Recipes With a Twist
Healthy
Suji Kheer
Aug 5th
By Amanat Khullar
This morning I had an urge to eat something sweet. I wanted to keep it quick, healthy and ofcourse “YUMMY” to satisfy my cravings.First thought that popped in my mind was kheer. Since calorie amount can be a bit scary in rice kheer, I decided to use suji instead of rice and 1% milk instead of whole milk.If you are not familiar with Suji (semolina), it is a nutritious Indian wheat granulated but not pulverized. It has a lot of health benefits but the one I remember is that my mother used to give me suji halwa with warm More >
Basil Pesto and Tomato Sandwich
Nov 12th
Basil Pesto and Tomato Sandwich
Here is an easy to put together lunch-ready in less than 5 minutes and can be prepared ahead and packed to go. It is a no brainer if you have some Pesto on hand. I usually prepare a big batch of Pesto and keep some frozen. The sandwich when combined with a healthy side qualifies for the ’400 calories or less’ lunch category.You need:
2 slices of bread, I used white bread 1 tbsp Basil Pesto 1/2 medium tomato 1/2 tbsp butter (I used I can’t believe its not Butter spread) salt and pepper to taste
1. Spread Pesto More >
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies (Eggless)
Oct 30th
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
This one is for my father-in-law. He loves cookies but not the fact that most of them are loaded with sugar, refined flour and fats. As I stumbled upon this recipe, I remembered him and thought of giving it a try.I am not sure if I should categorize these as cookies or not. Contrary to most cookies recipes, these do not contain any added sugar, flour, eggs or even butter or oil. The only most indulgent ingredient I added is ‘white chocolate chips’. Although the powerhouse Banana – Oatmeal – Raisin combination make perfect breakfast, I know I will More >
Baked Turkey Seekh Kebabs
Sep 9th
Turkey Seekh Kebab
This is a description of seekh kebab from Wikipedia:“Traditionally Seekh Kebabs are made with minced meat and spices and grilled on skewers. It is cooked in a Tandoor – (clay oven that can reach higher temperatures than our traditional ovens) and is often served with chutneys or mint sauce. It is often included in tandoori sampler platters, which contain a variety of tandoor cooked dishes.” But this is quite different from what I remember from my childhood. My dad used to bring home uncooked sausage shaped ‘seekh kebabs’ made of chicken or goat meat. My mom would shallow fry More >
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
Jul 26th
Brown Lentils and Collard Greens Soup
This post is long overdue. Last few days it was little hard to keep up with things. Even though it is getting late at night, I decided today I will make an effort to get back on track .I made this soup few weeks ago as I experimented with these two ingredients: Brown Lentils and Collard Greens. I had tried both of them in separate recipes and my son enjoyed them all. This time I wanted to make something with both greens and lentils with a mild flavor that my son will enjoy as well. It More >
Mili-Juli Sabzi (Mixed Vegetable medley with chickpeas)
Jun 5th
Mili Juli Sabzi-mixed vegetables medley
Here is very easy Indian dish that just needs few minutes of preparation and needs very little attention while cooking. Mixed vegetables are traditionally made with several variations using different combinations of vegetables like peas, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, peppers and the list is endless. Basically whatever you have on hand . Last time I made it, besides using some of my favorite vegetables, I also added chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to add some protein and increase the nutritional content.You need: 2 cups chopped carrots 2 medium potatoes, chopped 1 cup boiled chickpeas (you can use More >
Steamed Date and Sago Pudding (Eggless)
Jun 3rd
By Heidemarie Swanepoel
Steamed Date and Sago (Tapioca) Pudding
This is the type of pudding I make on a day when I have time to spare, and when I have planned well ahead. The mixing and preparing takes only minutes, but the sitting time, and the steaming time are far apart. How I manage this, is this: Just after lunch, I put the sago in the milk, to swell out. At tea-time, I quickly mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and start the steaming process. That continues while I can make tea,, enjoy a few minutes of quiet, and then start More >
Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup (Low Calorie)
May 31st
Moroccan Style Red lentil and Garbanzo Soup
Today I tried Moroccan Lentil and Garbanzo soup at Sweet Tomatoes. The soup was great- light, chunky, flavorful and apparently low calorie just the way I like my soups. I guess I liked it so much that I came home, looked up a few recipes and decided to make a batch for dinner (while I was cooking Mint Chicken Biryani for my husband!). The soup I tried had brown lentils but I did not have any on hand, so I decided to go with Red lentils. The mint aroma from the chicken biryani was More >
Easy Turkey Meatballs
May 24th
Turkey Meatballs
It is always great to have some meatballs on hand when you are in hurry and need to put together a quick and delicious meal. You can make sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, serve with pasta and even throw in soups. I usually make lean turkey meatballs instead of fatty beef ones and make more than I need so I can freeze some for quick meals (as a full time working mom I am usually short of time!). This is very basic recipe and is great for little ones since the meatballs do not have any kind of strong flavor. Even better, More >
Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
May 9th
Mediterranean Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup
Couple of weeks ago I tried red lentils soup at a local Mediterranean restaurant. It was light and flavorful and perfect for lunch. Although it did resemble a bit like Indian red lentils dish and we call it ‘lal masoor dal’ and it is commonly served as a main dish with rice or Indian flatbreads for dinner. I tried to make a similar soup but decided to add fresh pumpkin as well. It added nice sweetness to otherwise meaty flavored red lentils. My two year old son liked it as well so I am tagging it More >
