Sprouts Salad

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of Moong Daal (Green) Sprouts

2. Salt to Taste

3. 1 Lemon

4. 1 cup of chopped cabbage or lettuce

5. ½ Cucumber Chopped finely

6. ½ Onion Chopped thinly

7. 1 Ripe Tomatoes thinly chopped

8. 1 tsp of Cilantro / Dhaniya chopped finely

9. 4-5 olives finely chopped

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and squeeze lemon.

2. Add Salt and Pepper to taste

3. Serve this Nutritious salad to everyone and stay healthy

-Chitra

Sautéed Chinese Style

Ingredients

1. 5 Asparagus chopped in 2 inch cubes

2. ½ cup of corn

3. ½ cup of chopped carrots

4. ½ cup of chopped mushrooms

5. 2 tsp. of Oil

6. 1 tsp of sesame oil

7. 2 tsp of soy sauce

8. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

9. ½ teaspoon of fresh minced ginger and garlic

10. Vinegar and Sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a non stick wok (khadiy) or deep dish pan add oil

2. Add cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste.

3. When the mixture little pink add vegetables in the wok.

4. Fry them little brown and then add soy sauce and sesame oil and stir with tongs.

5. Plate them and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and one tsp of vinegar.

- Chitra

Semi Homemade non fried Spring Rolls

Ingredients

1. ½ bell pepper and ½ onion chopped finely

2. 1 carrot grated or chopped thinly

3. 1 tsp. soy sauce

4. 1 ½ teaspoon red hot sauce

5. 1 tsp. of oil

6. 1/ cup of cabbage chopped thinly

7. 1 tsp. of lemon

8. 1 store bought packed Spring Rolls sheet

9. 1 tsp of sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a non stick pan add oil and let the pan get really hot.

2. Now add all the vegetable, onions, carrot and bell pepper and cabbage.

3. Stir with tongs in between till they turn golden in color.

4. Now add soy sauce and hot sauce.

5. Turn down the flame off and add lemon and let it cool.

6. When the mixture has cooled down completely take one tsp of mixture add to the spring roll sheet.

7. Now turn the spring roll sheet in desired shape and close down the corners by brushing with water.

8. Heat the oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes.

9. Add the spring rolls on non stick and spray oil on them (if you don’t have non stick baking sheet, put some foil paper with one teaspoon oil to grease the surface)

10. Bake one side till they turn golden brown on one side and turn to other side and spray oil on other side with sprinkle of sesame seeds on the top.

Serve with tomato sauce and enjoy spring rolls with guilt free.

- Chitra

Caramelized Pop Corn

Ingredients
For Caramel
1. You need 2 ½ cups of white sugar
2. 1 cup of cream (can use low fat)
For Pop Corn
1. 2 cup any kind pop corn seeds
2. 1 tsp. of unsalted butter

Directions
1. In a non stick pan on a medium heat add sugar and let it brown. Don’t turn around your eyes from pan otherwise it will burn.
2. Now slowly add cream and stir until it turns smooth thick brown paste.
3. In a deep dish heavy surface non stick pan or you can also do in pressure cooker or kadiye.
4. Add one tsp. of unsalted butter or oil and now add 1 cup of pop corn.
5. Put the lid on pan or pressure cooker ( do not lock the cooker, just the lid). When the pop corn starts popping keep on shaking the pan in intervals.
6. When they stop popping that means they are done remove from heat and keep the lid on for two minutes so that they don’t jump out of pan.
7. Spread them on baking sheet.
8. Now drizzle caramel with the spoon and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.
Serve and watch a movie with your family.
-Chitra

Chicken Calzone

Ingredients
1. 1 cup of chicken cubed in bite size pieces
2. ½ cup of chopped black and green olives mixed together
3. ½ cup of tomato pizza sauce
4. ½ cup of chopped vertical onions
5. ½ cup of chopped bell peppers
6. ½ cup of chopped mushroom
7. ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
8. ¼ cup of feta cheese
9. ¼ cup of sun dried tomatoes
10. 1 tbsp of thyme chopped
11. Store bought pizza dough
12. 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese
13. Olive oil
14. 1 tsp of corn meal to dust the pizza tray

Directions
1. Heat the non stick pan and put 1 tbsp of olive oil.
2. When it is really hot add cubed chicken and cook it for 5 minutes.
3. Take out the chicken and in same pan add bell peppers, mushroom and olives. Sauted them for 3 minutes.
4. Let the mixture and chicken cool down for 10 minutes.
5. Till then preheat the pizza stone or any baking tray upside down to 475 degrees F.
6. Roll the pizza dough in circle by dusting the surface with dry flour.
7. Now come the filling part making sure there is some space between sauce and edge of the dough. Spread the tomato sauce on the flatten pizza dough.
8. Spread mozzarella cheese on top of it and then add bell pepper, chicken, mushroom, olives.
9. Now in last add sun dried tomatoes, and feta cheese.
10. Sprinkle the thyme or oregano on the top.
11. Brush the edges of the dough with a little water. Now take the edges carefully fold it over the fillings. Press the edges firmly to seal and then using a fork, facing backwards, press along the edges with the fork tines, leaving an impression of parallel lines.
12. Remove the baking tray from the oven, be careful use oven gloves.
13. Sprinkle some corn meal on top of it, it will prevent the pizza from sticking and carefully transfer the calzone onto the tray or stone.
14. Bake it for 12-15 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
15. Remove from oven, brush gently olive oil to moisten and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and serve hot.





- Chitra

Chu Chu Baingan

Ingredients

· 8-10 small eggplants/ baingan /brinjal
· 2tsp. of Amchoor powder
· 1 tsp. of Salt
· 1 tsp. of turmeric powder
· 1 tsp. of red chili powder
· ½ tsp. of cumin powder
· 2 Medium Onions chopped vertically

· Oil

Directions

· Make a small cut vertically in the eggplants/ brinjal / baingan so that you can fill with spices.
· Mix all the spices in a bowl and fill in eggplants with butter knife, just leave 1 teaspoon of spices for onions.
· Keep eggplants aside for at least one hour.

· Now in non stick skillet put 2tsp. of oil and add onions.
· After the Onions have turned golden brown sprinkle blend of same spices over it and take them out.
· In the same skillet add eggplants one by one. Don’t overcrowd the skillet, cook them in two batches. Turn them upside down to have golden brown color on both sides.

You can also cook them in oven in a non stick sheet. Preheat at 425 and broil them for 10-20 minutes at 450.
· Now take a tray and place all the onions on that and then put your eggplants over the bed of onions or mix them altogether and serve in individual bowls.

· Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot.

-Chitra

Soup and Chips

Stop buying preserved soups from stores, you never know what is in that soup and chips. But one thing is sure, they are good for your health and neither your childrens or not. Instead of that buy these ingredients and make homemade soup and chips which is full of protein and nutrition and budget & figure friendly too.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of Mix Vegetables chopped ( Corn, Carrots, Peas, Spinach, Beans)

2. 1 celery stick chopped thinly

3. 1 small can of tomato puree and 1 cup of diced tomatoes

4. ½ chopped Onions

5. ½ tsp of Ginger

6. 1 teaspoon of Garlic

7. 1 cup of Pasta

8. 3 cups of Vegetable Stock or Water

9. Salt and pepper to taste

10. 1 tsp of Olive Oil / Canola Oil

11. 10 Wonton Wrappers

12. Lemon

13. ½ teaspoon red chili powder

Isn't this amazing, you will love it... keep going. Cook it on sunday for your busy week ahead and home made lunch is ready and guess what you don't have to go out for To Go sandwiches or oily fast foods...

Directions

1. Boil 2 cups of water for pasta.

2. In a non stick pan add Onions, Ginger and Garlic.

3. When Onions turn little pink brown add Mix Vegetables and Celery.

4. When they turn little brown add Tomatoes and Tomatoes Puree.

5. When the tomatoes start leaving little oil in pan add Salt and Pepper

6. After that add Vegetable Stock and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.

7. Now take out the pasta from boiling water and add to the soup.

8. Cut Wrappers in triangles and bake them in oven at 300 degrees.

9. When they are turned golden brown take them out of oven and add little lemon and sprinkle salt and red chili powder.

10. Serve the Soup with Chips, garnish with coriander / Cilantro / dhaniya leaves

-Chitra

Badaami Moong Daal Halwa

Ingredients

1. 1 ½ cup of Yellow Moong soaked overnight (split yellow lentils)

2. 1 cup of Sugar

3. 1 cup of soaked overnight Almonds

4. 1 stick or 1 cup of Unsalted Butter / Desi Ghee ( Clarified Butter)

5. ½ tsp. of Cardamom powder

6. ½ cup of sliced Cashew Nuts and Raisins ( Kaju /Kishmish)

7. ¾ cup of Water

Directions

1. Grind soaked Almonds into paste.

2. Grind soaked Moong Daal into paste.

3. Heat sugar and water to boiling level and add cardamom powder.

4. Stir the mixture till it turns little thick and add half almonds paste to the sugar mixture / chashni.

5. Now heat Butter / Ghee in a non stick deep dish pan on a medium heat.

6. Add slowly all Moong Paste into the pan and stir it continuously till you can start smelling from other room or till it starts leaving oil in sides.

7. When Moong turns little orangish brown add half almonds paste to it and stir it.

8. Now add cashew nuts and raisins.

9. After 2-5 minutes when the mixture turns fully cooked add sugar mixture to the moong daal paste.

10. Stir it continuously till it turns thick and all water is evaporated.

11. Serve hot or cold with grated almonds garnished.

Note :- Mung bean, also known as green bean, mung, moong, mash bean, munggo or monggo, green gram, golden gram, and green soy, is the seed of Vigna radiata which is native to India and Pakistan.

-Chitra

Shahi Palak Paneer

Ingredients

1. 2 frozen Spinach/palak packs

2. 2 cups of sliced Paneer

3. 1 tsp. of Cumin / Zeera

4. Salt to Taste

5. 1 tsp. of Ginger & Garlic paste

6. Red Chili powder to taste

7. 1 onion chopped finely in chopper

8. Oil

Directions

1. Take out the Spinach at least 30 minutes before and boil it will with 1 cup water.

2. Cool down the Spinach and then mix in Blender till it is smooth paste.

3. Heat Oil in a non stick pan and add cumin.

4. When Cumin seeds splutter add Ginger, Garlic and Onions

5. Now Add Salt and Red Chili powder

6. Cool down the mixture and mix it in blender for 1-2 pulse, so that it is mixed well..

7. Now add 1 teaspoon oil in that non stick pan again and add the mixture back again.

8. When the Spinach is cooked add Paneer cubes and serve.

9. Serve hot with Maki ki Rotti, Roti, or White boiled Rice.

-Chitra

Chocolate Almond Biscotti (Italian)

Biscotti is Italian for "biscuits". In North America, the word has been taken to refer to a specific type of biscuits.

It is very popular in coffee shops, often eaten as a snack.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of chopped Almonds and Cashew nuts.

2. 1 ½ cup of All purpose flour/Maida

3. 2 cups of Chocolate melted

4. ¼ cup of melted Unsalted Butter

5. 1 cup of Sugar

6. 1 tsp. of Vanilla essence

7. ½ tsp of Baking Soda

8. 2 Eggs without yolk beaten

9. 2 tsp of flour

Directions

1. Mix Flour, Baking Soda and Sugar in one bowl with fork.

2. Melt Chocolate in microwave or melt it on stove top. Boil 3 cup of boiling water and keep another bowl on top of it with chocolate cubes to melt.

3. Till Chocolate is melting start melting butter.

4. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla in butter now. Mix Vanilla essence in Butter slowly and keep stirring until whole mixture is smooth.

5. Beat the Egg white and slowly add sugar till it turns little foamy.

6. Preheat the Oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.

7. Mix all wet ingredients in dry ingredients slowly one by one and stir it continuously.

8. Now add Cashew nuts and Almonds.

9. After they are mixed the ingredients will be turn it dough, if it sticky add little dry flour.

10. Now form the dough into two vertical loaves and keep on adding on Cookie sheet or parchment paper or greased foil paper.

11. Bake it until it is golden brown for 20 - 30 minutes.

12. After it is baked take out and let it cool down for 5 minutes.

13. Now cut the loaves into diagonal pieces and bake for another 5 minutes.

14. Cool down and serve with Milk, Coffee or Chocolate milk. You will forget the store bought Biscotti.

-Chitra