Summers Thirst quenchers

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Summer's here in full swing and with it comes that perpetually thirsty feeling, when you never want to eat anything thats not cold and refreshing. Here are a few things i've been going after, what are your favorites?

1. Freshly squeezed apple/orange juice with breakfast, no added sugar.

2. Yogurt with a dash of blueberries & Walnuts for added flavor

3. Yogurt blended indian style with hing, salt, green chillies & corriander, seasoned with mustard & cumin seeds. Cucumber works well in the blend too!

4. Nimbu pani - Fresh Lemonade with Salt & sugar for the kick.

Finally, A fun fact, did you know that veggies with higher water content can fill you up faster than a glass of water during a meal? More reason to veg out all over!

Love of greens

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

I did some experimenting yesterday. Instead of trashing the gorgeous pink-veined leaves of the beetroot bunch, I chopped it up and tossed it into saag-ki-dal recipe. Believe me, these leaves taste awesome. I have also eaten the pink radish's leaves as part of a salad sometime and that is going into my next dal recipe! :)

Here is how i made it -
Toor dal - 1 cup cooked with one large tomato until mashed
Beetroot leaves - one generous bunch, chopped till the stalk gets too fibery
Onion - one cut lengthwise

For seasoning -
Mustard
Jeera
Amchur powder for 'Khatta', tangy twist
chilly powder, coriander powder.

Procedure -
Tadka the ingredients in seasoning, add the cut leaves. Let the raw smell disseminate. Add the tadka and salt to cooked dal. Add enough water and let boil for about 5 min. Once it cools, add about a tsp of lemon juice. serve Hot.

Goes great with rotis and curd.

So have you tried any new ingredient in your dishes? How did it turn out?

Black bean soup

Friday, July 2, 2010

Black bean soup is one of my most preferred soup for Dinner. Its so filling and easy to make !

Ingredients:

* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Vegetable/chicken broth carton ( then don't have to add water) or
1 small chicken/veg bouillon cubes

* 1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1-1 1/2 cup boiling water
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 lemon, juice of
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
* 1/2 chilli powder ( as desired )
* 1 tsp Olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. In a pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil or combine the first five ingredients; simmer for 10 -15 minutes.

2. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.

3. Puree soup ie press the bean down using a flat spoon or use a blender

4. Add the rest of the beans to the soup.

5. combine the cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.

6. Add the lemon and the cornstarch to the soup; cook until thickened.

Dress up
: For crisp lovers, add the crispy corn tortilla chips just before u serve. You could also add coriander leaves / grated cheese.

Last weekend, I started off to make brownies then decided why not make brownie bites (my creation !). I thought it didn't come out well but over time I loved it. Will post the recipe soon.

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