Zara's Globe

Pineapple smoothie yields as a healthy drink and starting the day with a healthy drink, isn't it a good choice, to care about ones health, that too with an option of a drink that is creamy, smooth and yummy. This smoothie is nutritious having a good source of dietary fiber, manganese as well as it aids in digestion. 

Here's the recipe, Lets get started!

Ingredients

1 Cup of Frozen Pineapple (sweet)1/2 Cup Pineapple juice 1 Banana fresh or frozen (ripe)1 - 2 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk or any low fat milk 1 - 2 Tbsp honey (Optional)1 Tbsp powdered almond (optional)Sliced pineapple or bananas toppings

Tips

I use homemade nuts milk, which is much healthier option then the dairy milk. I prefer nuts like Almond, pistachio or cashews, these are my favorites, to prepare the milk. I add soaked nuts to the smoothies as these give a nice thick and creamy  texture and are easy to digest. These not only would give long term health benefits but would add taste to the drink. Preparing nuts milk is very easy, bend soaked nuts either almond or cashews or pistachio, any of your choice. Then add little water and a blend to make a smooth paste, then add rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy texture.If you want to use nuts milk in the smoothie however  looking out for a easier option, can use powered roasted nuts (Almond or Cashew or Pistachio). And if you like making smoothies every now and then, powdered roasted nuts would be the best option for you, as these can be stored for few weeks, store in a any air tight container, I prefer a glass container. Apart from nuts you even can use fresh coconut milk or oats milk, if you are looking out for a substitute.

Methods

Blend all ingredients together until you get smooth and creamy texture. Pour in a glass, garnish with some more sliced fresh pineapple and soaked nuts and enjoy the drink!

Prep  - 5 Mins

Total - 5 Mins

Course - Drink

If you like this pineapple Banana Smoothie delight, you may also like to try Mulberry Banana smoothie 

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the drink!

A Basic Meditation Guide For Beginners

''Healthify your Life''

Meditation, `A Journey to Inner Self ', I call it that way because when your mind connects to inner self, your soul speaks. This is possible only when mind is calm

Anyone wondering, why they should meditate? Here is the answer to it:-

Meditation is training the mind. It is nothing but a technique used to focus on a particular object or a thought. This training is about developing concentration and achieving a control over anxiety, deeper relaxation, emotionally calm state, sense of harmony etc

Meditation is always considered to be a path that leads towards enlightenment and self realization.

Basic Meditation Steps for Beginners

In this meditation practice we are learning, how to pay attention to our breath as we inhale and exhale. Not only that, we also learn to get attention back on breathing in case mind wonders. As this involves focusing on a single point, slowly and steadily, your ability to concentrate improves. Hence,Meditation is always being a way to relax our body and calm minds and this is why most people practice meditation for connecting to our higher self's.

Willingness to Meditate

This is very important factor to have a strong wish to meditate. In case you are not interested to meditate and you tend to force your mind to focus. Trust me you wont be able to meditate at all and the fact is that it would be more damaging than not doing any meditation. And here you would agree with me that this kind of meditation wont be worth at all.

Choose a silent place to Meditate

Choose a place where you expect privacy while you meditate. Picking a clean and a silent place to meditate helps to focus and chances of getting distracted are less. Most of the people prefer to sit on a cushion while meditating, however it is optional.

Tip: Avoid places that makes you feel sleepy

Sit comfortably in a steady posture

 Sit in a cross-legged position ( i.e. Padmassana), then keep your palms on your lap.Your backbone should be inline with your neck and your body firm and steady. Just feel relaxed and at ease. Simply focus on inhaling and exhaling of breath

Tip: If you feel back pain or discomfort while you meditate, simply stretch your body and get back to the same position

Close your Eyes

Meditation is a technique that uses our eyes to attain stillness of mind.Its been said that, our eyes are the  windows of our soul, which i believe is true to its word. Hence, closing of eyes would shut the external world so that we focus on going deeper into silence.

Breathe Naturally

Take deep breath in and exhale it out, while your doing it observe your breath. Inhaling and exhaling must be neither too fast, nor too slow. But must be natural, smooth and in rhythm.

Tip: Make no efforts to control your breath

Focus on your breath

 When we focus on our breathing we put ourselves in the present, moment, and this is how we find inner peace. However, while trying to focus on your breath, your mind might wonder and that's natural. In such scenarios simply ignore  those thought's and bring your focus back on your breath. As controlling thoughts can lead to distractions, its always better to let go those thoughts.

Tip: If you have high level of distraction , just open your eyes and close again and continue meditating

To begin with focus on breath for 2 minutes, then gradually increase up-to 5 minutes

Take as deep breath as possible, then exhale out all of it. Select your breath as a single point of focus. To start with just observe for how long you can meditate, it wont be good idea to pressurize yourself to meditate for long, if you are not willing to. At first you may notice physical relaxation and emotional calmness. However you will observe other benefits slowly and steadily, as you regularize the practice. Some of these benefits are that, it would bring us insights, enlightenment and comfortable silence in mind which would enable us to break free from our conditioning. Not only that it helps in treating people who suffer from depression and anxiety.

The purpose of meditating is to quite the mind and gain control over our most precious tool, our mind. Definitely in the beginning it would be difficult to focus. However practice would bring in all the benefits. As it is said,` Practice makes man perfect', isn't it?

Gratitude is nothing but being grateful. What made me more interested to know gratitude is when I came across an article while researching, that had proven mental health benefits by regularly performing gratitude practice. I was pretty impressed to know that it not only helps healthy and well adjusted individuals but also those who struggle with mental health concerns. That's when I thought that there's nothing wrong with starting a gratitude routine in my life.

My Experience -

I remember, it's being since my childhood, that my family used to daily remind me to pray and be grateful to God, even in my school we used to start the day with morning prayer in which we used to be grateful to God. It became like a routine for me, that I used to follow, however since I joined college, this routine some how slowly and steadily stopped, as college atmosphere was completely different than the school. While I was following the gratitude routine, I never felt that it some how  links in achieving dreams or achieving goals, until I started experimenting it in my life. I am a kind of a person who doesn't believe in anything until proven. Trust me there's a complete proven science behind the benefits that gratitude bring along. There are many successful people all over the world,  there are successful celebrities, business persons, Athlete and many more, who might have talked about the power of gratitude someday while talking about their success stories. Even you might have heard sometime in life about it through some successful individual. Hence this power of gratitude is not only known by one or two individuals, but its known by majority of people all over the globe and many of them are even practicing it in life.

About Gratitude Affirmation -

It's very simple, as a kid how we used to be happy and thankful about the small things in life that used to make us happy. You might have observed children or even might have memorized your  childhood the time when we used to be happy even by a small picnic trip, by a toy, by ice-cream, chocolate or a piece of cake, ice-cream or chocolate, how we used to happy and thankful. The same way just be grateful for the things that makes you  happy, be thankful for the amazing day, for the rain, if you like rainbow and you see it be thankful, if someone appreciates you be grateful, be grateful even for the smallest things that brings a smile on your face. You can also practice gratitude for the things that you don't even have in life, as gratitude doesn't only attract money, happiness, career or your aim but also what you wish to have in life. That's why it's very essential to be grateful in life, as we cant be ungrateful to receive something positive in life. more you affirm gratitude, more it will prove it to you. Hence, be thankful to god for granting you life, for your family for supporting you always, for this beautiful nature, likewise whatever makes you happy as there is nothing wrong in acknowledging, what you like right?

How does Gratitude work -

Our brain is strong, it keeps an account of the thing's that we feed i our brain, whether it's positive or  negative. I would like to explain it in much easy way. I would like to talk about the saying that we have been listening since long, "As you sow, so shall you reap", just in the same way, if you keep on complaining to your mind over small disappointments or rejections, your brain would attract more disappointment or rejections. That's not what we want right? Infact no one wants that! Hence its very important to understand, how law of gratitude works? It's actually very easy, think good and good will happen. Be compassionate to others, be helpful to others who really need help, this will make you feel good, and now if you feel good and think good, you are no longer dealing with negative thoughts.

Gratitude Journal - 

When you maintain a journal to practice gratitude or affirm gratitude and if you make it a daily habit, you will be align with the universe constantly. Your brain is very powerful it captures, what we keep doing, whether you are complaining or happy and grateful of what you have. Hence it's important to be grateful for all the good things in life, it will attract positivity. The power of Gratitude is such that it brings in less stress more happiness.

This habit of practicing gratitude through journal will one day take you on the path, that you affirm. It will make you a better version of yourself and to have an extension of better self, gratitude plays a vital role.

If you like this article and are planning to start mindfulness practices, you might also like to read this article of mine, here's the link, Transforming Negative to positive Perspective

Let's  have a routine towards knowing and enhancing thyself, lets start mindfulness!

 In our day to day life, sometimes we deal with a lot of changes, a lot of stress and anxiety, and thus here mindfulness can be a problem solver. Mindfulness is a mental state attained by being attentive on what's happening around you, in the present moment, and the same time acknowledging the feelings, thoughts and things going on, without forming an opinion. There are many people who relate mindfulness with meditation however both aren't same. Meditation is just a technique used to achieve mindfulness and when we study deeper on this subject, we will come to know that mindfulness is much powerful than we think, as every year new findings come up and that's how we come to know something new and interesting, every time when it's proved and posted or updated with the facts.

Mindfulness 

Most of the times, our mind wonders, sometimes in the past and sometimes in the future. In-spite of being in the present tense, we are not mentally present in the moment as we aren't able to focus on what's happening around. This happens mainly when we are either engrossed in making future plans or engrossed thinking about the past events. This shows that, there is lack of focus, which is normal and periodic for most people. This can also have an ill effects on health like, tiredness and emotional stress, this affects your thinking process, which can indeed  even disturb you sometime in life. Hence mindfulness plays an important role, by directing our lives towards positivity., effectiveness and goodness to health.

Mindfulness would tune out distractions and would help to improve our memory and decision-making skills. Not only that you will also notice less stress, you will be more relaxed and you will feel happier and content in life. It helps us to accept our experiences without reacting to them or ignoring them, which leads us to a positive mindset. Mindfulness not only develops focus but also fills us with warmth and kindness within us for our own-self and others around us. Hence it can be said that, mindfulness is a powerful technique  and if we perform this  technique as a daily habit, it will make us the best version of ourselves.

How to Attain Mindfulness 

Apart from practicing meditation, you can also start developing mindfulness by simply observing daily activities. Remember, we all have ability to be present, its just that we need to enhance our skills by some exercises and practices. Just gather all your attention on each and every task you do. Focus on a single task, carry on the activities one at a time and avoid multitasking. To make this process more effective try to perform your task a bit slow so that you can get involved in detailed observation so that you are fully present mentally. This method of single tasking will develop and enhance your skills to focus, as all our senses would be involved in this exercise. Hence as mindfulness brings along a lot of benefits, it can be said that, it's more than just a practice or a technique.

Note

In case while performing the exercise you feel distracted,as in the beginning there possibility to get diverted from the task, in such scenarios, just take a deep breathe in through your nose and breathe out  through your mouth.

Notice your breath while you inhale and exhale

Then  proceed with the task and this time make sure you are much slower than you were at first

Difference between Mindfulness and Mindlessness

If we refer something that is either meaningless or has no significance for us, it leads to mindlessness. And yes, Whatever we do in life it would either be through mindfulness or mindlessness. This mindlessness term sometimes confuses some of us and that's how this term is also referred to as ignorance however mindlessness carries a different meaning altogether. When we compare mindlessness to mindfulness to know the difference between these terms, mindfulness is said to be an active state of mind on the other hand mindlessness refers to an inactive state of mind, this brings out a completely opposite meaning. I would like to give an example here, If there is a discussion going on, of which even you are a part, while discussing, if you realize that you are already aware of the topic, you wont pay attention specially when you have little interest or no interest in that topic. To be more specific I would like to give another example, if someone is talking about a book that you have already read, you would rather ignore the topic or you wont pay attention to it, as you already know what the book is all about. This happens when you are least interested in the topic and that's how you automatically get indulged in mindlessness. However, vise versa, in case, in a conversation if we talk about something that we are unaware of, if there is something new to talk about, we will look at it in a different way, we might also develop interest in the topic, we might also stay tuned in the conversation.

Conclusion 

Hence I would like to conclude here by saying that, mindfulness is a learning technique that helps us to stay in present and when are mindful, creative part or our-self's reflects through our work. As we are interested to do work, we put in our best efforts and the output of our work then get's categorized on high end.

Let's have a routine towards knowing and enhancing thyself, Let's start mindfulness!

Zamanene hai Hume thukraya

Shayad har baar ye thukrayenge 

Aur jo apno ne hai sambhala 

Woh har baar sambhalenge

Toh iss taraha Gir ke phir sambhalna 

Ek din seekh hi jayenge

Par kabhi na haar manenge

Hum sapno ko sahi 

Aur sabit galat tukrane ko tehrayenge

Hum zaroor kuch ban kar dikhayenge

Zamane ke tukrane ko nahi

Hum Apno Ke seekh ko yaad rakhenge

Zamane ki berukhi ko nahi 

Apno ke pyar ko yaad rakhenge

Himaat todne ki koshish par bhi na kabhi hum tutenge 

Beshak Apno ke ummidon par ek din Khare hum utrenge

Apni  pechan bana kar hi laut hum aayenge

Hum zaroor kuch ban kar dikhayenge

Zamanene ne dil dukhaya zaroor 

Hum kisika dil na dukhayenge

Na karehenge shikva na gila hum karenge 

Par iske baad Kisi aur ko koi kabi underrestimate na kar paye

Aisa kuch kar dikhlayenge

Hum zaroor kuch banke dikhayenge

Sapne pure hojane par bhi hum kabhi na badlenge 

Uchayi par pochneke bavazudh bhi

Hum zameen se jude rahenge

Kamayabi panepar bhalehi thukrane waalo se dur hum rehenge

Par jisne saath diya unhe zindagi bhar na bhool payenge

Na karenge kisiko kuch saabit 

Bas apne ap ko kaabil baneyenge

Jinhone di hai khushiyan hume

Hum unki zindagi main bhi khushiyan le ayenge

Hum zaroor kuch ban kar dikhayenge

A poetry by Zara, Let the thoughts Speak!

Sochti hoon 

Ki teri un rahose na guzrenge kabhi

Bhool Jayenge tuzko

 Tere baaremein na sochenge kabhi

Par na jane kyon dagmagate hai ye kadam 

Aage badte huwe rukh hi jaate hai ye kadam

Sochti hoon 

Chal padenge uss nayi raah peh

Jo Teri aur nahi balki kamyabi ki aur badhe

Ek khush-haal zindagi ki aur badhe

Par na Jane kyon aage badhe huwe Kadam peeche phir mudh jate hai 

Muskurahat ke liye bhi kyon honth hicthkichate hai

Sochti hoon 

Kisi tarah hum aage baad hi gaye

Kamyabi bhi hum hasil kar hi gaye 

Par na jane kyon zindagi main kuch kami si hai

Yaadon Mai khushiyon ki bas zhalak si hai 

Sochti hoon 

Ki khuda hai kahi

 Anjana kyon na ho phir bhi zindagi Mein dakhil zarroor hai

Andekha kyon na ho phir bhi zindagi main maujood zarroor hai

Ab na jane kyon upar wale ka kuch plan sa lagta hai

Khushiyon ko meri aur kheench laneka Irada sa lagta hai

Sochti hoon 

Ki Khush hoon aj Mai behaad 

shukriya mai kaise karu

Bin kahe in khushiyon ko zahir mai kaise karu

Na jane kyon khushi mai nikal jate hai ye aansoo aksar

Sajde mai tere eh khuda jhukati hoon main ye sar 

This poetry is the reflection of my thoughts, If you liked it, you may also like to go through another poetry of mine, Hum zaroor kuch banke dikhayenge

The combination of yogurt and honey gives out a yum tangy and sweet flavor. These mentioned  4 natural and healthy ingredient's added to make this yogurt sauce,  it the best pick for breakfast, if added to a fruit salad.

Here's the recipe, Let's get Started!

Ingredients

1 Cup Yogurt (Low fat)

4-5 Tbsp Honey

1 -2 Tbsp Orange juice

A pinch of Cinnamon powder (Optional)

Garnish with Mint sprig or mint leaves (optional)

Method

Now add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk to blend the flavors together. If you are using this yogurt sauce for fruit salad, then before adding the sauce, toss the toss the fruits with the orange juice. Then sprinkle honey on the fruit salad and garnish with mint sprig or a mint leave, the dressing is ready enjoy!

Tip

I used orange juice for tossing the fruits, you can use any fruit juice of your choice.

I sometimes don't sprinkle honey, if you want even you can skip drizzling honey on the fruit salad, as we have already used it in the sauce.

You can also use it for a sandwich as a spread, if want to try make sure to add very little juice to it, to keep the sauce of thick consistency.

You can skip adding juice in the sauce, if you like.

Note

I never use the flavored yogurt, due the amount of sugar added to yogurt. I prefer the plain low fat yogurt then I flavor it with less honey.

If you liked, The scrumptious yogurt dressing, You might also like to try, The Scrummy Honey dressing

Prep  - 10 Mins

Cooking Time - 0 Mins

Total Time - 10 Mins

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy this yummy Yogurt dressing with a fruit salad!

Upgrade your morning meal by clubbing up this yum delight with the colorful fruit salad, as it's better to start the day with a healthy snack like this, isn't it?

Everyone gets sweet tooth cravings once in a while, this sweet and yum delight, definitely would work well for those days. And I must say making this dressing is so very easy that even a non cook, I mean someone who has never cooked, can easily prepare the honey dressing with this simple recipe. Even this is healthy to have as we have not added any sugar or any sweetener other than honey.

Here's the recipe, Let's get Started!

Ingredients

4-5 Tbsp Honey

3 Tbsp Lime Juice

1 Medium Orange (around 3 oz)

A pinch of Cinnamon powder (Optional)

Garnish with Mint sprig or mint leaves (optional)

Method

Now add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl and whisk to blend the flavors together. Garnish with mint sprig or a mint leave, the dressing is ready enjoy!

Note

This dressing goes pretty well with the fruit salad

Once prepared can either serve it immediately or store in the refrigerator, in a air tight container

I wont recommend any substitute for honey unless its not a good suit for you

If you liked, The Scrummy Honey dressing, You might also like to try, The palatable mix fruit dressing or The scrumptious yogurt dressing

Prep  - 10 Mins

Cooking Time - 0 Mins

Total Time - 10 Mins

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy this honey dressing with a fruit salad!

A healthy snack with the goodness of organic fruits, with effortless recipe, adds bonus for making it a good pick!

Here's the recipe, Let's get Started!

Ingredients

2 Cups Apple

2 Cups Blueberries

2 Cups Strawberries

2 Cups Bananas

1-2 Cups Pineapple

1-2 Cups Black Mulberry fruit or Raspberries or Blackberries

1/2 Cup Orange juice

2 Tbsp Honey

Chat Masala to sprinkle (optional)

Garnish with Mint leave or mint sprig

Method

Rinse all the fruits under cold running water. Then set them on  clean and dry towel and pat them dry gently with another towel.

Then slice the fruits to bite size except the berries(blueberries,raspberries or or mulberry or blackberries whichever fruit you choose for making the salad)

Now add all the fruits to the large mixing bowl, add orange juice and toss the fruits to mix well with the dressing and drizzle some honey before serving, garnish with a mint leave or mint sprig

Note

Try Using Fresh and Ripe Fruits for the best tasting salad

If possible go for the organic fruits and  the fruits that are in season

Avoid mushy fruits

Slice the fruits in uniform size

For dressing you can also try The scrumptious yogurt dressing or The Scrummy Honey dressing

Add bananas at the end as they tend to turn brown within some time or serve just after preparing

As this recipe is versatile you can add any fruits of your choice or in season

I would suggest to not use frozen fruits as they would be a kind of mushy

Prep  - 15 Mins

Cooking Time - 0 Mins

Total Time - 15 Mins

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy this luscious fruit salad!

Mint Tea or peppermint tea is known for its health benefits as it helps in digestion, eases heartburn, manages blood sugar levels and sweetens breath, most people like to consume it either after meals or during evening tea time. This refreshing and aromatic drink is easy to prepare at home and works well as hot infusion.

Ingredients

2 Cups water (Filtered)

8- 10 Fresh Mint leaves or handful of fresh mint leaves

Few drops of fresh Lemon juice ( optional)

1-2 Tbsp Honey (Optional)

Garnish with Lemon slice and fresh mint sprig

Method

Wash Mint leaves

Keep water to boil in the tea pan or tea maker

once Tea boils, transfer the water to the tea pot, add mint leaves and cover

Let the leaves steep up-to 5 minutes or until water turns slight green and releases wonderful flavor and fragrance

Then strain the tea to the tea mug, add few drops of lemon, now garnish with a lemon slice and a fresh mint sprig and enjoy the healthy tea!

Note

I don't prefer adding any sweetener to the drink,  however if you want the drink to be sweet a bit, you can add honey

Prep  - 05 Mins

Cooking Time - 05 Mins

Total Time - 10 Mins

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the refreshing Tea!

This caramelized roasted garlic is tasty and said to be healthy, making is easy to digest as well as helping to reduce cholesterol and to develop strong immune system, it can be a good replace for raw garlic. It gives a warm, sweet and savory relish when added to any food giving out a whole different flavor. There are few people who are sensitive to raw garlic for them roasted garlic would be the best option, as its not only yum but has many many health benefits. It can be used as a spread on a crusty bread, toast or can also add to any dip to elevate the flavor of this dip.

Here's the recipe, Let's get started!

Ingredients

8 - 10 Garlic cloves

Olive oil or any low cholesterol refined oil that you have handy

Notes

Take unpeeled garlic cloves and cut the head of the garlic clove and grease or coat it with little olive oil and place it in aluminium foil and cover it properly. Now preheat the Owen for about 150 oC and bake the garlic clove until tender and brown, nearly 30 - 35 minutes. Once done, remove and allow it come to the normal room temperature. Then remove the skin of the garlic and mash it.

Tip

Refrigerate the Dip as this dip tastes best when served chilled

Prep  - 10 Mins

Cooking Time - 35 Mins

Total Time - 45 Mins

If you like this Roasted Garlic Recipe, you may also like to try, Yogurt Garlic pepper Dip and Red Peppery Dip!

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the Snack!

Oats are said to be amongst the healthiest foods to have for the breakfast. It's a source of many important nutrients, which includes proteins, mineral,vitamins and antioxidants, which makes it a healthful food. It reduces constipation and reduces cholesterol level, bringing along some health benefits, it could be a great pick to add in your breakfast routine.

Here's the recipe, Lets get started!

Ingredients

1 Cup of Frozen Cherries (sweet)

1/2 Cup Oats (Rolled)

1 - 2 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk or any low fat milk

1 - 2 Tbsp honey (Optional)

1 Tbsp powdered Cashew (optional)

Sliced Cherries and Almond toppings

Notes

There are many different ways   to use oats for making smoothies, you can soak oats overnight and refrigerate or can soak for 5 - 6 hours before preparation. However its always good to either use oats soaked in warm milk or cook oats before making smoothie. I prefer to cook oats in 1/2 cup milk for 4 - 5 minutes or until it turns thick and soft. Once oats are cooked, let them come down to the normal room temperature. Now add all the ingredients in the blender along with oats (once cools down). Blend until the the mixture turns into a smooth texture. Here we go,  the yummy delight is ready. Now it's time to pour the smoothie in a airtight container and refrigerate the drink for approx 45 minutes - 1 hour, before you serve.

Once the drink is ready to be served, pour in the serving glass and add toppings.

Tips

You can add more milk if the smoothie is thick or add more cherries to make the mixture thick, adjust accordingly

Use chilled milk for making this delight

Methods

Blend all ingredients together until you get smooth and creamy texture

Pour in a glass, garnish with some more sliced fresh Cherries and soaked Almonds and enjoy the drink!

Prep  - 5 Mins

Cook Time- 5 Mins

Total - 10 Mins

Course - Drink

If you like this Cherry Oats Smoothie delight, you may also like to try, Pineapple Smoothie!

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the drink!

This Red Peppery Dip, is sour and spicy condiment, which would not only add flavor to dish but would compliment the dish. Preparing this dip is quite a handy way, if you are looking out to prepare something out of the ingredients easily available in the house, all you need is tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic cloves, salt and black pepper.

Ingredients

2 Tomatoes (boiled and peeled)

1-2 tbsp Chilli flakes (you can adjust according to taste)

8-10 Garlic cloves (roasted)

1/4 tbsp black pepper 

Garnish with Paprika  (Optional)

2-3 Almonds or cashews (optional)

Salt to taste

Notes

Boil Tomatoes for 5 - 7 minutes or until tomatoes are blanched

Then remove these tomatoes from the water and let them cool down

Once they come down to the normal temperature and are easy to handle, peel and discard their skin 

Now chop the tomatoes into halves and transfer them to the blender

Then roast the garlic cloves (I have the method in my previous recipe, Yogurt Garlic pepper Dip, you can have a look)

Once garlic cloves are roasted add them along with all the other mentioned ingredients and blend until smooth paste

Red Dip is ready, transfer it in the bowl, garnish with paprika and enjoy having the Red Peppery Dip along with any snack of your choice.

Tips

Always use ripe tomatoes and fresh garlic, it adds taste 

You can add more chilli fakes to make it spicier or to make it less spicy add less chilli flakes

To make the Dip thick you can add 2-3 soaked almonds or cashews.

Adding few drops of olive oil would add a burst flavor to the Dip, it's optional however you can add it if you like.

If are looking out substitute for chilli flakes you can use whole Kashmiri Red chillies or any red chilli

I sometimes boil whole chilli along with tomatoes sometimes for a change, it's slight variant 

You can also use pepper powder instead of whole black pepper

Methods

Prep  - 05 Mins

Cooking Time - 10 Mins

Total Time - 15 Mins

If you like this, Red Peppery Dip recipe, you may also like to try, A Zesty green peanut Dip!

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the Snacks with this yummy Dip!

Pineapple smoothie yields as a healthy drink and starting the day with a healthy drink, isn't it a good choice, to care about ones health, that too with an option of a drink that is creamy, smooth and yummy. This smoothie is nutritious having a good source of dietary fiber, manganese as well as it aids in digestion.

Here's the recipe, Lets get started!

Ingredients

1 Cup of Frozen Pineapple (sweet)

1/2 Cup Pineapple juice

1 Banana fresh or frozen (ripe)

1 - 2 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk or any low fat milk

1 - 2 Tbsp honey (Optional)

1 Tbsp powdered almond (optional)

Sliced pineapple or bananas toppings

Tips

I use homemade nuts milk, which is much healthier option then the dairy milk. I prefer nuts like Almond, pistachio or cashews, these are my favorites, to prepare the milk. I add soaked nuts to the smoothies as these give a nice thick and creamy  texture and are easy to digest. These not only would give long term health benefits but would add taste to the drink.

Preparing nuts milk is very easy, bend soaked nuts either almond or cashews or pistachio, any of your choice. Then add little water and a blend to make a smooth paste, then add rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy texture.

If you want to use nuts milk in the smoothie however  looking out for a easier option, can use powered roasted nuts (Almond or Cashew or Pistachio). And if you like making smoothies every now and then, powdered roasted nuts would be the best option for you, as these can be stored for few weeks, store in a any air tight container, I prefer a glass container.

Apart from nuts you even can use fresh coconut milk or oats milk, if you are looking out for a substitute.

Methods

Blend all ingredients together until you get smooth and creamy texture

Pour in a glass, garnish with some more sliced fresh pineapple and soaked nuts and enjoy the drink!

Prep  - 5 Mins

Total - 5 Mins

Course - Drink

If you like this, Pineapple Smoothie delight, you may also like to try Mulberry Banana smoothie

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the drink!

A dipping sauce or a dip are used as a condiment, all over the word, for innumerable dishes. when it's about experimenting the dips, it's not less than unleashing the creativity. It plays an important role to elevate the dish, as music turns boring environment to interesting, in the same way dipping sauce or dips adds yummy flavor to the dish making even mundane dish, interesting.

Here's the recipe, Let's get started!

Ingredients

1 Cup low fat plain yogurt

Salt (As per taste)

A pinch of fresh ground black pepper

A pinch of red chilli fakes or red chilli powder

1-2 Garlic Clove roasted (optional)

Garnish - Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method

Add all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and whisk well, until all the ingredients blend in the required flavor. Then pour in the serving bowl and garnish with some coriander fresh leaves at the top.

Tip

Refrigerate the Dip as this dip tastes best when served chilled

Prep  - 10 Mins

Total Time - 10 Mins

If you like this Yogurt Garlic pepper Dip, you may also like to try, A Classic Roasted Garlic Recipe and  Red Peppery Dip!

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the Dip!

Green Mung Pancake, is a part of the Indian cuisine and is mainly eaten for breakfast or as a evening Snack. It looks tiny however has huge health benefits as it's high in protein, diabetic friendly and contains fiber not only that it's even a good source of potassium, copper, manganese, zinc and vitamins.The recipe for this delicious snack is so simple and is easy to follow that even a beginner could easily prepare

Here's the recipe, Let's get started!

Ingredients

2 Cups of whole green mung beans

2 - 3 fresh green chillies

2 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1/2 to 1 Tbsp olive oil or any refined oil

Note

There are two ways to prepare the green mung batter, the first one is, by using the mung flour and the second is by soaking the whole green mung overnight or for 4 - 5 hours minimum, until it looks double then its size.

If you choose to soak mung overnight, wash it, drain the water and soak in fresh water, however if you are preparing the green mung pancakes the next day and you forget to soak mung the night prior, you can soak mung in hot water for 4 - 5 hours  before preparing the pancakes.

If you like to make pancakes out of the mung flour, 2 cups of mung flour, mix it with ground chillies and garlic with salt (according to you), now add little water and stir well, to bring to the pouring  consistency. (add water until the batter is smooth and thick)

Once mung is soaked, wash it and drain the water and blend with 2 chillies, 2 garlic cloves and salt to taste. Add little water, as we require thick batter and blend until the the batter is smooth.

If the batter turns out to be as desired, then remove the it in the mixing bow

Taste the batter and add salt if required and if you are the one who likes to eat spicy, you can add chillies, if you like.

Now give a good stir to the mixture and place the pan on medium flame. Once the pan is hot, check the mixture, if it's of the pouring consistency, that is, if the batter is too thick you can add 1-2 tbsp of water. Then drizzle few drops of oil over the pan, take a ladle full of batter and pour in the center of the pan and spread batter outward in a circular motion, to form a round pancake. You can either use the back of the spoon or a spatula to gentle spread the batter.

Cook the pancake until golden brown, then flip it and drizzle few drops of oil and cook until even the other side turns golden brown. Once the pancake is ready, remove it on a absorbent sheet , to get rid of excess oil.

Follow the same procedure to prepare the pancakes out of the remaining batter

This soft and yum snack is ready to serve! The condiment like Garlic Pepper yogurt dip, Tomato Sauce, Mango pickle etc, goes pretty well with this snack.

Tips

I use whole mung for this recipe, however if you are looking out for an substitute for whole green mung, you can also use green mung dal (split skinless mung dal)

Little water would be just enough to make the desired batter

You can also use sprouted mung as an alternative to soaked mung.

Methods

Prep  - 10 Mins

Cooking Time - 15 Mins

Total Time - 25 Mins

If you like this, Green Mung Pancakes recipe, you may also like to try, Garlic Pepper yogurt dip!

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the Snack!

If you are looking out to have something that is yum and that would take care of the heart health, would improve vision, and boosts immune system etc, adding mulberry would be the best option for you. Easy to make, this smoothie is a healthy snack and would be best pick, if you are looking out for something healthy for breakfast.

Here's the recipe, Lets get started!

Ingredients

1 Cup of Frozen Mulberry  

1 Banana fresh or frozen (ripe)

2 Cup unsweetened Almond Milk or any low fat milk

1 Tbsp Basil seeds

1 - 2 Tbsp honey (Optional)

Sliced Mulberry and bananas toppings

Tips

Add milk or any of these fruits, as and when needed to bring about the desired consistency

Use frozen fruits for chilling the drink instead of adding ice cubes to the smoothie

If want to have fiber in the drink, adding Basil seeds would work well for you

Methods

Blend all ingredients together until you get smooth and creamy texture

Pour in a glass, garnish with some more sliced fresh blueberries and enjoy the drink!

Prep  - 5 Mins

Total - 5 Mins

Course - Drink

If you like this Mulberry Banana Smoothie delight, you may also like to try Mango Banana Cashew Smoothie

Lets make a way towards a healthy lifestyle, enjoy the drink!