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Pratichi Dixit

Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Dressing !Om Nom Nom ;) 2

Yummy Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette :’)

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Yummy Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette: Hello everyone! It’s good to be back after a long break 🙂 I was traveling so much that I couldn’t share my recipes with you all! Anyway, let’s talk about strawberries. Strawberries are probably (Well, maybe not probably but definitely) one of my favorite fruits ever. They are so versatile in the ways we can use them and are so delicious that I kind of love using them as much as I can.

What I’m sharing with you all today is a very refreshing salad that’s pretty light on your tummy and is a very good option for dinner. The freshness of strawberries, cucumber and lettuce; the crunch from the bell peppers and almonds and the hint of tangy sweetness from the balsamic vinaigrette gives this salad a great balance.

Let’s get to the easy recipe now!

Ingredients:

Strawberries: 7-8 big ones, stems removed and cut into quarters
A handful of chopped red and yellow bell peppers (don’t chop them too small)
Lettuce leaves: 3-4 leaves, roughly chopped
Cucumber: ½, cut into thin slices
4-5 almonds, chopped

For Strawberry Salad Dressing Balsamic Vinaigrette: (This makes about 1 cup, you can keep it in refrigerator in an air tight jar to use on other salads as well)

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
¾ Cup Olive Oil
Honey: 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Add all the Salad ingredients, you can add the almonds either whole or chopped.

For the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid. Close the lid and shake it vigorously for 30-40 seconds. Dip a lettuce in the jar to taste the vinaigrette and adjust if more salt, pepper or honey is needed.

Add in 3-4 tbsp of the vinaigrette in the salad and mix well. Serve the salad fresh!

June 25, 2019 0 comment

Healthy Overnight Oats Recipe with Fruits 1

Fitness & Health Food & Drink Lifestyle

Easiest Overnight Oats Recipe with Lots of Fruits!

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Easiest Overnight Oats Recipe with Lots of Fruits! : Hey friends! Hope you all are having an awesome start to March. Today’s recipe is a very simple, healthy and tasty breakfast option. I might have mentioned this earlier, but I’m saying it again: Including Oats in your diet is not at all boring. The day I tried the overnight soaked oats for the first time, I completely fell in love with it. The concept of soaking oats overnight comes from a famous breakfast called ‘Bircher Muesli’, which originated in Australia. It is basically Muesli (which is made of oats), soaked overnight in flavored milk and other ingredients.

The reason this breakfast is convenient is that you can completely do the preparations the previous night and don’t have to rush in the morning. Also, if you soak oats overnight, no cooking is required. The reason it’s tasty is that you can add any flavor and fruits of your choice. The reason it’s healthy is that it is oats!

It’s really pretty simple to prepare this breakfast. All you have to do is mix ingredients.

Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients for Overnight Oats

1 Cup rolled or instant oats
1 cup Milk or Almond Milk or Coconut milk (you can use any milk of your choice)
2 tbsp honey (according to your choice)
Any fruits of your choice

Method of Preparing Overnight Oats with Fruits

Please note that if you are soaking the oats in milk, it always has to be 1:1 ratio between the oats and the milk.

You can also soak the oats in flavored yogurt (I usually do that). If you are using yogurt, it has to be 1:1 ratio of the yogurt and oats and an extra 1/3 cup of milk.

You can also add in dry fruits, flax seeds and chia seeds to it.

All you have to do is mix everything well, cover the lid of the container and keep it in the fridge overnight.

Next day, just take it out in a bowl and top it with your favorite fruits 😀

You can soak it all in a jar as well, and you can add some fruits in the jar the next day and carry it to your work too. I make it sometimes in a jar too!

It’s super easy, yummy and healthy! And makes life so much easier. Have a great week until the next recipe J

June 25, 2019 0 comment

Food & Drink Lifestyle

How to Make Mixed Berry Jam at Home ?

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

How to Make Mixed Berry Jam at Home: It’s been about a year since I’ve started making Jams at home. There are a lot of advantages of making jams at home, as it is much healthier option and without any preservatives. And trust me when I say this, I haven’t bought Jam even once since I started making them!

The varieties of Jams that I’ve tried at home include blackberry, strawberry, apple-cinnamon, mix berries, tomato-onion, etc. Mixed berries jam is one of my favorites and it is the same one that I’ve used to make my jam filled cupcakes (the recipe of which I had shared a couple of weeks ago). These home made jams can be stored in airtight jars/containers in the fridge for about a month. You can make them in smaller quantities, as you like.

Here’s what you’ll need for making the Mixed Berries Jam:

Ingredients for Mixed Berry Jam Recipe:

Mixed Berries: 2 Cups (You can use frozen or fresh, anything is fine. I have used frozen ones and it is a mix of strawberries, raspberries, black berries, red and black currants and cherries)
Sugar: ½ Cup (you can check if you need more. I like a little tangy-ness so added lesser than usual)
A pinch of Salt
Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
Lemon Zest: 1 tbsp

Method for Mixed Berry Jam Recipe :

In a large bowl, combine the berries and sugar, and set them aside for about 10 minutes.
Transfer them to a heavy pot/pan and place on the gas over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add the salt, lemon zest and lemon juice and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Allow the berries to gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fruit breaks down and the mixture starts to cook down, thickening slightly. If the fruit isn’t breaking down on its own, use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help it out. (If you like a little chunky bits in your jam, you don’t need to mash it much. I like chunky bits in my jam)

4.When almost done, the jam will still be loose (it’ll firm up more as it cools). When it starts to coat the back of a wooden spoon, it is ready. Remove the jam from the heat and pour into your favorite clean glass jars to cool. Cap it and allow it to cool completely.

5. Once cool, transfer the jars to the refrigerator. You can store them up to one or one and half months!

P.S.: Berries have a lot of seeds in them. I personally love the seeds in my jam but if you don’t, then once the jam is done, you can pass it through a strainer to get rid of the seeds.

Doesn’t it look awesome? I love the beautiful color! Go ahead and enjoy making it and I’m sure you’ll love the homemade version more than the store bought ones!

June 25, 2019 2 comments

Food & Drink Lifestyle

Such Comforting Home Style Chicken and Vegetable Stew Recipe !

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Chicken and Vegetable Stew Recipe: In my home, chicken is a must almost every day! The man of my house never gets bored of it 😛 However, the problem that I face is as much as my husband loves chicken, he absolutely denies to eat vegetables!I’m sure a lot of you who are hard-core non-vegetarians may not like vegetables or you might have that one person in your house that loves only non-vegetarian food. I keep finding out different ways to include veggies in the dishes I make. I add in loads of veggies to breakfast items like upma and savory pancakes and oats, etc.

I recently stumbled upon a recipe of chicken and vegetable stew, which I really liked. It was a great way to feed my dear husband some veggies, without having to compromise on the chicken part! It was an absolute hit and he really loved it without any complaints. I tweaked the original recipe a bit and added in some ingredients according to my taste!

This delicious dish was served with some hot Jeera Rice. It turned out to be a perfect combination!

Ingredients for Chicken and Vegetable Stew :

Chicken (bone or boneless): 400 grams
Red Bell pepper: 1 big, seeds removed and chopped
Onions: 2, thinly sliced
Garlic: 3-4 cloves, chopped
Tomato: 1, finely chopped
Zucchini: 1/2, cut into bite-size pieces.
Cauliflower: 10-12 small florets
Carrot: 1 small, cut into bite-size pieces
French beans: 8-10, cut into 1-inch pieces.
Oil: 4 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Chili powder: 1 tsp
Coriander and cumin powder: 1 tsp each
Yogurt: 2 tbsp

P.S.: You can add other veggies of your choice if you want

Method of preparing Chicken and Vegetable Stew:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep-bottomed pan. Add the onions and garlic and sauté till raw smell is gone. Now add the tomatoes and half of the red bell peppers. Add chili powder, pepper, coriander and cumin powder. Mix well and sauté on medium heat till the tomatoes are mushy. Switch off the flame and let this masala cool down.

While the masala is cooling, in another pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Add the chicken first. Cook till little brown on both sides.Now add in all the chopped vegetables and let them cook for about 10-12 minutes or until they are half cooked.

In the meanwhile, once the masala has cooled down, add it in a grinder/mixer. Add 1/4-cup water and grind until it’s a smooth paste. When the vegetables are half done, add yoghurt and the ground masala paste and mix well.

Add 1/4 cup more water. Add salt to taste and mix well.

Cover a lid and let it simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Take the lid out and let it simmer uncovered until the gravy reaches desired consistency.Serve it hot with rice and enjoy!!

June 25, 2019 2 comments

Butter Fruit Avocado Recipies - The one with the Fried Egg 3

Fitness & Health Food & Drink Lifestyle

Quick and Easy Avocado Toast with Egg Recipe ?

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Quick and Easy Avocado Toast with Egg Recipe? : Where I grew up, I had no idea what an avocado was! I tasted my first avocado (also known as Butter fruit) in Bangalore, about 3 years back. It took me some time to like it, but when I developed a liking towards it, it slowly grew on me 

Now I love Guacamole!! The buttery goodness combined with various seasonings gives a perfect experience to one’s palate. And of course, the best part is that it’s super healthy. Avocado is one of those fruits, which you can eat without any guilt 😉 Any time, any day!

I love heavy and healthy breakfasts. Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. Since I love avocado so much now and its also readily available, I try including it often in my breakfast. The dish I’m going to share today, I’ve fallen in love with the same since the first day I tried it.

Here’s the recipe for this Bright, Pretty breakfast:

Ingredients:

Avocado: 1
Salt and Pepper for seasoning
Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
Chili flakes as per taste (optional)
Bread Slices: As required

For the fried egg:

Egg: 1 (or as many needed)
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Oil: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut the avocado into half. Remove the seed and scoop out the pulp.
2. Add the salt, pepper, chili flakes and lemon juice and mash the avocado (you can either mash it until smooth or keep it a little chunky too)

3. Now spread the mashed avocado on the bread slices evenly.

4. Now in a pan, heat oil. Crack a whole egg when the pan is hot. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and cook until one side is done (basically a sunny side up)
5. Now add the egg on the avocado toast and enjoy the goodness 

Enjoy this yumminess without any guilt and feel good all day!! If this is not simple, seriously what is 😉

June 25, 2019 0 comment

Fitness & Health Food & Drink

This Green Smoothie Recipe is Really Powerful !!!

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

The Power-Packed Green Smoothie: Green is the color of power, for your body! It’s the powerhouse of good health and good energy! A huge glass of green smoothie in the morning and you are good to go.

I’ve always loved breakfast smoothies. They are quick and easy to make and super awesome option for weekdays. There are a lot of good fruits out there which help you make a healthy smoothie.

For this power-packed smoothie, all you need is the following:

Ingredients for Power Packed Green Smoothie:

Kiwi: 1, peeled and chopped
Pear: 1, peeled and chopped
Banana: ½
Water: 1/3 cup (you won’t need milk for this)
Flax Seeds: 1 tbsp
Honey: 1 tbsp (optional)

Method of making Power Packed Green Smoothie:

Just add all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Your smoothie is good to go! 😉

It’s that simple and easy!! No time, no worries and your morning is sorted.

Enjoy this goodness. Stay healthy, stay fit! 😀

June 25, 2019 1 comment

Food & Drink Lifestyle

A Crostini Platter You Can Easily Make at Home ?!

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Crostini Platter: Hello dear people! Hope you all are having an amazing week already. It’s snowing again out here and the weather is really bad, taking its toll on the health a bit, but never stops me from cooking 😀

About a few weeks back I had a small dinner party at my place. Trust me when I say this, I can cook a main course and desserts and plan the entire menu beautifully, but I sometimes tend to get stuck with appetizers and starters. I never feel like making something that’s too plain and boring for the guests, there always has to be something they’re gonna remember after they have it!

After racing my head for a while, I came down to the idea of Crostini. Crostini is an Italian appetizer, which is basically a small slice of toasted or grilled bread with various toppings! Usually, you can use baguette bread to make crostini (or bread which are round/oval in shape). These small cuties are amazing to impress the guests and can be presented beautifully too! Have a look at these beauties.

I haven’t included step-by-step pictures in the process because all you have to do is chop up the veggies. I’ll explain in details how to prepare these. Here we go!

Ingredients for Crostini Bites :

Slices of small round/oval shaped bread: 6-7 (or how many you actually require)
A handful of chopped bell peppers (a mix of red and yellow)
A handful of chopped Zucchini
½ chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste
A few olives, sliced
Herb and garlic butter as required
Cheese: Grated/small pieces (any cheese of your choice)

Process of Making the Crostini Bites:

In a bowl, mix all the chopped up veggies and the olives.
Now add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Take one slice of bread; spread the herb garlic butter on one side. Now add the topping and then the cheese on top.

4. Repeat the same with all the slices.

5. Place all of them in an oven tray and bake them at 180 C for 10-12 mins (until the cheese just starts melting)

P.S. If you don’t have an oven, then after you spread the herb garlic butter on the bread slices and add the toppings and cheese, just heat some oil/butter in a pan on medium flame and place all the slices. Cover the pan with a lid. Keep it covered until the cheese starts melting. Once done take it out!

Enjoy these and make your guests happy 🙂

June 25, 2019 0 comment

Food & Drink Lifestyle

A Mexican Veg Sandwich Recipe You Will Enjoy!

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

The Mexican Veg Sandwich Recipe: Hello dear people! I hope the week has started on an awesome note for you all! Well if not, then food will make everything better.:)Treat yourself with some awesome food right away! Today, I want to talk about everything Mexican. Mexican cuisine is definitely one of my favorites apart from others like Indian, Thai and Italian! This cuisine is all about spice and tang. I simply love the flavor combinations and the superkick that tingles in your palate after each bite you take. A lot of times I try to adapt various flavors from different cuisines and try to include them in ways I like. Sandwiches are a crucial part of my breakfast and lunch (I love sandwiches). I try and make various types of sandwiches and it’s really fun to include my favorite flavors in them.

Here’s what I did with Mexican flavors in my new sandwich:

Ingredients of the Mexican Veg Sandwich:

Red Kidney Beans/ Rajma: ½ cup, overnight soaked and boiled
Sweet corn kernels: ½ cup, boiled
Bell Pepper: A handful, chopped (red, green or yellow)
Tomato: ½, seeds removed and chopped
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Cucumber: A handful, chopped
Pickled Baby cucumber: 2-3, chopped (optional)
Jalapeño: 1, finely chopped (if you don’t have it, you can add green chili)
Olives: 4-5, chopped
Salt to taste
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Chili/Paprika powder: ½ tsp
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Mixed dry herbs: 1 tbsp (oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc.)
Sauce of your choice for dressing

P.S.: If you want you can add some sautéed mushrooms, but it’s not necessary!

Method of Preparing the Mexican Veg Sandwich:

Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, cucumber, jalapeño, the kidney beans and the corn in a mixing bowl.

Now add the salt, chili powder, lemon juice, dry herbs and olive oil. Give it a good mix.

Now if you are including mushrooms, heat a little oil in a pan and lightly sauté the mushrooms for about 7-8 mins. Add a little bit of salt while cooking them but not much, as we already have salt in the bean and corn mix.
Once done, add the mushrooms to the mix as well.

5. Now toast your bread lightly on both sides. You can use any bread, but I’ve used Subs for this one!

6. Spread the mix on one slice. Add sauce of your choice on the top (I’ve used tomato sauce and a garlic-yogurt sauce! )

Your super sandwich is ready to serve, loaded with the Mexican kick! This will be enjoyed, by both kids and adults 😉 Its healthy filling and soooo yummy!!

June 25, 2019 3 comments

Food & Drink Lifestyle

A very Healthy & Yummy Oats Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Oats Strawberry Smoothie Recipe: Hello People! It’s time for another yummy healthy stuff! Let me tell you this: The more I keep searching about preparing healthy breakfast options, the more interesting things I find out! Oats is an essential ingredient that I use in my day-to-day life and it is actually amazing that there are so many delicious ways to include oats in our diet!I’ve recently started making a lot of smoothies for breakfast and oats seem to be an awesome ingredient for these smoothies. This way, you include healthy stuff in your diet, the smoothies taste delicious and they keep you full for a longer time! You can add in any of your favorite fruits to make these smoothies.

I’m a big ‘Berry lover’. I’m always happy to have any kind of berries and they are also really good for your health! So I tend to include a lot of berries in my smoothies. This one that I’m about to share with you all is a Strawberry-Oats smoothie! Since strawberries are in season, why not make the best use of them!

This smoothie is very simple and quick to make. And of course, with the minimum ingredients!! Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients for Strawberry Smoothie with Oats

6-7 big strawberries, leaves removed and cut into halves
Instant Oats: ½ cup
Milk: 1 Cup
Almonds: 4-5
Honey: 2 tbsp (or more, according to the sweetness you want)

Method of Making Strawberry Smoothie with Oats  :

In a blender, add all the ingredients. (You can use plain or flavored yogurt too, to give some more thickness to the smoothie)

2. Blend everything until smooth.

3. Now pour it in a glass and enjoy 🙂 You can add a tbsp. of Flax seeds on top as well. Or you can also pour the smoothie in a bowl, add cut fruits of your choice and enjoy a fruity breakfast!

A Toast,to a Beautiful Day!!

June 25, 2019 0 comment

Food & Drink

This Jam Filled Muffins Recipe is Sooo Easy ! Try this Today.

by Pratichi Dixit June 25, 2019

written by Pratichi Dixit

Jam Filled Muffins Recipe: Hello friends! The wonderful recipe we have here today has Jam filled blueberry muffins. Baking is like a therapy and stress buster for me. The aroma that fills in your entire house while you bake is irresistible. I keep finding out ways to bake something beautiful time and again, and this time, the occasion was my birthday 🙂 It had to be special!

Muffins are super easy to make. No fuss, not much time taking and of course super delicious results. And they any day make a perfect tea time snack! Usually, I make the ordinary muffins but this time I chose to fill them with some yummy mixed berries jam. (The jam is homemade too, but that recipe will come up later. You can easily use store-bought jams) .

Let’s get into baking now!

Total time: 35-40 mins including Preparation

Ingredients of Jam Filled Blueberry Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1 and a half cups fresh or dried blueberries (I used dried ones)
Mixed berries or any jam of your choice: 1/2 tsp for each muffin.

Method of Making Jam Filled Blueberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Line 6 cup muffin tin or cupcake molds with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla extract. (The batter may look a little grainy, that’s okay).
Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and combine well.

Add the berries to the batter and fold gently with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix. The batter should look somewhat like this

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin or cupcake mold, fill until half full.

Then add 1/2 tsp of jam in the middle of each cup. Fill batter again on top until 2/3 full.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

SURPRISE!!!!

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Once done, enjoy 😀

Be sure to check out my JAM recipe :

Home Made Mixed Berry Jam !!

June 25, 2019 6 comments

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