Showing posts with label chia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chia. Show all posts

Saturday, May 21, 2011

No Bake Almond Date Energy Bar

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Know what you Eat - Are you the kind of person who loves to snack on Energy, Granola or Cereal bar. Then try this easy to make energy bar and i doubt if you will go for the pricey bars at the store anymore. Filled with the goodness of Almonds, Dates, Coconut and Omega-3 rich Chia seeds and calcium rich Sesame seeds they are very easy to make, super nutritions and taste awesome without any additives.

Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - protein, calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Dates are very good source of iron and one of the best natural sugar substitute anyone with a sweet tooth can go for. Chia seeds are very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and sesame seeds are good source of calcium. The darker the seeds higher their nutrition profile is. Coconut is a good source of Iron, Vitamic C,  Protein and Calcium.

Who Should avoid Dates - Even though dates are very nutritious, large portion of its calories come from sugar. One pitted date contains 16gms of sugar, so if you are on a weight loss goal, portion this energy bar accordingly.

Cooking Time - 5 Mins
Preparation Time - 10 mins
Makes - 12-15 bars(depending on the thickness of the bar)

Ingredients

Toasted Almonds - 1 Cup
Dates - 3/4 cup Chopped and Packed
Grated and toasted Coconut - 1/4 cup
Chia Seeds - 3 Tbsp
Toasted Sesame Seeds - 2 Tbsp
Honey - 2 Tbsp

Method

1) Grind Chia Seeds into a fine powder.
2) Toast the Almonds for 5 mins in a toaster.
3) Now add Almonds, Coconut, Sesame seeds, dates (except for the honey) to the powdered chia.
4) In a food processor blend all the ingredients into fairly fine but still having some texture.
5) Add honey and process just long enough for it to blend in.
6) Press into a square about 3/4-inch thick on a plate or square pan and refrigerate for about an hour or more.
7) Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy this guilt free snack.

Variations - You can use any combination of nuts also check out 10 Minute Peanut Raisin bars and No Bake Healthy Granola bars for other ideas.

Note - Since there is no baking involved, these bars will lose their shape when kept outside in very hot weather for a long time. When refrigerated they are good for atleast 2 weeks, they might be good even after that but it never lasts, no matter how much i make.

Event Participation

This goes straight to EC's WYF Time Snack.

Sending this to Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Vegan Fat free Banana Oat Nut Bar & Banana-Beet Milk

fatfreeveganoatnutbar
Know what you EatOats, via their high fiber content, are known to help remove cholesterol from
the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream.Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients Almonds which is high in monounsaturated fats, that is good for the body  and is associated with reduced risk of heart disease. In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, Magnesium and Potassium. Jaggery (Panela) is a "natural" sweetener made
by the concentration of sugarcane juice WITHOUT the use of any chemicals / synthetic additives or
preservatives. It contains an enormous wealth of minerals / protein / vitamins and iron. Beets get their garnet color from antioxidants called betalains, which help your body detoxify potentially cancer causing substances.  Go for raw milk than pasteurized and homogenized milk, which causes higher incidence of milk  allergies or lactose intolerance, from organic grass fed cows without any growth hormone or antibiotic.


After school snack is the most important meal in our house, the dining table becomes the vent out place to discuss what all things happened in the school in the whole stressful?? day, so the table should look colorful and tempting as per the kids, at the same time should be nutritious according to me. It is not very difficult to achieve both with little bit of planning and creativity and this is one such snack, which they relish. Using beets instead of artificially flavored strawberry drinks, is much  more healthier.


Vegan Fat free Banana Oat Nut Bar

Preparation Time - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 Minutes
Serves - Makes around 12 bars

Ingredients

Old Fashioned Oats - 1 3/4 cup
Oats Flour - 1/4 cup
Banana – 2 big
Powdered Jaggery(Panela) - 1/2 cup
Chopped Almonds - 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Chopped Dates - 1/4 cup
Toasted Chia seeds – 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt pinch
Water

Method

1) In a pan add little bit of water to the powdered Jaggery/Panela  just to cover the surface and heat
till the jaggery is fully dissolved. Filter it of any impurities and keep it aside.
2) Combine the Oats, Oat flour, flaked almonds, chopped dates, cinnamon powder and salt.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, In a blender puree the banana and add the
banana puree and the jaggery syrup.
to the Oats mixture and mix well and thoroughly.
4) Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and transfer the Oats mixture to the baking pan
and bake  till a knife inserted at the center comes out clean.
5) Take it out of the parchment paper and set it aside to cool.
6) Once cooled cut into bars of desired size and store in an airtight container.
7) Can be kept at room temperature for 2 days, refrigerates up to 2 weeks.

Notes – I make these bars quite often, I keep on changing the nuts and dry fruits with
sunflower, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, figs, raisins, cashews, walnuts, dried cranberries etc
just not to get bored with the same taste.

 Banana & Beet Milk

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.

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Event Participation

1) This  goes to Kids Delight Wholesome breakfast hosted by Srivalli.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Vegan Fruit & Nut Cake/Bar

Know what you Eat - Eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fiber in nuts help you feel full longer, so you may eat less during the day. By helping induce a feeling of satiety, nuts may help people feel less deprived and not like they're "dieting." Dates are a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. Raisins are rich in phytonutrient phenol which is an antioxidant and also a trace mineral, boron, a mineral that is critical to bone health. Apricots contain nutrients such as Vitamin A that promote good vision.

Eggless Cooking has so many wonderful recipes to be tried out. This one fit my bill with very less flour and lot of nutrients coming from the nuts. Madhu's recipe uses buttermilk and i wanted to fortify it some more and used the omega 3 rich Chia seeds as the egg substitute.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat flour - 3/4 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Raw Sugar - 1/2 cup
Dried fruits(Dates, Raisins and apricots chopped) - 2 cups (The original recipe uses 3 cups)
Nuts chopped - 3 cups(Any nuts i used Almonds, Cashew, Pecan and Walnut)
Chia Seeds - 3 Tbsp(Instead of 3/4th cup buttermilk)
Water - 1 Cup + 1 Tbsp
Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

Method

1) Soak Chia in 9 Tbsps water.
2) Preheat the oven at 350F.
3) In a large bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and raw sugar.
4) Now add the chopped dried fruits and nuts of your choice and mix thoroughly using your fingers to remove any lumps.
5) Take the chia gel and transfer it into a blender add the remaining water little by little and blend nicely to create a slurry. Now the slurry will be in white color. Now addvanilla extract and whisk it nicely.
6) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix it well.
7) Spread the batter into a 13×9 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
8) Bake it for 30-40 minuter till a knife inserted in center of the cake comes out clean.
9) Once out of the oven, leave the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely before cutting into pieces.
10) Slice them into smaller pieces for portion control and enjoy as a guilt free snack.

Event Participation

1) This dish goes to T & T hosted by Poornima originated by Zlamin.

2) This goes to Food for Seven Stages of Life - Pregnancy(Zero Hour) hosted by Radhika.

3) This dish a sure kid pleaser goes to Kids Delight hosted by Srivalli.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Oatmeal - Apple Raisin Walnut Eggless Bread

Know what you Eat - Apples are rich in antioxidants , fiber, flavonoids and help to maintain a heart-healthy diet. Flavonoids unique to apple - including phloridzin - are thought to play a potentially key role in the special ability of apples to support lung health. Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a special type of protective fat the body cannot manufacture. In addition, walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties. . Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. Whole wheat is rich in dietary fiber and is good source of iron. Chia seeds are very good source of omega - 3, dietary fiber, antioxidants.

With Schools open, i prefer to prepare these kind of dishes and refrigerate, so that it is easier to pack lunch box in the morning. Spread a spoon of peanut butter and send along with a fruit for a healthy and wholesome lunch. Your ideas and suggestions on easy to prepare and wholesome lunch box ideas are welcome. Will really be helpful on crazy and hectic mornings. I saw this recipe in Chow.com. I halved it and made an eggless version, the original recipe uses 1 Tablespoon of Baking Soda and Powder. When i baked it for the first time even though i knew it is on the higher side didn't change the measurement and could feel the strong presence of baking soda. The next time i baked halved both of them and doubled up the chia seeds and it was just fine.

Ingredients

Whole wheat Flour - 1 Cup
Old Fashioned rolled Oats - 1 Cup
Apple - 1
Butter Milk - 1 Cup
Raisins - 3/4 Cup
Walnuts - 1/4 Cup
Honey - 1/4 Cup
Baking Soda - 1 1/2 Teaspoons
Baking Powder - 1 1/2 Teaspoons
Chia Seeds - 2 Tablespoon(you can also use 2 tablespoon egg substitute or 2 tablespoon flaxseed )
Water - 6 Tablespoons
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Soak Chia Seeds in 3 tablespoons of water and set it aside till it swells and a nice gel is formed.
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Combine Whole Wheat, Oats, Salt, Cinnamon powder, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, finely chopped walnuts, raisins and set them aside.

3) Wash, Core, peel and chop apple into very fine pieces and add it to the above mixture.

4) In a small blender, place the chia gel and blend finely for 2 minutes till you get a nice slurry egg substitute.

5) Add this Chia gel slurry to Wheat, Oat mixture and add the honey and buttermilk and combine thoroughly.

6) Generously grease a loaf pan and fill 3/4 full and bake for 30-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spread a teaspoon of peanut butter on this enjoy as a whole some breakfast, pack for lunch for kids along with a fruit or enjoy as a evening snack.

Event Participation

1) This dish goes to Sunday Snacks - Snacks with Breads hosted by Priya.

2) This dish goes to Eggless Baking Event Using Oats hosted by Madhu.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Finger Millet(Ragi), Black Chick Pea, Green Bean Dosai/Savoury Pancake


Know what you Eat -Finger millet(Ragi) is a very nutritious food with a complex carbohydrate profile and low glycemic index. It is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine which is lacking on staples like polished rice or maize meal. Pearl millet is different from ragi, being light yellow in color. It is also good in nutrients but ragi is much superior than pearl millet. Green Mung bean, Black chick pea(Garbanzos) both very good source of protein. In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, garbanzos can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. Garbanzos are rich in iron and low in calories and virtually fat-free. Green bean is also a rich source fiber which enables one to lower the high cholesterol level in body system. The high fiber in green bean yields complex carbohydrate which improves digestion. Complex carb helps to stabilize blood sugar in our body by preventing rapid rise after meal. It keeps our energy at an even level. Frequent consumption of green bean is beneficial to diabetes and also for high cholesterol. Chia is very good source of omega-3.

From the time Our Doctor suggested to use these three combination of grain and beans Ragi, Black Chick Pea and Green Mung Bean extensively as they give a combination of complex carbohydrate and protein. I started preparing different dishes using these three flours and this is one of them.

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients

Ragi(Finger Millet) Flour - 1 cup
Black Chick Pea Flour - 1/2 cup
Green Mung Bean Flour - 1/2 cup
Powdered Chia - 2 tbsp
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Shredded Cabbage + Carrot - 1/4 cup
Green chilli and ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Chopped cilantro - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Water
Oil - 5 tsp

Method

1) Combine all three flours, add chopped onion, shredded cabbage, carrot, cilantro, chilli and ginger paste.
2) Now add the salt and powdered chia and add enough water to make a pancake like batter.
3) Heat a iron griddle, take a ladle full of the batter and spread into circular motion to make a perfect circle.
4) Add 1/2 tsp spoon of oil around the batter and once cooked thoroughly, flip and cook the other side adding little bit of oil.
5) Remove and serve with dip or chutney of your choice.

Event Participation

1) This goes to Dosa Corner event hosted by Padma.

2) This dish goes to MLLA-13th helping guest hosted by Sunshinemom, event started by Susan.

3) This heart healthy and budget friendly dish goes to Heart of the matter-budget friendly foods hosted by Michelle.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Powerpacked Multigrain Porridge(Kanji)

Know what you Eat -Finger millet(Ragi) is a very nutritious food with a complex carbohydrate profile and low glycemic index. It is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine which is lacking on staples like polished rice or maize meal. Mung bean, Black chick pea, Broken and roasted bengal gram are very good source of protein. Quinoa is a complete protein food with all the essential amino acids in them. Oats and barley are rich in fiber. Chia seeds are good source of omega 3. Almonds are good source of Vitamin E.

Do you know even Kids experience stress? My elder one will be going to fourth grade from September. When he started preschool, before going to school he would refuse to have any breakfast. If we force him, he would throw up. I tried different things starting from pancake, waffle, toast, cereal, Idli and Dosa. He wasn't a fussy eater, but none of these things would work on a school day. I didn't feel quite comfortable sending him with a glass of milk and then the idea of giving this home made porridge stuck me. This porridge is made in lot of house holds in South India for years and even now. Many of you might me familiar with it , i just added few of the other grains to make it power packed. Now i give this porridge to my daughter every day for breakfast and i also have it some times to get some instant energy. To top it all, my Sister's younger one loved this porridge. She was visiting us with her kids for few weeks and i am posting this one especially for her as she wanted to make some for her toddler.

We got another lovely blog award today. Thanks Vidya for sharing this award with us. In the past few months of blogging we have made so many blogger friends. So can't share this award with five or ten but would like to share this award with all of them. We learn from each other and all of you are our source of inspiration and encouragement.




Ingredients

African Finger Millet (Ragi) - 4 cups
Whole green mung bean - 1/2 cup
Roasted bengal gram(Dalia) - 1/2 cup
Oats - 1/2 cup
Quinoa - 1/2 cup
Black Chick Pea - 1/2 cup
Almonds - 1/2 cup
Barley - 1/4 cup
Chia seeds - 1/4 cup

Method

1) Rinse, drain and soak ragi grain over night in water. Then drain them and tie in a fine muslin cloth. Once ragi starts sprouting, remove from the muslin cloth and spread it out on cotton cloth to remove excess moisture. Sun or shade dry till they are dried. Now dry roast this sprouted ragi till you get a sweet aroma.
2) Do the same procedure for Green mung bean and black chick pea, leave them to sprout. Dry them and roast them till they are well roasted.
3) Dry roast Roasted bengal gram(Dalia), Oats, Quinoa, Almonds, Barley, Chia seeds.
4) Combine all the roasted grains and in a food processor grind them to fine powder and store in a airtight container.
5) I normally keep some outside and all the excess porridge powder in a freezer.

To make the porridge

1) Take 2 tbsp of porridge powder and mix in 1/4 cup of water without any lumps, boil for 5-7 minutes till the porridge is completely cooked. Now add sugar or powdered jaggery and 3/4 cup of milk and mix thoroughly and enjoy.
2) If you don't want it sweet, add little bit of salt and some butter milk and enjoy.
3) To make a thick bowl of porridge add 4 tbsp of porridge powder and use 1/2 cup of water and cook it. Now add little bit of milk to the desired consistency.
4) You can also add roasted cardamom seeds and saffron strands and grind along with porridge powder to get a nice aroma.
5) The variations you can make or endless with this one.
6) This is good even for people with diabetes because of the complex carbohydrate profile of ragi and the power packed protein content of the other grains.

Event Participation

This dish goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.
This dish also goes to My Legume Love Affair - 13 hosted by Sunshinemom and started by Susan.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Black Bean Burger & seeking your suggestions on Soy Products

As a health freak, i was so obsessed with favorite health food(Soy). I was extensively using soy milk, extra firm tofu replacing paneer(cottage cheese), silken tofu to fortify roti dough, soy chunks, soy crisps, soy burgers, soy bars and what not for couple of years. As you all know in this country you have the whole sale clubs so that everything can be bought in bulk and your basement can be filled with them. Well i was one too, i used to buy cartons of soy milk and store in my basement as buying in bulk worked out cheap if you are living on it. All this continued for years until year and half before. My younger one was having lot of feeding issues and we were struggling hard so that she comes atleast in the graph(0-5 percentile of the growth chart) and through a common friend met with a doctor. He suggested certain supplements and asked us to give protein rich food to her. I proudly talked about our protein rich diet habit with soy milk and all the products i listed above. He immediately said don't give her soy milk and tofu and you also better stay away from it. He said commercially manufactured soy products/protein is not good and may even cause cancer. We were shell shocked and googling more found the following

Soybeans in fact contain a large number of dangerous substances. The act of fermenting soybeans nullify the anti-nutrients & toxins , cooking and precipitation do not. Although hese enzyme inhibitors are found in reduced levels within precipitated soy products like tofu, they are not completely eliminated. For this reason, if you are going to consume soy, USE fermented products only, like tempeh or miso. Only after a long period of fermentation (as occurs in the creation of miso or tempeh) are the antinutrient and phytate levels of soybeans reduced, making their nourishment available to the human digestive system. There is lot of information available on this when you google and my head was swirling, so as a layman what i decided was to throw away the 2 packs with a dozen each of soy milk from my basement in the trash and not to go for tofu or soy burger any more. If you gals have more information to share on what all soy products are safe to use and a safe quantity to consume, please enlighten. So that was the reason i started making my own burger in batches and freezing them. Now coming to the recipe.

Know what you Eat - Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants that are believed to protect the circulatory system from diseases such as arteriosclerosis, which affects the arterial blood vessel. Chia seeds are very good source of omega - 3, dietary fiber, antioxidants. They also contain calcium and protein.

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 min
Preparation Time : 10-20 min
Serves : Makes 6 patties


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups(12 oz) - Cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup finely chopped red,yellow,green bell pepper
1 small onion finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tablespoon Oregano powder
1 tsp or taste cayenne pepper
1/2 Cup of Powdered Chia(Powder Chia in a food processor into fine powder)
1/2 cup of Oats powder (Use quick cooking and make a fine powder in your food processor)
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp

Method

1) Rinse and drain black bean thoroughly and let it drain compeletly without any water.
2) In a food processor run the celery through you will get a coarse paste
3) Heat Oil add chopped onions and saute till translucent, now add the chopped peppers, celery paste, 1/4 tsp of salt and saute till the peppers are well cooked.
4) Now add the drained black beans, onion powder, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper saute for 5 minutes and then switch off the stove
5) Using a thick spoon mash the black bean, once well mashed add the powdered chia, oats powder and combine thoroughly.
6) Preheat oven to 375 degress.
7)Divide the mixture in to balls and flatten them with your hand and place them in parchment paper in a baking pan and bake for 10 minutes on each side and then broil for 5 minutes till the pattie is well baked.
8) Serve in a burger bun with vegetables and ketchup of your choice.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Low fat eggless baking event hosted by Madhu.
This dish goes to My legume love affair twelfth helping event hosted by Annarasa created by Susan.
Original Recipes - Monthly Round up hosted by Lorie.

This dish is our contribution to AFAM-Bell Pepper event, hosted by Priya orignially started by Maheswari.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Apple Pecan Multigrain Pancake

Know what you Eat - Apples are rich in antioxidants , fiber, flavonoids and help to maintain a heart-healthy diet. Flavonoids unique to apple - including phloridzin - are thought to play a potentially key role in the special ability of apples to support lung health. Pecans are a very good source of Vitamin E. Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. Whole wheat is rich in dietary fiber and is good source of iron. Brown rice is good source of complex carbohydrate. It provides 15 essential nutrients, including B-vitamins, niacin and potassium. Buckwheat contains almost 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one-cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure-the perfect combination for a healthy cardiovascular system. Chia seeds are very good source of omega - 3, dietary fiber, antioxidants.

I normally don't use all purpose flour and try to come up with different recipes substituting it, when i first tried this recipe i was little hesitant to mix all these flour together as there is no all purpose flour and sometimes they might stick to the griddle, but the Chia powder i added binds it together and makes it easy to prepare the pancake. I use powdered chia in most of these mix grain/flour experiments and it really helps. I have made this multigrain pancake couple of times and it comes out really great.

Cooking Time - 15 mins
Preparation Time - 10 mins
Serves - (Makes around 12 pancakes)


Ingredients

Brown rice flour - 1/2 cup
Buck wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Oat flour - 1/2 cup
Whole wheat pastry flour - 1/2 cup(use pastry flour not the regular whole wheat)
Chia powder - 2 tbsp (I used this as an Egg substitute for binding)
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Apple - 1(small)
Pecans - handful chopped
Raw sugar - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 4 tsp

Method

1) Wash apple and chop into small pieces and steam for 5 minutes till they are tender
2) Combine Brown rice flour, buck wheat flour, oat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, Chia powder, Salt, Sugar, Cinnamon powder, Baking Soda, Pecans and the apple pieces.
3) Now add the yogurt and milk and make a smooth batter.
4) Heat a griddle and pour a ladle full of batter into a circle and add 1/2 tsp of oil around the batter.
5) Cook both the sides on the griddle and serve with maple syrup and fresh fruits of your choice.

Event Participation

1) This goes to EFM June Breakfast series hosted by Srish.



2) Original Recipes - Monthly Round up hosted by Lorie.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

No bake Healthy Granola Bars

Know what you Eat - Oats, via their high fiber content, are already known to help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream. Now, the latest research suggests they may have another cardio-protective mechanism. Antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Almonds the health nuts - 90 percent of the fats in almonds are unsaturated, and the nuts are high in protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and other antioxidants. Almonds help prevent osteoporosis and they regulate blood pressure. Chia(The Magic Seeds) - The chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics so they are considered as magic seeds. Eating the seeds helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry.
I just love granola bars, but the store bought ones are too sugary and lot of additives like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup etc. I have made several attempts to bake one very unsuccessfully. The sides will be burned and the inside will be fine and i will end up eating the burned sides, because there will be no takers and i won't feel like throwing so much hand baked in the trash. This recipe does work and make sure the peanut butter is creamy and not solid and lumpy.
Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 5 mins
Serves - Around 20 bars



Ingredients

Oats (Old fashioned or Rolled Oats with extra thickness) - 1 cup
Oats Quick Cooking(Not instant) - 1 cup
Peanut Butter - 1 1/2 cups(Unsalted & new with a creamy texture)
Whole Almonds(not silvered) - 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Chia seeds - 1/2 cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Dates - 1/4 cup(Chop them finely)
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Oil(Sunflower or Canola) - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Dry roast Oats both old fashioned and quick cooking separately (do not mix them) in stove top till the raw smell is gone.
2) Dry roast grated coconut, chia seeds and almonds till it slightly browns(make sure they don't become black and slightly brown) or in a preheated oven bake combine the old fashioned oats, chia seeds, coconut, almond for, 350 degrees 7-10 minutes stirring in between till they are roasted and the quick cooking oats 3 minutes till the raw smell is gone.
3) Grind the quick cooking oats to a coarse powder.
4) Crush the almonds into small pieces. (Wrap them in paper towel and use a pounder or put them in plastic zip loc and use a thick bottomed pan to crush it).
5) Combine Oats, Oats powder, Almonds, Chia, Coconut, Dates and Raisins and keep it ready.
6) Combine honey, oil and peanut butter in a pan, add salt and cinnamon powder and heatit till the peanut butter melts and everything is well combined.
7) Now transfer the Oats mixture to the above and switch off the stove.
8) Mix everything thoroughly and transfer the contents to a greased pan and use a spatula to even it out.
9) Now put it in the refrigerator and leave it for 2-3 hours, once the bars are well set, take it out and make bars with a knife and store in a airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy these bars as a quick breakfast on any busy day or as a guilt free snack anytime of the day.

Event Participation
This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.
This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly Round up Event hosted by Lorie.



Sending this to Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Healthy Granola Cereal with magic seeds

Know what you Eat : Studies show that eating chia seed slows down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars.The chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics so they are considered as magic seeds. Eating the seeds helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry. Oats an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants that are believed to protect the circulatory system from diseases such as arteriosclerosis, which affects the arterial blood vessel.


Cooking Time : 20-30 mins
Preparation Time : 5 mins
Serves : 4 to 6

Ingredients

Extra thick rolled Oats - 2 cups
Almonds - 3/4 cup (Crush or pound them)
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Chia(magic) seeds - 1/2 cup
Wheat Germ - 1/4 cup (You can use wheat rava with small pieces of broken wheat & bran)
White Sesame(Til) seeds - 1/4 cup
Raisins - 1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup (If not using brown sugar, substitute it with honey)
Honey - 1/4 cup (Increase this if you want the granola to be sweeter)
Oil - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 tbsp

I love granola but the store bought ones are too sweet, so i thought of making them at home as you can control the amount of sugar and add the ingredients you want and like. You just can put it in the oven, stir once in while and get on to your other things and a healthy breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Now let us get on to the recipe.

Method

1) Preheat oven to 35o degrees F.
2) Crush or pound the almonds with a thick bottom pan or hammer, rolling them in a paper towel and putting them in a ziploc bag.
3) Combine all of the above ingredients except the raisins and bake till the oats slightly browns and the rest of ingredients are crunchy.
4) Remove and add the raisins and serve with milk and fruits of your choice.
5) During the bake time keep stirring and keep a close watch so that it doesn't get overcooked.
6) Do not forget to crush the almonds as smaller kids will have harder time to chew and eat them.
7) You can mix and match any ingredients, add baked sweetened banana chips, cranberries, apricots, dried apples, walnuts, cashew, dates, Peanuts etc. Don't add the dry fruits when baking but combine after baking.
8) With the addition of chia seeds, this keeps you filled up for hours.

Event Participation

1) This dish is our contribution to Srivalli's Mithai Mela hosted by Cooking 4 all Seasons.
2) This dish is our contribution to WYF Quick Meals event hosted by EC.
3) This also goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.
4) This also goes to Original Recipe Monthly Round up event hosted by Lorie.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Super Healthy Refreshing Falooda (Cooler)

Chia Gel-Fruits and Beet Shake Cooler

Know What you Eat: Do you know Chia seeds are much healthier than flax seeds and much easier to digest than flax seed. The chia seeds are great for athletes because they are highly hydrophilic. Being hydrophilic means it absorbs large amounts of water. Chia Seeds can absorb over 10 times their weight in water making them a great enhancer in hydrating our bodies. They absorb the water we drink holding it in our system longer. So instead of drowning in gatorade when it is sizziling hot, try chia gel to keep you hydrated.
It is sizzling hot here in east coast with spring temperatures reaching unusual high of 90 degrees. I thought of making some falooda, but thinking of all the sugar that goes in the falooda making made me think twice and i came up with this healthy but yummy alternate.

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

Ingredients:

Chia seeds - 4 large tablespoons
Water - 16 tablespoons
Beetroot - 1 medium sized
Milk - 2 cups
Ice cubes - few
Rose water - few drops
Banana - 1
Apple - 1
Mango - 1
Chopped dates and nuts - 4 table spoons
Ice cream - 4 scoops.

Method:

1) Soak 4 tablespoons in 16 tablespoons water and leave it for 15-20 mins
2) Peel and cut beet root and pressure cook till three whistles.
3) Cut banana, apple and mango into pieces and keep it aside.
4) Make a puree of the beetroot with little bit of water accumulated when pressure cooked.
5) Add the ice cubes, milk, rose water to the beet puree and blend to make a milk shake out of it. The beet puree will give enough sweetness to the milk shake, if required add some more sugar to your taste and blend it.
6) Take four tall glasses, divide the chia gel into four parts and transfer equally into 4 glasses.
7) Combine all the cut fruit pieces and add one part to each one of the glass on top of the chia gel.
8) Add 1 tablespoon of dates and nuts into each one of the glass.
9) Add 1 scoop of ice cream into each one of the glass.
10) Pour the beet shake equally into all the four glasses and serve immediately.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Brown Rice-Buck Wheat-Mung Dal-Quinoa Dosai/Crepe

Know what you Eat: Buckwheat usually thought of as a grain, is actually the seed of a broadleaf plant related to rhubarb. While it is not a true grain, it is used like one in cooking, and it surpasses rice, wheat and corn on almost every measure of healthfulness. Unlike white rice, wheat and corn buckwheat ranks low on the glycemic scale.

The strong nutty flavor of buck wheat was little overwhelming in the multigrain muffin. But in this dosai nobody will believe its presence unless you tell them the ingredients. Now let us get on to the recipe.

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

Ingredients

Brown Rice - 1/2 Cup
Buckwheat flour - 1/2 Cup
Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Mung – 1/2 Cup
Chia powder – 2 table spoon
Green Chilly - 1
Ginger - 1 inch Piece
Onion – 1
Tomato – 1(medium)
Water
Salt to taste.
Oil

Method

1) Soak brown rice, moong and Quinoa for 2-3 hours.
2) Wash and rinse thoroughly and grind them along with green chilly, ginger, tomato and salt. Add water little by little while grinding, based on the need.
3) Soaking and rinsing the grains is very important or you will get a bitter taste from quinoa.
4) Add buck wheat and chia powder and add water to get dosa or pancake batter consistency.
5) Chop onion to fine pieces and add this and salt (if required) to the mixture.
6) You can also add chopped cilantro to this batter.
7) Now heat an iron griddle, take one big spoonful of batter and make it nice big dosa and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.
8) Once the side is well cooked turn the dosa and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.
9) Serve it with sambhar or chutney as per your choice.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Garbanzo bean and cooking banana cutlet


Know what you Eat: Chickpeas offer a good dose of folate, which protects your heart and helps prevent some birth defects and Alzheimer's. They come in three colors white, black and green.

Cooking Time: 20 mins
Preparation Time: 20 mins
Serves : 6


I saw this recipe in http://mixtomatch.blogspot.com/2008/10/garbanzo-beans-potato-cutlet.htm and i followed the steps exactly except for changing few ingredients and substituting bread crumbs for super healthy chia powder.

Ingredients

Garbanzo beans/Chick peas - 2 cans
Cooking Banana- 1 large (Boiled, peeled and mashed)
Red onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green bell pepper - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Carrots - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Celery - 1/4 Cup (finely chopped)
Cilantro and mint paste - 2 teaspoons
Powdered Chia(magic seed) - 1/4 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil


Method


1) Dry blend the garbanzo in a food processor without water into a crumbly mixture.
2) Add the mashed banana to the beans and mash together well.
3) Add all the vegetables (red onion, green pepper, carrots, celery) and mint and cilantrol paste and mix well.
4) Add the chilli powder, ginger garlic paste and salt combine.
5) Add the powdered chia to absorb the extra moisture.
6) Heat a pan with a couple of tablespoons of oil on medium heat, and add the patties cook it on either side.
7) Enjoy this protein rich guilt free snack.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Nutritious PineApple Multigrain Muffin



Good to Know - Barley is a very good source of fiber and selenium. It also serves as a good source of the minerals phosphorus, copper and manganese. When buying for barley look for hulled or whole barley as Pearl barley goes through various degrees of polishing, or "pearling". Pearl barley is much less chewy and quicker cooking than hulled barley, but it is also much lower in nutrients, and would not be considered whole grain.



 Ingredients

Oats - 1/2 Cup
Whole barley - 1/2 Cup
Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Whole wheat flour – 1/2 Cup
Brown Rice flour – 1/2 cup.
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Chia powder - 2 table spoons (chia is very good egg substitute)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Apple Sauce - 1/2 Cup
Pineapple juice - 1/2 Cup
Pineapple Slices - 5
Chopped Pecans - handful
Dates - 5
Honey - 2 table spoons (You can make it to 1/2 cup or to taste, I made a kind of sugar free version so if you want make it sweeter)
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 table spoon
Water - 1 Cup

Method of Preparation
 1) Chop the pineapple into small pieces.
2) Dry roast oats, whole barley and quinoa separately till the raw smell is gone.
3) Combine all of the above and grind it to a fine powder.
4) In a bowl combine Oats, whole barley, quinoa powder, brown rice flour, White Whole wheat flour, Baking powder, salt, Cinnamon powder, chopped pecans, Chia powder, chopped dates.
5) Mix the dry ingredients well and add the Oil, chopped pineapple and pine apple juice, honey and apple sauce.
6) Add water and mix the batter well. This batter should be much thicker than pancake batter.
7) Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
8) Pour this batter to muffin mould (you can pour 3/4 or full as it doesn't raise much) and bake for 20 mins till a knife inserted comes out clean.
9) The muffin was not hard nor very soft and fluffy but tasted good and is very nutritious because of all the whole grains.
10) This muffin wasn't very sweet, so if you want can increase the quantity of honey or serve this with fruit preserve if required and have as a healthy breakfast and as a guilt free snack.

Event Participation

1) Sending this to Whole Grain Baking Event - Brown Rice hosted by Madhuram of Eggless Cooking.
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Serves – 12 muffins

Friday, April 10, 2009

Barley-Oats-Quinoa-Ragi Dosai/Crepe

Good to Know - Millet is highly nutritious, non-glutinous, is not an acid forming food so is soothing and easy to digest. In fact, it is considered to be one of the least allergenic and most digestible grains available and it is a warming grain so will help to heat the body in cold or rainy seasons and climates. It is nearly 15% protein, contains high amounts of fiber, B-complex vitamins including niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin, the essential amino acid methionine,lecithin, and some vitamin E. It is particularly high in the minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. The seeds are also rich in phytochemicals, including Phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and Phytate, which is associated with reduced cancer risk.




Cooking Time : 20-30 mins
Preparation Time : 15-2o mins
Serves : 4 to 6

Ingredients

Oats - 1/2 Cup
Whole barley - 1/2 Cup
Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Millet Flour – 1/2 Cup
Chia powder – 2 table spoon
Green Chilli - 1
Ginger - 1 inch Piece
Onion - 1
Water
Salt to taste.
Oil

Method of Preparation

1) Soak Oats, whole barley and Quinoa for 2 hours.
2) Wash and rinse thoroughly and grind them along with green chilli, ginger and salt.
3) Soaking and rinsing quinoa is very important or you will get a bitter taste from quinoa.
4) Add millet and chia powder and add water to get a slightly thin than pancake batter consistency.
5) Chop onion to fine pieces and add this and salt (if required) to the mixture.
6) You can also add chopped cilantro to this batter.
7) Now heat an iron griddle, take one big spoonful of batter and make it nice big pancake and pour 1 tsp of oil around it.
8) Once the side is well cooked turn the dosa and make sure the other side is cooked before removing it.
9) Serve this with sambhar, chutney or with mixing grated cucumber and mint with greek yogurt.
10) This dish is ideal for people who are looking for sugar free and low carb option.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Super Healthy Black Bean Burger


Nutritional Info - CHIA the magic seeds are a boon to people with diabetes The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. This is one of Nature’s perfect foods, containing essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fiber, protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more.
In this burger recipe instead of the usual bread crumbs used for binding, powdered chia is used which makes this a super food.

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 min
Preparation Time : 10-20 min
Serves : 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cubed red,yellow,green bell pepper, finely chopped celery, carrot and mushroom
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tablespoon Oregano powder
1-2 Green Chillis or to taste
1/2 Cup of Powdered Chia (Add additional if required)
1 tablespoon cumin powder
Salt to taste

Method to make Burger

1) Rinse and drain black bean thoroughly and let it drain compeletly without any water.
2) In a food processor finely chop bell peppers, celery, carrot and mushroom.
3) Now add the Onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, chilli, cumin powder, salt and blend for a minute.
4) Now add the black beans and just blend only once so that all the ingredients are mixed together.
5) Make sure the black beans doesn't become a puree but is mashed and combined nicely.
6) Mix the powdered chia until the mixture is sticky and holds together.
7) Divide the mixture in to patties and bake in preheated oven to 375 degrees.
8) Bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Saturday, July 28, 2001

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