6:37 AM
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Steamed dumplings with chicken filling , served with pungent tomato chutney, flavoured with dried fish.
Serves : 4
Time required : One hour 15 minutes
You will need
300 g flour
Salt-1/2 teaspoon
Salt and pepper to taste
200 g minced chicken
100 g mutton fat
10 g coriander leaves, chopped fine
5 g green chillies, chopped fine
20 g ginger- garlic paste
50 g cabbage, chopped fine
5 g red chilli paste
5 g garam masala powder
Method
Sieve flour. Add salt to taste and enough water and mix to a medium soft dough.
Cook the chicken mince with mutton fat , ginger- garlic paste ,salt and pepper to taste, red chilli paste and garam masala powder till done. When cool , add coriander leaves, green chillies, and cabbage. Mix well and keep aside.
Divide the dough into 36 portions. Roll out the dough into small discs and stuff each with a little of the prepared chicken mixture. Steam in a momo steamer till done. Serve hot with tomato chutney.
Ingredients for golveda achar ( Tomato chutney )
1 kg tomatoes
A little oil
20 flakes ( 40 g ) garlic
50 g coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ( 5 g ) chilli powder
A handful of peppercorns or to taste
50 g dried fish
Method
Clean and lightly oil the tomatoes. Bake the oiled whole tomatoes until dark brown. Grind garlic, baked tomatoes and coriander leaves to a fine paste. Season with salt, pepper , chilli powder and black peppercorns. Clean the dry fish and grind to a coarse paste. Add the paste to the tomato puree and stir well . Cook till thick and done.
Nutritive value of each serving-387.4 Kcal
Proteins – 27 g
Fat – 4.7 g
Carbohydrates – 59.3 g
6:37 AM
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Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 45 minutes
Ingredients
2½ cups milk or 600 ml
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
½ cup sugar or 100 g
8 eggs, beaten
1½ teaspoons vanilla essence
For the caramel:
1½ cups sugar or 300 g
½ cup water or 125 ml
Preparation
Bring the milk and NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk to boil, add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
Stir in the hot milk to the beaten eggs, add vanilla essence and mix well.
For the caramel, bring to boil water and sugar over medium heat and stir gently until a caramel color forms.
Pour the hot caramel into small bowls or custard cups and immediately turn them around to coat the base and the sides evenly.
Pour the cream mixture into the bowls or custard cups. Place cups in a roasting pan which has enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the cups.
Bake in a 150°C oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6:36 AM
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Ingredients
250 g Rohu Fish
100g thick curd
1 tablespoon onion paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
3 cardamom
3 cloves
1 – inch stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
6-8 Raisins
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
4 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon ghee
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the fish. Whip the curd well. Take a large bowl and prepare a marinade with the curd, onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, sugar, chilli powder, sugar and salt and mix well.
Marinate the fish pieces in the mix for half an hour. Keep aside leftover marinade.
Grind the garam masala ( cardamom, cinnamon, cloves ).
Now heat oil in a pan; when the oil is ready add the bay leaves and the garam masala powder and allow it to splutter. Once you get the aroma of the garam masala, add the raisins and fry them lightly.
Now add the fish pieces and shallow fry them. Finally add the leftover marinade, adjust salt and cook till the fish is well done. When the fish is done add the ghee and the green chillies. Serve with rice.
6:36 AM
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Can be served as a starter or a main course
Serves : 4
Time required : One hour
Ingredients
1 kg boneless mutton, cubed
100 ml mustard oil
15 g ginger paste
15 g garlic paste
1 tablespoon ( 15 g 0 cumin powder
½ tablespoon ( 8 g ) coriander powder
½ tablespoon chilli powder
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
Water as required
Salt to taste
2 ( 100 g ) onions, chopped and fried till brown
A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Heat oil . Add mutton and keep frying till the juices of the meat are well sealed in.
Add ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for two to three minutes.
Add the remaining spices and fry well. Add enough stock or water to cover the mutton.
Cover and cook for half an hour or till done.
When the meat is almost tender , remove the lid and sauté till almost dry.
Serve hot, sprinkled with fried onion and coriander leaves.
Nutritive value of each serving – 766.1 Kcal
Proteins – 48.3 g
Fat – 67.4 g
Carbohydrates – 8.7 g
6:35 AM
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Serves : 4
Time required : 30 minutes plus marinating time
You will need
180 g boneless chicken, diced
15 g red chilli paste
4 g salt
2 g white pepper powder
150 ml oil for frying
10 g onion, chopped
20 g spring onion ,chopped
4 g garlic , chopped
3 g ginger, chopped
3 g celery , chopped
2 g chillies , chopped
5 ml white wine
4 g sugar
For the batter
80 g flour
80 g cornflour
2 g salt
1 g white pepper powder
2 g green chillies , chopped
Method
Marinate the chicken in the red chilli paste with a little salt and set aside for half an hour.
Make a batter with the ingredients and coat the chicken pieces. Deep fry in the oil till reddish – brown in colour. Remove from the pan and drain off the excess oil.
In a separate pan , heat the oil and sauté the ginger , garlic , onion, spring onion, green chillies and celery. Season with salt , sugar and pepper powder. Add the chicken pieces and white wine and stir- fry briefly on a high flame. Remove from the fire and serve immediately.
6:35 AM
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Olive oil is a natural juice that preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. It is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit.
The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidants. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and raising HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of heart healthy monounsaturated fats as olive oil.
The stomach tolerates olive oil very well. Its protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis and lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.
Clearly one of the good oils, olive oil is known as a “healing fat”. Studies have shown that virgin olive oil contains antioxidants which protect you against colon, breast and skin cancer, heart disease and also has an anti-aging role.
Varieties of Olive oil
Olive oil comes in numerous varieties depending on the amount of processing involved. Some of them are:
Extra virgin: Considered the best and least processed, this oil is extracted from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin: Taken from the second pressing of the olives.
Pure/Light: This oil undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining and thus is a lesser grade olive oil. It is widely available in supermarkets and labeled as just ‘olive oil’.
Extra light: Undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
How to store olive oil?
Olive oil should be kept in a cool and dark place and tightly sealed. Like any other oil, it can easily go rancid when exposed to air, light or high temperatures.
Because of all its health benefits, it is good to cook in Olive oil but it is not recommended for deep-frying.
When buying olive oil you will want to obtain high quality flavorful Extra virgin olive oil.
It is true that olive oil is very healthy but at the same time it is high in calories, so use it in moderation.
6:34 AM
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Avocados, olives and prawns served with vinaigrette dressing
Serves : 4
Time required : 35 minutes
Ingredients
12 avocados
800 g prawns, cleaned and de-veined
16 black olives
2 limes, sliced
A few springs of parsley
Vinaigrette dressing as required
Mix for dressing :
80 ml mayonnaise
200 ml tomato sauce
4 teaspoon ( 20 ml ) brandy
2 teaspoon ( 10 g ) chilli powder
Method
Boil the prawns till done. Shell them and refrigerate till serving time. Cut the avocados into two. Peel four avocados and cut them into cubes. Mix the avocado cubes, black olives and prawns with the vinaigrette dressing. Arrange the sliced avocados in a plate , put the seasoned avocado- olive- prawn mixture over them and garnish with lime slices and parsley. Serve with fresh salad and the prepared dressing.
Nutritive value of each serving – 767.4 Kcal
Proteins – 45.7 g
Fat – 55.3 g
Minerals – 6.7 g
Carbohydrates – 14.1 g
Fibre – 3.8 g
6:33 AM
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Serves : 6
Time required : 45 minutes plus marinating time
Ingredients
1.5 kg whole chicken ( with skin )
3 large ( 600 g ) potatoes
1 ½ teaspoon ( 7 g ) mustard powder
3 teaspoon ( 15 g ) oregano
2 teaspoon ( 10 g ) chilli powder
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 ½ teaspoon ( 7 g ) freshly ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoon ( 7g ) mustard powder
10 g salt
4 tablespoon ( 60 g ) butter, melted or olive oil
Method
Mix chilli powder, oregano , lemon juice , mustard powder, salt and pepper powder well. Apply it to the chicken. Add three tablespoon butter and keep aside for one hour for marination.Slit potatoes with jackets without separating them. Pour the remaining butter through the slit into the potatoes.
Cook the chicken along with the marinade and potatoes in the microwave for 35 minutes on medium high. Serve hot with lemon wedges , tomatoes and onion slices.
6:31 AM
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Puris stuffed with ground dal
A snack rich in energy and proteins. Ideal for Young growing children
Serves : 6
Time required : One hour
You will need
250 g wheat flour
100 g urad dal
2 tablespoon ( 30 g ) coriander leaves , chopped fine
3 green chillies, chopped fine
½ teaspoon ( 2 g ) cumin seeds
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
½ teaspoon chilli powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method
For the filling :
Wash and soak the urad dal overnight in a litre water. Grind it in a mixer to a thick paste. Add salt, asafoetida, cumin seeds , garam masala powder, chilli powder , coriander leaves and green chillies. Mix well and keep aside.
For the dough
Add enough water to the wheat flour and bind to a hard dough. While kneading the dough add a little oil and salt to taste. Knead again. Divide the dough into small portions and roll out into small puris.
Spread a little of the prepared filling on each puri and place another puri on top. Seal the edges using a little water. Similarly prepare the remaining puris. Deep fry the puris in hot oil or ghee till done.
Nutritive value of each serving – 354 Kcal
Proteins – 9 g
Fat – 17 g
6:31 AM
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Start with looking at yourself carefully in the mirror. Use swatches of fabric to see what looks good on your facial skin – that will give you a clue which colour family to look at. The colour that makes your face seem muddy and dull is a complete no-no. When you find the shade that makes you seem as if you are lighted up and glowing, you will know it almost immediately. Every woman knows when she looks good.
The first step – take your time and examine the range of lipstick shades carefully. Choose a colour that gives you the same kind of 'glow' as the fabric did. To make it easier for you, you can use the following rule of thumb.
If your skin is fairly light, opt for medium tones – pinks, beige, pale peach, orange, taupe.
If your hair and skin are dark, choose deep tones – maroon, fuschia, dark chocolate, plum, wine, ruby.
If your colouring is somewhere in between, you are lucky – you can wear almost anything you like, from a pale nude to a brilliant scarlet to a gentle caramel.
If you are olive-toned, like many Indians, be careful with the violets and pale lavenders. Use brighter colours with less blue in them.
The general rule is to keep lips soft and natural if your eyes are dramatic. During the day, stick with lighter, softer, more matte colours, to present a more professional and sober appearance. Night time allows more glitz and glamour, so up the voltage with brights and lots of drama. Gloss and glitter is best saved for a special evening out.
If you are looking for a long stay lipstick, go for Lakme 9to5. Usually long-lasting lip stains dry out your lips. But Lakme 9to5 moisturizes the lips without fading or ruining the lipstick’s color.
For regular lipstick users, every bit of moisture helps. So look for lipsticks with vitamin E to moisturize and protect your lips. Lakme Enrich Lip Color is enriched with Vitamin E to keep lips feeling softer and smoother.
Lip glosses are very popular these days because they add softness, moisture, and sheen to the lips; making them look a bit fuller, younger, and oh-so-yummy!
Lipliners are useful when you want a carefully defined lip contour, and essential if you are wearing a dark (plum, maroon) or very bright (red, fuschia) shade, since any bleeding will be clearly visible.
Find out here more Lakme products........
6:28 AM
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Preparation time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 10 minutes
Ingredients
½ cup ghee or 100 g
1 cup vermicelli or 130 g
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
½ cup desiccated coconut or 50 g
3 tablespoons rose water
Preparation
Melt ghee in a medium saucepan. Add vermicelli and stir over low heat for 5 minutes or until vermicelli is golden brown.
Add NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk and keep stirring until vermicelli becomes soft. Add coconut and rose water and mix for 2 minutes until well combined. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Form the mixture into small balls and serve.
6:28 AM
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The Curry Tree or Kadipatta or Sweet Neem leaf (Murraya koenigii ) is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India.
It is a small tree, growing 4-6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter. The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2-4 cm long and 1-2 cm broad. The flowers are small white, and fragrant. The small black, shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous.
Its leaves are highly aromatic and are used as a herb. Their form is small and narrow and they somewhat resemble the leaves of the Neem tree; In Tamil and Malayalam it is known as Karuveppilai, ilai meaning leaves and veppilai meaning Neem leaf. Other names include Kari Patta (Hindi), noroxingha (Assamese), Bhursunga Patra (Oriya), Kadhi Patta (Marathi), Mithho Limdo (Gujarati) and Karapincha (Sinhalese). Kariveppilai podi is very popular in Tamil Nadu.
They are commonly used as seasoning in Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, much like bay leaves and especially in curries with fish or coconut milk. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life though they may be stored in a freezer for quite some time,though they lose much of flavour. They are also available dried, though the aroma is inferior.
Curry leaves are an essential ingredient in South Indian dishes.
Curry leaf is used in South Asian traditional medicine to treat the digestive system, skin conditions and diabetes. Its anti-diabetic properties are supported by scientific research.
Curry leaves possess the qualities of a herbal tonic. They strengthen the functions of stomach and promote its action. They are also used as a mild laxative. The leaves may be taken mixed with other mild tasting herbs. The juice extracted from 15 grams of leaves may be taken with buttermilk.
Digestive Disorders
Fresh juice of curry leaves, with lime juice and sugar, is an effective medicine in the treatment of morning sickness, nausea and vomiting due to indigestion and excessive use of fats. One or two teaspoons of juice of these leaves mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice may be taken in these conditions. The curry leaves, ground to a fine paste and mixed with buttermilk, can also be taken on an empty stomach with beneficial results in case of stomach upsets.
Tender curry leaves are useful in diarrhoea, dysentery and piles. They should be taken, mixed with honey. The bark of the tree is also useful in bilious vomiting. A teaspoon of the powder or the decoction of the dry bark should be given with cold water in this condition.
Diabetes
Eating 10 fresh fully grown curry leaves every morning for three months is said to prevent diabetes due to heredity factors. It also cures diabetes due to obesity, as the leaves have weight reducing properties. As the weight drops, the diabetic patients stop passing sugar in urine.
Kidney Disorders
The root of the curry plant also has medicinal properties. The juice of the root can be taken to relieve pain associated with the kidneys.
The leaves can be used in the form of chutney or the juice may be squeezed and taken inbuttermilk or lassi.
Bums and Bruises
Curry leaves can be effectively used to treat burns, bruises and skin eruptions. They should be applied as a poultice over the affected areas.
Insect Bites
Fruits of the tree, which are berries, are edible. They are green when raw, but purple when ripe. Juice of these berries mixed with equal proportion of lime-juice, is an effective fluid for external application in insect stings and bites of poisonous creatures.
Hair Tonic:
When the leaves are boiled in coconut oil Ii they are reduced to a blackened residue, the oil forms excellent hair tonic to stimulate hair growth and in retaining the natural pigmentation.
Curry leaves have been used for centuries in South India and natural flavouring agent in sambar, rasam curries and non vegetarian dishes . Chutney can be made by mixing the leaves with coriander leaves, coconut scrapings and tomatoes. Curry leaves are main ingredients in seasoning.
The leaves, bark and the root of the curry plant are use in indigenous medicine as a tonic, stimulant and antiflatulent.
6:27 AM
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People talk about snacking as being generally bad for you and can make you gain weight, what you hear sometimes is not completely true. Snacking is not as bad as few believe it to be but at the same time it also depends on the type of foods you snack on.
Some people are satisfied to eat one to two meals a day and still maintain their weight. But they will realize with time that their metabolism is slowing down and they’re accumulating more fat than in previous years. The reason is that they are burning fewer calories. Also when someone eats fewer meals when they get hungry, they tend to eat more and this can cause weight gain.
Why snacking can be good for you…
Healthy snacking for example 2 hours before your main meal prevents you from overeating on main meals as it also stops you from getting too hungry.
What do experts recommend?
Eating frequent smaller healthy meals or snacks will boost your metabolism and make you burn more calories and will help you lose weight or maintain your healthy weight.
Avoid unhealthy snack…
High-fat, high-sugar snacks have low nutritional value and loads of calories which will make you gain weight. Sometimes they may replace your main meal as they make you feel full which is not recommended in a balance diet. Avoid eating foods such as chips, cakes, sweetened juices, carbonated beverages, and regular ice creams as regular snacks, instead keep them as treats to consume from time to time.
Keep healthy snacks handy!
When you are hungry, eat a healthy snack that you already planned and prepared for. Keep healthy snacks readily available in your fridge; store washed and chopped vegetables and fruits, light fruit-flavoured yogurts, and low-fat portioned cheese…
And other snack ideas:
A sandwich made with brown bread and low-fat cheese, or low fat labneh
Fresh fruit salad or platter
Low-fat or fat-free yogurt with fruits
Low-fat or fat-free milk with whole-wheat cereals
Sorbet or low-fat, low sugar ice cream
Fat-free popcorn or baked chips
Fat-free puddings or jello
A handful of almonds or walnuts
Dried fruits such as dates and apricots (3-4 pieces each)
Instant soup (low in calories and fat)
Small amount of chocolate wafers
6:24 AM
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Chewy coffee and chocolate flavored cookies with chocolate morsels
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp NESCAFE
1 tsp coffee liqueur
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps. muscovado sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
2 pieces eggs
1 cup chopped NESTLE Dark Chocolate
Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Dissolve coffee in coffee liqueur and set aside.
4. Blend sugars with electric mixer. Add butter and mix to form grainy paste.
5. Add eggs and dissolved coffee and beat.
6. Add flour mixture and chopped chocolate and beat at low speed. Do not overmix.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
6:24 AM
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In Japanese cuisine, sushi is vinegared rice, usually topped with other ingredients, including fish, various meats, and vegetables.
Sushi SavvyMakisu : Bamboo mat used to roll up sushi.
Nigari : Fish, shellfish, or fish roe over rice.
Nori : Seaweed pressed into thin sheets , used to make norimake sushi.
Sashmi : Raw fish, chilled and sliced
Shoyu : Soy sauce California roll : Crab, smelt , or fish roe , and avocado rolled in rice.
Daikon : Long white radish , sweeter than red radish.
Ebi : Boiled shrimp.
Gari : Pickled ginger.
Gohan : Boiled rice
Hashi : Chopsticks
Make / norimake: Sushi roll made with nori seaweed on the outside , a layer of rice and vegetables or other fillings in the middle.
Wasabi : Japanese horseradish
Benefits of Sushi
Made from healthful ingredients, including seaweed, rice , vegetables and fish.
Low in fat
Drawbacks
Many varieties made with raw fish , so should be avoided by pregnant women and those with immune disorders , because of the small risk of exposure to bacteria or parasites.
6:24 AM
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Most of peanut butter's fat is monounsaturated, and it also provides a good source of protein, vitamin E, and fiber.
To enjoy peanut butter wisely, follow these ideas :
Take a lick. Take a teaspoon of peanut butter and slowly lick it off the spoon as if it were a lollipop while you watch TV or relax.
Spread it thinly. Use it in place of cream cheese on bagels or butter on toast.
Go natural. To avoid the added salt and sugar in commercial peanut butters, as well as the hydrogenated oils most contain, visit a health food store that lets you make your own, or buy a "natural" brand. Because they contain no hydrogenated oils, these brands will separate, so you'll need to stir them before eating.
Dip in. Peanut butter makes a good dip for apples, celery, carrots, or other fruits and vegetables. Again, limit the portion or you could find yourself eating an entire week's worth of fat calories in one sitting.
6:23 AM
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Layers of fresh strawberry slices, sweeteened cream, and butter cake cubes
Preparation Time :10 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 170g can NESTLE Cream
1 cup sliced strawberries
3 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
1/2 loaf 300 g. pound cake or butter cake sliced 1/2 inch thick
chocolate syrup
Procedure
1. Beat sugar and NESTLE Cream. Toss in strawberries and cashew nuts.
2. Arrange cake slices in individual dessert or custard glasses. Spread cream mixture over cake slices. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
3. Sprinkle with extra nuts if desired.
Tip
You may use ripe mangoes instead of strawberries.
6:22 AM
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Makes: 2 dozen cookies
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Ingredients
1 cup Skippy® Creamy or Super Chunk® Peanut Butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange cookies on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each cookie and press crisscross pattern into top with fork.
2. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly puffed. Immediately top, if desired, with sprinkles, chocolate chips or chocolate candies. Cool completely on wire rack before removing from baking sheets.
6:22 AM
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Drink plenty of water
Make it a point to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to hydrate your skin and body cells. And don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink a refreshing glass of water. Water helps improve your circulation and flush out toxins from your body, which in turn have a direct effect on your skin's radiance. Water also helps fill you up, so you eat less at mealtimes, keeping you feeling lighter. Fresh juices and smoothies also help nourish your complexion, hydrate your body and leave you feeling energized.
Skincare experts recommend starting your day with a big glass of water in order to help cleanse your skin. You should ideally increase your water intake to 12 glasses a day when you are exercising, on days filled with activities or when the heat reaches its extremes.
Include lots of fruits and vegetables during summer season
Summer brings an abundance of tasty and nutritious foods, including berries, watermelon, tomatoes and sweet bell peppers. It’s the perfect season to enjoy the natural benefits of fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, as well as full of antioxidants and water.
For beautiful moisturized skin:
Eat at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Choose a variety of different colours and textures.
Have ripe summer fruits such as peaches, apricots, plums, pears as well as juicy summer fruits such as watermelons.
Include food sources rich in minerals that are lost through sweat during hot summer days, such as potatoes, bananas, melons, and tomatoes.
Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin. Introduce plenty of dark orange (carrots) and dark green vegetables (like broccoli and spinach) as part of your diet.
Use fresh food as often as you can to give your skin a boost.
Run out of fresh fruits and vegetables? Always keep frozen vegetables and fruits handy! These are usually hand-picked, and are deep-frozen immediately, thus retain more nutrients than fresh ones left in a refrigerator for days.
Get familiar with top foods for a healthy skin
Healthy fats: For healthy and hydrated skin, include healthy fats in your diet, such as those found in fish, avocados and olive oil.
Calcium: Since calcium can also be lost through sweating, try to replace it by eating more low-fat dairy products like skim milk, yogurt, labneh and low-fat cheese.
Vitamin E: For great skin, also eat foods rich vitamin E which is found in nuts like almonds and in fruits like avocados.
Cook healthy for healthy skin
The way you cook also can affects the health of your skin, so avoid frying and go for grilling, broiling and steaming.
Take care of your body and skin and enjoy a beautiful you all through summer every year!
6:22 AM
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These cutely cut cookies taste like shortbread
Serves 8
Time required 45 minutes
Ingredients
500 g ( 2 ½ cups ) butter
250 g (1 ¼ cups ) sugar
2 eggs
1 kg ( 8 cups ) flour
25 g cocoa powder
Method
Cream the butter and sugar and slowly add the eggs. Add the flour and knead to a firm dough.
Divide the dough into two halves. Add the cocoa powder into one half and knead to the dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.
Roll out both doughs separately to about 7- 8 mm thickness. Cut out bunny shapes. Take care to cut out the eyes and ear from the plain sweet pastry only.
Apply some egg wash with a brush onto the chocolate sweet pastry and stick the plain pastry on top of the chocolate. Bake at 180 * C for about 20 minutes. Cool the baked bunnies on a wire mesh.
Decorate the eyes and whiskers with white and dark chocolate.
Nutritive value of each cookie – 524.5 Kcal
6:21 AM
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Ingredients
For the covering:
1/2 cup almonds, powdered
1/2 cup cashewnuts, powdered
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
a pinch of nutmeg powder
a few strands saffron
a few sheets silver varakh
For the centre:
1/4 cup pistachios, powdered
1/4 cup sugar
cardamom powder to taste
Method:
To prepare the covering:
Add a little water to 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring on a low heat till the sugar syrup is sticky and reaches one string consistency. Add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and saffron. Stir well. Add almond powder and cashewnut powder. Stir till well mixed and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and keep aside.
To prepare the centre:
In another heavy bottomed pan, put 1/4 cup sugar and a little water and bring it to a boil. When the syrup reaches one string consistency, add cardamom powder and pistachio powder. Stir well till it forms a smooth mixture and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
When both the mixtures are cool, lightly knead them separately.
Roll the almond-cashewnut mixture on a grease proof paper to a 3/4 cm. thick rectangular chappati. Roll the pistachio mixture into a long cylindrical shape and place over the almond-cashewnut chappati. Gently roll the two mixtures by lifting the grease proof paper into a roll, to cover the pistachio mixture completely. Pat the roll gently. Decorate with silver varakh paper. Cut into slices.
6:21 AM
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Papayas are rich sources of carotene , vitamin C and B, potassium , magnesium and fibre. These nutrients improve the cardiovascular system and also protect against cancer. In addition , papaya contain digestive enzyme papain, which is similar to the enzyme found in pineapples , and is helpful in treating injuries and allergies.
Papaya smoothie
Serves : 4
You will need
Papaya chunks : two – and – a – half cups
Plain yogurt – two – third cup
Ice cubes – one cup
Fresh ginger – 1 tablespoon ( peeled and finely chopped )
Honey – 1 tablespoon
Juice of 2 lemons
Fresh mint leaves : 10 -15
Method
Refrigerate papaya until very cold. Blend papaya, ice , yogurt , ginger, honey and lemon juice in a blender. Add up to one- fourth cup of water , until the mixture is smooth and thinned to desired consistency. Blend in mint leaves. Garnish with mint springs .
6:20 AM
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6:19 AM
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Ingredients
Pineapple : 1 cup, diced to cubes ( smaller or bigger pieces – depending on choice)
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Green chilly – 1 small, slit lengthwise
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder – A pinch
Ingredients for coconut paste
Grated coconut – ½ coconut ( 1 cup )
Chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
For seasoning
Cooking oil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
Jeera ( cumin seeds ) – ½ teaspoon
Curry leaves – 1 spring
Method
Grind coconut , turmeric powder and chilli powder to a smooth paste ( with minimum water) in a mixer and keep aside.
Boil pineapple pieces with 1 ½ cups of water, green chilly and salt. When it is cooked ( approximately 10- 15 minutes ), add the ground coconut paste , mix it well and cook for some more time on low flame.
For the seasoning
In a frying pan , heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add jeera and curry leaves. Fry for 2 minutes and add the seasoning to the pineapple curry .
Tips: This makes an excellent side dish with rice. Some add curd to this preparation; but I decided not - as the curry already got a tangy taste from the pineapple.
6:19 AM
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Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar or 400 g
1 cup water or 250 ml
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the baklawa:
15 sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen
¾ cup butter or 150 g, melted
¼ cup caster sugar or 50 g
1 cup ground almonds or 100 g, mixed with the caster sugar
For the filling:
2½ cups pistachio nuts or 375 g
1 tablespoon blossom water
2 tablespoons rose water
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
3 slices toast bread, crust removed
Preparation
To prepare the syrup:
In a small pot, dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil then simmer until it becomes a syrup. Stir in lemon juice and set aside to cool.
To prepare the filling:
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a blender; beat until well combined and set aside.
To prepare the baklawa:
Grease a 40cm x 30cm oven tray, place 1 sheet of filo pastry, brush with butter and repeat the same with 5 more sheets.
Carefully spoon the filling all over the pastry.
Place 1 sheet of filo pastry to cover the filling, brush with butter and sprinkle with a little of almond mixture.
Top with another sheet. Sprinkle with little almond mixture and repeat method with the remaining sheets.
Brush the surface with melted butter, then cut parallel lines through pastry and filling to get diamond shaped pieces.
Bake in a 185°C preheated hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until it becomes golden color.
Pour the cool syrup over the baklawa as soon as it comes out of the oven.
