Add Methi leaves and stir in

Stir in yoghurt

Stir in chicken and cook for 10 – 15 mins until chicken is cooked

Take off the heat and stir in Garam masala and some chopped coriander

Done

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Saffron Basmatic rice

3 cups Basmati Rice

A few threads of saffron

8 Cloves

5 cups water

1 tsp Salt

Methodology:-

Add water, cloves, Saffron, salt to pan and bring to boil

Add the rice and simmer for 15 mins stirring occasionally

Remove from heat and cover and leave for 5 mins

Remove the cloves and ready to serve.

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Pineapple and Mango Lassi Drink

2 fresh pineapple rings diced

¼ of fresh mango peeled and diced

5 Tbsp of plain yoghurt

1 tbsp syrup

Methodology:-

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth.

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http://www.vahrehvah.com/
Check this guy out very good and funny Indian Chef

Halloween

Roasted Paprika Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds scooped from Pumpkin
Olive oil
smoked Paprika
Sea salt

Methodology:-
Rinse the pumpkin seeds and put into a bowl.
Pour some olive oil over and mix up
Spread seeds over a baking tray 
Cook in medium high oven turning occasionally until they are brown
Remove from oven and dust with smoked paprika and salt
Mix together and put in bowl.


Lovely as snacks or for adding to breads or soups

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Pumpkin and parmesan Soup
50g butter
1 onion chopped
1kg pumpkin de-seeded and cubed
2 cloves of garlic diced
2 bay leaves
a glass of white wine
2 tablespoons double cream
900ml fresh organic chicken stock hot
an old parmesan cheese rind

Methodology:-
Heat the butter in a pan on low heat
Add the onion and pumpkin and cook for 5
Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for another 5
Add the wine and cook until alcohol evaporates off
Add the stock and parmesan rind
Bring to boil and boil for 10 mins
Set aside to cool a bit then remove the parmesan rind and Bay leaves
Add soup to blender and blend until smooth
When serving garnish with a few pumpkin seed, parsley, parmesan shaving and a drizzle of olive oil

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Roast Sage Sausages with Pumpkin
4 Large Sage Sausage (Waitrose butchers do a really nice one)
250g Pumpkin cut into wedges
250g Potato cut into wedges
250g Parsnip cut into wedges
8 Shallots peeled
5 cloves of garlic skin left on and bashed once with hand
4 tbsp Olive oil
1 bunch of Asparagus tips
4 Tomatoes halved
Salt and pepper

Methodology:-
Heat oven to 200ºC/Gas mark 6
Add Pumpkin, Potato, parsnip, shallots and garlic to baking tray
Cover with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and mix up
Put in oven for 20 mins then remove and stir
Add the Sausage, asparagus tips and tomatoes
Bake for a further 25 mins turning the sausages


Serve with Gigantes Beans and a nice mustard

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Pumpkin Pie
1 x 500g pack ready-made dessert pastry
1kg peeled and deseeded pumpkin chopped into even cubes
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons maple syrup
6 tablespoons caster sugar
3 large eggs beaten
200ml double cream

Methodology:-
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas mark 6
Roll pastry to a thickness of just under 1/2cm
Line tart tin with pastry and blind bake for 20 mins. Set aside
Add Pumpkin to baking tray and sprinkle with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger.
Drizzle with maple syrup cover the tray with double layer tin foil
Bake for 45 mins until soft in 180ºC/gas mark 4 oven.
Allow to cool a little
Add baked pumpkin and all the syrup and spices in pan to blender
Blend in food processor and transfer to a bowl
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and eggs
Mix well and stir in the cream
Fill the cool tart case with pumpkin mixture and bake for 45 mins. Done

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http://www.odysea.com/shop/product.php?id=13

Pork and Sage

Pumpkin Monkey

Here are a couple more pumpkin ideas to use up any spare pumpkin you have as we have loads left:-

Sausage, pumpkin and sage casserole
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sausagepumpkinandsag_92737

Pumpkin Lasagne
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinlasagne_70658

Pumpkin risotto with crispy sage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/pumpkinrisottowithcr_13723