Banana Blueberry Whey Shake(Protein rich power breakfast)

Being a vegetarian, I am always for the look out for good protein sources especially for my kids. Because protein is an essential building block for the body and  growing children do need quality sources of protein in their every day meal. I plan my kids breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack in such a way that there is some protein source in each one of them. I rely on legumes, nuts, coconuts, fruits like avocado, raw unprocessed dairy for my protein sources.

Even with all this planning, morning breakfast is a real challenge. To have some thing filling, fast as well as nutritious on the go especially for the kids. I am sure lot of people who read this face the same problem as me. So I rely on protein supplements like whey protein and brown rice protein to have a power packed breakfast.  I would like to hear suggestions from you all on how you are fortifying your food with protein and what is your best suggested protein source/supplement (Of course a vegetarian source).

Preparation Time – 5 Minutes

Cooking Time – Nil

Serves – 1

Ingredients

Raw Milk – 1 Cup ( 8 oz)

Banana – 4 slices (3-4 small slices are enough otherwise you will have a thick smoothie instead of a shake)

Blueberries – Handful

Whey protein powder – 2 scoops

Xylitol – 1 Tsp or to taste

Method

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth and enjoy.

Note – Brown rice protein and hemp protein are vegan protein and brown rice protein tastes ok and hemp protein you have to get used to the taste. You can add few fruits, coconut milk, brown rice protein and xylitol and come up with a great smoothie. Hemp protein I find tastes better with green smoothies(non sweet) ones like spinach, yogurt, salt and lemon juice. Whey protein with raw milk and fruits tastes more like a milk shake than a protein drink and is the best tasting of all the three. But when you buy whey protein make sure the source is from grass fed organic milk, the protein is cold processed and is a whey protein concentrate and not an isolate.

Events
Sending this to Zesty Palette’s New You Series 3 hosted by Vardhini.

Sending this to Kids delight some thing sweet by Kavitha an event started by Srivalli.

Going to Fast food no Fat food hosted by Priya Sreeram an event started by Priya Mahadevan .

Read more »

Spiced Coconut & Almond Milk a Vegan Treat

Is fat bad? Not really, fat is an essential component your body needs. But the fat needs to be the right kind of fat which comes from nuts, coconut oil,  un processed raw dairy products, avocado etc. Coconut fat is one of those good fats and helps to loose weight when incorporated in the diet. Coconut contains Medium chain fatty acid(MCT). This MCTs promote thermogenesis, increasing your body’s metabolism, producing energy. Coconut has also been found to be helpful to thyroid function, as well as digestion. Coconut milk is a very good source of protein and helps to maintain a soft and smooth skin, in cold dry winter time.

If you are allergic to Dairy and are trying alternate store bought nuts milk, try this one out. Coconut, Almonds, spiced up with cardamom and cinnamon and sweetened with xylitol. This drink just tastes awesome. Do give this one a try and I am sure you are going to love it.



Preparation Time – 10 Minutes

Cooking Time – Nil

Serves – 2





Ingredients





Grated fresh coconut – 1 Cup packed

Almonds – 1/3 cup (Soak overnight or soak in hot water for a hour)

Cardamom – 1 pod

Cinnamon powder – 2 Tsp

Xylitol – 1 Tbsp or to taste (You can substitute this with maple syrup, honey or sugar. Sweetener of your choice)

Salt – pinch

Warm to Hot Water – 2 Cups



Method





1) Rinse the almonds and add it to the grated coconut and place it in a blender along with a cardamom pod.  Add 3/4 cup water and blend into a smooth mixture.



2) Now run this through a cheese cloth and collect the milk and squeeze out the ground coconut, almond mixture and place it once again in the food processor. Add 3/4 cup of water and blend once again.



3) Repeat step two and blend once again adding the remaining water and filter the milk.



4) To the filtered milk, add xylitol and salt mix thoroughly till it dissolves. Pour in two glasses and top them with a tsp of cinnamon powder and serve immediately.





Events

Sending this to Zesty Palette’s New You Series 3 hosted by Vardhini.

Sending this to Allergy friendly Fridays.

Sending this to Breakfast Club – Detox an event started by Helen of Fuss free flavors.

Read more »

Mango Lassi/Smoothie

Last few days/weeks were very busy for me with work, last minute visits to friends & families back home, last minute shopping, packing and then flying back to NJ after the stormy Irene. Coming back here and feeling like a stranger in a quiet house with no hustle and bustle and kids back to their school making me even more home sick. I am just now catching up with things in my house and the blog and my blogger buddies posts. Now getting on to this simple but super delicious recipe, do try out and let me know and I am sure who ever hasn't tried Mango lassi before is going to love it. But wait, if you watch your sugar and carbs, mango is not a fruit for  you.



Preparation Time - 5 to 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2 to 3





Ingredients



Mango - 2 Big to Medium or 3 Small as shown in the photo

Yogurt - 1 1/2 Cups

Butter Milk or Milk - 1/2 Cup

Xylitol - 1/4 Cup (You can use an sweetener of your choice like Honey, Sugar and increase this based on the sweetness level of the mango)

Rose water - 1 Tsp

Saffron few strands

Ice cubes - 1 cup (optional)



Method



1) Peel and cut the mangoes into small pieces, throwing out the seed after squeezing out the pulp.



2) Place the mango pieces, yogurt, butter milk, xylitol, rose water and saffron in a blender and blend till smooth.



3) Add the ice cubes and blend one more time and serve immediately.



Note - You can add ginger, cardamom for flavoring and also the lassi can be served with some chopped nuts on the top (like pistachio, almonds etc).

Read more »

Beat the heat - Strawberry Smoothie

With certain parts of the United States reeling under a severe heat wave, I thought will share with you couple of Beat the Heat Recipes which are simple to make and good for you.



Strawberries have very high levels of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits like bananas, apples and even oranges. These berries are good for your heart and acts as a shield for cancer protection. But strawberries are one of the most contaminated produce with pesticide. So grab a box of organic one even though it costs a few more bucks because studies show that the antioxidants are more in organic food than conventional ones. Even though strawberries are so good for you be wary of the fructose content and accordingly adjust your intake of fruits.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - None

Serves - 1





Ingredients



Plain yogurt - 3/4 Cup

Organic Strawberries - 6 to 8

Xylitol - 1 Tbsp or a pinch of Stevia

Ice cubes - 4 (optional)



Method



1) Place the yogurt, strawberries and xylitol in a blender and blend till smooth.



2) Add the ice cubes and blend one more time and serve immediately.

Read more »

Mango Milk Shake

Who doesn't love mangoes? The king of fruits. It is summer time and this fruit is in lot of abundance. But for some reason I find the mangoes from Mexico don't equal the taste of Indian mangoes. They smell great and look great but lack little bit of taste. I love mangoes by the look of it and tend to buy them, but most of it instead of getting consumed as a whole fruit because of the taste factor goes in making milk shakes, lassi (yogurt and mango drink), ice cream   jelly, cakes etc. Also I take the mango pulp out and puree them and freeze them in small bottles to be used during the rest of the season. So let us get on to the first mango recipe for this season, mango milk shake. Very easy to make and tastes great.



Preparation Time - Nil

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2 



Ingredients



Mango Pulp - 1/2 Cup

Cold Milk - 1 Cup

Cold Water - 1/2 Cup

Xylitol - 2 Tsp or per taste and taste of the mango pulp used

Ice cubes - few optional



Method



1) In a blender place the mango pulp, cold milk, cold water, xylitol and blend till well combined and smooth.



2) Pour into tall glasses and add few ice cubes if desired and enjoy.



Note - If you are diabetic this milk shake is not for you.

Read more »

Pineapple Milk Shake

Looking for quick, delicious and filling milk shake. Try this one out.  Pineapples are rich in Vitamin C & A and a very good source of dietary fiber. Raw milk is a good source of Calcium and protein. Just put them in a good quality blender, blend and drink. Do not filter and discard the fiber. Fiber in these fruits are very important to the body and these fibers make you feel full for a longer time. You can also add chia gel to these milk shakes to fortify them with Omega 3 and 6 and also to give you sense of fullness. (Soak 1 Tbsp of Chia seed 3 Tbsp of Water and let this sit for few minutes). Now add this gel to the milkshake and enjoy.



Pineapple is a high GI fruit, so avoid this milk shake if you are diabetic.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Pineapple pieces - 1 Cup

Milk - 1 1/2 Cups (Chilled)

Ice - few pieces optional

Cinnamon - 1/2 Tsp or Vanilla extract (optional)

Xylitol - 2 Tsp to taste (optional and depending on the sweetness of the pineapple)



Method



1) Place the pineapple pieces, milk, xylitol(if using) and cinnamon powder in a blender and

blend till smooth. ( I used vita mix, so it was perfect milk shake with no necessity to filter and discard    the fiber).



2) Add few pieces of ice and serve immediately.

Read more »

Tomato & Mint Thirst Quencher

 Summer is synonymous to sweating and sweating  is good in a way as  it does helps the body to get rid of its toxins. But at the same time it results in the body losing precious water as sweat mainly contains water and other vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, copper, calcium and so on, which are needed by the body for its normal functioning.



Choose vegetables & fruits with high water content and replenish your body with the loss of fluid. Tomatoes are one such excellent choice when it comes to foods with high water content. Enriched naturally with Vitamin A & C, this not only quenches your thirst but also energizes your body. Tomatoes are low in fructose and this juice will be perfect for people with people with diabetes.



Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Tomatoes - 2 (medium sized)

Mint extract - 1/2 Tsp

Lemon Juice -  1 Tsp or to taste

Salt - 1/4 Tsp or to taste

Xylitol - 1 Tbsp or to taste

Crushed Black pepper - 1/4 Tsp

Ice cubes - 4 to 5 (Optional)

Water - 3/4 Cup



Method



Place the tomatoes, mint extract, salt, xylitol, water in a blender and blend till smooth.



Add the ice cubes and blend once again.



Add the lemon juice and crushed black pepper and combine. Pour in tall glasses and serve immediately.

Read more »

How to make Coconut Milk

Have you heard of the term BPA - bisphenol? BPA is a an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins. Epoxy resins can be used to coat the inside of metal products, such as food cans, baby formula cans etc. This chemical is really dangerous and the cumulative effect of being exposed to even minuscule amounts of BPA from cans, bottles, plates and all other sources over the years can eventually spell serious trouble for your child. Now do you understand what I am coming to? Yes instead of grabbing a can of Coconut milk next time try making it at home. So simple and easy to make, 100%  all natural without any "EPOXY RESINS". You can add Coconut milk to vegetable dishes, milk shakes instead of milk, ice creams. Will soon post ice creams using Coconut Milk.

Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Grated/Shredded Fresh Unsweetened Coconut - 1 Cup (Packed)

Water - 2 1/2 Cups

Method

1) Soak Coconut in 2 cups of water for at least an hour. Now pour this in your blender and blend on high speed for 1-2 Minutes

2) Pour the content through a strainer and collect the coconut milk in a container below. 

Squeeze out the collected pulp and once again place it in your blender and add the reserved half a cup water and blend once again. Repeat the same step as above and squeeze out the pulp thoroughly and use it in garnishing your vegetable curries.

Note - You can also warm the coconut milk slightly and add Xylitol to sweeten it and 1/2 tsp of freshly crushed black pepper and enjoy during winter months.

Read more »

Red Bell Pepper Juice

 Drinking at least one glass of low sodium vegetable juice daily may help overweight dieters lose more

weight. But when talking about vegetable juices most people think of carrot, beets or tomato. There are lot of other vegetables that can be juiced too. But when making juice using carrots and beets you have to understand these two vegetables are high in carbohydrate and sugar. So if you are diabetic or overweight avoid these too and go for low carb vegetable juices like Bell Pepper, Cucumber, White Pumpkin, Spinach, Tomatoes etc. Now coming back to this recipe, red bell pepper is loaded with vitamins like A & C and eating it raw and juicing it makes the body to absorb the nutrients even more easily. To spice up I have added whole black peppers. Try it out and let me know, how you like it.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Organic Red Bell Pepper - 1 Whole

Black Pepper - 1/2 Tsp or to your taste

Salt - 1/4 Tsp or to taste

Lemon Juice - 1 Tsp or to taste

Water - 2 Cups (Chilled)



Preparation



1) Wash, cut and remove the seeds and cube the bell pepper into pieces.



2) Place the bell pepper pieces, black pepper, water, salt in the vita mix(or any high quality) blender and blend till smooth.



3) Add lemon juice and serve immediately.

Read more »