Iron Enriched Salad

Super healthy, full of iron, full of taste and super quick salad!!!

What more we need for a quick, healthy snack!

Just created this salad few minutes ago 

and sharing with all right away!!

INGREDIENTS

Baby Spinach; 1-bowl

Cucumber; 1

Fruit/s (your choice! apple/strawberry/grapes/plums/apricot etc... I used 1 apple)

Lime/lemon Juice (as per taste)

Salt (as per taste)

Fresh Ground Pepper (as per taste)

PROCESS

Wash spinach, cucumber and fruit/s in cold water.

Cut fruit/s and cucumber in small bite size pieces and mix with spinach.

Add lime juice, salt & pepper and mix well.

Enjoy!!

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Punch Wali Chutney!!

Sometimes you just read a recipe and you want to try it ASAP!

Did this happen to you? It happened to me few hours ago.

Just before serving dinner tonight, 

I saw my SIL shared a chutney/achaar recipe on Facebook. 

This recipe looked so simple & tempting, 

I couldn't stop myself from trying it right then! 

It is called 'Roasted Tomato Chutney'. I am sure many of you know this recipe already or tried it earlier, but it was a first time for me and I totally loved it!! Waiting for dinner because of that chutney was worth it!! 

So I thought of sharing with all my lovelies asap! :)

"Roasted Tomato Chutney"

Ingredients:

(quantity of ingredients depends on your taste! 

I made just a little to try)

Tomato

Garlic

Green Chilly

Salt

Process:

Roast tomato on flame/coil

Crush green chillies and garlic in a mortar and pestle.

(i used more garlic than chilly)

Remove the burnt skin from tomatoes 

and roughly crush along with the green chillies and garlic.

Mix well and season with salt.

Serve & Enjoy!

This simple chutney can add that 'punch' to any simple food.

The hotness of chilly, strong flavor of garlic, tanginess of tomato and the roasted effect did the magic!

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Guacamole Grilled Sandwich!

Healthy+Easy+Quick+Tasty Breakfast!

and of course for my love for Avocados!!!

Recently I shared Avocado Parathas!

Did anyone try those? Like it?

It was a typical lazy sunday for me today and I was thinking about quick but different breakfast. G is ever ready to have Poha (which I never made perfectly yet *sob-sob*) and I never liked it!! So after giving dear G his Poha with cold coffee, I decided to try this new recipe. Took risk though, but one of the yummiest sandwich I made!! **smiles**

Well here goes another quick breakfast recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

**For Guacamole:

• Nice Riped Avocado (roughly mashed) - 1
• Onion (finely diced) - 1/4th of a medium onion
• Tomato (finely diced) - 1 little salad tomato
• Green Chilly or Jalapeño (finely chopped) - to taste
• Fresh Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - to taste
• Lime/Lemon Juice - 1/2 Tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Crushed Black Pepper - to taste
• note: adding little minced garlic enhance taste

**4 Slice White Bread (you can use brown too for even healthier version)

Little Butter for buttering bread slices

METHOD:

• To make the guacamole; cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add rest of the ingredients and mix well.
• On your sandwich maker/grill/griddle; place buttered bread slices, spread guacamole, cover with another buttered bread slice and cook. note: you may also top your guacamole with grated cheese of your choice, I avoid cheese so didn't use it.
• Enjoy hot grilled sandwich with tomato ketchup :)

I usually enjoy my Sandwich with either Cold Coffee or Cold Choco Milk!

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Avocado Paratha!

Any Avocado lovers here?

I love Avocados! Specially I relish Guacamole.

I was always looking for something more with this. 

It has fat, but thats the good fat our body needs. 

Recently I came across this recipe and thought of sharing it. 

It is full of nutrients, creaminess of avocado and super soft Avocado Paratha!

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Avocados – 2

Lemon Juice – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Garlic – 2 tbsp, finely chopped

Green Chillies – to taste, finely chopped

Cilantro – finely chopped

Roasted Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Chapati Flour (Whole Wheat Flour) – 2 cups 

Additional Oil – for cooking

METHOD:

• Peel the Avocados and mash a smooth paste.
• Mix in lemon juice, salt, garlic, green chilies, cilantro, cumin powder & oil.
• Add Flour in little at a time and form a dough.
• Once the dough comes together, drizzle a few drops of oil over the dough ball to coat. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes. Once you are ready to make the parathas, give the dough one more quick knead.
• Heat up a tawa/skillet on medium heat and start rolling paratha.
• Once the paratha is rolled out and the tawa is hot, place it on the tawa.
• Move the paratha and make sure it does not stick.
• Allow it to cook- change of color and little bubbles will appear.
• Flip and drizzle a little Oil and smear it.
• Flip once again and smear oil and spread it on the other side as well.
• Allow it to cook for just a minute or less (according to your taste).
• Serve hot with yogurt and pickle or have it as a chapati.

Enjoy!!

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Oat Bran Muffins: yummy fiber for your diet!

Our body needs fiber, but our taste-buds doesn't find it tasty.

Let's give our body and our taste-buds a healthy treat :)

Oat Bran Muffins!

a must try!

Ingredients:

1. Oat Bran – 2 1/2 cups
2. Baking Soda – 2 tsp
3. Walnuts – 1/2 cup, chopped
4. Milk – 1 cup
5. Yogurt – 1/2 cup
6. Oil – 2 tbsp
7. Eggs – 2 large
8. Salt – 1/8 tsp
9. Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup
10. Cinnamon Powder – 1 tsp
11. Vanilla – 1 tsp
12. Ripe Bananas – 2, mashed

Method:

• In a bowl, whisk together Milk, Oil, Eggs, Yogurt, Brown Sugar, Salt, Cinnamon Powder and Vanilla.
• Mix in mashed Bananas.
• In a separate bowl, mix together Oat Bran, Walnuts, and Baking Soda.
• Pour dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix/whisk well.

• Pour batter into a muffin tray coated/sprayed with oil. Note: Oat Bran Muffins don’t rise as much as regular muffins so you can fill the muffin tray all the way to the top.

• Bake for approximately 25 – 30 minutes at 350 F. Note: every oven is different, keep an eye on yours or just do the toothpick pick check.

ENJOY!

as anytime snack

or with your morning tea/coffee like I did :)

Important Tip: 

You may replace eggs with Flaxseed Powder. 

Take 2tbsp of flaxseed powder, mix it well with 6tbsp of warm water. Keep aside for about 5min and then use as we used eggs.

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have you tried the Pasta and Veg-Biryani yet?

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Vegetable Biryani!

I recently started sharing recipes I like on Designing Life. 

So did you try the Pasta I shared? 

Two days back I tried Vegetable Biryani (I love Chicken Biryani though), 

and this was no less than the Chicken Biryani! Super Hit! 

Try it yourself. I used the following recipe.

Ingredients:

For Rice:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Bay Leaf – 1

Cloves

Green Cardamom

Cinnamon Stick

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tsp

Mint Leaves – few

Clarified Butter/Ghee – 1 Tbsp

Saffron – 1/4 tsp soaked in 2 Tbsp water

Biryani Masala (as per taste)

For Vegetable Mixture:

Ginger/Garlic Paste – 2 Tbsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Potatoes – 2, peeled and cut into large pieces

Cauliflower – 1/2 medium, cut into big florets

Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup

Green Beans – 1 cup, cut into medium pieces

Carrots – 1/2 cup, cut

Green Chilies – 3 to 4 (or to taste), slit

Mint Leaves – handful

Dried Fenugreek Leaves – 2 Tbsp

Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – small bunch, chopped

Tomato – 1 large, cut into big pieces

Yogurt – 1 cup, beaten

Oil – 3 Tbsp

Cumin Seeds– 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 4

Black Cardamom – 1

Bay Leaf – 1

Onion – 1 large, sliced

For Garnishing: Fried Onions and chopped Cilantro.

Method:

Soak Saffron in 2 Tbsp of water and set aside.

For the rice: 

1. Bring enough water to boil and add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Whole Cloves, Green Cardamom, 1 tsp Oil, Salt, drained soaked rice and a few mint leaves.
2. Cook rice for exactly 5 minutes. Drain the water from the rice and add ghee and mix gently. Rice should be not fully cooked.

For Vegetable Mixture:

1. In a bowl, add Ginger/Garlic Paste, Coriander Powder, 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, and Salt – mix well.
2. Add Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, Green Chilies, Cilantro, chopped Mint Leaves, Dried Fenugreek Leaves – Mix well and allow to marinate.
3. In a non-stick pan, heat Oil on medium heat.
4. Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
5. Add Cinnamon Stick, Bay Leaf, Whole Cloves and Black Cardamom.
6. Add Sliced Onions and brown lightly.
7. Add 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1 Tbsp Biryani Masala, salt and mix well.
8. Add marinate vegetable mixture and additional salt, mix thoroughly, cover and cook until the veggies are 3/4 cooked.
9. Switch off stove and add Tomatoes and lightly beaten Yogurt and mix gently.
10. Coat bottom and sides of a baking dish with spray cooking oil or simple oil you use (to avoid sticking).
11. Layer bottom of baking dish with 1/3 of cooked rice.
12. Sprinkle 1 tsp of Biryani Masala on the rice.
13. Layer 1/2 of the vegetable mixture over the rice and sprinkle Fried Onions on top.
14. Layer another 1/3 cooked rice over the veggies and sprinkle 1 tsp Biryani  Masala.
15. Layer remaining vegetable mixture and sprinkle Fried Onions on top.
16. Layer remaining 1/3 cooked rice and sprinkle 1 tsp Biryani Masala.
17. Drizzle Saffron water over the rice, more Fried Onions and garnish with cilantro.
18. Cover and cook for 30 minutes in a preheated 400 degree Fahrenheit oven. (every oven is different, keep an eye)

Serve with Raita.

ENJOY!!

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Guilt-Free PASTA!

Good Morning my lovely friends!

Do you remember when did you start cooking?

I mean proper cooking not just Maggi!

Well I do, as I started just 3years back 

when I came to California after our Wedding.

Initially it was more of learning to cook. 

Always helped by my Moms (Mom+MIL) over Skype, 

My SIL & a sister here and of course Cooking Websites! 

Now since I know all basic cooking, I try to try at least one new dish every week. So I just thought of posting those recipes on Designing Life too, after all DL is all about design, home and lifestyle!

Starting with one of my all time favorite and quick to cook, PASTA!

Ingredients:

1. Penne Pasta – 16 oz (approx 500 g)
2. Olive Oil – 2 Tbsp
3. Garlic – 4 large cloves, roughly chopped
4. Italian Seasoning – 1 tsp
5. Onion – 1 large, sliced
6. Bell Pepper – 2, sliced (your choice of color, I love Red)
7. Tomato – 1 large, chopped
8. Salt – to taste
9. Lemon Juice – to taste
10. Fresh Basil/Tulsi – 5-6 leaves

Method:

1. Boil the Pasta with water and salt and cook them.
2. Once cooked, drain and keep aside.
3. In a wok style pan/normal non-stick pan, add in the Olive Oil and the Garlic and heat over medium flame.
4. Once warm, add in the Italian Seasoning by rubbing it between your palms.
5. Add in the Onions, mix and allow them to cook for a minute.
6. Add in the sliced Bell Peppers and mix well.
7. Increase the flame to high and cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Add Salt mix well.
9. Add in the chopped Tomatoes cook for another minute.
10. Add in the Pasta and start mixing again.
11. Also add in the Lemon Juice and cook till the Pasta is heated all the way through.
12. Last but not the least, garnish with torn up Basil Leaves.

You may also add: Artichokes, Sun dried Tomatoes and Shredded Parmesan Cheese and Red Chilly Flakes to taste.

Enjoy your Pasta!

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