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Tag: lowcal

05
Feb
2014

Orange Strawberry Spritzer For Two ~ Valentine’s Special

It’s been ages since I posted any recipe for a drink. When I had a refrigerator full of sweetest, fresh strawberries last week, I had to oblige and make you(essentially I mean, me & hubby) this lovely spritzer. It is such a simple concoction that I am sort of embarrassed to even post it as a recipe. But it was so refreshing, I knew it had to make an appearance here!

It being a month of LOVE, this seemed just perfect for the celebration! Make your evening special with this recipe scaled down for just the TWO of you! Quick to make and oh-so-delicious to taste. Sparkling water lends such a delicate touch but you may use club soda as well. Not over the top yet an elegant, low-cal, non-alcoholic drink. It is just great for unannounced guests/friends and you may use frozen berries for such emergencies. You’re sure to impress everyone!

Enjoy!

Orange Strawberry Spritzer For Two

Serves: 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

7-8 fresh strawberries, hulled (You may use frozen)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 medium orange, juice squeezed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Sparkling water/club soda
Strawberry slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a blender jar, add strawberries and sugar and purée smooth. Pass it through fine cotton mesh or sieve to get rid of the seeds(totally optional!).

Stir in orange and lemon juice to it. Pour sparkling water/club soda on top. Add 3-4 ice-cubes to each serving glasses and pour spritzer to it. Garnish with strawberry slices.

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29
Jul
2013

Skinny Potato & Leek Soup

categories: Dinner, Lunch, Quick Fix, Soups

I want to make a confession. This is a very simple and classic soup. There… I said it! I am not bringing you some fancy-schmancy recipe today. Just an old classic… Flavored as per my liking and made skinny of course! I didn’t even want to post this recipe for its sheer simplicity. But the flavors were so bang on that I had to bring it forward to you guys!

This soup is so hearty that it is a complete meal in itself. Make this on a cloudy, rainy, grey, cold evening, have it curled up under a blanket and it won’t disappoint you! The aroma of the soup will soothe your mind and soul. It will love you back! (Really!!!) I made this on one such rainy Saturday afternoon and it did hug me back! 🙂

This recipe is inspired by Jamie Oliver‘s book Ministry Of Food. He says that this soup is also surprisingly delicious eaten fridge-cold on a summer’s day with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dollop of natural yogurt. I would love to try it this way too! But I might have to wait for the next summer to arrive…

All the ingredients used in this soup are very earthy… just like rain. Leek is a dominant flavor in here. While celery adds a nice boost of flavor, carrot adds a touch of sweetness and potatoes give it a creamy texture. I would recommend not skipping onion powder and thyme for a complete experience.

Make this soup and bask in the serenity of warmth the soup surrounds you with!

Skinny Potato & Leek Soup

Serves: 2-3 | Prep time: 5-7 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek
1 carrot, peeled & sliced
1 stick celery with leaves, sliced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry thyme
600 ml vegetable stock
2 large potatoes, peeled & diced
salt & pepper, as per taste

Directions:

*Preparing Leek : Cut the ends off leek and discard. Quarter the leek lengthwise, wash under running water to remove all the grit and cut them into slices. Save a 2-inch piece from the end of leek and julienne it for garnishing.

Heat a deep sauce pan on a high heat and add olive oil to it. Add garlic, leek, carrot and celery to the pan and sauté for around 5 minutes with the lid askew on a medium heat.
Add onion powder, thyme and vegetable stock to the pan. Let it simmer on high heat till the stock has come to a boil.
Add potatoes and give the soup a good stir with wooden spoon. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. At this point the potatoes would be just cooked and soft. Do not overcook them.
Remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Pulse until smooth using a hand blender. Adjust the seasoning and consistency as per your liking. Serve garnished with julienned leek.

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25
Jul
2013

Microwave Chocolate-Nutella Mug-Cake

categories: Baking, Cakes, Cupcakes & Muffins, Quick Fix

It was a conscious decision to stay-away from this dangerous mug-cake only because of its sheer convenience. I did not need a confirmation that I can make this cake whenever chocolate-cravings hit me.

As all our resolutions come to an end sooner or later, on a particularly depressing morning, I caved in! And it definitely lifted my spirits up instantly! Yaay for broken resolutions! I’m totally hooked to this one and will be definitely trying different versions! 😛

I know there are infinite versions of mug-cakes floating on the web since 2-3 years and I did check out many of them. But I had a few things in mind about how I wanted this cake to be so I ended up making my own version of this sinful dessert. For one wanted this cake to be eggless and a wee-bit healthier so that I don’t feel too much guilty about gobbling it up.

Another criteria was a perfectly soft, moist and fluffy cake. I can’t tolerate dry crumbs. But microwave especially has a tendency to snatch away moisture and make everything dry. So timing here is a key. Do not over-cook it. Check it after 1 minute + 10 seconds. If not done then cook for another 10 to 20 seconds.

It will take you more time to assemble all the ingredients than for it to actually cook! Perfect for unusual cravings or unexpected company! It would be ready in a jiffy! For it to look more posh, make it in a fancy tea-cups/Ramekins and serve it with ice-cream or whipped cream with fresh fruits. Add anything else you want in the batter like chopped nuts, dark/white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, dried fruits, M & Ms, sprinkles… Tini-tiny pieces of delicious surprise in every bite! Pure happiness!

Mouth-watering? Read on to find out how it’s done. Be warned ~ it’s addictive!

Microwave Chocolate-Nutella Mug-Cake

Serves: 1 | Prep time: 2 minutes | Cook Time: 1 to 1 1/2 minutes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp powder sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp Nutella
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
M & Ms for topping or 1 Tbsp dark chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium-sized microwave-safe mug/ramekin add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk with fork until combined.
Add oil, milk, Nutella, vanilla extract and mix with a fork until no lumps remain in the batter.
Sprinkle top of batter with M & Ms or chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Mine was done in 1 minute + 10 seconds so check at that mark and if it is not cooked through then let cook for another 10 to 20 seconds. Be careful as you don’t want a dry cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

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16
Jul
2013

Breakfast just got better! ~ Banana Almond Butterscotch Chip Cookies

categories: Breakfast, Cookies

Oh yes! Your breakfast just got a whole lot better with these cookies in your life! Made with the goodness of almonds, oats and whole wheat. So gooey because of the melted butterscotch chips! Deee-vine!

Banana √ Almonds √ oats √

Cookies taste best with a glass of Milk so √ 😉

What more you need for breakfast!

They are so soft and tender because of bananas, you will hardly notice the cookies are egg-free! Hence perfect for non-egg-eaters too! √ that!

So simple to make that it will be ready in 25 minutes flat! Yes, no need to chill the dough in refrigerator. We are going to use chilled mashed banana for cookie-dough. Just mash the banana nicely with the help of fork and refrigerate for half an hour before using… That’s it! No waiting before baking! It rhymes.. LOL… I know I’m such a crack-pot! 😛

So not that these require any coaxing but promise me you’ll make them!

Banana Almond Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Prep time : 15 mins | Baking time: 10 mins

Yields: 15-16 cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup almonds, ground
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp soft-rolled oats
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 banana, mashed and chilled (1/3 cup approx)
½ tsp almond extract
¼ cup butterscotch chips, plus more for topping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together ground almond, wheat flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add banana puree and almond extract to it and whisk.
Slowly fold in dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix till flour pockets have disappeared. Fold in butterscotch chips.
Drop 1 Tbsp of cookie-dough onto a baking sheet at 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Mine were ready in 10 minutes. Let it cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes and then transfer on a cooling rack to cool completely. At first, the cookies will be soft in center but will firm up once cool.

*Store them in an air-tight container for 3-4 days at room temperature.
*You can replace butterscotch chips with any other nuts or chocolate chips too!

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12
Jul
2013

Skinny Zucchini Boats

categories: Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Summer

My favorite vegetable of all-time! Such a versatile little thing… So much to create and experiment with! It was about time to get more creative and make these beautiful zucchini boats… Stuffed… Stuffed with cottage cheese filling and freshly prepared Marinara sauce! Oh yeah… you’re in for a treat!

Like I always say.. very easy and quick to prepare and perfect as a side or main course!

There are two parts to this dish – 1> filling and 2>fresh marinara sauce

Shucking the zucchini is lots of fun! If using medium sized zucchini then you can part them in middle and then divide them in half, lengthwise. If using smaller zucchinis then just divide them lengthwise. After this zucchinis are hollowed-out and stuffed with the prepared filling and topped with Marinara sauce. All the elements here are raw so it all comes together in no time! Bake them and they are ready to be gobbled!

Eat as many as you want as they are pretty light and low-cal! 😉

Skinny Zucchini Boats

Yields: 8 zucchini boats | Serves: 2 for lunch/dinner and 4 as side-dish

Ingredients:

Marinara Sauce:

4-5 tomatoes, blanched, skin peeled and chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 large bay leaf
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Skinny Zucchini Boats:

2 medium zucchinis, halved and cut lengthwise
100 gm cottage cheese, grated
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, diced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For Marinara sauce:

In a small pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute garlic. Be careful not to burn.
Add tomatoes, bay leaf, chili flakes, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and mash tomatoes nicely. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

For Skinny Zucchini Boats:

Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F. After cutting zucchini in half lengthwise, use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4″ thick. Discard the flesh or use it in your next veggie recipe.
In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese, red bell pepper, parsley, chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
Place scooped out side up on the baking sheet and season it with salt and pepper. With spoon, fill each hollowed-out zucchini with about 2 Tbsp of cottage cheese stuffing and press firmly. Top it generously with marinara sauce.
Bake for 25 minutes or till zucchini is cooked through. Serve hot!

*Cheese-lovers don’t be disappointed! ~ Top zucchini boats with mix of grated Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or till cheese melts completely.
*Basil-lovers can replace parsley with basil leaves, both in filling and Marinara sauce.

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