Magic soups!

Its the dreaded season of flu, cough and cold germs are everywhere and though we take every precautions against them, you might still fall prey. The telltale signs - heavy head, blocked nostrils, dead tastebuds, itchy throat - and you know, the next few weeks are going to be painful.

Growing up, my grandma and mom always had natural and useful home remedies when I or my brother had cough and cold, and those generation old remedies have thankfully imprinted in me and I always dig up my magic potions when my kids fall sick. Thanks to internet and television, I have learned some additional tricks and together my guns are all ready to win the battle against the nasty germs. These home remedies are good for adults too and will give you the much needed comfort you need.

I am going to upload some of the tips/tricks/home remedies on my YouTube channel soon, please visit and do not forget to share and subscribe.

Here  I will share recipes of my goto soups of this season, they are extremely good to boost immunity and help reduce cold and cough symptoms. I call them magic soups :)

1) Ginger + Green onion soup -

Ingredients :

Pasta - 1 cup
Ginger - 1/4 cup, sliced (you can use 1Tbsp grated if you are not scared of spice)
Spring onions/Scallions - 1/2 cup, cut
Carrots - 1/2 cup, cut
French Beans - 1/2 cup, cut
Salt
Black Pepper
Butter - 1 Tsp
Tangerine - 1/2

Method :

1) Boil 5 cups of water in a pan
2) Add salt as per taste
3) Add the Ginger, Spring onions, Carrots, French beans, Pasta and Black pepper
4) Cook until pasta and vegetables are al dente or soft if you prefer.
5) Add the butter and turn off flame.
6) Squeeze the tangerine into the soup, add about 1 tsp of juice to the soup.
7) Serve hot with toasts.

2) Chicken + Orange peel/zest soup -

Ingredients -

Chicken breast - 4-5 pieces, I used halal chicken with bones.
Carrots - 1/2 cup, cut
Onions - 1/2 cup, diced
Orange zest - 1 Tsp
Apples - 1/3 cup, diced with peel on
Turmeric - 1/2 Tsp
Salt
Black pepper
Butter - 1 Tsp

Method -

1) Marinate the chicken pieces with some pepper and the turmeric.
2) Boil about 5 cups of water in a pan
3) Add salt as per taste
4) Add the onion, orange zest, marinated chicken pieces, apples and carrots and boil until chicken is cooked. Add more water if needed
5) Add the butter and turn off flame.
7) Serve hot with some rice. Add as much black pepper as you like.

P.S. Add slit green chilies to the soup for added flavor and heat. Green chilis are known to boost immunity.

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How To Eat Burata Cheese

I love love love Burata Cheese.

From WikiPedia - Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella, while the inside contains cheese produced from buffalo milk and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture.

I get the low fat version from my grocery store. One ball serves 2 and is 70 calories per serving. However I cheat each time and eat the whole ball myself, not too much still - adds up to just 140 calories.

The proper technique of eating Burata was taught to me by my daughters best friend's Dad. He is an Italian and infact was the one who actually introduced us to Burata. I initially was skeptical because I hate Buffalo milk, too strong a taste for me, but as I pinched my nose and swallowed a bite, it hit my heart, the melting heavenly taste of a perfectly served Burata. Since then, its a part of our regular grocery list, and here is how we like it -

Ingredients -

Burata - 1
Salt - 1 pinch
Pepper
Extra vergin Olive oil - 1 Tbsp
Fresh lime - 1/2 tsp

Method -

1) Take the burata in a plate.
2) Make a small slit on it with a knife
3) Pour the Olive oil on it
4) Sprinkle a pinch of salt and drizzle some pepper
5) Add a few drops of fresh lime.

Ideally serves 2 :) But cheat like me and enjoy, just look at the calorie on the package and buy the lower calorie one, problem solved.

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Minimal Salads

Losing postpartum weight is such a challenge, especially if you just had your repeat c-section. Top that with muscle separation or diastasis recti. I have a tendency to put on several extra pounds during pregnancy, happened the first time when I had my daughter at 26 years of age and then again when I had my son at 34 years. So you cannot blame it on the child's gender or maternal age. I think its just hormones and I have the bad pregnancy hormones like many other women. I remember being so jealous of the beautiful glowing pregnant women at the maternity hospital when I went for regular checkups. What am I doing wrong? I had the perfect pre-pregnancy weight, walked 2 miles most days during the full 9 months, ate healthy, especially after I had borderline GDM my 2nd time, but but but...well my motto - lets not fret about things that cannot be controlled, I am so overjoyed and grateful to God for my two beautiful children. And I know I can get back my healthy body again, I have done it once, and I will do it again :)

So lets start with diet. I try to follow a low carb diet even after I was given the green signal after I delivered my baby that I am free of blood sugar and can get back to my normal eating habits. But to be honest, I liked the GDM diet and am trying to stick to the good habits I have started with help from my then nutritionist.

I have uploaded a video of what I eat in a day on my YouTube channel, hope you will like it. I will upload a few more in the coming days. There I share what I eat and the total estimated calorie intake in a day. I am a breast feeding mom, so once I stop breast feeding altogether, I plan to alter my diet some more.

Recipes for easy salad, I will keep adding as I make and take pictures of them -

1) Spinach/Mango/Sunflower seeds 

Ingredients -

Spinach - 2 cups, washed and cut
Mangoes - 1/2, sliced
Sunflower seeds - 2 Tbsp
Fresh lime - 1/2 tbsp
Quinoa chips - 10

Method -
Super easy, just take the spinach in a plate, top with mangoes, sunflower seeds. Drizzle the fresh lime and take a side of your favorite chips, quinoa chips are healthier choice. I also like lentil chips.

This is best with sweet mangoes. I mangoes are not sweet, add some honey instead of the fresh lime.
This is extremely low calorie food, so make sure to eat some protein with it, like a boiled egg/buratta cheese/chicken breast pieces etc.

2) Kale/Oranges/Almonds

Ingredients -

Kale - 1 cup, washed and cut
Oranges - 1/2, peeled and diced
Almonds - 2 Tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Parmesan cheese - 2 Tbsp
Chicken dumplings - 5 (I used the store bought ones)

Method -
Take the kale in a bowl, top with oranges, almonds and Parmesan. Drizzle the olive oil and take a side of some chicken dumplings. I toasted the store brought (frozen) ones on a pan w/o oil on low heat. Took about 10 minutes to get ready.

Do share your favorite salad recipe in the comments below :)

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Sandwiched!!!

Four easy, simple, delicious and quick school lunch box Sandwich recipes, these are also my absolute favorites. Why you ask? Well for one, these sandwiches are made of fresh vegetables and since they taste so good, no one is complaining. And because they are so super easy and take barely minutes to make, I end up having some time of my own in the mornings.

Now while I talk of these sandwiches as kids' lunch ideas, they taste scrumptious and I am sure parents would love to sneak in a bite. Please pack one for your work lunch, and let me know how you liked them :) Or just eat them at home for lunch or dinner or as a snack like I do.

I always prefer "Sourdough bread", this happened after I watched a documentary on Netflix about "Bread" couple of years ago. Bread was explained so well there, and turns out that Sourdough bread recipe is the only bread recipe that is the "properest" of all, so much so that if made the right way, people with gluten allergy will also be able to consume it. I am not sure if the bread I buy are made the "right" way, since I get them mostly from department/grocery stores, but I did get a chance to test this statement made by the documentary in a way. I had gestational diabetes during my second pregnancy and I struggled to portion my carbs correctly, and observed that my blood tests were always better if I ate a Sourdough bread compared to other varieties like Multigrain, Whole Wheat etc. BTW, while we are still on the topic of gestational diabetes, the best carb out there is Quinoa! Its the most amazing grain! 

Okay, back to bread and sandwiches; here are the recipes, I use Sourdough bread (2 qty), and would recommend them as well, but can be made with any bread -

1) Spinach/Avocado/Mozzarella Sandwich -

Ingredients -

1/2 Avocado - sliced

Butter

Mozzarella cheese - shredded, 1/3 cup

Spinach - 1 cup

Black Pepper

Method -

1) Toast the bread, I like them crunchy.

2) Spread butter on both.

3) While the bread toasts, mix the spinach and mozzarella together and microwave for 1.30 minutes. 

4) Mix in the melted cheese well with the spinach and top one of the buttered bread.

5) Place the diced avocados on the other.

6) Put some black pepper on top, and shut. Cut into half.

2) Spinach/Egg/Cheese Sandwich -

Ingredients -

Spinach - 1 cup

Egg - 1, make into an omelette/scramble/sunny side up (everyone has a favorite :)

Cheese - shredded, 1/3 cup (Mozzarella/Parmesan)

Butter

Black Pepper

Method -

1) Follow the steps above from 1-4.

2) Place the egg on the second bread. Add some black pepper.

3) Shut and cut in half.

Want to know more about me and see the recipe? Please checkout recipe and chit-chat video here - Spinach/Egg/Cheese Sandwich

3) Sweet Potato/Avocado Sandwich -

Ingredients -

Sweet Potatoes - 1/2, cut in medium sized circles, keep skin.

Avocado - 1/2, sliced.

Salt

Black Pepper

Lemon - we will need a few drops

Method -

1) Boil 1/2 cup water in a flat bottomed skillet. Add the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle some salt.

2) Cover and cook on low flame. Once the water is evaporated, test if the potatoes are done with a fork, add a little water and boil some more if needed.

3) Toast the bread.

4) Apply butter on both.

5) Add the potatoes on one bread, avocados on the other.

6) Sprinkle a few drops of fresh lemon, and add some black pepper.

7) Shut and cut into halves.

4) Egg/Avocado/Cucumber Sandwich -

Ingredients -

Hard-boiled egg - 1

Avocado - 1/2

Cucumbers - Few circles

Cilantro - 1 Tablespoon 

Butter

Black Pepper

Method -

1) Toast the bread

2) Butter both

3) Cut the boiled egg into circles and put on one bread.

4) Add the avocado and cucumbers on the other.

5) Sprinkle the cilantro and black pepper

6) Shut and cut in half.

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Mom's Egg curry

I have a reason to name this dish "Mom's Egg curry". Easy to guess, isn't it? This is a recipe my Mom made to perfection. Just don't count the calories as you relish this dish with some piping hot white rice, and I assure you it will most certainly take you to the seventh heaven. Mom made this mostly for special occasions, like birthday's etc. and each time she made it, we licked our plates and fingers clean and still craved for more. Here is my attempt to recreate the lovely "Mom's Egg curry".

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Ingredients (serves two)

1) 2 eggs
3) 1/2 onion
4) 1 Tbsp ginger garlic paste
5) 3 Green chilies - slit
5) 1 Tsp Cumin powder
6) 2 Tsp turmeric powder
7) 1 1/2 Tsp garam masala powder
8) 1 Tbsp plain yogurt - I used fat free
9) 2 Tbsp flour
10) 1 Tbsp semolina
11)  Salt to taste
12) Oil
13) Bay leaves
14) Cinnamon sticks
15) 1 Tsp ghee

Method

1) Hard boil the eggs and cut them in halves
2) In a bowl, mix the flour, semolina, turmeric, some salt and mix.
3) Add a tsp of oil, mix and keep aside for 10 minutes. This procedure makes the batter crunchy when fried.
4) Heat the oil in a pan for deep frying.
5) Now add some water to the dry mix, the consistency should be close to runny, but not too much.
6) Dip the halved eggs in batter and deep fry, the runny batter with the turmeric will add a red color to the eggs when fried.
7) Keep aside on a paper towel to soak excess oil.
8) Blend the onion and ginger garlic paste to form a coarse mix.
9) Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks.
10) Add the onion mix. Saute until color turns golden and then add the cumin and turmeric. Also add half of the garam masala powder.
11) Saute until oil appears on the sides. Now add the yogurt and saute few more. Add the remaining garam masala.
12) Add half cup water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and add the eggs.
13) Add the ghee.

Serve with rice/roti/bread.

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Shorshe jhal (Mustard sauce gravy)

I love my share of dishes that are based on gravy made of "shorshe". Shorshe is nothing but mustard seeds. There are really two types of mustard seeds that we can get in any grocery store - black and white. Though the black mustard is used more popularly in Europe and America to make the ever popular tangy mustard sauce, in Bengal households the much milder white mustard is preferred. And rightly so. Now the favorite mustard seed paste preparation is fish, and the preparation is meant to be thick and flavorful, not very strong or pungent or towards bitter, but just a little hint of all these tastes, accentuated by adding a little mustard seed oil, and tomatoes, cilantro, peppers etc. Depending on the dish, some recipes involve adding a hint of sugar, or ginger paste and some tempering with black caraway seeds.

Sharing my recipe for the mustard paste that I usually use. I know every one has their own version, I wold love to read yours too, so please do add your numero uno go to recipe in the comments.

Recipe video using Salmon and some chit-chat here - Salmon in Mustard Paste

Ingredients -

1) 3 Tbsp white mustard seeds
2) 1 Tsp ginger paste
3) 1-2 chilies
4) 1 Tsp mustard oil
5) 1/2 Tsp salt
6) 1 Tsp turmeric powder

Method -

1) Soak the mustard seeds in water for 2 hours
2) Drain the water and put in a blender
3) Add all other ingredients
4) Add 3 Tsp water and grind. Add more water if the mix gets too dry.
5) Grind until the paste is very smooth, fluffy almost.

Now mustard paste gets bitter if fried for longer in oil. So if you intend to have a thick gravy, add the water to the paste before putting the paste in oil and tempering. If you intend to make a dry dish, turn of the flame before adding the paste and after the paste is all well mixed with the main ingredients, then turn on the flame again.

Do share your methods of preparing mustard gravy, I would love to know your tricks as well :)

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Shedhho Puli

 Oh my gosh! It's been a real long time since I wrote a recipe!! Am I not been cooking? Well, I am. Infact, I have been experimenting. Healthiest possible ways to cook up simple yet good food that hit just the right spot, and don't necessarily show up in the wrong places. I will share those, when I feel that I have the perfect concoction. Like this recipe, which is ancient, but I made it with some twists to cut the calorie values, yet it tasted just right.

In Assam, Makar Sankranti/Bihu is the time when we all grow a couple of sweet tooth, and get ready to empty plate after plate of delicacies, majority of them sweet and savory.  So what if our New Year resolution was to lose those extra pounds, 'tis the season (for us)! I have grown up seeing my Ma and Thamma(Grandma) stay awake till the wee hours of dawn, making Pithas, as these sweet delicacies are called. Not one or two kinds mind you! There have been some years, our plates had as many as TEN different types of Pithas, and we still wanted more!

Tradition calls for waking up as early as possible on Makar Sankranti, while its still dark, and take bath. Oh how I hated it! Who wouldn't? Waking up as early as 4.00 am on a chilly January morning and being rushed to the bathroom to take a bath is definitely not the best thing in the world. But wait, things got interesting when we came out of the bathroom, and went to the backyard, where Dad and Grandpa had lit up the Merameri'r ghar! Its a house-like structure we made the day before with bamboos, straws, branches, old newspapers etc. and was oodles of fun! And even more fun was getting warmed by the crackling fire, and while we sat there, Mom brought us plate full of those delicious Pithas. Oh yes, Sankranti was fun! We forgot all about the bath, and ate the whole day. :)

Ah those were the days! Sugar somehow became bad over the years (I have no clue how!). But the best thing is, we still celebrate this festival in our own ways, we still love those Pithas, and we scratch our heads, and find ways to making them in a healthier way. So here goes, my recipe for Sheddho Puli, which is a Pitha made of powdered rice. And since I have already blabbered a lot, I promise to compensate with as few words as possible :)

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The ingredients here serve 8. Time to cook is approx 45 minutes.

For the filling -

•  Shredded coconut - 2 cups
• Molasses (Gur) - 4-5 pieces
• Cardamom seeds - from 2-3 cardamoms
• Zero fat milk - 1/2 cup
• Mawa (powdered milk) - 1 Tbsp

For the Pitha -

• Coarsely powdered rice - 1 cup
• Ghee - 1 Tsp

For garnish -

• Zero fat milk - 1/2 cup
• Mawa (powdered milk) - 2 Tbsp
• Sugar - 1 Tsp
• Cardamom - 2
• Bay leaf - 1-2

Method -

• In a pan, heat about half cup of milk, add the cardamom seeds.
• After the milk heats up, remove from flame and add the molasses. Stir for a while, it is not necessary that they totally melt.

•  Add the dry shredded coconut and start the flame again.
• Add the mawa.
• Stir until the mix is dry.

• Stir the rice powder in a heated pan for 1-2 minutes.
• Add warm water and stir until the mix is dried. Remove from flame and add the ghee.

• Make small balls with your palms while the mix is still warm, and flatten to make a bowl shape. Add the filling and seal with your palms.

• In a pressure cooker, add a little water. Take a bowl that will go in the pressure cooker and coat it with a little Ghee. Put the Pithas in the bowl and cook until 1-2 whistles.

• Heat the milk and add all the ingredients for garnish. Pour on top of Pithas.

Serve warm or cool and enjoy!

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