Stuffed and Steamed tomatoes

BY DRSAILA · MARCH 6, 2017

This breakfast recipe is quite easy to prepare. Tomato flavor becomes much more pronounced when steamed or roasted. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. Studies show that Trans-lycopene content is increased when tomatoes are cooked.

In this recipe tomatoes can be roasted or baked. Whatever you choose for filling, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. 

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, large – 4
• Eggs –  3
• Onion – medium diced
• Green chillies – small, chopped 6
• Cilantro – chopped 2 tbsp
• Extra virgin olive oil – 2tbsp
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Beat eggs, mix onions, oil, chllies, cilantro and salt.
• Cut a thin slice from top of tomato about ½ inch from stem.
• Scoop out seeds and pulp by using spoon, being careful not to pierce skin of tomato.
• Fill 3/4^th of tomato with egg mixture. Close with top slice. 
• Steam for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes look shriveled.
   

  Enjoy this healthy and easy appetizer/breakfast.

   

  Tips:

• If you like well done onions, you may sauté onions and chillies in oil before adding to egg mixture.
• If you are a cheese lover, you may top tomatoes with feta cheese prior to steaming.   

Steamed Ragi Flour (Puttu)

BY DRSAILA · JULY 6, 2015

This is the best breakfast cereal you can ever ask for. Ragi is also called red millet. It  was once a staple food in India. Rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, fiber and being gluten free it also has higher protein content, when compared to other grains.

 

See how my new addition to breakfast recipe list works out for you. Mention in the comments below.

Ingredients:

• Red millet flour, 1 cup (if you can afford to grind your own flour it is better, even store bought flour is also ok, if it is not too old).
• Coconut, grated, fresh or frozen ¾  cup
• Sugar½ cup (I used coconut sugar, any sugar should be fine)
• Cardamom powder, ½ tsp.
• Salt, pinch

Preparation:

• Boil about 1 cup of water.

• Mix ragi flour, and salt.
• Sprinkle hot water on flour and mix with hand until it comes out like bread crumbs. It should just be damp and not wet.  (This is the most important step of making the dish. If you add too much water it will be mushy, less water will make the flour dry. Add just enough water to bring flour to a consistency, where it can hold together when pressed and turn back to powder if you break it. You don’t have to use the whole cup of water. )
• Add water little by little water to the mixture and keep kneading the dough and keep mixing it with hand as you add. (It took a little over ¾ cup of water to bring my flour to right consistency and it is to be noted that the amount of water varies, depending on how moist your flour is.)

• Take a wet muslin or any white cloth, squeeze the excess water out.

• Line the steam basket with the wet cloth and spread the prepared ragi flour on it. You may cover the flour with excess cloth hanging down. (I made hole in the center of the cloth, so it fits on idli plate.)

• Cover and steam for 20 minutes.
• After it is cooked, transfer it into a bowl.

• Add grated coconut, cardamom powder and sugar for hot steamed Ragi flour.

• I like to eat it plain. You can add milk and have it as cereal. Add any fresh fruits such as banana or berries to milk.

  If you like it spicy, do not add sugar, mix few spices such as chilly powder before your cook. and have it with pickle of your choice or have it with yogurt.

   

   

  FYI:
   

• Store Ragi flour in airtight container in refrigerator.
• When you fill the container, tamp it down hard as you keep filling it, this way it lasts fresh longer.

•  

• Freezing the flour is another option to keep it fresh for longer period.
• No need to roast ragi flour prior to steaming.
• You can use any porous plate such as idli plate and use any pressure cooker. Do not place whistle on.
• You can also add dried coconut powder, readily available at stores. Make sure you add it before steaming so that they capture moisture.

Amazing Avocado Sandwich

BY DRSAILA · JULY 1, 2015

This yummy sandwich is a great idea for kids’ lunchbox. Being a kid friendly sandwich it is full of protein, vitamins, good fats and fiber. Grown ups can enjoy this yummy sandwich anytime as a snack. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• Juice from half lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. of ginger (optional)
•  Whole wheat bread 4 slices
• Sprouts of your choice, I used mung beans (green gram dal or Pesalu)
• Veggies of your choice, I added cucumber and tomato slices
• Baby spinach

Preparation:

• Peel and pit avocado.
• Blend avocado pulp with lemon, ginger, salt and pepper (I blended in stone mortar).
• Spread this on bread slices and top with baby spinach, sprouts, cucumber and tomato slices.

You might also want to view these recipes:

Avo-Rado Sandwich

Avocado Roti

Spicy Avocado Chutney

Avocado Smoothie

Pink Noodle Upma

BY DRSAILA · JUNE 24, 2015

The colored upma dish is a beautiful dish cooked in south indian style,  to bribe kids to eat homemade breakfast with some veggies. When I make this, leftovers, if there are, go to my packed lunch to work next day.

• Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 5 green chillies,small
• ½ cup cup onions, diced
• Handful of soaked and boiled peas
• 1 medium size tomato(optional)
• Small carrot, diced
• 1½ cups cooked pink rice noodles (can replace with whole grain noodles)

•  

  Procedure:

  • Add oil to the thick bottom pan, then add ginger, onions and green chillies and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato pieces,carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes, then add steamed peas and stir it.

  • Now add boiled pink rice noodles.

  • Mix everything for 2 minutes.

  • Garnish with 2 tbsp of fresh mint or coriander leaves. Can top with few fried cashew nuts.

No HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) Granola

What’s more – this stays at room temperature for 3-6 months, so you can make in large amounts and store in airtight container. This could be a delicious travel snack.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup agave or any liquid sweetener of your choice like maple syrup, Brown rice syrup or honey
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1½ cup of nut mixture (any combination is fine, you can use up your almond pulp here, I recommend this combo: ½ cup almond pulp, ½ cup crushed pecans,¼ cup crushed peanuts, 2 tbsp. flax seeds or powder, ¼ cup sesame)
• Salt, vanilla to your liking
• Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Spread it on teflex sheet and dehydrate until crispy.

Alternatively, you can dry this in an oven for about 20 minutes at 350°F

Uses:

• Use it as daily breakfast with almond milk
• Can have it as a healthy & handy snack
• Use it as topping for desserts like avocado pudding or use it in between layers in Parfait.

Tip:

You can replace oats with sprouted buckwheat and other millets like red millet, quinoa.

Oats Upma (Spicy, steamed rolled oats)

BY DRSAILA · JUNE 24, 2015

To gain strength and energy to carry you through hectic morning schedule you can’t ask for better breakfast than a bowl of freshly cooked oats.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 5 green chillies,small
• ½ cup onions, diced
• Handful of cashew nuts
• 1 medium size tomato
• 1½ cups rolled oats ( If you use any other kind of oats you will have to adjust water quantity)
• 2 cups of boiling water

Steps to make the spicy oats upma:
 

• Add oil to the thick bottom pan, then add ginger, onions and green chillies and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add tomato pieces and cook for 5 minutes.
   
• Now add rolled oats and celtic sea salt and mix, then add hot water to the oat mixture, lightly mix it once oats are added. If you add cold water this dish won’t taste good, it has to be hot water.
   
• Once the water is absorbed which takes about 5 minutes, cover and leave it on low flame for about 10 minutes.
   
• Garnish with 2 tbsp of fresh grated coconut, or cashew nuts or few coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

• Pasta, any pasta of your choice, egg noodles go well with this recipe
• Onion, 1 medium size, diced
• Garam masala powder, 1 tsp.
• Ginger garlic paste, fresh, 1 tbsp.
• Carrots, diced or cut into matchsticks
• Capsicum, green or colored, one, cut into thin strips
• Green chillies, 6
• Cabbage, cut into thin strips
• Beans, 10, cut into small pieces.

Preparation:

1. For one measure of noodles (I took 1 liter cupful to 4 liters water) you must add at least 4 measures of water and 2 tbsp. of oil when water boils.
2. Bring water to rolling boil and add noodles to the boiling water.
3. Cook noodles to firm texture (al dente), about 4 minutes.
4. Drain noodles and add cold water to noodles. You don’t have to add it to cold water if you are going to add noodles immediately to sautéed onions and veggies.
5. Cut all veggies into thin strips. Finely cut onions.
6. Add 1 tbsp. oil to thick bottom pan, add masala powder and ginger garlic paste and sauté for two minutes. Add little bit of salt. Do not add too much salt as soy sauce you are adding at the end is salty too.
7. Add onions, green Chillies, carrots and beans. Sauté on high flame for about 5-10 minutes. Do this simultaneously as you boil noodles.
8. Add cooked and drained noodles and mix them all on high flame.
9. Add thin and long cut cabbage and toss.
10. Add soy sauce at the end and toss.

FYI:

1. This recipe must be done on high flame.
2. To prevent noodles from sticking together water amount should not be less than what is given in this recipe.
3. Water must reach rolling boil before you add noodles and don’t forget to add oil to water. If you add noodles to cold water and boil, noodles won’t cook properly. Don’t overcook noodles.
4. If you like it spicier you can add chilly paste when you fry onions.

Ingredients:

• Peanut or almond butter, 3 tbsp.
• Yogurt, ½ cup (I recommend using homemade yogurt)
• French couscous, ½ cup, whole wheat (can use any kind of couscous)
• Strawberries, or Blueberries, handful
• Granola, store-bought or homemade, handful (see the recipe below for homemade granola)

Preparation:

• In a saucepan bring ¾ cup of water to boil and add ½ cup of couscous, remove from heat, cover and allow to sit for about ten minutes.
• Fluff to separate. Depending on type of couscous you use, amount of water to cook and sit time may vary. Authentic couscous will require significantly more cooking time.
• Choose a tall clear glass, layer with granola in the bottom, couscous, then layer 1 tbsp. of yogurt, peanut butter, fruit, couscous, yogurt, peanut butter, strawberries and granola. I slice strawberries and arrange slices to the side of the glass.

Caution:
This recipe contains peanuts, Caution advised for anyone with peanut allergy.

FYI:

• Most couscous sold in stores is pre-steamed, so just dousing it in hot water is sufficient.
• Don’t boil or stir instant couscous as it brings it down to a mushy paste.