Mango Icecream(Kulfi) & Agave Nectar is it good or not??

I prepared this mango kulfi during the summer months without using any refined sugars. I use refined sugars very rarely in my cooking. I prefer natural sweetners like Jaggery(Panela), Raw Honey, Maple syrup and quite few times have used Agave Nectar also. I came across lot of debate going on about Agave Nectar if it is good for you or not.  Agave is it good or not, i am leaving it for your to decide and if you know more about it please let us know.

Agave nectar (sometimes called agave syrup) is most often produced from the Blue Agaves that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico. Agaves are large, spikey plants that resemble cactus or yuccas in both form and habitat, but they are actually succulents similar to the familiar Aloe Vera. Agave syrup consists primarily of fructose and glucose. Due to its fructose content and the fact that the glycemic index only measures glucose levels, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than many other natural sweeteners on the market. However, the extremely high percentage of fructose (higher than that of high-fructose corn syrup) can be deleterious and can trigger fructose malabsorption, metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and accelerated uric acid formation. Yes all natural sweetners, even fruits anything sweet contain fructose so moderation is the key. So let us know what you think about this sweetner and which do you think is the best natural sweetner.

Now coming to the recipe, greek yogurt is a good source of protein and calcium and i use it as a substitute for whipped cream in fruit salads, as a vegetable salad dressing and so on. I substituted half of the cream with greek yogurt and  it had really turned out nice. Instead of buying store made icecreams with so many preservatives, it least i was feeling glad that this is free of any additives, refined sugars etc.

Ingredients

Cream - 1 Cup
Greek Yogurt - 1 Cup
Evaporated Milk - 1 tin(140z)
Mango Puree - 1 and 1/4 cup
Chopped Nuts - 1/2 cup(Almonds, Cashew and Pistachio)
Raw Honey - 3 Tbsp or as per taste and the sweetness of the mango puree
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron few strands

Method

1) Whip the cream for around 15 minutes till it becomes thick.

2) Now add the mango pulp, greek yogurt, honey, evaporated milk, nuts, cardamom powder and saffron strands and mix them thoroughly.

3) Pour into kulfi moulds or into plastic containers and place in the freezer overnight.

4) Dip the container in hot water for a few seconds, loosen the ice cream and enjoy.

Event Participation

1) I am sending my favorite ice cream to Cook for yourself event hosted by Radhika of Food for 7 Stages of Life.

2) This goes to Fall in love with Fruits for this Season hosted by Sanghi.

Read more »

Home made Nuts Icecream(Kulfi)

Know what you Eat - This food is high in fat and Sugar if you are looking for a healthy alternate try one the following - Fruit Juice Popsicle, Frozen Mango Yogurt, or Fruit Salad with Granola and Greek Yogurt. The only healthy ingredient in this are the nuts and the evaporated milk(fortified with Vitamin A& D and the Calcium in it. If at all your body will absorb the nutrients from this Homogenized product, another topic worth discussing in a later post).

I am not the kind of person who normally venture into refined sugar but watch for carb and refined sugars in the food i make. But after constant pleading for ice cream from the kids in their summer break and also my Sister was visiting with her kids few weeks before, i decided to make this. This is much better than store brought ice cream. Lesser evil ! Yesterday was my Sister's daughter's birthday and she celebrated it with an awesome cake made by Dhanya. So decided to post this kulfi, the one which she enjoyed very much when she came over here.

Ingredients

Cream - 1 pint (Roughly around 2 cups- 160z - 473ml exactly)

Condensed Milk - 1 tin (120z)

Evaporated Milk - 1 tin(140z)

Chopped Nuts - 1 cup(Almonds, Cashew and Pistachio)

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron few strands

Method

1) Whip the cream for around 15 minutes till it becomes thick.

2) Now add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, nuts, cardamom powder and saffron strands and mix them thoroughly.

3) Pour into kulfi moulds or into plastic containers and place in the freezer overnight.

4) Dip the container in hot water for a few seconds, loosen the ice cream and enjoy.

Event Participation
1)This goes to Home made Ice-creams event hosted by Ben
2)This also goes to Ice-cream Social Challenge hosted by Scotty Snacks, Savor The Thymeand Tangled Noodle.

Read more »

Summer Smart Treat Fat-Free Juice & Fruit Ice Candy

Summer is here, and my kids are always waiting, for summer fun in amusement, water parks, picnics, basically their only season to enjoy popsicle, ice -cream sice-candies, and I really do not like the store bought ones..so this time I thought to be a little more innovative at the same time more healthy & more fun ways to enjoy ice candies. We made these ice candies, by pouring any flavoured fruit juice, we used orange, mixing it with any fresh fruits or just mixing different berries would taste awesome at the same time its healthy, in a ice candy maker..which I bought from nearest walmart. You can be real creative to beat the heat by mixing milk with nesquick, adding GITS Instant kulfi powder to milk..play around with greek yogurt/yogurt instead of milk, blend/churn yogurt and add different flavours to it, like pureed/diced mango, strawberry, saffron-nuts..you can even swirl it around with 2 different color / flavor juices, pour one and let it set....then add fruits..let it set and now add different color juice, pour-in to this ice candy /kulfi maker, freeze and you are done..Enjoy your creativity.....

Want to see the picture how creative we were...here it is.....Lol

Preparation time: 5 mins
Freezer time: 2 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 C Orange Juice (depending upon how many ice candies you want to make)
1 C Fresh Diced Berries ( I used, strawberry, blueberry & raspberry)

Method:

1. Pour-in your favourite juice with chunks of fruits in ice candy maker & freeze..thats it you are done.
2. What else .....enjoy..these guilt free snacks with your kids.

Event Participation:

1. Recipes for the rest of us - Fruits, event hosted by Kamalika.

2. This goes to Ben who is celebrating Ice-creams with his Homemade Event. They also go to Scotty Snacks, Savor The Thymeand Tangled Noodle who are celebrating this month with an Ice-cream Social Challenge

Read more »

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.

• 
  
  This is our entry to Festive Food : Summer Treat event hosted by Priti.
• 
  
  This dish is our contribution to Food In Colours started by Sunny Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers FIC:Favourite TastyCurryLeaf.
• 
  
  This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly round up event hosted by Lorie.

Read more »