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 !!

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 !!