Counting calories..... Try them...

Sometimes I wonder, as to what is the "hot" topic among ladies at their tea session.... "God how I wish, all healthy options out there become tasty"...

Well, I guess going through this article might give you some tasty yet healthy options...

I will be talking about easy healthy and tasty appetizers like soups,  salads....

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, broken off into small chunks
4 small-medium turnips, quartered (don't worry about peeling them)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of your knife
4 baby onion (or 1 small onion), sliced lenghtwise
2 small potatoes, diced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cups - 1 cup water (or chicken or veggie stock)

Garnishes
herbs, croutons.

Method
Preheat the oven to 375F. Place all the vegetables on a baking sheet or in a pan in one single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Add about 1/2 cup water or stock and puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Check if the consistency and seasoning are to your liking and adjust accordingly.
Serve with croutons and garnishes of your choice.

Now the next recipe coming up is an amazing option for the summers....

Tropical GARDEN FRESH

Ingredients
One- half bowl of diced watermelon, peeled, seeded
1/4 cup fresh raspberries
1/ bowl diced pineapple,peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tbs sugar

Method

Place all the cut fruits in a large bowl, and add lemon juice and sugar; toss to combine. Let stand at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until all sugar is dissolved. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

So,  all you health freaks or would - bw health freaks try these simple mouth watering recipes and add a pinch of your own innovation.....

Make way for FRUITS....

When it comes to fruits and veggies, what maximum people say is:

I don't need vegetables, thank you....I have bought cows to eat them.

It's hilarious but contrary to this the fact remains that fruits are an important part of our diet. People turn their backs on fruits and switch to daily consumption of the multivitamin tabs.... now that's mere ignorance.

If we focus on the right amount of fruit intake; I mean at least 3-4 fruits/ daily; we actually do not have rely completely on the outsource of vitamins. Also one should try and include the different varieties of fruits for getting the complete basket of multivitamins.

But one thing that I have come across is that including fruits in the diet is not only tedious for children but also for adults like us.

So.....Friends, Romans and Countrymen... Plzz lend me your ears. Whether it is for you,  your family members or for any unexpected guests..... when you have no option but fruits in your inventory..... Fruit Skewers is the best option on plate.

The best part is that one can use any variety of fruit and vegetables in this skewers. Just remember to start with the least crunchy fruit/veggie and progress up.... so be it bananas,  strawberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapples and so on....

You can use these skewers alone or accompany them with some chicken or meat.

This is not it..... you can put all fruits in a selected transparent glass and top it with some yogurt.... your fruit summer delight is ready to take charge.

With your innovative ideas, you can play with fruits..... use their color,flavor and steal the show... :)

Getting sense out of nonsense...

Having a nutrition background, call it as my "responsibility" or my " interest".... whenever I go out for the so called pantry shopping, what I first put my eyes on.... is the beautiful packaging of the product. 

Hold on.... I am not going into the aesthetic part but actually talking about the nutritional information printed on the packet. Today when you are flooded with infinite amount of information related to food and optimal health.... it becomes important to get the sensible information from all the nonsense out there.

Nutrition being such a vast topic to debate on.... we can just touch upon few things that come to our mind. For example.... talking about the fruit juices which are flooding the market nowadays.  Now, the companies have to say a "lot" for the sake of marketing the product.... but as smart customers we have to analyze what is good for us.

" They".... I mean the manufacturers.... portray their product as being a "super hero"... giving you the required vitamins and minerals.... but people take this as a  wake up call and analyze carefully.... have we ever wondered about the amount of sugar content that we gulp in along with that glass of juice.... I guess no because we are counting on those vitamins and minerals..... on the contrary if we grab a fruit in that place we actually are getting the right amount of nutrients and correct amount of natural fruit sugar. Thus doesn't mean that juices are completely" no"... but making them a regular item in your diet is not the right move.

This is just a part we talked about.... There is much more than just it... it is not easy to get the real information....cause it is like finding a needle in the bundle of hay....

We always go for the simple things.... that goes for our food also but we should remember that it not so.... there are no geese that lay golden eggs...

Lemon: Not just the juice..... Look more....

For some fruits it's more than the fresh juicy pulp, i.e. the outer zest. Today, I will be talking about lemons; apart from their vitamin C rich juice.....they also have their aromatic shiny and flavor boosting skin on call..... The latter can be used to enhance or add flavor to any sweet or savory dish.

Although I do not promote organic foods as such, but when it comes to lemons, oranges, I make no compromises....as the residues of the pesticides used are settled in the outer skin, thus it's not an economical idea of sticking to the normal population of lemons.

.....the fine saffron like tendrils that we can prepare using any cheese grater.... One can dry them and store them for long. The dried form can be powdered and used in many dishes. The freshness that is brought along is just incredible.....

Whether it is a dip, a chocolate chip cookie or any regular cake recipe, a pinch of lemon zest add that freshness and aroma to the dish. 

It's not that it.....next time you get on to your bowl of green salad add a pinch of these bright tendrils for that tangy flavor......next morning when you sit with your bowl of oatmeal add a pinch of this freshness....also to give a twist to your regular vegetable soup, boiled vegetables, keep your pinch of twist ready.....

If you want to have a glass of refreshing lemonade, try adding the lemon zest along with the juice and leave it aside to let the flavor infuse...... Trust me you will be the talk of the month among your friends....

Be it an Indian cuisine, Italian pasta or risotto or Mughlai biryani.....this treat of lemon fits in all..... So happy zeasting!!!!!!!

Tea Time....

What an awesome weather outside.... Bright sunlight striking the white snow laden rooftops..... In the midst of this beautiful scene... I get a call from my husband ( work from home status): "can I have a cup of tea"...... 

Well, personally not being a tea lover, over a period of time being a part of tea loving family I have understood one fact that when it's a call for tea time...... Get alert.... It's time for you to show your cooking skills. Sipping hot tea without any snack is ideally incomplete, despite of you being in any part of the world. 

Tea itself is of so many colors and moods...... Sounding strange.....no it's a fact..... You have black tea, green tea, mild tea, strong tea, white tea, lemon tea.......sooooo on...... But one thing that compliments tea is.... Snacks!!!

Now being little health concious, I actually have to focus on taste as well as the health part of the snack taken along with the tea. Usually what we indulge along with tea is snacks like fried pakoras, dark chocolate muffins, flaky pastries..... I just realized my mouth has started watering...... Control your emotions dear.....

These are not just the options with you. Just move your eyes around, give your own twist to it and you are ready with a new innovative yet healthy snack option to compliment with your tea.

I have one snack recipe ready for today.....  Cucumber avocado tea time sandwich...

Potion size: 2

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

Brown bread: 4 slices

Yogurt: 2 tbsp

Cucumber slices: 1 small peeled and thinly sliced

Avocado slices: 1 peeled and thinly sliced

Baby sprouts: 1/2 cup boiled

Salt, pepper to taste

Method

Mix all the spices, salt,pepper and baby sprouts in the whipped yogurt and keep aside. Prepare your canvas in the mean while.... I mean trim the sides of the brown bread and spread the yogurt mixture on it. After that place the slices of cucumber and avocado on it. Cut the slices into triangular shape and serve immediately. 

You are ready with your simple and finger licking sandwich..... All full of health and taste.....

So, guys get ready for your tea time!!!!!!

A cup full of health...

Have you ever wondered that just a cup of tea will make you take a leap for health. Yes, it's about green tea.... a sip full of antioxidants.

Many studies have been carried out stating that "antioxidant" are chemicals that are required to scavenge the free radicals in the body, thus preventing any damage.

Most common examples of them are beta-carotene, lycopene.  These are found in colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, tomato, beetroot, bell peppers etc. Our body probably makes some amount of these antioxidants but majority of the time we derive them through diet and sometimes we need some dietary supplements.

Green tea is one way to replenish your source of antioxidants.  It provides you with an expanded line of benefits like:
- weight loss
- lowers cholesterol
-controls blood sugar
-lowers blood pressure
- lowers risk of cancer

But the question arises that what should be the amount to be taken? I would suggest to bring it in your habit, by limiting it to 2-3 cups a day after meals ( helps in digestion and aids in fat oxidation). But caution should be taken that as it contains "tannins" the enemy of iron and folate.... watch for them and do not club your meals and green tea together..... a gap of 30 minutes will help.

So guys watch what we are drinking.... is it a can of calories or a sip of optimal health...

Walnuts: The wonder nut

I still remember my childhood days, when my mother used to give me a fist full of brown rust colored nuts.... Walnuts!! I so used to unlike the taste. But today, I am thankful to her.

It's like every food we eat benefits us in some way or the other. Walnuts, are classified as nuts and oilseeds in the world of nutrition. 

As it has the name.. it creates a wall of immunity in our body and protects the pump machine...Heart... against the bad cholesterol (TRIGLYCERIDES). It is a store house for good quality protein, vitamin B6, minerals like calcium and potassium, polyunsaturated fatty acids,  omega3 fatty acids.

The latter that I mentioned is the key component of this nut. To understand it simple, we require two kinds of fatty acids in our system: omega3 and omega6. The former is important to cut down your cholesterol levels in the body and protect our heart. An ounce (28g) of walnuts provides 2.6g of ALA (precursor of omega3) which gets converted into the active and absorptive form in the body.

Not only your heart but it is essential for your brain, skin and hair. Just a fist full of this nut will help you become more wise, look younger and of course give you a healthy and happy heart. So grab a fist full of optimal health....