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Friday, March 7, 2014

Fresh orange milkshake

 
 
 
      Half day school does not mean after school snacks at all . Kids , according to their body clock and routine get hungry at the same time . Today was one such day . What to give them that won't fill them up too much to eat dinner but to give them enough energy to play . This is one of my kiddo's favorite milkshake . It has become a common milkshake since we got our Breville juicer . All you need is fresh oranges , milk and some sugar . Yes...that's it..
 
What we need :
 
4-5 oranges / 2 cups of orange juice
2 cups cold milk 
2 Tbsp sugar / honey to taste
1 tsp vanilla ( optional )
 
To Proceed :
 
1) In a blender add orange juice ,milk and sugar and blend well .
2) Serve immediately .
 
 
Enjoy !!!


Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Anjeer - Kesar breakfast smoothie / Dried figs - saffron breakfast smoothie


     This is one power packed goodness . Dried figs are rich in Vitamin  A , K and minerals like calcium,iron, potassium , manganese and often eaten to avoid anemia . Saffron is believed to inhibit skin tumors and is good for arthritis and vision . It also helps with treating asthma , improving feminine health and helping with depression . Bananas not only add sweetness to the smoothie but is also nutritionally packed fruit . Kids get all these goodies in one single cup and kick start their day with tons of energy .

What we need :

8 dried figs - soaked in warm water for 2-4 hours 
1/8 tsp of saffron , soaked in warm milk
1/2 cup oats , soaked in milk for 2 hours
1 large banana
1/4 cup almonds , soaked in warm water for 1-2 hours
1/4 cup walnut , chopped
2 tbsp flax seed powder
3 cups milk

To Proceed :

1) Chop soaked dried figs in small pieces .
2) Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend till smooth .
3) Serve immediately .


*** If you want to make the smoothie on short notice , soak dried figs and almonds in boiling water for 
5-10 minutes .***
*** You can soak the oats in boiling water  for 5 minutes .***

Tomato Omelette / Vegetarian eggless Omelette Sandwich


   
            Being in a school district where there are hardly any Indians , packing lunch becomes difficult . The younger kids are not open to different scents , nor looks . It's easier to say in theory , kids should be nice and kind to other kid even when they get nauseous after smelling or looking at somebody's food . Oh ..no... I am not complaining . I have been there . The smells that appeal the most to me ( Indian tadka )might be painful for the other and I know exactly how I feel when I pass the sea food counter or a steak house . Age just teaches us how to hide our feelings to not to hurt anyone . My solution to this is fusion food .Sandwiches top that list . This is one sandwich that kiddos and their daddy love . Traditional food meets modern bread .

What we need :

1 medium/large onion finely chopped
3-4 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1/4 green pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup zucchini finely chopped
2 green chilies finely chopped
1/2 cup  cilantro finely chopped
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt / to taste
2 cups besan / gram flour / chickpea flour
1 1/2 cups water
oil for coating the pan
12 slices of bread of your choice

To Proceed :

1) In a deep bowl , mix besan , salt, asafoetida ,turmeric powder and 1 cup of water to make a smooth a batter .
2) Add tomatoes,onions,peppers,zucchini ,chilies and cilantro and mix well . 
3) Adjust the consistency of the batter by adding more water .
4) The consistency of the batter should be like the pancake batter .
5) Heat a frying pan or griddle on medium low heat .
6) Brush the hot pan with little oil .
7) Spread 1/4 cup of batter in a pan and spread like a pancake .
8) Let it cook on each side for about 3-4 mins or till little brown .
9) Toast the bread slices and apply butter on them .
10) Cut the omelette in 4 pieces and arrange them on the buttered side of the bread .

Serve with date-tamarind chutney .

*** You can add ginger-garlic paste to the batter if you like.***
*** Any vegetable of your choice can be added to this .***
*** Tomato ketchup or any other sauce / chutney can be applied to the bread along with butter .***
*** Instead of making sandwich , this can be eaten as is with chutney or ketchup .***

Monday, March 3, 2014

Sprouted moong poori



      Princess Pea asked me to make 8888 poori to eat after school . What mom can ignore such a sweet demand . But the mommy feeling crawled in. My kid can not just eat fried stuff unless the nutritional factor is added to it . My treasure hunt in the refrigerator led me to a container of the moong beans that I sprouts over the weekend . I heard them calling my name . That was when I knew what I was going to make . It's pretty easy to make and is ready in short time.

What we need :

1 cup sprouts
2 green chillies
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp anardana / dry pomegranate powder
1/8 tsp asafoetida 
1 tsp salt / to taste
2 cups whole wheat flour

Oil for deep frying


To proceed :

1) Grind everything except the wheat flour to a fine paste .
2) Add it to the whole wheat flour .
3) Knead to form a firm dough .
4) Keep aside covered for 15 minutes .
5) Heat oil on medium high heat .
6)Divide the dough into small line sized balls .
7) Roll each ball into a 4-5 " diameter circle .
8) Deep fry poori in hot oil till golden on both sides .


Serve hot poori with yogurt , pickle , raita or ketchup .

Enjoy !!!!

Mango Pineapple Oats Smoothie

 
 
 In the morning rush , every mom wants her kids to have a healthy ,filling breakfast . My kids get overwhelmed if they see many things on their plate and eventually end up eating a few of them . So here is my solution to this . Easy breakfast smoothie . Very nutritious , filling and yummy too .
 
 
What we need :
 
 
2 cups mango chunks ( fresh / frozen )
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 banana ( to sweeten)
1 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 tbsp. flax seed powder
2 tbsp. chia seeds
 
To proceed :
 
1) Add all the ingredients in the blender and blend smooth .
2) You can adjust the consistency by adding more milk  but my kiddos like it thick .
 
 
Serve immediately . This is one power packed breakfast.
 
Enjoy !!!