Idli is a traditional staple breakfast in South India. For those who are don’t know what Idli is, it can be described as steamed lentil cakes. Because Idli is pain in taste, it is consumed with home-made peanut chutney, most beloved amber (lentil soup) or pod (spice powder) mixed in ghee or oil. This idli recipe is modified version to make it less in carbohydrates, high protein, high fiber. Which makes it excellent breakfast for modern low active lifestyle, diabetic patients, infants and seniors who have poor digestion and for those who need probiotics to get immunity. Making whole-grain and low-carb does not change the taste, rather they are more soft, fluffy for long time.
Peas n potato cutlets
A rainy evening, perfect mood…All you need is a cutlet. A homemade all natural crunchy cutlet filled with nutritious veggies and green chutney on the side. What else can I ask for. I saw fresh pea pods in local market. They are still sitting in my fridge. A great way to use fresh peas. I kept watching my favorite movie while I shell peas out of pod. Yes it is a bit of work but the satisfaction of eating a dish made of fresh ingredients is price-less. Fresh peas are round, meaty and are hydrated unlike frozen peas.
Cutlets make great evening snack. Excellent to entertain guests with cup of coffee/tea or sip of cocktail. Wisely use up your left over potatoes. Baked, shallow and deep fried versions of cutlets can be made to suit your diet and taste.
Radish, Mung dal lettuce wrap
A crunchy protein rich light dinner or medium sized snack. Mild kick in radish combined with mung dal makes this dish a vivid delicacy. Those times when you don’t have big appetite for dinner or feel lazy to make roti, this dish serves your purpose. Usually I make this dish with left over mung dal. When hot, with ghee this dal dish goes excellent with roti and rice. In the evening when it is at room temperature, eat with lettuce.
Taro root, purple cabbage tacos with yogurt dressing
Cinco de Mayo as many of us know is not the Independence of Mexico. It was a day of a battle when a rag-tag group of Mexican farmers, clergymen and soldiers fought against the French army. In 1861, Mexican president Benitó Juarez realized that his Government was broken and therefore could not pay back his debtors. Because France had an interest in the country and the United States was in the early stages of civil war, they took the opportunity to set up Mexico as a French colony. It was on May 5th, 1862 in the province of Puebla, when this small group of Mexican soldiers thwarted the French armies.
Baked fish with bell-pepper and spring onion
Never settle down with frozen fish sticks. Try this fresh, crispy baked fish. Perfectly baked to preserve nutrients and flavor. Pile vegetables over fish and bake. Any firm fish as tilapia, bass, grouper, mahi mahi will work. I made with all varieties. Cook up this quick and easy dish in 30 minutes.
If you are not a fan of the fishy smell, its ok. By marinating in lime or lemon juice and salt, get rid of fishy smell. Garnish with healthy condiments as lightly baked sliced green onion and fresh bell peppers. Get away from frying fish mess. With fish dinner is never boring or routine. It’s excellent for any busy weeknight.
Paneer, Roti bites
You may be a football fan or just watch the Super Bowl as an excuse to eat the tasty finger food. Don’t derail your healthy diet with fried, sugar junk. Football food can be both delicious and healthy if you cook with good choices.
Paneer is the ‘tasty’ dish vegetarians eat. Paneer indian cheese mostly homemade. It is used in several forms such as chunks, bhurji, fried, sautéed, barbequed, grilled, etc. Basically, paneer is an all-rounder when it comes to ways it can be eaten and tastes good almost in all these forms.
Fun Facts About the Super Bowl Trophy
Like any great design moment, it started with a sketch: Not long after the merger of the National Football League and American Football League in 1966, Tiffany & Co. Vice President Oscar Riedener got together for lunch with Pete Rozelle, the first commissioner of the newly created NFL, to discuss the design of a trophy to be awarded for the “world-championship” game created as a result of the merger. Riedener sketched the original trophy, which has not changed in size or design, on a cocktail napkin.
Just the stats: Crafted entirely of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. silversmiths in a Rhode Island workshop, the trophy stands 22 inches high and weighs 7 lbs.
Just the stats: Crafted entirely of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. silversmiths in a Rhode Island workshop, the trophy stands 22 inches high and weighs 7 lbs.
One super debut: The first trophy was awarded to the world-champion Green Bay Packers on January 15, 1967; the Packers captured the trophy again the following year.
No Deflategate here: The trophy’s design features a three-sided concave pedestal topped by a regulation-size football (we’re assuming at the properly inflated PSI). The football is also fixed in a kicking position.
Playing for keeps: Unlike hockey’s Stanley Cup, which is passed to the winning team each season, each winning Super Bowl team gets to keep its own Vince Lombardi trophy.
Tomatillo, avocado dip
Bigger is good with your paycheck. But at snack time, smaller really is better. A perfect snack to melt your fat.
Tomatillo is related to the tomato and is native to Mexico and Central America. The fruit resembles a small unripe tomato and is usually green or yellow. The tomatillo has a papery covering that when peeled away reveals a bright green fruit. Because of this outer covering, the tomatillo is sometimes called a husk tomato. Whole tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Tomatillo’s flesh is full of small seeds and has a sweet/sour flavor. Basic for sauces and salsa making, their unique tangy flavor mixes perfectly well with any Mexican dish. The yellow color indicates ripeness, but tomatillo’s are most often used when they are still green.
The tomatillo (toe-ma-tea-o) is of Mexican origin and has been introduced into the United States. The husk tomato plant produces an edible fruit enclosed in a thick husk. The husk is brown and the fruit yellowish when it is ripe. The plants will grow to a height of three to four feet.
Avocados are high on mono-saturated fat (the good fat) and protein, low in sodium and fructose but high in potassium, containing twice that of a banana, and essential vitamins and minerals such as fiber, vitamin K, B5, B6 and C and foliate.
Avocado’s help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. They lower the risk of heart disease, help the body efficiently absorb fat soluble nutrients. Promote weight loss boost eye and heart health etc. Avocados can be eaten every which way, but the first step is making sure your avocado is ripe. Typically avocados will take 4 to 6 days to ripen. You can tell when they are ripe by gently pushing down on them. A ripe avocado should give a bit when you add pressure but it if the avocado is too soft that means it is probably over ripe and will be brown when you cut into it. If the avocado is hard it means it is not yet ripe. One trick is to flick off the tiny stem of the avocado. If it is green underneath that means the avocado is ripe. If it is brown underneath it is overripe and if the stem doesn’t come off it needs more time to ripen.
Avocado Facts
The pit of the avocado contains a milky red or black liquid that was once used as ink for writing
The avocado pit ink can be used as a natural food dye
95% of avocados consumed in the US are Haas avocados
Brussels sprouts hara bhara cutlets
The Holiday Tradition Begins
A common Christmas holiday feast consists turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, honey-glazed ham, Brussels sprouts and is not complete without Christmas cake made of dried raisins, candies peel, almonds, apples and whiskey.
Brussels sprouts don’t normally elicit a positive reaction from many people. Take a chance this holiday season to cook up more yummy recipes featuring Brussels sprouts. And every season, these recipes convert more and more people into Brussels sprouts lovers! These veggies are full of fiber and vitamin C, making them a nutritious addition to any meal!
My first experience with Brussels sprouts was cutting them and cooking in tomato gravy. But bitterness turned me off for few years until I had made these cutlets. Ever since I’ve been enjoying them and experimenting with various preparation styles.
The plant that was bred to be the Brussels sprouts we know today probably originated in Ancient Rome. It wasn’t until the 13th century that they were grown in Belgium, and, hence, were named for the county’s capital. Interestingly, the word Brussels came from the Dutch word “Broeksel” meaning “home in the marsh,” and marshes provide a very similar environment to where they now grow on the Central Coast, near ocean inlets, or sloughs.
Sulfurous little Brussels sprouts made their debut in our area in the 1920s when newly arrived Italian farmers began planting them along with artichokes. By 1940 the acreage was significant, and today several thousand are grown in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The tall stalks yield dense buds that resemble mini cabbages that thrive in the cool, coastal fog and have a slightly bitter taste that can sweeten when frosty temperatures hit.
In fact, the area is so well suited to Brussels sprouts that up until 1993 there was a Brussels sprouts festival sponsored by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The festival went on for 12 years before it was uprooted for dwindling attendance. There were Brussels sprouts on pizzas and in ice cream (possibly the entire reason for the demise of the festival) and attendees who couldn’t bear to eat them were encouraged to whack them with golf clubs and hit targets. Since then, a more diverse variety of produce has been planted on the coast, making Brussels sprouts less significant, and their celebration has taken a backseat to that of garlic, strawberries, artichokes and olives, which all have their own festivals in our region.
About three-quarters of Brussels sprouts production is slated for the frozen food aisle, with only about 15% harvested for consuming fresh. But like most vegetables, Brussels sprouts yield the most nutrients when eaten fresh and raw; steaming, sautéing and roasting are second best. Brussels sprouts contain high levels of vitamins C and K, as well as significant amounts of potassium and feel-good B vitamins that give you energy and a sense of well-being. They are high in protein—2 grams for only ½ cup cooked. However, they are missing certain amino acids so the protein is incomplete unless eaten with a serving of whole grains. They also contain tons of fiber and sulforaphane, a phytochemical touted for powerful cancer-fighting properties.
Jackfruit Napa cabbage rolls
The jackfruit is believed indigenous to the rain forests of the Western Ghats of India. It spread early on to other parts of India, southeast Asia, the East Indies and ultimately the Philippines. It is often planted in central and eastern Africa and is fairly popular in Brazil and Surinam.
Popularly known as Chinese cabbage, Napa cabbage is native to China. It has also earned a global presence in food cultures throughout all hemispheres. It is the most popular cabbage featured in supermarkets around the world. Napa cabbage is known for its signature barrel-shape and crisp, pale green, tightly-wrapped leaves with a white mid-rib and a dense heart. The outer leaves curve inward and are true green to pale green. The interior leaves and the heart is yellow to ivory colored. Its flavor is more subtle and pleasant than European head cabbage. The water content is also higher, creating a crisper and more refreshing texture.
Napa Cabbage has a mild flavor, that makes it excellent ingredient for a variety of salads and vegetable dishes. High in vitamin C with smaller amounts of calcium and fiber, this cabbage is predominantly grown in Asia and the United States. It is also a variety of Cabbage that medical experts regard highly for containing compounds known as indoles that have been associated with preventing some types of cancer.
Napa cabbage is available year-round.
Napa cabbage is the used in soups, slaws and stir-fries. It can be used in raw applications, braised, stewed and even grilled. Families in China would stock up on it during the icy winter months. Napa cabbage is still a mainstay of northern rural China’s winter home cooking. In addition to using cabbage in soups, salads, stir-fried dishes, Mongolian hot pots and dumpling fillings, Chinese traditionally preserve it in the form of kimchi and sauerkraut.
Nepali (tibetan) Jackfruit momos
Momo is a Tibetan delicacy. It is type of dumpling filled with vegetables, cheese or meat, is one of the main menu items in all Tibetan and Nepali restaurants. Though traditionally filled with yak meat, in different areas of North east India, chicken, pork, goat and buffalo meat is used and eaten with a variety of sauces. It is similar to popularly known dish pot stickers in Western countries.
Tibet is situated in north of the Himalayas. Extensive mountain ranges to the east of the Tibetan Plateau mark the border with China, and the towering Himalayas of Nepal and India form a barrier between Tibet and India.
Traditionally momo was the symbol of either a party in progress or someone having food in a restaurant. Momos were made at homes occasionally and during special occasions. Momo, the Tibetan delicacy. This dumpling, filled with vegetables, cheese or meat, is (along with the Thukpa or noodle soup) one of the main menu items in all Tibetan restaurants. In reality, this food is shared with cultural cousins in the Indian Himalayas, Bhutan and Nepal. But Tibetans continued to be seen as the owner of the momo brand.
Now things are changing (at least in Delhi and many northern cities) with the Indianization of momos. Many Tibetan’s are opening a roadside shack selling momos. Today there are several road side stalls in Delhi, Dehradun, selling momos. In north-west Delhi new stalls emerged with a wide variation of momos. The common feature is that these stalls are all owned and operated by Indians.
