Broccoli with Bacon

Time Required: 15 Minutes
Servings: 1
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I don’t eat bacon but my hubby just loooooves bacon. So I was looking for something which i could cook for all and just add bacon for him. So now that I had already made Broccoli Chilli Garlic, I just had to add cooked bacon for him. Simple isn’t it! 😉

So here goes the process of adding bacon to Broccoli. Click the following link for Broccoli Chilli Garlic recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 Bacon Slice
• Salt as per taste
• Pepper as per taste

Method:

1. De-freeze bacon slice. Cut/Chop into small pieces.
   
2. Take a vessel heat it and add chopped Bacon and cook.
3. Bacon gets cooked in it own fat and turns out crisp.
   
4. Discard the excess oil and mix bacon with Broccoli Chilli Garlic.
   
5. Serve it hot! You could also garnish it with some grated cheese!
   

White Rice

Time Required: 20 Minutes
Servings: 3

Many cook white rice in pressure cooker, or in the rice cooker. But here is a way to cook rice without pressure cooker. This way you can control the texture of Rice as well as it is good for your health. Some like it soft; some little grainy and this method lets you to cook the way you like. It’s healthy as excess amount of starch is removed when you drain the water. The procedure to make white rice without using cooker is mentioned below.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sona Masoori Rice
• Water

Method:

1. Take Rice and wash it properly.
2. In a vessel boil water (water should be 3/4th of the displayed vessel). Add washed rice.
   
3. Cook till done. Keep checking to get the desired texture of the rice.
   
4. Once the rice is cooked tie a muslin cloth (as shown in the picture) and tilt it to drain the water (keep it in that position for 5 mins).
   
5. Remove the muslin cloth and cover it with a lid.
6. Serve it hot!
   

Guacamole- make a Salad or a Dip

Time Required: 20 Minutes
Servings: 4
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Guacamole is an avocado based sauce originated in mexico- a Mexican Cuisine and now has become part of American Cuisine too. You can make a Sauce, a Dip and also a Salad with Avocado. In the below recipe I am going to post a recipe for Salad cum Dip. The secret of this 2 in 1 recipe is if u chop avocado it becomes Salad and if you mash it becomes a Dip 😉 . So now its your wish what you wanna try with Avocado :D!

If you are not aware of how to select and cut Avocado (as I didn’t when I initially got it) please check the following link: Select and Use Avocado

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Avocado
• 5 Cherry Tomatoes or 1 Roma Tomato chopped
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 3 tbsp Lime Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 large Garlic Clove finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Red Chilly Powder
• few Coriander Leaves chopped

Method:

1. Cut and mash Avocado.
2. Mix all the rest ingredients – Tomato, Onions, Lime Juice, Salt, Coriander Leaves, Red Chilly Powder and Garlic in a bowl.
   
3. Now mix mashed Avocado and all ingredient mix and combine well.
4. The dip is ready. Serve it with Chips!
   
   Note: If you chop Avocado instead of mashing it and follow the same procedure you have a Salad ready ;)!
   

Strawberry flavored Lassi

Time Required: 10 Minutes
Servings: 2
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Sweet Lassi is prepared by blending sugar/honey with curd. Lassi can be flavored with different fruits like mango, strawberry and sometimes with mint and lemon.

Strawberries are excellent source of Vit C, Folate, Dietary Fibers and Potassium. I had few strawberry left and so thought of making strawberry lassi. The color of this lassi looks so elegant because of the bright red colored strawberries. The sweetness and juicy texture really adds in to the taste.

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Strawberries
• 6 tbsp Sugar (may vary depending on the sweetness of strawberries)
• Salt (pinch)
• 1 1/2 cup thick Curd
• 1/2 cup Water

Method:

1. Blend together the Strawberries, Sugar and Salt.
   
2. Now add Curd and Water and blend again.
   
3. Strawberry Lassi is ready. Serve it cold!
   

Avocado- Select / Use

Procedure to Select and Use Avocado:

1. Select a Dark Green Avocado, which is firm yet little soft when squeezed.
2. Cut it vertically half and then in circular motion.
3. Remove the seed from the center and discard.
4. Now peel the sides off. The skin easily comes off Or You can scoop in with a spoon and discard the skin.
   

Avocado Recipes:

• Avocado Salad
• Avocado Dip

Baked Broccoli

Time Required: 40 Minutes
Servings: 3
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We are group of ten gals and we do keep mailing in a group about our day to day activities and also discuss everything possible. There was a day when one of the gals wanted to cook broccoli and rest started suggesting. Although I had tried few broccoli dishes, I had not baked them. So when the suggestion from one of the gals was to bake, I thought of trying too. And yeah here goes the Baked Broccoli, I would rather call it- friends baked broccoli ;)!

Ingredients:

• 2 large Broccoli crown
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp Red Chilly Powder
• Salt to taste
• Lemon Zest
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Butter for greasing

Method:

1. Cut the crown into florets and wash them thoroughly.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
3. Take a baking pan, grease with butter (to avoid sticking), spread Broccoli Florets in a single layer.
4. Spread chopped Garlic, Red Chilly Powder, Salt and pour in some Olive Oil.
5. Bake it for 20-25 min, till its brown, crisp and cooked.
   
6. Now toss this in Lemon Juice and Zest mix.
   
7. Serve it immediately!
   
   Note: You can garnish this with grated cheese while serving.

Sprouting Mung Bean

Procedure to Sprout Mung Bean:

1. Soak Mung Bean in water for 10-12 (Overnight) hours.

   

2. Remove the water and transfer the soaked Mung Bean to a hot box. If you use hot box, then Mung Bean sprouts well. Keep it for 10-12 (whole Day) hours.

   

3. Transfer the sprouted Mung Bean into a vessel and add water and keep it for 10-12 (Overnight) hours.

   
   

4. In the morning the outer covering floats in the water. Separate the sprouted Mung Bean and its cover that floats in water. Drain the water.

   
   

Berry Juice / Smoothie

Time Required: 15 Minutes
Servings: 1
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This juice is basically for the one who loves berries or berry flavor. To get down on the berry flavor you can add curd while blending. Here I have not added curd.

Ingredients:

• Handful of each Berries- Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry
• 2 tbsp Honey
• Sugar as per taste
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4th cup Curd (optional)
• 1 Mint Leaf

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients in blender and serve it cold!
   
   

HomeMade Remedies and Health Tips

HomeMade Remedies

Remedy for Stomach Pain

• Pour 1 measure of Milk and 2 measure of water in a vessel and bring it to boil. Add 1 spoon fresh Garlic paste and 1/4 spoon Turmeric and allow it to heat for 1 minute.

Remedy to lower Cholesterol

• Have 1 clove of Garlic in the morning on empty stomach for few weeks.

Remedy for Travel Sickness

• Pour 100 ml of water in a vessel and heat it. Put 5-6 crushed Tulsi leaves into the hot water and allow this mixture to boil. Strain it and drink it.

Remedy for Constipation

• Take 1 ripe Banana and mash it. Put 1/2 tsp black Sesame seeds into the mashed banana and mix it well. Have this in the night after food or early in the morning before eating anything.
• Add 1 or 2 tsp ghee in hot water. Mix it well and have it.

Remedy for Cough

• Take a glass of water in a vessel. Add 1 spoon Candy Sugar, Crushed Ginger, small piece of Cinnamon. Boil it till this mixture reduces to half. Drink it when it is hot. Have it for a week, cough reduces gradually.
• Take a glass of hot Milk and add 1/4 tbsp Turmeric Powder, Mix and have it hot.

Remedy for Cold and Cough

• Have a small Clove of Garlic after breakfast during winter. Do not Chew (to avoid the smell in your mouth). It boosts immunity and keeps you away Cold and Cough.
• Heat little mustard oil and add few cloves of garlic in it. Allow it to heat for a while. Then separate the oil and allow it to become warm and the apply this oil on the chest and under your feet. It cures cold and relives you from congestion.

Health Tips

• Jack fruit is not easy to digest. Always have Jack fruit on empty stomach. You can have it first in the morning before having Breakfast so that it can be digested easily.
• Best remedy for stomach pain is Jeera kashaya (Jeera(cumin)+Water –> Boil). Stomach Pain reduces considerably.
• Drinking water in the morning on empty stomach is extremely good for health.
• Flax seeds are rich source of omega-3 fatty acid and is one of the healthiest food. Powder Flax seeds and store it in a container. Add little powder in Curd or Water and consume it.
• Cucumber helps to break up cholesterol deposits. Eat Cucumber every day.

Cooking Tips

Some interesting Cooking Tips :

• If you have to keep peeled Potatoes for sometime before cooking them, keep them dipped in water. This will prevent potatoes from changing its color.
• To cook Potato faster, cut Potato into half and cook instead of cooking the whole Potato.
• To remove worms from Cauliflower, dip Cauliflower florets in salt water for 10-15 minutes. Worms die and float in water.
• To cook Toor Dal faster, add a drop of Ghee or Oil while cooking.
• To avoid Milk from sticking to the bottom of the vessel, add little water first, then add milk and boil.
• If you have bought Spring Onions, use it for your cooking and preserve the roots part of it. Keep them dipped in a glass of water. They grow and you can use them over and over again!
• Always store Spices in a cool, dark place. Do not store it above your stove. Spices lose their flavor due to access light and heat.
• Always add finely chopped Curry Leaves. If it is finely chopped, you will consume it. Curry leaves have many health benefits.
• To keep Curry Leaves fresh for long- Remove all curry leaves off the stem, dry them with kitchen tissue. Keep them wrapped in kitchen tissue into a zip lock cover or in an air tight container and refrigerate.
• To keep Mint Leaves fresh for long- Remove all mint leaves off the stem, dry them with kitchen tissue. Keep them in an air tight container and refrigerate.
• To keep Coriander Leaves (Cilantro) fresh for long- Cut the stem off and spread the fresh Cilantro on a paper towel. Let it dry or pat it dry. Then wrap them into the dry paper towel into a zip lock cover and refrigerate.
• Easy way to clean Ghee/ Oil jars is to add HOT water into it and keep for a minute or two and then wash it like you do for normal vessels.
• If you have left over Dal (Dali Toi), then the next day instead of having the same you can make Kolombo, Dali Ambut, or Varn. Instead of cooking Dal use the left over Dali Toi.
• If your Pulav has excess water, then you can follow either of the tips given below:
  1. Tie a thin cloth (muslin cloth) to the surface of the vessel and keep it in the inverted position for 15 minutes.
  2. Keep the vessel that has Pulav on low flame for 5 minutes and keep checking if the excess water has been removed.

Cooking Tips shared by Blog Visitors:

• I keep the bunch of Mint Leaves in a glass of water and cover it with a plastic bag and put it in the fridge.It stays fresh for many days. (Shubha Mondkar)

If you have any interesting cooking tips, share it with us!