Watermelon Popsicle!

Summer is here! The Ice cream season.
      Hot Afternoons are the perfect time for it. If I have to give my kids a popsicle daily, I would rather it be a good one without preservatives and food colorings or artificial flavors.
  Watermelon is one of my kids favorite fruits.By making it into a popsicle, I can make popsicle healthy enough for my kids to eat daily and prevent the half unused watermelon from going into the trash. It satisfies my sweet tooth too :-)

Recipe
Cut watermelon into Chunks( I use the seedless variety)- 3-4 cups
Sugar 2-3 spoonfuls( optional)
Cardamom- 2 pods( just the seeds inside) or1 pinch cardamom powder
Blend well and give a taste .
Pour it into molds and freeze.

I used the traditional Stick mold. I also used some fun molds shaped like a fish and flowers. It makes it more interesting for kids and  easier to portion. Its delish! Tasty enough for a toddler and healthy enough for a mom :)

Another Interesting idea is to freeze Grapes...I was lucky to find really sweet seedless grapes. Washed them,and put them in the freezer,single layer on a plate  ...Frozen grapes tasted like candies! even to my fussy 2 yr old :-)

Bulghur ( Salads and Pilafs)

Every website that talks about health and a healthy way to lose weight, talks about the use of whole grains . Whole grains are more nutritious and filling than processed grains and flours. Using flours of grains that are not stripped of the nutritious top layer is also considered whole. Some of the whole grains I've tried are Brown rice, Barley and Bulghur (Cracked Wheat) . I'm yet to try Farro and Quinoa.
  Bulghur is the easy and healthy fix for lunch. Let me share with you a couple of recipes I tried and liked

Salads
 The most common salad that comes to mind is taboulleh. This salad takes inspiration from that.
We need
Bulghur- medium or coarse cooked.
     Wash a cup of bulghur in water, drain . Add 2 cups water, salt to taste. Cook covered under low heat. Cool it by spreading out on a plate and to separate the grains. Add a spoon of  EV olive oil if required.
Cucumber chopped  cubes 1 cup
Tomatoes- chopped one cup
Green onion chopped half cup.
dill leaves chopped half cup.
Dressing
      Mint leaves- 2-3 chopped
      Lemon juice half a lemon
      Extra virgin olive oil
      salt and pepper
Mix cooled Bulghur and all the veggies. Add the dressing and mix well. Refrigerate for the flavors to mix well. It makes a great make ahead lunch for a summer afternoon. Holds up pretty well  in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Change up the veggies ...                                  
Add cupful chopped  leafy veggies like spinach, endive, arugula and butter lettuce.
Half a cup of finely chopped red cabbage
Half a cup chopped tomatoes
chopped flat leaf or curly parsley( I like curly better)
Add dressing and Bulghur to the mix, Let it sit for atleast 15 mins for the flavors to mix...........Makes a healthy and filling lunch. Does not store as well as the 1'st one though .Its better consumed in a couple of hours.



Make a gourmet lunch.....A pretty looking plate is more satisfying :)
Rough chop Mushrooms, Peppers ( All colors), Broccoli, zucchini. Or any combo you like.

mix in a spoon of olive oil salt and pepper. Put under broiler to grill it, Or add on top of a hot griddle  or stir fry it on a hot pan.Deeply browned bits make it tasty   
Prepare Bulghur as per instructions
Sauce, Mix
     I cup yogurt
      Mint leaves 4-5 chopped fine
      1 clove garlic finely chopped or garlic paste 1/4th spoon
     Sumac powder half a spoon.
      Salt and pepper to taste 
     Set aside for 15 mins

Serve Cooked bulghur on a plate , add grilled veggies on top. Spoon the yogurt sauce as required.


Bulghur is so versatile, I even tried a southwestern style bulghur pilaf. It had grilled poblano peppers,red peppers and corn with fresh tomato salsa!  Versatile and healthy.......its a great grain to add to your diet.

ChickPeas

This is probably one of the most simplest recipe I've posted so far.
Its just jazzed up boiled chickpeas...Or Kala Chana. Yummy!

 Boiled Chickpeas 1 cup
        Soak dry chickpeas overnight, pressure cook with little salt.
Half spoon  vegetable/olive oil
Chat masala
Chilli powder
Salt to taste
 Mix it up well. Spread on a  microwave safe plate and cook on high for 2 minutes.
Cool and serve with yogurt and cucumber slices.
Healthy alternative to deep fried/spicy junk food cravings in the afternoons:-)


Or ...
Use Kala chana instead of Chickpeas for the same recipe
Stuff it inside a pita pocket with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots and tomatoes.
A filling lunch !









Or....
add Chopped Tomatoes,onion, cilantro and green chillies to the mix add lemon juice / lemon pepper and serve as a healthy side to your usual meal.
Bump up the protein portion.

  Enjoy!

Sandwich - dabeli style

Dabeli is a street food from Mumbai. The first time I had it was here in the USA. Wonder how someone could come up with a recipe which packs various flavors and textures in one bite. Its a bun stuffed with potatoes, sev , peanuts, anardanas( Ponegranate seeds), tangy chutneys. One bite is sweet,sour,hot, crunchy soft .......and you are in culinary heaven :-)

This my attempt to make it healthier. Not skimping on the flavors.

Bean and Potato mash-
Black eyed peas cooked 1 cup
Potato 1 medium sized boiled
Onion finely chopped 1 small
Zeera/Cumin 1 tsp
Turmeric
Salt, chilli powder and garam masala/ kitchen king to taste.

Heat a spoonful of oil in a pan. Splutter the zeera, add onion and cook till translucent. Add the cooked beans and potatoes. Add a little water and cook till mashed ...or Mash it to create one mass. Add seasonings to taste .


Salad-                                                                     
Red Cabbage shredded 1 cup
Cucumber chopped half cup
Raisins handful
Roaster Almonds/Peanuts-Handful
Dressing - Juice of half a lemon
                1 spoon Extra virgin olive oil
                salt to taste
                Chat masala to taste
 Red cabbage is rich in Vitamin A,C, K and Minerals. Makes a great addition to our diet.
Filling and nutritious -has to be the key to weight loss :)

The third component is Sauce/Chutney
Use Maggi Hot and sweet ketchup- My favorite
Or Store brought tamarind chutney
Or Green chutney featured in Vatana salad
Green Chutney- grind together 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
                          Half cup Mint leaves
                          Green chillies/ red chillies
                          2 pods of garlic(optional)
                           dhania zeera powder 1tsp
                          spoonful chopped onion
                          half tomato chopped
                          half spoon tamarind paste
                         Jaggery/ brown sugar 1--2 spoons ( optional)
                         Salt to taste
                          Kala namak- half spoon
                  This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. Eaten with pretty much anything.

Build a Sandwich-
I like to use oatmeal bread . Pretty much any type of bread/bun can be used.
Toast it till crispy.
Apply Sauce/chutney on one side. top with mashed beans and potatoes. Spoon salad over the top. Add some more chutney and top with another slice of bread .
Sandwich and a glass of Carrot juice -----------Pretty filling lunch.

BTW the carrot juice? I love it ..Hubby dear hates it so do the kids.
Well! You cant get everybody to like what you like. 

Hummus

Hearty Breakfast- Hummus on Wheat bread and orange juice

I'm gonna let my pictures do the talking. Black and white pictures are my latest fascination. Remember your mom and dad's old pictures? They look so beautiful and timeless. This is my attempt and creating something timeless with those wonderful memories. 

Hummus?My kids love it. And it is a healthy food .

 

 Recipe For Hummus

Chick peas cooked 1 cup

tahini paste 2 spoons/ thick yogurt 2 spoons 

garlic 1 clove finely minced

( The best)Extra virgin olive oil 3-4 spoonfuls 

Lemon juice of  half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend into a smooth paste and let it sit for the flavors to blend

 Add more Olive oil if it feels dry.

Mix it up----- Add roasted red peppers/ roasted cumin seeds/ roasted garlic for more flavor

Serve with Breads, great for sandwiches.  Or as a dip with veggies like cucumber/celery and carrots

Yay! for Motherhood .....I'm loving it ! 

 

Well, most of the times

Moong sprouts/Pesarattu

Bean sprouts of any kind are healthy and nutritious food . Sprouts like Alfaalfa, broccoli and bean are available in the supermarkets. Ready to be used in salads ,sandwiches and stir fries .  Moong sprouts are the most commonly used sprouts in Indian cooking. I've mostly eaten them raw in salads or cooked in sundal. (Of course my mom's recipes)  They are actually very versatile and can even be used in soups and sabzis too.
   Let me share with you a couple of recipes I tried and liked.
Note- cannot make sprouts out of yellow moong....Its already processed:-)




Method of making moong sprouts.                                         

  SoakGreen Moong Dal  in water for about 3-4 hrs. Remove water and tie tightly it in a wet towel/cloth. If the room temperature is high the bundle must be kept in the refrigerator. It takes about 2 days to germinate. The sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for almost about a week in airtight container.
    Tossed with cucumber, onion , tomatoes, cilantro with salt and lemon juice dressing , makes a wonderful side for any dish.

 Moong sprouts Sabzi

Moong sprouts 1 cup
Onion finely chopped 1 small
Garlic ( optional)
Tomatoes (optional)
Oil to sautee 1-2 spoons
Cumin/ zeera seeds
Turmeric , chilli powder and salt

Heat oil in a pan, add zeera . once it sputters add garlic and onion and cook till translucent. Add 1 cup of moong sprouts and the  preffered seasonings.Add water to help make it softer. No addition of water is necessary if crunchy texture is preferred.
    My kids are a big fan of this ...especially since it looks like peas. Its good for them and they love it what could be better.

Pesarattu                     
It is a common breakfast in the state of  Andhra Pradesh. It makes a hearty and filling brunch that is high in protein content.

Grind together in a blender
2 cups moong sprouts
2 spoons of rice powder
half a small onion chopped
chopped ginger/ginger paste 1 tsp
cumin/zeera seeds
Salt to taste.
and required amount of water

Spread a ladle of batter on a hot griddle. Sprinkle finely chopped onions and cumin/zeera seeds on top. Drizzle oil( optional- avoid if trying to watch your cholesterol level) flip the pesarattu.
serve hot with chutney.

Note - Addition of vegetables like carrots( vit A), red and yellow bell peppers ( vit C) to the standard onion and tomato chutney increases the nutritional value as well as improves taste.



My weight loss strategy now is to eat a large bowl of salad or raita before every meal, along with regular exercise of course. Need to work on portion control. Keeping my finger crossed .

Bhel puri

I was off for a 1 month vacation to India ( If you could call it that:)) , hence my absence.
One month of preparing for two weddings,shopping, yummy food, people to take care of my kids, being pampered in salons, being more pampered by parents and In laws and more shopping, I am back home in the peak of winter.
                In the last one month, losing weight never crossed my mind. I would have been overjoyed if I had'nt put on any weight. I did lose weight in spite of that ..though only a couple of pounds.( not that it shows ). Need to get back to the exercise and eat right mode. Ok, ....More exercise than eat right mode :)
    Bhel puri is my all time favorite snack. Yummy and healthy and a quick fix.
Bhelpuri reminds me of all the fun times us sisters have had over the years. Its always the first thing that would pop into our head whenever we wanted to have a  midnight snack...after of course ":Maggi ".
It seems to be the perfect thing to make when i am missing them.
My sister is the best bhelpuri maker....I come a close 2nd place:)

Though every body has their own recipe, this is how I like to make it.
Recipe
Half a cup each of
Finely chopped onions
Diced cucumber
Diced tomatoes
Grated carrots
diced boiled potatoes

finely chopped cilantro for garnish
puffed rice cereal 1-1.5 cups
roasted peanuts to taste 
Store bought sev to taste

Green cilantro chutney
Grind together 1 cup cilantro
                      half a small onion
                      garlic 2 pods
                      tamarind paste half spoon
                      green chillies 2
                      salt to taste
Store in airtight container in the fridge.
Sugar/ jaggery( optional) 1 tsp
 Lemon juice to taste

Method
Mix the veggies with couple  of spoons of green chutney .
Add sugar, salt and lemon juice as required.
mix in the puffed rice cereal. The mixing needs to be done fast.
Sev, roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro can be sprinkled on top or mixed in at the end.

Bhel puri should be eaten immediately or it can get soggy. Eating when the rice ceral is still crunchy is the best way to eat.