Beet Cheese Treats

The lovely rich red-purple color of beets is from the powerful protective antioxidants. The natural sugar in beets makes it popular for making Halwas or Red Velvet Cake.
I RARELY use cheese in my recipes,since Ricotta cheese was available fat-free,I was not hesitant to use it.Beets with Ricotta taste divine, make them on any festive occasion Eid or Diwali or Christmas or Hanukkah or just for a sweet treat after meals.

Ricotta cheese is typically used in Italian cooking .If you'd like to make you own ricotta, here is a helpful link, its lot like making home-made Paneer(Cottage cheese).

Ingredients
2 medium beets washed, peeled and finely shred
1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Nuts and Raisins for Garnish
1 tablespoon each of Clarified Butter(ghee) and Olive oil.

Method
Heat ghee and oil in a non-stick pan. Add 2 tablespoon of sugar and allow to melt for a minute, this helps the sugar to caramelize and gives a unique taste. Add the finely shred beets,rest of the sugar and saute until tender, about 10-12 minutes, stir occasionally. When beets are cooked and tender add the cheese. Cook until the mixture is mostly dry and let cool before shaping in squares or rounds. Garnish with more sugar granules,nuts and raisins.


I'm sending this tasty treat to JFI:Festive treats hosted this month by Srivalli.

Beet and Ricotta cheese Nutrition Facts
Beets are an excellent source of the B vitamin, folate, and a very good source of manganese and potassium. Beets are a good source of dietary fiber, calcium,vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Learn the Health benefits of Beets
Ricotta cheese is low in fat and rich in calcium.

Did you Know?
Beet greens are edible too and full of nutrients. Check out the Roasted Beets and Beet greens curry.

Are you getting daily dose of Calcium ? :Dairy ,Vegetables,Lentils and Seafood recipes

Calcium is needed not just for strong bones but also for heart,blood,nerves and muscles to function efficiently. Deficiency in calcium can result in disorders like Osteoporosis(the silent disease) and Hypoglycemia.


Calcium rich recipes sent to Sangeeth's Eat healthy:Calcium Rich Event.

Beet Cheese Treats
Falooda
Dahi Vade(Lentil balls in Yogurt)
Badam Harira(Almond Drink)
Panjeri(Fruity Nutty Mix)
Broccoli Kheema(Minced meat)
Okra Fritters(Pakodas)
Shrimp Biryani
fish Biryani
Urad Laddu(Sweet Lentil Balls)
Plum Clafoutis


Did you miss?
Are you getting daily dose of Calcium ? Dairy-free recipes.

Get answers for Calcium Questions

Tears in Patience : Nabeel's battle with Asthma

Patience(As-Sabr) is essential and rewarding when difficulties arise. I had to be patient in understanding my son's condition and accept that its fatal if not treated.Though my son's Asthma is categorized as moderate not severe. Last week's asthma episode was scary.

Nabeel,my 5 year old intelligent handsome boy was very sick recently. He is incredibly active and naughty like any kid his age, but some days are tough for him. He was excited about full-time Kindergarten. Had a wonderful start ,he was quick in learning every classmate's name with spelling and was enjoying his outdoor activities .But seasonal allergies have started kicking in with the change in weather. Was it the seasonal change or unhealthy snacking at school or exposure to germs or irregular exercise routine or his mom's bad decision to stop his daily asthma medicine ?one or all of these could have triggered his worst asthma symptoms. Looked like a bad cold the night before he had the asthma flare-up .Next morning we could not bear the sight of him gasping for breathe and very restless due of lack of oxygen in the body. His quick relief medicine wasn't helping . We had to rush him to the Emergency Room, quick injection of Steroids and oxygen , was assuring that he was in safe hands. He was soon out of danger(Alhamdulillah)! .He is home now after 2 days in hospital.
Nabeel's asthma nearly changed our lives since he was diagnosed with it when he was 4. No doctor tells us to watch for his diet , they just prescribe the medicines. But I learned from health books, diet change is essential along with the medicines to cure a condition like Asthma(or any inflammatory conditions like heart disease,arthritis,allergies and even cancers). I put him on restricted diet with no candies ,processed foods,sugary buttery foods or juices and eating mostly health foods .He does Yoga and some breathing exercises with me to keep active. He absolutely loves ice-cream,candies like any other kid, but sadly , mommy never buys those for him. We almost never eat out, eat mostly home-made food .
Nabeel loves the baked breads , muffins ,goodies i bake besides the spicy Indian food. He is the inspiration for starting this blog about health foods.
Blueberry Almond Banana Muffins is one his favorite muffin he packs for lunch to school.

Asthma can be diagnosed at any age, common in children 3-8 years. Some grow out of it ,which is called childhood asthma. We hope and pray(Inshallah) Nabeel grows out of asthma like most kids do.

Whole Grain Blueberry Almond Banana Muffins

I wonder why the grains milled off from nutrients(Vitamins,antioxidants,proteins and minerals) and label as enriched flours? Isn't that deceiving? .Think about all the valuable nutrients lost when a grain like rice or wheat is milled. Even after enrichment, milled grains do not have as many nutrients as whole grains, and they do not provide as much fiber, if any. Remember everything we cooked with plain white smooth All-purpose flours can be substituted with wholesome whole grain flour.
I make these wholesome muffins at least once a week ,with different fruits. Its light on sugar too hence good for kiddie lunch box.
Ingredients needed are
2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 ripe Banana,mashed
1/2 cup fresh blue berries\Currants(Used dried fruits if fresh fruit is not in season)
1/4 cup almonds coarsely chopped.
2 organic eggs
2 tablespoon Pure Organic Honey or use 1/4 cup Agave nectar for a healthier sugar free alternative
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Makes about 6 medium muffins
To make the muffins
Preheat oven to 400F
In a large bowl,sift together the wheat flour,salt,baking powder and soda.
whisk the eggs,oil and Honey ,fold in mashed banana and blueberries. Mix this egg mixture in the flour mixture.
Line you muffin tray with parchment cups or spray with cooking spray. Fill each cup 3/4 full.
Bake for about 20minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

These hearty muffins are my entry for JFI: Whole Grains hosted this month by Suganya.

Ramadan and Charity

Prophet Muhammad(Sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said about importance of Charity and Fasting: "Fasting is a shield, and Sadaqa(Charity) extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire".
There are so many causes that we can give to, at this time in Ramadan we feel the hunger that many feel around the world. You can think of any continent and there are hungry people that are in need of charity. There are thousands of people around the world who are in need of charity. Now that you feel how hungry they are every day for a month, it drives you to have more compassion for what they have to go through and it should drive to give little bit in charity for them. Reward of charity is so great.
God(Allah) says in Quran, "Those who give charity, its like a loan that Allah multiples for them".
Prophet Muhammad(Sallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) advised on giving small charity consistently is better than large charity all at once.
Alhamdullilah , at the end of each day of fasting I've food on my table to eat,many are not so fortunate.So Inshallah lets try to make an effort to give charity this Ramadan and help those who are hungry and in need of money.

Some more recipes I cooked up this Ramadan











Previous Ramadan Posts
* Ramadan and Diet
* Ramadan Mubarak : Joy from Fasting to Feasting

Methi(fenugreek) Onions Pakodas

Methi(Fenugreek) is rich in iron and good source of calcium and mineral like magnesium and potassium. Fresh methi tastes stronger than frozen. Methi in curries gives a unique taste, the methi in onion pakodas adds more flavor.
Ingredients
1/4 cup methi(fresh or frozen) chopped
1 big size Onion ,sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup Gram Flour(ground chick pea flour)\Besan
pinch of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Pinch of Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Olive oil(preferably)

Those are frozen block of Methi.
To make the Pakodas
Prepare the batter by sifting the flour and soda in a medium bowl. mix in the sliced onions ,chopped methi ,chilly powder,cumin seeds,salt and turmeric. Add just few drops of water and keep the batter thick.
Heat Olive oil in deep frying pan. When the oil is medium hot(test by dropping pinch of batter,if it rises while sizzling the oil is ready) ,drop CAREFULLY spoonful of batter in the oil. Fry about 4 spoonful at a time until lightly brown and crispy about 7-10 minutes.Serve with hot sauce or sprinkle of Chaat masala on top.

This is my entry for Herb Mania Event started by Dee of Ammulu's Kitchen. This months host is Redchillies.

Kheema Vegetable Sevia(Minced Meat Vermicelli)

Ingredients
1 pound Vermicelli\Sevia
1/2 pound Minced lamb\veal\Beef\goat(99.9% lean)
3/4 cup chopped Vegetables (Broccoli,Carrots,Cauliflower or any other)
1 small ripe tomato chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon each of Garam Masala and Coriander Powder.
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup chopped Mint or Cilantro
2 tablespoon Olive oil
Sea salt as per taste

Method
Cook the meat and vegetables
Heat oil in a saucepan.Add the chopped onions,cumin seeds and saute until lightly brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and roast for a minute before adding the chopped tomatoes .After couple of minutes ,stir in the dry spices and minced meat and stir until meat has no lumps. Season with Salt.Add 1/4 cup of water and cover. Let cook for about 15 minutes . Remove the lid and add the chopped vegetables, mint or cilantro,cook for another 10 minutes until vegetables are tender. Roast until oil separates.

Cook the Vermicelli
In the mean time boil water in pot and season with salt. Drop the vermicelli and cook until tender about 10 minutes. Drain and run through cold water ,do this to prevent the vermicelli from getting sticky.
Mix
Gently stir in the vermicelli in the cooked meat mixture and cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium flames until flavors infuse. Garnish with any left over chopped greens and serve warm with little bit of your favorite Indian Achar(Pickle).