Flavour Diary: September 2016

Strawberry Spinach Smoothie Recipe | Healthy Food | Diet Recipes

Cold breeze,rainy days, sunny intervals, Shades of colourful falling leafs and nature surely signs autumn has arrived. Before we have autumn recipes flooded everywhere, i am sharing a recipe using a summer fruit (strawberry).
Today's smoothie is having a goodness of spinach and strawberry...don't worry about spinach, you don't even taste spinach...smoothie has a hint of ginger and sweetness comes from banana and dates, Which makes it more delicious and healthy and filling. You can add yogurt or any fruit juice instead of water and ice cubes...enjoy the taste along with health.

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins C and al providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium.The vibrant red colour of strawberries is due to large amounts of anthocyanidin, which also means they contain powerful antioxidants and are thought to protect against inflammation, cancer and heart disease.
Here are few Strawberry recipes to show
Chocolate dipped Strawberries
Nutella Strawberry French Toast
Dahi Choora (Indian no cook breakfast)
Spinach has remarkable abilities to restore energy, increase vitality and improve the quality of the blood. Spinach is excellent source of Iron,vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C , folic acid, magnesium, and vitamin B2. Iron plays a central role in the function of red blood cells which help in transporting oxygen around the body, in energy production. Vitamin K is important for maintaining bone health.
Here are few Spinach Recipes here
Oat Spinach Pakoda ( Oats Palak Pakoda)
Palak Moong Dal fry (Spinach with Lentil curry)
Palak Lobia(Spinach Black bean Curry)
Palak Gosht(Spinach and lamb curry)

Level: Easy

Total time: 5 mins
serves: 1

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

Baby Spinach: 2 handful(approx 2 cups)
Strawberries: 8-9
Banana: 1 medium
Ginger: 1/4 inch
Pitted Dates: 2 (use honey/sugar/any sweetener if required)
Water: 1/2 cup
Ice Cubes: 1/2 cup(replace with water if required)

Directions

Put everything in the blender and blend to smooth and serve with a strawberry.

Beverages

Random yummies

Palak Lobia / Spinach and Black eye bean curry

Nutella Strawberry French Toast

Stuffed Dates

Lauki Puri

Ambada Gosht /Lamb curry

Days fly isn't...when did summer came and went is a big doubt at my place...For us we can count on sunny hot days in summer but then officially Autumn has started last week and we can feel the chill breezes flowing with hide and seek playing sun. But the good thing about autumn is that you can see the beautiful shades of brown,yellow and red of nature.
Last week and weekend was bit busy with lot of acitivities to complete and i couldn't find anytime for grocessory shopping and top of it i was not willing to miss this bloghop too(missed last two mondays), so i just took the ingredients left out in the pantry and my stuffed tomatoes are ready to serve. Stuffing in tomatoes are easy to make and takes less than 10 mins to make it and rest is just baking for 20mins. I have stuffed with the ingredients in pantry so you can get all the veggies you like and make it more healthy.So lets check out the ingredients and the method to do.

How did it tasted: Juicy from tomatoes and yummy soft stuffings made of chickpea and light on tummy and perfect healthy snack/appetizer

Level: easy
Prep Time: 10mins
Bake time: 20mins

serves:2-4

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

Tomatoes: 2 (large)
Stuffing:
Oil: 1 teaspoon
Spring Onion: 2 tablespoons
Corn: 2 tablespoons(used frozen)
Chickpea/Kabuli Chana: 3 tablespoons(canned or soaked and boiled)
Carrot grated: 3 tablespoons
Bread Crumbs: 3 tablespoons( +1 tablespoon for garnish)
Cheddar Cheese:2 tablespoons(+1/2 tablespoon for garnish)
Salt and Pepper/Chilli powder to taste

Garnish:
Bread Crumbs: 1 tablespoon (as desired)
Cheddar Cheese:1/2 tablespoon (as desired)

Oil: 1 teaspoon (as desired)

Directions

Preheat your oven at 220C for 10 mins.Drizzle oil on the baking pan
In a pan add oil. once oil is hot add spring onion, grated carrot,corn fry for 20 secs and then add chickpea, salt pepper. Fry for more half a minute. Add bread crumbs, cheddar cheese and mix well.(Add more crumbs if required).

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out pulp.

Stuff the chickpea mixture and place the stuffed tomatoes in the pan and top it up with bread crumbs and cheese.Drizzle some oil on it.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 10mins. Remove the foil and bake again for 10mins or until cheese on top melts and turns light brown.Serve hot.

Stuffed Tomatoes is going to be part of 59 #foodiemonday #StuffedVegetables #bloghop recipes

Random Yummies

Egg Mayo Sandwich

Basbousa Semolina Cake

Nutella Strawberry French Toast

Restaurant Style Mango Lassi

Moong Dal Halwa Truffle

Today's post was actually a scheduled post for yesterday but then if you choose wrong date and thinking to publishing on the day i need is really funny...just thought that making mistakes are very much common and easy but not repeating again is what we can do in future with bit more care...But then mistakes makes us strong, well determined in making things perfect.
By the way why i scheduled the post as i was on holiday to one of my favorite place (London).After two long years i was going to visit London for short holiday and i don't want to miss bloghop this time(but i missed it again continuously second week)...i always miss London for its food, weather, friends and transport system...
In my family none of us like Broccoli and i try ways to feed them like Broccoli paratha, besan wali broccoli, broccoli Manchuria, broccoli vada. Now let's dig in to the recipe which is having goodness of Broccoli... Broccoli tots were featured by many you-tubers few days back and i followed it randomly and they turned out very well...next time i would like to experiment with mixed veg. Broccoli tots are easy to make and uses few ingredients in hand....so lets check the ingredients and steps...

Taste Test: Scrumptious ...bit of crisp and soft...no need of any dip if you add bit more black pepper.

Level: easy
Total time: 30-40mins

serves:2-4

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

Broccoli Florets: 250gms
Spring Onion/ hari pyaaz chopped: 1/4th cup
Grated Cheddar Cheese: 1/4th cup( approx 40gms)
Coriander/Kothimir/Cilantro:chopped 1/4thcup
Bread Crumbs: 1/2 cup (as required for binding)
Egg: 1
Salt to taste
Black Pepper powder to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven at 200C/400F for 10 mins.
Blanch Broccoli in boiling water for a minute or 2 and then drain water and run under cold water.
Transfer broccoli on to the muslin cloth and tap to remove extra moisture.
Chop broccoli finely and mix in all other ingredients in the list.Try to make a ball forming dough(add more breadcrumbs required)
Scoop out large spoonful of the mixture in your hands, and shape it in a cylinder form. Place on your baking sheet with parchment paper(i forgot and it sticked to the sheet), and repeat the same for rest of the mixture.
Bake around 20min until golden brown, turning half way. Remove from the oven and enjoy hot with ketchup or with your favorite dipping sauce and tea/coffee

Broccoli Tots ready to go into oven.

Random Yummies

Khubani Ka Meetha(Dry apricot Halwa)

Orange Cake

Palak Lobia / Spinach and Black eye bean curry

Nutella Strawberry French Toast

paneer coconut halwa recipes flavour diary

Paneer(cottage cheese) is most common cheese found in Indian and neighbouring countries. Milk and Milk products are more used in North India compare to South India and so do Paneer(milk product)...Paneer is used in both sweet and savoury form like Rasgulla,Shahi Meetha Paratha, Anjeer Kalakand and on in Desserts and Paneer Butter Masala, Achari Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masala, Paneer Korma and on in Savoury. Paneer is good source of protein and calcium.
Coconut and coconut products are quite famous in south india from chutneys(like Dry Garlic Chutney using coconut), curries (like Mirchi ka salan using coconut milk) and desserts (Peas Coconut Halwa) and on. Coconut contains no cholesterol or trans fats and is rich in number of essential nutrients including manganese,copper,dietary fiber and selenium.
So today's recipe is North Meets South recipe using up most commonly used ingredients in North and South Indian Household. Paneer Coconut Halwa is rich in proteins and nutrients and are best for kids and this halwa can be bread sandwiched and packed for lunch/snack. This is easy to make and needs quite few ingredients from pantry.

How did it tasted: Goodness of coconut in every bite and richness of paneer...simply mouthwatering and unstoppable treat.

Level: easy
Total time: 15-30mins

serves:3-6

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

*Grated Paneer: 2 cups ( i used fresh or used 300gm grated storebought)
Dessicated Coconut: 3/4th cup
Fine Semolina/ rava: 1/4th cup
Sugar: 1/2 cup (to taste)
Cardamom powder: 1/4th teaspoon
Butter/Ghee : 2 tablespoon
Cashews Chopped: handful(optional)

Fresh Paneer:
Bring milk(2ltr) to boil and add lemon juice(2 tablespoon) and keep stirring on low heat. Water get separated from the paneer.Drain the water from the paneer using muslin cloth/ handkerchief and run under cold water. Now tightly squeeze it to remove all water and keep aside.

Directions

In a bowl add butter/ghee and then roast cashews.
When cashews turns golden brown add paneer and roast for until water dries out then add semolina and coconut.
Fry for a minute and then add sugar and cook until sugar dissolves and fry until desire consistency.
Add cardamom Powder and serve warm or cold.

Couscous Salad is going to be part of 56 #foodiemonday #coconutrecipes #bloghop recipes

You might be interested in other halwa recipes

Sweet Corn Halwa

Khubani Ka Meetha(Dry apricot Halwa)

Moong Dal Halwa Truffle

Shahjahani Meetha(Tomato Halwa)

Peas Coconut Halwa

Red Kidney Beans/ Rajma salad is my second salad recipe in a row for this week, my first was basic Couscous Salad and hopefully i will have another salad recipe on saturday. Few salads feels you full if taken as a small meal, as these have good fibers in it. You need no worry about calories but need to make sure that dressing you top it up should not hold much calories.
Opsy! I am on edge of healthy weight on BMI chart and i don't want to be overweight...so i have started to take few salads as meal in a week, along with some walk. I just want to burn those extra calories which i have put on during holidays and parties.
Salads are such easy recipes where you can add you favourite veggies or nuts and dress it up with your favourite sauce...no hard and fast rule to make it.Like my Couscous Salad was not spicy to my tastebuds so i have added sambar(indian tangy curry) to it and enjoyed it. So make sure you enjoy healthy food by not spoiling your tastebuds. Lets check the ingredients and tips to make this simple bean salad.

Level: easy
Total time: 20mins

serves:2-4

1 cup:250 ml
1 tablespoon: 15ml
1 teaspoon:5ml

Ingredients

*Red kidney beans(canned or boiled) : 1 cup
Tomato deseeded chopped: 1/2 cup
*Sweet Corn (canned or frozen or steamed): 1/2 cup
Onion chopped: 1/4 cup
Green bell pepper/shimla mirch chopped: 1/4 cup
Chopped coriander for garnish
Dressing:
Salt to taste
Chilli powder/ black pepper to taste
Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons
lime or lemon juice: 2 tablespoons

*If you are using canned beans or corn then drain the water and rinse thoroughly and then measure.
*If you are using dry beans then soak overnight and boil or pressure cook along with some salt.[1/2 cup of dry beans yields little more than 1 cup soaked cooked beans]
*If you are using fresh sweet corn then steam it or microwave for few minutes.
*If you are using frozen corn then thaw it completely and use it.

Directions

Chop the veggies.
In a large bowl add all the ingredients except dressing and mix well.
Just before serving add dressing ingredients and mix well.

Random yummies