Saturday, April 4, 2009

Celery Tomato Carrot Soup



Nutritional Info - Lycopene, the carotenoid responsible for tomato's bright red and orange colors is associated with lower risk of both macular degeneration and several types of cancer. If it's lycopene you are after,the cooked tomatoes contain two to eight times more than raw. Now let us go ahead with the recipe and have a nutritious and delicious soup.




Cooking Time : 20-30 min
Preparation Time : 10-15 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Celery - 4 Sticks (finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 big (chopped)
Carrot - 2 big (finely chopped)
Scallion - 4 stalks (finely chopped)
Mint - few
Onion powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil/Ghee/Butter - 2 tsp
Water

Method of Preparation

1) Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the chopped celery and carrot and leave it for a few minutes till they are 1/2 cooked.
2) Now add the tomato pieces and cover the vessel and stir in between. Leave it for a few minutes till all the vegetables are cooked.
3) Switch of the stove and let the vegetables cool down.
4) Once the vegetables are cooled completely, transfer them to a blender and blend thoroughly till they become a puree.
5) Heat the rest of the oil and sauté the scallion and mint and transfer the pureed contents to the pan and add water to the desired consistency.
6) Add the onion powder, garlic and salt and stir and leave and switch of once the soup starts bubbling.
7) Now add pepper powder and the soup is ready to serve.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Chick Pea fruit and vegetable salad



Nutritional Info - Chickpeas are a good source of protein, iron and folate. This folate is shown to help improve insulin resistance and reduce risk of heart disease.







Cooking Time - Nil
Preparation Time - 15-20 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Cooked, rinsed, drained chick pea - 1 cup
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Cubed pineapple - 1/3 cup
Cubed mandarin orange pieces - 1/3 cup
Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
Chopped Cabbage - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp to taste
Chat masala - 1/4 tsp or to taste

Garnishing

Cilantro (optional)

Method of Preparation

1) Combine chick pea, pineapple, orange, onion and bell pepper.
2) Add salt and chat masala to the above.3) Toss all of the above and garnish with chopped cilantro

Quinoa Bean Salad



Nutritional Info - Quinoa seeds contain twice the protein of rice and a very good source of dietary fiber.









Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Preparation Time : 15 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Water - 1 Cup
Grape Tomato - handful
Scallion - 3 stalks
Roasted Peanuts - handful
Cooked beans - 3 handfuls ( i used black bean, white bean and garbanzo each one handful)
Bell Pepper - 1
Pineapple - 4 slices
Salt - 1 tsp

Dressing

Oil - 1 tbs
Pepper - 1 tsp
Mustard powder - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Onion Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garnishing

Cilantro

Method of Preparation

1) Soak Quinoa at least for an hour and rinse thoroughly.
2) Add water and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook quinoa it is completely done.
3) Cool the quinoa completely.
4) Half the grape tomatoes, chop green onion, bell pepper and pineapple and add it to the cooked quinoa.
5) Add roasted peanut and cooked beans to the above.
6) Whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients, add and toss the salad.
7) Garnish with cilantro and server

Peanut Salad




Nutritional Info - Peanuts are an excellent source of protein, low in satured fat yet high in mono and polyunsaturated fats.
Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Preparation Time : 10 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients
Peanut - 1 cup
Scallion - 3 stalks
Onion (small) - 1
Tomato (Medium) - 1
Salt
Pepper
Method of Preparation

1) Soak peanut overnight.
2) Pressure cook with salt till 3 whistles and keep it in low flame for 3-5 mins.
3) Rinse the cooked peanut and drain the water completely.
4) Chop the onion and soak in few spoons of apple cider vinegar for 10-15 mins.
5) Chop tomatoes, scallion, squeeze out the onion from vinegar and add all to the drained peanut. You can add any vegetables of your choice.
6) Add salt and pepper and toss the salad.

Avocado Roman Bean Salad





Nutritional Info - Avocado has good for you fat. They contain more fiber and protein than most fruits.




Cooking Time : 20 mins

Preparation Time : 10-15 mins

Serves - 4



Ingredients

Roman Bean (soaked overnight and cooked) - 1 cup
Tomato (medium) - 1
Scallion - 3 stalks
Avocado (small) - 1

Dressing

Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Lemon - 1/2 or to taste
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Pepper - 1 tsp or to taste
Mustard powder - 1 tsp

Garnishing

Cilantro

Method of Preparation

1) Soak roman bean or any bean of your choice overnight, pressure cook it with salt. Once cooked, rinse the bean with
cold water and let the water drain completely.
2) Now cut the tomato and scallion into small pieces.
3) Cut the avocado into cubes; do not cut them into small pieces other wise this will become like a guacamole
4) Now mix the entire above, whisk the salad dressing and add it to the salad and gently toss the salad.
5) Garnish with chopped cilantro

Monday, February 23, 2009

Banana Beet Milk Shake







Preparation Time – 5 Minutes
Cooking Time – 15 Minutes
Serves – 2


Ingredients


Beet - 1 Small sized
Banana - 1 Big
Raw milk - 12 oz(1 1/2 cups)
Raw Honey - 1 Tbsp  or to taste
Vanilla Extract - 2 drops
Ice cubes - few optional


 Method


1) Pressure cook the beet for 3 whistles and keep it aside.
2) Once the beet is cooled, peel it and chop it into small pieces.
3) In a blender add the beet pieces and little bit of milk and make a fine puree out of the beets.
4) To this beet puree, add banana slices and blend well.
5) To this add the milk, raw honey, vanilla extract, ice cubes and blend together and serve.




Saturday, November 1, 2003

What is Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance is also known as Celiac disease (or Coeliac disease). Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin (a gluten protein found in wheat). It can affect all types of people. However, it seems to be more prevalent among people of Northern European descent.

A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent.  Even if oats are not included, it is important to know the source of these from a facility that is gluten free, as most oats are contaminated during processing. Look for oats which are certified gluten free if you are following a gluten free diet.

Quinoa ,ChickpeasSeveral grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The most frequently used are corn, potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupin, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), sweet potato, taro, teff, chia seed, and yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable. Gram flour, derived from chickpeas, is also gluten-free (this is not the same as Graham flour made from wheat).

Gluten is also used in foods in some unexpected ways, for example as a stabilizing agent or thickener in products like ice-cream and ketchup.
People wishing to follow a completely gluten free diet must also take into consideration the ingredients of any over-the-counter or prescription medications and vitamins. Also, cosmetics such as lipstick, lip balms, and lip gloss may contain gluten and need to be investigated before use.

Wheat being a staple in lot of countries and is used in lot of products it is very difficult to avoid it. But in lot of countries wheat and barley are not the staple and you can still have very interesting and delicious food without gluten. It is a small effort on our part to list down our recipes which are gluten free.
Also check out our "Whole Grain Gallery on the left side bar for gluten free grains and recipes ".

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