Mint and honey lassi with oven roasted chickpeas

After super busy mornings, afternoons are when I get to relax before the next marathon session of changing diapers, potty training , feeding and cleaning begins again.
   Add to the confusion 'sick kids ',  I lose even the 2 mins I get to sit down and check mails. Stress always makes me reach out to the most unhealthiest things to eat. Crunchy food is the best stress buster.More often than not, crunchy means fried
These recipes satisfy my craving for sweet ...and crunchy fried things

 Honey and Mint are a great combo. I first had it at a restaurant, where the tender coconut water was flavored with mint and honey. It had a great fresh taste. I wanted to recreate the same flavors.

Mint and Honey Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt 2% or non fat
3-4 leaves mint
honey 2 tsps
1 sprig mint for garnish

Method
Mix all ingredients together in a blender to a smooth consistency, adding water if required.
Pour into a pretty glass.
Making a pretty drink is pretty satisfying:)
Dip the sprig of mint in honey and garnish
  

I am a great fan of Alton Brown's 'Good Eats'. He can be intelligent and funny at the same time, and talk about food.I found this recipe on his show, and adapted it to my tastes and made it Indian.

Roasted Chickpeas

chickpeas- 1 cup
olive oil-1sp
salt
paprika
amchur
chilli powder

Method
Soak chickpeas in water overnight.
In the morning drain the water and let it dry out in a collandar
Add oil and salt to taste
Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Heat the oven to 400F
Roast in the oven for about 60mins to 90 mins
toss every 15 mins
They must turn golden and crunchy.
Hit with paprika ,salt and amchur when hot .Mix and serve at room temperature.
Chana chur Garam :-)


I'm yet to try it out wit other legumes. I think they must work great too

Lasagna

  Oh my God! what is Lasagna doing in the list of  healthy things to eat? you may ask...Well1 I figured out a healthier and lighter version of lasagna. No more greasy food that threatens to choke your senses with the over dose of cheese. And, It has proteins. No kidding! I added tofu ( very apprehensively) to the filling...It did turn out great. I got a thumbs up from J!! :-))
      I don't even want to think about the first time I made lasagna.  We ended up eating subway sandwiches that dinner. One of my grand Friday night dinners gone sour. I have come a long way since then. For some reason all the veggie lasagnas I've eaten are extremely cheesy. I wanted to figure out a way to reduce cheese, and add protein.And, my experiment worked:-)

RECIPE

1 pack lasagna noodles- I use precooked ones
2 cups marinara sauce  - any brand of your liking or you could make your own
1 cup cooked spinach drained- I use frozen spinach , thawed and drained
2-3 spoons cream cheese
Italian seasoning to taste
Half onion finely chopped
Tofu crumbles half to 3/4ths cup
Half boiled potato/ 1 egg
Mozzarella cheese shredded 3-4 spoonfuls
1 tomato chopped
Basil chopped
1 spoon minced garlic
Salt pepper to taste

METHOD
In  a bowl , mix spinach, tofu, cream cheese, onion,potato (mashed), salt ,pepper and italian seasoning.
Potato can be substituted with 1 egg. Its function is to hold the filling together. I don't like its eggy taste, hence I substitute it with potato.

Mix chopped fresh tomatoes,garlic and basil to the marinara sauce...Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a baking dish add 1/4th of the marinara sauce to the base.
Arrange the lasagna sheets in a layer. Add half the spinach mixture, spread in an even layer.
Add 1/4th the marinara sauce mix sprinkle an spoon of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add lasagna sheets to make another layer.
Spread the rest of spinach mixture on top, repeat with marinara sauce.
Add the last layer of lasagna sheets.
Add rest of the marinara sauce and couple spoonfuls of mozzarella cheese on top

Bake at 350-400 F for about 45 mins, till the cheese has melted and bubbly.Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins....Before you attack :-)

Healthy Lasagna is ready!
We can change up the flavors ....use salsa instead of marinara. Add roasted veggies like zucchini, bellpeppers and mushrooms. The possibilities are infinite.

Khichdi

Today, while the kiddos slept, I did not sleep,nor did I make dinner or clean the house. I made Hairbands....Yes! for my dear daughter. My brain still has some creativity left ...rather, the right side of my brain is still working...Yay!!:-) I was pleasantly surprised. Taking care of my son, then my daughter 24/7, I had almost forgotten that I was capable of doing things other than clean poop and cooking.:)

  It was pleasantly refreshing to create something. I felt like I was child again ...in my craft period, making pretty things.Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a child. Live the carefree life, with not a worry in the world. In some ways I am living my childhood again, thanks to my children. My daughter is my little doll, I like dressing her up..Playing catch, going down the slide with my son, singing rhymes with actions.Doing all that, makes me feel like a child again.Even if its only a moment, it feels great to let yourself do stupid things . I just love the crazy life I live.
  As children we would just run to our neighbor's house to eat, if my mom made something we did not like, much to my mom's exasperation. Our neighbor, Daisy auntie would welcome us with open arms. One of the things we loved was Khichdi. Yes! its the food eaten when sick. But, we just loved it and auntie made it a fancy meal with all the fixes like, Baingan bhartha, aloo bhartha, kachoomar and raitha.
  It is my go to recipe, when I am sick or need a one pot dish that is healthy. I love pongal but this north indian version is slightly healthier with the inclusion of veggies.

RECIPE
onion- half medium - finely chopped
1 potato- medium sized diced into large pieces
green peas - 1 cup
carrots - 2 large diced
moong dal - yellow-1 cup
Basmati rice- 2 cups
Zeera - 1 spoon
garlic -2-3 pods
ginger-2 spoons
green chillies diced- to taste
 salt -to taste
Garam masala - 1 spoon optional
turmeric- half spoon

Method
In a cooker heat 1 tsp of oil/ghee.
Add zeera wait till it sputters.
Add onion and garlic ...wait till it turns brown
Add all the veggies and cook for a min. Add turmeric
To this add the washed dal ....and stir till fragrant.
Now add the basmati rice and add about 4 cups of water. Close the cooker and let it cook till the mixture is completely cooked.
Once completely cooked add salt to taste and garam masala. Add water if required and heat the mixture.
when the khichidi is simmering add the minced ginger and green chillies on top switch off the heat.

Hot Khichidi is ready to enjoy. It tastes great with raita ...or plain old Mango pickle. fast and healthy
In many ways its the food of childhood ...sonny dear enjoys it with  a dollop of ghee on top.Of course without the chillies. Guddu, my daughter gets it pureed for now :). Healthy and wholesome, its a food for all age groups.