Idli Manchurian

Preparation time: 15 minutes                               Cooking time : 15 minutes

Serves : 2

Ingredients

Left over idlis 7-8 ( cut into small pieces)

One big onion ( big pieces)

one green pepper medium( chopped big pieces)

one green chili (chopped,small pieces, more as per your taste)

5-6 cloves of cloves finely chopped

few shreds of ginger chopped

1 tablespoon of thick Soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar.

1 tablespoon of thai sweet chili sauce

1 tsp of thai hot chili sauce ( Preferably sriracha)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2  teaspoon pepper powder

1 teaspoon salt.

1 tablespoon ketchup.

Corn flour (2 tablespoon)

sesame seeds for garnishing.

Directions :

Add oil to the wok, once heated ,add ginger garlic and chili pieces first.Saute them.

Once,done add the onion pieces and saute them until they become a bit transparent.

Add the green pepper at end,since they cook faster and they should not be too soft, a bit crunchy taste better in curry.

Now,add soy sauce,salt ,pepper,chili powder, thai chili sauce and vinegar.

Add about 100 ml of water into the wok  and add one chopped garlic clove, let it come to a boil.

Take 2 tablespoon of cornflour, mix in 50 ml water , and add to the wok.

Stir the sauce until you see it become thick.

check the salt and spice level. You can add more as per your taste.

Now add a tablespoon of ketchup to give it a bit sweet taste.You can skip it as well if you don’t like sweet taste in your food.

Add the idli pieces to the sauce   toss, cover , put on low flame for 3-4 mins.

For garnishing add sesame seeds on top and eat it like a starter or maincourse.

 

Home Made Bolognese Sauce

This recipe is for Pasta Bolognese lovers,  We tried to make a healthy lean meat bolognese sauce at home and it turned out quite well.

Presenting you a simple recipe from our kitchen.

Preparation time – 15 minutes                             Cooking time  :25-30 minutes  

Serves-2 Hungry  people

Ingredients needed:

250 g spaghetti or pasta of your choice, or half packet

1/2 medium onion, thinly chopped

1 garlic clove

1/2 small carrot, chopped

1/2 small green pepper (capsicum) chopped

2 medium  tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste concentrate,

200 gm ground lean meat

1 big tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ,

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley/persil

Salt, pepper as per your taste.

Some chopped mint leaves for dressing.

Method

Boil pasta according to instructions on the packet, strain and keep aside.

In a mixer, grind together chopped carrot, green pepper, onion and garlic . Keep the mixture aside.

Now grind tomatoes to make a smooth paste.

Heat olive oil in pan ,add the minced meat and saute for 3-4 mins on medium flame.

add the paste of garlic , onion, pepper and carrots, sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in  tomato sauce paste and concentrate , cook until oil come up ( cook on low flame 5-10 minutes)

Add  salt, pepper , dried parsley, dried oregano and paprika  powder if you like a bit hot , and continue cooking 1 minute.

Pour the sauce over pasta,  add cheese over it if you like , I didnt add , it was yum without cheese as well, few drops  of olive oil for flavour.

Some mint leaves and a cherry tomato for presentation.

Enjoy!!

Pictures for the steps :

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Pesto Chicken

Another healthy recipe from our kitchen.  You can eat it as a Salad or a Starter as you prefer. It is a good dinner idea for people like us on diet . It will help you keep full and low on calories.

If you have been following this blog you must have noticed we are quite a fan of pesto sauce, I love the fresh smell of basil which makes anything I put it in so desirable with its fresh aroma and taste.

 

Preparation time : 15 mins                                                              Cooking time: 10 mins

Serves 2

Ingredients:

200 gm chicken filets.

1 big tomato.

2 tablespoon pesto sauce.

Salt, pepper as per your taste.

20 gm mozzarella  grated cheese

1 bay leaf.

Directions:

Boil the chicken with bay leaf and some salt. You can  use the water from chicken as chicken stock later.

Cut the tomatoes into round thin slices.

Spread some pesto sauce on each boiled chicken piece and put the tomato slice on it.

Sprinkle salt and pepper. Top it with some grated cheese.

Bake in oven for 10 mins till the cheese melts and you see brown cheesy crust on top.

Serve it with salad .

Here the pictures that will help you get better idea how we did it.

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The inside view 🙂

Pumpkin Puree ( Indian Style Sweet Savoury )

Pumpkins are great for health . Mashed pumpkin has only 50 calories per cup and 3 grams of fiber. “Fiber helps keep you fuller longer, which keeps your appetite at bay so you eat less overall,” says nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet.

Consuming one cup of cooked, canned pumpkin would provide well over 100% of your daily needs for vitamin A, 20% of the daily value for vitamin C, 10% or more for vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese at least 5% for thiamin, B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.

 

Preparation Time: 10 mins         Cooking time: 30 minutes

                    Serves – 2                        

Ingredients:

300 gm peeled pumpkin cut into cubes.

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon sugar

pinch of asafoetida powder

Salt -1/2 teaspoon

crushed Pepper-1/4 teaspoon

chili powder-1/2 teaspoon

1 tablespoon lemon juice or dry mango powder.

1 tablespoon Olive oil

Directions :

Add oil to cooker and once heated , all the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Sprinkle asafoetida powder in oil and add pumpkin pieces.

Saute for a min and add spices (salt, pepper,turmeric, chili powder)

Add 1 cup of water , Cover and cook on low flame til pumpkin pieces are soft . ( If cooking in a pressure cooker, put the lid and cook until 3-4 whistles on medium flame)

Check if pumpkin is completely cooked, mash in until you see a puree. Add teaspoon of sugar and dry mango powder. Cook for another 5 mins on low flame till you see oil separates from puree.

Eat it with paratha or puri ( both are indian bread) you can enjoy it with boiled rice as well.

 

Pasta Salad with Chicken Steak

So tonight’s dinner was chicken steak  and some pasta salad.

 

               Preparation Time: 15 mins         Cooking time :20 mins

                                   Serves – 2 

Ingredients:

3 chicken filets( 100 gm each),

one filet cut into small pieces for salad and remaining two for steak

Cherry tomatoes   (5-6)

onion(1 slice) optional

yellow pepper  1/2 medium

Mozzarella cheese-5-6 cubes

boiled corns- canned ( 50 gm)

lettuce (10 big leaves)

Olives (5-6) canned

Boiled pasta ( 200 gms)

Salt -1:2 teaspoon

Pepper-1/4 teaspoon

chicken boneless  (200 gms)

Red Chili powder -1 teaspoon

Herbe de Provence 1 teaspoon

Garlic Powder-1/2 teaspoon

2 tablespoon Olive oil

1 teaspoon of vinegar

1 tablespoon of Green Pesto Sauce

Directions :

Marinate the chicken filets for steak  with salt,pepper, chili powder , garlic powder ,herb de provence and 1 tbsp of olive oil . Keep it aside for sometime before you  prepare your  dinner.

For Salad,first grill or shallow fry chicken pieces and keep aside to cool.

Chop lettuce, tomatoes , pepper , onion slice and add to your salad bowl.

Add the boiled corns ,olives and cheese cubes as well.

Now add grilled chicken  and boiled  pasta .

for the dressing : add salt,pepper,few drops of olive oil,vinegar , and pesto sauce. Mix well. Your Salad is ready.

Shallow fry your marinated chicken filets or grill it as you prefer, till you see both sides with golden brown color.

Enjoy !!

Baked Vegetables with Chicken

Baking is a great way to cook your food without frying or adding much oil . Today we had our veggies baked with chicken. We  marinated them in spices for an hour before we put them in oven. It does make difference in taste as spices were absorbed by chicken and vegetables and tastes much better.

Preparation time : 15 minutes excluding marinating time (1 hour min)          Baking time : 20 mins

Calories per serving =278

Serves – 2

Ingredients :

• Chicken breast , cut into small pieces  200 gm
• Vegetables – small Potatoes 6-7, brinjal 1/2, Green and yellow Pepper 1/4rth each , Tomato 1, Onion 1/2, Carrot  1 ,Zucchini -1/25, lemon 1, Green Peas – handful
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• Salt 1 teaspoon
• Spices for marinade-,Pepper 1/2 teaspoon,Garlic Powder 1/2 teaspoon,Cumin Powder 1/2 teaspoon,Chili Powder 1/2 teaspoon
• Herbs- Herb de Provence, Dry Parsley to sprinkle

Method :

Marinate the chicken and vegetables  with spices,lemon juice,salt, one tablespoon olive oil  and keep aside for minimum an hour ( more you keep, it is better)

Preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 240 C.

Now transfer the marinated vegetables and chicken into baking tray ,some water (50 ml) and  sprinkle some herbs over it, and let it bake for 15-20 minutes.

check if vegetable are cooked .

Serve with bread or rice as you prefer .

 

Boiled Potato Salad

Sorry for not posting much on this blog , We are currently in switching phase  to more healthy eating and healthy cooking with new recipes for Diet food.  This one is for potato lovers like us 😀

Boiled potatoes are good for health , some of their benefits listed below:

Boiled potatoes are low in calories and fat, but high in fiber and nutrients. Boiled potatoes are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium, phosphorus, B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. They are low in calories and fat, and their high fiber content helps you feel full .

               Preparation Time: 10 mins         

                    Serves – 2                        Calories per serving: 207 

Ingredients:

1 boiled egg

5-6 cherry Tomatoes

2 medium boiled potatoes

Salt -1/2 teaspoon

crushed Pepper-1/4 teaspoon

chopped parsley or coriander -handful

chili powder-1/4 teaspoon (optional)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

few drops of vinegar preferably Apple Cider

1 tablespoon Olive oil

Directions :

Chop tomatoes and parsley.

Slice the boiled eggs , add to your salad bowl.

Crush the boiled potatoes and add to the bowl.

Now add  salt,pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil  . Mix well

Enjoy !!

A picture from my plate before I gulped down  last bites.

Garden salad with grilled chicken

I like this salad as it has chicken and eggs which makes you full and you don’t feel hungry after one or two  hours . The spicy flavor of grilled chicken satiate my spice cravings too.

               Preparation Time: 15 mins         Cooking time :10mins

                                   Serves – 2 

Ingredients:

2 boiled eggs

Tomato    1 big

yellow pepper  1/2 medium

Feta cheese-few cubes

1 carrot- shredded

courgette-1/2

onion-few slices(optional)

boiled corns- canned ( 50 gm)

lettuce (10 big leaves)

Salt -1:2 teaspoon

Pepper-1/4 teaspoon

chicken boneless  (200 gms)

barbecue powder -1 spoon

Garlic Powder-1/2 teaspoon

chili powder-1/2 teaspoon

1 tablespoon Olive oil

Dressing for Salad- I had already in my fridge, used Caeser Salad Dressing One tbs. ( otherwise you can prepare you own dressing -> 1 tbs mayonnaise ,one teaspoon olive oil,vinegar few drops , sprinkle salt ,pepper, other herbs as you like and  mix well)

Directions :

Marinate the chicken with salt,pepper, chili powder , garlic powder ,barbecue powder and some olive oil . Keep it aside for sometime before you think to prepare your salad.

Grill the chicken pieces first.

Chop lettuce, tomatoes ,pepper and onion.

Grate carrot and courgette and mix everything in salad bowl.

Slice the boiled eggs , add to your salad bowl.

Add the boiled corns and cheese cubes as well.

Now add grilled chicken , salad dressing . Mix well

Enjoy !!

Pasta Verde with Pesto Sauce and Spinach

 

A healthy recipe for Pasta with lot of greens and taste great too. I am in love with it after I ate this pasta in Dominos and then tried at home. It came out pretty good, no complaints 🙂 Do try and let me know .

 

Preparation time – 15 minutes                                Cooking time  :20 minutes  

Ingredients needed: 

250 g  pasta or half packet

100 gm chicken pieces marinated in barbecue powder and some salt.

spinach   100 gm. ( I used frozen portions of spinach)

5-6 cherry tomatoes.

3-4 garlic cloves chopped.

2 tablespoon pesto sauce.

1 big tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ,

1/2 teaspoon dried Herbs De Provence

Salt, pepper as per your taste.

20 gm mixed cheese ( from any super market )

Method

Boil the pasta  according to instructions on the packet, strain and keep aside.

Meanwhile sauté the chicken with a teaspoon of oil till it looks cooked from both sides or grill it as you prefer.

Heat olive oil in pan , add  garlic and fry them for few seconds till you smell the aroma ,

Add spinach portions  and tomatoes .

Add the the pesto sauce ,salt and pepper; sauté for a another minute.

Now Add the chicken to sauce,

Simmer and let it cook for 5 mins.

Add now the boiled pasta to the sauce and mix it well.

Add dried herbs now like oregano, herbe de provence ,parsley. .

Toss pasta with in sauce and add some cheese over it,

I added some parmesan as well. Cook till cheese melts .

Serve and Enjoy !!

 

Pasta Tagliatelle with Creamy Spinach sauce

A simple  dinner idea is Pasta with spinach sauce.

I  think from family of green leafy vegetables ,spinach is my favorite. Whenever I think of eating more green stuff, spinach comes to my rescue. It tastes great with pasta, I added some mushrooms too which made it even more tasty!

Presenting you a simple recipe from our kitchen.

Preparation time – 15 minutes                                Cooking time  :20 minutes  

Serves-2 Hungry  people

Ingredients needed: 

250 g  pasta or half packet

1 cup  low fat cream,

Canned mushrooms, 7-8 sliced, or fresh ones as you prefer .

spinach paste/puree  100 gm. ( I used frozen portions of spinach)

1 big tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano ,

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley/persil

Salt, pepper as per your taste.

50-60  gm mixed cheese ( from any super market )

Parmesan cheese powder for dressing

Method

Boil tagliatelle pasta  according to instructions on the packet, strain and keep aside.

Heat olive oil in pan , add  mushrooms and spinach portions until spinach melt and form sauce.

Add the cream . stir and add salt,pepper,garlic powder .

Add the pasta to the sauce .

Add dried herbs now like oregano, herbe de provence ,parsley. .

 

Toss pasta with in sauce and add cheese over it,

Sprinkle some Parmesan over pasta in your plate.

Enjoy!!