Tabbouleh

True to my sun sign...a goat...I love having greens! I love salad...all kinds of salad...vegetarian of course though I occasionally indulge in tuna salad!

However, ever since coming to the Middle East, Tabbouleh, an Arabic salad is the one which I have most often and I just love it! The basic ingredients are parsley, tomato, white onion and bulgur (crushed wheat) mixed with salt, lemon and olive oil. The Lebanese claim this salad to be their own product but I cannot vouch for this!

Some days back, one of my Assistant, a Lebanese girl had Tabbouleh brought from home for me for lunch. True to the Lebanese style, this was served with lettuce leaves! Thoroughly enjoyed my green lunch! Shukran Habibti!

No Office!

My eyes flew wide open when the alarm rang at 5am but I was awake long before then.....probably due to the early night that I had! I tossed from one side to the other.....curling up spoon-shaped ....trying to snatch a few minutes more.....before another day starts.....and then it hits me! There's no office for 5 days...EID holidays! No office?! I jumped out of my bed wanting to embrace the "No Office" day!

Got my morning cuppa (green with citrus), a slice of bread and a fried egg well done. Logged online to see what the world has been upto while I was sleeping....and generally catch up on my mails, blogs, etc. A friend back in my own country was already in the office pushing his Team to get the 3.5 million dollar deal closed! I am imagining him sitting at the edge of his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk, getting impatient....waiting for the phone to ring...telling him, "Boss, all signatures are there on the dotted line!" We chatted for a while and laughed at some silly jokes.....he was distracted....his mind was elsewhere....the deal needs to be closed. I left him to deal with the deal and decided to get out....

The weather was sunny and not that terribly hot. The pool was inviting and I went for a swim at the back of the villa. I swam & I thought and I thought & swam....how lovely it would be if everyday was just like today! No Office!

Alone I swam.....in the blue blue pool....with the sun beating down making the water just about warm. The swim was really invigorating and I am thinking to myself....I must, I must try to swim every morning....good for my soul & good for my body!

The swim made me hungry. I am not on a diet, I just happen to love salad! A big bowl of green pasta salad - M's Special! On a bed of spirally pasta also called fusilli, some Japanese mushrooms layered with diced carrots, cucumber & corns and topped with scrunchy green lettuce drizzled with olive oil. On the side, deep fried "Red Snapper" with pickled olives! To round off, settled for a couple of pieces of that nutty chocolate from my small stash of candies & chocolates!

PS:- I wouldn't have thought of photographing what I ate.....but the couple of food blogs that I happen to browse this morning inspired me!

#This was my morning! Evening, we'll see!

Dark chocolate keeps the Doctor away!

I love chocolates! Who doesn't? If anyone who says he/she doesn't.....then either he/she is crazy or simply does not have good taste....according to me!

The white chocolates (chocolates are brown & not white!) or the milk chocolates, I never did like. For me, the darker the better and with full of nuts.....hazelnuts or almonds I love! Now, why am I thinking of chocolates? Reason being, I just read an article in the "Times of India".

Dark chocolate keeps blood-pressure at bay!
27 Apr 2008, 0926 hrs IST, Julie Steenhuysen

Chicago: According to German researchers - a nibble of dark chocolate a day helped lower blood pressure without packing on the pounds.

Prior studies have shown that foods rich in cocoa, like dark chocolate, offer heart benefits, but researchers are worried the added sugar, fat and calories would cancel out any good the chocolate might do. Now it seems just a 30-calorie (0.126 kilojoule) bite of dark chocolate, equivalent to 6.8 grams or a quarter ounce, can lower blood pressure without weight gain or other side effects. "Regular intake of small amounts of dark chocolate can help to lower blood pressure," said Dr Dirk Taubert of University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
more

I have been trying to cut my indulgence as I am waging a war against the fat that has crept up on me so silently that before I realized.....it's all settled in those unwanted areas and I am now having a hard time getting rid of it!

Reading this article, I am feeling less guilty of my indulgence! So, lets all eat Dark Chocolates and keep the blood-pressure in check!

Never met a fry I didn't like!

I love fries....French Fries! My favorite dish when I eat out is "Fish & Chips". ("Chips" are but "Fries" which the English, the Irish and some Commonwealth countries like to call.) It is a complete meal and with a bit of greens thrown in, I quite consider it light and healthy.

Working days, I prefer having fries with a bowl of crispy green salad for lunch or order for a take away - combo meal...for the fries & the Pepsi! Then for dinner I usually end up having a little bit of rice & curry with fries on the side or noodle/pasta with fries or a bowl of fries and salad! Note the subtle variations in the menu but accompanied with the fries! Ah! the freedom to eat what I want and when I want! This is Bliss!

I love potatoes and I can have potatoes cooked any way - baked, boiled or fried.....but as they say, the lowly potato reached its crowning achievement only once after it was paired with oil!

McDonald revolutionized the process of churning out perfect fries after pouring millions of dollars on research. Their research lab turned the production of the fries from an art into a science. The labs developed a potato computer which could monitor the temperature and tell the operator when a batch of fries were perfectly cooked. Flawless French Fries now became a reality.

For me any fry will do....though nothing to beat the McDonald fries! Whether the ultra thin fries or the thicker varieties or the recent waffle cut potatoes....I could have French Fries anytime, anywhere and with anything!

Really! Never met a fry I didn't like!

My BMI

While reading a magazine, I came across an article of "Celebrities and their BMI".......and I got down to calculating my BMI (weight in relation to height). As per the calculation, I found that I fall under the Normal Weight category....... and if I were to lose the minimum 10 pounds that I badly need to.......I would still fall under this category! Yippee!!

To calculate your BMI, here's the simple equation:-

BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)2
example, if weight = 52 kg and height = 1.5 m,
then BMI would be, 52 ÷ (1.5 x 1.5)
BMI = 23.1

Classification of weight by BMI:-

Below 18 = Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 = Normal Weight
25 - 29.9 = Overweight
30 - 39.9 = Obese
40 and above = Morbidly Obese

Even though the calculations has been kind...........I know I am too healthy! The excess mass of Protoplasm from all the wrong places needs to go!

What's in a pea?

I just read an article on my favourite vegetable “Peas” and wanted to share the facts about this legume.......you’d be a pea-brain to miss out!

1. If it is an energy boost that we are looking then peas is the solution. They combat fatigue by providing nutrients that matabolise carbohydrates, proteins & lipids which produce energy.

2. Peas help in building strong bones by providing with vitamin K1, vitamin B6 & folic acid.

3. If you have to choose between canned or frozen, go for the frozen as they are lower in sodium and therefore healthier.

4. Being a rich source of soluble fibre, peas reduce the body’s blood cholesterol level. The folic acid also promotes cardiovascular health. It’s the heart’s best friend.

5. Despite it’s name the sweet pea plant (Flowers are simply gorgeous) are poisonous!

6. Peas are believed to have originated in the Middle East....5000 years ago!

7. Through the years, this legume has undergone quite a few of name change. Originally pisum in Latin, it became pise in Anglo Saxon and then pease in English. Thinking pease was the plural form, people started referring as pea and then the name stuck.

8. Think you know how to eat peas? Traditional etiquette says that the ‘correct’ way to eat peas is to spear a few on the pongs of your fork then scoop up more on the fork.

9. Want to shed some weight? Think peas! They contain twice as much protein as most vegetables but are less fatty than other protein rich foods. One cup of peas only contains 0.58g of fat, 116 calories & no cholesterol.

10. As a rich source of vitamin C, peas strengthen the body’s immune system & help ward off all types of cancer.

I love peas.......I am the undisputed “Matar Wali”! (Peas in hindi is “Matar” & “wali” a person). Below is a list of some of my favourite Indian dishes containing what else.........Peas & more peas! There are many different ways to cook these Indian dishes but the below is what yours truly with no inclination towards elaborate cooking and with no training still manages to rustle up to satisfy my taste buds! Its easy-peasy!

Matar Pulao (Rice with Peas) – Very easy to make with Basmati Rice and peas. All it takes is a bit of oil & some spices to bring out the aroma in the rice pot. Add the peas, sauté it with some onions, add the rice, water , put the lid and voila! Another variation in case the rice is cooked already. Just toss the cooked rice into the sautéed peas & onions!

Aloo Matar ( Potatoes & Peas) – In a wok heat some oil & stir in chopped onions, ginger garlic paste & bay leaves. When onions turn brown, mix the potatoes & peas. After a while stir in tomato puree, garam masala (Indian spices), salt to taste & chilli powder if you like it hot! Cook till done.

Matar Gobi ( Peas with cauliflower) - Heat oil & sauté onions till brown. Add ginger garlic paste, green chilli, red chilli & sauté for a while. Add chopped tomato & coriander leaves. Cool this and puree all adding some yoghurt. Put it back on the wok, add water, peas & the cauliflower and cook till done. Garnish with chopped coriander and enjoy!

Matar Mushroom – In a wok take some oil, throw in a bit of cumin seeds, add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste and sauté. Then stir in the peas. When half cooked add the chopped or sliced mushrooms, salt to taste, black pepper & a bit to lemon juice for that zing. Cover the pot for few minutes & cook till water evaporates.

Matar Paratha ( Indian Bread stuffed with peas) – Knead the dough with salt & chiili powder. Roll it to whatever shape you want it to be...usually it would be round...and place some cooked peas (Toss ginger & green chillies in a wok with little oil and add in the peas) in the middle. Bring the outer edges together as to close the filling and then roll it again flat so that the stuffing is now in between. On a pre-heated tawa (flat pan), smear a bit of butter, put the paratha and shallow fry over low heat. Turn the other side, put more butter and cook till golden brown. It’s simply divine! Eat it with yogurt (curd) or with pickle!

My favourite......OK.... one of my favourite snack that I love is....? Make a wild guess!

My Adjustable Diet!

After coming to the Middle East, my weight which had been pretty constant till then, soon saw a steady rise on the scales and before I knew, my clothes which I had lugged all the way from home and for which I had paid "Extra" at the Airport now were all beginning to burst at the seams!

It was so steady.............I assure you.......I love clothes and good clothes......and being in the Retail Business........and Retail Therapy being so good for my soul.........new clothes were bought in new sizes and before I knew.......wham! it just hit me..........My Levi's jeans.........not one or two but seven or is it eight? from home were not zipping up! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

I know I must exercise.........but where is the time?????? I never exercised back home....and was not fat.....why am I putting on weight here in the Middle East? Am I eating too much? I think I should go on a diet.....still thinking.......Meanwhile I'm onto M.A.D, My Adjustable Diet..........when I'm not hungry (as I'm snacking) .............I'm on a diet!

PS:- I was told living in a new country for the first time makes a person put on weight..........it would be ok after a while. I hope this is true for my sake! What I gained in 2nd year, I've lost quite a bit..........but still need to shed some from the wrong places! Help!