Stress and Food !

What can you do to De Stress yourself ? I am positive that all my health conscious friends and doctors will say....... " Engage in a pleasurable activity that does not involve calories."... sounds like a logical and sensible solution. But, what if that activity itself is the reason for stress... Then you will apparently turn to comfort food....and believe me stress-eating is not such a bad thing if you put the right food on your plate.


With 9 days to go for the Art and Craft Show, I am as nervous as I can be.
I decided to put my brush and paints down and dish up some comfort food.


A few years ago, I would have catered to my stress with a big bowl of ice-cream and fresh fruit, or a bar of chocolate - a big one. But not today...Of course it would be cruel to deprive oneself of these pleasures. It is important to indulge in a bowl of your favorite ice-cream or a big chunk of chocolate once in a while.


I decided to comfort myself with a big bowl of Salad  and a small bowl of Vanilla Ice-cream topped with fresh mango and strawberries. The No-Fuss food....and trust me - it was as comforting as a large size bag of fries or a super bowl of ice-cream or a big chunk of chocolate.


So here I go clickety click on my keyboard with this delicious salad recipe.

MIXED SALAD

     Ingredients

• 1 cup Romaine Lettuce 
• 1 cup Red Leaf Lettuce
• 1 cup Green Leaf Lettuce
• 1 cup Escarole
• 1 Vine-ripe Tomato, chopped 
• 1 Cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 cup Apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup Grapes
• 1 tbsp Dried Cranberries
• 1 tbsp Walnuts, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp crumbled Feta Cheese, Blue Cheese or any cheese you prefer
• 1 tbsp Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing , on the side.

    Directions

• Assemble salad by arranging lettuce leaves in bottom of a large serving bowl. 
• Add tomatoes, cucumbers, apple and grapes.  
• Top with dried cranberries and walnuts. 
• Sprinkle crumbled feta or blue cheese. 
• Serve dressing on the side. 

    Make sure all the ingredients are chilled to enjoy a cool delicious salad.

  

Finish the meal with a scoop of Vanilla Ice-cream topped with chopped  mango and strawberries.

MOONG DAL & RICE KHICHDI - A simple meal after the festive season..!

After enjoying the wonderful and festive holiday season, and the scrumptious and mouthwatering meals, snacks and sweets..its time to enjoy a simple, light yet delicious meal of Moong Dal-Rice Khichdi. This simple meal is another one of my family's favorite. This a starter food for little babies by the time they are 8 months old minus the spices. This meal is healthy, easy to digest and provides a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fiber. 

For dinner today I am making Dal-Rice Khichdi, and thought it will be a good meal to share with you all. I cook the Khichdi in the microwave, but you can cook this on the stove top if you desire. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does.

MOONG DAL & RICE KHICHDI

     Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati Rice, washed
• 1 cup Moong Dal, washed
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Butter or Ghee
• 2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Dried Red Pepper, whole - optional
• 2 tsp Goda Masala (if not available powder 2 cloves, 2 peppercorns, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp cumin seeds in a spice grinder) 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• A pinch Asafetida
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt (or according to taste) 

   Directions

• Combine moong dal and basmati rice in a microwave safe glass bowl. Make sure the bowl is big enough to hold the rice after it is cooked. Ideally the bowl should be at 4 times the combined volume of the rice and water. Wash and rinse well 2-3 times in water.  Add 6 cups warm water and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil.
• Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafetida, a little of the goda masala.
• Pour this into the bowl of rice and dal mixed with water.
• Add salt and mix well.
• Place in bowl in the microwave and set the time for 22 minutes.
• Let the khichdi sit in the microwave for 5 minutes after it turns off.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with Sweet Lemon or Spicy Mango Pickle, Indian Papad or Papad Koshimbir (Salad) and Kadhi.

P.S I normally don't make the Kadhi as my picky eaters do not eat yogurt. But I will make it soon and post the recipe.


Below is the recipe for Papad Koshimbir

PAPAD KOSHIMBIR (PAPAD SALAD)

     Ingredients

• 2 Urad Dal Papad
• 1 small Onion, finely chopped
• A pinch of Red chili powder
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice.
• 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh grated coconut - optional

    Directions

• Cook the Papad by frying them in oil or roasting over an open flame or microwaving. I roast them over an open flame. For microwaving place the papad on a microwave safe dish and microwave on high until done. Takes about 30-45 seconds. Find your perfect time by trial and error.
• Crumble the roasted papad in a bowl. Add the onion, red chili powder, lemon juice, cilantro and grated coconut.
• Mix well and serve with the Khichdi.
• Prepare the Papad Salad just before serving so it stays crisp.

With this I want to thank all my readers for your support and see you more often this year with delicious but healthy recipes.