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!

Ode to your health with 'Fresh Juices'

Nothing beats a freshly squeezed/made juice. My mom is a Juic-o-holic! Perhaps, I have got it from her. She has made us drink all sort of fruits and veggie juices from Lauki to Tomato to Plain Orange Juice. All fresh! They are packed with nutrients and are a big health booster. They can do a good deal of great things for our body such as improve the condition of your skin, help you to detox, increase your immunity,boost your energy levels and vitality. It is always best to drink freshly squeezed juices immediately as a lot of its nutrients are lost if kept in contact with air for long.

Pure fruit and vegetable juices invigorate your body, mind and soul. So what's keeping you back? Let's get juicing!

Here, I am sharing two of them today. First one being Carrot and Celery Surprise!

Carrots is bursting with protective antioxidant pigment-beta carotene and alpa carotene. It helps to prevent cancers of the mouth, stomach, lungs and rectum. It increases iron absorption.

Celery is one vegetable I tasted first time after coming here. It has very low calories but has a wide range of minerals and vitamins. It helps to treat 'High Blood Pressure' and also 'Rheumatoid Arthritis'

This vibrant veggie juice is naturally sweet because of the addition of grapes. Packed with vitamins and nutrients, it will act as a pick me up when you are feeling low.

Makes 1 glass:

Ingredients:

4 carrots, trimmed.
1 celery stick, plus an extra stick to decorate.
175 gm white grapes.

Process:

Roughly chop the carrots, and then press through a juicer with the celery and grapes. Pour the juice into a glass, decorate with a celery stick stirrer and serve immediately.

The second one on the list here is Pink Delight - I have named it such for its colour. This citrus juice is perfect for an ultra refreshing start of the day. Made with pink grapefruit, orange and lemon juice it is tangy and very flavourful. 

Citrus fruits are well known for being high in Vitamin C,which is essential for good health.

Pink grapefruit has a high content of the carotene pigment lycopene also found in tomatoes. Oranges are a good source of the B vitamin folate which helps to reduce the chance of heart disease. 

Ingredients:

2 Oranges
1 Pink Grapefruit.
1 tbsp freshly squeezed juice.
Pinch of black salt.
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Process:

Using a citrus press juice the oranges and the grapefruit. Add the lemon juice salt and pepper, stir and serve.

Stay tuned for more! Enjoy!

Summer Coolers - Tropical Breeze and Grapes Slush

As said in my last post, I am here with 2 summer coolers recipes - Tropical Breeze and Grapes Slush. I had jotted these recipes form the book I mentioned here, before returning it to the library. They are very easy to make, nutritious and tasty too! Without much ado lets come to the recipes..

Tropical Breeze:

Fragrant mango, zingy pineapple, tangy orange and zesty lime combine to give you an enlivening tropical juice boost. Packed with vitamins and phytochemicals its perfect for breakfast or any time later when just need something to boost your energy levels!

You will need:

4 cm slice of pineapple, about 350 gm
½ ripe mango.
1 orange.
1 tsp lime juice.
Ice cubes.

Makes 1 glass:

Process:

Cut the skin off the pineapple, remove the central core and roughly chop the flesh.
Using a small, sharp knife, remove the peel from the mango, then slice the flesh away from the stone and roughly chop.
Press mango through the juicer, followed by the orange wedges and pineapple and then stir in the lime juice.
Pour into a glass a serve with ice cubes immediately.

Grapes Slush:

Grapes are naturally so sweet that you do not need to add any sugar to it. Still, if you want more sweetness add sugar accordingly. The colour is so vibrant that it will tempt you to taste it immediately for sure!

Makes 2 glasses:

600 gm black grapes.
1 tsp lime juice

Process:

Juice the grapes in a juicer. Add lemon juice and pour the mixture into a large, freezer proof container, making sure it is no more than 2.5 cm deep. Cover and freeze for about 2 hrs until the mixture freezes round the edges of the container.
Break up the mixture with a fork, mashing it into the liquid and freeze for a further 2 hours. Continue to break up the ice with fork every 30 minutes until the mixture is slushy.
Spoon into 2 glasses and serve immediately.

Don't let it stay too long or it will melt. Enjoy!!

Sweet Lime Soda

This refreshing drink is an absolutely must for summers. In Kolkata, you can get it near any malls and supermarket. It works like magic to beat the heat and leaves you refreshed. I have tried to re-create that taste at home and my hubby loved it. Both of us are a fan of this drink. Its an addiction I must say, so restrain yourself from drinking lots as it it said to give gas problems if consumed too much.

Sweet Lime Soda: