Probiotic & Homemade

 

I was recently asked which yogurt do I consume regularly and my answer was I make my own yogurt at home. This kept me thinking that making yogurt at home is not considered as trivial as I thought... duh! So here is my attempt to provide you a recipe of making your own yogurt and you would probably never go back to the store bought.

Ingredients:
4 cups of whole or 2% milk
2 TBSP live culture (Trader Joe organic greek style yogurt)


Steps:
Makes 4 cups

1. Boil about 4 cups of milk until it rises (about 185 F). You could choose to use 2% or whole organic milk.

2. Let the milk sit on the kitchen counter top for 15-20 minutes until the milk becomes lukewarm about 110 F. If you do not have a thermometer, you can check by placing a couple of drops of the milk on your index finger. It should be lukewarm to touch.

3. Stir in the culture and mix well and keep in a dry warm place for 6-8 hours (e.g. Oven or Microwave turned off)
Tip: In winter, warm oven at 170F for 3 minutes and turn it off before placing the mixture

4. Use a live culture to cultivate the milk into yogurt
I find the "Trader Joe - Organic Greek Style Yogurt" (see below) as a good culture to use for your first batch. If you do not have a trader joe near your place, you can try a greek yogurt available at your supermarket. Check the ingredients to ensure it contains live culture (e.g. Lactobacillus)

The best part is that once you make the first batch of yogurt, you can save 2-3 tablespoons of this yogurt for your next batch. The saved culture as the yogurt stays well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days although you will be tempted to finish it way before that.

5. After 6-8 hours, check if the yogurt is done by shaking gently horizontally - The yogurt is done if it is set and does not move.

Tip: Add honey/agave syrup and your favorite fruits blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, bananas as per your taste for a great snack
OR
Add grated cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grapes and cilantro with some salt/crushed pepper as a great side to a meal.

Let me know how it turns out. I would love to hear from you on how you like your yogurt!

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Quinoa with dried cranberries

We may not admit it but we all have been xenophobic at least once in our lifetime esp. when we have taken the walk down the aisle of a supermarkets international food selection. Strangers looking down upon us sitting on the stocked shelves with their friends ... some are friendly with a warm smile and others scream war with our intestines. Here I wanted to introduce you to one stranger that I have come to befriend while walking down a foodmarket aisle .....

Quinoa (pronounced kinwa) is a grain native to South America. It has a light fluffy texture when cooked and a mild slightly nutty flavor. It works as a great alternative to white rice or couscous.
It not only has a high content of protein but is considered to supply a complete protein since it contains all the 9 essential amino acids. It also contains a good amount of manganese and magnesium and may esp. be valuable for people with migraine headaches since magnesium helps relax blood vessels and those with diabetes. Quinoa can be found in stores such as Wegmans or Whole Foods.

I really like quinoa because it is a very light grain unlike rice and wheat and very versatile since you can incorporate it as a breakfast cereal, in salads for lunch or as a side with a soup for dinner. In ayurveda, it is great to include in meal plans for the k-types (Kapha pacifying).

I have included a quinoa recipe below with dried cranberries. It can be substituted with Couscous and cranberries with fresh apricots or pomegranate. Do send your quinoa recipes to share?

4 Servings

3 TBSP grapeseed oil
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
3/4 cup chopped fennel
1 cup white quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries


1/3 cup toasted blanched almonds for garnishing
Tip: Toast the thinly sliced almonds at 350F for 10 minutes

Steps -
1. Rinse the quinoa with water to remove any impurities and saponins (bitter tasting coating).
2. Add quinoa, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil
3. Lower the heat and let it cook with a covered lid for about 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed and quinoa is soft to touch
4. Heat the oil in a saucepan or medium skillet. Add hing and saute until fragrant for up to 30 seconds.
5. Add fennel (or celery) and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes
6. Add the cooked quinoa to the skillet and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom and dried cranberries.
7. Add a little water if the quinoa looks dry
8. Cover and let the flavors merge for 5 minutes on medium heat.
9. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve

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Are Cashews good for you?

Spoiler Alert - This can be perceived as a cashew myth buster :-)

I would probably hum the adaptation on the Ricky Martin song 'The best thing about me is casheyou' if the video was launched two decades back. That's how much I loved cashews while growing up. 
I would come up with infinite combinations with cashews beyond my age and sometimes beyond others palate. I liked them roasted with some clarified butter and rock salt,  in curries, in rice pilaf or as a spread over fresh homemade bread.

Recipe tips with cashews
Spread nut butter on the plain morning toast or bagel
Include a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch
Celery stick or apples with cashew sauce for a mid-afternoon snack
Include a handful of nuts on salads, cereal or steam vegetables
Handful of lightly roasted nuts as a snack
Mix a handful of lightly roasted nuts in rice pilaf
Include a tablespoon of cashew butter in a morning green smoothies to get the nutty flavor


Recently, I have been often asked if cashews are good for health or there is too much fat content. So I have summarized some facts and findings below -

On Fat Content and Weight Gain
Eating nuts provide many cardio-vascular benefits yet many people are reluctant to include them in their diet due to the fat content and fear of weight gain. A study published in the journal of Obesity demystifies that people who eat nuts at least twice a week are less likely to gain weight than those who never eat nuts.

Besides, cashews have a lower fat content per serving than most other nuts like almond, peanut, pecan and walnut. 75% of the fat content in cashews is unsaturated plus 75% of this unsaturated fatty acid is oleic acid. Oleic acid is the same heart-healthy monosaturated fat found in olive oil. Oleic acid is great for cardiovascular health even in diabetic patients when added to a low fat diet can help reduce triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are carried in the blood, and high triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease


Health Benefits

• Nuts including cashew nuts promote a strong heart - They lower risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease due to the high antioxidant content in nuts

• Cashews contain copper for antioxidant defenses, energy production, bones and blood vessels - Tip: Topping your morning cereal with a quarter cup of cashews will supply 38% of DV of copper

•  Cashews contain magnesium also vital for health bones and helps balance calcium in the body and serve as a calcium channel blocker that helps in relaxing our nerve cells - Tip: Quarter cup provides about 22% of DV of magnesium

• Helps prevent gallstones and lowers risk of weight gain - Tip: Don't let your fear of gaining weight by consuming nuts prevent you from enjoying the manifold benefits of cashews and other nuts. 

 Eat in moderation and enjoy the benefits nuts have to offer in our life. Consider including a handful of cashews or other nuts twice a week or a tablespoon of nut butter 4 times a week to the meal. What are some of your thoughts or recipes on cashews? Would love to hear from you.





Nutrition Information
A quarter cup of raw cashews contain copper (35% of DV), magnesium (20% of DV), tryptophan (20% of DV), phosphorus (15% of DV) and 196 calories (5-10% of DV)



Sources: 
1. Retrieved from: The world's healthiest foods - WHFoods - Cashews - http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98

2. Retrieved from : Are Raw Cashew Nuts Bad for Women? - by Jill Corleone - http://www.livestrong.com/article/479998-are-raw-cashew-nuts-bad-for-women/ - 6/27/2011

3. The nutritional health facts of cashews - by Kate Meyers - http://www.organiccashewnuts.com/cashewbenefits.htm

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Indoor Plants

Indoor plants provide a fresh aesthetic appeal to any home. They create a zen-like ambience yet bring in their green exuberance lighting up the dullest living, dining, kitchen or even bathing spaces.

I wanted to buy plants for two reasons. First, as mentioned above for the obvious aesthetic appeal but the more important second reason was to introduce a natural air purifier that could purify the air in my home by absorbing the toxins. Free oxygen was just another perk.

I admit I indulge in planticide - not intentionally but out of habit. So I challenged myself to break out of this pattern. I began looking for low maintenance indoor plants - Self watering would have been nice but I didn't want to push it.

I narrowed down my criteria to 3 must-have attributes and began my search:
1) High rating on removing toxic chemicals from the indoor air
2) Low on maintenance
3) High resistance to insects and flies

I didn't have to look far as I found several online gardening/home magazines and blogs pointing me to a NASA research done in 1989 on indoor plants and guess what they provided a score to each plant based on the criteria that I had i.e. how well they remove chemical vapors, resist insects and how easy it is to maintain in a home or green office space.

You can find the summary article and the original NASA document at the end of this entry but I wanted to list a few of my choices from their list :

1. Areca Palm
NASA score is 8.5 ranked as the top air purifying plant. It is also the most efficient natural humidifier that can give your electric humidifier a run for its money. It brings me an inch closer to the feeling of a beach-getaway owing to its long palm tree leaves.


2. Lady Palm
Lady Palm gives a tough competition to Mr. Palm above tying at 8.5 NASA score in air purification. What I also particularly like about the lady is its versatility to survive in most temperatures ranging from 20-100 F and fierce resistance towards insects.


3. Rubber Plant
Rubber plant ranks 4th on the NASA list closing at 8.0 NASA score. They excel at removing toxic chemicals esp. formaldehyde and can survive in low lights than many other plants which means I can keep them indoors for longer periods of time without rotating them. However, the leaves can be toxic so better keep them away from children or pets. This reminds me of my mom's first collection potted plants and I just only remember one of them which was the rubber plant.

4. Peace Lilly
Peace Lilly scores at 7.5 needs plenty of water and modest amount of sunlight. This is a slightly higher maintenance plant as compared to the others and thus the lower rating but it looks beautiful sitting on an office desk that has an overlooking window or a kitchen counter that opens up to the sun.

Send me your tips of keeping indoor plants healthy and which ones you choose to keep. I would love to hear from you.

Sources:
1. Original NASA Document - (http://www.scribd.com/doc/1837156/NASA-Indoor-Plants)
2. Article from Webecoist - (http://webecoist.com/2009/04/08/air-purifying-plants/)

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'a la Crepetaria

Good ol' french crepes except these were created with a healthy & non-sweet flavorful twist.

I spotted these delicious crepes at the Mumbai airport and fell in love with them.
Crepetaria is a recent fast-food chain all over India and their selling point is not just these creative and flavorful crepes but also that these crepes are made of a fat-free soy batter.

In other locations they also carry a body builder crepe with whey protein added to the batter and a crepizza which has a salad like filling of onions, capsicum and olives folded in a spicy tomato dressing.
This location had three types of fillings in the vegetarian selection and two in the non-vegetarian menu. I have only seen this in India of a possibility of a fast food chain containing more vegetarian items than non-vegetarian options - I love India. I had to make a choice of fillings between paneer tikka crepe (paneer tikka i.e. grilled cottage cheese with onions & capsicum), crepe italia (tomato, cheese in pesto sauce topped with croutons) or crepe arabia (Falafel in hummus topped with aioli and pickled vegetables).
I chose crepe arabia and also shot a video (posted below) of how they made my crepe. You have to watch the video to experience what I am talking about.
In this video, first the crepe batter was evenly spread with a Krampouz T-shaped spreader on the pre-heated pan. The flat surface you see in the video is an electric Krampouz crepe maker. One section of the crepe was then topped with crushed falafel, hummus, pickled veggies, aioli and crisp fries and folded skillfully into a cone. Every bite was heavenly and it cost me less than $3.

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Orange: Squeeze your orange and have it too...

My very first memory of the orange was the hand-squeezed orange juice that my mom would make for me esp. when I was sick to get all the vitamin C. I liked to peel the skin of the orange half-moons, scoop out the seeds and savor the delicate core. Yeah, I composted all the fiber...

A decade later...
Orange became synonymous to Orange Cola - my favorite beverage in my teens when a local Indian company introduced an orange flavored beverage called 'Gold Spot'. Of course it had nothing to do with real oranges which I admittedly understand a decade later.


Two Decades later...
When I came to the US, orange juice became the usual suspect at my breakfast table usually sporting a Tropicana or Sunny D label. Although I became used to the taste - I often missed the hand-squeezed variety.
It felt like a lot of effort to self-squeeze. I would sometimes go to Jamba Juice and ask for freshly-squeezed explicitly explaining the meaning of "freshly-squeezed". (Thank you Jamba Juice to be patient with me)

So when I traveled to Europe, I was elated to see a machine that would squeeze the oranges with the press of a button. I spotted this first at the Paris airport cafe when I requested a bottle of orange juice. However, I was overjoyed to experience this myself in Zurich at the local grocery chain called co-op. In fact I would go there just to push the tab to fill up my own fresh-squeezed orange juice. My husband thought I was crazy until he drank the first cup. I would select the size of the bottle that I wanted to fill and then push the tab with the bottle placed carefully under the tap. The pre-loaded oranges would get halved and fall from the rotating assembly line inside the machine. Each half would then get squeezed and the remaining shell would get collected in another container at the foot of the machine. (See attached video)
I filled one-liter in less than 30 seconds!! My mom would complain that she had to squeeze the oranges for everyone else - This way mom, you could squeeze your oranges and have it too!

One of the nicest things for not having your husband around is that I get to explore things that are on my list like the local grocery stores. This video is from a local 7-11 kind of store in Brussels where I spotted this today and I couldn't wait to share it with you...

Do you have a story to tell about oranges or fruit-juices? Would love to hear about your experiences?

 

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Brussel Sprouts with Fig, Walnuts & Mint

This goes to all the protesters of Brussel Sprouts - Wait to be converted!

Brussel Sprouts are one of the vegetables of the "cruciferous" family and are recommended to be consumed on a daily basis like broccoli & cabbage to get the great health benefits associated with it. But I have never found a flavorful way to cook brussel sprouts because of the somewhat bitter taste.
More on Cruciferous Vegetables


The first time I had these were at iLiLi lebanese restaurant in New York. It was almost an year later that I found myself staring at the menu again at iLiLi when the brussel sprouts on the menu sprung at me and my palate instantly tingled at the memory of the distinct flavors and textures in the dish. The sweetness of the fig puree and the tartness of the mint yogurt marry well into the brussel sprouts that are slightly charred from the outside yet green & tender from the inside. The crushed walnuts provide the crunch and grapes the moisture and freshness.

I found the recipe at the restaurant's blog (one of the two recipes that is published) and tried to re-create it. I am attaching a pic of how mine turned out to be. Although the recipe asks to blend the fig jam, I wouldn't recommend it since it loses the texture - Just boil it with water in a 1:1 proportion.

I complemented this with pita bread and pan-toasted green chillies since I feel the spice goes well with the sweet & tart. Let me know how yours turned out?

Here is the recipe from iLiLi  - Thank You Chef Phillipe!
I have included the recipe from the blog for those of you reading on portable devices. You can also go on their website listed below the recipe where this is included.

"

ilili Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4 

1.25lb Brussels Sprouts

16 Tb Mint Yogurt

4 Tb Fig puree

4 Tb Toasted Walnut, crumbled

8 Tb Sliced Seedless Green Grapes

8 leaves Fresh Mint, chopped finely

Sherry Vinegar – to taste

1/2 tsp salt

Fig puree

1 cup Water

1 cup Fig jam

Bring to boil then puree in blender.

Mint Yogurt

1 qt Yogurt

4 Tb Mint, minced

1 Tb Salt

Deep fry the Brussels sprouts or sear the cut side in a pan until well browned almost burnt, or you can toss with oil and roast in the oven at 500f until crispy.

Make sure the outer husk is removed from the sprout otherwise it will burn and fall off becoming an unappetizing and frustrating thing to pick out of the batch. The Brussels sprout should still be green with a browned outer leaves when cooked.  It should not be completely browned otherwise it will be bitter and overly laden with fry oil.  The sprouts should then be salted and tossed with the sherry vinegar. 

The two sauces should go on next in lattices and then it should be garnished with the walnuts and the grapes and before it leaves the window fresh mint. Be sure not to over sauce. You can always add more if you need it.

You’ll know you’ve perfected the seasoning when you get the perfect bite - a balance between bitter, salty, sweet, and sour and the umami. " [Ref]

[Ref] Phillipe Massoud. ililirestaurantnyc [Internet]. [New York]: [2010 November] - [cited 2011 February 2]. Available from: http://ililirestaurantnyc.squarespace.com/recipes/2010/11/23/brussels-sprouts-recipe.html

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The Importance of being Organic

Just Wash & Toss - Hungry?

The term Organic is used very loosely these days since it looks like it is in vogue and has started appearing in regular business conversations that are not remotely related to growing food (Wiki Organic_Growth and you will know what I am referring to).

I am not easily gullible and with so much advertising and scientists correcting themselves at the start of every decade on their prior research that was widely adopted- Who knows what to believe. I don't blame you if you don't buy organic food. There is so much to absorb with several uprisings in the organic world, in the local food world, green movement and going vegan. What should you believe? 

Have you been to the supermarket and wondered whether to pick the Organic or the Conventional produce. Did you end up picking the Conventional produce because it was half the cost of the Organic produce or you didn't care about the difference. I like this easy to read article from Mayoclinic that demarcates conventional vs. organic foods and provides an unbiased perspective.

Organic Foods: Are they safer? More nutritious?

Whatever you choose, a safety practice is to wash and scrub your veggies and fruits thoroughly before you use them. Soak your raw vegetables & fruits in a big bowl and fill it with cold water, swirl it around a few times and use a vegetable scrubber when you can to scrub the dirt and any residues.

I try to buy organic when I can to support the environment-friendly practices in soil and water conservation. I also tend to choose antibiotic-free products to avoid unnecessary growth hormone residues in my food and cage-free dairy products to support the habitat.

What is your take on organic foods? Would love to hear from you...

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Vertical Garden: Can herbs grow up your wall?

Cilantro, Rosemary, Basil, Sage, Parsley - If I have boys, will they disown me if I name them after ...

For the love of fresh herbs in my food and the aesthetic appeal for plants indoors, I decided to not only grow herbs in my apartment but grow them vertically.

The Living Roof at the Caltech Academy of Sciences and the concept of the Living Wall at Google headquarters in Palo Alto inspired me to grow a herb garden in an apartment setting which would not only save space but will be so aesthetically and environmentally appealing.

My research suggested that the concept of vertical gardens is fairly common in cities in Europe, Australia and Dubai. Even Saks Fifth Avenue of Palm Beach, FL has a beautiful living vertical wall!!
Saks Fifth Avenue - Living Wall @ Palm Beach, FL

My search started on how to easily grow a vertical herb garden in my living space -
Video #1: Grow plants without soil that water themselves!!

Of course there is hydroponics and timers involved.

This shows a DIY tutorial on growing a self-sustaining vertical garden using a hydroponic watering system and a soil-less "Rockwool" growing medium.

Video #2: DIY using Woolly Wally!
An easier DIY solution is provided via a company that manufactures breathable pockets that can be easily installed on your walls that enable vertical farming. They have some amazing vertical garden art on their site. They even grow vertical gardens on shipping containers! Absolutely ridiculously amazing!
Living Wall Art - Woolly Wally

I am growing my vertical garden and will post pictures when ready.

If you have experience in vertical gardening and would like to share information, do send pictures or thoughts.
Or have experience on growing plants indoors with minimal sunlight? I would love to hear from you.

Video # 1

Video # 2

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What's wrong with our food system - from TED talks

My husband recently installed our new Apple TV and we watched the loaded podcasts. Here is one of them that I found particularly interesting - 11-Year Old Birke Baehr talks about "What's wrong with our food system". He talks about how the advertising industry entice young buyers into buying their products that may not always be good for them. He also encourages the green, organic and local food production and consumption.

Online link to watch the full podcast - 
http://www.ted.com/talks/birke_baehr_what_s_wrong_with_our_food_system.html

Video embedded -

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Sweet "Superhero" Potatoes

You would think sweet and superhero don't pair well? Superheroes may be sexy, acrobatic, enigmatic but NOT sweet. Friends, this will change your belief as it did to mine. The super-duper sweet potato acts as a superhero by fighting disease villains and boosting our system with the anti-oxidants.

Superfood : Sweet Potato

While on the red-eye back from San Francisco, I was skimming the Men's health magazine left behind by another traveler when the article on "40 Foods with Superpower" caught my eye. One of the super food listed was the unpretentious sweet potato. For less than a dollar a pound, the half-moon shaped potato cannot be judged by its cover. The article calls it one of the healthiest food on the planet with many disease-preventive qualities and full of antioxidants.

Who knew that "a sweet potato a day will keep the doctor away"

I found this article online for your read:

Men's Health: 40 Foods with Superpower

Sweet Potatoes are not Yams. WHAT!?

Did you know that they are often mixed with yams but yams are not sweet potatoes. According to Everyday Mysteries published by the Library of Congress,

"In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!"

Here is the full article :

Library of Congress: What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

Quick and Easy Recipe from Delhi Streets

Inspired by the article, I bought 4 sweet potatoes - 2 of the red variety and the other 2 of the brown variety. I am yet to see the purple variety.

Anyway, i tried to replicate the experience of eating sweet potatoes slow-broiled on charcoal in the midst of delhi winters.

I scrubbed the potatoes under a flowing tap and then broiled the sweet potatoes (525F) in my apartment oven for about 40 minutes. I could tell that they are done by holding them on my palm and feeling the soft mush and taking in the sweet aroma with every breath. Careful missy, the potatoes are real hot out of the oven. They crack open under the broiler and I tore the skins slightly only to sprinkle sea salt, cracked peppercorns and squeeze a quarter of a lemon wedge.

Then I take my serrated steel spoon to dig in (spoon that I originally bought for baking grapefruit brulee - another story for another time), place a spoonful of potato in my mouth as it melts and let myself travel twenty years back feeling the small plastic spoon in my mouth riding a rickshaw with my mom.

That was my story and recipe. Do you have any sweet potato recipes or experiences to share?

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