Dinner recipes that are light on the stomach

Grilled fennel salad with honey-lime dressing

Ingredients

For the salad
1 medium sized fennel bulb
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
2 tsp Olive oil
For the dressing
1/8 cup honey
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Salt to season
1 tsp crushed black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil

Method

Clean and slice the fennel bulb and set aside. Heat a cast iron pan to high and add one tsp of oil. Now add the fennel bulbs in and let them develop a grilled char on either side, set it aside. To the same pan, add half or one tsp of oil if required. Now, add the sliced cherry tomatoes to it and allow the skin to develop the characteristic shriveling and charred marks. Place the fennel and charred tomatoes in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing except the oil. Whisk the dressing with a fork and pour the oil in a steady stream into the mixture.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.

Harrenhal Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

1 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup of barley rice (or barley)
8 cups of water (or vegetable broth for more flavour)

Method

In a large pot, heat olive oil and then add garlic. Once it starts to sizzle, saute the onions until they are soft. Add the rest of the fresh veggies — zucchini, bell peppers, carrot and celery. Mix everything and cook for about five to six minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add remaining ingredients — tomatoes, parsley, barley rice, thyme, salt and pepper and water (or broth). Cover and allow to cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and serve.

Black pepper and ginger broccoli

Ingredients

180 gm broccoli
20 gm black peppercorns
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp Chinese cooking wine vinegar
20 ml oil
1 spring onions
½ julienned peppers
1 tsp garlic chopped
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp corn starch
50 ml vegetable stock
For vegetable stock
10 garlic flakes
5 gm ginger
15 gm coriander stem
150 gm assorted vegetable
5 peppercorns
60 gm celery

Method

For the stock: In a deep-bottomed pan, add garlic, vegetables, ginger, coriander, celery and peppercorns with water and bring to a boil, skim the scum and turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 3-4 hours, then pass the stock through a fine sieve, then use it.

Assembling the recipe
Blanch the broccoli florets and set aside. Heat oil in a wok and add ginger-garlic, stir well. Add oyster sauce, vegetable stock and peppercorn and let it boil.

Thicken the sauce with corn starch and add the blanched broccoli to it. Toss till it each floret is evenly coated. Finish with Chinese cooking wine and sesame oil. Sprinkle crushed peppercorn and garnish with scallions and peppers.

Chicken stew

Ingredients

180 gm boneless chicken
10 black peppercorn
6 basil leaves
20 carrot, diced
Salt to taste
20 gm fresh sliced, ginger
1 onion, diced
1 tsp turmeric powder
200 ml chicken stock

Method

Clean and rinse chicken cubes in running water, set aside. Take a sauce pan, heat the oil and then add all the vegetables and the turmeric powder. Stir the vegetables well and then add the chicken stock, let it boil for a while, then add the chicken cubes in it and bring to a boil. Add sliced ginger, peppercorns and continue to cook, finish with fresh basil leaves.

— Compiled by Priyanka Praveen