Oats for Heart's Sake

Breakfast was never an elaborate affair in our home – lunch was the main meal of the day, followed by dinner. So it was literally ‘breaking your fast’ (since the previous night!) with some fuel to start running your body’s engine. It used to be, more often than not, some variation of bread – sandwich, toast, Indian bread (roti/paratha/poori) with some curry – nothing much to celebrate about.

Once I started living by myself, I continued this tradition my mother followed, with an occasional twist of instant noodles for a change J Bread was quick, convenient and filling, so I had no complaints. But then started my discovery phase – getting to know the various nutrition contents of the food I was consuming (and the ones I wasn’t!). And bread was one of my first revelations – it has over 70% carbohydrates (causing blood sugar levels to rise), is low in dietary fibre and can raise bad cholesterol (or LDL) causing heart problems!

And that is how Quaker Oats happened to me, and has stayed with me since. I learnt about the numerous benefits of this grain – it is high in fibre , helps in lowering blood cholesterol, and keeps your heart healthy. Now it is a part of my everyday diet.While Quaker oats is widely loved in its regular porridge form (by boiling the oats with milk, dry fruits and sugar), I give my own edge to this humble porridge…here’s how:

• Instead of using sugar while cooking, I drizzle in honey, date syrup or even chocolate syrup after the porridge is off the stove.
• Even though dry fruits are a staple (almonds, raisins, dates, cashews), I serve the porridge with fresh fruits (apple, banana, strawberry, kiwi fruit, mango, grapes, pomegranate seeds) depending on their availability.

I have also tried to recreate some regular breakfast recipes by adding a handful of Quaker oats in them, like the omelettes and pancakes. This breaks the monotony of porridge, yet I get the benefits of having oats in my breakfast to boost me for the day!

Oats Omelette

Ingredients: 2 eggs, ½ cup Quaker Oats, ½ tsp salt, a pinch of ground black pepper, chopped green chillies (to taste), chopped onion, small slice of ginger finely grated, chopped coriander leaves (optional), butter/oil

Method: Mix the eggs and oats, and whisk it for a few minutes. This softens the oats and allows air bubbles into the mix which makes the omelette fluffy. Then add the remaining ingredients and whisk again. Heat a pan and add butter/oil. Once heated, pour in the omelette batter and spread evenly in the pan. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes, then turn the side and cook for another minute. Serve hot and enjoy the delicious, fluffy and nutritious oats omelette!

 

Oats and Banana Pancake

Ingredients: 2 eggs or 4 egg whites (using egg whites is a healthier option), 1/3 cup Quaker oats, 1/3 cup milk, ½ ripe banana (mashed), a pinch of cinnamon, honey, butter/oil.

Method: Soak the oats in the milk for 15-20 minutes to soften them. Then mix all the ingredients (including the oats and milk) and beat well. If the mixture becomes too runny (we need a slightly thick batter for the pancakes), add a teaspoon of all purpose flour (maida) to thicken it. Heat a pan and grease it with butter/oil. Pour in some of the batter to form a small round pancake. Cook it for a few minutes, then turn the side and cook for sometime. Serve with a drizzle of honey (though maple syrup is traditional, honey tastes just as good) and a pinch of cinnamon. Fresh fruits go well with pancakes, like banana, apple, strawberry (cut into 2 and dipped in powdered sugar for 5-10 minutes) or any seasonal fruit of your choice.

(I have also tried vanilla essence instead of cinnamon in the pancake batter, and I loved the refreshing aroma!).

Though breakfast still remains a hurried meal for me, I know I am eating good – one that will keep my heart healthy and give me a feeling of goodness to drive me through the day J

I'm Feeling Nutty

Me and my 2 siblings have been eternally fond of anything sweet, and so it was no surprise what  Dad would get for us when he returned from any of his official trips to different cities in India – sweets of course! It was on one of these trips that Dad decided to bring home 2 large bags of salted and roasted nuts instead – cashews and pistachios! He had tasted them himself and had also learned about their immense nutrition and health benefits, so the divine nuts had found their way to our home, and since then, to our hearts.

I remember my elder sister sharing the cashews and pistachios  - equal number of each for the 3 of us – after we returned from school and had finished our lunch. It became a daily habit, and later on, a few more nuts were added to this routine – there were almonds, walnuts and the quintessential peanuts. While my siblings are not so regular with nuts now, my romance with nuts continues….

While nuts are good for health – heart, skin, hair, they are extremely simple to add in our diet as they do not require cooking. They are not perishable and easy to carry as well. Here is how I like my nuts, though I eat them in moderation (given their high amount of fat and calories):

·         A handful of roasted and salted nuts is a tasty teatime snack (between lunch and dinner). I carry to office a mixture of nuts (peanuts, cashew, pistachio, walnut, almond) in an airtight container so that the nuts retain their crunch, and munch a handful with my afternoon tea.

·         I add a few nuts to my bowl of cereals which I have for breakfast

·         Sometimes I sprinkle a few nuts to my green salad to add that crunch

·         My desserts (kheer, halwa and icecreams) always go with a garnish of chopped roasted nuts, for colour, taste as well as nutrition

·         Nuts find their way into my baked food – cookies and cakes alike

I also like my banana split with nuts and choco-nut bar, the recipes of which I am sharing below.

·         Banana Split with Nuts and Honey

Ingredients – 1 ripe banana, 1 tsp butter, 2 tsp honey, a handful of finely chopped roasted nuts (almonds, cashew, pistachios) and raisins

Method – Heat butter in a pan. Peel the banana and split it lengthwise into 2, and cook it in the butter till the banana turns golden brown. Put the cooked banana on a plate and drizzle with honey. Add the chopped nuts and raisins and your treat is ready!

You can add a pinch of ground cinnamon powder to the banana split, or add a dollop of whipped cream/scoop of icecream as a variation. However, the cream/icecream adds calories to the banana split which is otherwise a healthy snack

·         Chocolate  & Nut Bar

Ingredients – 1 bar of chocolate (milk or dark), 2 tsp butter, a handful of whole roasted nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashew, walnuts)

Method – Melt the chocolate bar in a pan with the butter. Once it starts thickening, add the roasted nuts and mix well. Remove from heat and let it cool off completely. Line a baking dish with an aluminium foil and pour the cool mixture into the foil. Keep in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Once the bar is set, take it out of the fridge, place it on a plate (the bar comes off the foil easily) and cut into small pieces. Store these choco-nut bars in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy whenever you feel like a crunchy munchy bite!

Health In A Teacup

In today’s fast life, we look for fast results. Gone are the days when a headache, fever or common cold would be left to heal naturally by taking its own course, or by the humble home remedies made out of herbs and oils. Today we bid goodbye to all such problems in a moment by popping a pill! But have you ever wondered about  the impact of taking so much medicine on our bodies and immune systems? Pills give us instant relief alright, but may have their side-effects and perils as well.

In our home, some of those time-tested home remedies for some common ailments are still used, passed on to my parents by their parents and grandparents. These are not necessarily medicines, but give relief to the body, calm the mind. One such ‘health drink’ is your modest cup of tea – combined with various herbs and spices to rejuvenate the body, remove stress, aches and pains. I am sharing some of the tea recipes below (you may consult your physician before consuming):

Ginger Tea – Known to heal  sore throat, muscle aches and pains, upset stomach, common cold and respiratory problems

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Peel a small piece of ginger and crush/grate it (in a hand grater). Add the ginger to the boiling tea water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk (or honey and lemon as a healthier option) to taste. Drink piping hot!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Cardamom Tea – Known to heal indigestion, nausea, vomiting

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Crush 2-3 pods of cardamom (or use 1/2 tsp ground cardamom) for 1 cup of tea. Add the cardamom to the boiling tea water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk to taste. Drink hot and enjoy the fine aroma!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Black Pepper Tea – Known to heal cough and sore throat

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Crush 4-5 black pepper seeds (or use 1/2 tsp ground black pepper) for 1 cup of tea. Add the pepper powder to the boiling tea water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk (or honey and lemon as a healthier option) to taste. Enjoy hot and soothe yourself!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Bay Leaf Tea – Known to heal pains and digestive disorders

Boil 1 and ½ cups of water in a saucepan. Add 4-5 bay leaves to the boiling water and let it simmer for a few minutes. A golden yellow tea is ready (the water would have reduced to about 1 cup by now). Pour this in a cup, add sugar or honey, and sip your relaxing bay leaf tea!

Cinnamon Tea – Known to heal cold and upset stomach

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Drop 1 stick (or 3-4 small pieces if you do not have a single large stick) into the boiling water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk to taste. Drink hot!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Lemon Tea – Known to heal cold and flu, helps in reducing acne and skin problems

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Take the juice of ½ a lemon and pour in a cup. Strain the tea and pour it over the lemon juice. Add sugar (or honey as a healthier option), stir till everything mixes completely and enjoy your warm cup of  tea!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Mint Tea  – Known to heal nausea, headaches, stress

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Add about 1 tsp of crushed mint leaves (for 1 cup tea) to the boiling tea water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk (or honey and lemon as a healthier option) to taste. Enjoy hot!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Fennel  Tea – Known to heal bad breath, cold, gas and bloated stomach (not for pregnant women)

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Add about 1 tsp of crushed fennel seeds (for 1 cup tea) to the boiling tea water. Cover it and simmer for a few minutes. Strain the tea. Add sugar and milk (or honey and lemon as a healthier option) to taste. Drink piping hot!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Orange  Tea (Iced) – Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, known to aid in cholesterol reduction and improving metabolism

Brew tea leaves in boiling water in a saucepan. Take the juice of ½ an orange (or 2-3 tsps of packed orange juice)  and pour in a cup. Strain the tea and pour it over the orange juice. Add sugar (or honey as a healthier option), stir till everything mixes completely and keep in the fridge for an hour. Serve chilled with an orange ring or twirl for a refreshing cup of iced orange tea!

(If you are using tea bags instead of tea leaves, use only boiling water at the beginning and keep your tea bag in the cup into which you can pour the brew.)

Disclaimer: Consult your physician before consuming any of the above if you have a medical condition. Consuming any of the above in excess may be harmful. The above is meant for adults only.

My Rainbow Breads

Very often my friends complain of their kids’ fussy eating habits – their love for junk foods and complete hatred of all that is healthy (and unattractive). Vegetables seem to be their eternal foes, while crisps and fries are welcome at any hour of the day – or night! But why blame kids – after all, fussing is their birth right….didn’t we all go through this when we were little? Yet it is for the mummies to weave their magic in the kitchen and make healthy meals appealing to these little monsters.

My love for healthy food, mostly comprising of fresh vegetables and fruits, encourages me to experiment with new ingredients in my regular dishes. And so I decided to try out some ‘attractive’ versions of my daily staple – the Indian bread or roti (also called chapatti). I prepared green, red and rainbow (red and green) rotis (in fragrant and non-fragrant variations) which not only looked attractive on a plate, but were rich in nutrients as well. On recommending these to my friends who in turn tried them out at home for their kids, I was really pleased to know that their little ones loved the rainbow rotis. They were even impressed by the fact that the superhero Popeye used to have such rotis (since spinach is used in the rotis) to build his strong muscles!!

If you want your kid to be as strong as Popeye as well, and ensure a nutritious meal everyday without their regular fuss, you could try my various coloured roti recipes:

• Green Roti with Spinach (non-fragrant)

Cut fresh spinach leaves and leave in boiling water for a couple of minutes till the leaves wilt, then remove the leaves from water and make a paste (in a mixer or simply by crushing with your hand). Take wheat flour (atta) in a bowl and add the spinach paste, mixing them well so that the mixture is a uniform green colour. Now add enough water to make a roti dough. Divide into small balls, roll into rotis and cook on a flat pan (tawa). Your green spinach roti is ready.

• Green Roti with Mint or Coriander Leaves (fragrant)

If you want a fragrant, mint or coriander flavoured green roti, take some fresh green leaves of mint or coriander. Make a fine paste of the leaves and add to wheat flour (atta). Mix well for a uniform colour, then add enough water to make the dough. Divide the dough into balls, roll into round rotis and cook on your flat pan for aromatic green rotis!

• Red Roti with Tomatoes (non-fragrant)

Choose some ripe, red and juicy tomatoes and make a paste/puree. Add this to wheat flour (atta) and mix well for a uniform colour. Then make a smooth dough by slowly adding enough water. Divide the dough into balls, roll into rotis and cook on your tawa/pan. Red rotis rich in vitamin C is on your plate!

• Rainbow Roti – Red and Green (fragrant/non-fragrant)

The rainbow roti is a red and green coloured roti, which combines the goodness of tomatoes (which give the red colour) and spinach/mint/coriander (which gives the green colour). Make 2 separate roti doughs – 1 red and 1 green (based on the recipes given above for red rotis and green rotis). Once the 2 doughs are ready, take a small amount of red dough and another small amount of green dough. Stick them together so that you get a round ball – half red and half green. You could also roll the coloured dough between your palms so that the colours make some artistic pattern J Roll this dough into a roti and cook on the pan. This rainbow roti is sure to impress your kid!

You could try out various combinations of pureed vegetables (like beetroot for a dark pink colour or mashed butternut squash for a vibrant orange) which can give bright colours to your daily staple – the humble roti/chapatti – while ensuring a high level of nutrition without too much effort. Enjoy the rainbow J

Sunshine On My Shoulders

As a child, I would spend most of my spare time by myself – either playing with my dolls in the verandah or roaming around in our huge garden. I loved to admire the variety of roses, dahlias, chrysanthemums and marigolds – their vibrant colours never failed to impress me. I would keep looking for lily buds which would bloom the next morning, and never quite understood why a single stick of tuberose took so long to blossom! And without my own knowledge, I was so close to nature, soaking up the summer and winter sun with equal ease.

As I grew up, I got more and more engrossed in my own life – first in my higher studies and then in my job. And just like any other working woman, my daily routine got as mechanical as waking up, preparing for office, spending the whole day inside the office building surrounded by computers, and returning home in the evening. I had lost touch with nature, and more importantly, I had got completely alienated from the sun!

It is common knowledge that sunrays help to generate vitamin D in our bodies, vital for strong bones. Was there an easier way to build healthy bones than a 10 minutes stroll on a sunny afternoon? But due to my schedule, I was missing out on my share of sunshine, and I needed to consciously bring it back in my regular lifestyle. And yes, I did make an attempt to get back in touch with my old childhood friend – the sun….

• I have made it a habit to take a short walk in the office campus after lunch (which I have either at my desk or at a food court in the office). Of course I wear sunscreen to office, so my skin is protected. Though an umbrella is advised while walking in the sun, sometimes I prefer to go without it.
• When I am at home in the mornings, I keep my windows wide open to let the sun into my home. Sunrays are known to kill bacteria that grow in damp atmosphere, and so sunshine is essential for a clean air in our homes.
• My weekly visits to the grocer, salon, ATM, utility bill payment centre, Bank, courier – anywhere at all – which are within walking distance, are now on foot.This gives me some time to enjoy the sun while attending to my regular chores. 
• I have very long hair – upto 6 inches below my hips. Drying them after a wash used to be cumbersome, and so my hair dryer would always come to my rescue. But now I dry it in the sun, thus protecting my hair from the intense heat of the dryer, and at the same time feeding a slice of sun to my bones.
• My love for lazy weekends meant that I would either perch myself in front of the TV set or slump into a siesta immediately after lunch. But now I take a few minutes after lunch to sit in my terrace or balcony, soaking up the sun while watching passers-by on the road and enjoying soothing music.

I have got so used to the sun now, that 2 consecutive days of cloud or rains make me feel dull and gloomy. The sun lifts my mood, cleanses the air around me and gives me a feeling of wellness.

Needless to say how much I agree with  John Denver’s words:

“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy…..sunshine almost always makes me high”

A Splash of Colour

Sometime back when I visited my younger brother, a bachelor working and living in another city, I did not expect him to cook fancy meals for me. He is after all my kid brother, I am supposed to take care of him, and I take pride in the fact that I being the elder one keep giving him advice on practically all matters in the world as part of that responsibility. I just refuse to let go, to accept that he too is as mature as me – he will remain the little one till I am 90 and he is 88!

But I was taken by surprise (and particularly touched) when I woke up the first morning - the aroma of warm grilled sandwiches wafting through the kitchen! My brother had cooked up sumptuous mashed potato and egg sandwiches. The breakfast was a treat, but it also left me wondering about the kind of food my brother eats – mostly carbohydrates and fats, high in calories, and very less vegetables. And as usual, I decided to shower him with my advice on the importance of vegetables of various colours, and how easy it is to incorporate them in his daily diet without too much effort.

I use some very simple ways of adding a splash of colour to my regular dishes, as each colour stands for a particular energy (the basis of colour therapy) and nutrient. Let me share some here:

• Coriander – Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves on salads, curries, raita, sprouts. Use in paratha fillings, cutlets, omelettes, sandwiches for a refreshing green.
• Capsicum (bell pepper) – Instead of using green capsicum in pasta, noodles, curries, sprouts or salads, combine yellow and red capsicum also. While they add vibrant colours to your food, red and yellow peppers also add a bit of sweetness to the dish.
• Pomegranate seeds – Sprinkle a few of these bright red seeds on fruit salads, curd rice, kheer, custard, pudding, sooji(rava)/carrot halwa.
• Corn – This yellow vegetable can be boiled and sprinkled into raitas, mashed potato, spinach curries (or any mixed veg curry), chaats, pasta, noodles, cutlets.  

Here is my quick recipe for multi coloured potato and vegetable sandwich:

• Finely cut and boil vegetables, like carrots, green peas, corns and beans for bright red, green and yellow colours. Shallow fry and add to boiled and mashed potatoes. Add salt and green chillies to taste.  Fill between 2 slices of bread and cook in a sandwich maker (or directly on a tawa/flat pan)

Go on....add colour to the lives of your loved ones...it is not that difficult, yet worth it after all!

Get Conscious - It Does The Trick!

A working woman in her 30’s, employed in the IT industry, staying single in the city – a hectic lifestyle is characteristic of this species, having to manage work, life and health all by herself. I am one of these, and sometimes I wonder how I am managing it all! My day starts early, at 6 am, and after endless meetings in office and calls (a term for telephonic conferences in this industry) with overseas teams after reaching back home at night, the latest around the world on TV (and sometimes the saas-bahu soaps for a dose of fun), there is nothing more I can think of doing than plopping in bed. In this crammed up schedule, where is the time to think about cooking healthy meals, exercising, taking care of your skin and hair?

Well, it was about 4 years back, when I had put on a whopping 10 kgs of weight during my stay in London (yes, I had indulged) that I realized I needed to get ‘health-conscious’ . I had to be conscious about what I ate, drank, my lifestyle, habits and a bit of physical exercise (I know…it can be quite a lot to start with, but believe me, it is not that difficult afterwards). I did lose those sinful 10 kgs in about 6 months, and have maintained my weight since, with no health problems to complain of so far. And inspite of my superheroic schedule, healthy living is embedded in my routine now

If you believe in healthy living, you can do it too….