A to Z Challenge 2016 - Twinkling Tina Cooks

GREEK SALAD WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS

Hey, I am back with a new salad recipe today – it’s Greek Salad time. It is so hot in India that I don’t feel like eating anything. This Greek Salad is just perfect for this sultry summer. Its fresh, tasty and it refreshes and hydrates you. I love Greek Salad!

HEALTH BENEFIT

Cucumbers are so good for you, negative calorie, and hydrates you like you just had water

Tomatoes are very good for your skin

Romaine Lettuce is a good source of Vitamin A, K and C; Folate and manganese

Olive oil I can’t tell you how good it is for the body

Ok today I have step by step photos so just follow them.

GREEK SALAD WITH STEP BY STEP PHOTOS

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
10 min	0 min	10 min

Recipe Type: Salad

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 2 as sides, 1 as main

INGREDIENTS

Romaine Lettuce – 2 bunches, washed and chopped in big chunks
Red Onion – 1 peeled and diced
Cucumber – 1 peeled and diced
Bell Pepper – 1 diced (you can use any color)
Feta Cheese – ½ cup cubed

For Dressing

Lime Juice – 1 teaspoon
Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
Dried Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Chili Flakes – ½ teaspoon
Olive oil – 2 tablespoon
Salt & Pepper – to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Dice all vegetables in big chunks – it makes them feel crunchy

Add them in a large bowl

Add feta cheese – I like to break it with hands

In a separate bowl mix – olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, oregano, chili flakes and seasoning and whisk well

Drizzle the dressing on the salad and mix with two spoons

And hey, the salad is ready – less than 10 minutes!

TIPS

You can enjoy it as a main or even with some toasted French loaf or Garlic bread.

I had it in lunch and was pretty filling and cooling.

Enjoy a good healthy breakfast.

Until next time, Cheers!

Meanwhile check out what happened in Genting Highlands in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 7 Letter G. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

FENUGREEK LEAF ROLLS

Rolls and wraps are fast food – they are unhealthy and packed with calories, cholesterol etc etc. But we can make it healthy, can’t we. I am making a very healthy quick roll/wrap with fenugreek leaves! Ain’t that interesting?

This is perfect for an evening snack or even the perfect wrap for your lunch box at work or for your kids.

HEALTH BENEFIT

Fenugreek leaves or methi are a rich source of steroidal saponins that prevent the absorption of cholesterol and triglycerides. (Source)

It controls blood sugar level

It is extremely good for your hair and skin

It is a good source of potassium

You can add vegetables of your choice and make the rolls even healthier

FENUGREEK LEAF ROLLS

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
15 min	5 min	20 min

Recipe Type: Snack

Serves: 2 rolls

INGREDIENTS

For the Rolls

Whole wheat flour – ½ cup
Fenugreek leaves – _1/3 cup, washed, dried and chopped
Salt – to taste
Garam Masala – a pinch
Red chili powder – a pinch
Minced Garlic – 1 teaspoon
Warm Water – to knead the dough
Oil – for greasing the pan

Filling

Red onion – 1 juliened
Tomato – 1 sliced
Cucumber – ½ a cucumber julienned
Lemon – 1in halves
Green chili – 1 chopped (optional)
Tomato ketchup – optional
Seasoning – to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl mix – flour, salt, minced garlic, garam masala, red chili powder, fenugreek leaves
Add enough warm water to make a soft dough
Separate the dough in equal sized balls
Spread some flour and roll them in discs
Brush some oil in a flat pan and cook the ‘parathas’ for 2 minutes on each sides

For Filling

Spread the parathas on a plate
Line julienned fillings, add seasoning and squeeze little lime and make a wrap
You are good to go
Serve hot with tomato ketchup!

TIPS

If you are greasing with a pastry brush, it will take very little oil

You can use just about anything in the filling – bell peppers, corns, paneer, tofu, shredded roasted chicken – go ahead and add your imagination!

Enjoy a good healthy breakfast.

Until next time, Cheers!

Meanwhile check out about a faculty crush in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 6 Letter F. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

Egg Oats Omelette

Eggs are staples for breakfasts, aren’t they? Bread and omelette are like brothers. But have you tried an even healthier version of omelette? How about egg and oats omelette? I am currently bitten by the oats bugs and am trying to use oats in different ways.

So thought why not make a quick meal altogether in an omelette? This is pretty filling too.

HEALTH BENEFIT

Eggs are full of good proteins and minerals.

Rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, A,B,D,E and K vitamins

Oats are good cereals with loads of fiber

Oats keep your heart healthy

This recipe can be modified with your choice of vegetables!

Egg Oats Omelette

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
5 min	5 min	10 min

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Serves: 1 person

INGREDIENTS

Whole Eggs – 2

Red Onion – 1 teaspoon chopped

Tomato – 1 teaspoon chopped

Oats flour – ¼ cup [don’t get worked up, it’s just ground rolled oats]

Dried Oregano – a pinch

Salt & Pepper – to taste

Oil – for greasing frying pan

Cilantro/Coriander leaves – 1 teaspoon chopped

Milk – 1 tablespoon

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl mix – oats flour, salt and pepper, oregano

Break the eggs and whisk with a spoon

Add milk to the egg mix and whisk

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan and spread evenly

Pour the egg mix and spread evenly

Cover and cook for few seconds on low heat

Remove lid and sprinkle chopped vegetables on the omelette and cook for 2 minutes.

Flip the omelette and let the other side cook for 2 minutes on low heat.

Serve hot with tea or coffee!

TIPS

If you are greasing with a pastry brush, it will take very little oil

You can use any vegetable you like – mushroom, corn, bell peppers and even olives go well.

This is going to be the easiest thing you have flipped in a pan ever, because oats makes a good base

Enjoy a good healthy breakfast.

Until next time, Cheers!

Meanwhile check out what happened in the Emergency Room in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 5 Letter E. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

DIABETIC OATS BREAKFAST

Breakfast and Oats are friends, aren’t they? But those with diabetes always have a question in mind – what all cereals can I take? Oats, is an absolute boon for the people with diabetes. What special recipe can you have for Oats in breakfast? The same old porridge?

One can enjoy oats in some 100 ways and yes you can make oats very interesting! I have learnt that recently while trying to lose some pregnancy weight!

Diabetic Oats Breakfast is low on calorie and protein rich.

Diabetic Oats Breakfast Recipe with quaker oats

HEALTH BENEFIT

Oatmeal has a low glycemic index, it can help maintain blood sugar levels.

Oatmeal can also promote heart health, which is important because diabetes patients are prone to heart disease.

You can add your favourite vegetables to make the recipe healthier

Green gram is full of proteins

DIABETIC OATS BREAKFAST

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
5 min	15 min	20 min

Diabetic Oats Breakfast with quaker oats

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS

Green Gram – handful, soaked overnight
Rolled Oats – ½ cup
Red Onion – 1 small chopped
Green Chili – 1 chopped
Carrot – ½ finely grated
Lime Juice – 1 teaspoon
Salt & Pepper – to taste
Green Pea – a handful

For Tempering

Vegetable Oil – 2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Cumin & Mustard Seeds – a pinch
Ginger – ½ teaspoon grated
Turmeric powder – a pinch

INSTRUCTIONS

Pressure cook soaked green grams with little salt till 2 whistles
Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin and mustard seeds and curry leaves
Add onion, grated ginger, grated carrot and turmeric powder
Add the cooked green gram in the pan with its stock and let it cook for 2 minutes or till stock lessens
Add rolled oats, green chili. peas and cook in the stock
Add seasoning
Cook in low heat, till stock evaporates
Serve hot

TIPS

You can add the choice of your vegetables

If you want you can add tofu, mushrooms, corns, peas – all are high in protein

Enjoy a good healthy breakfast.

Until next time, Cheers!

Today’s Question – Did I improve on my food photography skills? How is it? All photos shot on iPhone 5S.

Meanwhile check out what is this DRY thing in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 4 Letter D. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad

This is health month for me and I am doing all healthy stuff, at least cooking and eating healthy! I did a smoothie and a breakfast recipe earlier so I’ll share a great salad recipe today.

Salads are great, aren’t they? They fill you up, low on calorie, you can have as much as you want! And hey, all salads are not boring. You can enjoy it as a side or a main. I sometimes like some good salad as munching snack in the evening.

Today we are making wonders with three very simple ingredients – Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado! It’s summers and these ingredients are perfect for the season! Crunchy Cucumber, Fresh Tomato and Buttery Avocado! Very easy and totally yum! Let’s get to know our Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salada little better!

HEALTH BENEFIT

Cucumber, however boring it may sound, is a gift

It keeps you hydratedand flushes out your toxins.

It almost doesn’t have any calories and provides loads of vitaminsand skin friendly minerals like magnesium, potassium.

Avocados on the other hand are a power house of dietary fiber, vitamin K, copper, folate, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin E, and vitamin C

It also provides Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and oleic acid

Tomatoes, I can’t tell you how good they are specially for your skin!

We won’t use any mayo or fatty dressing for the salad!

CUCUMBER TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
15 min	0 min	15 min

Recipe Type: Salad main/side

Serves: 2 persons as a side or 1 person as a main

INGREDIENTS

Avocado – 1 pitted and diced
Cucumber -1 diced
Tomato – 1 diced (you can use cherry tomato in halves)
Red Onion – ½ finely chopped
Lime juice – juice of ½ a lime
Cilantro or Coriander Leaves – 1 teaspoon finely chopped
Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon for dressing
Red Wine Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
Tabasco / capsico sauce – 1 teaspoon
Salt & Pepper – to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine Avocado, cucumber, tomato, onion in a bowl.
Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, tabasco sauce, red wine vinegar and seasoning in another bowl and drizzle over the avocado salad
Sprinkle chopped coriander or cilantro leaves and serve fresh

TIPS

You can totally skip the tabasco part, if you don’t like the heat in salads

If you want to have it as a main, add some diced tofu and up the protein quotient of the salad.

Enjoy a good healthy snack.

Until next time, Cheers!

Today’s Question – Did I improve on my food photography skills? How is it? All photos shot on iPhone 5S.

Also check out how the camera shy girl in my Writing Blog

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 3 Letter C. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

#AtoZChallenge2016 Day 2 – Breakfast Egg Muffins

Breakfasts are important. Period. It in fact should be the most important meal of the day. Actually we all know it yet we tend to skip it. I too did that sometimes because I was running late for work. Sometimes I just munched on some biscuits or a granola bar on way to work. But believe me it doesn’t do any good to the body.

Now it’s an even bigger challenge to make time for breakfast with a hyper active infant, domestic work and professional work. But even if it’s little late I try to have a good breakfast. Now making a quick breakfast food interesting is an art in itself! I have been making some interesting stuffs for breakfast lately which is yum, quick yet healthy. It involves very less time and effort. Let’s get going with our Breakfast Egg Muffins.

HEALTH BENEFIT

This is a low carb high protein recipe.

Eggs are full of good proteins and minerals.

Rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, A,B,D,E and K vitamins

There’s hardly any oil in the recipe since it’s baked and not fried like an omelet.

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
10 min	15 min	25 min

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Serves: 6 muffins

INGREDIENTS

Whole Eggs – 4
Red Onion -¼ cup chopped
Tomato – ¼ cup chopped
Bell Peppers – ¼ cup chopped (Any color of your choice)
Baby Spinach – handful washed and chopped
Salt & Pepper – to taste
Oil – for greasing muffin tray

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F.
Break the eggs in a mixing bowl
Add the chopped veggies
Add seasoning and mix well
Grease the muffin tray with oil/cooking spray.
Pour the egg mixture in the muffin slots and pop them in the oven
Bake for 12-15 minutes or till the tops are firm to touch.
Serve with ketchup or just like that and enjoy a good breakfast.

TIPS

If you are greasing with a pastry brush, it will take very little oil
You can add muffin/cupcake paper liners to avoid any stickiness
If you want to go ahead and make it even meatier – add some shredded roasted chicken in the mix. Any leftover white meat is okay to add some dollops of taste and health. Avoid processed bacon/sausage etc.

Enjoy a good healthy snack.

Until next time, Cheers!

P.S. How do you like my new Blog Post layout? Let me know if you are finding this user friendly.

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 2 Letter B. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

#AtoZChallenge2016 Day 1 – Apple & Banana Smoothie

It’s first April and my ‘Healthy Living & healthy Eating’ challenge has begun. I am about to share all healthy recipes in here this month. So if you are thinking about some healthy food, all greens and soups keep coming here throughout April. What I am trying to do this month is – no processed food, no cheese, no deep frying, lots of greens and fruits. Sounds exciting?

Okay, first things first, I’ll quickly give you today’s recipe that’s starting with A. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you say A for?? Apple of course!! Thanks to my infant son I have loads of Apple lying around so it was my obvious choice.

It’s super hot in India right now. I don’t know if we are again waiting for another heatwave this year. You need to keep yourself hydrated all the time and yet keep in mind about the nutrition. I have chucked out aerated beverages from my life forever and also the packaged fruit drinks. I now firmly believe in making my own beverages. Thus today I give you Apple and Banana Smoothie!

HEALTH BENEFIT

Any smoothie with banana in it is super food for you.

Bananas are rich source of potassium

They help in maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.

Also a great source healthy carbohydrate.

Remember how athletes always munch on bananas?

Apples are a good source of dietary fiber, important antioxidants and flavanoids.

Apple & Banana Smoothie

Prep Time	Cook Time	Total Time
5 min	2 min	7 min

Recipe Type: Beverage

Serves: 2 Glasses

INGREDIENTS

Apple – 1
Banana -1
Lime juice – 1 teaspoon
Skimmed Milk – ½ cup
Sugar – optional – to taste

[I would suggest you skip this added sugar. Apple and Banana itself is sweet enough].

INSTRUCTIONS

I love smoothies for this because all you need to do is blend!

Blend everything in a blender and serve with some mint leaves or Banana slices!

TIP

The lime juice will make sure the apple and banana don’t turn black!
You can easily give this to your toddler. They’ll have a hearty snack! To a toddler mind you not an infant. Infant’s should have apples only in stewed / boiled form. That’s what my paed recommends.

Enjoy a good healthy snack.

Until next time, Cheers!

P.S. How do you like my new Blog Post layout? Let me know if you are finding this user friendly.

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This post is written for the A to Z Challenge 2016 for Day 1 Letter A. Visit A to Z, BlogChatter to read other beautiful bloggers!

#ATOZCHALLENGE 2016 – Theme Reveal – Healthy Eating

Peeps, I am participating in the A to Z Challenge again this year! If you have been visiting my blog then you’ll see loads of post on A to Z Challenge from 2014.

When I participated last time it was hectic yet it was fun. My theme last time was indulgent food. You can check the posts here. Both me and Indro got to indulge into lots of yummy food throughout April. And I had a happy man at home!

Now things are little different. I have another little man in my life! But food for him is still mashed potato, lentil soups and all. But I am avoiding indulgent food for some obvious reasons. Post pregnancy the weighing scale sometimes can give you nightmares!! Okay now don’t start judging me!

This year I am doing an about turn from last time. My theme this year is ‘Healthy Eating and Healthy Living’. So you are going to get 26 healthy recipes here throughout April. So I’ll be sharing recipes of Salads, smoothies, grills, soups and no desserts!!

I am not sharing the A to Z now because I might change my mind on a particular recipe. I want to keep my options flexible too. So guys keep coming back throughout April and lets stay and eat healthy!!

P.S. I am taking part in the challenge from my writing blog too – The Sunny Side of Life. Check my theme reveal post there too.