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Showing posts with label Fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fruit. Show all posts

My grandaunt's recipe for Mango Moar Kuzhambu : Tamil style Ripe Mango Kadhi

Last week I was in Chennai, I had the good fortune to eat at my grandaunt's place. She is my father's Maami, around 75 years of age and she is one of the best cooks in our family and even a simple weekday meal at her place will pretty much end up being a feast because of the number of dishes on the table.

I remember when as a newly married girl, I went for lunch at her place with my husband, he nearly fell asleep on the table after that grand lunch. Last week, the menu at her place was Maambazham (ripe mango) moar kuzhambu, beans usili, yellow pumpkin olan, pumpkin peel thogayal, keerai masiyal along with rice. Among all the dishes, the mango moar kozhambu was a surprise for me and such a delight for the taste buds. Big chunks of ripe Banganapalli mango steeped in buttermilk mixed with freshly ground spices, mixed with rice was a new kind of high for me. I immediately asked her how she made it and Maami was generous enough to share the recipe with me. Of course she didn't give me exact quantities because they don't measure out ingredients using spoons in our homes. I assumed it would be a handful of this and a bit of that and it turned out beautifully for today's lunch. See that big mango slice intact on my lunch plate below? That's how it should turn out in the end - cooked but intact :-)


Lunch is served

A couple of weeks ago, I made another kadhi using ripe mangoes. That one was Fajeto, a Gujarati style kadhi where ripe mango is ground to a puree and added to buttermilk thickened with chick pea flour. But this recipe keeps the whole mango slice intact and it absorbs the flavours of the curry so beautifully that I'd happily cast my vote for the Moar Kuzhambu over the Fajeto. You must try this recipe while the mangoes are in season. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so you could make in advance and keep refrigerated for week night dinners as well. 








Mango Moar Kuzhambu (Ripe mango - yogurt curry)
Serves 4
Takes less than 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 dried red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp dry tur dal
1/4 cup coconut scrapings
3 large Banganapalli mangoes roughly 500 grams each
2 cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 cups sour yogurt whisked with 1 cup water

For tempering
2 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / vendhayam)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 dried red chillies broken into halves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Soak the 4 red chillies, cumin seeds, tur dal in some warm water for 30 mins-1 hour and grind to a fine paste along with the coconut, using up to half cup of water or so.

In a wide pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Cut each mango into two halves, very close to the stone. No need to peel the fruit. Place all 6 mango chunks in the boiling water gently, adding the ground masala to this along with the salt. Bring to a simmer and let this cook for roughly 10 minutes, until mango flesh is soft and cooked but not falling apart.
Add the thinned yogurt to this. Stir gently and bring to a simmer on medium to low flame. Remove from flame and keep aside.

For tempering, heat the coconut oil in a tempering ladle or small kadai. Add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer this over the moar kozhambu. Serve hot with rice.


Notes:
I'm sure you can do this with any ripe mango, but banganapalli being a variety with generous flesh suits this dish well. Also, it holds it shape well and does not turn into mush on simmering in the curry.


What people who tried this have to say!
Other varieties of Moar Kuzhambu / Mor Kozhambu
The regular one
Morkeerai - a variety with spinach in it

My grandaunt's recipe for Mango Moar Kuzhambu : Tamil style Ripe Mango Kadhi

Posted by admin

Last week I was in Chennai, I had the good fortune to eat at my grandaunt's place. She is my father's Maami, around 75 years of age and she is one of the best cooks in our family and even a simple weekday meal at her place will pretty much end up being a feast because of the number of dishes on the table.

I remember when as a newly married girl, I went for lunch at her place with my husband, he nearly fell asleep on the table after that grand lunch. Last week, the menu at her place was Maambazham (ripe mango) moar kuzhambu, beans usili, yellow pumpkin olan, pumpkin peel thogayal, keerai masiyal along with rice. Among all the dishes, the mango moar kozhambu was a surprise for me and such a delight for the taste buds. Big chunks of ripe Banganapalli mango steeped in buttermilk mixed with freshly ground spices, mixed with rice was a new kind of high for me. I immediately asked her how she made it and Maami was generous enough to share the recipe with me. Of course she didn't give me exact quantities because they don't measure out ingredients using spoons in our homes. I assumed it would be a handful of this and a bit of that and it turned out beautifully for today's lunch. See that big mango slice intact on my lunch plate below? That's how it should turn out in the end - cooked but intact :-)


Lunch is served

A couple of weeks ago, I made another kadhi using ripe mangoes. That one was Fajeto, a Gujarati style kadhi where ripe mango is ground to a puree and added to buttermilk thickened with chick pea flour. But this recipe keeps the whole mango slice intact and it absorbs the flavours of the curry so beautifully that I'd happily cast my vote for the Moar Kuzhambu over the Fajeto. You must try this recipe while the mangoes are in season. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days, so you could make in advance and keep refrigerated for week night dinners as well. 








Mango Moar Kuzhambu (Ripe mango - yogurt curry)
Serves 4
Takes less than 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 dried red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp dry tur dal
1/4 cup coconut scrapings
3 large Banganapalli mangoes roughly 500 grams each
2 cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 cups sour yogurt whisked with 1 cup water

For tempering
2 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / vendhayam)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 dried red chillies broken into halves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 

Soak the 4 red chillies, cumin seeds, tur dal in some warm water for 30 mins-1 hour and grind to a fine paste along with the coconut, using up to half cup of water or so.

In a wide pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Cut each mango into two halves, very close to the stone. No need to peel the fruit. Place all 6 mango chunks in the boiling water gently, adding the ground masala to this along with the salt. Bring to a simmer and let this cook for roughly 10 minutes, until mango flesh is soft and cooked but not falling apart.
Add the thinned yogurt to this. Stir gently and bring to a simmer on medium to low flame. Remove from flame and keep aside.

For tempering, heat the coconut oil in a tempering ladle or small kadai. Add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chillies, mustard seeds. Once mustard seeds start spluttering, transfer this over the moar kozhambu. Serve hot with rice.


Notes:
I'm sure you can do this with any ripe mango, but banganapalli being a variety with generous flesh suits this dish well. Also, it holds it shape well and does not turn into mush on simmering in the curry.


What people who tried this have to say!
Other varieties of Moar Kuzhambu / Mor Kozhambu
The regular one
Morkeerai - a variety with spinach in it

Over Night Tart Cherry and Pear Crisp Breakfast





I am not a morning person. Everyone who knows me knows that it's best not to ask me anything serious, important or annoying in any way shape or form before I've had a cup of coffee. You would think that I would be used to being up and at em' at the crack of dawn since I've been doing it pretty much my entire life. I have to be up around 5 a.m. for work with my head screwed on tightly by 6:30 and ready to focus in surgery. Also, after having 4 kids, my first one at age 19 I've known many a early mornings in my day.






Not happening. I've tried, honestly. I've gotten up early to go hiking which I l.o.v.e. I've committed to boxing classes that started at 5:00 a.m. and actually felt totally amazing and pumped for the day afterwards but dragging my zombie butt out of bed was shear torture. 


So making a decent breakfast for myself and the kiddos while trying to get ready for the day is out of the question. I have however committed to not buying any more  boxed cereal  whatsoever so I've been forced to come up with some other healthy and most importantly simple options.




Over night breakfast to the rescue!






You simply throw all the ingredients, which are minimal into your slow cooker and walk away. 
I love non-committal recipes like that.







Unless your lucky enough to have a slow cooker with an automatic shut of button (most newer ones do) than you might have to make this during the day and reheat in the morning. Unless you stay up late like me and start it around 10p.m. and are up super early like me  *sigh  to shut it off than it may burn a bit.  I'm actually o.k. with that, tastes like a cookie!

So I have an automatic shut off option on my slow cooker but I have made thrown this together before making dinner, around 4p.m. on the 6 hour option instead of the 10 hours and turned it off before going to bed making sure not to lift the lid for a peak and a sniff. It was just as good the next morning.

Just a few options for ya.





You will need: 
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups almond milk or milk of your choice
2 pears of the firmer variety
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon real vanilla (optional)
2 tablespoons local Organic honey
1/2 teaspoon salt


Throw all ingredients into your slow cooker. Turn on the lowest setting if making before you go to bed or follow instructions above for other options. Wake up in the morning to the smell of cinnamon, honey pear crisp and enjoy a fuss free morning.




Now that's the way to start your day!


What do you usually have for breakfast?








Over Night Tart Cherry and Pear Crisp Breakfast

Posted by admin





I am not a morning person. Everyone who knows me knows that it's best not to ask me anything serious, important or annoying in any way shape or form before I've had a cup of coffee. You would think that I would be used to being up and at em' at the crack of dawn since I've been doing it pretty much my entire life. I have to be up around 5 a.m. for work with my head screwed on tightly by 6:30 and ready to focus in surgery. Also, after having 4 kids, my first one at age 19 I've known many a early mornings in my day.






Not happening. I've tried, honestly. I've gotten up early to go hiking which I l.o.v.e. I've committed to boxing classes that started at 5:00 a.m. and actually felt totally amazing and pumped for the day afterwards but dragging my zombie butt out of bed was shear torture. 


So making a decent breakfast for myself and the kiddos while trying to get ready for the day is out of the question. I have however committed to not buying any more  boxed cereal  whatsoever so I've been forced to come up with some other healthy and most importantly simple options.




Over night breakfast to the rescue!






You simply throw all the ingredients, which are minimal into your slow cooker and walk away. 
I love non-committal recipes like that.







Unless your lucky enough to have a slow cooker with an automatic shut of button (most newer ones do) than you might have to make this during the day and reheat in the morning. Unless you stay up late like me and start it around 10p.m. and are up super early like me  *sigh  to shut it off than it may burn a bit.  I'm actually o.k. with that, tastes like a cookie!

So I have an automatic shut off option on my slow cooker but I have made thrown this together before making dinner, around 4p.m. on the 6 hour option instead of the 10 hours and turned it off before going to bed making sure not to lift the lid for a peak and a sniff. It was just as good the next morning.

Just a few options for ya.





You will need: 
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups almond milk or milk of your choice
2 pears of the firmer variety
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon real vanilla (optional)
2 tablespoons local Organic honey
1/2 teaspoon salt


Throw all ingredients into your slow cooker. Turn on the lowest setting if making before you go to bed or follow instructions above for other options. Wake up in the morning to the smell of cinnamon, honey pear crisp and enjoy a fuss free morning.




Now that's the way to start your day!


What do you usually have for breakfast?








Watermelon Feta Salad : Super easy and super gorgeous


Tell me this picture doesn't want to make you grab a fork and have a go at it? And let me tell you this is a picture from my iPhone 3GS (yes, I'm slowly working towards the fund for an iPhone4S). I know this is not the perfect salad for winter, but with a bunch of other spicy, hot foods on the table, it goes beautifully. Handful of ingredients, no cooking involved, can easily make a BIG batch - it doesn't get easier than that.

This is my version and there are many variations to this. Some recipes use black or green olives, sliced onions, crushed dried herbs - somehow I don't like the taste of onions paired with watermelon and I like to keep this as minimalistic as possible.

The salty feta plus sweet watermelon plus sour balsamic is a drop-dead gorgeous combination that few people can resist. 

Recipe Watermelon Feta Salad
Printable version of recipe here

Serves 5
Takes under 15 minutes

Ingredients
Half a large watermelon, cubed (roughly 5 cups)
Handful of seedless grapes (optional)
200-250 grams feta cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey (optional)
handful of freshly plucked and washed (and dried) mint leaves
1 cucumber, halve lengthwise, remove seeds and cut into half moons

Directions

  1. Take a large platter, scatter the watermelon chunks and grapes.
  2. Spoon small chunks of feta and scatter them evenly across platter.
  3. Do the same with the mint leaves and cucumber.
  4. Drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey* around the entire platter.
  5. This is one salad that SHOULD NOT be tossed or the feta will become a paste and the salad will look all messed up. Let this sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and then serve as it is.


*If the watermelon is sweet, you don't need to use honey.
Also, it's not necessary to completely deseed the watermelon, which is a time consuming and next to impossible task. 


Top 4 tips for a great Watermelon-Feta salad:

  1. Fresh crisp watermelon
  2. Reasonably good feta and be generous with it
  3. Fresh mint leaves - this makes ALL the difference
  4. DO NOT TOSS

Watermelon Feta Salad : Super easy and super gorgeous

Posted by admin


Tell me this picture doesn't want to make you grab a fork and have a go at it? And let me tell you this is a picture from my iPhone 3GS (yes, I'm slowly working towards the fund for an iPhone4S). I know this is not the perfect salad for winter, but with a bunch of other spicy, hot foods on the table, it goes beautifully. Handful of ingredients, no cooking involved, can easily make a BIG batch - it doesn't get easier than that.

This is my version and there are many variations to this. Some recipes use black or green olives, sliced onions, crushed dried herbs - somehow I don't like the taste of onions paired with watermelon and I like to keep this as minimalistic as possible.

The salty feta plus sweet watermelon plus sour balsamic is a drop-dead gorgeous combination that few people can resist. 

Recipe Watermelon Feta Salad
Printable version of recipe here

Serves 5
Takes under 15 minutes

Ingredients
Half a large watermelon, cubed (roughly 5 cups)
Handful of seedless grapes (optional)
200-250 grams feta cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey (optional)
handful of freshly plucked and washed (and dried) mint leaves
1 cucumber, halve lengthwise, remove seeds and cut into half moons

Directions

  1. Take a large platter, scatter the watermelon chunks and grapes.
  2. Spoon small chunks of feta and scatter them evenly across platter.
  3. Do the same with the mint leaves and cucumber.
  4. Drizzle olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey* around the entire platter.
  5. This is one salad that SHOULD NOT be tossed or the feta will become a paste and the salad will look all messed up. Let this sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and then serve as it is.


*If the watermelon is sweet, you don't need to use honey.
Also, it's not necessary to completely deseed the watermelon, which is a time consuming and next to impossible task. 


Top 4 tips for a great Watermelon-Feta salad:

  1. Fresh crisp watermelon
  2. Reasonably good feta and be generous with it
  3. Fresh mint leaves - this makes ALL the difference
  4. DO NOT TOSS

When life gives you sour mangoes - Make Mango Dal

The summer is coming to an end and not one mango post on the blog, or so I was thinking. And then life presented me a sour mango this morning...

You cut open a luscious looking mango anticipating sweet and juicy fruit, which is already making your mouth water. Sometimes, the mango lives up to your expectations (and taste buds) and sometimes it makes your screw your eyes shut because it is so sour, giving your taste buds a rude shock. Instead of fretting over sour mangoes, how about putting them to good use. This Mango Dal recipe is one of them. The sweet-sourness from the ripe mango, heat from chillies go beautifully with any cooked dal. Here, I've used masoor dal. You could well use chana dal, tur dal or a mix of all the three dals.

Mango Dal, Bhindi curry served with paratha - Lunch 


I think mango, ginger and coconut make a fantastic flavour combination. If you don't have coconut on hand or you are not especially fond of coconut, by all means leave it out.
This dal, made as per the recipe below is thick and creamy, with a great depth of flavour and yet so easy to make. Even a beginner in the kitchen can churn this out in no time. Also, masoor dal cooks even on stove top in no time, in case you are one of those grad students stuck in the US without a pressure cooker :)

I've used Banganapalli variety of mango here, but you could use any mango that is ripe but too sour to eat as it is. If you use a small Mango like Alphonso, you'll need 3-4 sour mangoes, as they don't come with much flesh, not unlike the popular size zero movie stars of Bollywood.

Does your family have a special recipe for Mango Dal, which is made when mangoes are in season? Come over and participate in this discussion on the Facebook page of Saffrontrail - https://www.facebook.com/SaffronTrail/posts/411255952252710




Recipe for Mango Dal
Serves 3-4
Time taken : Under 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup masoor dal
1 large mango (ripe but sour)
3 tbsp fresh scraped or frozen coconut (unsweetened)
1-2 green chillies (depending on how spicy they are)
1 tbsp ghee / oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Fat pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 stick cinnamon (1")
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp salt

Directions
Wash the dal and pressure cook with 1.5 cups of water (2 whistles, 5 min on sim).
Peel and cube the mango roughly, scraping off any flesh around the seed (stone). This should make a generous cup to nearly a cup and a half in quantity to get full flavour of mango in the dal.
Place the cubed and scraped mango flesh, coconut, green chillis in the small mixer jar and grind to a paste.
In a pan / kadai, heat the ghee.
Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds - letting the seeds splutter.
Add grated ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves, turmeric powder. Saute for 30 seconds and then pour in the mango-coconut-chilli puree.
On a medium flame, stir this for 1-2 minutes.
Add pressure cooked dal, salt and up to 1/2 cup water to get the desired consistency of dal.

Serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

The taste of this mango dal lingers on...over my tastebuds, as I say this, DO try this out. I guarantee you'll love it.



When life gives you sour mangoes - Make Mango Dal

Posted by admin

The summer is coming to an end and not one mango post on the blog, or so I was thinking. And then life presented me a sour mango this morning...

You cut open a luscious looking mango anticipating sweet and juicy fruit, which is already making your mouth water. Sometimes, the mango lives up to your expectations (and taste buds) and sometimes it makes your screw your eyes shut because it is so sour, giving your taste buds a rude shock. Instead of fretting over sour mangoes, how about putting them to good use. This Mango Dal recipe is one of them. The sweet-sourness from the ripe mango, heat from chillies go beautifully with any cooked dal. Here, I've used masoor dal. You could well use chana dal, tur dal or a mix of all the three dals.

Mango Dal, Bhindi curry served with paratha - Lunch 


I think mango, ginger and coconut make a fantastic flavour combination. If you don't have coconut on hand or you are not especially fond of coconut, by all means leave it out.
This dal, made as per the recipe below is thick and creamy, with a great depth of flavour and yet so easy to make. Even a beginner in the kitchen can churn this out in no time. Also, masoor dal cooks even on stove top in no time, in case you are one of those grad students stuck in the US without a pressure cooker :)

I've used Banganapalli variety of mango here, but you could use any mango that is ripe but too sour to eat as it is. If you use a small Mango like Alphonso, you'll need 3-4 sour mangoes, as they don't come with much flesh, not unlike the popular size zero movie stars of Bollywood.

Does your family have a special recipe for Mango Dal, which is made when mangoes are in season? Come over and participate in this discussion on the Facebook page of Saffrontrail - https://www.facebook.com/SaffronTrail/posts/411255952252710




Recipe for Mango Dal
Serves 3-4
Time taken : Under 20 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup masoor dal
1 large mango (ripe but sour)
3 tbsp fresh scraped or frozen coconut (unsweetened)
1-2 green chillies (depending on how spicy they are)
1 tbsp ghee / oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Fat pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 stick cinnamon (1")
1 sprig curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp salt

Directions
Wash the dal and pressure cook with 1.5 cups of water (2 whistles, 5 min on sim).
Peel and cube the mango roughly, scraping off any flesh around the seed (stone). This should make a generous cup to nearly a cup and a half in quantity to get full flavour of mango in the dal.
Place the cubed and scraped mango flesh, coconut, green chillis in the small mixer jar and grind to a paste.
In a pan / kadai, heat the ghee.
Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds - letting the seeds splutter.
Add grated ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves, turmeric powder. Saute for 30 seconds and then pour in the mango-coconut-chilli puree.
On a medium flame, stir this for 1-2 minutes.
Add pressure cooked dal, salt and up to 1/2 cup water to get the desired consistency of dal.

Serve hot with steamed rice or rotis.

The taste of this mango dal lingers on...over my tastebuds, as I say this, DO try this out. I guarantee you'll love it.



On growing strawberries and recipe for Eggless Strawberry Yogurt Cake

My three year old son and me have a morning routine nowadays. After his drink of milk, we go to the garden and check if there's any red peeking out of the strawberry patch. If we didn't do this, the squirrels and ants, who have been blessed with a better foraging sense than us human beings, will get to the juicy berries before we do. We don't get too much, but a small handful a day, to add to cereal or to make a couple of muffins, or to eat as it is. The latter doesn't happen often as I am not very tolerant to acidic fruits and I'm yet to taste lusciously sweet strawberries grown in India. Here, strawberry needs sugar as a partner to make it more palatable. 


But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesn't work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I don't need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (I'm talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...


Just plucked strawberries basking in the morning sun




A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
 "Am willing to overlook 11pm deadlines,bad infrastructure,forever 90s music loop- all 4 those few precious hrs in the garden! Tk U #Bangalore"
It is so true. I'll continue to grow strawberries next year too. I'm told they bear better fruit in the 2nd and 3rd year. Only, I'll be growing them in hanging baskets, so I dont have to compete with the ants to pluck the fruit!


I've been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldn't use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didn't find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiri's, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.


The recipe I'm sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.

Pin It






This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. I'm not asking you to believe that it's dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)


The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.






Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake




Ingredients

¾ cup yogurt
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup rice bran oil (or any cooking oil)
¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)

1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt

Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven at 180 C
  2. Grease an 8” round cake tin. If using silicon pan, no need to grease.
  3. In one bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, milk, sugar and jam.
  4. In another big bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well. Add the whisked wet ingredients. Fold until they come together. Over enthusiastic beating / whisking is better avoided.
  5. Towards the end, fold in chopped berries and tutti-fruity.
  6. Scrape the batter into the greased tin / silicon mould and bake at 180 C for around 45-55 minutes, checking with a tester if it comes out clean.
  7. After 10 minutes, unmould and cool on a wire rack.
  8. Cut into wedges, dust with icing sugar and serve with tea.

The same recipe will work with raspberries or blueberries to make a blueberry yogurt cake or a raspberry yogurt cake.

See what people have to say about this cake! (via Twitter)





On growing strawberries and recipe for Eggless Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Posted by admin

My three year old son and me have a morning routine nowadays. After his drink of milk, we go to the garden and check if there's any red peeking out of the strawberry patch. If we didn't do this, the squirrels and ants, who have been blessed with a better foraging sense than us human beings, will get to the juicy berries before we do. We don't get too much, but a small handful a day, to add to cereal or to make a couple of muffins, or to eat as it is. The latter doesn't happen often as I am not very tolerant to acidic fruits and I'm yet to taste lusciously sweet strawberries grown in India. Here, strawberry needs sugar as a partner to make it more palatable. 


But, however little, that sense of joy we get from having watched something grow for nearly eight months, and finally bearing fruit, is such a fulfilling one. These strawberry saplings were planted in June and they quickly propagated and covered the ground, but there was not a single flower in sight even after six months. The newbie gardener that I am, I quickly lost hope. Patience is clearly not one of my virtues, hence I stand to benefit a lot from gardening. I am slowly learning that nature doesn't work at the speed of a 4Mbps internet connection. It takes its own sweet time. And what sweeter time than spring time? I don't need my neighbours to drench me in permanent colours (albeit organic) and hose me with tons of water, to announce the arrival of spring (I'm talking about the one festival I dread, Holi). The new blooms and fruits in my garden had already whispered to me a few weeks ago that spring is not far away...


Just plucked strawberries basking in the morning sun




A few years ago, if someone told me that I could grow strawberries in India, I would have laughed it off. But Bangalore weather is somehow to conducive to growing almost anything. Like my friend @abithaanandh tweeted this morning -
 "Am willing to overlook 11pm deadlines,bad infrastructure,forever 90s music loop- all 4 those few precious hrs in the garden! Tk U #Bangalore"
It is so true. I'll continue to grow strawberries next year too. I'm told they bear better fruit in the 2nd and 3rd year. Only, I'll be growing them in hanging baskets, so I dont have to compete with the ants to pluck the fruit!


I've been wanting to bake a strawberry cake for a while now. Not the types where the fruit is pureed in, but stands out like red jewels, slightly mushy from the baking and a burst of flavour in the mouth, when you bite into it. And somehow, I wanted to pair it with yogurt as I couldn't use eggs in this. A Foodblogsearch didn't find me the kind of recipe I had in mind, so I did my own improvisation. Yesterday afternoon, just before the baking session, I found a bottle of strawberry essence at Nilgiri's, so the fruit, the essence and the jam made the taste pretty intense, but not in the cloying sort of way.


The recipe I'm sharing with you seems to be the most low-fat and healthiest version among all those that I went through as a result of my various searches.

Pin It






This is a tea cake or a weekend breakfast cake. I'm not asking you to believe that it's dessert. Umm...may be with ice cream, yes :)


The texture was very moist and delicate despite not using eggs or butter.
Do give it a try before the strawberry season bids us a goodbye.






Recipe for Strawberry-Yogurt Cake
Eggfree / Eggless / Lowfat
Tea time or breakfast cake
Makes 1 tall 8" cake




Ingredients

¾ cup yogurt
¼ cup milk (skimmed or toned, as you prefer)
¼ cup rice bran oil (or any cooking oil)
¾ cup sugar
2 generous tablespoons of strawberry or mixed fruit jam
1 tsp Strawberry essence or mixed fruit essence (gives a more fruitier flavour, if you don’t have either, use vanilla extract 1 tsp)

1.5 cups all purpose flour OR 1 cup AP flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt

Roughly 1 cup finely diced strawberries
Handful of tutti-frutty (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven at 180 C
  2. Grease an 8” round cake tin. If using silicon pan, no need to grease.
  3. In one bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, milk, sugar and jam.
  4. In another big bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well. Add the whisked wet ingredients. Fold until they come together. Over enthusiastic beating / whisking is better avoided.
  5. Towards the end, fold in chopped berries and tutti-fruity.
  6. Scrape the batter into the greased tin / silicon mould and bake at 180 C for around 45-55 minutes, checking with a tester if it comes out clean.
  7. After 10 minutes, unmould and cool on a wire rack.
  8. Cut into wedges, dust with icing sugar and serve with tea.

The same recipe will work with raspberries or blueberries to make a blueberry yogurt cake or a raspberry yogurt cake.

See what people have to say about this cake! (via Twitter)





How to Eat a Pomegranate and why you really need to.



























I have walked passed pomegranates for years in the markets and not given them a second thought. If you can't pick it up and take a bite out of it well, who has the time for that? Not until my mom {again with my mom and her influence on my healthy eating habits} brought home a few from a farmers market.... maybe it was Sprouts, anywhoo, I watched her break one open and pop out the  crimson  colored translucent seeds and was fascinated. I've been hooked ever since. Waiting patiently, not a virtue of mine, for October when pomegranates begin to show themselves on the produce stands.

For 3 short months through the Fall and Winter holidays you can enjoy this amazing fruit. It's gorgeous crimson color makes it absolutely perfect to show off in holiday meals, making any salad or dessert POP with color and tang. But it's the health benefits that made me a fan for life.





Pomegranates date back hundreds of years as all good food does. Hippocrates himself used to recommend them to treat a number of disorders and ailments like eye infections, digestive health and morning sickness.
Nowadays pomegranates are known for their amazing antioxidant properties probably in part to POM juice. They are vital to a healthy immune system ridding the body of all sorts of toxins and free radicals. Sounds hokey? Free radicals are attributed to early signs of aging, persistent illnesses, cardiovascular disease and most cancers.



O.K. so if you're anything like me maybe you too have never bought or eaten a pomegranate. 
Here is a quick tutorial on how to easily eat one without making a big mess of it.



First, cut open the pomegranate lengthwise down the middle. (not from top to bottom)
Admire how pretty it is.
Use a cutting board that won't stain, the juices are pretty but hard to remove.




Fill a large bowl with cool water. Place the cut pomegranate into the bowl. Gently break apart the sections, the seeds easily pop out. It is easiest to do this under water so you

a)  Don't make a huge mess with the juice
b) the seeds are much easier to get out under water
c) the white skin will float to the top making it easy to scoop out. 




This is just showing you what you will be doing under water so you can see easier. 




The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the white 'skin' will float. Gently swish the seeds around to release any more skin. Using your fingers or a small sieve, scoop out the skin.




Drain the water and pop the tart and sweet seeds into your mouth!
My mom chews the seeds in the middle, but I can't get past it so I spit them out.
My 5 and 6 year old boys love pomegranates!






I've seen recipes in the past where people sprinkle pomegranate seeds onto salads and baked goods or even pastas. I like to eat them all by themselves or on the side of my salad.
I love the contrast between the tangy sweetness of the pomegranates paired with this chicken-fennel salad. 


Enjoy!






Have you ever eaten pomegranate? Will you now?

What produce have you not tried that you think you would like to?








sources:
Pomegranate Nutrition

How to Eat a Pomegranate and why you really need to.

Posted by admin



























I have walked passed pomegranates for years in the markets and not given them a second thought. If you can't pick it up and take a bite out of it well, who has the time for that? Not until my mom {again with my mom and her influence on my healthy eating habits} brought home a few from a farmers market.... maybe it was Sprouts, anywhoo, I watched her break one open and pop out the  crimson  colored translucent seeds and was fascinated. I've been hooked ever since. Waiting patiently, not a virtue of mine, for October when pomegranates begin to show themselves on the produce stands.

For 3 short months through the Fall and Winter holidays you can enjoy this amazing fruit. It's gorgeous crimson color makes it absolutely perfect to show off in holiday meals, making any salad or dessert POP with color and tang. But it's the health benefits that made me a fan for life.





Pomegranates date back hundreds of years as all good food does. Hippocrates himself used to recommend them to treat a number of disorders and ailments like eye infections, digestive health and morning sickness.
Nowadays pomegranates are known for their amazing antioxidant properties probably in part to POM juice. They are vital to a healthy immune system ridding the body of all sorts of toxins and free radicals. Sounds hokey? Free radicals are attributed to early signs of aging, persistent illnesses, cardiovascular disease and most cancers.



O.K. so if you're anything like me maybe you too have never bought or eaten a pomegranate. 
Here is a quick tutorial on how to easily eat one without making a big mess of it.



First, cut open the pomegranate lengthwise down the middle. (not from top to bottom)
Admire how pretty it is.
Use a cutting board that won't stain, the juices are pretty but hard to remove.




Fill a large bowl with cool water. Place the cut pomegranate into the bowl. Gently break apart the sections, the seeds easily pop out. It is easiest to do this under water so you

a)  Don't make a huge mess with the juice
b) the seeds are much easier to get out under water
c) the white skin will float to the top making it easy to scoop out. 




This is just showing you what you will be doing under water so you can see easier. 




The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the white 'skin' will float. Gently swish the seeds around to release any more skin. Using your fingers or a small sieve, scoop out the skin.




Drain the water and pop the tart and sweet seeds into your mouth!
My mom chews the seeds in the middle, but I can't get past it so I spit them out.
My 5 and 6 year old boys love pomegranates!






I've seen recipes in the past where people sprinkle pomegranate seeds onto salads and baked goods or even pastas. I like to eat them all by themselves or on the side of my salad.
I love the contrast between the tangy sweetness of the pomegranates paired with this chicken-fennel salad. 


Enjoy!






Have you ever eaten pomegranate? Will you now?

What produce have you not tried that you think you would like to?








sources:
Pomegranate Nutrition

My Secret Weapon to Beat the Heat. Strawberry-Coconut Smoothies P.S. Dear Monsoon: Please hurry.




Rain would be a true God send right now here in Phoenix. It always looks like even the cacti are going to give up and die during the endlessly long summer's here. I guess too much of anything can wear on one's nerves. Come July, after most people get tired of mindlessly commenting or joking about the stifling dry heat, all one can do is wipe off the continual beads of sweat rolling down their necks and pray for the monsoon.

Monsoon season is nothing short of a true miracle. Natures wrath at her finest. After months and months without a single drop of rain the sky darkens without notice and beautiful violent rains pour from the wakened sky and hit the hard, cracked desert floor. There is no drier dust than that found in the Arizona desert in July. Just when the cacti start to wilt and the weary desert animals are ready to call it quits, God sends them relief. And He doesn't skimp on the job. 

The smell is my favorite part of the monsoons. It's no ordinary rain. The layers of dust and sand that have accumulated on the streets and in my nose can only be washed away by the heavy rains of August. I wait anxiously starting mid July for the chance to sit outside amidst the sheets of rain and furious winds that wash every trace of dust from the startled desert. It lasts only for a few minutes but is enough to quench the deserts thirst for many more months. It is energizing   refreshing   uplifting invigorating and restores even the most lifeless soul.


During these long, hot months in the desert it is difficult to want to eat, let along cook anything. We need to save every single ounce of energy that we have so that the heat doesn't drag us down and reduce us to ashes. Water is our best friend but my secret weapon is coconut water which instantly rejuvenates me and gives me the energy to make it through the entire days obstacles which includes getting the mail while the sun is still out.

You think I'm joking?



Coconut Water + Frozen Berries =  Extreme Heat Blaster





When I'm feeling like I want a sweet treat and need some extra refreshing, I always go for these Strawberry-Coconut smoothies. They take all of 3 minutes to make and are a gazillion times healthier (and tastier IMO) than milk shakes or fast food smoothies. I think it important to note that even the drinks labeled "Real Fruit Smoothies" are not in fact good for you. At all. Period. And that includes popular Juice Joints. Sorry.


I keep a big bag of frozen berries from Costco in my freezer and plenty of coconut water around to make these smoothies throughout the summer months. They taste even better when sitting in the pool oddly enough. :)



This post is linked to

Fresh Food Friday

My Secret Weapon to Beat the Heat. Strawberry-Coconut Smoothies P.S. Dear Monsoon: Please hurry.

Posted by admin




Rain would be a true God send right now here in Phoenix. It always looks like even the cacti are going to give up and die during the endlessly long summer's here. I guess too much of anything can wear on one's nerves. Come July, after most people get tired of mindlessly commenting or joking about the stifling dry heat, all one can do is wipe off the continual beads of sweat rolling down their necks and pray for the monsoon.

Monsoon season is nothing short of a true miracle. Natures wrath at her finest. After months and months without a single drop of rain the sky darkens without notice and beautiful violent rains pour from the wakened sky and hit the hard, cracked desert floor. There is no drier dust than that found in the Arizona desert in July. Just when the cacti start to wilt and the weary desert animals are ready to call it quits, God sends them relief. And He doesn't skimp on the job. 

The smell is my favorite part of the monsoons. It's no ordinary rain. The layers of dust and sand that have accumulated on the streets and in my nose can only be washed away by the heavy rains of August. I wait anxiously starting mid July for the chance to sit outside amidst the sheets of rain and furious winds that wash every trace of dust from the startled desert. It lasts only for a few minutes but is enough to quench the deserts thirst for many more months. It is energizing   refreshing   uplifting invigorating and restores even the most lifeless soul.


During these long, hot months in the desert it is difficult to want to eat, let along cook anything. We need to save every single ounce of energy that we have so that the heat doesn't drag us down and reduce us to ashes. Water is our best friend but my secret weapon is coconut water which instantly rejuvenates me and gives me the energy to make it through the entire days obstacles which includes getting the mail while the sun is still out.

You think I'm joking?



Coconut Water + Frozen Berries =  Extreme Heat Blaster





When I'm feeling like I want a sweet treat and need some extra refreshing, I always go for these Strawberry-Coconut smoothies. They take all of 3 minutes to make and are a gazillion times healthier (and tastier IMO) than milk shakes or fast food smoothies. I think it important to note that even the drinks labeled "Real Fruit Smoothies" are not in fact good for you. At all. Period. And that includes popular Juice Joints. Sorry.


I keep a big bag of frozen berries from Costco in my freezer and plenty of coconut water around to make these smoothies throughout the summer months. They taste even better when sitting in the pool oddly enough. :)



This post is linked to

Fresh Food Friday

Pear-Gingerbread Cake





















Short and sweet is my middle name tonight. Take that as you will....

I don't make dessert very often, much to my children's dismay. Bad mommy. Truth be told I'm to freaking exhausted at the end of the day to even think about dessert. Not to mention the calories, dishes and most importantly, the expectations it creates for every. single. other. night of the week. Who wants to deal with all of that? Not me.

I saw this cake on one of my favorite 'Go to' sites,  Ask Georgie.  She's pretty awesome. Georgie is a registered dietician who lives in Colorado {jealous} and has some wonderfully creative and healthy recipes that are still fantastically delicious like this one....


'Pear-Gingerbread Cake'


* The only things I really changed was using Raw sugar for Splenda because I personally don't believe in Splenda. Man made/artificial = not good in my book. Also, I used coconut oil instead of canola oil.
The cake was just wonderful. Not to sweet at all, so some might pause to call it a dessert which is just fine with me. I am all about flavor versus sugar.







Like this post? Love my blog? Please vote for me
{Healthy Mamma}
on babble.com  for Top 100 mommy bloggers in 2011!




Pear Gingerbread Cake


recipe very slightly adapted from Ask Georgie



TIME  10 MINUTES PREP, 35 MINUTES BAKE     YEILDS 1- 9" round cake (I doubled)
Ingredients:

2 pears (not overripe)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ginger (ground)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
2 Tablespoons milled flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Raw sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup unsulfered molasses
1/4 cup egg whites
2/3 cup skim milk (or Almond milk)


 
 
Putting it all together:
 
Preheat oven to 350. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of a round cake or springform pan. Slice the pears into thin slices and arrangle in the bottom of the pan in a circular pattern.
 
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well (flour through sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the oil, molasses, egg whites, and milk. Add a small amount of the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and stir to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and stir just until the batter is uniform and no lumps remain.
Do not overbeat. Pour batter gently over slices pears and smooth.
 
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Invert onto serving platter and gently remove parchment.






This post is linked to

Friday Potluck
Fresh Clean and Pure Friday's
Fun with Food Friday

Pear-Gingerbread Cake

Posted by admin





















Short and sweet is my middle name tonight. Take that as you will....

I don't make dessert very often, much to my children's dismay. Bad mommy. Truth be told I'm to freaking exhausted at the end of the day to even think about dessert. Not to mention the calories, dishes and most importantly, the expectations it creates for every. single. other. night of the week. Who wants to deal with all of that? Not me.

I saw this cake on one of my favorite 'Go to' sites,  Ask Georgie.  She's pretty awesome. Georgie is a registered dietician who lives in Colorado {jealous} and has some wonderfully creative and healthy recipes that are still fantastically delicious like this one....


'Pear-Gingerbread Cake'


* The only things I really changed was using Raw sugar for Splenda because I personally don't believe in Splenda. Man made/artificial = not good in my book. Also, I used coconut oil instead of canola oil.
The cake was just wonderful. Not to sweet at all, so some might pause to call it a dessert which is just fine with me. I am all about flavor versus sugar.







Like this post? Love my blog? Please vote for me
{Healthy Mamma}
on babble.com  for Top 100 mommy bloggers in 2011!




Pear Gingerbread Cake


recipe very slightly adapted from Ask Georgie



TIME  10 MINUTES PREP, 35 MINUTES BAKE     YEILDS 1- 9" round cake (I doubled)
Ingredients:

2 pears (not overripe)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ginger (ground)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
2 Tablespoons milled flaxseed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup Raw sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup unsulfered molasses
1/4 cup egg whites
2/3 cup skim milk (or Almond milk)


 
 
Putting it all together:
 
Preheat oven to 350. Cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of a round cake or springform pan. Slice the pears into thin slices and arrangle in the bottom of the pan in a circular pattern.
 
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients well (flour through sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the oil, molasses, egg whites, and milk. Add a small amount of the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and stir to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and stir just until the batter is uniform and no lumps remain.
Do not overbeat. Pour batter gently over slices pears and smooth.
 
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Invert onto serving platter and gently remove parchment.






This post is linked to

Friday Potluck
Fresh Clean and Pure Friday's
Fun with Food Friday

Detox Day 2: Breakfast In a Glass, Start Your Day Off on a Good Note!

Smoothies are one of my favorite healthy breakfasts. They are delicious obviously but also because if you put a few healthy ingredients in them they are also the perfect breakfast IMO. Pick up a bag of toasted flaxmeal which is pretty easy to find these days at most well-stocked markets. Flax adds fiber and essential Omega fatty acids and it has a wonderful mild nutty flavour perfect in smoothies as well as oatmeal, muffins etc.
Flax is very high in lignans, which have anti-tumor properties—lignans act as antioxidants that could mirror the results of Tamoxifen, the anti-cancer drug for breast cancer.

Check out these 25 Healthy Smoothies from Whole Living.
Also, don't forget to click my smoothie link on my right side bar for easy, healthy and quick ideas!


Apple Carrot Ginger Smoothie


Carrot-Mango-Herb Smoothie
Kiwi Smoothie

Banana-Oat Smoothie






Mona Claire loving her Berry-Tofu Smoothie with Flax



Mix it up a bit! We have a breakfast Gazpacho 3-4 times a week too. Yup, my kids love them!



Keeping a daily journal holds you accountable and keeps you on track!
I carry a small note book to jot down what I eat and my thoughts.
I also just downloaded the 'LivingStrong' App for my IPad which is an excellent calorie counter, nutritional data base, excersise tracker and more!
Also, it will be nice ( I hope ) to look back and see my progress!




BTW, this is what we had for dinner. 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili, slightly adapted from
Whole Living. I added kidney beans and more veggie juice.



Detox Day 2: Breakfast In a Glass, Start Your Day Off on a Good Note!

Posted by admin

Smoothies are one of my favorite healthy breakfasts. They are delicious obviously but also because if you put a few healthy ingredients in them they are also the perfect breakfast IMO. Pick up a bag of toasted flaxmeal which is pretty easy to find these days at most well-stocked markets. Flax adds fiber and essential Omega fatty acids and it has a wonderful mild nutty flavour perfect in smoothies as well as oatmeal, muffins etc.
Flax is very high in lignans, which have anti-tumor properties—lignans act as antioxidants that could mirror the results of Tamoxifen, the anti-cancer drug for breast cancer.

Check out these 25 Healthy Smoothies from Whole Living.
Also, don't forget to click my smoothie link on my right side bar for easy, healthy and quick ideas!


Apple Carrot Ginger Smoothie


Carrot-Mango-Herb Smoothie
Kiwi Smoothie

Banana-Oat Smoothie






Mona Claire loving her Berry-Tofu Smoothie with Flax



Mix it up a bit! We have a breakfast Gazpacho 3-4 times a week too. Yup, my kids love them!



Keeping a daily journal holds you accountable and keeps you on track!
I carry a small note book to jot down what I eat and my thoughts.
I also just downloaded the 'LivingStrong' App for my IPad which is an excellent calorie counter, nutritional data base, excersise tracker and more!
Also, it will be nice ( I hope ) to look back and see my progress!




BTW, this is what we had for dinner. 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili, slightly adapted from
Whole Living. I added kidney beans and more veggie juice.



Edible Crayons

I saw these fun edible crayons on Kitchen Corners and just had to share them! So cute and creative, and if your feeling super industrious you could try making them ( it's on my 'to do list' ) !
I'm not sure if this is the best solution for little kids who eat crayons since it won't discourage them from eating 'real' crayons in the future, but they sure are cute regardless! Maybe for fun party favors/party activity for kids old enough not to eat real crayons.The best part is, most of the ingredients are made from dried fruits and veggies, healthy!








Other healthy ingredients in each color are bee pollen which is thought of as a fountain of youth for it's numerous health benefits.




The green crayon ingredients: peas, green beans, dried kiwi, green fruity pebbles, dried pumpkin seeds!





 Bee pollen



Marshmallows keep them 'glued' together!




Original idea and pictures found at luxirare.





Edible Crayons

Posted by admin

I saw these fun edible crayons on Kitchen Corners and just had to share them! So cute and creative, and if your feeling super industrious you could try making them ( it's on my 'to do list' ) !
I'm not sure if this is the best solution for little kids who eat crayons since it won't discourage them from eating 'real' crayons in the future, but they sure are cute regardless! Maybe for fun party favors/party activity for kids old enough not to eat real crayons.The best part is, most of the ingredients are made from dried fruits and veggies, healthy!








Other healthy ingredients in each color are bee pollen which is thought of as a fountain of youth for it's numerous health benefits.




The green crayon ingredients: peas, green beans, dried kiwi, green fruity pebbles, dried pumpkin seeds!





 Bee pollen



Marshmallows keep them 'glued' together!




Original idea and pictures found at luxirare.





Pumpkin Granola Squares, No added sugar, gluten free






You can feed these delicious and healthy pumpkin squares to your little ghouls and goblins guilt free!
There is NO added sugar and they are low in fat. Pumpkins aren't just cute and tasty. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants! Bonus!
So skip the sugar loaded pies and treats and get your pumpkin fix with these granola squares.






TIME  50 MINUTES    YIELDS  20 SQUARES

Ingredients

 1 c Pumpkin puree,  cooked or can

1 Egg

1/4 c  Butter

1/4 c Honey

2 Tb Molasses

2 1/2 c Rolled oats  

2 Tb Shredded coconut,

1/4 c flax meal, or whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob's Red Mill

1 teaspoon Allspice
1 Tb *Orange rind, grated

1/4 cup Craisins

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped



Preparation

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the pumpkin, egg, butter, honey and molasses. Add the oats, nuts, coconut, wheat germ, spices, and orange zest. Blend until ingredients are well combined. Spread mixture in lightly greased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Bake in 350 deg. F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and cut into 3x1 1/2-inch bars.

Calories 159

Calories from Fat 89 56%
Total Fat 10.54g 13%
Saturated Fat 7.81g 31%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 25mg 1%
Potassium 150mg 4%
Total Carbs 15.23g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g 10%
Sugars 6.01g 4%
Protein 2.45g





* Tip: The next time you eat an orange, save the peel and freeze it in a baggie to use for adding flavor to cookies, cakes,muffins and smoothies! Simply take a piece of frozen peel and grate it!
 
 
 


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!






Pumpkin Granola Squares, No added sugar, gluten free

Posted by admin






You can feed these delicious and healthy pumpkin squares to your little ghouls and goblins guilt free!
There is NO added sugar and they are low in fat. Pumpkins aren't just cute and tasty. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants! Bonus!
So skip the sugar loaded pies and treats and get your pumpkin fix with these granola squares.






TIME  50 MINUTES    YIELDS  20 SQUARES

Ingredients

 1 c Pumpkin puree,  cooked or can

1 Egg

1/4 c  Butter

1/4 c Honey

2 Tb Molasses

2 1/2 c Rolled oats  

2 Tb Shredded coconut,

1/4 c flax meal, or whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob's Red Mill

1 teaspoon Allspice
1 Tb *Orange rind, grated

1/4 cup Craisins

1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped



Preparation

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the pumpkin, egg, butter, honey and molasses. Add the oats, nuts, coconut, wheat germ, spices, and orange zest. Blend until ingredients are well combined. Spread mixture in lightly greased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jelly roll pan. Bake in 350 deg. F oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and cut into 3x1 1/2-inch bars.

Calories 159

Calories from Fat 89 56%
Total Fat 10.54g 13%
Saturated Fat 7.81g 31%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 25mg 1%
Potassium 150mg 4%
Total Carbs 15.23g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g 10%
Sugars 6.01g 4%
Protein 2.45g





* Tip: The next time you eat an orange, save the peel and freeze it in a baggie to use for adding flavor to cookies, cakes,muffins and smoothies! Simply take a piece of frozen peel and grate it!
 
 
 


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!






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