Vanilla French Toast with Blueberries; A tribute to Selma.

This post is a tribute to my blogger friend who recently lost her battle to cancer and passed away. She is referred to as the "Sparkling Diva". She truly was. In this very competitive world, where people are often more selfish than selfless, she was one of those few selfless ones who always was kind and encouraging to new bloggers. I belong to this category. She always had good things to say to me. She was indeed a wonderful person who's presence will be missed by many. Selma, may your soul rest in peace.I think she would have liked this recipe. She is someone who liked to live close to nature and appreciated it.You can check out her amazing work in her blog Selma's Table.

Weekends for me are special. Not because I don't work on weekends, but because I get to spend more time with my children on weekends. While we try to take them out somewhere, do something every weekend, we also try to spend quality time together by making the mundane chores special and fun. My kids are little. So, in their own little way, with their little hands, they help me. It may not be perfect. But both them and me, are very proud of the work that they do. They help me with the laundry, they help clean the house, water the plants, do the groceries etc. They love to pick up vegetables and fruits at the market. I rarely say no to the fruits and veggies that they pick up. This past weekend, my son picked up two different kinds of plum and peach, fruits which they usually don't eat. When they came home, I cut them up for them and they relished it. That for me is learning. Rather than looking at pictures, they see, touch and taste the fruits. They therefore learn more. Another special thing that we do on weekends is make breakfast together. My son's favorite is French Toast. I often try to sneak in fruits and vegetables whenever possible into their food. So this time, I made Vanilla French Toast and served it with fresh blueberries and banana slices. I do not have any syrup in my home. I believe that it is too processed. I instead use maple syrup or honey. So here is the simple recipe for this delicious breakfast.

Servings: 2 ( makes 4 slices of French Toast)

Ingredients:

Whole wheat bread slices: 4 nos
Egg:  1 large
Milk/ Almond milk: 1/2 cup
Cinnamon: 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence: 1/2  tsp
Brown sugar: 1 tbsp
Salt: a pinch
Butter: 2 tsp
Banana: 1, peeled and sliced
Blueberries: 1/2 cup
Maple syrup: as needed

Method:

Using a whisk, beat the egg in a bowl until the quantity doubles. Add in the milk, cinnamon, vanilla essence, sugar, salt and mix well.

Heat a skillet/ griddle on medium flame. Add 1/2 tsp butter.

Soak 1 slice of bread in the egg mixture for 15-20 seconds on both sides. Place this in the skillet/griddle and cook until it turns slightly golden in color around two minutes on low flame. Flip and cook the other side.

Do this with all four bread slices.

Serve 2 slices of bread with half the blueberries and half the banana slices. Top it with maple syrup.

Serve when the bread is still warm.

Enjoy.

Selma, how do you like this one?? I am bringing this to the special tribute that you have for her Angie at Fiesta Selma. Thanks for organizing this event. You brought us together. I am also linking this to  Foodbod, The Not So Creative Cook, and Birgerbird. I believe these people are the ones that are like pillars to Angie in continuing the fiesta just the way Selma was. Maintaining an ongoing event like Fiesta Friday takes a lot of time, effort and energy. All of you do it so selflessly and wonderfully!

Cooking made easy:

Whenever you make something that is egg based and requires cooking on a skillet, it is better to grease the skillet with butter instead of oil. A little bit of butter goes a long way and it prevents it from burning. Also cook it on low flame.

Do not overcook/ burn eggs. It does not taste good.

Also, do not soak the bread in the egg for too long. This makes the bread very soft and may fall apart. It also makes it harder for the inside to cook.

Tip for healthy living:

Incorporate 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Be creative. Make fruits and vegetables part of every meal that you eat or feed your kids with. Habits are what we inculcate at an early age.

Food for thought:

Live today as if there is no tomorrow for tomorrow is not guaranteed anyways! Self

Pakora kadhi with dill ; Meatless Monday

I often come across tantalizing pictures of pakora kadhi with rice in the various food groups. It looks so comforting. True Indian soul food. But I have never made it, until now. You see it is not something that is part of the South Indian Cuisine. It is an integral part of the North Indian Cuisine. I think for some reason I had a mental block when it came to making kadhi. Until now. Now, I wonder why I never made it before!!! Me who loves to try several cuisines, why didn't I attempt to make this dish before?? Well, I don't know.

Kadhi is basically a sauce/a gravy that is made by mixing together chick pea flour and yogurt , tempering it with spices and then cooking it. It is usually meant to be eaten with rice. When some kind of fritter is added to it,it is then called pakora kadhi. Something like the dumpling soup but without white flour . The impetus for my making kadhi was my blogger friend , Swati's post. I saw her post and I knew I had to make it. I made just a little bit, enough for 3-4 people. I had some cauliflower leaf fritters that I had made the previous night. I decided to use them in the kadhi. During my recent grocery shopping, I had picked up a bunch of dill. Upon my quest for newer recipes that use dill, I learnt that dill could be used in kadhi. I decided to try that too.. And dropped in some dill sprigs in there. It sure made the kadhi very flavorful.  Over all the kadhi was finger-lickingly delicious! I would definitely make this again as it is simple, easy and relatively quick to make. It definitely comfort food when served with piping hot rice.

Servings: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

Yogurt: 1 cup
Besan ( Chickpea flour): 2 tbsp
Haldi( turmeric powder): 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1/4 tsp
Dill leaves: 1 cup
Salt: to taste
Water: 4 cups


For tempering:
Cooking oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1/2 tsp
Methi seeds( fenugreek): 2 seeds
Hing( asofoetida): a pinch
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Whole dried red chilli: 1-2 nos

Method:

Add the yogurt, besan ( chickpea flour), chilli powder and haldi to a bowl. Mix together in such a manner that there are no lumps. Now add the water and mix well using a hand-held whisk.

In a thick- bottomed pot, heat oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds. 

Once the mustard seeds splutter, add cumin seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillies.

Reduce the flame to very low and add asofoetida powder. 

Now add the whisked yogurt-besan mixture to the pot. Cook on low flame until it just about starts bubbling, stirring constantly . Do not increase the flame. It might curdle the mixture. 

Now add salt, the pakoras and the dill leaves and continue to cook on low-medium flame for 10mins, stirring in-between until the kadhi thickens slightly.

Serve hot with rice.

Cooking made easy:

This kadhi can be made without the addition of any pakoras or dill leaves and would still be very flavorful. However, if you do decide to use pakoras, any kind would be alright. It is perfect for leftover pakoras or bhajias the next day!

Tip for healthy living:

Brushing your hair 100 strokes once  daily is believed to help grow longer and healthier hair.

Food for thought:

For success, attitude is equally as important as ability. Unknown

Supergreen Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

After a really long time, I am writing a post specifically with Fiesta Friday in mind!! Life for some reason always seems to be hectic with me. You would think that summer would be a little more relaxing with the kids off from school.. No sir!! For me it is pretty much the same or worse. Now because it is nice outside, I have to take them out more!! My son always goes " park, park" after a full day at school"! Yes, you heard me correct. Both my kids go to summer camp ( read at a school) all day long!!. I wish I had his energy!! I tell them to go to bed because they have to wake up early to go to school, and my son goes " but the sunny is still up! It is not night yet!" My son is three years old and does not understand the concept of time. For him life is simple: if it is light outside and the sun is up, it is daytime. If it is dark outside and the moon is out, it is night time!! I wish life would be that simple!! I feel bad for my kids. They don't get to sleep in even during vacation!! Speaking of which, we went away last week on vacation. We flew in 5 airplanes in one week going from the east coast to the west coast and back. They had loads of fun. Me well.. It was nice. But I had things to so "before going on vacation" and things to catch up with " after coming  back from vacation!" Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining or whining.That's life right??

Coming back to the salad, I am sure you must have wondered," what kind of salad is super green salad"?? Frankly, I didn't know what to name this salad and since I used greens that were superfood and the container that the greens were packaged in said " super greens", I decided to call it " Supergreen Salad".
I have made this very simple salad and served it with my friend Frugal Hausfrau's raspberry vinaigrette . I love her recipes!! She is frugal like me! You can find her recipe for raspberry vinaigrette here.

Those who know me, already know that I don't make complicated long drawn meals!! I love to eat healthy, freshly cooked meals. But they are all very easy to make and simple recipes with rather easily available ingredients that don't require breaking the bank. This is one such recipe. The plate that you see was one of my weeknight dinners. I do this every so often: have just a salad for dinner. I took the leftover for lunch. All you have to do is pack the dressing separately otherwise the leaves get soggy. My co-workers loved it. Well, you see that I got a big box of greens!! I eat rather small meals.

I came across this box of super greens that comprised of baby greens that are considered superfood: baby spinach, arugula, red and green Swiss chard and tat soi. It was organic and on sale for $2.49!! Guess many people don't eat it!! But these are the greens that I use on a regular basis! Good for me!! I came across a box of Cherry tomatoes for a dollar! I had some seedless green grapes that were so sour that nobody would eat( not even me!! I tried!:() I decided to use them in the salad instead. I had apricots, cucumber and feta cheese on hand. I had a Clementine that was begging to be used. Well I always have walnuts and cranberries in my pantry! What more do I need!! I made Frugalhausfrau's raspberry vinaigrette, rustled up a salad that was delicious, perfect for the summer and enjoyed by my neighbor and co-workers! My neighbor requested me to help her make this tomorrow evening to take it for a Ramadan Iftari party somewhere.

Do give it a try. Bet you will love it! By the way, I use very little vinaigrette.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette :
Raspberry or red wine vinegar: 1/4 cup
Apple cider vinegar: 1/4 cup
Dijon mustard: 1 tbsp
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp
Honey: 1/3 cup

For the salad:
Organic Supergreens: one 5.6 oz box. ( you can make your own mix with baby spinach, Swiss chard, kale and arugula).
Yellow onion: one, sliced thin
English cucumber: one, thinly sliced
Seedless green grapes: 1 cup, washed
Cranberries: one tbsp

For garnish:
Clementine: one small, peeled and sections separated.
Apricot: 4, peeled, deseeded and cut into 4-6 slices.
Walnut pieces: 1/2 cup ( optional) ( use one tbsp per plate)
Feta cheese: 1/4 cup ( use 1/2-1 tbsp per plate)

Method:

The raspberry vinaigrette :
Add all the ingredients listed under " for the vinaigrette" to a glass jar and shake well. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

The salad :
In a large salad bowl, take the washed and completely drained super greens, the sliced onions, cucumber, green grapes and cranberries. Mix well.

Putting the salad together:
Divide the contents of the above bowl equally between 4-6 plates.
Add to each plate 3-4 pieces of the clementine sections, 3-4 slices of apricot. Top it with 1 tbsp chopped walnuts, 1/2-1 tbsp feta cheese and 1 tbsp of raspberry vinaigrette.

Serve immediately.

If planning to travel or carry it for lunch or a picnic, mix the ingredients listed under " for garnish " with those listed under " for the salad " and carry it in an airtight container. Carry the dressing separately in a container/jar. Just before eating, drizzle the desired amount of dressing, mix well and eat.

Enjoy. I hope all of you at Fiesta Friday like it!

Cooking made easy:

You don't have to necessarily bring the pre-packaged salad greens. You can mix your own with baby greens. Pre-packaged just makes it easier.
You can also try other combinations of fruits/nuts and vegetables, based on what is available. You can use green apples, sliced red radish, sweet peppers, slices tomato, avocado etc for fruit variation. For nuts, you could skip them entirely if you have allergies or use pecans, slivered almonds, pine nuts etc. There is no hard and fast rule.

If you find making home-made vinaigrette hard, try getting a low fat one with no high fructose corn syrup or any preservatives from a store. 

Tip for healthy living: 

Most people like to state that they eat only salads for dinner or lunch but are still putting on weight or seem to be unable to lose the weight. There is a simple reason for this: you might be eating salads.. but it is the type of dressing used that is important. Drowning the salad with creamy dressings defeats the purpose as these dressings are high in fat and pack a lot of calories per tablespoon. Chose vinaigrette as opposed to mayonnaise-based or other creamy dressings.

Food for thought:

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new. Dalai Lama

Baked Vegetable Samosas; Diabetes Friendly Thursday

We Indians love to eat. We have a good breakfast early morning, followed by maybe a snack around mid-day, then lunch around noon to 2 pm, an evening chai with some snacks and then dinner between 8 and 9 pm. There are some key points to be noted. All meals have to be cooked fresh. We Indians do not believe in eating leftover food!':(

Another important component of the  Indian culture is the "evening chai". I don't know if the British started this trend or it existed before the British rule, but drinking Chai in the evening with some snacks is quite important. Now most often these evening snacks comprise of fried food like samosas, pakoras( fritters), bhajias ( deep fried veggie pieces), chakuli, Chivda ( mixture) etc. Well, you see where I am going with this right?? A. Do we need this evening tea?? Well yes, even though physiologically, our body might not need the additional calories, habits and traditions are hard to break. Also, health wise, it is better to eat frequent small meals than large infrequent meals. So, what is the solution?? Of course, make the unhealthy, healthy! With this objective in mind team DFT brings to you " Unfrying  the fried Snacks!" The dedicated members of team DFT have discovered/ invented ways to make the same delicious snacks without deep frying them!

Creating Recipes with a Cause!
I am a proud DFT blogger. 

To learn about DFT, read this link. 

To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

As part of this effort, I am bringing to you the most popular of all Indian snacks: Samosas. Samosas can be eaten as snacks/ appetizer. It is basically like a pattie/ empanada with an outer flour layer that is stuffed with some kind of egg/meat/chicken/vegetable filling and then deep fried. There are very few people who don't love this. I have made a healthy version of it by bringing to you vegetables samosas that have been baked instead of being fried. Traditionally, the filling inside the vegetable samosas is made up of seasoned potatoes. To make it low in calories and starch and therefore diabetes friendly, I have swapped the potatoes with carrots cauliflower and cabbage. I have also used whole wheat for the outer layer( cover) instead of using maida ( all purpose flour). It is still just as tasty and delicious!! If you are worried about making the triangle shape, I have a super-easy method  for you. It also does not take too much time to make. Do try it and let me know your views on the same!

Servings: makes around 25 small ( mini) samosas.( serving size: 2-3 samosas per person ).

Ingredients:

For the outer cover:

Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Fine sooji ( rava/cream of wheat): 1/4 cup
Coconut oil: 1 tsp+ 1 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used)
Lukewarm water: 1 cup ( may not need all)
Salt: to taste
Milk: 2 tbsp for brushing ( use almond milk for vegan option)

For the filling:

Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Chopped onion: 1 cup
Grated carrot: 1 cup
Finely shredded cabbage: 1 cup
Cauliflower florets: 1 cup
Green chilli: 1 medium, finely chopped
Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Salt: to taste

 

Method:

For the outer cover:

Add the flour, sooji, salt, 1 tsp oil to a bowl. Adding water little at a time, make a soft pliable dough. Knead it well and shape it to a ball. When done, apply oil to the outside of the ball. Cover with a damp cloth/ paper towel and keep aside for 10-15 mins. In the mean time, prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Heat oil in a sauté pan/wok. Add the chopped onions and sauté until the onion turns slightly golden brown. Add the cauliflower florets , choppe chilli bits and cook on low flame until it is 3/4 done. Now add the chopped carrots and cabbage, salt, garam masala powder and cook until it is just tender. Do not overcook. Turn off the flame and add the lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and keep ready.

Putting the Samosa together:

Pinch a lemon sized dough and shape it into a ball.

Then roll it into a 5-6 inch diameter circle.

Now using a sharp knife cut it into two equal semicircles.

Place a teaspoonful of filling at one end of the semicircle.

Bring the corners of the semicircle together and gently seal the edges with your finger all around.

Do the same with all the dough that is left. You should be able to make approximately 25 bite-sized samosas or 10-12 big samosas. You will definitely have left over filling. Use it as a filling for chapati wraps or as a side dish for chapatis.

Brush both sides with milk/almond milk and line them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 350 deg F.for 35-45 mins or until light golden brown, turning it over once in between and brushing it again with milk.

Serve hot with cilantro/mint chutney or ketchup.I was out of cilantro chutney and had to use ketchup. Be wary of how much ketchup you use. Do not use more than 1/4 tsp ketchup for 3 samosas.

Tastes best when consumed immediately. I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday! I bet they love samosas too..

Cooking made easy:

Any kind of healthy vegetable with low starch content can be use as a filling.

The seasoning for the filling and the spice level can be varied based on individual preferences.

If you have issues rolling out a perfect circle, you can use a big plate with slightly sharp edges and cut out a perfect circle. You can also use a big cookie cutter ( if you happen to own a cookie cutter that big!).

Foot notes (Tip for healthy living):

Whenever possible use whole wheat flour as opposed to all purpose flour ( APF)/white flour or maida. At times, you may have certain issues with taste but remember, whole wheat flour is way healthier than the much processed all purpose flour that has been stripped of all it nutrients. All purpose flour or maida is made from heavily refined and processed wheat grains , while whole-wheat flour is made from wheat grains that are not that processed. One of the main differences between APF and whole wheat flour is the fiber content. The white flour is made by separating the fiber-rich bran from the wheat grains so much so that a 1/2 cup of white flour contains 1.3 grams of fiber while the whole wheat flour contains 6.4 grams. The recommended daily intake of dietary fiber is 28 grams a great percentage of which can be acquired by using whole grains in our meals.

We know that when it comes to diabetes, carbohydrates per se spike the blood sugar levels. While it is hard to stay away from all carbohydrates, it is always wise to choose carbohydrates with a lower glycemic index ( GI) which means that these food groups are absorbed more slowly into the blood stream thereby preventing the spiking and crashing of the blood sugar levels. Bread made with whole wheat flour was found to have a GI of 51 whereas that from white wheat flour has a GI of 71. Every little bit matters when it comes to regulating blood sugar levels.

Whole wheat flour also has a higher vitamin content  which includes folate, riboflavin, vitamins B1, B3 and B5. All purpose flour or maida is stripped of all these vitamins making it nutrient-poor. It has been found that 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour has 3 milligrams of niacin while 1/2 cup of APF or maida has only 0.8 milligrams!!

Disclaimer:


I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Do try these other "Unfrying the fried snacks" from team DFT!

1. Sonal's Lauki Palak Pakoda

2. Shailja's mixed vegetable cutlets

3. Anu's green gram bonda

4. Chahat's Veggie bread rolls.

5. Prachi's pan-fried bread pakora

6. Paro's baked ribbon

7. Apsara's baked sweet potato chips.

8.  Swati's whole wheat moong dal samosas.

Food for thought:

When a thing is done, it's done. Don't look back. Look forward to your next objective. George C. Marshalla

Refreshing Vegan Mixed Fruit Smoothie; Meatless Monday.

When we talk of smoothies, we automatically know that it is thick, has some fruit in it and definitely has yogurt in it. So what about all those people who don't consume dairy?? How do they enjoy the goodness of smoothies?? This was a question for me as well as I AVOID dairy. I decided that I could make a smoothie without dairy. Now technically, I don't know if the term " smoothie " is reserved to drinks that are made with yogurt only. I know that the smoothie that I made has the same thickness, creaminess, richness as that of a smoothie with yogurt in it. I can also tell you that it is absolutely delicious and refreshing! It is perfect for a sunny day. I  came across this recipe by accident. One hot morning when I was cooking while visiting my sister-in-law, I grew very hot and thirsty. I wanted something that was cold and refreshing but healthy and low in calories. There were a whole variety of fruits at home . I decided to make a smoothie..vegan, of course!! I  added a banana, a handful of blueberries, one grapefruit, a overripe peach, a dab of honey,  almond milk and some chia seeds and blended them together. Refreshing, delicious, healthy, vegan smoothie was ready!!

Servings: Four 6 oz glasses

Ingredients:

Banana: one , peeled.
Grapefruit: one, peeled.
Peach: one large, peeled.
Blueberries: 1 cup, washed.
Original Almond milk: 2 cups
Honey: 1 tsp
Chia seeds: 1 tsp ( optional) 
Cherries:4-5 for garnish

Method:

Add all the above ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth( around 1 minute).

Serve chilled. Can add ice cubes to the glass in which it is being served.
I have served it in small cups.

It is best to drink it immediately as the chia seeds will make the consistency of the smoothie thick with time.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Any combination of fruits can be used to make this smoothie. You can use whatever fruits you have on hand.

You can add some ice cubes/ tonic water/ seltzer while blending. I chose not to.

You can skip the chia seeds if you wish.

You can use sugar / any kind of sweetener instead of honey. I used honey because it is a healthier option.

Tip for healthy living:

Almond milk is a great alternative for people who want to avoid dairy or cannot tolerate dairy. It is low in calories with one cup of original almond milk containing only 60 calories compared to one cup of skim milk which has 80 calories. It also has a lower fat content and therefore is heart healthy. 

Food for thought:

Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. George Edward Woodberry.