Pineapple Salsa

Salsas are one of the easiest way to enjoy fruits on a relaxing weekend or during a game day. Since its a season for pineapple I tried this salsa and I loved the new taste, it was a mixture of sour, sweet, tangy and spicy. You can adjust to it to your taste buds.

Ingredients:

1cup Pineapple finely chopped
1/4cup Green & Red Bell peppers
1/4cup Red onion
1tbsp Lemon juice
salt, Pepper & chilly powder to taste
Method:

Mix all and refrigerate for 30 mins minimum so the taste gets mixed up well. Serve with your favorite chips.

Zucchini-Carrot Kofta

Malai Kofta is one of my favorite curry, but thinking of the deep fried kofta's and lot of butter, cream involved in it scares me away. So I tried a healthy version with some vegetables and baked kofta. It was as yummy as you eat it at a restaurant with guilt free. I have used Zucchini, carrot and potato, but you can use any vegetable of your choice. But I am a big fan of Zucchini so, I tried this.

Ingredients:
2 Zucchini grated
1 carrot grated
2 Potato cooked and mashed
1cup Soy Chunks(I grinded it into fine powder-Nutella Brand)
salt to taste
1tsp Lemon juice
1-2 green chillies(optional)
1tsp Cashew nuts and Raisins

For gravy:
1tsp Oil
1 can tomato Puree(No salt and low sodium)
1 Onion finely chopped
1tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1tsp garam masala
1tsp Chilli powder
1tsp Kichen King Masala(optional)
1tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 bay leaf
1tsp Sugar
salt to taste
1/4tsp turmeric powder
1tbsp Heavy cream

Method:
Squeeze all the water from Zucchini and mix it with grated carrot and mashed potato. Add green chillies, cilantro , lemon juice, salt to taste and cashewnuts-raisin. Mix it well and divide into equal parts and give it a round shape and roll it in soy chunks powder and bake it in the oven at 350*F for 20 mins with a little sprinkle of oil on each of the kofta balls.

Gravy:

Saute the onions with a tsp of oil and add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few more mins. Now add the tomato puree and all the dry masalas, turmeric powder and cover it and let it boil for 2-3 mins. Lower the flame and keep stirring every few mins till the oil seperates. Add salt and sugar and finally add Kasuri Methi and cream. Keep the gravy hot till you serve. Add the kofta's before serving otherwise they get soggy. Enjoy with Naan/ Chapthi.

Walnut Burger

Burgers for me meant to be just the Boca Burger. But after exploring the web and cooking channels I found this yummy and very healthy burger which has become very common burger at my house. Its very simple to make and delicious. Of late I have tried a no. of burger's and am happy with so many choices for a vegetarian like me. Will post some of them in my next posts.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Walnut
1/2 Cup cooked Garbanzo beans(or 1 can)
1/2cup Mashed potato(I substituted for 1 egg)
1tsp Garam Masala
1/2tsp Chilli Powder(adjust to your taste)
salt to taste

1 Big burger bun
1 big Romane lettuce leaf
2 big slices of Tomato
1 slice of Red Onion

Method:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend it till its coarse/mashed well to make a patty. Now divide it into 4 parts and make it 4 balls and pat a little bit. If the patties are a little moist, then refrigerate for 30 mins. Bake it on a indoor/outdoor grill for about 4 mins on each side. You can place a cheese slice on top of the patty at the end and bake it for a 1 min/till the cheese melts a bit. Bake the Burger Buns for a min so it doesn't get soggy when the patty is placed.
To arrange:

Take the bottom part of the bun and put a lettuce leaf and tomato and the patty on it. 1 or 2 slices of tomato and cover it with the top bun.dress it with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise.

Low-Fat Strawberry Parfait

Parfait is a simple but very easy dessert good in any season. I love strawberries so this is my favorite low-fat, no guilt dessert.

Courtesy: Giada-De-Laurentiis

Ingredients:

5-6 Strawberry chopped + 2 for decoration
1 cup Yogurt/Greek Yogurt
1 orange zest + juice
2tbsp Sugar
1tsp honey
1tsp chopped nuts
Mint for garnish
Method:
First make Greek yogurt if you don't have a store bought one.To do that, put a paper towel/coffee filter paper on a strainer/small colander with a bowl under it and refrigerate for 1-2hrs.So the water separates from the yogurt and you will get a thick and creamy Greek yogurt.

Then take the chopped strawberries in a non-stick pan with orange zest and juice. Add sugar and honey to it and bring it a boil and cool it. Now lets arrange to parfait. First put a big spoon of Greek yogurt in the bottom of the serving cup and let put 1 spoon of cooled strawberry syrup and then layer it with a spoon of yogurt. You can make any number of layers you want then top it with nuts and garnish with mint.

Note: you can substitute Greek yogurt with whipped cream or one layer Greek yogurt and one layer Whipped cream.