Split Green Bean pancake

Mung dosa is perfect for your protein packed breakfast or light dinner. We love this recipe and its a regular feature on Sunday morning brunch. It is yummy and honestly not as difficult to make as it looks. So here are the simple steps for some yumm meal. 

Ingredients ( 6-8 medioum sized dosa or pancake)

- 1 cup split green mung beans ( mung daal with our without green cover)

- salt to taste

- cooking oil  

- 1/2 inch piece of ginger - pounded or 1/2 tsp ginger paste

- 2 cloves garlic - minced or 1/2 tsp garlic paste

- 1/2 cup water

Steps

- Soak mung beans for atleast 6-8 hours 

- Mix soaked mung beans, salt, ginger and garlic

- Add water only as you need to make a thick smoothie which can pour easily.

- Blend it very well till all the mung beans are crushed and it becomes a smooth batter.

- Now heat a flat pan and add little oil ( you need to do that only for the first pancake)

- Pour a table spoon full of batter at the center of the pan and quickly spread the batter working in circular motion and going outwards.

- Spray some oil on the edges and let it cook for few minutes. If the layer of batter is too thick then cover the pan with a lid so that it cooks well.

- You will see the edges turning dark, peel the pancake a little to see if it has the golden colour that you would like.

- Now peel the entire pancake/dosa and flip it on the pan. Let it cook for 30 more secs.

- Your pancake is now ready to serve.

- Enjoy it hot with your favourite chutney or ketchup.

- repeat the process by pouring fresh batter on the center of the pan.

Enjoy!!

Lavender Yogurt

However cliched it may be but lavender flowers leads by huge margin amongst other herbs and flowers when it comes to imparting relaxation. lavender oils, incense and teas does wonders and takes you to a very soothing world after a long day. I came across very good quality dried Lavender flowers in the local produce market recently and I thought why not pick it up and stir up some recipes and get the spa sesation right at home.  

First recipe out of this batch of lavender is Lavender yogurt. We are a big consumer of low-fat home made yogurt and it helps us a lot to curb this summer heat in addition to being our protein source and aiding in digestion.

Ingredients

- 500 ml low-fat milk

- 1 tbsp yogurt

- 4 tsp sugar ( or sugar substitute)

- 1 tsp dried lavender flowers

- 2 tsp skimmed milk powder

- Fruit such as peach, mangoes, berries or make a fruit compote ( optional)

Steps

- Boil the milk in a thick pan

- Reduce the heat to medium, add laveder flowers and sugar to the milk and stir

- Let the milk boil for 5-7 mins at medium heat.

- Turn off the heat and let the milk cool for 15 mins

- Strain the milk and pour it into your yogurt bowl or individual serving bowls. Do not throw away the lavender flowers as you can use it again for other recipes.

- Mix yogurt and skimmed milk powder to the milk. ( skimmed milk powder gives thick texture and adds protein).

- Let it set for 6-8 hours in a warm place ( oven, incubator, or simply on a kitchen platform if you live in a warm place)

- Once the yogurt is set you can put it in the fridge for couple of hours before serving.

- Garnish it with your favourit garnish such as mint leaves, lavender flowers, fruits or fruit compote.

Relax and Enjoy!

Green Mung-Oats Smoothie

This is a very Taiwanese ( or Asian flavour). I had never had sweet Green Mung ever in my life as we would load it with spices in vegetables back in India and eat it for breakfast or lunch. But out here green mung is mixed with sugar and various recipes like soups and desserts are made. It took me a while to adopt the sweet mung flavour but now I love it.

This smoothie is healthy and plenty for my breakfast or light lunch. Mung is fat free and low in carbs but packed with proteins so its all good news.

Nutriona value of Green Mung: http://www.ehow.com/about_5448254_nutritional-values-green-mung-beans.html

Ingredients ( Makes 1 400 ml glass)

- 1 tablespoon boiled green mung ( I like to soak it for 6-8 hours and then pressure cooker it)

- 1 tablespoon cooked breakfast oats 

- 1/2 peeled and chopped medium sized apple ( optional)

-  1.5 tsp honey ( sugar or substitute if thats your preference)

- 1 tsp skimmed milk powder ( optional - makes smoothie creamy)

- 200 ml cold water 

Steps:

Put all thee ingredients in the blender and blend it till smooth. Pour it out in a glass and enjoy.

Mango Oats Breakfast smoothie

Ingredients
1 cup ripe mangoes chopped
2 scoops pre-cooked oats
2 tsp honey ( add sugar or sugar substitute if you prefer)
200 ml cold water

Steps
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend it for few mins. Pour it out in a tall glass and enjoy your breakfast!

http://www.honey-health.com/honey-8.shtml

Mixed Berry Oats Smoothie

Anti-oxidant and fibre rich breakfast!

Ingredients
1 table spoon dried mixed berry soaked in warm water for 15 mins
2 scoops pre-cooked breakfast oats
1/2 banana
1 tsp honey (sugar or substitute)
200 ml cold water

Steps
Put all the ingredients together in the blender and give it a nice spin for couple of minutes. Pour it out in a tall glass and enjoy this nice breakfast.
For this recipe, I use dried cranberries, raisins and blueberries. I got this mixed berries pack from costco.  

Silken Tofu Tropical Parfait

Delicious protein packed dessert or breakfast!

I particularly like this recipe as you can throw in whatever tropical fruits that you may have at home. This dish is very refreshing and irresistible with fresh fruit that explodes in your mouth with creamy silk tofu.

Ingredients: for 2

1/2 Cup bite sized chopped nicely ripe tropical fruits - mango, peach, papaya etc

300g Silken Tofu

2 tsp honey

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp shredded coconut / dessicated coconut

2 tsp of water 

Steps
Take a heavy pan, add water and 1 tsp of sugar and heat it on a low flame. Stir the mix until sugar melts completely. Add chopped fruits and gently coat them in the sugar syrup. Keep it on the low heat for couple of minutes until fruit softens a little. Switch off the heat and let the fruit sit. You can also prepare this in advance and keep it in fridge for couple of days for later use.

For the tofu cream, put the silken tofu in the blender with honey and 1 tsp of sugar. blend it for 1-2 minutes, it will become smooth and fluffy in no time.

Now place few spoons of fruit in two transparent bowls or broad based glasses till they are 1/3 full. Gently pour the tofu cream over the fruit and fill the glass just below the rim. Top it again with some fruit cubes, cover it with some plastiwrap and keep it in the fridge for at least 1 - 1.5 hrs.

At the time of serving, sprinkle shredded coconut. You can beautify the dish further with a sprinkle of some chopped mint or basil if u like.

Enjoy!

More about Tofu:
Tofu is a low calorie, high protein Asian cheese. Chinese discovered tofu 2000 years ago and have been a staple source of nutrition in Asian kitchens in form of amazing recipes from soups, salads, main course to dessert. Now Tofu is popular worldwide and an excellent choice of nutritional food worldwide.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=111
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/healthnutrition/p/tofunutrition.htm

Peaches:
I think Taiwan has one of the best quality peaches. They are big, luscious, succulent and super sweet!
Tracing back the history I found that peaches actually originated in China ( not in Persia, not in US) in as early as 10th century BC! This was an emperor's fruit for centuries and only immortals were to eat this fruit. Only in recent era this fruit was made available to the local people. Once Persians brought this fruit to Europe, it quickly spread across the world and gain popularity. It is the second largest commercially produced fruit in US after apples.
Even today, peach has a significant place in Chinese culture and still holds its status for longevity. Friends and family exchange peaches in the summer time to wish each other long life in Taiwan. I was lucky to receive a huge box of peaches from a local friend. Even peach blossoms are very beautiful, I can definitely say that they are as pretty as cherry blossoms. There are festivals held to enjoy the beauty of these blossoms which still does not fail to inspire artists and poets.There are very famous paintings, plays, poems and art in Chinese cultures with peach blossoms as its central theme.
Another interesting fact about this Asian fruit - Young and beautiful new bride was often called peach in China as a slang because of fruit's velvety, smooth and sweet characteristic. Apparently, in English, word peachy came from this slang.
Hope you feel peachy when you enjoy this emperor's fruit next time:)

Sesame Oats Smoothie

This recipe uses a very Asian ingredient - black sesame powder with our traditional good old oats. Black sesame seeds are packed with nutrients and it can only be good for you.
Sesame seeds should be available in any Asian store or grocery store these days. You also get an organic variety here in Taiwan which I usually prefer. If you do not find it in the powder form then I suggest that you get the seeds roasted on low temperature at home and powder it ( coffee grinder should work just fine) and store it in the fridge for later use for few months. Sesame seed taste is an acquired taste so its OK to start with very little in the recipe below and go up to 1 spoon as you enjoy the taste.

Ingredients
1 tsp black sesame seed powder
2 small scoops pre-ccoked oats
1/2 banana
1 spoon honey ( add sugar or sugar substitute if u prefer)
200 ml water
Ice Cubes as preferred
* Add protein mix if you are on high protein diet ( adjust sugar accordingly)

Steps
Put all the ingredients in the blender and give it a nice mix until oats are as smooth as possible. Add the protein powder now if you wish. Throw in ice cubes if you prefer. Give it one last long blend for a smooth healthy breakfast.

Pour it out in a tall glass or your to go cup for a healthy Asian twist breakfast.

 Look up health benefits on google for sesame, here's one link that I like

: http://www.ehow.com/about_5112135_health-benefits-black-sesame-seeds.html

Kiwi Splash

This is a simple and quick recipe for healthy breakfast in a jiffy. Perfect for having it on the breakfast table or carry it with you to drink on your way to work or save it for a light lunch. The recipe below makes one tall ~400 ml of glass.

Ingredients
1/2 peeled and roughly chopped medium sized Kiwi
2 small scoop of cooked oats
1 tsp Honey ( Sugar or substitute as you prefer it) or more as u prefer
1/3 banana
250 ml water
Ice cubes as preferred

Steps
Put all ingredients in the blender. Give it a nice mix a few times till you see consistency. Throw in some ice cubes if you prefer. Blend at high speed for couple of minutes till it looks like smooth smoothie :). 

Pour it out in a tall glass and enjoy this healthy fruity smoothie!