Guilt Free mango Dessert

Guilt free Mango dessert

There are times when you simply want to have a sweet delight and if you have chosen a healthy track for sometime there is no need to worry. This all natural and healthy dessert is delicious and so healthy that you can enjoy it without throwing caution to the wind . And if you are worried about the dates know that each date contains a mere 23 calorie 

70gm plain chilled curd whipped well
1 mango pureed
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp Charmagaaz
6 almonds not skinned
10 raisins and 3 pitted dates soaked in 4 tbsp toned milk and pureed

Its simple just soak the dates and raisins in milk for 1 hour and puree them to a smooth paste and then keep it aside, puree mangoes in the same blender and then whip chilled curd . Now simply layer the whipped curd, date paste and mango and chill for 2 hours or more. Before serving simply take the almonds, charmagaz and sesame seeds and toast them on a girdle and drizzle with the honey and top the layered dessert with this. Dig away Guilt free

No Oil East Meets West Chicken Stew

No Oil East Meets West Chicken Stew 

This is my no oil week well to be more precise its a no fry no saute  week so when I wanted to have this chicken stew I remembered a chicken stew my father had made a few weeks ago which was scrumptious and which used no garlic ginger or any spice whatsoever and no oil as well but that turmeric chicken oil and I am guessing tomatoes, he did not give me the recipe :) Well when you decide to follow a healthy diet , know this that you have to be very smart. So you hear everyone around you saying , 'Rice is evil it fattens you up' well that bit is not true. Like any other food if taken in large quantities it is but a single serving of cooked rice which equals to 1 cup contains about 242 calories and lets say you have a big bowl of soup and you cut down your rice intake to 1/2  a cup of cooked rice then you only have 121 calories.

While preparing the stew I realized this has a very nice East meets West connection. So there is turmeric, chopped chilies , ginger , raw papaya from the East and then there is Chives, White wine vinegar from the West and then there are some ingredients which are global be it the chicken itself, cabbage , garlic . This can be enjoyed with both rice and bread or even chapatis

This is kind of perfect for the Indian summers when the heat becomes unbearable. Its light and easy on the stomach yet very nutritious

So anyway this stew is hearty and delicious and is extremely healthy

What you need for 4 servings :-

300gm skinless chicken with bone
3 to 4 small onions
2 cups of diced papaya (You can replace it with carrots and beans or a combination of papaya , carrots , beans and other vegetables)
2 cups of shredded cabbage
6 cups of water
Salt as per taste
1 tsp chives
1.5 tsp White wine vinegar
2 tsp finely chopped green chilies (you can increase of decrease the amount of green chilies as per your taste buds)
Paste made from 3 large cloves of garlic and 1 inch ginger
Pinch of turmeric

The recipe is the simplest one ever. Just boil everything together and then simmer for 20 minutes or so and its ready.

P.S. You can always make the stew more wholesome by adding wholewheat noodles or rice noodles

If you want it to be extra hot you can always make a paste of the garlic ginger and chilies together.

You can always add 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil when serving because Extra Virgin Olive Oil is healthy and it adds a wonderful flavour

Low Calorie Red Kidney Bean dip

Low Calorie Red Kidney Bean dip 

There are times when you thank the Creator for giving you so many culinary options. You want to not fry have low calorie healthy food well its all out there all you need to do is try a little bit.

I often read articles on healthy dip. You see I love snacking especially when reading a book or watching a movie and these two hobbies take up all my free time so when I went on a low calorie healthy diet it was difficult to snack. There is always that apple you can munch on or the almonds but I am sure many of you would relate to that want to dip something in a delicious dip for complete satisfaction.

I remembered having seen Red Kidney Bean dip as a healthy dip. I checked again and that is where it posed a problem. I live in Calcutta in India and Avocado is not one of the local fruits you get here and my principle is to go as local as possible - saves money and its readily available. So I created a very basic recipe and well I would say I am all happy because I did not really create a scientific machine. I just used the usual basic ingredients but in a very healthy way.

Before I give the recipe I have to say that 1 serving of kidney beans equals to half a cup of cooked beans and that has 86 calories even when cooked with salt. I added tomatoes and onions and so that makes it a low calorie dip.

So here you go with the recipe :-

1 small cup (which holds 200ml liquid) of dry red kidney beans soaked overnight
3 cups of water
Salt as per taste
2 to 3 medium sized tomatoes
3 medium sized onions
4 cloves of garlic (the big cloves ) else use  use 6 to 7 cloves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or as hot as you want it to be
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Simply soak the kidney beans overnight. Now cook them in a pressure cooker to save fuel  and quickening the process . Put the pressure cooker on low heat and let the whistle build up very slowly. This makes sure you cook it well without wasting fuel . Now peel chop drizzle olive oil and bake the tomatoes, onion and garlic at 220 C preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Once the bans are well cooked spread them out to cool them and then once you have baked the vegetables simply cool everything add them to the blender with the kidney beans, oregano, salt , cayenne pepper and blend away . Add 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil and the squeeze of lemon juice and enjoy 1/2 cup of this deliciousness without feeling guilty. 1/2 cup = 1 serving = approximately 116 calorie. Serve it with baked tortillas or baked papads (dried lentil discs) or if you have stale chapati dry roast it till its crisp and it makes for a healthy snack.

P.S. I have to mention a very special lady who runs this beautiful blog which gives you plenty of ideas on healthy food. Do check her blog Simply Vegetarian

Egg Potato Salad

Egg Potato Salad 

The best part about being part of some amazing virtual platforms is that you can never run out of inspiration when it comes to recipes . So Claudia , a wonderful chef posted about this boiled potato based Italian salad and I knew it had to be my lunch today. Its really simple and well I did adapt the recipe, so I substituted capers with stuffed olives and replaced the herbs with what I had at home  but the end result was delicious indeed.

Now potatoes are highly misunderstood. You see they are widely known as the reason for obesity but wake up and see the truth people. Its not the potato that is unhealthy but the method of cooking. So fry it and you pile on the pounds roast it or boil and you have a perfectly healthy food item. Of course it is a source of carbohydrate so ideally if you are taking potatoes you need not worry about extra intake of bread or rice or pasta etc 1 medium sized boiled potato contains about 211 calories. I used two small sized potatoes but they were not baby potatoes

So here goes a healthy salad which serves 1

2 small sized potatoes boiled and chilled
1 medium sized tomato
1 small sized onion
5 to 6 stuffed olives halved
1 tsp fresh onion green chopped finely
1 hard boiled egg cooled sliced and chilled
Sprinkle of paprika - I used 1/4th tsp you can use 1/2 tsp as well
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp chives - I used dried ones
Fat pinch of oregano
Salt as per required

Simply slice them in circular patterns and chill but do not mix the salt, balsamic vinegar and oil from before. Before serving toss the chilled salad with the Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle salt and serve. You have a healthy meal ready to be enjoyed.