Asparagus Soup

Soups are perhaps the easiest to prepare. Salad and soups make for a good night's dinner effortlessly.

This soup provides an unique texture and crunchy tasting without using the usual not so healthy croutons. This is yet another simple and healthy recipe.

Cut the asparagus heads and set it aside.Pressure cook the asparagus stems and onions. This ensures the flavors and nutrients are not lost. As this is being cooked, mildly sautee the asparagus heads.I prefer to sautee it without oil to give it its crunchy taste. Alternatively brush the asparagus heads with little olive oil and bake them for 10 minutes in the oven at 375 F. Blend the cooked items and dilute (fill in) it with the same broth that comes out of pressure cooking to desired/soupy consistency. Throw in and enjoy.

Here is a more step by step approach to the preparation -

Ingredients

1. 10-12 asparagus
2. onions
3. Pepper
4. Salt
5. Garlic cloves (2 or 3)
6. 3 0z milk (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut the asparagus heads and set aside
2. Trip the ends of the stalks
3. Peel off the external skin of the cylindrical stalks
4. Cut the stalks into smaller cylinders
5. Pressure cook them in water along with the garlic cloves and onions
6. Blend them in a mixer finely
7. Add water if necessary and cook them on the stove for 5-10 min
8. Add salt and pepper to taste
9. Garnish with the roasted asparagus heads.

Snack recommendation

Yearning for a delightful cracker or two to go with your cup of tea or looking for a dip for your soup? Here is a crunchy cracker which goes very well with any kind of dips or just as is. The La Panzanella crackers are low fat baked goods. So enjoy couple of crackers guilt free.

I found the cracker irresistable with jalapeno-cilantro hummus dip. Yum Yum...

Banana Muffins

This recipe is perfect when you don't have the mind to throw your over-ripe bananas and neither are willing to eat it. In fact ever since I came across this recipe I wish for my bananas to ripen faster so that I can get to make this muffin.

I have come up with this recipe after trying out several combinations for the sugar, proportions of the wheat flour to the white flour. This combination seems to work best. I used ground flax seeds instead of oil or eggs. Ground flax seeds is rich in the good fatty acids and also acts as an egg substitute. Reducing the sugar to below 1/2 cup brings out a bitter after taste.

Ingredients

1. Applesauce - 1/2 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 Cup
3. Maida or All purpose flour - 1 cup
4. Whole wheat flour or Spelt flour - 1/2 cup
5. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
6. Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt (pinch)
8. Melted Butter - 3 tsp
9. Walnuts - 1/4 cup
10. Bananas - 4
11. Ground flax seeds - 3 tsp
12. Brown sugar 1/8th cup
13. Raisins - 3 tsp
14. Cinnamon - 1 tsp

Preparation

1. Mix the bananas, applesauce, melted butter and blend it make a fine mixture.
2. Add the flax seeds to warm water and mix it with the banana paste prepared above.
3. Mix the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, whole wheat flour in a separate bowl.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry flour mixture and blend it nicely. Add walnuts and raisins, mix well.
5. Grease the muffin moulds and pour the mixture into each one of the mould. Top it with mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon powder.
7. Preheat the oven to about 375 F. Put the muffin mould in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the tootpick comes out clean when inserted in the muffins.

This recipe was modified from the original

Thin Crust Pizza ... from scratch (low-fat)

My tryst with making pizza at home was confined to buying the crust, sauce and vegetables from a store and then assembling them all and baking them in the oven. I had the inertia to not venture into this unknown territory of pizza crust preparation. Well thanks to my friend who bolstered my confidence by giving this simple wonderful recipe for making the crusts. You ought to try it out to see how simple this recipe actually is...

Ingredients for crust

1. 1 cup whole wheat flour
2. 1 cup bread flour or 1 cup hi-gluten flour
3. 1/4 tsp quick rising yeast
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1/2 tsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Mix all the above ingredients
2. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until the dough is really soft and does not stick to the sides of the container.
3. Continue to fold, press and stretch (kneading) with your hands for another 5 minutes.
4. Close the container and let it rest for 5-6 hours

Pizza dough

Ingredients for the pizza

1. Tomato pizza sauce (store bought)
2. Mozzarella cheese 1 cup ( or as per your taste)
3. Broccoli - 1 cup
4. Pineapple cubes - 1 cup
5. Zucchini - sliced 1/2 cup
6. Capsicum - sliced 1/2 cup

Preparation

1. Once the dough has risen knead it gently for another 1-2 minutes.
2. Smear the dough in some whole wheat flour and roll it into a disc shape with a rolling pin
3. Place the rolled out pizza in a perforated pizza pan (check out how it looks like here
4. Spread a layer of tomato sauce
5. Decorate the veggies on top of the tomato sauce layer
6. Add the mozzarella cheese lastly.
7. Pre-heat oven to 450 F
8. Place the pizza pan and let it bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese melts.

You can add cheese while making the dough for the crust. Options to modify the crust to give different flavors are endless. Let your imagination be your guide.

If you have tried a herb crust or other variations, share with us.
Enjoy your pizza !