Coffee bean !

This is not a recipe to prepare a dish.... well, I'm sure, It's a recipe for happiness. It teaches us how to react when adversity knocks the door.  Everyone of us face the hard times and difficult situations in life, this beautiful cooking based, Christian  illustration shows us how to deal with the trials and tribulations of life .   I don't know who the author is , but I found it quite interesting.... 

Coffee bean !!
A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not
know how she was going to make it , and wanted to give up. She was tired of all the fighting and
struggling. It seemed as though in solving one problem , two more would arise .
Her father, ( a chef ) took her to the  kitchen.
He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil.
 In one, he placed carrots.

 In the second, he placed eggs.

 and in the last pot, he placed ground coffee beans.

 He let them sit and boil without  saying a word . The daughter impatiently waited , wondering what
he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and
placed them in a bowl . He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl .  Then he ladled the coffee out and poured it in a cup.

                                                             Pics from web source:
Turning to her he asked. " Darling, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs , and coffee, " she replied. He
brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it . After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard- boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the  coffee . She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.  She humbly asked.
" What does it mean Father ?" He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling
water, but each reacted differently.  The carrots went in strong , hard, and unrelenting. But after being
subjected to the boiling water, they softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile . Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid  interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, the insides became hardened.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had hanged
the water. "Which are you," he asked his daughter. " When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond ? Are you a carrot , an egg, or a coffee bean ? How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength ?
Are you the egg, which starts off with a changeable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after difficult times, have you become hardened and stiff. Your  shell looks the same, but are you tough with a stiff spirit and heart ?  Or are you like the coffee bean ?  The bean changes the hot water,  the thing that is bringing the pain .  When the water reaches it 's peak temperature, it just tastes better .  If you are like the bean, when  things are at their worst, you get  better and make things better  around you .  When people talk about you, does your praises to the Lord increase ? When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest , does your worship elevate to another level ? How do you handle adversity?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" - Bible , James 1: 2-4

Are you a carrot , an egg, or a coffee bean ?
" Please God, help me to be a
coffee bean ! Amen "

Apple carving !

A beautifully carved Apple resting on a plate of dessert or fruit salad is the perfect dinner idea. I created the V shaped wedges to give the staggering effect.    An Apple Swan can also be created with with V shaped wedges on both sides to create the wings. Swan's face and neck can be created with a slice cut from the base and carved .  Fit the neck and head snugly in the body cavity with a small  tooth pick.  Those are my son's cute little hands.  My daughter picking the fresh Apple from the Apple tree, in a farm. 

Required:

Firm Apple
Pairing knife

Method:

Wash and dry the Apple and cut off the node.

With a sharp pairing knife, make two small V shaped wedges. on the top half of the Apple. Finish off the V shaped wedges with another 5 or 6 parellels with 1/4 " apart.

Push the wedges gently towards the back so that they are staggered to look like wings.

Tip: To prevent discolouration, sprinkle the whole apple with lemon juice.

Chicken corn soup

Chinese population is one of the largest growing community in the city of Greater Toronto Area.  According to the stats, In the next few years the number of Mandarin and Cantonese speaking people are going to increase. Lot of Chinese people come straight from Mainland China  to Canada, without basic English  knowledge. Most of them cannot speak proper english, except for those who are educated here .  The reason I am giving this details is that I have terrible problem understanding and communicating with them. One funny incident took place which I would like to share.......

  One day, my hub took me to an authentic chinese restuarant.   One chinese guy came to take our order. We asked for chicken corn soup. That guy was not following what we want.... and was trying to say something in chinese, which we were not following....we had to use the non-verbal communication i.e sign language to place our order. Still he was not getting...We took  the menu card but it was all written in chinese.  Quickly, my hub went to the display board to show and try to explain what we want.  Luckily, there were pics on it.  Finally, the Chinese guy understood .  I was just eagerly waiting for my soup to arrive.... There you go...., my order was placed on the table.  We opened it, it was some boiled beef liver... ha..ha...ha...we had to simply pay for it and get out....

Ingredients:
Chicken pieces / drumsticks - 3
Corn starch - 1 tbsp
Egg - 1
Water - 2/ 3 glasses
Salt
White/ black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Corn kernals - 1/4 cup
Green onion - finely chopped - 1 tsp
Carrot - finely grated -  1 tsp

Method:
Boil the chicken with enough water, approx 2 glasses of water. Add salt. ( pressure cook it to speed up the process of cooking) Once it is cooked thorougly, take out the chicken and debone. Shredd the chicken in very thin strips.

Combine chicken broth, corn kernals, and chicken pieces in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch and mix it well without any lumps. Add it to the soup. This will thicken the soup.

Take egg white in a bowl and beat till it is foamy; Add the beaten egg slowly into the soup, stirring continously at this point..

Reduce heat to simmer and cook. Add pepper before serving. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with green onion and shredded carrot. Serve hot.

Haleem

Ramadan Kareem !

Hephzi's kitchen ki taraf se Haleem nosh farmayiye...

Hyderabad my home town, is popular for various things.... Pearls, Zardozi, Ram pyari paan,  Biryani and of course, my favourite dish Haleem. This food is served especially during Id. During this special month, Hyderabad city is crowded with mini stalls , turning the city into a fair ground with many Haleem selling stalls. The cooking continues through out the day, the fire is hot 24/ 7, pot is always cooking emitting wonderful smells and aroma in the kitchens. Hundreds and thousands of people throng the stalls, at the end of each day. The Muslim bretheren who are fasting, end their fast with this delicacy. Being a foodie, every year I wait for Ramadan festival, to get the taste of this mouth watering special Hyderabadi delicacy.   We also get chicken and vegetarian Haleem. But, flavour of mutton is unbeatable.

                                                            Pic from web source

While Chinese dishes are cooked instantly and on High flame. Most of the popular meat dishes of Hyderabad are cooked at a low flame for longer periods, bringing out the excellent taste and flavours. The traditional Haleem making process takes about 24 hrs to cook, using potli ka masala, infusing the great flavours. This recipe was out of my cooking list, as it takes too much time preparing. But I still used to crave this dish...My Pakisthani friend gave me an idea to cook it in slow cooker or pressure cooker. Instantly that became a regular feature in my cooking repetoire. I tried both Pakisthani and the Hyderabadi Haleem. Each one has different and unique flavour. The only difference I noticed is that Pakisthanis use lentils in Haleem.  I am providing the home- made pressure cooker style...

Ingredients:

Mutton -1 lb, boneless and cubed
Cracked wheat- 1 lb soaked for atleast 4 hrs.
Yogurt - 1 ½ cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Onions- - 2 large sliced
Green masala  paste - 2 tbsp ( mint, coriander, greenchilli paste)
Lemon juice - 4 tbsp
Garam masala pwd - 1 tsp ( blend of jeera, cardamom, cloves , cinnamon etc)
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Potli ka masala - 1 pack , tied in a cloth.
Oil - 1/2 cup
Salt

Garnish: Mint leaves,
Ginger slices
Lemon slices or wedges
Fried onions - for garnish

Method Take a bowl and marinate the meat with  yogurt, lemon juice, chilli pwd, green masala, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Keep it aside for  3-4 hours.
Wash and soak the wheat for 4 hrs.
 Add enough water,  tie potli ka masala in a cloth  and drop it in the cooker and pressure cook the meat .
Take out the  Potli ka masala  wrap from the water , add wheat and cook till tender . When  it is cool enough to handle, using a hand blender, blend to a paste.
Heat the oil and add the meat and wheat mixture. Fry this paste  till  it turns opaque.

Garnish with Mint leaves , Ginger slices ,Lemon slices or wedges, Fried onions and serve hot.

Slow cooker style :   Except garnish,  put all the ingredients in the slow cooker allow it to cook overnight.   Next day morning, use blender and make a paste.  Fry the mixture in oil , garnish and serve.

I am contributing this recipe to Mona's  Ramadan food festival special event  at  www.zaiqa.net
Mona is my favourite Hyderabadi food blogger...

Mixed nuts Brittle - Nuts candy

My Mom's special recipe, peanut brittle" Pallila patti", a home made candy. This used to be my after school snack, when I was a kid. It is sweet, crunchy, healthy, nutritious, everything natural with no additives , colours or preservatives.  It is made with Jaggery, Jaggery is unrefined sugar. It comes from the sugar cane. It is nothing but sugar in the raw form. it is called as "gud" in hindi, "bellam" in telugu

This Mixed nuts brittle or nuts candy is fully packed with vegetable protein, wholegrains,healthy fat, and rich in fibre. I incorporated different kinds of nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame in it, as we have availability in abundance here in Toronto. This popular home made candies are simple , easy to make and also makes a great gift idea for any occasion.

 

 

Serving the kids: Kids enjoy this so much that they would ask for more but, portion size is the key to control . Portion size also applies to the adults as well.  As per the daily dietary requirements  for a healthy normal adult,  a handful of nuts is just enough. I added a pic of portion sizes...

Alert: Please be careful while serving the kids who have " food allergies/ food sensitivities ", Nut allergies are quite rampant in these days.  

Human beings are not made equally in their physical makeup.  Different people react differently for the same food.  Most of us might've experienced food allergies / food sensitivities at one point or the other.  The words " food allergy" and "food sensitivity" are they one and the same and can be used interchangeably??  The answer would be "NO".  Then, what actually is food allergy ?  and how to differentiate with  food sensitivity.  What are the signs and symptoms to look for??

Food sensitivity:  This can also be known as food intolerance.  More people actually suffer from food sensitivities than food allergies.  Some symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, eczema, skin rashes, heart burn, wheezing , runny nose, and also includes,  fatigue, gas bloating and irritable bowel.  Food sensitivities can be had from common foods, food chemicals such as preservatives/ additives such as  MSG, lactose, sweeteners, food colourings, gluten, Nitrates etc..

Food allergy:  Food allergy is much serious.  The symptoms range from  minor skin rash to the deadly anaphylaxis( life threatening). All most all of the schools in Toronto banned the food with nuts.  Parents are advised not to pack any food with nuts to the children.  No treats with nuts can be send to children on special days like Christmas or Halloween.   Even the Birthday cake should be nut free and should produce the letter from the baker to the Teacher. Nut allergies are never heard of in India.  In Canada, as an Early childhood educator, I've come across some cases of  allergies.  I was taught about the allergies and how to administer Epipen to the children.   If you are a Parent , Teacher, or someone working with children, please look for any or all the symptoms on a person with food allergies. 

• Flushed face
• Red or itchy skin
• Swelling of the eyes, face , lips, throat, tongue
• Impaired breathing, speaking and swallowing
• Anxiety, distress, faintness, weakness
• Cramps, diarrhea, vomiting
• Rapid heart beat
• Loss of conciousness.

The symptoms may appear almost instantaneously or after an hour, But immediate attention is required.

Ingredients:

All kinds of nuts - about a cup

Jaggery  -  1 cup approx

Water - 1/4 cup

Method:

Prepare the greased pan and keep ready.

Roast the mixed nuts either in the oven on or the stove top with few drops of oil.

Put the sauce pan on medium heat, add water and jaggery and cook , stirring continously, making sure all the lumps are melted.  Continue boiling until the mixture reaches boiling point. keep stirring...

Once the mixture reaches 300 degrees and appears to be an amber color, pour in the nuts . Cook for one more minute and then transfer the mixture to the greased pan. Use a spatula to quickly and lightly spread into an even layer. Let it cool completely to set. Break into pieces and enjoy!

TEST :    It is very important to  get the  thick stringy texture while boiling the mixture. To check if the mixture reached the desired consistency, after mixing, lift the spoon to see how the mixture is dropping.  It has to be like a string "  theega paakam" or put few drops of mixture into water, it has to become hard immediately. 

 TIPS:  Once the nuts are added to the mixture, stir continuously to prevent burning and provide even  toasting.

 Make sure the mixture reaches the exact consistency while boiling. 

This mixture is scalding hot, so use extreme caution.

Liquid food !

Liquid food !

Article Author: Hephzi

(Pics  from web source)

As babies, we begin our food journey from the liquids, to the semi- solids then, graduate to the solids. From plain milk to baby food and to the family food. In the last stages of human life, we end up with liquid diet , IV fluids etc., ofcourse not all of us... Solid food takes longer time to digest whereas, liquid food can be easily assimilated into the body, easy to break down, easy to process and easy on the digestive system.

Healthy normal adult's diet consists of solids, accompanied by liquids. It could be plain water to beverage, or a glass of wine. Liquids forms the important part of our diet. Food can be taken in the liquid form either in the form of soups, smoothies or juices. In some cases, Doctor prescribes clear liquids i.e. before or after a surgery to keep the intestinal tract clear. Liquid diet is suggested to people to promote quick recovery. I remember my mother giving me hot steamed, mashed rice with Miryala charu (soup, clear liquid, made with black pepper) when recovering from fever. It was almost like liquid food with nourishing and healing properties.  Some liquids are healthy promoting health, while some are destructive. Let's look at all the liquids we add in our diet and examine their importance and bad effects on health.

Drinks for festivals and special occasions
Some festivals are incomplete without the festive, occasional drinks, such as Bhaang for colourful Holi festival, Bhang is an intoxicating drink. Ugadi pachadi for new year, for Telugu people. It has the combination of all 6 different tastes, Apple cider and Egg nog for Christmas, semi- liquid Sheer qurma for Ramzaan etc.

Religious ceremonies and drinks
All most all of the religions are associated with some sought of liquids/ drinks. In Hinduism, there is Theertham, which is holy/ sacred water offered in the temples. Christian Churches offer Wine in resemblance to the blood of Christ, showing the unity and brotherhood as a family of Christ. Muslim religion is associated with holy water from the Holy Kaaba called "Zam Zam", when ever I think of muslim drinks, it reminds me of falooda and rooh afza, ofcourse, it is not religious.
People break their religious upvaas (fasting )wheather it is Karwa chauth, Id, or Good friday fasting, with a glass of drink either fruit juices or plain water.

Water
Water is very important for the smooth funtioning of body. Not only human life is depended on the water, the birds, animals and plants also depend on the water for their existance. Our body consists of 75% of water, even then we need to realise the importance of drinking more water, as our body excretes water through skin and bladder and we need to replenish the lost water to prevent dehydration. Drinking sufficient amount of water prevents constipation, flushes the toxins and wastes.
Sometimes plain water seems to be quite boring. Adding a slice of lemon or slice of cucumber or fresh fruit or vegetable juice will make it interesting... During the cold winter months, when there is only few hours of sunshine(especially, in Toronto) there is no urge to drink water, you never feel thirsty. Sometimes I totally forget to drink water, someone has to remind me to drink water or I have to make a deliberate effort to remember and drink.
How much water do we need per day?? Well, the debate is still going on....some say we need 8 glasses of water a day. Some say we don't need water at all, as we are compensating with the liquids such as soups, fruit juices etc., But I would stick with my regular 8 glasses a day routine !

Teas / Herbal Teas/ Coffee

Coffee Most of us begin our day with a hot cup of coffee. It is the most attractive and addictive drink that wakes you up in the morning. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, it is also associated with heart diseases. Using the decaffeinated drink can be beneficial. Coffee is known to dehydrate the body.  If you are drinking  1 cup of coffee, you need to drink 4 cups of water to compensate.

Tea   or coffee is offered in all Indian homes to the guests, as a friendly, inviting gesture. Most of us end up having several cups of Teas in a day, in the name of social get togethers. The normal tea also contains caffeine and is also associated with the health problems.

Herbal teas are known to Chinese for centuries. Not only each herbal tea is different in its flavour , but it also has the medicinal values. Herbal teas are not just made with Tea leaves they are a combination of dried fruits, flowers or herbs. It is known for its therepeautic effects on the human body. Thats the reason Chinese people live longer and healthier, than the people of other parts of the world. They look much younger than their age. The best examples of herbal teas are Cammomile, Green Tea, Ginseng . My favourite is Apple mango, fruit flavoured herbal tea.
The best way to make herbal tea is to add tea leaves to the warm pot and add hot water to it and allow it to simmer until you get the desired consistency, drink it right away or save it in a flask and sip a cup all through the day. It is normally taken without milk yet, you can add a bit of sugar to taste. But, having it without sugar is the best option.

Soups
There are some foods we prefer as per the climatic conditions and seasons to balance the temperatures of the body. Hot food for cold weather such as soups, hot cup of coffee or cocoa and cold food for hot weather such as juices, cold drinks, coolers etc. Soups are mostly taken in the cold winter months. Soups come in three different types, clear broth, creamy textured, and chunky. Soups can be served as an appetizer or It could be a meal by itself depending on the combination of foods used in it. It gives warm and soothing effect during the cold winter months. Soothes the throat, clears the nasal congestion.

Juices
Juices can be made from fruits or vegetables or combination of both. Fresh fruit juices are known to be the reservior of essential nutrients and rich source of fibre. It treats many ailments, works as a preventive measure. The best way to use them is to take it immediately as soon as it is made, to get the maximum health benefit. Make sure to wash the fruits thoroughly before putting in a blender, as there could be pesticide residue on it. Do not opt for pre-packed/ tetra pack fruit juices when you can have an option to get the fresh fuit juice. As it will contain added sugar, additives, preservatives, and the food colour. Best examples  of fresh fruit juices are Apple juice, Grape juice.

Smoothies
Smoothies are calcium rich, cold, thick and creamy fruit juices. Normally, It is yogurt based, milk based or Ice-cream based. Smoothies are more popular because it is healthy, nutrious and delicious. They make ideal breakfast or snack. People with lactose intolerance can use soya milk or lactose free milk to derive the benefit. Best examples are strawberry banana smoothie, Blueberry smoothie. The Indian version of a smoothie is Mango Lassi.

Milk
Milk is rich in Calcium and is important for all ages. For healthy bone development in the childhood, and avoids osteoporosis in the old age. Milk is the best food at all times, for all ages. Milk is derived from mammals such as cows and goats. The best food for the infants is breast milk. In case, if the mother is not able to make enough milk, Cow`s milk is the next best alternative for the infants. For the toddlers and pre-schoolers there is Chocolate milk. For the teenagers and adults hot chocolate makes the best milk based beverage.

Cordials
Cordial is a non-alchoholic, medicinal drink with healing properties made with various combinations, using roots, bark, leaves, flowers etc.Prepared like decoction, tonic or elixir. It has the curative values to heal the minor illnesses such as headache, cold , cough, indigestion, constipation etc. The best example is Chinese ginseng. My Mom, though not a medical graduate,treats the minor illnesses, makes wonderful cordials at home, using the spices. Ginger and lemon for cold, cough, digestion. Yogurt drink for abdominal pain, the mint concoctions, the traditional chicken soup as an energy boost etc...

Alcoholic beverages / Cocktails / Mocktails

Alcohol is more popular among all sections of the society, around the world. Alcoholic beverages are grouped into 3 different types Beers, Wines, spirits . Beer is produced by brewing and fermenting wheat, corn or rice. Wines are produced by fermenting the fruits for longer periods of time, such as grapes, apples and cherries. Spirits are distilled alcoholic beverages. Incorporating alcohol in the social events has become the order of the day. There are more number of Belt shops in AP, India, than schools. It is interesting to see how the shop owners are luring people to get into the habit of drinking by offering deals, chicken curries etc., to the buyers. Then there is the cheap liquor called Toddy and Neera. Alcohol is addictive, It is heart breaking to see how the families are getting addicted to it and ruining their families. What amount is good?? Alchohol, Zero tolerance.

Cocktails
are more popular in the pub culture. Cocktail is an alchoholic drink, mixed with two or more ingredients. Since, it is an alchoholic drink spirits are mixed into fruit juices. Some times more than one kind of spirit is mixed along with soda, honey or sugar, ice, milk or cream to make it thick and creamy. The best examples are bloody mary, pina colada etc., Cocktails are not suggested for kids 18 and under. How much alchohol can we have?? There is no safe amount. No amount is good ...

Mocktails
are non-alchoholic. Mocktails are mock cocktails, without the alchohol in it. It is a pretend cocktail, prepared to taste almost like a cocktail without the alchohol content in it. It is a safe bet for pregnant mothers. These non-alcoholic drinks are great to serve the entire family and a great alternative for guests, who stay away from alcohol.

Soft drinks
Soft drinks are non- alchoholic beverages. There are innumerable soft drinks available in the market. Soft drinks are usually corbonated, fizzy drinks. Call it by any name soda , pop, fizzy, sparkler whatever..it is filled with sugar and can contain caffeine. Daily consumption of softdrink can cause obesity, type 2 diabetics etc. There are lot of health related issues associated with soft drinks.

Slush       Slush is a kid's favorite drink. Ice-cream soda, slurpees comes under this section. Slush is crushed ice drink with added flavours. It is a flavoured frozen ice drink. There are different types and flavours of slushes available. some are carbonated, some are made with real fruit juice, some are with fruit extracts etc. All slushes are filled with sugar and added colours.

Other low calorie Beverages
Mineral water with a twist of lime
Club soda with slice of orange
Hotwater with lemon juice and honey
Cup of beef/ chicken / vegetable stock
A glass of skimmed, cold butter milk
A glass of fresh, young coconut water ( not the prepacked bottled coconut water)
The choice is yours, to decide on which drinks to take.  There is always good and bad , the bad is always attractive and addictive, which causes bad health in the long run.  Anything in moderation is acceptable, as long as you drink responsibly...

Cheers ! Put your drinks up !