Food for 7 Stages of Life: Healthy Snacks

Showing posts with label Healthy Snacks. Show all posts

Friday, February 26, 2010

Blackberry, Strawberry & Carrot Salad with a hint of crushed Almonds and Peanuts

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Friday, February 26, 2010

When I think about writing a post, lots of ideas pop up in my mind. But when I sit in front of my Mac it gets really hard to put them together. Even this time I have 3 different topics that I could share with you. But then I have a 'Writing Syndrome' which makes the whole thing very very complicated. I sometimes feel J when I read some of the blogs. They have never ending list of words that they play around with and put their thoughts and emotions easily into their writing. I seriously wish that God blesses me with this 'ABILITY' to write seamlessly. So should I wait until God blesses me or should I take some initiative. Having known the Inner me, I would opt for the first one ;-) but then my god damn IT mind pushes me to take some initiative(s)... sobs....with all the learning I hope someday I can write a book on 'HOW TO WRITE?' The same thing happens to me when I start thinking about what I should cook, though I have lots of complicated recipes I often opt for the easy ones like this salad. It is a simple and highly nutritious salad filled with lots of Antioxidants from the berries. Also I have used a hint of Agave to sweeten the salad. You can use Honey if you don't have Agave at home.

Agave (source:wholeandnatural.com)

Agave is natural sweetener used as a substitute for Sugar and Honey. This nectar is extracted from a Cactus plant predominantly grown in Mexico. The sap of this plant is taken and heated in low temperatures to get the sweetness in the syrup. Basically some chemical reactions occurs which makes the carbs to break into fructose.

- Thou the promoters of this product say that it is good for Diabetic patients, researchers say that it is rich in fructose which is big No No for this patients.

- Agave has low Glycemic index and we use them in small quantities. Hence our calorie intake is less compared to those sugar filled dishes.

- Agave is Organic and Kosher certified also it is allergen and gluten free which makes it very famous among the Raw food eaters.

Culinary Use:

- 1/3 cup of Agave syrup = 1 cup Sugar. So substitute in your recipe accordingly.

- Reduce the quantity of liquid in original recipe as agave has some moisture content in it.

- Reduce the oven temperature by 25 F if your recipe requires baking.

- Agave is a bliss to Vegans as they can replace honey with this syrup.

How it tasted?

It can be prepared in jiffy and served as a side salad with a regular meal or just as a evening snack. I had it before my dinner meal. It was hearty and very light to my tummy. I loved the concoction of Agave and almonds with the fruits. Carrot and Nuts gave some crunchiness while the berries just melted in my mouth. TH doesn't eat berries much, but he loved this salad and said he liked the sweet thingy(Agave) in it. He definitely wants me to make this again for him :) I knew almonds and peanuts will make him go nuts about it :) but didn't know he will fall in love for Agave.

Serves 2 as a side salad - Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients
   Strawberry - 8 sliced
   Blackberry - 12
   Carrot - 3 tbsp sliced
   Almonds - 4 (Yields 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp when crushed)
   Peanuts - 4 (Yields 1 tbsp when crushed)
   Organic Blue Agave (Natural Sweetener) - 2 - 3 tsp as per your taste bud (Alternate Ingredient: Honey)

Method
    1. Cut strawberries in to thin slices. Start from one end and cut it vertically. It will look like a heart symbol on some perfectly shaped strawberries.
    2. Decorate it on a plate or place the fruits and sliced carrots in a large salad bowl.
    3. Crush the almonds and peanuts separately using a pestle n mortar or if you don't have one use your blender and run it for couple of seconds until they become small chunks. Do not powder it. Sprinkle the crushed almonds and peanuts. Add 1 or 2 tsp of Agave and Serve it immediately.

Have you recently posted any recipes which you could pack them up for lunch, then why wait, pack them up for my Tiffin Box event in FF7SL series. Deadline is 5th March 2010. Looking forward for your contribution.

Events

- This colorful salad is being sent to PJ for her No Cook Event...
- This is my family's favorite salad, hence it found its way to Shama's Family's Favorite Food event.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Sweet Potato Methi Cutlet (Baked)

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Saturday, January 16, 2010

OMG... this cutlet tastes so divine. I was little skeptical when I picked up the sweet potatoes from the grocery store. But I knew what I had to do with this. I thought of blending the orangish and sweetish sweet potato and the bitterish and greenish methi leaves(fenugreek leaves/vendhaya keerai) with some flavorful Indian spices and bake it in the oven to make luscious cutlets. Sounds mouth watering isn't it?

How it tasted?

If you want to know how it tasted, the cutlets you see in the pic are the last 3 pieces that I saved it from my hubby to click pictures during daylight. They tasted super delicious and we literally licked the plate :) I would say it was a concoction of different taste: hotness from green chili, sweetness from sweet potatoes, bitterness from fenugreek leaves, tanginess from Amchur Powder, sweet and pungent taste from fennel seeds. It also smelt like parupu vadas due to the presence of fennel seeds. You can avoid using fennel seeds if you don't like to chew it in your cutlet. But I loved the flavor of baked fennel seeds. Trust me it had an awesome flavor. Also I guess baking and presence of sweet potatoes helped to reduce the bitterness of Methi leaves. The bitterness was only a background taste.
Events
This goes all the way to Siri's blog for the JFI-Fennel Seeds event. JFI is the brainchild event of Indira of Mahanandi and it stand for Jhiva for Ingredients. This cutlets are apt for this event as I have developed Jhiva for Fennel Seeds and Sweet Potatoes.

Ingredients Trivia

Recently I read a wonderful article on Fenugreek in DK's Chef in you blog. Check out her space to learn the basics, benefits and how to use the various forms of fenugreek in your everyday cooking.

For the uses and benefits of Sweet potatoes, check out this link.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato - 2
Methi/Fenugreek Leaves/Vendhaya Keerai - 3/4 cup
Onion - 1/4 (medium) finely chopped or Shallots - 6-7 chopped
Green Chili - 2 finely chopped
Amchur Powder/Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chat Powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - handful
Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup (add more if needed)
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil/Cooking Spray
Method
Boil Sweet Potatoes
In a pressure cooker, add salt and water to cover 1/3 the length of sweet potato and cook it for 3 whistles. 2 whistles should be good if you don't want it to be very tender. Once the steam releases open the lid, drain the water and allow it to cool. Then peel the skin off.
Baking

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Take a large baking try(I have used cookie try) and drizzle some oil or cooking spray. Spread it all over.

In a large bowl, add sweet potatoes and mash it with your hands or a potato masher.

Add finely chopped onions/shallots, methi leaves, green chili, salt and mix.

Add rest of the ingredients except bread crumbs and oil. Mix it well.

Divide it in equal parts and make small lemon size balls.

Take 1 ball at a time in your hand and spread it into a circle with your thumb. If you find this difficult, take a small plastic bag or ziploc, place the ball on it and slowly spread it in to a small circle without breaking it (3-3.5 cm). Then coat both the sides with bread crumbs and also along the circumference of the cutlet and place it on the tray.

Again spread it little bit and even the sides with your finger or a knife. I have used my beautiful fingers ;-).

Don't make it too thin or too thick, around 1 cm thickness should be good.

Sprinkle 1 or 2 tbsp of the remaining bread crumbs over it and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the tray and slowly flip the cutlets and bake it for another 5 minutes. Then broil it for 2 minutes and turn off the oven. Let it stay for a while.

Serve it with ketchup or with a dip of your choice.

[OPTIONAL] If you would like some smoky flavor and steak like presentation, place the baked cutlet on the chappati maker/grill and toast it for a minute or two. Ensure that you don't burn the cutlet.

I liked the smoky effect on the cutlet, it was absolutely delicious.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Moong Dhal Pakoda (Guest Writer: R. Parvadha Vardhini) : KIDS SPECIAL

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What happens when you are affected by Production issue syndrome(at work) ? Answer: A delayed post, no time for cooking, frustrated mind and so on. I was down with this syndrome since last Tuesday. Some strange bug had invaded our production server which eventually bit me. I had no clue from where it came and how it infiltrated. I tried to treat it with various smart solutions but it was not ready to quit. Somehow I quarantined and fixed the bug. Later I found that the Mother bug was actually residing in one of the distant relative of our production server which had sent her kiddos to infect us and our neighboring server. This bug not only screwed up the Christmas holiday weekend, but also shattered my terrific plans. It was so infectious that it affected my retail therapy, blog posts, baking plans and lot more.
Do you come across such bugs at work or home, which screws up all your plans? Share it with me.

Ok, take a break. Let me introduce my guest writer Mrs. Parvadha Vardhini. She has contributed delicious and healthy Moong Dhal Pakoda for the Kids Special event. Thank you Vardhini for allowing me to post your entry in my blogspace.
(Below post is written by Mrs.R.Parvadha Vardhini. She has also sent step by step pictures for this event)

It was a rainy day evening, I thought of something hot and crispy. Children need protein as major supplement for their growth in all aspects, I preferred this chilka moong dal recipe, which was easy to make, tasty and my children always wish to have this after they come from school.
Also this chilka moong dal is light and it never gives GIT discomfort (Gastro Intestinal Tract).

INGREDIENTS:
Chilka moong dal - 1 & ½ cups.
Onion                 - 1 large, finely chopped.
Mint leaves         - few, finely chopped.
Coriander leaves - 1 bunch, finely chopped.
Ginger                - 1 small piece, chopped.
Red chillies         - 4 to 5
Fennel seeds       - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves       - few
Salt                   - according to taste
Oil                    - for deep fry
PREPARATION:
Soak chilka moong dal for 2 hours. Drain and grind to a coarse paste along with salt and red chillies. Don’t add water; squeeze out water and grind. Mix all other ingredients to this paste.

Heat oil in a kadai, take small ball of batter by hand and release the batter little by little randomly, take care that the oil does not splash on the hands. (I use to cook in simmer mode for all pakodas).
Cook pakodas by turning it with the spatula till it gets a brownish colour. Take care not to overcook it.
Now, the hot and crispy moong dal pakodas are ready to serve. It goes with tomato ketch up.

GENERAL TIPS:
If salt proportion goes high in any of the dishes, make small balls of wheat flour and put these balls into the salty dish.
After 5 to 10 minutes, remove these balls, the dish tastes normal. This is applicable only for gravy dishes. So, take care not to make dry recipes salty.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Corn & Peas Sandwich(using Wheat bread)

Posted by RV @ Food for 7 Stages on Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Years ago, on a stormy evening I visited a small restaurant in Chennai (near the Ayyapan temple in Annanagar). That was the first and last time I visited that restaurant. But even today, I remember the taste of the sandwich they served. It was a perfect blend of veggies, mint chutney and some spices on a grilled soft bread (sandwich bread). I wish the restaurant is open and still they serve those yummy sandwiches. Coming back to the present moment, I recently prepared corn and peas sandwich, again on a rainy evening :-) Being health conscious I used wheat bread, corn, peas and mild spices to prepare this delectable dish. We were damn hungry and couldn't wait to click good pictures. Since it was so light to our tummy, I decided to send this to WYF:Light Meal event hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food.
Ingredients from my pantry
(for 3 sandwich)
Onion - 1/2 (Small, finely chopped)
Frozen Peas - 8 tbsp
Frozen Corn - 8 tbsp
Salt to taste
Amchur Powder - 1/4 tsp
Chat Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp (mild spice) - 1/2 (medium spicy)
Cilantro leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
Wheat bread - 5 slice
Water
Oil - 1 tsp
Cooking Instructions
In a sauce pan, add corn, peas, salt and water (around 3/4 - 1 cup) and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes or until the veggies are cooked. I have used frozen corn/peas and it normally doesn't take much time to cook. Drain water.(If you are using dried green peas, then you must soak overnight, pressure cook for couple of whistles . I would recommend fresh ones over dried peas.)

Meanwhile, add 1 tsp of oil in a small pan. When it is hot add finely chopped onions and saute until it is golden brown. This will take 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.

Add corn, peas and saute for 2-3 minutes.
It is ok if the veggies are little moist. It will help the spices to blend well. Now add pepper powder, amchur powder, chat powder and mix it well. Add little more salt if necessary Keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the pan.
Turn off the gas and let it cool for a while. Turn the spatula upside down and mash the peas and corn. You can also use potato masher if you have one. This will help the masala to stick to the bread.
Add finely chopped cilantro leaves and mix it.

Divide the masala in to equal parts. Take 2 slices of bread. Add the masala on one bread, spread it and close it with the other slice. Repeat the same for other slices.
Place them carefully on a sandwich maker and cook until the light goes off (Please refer to the cooking instructions of your sandwich maker). Medium toasted sandwich will take 3-4 minutes approximately.
(Using Sandwich maker)

Alternatively, you can toast the bread on a tawa, stuff it with the masala as in the previous step and serve.
(Conventional Tawa toasting)

F.A.Q:
What value addition can I make to this recipe?
Spread some ghee or butter on the bread as soon as you remove from the tawa/sandwich maker. I personally love to toast my bread with ghee.
Add finely chopped green chili for extra spice while sauteing onions.
Use white bread instead of a wheat bread it definitely adds to the taste.
How do I make it interesting for Kids?
Trim off the bread crusts (the sides of the bread) before putting them on a tawa or sandwich maker. Kids might love to eat without the crusts.
Add some grated cheese or cheese slice while preparing the stuffing.
Some serving suggestions?
Serve it with tomato ketchup or mint chutney. I am sure it will make it a lip smacking palette.
Events
This recipe made a secret wish to me that it would love to participate in the 'Cooking for kids-wheat' event hosted by Sireesha of Kidzdelight and Sharmi of Neivedyam.I hope they like this recipe.