Grilled-Cheese Zucchini

Great, easy to make and tasty 

Ingredients:

4 zucchini’s, cut 3 slices lengthwise per zucchini

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup grated cheese of your choice (I used Mexican style blend)

Salt to taste

Fresh parsley leaves to garnish

Preparation:

Marination: Mix butter, garlic powder, pepper powder, salt and lemon juice in a bowl and marinate zucchini slices.

Keep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Layer grated cheese on one side of each slice.

Grill.  

Grilling:

Preheat an outdoor grill to 350 degrees F.

Lightly oil the grilling tray.

Place zucchini slices covered with cheese facing upward over the grill for about 5-8 minutes

Grill until cheese is melted completely.

Serve hot with fresh parsley.

Avocado Mint Smoothie

Avocados are excellent source of monounsaturated fat, good source of fiber and vitamins. Avocado enables body to efficiently absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as alpha and beta carotene and lutein in other food eaten in conjunction. Besides taste and nutrition avocados are good for liver and can help improve lipid profile.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/17/avocado-benefits.aspx

Ingredients:

1/2 cup avocado

1/2 cup yogurt

4-6 ice cubes (optional)

2 tablespoons kefir (optional)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger chopped

10-12 fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon kale leaves or spinach

1 cup cold milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pure stevia/sweetener of choice, sugar, honey, or molasses

Preparation:

Combine all the above ingredients in a high speed blender.

Blend together to a completely smooth consistency.

Serve chilled.

Vegetable Wheat Noodles for kids

Simple and Easy Recipe that Kids Enjoy

Ingredients:

2 cups noodles

2 tablespoons oil or butter

2 tablespoons chopped spring onions

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped

1 medium size tomato, diced

1 cup mini sweet peppers (orange, red, yellow) diced

1 cup peas and diced carrots

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Salt to taste

Garnish with fresh basil or cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation:

Step 1:

1.      Take 4-5 cups of water in a deep pan and bring it to boil.

2.      Add noodles into the boiling water.

3.      Stir them nice otherwise they will form clumps.

4.      After 3-4 minutes turn the flame off.

5.      Leave noodles in hot water for another 2-3 minutes.

6.      Rinse noodles under cold water, strain the water.

7.      Keep noodles aside for seasoning.

8.      Follow step 2.

Step 2:

Heat butter or oil in a large frying pan.

Add spring onions and cumin seeds at the same time.

Stir for 2-3 minutes until spring onions are soft.

Add ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add sliced almonds and sesame seeds.

Saute all ingredients for 1 minute.

Add black pepper powder and salt. Mix well.

Add tomatoes, sweet peepers, peas, and carrots.

Continue stirring for 1- 2 minutes. Don’t overcook the vegetables.

Add noodles into the mixture and stir well gently.

Garnish with chopped basil or cilantro leaves

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:
4-5 medium finely chopped fully ripe-red tomatoes (1 cup ready-made tomato paste/puree can also be used)
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 whole red chillies broken
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
4-5 curry leaves roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
1 inch ginger grated
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon cilantro powder
1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon lime or lemon juice from fresh lime or lemon
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro leaves

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds and when mustard seeds crackles, add whole red chillies, asafoetida, and cumin seeds.
Add grated ginger and 1/4 cup water if necessary. Stir continuously for 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes, curry leaves, turmeric powder, cilantro powder, black pepper powder, and salt. Cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are well cooked and chutney leaves oil.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serve with steamed rice. You can also use this chutney as a spread on bread sandwich.

Lentil – Celery Soup

Celery adds great flavor to Lentils and serves as a great soup.

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils whole washed with water
1 cup fresh green celery, nicely chopped/diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 whole red chillies
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 leaks spring onions, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, chopped or sliced
2 fresh tomatoes diced
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon cilantro powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
Salt to taste
4-5 cups water
A few cilantro leaves, chopped (for garnishing)
 Preparation:
Wash lentils thoroughly in water.
Cook lentils by adding four-five cups of water, salt, black pepper powder, tomatoes, turmeric powder, and celery in a pressure cooker or in open flame. 2-3 whistles are good for lentils to cook nicely. Open the pressure cooker when cool and keep the lentils aside for seasoning. You can simmer the lentils on low heat so that they blend well.
(You can cook lentils in an open pan but will take long time to cook)
Seasoning
Heat oil/butter in a pan, add whole red chillies, and mustard seeds. Saute them till chillies are dark brown, and mustard seeds starts crackling.
Add cumin seeds, and sauté for few seconds.
Add onion leaks, and ginger. Saute till onion leaks are soft and translucent.
Add curry leaves, cilantro powder, cumin powder, and sauté for half a minute. Add cooked lentils with celery and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes on a medium heat.
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot.
Note: sometimes lentils absorb water and more water may be required into the lentils. 

Squash with Spices

                                                   (Cayote Squash-Pear Shaped)

4 cups of cayote squash diced/cut into cubes

3 tablespoons oil
4 whole dried broken red chillies
Pinch asafetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon cilantro powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchur)
Pinch of nutmeg powder
Salt to taste

Preparation:

·         Rinse squash with water and keep aside.
·         In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, cilantro powder, black pepper powder, mango powder, and nutmeg powder. Add 1/4 cup of water to mix these spices to make a paste.
Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame.
Once the oil is hot, add broken red whole chillies and let them turn dark brown.
Add asafetida and at the same time add mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Add cumin seeds. Stir for few seconds.
Add ginger and saute for few minutes.
Add the spice paste/mixture into the seasoning.
Stir fry for a minute until the oil begins to separate from the spices.
Add salt to taste. Mix well.
Add squash into the mixture. Stir well.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup of water if required or if squash becomes too dry. Cook for few minutes.
Turn off the flame and serve with roti/parantha or plain rice.

Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk

This is a prefect recipe for winter

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium size onion, sliced
2 inch ginger chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon cilantro powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (14oz/400 ml) coconut milk
2 cups squash, diced
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup green peas (frozen/fresh)
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt to taste
Few drops of fresh lime juice (1/3 lime)
Few twigs of green cilantro leaves, finely chopped to garnish

Preparation:
Heat oil or butter in a large deep pan on a medium flame.
Add cumin seeds. Stir for few seconds.
Add sliced onions. Saute until onions are soft and translucent.
Add chopped ginger and garlic paste. Saute well for 1-2 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, cilantro powder, black pepper powder, red chilli powder, and tomato paste.
Stir well until a uniform mixture is formed.
Add 1 cup of water.
Add florets of cauliflower and cover with the lid.
Cook for 1- 2 minutes.
Open the lid. Add squash, carrots, and celery. Mix well.
Cover the lid and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Open the lid. Add florets of broccoli, peas, and coconut milk. Stir well.
Add 11/2 cups of water. Mix well.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until stew is done or desired consistency/thickness is reached.
Squeeze fresh lime juice. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with steamed rice or garlic bread or bread of your choice (toasted/untoasted)
Enjoy:)