I need advice from food experts –
Yesterday night I made the following for dinner
1) Cool cucumber starter – boiled cucumber whisked in curd, some mint, some chillies (very little) topped with crushed ice, finely chopped cucumber pieces and chopped mint
2) Soup – chicken stock, sweet corn, shreds of chicken, corn flour (to thicken the soup) garnished with green onion leaves
3)Cold chicken salad – boiled and shredded chicken with cabbage, coriander, black pepper powder, some chillies and cream
4) Dinner Rolls (bought from bakery)
5) fruit cups – mango, grapes and apple in a large bowl, poured some orange squash over it (1.5 teaspoon for every bowl) topped with fresh whipped curd.
While planning I thought this would be a perfect balanced as well as an interesting meal. However when we sat down for dinner, I felt there is something lacking. Some thing to eat the bread with perhaps (butter I did not want)
I need suggestion for
1) an alternate carbohydrates containing dish to go with the meal
2) If bread, then what to go with it .
In case you are interested:)
Along with this, you can make a rainbow sandwich with layers of thousand island (mayo with tomato sauce), ketchup, mustard sauce and coriander cum mint chutney on each slice of toasted bread. It tastes awesome. I thought I would only suggest you thousand island dressing on top of bread coz it is quite versatile and a very delightful dressing with greens and cold meat. However, I recently made a rainbow sandwich with the above combo of sauces, and it was yummy. Guess that wd also gel well with ur dinner.
P.S.:I am no food expert, just a foodie. So you may be better off with the opinion of a food expert.
Re: In case you are interested:)
A foodie is almost always a food expert as well 🙂
Your idea sounds wonderful I am surely going to try the rainbow sandwitch. Thanks 🙂
me no food expert, but since you ask, I’ll let you in on something I’ve once tried.
Don’t use corn flour to thicken the soup, use bread. Whole wheat bread is better as it has more fibre. Regular maida bread doesn’t really have anything. When I tried this, I used sunflower seed, jeera and mustard bread – which made up the primary flavour of my soup. Alternately, add a few baby jacket potatoes to your soup. They won’t take away from the taste, and will add something to chew on since your chicken is shredded and in small pieces.
that would be
Well, I enjoy your food / restaurant blogging so much that I consider you a food expert 🙂
Will try the bread trick next time. Thanks. Aasim surely does not like the idea of any kind of vegetable in his chicken so I will have some convincing to do on that front.
Then use bread sticks that you stir the soup with.
yes, breadsticks sound perfect.
Mince veggies finely, sautee in pan with flavouring, stuff and roll in chicken breast, cook, serve.
Can I use a frozen chicken breast (venky’s) for this dish?
Your menu sounds delicious.. must make something like that this weekend 🙂
Umm… my guess is the dinner rolls are soft, plain bread?
I would suggest something like a sliced crusty baguette, possibly made into garlic bread or with a coating of something like guacamole or humous or a pate or sauteed shredded mushrooms with garlic. (failing availability of baguettes, try crisp toast, cut into squares)… basically something with a bit of crunch to it.. lends that solidty lacking from the rest of the meal.
Or look at other spiced/flavoured breads like foccacias?
Or try large baked potatos (a.k.a. jacket potatoes ) with the skin on?
Or bake some new potatoes (really small ones) with a hint of butter & herbs?
Or hash browns?
I could go on and on… my mouth is watering just thinking of the possibilites…
Yes, Dinner rolls are soft plain bread
Unfortunately there is little variety avialable in readymade breads in Nagpur.
Thanks for your suggestions
Yeah, I can imagine the lack of options there 🙁 If you have the enthu… you could try baking some at home… my mom used to, long ago.
Another bread I could think of, that I have had here, is soda bread. It tastes really yum.
Soda Bread
Focaccia
Tomato relish
I’d add a tomato relish. It can serve as a spread for the rolls or can also be eaten on it’s own as a side dish. Loads of recipes available on the net.
oops. the above comment was from me!
Thanks, will check for Tomato relish recipes
Tasty option of the same thing
The recipe looks yummmy. Thanks 🙂
I have no idea why this entry did not show up on my friends page, so saw this only now.
Looking at your menu, everything seems to be sweet/creamy/mild, so perhaps what you need is a more assertive dish in the bunch to bring some balance.
Anyway, some ideas for bread accompaniments…
1) Hummus
2) Goulash
3) Moroccan Lamb Stew
4) Change the cold chicken salad to be a bit more assertive. Make a spicier version of my peanut sauce and add that to the dressing.
5) Basil Pesto
Thanks MAdhu, will try these (atleast some of them) and post them.