Sweet Summer Sweat

Hello,

Finally, as the mercury is rising steadily, I have abandoned my evenings jogs on the promenade, for the treadmill in sheltered comfort of the closest gym.
Hey the decision was not easy, I'm a creature of habits, who obstinately resists changes to my routines; apart from the fact I'm a nature lover and firm believer of fresh sea-air therapy (c'mon! who doesn't); hence have always desisted cloistered atmosphere of gym's.

My hubby darling has been coaxing since last summer. Yes, I jogged/walked religiously in 38 deg evening temperatures, which admittedly makes me eligible for the loony bin :) returning home absolutely bushed & red-faced. Logically thinking yes, the muggy air owing to humidity & heat directly reduces my jog time & forces me to walk, the former being more appealing to me. Also my hubby's vested interest is that he needs to loose belly weight and I know he needs company for him to be motivated to pull on the sweats; and so rests my case!

So far after two weeks of gym, gives me enough encouragement to admit my guilty desertion and conclude that the gym is not the big bad wolf, as per my prior opinion. Of course "stick to the treadmill & do not get enticed in the other attractions", is my mantra so far. But that will may crumble soon, as I find myself eying the remaining entrapment's with equal curiosity of discovering a new ride in a amusement park (I totally dig amusement parks & roller coasters are my weakness).
Will share my next adventures in the gym, after all it's gonna be a long summer; three months to be exact, before cool winds will grace us.

Now just cause we joined the gym, does not make us those dieting category (no offence to people who diet). A firm corner-stone in my fitness foundation is the eat what you like & burn it out in exercise/jog/sports whatever available.
Our diet remains same, anyway we follow balanced food habits & indulge occasionally. So yesterday I had made my very popular among our friends - savory puff pastries (it's one constant dish in my house parties). Normally I stuff them with chicken/mutton mince, but mushroom or even plain cheese tastes equally great.

Mince filling

Cheese filling

Chiken Wellingtons

Most of the times I go for plain square or triangle shapes, unless I'm going fancy & making wellingtons :D as you can see in the pictures.

The recipe of the stuffing is very simple, yet what makes it a winner is the marination. So for all my friends who have been hankering me for it for the longest time, here is the recipe.

About 200 gms of mince (use chicken or mutton, your choice) Wash & rinse in a salt water bath for about half hour, drain & marinate with the following - salt, turmeric pd, garam masala pd, about 2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste, half a lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight or minimum 6hrs. When ready to cook, finely chop about 2-3 small to medium onions, 4-5 green chillies, 5-6 flakes of garlic. Heat 1.5 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the chopped ingredients, saute till onions turns translucent. Add the marinated mince, add about 1 glass of water, cover the lid & cook the mince tender. Once cooled add a handful of chopped coriander.

I use ready pack of puff pastry available in a super market, since making it at home is a tedious task, requiring oodles of time (the option to use your home-made puff pastry is completely fine too) After considerably thawing it, I just roll it out a bit on a floured surface & add about 1.5 tsp stuffing to each individual portions. Seal it with water. Arrange in baking trays & bake them it in a pre-heated oven for about 15-20 mins to each tray. Try not serving straight out of the oven as, center will be pipping hot, cool for about 5-10 mins.

Now I'm in desperate need of ice-cream, so we are off for a small walk. Remember to share your comments & feedback on the recipe.

Cheers!!!