Green spinach wrap with black beans and carrots - with cumin & pesto...

LOVE & RESPECT YOURSELF; LOVE & RESPECT YOUR PASSION/WORK/FEELINGS;

REST WILL FALL INTO PLACE 

Method:-

Ingredients:- Black beans 1 cup (soak overnight)
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
Inch size ginger
1 large Jalapeno
1 tbsp cumin powder
Salt to taste

Carrot - shredded (about 2 large ones)
Store bought: Spinach tortilla, pesto sauce

Pressure cook the beans with salt
Saute other ingredients and mix it to the cooked / mashed beans

Spread pesto sauce on the spinach tortilla - thin coat works
Spread a tablespoon full of bean mixture - coating depends on your taste
I added a tablespoon of shredded carrot per roll

Roll up the tortilla and cut to desired sized rounds

It serves as lunch / dinner / snack - as you please..

The moistened cooked beans with all the spices / flavors, fresh crunchy & sweet carrots with pesto and tortilla was a beautiful carnival of sweet, sour, salt and protein.

**************/**************

History:-

Black beans were first domesticated thousands of years ago in Peru, and quickly became a staple of the South American diet. They first came to Europe in the 1500s.

Health benefits:-

Digestive Tract 

Protein and fiber in this bean aids in quick movement in intestines; this supports the digestive track in working less harder and keeps it healthy.

Blood Sugar Regulation

The steady movement of protein and fiber through the digestive system allows for a measured breakdown of food into its component parts. This even breakdown of food helps to curtail sugar levels (high or low)

Cardiovascular Health & anit-cancer prevention

Regulates cholesterol level…..

High in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory values.   Black beans are also high in folate and magnesium, both nutrients highly associated with preservation of cardiovascular health, and the antioxidant minerals zinc and manganese.

Nervous System Health

Folate, or vitamin B6, is particularly abundant in black beans. The nervous system relies on folate to produce the amino acids it needs to function. For pregnant women a deficiency in folate can cause the improper development of the fetus’s brain and spinal cord. The high iron content of black beans is also particularly beneficial to pregnant women.

Live a little - have fun with desserts (my experiments / projects for fun...)

DO NOT QUIT in your life; 

cry & pat yourself in valleys; 

embrace & pat yourself in peaks..

Tiramisu

 Bakalava

Coconut milk sweet with splash of cardamom

Chocolate mousse with bananas

Pineapple, vanilla & coconut pudding

Lemon & Oreo frozen cake bells

 

Experimented piping - Orange cake with chocolate, Vanilla cake with Walnuts, Orange vanilla swirl cake with rasperries

Sweet Crepes with coconut and nuts filling with strawberry drizzle

Spice cake with apples & pears

New year dawn - red velvet and lemon
 

Banana chocolate with choco beads
 

Cinnamon Carrot cake
 

Cinnamon Streusal cake
 

Coconut lemon cake
 

Lemon Supreme - lemon cake and lemon icing
 

Vanilla butterfly on red velvet pedestal
 

Treelog - Lemon Vanilla cake
 

Spiced Pecan, cinnamon & fresh apple Super moist simple cake
 

Strawberry cake & Pineapple mousse cups
 

Strawberry cupcakes
 

Strawberry Lemon cupcakes with apple cinnamon & chocolate chip filling
 

Strawberry Vanilla cake
 

Red Velvet with butterscotch & vanilla bath
 

Red Velvet cake
 

Red Velvet and Lemon floors cake
 

Pineapple Supreme buggie
 

Pineapple mousse cups
 

Pineapple cake with crushed pineapple vanilla topping
 

Orange Carrot cake with lemon icing
 

Minecraft cake - chocolate supreme & cake spice cakes

Mango cake
 

Fudge & Carrot Spice cake

Double Decker Lemon Orange Spring cake
 

Circus turkey - used curves and straight line

 

Carrot Strawberry cake with fruit face and chocolate wall
 

Carrot & Red velvet cupcakes
 

Apple Caramel Platform with Praline & Creme pedestal cake
 

Chocolate sculptures

Cinnamon toasted apple & pear

Understand yourself and your intentions clear and candid

Forgive yourself 

Don't be too hard on yourself

Live a little and dream a lot

Breathe away

Smile a mile

Embrace your passions

Act on your next step

Look forward

Ingredients: (quantity as per taste)

Sliced apples & pears

Honey

Cinnamon powder

Pinch of salt

Crushed nuts (any type)

Crushed sweet biscuits / granola (any type)

Add a teaspoon of butter OR oil

Method:

Mix everything in a wide pan

Oven bake @ 275 degrees for 20 minutes (preheat for 10 min)

OR

Toaster oven - to medium setting (repeat toasting till the outside crisps slightly and browns)

OR

Heat wide sauce pan, flip the fruit mix till outside crisps slightly and browns

Parfait - purrrrfect anytime of day / year

Step 1: Think hard before and not after ....

Step 2: Take a leap....

Result: You become more alive and reach heights.....

Who said dessert needs to be calorie loaded? 
2 minute Parfait - graham crackers, raspberries (or any fruit), yogurt (any type), granola bits ! 
Savor..... (mm..mm..)

Time needed - only for assembly

Yogurt nutrition benefits:-
Contains protein, calcium, B-2, B-12, Potassium, Magnesium and Vit-D
Greatly aids with muscular, bone and nervous health.

Fun li'le snack - Mediterranean Skewer

Speckle of spice for soul - 

The more powerful minded you get; the less you gotto prove to others...

Be so great & strong, that you are answerable only to yourself

Just out of thin air this combo clicked 

Gave it a shot for a Mediterranean themed party

&

result = received plenty of compliments...

this melody of sweet, salt, sour and tangy was super cool ;)

Ingredients :  all readily available from organic, low sodium packaged / fresh produce aisles.

Dates – an edible fruit in the desert oasis of the Arab world for centuries. The fruits are a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, certain essential vitamins and minerals (calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, selenium, copper and magnesium; thiamin, Vit K, Vit B, riboflavin etc.. are few more nutrient compositions) 

Helps greatly with muscle development, nervous system stays active, improved eye health, fights off osteoporosis, laxative and helps with constipation relief, helps growth of good bacteria, supplement for anemia, helps improve health for seasonal allergies, great energy booster, keeps heart healthy, anti- carcinogenic  

Olives - Greatly helps with heart health and cardio vascular wellbeing (mono saturated fat),  it aides in breakdown of fat cells and promotes weight loss, an antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, promotes healthy cell formation (this helps with anti-cancer qualities, pain relief etc..), very high source of Vit E which aides healthy hair, anti-histamine (fights against seasonal allergies), helps ward off bad bacteria in digestive tract, provides improved eye health, exceptional source of iron to fight anemia.

Pineapple –   fruit contains an enzyme bromelain – that is anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion and worm infestation.

Fresh pineapple is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin; vitamin C -maintains the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Protects from scurvy, develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity).  It also contains small amount Vitamin A -antioxidant properties (promotes skin, muscle, anti-cancer health). Contains copper, manganese and potassium. Helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure, aides for red blood cell synthesis. Manganese is a is a very powerful free radical scavenger.

Roasted potatoes - call it a side / or snack; anyway you luv 'em...

Mind & body with goodness of spices / positive thoughts..

Few great reminders for a happy relationship:-

Sometimes it takes a steep fall to realize who you are & what you are capable off...

Never forget the people who make / made time for you in their life

If you are not one of the priorities on someone's agenda; that someone needs reevaluation...

Recipe:-

Boil potatoes with salt ( as needed quantity)
After 3/4th done - drain & set aside to cool

MIX
Olive oil - 2 or 3 tsp
Cumin powder, black pepper , oregano, basil - to taste (freshly chopped or bottled powdered)

Coat cooled potatoes well with MIX

Preheat oven to 325
Convection roast - for 30 minutes or till skin browns

VOILA 😋

PROTEIN & FIBER overload Peppers !!!

Be Happy, Be Healthy... (it all starts from inside & out)

Let go of toxic people in your life

Let go of the need to be right all the time, every time...

Lately been seeing many stuffed peppers recipes online; my family loves beans and I am happy to ensure that it's low fat, high protein and filling.  Kinda just went with the flow and blended up this recipe, interesting enough; it was a worth sharing :)

Ingredients (main ones)

Small sweet peppers - about 20
Black beans - 1 cup
Quinoa - 1 cup
Cheese - any type - 1/2 or 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 3 or 4

Wash well & Soak one cup black bean overnight.
Pressure cook next day for 2 or 3 whistles (with salt, garlic cloves, cumin & turmeric powder - all spices to taste)

Once done drain water (you can save this for any dish for future) mush well & set aside.
Cook one cup quinoa with little salt (in rice cooker or your usual method)

Cut off head portion & Slit peppers enough to open
Clean insides

Mix the mushed beans & quinoa, cheese, black pepper (to taste), salt (if more is needed)

Stuff spoonfuls into peppers
Preheat oven to 325 degrees, roast or bake for 20 mins

We ate it hot & packed leftovers for lunch - either way, it was great. Didn't get soggy or lose its texture 👍 - tada

Left over bean mix can become sandwich fillers or quesadilla stuffing 

Mixture with Cruuuunnnncccchhhhh - yup, that's allllll it is

Sprinkle HAPPINESS and SMILE whenever you can... & wherever you can

This boosts your inner strength, energy and radiates as personality..

&

suddenly the world around you changes for the better :)

Apologies for posting this recipe after few months...  made a huge tray for New Year's party & got raving reviews (& yeah, again & again & again .....& the saga continues)...

Super Duper snack, guilt free, light, very satisfying...

(Portion for 4 ppl)
Ingredients:

Corn flakes - 1 cup (non flavored)
Rice Krispies cereal - 1 cup (non flavored)
Salt to taste
Chilli powder OR Black pepper to taste
Cinnamon powder OR Cumin powder to taste
Asfoetida - 1 pinch
Sugar - 1 tsp
Any olive to taste - 1 tbsp

Making:

Mix up cereal in a wide mouthed bowl
Heat up oil
Do tadka with Mustard seeds, Urad dhal and Curry leaves; add asfoetida, chilli powder and cumin powder (when opting to use Indian spices)
You can skip tadka if using Black pepper & Cinnamon
Pour hot oil to cereal mix
Add tadka mix OR cinnamon & black pepper
Add Salt

Mix from the sides to middle - all the cereal should be coated well...

You could store this for up to 2 weeks
OR up to a month in refrigerator

Roasted Veggies in a jiffy, hip hip hurray (easy on the hips too ;) )

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE ....

It's very easy to get yourself and your family to indulge in the goodness of healthy veggies with magic sprinkle of SPICES (these busters fight inside the body while we are busy working outside)

Anyone can make this....

Ingredients - any veg you wanna roast. I used frozen here.
Serving size - for 4 ppl

1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Chilli powder & salt to taste (you could add chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic powder, or garam masala too - each time could be different flavor)
1 or 2 tbsp oil - preferred

Let veg sit till dry
Mix all the ingredients

Preheat oven - convection roast to 350 degrees - do not set ingredients till pre heated to desired temp.
Then pop in veg tray for 35 or 40 min

VIOLA ....

I pair a small bowl of these vegg with a cup of yogurt, half cup cooked rice, a toast, piece of meat etc..

Makes great snack for early evening or with lunch/dinner

"Cereal Kebabs" comes with a side of stress free morning and a pot load of great day ;), yeah !!

I am always thinking of quick and easy breakfast fixes.
Some are best served hot/warm; on a busy morning with adrenaline gushing thru' these prepared Kebabs are heaven and a blessing :) (yeah, small pleasures of life).

Njoy this quick fix with a side of a stress free morning and a pot load of great day !!

Method:
Any cereal - 1 to 2 cups
Any nuts - 1 to 2 cups
Any dried fruits - 1 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 2 tbsp (if needed)
Grated coconut or carrot - 1/2 cup (per taste)
Chocolate chips - per taste

Blend cereal & nuts - dry till powdered
Mix dry fruits & other dry per taste ingredients
Mix well, drip milk slowly till wet climbs are formed
Make balls & flatten (READY TO SERVE)

If you wanna store for few days - then bake at 250 degrees for 25 or 30 mins

Chayote Pachadi

A yummy, healthy, nourishing side to rice, spread for sandwich or Naan/Parata/ Tortilla, super dip of chips ....

Eat with all the flavors but guilt free and packing in the goodness of multiple spices.

2 Chayote
1 medium onion
1 or 2 green chillies 
4 or 5 garlic cloves

Chop all ingredients, sauté in Sesame oil (per taste) with 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp dhania powder, small piece of tamarind. Can add chilli powder if desired.

Cook till well done. Cool off. Blend till almost smooth.

Tadka with mustard, jeera & curry leaves.  (If you are familiar with Tadka, skip it)

Store for up to a week or two in air tight containers.