Food For Thought On A Sunday Morning #QuakerBowl
A Sunday Morning. Buzzing Alarm. What do you do? You want to just throw it away and sleep off until it’s noon or better it’s evening. Because, that’s what weekends are for. Well, not always. Last Sunday wasn’t the one to laze around. I got up early to get dressed and rush to J W Marriott, Juhu. Why? Because it was an Indiblogger meet, and who dare miss it! After all it’s one of those rare things that are worth waking up in the morning.
With an enchanting venue, and even more tempting surprise of getting to meet a celebrity chef, it was enough to pull everyone out of their beds and drag themselves to the fun filled morning. There were so many of them like me. I could see a few familiar ones and a few who were there for the first time. The event started with an energizing quick session of activities which woke up our sleeping cells. After this, it was time for Quaker Oats to reveal their Celebrity Chef. I was hoping hard to see my favorite one there in person. Looked like, God just heard me when the name of award-winning Michelin starred celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna was announced and he entered with all his charm!
After the initial hullabaloo had settled down, Chef Vikas Khanna took everyone with his simple down-to-earth persona. He gave exclusive insights about his collaboration with SMILE Foundation. He spoke about himself being the Goodwill Ambassador for “NUTRITION FOR BETTER LITERACY” initiative. He mentioned his efforts to curb the rising malnutrition in India, especially for children. He urged us to join hands towards providing nutrition to children. Even the smallest of the step is important for making the difference.
He went to on engage us into various activities like Quiz and then followed by a small cookery competition. We were given a pack of Quaker Oats along with a few chopped vegetables and fruits. Also there were a few garnishing option like chocolate sauce. In the given 10 minutes, we donned our cookery hats and got to work. Divided into a team of eleven we managed to pull out a quick dish, The Oatmeal Dome (That’s what I call it!). Here’s the recipe of the same mentioned below:
Ingredients:
Quaker Oats
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Chopped vegetables like peas, carrot, broccoli, etc
Chopped fruits like papaya, dragon fruit, watermelon, etc
Process:
Heat oil. Add oats and roast it. Add little water. Add spices according to taste. Stir until, thick paste of masala. Grease the bowl with slight oil. In the bowl add a layer of this paste. Add a layer of little chopped fruits. Again add the layer of Oats paste. Add another layer of chopped of salad vegetables. Add another layer of the paste. Turn the contents of the bowl upside down in a plate, getting the shape of the dome. Garnish and serve.
Here’s a picture of what we made:
It was a morning filled with fun and anecdotes with subtle message of easy nutrition to drive home. It was a morning worth waking up for. And The Surprise by Quaker Oats only made it better. Followed by the sumptuous lunch included a few dishes of Quaker Oats. An innovative way of integrating taste and nutrition. It was morning to be remember even after the taste of Chocolate Dessert with baked Quaker Oats had been faded away. It was a morning to be thought about. It was a morning to pledge to do our bit to help children with better nutrition. It was just not about food, but it was also Food For Thought.
Thank you Indiblogger for letting me a part of it.
Sounds like a bunch of fun. Have met Vikas Khanna at another meet. His charm lies in his down-to-earth nature and his great persona.
Looks yummy. Will have to give a try !!!