Easy Cucumber Sandwich

Easy Cucumber Sandwich.

Quick and easy cucumber sandwich.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1. Cream cheese - 1/2Cup
2. Garlic,minced- 1/8 tsp
3. Fresh dill, chopped-  1 tbsp 
4. Whole wheat bread- 8 to 10 slices
5. Butter- as required
6. Cucumber,sliced-1/2 of a large
7. Black pepper powder- to taste
8. Salt- to taste

Instructions:

In a bowl combine together cream cheese,garlic,dill and salt to taste.Mix well until smooth.

Spread a thin layer of butter onto each slice.( this will keep the bread from getting soggy).

Spread the prepared cream cheese mixture evenly on each piece of the bread.

Evenly distribute the cucumber slices on 4 (or 5) slices of bread and sprinkle pepper powder on top.Press the other bread slices,cream cheese mixture side down on top of the cucumber slices.

Trim the crusts from the sandwiches,if desired.Cut into half and serve.

NOTES

• You can use cilantro instead of dill.or use 1 fat pinch of dried rosemary /dill/tarragon or Italian seasoning mix.
  

Chocolate-Freeze | Chocolate Milkshake

Chocolate Milkshake.

Quick and easy chocolate milkshake.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4
Recipe Source: meals with kraft,you can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:

1. Chocolate drinking powder - 1 tsp
2. Cocoa powder - 1 tsp
3. Milk - 2 cups
4. Whipping cream - 1 cup( or 2 sachets of dream whip)
5. Instant coffee powder - 2 tsp
6. Ice cubes - 8 to 10
7. Sugar - as required( i used approx 4 tsp)
8. Chocolate syrup - as required

Instructions:

In a blender ,add chocolate drinking powder,cocoa powder,milk,1/2 cup whipping cream( or 1 sachet whipping cream powder),instant coffee powder,ice cubes and sugar.Blend until smooth.

Drizzle 1 tbsp chocolate syrup into each glass.Pour in the chocolate milkshake.

Whip the remaining (1/2 cup)cream until stiff and decorate on top.Drizzle chocolate syrup and serve immediately.

NOTES

• For best result used chilled milk.
• I used homemade chocolate syrup.Recipe coming soon!!
  

Pear,Banana,Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Pear,Banana oatmeal breakfast smoothie.

Healthy oatmeal and Pear,Banana ,breakfast smoothie recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:

1. Rolled oats- 2 to 3 tbsp
2. Pear ,peeled and cubed- 1
3. Banana ,peeled and sliced- 1
4. Low fat Yogurt-1/2 cup
5. Cinnamon - 1 pinch
6. Ginger,grated- 1/4 tsp
7. Honey / sugar- to taste

Instructions:

Firstly add rolled oats into the blender and grind to form a fine powder.Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.Serve immediately.

NOTES

• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple juice to adjust the consistency ,if desired.  
  

Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Apple oatmeal breakfast smoothie.

Healthy oatmeal and Apple ,breakfast smoothie recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:

1. Rolled oats- 3 tbsp
2. Apple ,peeled and cubed- 1
3. Soy Milk /Almond milk -1 to 1.5 cups( use regular milk for non vegan version)
4. Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp( or use a pinch of cinnamon)
5. Honey / sugar- to taste

Instructions:

Firstly add rolled oats into the blender and grind to form a fine powder.Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.Serve immediately.

NOTES

• You can also add  two or three dates  instead of  honey or sugar.  
  

Strawberry oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie | Vegan Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberry oatmeal breakfast smoothie.

Healthy oatmeal,strawberry and banana ,breakfast smoothie recipe.
Recipe source:all recipes ,you can find the original recipe here.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1 or 2
Ingredients:

1. Rolled oats- 1/2 cup
2. Banana,sliced - 1
3. Frozen strawberry- 14 to 15
4. Soy Milk -1 cup
5. Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
6. Honey / sugar- to taste

Instructions:

Firstly add rolled oats into the blender and grind to form a fine powder.Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.Serve immediately.

NOTES

• For best results use frozen bananas.  

Strawberry Lassi | Lassi Recipe

Strawberry Lassi

Healthy and delicious strawberry yogurt smoothie.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1 or 2
Ingredients:

1. Strawberries- 10 to 12
2. Yogurt- 1 cup
3. Ice cubes- few
4. Honey / agave nectar - to taste

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients in a blender/food processor .Blend until smooth.

Serve immediately .

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt | Healthy Dessert Recipe

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Healthy and delicious strawberry frozen yogurt.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients:

1. Frozen strawberries- 500 gms
2. Greek yogurt / Hung curd- 1 cup
3. Honey / agave nectar - to taste
4. Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients in a blender/food processor .Blend until smooth.

Serve immediately or transfer it to an airtight container, place in the freezer until firm.

Tabouleh | Middle Eastern Salad

Tabouleh Recipe

Middle Eastern Parsley and Bulgur wheat salad.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:

1. Bulgur wheat- 1/3 cup
2. Parsley,finely chopped- 2 large bunch
3. Mint leaves,finely chopped - 1/4 cup
4. Spring onion,finely chopped- 2
5. Tomato ,chopped- 2 medium
6. Cucumber ,chopped- 1 small(optional)
7. Lemon juice- from 2 medium
8. Olive oil- 1/4 cup
9. Black pepper powder- to taste
10. Salt- to taste
11. Hot water- as required

Instructions:

Place bulgur wheat in a large bowl,add enough hot water to cover.Set aside for 30 minutes or until softened.Drain excess water and keep aside.

In a large bowl,combine together parsley,mint,spring onion,tomato,cucumber( if using),lemon juice and olive oil.Add prepared bulgar wheat and mix well.Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oreo Cookies and Cream No-Bake Cheesecake

Oreo cookies and cream No-Bake cheesecake

Quick and easy No- bake cookies and cream cheesecake.
Recipe source: countrycleaver.com, you can find the original recipe here.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: - minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For cookie base:

1. Oreo cookies- 10 to 12
2. Melted butter - 2 tbsp

For crust:

1. Heavy cream- 3/4 cup
2. Cream cheese - 1 cup
3. Lemon juice- 1 tsp
4. Vanilla extract- 3/4 tsp
5. Sugar- 3 to 4 tbsp( or according to taste)
6. Crushed Oreos-1/4 cup

Instructions:

To prepare cookie base: Crush  Oreo cookies in a blender to form fine crumbs.Add melted butter and mix well.Divide the crumbs between 4 or 5 serving cups and gently press the crumbs into the bottom of  each serving cup.Refrigerate until required.

To prepare filling:In a bowl,beat heavy cream until medium peaks form.Keep aside.

In another bowl,mix together cream cheese,lemon juice,vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.Now fold in the whipped cream.

Gently fold in the crushed Oreo cookies.

Spoon or pipe this cheesecake mixture into each serving cup.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.Top with crushed Oreos ,if desired.

NOTES

• Check the recipe for homemade cream cheese here.

Kulukki Sarbath | Spiced Shaken Limeade With Basil Seeds and Pineapple | Healthy Summer Drink

Kulukki sarbath

Spiced -shaken limeade with basil seeds and pineapple.Perfect for a hot summer day.
Prep Time: 10 to 12 minutes
Cook time: - minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:

1. Basil seeds/Sabja seeds /Kasha Kasha- 2 tsp
2. Lime juice - from 2 limes
3. Ginger ,finely chopped- 1 tsp
4. Green chilies ,sliced- 1/4 tsp
5. Pineapple,finely chopped- 2 tbsp( optional)
6. Cold water- 2 cups ( and more for soaking basil seeds)
7. Sugar / Honey / Sugar syrup- to taste
8. Ice cubes- as required

Instructions:

Soak basil seeds in water for about 10 minutes.Drain and keep aside.

In a shaker /glass jar add soaked basil seeds,lime juice,ginger,green chilies,pineapple,water and sugar/honey/sugar syrup to taste .Shake well for about 15 to 20 seconds.Add ice cubes and serve immediately.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of green chilies according to your taste.
  

Mango Milkshake

Mango Milkshake

Quick and easy Mango milkshake recipe.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: - minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Ingredients:

1. Mango,peeled and cubed- 2 ,medium sized
2. Milk,chilled - 2 cups ( for vegan option use almond milk or cashew milk)
3. Sugar- 2 to 3 tsp( or to taste)
4. Cardamom powder- 1 pinch( optional)

Instructions:

In a blender combine together mango,milk,sugar and cardamom powder( if using).Blend together until smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately.You can also add one scoop of vanilla / mango ice cream if desired.

NOTES

• Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
  

EGGLESS NO-BAKE PASSION FRUIT PUDDING

Serves:4
Ingredients

For the base

1. Marie biscuit -powdered-1/2 cup
2. Butter - 1 tbsp

For pudding layer

1. Passion fruits halved- 8 to 10 nos
2. Thick cream-1 cup
3. Condensed milk-1/2 cup
4. Powdered sugar-2 to 3 tbsp / or to taste ( see notes)

For the topping

1. Passion fruit pulp- From 1 fruit
2. Sugar - 2 tsp ( or to taste)

Method

To prepare the base

• In a mixing bowl combine together powdered biscuit and butter.Press this mixture equally into 4 serving glasses using the back of a spoon.Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

To prepare the pudding

• Scoop out the pulp from the fruits into a blender.Blend for 2 to 3 seconds.Pour the juice into a strainer ,use a spoon to push the juice off the strainer.( discard the seeds)
• In a mixing bowl combine together thick cream,condensed milk,powdered sugar and strained fruit juice.Whisk until light and fluffy.Pour this equally over the prepared biscuit base.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour or until required.

For the topping

• In a small bowl combine together passion fruit pulp and sugar.Mix well using a spoon until combined.Pour this over the pudding just before serving.

Notes:

Adjust the quantity of powdered sugar according to your taste depending upon the tartness of the fruit .

If you are using passion fruit concentrate ,adjust the quantity of the sugar as it is already sweetened.

HEALTHY COCONUT MILK PAYASAM | NO COOK KHEER | NO COOK DESSERT | VISHU SPECIAL PAYASAM

Ingredients

1. Coconut milk-1 1/2 cup( see notes)
2. Banana( palayankodan pazham)- 2 small -mashed                                                                      ( or use one cavendish/chiquita banana)
3. Dates chopped finely- 4 to 5 nos
4. Apple ( peeled)-1/4 to 1/2 of a small
5. Cashew nuts (soaked in water)- few(optional)
6. Raisins- few ( optional)

To grind

1. Coconut milk- 1/4 cup
2. Dates(deseeded)- 8 nos ( or to taste)
3. Cardamom powder- 1 large pinch
4. Dry ginger powder-1 pinch
5. Grated jaggery-1/8 cup (or to taste)

Method

• Grind together all the ingredients ' to grind ' using a blender to form a smooth paste.Keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl combine together,coconut milk,prepared dates paste,mashed banana and chopped dates.

• Cut the peeled apple into thin long strips and make very thin slices from each segment as shown in the picture.(Make it as thin as possible,it should look almost like ada in ada pradhaman).Now immediately add this to the coconut milk mixture to avoid discoloration.
• Finish off by adding cashew nuts and raising ( if using)

Notes:

• Adjust the quantity of dates and jagerry according to your taste or sweetness required.
• Coconut milk should not be too thin or too thick.
• Try using brown sugar, if jagerry is not available.
• Add a teaspoon of ghee to enhance the flavor ,if desired.

MANGO LEMONADE

Ingredients

1. Fresh mango puree-from 1 large mango
2. Lemon juice - from 2 lemons
3. Sugar-1/2 cup ( or according to taste)
4. Cold water- 3 to 3 1/2 cups( or more)

Method

• Combine together sugar and water.Stir continuously until sugar is completely dissolved.
• Now add lemon juice and mango puree.Stir well until combined.Serve chilled.