Sunday, December 26, 2010

dieter's recipie

PINEAPPLE & MOONG SPROUT SALAD
Serves 4
SALAD
Moong sprouts 1 ½ cup
Fresh pineapple chopped into ½ “pieces
Lettuce leaves 6-8 dipped in ice cold water mixed with ¼ cup vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar for 15 minutes
Onion thinly sliced 1
Tomato cut into 8 pieces 1
DRESSING
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Orange juice fresh or pkt ¼ cup
Vinegar or lemon juice 1 tbsp
Ground pepper ½ tsp
Mustard powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp
Boil 2 cups of water with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and ½ cup vinegar. Add sprouts to boiling water. After boil returns, keep it boiling for 1 minute. Drain. Refresh in cold water. Strain to drain out all the water.
Mix pineapple and onion in a bowl. Add sprouts.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bottle and shake well or blend in a mixer.
Pour over the salad and chill
At the serving time, pat dry lettuce leaves. Tear a few leaves into pieces and mix with the salad
Line a salad bowl with crisp whole lettuce leaves. Place the prepared salad in the bowl and serve.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Start your day with a refreshing..........

APPLE CHEESE TOAST
Serves 4
apples 2
butter 1 tbsp
lemon juice 2 tbsp
honey 1 tbsp
cheese cubes grated 3-4
peppercorns crushed 1/2 tsp
brown bread toasted 8 slices
Cut the apples into half without peeeling and then again into half. Remove seeds.
Cut each piece into thin slices.
Melt butter in a non stick pan and add the apple slices, lemon juice and honey.
Cook on low flame for about 1-2 minutes, till aplles get coated with butter. sprinkle pepper and mix. remove from heat and keep aside.
Toast the bread slices lightly and butter them.
Arrange some apple slices on the toast, to cover the toast almost completely. you may overlap the apple pieces.
Grate about 1/2 cube of cheese on the apples. Sprinkle a pinch of freshly crushed peppercorns.
Heat oven to 210 c and put the toasts on the wire rack of the oven to grill the toasts for about 5 minutes. Serve.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Exciting Raitas...

EMERALD RAITA
Serves 4
Hung curd 2 cups
Milk ½ cup
Black salt, garam masala, chilli pd. ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Green & black grapes 10 each cut into small pieces
Grated carrot 2 tbsp
GREEN PASTE
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Green chillies 2
Sugar ½ tsp
Grind ingredients of green paste with water.
Beat hung curd till smooth
Add green paste, salt & bk. Salt. Mix.
Add enough milk to get raita like consistency.
Half the grapes. Add garam masala, red chilli pd., grated carrot and grapes to the curd.
Chill.
Serve garnished with some grated carrot.

CRUNCHY RAITA
Serves 4
Thick curd 2 cups
Black salt, cumin seeds, mustard seeds ¼ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Dry red chillies 2
Few curry leaves
Roasted salted peanuts crushed roughly 1 tbsp
Beat curd with bk. Salt and salt till smooth. Heat oil add cumin and mustard deeds. When seeds turn golden. Add red chillies and curry leaves. Remove from fire and add a pinch of red chilli powder. Pour over curd and mix well. Refrigerate.
For the topping, sprinkle peanuts for the crunch. Serve cold.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Delicious salad, a hearty meal by itself

FULL MEAL PASTA SALAD
Serves 6-8

Pasta (shell or elbow) macaroni – 1 ½ cup boiled to get 2 cups
Apple unpeeled, cored, cubed & sprinkle with lime juice - 1
Green grapes halved 6-8
Black grapes halved 6-8
Cottage cheese (paneer) cut into ¼” cubes 75gm
Almonds blanched & halved 10
Celery sticks chopped 2
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
DRESSING
Cream 4 tbsp
Hung curd whipped till smooth ½ cup
Cold milk ¼ cup
Mustard powder ½ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Oregano 1 tsp
Boil 8 cups water with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil. Add macaroni to boiling water. When it is almost done, remove from fire. Leave macaroni in hot water for only 4-5 minutes to get soft. Drain. Refresh in cold water. Cover and keep aside.
To prepare dressing, beat the curd with milk, mustard powder, salt, pepper and oregano till smooth.
Add the cream to the curd mixture. Mix well. Keep the dressing covered in the refrigerator.
Place the boiled pasta in a bowl. Add apples, grapes, almonds, cottage cheese and celery. Add lemon juice. Mix well and refrigerate.
At the serving time, add the dressing to the pasta mixture and mix gently.
Transfer to a salad platter and garnish with lettuce or cabbage leaves.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A nutritious, yet delicious, soup

CREAM OF ALMOND
Serves 4
Almonds (blanched) – chopped 20
Cauliflower break into tiny florets 1 ½ cup
Oil 1 tbsp
Water 3 cups
Milk 1 ½ cup
Garlic chopped 1 tsp
Ginger chopped 1 tsp
Salt & pepper to taste
GARNISHING
Coriander leaves chopped
In a pressure cooker heat oil & sauté cauliflower and garlic for 3-4 minutes on low flame.
Add 3 cups of water & give 3-4 whistles. Remove from fire.
In a liquidiser, put blanched (skin removed), chopped almonds with ½ cup milk and blend them well to a smooth thin paste.
Remove the almond milk from grinder and add 1 cup cup of milk. Keep aside.
When the cooker cools down, put the cauliflower, garlic along with the water in the mixer and churn till it turns in to smooth puree.
Mix cauliflower puree & almond milk together. Boil.
Add ginger, salt & pepper. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

for MY brother on his b'day.......with luv

CHEDDAR OMELET
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
Pre heat the oven.
Beat egg whites only until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, mayonnaise and water. Gently fold yolk mixture into whites.
In an oven-proof skillet, melt butter and pour in egg mixture.
Cook over low heat without stirring for 10 minutes or until egg mixture has become lightly browned on bottom but still remains moist on top.
Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 1 to 2 minutes more, or until cheese melts.
Remove from oven. Loosen edges from side of pan and make a shallow cut through the center so that omelet will fold more easily.
Fold omelet in half and serve.

PEPPER AND ONION FRITTATA (OMELET)
1 lg. onions (chopped)
2 lg. peppers (chopped- any red, green yellow)
2 eggs
1/4 cup processed cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onions and peppers and cook until brown and tender. Beat together in a large bowl, eggs, cheese and salt. Stir in sauted onions and peppers. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until firm.

REAL SPANISH OMELET
1 small potato, sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs
One pinch of baking powder
Salt to taste
Olive oil
Fry the onions and the potatoes in the olive oil until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool.
Add the eggs, baking powder and salt and mix everything well in a bowl.
Fry the mix in a medium pan with just a drop of olive oil so it doesn't stick until the eggs looked cooked but before the omelet looks too browned.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

party starters

NACHO CHIPS
Makes 40-45 chips

Maize flour 1 ½ cup
Flour 1 cup
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Mix the flours, oil, cumin seeds & salt.
Knead into soft dough with water.
Make small marble sized balls. Roll out into thin chapattis.
Prick the chapatti well with a fork.
Cut into 4 pieces so as to get 4 triangular chips.
Deep fry on medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour.
Serve with cheese dip or salsa.

GARLIC TOAST
Serves 4-5
Bread 3 slices
Salted butter 4-5 tsp
Minced garlic paste 1 tsp
Black pepper ¼ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Mix butter, pepper & garlic paste.
Apply thinly on the bread slices.
Bake in hot oven at 200c for 15-20 minutes.
Cut into 4-5 sticks.
Serve hot with soups.

SESAME POTATO TRIANGLES
Serves 6-8
Bread 5 slices
Boiled mashed potatoes 1 cup
Flour ½ cup
Grated cheese 1 ½ cubes
A pinch of baking powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Mix potatoes, flour, grated cheese, baking powder, salt & pepper.
Cut each bread slice into 4 triangles. Cover each piece with the above mixture. Sprinkle seasame seeds generously.
Press lightly with the fingers.
Heat oil & fry till potatoes turn brown & sesame seeds show nicely.
Serve hot with any soup.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dips

CHEESE DIP
Hung curd 1 cup
Fresh cream 100gm
Onion chopped v. Fine 1
Capsicum deseeded & chopped 1
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Beat the curd till smooth.
Mix cream gently.
Add all other ingredients & mix lightly. Chill.
Serve with starters.

POODINA (MINT) DIP
Hung curd 1 cup
Fresh cream 100gm
Ground poodina (mint) leaves 2 tbsp
Few drops of green colour
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Beat the curd with an electric beater till smooth.
Mix cream gently.
Add all other ingredients & mix lightly. Chill.
Serve with starters.

GARLIC DIP
Hung curd 1cup
Fresh cream 100gm
Ground garlic 2 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste.
Beat the curd till smooth.
Mix cream gently.
Add all other ingredients & mix lightly. Chill.
Serve with starters.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

nutritious & yummy snacks

CRUNCHY ROLLS
18-20 pieces
Cracked wheat (Dalia) 1 cup
Cottage cheese (paneer) 150 gm
Salt 1 tsp
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Green chillies chopped 2
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Indian mixed spices (garam masala) ½ tsp
Dry mango powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped 2-3 tbsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Oil for frying
Soak Dalia in water for 1 hour. Strain. Squeeze out excess water by pressing well.
Mix crumbled paneer and all other ingredients to the Dalia. Mix well.
Form into balls or 1” long rolls & deep fry 1 or 2 pieces at a time in hot oil till golden brown.
Serve hot with soups.

PEANUT – CORN CUTLETS
12-14 cutlets
Raw corn (fresh or frozen) ¾ cup
Roasted peanuts ¾ cup
Boiled & mashed potatoes ½ cup
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Soya sauce 2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves 1 tbsp
Corn flour 4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Baking powder ½ tsp
Juice of 1 lemon
Put all ingredients in the mixer except potatoes, corn flour & baking powder.
Grind to a fine paste.
Mix potatoes, corn flour & baking powder to the above paste.
Shape into cutlets & deep fry.