Guacamole

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, I wonder why apple got picked for this proverb. Why not Avocado a day keeps the doctor away, yes avocado technically a fruit but used as a vegetable has tons of nutrients like Vitamin E, K , B, C and mono unsaturated fats. With so many health benefits it is good to include at least one avocado a day either in salads, smoothies or simply make this guacamole. Guacamole is an avocado-based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico. It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) with sea salt.  You can use guacamole as a dip, salad or condiment. Guacamole with some whole grain chips and salsa serves as a good snack or starter. Or if you are looking for a grain free option, you can serve with some almond flour cheese triangles which I will post soon. So make sure to check back.
Preparation Time – 10 Minutes
Cooking Time – Nil
Serves – 4 to 6
Ingredients
Avocado – 3
Roma tomatoes – 2
Onion – 1/2
Green Chili – 2 or more to taste( you can substitute this for jalapeno)
Lime – 1 (Juiced)
Sea salt – 1/2 Tsp or to taste
Cilantro – handful(leaves alone no stalks)
Method
1) Peel, deseed and scoop out the avocado pulp in a bowl and to this add half of the salt and lemon juice.
2) In a food processor place the tomatoes, onion, green chili, rest of the salt and cilantro and pulse for a second and transfer the mixture to the avocado pulp and using a masher mash nicely and combine it well and serve immediately.
Note – You can add a clove of garlic along with the tomato, onion and serve guacamole with corn chips, multi grain chips or almond flour triangles which I will post soon.

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Brown Rice Pulao/Pilaf

Summer time. Beautiful  flowers blooming all around, fresh colorful produce flooding the farmers market, no heavy winter clothing to wear and making life whole lot easier to move around and with kids out from school there is no reason to waste even a single minute in this wonderful season. So I settle down to easy to make, healthy and filling one pot meal dishes like this.  This brown rice pulao tastes simply fantastic with all the spices and herbs thrown in and seasoned with some pan fried cottage cheese(paneer) and cashews. Served with some spiced kidney beans(rajma), they are so tasty and filling and keeps you going for hours. If you include brown rice as a part of your diet, you should try this pulao and I am sure you will happy you did it. Do not be intimidated by the long list of ingredients,  believe they are pretty easy to put together.
Preparation Time – 15 Minutes
Cooking Time – 30 Minutes
Serves – 4
Ingredients
Brown basmati rice – 1 1/2 Cups
Chopped vegetables – Cauliflower florets, green beans, green peas, carrots, bell peppers(multiple colors) – 4 Cups or more of your choice
Onion – 1 big sliced
Salt – 1 1/2 Tsp or to taste
Coconut oil or clarified butter – 2 Tsp
Cinnamon stick – 2 inch pieces
Yogurt – 1/4 Cup
Water – 4 Cups and add more if required
To be ground to paste
Coriander leaves – handful
Mint leaves – few
Green chilies – 2 or more to taste
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Fennel seeds – 1/2 Tsp
For seasoning
clarified butter – 1 Tbsp
Cashews – few broken
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) – few cubes
Method
1) Soak the basmati rice for at least 12 hours.
2) Heat a thick bottomed pan add the coconut oil and add the cinnamon sticks, once they are slightly brown add the sliced onions and add a pinch of salt and saute till they are translucent.
3) Now add the chopped veggies and half of the salt cover and cook for 5 minutes. To the veggies add the soaked and drained basmati rice and add the yogurt, ground green paste, water and the remaining salt and cover and cook till the basmati rice is well cooked. Keep stirring in between and add more water if necessary.
4) Heat the clarified butter in another small pan and once it is warm fry the broken cashews till golden and after removing the cashews, fry the paneer adding a pinch of salt till golden and transfer both the cashews and the paneer along with the remaining clarified butter to the cooked pulao and stir gently and serve.

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Home made Roasted Almond Butter

Summer vacation, kids at home, lot of cooking, snacking, running around, no time for yourself. I am sure I am not alone and this is what all the Moms experience. With kids at home, I am really kind of stocking up on lot of different healthy snacks. This is one such combo and comes very handy. Not alone they are healthy and natural but also tastes awesome together. Fruits because of the water content keeps you full and fat and protein content in almond butter curbs the craving and serves as quick and healthy snack. If you are some one you buys the pricey Almond butter in the store, then you should definitely read this recipe. Such a simple and easy one and home made almond butter just costs a fraction of what you buy in the store. If you happen to try this recipe do let me know how you liked it. If you happen to have suggestions for healthy and easy snack ideas please do share it with me and I will be happy to try that out.
Preparation Time – None
Cooking Time – 15-20 Minutes
Serves – Makes 1 cup by volume
Ingredients
Almonds – 2 Cups oven roasted or you can go for raw ones too
Coconut oil – 2 Tbsp
Salt pinch optional
Method
1) Bake the almonds for 15-20 minutes stirring in between till they are slightly brown.
2) Set it aside to cool.
3) Once the almonds are cold enough to handle, transfer them to a food processor and grind till you get a nice powder. Now add the coconut oil and process once again to get a smooth paste.
4) Transfer to clean, dry container and enjoy.
5) This stays good at room temperature for at least 7 days, mine was all done by that time.
Note – You can add sweetener and flavoring of your choice like honey, maple syrup, stevia and unsweetened cocoa, vanilla extract etc.

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Whole Wheat Date & Nut Cake(Eggless)

Baking is definitely therapeutic, if you love to bake you know what I am talking about. I used to bake a lot few years back when gluten was still a part of our diet. It is definitely lot of fun and very easy to bake with flours containing gluten. So I seriously look forward for opportunities to bake with wheat and make it for people who include them. My Parents include wheat in their diet and I baked these cup cakes few months back and sent it to them. This recipe I saw in a magazine  few years back and the recipe was for making the cake in Microwave. This is such a simple recipe and a definite keeper. I have changed the recipe slightly replaced the all purpose flour with whole wheat,  added more dates, as I had ton of them and cut down slightly on the sugar.
Dates are healthy alternate for refined sugar, but still are sugar and in fact very high in sugar. All dried fruits have more sugar than when they are fresh. So this recipe is not recommended for people with diabetes. If you can include gluten and dates in your diet, do give it a try and let me know how you liked it.
Preparation Time – 20 Minutes
Cooking Time – 12-15 Minutes
Makes - 24 mini cup cakes + 4 regular cup cakes
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour - 1 1/4 Cups
Dates - around 25
Raw sugar - 1/2 cup
Brown butter/Clarified butter/Ghee - 1/4 cup
Warm Milk - 1 + 1/4 cup
Salt – pinch
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup
Vinegar -1 Tbsp
Vanilla extract – 1 Tsp (Cardamom + Nutmeg + Cinnamon also will work to give a fruit cake flavor)
Method
1) Soak the dates in warm milk and set this aside for an hour till the dates are soft and tender.
2) Puree the dates in a food processor to a fine a paste.
3) Add salt, baking soda, chopped walnuts  to the whole wheat flour, combine it and set it aside.
4) To the date and milk puree, add the melted clarified butter, raw sugar, vanilla extract and combine well.
5) Preheat a baking oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit and  line a 24 mini cup cake mould  cups and also another 4 cup cake mould with paper cups.
6) Slowly add the combined dry ingredients to the wet ones and gently stir and combine well with a spatula without over mixing. Now add the vinegar and give one last stir.
7). Fill the lined moulds till 3/4th of their height and bake for 12-15 minutes till a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8) Cool in a wire rack and enjoy!!

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Black Chick Pea Snack(Kala Channa Chat)

Black chick peas are a good source of protein and Iron and of course complex carbohydrates.  They are nutritionally superior than the light colored garbanzo beans. As a quick snack I prepare sundal a traditional South Indian seasoned and stir fried snack with grated coconut. When I was half way making this dish, my elder one said asked me if, I can make something else instead of sundal.  After a little thinking I changed the supposed to be Sundal in to a much healthier snack by adding veggies and coconut and spiced it up with the sweet and spicy chutney.

If you are looking for a low carb snack you should definitely try this, the veggies like cucumber, tomato, onion are safe for people who count carbs in their diet. Coconut is good source of protein and apart from a good taste it gives a sense of fullness. So try this and let me know, how you liked it.

Preparation Time – 10 to 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 10 – 15 Minutes (If you have pre cooked chick peas – nil)

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Cooked black chick peas – 1 Cup

Cucumber and Tomato – 1 1/2 Cups(Chopped)

Chopped or grated coconut pieces – 1/2 Cup

Onion – 1/2 medium sized onion finely chopped

Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste

lime juice – 1 Tsp or taste

chat masala – 1/2 Tsp

chopped cilantro – handful

Green chutney – 1 Tsp

Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 Tsp(optional)

Sweet chutney – 1/2 Tsp(omit this if you are looking for a low carb version)

Sev – 1 Tbsp(this is once again optional)

Method

1) Combine the cooked chick peas, cucumber, tomato, onion, coconut, chopped cilantro, salt, lime juice, roasted cumin powder, green chutney and toss well.

2) Top it with sweet chutney and sev and serve, this is very much optional and you can even drizzle some yogurt on top and serve it.

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