Tag Archive | veggies

killing days with calories

my gynaec says i still have time before i hatch but these days i get really tired very soon and i kinda dislike doing a lot of activity or cooking… rest is all i need and calories is all i crave for.
she has given me all d freedom to eat n drink watever i feel like…
so just a fortnight before i hatch i am killing my indoor time eating all that i wish for.
right from white forest and strawberry cream to the last of fresh strawberries and green figs and mc d burgers to chocolate crunch…
have had a calorie filled week!

wat i enjoyed more than the all the above is the fresh cranberries of the summer start!

and playing with my nephew’s balloon at the age of 25

as of now i am enjoying a calorie free lunch- lots a green salad and apam- the south indian style! ayyo mind blowing it is !!

this is the most amazing green salad i have ever had!!! the recipe belongs to my aunt! she made this for a sunday dinner at her place and mum kinda tried making the same today… will post the recipe soonish… its healthy as well as 0 calories! perfect for ppl like me who has gobbled up on a lot of creamy stuff the week before!

apam at the same time has really low calorie and since its a roasted cuisine it makes the taste even more better!

cheers to a life full of food and leisure!

there is nothing more wonderful in the world than the food mommy makes 🙂

loving all this rest time.

post some nice calorie free food recipes if u have any 🙂

aavjo.

p.s did u participate in my march giveaway?
march giveaway post
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cookin with paneer

Mar13

I have been a lot lazier than i thought i would be, even with all the time in the world i spent useless hours watching ‘packed to the rafters’ on tv rather than blogging…

on the other hand i have been exercising regularly (pat on my back) and going for regular doc visits n tests…
while waiting for my baby to hatch (sometime soon now) i often chat with my mom how ahmedabad is different from rajkot even though both are filled with gujjus and heat and food joints.

i once told her i dont find good paneer near my place, the one i get is not so soft n tender that i enjoy enjoy cooking with.
and here was the masterchef of the kitchen boiling some hot water in a kadhai and teaching me how to make paneer…
woaaahhh!! this was something i would never miss and thought it would be nice sharing it with u.

packed some of the good looking pieces in a container and gifted it to my mommy’s music tutor.
and let the shreds be treated for an afternoon meal.

PG was visiting me that day so i made something with bell peppers (his favorite), chopped all of it with a huge tomato and some garlic petals and green onion stalks.

got them sizzling in a pan of hot oil and some great gujju spices- the usual red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, dhana-jeeru and a lil bit of hing!

added the paneer to add some drama…

and voila! here was my home cooked paneer and bell pepper sabzi with the perfect combination of spices n tangy flavor!

PG loved it and so did i 🙂
all thanks to mommy for the cooking lesson- paneer made from extremely fatty milk in just 20 minutes.
cheers!
aavjo 🙂
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stuffed bellpeppers- recipe

Feb11

sounds simple…. just stuff the filling and show fry it!
it tastes even yummier.. if you are fond of gram flour stuffing like i do!

i am not sure if this is a typical gujju dish but we make it a lot more often at home and everyone loves it!

for the stuffing you will need:
gram flour (1 cup) roasted.
red chilli powder – 3 tspns (more if you like your veggies spicy)
turmeric- 1 tspn
salt- 1.5 tspn (or acc to taste)
coriander-jeera powder- 3 tspns
lemon juice – freshly squeezed 2 tspns
sugar- 1tspn (avoid if u want to… this is to balance the taste)
vegetable oil – 2 tspns.

directions:
wash n dry green bell peppers, and pull a vertical cut into each (for the stuffing). i suggest buying small to medium sized bell peppers as they are easier to cook and also serve. bigger portions might create wastage on the plates. (something i really hate).

keeping them aside, roast the gram flour on slow heat.
mix it with all the spices and lemon juice. a semi-dry like paste will form.

fill this paste/stuffing into the bell peppers… through the vertical cut. DO NOT CHOP OFF THE STALK OR HEAD of the bell peppers. if you do so, u will have to deep fry the bell peppers. a vertical cut ensures less oil (shallow fry) and a better taste as well.

heat oil in a kadhai/shallow frying pan while you stuff all the bell peppers.

done with the stuffing?? add one or two of the stuffed bell peppers into the oil and fry them till you see the skin peeling off or the color changing.

remove and let it cool, add other two and fry them.

this picture has been taken to show you how the stuffing would be filled n fried by the heat of the bell peppers. do not cut them open… eating this would become messy n not so delicious. see how little oil i have used to fry these?? less oil=fitter you!

once the last of the bell pepper is done with frying, add to the kadhai/pan the already fried ones and top it with all the remaining stuffing/paste/gram flour masala.

stir the bell peppers in that paste for about 2-3 minutes on slow to medium flame. no high flame as the gram flour might just burn into black… burnt taste!

scoop it all out in a bowl… serve with kebabs or with roti/paratha or even biryani.

glutten-free sandwiches: recipe

Feb2

learned this recipe from a preggy friend of mine…. preggy at that moment… shruti now has delivered a beautiful baby boy as adorable as her!
congrats to her n and those pretty P101 ladies who recently delivered…

now for this colorful healthy brown bread sandwich recipe.

it was easy to make… like any other vegetable sandwich… and since it involves a lot of yogurt and green fibres it makes the perfect large meal for all those health n calorie conscious humans out here…

looks easy in the pics?? its easier to make it too.

glutten-free sandwiches:

ingredients-

hung curd (a medium bowl)

bell peppers (chopped)

carrots and cucumber (shredded n drained off the water)

cheese (loose or spread)

pepper n salt to taste

preparation–
mix the hung curd and veggies
add in salt n pepper to taste
you may try adding some herbs too if you like it
apply green chutney on one bread, apply butter on the other one,
lovingly apply a huge chunk of the mixture to the bread
and make yourself a sandwich

you may try adding in more veggies like peas or onions,
try different breads for a flavor (oats/multigrains)
in short lot can differ and you may experiment a new flavor everytime.
PG loved it, we had this in the car as a carry off on our way to a friend’s place for a midnight bday celebration.

we picked this cake from star india bazaar near my place…
its moist, soft n lovely in flavor!!
everyone in ahm should try these some day… they have a good bakery in there at the end of the store.
lots of other food also sold there… havent tried that yet.
some other day maybe…
its time to devour my glutten free sandwiches n a piece of that lovely strawberry.

cheers!
aavjo:)
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bidding good bye

Dec26

yea, so the doc finally said the words- ‘no more junk food! no more breads n biscuits! no more cakes… not even a slice of plum cake on christmas; forget cheese cakes and no more spicy meals at fancy restaurants! atleast not for three more months!’
omg!!! how can she expect me to resist the breads n cakes n restaurants?
i just cannot cannot do it.
or maybe…
i can take that as a challenge and show it to her… after all she says this coz she is worried for me. and now that i know that the world is not ending i can certainly wait for a few more months before my next binge!

so how do i bid a good bye? with a final round of bruschettas!

made two batches- one with corn on wheat bread and one with bell peppers on multigrain… its a simple recipe. anyone can make it and the best part is it isnt very messy to make at home, doesnt require a lotta preparation and quick to make. perfect for unexpected guests.
i guess this will keep me stuffed for 3 more months.
if not, i shall visit this blog again n make myself believe i gotta stay away from all this baked crap for now.
anything that u crave for and have been discouraged to have it ??
cheers!
aavjo 🙂
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mission red!

Dec19

I still cant forget those horrible two days last month…
it was painful and now i have decided to get back my hb level by the next time i get tested… thats sometime next week.
remember the cranberry from the hospital day?
hehe… i continued painting my plates red last week and i experimented in the kitchen this week too…

guess who i met this morning for breakfast?

we spend a good half an hour together… me and the melon!
met the other half again late afternoon while watching bernie and howie get married! wow!!

alrite, the wedding was over, time to celebrate! i could avoid the sweets n cake and lavish dinner, and make myself a passing mocktail to feel like i am a part of the party 😉
threw in some beetroot, tomato and carrot with sugar n salt to crush it into this

lovely color aint it ?
for all those who need a blood level shoot up session, can try this. for a better taste i would recommend not to crush the juice fully, keep a few crunchy pieces in there for a great texture and taste- like you get to enjoy fruit bits in a fruit punch!
or just munch into this bowl like i did late last night.

i have 3 days before one more hb test… and this time i better get a double digit result!
cheers to fun and food 🙂
aavjo!
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today’s menu 12.12.12

Dec12

so its a spl date today huh?? how abt cooking something spl too ??

today was more of a red day through out!

so the day was on a great anti-oxidant mood! time to punch in some oil and veggies and SEAWEED !
rita got me this sushi leaves and i wanted to try it ever since it landed in my kitchen closet.

so… sushi ehh?? i dont even know how to make one… and my husband doesnt even know wat cuisine it is… korean or japanese or both?? 😛
well, watching pretty women eat it on ‘sex and the city’ was no help. i knew i had to find a recipe soon. Rita helped me… suggested avocado and veggies .

its super thin.. paper like… doesnt smell so good as well… i only hoped it would taste better! i arranged some rice and veggies (avocado, carrots and bell peppers) layered over the sushi leaf !)

at the end… i guess it didnt turn out that bad. i sauted the veggies… and now i think avocado should not be dealt with like that.. there has to be a ‘real’ way to cook it.
anyways, so i rolled the leaf over and cut it in wedges.

so it didnt turn out to be very delicious… i will have to ramp over youtube tomorrow for a better veggie recipe. maybe some paneer would be good to stuff in.
i tell you.. no matter wat you fill in it never satisfies a gujju’s hunger the way spicy gujju food does,
i even proved it tonite… sushi v/s ringda no audo n rotla…
no guesses on who won.

will try making sushi once more with some alternate stuffing.
till then,
cheers! try experimenting and make 121212 memorable !
aavjo 🙂
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goodies :)

Dec7

This afternoon i finally received my estarer goodies in the post.
it was a long wait but hey, i was happy i finally got it!

they are here at the right time, with the christmas and new year’s party, i guess i can flaunt a golden bling in my hair along with my baby bump. i had a similar butterfly earrings in gold and lost one of it.. i still have the other one and cannot give it away to anyone… i love butterflies.

the parties remind me i just cannot look bumpy with dull eyes n gloomy cheeks… so i plan to pamper myself with lots of fruits and greenies. PG and I are even attending wedding on december 31st. (talk about couples who choose a date like this to marry since its easier to remember anniversaries hahahaa)

spinach, tomato and sprouts 🙂

its pretty healthy for everything in flesh and blood. it certainly feels ‘only’ boring salad but you may add in some ceasar dressing or maybe a little of southwest sauce. it would be more than a yummy dinner!

dinner was heavy today, had lots of guests (attending a wedding in town) at home. had to treat them just so perfectly. it all went well but the best part happened just a while ago tonite when PG treated me with this delicacy…

a white chocolate ice cream 🙂 one scoop just ain’t enough …. i loved it !!!

since i dont wanna pile up much calories… i am gonna wait for a week before i go back to judges bunglow and have one more scoop.

wat is your favorite flavor till now ?

cheers!

aavjo 🙂

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The Okra Show

Nov2

Hahahaaa… the other day a friend at P101 told me how she began learning kitchen rules and cooking after her wedding date was fixed. she thought she knew it all until on the 3rd day after wedding she was asked to cook bhindi aka okra aka ladies finger. she chopped ’em into pieces and dumped them in a pressure cooker with water and spices! whooopss!! it surely is something you will laugh at a lot in future. but for now it was such a gigantic mistake!!
she isnt the only one who told me about such a blunder. a few other friends also tried cooking bhindi the similar way. freak! how can you even think of it??

well, i in that matter didnt make that mistake. (doesnt mean i never made a cooking blunder… remember this?? )
but for now, i make perfect gujju bhindi sabzi and i hereby declare the recipe open to use. just mention my name/blog url in case u are referring it to others. feels nice when ppl appreciate it u see.

i diced the bhindi and added a medium sized potato (i thought the quantity wasn’t just enough… cooking intuition )

add 5 tsps of vegetable oil in a kadhai or a deep cooking vessel and let it heat at a medium flame. once its evenly heated.. add 2 huge spoons of garlic paste *optional* (garlic petals smashed into paste with salt and red chili powder), saute it for a few seconds.

next- add the bhindi (and potato) into the vessel and mix well, put a lid over the container and let the lid be a little deep (i use a thali / dish as a lid) so that you can pour in half a glass of water over the lid. that means no water inside the vessel but over the lid. let it cook for a minute.

next- drag the lid carefully aside. the water filled lid still needs to used. add in the spices – chili powder, coriander-jeera powder, and salt. use it as per the taste you or your family likes. gujju food is normally very spicy. you may prefer to vary according to your taste buds.

mix it well and notice it getting sticky. put on the lid again… if the water has evaporated, fill it again.

let it cook for 7 mins. (varies according to quantity,… plz keep on checking it)

once cooked, garnish it with coriander (i dont do with mine… )

serve it with chappati or parantha.

things to take care of :

1. do not dice the veggies very thin… these are not french fries.. if tastes better if kept bigger.

2. be careful with the chili powder in case you are adding garlic paste. you dont want the burning sensation later.

3. heat it again in case it still feels sticky.

4. do NOT add water in the vessel.

5. do NOT cook it at high flame. low to medium is just perfect.

6. let the bhindi cook a little in oil/garlic paste before adding the spices. let the oil seep in for a better taste.

7. do NOT overdo the quantity of oil… you dont want others to typecast gujju recipe as oily and unhealthy. its NOT^^

lemme know if you tried it… lemme know if you have a yummy okra recipe too.

would love to read or share with my readers.

cheers!

aavjo 🙂

5 steps to Pici Pasta

Oct16

PG and i are big pasta fans. we can have it for breakfast or even a mid night supper. at times i feel the 2nd biggest reason we are still together is ‘love for food’ . he demands it any day and i always stock the ingredients.
this time i wanted to experiment with pici pasta after i saw lynn chen talk about it. definitely its nothing different than spaghetti in looks. and its super easy to make. if… u buy some outside help. like i did… and my pasta were ready in 5mins.

5 steps to Pici Pasta

1. boil the pasta in water (with a pinch of salt)

2. chop some veggies in the meanwhile, any you like. i added bellpeppers(green+red), tomatoes, and carrots.

3. in a non-stick pan~ 1.5 tablespoons of oil, and saute the veggies. let it simmer for 2 mins and add this ching’s noodle/rice schezwan masala.

4. add the pici pasta (drained out of the water)

5. mix well. let it get moist in the masala n veggies, add a pinch of more salt and serve hot.

guess who i rescued later in the night?? it was dying in a cold freezer and needed some warmth.

saving the poor kid wasnt a good idea… it wasnt my favorite flavor 🙁 this is one place where i and PG differ… he has always loved chocolate.

mocha brownie fudge – for me- doesnt taste as good as it sounds.

went to a spl place for burritos on sunday night! will talk about it in the next blog.
what do u add to ur home made pasta to make it delicious ?

cheers!
aavjo 🙂

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