SNEAK INS- HAPPY 20 MIN MEAL

My younger daughter refused to eat Broccoli- the super health vegetable. Broccoli is very high in vitamins and essential minerals. 
This quick and Happy dish happened by accident. One day when I didn't have enough time to prepare lunch.. in a jiffy- I cooked rice with Broccoli and corn and some grated carrots. It turned to be delicious and  we both were Happy. 
Quick recipe here:
Soak 1/4 cup rice. You will need 15 florets of Broccoli, 1/4 cup corn and 1 grated carrot. In a deep pan - add a tbs of butter, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, a pinch or two of turmeric powder and salt to taste. Saute the veggies. Mix the rice and cover to cook on slow flame for 15 min after adding about 1/4 cup of water. Easy, fast and Happy. My daughter, that day asked for a second helping!!.

Enjoy. 
 

Sneak Ins- Happy lunch box ideas for your kids- Part 1

Sneak Ins, Happy lunch box ideas

When I was newly appointed as the mother of  a nursery going baby- I was struggling to come up with Happy snacks in her lunch box.  My definition of Happy snack- Happy snacks are those which the mothers are happy giving- ie they are healthy to eat. Child is happy eating as it is attractive, easy to eat and tasty.And of course,the stomach is also happy to receive. 

6 years now from that appointment- I am sharing some ideas here-hoping it helps.

Tips:
1. Grind some nuts and keep- almonds/pistachios/cashew/peanuts.
2. With winters here- some white sesame seeds can come handy.
3. Avoid ready packs of juice/cookies/cakes

I call these 'Sneak- Ins' as I sneak vegetables/nuts/fruits into these snacks without the kids knowing.

Just yesterday- I asked my daughter if I she would like some oatmeal with almonds and pistachios. 'Yes' to  the meal but 'No' to the nuts was the answer. I nodded. I cooked oatmeal and added a tbs of ground nuts-( About 5 of each nut). When she ate- she goes- mamma - it tastes yummy without nuts! We both were happy. This is what I call- Happy snack.Instead of sugar- I add honey and/ or raisins.
This is perfect for morning or evening snack.

Vegetarian  FRUITY PAN CAKE

I call it Fruity as I sneak some fruit in.

Take a 3-4 tbsp wholemeal flour. (It will make 8 small cakes.) Add 1 tbsp ground nuts.( As I mentioned above) Add milk and stir to make batter. The Fruity- Add grated apple or pear. I use either of these. Banana is also a good option. Do one round of wiz using a hand blender on the batter to make the batter smoother. Once the batter is flowing consistency,  pour over a non stick pan to make small cakes. Cover with pan. The steam helps the cakes to rise. After couple of minutes, turn over, and don't cover this time, and cook from other side as well. 

You would notice that I haven't used any egg. Without eggs also, they turn out to be soft. I haven't used any sugar either. 

Once the cakes are ready, make a sandwich by applying your child's favorite sauce( I use honey or chocolate) on top and joining two of them together. They taste delicious. Choice suggestion-jam/dates syrup/marmalade etc.

Easy snack to make and easy to eat. When I pack this in the snack box, I am sure it will not be returned.  
Its a good idea to prepare the batter the night before if constraint on time. 

Sneak Ins- Happy Snack

Yellow Lentil Fudge

Happy Diwali 

Diwali is a festive seasons for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs all over the world. If you didn't know, its an official holiday not only in India but other Asian countries as well. Sri Lanka, Singapore, Myanmar .. far across Fiji. With the world becoming a smaller place- I didn't miss any one of the Diwali fun in Dubai. Get together, fire crackers, sweets was in abundance. No time be nostalgic about India. 

Different kinds of delicacies are available across the sweet shops. Traditionally, women cook many delicacies at home as well. Amongst the sweet delicacies- there is 'Moon Dal Halwa' (Yellow lentil Fudge- This is what I named moong dal halwa for some of my non Asian friends ). It's very famous in Rajasthan (a state in India) and few other northern states of India. It is also cooked in our house every year to please Goddess Laxmi or shall I say all family members. Sharing the recipe here

Moong dal halwa( Yellow Lentil fudge)

This is a dish which can be cooked at leisure. The trick is to cook on slow heat, it brings out the aroma best when cooked for 2-3 hours over very slow heat.

Soak 1 cup yellow moong lentil with skin overnight. One can use lentils without skin as well.Even powdered dal is readily available. But for best results- the yellow lentil with skin. Of course washing this dal takes longer. Also soak half cup almonds overnight. 

After you have washed the dal nicely ( - ie all the skin  has been removed and you have only yellow dal), grind it in the mixer using minimum water. Avoid water if possible. Grind to a coarse paste. Empty it out. In the same jar- grind the almonds- little coarser than the dal. 

Now,take 1 cup ghee in  a heavy pan and make it hot. Take the pan out from the heat and add the dal paste. Put back on the heat( low heat this time)  and stir constantly so that the dal doesn't stick. Add the almonds as well. Once  the dal is nicely mixed and doesn't stick any more, ( this should have taken about half hour) let it cook on the low heat. Stir occasionally.When the dal has turned light golden brown and you can see the ghee separated from the dal- you will know its done. Should have taken about another hour.

While the dal is simmering- take about 2 cup sugar  and half a cup water and saffron. (Soak 9-10 stands of  saffron   in warm milk for 5 min and break the strands using a mortar and pestle if you have one;else you can use any bowl and a spoon). Mix these three on heat so the sugar dissolves in the water. The saffron mix will give the sugar syrup a nice yellow color. We need a syrup of single thread consistency. ( To know if the sugar syrup is done- take a small amount in one finger and close with thumb and open. See if you get one thread. )

Once the dal is done- add this sugar syrup and mix well.

The moong dal halwa is now ready. I know it takes time, but when you see your family and friends closing their eyes as they take the first spoon- you will know its a pay off.


I didnt rest to moong dal halwa this time. I also made something- which is the other extreme to this halwa- in terms of ease of preparation.

Vegan Nariyal kein ladoos- Coconut balls ( Coconut Ferrao Rochers)

Prepare half a cup of sugar syrup as described above and let it cool. Once cooled down- add one cup dessicated coconut, 2-3 spoon of coconut milk  and mix well. Take a small amount of coconut in a bowl. Make small ladoos (balls) of the mixture and roll on the dry coconut. Lo- Its ready. Can there be something easier than this. 

With coconut being good in nutritional value, I think its a great idea for lunch box for kids as well . Make and keep for a week in fridge. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Arabic fattoush my way

I had a great weekend. 

It’s a creme de la creme part y evening at a  posh location. Men, women walk in wearing their designer ‘closet’. The party gets happier and while the men discuss who is getting Expo 2020, no prices for guessing, women talk about who shed and who lost- of course – weight. The blabber goes.. Hey Natasha, ‘ you look hot.. you have lost so much weight.. how did you do that?’, ‘ don’t be silly, I have gained 2 kilos since you saw me last’ . At the other table- ‘ O my my.. look at you.. someone has been working hard-    ‘ no way.. haven’t gone to gym for a month and have been hogging’ is the reply. 

If there were no weight issues.. what would woman talk , I sometimes wonder. 

To share my weight issues- I was size XL after I gave birth to my daughter  and now I am size Small.  I put in lot of hard work , both for my diet and exercise. Along the way, I made my own salads which I could enjoy, since eating them could be quite mundane. I am sharing a recipe which is my all time favorite.I can guarantee that you would love it too. 

I am sharing some tips which helped me to loose weight as well here. First the tips  and then the recipe for  salad.

1.     Start your day with a bowl of sprouts salad (sprouts, chopped  tomatoes, coriander leaves and cucumber). Avoid adding salt.

2.     Add a handful of nuts  to your mornings as well      ( pistachios, almonds and walnuts)

3.     Do not add sugar to your beverages ( tea, milk, coffee)

4.     Consume your Carbohydrates (breads, rice, potatoes, pasta) by afternoon. Reduce your carbohydrates intake from the current level.

5.     Eat a big bowl of salad everyday (this is other than sprout salad in the morning). Either lunch or supper.( Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, radish). Avoid any ready dressing.

6.     Have your fruits followed by some yoghurt- this will keep the appetite under control. Sometimes, after fruits one tends to have a hunger spike.

Fattoush- my way

This is a salad which made me full for at least 3-4 hours. Its got vegetables and carbohydrates. It even  tastes delicious and I did not get  bored of it. 

This is also a  salad which my husband loves to carry for his lunch box. He has been eating it for last 3 years, at least twice a week ­and doesn’t seem to have had enough of it.

Lets get started.

Take the serving bowl in which you wish to serve. I use the lunch box since it’s mostly packed for lunch.  Throw in some diced cucumber and bell peppers. 
Wash lettuce leaves and spin in salad spinner. 

 

Now fold one leave into a roll and break it with your hand. Do not use knife. Layer the lettuce. 

Chop 3-4 cherry tomatoes and place on top. Add few slices of jalapenos. Add 2-3 tsp of jalapenos water as well.

Cut cubes of low fat Feta cheese and place on top.

 

Take some olive oil and lightly heat it. Add dried mixed herbs and pour on the salad.  Before eating, gently mix  so that the vegetables are coated with the cheese.

Now the fattoush chips-

I make my own flat bread. I roast it crisp- very crisp and break into chips. It tastes delicious and doesn’t use the oil which  pita bread is fried into for traditional fattoush. Any flour can be used (multigrain, wholemeal). Sprinkle the chips over the salad and serve.

I have used many pictures here. Hope you find them useful and appetizing. 
If you enjoyed the recipe, then take a moment to leave a comment. 


 

HEALTHY CUP CAKES - EASY TO MAKE AND DELICIOUS TO EAT

Kids loved them.. 

My 4 year old  daughter ( going on 5)  had been pressing to have a fairy dance party for her close friends. Finally we decided to have it the following week( which was today). Every single day of last week was spent in planning- guest list, menu for good, dance play list etc.

Earlier today we went to the grocery and I asked her if she would like to bake some cupcakes or buy from the store. Promptly she said- 'bake at home' 

The girls arrived as fairies and surely some activities were planned. From baking cup cakes to crafting fairy magical wands- all had to be done to keep them entertained.The party menu which my elder daughter quickly wrote down on her board:

The girls surrounded me on the kitchen platform. While they munched on home made potato chips and lined the  tray with  paper cups- I mixed the batter. since the group was divided between chocolate and vanilla - I suggested to make vanilla cup cakes and the chocolate lovers could add chocolate sauce on top. I could hear a loud YES. The little girlies took turns to add to the mixing bowl and lo! it was ready. Quickly they poured in the ready tray and while it baked- they  'hand crafted' much awaited wands.


It was an afternoon, they really enjoyed.

Sharing a quick recipe for those cupcakes. 

Very similar to the vanilla cake with a difference in consistency of batter little thicker here.. and without icing sugar.

To make 6 cupcakes-  9 cm wide by 4 cm deep. 

In a mixing bowl, add one cup of whole wheat flour, half cup sugar, 1 tsp flat baking powder, about 1/3 tsp of baking soda, oil, one tbs of walnut- coarsely powdered, 1 tsp vanilla essence, about 25 ml aerated drink, 25 ml of milk. Mix to a smooth batter and spoon into cups. Bake for 15 min at 180 deg. 

 

For those who voted for chocolate- I made them happy by spreading some chocolate sauce.

  

n.b - the chocolate sauce is organic with very low sugar. The gems used are not with artificial colors. Smarties have been used.

Simple Eggless Sponge Cake loved by my whole family

The plight of studying and there after working, without being able to spend any time in the kitchen, was felt for the first time by me when I had to cook for myself. After I got married we went overseas, feeding the two souls soon became a nightmare. Bigger was the burden of not cooking when colleagues in office, I would call them male stereotypes, didn’t think much about woman who couldn’t cook. My state was obviously of astonishment. The ordeal continued for the next 8 years of constantly being reminded that without culinary skills, a woman is not woman enough. 

Then we moved to a new country and I decided to be at home. Now was the time to be there. Every day was a new creation- some delicious some burnt, other days were beautiful presentation without taste. After many hours being poured into improvising, my first triumph came when after an evening party- compliments showered from all over. Starters, main course, dessert- all vanished. .

Encouraged by my friends and family I am sharing a simple recipe here.

I can call this Idiots guide to baking for vegetarians- baking can be very easy if one remembers the basics. Few simple rules to remember- gather all ingredients before you begin. Always make the baking dish ready and preheat the oven. Bake with lower grill on only, not both. Give it a try. 

Feel free to write to me with any questions/feedback

SPONGE CAKE FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS.

Both Vanilla and Chocolate

Vegetarian:

Prep Time- 5 Min

Bake Time-20 Min

What do we need?
 

11/2 cup whole meal flour

Half cup cooking oil (Sunflower, Corn)

1 tsp vanilla essence, 1/3 tsp baking soda,

1 tsp full baking powder

¼ cup coarsely powdered walnuts

50 ml - can of any aerated drink ( I prefer 7 up)

50 ml – milk- low fat/full cream

2 tbs- full icing sugar

1 tsp lemon or orange rind

What to do we do?

Collect all ingredients. Switch on the Oven for baking- lower grill- 180 deg or mark 3. 

Prepare a 5 inch baking tin. (I prefer aluminum. Oil the tin and dust with the flour and keep aside. )

To make the batter- 

In a glass bowl, pour the flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, icing sugar and mix well with a spoon. (I prefer flat wooden spoon). Make a well in the center- pour in oil, essence, aerated drink, rime, nuts and half the amount of milk. Mix well in circular motion to make a batter of smooth flowing consistency. Adjust the consistency with more milk if required.

Immediately pour into the ready tray. Clear off any sticky batter from glass bowl and pour into the baking dish. Do not stir the batter once poured. 

After twenty minutes, check if the folk or pin comes clean. If not, bake for another 5 minutes. Cool onto a cooling tray. 

Enjoy.

For the chocolate version- add 2 tbs full of cocoa powder, 2 tbs sugar (if using unsweetened cocoa) and a pinch of cinnamon. You can also use Almond essence instead of vanilla.  

For Vegan – Use coconut milk instead of regular milk. Other ingredients are vegan.

If you have enjoyed reading this post, please take a moment to post a comment. 

Tell me how did it go? I will try to post some pictures soon. 

n.b: This was the first post on the blog, but got deleted erroneously