Banana & Almond Smoothie

Ever since I have developed an interest for cooking, I always check for recipes in cookbooks, magazines and if I like any of them, I just keep the page or jot the recipe in my dairy. I found this recipe in a Tupperware booklet and liked it. Most of the time, I have one or two very ripe bananas that need to be used immediately. Well, baking a cake out of it is a good option but having a lot of it is surely not good for my waistline! So, I find making a smoothie a safe bet. This smoothie is perfect for breakfast and is very nutritious too. Almonds add a very rich flavour to it!

Ingredients:

250 ml low fat milk

2 tbsp yoghurt.

1 tbsp Almond powder.

1 very ripe banana.

1 tbsp honey.

Makes 1 large glass or 2 small ones.

Process:

Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend it till smooth. Pour into two glass. Decorate with a whole almond. Serve.

Enjoy! Sending it off to Veggie/Fruit a month -Banana guest hosted by US Masala. This event is the brain child of Priya

Ginger and Cardamom Tea

Weather is real bad here with snow and the mercury level not budging at all. I feel like staying at home all the time sunk inside my cosy blanket. What can be better than having a cup hot tea in such weather! Can I hear a lot of Yeahs!!

To tell you the truth, I am not a tea addict like my hubby (he cannot say no to a cup of tea). I do have a cup of it everyday in the morning (I have developed this habit after coming to this cold country). But on bad cold days, I can go for another cup. Flavours and sweetness of tea vary accoring to a person's taste. I love it sweet with spices. I am sharing this one which has ginger and cardamom flavours. Its simply iressistable on a cold day.

Here is what you will need:

Slightly more than 1 cup water.

1 cup low fat milk.

2 tea bags (I use Tetley Extra Strong)

1 cardamom pod.

1'' ginger peice.

Sugar to taste.

For 2 cups.

Process:

1. In a saucepan boil water. Pound ginger and cardamom pod in pestle and mortar.
2. Add it to the boiling water along with tea bags. The flavours will be infused into the boiling water. 
3. Now add milk to it and keep the heat on a medium. Let it boil for 2 minutes. The colour should come out nice.
4. Add sugar to taste ( I add 2 tsp per cup) and boil again on a medium for 2 minutes.
5. Strain and pour into your cup.

Enjoy with biscuits of your choice. If you are feeling more indulgent have it with pakoras. It is a deadly combination!