Bean Sprouts Fried Rice

• cook rice with little oil+cumin+methi+garlic
• scramble eggs, steam cook carrots/peas, saute bean sprouts with chilli paste/oil/salt/pepper, saute carrots/peas similarly
• high heat->oil+ginger-garlic paste+shallots+green chillies+chilly paste+soy sauce+cooked rice+sauted veges->salt/pepper
• turn off stove and add ben sprouts+scrambled eggs.

Banana Berry Apple Smoothie

Makes 1 Large Serving

Ingredients:
2 Frozen/Fresh Strawberries
4 Frozen/Fresh Raspberries
25 Frozen/Fresh Blueberries
1 Apple Unpeeled
1/4 Cup of Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup of Fat Free Milk
Optional: 1 Tsp of Blue Agave Nectar (or any sweetener/Honey) 
Optional: 1 Tbsp of 100% Pure Chia Seeds (or 1 tsp of Ground Flaxseeds)

Recipe:

• Blend the Apple and Berries together until smooth
• Add the Banana (Frozen is fine too) and blend all well
• Add the Yogurt and Milk to it and blend again
• Add the optional ingredients like sweetener, seeds etc, if you may and serve chilled

Notes:

• Using frozen berries has an advantage that you need not chill the drink or add ice cubes. It gives a nice texture to the smoothie as well.

• Since banana smoothies turn dark when kept for long due to oxidation, it is better to consume the drink immediately.Besides, if adding Chia seeds consume sooner because the Chia seeds have a tendency to make the drink gelatin like when left to soak.

Downing the power packed bananas and berries in one go can't get any more easier (and tastier) than this!

Apple Berry Yogurt Smoothie

Makes 1 Large Serving

Ingredients:
3 Frozen/Fresh Strawberries
7 Frozen/Fresh Raspberries
25 Frozen/Fresh Blueberries
Half an Apple Unpeeled
4 Sliced Almonds
1/4 Cup of Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup of Fat Free Milk
Optional: 1 Tsp of Blue Agave Nectar (or any sweetener/Honey) 
Optional: 1 Tbsp of 100% Pure Chia Seeds (or 1 tsp of Ground Flaxseeds)

Recipe:

• Blend 3 Almonds along with the Apple and Berries together until smooth
• Add the Yogurt and Milk to it and blend again
• Now is the time to add all the optional ingredients like sweetener, seeds etc
• Garnish the drink with the rest of the sliced almonds, Chia/Flax seeds and Serve Chilled

Notes:

• Using frozen berries has an advantage that you need not chill the drink or add ice cubes. It gives a nice texture to the smoothie as well.

• If you are sprinkling the seeds, it is better to consume the drink immediately, because the Chia seeds have a tendency to form a gelatinous liquid when left to soak.

Sip Away the Summer like a Breeze with this Berry Treat!

Kale Dry Kootu

Kale -> 1/2 bag
dhal - 1/4 cup
water - 1 cup
turmeric, oil, 2 garlic
cook for 1 whistle

no water will be present after cooked. mash kale and dhal with hand (onnu renda)
oil+mustard+hing+curry leaves+red chillies 4+ garlic 1+chia 1/4tsp+ shallots or onion 1/4 cup+
salt+turmeic+mashed kale -> 3 mins
while its cooking, grind smooth 1 tbsp coconut pdr+3/4 tsp cumin+1 green chilly to fine pdr,
add pdr to kale and add few more drops of oil, stir and cover and simmer for 7 mins. done.

Raspberry Chia Yogurt Oats

Another way to enjoy the goodness of Oats, Chia and Greek Yogurt , oh and the Raspberries. :-)
Kids would gobble this Pale Pink Flavored Yogurt with Zeal and Zest.
The recipe is for a single serving but let it not fool you.. it is quite filling!

• In a bowl add 1 spoonful of Raspberry Preserve (or jam) and ease/spread it with the same spoon so it becomes a nice smooth blend
• Add 1/4 cup of Non Fat Greek Yogurt to the bowl and blend the yogurt with the raspberry preserve/jam
• Add 1/4 cup of Rolled Oats to the contents
• Add 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds (Organic 100% pure) to the mix
• Add 1/4 cup of Non Fat Milk
• Mix all of them well
• Top it with 10 or less Raspberries
• Set it in the Refrigerator for 6 hours or Overnight
• Enjoy the Porridge in the Morning for a Protein Filled Breakfast!

Remember to drink lots of water to combat the fiber from the Chia Seeds. Also remember that the daily allowance of Chia Seeds should not exceed 1 Tbsp (15g). Happy Healthy Eating!

Oats Chia Bluberry Yogurt

A protein filled breakfast!
1/4 cup non fat Greek yogurt (lots and lots of protein!! )
1/4 cup Fat free Milk
1/4 cup Quick/Rolled Oats
1 tbsp Chia Seeds
1 tbsp Blue Agave Nectar
 Mix all of the above together in a bowl with a spoon.
Top it with 1/4 cup of Fresh BlueBerries
Give it a quick stir.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 6-8 hours or overnight.
It stays fresh for atleast 2 days (that is the longer I had it in. :-) )
and in fact was much tastier the second day.

The Nectar is optional..

The seeds keep you filled as Chia seeds have lots of fiber. Not just fiber.. it is a great source of
Omega 3 Fatty acids and has much more than a Salmon could offer.
But do not get carried away with all the nutritional buzz about the seeds.. more is sometimes not merrier. LOL. It could cause constipation if you overconsume due to the fiber it has to offer. So eat smart and drink lots of water.

Moong Sprouts Chaat

Makes about 2 small servings

Prepare the Chaat ingredients and assemble them buffet style or layer them and serve

• Sprout Moong dhal (Soak moong in little water for 8 hrs, drain the water and place it in a hot box for another 8 hrs for the moong to sprout)
• Boil 1 potato, peel and dice them
• Dice Quarter of an Onion
• Dice Quarter of 1 Ripe Tomato
• Dice 1 green chilly
• Chop a handful of Cilantro leaves
• Grate 10 Baby Carrots
• Dice a Quarter of 1 Cucumber

In a serving bowl  add a little of all the above and

• layer them with 1 tbsp of Yogurt (Curd/Dahi)
• 1 tsp of Sev or any Mixture
• Optional: little sea salt
• 1 tsp of Green Chutney (Mint)
• 1 tsp of Date-Tamarind Chutney
• Optional: Crumble some Nippet (Pappad)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp of Fine Ground Flaxseeds
• 1 tsp of Kara boondi

This is a nice starter as well as a guilt-free evening snack.

Mushroom Pepper Fry

Coarse grind (must be really really coarse) 1/2 tsp of pepper corns, 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds, 2 garlic pods, 3 red chillies (feel free to vary the amounts of the above to adjust the spice level) and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a pan
When the ghee melts, add 5 curry leaves
Add the coarse pepper masala and saute on low flame for few seconds
Add a cup of Simple Mushroom Curry (recipe in different post) to this masala
Continue to stir till the water evaporates and meets your desired consistency
Result is a tasty delicious 'lamb fry' like mushroom pepper fry!

Simple Mushroom Curry

oil+curry leaves+mustard seeds+cumin seeds+fennel seeds+hing+2 tbsp ginger garlic paste+1 large onion+salt+turmeric powder+1 small ripen tomato+pinch of  madras curry powder+1 tsp sakthi pepper chicken powder+1/2 tsp cumin powder+1 tsp paprika powder+ 1tsp red chilly powder+ 1 tsp coriander powder+1 lb mushroom -> cook till masala and mushroom is well cooked. no need to add water.Optional:add some grated coconut at the end and simmer the stove for 1 minute

Corn On the Cob

Simplest of all recipes. :-)

Preheat Oven to 400F
While the oven does it's job, you do yours ie Flavor the corn. :-)
Smear the ear of corn with your choice of cooking oil.
Sprinkle some Sea Salt, 1 tsp of Red Chilly Powder, 1 tsp of Pepper Powder
Drizzle few drops of Lemon Juice (Optional)
Now roll the corn in heavy duty Aluminum Foil .
Put it on a baking sheet
Bake it for about 30 minutes.

When done, Carefully lift the tray and leave it on a cooling rack
Watch out for hot steam and water while you open the foil.
Enjoy the goodness of Corn!

Egg n Shrimp Stir Fry

Makes about 1 serving

This is a No Onion Shrimp Stir Fry.
Don't get me wrong.. I love Onions.. just that I did not happen to have Onions on this day, so devised a recipe with 'no onions'. It turned out so tasty that I decided to give it a post and call it a recipe!

I used frozen raw shrimp that has been deveined and deshelled (but with tails on).
If you are using the same, remember to thaw the Shrimp in whichever way you prefer.
I transferred the Shrimp from freezer to fridge and left it there overnight.

Once the Shrimp is thawed, wash it with COLD water, drain well.

Marinate the Shrimps (about 10) with the following:
2 tsp of lemon juice
3/4 tsp of red chilly powder
1 tbsp of ginger-garlic-green chilly paste (1 green chilly)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder
Mix the shrimps well with the above and leave in fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

Just before preparation, scramble 1 egg with salt and pepper and set it aside.
The egg should be cooked but soft - do not overcook the egg.

Blanche the Shrimps:
In a sauce pan, add 2 tbsp of water (just enough to prevent the shrimps from burning/sticking and produce enough steam to cook the shrimps) and bring it to a boil. Now add the shrimps and cook them for just a minute and a half . When the tails begin to turn pink, remove the shrimps and drain the excess water. set the partly cooked shrimps aside.

Recipe:

• In a hot pan, add 2 tsp of oil, saute 1 tsp of grated garlic, 1 tsp of grated ginger, a handful of green onions (finely chopped), 2 tsp of red chilly paste (chinese style), 1 tsp of Soy Sauce and saute them all in high heat for few seconds.
• Add 1/4 of a tomato (finely chopped) and saute well till the tomatoes mash up
• Toss the Shrimps in and saute them all again for 1 minute.
• If the moisture content is not enough, add in few drops of soy sauce and chilly paste while cooking the shrimps.
• Toss the scrambled eggs and stir for few seconds to mix the eggs well with the shrimps and masala.
• Turn off the stove and immdiately transfer the contents to a serving dish (you do not want to overcook the Shrimps or the eggs).

You can very well add vegetables to this stir fry.. I will be attempting one sooner. :-) Stay tuned.

Strawberry Apple Banana Milk Shake

The name says it all. :-)
Don't ask me where the strawberries are in the picture.. LOL.. they are all in the cup.. I did not have extra berries for the picture.

Blend the following:
1 Apple
10 Strawberries
1 Banana
1 cup of Fat free Milk
Optional: 1 scoop of crushed ice, added at the end. 

You can blend them till smooth but I prefer chunks of fruits in the drink.
Tips:
You can use frozen fruits to avoid crushed ice.
You can also add 1 scoop of your favorite icecream/sherbet (preferably sherbet) and blend them once to get a frothy-creamy drink.. but we decided to go healthy Today.

Orange Berry AntiOxidant - Jamba Juice Style

Makes about 2 cups of Juice

Inspired by the Orange berry AntiOxidant Smoothie from Jamba Juice:
My Little One's Verdict: Better than Jamba Juice. :-)

Grind/Blend the following till smooth:
1/2 cup of Raspberries
1/2 cup of Blueberries
4 Medium Sized Strawberries

To the above add 1 cup of Orange Juice, preferably with pulp, and blend all of them once.
Store bought ready juice is totally fine but please make sure it is 100%  Orange Juice.

No need to add any sweetener if you are using store bought Orange juice. "Appidiye Kudikalaam".  :-P
If using fresh Orange, you may add Agave nectar or Honey to balance the tartness from the berries.

Chill and serve or add crushed ice cubes before serving, if you may.

What a healthy, tasty way to consume those berries - the Jamba Juice Way!

Brown rice Dosa

3 cups Idly Rice
1 cup Multigrain Brown Rice (I used a mix of CalMati Brown Rice, Sweet Brown Rice, Hierloom Red Rice, Wils Rice)
1.25 cups of Whole Black Urad Dhal (the urad dal with skin)
1/2 tsp of Methi seeds

Soak the Rice and Urad-Methi separately overnight.
Grind the urad for 45 mins minimum
Then add the rice and grind them them all together for another 40 mins.
Add Salt (preferably Kal Uppu)
Mix them well and leave the batter to ferment overnight.

Make dosas the usual way.
Optional: You may add 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds for every 6 ladles of dosa batter and make the dosas even more healthy.

The dosas are crispy with a nice taste. Makes a good candidate for Masaal dosa.

Easy Oats Dosa

Easy Oats Dosa - well easy if you have the regular dosa batter at hand.
If the guilt of white rice consumption eats you every time you eat the regular dosa/idli..
healthify it by adding some oats flour to the batter just before making dosas.

Add 1 cup of Oats flour to 8 cups of regular batter (the fermented one),
add 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds, adjust the consistency of the batter by adding little water.
Taste test for salt and then make dosas right away. 

Cranberry Chutney

OK.. let me warn you beforehand that this is a funky recipe with some unusual ingredients.. result of letting my dear husband as a kitchen king for the day.. sort of "oru naal muthalvar"!
(got to admit that he did justice to the crown though. the chutney turned out so delicious that i ended up sharing it here for you folks.)

I was banned from the kitchen so I will not offer my "expertise" in cooking and admissible ingredients. With all the freedom under the sun, he came up with this ingenious recipe: The cranberry chutney.
So what is so ingenious/unusual about having cranberry in a chutney haan? nothing unusual unless the usual chutney ingredients are mixed with some "mixture" (YES the snack that you munch on ) and thrown into the mixie. :-P

now for the recipe:

oil+mustard seeds+ curry leaves+ 10 garlic pods+ 2 big onions+ i inch ginger+15 red chillies+salt+2 tbsp peanuts+2 tbsp dried cranberries+little tamarind+ 2 tbsp Mixture (or substitute with spicy aval)+ 2 cups of tomato puree

saute the above well. cool it.
add 2 tbsp of coconut powder and grind to chutney consistency.

Shrimp Side