Ingredients : Large banana, sliced: Apple, cored and chopped: ½, Honey: 1/2 tbsp, Milk: 1, 1/2 cup
Method: Combine banana chunks, apple pieces and honey in a blender jar. Add milk. Blend it all to a smooth puree. If you feel that it's too thick, then add more milk to dilute it and blend it again for a few seconds. Pour into serving glasses, garnish with banana wheels and serve immediately.
Picture Credit : Google
Ingredients : Apple, cored and sliced: 2, Pomegranate, medium sized: 2, Black salt: 2-3 pinches, A few ice cubes
Method : Chop the pomegranate,into two and remove the arils. Peel, core and chop apples. First put the sliced the apples into the feeder tube of the juicer and extract the juice. Then add the pomegranate arils and extract the juice. Pour the juices in glasses. Sprinkle a pinch of black salt in each glass and serve the apple pomegranate juice immediately with ice cubes.
Picture Credit : Google
The Sahara in North Africa is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world. Spread over an area of 9.4 million sq km, the desert covers large sections of as many as 11 countries such as Egypt Libya. Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan. Did you know only one quarter of the desert is sandy? The rest is made up of rocky plateaus, gravel, salt flats, dry valleys and oases.
The Sahara is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Red Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Sahel savanna to the south. The enormous desert spans 10 countries (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan and Tunisia) as well as the territory of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was annexed by Morocco in 1975, though control of the region is disputed by the Indigenous Saharawi people.
The Sahara desert has a variety of land features, but it is most famous for the sand dune fields that are often depicted in movies. The dunes can reach almost 600 feet (183 meters) high, and they cover about 25% of the entire desert, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Other topographical features include mountains, plateaus, sand- and gravel-covered plains, salt flats, basins and depressions. Emi Koussi, an extinct volcano in Chad, is the highest point in the Sahara, reaching 11,204 feet (3,415 m) above sea level, and the Qattara Depression in northwestern Egypt is the Sahara's deepest point, at 436 feet (133 m) below sea level.
Despite the harsh, arid conditions of the Sahara, many plant and animal species call the region home. Approximately 500 plant species, 70 mammalian species, 90 avian species, 100 reptilian species and numerous species of spiders, scorpions and other small arthropods live in the Sahara. The camel is one of the most iconic animals of the Sahara, though its ancestors originated in North America. Other mammal residents of the Sahara include gazelles, addaxes (a type of antelope), cheetahs, caracals, desert foxes and wild dogs. Many reptiles also thrive in the desert environment, including several species of snakes, lizards and even crocodiles in places where there is enough water. Several arthropod species also call the Sahara home, such as dung beetles, scarab beetles, "deathstalker" scorpions and many types of ants.
Today, the Sahara has a dry, inhospitable desert climate. The past 2,000 years or so, the climate of the Sahara has been fairly stable — and dry. The northeastern winds strip moisture from the air over the desert and drive hot winds toward the equator.
Credit : Live science
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Ingredients : Bread: 8 slices, Choco chips or chopped chocolate: 2 tbsp, Chopped cashew: 1/2 tbsp, Chopped raisins: 1/2 tbsp, Chopped walnuts: 1/2 tbsp, Butter as required
Method: Spread butter evenly on each slice of bread. Now spread choco chips on 4 bread slices. Do not add too much chocolate as it melts and oozes out while grilling and toasting. Sprinkle chopped dry fruits on top. Cover with the remaining buttered slices. Place in a preheated sandwich toaster or grill. Grill or toast till the bread becomes crispy. Serve chocolate sandwich hot or warm.
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Ingredients For the Chutney : Chopped coriander 1, cup Green chilli, finely chopped: 1, Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp, Grated coconut 1/4 cup, Garlic cloves, minced: 2-3, Few drops of lemon juice, Salt to taste, Water: 3-4 tbsp
Other ingredients : Bread: 8-10 slices, Butter as required
Method: For preparing chutney, take chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut, green chilli, cumin seeds. garlic cloves, salt and lemon juice in a grinder jar. Add 3-4 tablespoon water and grind to a smooth chutney. Take chutney in a bowl and keep aside. Now trim edges of bread slices. Spread butter evenly on the slices. Now spread the chutney on them. (If packing the sandwich for lunch box, then spread a generous amount of butter, so that bread does not become soggy). Bring together bread slices to form a sandwich. Slice and serve.
Picture Credit : Google
Ingredients : Grated paneer: 1/2 cup Grated cheese 1/2 cup Green chilli, chopped: 1 Onion finely chopped: 1, Tomato (medium size), finely chopped: 1 Capsicum. finely chopped: 1/2 Mayonnaise: 1 tbsp Italian seasoning: 1 tsp Oregano: 1/2 tsp Red chilli flakes: 1/2 tsp Bread: 4 slices, Butter as required
Method: Mix all the ingredients except red chilli flakes, bread and butter. Take bread slices, spread butter on them and top with paneer filling. Top with some cheese. Sprinkle red chilli flakes on top. Preheat oven to grill mode on 250 degrees C. Place the bread slices on the grill rack and grill for 1-2 minutes till golden. Remove and cool for a minute. Cut it and serve with ketchup.
Picture Credit : Google
Ingredients : Brown bread or white sandwich bread: 8, slices Tomato, thinly sliced: 1, Cucumber. thinly sliced:1,Freshly ground black pepper powder 1-2 tsp Salt to taste, Butter as required.
Method: Trim the edges of the bread. Apply butter evenly on the bread slices and keep aside Arrange slices of tomato and cucumber on 4 slices of buttered bread. Sprinkle salt and pepper powder on the tomato. cucumber slices. Cover with another slice of buttered bread. While serving, you can cut the cucumber tomato sandwich diagonally.
Serve with potato wafers and tomato ketchup. If making for lunch box then wrap the sandwiches in a cling film or aluminium foil and place it in tiffin box (Also if you're making these sandwiches to pack in your lunch box or take during travel, then avoid sprinkling salt.)
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The negative impact of processed food on our health has been well-established. But did you know such foods are also a threat to our environment?
Processed foods are items that are a result of a series of industrial processes. They include confectionery, soft drinks, chips, pre-prepared meals, and fast foods. They contain preservatives, food colouring and little or no whole food. Such products are the mainstay of a 'globalised diet' and are becoming dominant in the global food supply, with sales and consumption growing in all regions and almost all countries. This means that dietary patterns worldwide are becoming increasingly more processed and less diverse.
What are the environmental impacts?
• There are more than 7,000 edible plant species, but 90% of humanity's energy intake comes from just 15 crop plants, and more than four billion people rely on just three of them: rice, wheat and maize, which are also the main ingredients in processed food. As the production of processed food increases, it places pressure on the environment in which the above-mentioned crops are grown. Moreover, animal-sourced ingredients used in many processed foods are often derived from confined animals that feed on the same crops.
• Loss of agrodiversity also impacts animals, birds and insects that depend on other crops.
• Some ingredients used in ultra-processed foods such as cocoa, sugar, and vegetable oil are strongly associated with biodiversity loss. For instance, demand for palm oil (a common ingredient in processed foods) is associated with deforestation in Southeast Asia.
• The processed food production uses large quantities of land, water, energy, herbicides and fertilizers; and causes environmental degradation from greenhouse gas emissions. Not to mention the plastic pollution caused by the packaging of processed food.
When you avoid processed food, you are taking care not only of your health, but also of the planet.
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Mexico - Italian-American Chef Cesare ("Caesar") Cardini invented Caesar salad at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. As the story goes, the popular restaurant was super busy so they had started to run out of ingredients. As a result, Cardini threw together a salad from items that were to hand: romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, and egg. The salad was a hit and became especially popular with Americans visiting Tijuana. In 1948, the Cardini family moved to Los Angeles, California, and patented their famous salad dressing. Caesar Salad is a popular dish.
Credit : Try3steps
Picture Credit : Google
A mango chutney by the name Major Grey's chutney is popular in the U.K. and the U.S. A 19th century army officer by the same name, living in British India, is believed to have made this mildly flavoured, sweet and sour chutney. Its main ingredients are mangoes, raisins, onions and spices. Since no one has a copyright on the name, several 'Major Grey' chutneys are available on the market. Major Grey’s Chutney is brand royalty among chutneys. Being both sweet and savory it pairs well with smoked meats or strong cheeses and tastes great added to dips, grilled chicken or your favorite vinaigrette recipe. During this long journey the concept changed, until the commercially made mango chutney 'Major Grey's chutney' became the British standard chutney.
Credit : Foodreference
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Ingredients: Cooked rice: 3 cups, Sesame oil: 2 tbsp, Onion finely chopped: 1 cup, Frozen peas: 1 cup, Carrot Soy sauce: 2 tbsp Eggs lightly beaten: 2, Chopped green onion: 2 tbsp
Method: Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Add onion, peas and carrot and stir-fry until tender. Slide the vegetables to one side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetables. Now add rice to the veggie-egg mixture. Pour soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice-veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onion if desired.
Picture Credit : Google
Ingredients : Eggs: 8, Butter: 4 tsp, Tomatoes finely chopped: 2, Grated cheese: 1 cup, Salt and pepper to taste, Chopped parsley as required.
Method: For each omelette. whisk 2 eggs, a bit of salt and pepper and a sprinkling of chopped parsley in a small bowl Heat the fry pan over medium heat, melt one teaspoon of butter until it starts to foam and pour in the eggs. Don't stir the eggs. leave them for about a minute until the base has set, then sprinkle tomato and cheese in a strip across the middle of the omelette. Use a spatula to carefully fold one side of the omelette over the filling. Gently push the spatula under the middle of the omelette, tilt the pan a bit and use the spatula to help slide the omelette onto a plate. Then fold the other side of the omelette onto the middle. Sprinkle some cheese on top. Serve immediately.
Picture Credit : Google
Ingredients : Self-raising flour: 300 gm, Eggs: 6, Mixed vegetables (finely chopped): 5 cups, Cheese (grated): 1 cup Milk as required, Olive oil, Salt to taste
Method: Combine flour, eggs, veggies and cheese in a large bowl. Add salt and enough milk to the mixture until it is of a slightly runny consistency. Heat a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil and drop a tablespoon of the mixture into it. patting it into a neat circle. Cook on medium heat until golden on both sides. Serve with chutney of your choice.
Picture Credit : Google