Week 2 - Day 3 Six Week challenge

Felt like I ate a lot today :) .

Breakfast: Man chow soup

Lunch: Whole wheat spaghetti with chicken tikka (left over from day before) mixed in with green chili sauce and red chili sauce.

Dinner: So proud of this one! Ezekiel crusted chicken with a side of broccoli.  This needs some prep - in an oven 350F put some slices of Ezekiel bread for 30 mins until dry and crunchy. Make a crumbs of these in a blender and keep aside.  Take chicken breast (6oz) and pound it very thin. sprinkle salt and pepper and set aside. Next take two plates. In one, add 1 egg white and in another add the Ezekiel powder. Now add some garlic powder , onion powder , Italian seasoning , salt , pepper and paprika powder to both the plates. Pat dry the chicken. Dip it first in egg white mixture and then in Ezekiel crumbs.

Heat 1 tbl spoon avocado oil in a pan . Add the chicken and cook on both sides on low flame.
Its a very good use of Ezekiel bread.

Week 2 Day 2

Hi,
Had the weigh in today and lot only 2.5 lbs this week :( . Need to work harder next week. Here are snippets from my food log for today

Breakfast: Ezekiel bread french toast with cabbage stir fry.

Recipe: In a bowl mix 3 egg whites with 1/4 Red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder  and 1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste and 1/4 tsp salt.  Completely thaw the Ezekiel bread and dip in the egg mixture to absorb it well on both sides. In a pan take 1 tbl spoon avocado oil and cook the bread on both sides.

In another pan add 1 tsp avocado oil and add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. Add shredded cabbage , salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 mins.

Serve immediately.

Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Asparagus.
I had marinated salmon with basic masala like red chili powder, turmeric , ginger garlic paste , salt , garam masala powder , lemon juice , curry leaves and little bit of non fat yogurt .

Next day with very little oil , I grilled the salmon to perfection.

Week 2 - Day 1

Hello All,

Did not cook much on the weekend this time. Starting the week off with healthy food again but the most interesting today were lunch and dinner.

Lunch: Man chow soup

Followed the recipe
https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Vegetable-Manchow-Soup-KhaanaKhazana.html

For Dinner make Chicken Tikka kebabs with Tomato chutney.

Recipe: Take 1 lb of chicken breast cut into bigger cubes (wash and dab dry). To this add 3/4 tsp Red chilli powder , 3/4 tsp salt , 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste , 1/2 tsp tumeric , 1 tbl spoon kasoori methi powder , 1/2 tsp saunf powder , 1/4 tsp black pepper powder , lemon juice 2 tblspoon , 3/4 tsp Garam masala powder, non fat greek yogurt (no water) 2 tblspoons. Add 1-2 tbl spoons of Avocado oil.

Cut cubes of onions, bell pepper (green, red, yellow, orange) and add in the mixture. Now string them on skewers with veggies in the middle . Marinate for atleast 2 hours. Lay them flat on a baking pan lined with Aluminum foil

Start the oven on High broil. cook until you see brown edges on chicken and then turn the skewers to cook other side. Serve hot.

What I ate today (Week 1- Day 4)


Breakfast:


Potato and peas cutlets with chicken mince and fresh tomato salsa. A side of strawberries.


Recipe:


Boil 1 large size potato until soft. Mash it completely and add paste of 1-2 green chillies , coriander leaves 1tblspn and mint leaves 1 tblspn. Also add 1/4 tsp black pepper , 1/2 tsp salt , 1/2 tsp coriander powder , 1/4 tsp garammasala  powder and some lemon juice. mix well .This should be a thick paste.
If its not thick then put it back on stove and cook till all dry.  To this add pre cooked chicken mince and peas. When ready to make it I add 1 egg white into the cooled mixture and then make patties and shallow fry in 2 tbl spn of Avocado oil.


For salsa , 1 fresh tomato , 1 green chilli, lemon juice , salt , pepper and coriander leaves. I pulse it together very coarsely.

Lunch : Whole wheat pasta with grape tomatoes with a side of non fat greek yogurt.


Recipe:(I ate half of the below)
Add 1 tblspoon of oil to a pot. Add 1/4 cup of chopped onions. When translucent add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder , 3/4 tsp salt ,1/2 tsp red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste. Add 1 tsp of tomato paste. Now add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of dry pasta to this. Add some sprigs of coriander leaves , lemon juice and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Cook until pasta is tender.

Dinner: Baked cod with veggies.

This did not turn out very good so will not add the recipe.


over and out.

What I ate today:
Lunch:
Lettuce wraps with mince meat , cholay (chick peas) , fresh tomatoes , cucumbers and Greek yogurt.

Dinner:
Fish with grilled zucchini and corn.

Recipe:
Flounder fillet (1 lb) ( I ate only 6 oz of it)


Marinate the flounder fillet in two steps.
1. Add 1 tlb spoon lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt and marinate for 10mins
2. Add  3/4 tsp Red chilli powder, 3/4 tsp Ginger garlic paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric another 1/4 tsp salt , 1/2 tsp cumin powder , 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder and marinate for at least 30 mins.


In a pan add 1 tbl spoon Avocado oil and and the marinated fish fillets. let cook on one side for 2-3 minutes on medium flame and carefully turn and cook for another 2-3 mins.


For zucchini ,  cut zucchini as in photo and toss in 1/2 tsp olive oil, salt , pepper and rosemary. now grill until you see nice marks on it. Enjoy!

What I ate today:

Breakfast: Chicken Haleem with oats (savory oats chicken porridge) and strawberries

   Recipe:

   Coming soon

Lunch:

Beef mince with potatoes and tomatoes with brown rice and cucumbers

   Recipe:
   Coming soon.

Dinner:
  Shrimp Kebobs with Broccoli


  Recipe: Coming Soon.
 
  For Broccoli , I boiled broccoli in hot water for 2 mins. Then with one tbl spoon avocado oil in a pan I added broccoli , sauté for 1-2 mins and then sprinkle salt , black pepper and garlic powder.

Hello,
Everyone knows I love food , that's why I have this blog right? but just eating yummy food and not doing any exercise impacts your body and you start gaining weight and fat. I have gained too and have decided to take up a 6 week challenge to loose 6% of my body fat percentage.


Its hard for a food lover to stick to a repetitive diet plan so I have decided to be creative with it.

I also don't see many Indian recipes out there for dieting and wanted to open up my options for when I decide to stick to this diet long term.

Hope you follow along... I will also be eventually adding the recipes for these on my you tube Chanel or here.
Disclaimer:
This kind of diet is for my challenge and will not apply to everyone. The Diet chart is suppose to be specific for this challenge and for my weight category.. Moreover I am not blogging everything that I ate in a day but just important meals. I am not even claiming that these meals work but I am blogging my journey as I progress in the challenge. Apart from this Diet I exercise for 3 days for 45 minutes sessions.

What I ate on the first day of the challenge:
Breakfast: Egg white and spinach omelets (with 0% Greek yogurt and fruit):


Recipe:
Whisk together 3 egg whites , spinach (I cut and washed it (1 cup) and tossed it around in a pan (no oil)), some salt.

Add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a pan and add the egg mixture. Turn when done on one side.

Lunch:

Cholay (1/2 cup chick peas cooked with 1/2 cup frozen veggies and tomatoes with 6 oz chicken breast mince)

   Recipe:
   http://humairasfoodpassion.blogspot.com/2009/08/chole-bhature.html


I added extra frozen veggies to it and Chicken mince after I fry onions and add spices.

Dinner:
1. Tandoori chicken

Recipe:
Chicken Breast : 1.5 lb ( I ate only 6oz of it)

Cut chicken breast into thin fillets. Take them in a bowl and add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder , 3/4 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste , 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp coriander powder, Kasuri methi crushed1 tsp, 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder, Tandoori chicken masala 1 tsp, 3 tblspoons of non fat Greek yogurt and1 tblspoon Avocado oil. Add some orange food color if you like. Marinate this atleast for 3 hours.

Heat oven to 400F. Place chicken on a baking tray and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve immediately .

2. Asparagus
  
Recipe:


Break asparagus from the root where it breaks naturally. wash and add in zip lock. To it  add   1tsp of  olive oil , pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. mix well in the bag.

Place them on a heated grill (I use grill pan on stove) and toss for 30-45 sec.

A Very filling and satisfying day!

Nizami Chicken Kebab

This is my comeback recipe hopefully. Now a days with a newborn at home and  a hyper three year old I am always looking for recipes that are quick and easy. This kebab is the simplest and the quickest kebabs you can make. They taste delicious and look delectable.
The chicken slices are marinated in a flavorful marinade and shallow fried. Serve with roomali roti and chutney for a heavenly combination. Enjoy you guys.

Ingredients :

Chicken Breast : 1 and 1/2 cut into think slices (around 10 slices)
Salt : 1 and 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder or crushed : 1/2 tsp
Ginger  garlic paste : 1 tsp
Lemon juice : 2 tsp
Coriander : small 1/2 bunch
Green chilies : 3-4
Peeled Garlic : 3 pieces

Method:

Season the chicken with salt , black pepper and Ginger garlic paste. Make a paste of coriander, green chilies and garlic and add to the chicken. Also add 2 tblspn oil and let it marinate for 2 hours.

Right before serving time shallow fry the chicken pieces until nice and golden brown. sprinkle a little more lemon juice and serve hot.
Hope you enjoy!

Introducing my little princess....

Introducing my little princess....She has kept me away from posting recipies lol...

Gajar ka halwa (Carrot yumminess)

My father in law loves this dessert so I told my husband to bring carrots from the supermarket. I have never tried making this before so really wanted to try it out. I looked up online and in my recipe books and saw many recipes but most of them used khoya (khowa) which I dint have on hand. well I was still determined so as soon as my hubby came home i asked him for carrots. He handed over a bags of baby carrots to me...I was like ...aaaaa..baby carrots ...really...I thought carrot halwa is made from nice big red carrots. well I still wanted to try it out...if it turns out bad i can blame the carrots lol. This dessert turned out amaaazzzingg. Unbelievably tasty and really easy to make. My husband loved it the most and he ate it in his unique style with puck cream (available in Arabic grocery stores). Do try this out , I highly recommend it.

Carrots -     1-1/2 bags of baby carrots or you can use the big red ones. Finely grate/shred them. I
                     used a food processor for this purpose.

Oil mix - 2 tbl spn oil + 5 tbl spn butter

Milk - 4 cups

sugar - 1-1/2 cups

water - 1 cup

cardamon powder 1/2 tsp

color - deep orange color


Procedure :

In a NON STICK pot add the oil mix. Add grated carrots and stir well on high flame. Now add milk and water and let boil till carrots soften. At this time you will see some oil oozing out Add sugar , cardamon powder and color and stir well for about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Besan Murukul (Gram flour treats)

I made this for Iftar recently. These simple , crisp and yummy murukuls  made me miss my mom who lives in India so much more. These were her specialty and she would make them in large batches and store them in air tight containers for us to eat whenever we desire. This year when i visited India i picked up the gadget which makes these fab murukuls. My FIL best describes them as irresistible. Try them to believe.

Ingredients:

Besan (gram flour)  : 1 cup
Rice flour : 2 cups
Salt : 1 tsp to 1-1/2 tsp as per taste
Red chili powder  : 2 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Sesame seeds : 1/2 tsp
Butter 2 tbl spn
Oil to deep fry

Method :

In a clean plastic bowl mix  all the ingredients together.
Add water to make a thick consistency . This should almost be as thick as cookie dough.
Now fill the murukul gadget with this dough. I used the plate with medium sized holes. Heat oil in pan and deep fry the noodle like dough (from the gadget) until golden brown. You can make these in all different shapes and sizes. Remove and place on paper to absorb excess oil. Enjoy !!

Rating :4.5 / 5 big hit with my 2 yr old

Yummy pot roast in slow cooker

Hi All, It was a really busy day, had to run a lot of errands ,and this is what came to my rescue for dinner. A one pot meal , fantabulously delicious and hearty...POT ROAST.

It needs a good 8-10 hours to cook so start in the morning and use a slow cooker and
forget about it till dinner for a yummy feast.

Ingredients :

Meat chunk - Boneless 2-3 pound chunk of meat (lamb or beef) . ( I did not have a piece that big so I used three small stakes of lamb)
onion - chopped 1/2 cup
garlic powder
dried thyme leaves - 1 and 1/2 tsp
veg stock or beef broth
red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp
1 bay leaf
4 cloves of garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes.
bite sized veggies - carrots, celery , potatoes , onions

Procedure :

Wash and pat dry the meat chunk. season well with salt and black pepper on both sides (approx 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper powder). Heat 4 tblspn of oil in a nonstick pan.
now brown this meat chunk on all sides. Sprinkle some garlic powder on them and add these to the slow cooker bowl.

Now add chopped onions to the same oil and fry until translucent. add garlic and thyme leaves and saute for 30 sec. Add this to the slow cooker bowl.
Now add the can of tomatoes,all the bite sized veggies , red pepper flakes , bay leaf into the slow cooker bowl and add veg/beef stock until the stake is fully immersed in it. Add some black pepper and cook on high for 8-10 hours straight. You will see that the veggies are perfectly cooked and the meat just melts in your mouth by the end of the cooking.



If you need the sauce to be thicker just remove the veggies and meat on the serving place and in a separate pan add the liquid and boil with 1 tsp corn flour until thick and add on top of the meat.Enjoy with garlic bread.
Bon appetit!

Creamy Pasta with Parmesan crusted chicken breast

Hi ! today I have for you my take on alfredo pasta and heavenly parmesan crusted chicken. Its italian, its creamy, its flavorful, its filling and its all here from scratch. lets get right into it.

Ingredients:

pasta 1 packet (I used shells but it does not matter)
salt 1 tsp

For sauce

Evaporated Milk - 1 small can.
butter stick - 1
garlic - 4 cloves
Red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Ground Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
oregano 1/4 tsp
cilantro



Method:

For Pasta :-

Boil a pot full of water. Add salt and cook pasta according to instructions.

On another stove heat a pan and add a butter stick.
To this add finely minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Now add a can of evaporated milk on low heat. stir well.To this add half a packet (1 cup ) of cheese (I used five cheese Italian),
salt ,ground black pepper,oregano and fresh cilantro or parsley.

Drain the cooked pasta and add to this mixture. Check for salt.

You could also add finely chopped and caramelized red onions , capsicum and tomatoes for added taste.



Parmesan crusted Chicken Breast:-


1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup All purpose flour
1 egg
chicken breast cut into fine slices 6 (fine slices)
Parmesan cheese - 1/2 packet
olive oil -2 tbl spoons
salt and pepper

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil.
In one bowl add breadcrumbs,all purpose flour and parmesan cheese.
In another bowl add a beaten egg.Now dip chicken breast in dry mixture then in egg and then again in dry mixture.

In a pan heat 4 tbl spoons olive oil and add breasts.cook them to nice golden brown.

Heat oven 350F in a greased pan add the browned chicken breast.add Parmesan cheese
on top and let bake for 5 minutes. check if chicken is done.

assemble and serve

Note: This is not my own recipe. It has been adapted from various sources on the Internet. This listed recipe is how I choose to make it with little modifications and really liked how it turned out

Khalakand (An Indian dessert/sweet)

My Family visits India once every year. Usually my husband accompanies me and flies back in a few days and I stay and enjoy for a few more days(months..). When I come back the only
request I get is "Can you bring khalakand?". So Khalakand is hands down his favorite sweet... well that made it inevitable for me to try my hand at this lovely dessert. Its so simple yet so delicious and needless to say my husband finished it all. It was a hit! Now we can enjoy khalakand all months round yuhooo!!...Enjoy this everyone, its lovely.

Ingredients:
Khoya (khowa), crumbled - 2 cups
Whole Milk - 1 and 1/2 cup
Paneer ( I used store bought) - 1/4 cup
Powdered Sugar - 5 tbsp
Granulated Sugar - 1/4 cup
cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Water 1/2 cup
Pinch of Nutmeg
few Chopped almonds

Method:




Bring the water to a boil in a non stick pan. Add milk and let it boil once. Turn the heat down. Add powdered sugar and stir continuously.Now add nutmeg, cardamon powder and granulated sugar.
stir for 10 minutes. Now add crumbled Khoya and paneer.Add the chopped almonds. keep stirring until the mixture thickens and starts leaving the pan.

Grease a pan with a little butter. Pour the above mixture and let cool completely. Refrigerate it for an hour. cut into square pieces and serve.



Note: This is not my own recipe. It has been adapted from recipes from various blogs.

Sending this recipe to Lets cook with cheese event

Fish Fry
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Hi Everyone, Back after a looong break but all pumped up and ready to bounce back. This time its Fish fry Indian style. I personally feel too many spices spoil the taste of the fish. It should have a very flavorful but subtle taste. This is maybe one of the quickest recipes you can make.

You can use pretty much any fish and although fresh is good you can make this with frozen fish as well.

Ingredients:

Fish fillets : 1 pound (around 4 nos) I use Tilapia or Cod but you could use any fish
Red Chili powder : 1- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp



Method:

Wash the fish well. pat dry. Mix in all the remaining ingredients and marinate for half hour in the refrigerator.Heat a pan at medium heat and add 4 tblspns of oil. Now add the fish fillets. Let cook till golden brown on one side and then flip and cook on the other side. squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the fillets and serve hot. Its that simple and may I add DELICIOUS!

Tahari (Tomato and Meat rice)

Tahari
_______________________________________________________________



Hello everyone ! Today I am presenting a dish that brings back childhood memories.
we would be overjoyed to hear that tahari was in the menu. Its very simple to cook , very quick and who does not love tomatoes?

I cook this very often specially in Ramadan as its a one dish meal and very filling.
It just requires raita or dahi ki chutney to go with it and you are all set. I am sending this recipe to Mona's event Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2010' (Season II) and Lubna's event
Joy From Fasting To Feasting (season III)

Hope you enjoy!!


Ingredients :

Rice - 8 rice cooker cups (approx 1 kg) washed and soaked for 10 mins
Lamb/beef - 1 pound (small pieces washed and set aside)
Tomatoes - 2 diced cans
onions - 1/2 big sliced
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
salt - 5 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tblsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
oil - 5 tblsp
Juice of half lemon
coriander leaves - handful
Mint leaves - 5 leaves
Green chillies - 3




Method :

Heat oil in a cooker. Fry onions till slightly brown. Add Ginger garlic paste and saute till golden brown.Now add turmeric powder, Red chili powder and 3 tsp of
salt. Add Lamb/beef pieces and mix for 5 minutes. Now add the two cans of diced tomatoes.Mix well. Add one cup water and pressure cook till meat is tender.
Once this is done, open lid and let cook till oil oozes out. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves , green chillies, garam masala and lemon juice. Add rice and remaining
salt.Transfer into a rice cooker and add water (add 1 cup extra water than what is usually required to cook rice). Mix well and serve hot with dahi ki chutney (curd). Enjoy!!

Family Rating : 8.5/10

Coconut Laddus

khopre ke laddu

_________________________________________________

Hello there, How is everyone doing? As most of you know that I am expecting and its become a little difficult for me to cook and blog. The other day I was
craving for a quick sweet treat. I browsed around to find this quick but immensely tasty Coconut laddu recipe. So lets get started...

Ingredients :

dessicated coconut (dry) - 3 cups
Sweetened condensed milk - 1 small can (14 0z)
Mixed nuts ( I used almonds, pistachios, cashews and raisins) - 1/2 cup chopped finely

Method :

In a nonstick pan slightly roast dessicated coconut. Now add all the mixed nuts and slowly add the condensed milk little by little , mixing constantly.
This will form a consistency where you can make laddus. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes and start making laddus with still warm mixture. Roll these in some extra dessicated coconut. Keep the laddus in fridge for an hour ( Although I doubt you will be able to resist them for so long).
Enjoy!!

MIA for a while

Hello Everyone! I know I have not been blogging for a while now and thanks to all those who sent me messages asking me my whereabouts. I promise to be back very soon.Just taking a long break :)

Eid Mubarak !!!

May Allah bless all of us and guide us to the right path.Aameen

Murg Malai kebabs

Heavenly Chicken Kebabs/kabobs - Murgh Malai kebabs
________________________________________________________________




Firstly I need to apologize to be MIA as I been really busy with work and all the allergies and flu.
I was looking for a quick treat. I felt like eating juicy , moist kebabs and that is exactly what I found on Nabeela's blog. She has an amazing list of treats that I am definitely going to try soon. I have not made much of changes to her recipe. I just prefer the broil method for making my kebabs. If you like to roast them then you can follow her recipe as is.Hats off to Nabeela for this amazing dish.





Ingredients:
Boneless chicken cut into medium size pieces - 2 lb
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp fresh minced cilantro
2 tbsp fresh ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil





Procedure:

Make the marinade by combining salt, yogurt, sour cream, cilantro, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and red chilli powder in a medium bowl. Mix well. Rub chicken pieces all over with lime juice. Add them to the marinate and coat well. Let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Soak 10-12 wooden skewers in water(soaking them overnight truly ensures no burning and flare ups in the oven). If you're using metal skewers, skip this step. The next day, when you're ready to serve, take out chicken 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat the oven on broil mode to High. Thread chicken pieces onto the skewers keeping 5 piece to each. Lay them on an oiled roasting rack on an Aluminium foil lined pan. Broil for about 5-7 minutes, turning it a few times in between. Check on the chicken often to ensure it's not overcooked or undercooked. Enjoy!!