Protein parfait bowl with a twist!

That feeling when you can barely walk straight, your body is shaking and the stomach has cramps- does this feeling sound familiar? It's the feeling after an hour of intense strength training work-out and the hunger pangs that ensue after! It's easy to give in to that most natural instinct to dig into something from the pantry. But if you can curb it for an extra 5 minutes, you are sure to be rewarded with this bowl of intense pleasure and health! This sums up the birth of my parfait bowl this morning!

The base is inspired by "Deliciously Ella's" protein shake recipe. Freezing ripe bananas is a fairly recent but consistent habit in my kitchen ever since I discovered how it lends the creaminess to shakes/smoothies sans the richness of some of the dairy products.

Ingredients 

Smoothie/shake

1 frozen banana chopped

1 ripe mango

Handful of spinach leaves

3/4 cup unsweetened cold Almond milk

1 tbsp Almond butter

1 tbsp vanilla flavored whey protein powder

2-3 ice cubes

Mix-ins

4 large strawberries

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1/2 cup good quality muesli or granola

Serves-2 

Method

Put all the shake ingredients in a high power blender (I use Breville Boss, my most used kitchen appliance after the stove/microwave!). Pour it into individual bowls and top with the "mix-ins". Enjoy the parfait smoothie/shake bowl right away and feel even better about that work-out you just did!

Rava-Oats idli with Zucchini-tomato rasam and cilantro-coconut chutney

Sunday dinners ought to be quick and enjoyable, the former because you are probably tired from the weekend activities and have to get things ready for a busy week ahead and later because it's an effective technique to combat the upcoming "work-week Blues"!! 

The lone zucchini kept staring at me when I opened the fridge for inspiration as if it was pleading to be used before it aged to the point of no-return! And those handful of cherry tomatoes were wondering if they could pair up with the green zucchini and keep it company! "Sure enough, be my guests!" I thought! And the rasam idea below was born. As for the Idlis, there was no prior prep with grinding/fermenting the batter so it had to be instant. I make Rava-vermicelli Idlis sometimes but thought of making it super nutritious with oats. Grinding the oats took under 30 seconds in the small blender (Ninja/Magic Bullet or what have you!). Sooji Idlis often tend to be dry and adding oats seemed to have eliminated that little flaw from these fluffy moist Idlis!

Rava (Sooji)-Oats Idli

Ingredients 

Sooji- 1 cup

Steel cut or any oats ground into flour-3/4 cup

Plain yogurt- 3/4 cup

Salt to taste

Eno (or other fruit-salt)- 2 tsp

Non-stick cooking spray 

Warm water- 1 cup or more for the right consistency 

Prep time- 5-10 minutes

Cook time-10-12 minutes

Makes 15-17 Idlis. 

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and until the desired thick consistency of the batter is achieved. It keeps getting thicker on standing as both Sooji and Oats absorb water, so more water may be needed. Add Eno right before steaming. Put water in the idli steamer and spray the idli trays with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the mound and steam the Idlis for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the trays and enjoy steaming soft Idlis with Rasam/sambhar and chutney!

Zucchini-tomato rasam

Ingredients:

Toor daal - 1/3 cup

Zucchini diced into small cubes-2/3 cup

Cherry tomatoes halved- 1/2 cup (can substitute with regular tomatoes.

Garlic chopped- 3 cloves

Cilantro chopped- 1 tbsp

Rasam powder - 1tbsp (or more per taste), I use MTR brand 

Tamarind paste- 1 tbsp

Turmeric - a pinch 

Salt to taste 

Water- about 4-5 cups for the thin consistency 

Tempering 

Canola oil- 2 tsp + Ghee-1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Urad daal- 2 tsp

Curry leaves 8-10

Whole red chilly- 1-2

Asofetida- 1/2 tsp

Prep time- 10 min

Cook time-20-25 min

Serves 4

Method:

Soak the toor daal in water for an hour or two before pressure cooking with salt and turmeric.

Add water and mix it well with the hand blender till it is smooth and evenly blended. Heat the oil + ghee in a sauce pan on medium high heat and add the all the tempering ingredients except the asofetida. When the mustard seeds begin to crackle, lower the heat and add the asofetida followed by the garlic, zucchini and the tomatoes. Saute the veggies for about 2 minutes and add the tamarind paste and the rasam powder. 

Add half a laddle of the daal mixture so that all the veggies and flavors come together and do not stick at the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and add the thinned out daal mixture. Add salt and let it simmer on low flame once it reaches a boil for about 10-15 minutes.  Add chopped cilantro for garnish and serve hot. 

Coconut Cilantro chutney

I always like to have some kind of cilantro based chutney in my refrigerator and often use it as a base to make other chutney variations depending on what I am cooking. 

This versatile chutney is great for South Indian dishes and can also be used with Gujju dishes like Handwa, Muthiya or spread onto the bread for a delicious veggie-cheese sandwich. Believe it or not, I have even used it to make salad dressing and I promise I will post that yummy salad recipe soon!  I did not temper this one but you can temper it with ghee and the usual temperings if you prefer. 

Ingredients:

Cilantro washed and rough chopped- 1 bunch

Fresh or frozen coconut- 3/4 cup

Tamarind- 1 tbsp

Daaliya or chana or peanuts- 1/4 cup

Sugar or jaggery- 1-2 tsp

Green chilly- 1

Salt to taste

Water- as little as needed to grind

Prep time- 5 minutes

Makes about 1.5 cups of chutney 

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a high functioning blender and grind. Remove and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I add some water and thin it before using as needed. 

"Hara-Bhara" dosa aka "Daal Ke chille with veg-paneer stuffing"

Like most working moms, "what can I make for tonight's dinner?", is probably a ubiquitously common question! And if you are a "foodie" like me, you need variety in the daily menu. Today's recipe is all that and more- it is packed with nutrition, lower in carbs and high in protein and it is good-looking too! After all, you eat with your eyes before you taste the dish!😊

This no-fermentation dosa does not need any fancy ingredients and can be fixed swiftly for a weeknight dinner or a weekend brunch. 

Ingredients 

For the Dosa batter

2.5 cups green split moong daal

1/4 cup rice 

1 green chilly 

1/4 inch ginger piece

1/4 cup cilantro

2 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh spinach washed 

Salt to taste

Water 

Canola oil for cooking 

Stuffing

Grated paneer 100gm

Finely chopped/grated cabbage- 1 cup

2 small grated carrots

2 finely chopped spring onions

Ginger, green chilies crushed- 1 tbsp

Chaat masala - 2 tsp

Ground cumin powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp

Aamchur powder- 1tsp

Cumin- 1 tsp

Canola oil 2 tsp to cook

Half an onion to cook dosas 

Salt to taste

Method

Batter

Soak the moong daal-rice mixture in water for a couple of hours after washing. Place all the ingredients in the blender and add water for a pouring dosa (crepes) batter consistency. It is better to keep it slightly thicker and add water as needed rather than make it too watery. 

Stuffing

In a sauce pan, heat the canola oil with cumin on a medium flame until cumin is brown. Add the ginger-chilies and spring onions and sauté for a minute. Add the grated cabbage and carrots and cook for 2 minutes makin sure its not over cooked. Add the grated paneer, salt and the spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes to combine all the flavors well and turn off the heat. 

Assembly of the dosa 

Preheat a non-stick griddle and put a few drops of oil. Pour a laddle full of batter in the center of the griddle and spread it in a smooth gentle circular motion. This step comes with some practice, light feather touch is the key here for a perfect concentric dosa circle! Cover with a large lid and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover, turn the heat down and flip and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

 Flip over again and place the stuffing on one side of the dosa and roll it up with your hands. 

Because the heat is low, the griddle is starting to cool off but is still very hot. Wipe with a damp cloth followed by rubbing the cut onion all over the griddle before pouring the next dosa batter. This step is important and will avoid "clumps" due to instantaneous cooking of the dosa on a hot griddle. The onion absorbs the heat and works like magic! 

Enjoy the dosa with cilantro-coconut chutney.

P.S: The onion technique was the best "aha moment" in my dosa-making experience!

"Chatpat" veggie wrap

A day off from work equates to a long list of errands in a handful of hours between the morning work-out and that quick siesta before the kids are back home from school and the evening "rush hours" begin! Aah the life of a mom, there is never a dull moment after all! Why not apply the same rule to our meals, "never a dull meal"! Hubby was working from home and I wanted to fix another quick meal without compromising on the taste and the nutrition. The fridge was stocked with fresh colorful veggies and I was tempted to pick up some sourdough bread for paninis when the spinach tortillas caught my attention and Bingo, this wrap was cooked up- first in my head and then in my kitchen.

Ingredients

Large spinach tortillas (could use other kind as well)

1 yellow bell-pepper

2 green onions

1 carrot

1 cup finely chopped cabbage 

1/4 zucchini 

3-4 tbsp shredded Amul cheese (or Mexican cheese if Amul not available)

5-6 chopped mint leaves 

1 diced green chili

1/2 inch piece of ginger grated

2 tsp canola oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp chaat masala

1 tsp aamchur powder

1 tsp soy-chili sauce (I use the Chinga secret combined sauce)

2 tbsp green coriander chutney

Salt to taste 

Serves 2

Prep time 10-15 min

Cook time 10 min

Method:

Finely chop all the veggies. Heat the oil in a pan and add the ginger, green chilies followed by all the veggies. Add salt, chili-soy sauce, spices listed and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes until the veggies are partly cooked and well-blended. On a warm skillet, place the tortilla with 1 tbsp butter applied. Spread the chutney followed by half the veggie mixture.

Top with cheese and roll it up like a burrito. 

Cook on medium flame for a couple of minutes. Cut it up and serve with ketchup or hot sauce. It tastes best if enjoyed right away! 

Beet-Arugula salad and spinach-vanilla dairy free milk-shake, healthy lunch in jiffy!

Lunches for 1 or 2 can be tricky, as you have to "pack" all the taste and nutrients in a dish or two for a quick filling mid-day meal. Today's lunch made the cut and deserves to be shared! 

Beets are guaranteed to bring lots of color, flavor, texture and nutrients into any dish. Their versatility make them a good choice ingredient for a savory or a sweet dish. Throw some greens with boiled beets, a zesty dressing and you have an eye-pleasing salad! 

Ingredients

Boiled sliced best- 1

Arugula- 1 cup

Cherry tomatoes- about 6-7 pieces

Diced cucumber- 1/4

Toasted slivered almonds- 1 tbsp

Goat cheese- 2 tbsp

Diced Strawberries- 2-3 (optional)

Croutons- 2-3 tbsp 

Dressing

Balsamic vinegar- 2-3 tbsp

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)- 1tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste 

Mix the greens with the boiled beet and other ingredients. Whisk the dressing together and add to the salad and toss well. Enjoy the nutty, creamy, crunchy, tangy-sweet fresh flavor explosions! 

The Spinach Vanilla shake has been inspired by "Deliciously Ella". Frozen banana brings the characteristic "milkshake creaminess" minus the dairy and the cream! 

Ingredients

Fresh baby spinach leaves- handful

Frozen diced banana- 1 whole

Almond milk- 1/2 cup

Vanilla whey protein powder- 1/2 scoop

Sunflower seeds- 1 tbsp

Ice cubes-4

Method

Blend all the ingredients together in your high performance blender and enjoy fresh with the salad!

Sooji-Ragi Halwa with Jaggery

We are a family of sweet lovers! And I love to cook in my downtime. That is a fatal combination because the byproduct is a new dessert which would be devoured in a jiffy! So, I have to come up with creative ideas to add more nutritional value to the dessert and subtract the sugar and empty calories. My 6 year old loves almost all Indian sweets, my husband and my 11 year old love "white halwa" (Sooji halwa) and I love jaggery! So this dessert (aka school-day kids' breakfast!) was created with all those factors in mind. And of course, the full container of Ragi perched on that pantry shelf was calling out, "please use me" for a while! 

"Ragi" or "Finger Millet" is not a grain we grew up eating. I had heard about the health benefits of Ragi from friends who ate it regularly with Sambhar and lost a lot of weight on it.  Rich in calcium, fiber and protein and low in fat, it makes a great contender to wheat as long as you don't mind the darker color it lends to the dish. And Sooji (semolina) is rich in fiber too. Jaggery (recommend using the darker version which is considered less refined and processed than the white, supposedly bleached kind). 

I like this recipe a lot and make it often because it is quicker compared to the wheat halwa, requires less ghee and is much more nutritious, a clear winner in my books! 

Ingredients

Ragi- 1/2 cup

Sooji- 1/2 cup

1 or 2% milk- 1 cup

Water- 1 and a 3/4th cup

Ghee (Clarified butter)- 1/4 cup

Jaggery chopped/powder- 1 cup

Ground cardamom seeds- 1-2 tsp

Sliced Almonds- 1 tbsp

Serves- 6 for dessert (stores well in the fridge for upto a week)

Cooking time- 20 min

Method

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, melt the ghee on the stove top. Add the Ragi and the Sooji mixture and roast them on low flame until the ghee separates (about 5 minutes). On the other stove top heat the water + milk mixture with jaggery till it is hot and the jaggery dissolves (about 5 minutes as well).

Add the hot milk to the flour with the flame on low slowly in batches while constantly mixing. The flour will absorb the milk/water very quickly and keep "swelling".

Continue with the remaining milk and stir well to avoid lumps and make a smooth halwa. Turn off the heat (would take about 6-8 minutes at the most), the halwa will "dry" over time as the cooking process continues in the hot pan and the water-milk is absorbed more by the Ragi. Add the cardamom and garnish with slivered almonds.

The resulting halwa is not sticky at all and is melt in the mouth.

Choco-banana protein shake

The most frequently used gadget in my kitchen after the stove and microwave is my Breville Boss professional blender! I swear by it ever since I have owned it in the last 4-5 months and seem to use it almost every day! Well, sometimes even twice a day or more! It has helped me fix healthy fruits and vegetable smoothies for my family, incorporate nutritious ingredients like flaxseeds and sunflower seeds, almond milk and coconut water and veggies like kale and celery to name a few! 

The inspiration behind this recipe is the spinach banana milk shake from "Deliciously Ella", a blog/website that I have been hooked on to lately! Well, I didn't have fresh spinach in my kitchen today and was too lazy to fix a lunch for myself on my day off after a hard core "muscle pump" workout and running errands. So I decided to "drink my lunch" ! The only prep that I had done per Ella's suggestion was to peel and slice my bananas and freeze them a couple of hours ahead of time. And a new habit has been formed! Frozen bananas will be my new "go-to" ingredient for smoothies and shakes from here on!

Ingredients

1 frozen sliced banana

1 tbspoon peanut butter

1 tbsp flaxseeds

2 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

3 cubes of ice 

Serves 1 tall glass

Add all the above ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and well mixed. Pour and enjoy the creamy, chocolaty, protein packed, very filling shake! And guess what- it's totally dairy free! I was too excited to remember clicking a picture! But the next time I make this yummy goodness for Hubble, I will do so and update!!

Aloo pinwheel puffs

Sky is the limit when it comes to using the frozen puff pastry sheets/squares! From savory appetizers to sides to yummy desserts, these flaky "wrappers" are great for stuffing just about anything your creativity can conjure up. We are sticking to the basic here with a little twist on the "vegetable/aloo puffs" that most of us grew up eating and make it at home. 

Ingredients

Frozen puff pastry sheets- 1 packet (thawed out for about 30-40 min)

Boiled and mashed potatoes- 4 medium

Onion- 1/2

Garlic- 2 cloves

Ginger- 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies- 1-2

Cilantro- 1/4 cup

Fresh Mint- 2-3 tbsp

Roasted ground cumin powder- 1 tsp

Aamchur (Mango powder)- 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

A bowl of water to seal the edges

Open the folded puff pastry sheets (usually 2 in a box from the grocery stores). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilly, cilantro and mint in a chopper. In a mixing bowl combine the mashed potatoes with the chopped onion mixture and the dry spices and mix well until a smooth stuffing is ready. Spread a nice thick layer of the filling on the sheet and start rolling from one end tightly to the other end until you get a nice cylindrical "log" of pastry filled with the potato stuffing. Seal the 2 ends well with your wet hands. You will end up with 2 stuffed "logs". Place these on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, make about 6-8 horizontal cuts separating the pinwheels gently apart. Grease a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place the prepared pinwheels on it leaving some distance between them. Bake for about 35 minutes (or per package directions) until a nice golden brown color is achieved changing sides once in between at about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup and enjoy!

Aloo Puff Pinwheels

Puff pastry squares can also be used instead resulting in smaller appetizer size pinwheels. Some stores carry whole wheat puff pastry sheets as well to minimize the guilt of eating refined flour! 

Arugula Kiwi-bell-pepper salad with creamy zesty dressing

The produce in my kitchen dictates what salad is going to be served for dinner that night rather than the other way around. Arugula was aching to be used and that big box of kiwis was still half full after a week. That lone red bell pepper did not find a place in any of the recipes this week and it deserved to be used as well. So the by-product was this simple but unique concoction, which was surprisingly enjoyed by us a lot on the side with the veggie lasagna.

Ingredients

Arugula- 3 cups

Kiwi- 1 big ripe cut into square pieces

Red bell-pepper- 1/2 cut into square pieces

Cranberries- 2 tbspoons

Pistachios- 2 tbspoons chopped roughly

Veggie straws - handful (can use croutons or snap peas or anything crunchy of your choice instead)

Dressing

Greek yogurt- 3 tbspoons

Dijon mustard- 1 tspoon

Maple syrup- 1 tspoon

Feta cheese- 2 tbspoons

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

Toss the first five ingredients in a salad bowl. In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients for a creamy flavorful dressing and mix into the salad. Enjoy immediately. 

Creamy Arugula-Kiwi salad

Veg Lasagna with side salad- Dinner is ready!