Black Olives, Onion And Rosemary Focaccia

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I'm turning into a major baking fanatic.  If I don't bake anything for more than 4-5 days, I feel like....I haven't done any cooking!!  I absolutely looooovvvveeee the smell of baking bread/cake/muffin/cookies.  I gives me a real kick to see simple ingredients "magically"  transform into something totally different and delicious!

And, besides being obsessed with baking, I also tend to have a very soft corner for all things Mediterranean, especially Italian.  Focaccia is an old favorite.  I love to have fresh focaccia served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Recently, I adapted this "Black Olives, Onion and Rosemary Focaccia" from a cookbook.  Easy, low fat, healthy, and yummy - just my kind of food!

Next time, I'd make this focaccia only with whole wheat flour.  Watch out for that post!

Makes one big loaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Multi Grain whole wheat flour (or plain whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour (or maida)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp rapid rise dried yeast *(see note below)
1 cup lukewarm water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
1 Tbsp black olives, pitted and sliced
leaves from a fresh rosemary sprig
1 tsp coarse sea salt

Method :

1.  Lightly grease and flour a baking sheet and keep it aside.

2.  Sift the flours and salt into a large bowl.  Stir in the yeast, make a well in the centre and pour lukewarm water and 2 Tbsp of oil in the well.  Mix to make a dough.  You may want to add a little more lukewarm water in case the dough seems a little dry.

3.  Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes till the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

4.   Place the dough in a plastic/glass bowl which is lightly sprayed with oil.  Turn the dough ball around so that all sides are smeared with oil.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel/cling film and keep for 1 hour (or til, it is doubled in bulk) in a warm place to rise.  Note: - I usually keep mine in my microwave as I find it a little warmer than other places in the kitchen.  You may want to switch on your toaster-oven to "keep warm" position for a few minutes, switch it off, and keep your dough there after a few minutes.  It should be warm enough for the dough to rise.

5.  After the dough has risen, take it out on a floured surface, knock it down and knead again for 2-3 minutes. 

6.  Preheat the Oven to 220 degrees C/425 degrees F.  Roll the dough in a large circle around 1/2 inch thick, transfer it to the baking sheet and brush with the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil. 

7.  Slice the onion thinly.  Press the onion slices and olives all over the dough, and sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and sea salt (keep the salt coarse). 

8.  Now, comes my favorite part - using your fingertips, poke the surface of dough all over.  Cover the surface with a cling film, and leave to rise again in a warm place for 30 minutes.  Remove the film and bake the loaf for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Serve right away, preferably, with a combination of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.  Enjoy!

My Notes:

1.  If you don't have rapid rise yeast, you can use active dried yeast, which you would need to 'start' the yeast as per the instructions given on the package.  Reduce the amount of water added to the dough accordingly.  The amount of yeast used remains the same.

2.  If you are not going to use the dough right away, you can -
       * Put the dough away in fridge after the first rising.  When you want to bake, take it out of the fridge, and let it come to the room temp., and knead it for a few minutes to make it elastic, and follow the rest of the steps.
       *  You may put the dough in fridge after the second rising too.  When ready to bake, just take it out and bring to the room temp., and bake as per recipe.

3.  This dough freezes very well.  To freeze, wrap the ball of dough after first rising in a cling film, put in a zip lock and place in freezer.  When needed, let it defrost by itself at room temperature (it may take couple of hours depending on the weather you have), knead it again for a few minutes and follow the rest of the steps.

4.  DO NOT over bake.  Every oven is different.  So, be on the lookout after, say 10-12  minutes.  As soon as it is firm to touch and changes color (happens in my oven at under 20 minutes!), switch off the oven and let it be there till it cools.

How To Make Applesauce

If you want to make healthy low fat yet tasty cakes/cookies/breads/muffins a part of your recipe repertoire, one essential ingredient, in my opinion, is 'homemade applesauce'.  As some of you may be aware, applesauce can be used in place of oil/butter/shortening to make your recipe low fat.  Applesauce can also be used to substitute for eggs in a recipe as I have done here.  It is highly popular as a low fat substitute because it doesn't have any defining taste of its own and hence, does not change the taste of the recipe significantly.

For those of you who are familiar with using applesauce in baked goodies, I'd urge you to use home made fresh applesauce which is easy to make and can be stored in refrigerator for at least three weeks (I have always finished it by that time!).  Please DO NOT give in the urge to buy 'ready made applesauce' because it is full of 'high-fructose corn syrup' which is not good at all if you are on the journey of eating NATURALLY healthy and low fat food products.

Here's a simple recipe for making applesauce at home, which I use all the time:

Makes 2 cups of applesauce

Apple Sauce Home Made

Ingredients:
4-5 medium/big size red skin apples (you can use any variety of red apples, just DO NOT use granny smith apples/any green ones.  Why?  Because they are sour and you would have to put extra sugar to compensate for their sourness in the recipe.)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
water as needed

Method:

1.  Wash, peel and core the apples.  Chop them into bite size pieces, not too small!

2.  Dump the chopped apples in a thick bottom steel pan and pour water as to cover about an inch of pan's bottom.

3.  Bring to a boil, add cinnamon powder and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or till the apples are disintegrating (which shouldn't take too long since they are 99% water anyways!).

4.  Cool slightly, blend to a smooth puree in a blender.....and that's about it!

You have homemade, without preservatives/chemicals, applesauce which you should keep in an airtight jar in the fridge (I keep mine refrigerated in a closed lid pyrex bowl) and which should last you about two to three weeks.

MOIST ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

Being perpetually obsessed with "Healthy Low fat" food recipes BUT without artificial substitutes, AND with little compromise on taste, leave me frustrated many a times.  Especially when it comes to baking cakes.  And I, these days, am possessed with some 'baking spirit', which forces me to look for new recipes to bake - almost everyday!

Now, coming back to finding cake recipes, which are healthy, low fat yet yummy to eat, well, they are a little hard to find.  So, whenever, I come across a cake recipe which does not call for butter/oil, or other usual suspects which you expect in a 'tasty' cake, I want to yell in happiness - 'Eureka'!   And I did exactly that, when I happened to chance upon this wonderful 'Orange and Almond Cake' in this book called 'Low-fat no-fat mediterranean'.

The only changes that I did were related to eggs.  I made this cake with 1 egg instead of 3 as directed in the original recipe.  I used home made applesauce as the major egg substitute, and made some other adjustments to the ingredients to compensate for the 'loss' of 2 eggs.

Here's the recipe as I made it:

Makes one 8 inch cake

Ingredients:
1 large orange *(see my note below)
1 egg
2/3 cup homemade applesauce
1 1/4 cup caster/icing/powdered sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 scant tbsp lime/lemon juice
2 cups ground almonds
1/4 cup plain (all purpose) flour
icing sugar for dusting (I didn't use it)
low-fat greek yogurt to serve(optional - in my opinion doesn't need anything else - tasty enough on its own!)

Method :
1.  Wash the orange and pierce it with a skewer.  Put it in a deep pan and pour over water to cover completely.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour, or until the skin of the orange is very soft.  Alternatively, you can pressure cook the orange to give one whistle and let it simmer in cooker for about 20-30 minutes.  Drain and cool.

2.  Preheat the oven to 180 degree C/350 degree F.  Grease a 8-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper, or just dust with a little flour.

3.  Cut the orange in half and discard the pips (seeds), if any.  Place the orange with skin in a blender and process till smooth.

4.  In a bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together till thick.  Add Applesauce and whisk again.  Fold in the baking powder, baking soda, almonds and flour.  Fold in the orange puree and lime/lemon juice.  Mix everything just well, don't over mix.

5.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and level the surface.  Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.**  Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack, peel off the lining and cool completely.  Dust the top with icing sugar, if you wish.  Serve it as a dessert with greek yogurt, if you like.

Notes:
* Orange used here is the  Australian bright yellowish-orange-colored orange.  If you are not able to get that, you can use tangerines (usually called oranges in India).  You may need to adjust the time for boiling.
** If you find (as I did) that the top gets browned faster, much before the rest of the cake has baked, you can simply cut a piece of almunium foil and cover the top of the cake to prevent it from burning while the rest of the cake is still being baked.

5-MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

One of the biggest challenges any mother faces is how to make her offerings attractive enough to wean the children away from unhealthy, over sugary treats available off the shelf which are full of artificial flavorings.  These sugary monsters are especially attractive to my kids (and yours too, I guess!) when they come home from school and their young bodies are craving for sugar to boost their flagging energy levels.  Try feeding them a 'healthy' snack that time and it could turn into a major power struggle!

For times like these, this healthy low fat 5-minute chocolate mug cake is indeed a life saver!  I serve this to my two sugar depleted boys with hot skim milk.  And it takes only 5 minutes (duh!).  The original recipe is from webMD.

Serves 2 hungry kids / 1 very hungry kid!!

Ingredients :
4 Tablespoons whole-wheat flour

3 tablespoons sugar (you can use light/dark brown sugar also)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 egg /2 egg whites
3 tablespoons lowfat milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream (I used low fat curd which I hung for 5-10 minutes to take out extra water)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:
1.  In microwave-safe coffee mug, combine whole-wheat flour, sugar, and cocoa.


2.  Pour egg/egg whites, lowfat milk, canola oil, hung curd/sour cream and vanilla into the mug with dry ingredients and mix well with fork.

3.  Place mug in center of microwave (preferably one that has a turn table) and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. The cake will rise about an inch or so above the top of the mug (don’t worry it won’t drip down the sides of the mug).

4.  Let cake cool in mug for a few minutes.  Then turn mug upside down over a serving bowl (the cake should slide out fairly easily).

5.Cut cake in half for two salivating kids/ one starving kid!

How to Make Tahini Paste

Tahini (or Tahina) is a Middle Eastern pantry essential. It is the foundation for many Middle Eastern recipes like hummus and baba ghanoush.


Tahini can be prepared homemade easily or you can purchase it in the grocery store which keeps mid eastern sauces et al.
Ingredients:

• 5 cups sesame seeds

• 1 1/2 cups olive oil or vegetable oil

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350. Toast sesame seeds for 5-10 minutes, tossing the seeds frequently with a spatula. Do not allow to brown. Cool for 20 minutes. (Note : You can do this over gas stove too.  Simply spread out the sesame seeds over a hot tawa or a non stick flat pan.  Constantly move around the seeds for about 3-5  minutes and then cool.

2.  Pour sesame seeds into food processor and add oil. Blend for 2 minutes. Check for consistency. The goal is a thick, yet pourable texture, more like a thick smooth pouring paste. Add more oil and blend until desired consistency.

Yield: 4 cups

Storing Tahini

Tahini should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Healthy Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Pita bread is a great starter to make with hummus in a party.  Healthy, Low fat and yummy - what more can you ask for?  Pita bread has its origin in Middle Eastern cuisine where it has a prominent place in the flat bread category.  Traditionally, pita bread is made with All Purpose Flour(APF) or maida but to make it virtuous, this recipe uses whole wheat flour, and NO oil or sugar.  You can make it with half n half flours too - half whole wheat and half APF.

Makes 10 pita breads

Ingredients:


• 4 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all-purpose flour)

• 1 tablespoon dry yeast

• 1 1/4 cups warm water (120-130F degrees)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 500°F (260 C) - the highest temprature setting.

2.  Sift together 2 cups of flour and the yeast.

3.  Add water and salt and mix well.

4.  Gradually add in the remaining flour just until the dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl. Once this happens, stop adding flour (so, you might not use all the flour the recipe calls for).

5.  Knead the dough for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. (While you're kneading, you can get creative and add in some herbs or spices, but only if you want to do that). Be careful not to over-knead the dough.

5. When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with any vegetable oil.  Form a ball out of the dough and place it into the bowl, rolling the ball of dough around in the bowl so that it has a light coat of oil on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.


6. When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down to release some of the trapped gases, and leave it again to relax for 20-30 minutes.

7. Form dough into 10 balls.  On a floured surface, roll each ball into a 5-6 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. (Be sure to sprinkle a little flour on both sides to prevent sticking).

8.  Lay down the prepared pitas on a baking sheet, and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes. (The instant hot heat will help them puff up).

9. When the pitas come out of the oven they will be hard, but they will soften as the cool.

10. Store them, while they're still warm, in plastic baggies or an airtight container.

Cut the pitas in half crosswise and stuff with your favorite fillings (beans and rice, taco fixings, thick stews, curries - anything goes).  OR cut them in triangles and serve them warm with Hummus as a dip.

Pitas can be reheated in a 350°F oven or in the microwave.

Hummus Dip with Tahini Paste

I frequently serve hummus as a party starter at home.  Not only is this low in fat, but packed with nutrients galore - chickpeas, sesame seeds, olive oil.....all good things!  I usually serve hummus with baked pita rounds/chips (easily available in supermarkets these days) or with traditional pita bread, which is easy to make and store.  You can find the recipe for making whole wheat pita bread here.

This Mid Eastern recipe is very versatile.  You can also use it as a spread for sandwiches or pita rolls.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:


1 full cup of chickpeas, soaked overnight, boiled and drained (reserve the water)
1/4 cup water from boiled chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons Tahini - you can use bottled tahini paste available in the supermarket, or you can make your own.  Learn how to make tahini paste from scratch here.

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

a sprinkle of paprika
Method:

1.  Combine drained chickpeas with the remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.  Take care not to make it too watery, it should be a smooth thick paste.

2.  Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.  Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional). Add a sprinkle of paprika as the final touch.

3.  Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover with plastic film and refrigerate.

Variations
For a spicier hummus, add a sliced red chilly or a dash of cayenne pepper.

Storing Hummus

Hummus can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month. Add a little olive oil if it appears to be too dry.

Moroccan Orange, Carrot and Dates Salad

I'm forever looking for ways to include raw foods in our diet, especially fruits, since, I'm not really enthusiastic about eating fruits as they are.  One recent addition to my collection of such recipes is this wonderful cold delicious and nutritious salad (or dessert!).  So, here it is, without much further ado, straight from Morocco....

Serves 4
Ingredients :
500 gm fresh carrots, preferably orange colored, thickly grated
3-4 oranges, NOT tangerines - get Australian/NewZealand ones which are bright orange in color (orange colored oranges, duh!)
1 cup dates, pitted, sliced not very finely
1-2 tbsp rose water (optional)
lemon juice to taste (optional)
1/2 cup pistachio nuts/ toasted pine nuts/ cashew nuts - chopped in small pieces
icing (superfine) sugar, salt n pepper to taste

Method :
1.  Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the pith, then cut the flesh into segments, catching the juice in a small bowl.

2.  Stir in the juice from the oranges, together with the rose water, if using, and sharpen with lemon juice, if you like. Season with a little salt n pepper to taste.

3.  Place orange segments in the serving salad bowl.  Mix in the coarsely grated carrots.  Pour the dressing over and mix thoroughly.

4.  Sprinkle dates and nuts over salad with a little icing sugar.  Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

5.  Just before serving, add a fresh sprinkle of icing sugar to the bowl n enjoy.

Note : This salad can be eaten as just that or served as a dessert minus the guilt pangs!

Whole wheat Spaghetti Sesame Peanut Salad

Struggling to come up with an "Oriental" recipe which my son needed to take from home to celebrate the Oriental Day at school, I chanced upon a Sesame Peanut Noodles recipe by Nigella Lawson, and adjusted dressing a bit as per my preference and replaced standard egg noodles with organic whole wheat spaghetti, upping the nutrition quotient. 

My challenge was to find a recipe which was NOT Maggi Noodles (ho hum!) and which could be eaten cold as lunch tiffin.  This recipe fitted perfectly on all fronts!

Ingredients :

For the dressing -
20 ml Sesame oil
15 ml Soy Sauce
30 ml sweet chilli sauce
30 ml lime/lemon juice
100 gm smooth (not chunky!) peanut butter

For the Salad -
1 Red Capsicum washed, deseeded and cut into thin strips
1 Yellow Capsicum, washed, deseeded and cut into thin strips
100 gm beansprouts washed (optional)
2 bulbs of spring onions, finely chopped along with greens
200 gm organic whole wheat spaghetti
A big handful of fresh coriander chopped
A small handful of white sesame seeds  - go by your preference really!

Method :

1.  Boil the spaghetti till al dente'(with still a bite left) in boiling salted water, according to the package instructions.  Drain and place in a large enough glass salad bowl.
2.  Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk till smooth.  Check the seasoning and add ingredients according to your taste, in case you want more of any!
3.  Put both the capsicums, beansprout, spring onions, and chopped coriander in the bowl with spaghetti and mix them well.
4.  Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly so that everything is coated well with the dressing.
5.  Sprinkle sesame seeds over the salad, and pack as needed.

Note : if you happen to keep this salad in fridge, please note that it does taste dry on taking out.  So, you may want to mix a little bit of dressing (especially oil) and pour before you eat straight from the fridge.

Watermelon And Feta Salad

A typical summer treat!  Have it for lunch on a hot summer day when it's bright and sunny outside......while you cool your insides with this delicious low fat healthy salad.  The original recipe is by Nigella lawson, who, at times, does come up with some thing tasty yet low fat and healthy :)

Ingredients :

1 Kg ripe red WaterMelon, rind removed, deseeded and cut into small chunks, preferably bite size.
2 big lemons (or limes), more depending on your preference
A big handful of pitted, sliced black olives
1 small red onion sliced into half vertically and then cut into thin half moons
A handful of fresh mint chopped
50-75 gm of Feta Cheese
2 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
Black pepper to taste

Method :

1.  Put onion slices in a small bowl and cover with the lemon/lime juice.  Leave it till you prepare the rest of the salad.
2.  Place watermelon chunks in a large glass salad bowl.
3.  Sprinkle evenly the pitted sliced black olives.
4.  Put the onion with the lemon juice in it.
5.  Sprinkle chopped mint and tip in olive oil.
6.  Sprinkle a generous helping of freshly ground black pepper
7.  Mix everything gently, and last but NOT the least, roughly crumble feta and gently mix it in.

My Greek Salad

When this is a blog on healthy eating, there is no way I can avoid talking about benefits of including raw foods in your diet, specifically salads.  Salads can be made of any raw/cooked eatable fruit/vegetable/non vegetarian produce. 

The first thing to consider is always the purpose the salad is to serve.  Is it the main course, dessert course or just an accompaniment to other dishes on the table?  The role salad plays in the whole menu essentially decides what kind of salad it is going to be. 

For everyday healthy meals, I find salads the backbone of the eating plan of my family.  I have also noticed that we tend to avoid making salads a part of daily meals when we find the process, or the ingredients too complicated for daily eating. 

I usually make my version of what is really a 'Greek Salad'.  I don't go out with any set ingredients, and usually make use of whatever I have in the fridge.  Of course, there is an exception to this rule - I(my family really!) MUST have feta cheese in the salad.  We just LOVE the saltiness of Feta combined with the flavors of the salad - a little bitter greens, sourness of vinegar/lemon and other flavors.  We just can't do without Feta.  Caution : Feta being a very salty cheese, a little really goes a long way and you don't need to add too much to enjoy its unique taste!

Serves 4
Note : There aren't any strict measurements for this recipe....just go with the flow and add less or more of any vegetable according to your preference.....after all, YOU have to eat it:)

My usual Ingredients :
1 cup lettuce/greens torn into bite size pieces (any kind would do really - iceberg, romaine, arugula, any kind of salad leaves!)
1 cup cucumber chopped into little cubes
1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped into halves (you can use cooking tomatoes too, just chop into cubes)
a handful of black pitted olives
1 cup mixed colored bell peppers (green, red, yellow)
1 large orange peeled, deseeded, demembraned(remove the white membrane covering the flesh) and chopped
a handful cranberries (dried or fresh)
1 tbsp flax seeds(optional)
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
50-75 gms feta cheese

Dressing:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (I normally use either Balsamic Vinegar/Red Wine Vinegar)
a pinch of dry mustard powder
a minced pod of garlic (optional)
1 tbsp any fresh herb - basil/parsley finely chopped (optional)
Sea salt/freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method :
1.  For the dressing, pour vinegar in a small bowl. Add a pinch of mustard powder and mix well. Pour olive oil in a thin stream to this and mix vigorously so that the oil is fully blended. Add the minced garlic and herbs (if using), and salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well. and keep aside while you prepare the salad.
2.  Assemble all the vegetables in a large glass/wooden salad bowl.  Throw in walnuts, cranberries, flax seeds, orange, olives...
3.  Pour the prepared dressing over it and mix everything thoroughly.
4.  Crumble feta and gently fold it in the salad.
Note: feta is always put in the salad after the dressing has been mixed, since it is a very soft cheese and would totally disintegrate if put in earlier.

Wholewheat Blueberry Pancakes

This recipe is a Sunday breakfast staple for my family for umm....around a year now(!!).  The main secret of eating healthy is reducing the quantity of processed foods from your regular diet.  So, just junk that "ready made" pancakes carton and make these instead.  I promise you that it 's not going to take too long in comparison.  As you know by now, anything requiring too much effort in name of healthy eating is anathema to me, and I would not recommend any such recipe here!.

BTW, this recipe I found on a very good foodie site.  I haven't felt the need to tinker with it, but one of these days I am going to try to make the egg less version.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients -
1 cup wholewheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour (just grind quick cooking oats in a dry grinder for a few seconds, if you don't have oat flour)
2 tbsp wheatgerm
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients -
1 tbsp honey
2 egg whites beaten lightly
1 1/2 - 2 cups buttermilk ( If you don't have buttermilk, add 2 tbsp vinegar to 2 cups milk at room temp, let it stand for about 15 minutes, and then proceed with the recipe)
1 tsp vanilla essence
yummy -
1 cup dried blueberries / dried cranberries (you can use fresh too, if you can get them)
1/2 cup walnuts

Method :
1.  Mix all dry ingredients together.
2.  Mix all the wet ingredients together.
3.  Gently pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
4.  Stir in blueberries/walnuts/cranberries, and mix well.  The ready mixture should be without lumps and of pouring consistency, though thicker than waffle mixture.  Adjust the quantity of buttermilk to achieve the desired consistency.
5. Heat a non-stick flat griddle well, and ladle about 1/4 cup mixture in the centre of the griddle.  Let the mixture take any shape.  Heat through on medium heat.
6.  When bubbles start forming on the surface, gently flip the pancake with a flat spatula to heat the other side.  Gently slide to the serving plate. 

Serving suggestions : Serve with a selection of honey, maple syrup, low fat butter, or any good fruit conserve (NOT mass produced loaded with white sugar and preservatives fruit jams, please!).  The best is to make your own fruit compote, and enjoy with a glass of fresh orange juice for a healthy satisfying breakfast.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Everyone likes cookies!!  These are my favorites - dense, filling, tasty, easy and so good for the health!  They are so versatile - have them with milk in the evening for a nutritious evening snack, or pack them up in the school tiffin for a short break (which is ideal time for "Junk" food like chips, or white sugar, butter centric ready made cookies).

This recipe, I found on the net somewhere(I forget where though!), and is easily my fave healthy low fat cookie recipe, which meets all the criteria I have for inclusion in this space.  Go ahead, make these and have with your evening tea without feeling guilty!

This makes around 36 odd cookies depending on the size you make and thickness.

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients -
1 cup wholewheat flour
1 1/2 cup rolled oats/ quick white oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon powder ( I use about 2 tbsp because.....I just love the aroma of cinnamon powder :))
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
Wet Ingredients -
1/2 cup honey / brown sugar - light or dark / white sugar (ONLY If you don't have access to first two options)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 egg (beat with 2 tbsp of water)
Note : I usually go for 2 egg whites, and I adjust the quantity of water a little bit
1 tsp vanilla
Yummy -
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
Optional -
Flax seeds/sesame seeds/cranberries/blueberries/ 1/2 ripe banana mashed or whatever takes your fancy!!

Method :
1.  In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.
3.  Mix dry with wet, add raisins and walnuts or anything else you plan to add.
4.  Cool the mix for about 20 minutes in the fridge.
5.  Preheat oven to 335 F(168 C)
6.  Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheet & press down with fork.  I use my hands to mold the cookies since the batter is quite stiff.
7.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie.
8.  Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Another one of hearty wholesome, healthy, low fat recipe for a full meal soup.  Just serve with crusty/garlic bread for a complete meal in itself!

Serves 6

Ingredients :

2 cups dried chick peas, rinsed, drained and boiled (take care not to let them be too mushy)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion chopped
1 stick celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
4 medium fresh red tomatoes
2 cups of fresh spinach leaves rinsed, drained and roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Method :
1.  Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and saute onion, garlic, ginger, celery and carrot for about 3-4 minutes.
2.  Add cinnamon and turmeric and cook further for half-a-minute.
3.  Add vegetable stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes.
4.  Add spinach and cook further till the spinach is wilted.
5.  Ladle in soup bowls and serve with some fresh bread.

How To Make Vegetable Stock

Vegetable stock is the backbone of a lot of soups.  If you have vegetable stock handy, a nice healthy soup can be served quickly, putting in some beans, pasta, vegetables and herbs.  You can make a large quantity of vegetable stock and freeze it till you need to make a soup.

There are many different recipes for making this humble stock.  You can actually use whatever root veggies you have in hand, going from the pedestrian onion, potato, carrot to a more gourmet route with leeks, celery, et al.

Here's a simple recipe for vegetable stock:


Yields 10 cups of stock

Ingredients:
2 onions chopped
4 potatoes scrubbed and cut in small chunks (don't peel them!)
4 cups of chopped mixed vegetables like carrots, leeks, celery (whatever you have....some recipes include tomatoes too, but I don't like it because it makes the stock a little sour in taste.  You can use tomatoes if you like)
a handful of fresh herbs (again go with whatever you have - coriander, parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage....)
a few whole peppercorns
1-2 bay leaf
2 ltr water

Method:
1.  Place all the ingredients in a large pan with fitted lid.  Bring to a boil and let it simmer covered for an hour or so after the first boil.
2.  A speedier way is to put everything in a pressure cooker and let it cook for 15-20 minutes after the first whistle on low flame.
3.  Strain the stock in a wire mesh strainer and cool.

Healthy Mixed Vegetable Soup

I love soups per se, but I especially dig the ones which are unpretentious, healthy, low fat, wholesome and easy to make.  And that goes for all the cooking I do and the recipes I love to experiment with and post here. 

This soup recipe, I'm posting today, fits the bill to the 'T'.  Enjoy it during cold winter months, when the vegetables are aplenty because, after all, this is a vegetable soup:))

Serves 6
Ingredients :
1 tbsp light butter (or a mix of olive oil and light butter)
2 tbsp finely chopped french beans/haricot beans (Chop all the vegetables finely since they are not going to be pureed and would stay as they are, in the soup!)
2 tbsp finely chopped (or grated roughly) carrots
2 tbsp finely chopped cabbage
2 tbsp boiled peas
2 tbsp cauliflower flowerettes finely chopped
2 tbsp broccoli flowerettes finely chopped
Note: The beauty of this soup is that you can add/remove the vegetables according to your taste and availability
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 ltr vegetable stock

Method :
1.  Heat the vegetable stock and keep it simmering while you prepare the vegetables.
2.  Heat the light butter(or olive oil and butter) in a large saucepan.  Now one by one, add the vegetables in this sequence - french beans, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas and cabbage.
3.  Stir fry the vegetables giving 45-60 seconds between every new addition.
4.  Add the simmering vegetable stock, and bring to a boil.  Add the cornflour mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
5.  Cook for 5-7 minutes till the soup turns thick and creamy.  Serve in soup bowls along with crusty bread, if you like.

Low Fat Mushroom and Brown Rice Soup

This is one of my most favorites soups......comfort food, if you like. I love the use of left over cooked brown rice.  The chewy rice makes the soup very filling.  So, one just needs to add some green salad and fresh crusty bread and that takes care of the dinner time! AND it is healthy, low fat, wholesome, tasty and easy.....need I say more?

Yields 4 big helpings

Ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil
400 gm white fresh button mushroom slices thinly
1 big white onion chopped finely
1 cup carrots shredded/cut into matchsticks
1 Garlic clove crushed
1 tsp any dried herbs you have at hand - thyme, basil, oregano, parsley - all work well here
1 litre vegetable stock or 2 stock cubes dissolved in water
3/4 cup(more if you like!) leftover cooked brown rice (you can use cooked red kidney beans or fresh corn too in case you don't have leftover brown rice.  DON'T use white rice.  It will make the soup gooey and mushy)
salt and pepper to taste


Method :
1.  Mix 2 cup water with vegetable stock and bring to a boil on high heat.
2.  Meanwhile, in a fairly large saucepan, heat olive oil on high and add chopped onions and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the onions turn pink.
3. Add carrots and stir fry on high heat for about a minute, before adding mushrooms.  Again stir fry the vegetables  for a minute or so and then add brown rice(if you are using red kidney beans/corn, add them after onions and garlic)
4.  Stir in dried herbs, salt and pepper.
5.  Add the stock(which should be boiling hot by now) and bring the whole mixture to a boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
Serving suggestion: serve with warm crusty bread and a simple green salad to complete the meal.

Adapted from:  Some old issue of Good Housekeeping.  I have played around with the original recipe a little bit to suit my preferences.

Creamy low fat Mushroom soup

There are times when I want to have a soup but not the tangy type, with vegetable stock or tomatoes which are the most common soup bases.  It's at times like these that I love to have a thick creamy mushroom soup.  I love mushrooms, in any form or recipe.  I think they elevate a very simple dish to something gourmet.  Of course, they are good source of proteins and are very low in calories.  A perfect healthy low fat vegetable!

Most of the mushroom soup recipes are loaded with Margarine, butter, plain flour etc, which most people who are looking for low calorie versions avoid.  But not to worry.  Try my version of the conventional recipes for a creamy yet low fat mushroom soup.

Serves 4

Ingredients :
100 gm button mushrooms, fresh white ones, chopped finely
1 big onion chopped finely
4 cups water
2 cups skim milk
1 1/2 tbsp low fat butter ( I usually use a combination of half olive oil and half low fat butter, which reduces the fat content even further)
1/2" piece of ginger chopped finely
some chopped spring onions for garnishing
1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water

Method :
1.  Heat 1 tbsp low fat butter (or the combination of olive oil and low fat butter, if using) in a sauce pan.  Add onions and ginger to it and cook on low flame till the onions turn transparent (about 2 minutes).  Avoid browning the onions.
2.  Add milk and water, and bring to a boil.  Let it simmer for around 3-4 minutes.  Strain the mixture in a wire mesh and keep aside.
3.  Saute mushrooms in remaining 1/2 tbsp of low fat butter for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Once they are cooked\, add milk-water mixture and bring again to a boil.  Add cornflour dissolved in water at this stage and let it cook on low flame, stirring frequently so that cornflour is mixed smoothly in the soup.
4.  Cook the soup till it turns creamy (about 3-5 minutes).
5.  Ladle the soup in bowls and serve garnished with a few chopped spring onions.

Minestrone Soup

If you are familiar with Italian cuisine, you would have, no doubt, heard of and tasted Minestrone Soup.  It is healthy, low fat, wholesome and yummy.  What I like most about this soup (and nearly all Italian cooking!) is that you can vary the ingredients and their quantities according to what you like or have in you kitchen at that particular time.

I've tried making this soup both as per the conventional version, which takes a long time and the quicker way which of course, I thoroughly approve of :)  The taste does not suffer a bit and you don't have to slog at all.

Here is the recipe for Easy Minestrone Soup.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 carrot grated
1 turnip grated
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 white onion grated
1/2 cup fresh/frozen shelled peas
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup any small pasta you like - macaroni/shell/arzo whatever - I have even used whole wheat spaghetti!
500 gm fairly large red tomatoes chopped roughly
1000 ml water/veg stock
a handful of whatever fresh/dried herbs you fancy - basil, oregano, parsley, thyme....
note : if you are using dried herbs, limit the total quantity to maximum of 2 tbsp or as per your taste
salt and freshly grated black pepper as per taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Method:
1.  Heat olive oil in a large pan and saute the grated onion for about a minute, stirring frequently.
2.  Add all the other ingredients except cheese & pasta.
3.  Fill the pan with water/veg stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer covered for 20 minutes. 
4.  Add pasta, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
5.  Adjust seasoning, and ladle in soup bowls.
6.  Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve it with lots of crusty garlic bread on the side for a complete meal.

Velvety Spinach Soup

By far, this is my most preferred way of including spinach in our meals.  The recipe by itself is so simple, wholesome, healthy and low fat.  Just what this blog is all about!

Serves 6

Ingredients :
500 gm Spinach leaves, picked, washed and roughly chopped.
1/2 cup water (less may be needed, since they are washed and need very little water to cook)
1 1/2 cup skim milk
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
crumbled cottage cheese/ grated processes cheese/ butter to garnish

Method:
1.  Put the freshly washed spinach leaves along with water in a large saucepan with fitted lid (or pressure cooker), and cook for 10 minutes on low heat after first boil.  You may just need one whistle in pressure cooker to wilt them.
2.  Cool and blend in a blend to a fine smooth paste.
3.  Return to heat, adding milk, salt and pepper.  Heat thoroughly.
(note: depending on your preference, you may want to adjust the quantity of milk used)
4. Ladle the soup into bowls.  Serve immediately garnished with a tablespoon of freshly crumbled cottage cheese/some slivers of grated cheese, or a dollop of cream/butter, as per your choice.  You can serve this soup with soup sticks/crusty garlic bread.

Tomato And Carrot Soup

There are a zillion variations of the humble tomato soup, as per the cuisine you are picking it up from.  But it is part of almost all the popular cuisines of the world, be it Italian, Indian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Mexican....

I almost never make the tomato soup with just tomatoes.  In my constant endeavors to modify the recipes and include whatever I can to make the dish more sumptuous and healthy, I add carrots to the simple tomato soup.  Kids love it and mama is happy to sneak in nutritious carrots:)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
500 gm fairly large red tomatoes, washed
2 large carrots, scrubbed (avoid pealing them as the skin contains a lot of nutrients), and cut in 1 inch rounds
3-3 1/2 cups of water
2 tsp fresh/dried basil leaves chopped/crushed (dried works perfectly fine for this recipe)
2 tsp jaggery powder/light brown sugar
1 cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
some grated processed cheese to garnish(optional)

Method :
1.  Place tomatoes, carrots, and water in a large sauce pan with fitted lid(you may use pressure cooker).  Water should be enough to cover the vegetables nicely.  Cook on high heat and after one boil, close the lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Alternatively, give one whistle in pressure cooker and turn down the heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Cool the mix and blend to a puree in the blender.  Pass through a thin nylon/aluminium mesh sieve to remove any 'debris' from the puree.
3.  Reheat the puree in a sauce pan adding 1 cup of water(thin the soup to your desired consistency), add fresh/dried basil, jaggery/brown sugar, and salt and pepper, and heat thoroughly.  Just before taking it off heat, add the milk and mix.  
4.  Ladle the soup in bowls and add a few slivers of grated cheese, if you desire.  Serve the soup with some crusty garlic bread of soup sticks.  Enjoy!

Potato and Leek Soup

I love soups.....so does my family:)  I mean they can be such a great addition to the dinner menu.  Make a soup, a hearty salad and some good crusty bread, and.....you are done.....AND everyone is happy:))

Here's another favorite, which is again Healthy, low fat, tasty and easy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients :
3 leeks cleaned and sliced thinly
250 gm potato peeled and cubed
700 ml water/veg stock
1 tbsp light butter & 1 tbsp olive oil
300 ml skim milk
snipped chives/spring onions to garnish

Method :
1.  Melt the light butter in the saucepan and add olive oil to it. 
2.  Saute sliced leeks on high flame for 3-4 minutes.
3.  Add diced potatoes, water/stock, bring to boil and cover to simmer for 20  minutes.
4.  Leave it to cool, then blend it in a blender to a smooth puree.
Note:  Since leeks can be quite 'fibry' I like to pass the puree through a nylon seive before returning it to heat.
5.  Reheat the puree, add milk to it, and the seasoning(salt and pepper).
6.  Ladle the soup into soup bowls, garnishing with snipped chives/spring onions and some garted parmesan (if you like).

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

This soup is a family favorite for cold wintry nights.  The soup is creamy and smooth BUT 'creamy'  does NOT mean adding lots of cream and fat!  Read on, to find out how to make this delicious and easy soup.
Healthy, Low fat and Tasty!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients :
500 gm Pumpkin peeled, cleaned and cubed
1 large white onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic minced
1 lt water/veg stock
500 ml skim milk
1 pinch grated nutmeg
grated parmesan cheese to garnish
salt and pepper as per taste
1 tbsp light(low fat) butter & 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
1.  In a large saucepan, melt the light butter and add olive oil.  Keep the flame low so that the butter doesn't burn.
2.  Add chopped onion and cook till it turns pink.  Don't let it trun brown.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds on low.
3.  Add pumpkin pieces and stir-fry on high heat for 2 minutes.  Add the water/veg stock, bring it to a boil, close the lid and simmer for 20 minutes or till the time pumpkin has become mushy. 
4.  Cool the mixture and blend to a smooth puree in the blender.
5.  Heat the puree in a pan again, adding milk.  Also add grated nutmeg and seasoning(salt and pepper).
6.  Ladle the creamy soup into soup bowls and serve garnished with grated parmesan.

Low Fat Chocolate Brownies

Who doesn't LOVE Brownies? That dense gooey chocolatey taste is a comfort eat (with a hop cuppa coffee).  I love ordering coffee with choc brownie at the caffe.  The ONLY flip side is when you look at the nutritional information and those amounts mentioned under 'fats and saturated fats'.  It takes away half the 'comfort' of eating brownie, and makes you, well, uncomfortable, and one wished for low fat versions of the same.  Not anymore though!

I discovered this lovely easy recipe for healthy low fat brownie and haven't felt guilty about having one ever after that.  The better half and the kids love it too.  So, a keeper all the way!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweentened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 mini choco chips (optional)

Method -

1. Heat oven to 360 F (176.6. C). Coat baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

3. Put sugar, oil, egg and egg white and vanilla in small bowl. Whisk and pour into flour mixture and stir walnuts & choco chips (if using). Batter would be very stiff!

4. Spread batter in prepared pan, put in oven and bake 20 to 22 minutes or until firm at edges and wooden pick inserted off centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.

5. Cool completely. Cut in bars and ENJOY!!

Whole Wheat Carrot and Pineapple Cake

I have shied away from baking throughout my cooking years, and only started tentatively only a year and-a-half back.  One of the main reasons was the kind of recipes available.  All that cream, butter, margarine etc. made me groan and stay away! 

But thankfully, nowadays we have so many recipes of whole wheat healthy low fat cakes, that it is overwhelming.

Below I give one of my top favorites at present (the ranking keeps on changing as I discover newer ones!).  I especially love the softness it manages to achieve despite being low fat and whole wheat(which is denser than plain flour)

Ingredients

2 cups Whole wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoon sea salt OR common salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup Honey
1 full egg
3 Egg Whites
½ tsp grated ginger
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 cups grated Carrots
1 cup crushed/Chopped in small pieces, canned pineapple, drained, OR
Dried Pineapple (just soak dried pineapple in a little water for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
½ cup (or a little more) Water
Optional : 1. You can also add raisins, dried blueberries or any other dried candied fruit you like

2. You may want to substitute carrot completely or partially with peeled and grated apples to an amazing softness and flavor to the cake.

Method : Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F (168 degrees C approx.)

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing glass bowl.

2. Add oil, honey, and egg and egg white in the same bowl. Mix well to remove any lumps.

3. Stir in the goodies – carrots, apples(if using), pineapple (you can add dried pineapple with the water it soaked in. Just reduce the quantity of water given separately), walnuts, raisins, or whatever takes your fancy

4. Now, add the water only till the batter reaches a thick pouring consistency. (You may have to add a little more water than mentioned or reduce the quantity, depending on the fruits you are using)

5. Bake in a square greased and dusted 9-inch cake pan for 35-40 minutes.

6. Check for doneness using a toothpick in the centre of the cake (a clean one means, you are done!)

7. Cool completely on wire rack, and cut into pieces and ENJOY!