Millet with baked pumpkin salad

Millet with baked pumpkin salad with a sunflower seed dressing

I think millets are a healthy substitute for wheat or rice. Since sunny boy can't eat wheat and co., including rye and barley, I try to offer him different types of other cereals. Millets are called Hirse in German and this is a variety called gold hirse here and comes from China, with big sized kernels. These are large in size than the Indian 'sama ke chawal' a hindi word for a variety of millet which you might know usually eaten during fasting. 'Sama ke chawal' are also different in being white in colour than this variety I used.

yellow chinese variety of millet (DE: 'gold hirse')

I took the recipe of baked pumpkin salad from 101 cookbooks, a blog surely well known to you all. I made a slightly different version than as given in the recipe. I used cooked broccoli florets which were still slightly crisp and I cooked them in the same water as the millets and took them out once done. I roasted a handfull of leftover sweetened cranberries and added them to the salad and also canned corn kernels to the plate while serving. I didn't have cilantro (coriander leaves) so I used parsely instead. Apart from that I had to slightly vary the amounts of the sunflower seeds and also pumpkin seeds I added to the dressing in the dressing as I didn't get it right initially but at the end it was a fanastic change to the vinaigrettes I usually make as dressings.

Some notable nutritional aspects of the meal:

Millets: contain B vitamins just like wheat ( see link (Wiki) ), and many other trace minerals required by our body and that way make for a good replacement for wheat

Broccoli : Apart from the many vitamins it also contains the trace element selenium and many other substances suggested to be having anticancer properties (source: Wiki). contains dietery fibres.

sunflower seeds : these are not only a good source of healthy fatty acids from the oil but also proteins. It contains linoleic acid, an omega-6-fatty acid. Like most of the seeds it also contains many useful trace minerals.

Pumpkin: good source of dietery fibres, just like broccoli, and contains a good number of trace minerals and vitamins. Low in fats but contains small amounts of proteins (lower than in potato)


The roasted flavour of the pumpkin was lovely. Since I used hokkaido variety I didn't need to peel it. I made the mistake of cutting the onion into wedges but forgot to take it out in time and they got a bit too dark and almost crisp! Next time I'll keep them whole as they aren't that big in size. We all loved the flavour of crannberries
I made this meal in September and since hubby isn't that fond of kichdi type of food I haven't come to making it again, but he and sunny boy enjoyed the pumpkin. I don't remember any more how sunny boy liked the millet as such, but he did the dressing for the salad. I have to make it soon to use up my two packets of millets lying in my pantry.

Making them eat carrots...

(carrots from ones own garden - try growing them with your kid in your own veggie patch at home!)

Sunny boy loves to eat carrots raw. Usually he askes for his favorite 'dip' along with it which is nothing but a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil in 1:2 proportions with little mustard, salt and pepper added to it.
But eating them slightly cooked is actually even better as the good vitamin a get much more easily absorbed. Apart from fats /oils that it needs the softened texture makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb the goodies from this wonderful veggie. Of course, the carrots should retain their fresh colour - a good indication that they are not over-cooked.
But, how many of your kids like that. Sunny boy? It depends on his mood, but I HAVE to put it in his mouth usually.
Two things which however do make him eat them with pleasure on hiw own are:

1. dice them very very finely and cook with rice or cook/fry separatly and add to pasta or the vegetable which he likes. All have worked for me
2. make them into these good looking flowers and cook or fry them like in the following pictures (you can also add them to raw to salads)
   

The final products....
My tips on serving vegetables to kids:

1. Do not mix too many different things together and they will more easily eat their veggies!
2. Serve very small portions
3. give some funny or fascinating namesto the dishes you serve

Some old info lying in one draft , posting it finally:

Calcium, just like zinc reduces iron absorption and since iron is a very important mineral required by the body as well, one should avoid eating calcium rich sources along with the main meals.

A good report on the effect of calcium on iron absoption.

Another informative page on trace minerals required by our body.

Here are some good sources of calcium and iron at MedicineNet.com.

Healthy , Roasted Cutlets

Anirudh is unwell , so over the weekend I wanted to make something thats interesting to him (as you dont feel like eating in fever) and yet healthy.

The usual fried cutlets would be bad on his throat and so I recalled this one.

Ingredients:

Cottage Cheese : 50 gms crumbled
Carrot : 1 grated
Onion : 1 fine chopped
Wheat Flour : 2 tbsp
Broken Wheat : 1/4 cup
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Chilli powder , salt as per taste
Water : 1 cup
Oil / Butter : 1-2 tsp

Steps :

1. Blanch the broken wheat in 1 cup water for 3-4 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients and make patties of desired shape
3. Roast with little oil on a non-stick tawa. It should be cooked for long on slow flame.

The recipe was inspired by a Tarla Dalal's recipe that I read sometime back. I don't remember accurately but it required to add soya sauce and chilli sauce as well. I forgot to add soya sauce and I skipped chilli sauce intentionally.


Anirudh had half cutlet , which can be equated to atleast 0.5 roti and some veggies too. So operation successfull. About the taste I cannot say , since I did not get to taste it , everything was over before I made it to the table :-P

Not-too-chilli paneer

This is a really simple paneer recipe that can work equally well with rice, rotis or even bread.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:
350gm paneer, diced into 1 cu cm cubes(or as large as comfortable for kids)
1 medium capsicum
A puree of

2 tomatoes
3 small onions
a small bunch of coriander leaves
2 green chillies
1.5 tsp ginger paste

Cinnamon
Shah-jeera
Shah-mirch
3/4 tsp salt
Oil

Process:
Heat oil.
Add cinnamon, shah-jeera and shah-mirch.
Once the mixture splutters(I'm not sure how to describe the moment when they're just right!), add the puree
Allow to boil
Add the paneer, boil once more.
Add the capsicum, seeded and diced, while waiting for the thing to boil.
Simmer for about 2 min.

That's it.

Paneer Carrot Parantha

Ingredients :

Wheat Flour : 1 cup
Cottage Cheese(Paneer) : 100 gms
Carrot : 1 grated
Onion /green onion: 1 finechopped
Coriander leaves : handful , fine chopped
Chilli powder : as per taste
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala : 0.5 tsp
Salt : as per taste
Oil
Water

Steps
1. Mash paneer with hands
2. Knead all the ingredients like a roti dough.
3. Now roll out your parantha , like usual , and fry on a nonstick tava.

Tastes best with raita !

Variation : You can also use grated cheese for filling. I did but only for Aryan :D

Mixed Greens Chutney

This is a rec which has been handed over generation by generation in my hubby's home... Its an excellent way of getting greens in the meals... I usually make it once in 2 weeks and freeze it in small pots and keep using as and when required...

It can be eaten with idly, dosa, used as a sandwich spread, in chapathi rolls, with rice... anything u wish to.. My 16 month old son has been eating this for a very long with great fondness and everyone who tastes it loves it...

Ingredients

• 1 bunch palak leaves
• 1 bunch methi leaves
• 2 bunches red leaves
• 1 bunch gongura leaves
• 1 bunch corriander leaves
• 1 bunch dill leaves
• handful of mint leaves
• handful of curry leaves
• (u can add any other green if u want too, I sometimes add mustard leaves, raddish leaves)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp channa dal
• 1 tbsp peanuts (optional, to be avoided in case of allergies)
• 2-3 dry red chillies (its yummy spicy so if kids are not eating it add more)
  
• Oil or ghee to fry

Method

• wash and chop all greens (incase u are adding mustard, boil it seperately before)
• Heat oil in a pan and then add mustard seeds
• once they crackle, add cumin seeds
• add dry red chillies, peanuts, urad dal and chana dal, fry for 3-4 mins till dasl turn little brown
  
• add onions and fry till they turn golden brown
• add tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes
  
• add all greens and fry for 7-8 minutes or till the leaves become little soft
  
• add 1.5 cup of water and let it simmer for 10 mins
  
• simmer till the desired consistency is achieved
  
• grind it a little in the mixer and its ready to relish
  

Nutrition Pack Parathas

Ojas these days is in a state where he wants to eat everything on his own, so I am trying to innovate in foods which he can eat on his own... the top of the list is Paranthas... here is one I figured out and everyone loved

Ingredients
1.5 cup atta (use whole wheat or I used the pillsbury multi grain atta)
1/2 cup sweet corn kernel parboiled and crushed
1/2 onion chopped
1 bunch palak leaves chopped
1 bunch methi leaves chopped
1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp oil
salt to taste
pinch of red chilli powder
some mozzarella cheese
u can add green chillies if kids are not eating

Method
1. Knead all ingredients apart from cheese together to make dough
2. With the dough roll out small chapathi and stuff with cheese
3.fold and roll again
4. fry both sides using oil/ghee or butter whatever ur child prefers

serve with curd

this is very good dish for the dieting people too, just avoid the cheese and fry without oil...

My experiences with cooking and feeding my child

I did a post on my experiences with cooking and feeding my child. I did not do it here for its not about facts but only my views. Do take a look when you have time and let me know what you have to say.

Sabudana Khichdi

Ingredients
1.5 cup sagu/sabudana
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
2-3 dry red chillies
3 green chillies chopped
2 tbsp peanuts
handful of curry leaves
coriander for garnishing
salt to taste

Method
1. wash and soak the sagu for 10-15 mins
2. roast the peanuts and grind them coarsely
3. heat oil add mustard seeds.
4. after they splutter add jeera
5. add chilies and onion and fry till golden brown
6. add the curry leaves and fry for 1 min
7. add salt and then add the sagu and peanut
8. cook till done
9. garnish with coriander and enjoy

some people also veggies in this but somehow i like it this way

Pasta with Sun dried tomatoes

I love the flavor that sun dried tomatoes bring in a dish, i often use them in my mix veg

This time I decided to spice up my pasta with it... so here it goes

Ingredients
100gm sun dried tomatoes
800 ml water
handful of jalapenos
1 small bunch fresh parsley
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 small bunch fresh rosemary
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp olive oil
500 gms pasta (any shape, my personal fav is fusilli)
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. boil the water and soak the sun dried tomatoes in it for 10 mins
2. take about 1/3 of the tomatoes and chop
3. make the puree of the rest
4. boil pasta till done, clean and keep separately
5. heat olive oil in a pan and add onions and jalapenos
6. when the onions turn golden brown add the tomato puree and tomatoes
7. boil for 7-10 mins
8. add the chopped herbs and simmer for 2 mins
9. mix the pasta and the sauce

u can also sprinkle some cheese on top to make it more interesting and also some veggies can be added to this to make it more nutritious ... i made this as a quick fix when someone was coming over a short notice so didnt do that

enjoy folks... wish i could upload pics to salivate u guys but my camera's usb cable is yet again missing :(

Dahi Vada

Has to be my fave summer snack ever!

Ingredients:
Urad dal/split black gram - 100g
Adrak/Ginger - about 1/2 inch
Saunf/Fennel seeds or aniseed - 1 tsp
Dahi/Curd) - 300 gm
Imli/Tamarind syrup(sweetened with molasses or sugar)
Jeera/Cumin, roasted then powdered
Dhania-patta/Coriander leaves(optional)
Hari mirch/Green chillies (optional)
Lal mirch/Red chilli powder(optional)
Salt
Water

Process:

For the vadas(dumplings):

• Take about 100g split black gram seeds(urad dal) and soak overnight in about 250 mL water. It should swell up to over twice the original volume.
  
• Drain off excess water, then grind with a little ginger and fennel/aniseed. Some people add a green chilli, deseeded.
  
• Take the batter and shape it into flattish dumplings onto a damp muslin cloth.
• Heat salad oil for deep frying, and one by one dump the dumplings into the hot oil. Preferably, do not hold the dumplings in hand, but just overturn the cloth over the frying pan.
• Fry the dumplings till golden brown, and immediately soak in warm salt water. You can soak these for upto 24 hours, if you refrigerate once they cool down.

For the tamarind syrup:

• Take some ripe tamarind - 100g should do.
• Squish with water to extract a thick, dark juice.
• Squeeze the seeds and peels to get the maximum out of them, then separate the dry pulp from the juice.
  
• Sweeten to taste, preferably with molasses. Sugar will do too.
  

To serve, lift the dumplings out of the salt water and squeeze out the excess. Pour curd over them, then a generous amount of tamarind chutney, and sprinkle cumin powder on top.
Red chilli powder, chopped coriander leaves and green chillies are optional toppings.

I know this pic(courtesy www.manjulaskitchen.com) looks a bit like vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce. Trust me, it tastes different, but equally good! I really liked Manjula's recipes for Dahi Vada, and if you look up the comments on the post, they explore a number of variations on the recipe.

Cross-posted to my blog.

Oats and Veggie soup

Ingredients

Dry rolled oats: 1.5 cups
Vegetables: 1 cup (finely chopped carrot, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas)
Onion: 2 tbsp
Bay leaf: 1
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Salt and pepper to taste

Method for preparation:

1. Powder dry oats in a blender and keep aside.
2. Sauté onions in butter in a saucepan.
3. Add vegetables and cook until tender with bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
4. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon stick once the vegetables are cooked.
5. Cook oats to a dosa batter consistency.
6. Add the cooked vegetables into the oats.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Drop a sprig of mint in the middle and a dash of cream while serving.

Healthy and yummy oats and veggie soup is ready.

Pasta in Green Sauce !

Few months back I read this recipe on one of the food blogs and wanted to try it then and there. But then it slipped away from my mind. Yesterday when I was looking to make something different forAryan and I saw spinach in fridge , this clicked to me again. But as usual I could not remember which blog was that and so I had to scratch my tiny brain to remember the best I could.
So I do not know the best way to make this pasta , but it tasted good in whatver way it was made :-)

Ingredients :

Macroni : 1.5 cups
Baby Spinach leaves : 1 cup (I used handful)
Frozen/Boiled Green Peas : 1/2 cup
Onion : 1
Garlic cloves :2-3 grinded ( I used 1/2 tsp garlic paste)
Grated Cheese : 1 cube
Olive Oil / Cooking Oil : 1 tsp
Black pepper : 1 pinch ( I use red chilli powder since hubby is allergic to black pepper)
Salt to taste

Steps :
1. Wash and grind the spinach into a paste
2. Boil and drain macroni.
3. In a pan , add the oil and saute the onion till translucent.
4. Add peas and saute further for sometime.
5. Add the spinach paste and garlic paste and bring to boil.
6. Mix with macroni and cheese.

Trust me it was yummy and three of us gobbled it within minutes.Here is a quick pic :

Apple Raisin Cake

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Flour
2. 1/2 cup Sugar (powdered)
   
3. 2 tsp Baking Powder
4. 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
5. a Pinch of Salt
6. 1/2 cup Milk
7. 1/2 cup Apple, peeled, cored and chopped finely
8. 1/4 cup Oil
9. 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
10. 1/4 cup Raisins
11. 1 Egg, beaten

Steps

1. Sift all the dry ingredients for the cake together and leave aside.
2. Pour in all the liquid ingredients and run the processor for 2 minutes.
   
3. Blend in the apple and raisins.
4. Fold the flour in this mixture.
   
5. Prepare an 8 inch round/square cake tin by spreading some oil/butter.
   
6. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 C.

Personal Notes

1. Brown sugar instead of regular sugar would have given a better look and texture both.
2. I poured few drops of honey on the cake slices and it tasted even more yummier.

Pasta in White Sauce

Well, the brat loved it, so I thought why not share the joy in the blog!

For white sauce:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour (I used maida)
2 cups milk (add more depending on the consistency that you want)
salt and pepper to taste
Italian seasoning (optional, I used the small sachet from Pizza hut/Corner, whatever)

Thinly sliced vegetables (Red/green/yellow bell peppers, onions) - less than 2 cups
Pasta -200 gms
Cheese - for topping the pasta

Serves - 3 children

1. Cook pasta as per pack instructions. I cooked it a little softer, so that it is easy for the baby also to eat.
2. Drain pasta and keep aside.
3. Add butter to kadai and melt it.
4. Add flour and mix well.
5. Add milk little by little and whisk with ladle till the paste is smooth. Add more milk if you want the sauce runny.
6. Add salt and pepper and the seasoning.
7. Stir-fry vegetables.
8. Add the sauce and pasta to the veggies.
9. Grate cheese over it.

Serve and let the creamy yummy pasta work its magic.

Sooji cheela with carrots

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup sooji
2. 1/4th cup besan (optional) - it just gives different flavour
3. 1/4th cup grated carrots
4. salt - 2 tsp
5. water to make thick paste
6. Oil/Ghee to roast

Steps:

1. Sift sooji, besan and salt to mix properly.
2. Add water and make an even thick batter.
3. Add grated carrots and leave for 10 mins. Add more water if required. The amount of water to be used varies on the type of sooji being used.
4. Brush some oil in the tawa/girdle and pour a ladle of batter and spread.
5. Scatter few drops of ghee/oil on the visible side.
6. Once done, flip to roast from both sides.
7. Eat it with coriander-mint chutney or just plain ketchup.

Vegetable soup - short and simple

This one turned out lovely by fluke, so although I'm putting it up I'm not too sure of its success. Whatever it is, it's simple and nutritious!

Ingredients(measurements not at all accurate):
4 small Carrots(200g), cut into sticks of equal volume
Beans(150g), cut into about 2 inch long pieces.
Peas(200g after shelling)
1 medium Onion, cut into semi-rings of about 1/8in thickness
1 inch Ginger, cut into thick slices
4-5 peppercorns, slightly crushed.
Salt to taste(about 1.25 tsp)
Butter on top(optional but delicious).

Method:
Add salt, ginger and beans to water, bring to boil.
After about 1 minute add carrots and peppercorns. Some trial and error necessary to figure out the relative timings and how to cut the veggies for uniform boiling.
After another minute or two add peas and onions.
Boil until vegetables are soft to taste.
Remove from flame and add butter.

Using onions and ginger without garlic gave the soup a wonderful flavour. I'll try experimenting with onion/garlic and ginger/garlic some time.

Eggless Orange Cake

After lot of requests from so many of you to post the eggless orange cake that I tried recently, here is the pic and the recipe. Although the one whose pic you see above didn't turn out that soft or spongy because halfway through the baking the power went off and came back only after 30 min. So the heating, cooling and heating didn't work too well for the cake :)

Ingredients:

1. 1-1/2 cups plain flour
2. 1/2 tsp soda bicarb
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/2 cup sunflower oil
5. 3/4 cup caster sugar
6. 1/4 cup yogurt
7. 3/4 cup orange juice (I used fresh squeezed)
8. 2 tsp orange zest

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Lightly grease an 8" round baking pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, soda bicarb and baking powder.
3. In another bowl, cream together the oil, sugar and yogurt.
4. Add the juice, orange zest and flour; mix well and pour into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for about 35 minutes or till the cake tests done. Let it remain in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack.

For Microwave Baking:

1. Add 1/2 cup milk additional to the above specified ingredients.
2. And bake for about 12 min at highest power initially and do more if required.

First Award for our blog !

Hey everyone , this is the first award for Healthy and Tasty ...and it doesnot really go to me , but to all the authors of this blog. Thank you Preeti and I pass this one to all the people who have contributed atleast one recipe to the blog. Thank you ladies , for making this blog happening !

Chocolate Marble Cake

This chocolate marble cake serves about 3-4 people only. Good to be eaten at tea-time.

Preparation time - 10 mins
Baking time - 15 mins

You need-

1. 6 tbsp flour/maida
2. 2 tbsp cocoa powder
3. 4 tbsp powdered sugar
4. 1 egg
5. 3 tbsp milk
6. 3 tbsp oil
7. 1 tsp baking powder
8. 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven at 200C for 10 mins.
   
2. Mix flour, baking powder and keep aside.
3. Cream egg, oil and sugar.
4. Add vanilla essence and slowly fold in the flour mixture.
5. Take a quarter of the batter and mix cocoa powder in it.
6. Pour the pain flour batter into the greased tin and pour the cocoa batter in cricles over the white batter.
7. Bake for 15 mins at 180C.

For Microwave:

1. Add 3 tbsp of milk if making in microwave.
2. Bake for only 7-8 min ( in 1300W). Adjust the time based on the wattage of your microwave.
   

Dahi Sandwich

Last weekend I made this Dahi Sandwich (Curd Sandwich) totally desi style and it was yumm.

Here is how I made it -

You need

1. 1 cup curd
2. salt to taste
3. black pepper to taste
4. bread slices
5. rye seeds
6. Heeng/Asofotedia powder - 1 tsp
7. 3-4 tbsps oil/butter

Steps

1. Mix yogurt with salt and black pepper
   
2. On the girdle/tawa brush up some oil/butter.
3. Sprinkle some rye seeds till they splutter, sprinkle some heeng powder.
4. Put the bread slice and spread curd over it.
   
5. Put the other slice of bread and move it to the side.
6. Again brush some oil and let the rye seeds sprinkle and heeng powder and then flip the bread and roast it.
7. And then..what are you waiting for..just eat it! :D

Variations:

1. Add chopped coriander, grated ginger and finely diced green chillies in the curd for enhanced flavour.
2. You can add chopped onion for a crunchy bites.