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Healthy Christmas & New Year Eve Recipes

Healthy Christmas & New Year Eve RecipesIt’s that time of the year when you reconnect with your loved ones for celebrations such as singing carols, dancing and most importantly – food! As we are nearing the closure of this year, I am drowned in sweet memories of Christmas Celebrations at school and with my friends and family. It’s a time to gorge on some festive food. But, the dilemma with most is how do you gorge on food and yet keep it healthy. After pondering over it for the past few days, here are some recipes which I have planned for my Christmas and New Year Eve parties.

Healthy Low Fat Christmas & New Year Eve Recipes

Cauliflower and Leek soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Leeks, sliced
  • 1 Carrot, sliced
  • 1 Onion, sliced
  • 1 Cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp Dried Basil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot and onion. Stir a little and cover. Let the leeks cook till they’re soft for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat. Turn heat to high.
  3. Add a little water, basil and bring to a boil, then cover and let it simmer on low heat.
  4. Puree the soup with a hand blender.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  6. A dash of nutmeg helps in stimulating taste buds.

Nutritional Value: This is a low-calorie soup that is rich in folic acid and soluble fiber. Basil and nutmeg act as super foods for immunity building.

2. Stir-fried green beans: An Accompaniment For The Soup

Ingredients:

  • 100 gm Green French beans
  • 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Grounded Pepper
  • Rock Salt
  • Oregano

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a pan
  2. Add sesame seeds and allow them to splutter
  3. Add the beans and sauté
  4. Put some salt, pepper and cover the lid
  5. Cook for 5-7 mins until it’s a little soft with some of the bite remaining
  6. Sprinkle some oregano and serve

Nutritional Value: The best side dish that is full of fiber and protein. Also works as a low-calorie snack.

3. Chicken, Kale & Sprouts Stir Fry

Ingredients:

  • 100 gm Kale
  • 2 lean Chicken Breasts shredded
  • 2 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 1-inch Ginger shredded
  • Red Pepper thinly sliced
  • Handful Brussel Sprouts
  • 1 tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1 Lemon juice and Lemon Zest

Method:

  1. Cook kale with a good splash of water for 1-2 mins until soft, yet a little crunchy. Once done, cool under running water to keep the color.
  2. Add half the oil and cook the chicken strips until brown, then remove and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil and fry the ginger, pepper and sprouts until they’re a little soft.
  4. Add all the above together and tip in soy sauce, lime zest and juice. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Value: This dish is a good combination of lean protein and fiber. Adding ginger and lemon makes it digestive. A good recipe for a snack or salad or as a main course with some brown rice.

4. Whole Wheat Flour & Ragi Cake

How can you host a party without dessert? Ditch the calorie-laden and not so healthy maida and give a healthy twist to your cake!

Ingredients:

  • Ragi Flour – 3/4 cup
  • Wheat Flour – 1/4 cup + 1 tsp
  • Baking Soda – 1 tsp
  • Jaggery – 1/2 cup
  • Palm Sugar – 1/2 cup
  • Oil – 1/4 cup
  • Curd – 1/tsp
  • Water – 1/4 cup
  • Banana – 2 (Ripe)
  • Raisins – 15
  • Badam – 8
  • Butter – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Remove gasket and whistle of the cooker and keep it on low flame. This is to bring the preheat effect of the oven (20-25 minutes would do)
  2. Heat water in a saucepan and add jaggery (powdered/grated) and palm sugar and let it dissolve and filter.
  3. Mash the bananas and leave aside
  4. In a bowl, sieve both the flours together and add 1 tsp of baking soda and mix well.
  5. In another bowl, add the jaggery + palm sugar mixture, mashed banana, curd, oil and beat them well.
  6. To this, add the flour mixture and beat/mix well.
  7. Add the raisins and almonds and mix well.
  8. Grease the tin and pour the mixture
  9. Place a stand/plate inside the cooker and then place the cake tin.
  10. Close it and let it cook for 5 minutes in medium flame.
  11. After 5 minutes, keep the flame slow and let it cook for 30-40 minutes.
  12. Use a toothpick to check if the cake is completely cooked. When you prick the cake deep inside, the toothpick will come out clean when the cake is completely cooked.

Nutritional Value: Low calorie with the goodness of calcium from Ragi. Eat it guilt free!  

5. Crusty Pita Bread & Chickpeas: A quick snack

Ingredients:

  • Pita Bread or a Multigrain Bread
  • Boiled Chickpeas
  • Chopped Onions, Coriander, Green Chillies
  • Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Other herb seasonings

Method:

  1. In a bowl mix all the above ingredients and set aside.
  2. Toast the pita or the multigrain bread.
  3. Put this mixture and have it like that or you can toast them in a sandwich.

Nutritional Value: Low-calorie, protein-rich and good carbs snack. 

6. Christmas Balls

Ingredients:

  1. Dark chocolate
  2. Dry Fruits Mix (coarsely ground)
  3. Honey
  4. Sesame Seeds (for coating)

Method:

  1. Take a bar of dark chocolate and melt it in hot water (boil some water and keep the second bowl in hot water and put the chocolate bar)
  2. Put all the ingredients together, except the sesame seeds and make small balls.
  3. Now coat these balls with sesame seeds when still wet.

Nutritional Value: Have these with no hesitation as they are full of antioxidants and the richness of dry fruits.

We hope you enjoy these healthy Christmas and New Year Eve Recipes that will surely liven up your party. Try them out and let us know your experience in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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Healthy Eating: Fruity Nutty Yogurt

Fruity Nutty Yogurt

December is a month for celebrations and no celebration is complete without after-meal treats. If you’re keen on sticking to your healthy eating resolution and are avoiding sweets, we’re here to provide you with some relief to your sweet tooth! Here’s a healthy dessert recipe which will take minimum time with minimum ingredients. Let’s try the Fruity Nutty Yogurt!

What You Will Need:

  • Hung curd – 1 cup (200 gm)
  • Strawberries – 4 (cut into halves)
  • Honey – 1 tsp
  • Pistachio – 2 (coarsely chopped)
  • Almond – 2 (coarsely chopped) 

How to Prepare:

  1. Heat a small pan and dry roast the almonds and pistachio for 2-3 min on medium flame. Once done keep it aside.
  2. In a mixer blender, add strawberries and 2 tbsp of hung curd and blend it into a puree. Remove it in a mixing bowl.
  3. In the bowl, add the remaining curd and whisk it lightly till it has that lovely pink colour
  4. Time to add the honey, only if you wish to make it a little sweeter.
  5. Serve it in a small bowl and spread the roasted nuts over it.
  6. Your quick healthy dessert is ready!

Highlights of the Fruity Nutty Yogurt

  • The Fruity Nutty Yogurt doesn’t give you unwanted sugar but the goodness of fruits and all their benefits
  • It is rich in protein because of curd.
  • Keeps weight watchers away from guilt.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Winter Wellness Recipes: Boost Immunity with Nutrient-Packed Delights!

Millet Vegetable pan bread

Winter has set in and it is that time of the year when our body experiences tremendous changes in energy levels, metabolism and our food preference also changes. Winter is also the season which is full of colorful veggies and fruits in market. Our body needs extra vitamins and minerals to help combat cold weather, illness and to maintain your good health.

Let me share with you some nutritious food ideas that will help boost immunity and maintain energy levels through the day.

Here are 5 healthy dishes which will help you to keep warm on cold days-

  1. Millet Vegetable Pan Bread (Bajra Dudhi Thepla)

Millet Vegetable pan bread

Ingredients–

  • (Bajra) Millet flour – 1 cup
  • Wheat flour – 1 cup
  • Bottle gourd (Dudhi)- 1 cup (grated)
  • Curd – ¹⁄₃ cup
  • Oil – ½ cup (to add in flour and roast theplas)
  • Green coriander – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
  • Green chilly – 1-2 (finely chopped)
  • Ginger paste – 1 tsp
  • Asafoetida – 1 pinch
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
  • Red chilly powder – ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  • Sesame seeds – 1 tsp (optional)
  • Salt – ½ tsp (as per taste)

Preparation

Take out millet flour in any big utensil. Mix wheat flour in the same bowl. Also add bottle gourd, ginger, green chilly, green coriander, Asafoetida, cumin seeds, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds, salt, 1 tbsp oil and curd. Add 1-2 tbsp water or as per requirement and knead soft dough. Keep aside the dough for 10-15 minutes so that it gets set.

Grease your hand with some oil and knead the dough. Pre-heat the pan (tawa). Take little amount of dough (lemon size) and make a round ball. Take one ball, dust it with dry flour and place it on rolling plate and roll into 6-7 inch diameter bread (thepla).

Place the rolled bread (thepla) on pre-heated pan (tawa) and when color of the bread (thepla) turns darker from surface then flip the side. Spread 1 tsp oil on the upper surface. Flip the side and spread some oil on this side as well. Roast the bread (thepla) on medium flame until it gets brown spots on both sides. Take it of the pan and place it in a plate.

Serve the Millet Vegetable pan bread (Bajra Lauki Theplas) with curd (yogurt), coriander paste or pickle or with any vegetables of your choice.

 Suggestion: Mix finely chopped spinach in the flour for making Millet Spinach Breads (Bajra spinach thepla) and add finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves for making millet fenugreek breads (bajra methi theplas).

  1. Winter special Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls

Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls

Fenugreek seeds gum balls is a traditional recipe which can also be used as an Ayurveda treatment for various ailments, especially during winters. These sweet gum balls are not only known for their medicinal properties but also taste delicious.

These are prepared with Fenugreek seeds mixed with wheat flour and Jaggery. New mothers can have these sweet balls as dietary supplement or to overcome any post-delivery problems. People suffering from joints pain, especially in winters, can have this sweet.

Ingredients-

  • Fenugreek (methi) seeds – 100gms.
  • Milk – ½ litre (2 ½ cup)
  • Wheat flour – 300gm (1 ½cup)
  • Ghee – 250gm (1 ½ cup)
  • Edible gum (Gond) – 100gms (½ cup)
  • Almonds – 30 to 35
  • Black Pepper – 8 to 10
  • Cumin powder – 2tsp
  • Dry ginger – 2tsp
  • Green Cardamom – 10 to 12
  • Cinnamon – 4 pieces
  • Nutmeg – 2
  • Jageery – 1 ½ cup

Preparation:

Clean Fenugreek (Methi) seeds properly (wash seeds then put them in a thick cotton cloth and leave it in the sun to dry, cloth can be washed and used again). Put clean seeds in a mixer and make a thick paste somewhat similar to flour. Boil milk.

Put the grounded Fenugreek (Methi) in milk and let it soak for 8-10 hours.

Cut almonds into small pieces. Gently crush black pepper (break 1 pepper into 4-5 pieces), crush cinnamon and nutmeg into fine powder. Peel Cardamom (Elaichi) and crush it as well. Pour 1/2 cup clarified butter (Ghee) in a pan, fry soaked (Fenugreek) on a medium flame till it turns light brown and smells good. Remove the mixture in a plate.

Put the remaining clarified butter (Ghee) in the pan and heat, fry Edible gum (Gond) and take it out on a plate (fry Gond on a law flame). Fry flour in leftover Ghee in the pan till it becomes light brown then take it out.

Put 1 tsp clarified butter in the pan followed by the pieces of Jaggery (Gur), melt Jageery (Gur) into liquid form (Chashni) on a low flame. Add Cumin (Jeera) powder, Dry Ginger (Sauntth) powder, cut almonds, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, Cardamom in the Liquid syrup of Jageery and mix well.

Take little amounts of the mixture, shape it into small balls similar to a lemon and put it on a plate. Keep Fenugreek seeds and edible gum sweet balls (Methi Ladoos) in open air for 4-5 hours.

The sweet is ready, keep them in an air tight container and eat one sweet ball every morning or evening with warm milk. This prevents pain in joints, back and pain due to the cold.

  1. CARROT CAKE SNACKS BITE

high-protein-snacks-by-Green-Blender-carrot-cake-bites-600x404

Ingredients-

  • 2 ¼ cups shreddedcarrots
  • ¾ cup dates (about 10 large dates)
  • ²⁄₃ cup coconut (shredded or flaked)
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¹⁄₈ cup toasted sesame seeds
  • ¹⁄₈ cup shredded coconut
  • ¹⁄₈ cup chopped almonds

Preparation

In a food processor, blend all the snack bite ingredients together. Scoop out full grinded mixture in a bowl and roll it into a ball.

Roll the balls in sesame seeds, coconut, or chopped almonds for additional crunch. Use the listed optional ingredients to determine the amount of sesame seeds, coconut, or almonds you need.

Store refrigerated or in an air tight container.

  1. Spinach with Chickpeas Green Salad

Spinach-Salad

Ingredient–

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 300g frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
  • 400g tin chickpeas and green peas, drained and boiled.
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Preparation: Take 400 gm of chickpeas and green peas in a pressure cooker. Add half a litre water to it and cook till 4 whistle blow. Let it cool for some time. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add and cook the garlic and onion in the oil until they turn translucent, for about 5 minutes. Add and stir in the spinach, chickpeas, green peas, cumin and salt. Use your stirring spoon to lightly mash the beans as the mixture cooks. Allow to cook until it gets thoroughly heated. Serve it hot. 

  1. Green Greek Smoothies

Green Greek Smoothies

Ingredients-

  • Cup freshly cut pieces of kiwi
  • A bowl of Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup of milk
  • Pinch of grounded cardamom
  • 1 tsp of (water) soaked chia seeds
  • Fresh Mint Leaves

In a blender, place kiwi, yogurt and milk and blend it for about 1 minute or until smooth. Pour it into a glass, and sprinkle with cardamom. Garnish with mint leaves and add 1 tsp of soaked chia seed on it. Serve immediately.

Tip – You can also try other winter fruits and veggies – like oranges, apple, spinach, Beets instead of Kiwi.

Try these healthy and delicious winter warming recipes. And, don’t let the cold weather keep you from enjoying fresh homemade foods. Let’s Enjoy! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Low Calorie Open-Faced Sandwich for Weight Watchers

healthy recipeCraving for a quick snack? Want it to be healthy and aid your weight loss goals? This one is dedicated to weight watchers who wish to eat a low calorie, tasty sandwich! This is my personal healthy recipe for a good low-calorie open-faced sandwich.

Here’s what you will need:

  • Finely chopped purple cabbage (you can use normal cabbage) – 250 gm
  • Shredded carrots – ½ cup*
  • Finely chopped onions – ½ cup
  • Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves – ½ cup
  • Shredded paneer – ½ cup
  • Chilly ginger paste – 1 tbsp*
  • Salt to taste
  • Multigrain bread – 6 slices
  • Green chutney (coriander, garlic, chilly, ginger)
  • Butter or ghee for toasting

Method

  1. In a big bowl, add cabbage, carrot, onion, coriander and paneer and mix
  2. Add chilly ginger paste and salt to the mixture
  3. Take a multigrain bread and spread a tsp of green chutney, top the bread with 3 tbsp of vegetable mix. Repeat this process for all slices.
  4. Grease a pan with butter or ghee and put the slices with vegetable mixture on it to get toasted for 3 to 5 minutes on medium flame.
  5. Once the base of the bread is golden brown, remove it.
  6. Cut diagonally and serve immediately.
  7. Add some cheese on the prepared open bread sandwich if required

Highlights of the Low-Calore Open-Faced Sandwich

  • It has so much color on the plate and gives you the required antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals in a quick way
  • Reducing the use of an extra bread makes it a light snack
  • It tastes absolutely delicious!!

*Abbreviations: 1 cup = 200 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml

Do try this low-calorie open-faced sandwich, upload your pics on social media or the GOQii Arena and tag us! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or to get more advice on recipes, nutrition and diet tips for kids, subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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