My Key to cooking fresh food

Key to cooking fresh food along with stressful work life is advance preparation and getting up early.

Early morning Brown Rice(in electric cooker) and Dal/Lentil(pressure cooker)/Soup are kept before starting morning rituals.

Frozen cut veg or quick cutting vegetables are stir fired with very basic seasoning and put the lid with low heat. So by the time Im ready for work my half cooking is done.

Evening when I enter home all I do is make hot Roties (Phulksa)/Tortias/Indian Bread and Season the boiled dal (lentil)/Soup.

Stock Dosa batter/Indian Pancake batter

Make some chutneys/sause/dips in weekend

Stock cut salad so you save some time.

Use tomato paste & tamarind paste, ready seasoning like McCormicks spices, or make your own combination to accelerate cooking.

Youve to give up traditional cooking and stick to very basic cooking to keep up with healthy life style.

If healthy fresh cooked food is not in kitchen Junk food find its way.

Just wake up 20min early than your daily routine and try whatever I suggested.

Cooking is rapid & swift in the morning than evening. By end of the day we are really stressed and tired. We can get more mileage out of ourself only in the morning.  Planning and preparation will keep our diet on track and we can stick to healthy life style.

By: Reena Sharma

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Quick Healthy Recipes Part 1

Mango Salsa Recipe
1 ripe/raw mango, peeled, pitted(without skin and seed)), and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 Green Chilies/ Jalapeño, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
 

Salt as per taste
(I even add little Carrot/Beetroot/Tomatoes. More the merrier)
Mix all and serve with lunch or dinner. You eat as salad or topping for Papad or topping for any chat items.

Stuffed Pita:Get Whole Wheat Pita Bread 1 Packet
Pressure Cook 1 & 1/2 cup Black beans with 4 Cup water, 2tsp salt and 2 Garlic cloves.
Drain water and keep Boiled Black beans aside. Add little salt again.
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
Raisin Grapes finely chopped
1 Tomatoes finely chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Cut Pita into Half, pan grill till it turns golden throughout.
Open half cut pita like a pocket Fill it with Boiled Black beans, little cut onions, Grapes, tomatoes and Cilantro. Its ready to eat.
Vegetarian Lettuce wraps recipe is quick and easy to make. Serve the filling on a platter with whole lettuce leaves on the side, and let your friends and family wrap their own. Theyll love the combination of crisp, cold lettuce with the warm, flavorful filling.
head fresh iceberg lettuce (this type works best for this recipe)
1. Cooking oil: 3tsp
2. Finely chopped onions: 1½ Cup
3. Minced Garlic: 2 Tablespoons Cup
4. Finely chopped ginger: 1"x1"
5. Soy Chunks: 1½ Cup (Put Soy Chunks in Boiled water for 4min and drain the hot water by putting in colander and squeezing out all the water)
6. Mutton Masala/Garam Masala 1 teaspoon
7. Cumin Powder: 1 teaspoon
8. Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
9. Red Chili powder/Lal Mirch powder (Cayenne): ½ teaspoon or to taste
10. Salt: ½ teaspoon or to taste
11. Tomato Paste/Mango powder(amchur): 2 tsp.
12. Defrosted green peas: 1 Cup (Optional)
13. Chopped fresh Cilantro: 2 Tablespoons

Method1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan/nonstick pan. Add onions and sauté onions till clear about 5 minutes. Add Garlic, Ginger. Continue Sautéing about 90 seconds.
2. Add Boiled & Drained Soy Chunks. On medium heat continue cooking and till all water is dried and the Soy has turned light brown.
3. Add ingredients Mutton Masala, Cumin Powder, Coriander powder, Red chili powder, Salt. Sauté about one minute.
4. Add Tomato Paste Continue sautéing till it forms a mixture (shiny).
5.  Turn down heat to medium. Cover. Simmer covered for 7 minutes or till done.
7. Add Green peas. Shut off heat. Do NOT cook peas for long time, they lose color and become mushy.
Garnish with fresh chopped Cilantro.
Now take 1 leaf of iceberg lettuce and put 1tbs of Soy Stuffing in the center, wrap it up and eat.
You can use some tamarind chutney or any ketchup to make it more interesting.

By: Reena Sharma

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