Yummy Late Night Snacks

These days I hardly meet any youngster who sleeps on time! Some of them are up all night, some working, some just like that! I am one of them, needless to say, and I often have hunger pangs at late night and finding something interesting to eat becomes a problem. I have come up with a few late night snacks which are tasty and don’t take a toll on your health as well. Although there are options of late night food service in India, but the most of the times it is not a meal that I want to eat but something light. Also, it is not possible to spend so much every alternate days, so here are some easy to find, quick, yummy and healthy smacks for you to keep you up all night!

Lemonade/Orangeade cubes

 
Get a jar of lemonade made in the evening and put in the freezer in the ice tray. You are all set for night by when they will all freeze and give you a mind blowing feeling during a long tiring night! For someone who has a cold, I would suggest not to go for it, as your condition might worsen with so much of ice intake!

Fancy salad

 
Chop down a few of your favorite vegies and keep them in the freezer, take them out and mix pizza pasta sauce, oregano, little bit of mayo sauce, and any other spice you are fond of. You are good to go for a night. So let the midnight oil burn!

Popcorn

We all love it! These days we get packaged and flavored ones. All you need to is make them. My personal favorites are the masala flavored ones, and the aroma gives me another reason to have popcorn at night! Just make sure you don’t have too much as that might cause acidity and try not to eat it empty stomach.

Healthy Foods to Combat Depression

When you are out of sorts, or you are feeling low and depressed, one of the easiest ways to feel instantly better is to eat! But what we commonly end up doing is, buying some good amount of junk and indulge in it to lift our spirits up. Certainly, an easy thing to do, but we force ourselves not to think about the side effects we are building up within ourselves with all the junks piling in.

Experts say, there are healthier options to satiate your depressed hunger pangs! Take a look, as I list down a few of them.

Go nuts!

Nuts are rich in magnesium and they are known to speed up the production of serotonin a chemical which gives our brain the ‘happy’ feeling! For all those health conscious people who are bummed for some reason, here is the best way to neutralize it! Get a handful of nuts and raisins, and munch it away to happiness!

Omlette an egg!

Does that sound weird to you? Well, yes, omlettes do life your mood up! The best part is it is healthy! The presence of Vitamin B in and the protein works on your nerves and they make you feel better within a few moments of consuming it! So the next time your boss pulls you up for some reason, do not buy an extra chocolate fudge, go home, crack an egg and make yourself the yummiest omlette! You can add a bit of butter or mayonnaise sauce to go with it! It will keep you full for quite some too, cutting down your craving for any more junk!

Do something fishy!

Order a fish preparation if you are eating out, or you can make one yourself, and a good fish meal will put you out of your misery. Fish is known to have Omega-3 fatty acid which stimulates certain hormones in our body which makes us feel better.

These are the top three foods which you can completely trust more than any food service in India when you are in a foul mood. Eat good, feel good!

Innocent Junks

I am a person who swears by junk food and all the stuff which are not considered to be high on nutrient value. Recently a friend pointed out that I love all the things which are classified as junks but are not as harmful to health as perceived to be. Overwhelmed, I ran a quick check and it turned out to be true! If you too share the same passion for these, then you can sit back and relax, and go have some more!

To start with, I am dimsum addict which are commonly known as ‘momo’ in India. I would just go crazy over those steamed pieces of chicken filled balls served with a spicy sauce. Yes, to be honest, probably too many of them consumed at one go is harmful given the refined flour content and the sauce is not also very healthy. But once in a while it is an amazing way to treat your taste buds, without thinking much about your health!

Another thing I am crazily addicted to is tomato ketchup! I know I might sound really weird for saying this, but I just can’t help tasting and licking the entire tomato sauce off the plate when it is served. My friends joke that I am probably the sole patron of all the ketchup suppliers in India!

I especially like the Indian version of the sauce as Indian tomato sauce has a tangy flavour which is barely present in any of the other tomato sauces. And yes, it is not harmful unless you consume a bottle in a day!

Finally, I will chocolate to add to this list which my ultimate favorite and I cannot do without it. Although not on a daily basis, keep eating dark chocolates and unlike the popular view it doesn’t lead to weight gain. It at times effectively helps me get rid of my headache! So no, it is not to be considered harmful as well!

5 Easy Dips with Chips

While we’d all surely agree that potato chips are wholesome and delicious by themselves, there comes a time when we need to whip up a few dips to go with the chips. Whether it’s a party, a small dinner get-together or what have you –chips with dips are a sure-shot success! Read on for some amazing dip recipes that go perfectly with any kind of potato chips.

1.    Caramelised Onion Dip
 

•    In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat.
•    Add 2 chopped onions and sliced kosher salt. Cook for half an hour and then let it cool.
•    Grab a bowl, mix the onion mix, along with black pepper a bar of cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream and 2 tbsp chopped chives.
•    Serve with kettle chips India for best flavours!

2.    Guacamole

 
•    In a bowl, add 1/2 chopped onion, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, some kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
•    Then, mash in the veggies till they start to release juicies.
•    Then add 2 diced avocados, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice and serve up with potato chips!

3.    Hummus

 
•    Puree 1 can chickpeas, 1 clove garlic, 1⁄4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp sesame seed paste, 1 tsp ground cumin, and some salt until desired level of smoothness.
•    Put the mixture in a bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon paprika and sprinkle some olive oil and serve alongside a few packs of kettle chips India!

4.    Salsa

 

•    In a bowl, mix 2 diced plum tomatoes, 1 diced yellow bell pepper, 1 diced cucumber, 1/2 diced red onion, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil along with some kosher salt and black pepper. Mix well, and serve with chips and dippers!

5.    Spinach and Parmesan Dip

 

•    Grab a bowl and mix 1 package chopped spinach, 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 clove garlic, some kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Easy as can be!

Indian Tomato Sauce and Breakfast Recipes

Indian tomato sauce is an ingredient which almost all the Indian food consists of. Such is the flavor and deliciousness of Indian tomato sauce that we, Indians, involve it in anything and everything that we eat, breakfast, lunch and even dinner. We dip our paranthas and French fries of early morning breakfast in the tomato sauce, we use it along with cheese spread between the breads of our burgers and we also eat it with the veggies just to add an extra tomato flavor to the recipe. Indian tomato sauce is also an important part of non-vegetarian dishes such as fried chicken and grilled fishes. Although a large number of brands are available in the market which offer the bottles of tomato sauce, some people prefer home-made tomato sauce over the ones available in the market. One reason for the same is the freshness of tomatoes used in the recipe. The other reason is that the tomato sauce made at home can be personalized according to the taste of the maker. You can spice it up with extra chili flavor if you like it spicy or you can add a paste of garlic and black pepper and other Indian spices.

Although the tomato sauce is used along with a number of dishes, the use of tomato use in Indian breakfast recipes is most common. Some of the easy and healthy breakfast recipes that require less amount of labor and can be quickly eaten in combination with the Indian tomato sauce are omelets, grilled sandwiches, potato fries and paranthas. Omelets can be quickly made by stirring egg yolks, onions, salt and spices, and heating it up for merely 2-3 minutes. Similarly, basic sandwiches can also be made with the use of breads, cheese, tomato, onions and other salads which are easily available. Potato fries is another recipe which is easy as well as fulfilling. There are many other breakfast recipes which can be easily prepared with limited ingredients. These recipes serve a lot of people who do not want to spend too much time in cooking.

Never Skip Your Breakfast

I have often heard my mom telling me how important it is to have a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. When I was in school, I used to have just a glass of milk before going to school. During my college life too, I never ate breakfast unless I planned to miss my morning lectures. Then one fine day, someone asked me a thought provoking question. That person asked me if I charge my phone before leaving for work. My answer was – “of course I do. Otherwise I would not be able to sustain the battery of my smartphone till the end of the day.” That person was very happy with my answer. He then asked a rhetorical question. He said “even a non-living thing needs to be charged in the morning. How do you expect a living being to survive the morning with no food?” I had no answer. He had managed to convince me.

There are so many food service India providing us with convenient ways of obtaining healthy food. Why do we still hesitate to nourish our bodies? Breakfast is an important meal providing us with the energy to function properly throughout the day. These days there are so many options. I am sure you would find copious easy and healthy breakfast recipes on the internet. The breakfast does not need to be boring. If your child refuses to have his morning meal, find creative ways to do so.

If you still aren’t convinced of the importance of having breakfast daily, I suggest you try it for a few days. Have wholegrain bread, cereals or fruits. Try it for at least a month and see if you feel any change in your energy level. But do give it one shot.

I also have a quick tip- start your day by drinking a glass of water to keep yourself hydrated.

Tweak Your Salads with a Dash of Spices

Swapping fried fare with salads and some greens is the first step towards a healthier leaner self. However, a major obstacle in making this essential swop is the insipidity and well, lack of variety. While salad will still be a salad, we can surely spruce it up for you to give the much needed push. Here are 6 interesting and healthy Indian salad dressings that will add flavour to the blandest of veggies.

Ranch Dressing

Take a cup of buttermilk and add to it ¼ cup low-fat shredded paneer, some dried onion flakes, salt, lemon juice and pepper. Store it in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Vinaigrette with a twist

Buy the healthier variants by one of the best food services India and play around with its flavours every time you use it. A few ideas can be to add a few drops of orange juice, or apple juice or even vanilla essence. You can also put some grated lemon rind and a few drops of lime juice for a tang or simply whip it up with a table spoon of yoghurt before adding it to the salad.

Spicy Indian Salad dressing

Take a quarter cup of lemon juice and add to it some tomato puree, red chili powder, some tabasco sauce, cilantro leaves, salt and ½ tsp jaggery dissolved in water. Shake them well and its ready.

Thai salad dressing

Take some peanut butter and add a little boiling water to it. Sprinkle in some apple cider vinegar, a dash of honey, salt to taste. Now spice it up with minced garlic cloves and crushed and roasted red pepper.

Curry Dressing

Roast some curry powder dry in a skillet and then cool it. Add a bit of light mayo, yogurt, mango chutney, minced ginger and grated orange peel and whisk properly. You can store this for a while so make for the weeks ahead.