Roasted C3 = Loge(Carrot.Capsicum.Corn)

Okay, Okay, so mathematically that just doesnt make any sense. I know that. Sorry. Just trying to have a bit of fun. Trying to act smart....

It's a good thing cooking is not as complicated as Maths can be. It's been a really long time since I did any complicated Math and although I did enjoy my Math and Physics, I have to admit it was all rather complicated. Sometime I wonder how I managed to get through my Engineering degree!!



So anyway, having gone off tangent (once again), let me just say that off late, I have become quite fixated with corn. I love the crunchiness, I love the sweetness, I love the taste. I just love it. So any opportunity I have to use it to throw together a vegetable dish, I grab very quickly.

Not too long ago, I posted my Steamed Vegetables tossed in butter and my Snowy Vegetable Combo - both of which featured corn. This is along the same lines except that this time I roasted everything, including the corn.

This is what I did.

Ingredients
Rosemary
Oregano
2 Carrots
2 green Capsicums
1 Can of Corn
Salt
Black Pepper
Method
Cut the capsicum into large pieces
Cut the carrots into strips
Add in the Can of Corn. Toss together with rosemary, oregano and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Place in a baking dish and roast in a preheated 200C oven for about 20 mins or till carrots are tender. Some like the carrots crunchy, some like them soft - your choice!

I've always loved roasted vegetables and adding corn to it just gives it that little bit of an extra kick. See how simple this is? If only Math and Physics were just as simple - although when you really think about it, cooking DOES rely a lot on Physics - especially Thermodynamics and Heat and Mass Transfer but I guess I'll leave the analysis of that for another day...

Rosemary Carrots

Oh! Rosemary, I am but a fool,
Darling I love you tho' you treat me cruel,
You hurt me and you made me cry
But if you leave me I will surely die.

Okay, so now we all know that I'm old enough to know Neil Sedaka. Those of you in my age group (or older) would also know that its NOT Rosemary but rather Carol that Neil sings of.

If you arent confused enough already, then just know that this is my little attempt at being funny because today is April 1st and that means its April Fools Day.

In commemorating April Fools day, I first though that I would post my Fools Saffron Rice but realised I had already posted it much earlier together with my Kheema post.

So, looking through my 'as yet to be posted' pictures, I decided to post Rosemary Carrots.

This dish is remarkably easy to make that no recipe is really needed. Just cut the carrots into strips, season with salt and pepper, add in liberal amounts of fresh rosemary, toss with olive oil and then bake in the oven till the carrots are tender but still slightly crunchy.



What could be easier and yet so tasty? This dish is so simple that even a fool can make it - and that's probably why I love it so much!

Happy April Fools Day!

Ratatouille with a fishy twist

One of our dear friends, Priya, who has been vegetarian for a long time has recently taken to eating fish as well. Usually, I would make something vegetarian just for Priya while the rest of us would indulge in meaty goodness. However, this time, I decided to make things a little easier and make one hearty dish filled with loads of veges and throw in some Tuna. A Ratatouille with fish in it!

I also wasn't really too fussed about the main meal simply because this was the same night that I was serving the Chocolate Valentino and Ice Cream tested and made for the February DB Challenge that I co-hosted.



As it is, the Fishy Ratatoullie turned out really, really well! This is what i did.

Igredients
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp oregano
2 eggplants
2 carrots
2 zuchini
2 leek
2 green capsicum
350g Button Mushrooms
4 tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
3 cans tuna chunks
Salt
Black Pepper

Method
Cut all the vegetables into large chunks.
Sautee Onion and garlic till soft. Add in basil and oregano and fry till fragrant. Stir in the egglplant and lightly fry before adding in the rest of the vegetables. Mix together and cook well, seasoning with some salt and pepper. Add in the can of tomatoes, and allow to simmer till everything is cooked. Add in the tuna, taking care not to break it up too much. Mix well, allow to simmer to meld all the flavours and season with more salt and pepper.




I served this with rice and it was a very tasty and hearty meal. The kids loved is as not only had they had watched the Ratatouille Movie but they also love Tom and Jerry (the cartoon). They joked that about how Jerry had cooked the ratatouille together with a fish that Tom had caught. Obviously my warped sense of humour has rubbed off on them!

Have you ever seen a rabbit wear glasses?

See, among my immediate family, meaning my two brothers, my mom and my dad, I am the only one that doesnt wear glasses (or spectacles). There's a reason for that too. You see, when I was young, I made sure I ate all my carrots. Don't believe me? Well, I ask you then - have you ever seen a rabbit that wears glasses??

That's the story I tell my kids anyway. It's not that there is ever any issue in getting them to eat their carrots, or any other vegetable for that matter. It just makes an interesting tale to tell around the dinner table - and one extra reason for them to eat more carrots!



Do carrots really help your vision? According to studies, carrots are rich in beta-carotene. The body converts this to vitamin A which is a crucial nutrient for maintaining proper eyesight. Having said that however, if your vision is already bad, eating carrots or increasing your intake of Vitamin A wont help in any way. So it appears that Vitamin A helps in maintaining good eyesight - not improving it.

Anyway, enough about eyesight. This simple carrot dish is lovely as a side dish and is often made by the Lovely Wife to supplement a curry or other meat dish. This is what she does:

Ingredients
4 carrots
1 big onion
1 clove garlic
1 tsp mustard seeds
handful curry leave
1-2 tbsp chilli flakes

Method
Pare and Grate Carrots. Fry mustard seeds followed by onions and garlic. Then add in the curry leaves. Mix well. Add in the carrots and stir fry till slightly soft. Add in the chilli flakes and continue to mix well. Season with salt.





The only little difficult part in this recipe is the paring and grating - otherwise it is so simple, even a 5 year old could make it! Its really quite delicious too and brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots.