Healthy is the Plate that Serves Green

The moms work under pressure all the time as their kids fuss over the healthy food and always prefer junk food over the greens.

These days all moms are so much concerned about their kids having right kind of nutritional meal that they avoid too much of fat, sweets etc. in their diet at home. The moms work under pressure all the time as their kids fuss over the healthy food and always prefer junk food over the greens.

In my blog www.monishgujral.com which won the global best blog in the World Gourmand Jury Choice Award this year, I try to write the recipes which I call Go Green with over-pressurised moms and fussy kids in mind. The recipes are healthy and nutritive and yet palate-friendly for kids. A few days ago I was in Doha  and saw this interesting juice and smoothie menu which said ‘like your greens’. It had many option of healthy yet tasty vegetable and fruit juices. Since summers are here, I thought it would be interesting to share a few of these recipes in this week’s column besides my kids’ favourite green pasta and chicken recipe.

The Green App

• 1 cup chopped green apples with skin
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup spinach leaves chopped
• Put in the juice machine and  enjoy a tangy health drink

Green Machine

• Fresh Pineapple chopped—1 cup
• 1 ripe Avocado chopped
• Kiwi, peeled and chopped—1 cup
• Kale (salad leaves)—one cup

Put in juice machine and take out juice. Enjoy nutritional glass of juice

Green Punch

• 1 cup green apple chopped
• 1 cup spinach leaves chopped
• 1 cup chopped green pears
• 3 tbsp mint leaves chopped

Put in the blender and take out juice and enjoy the punch.

And finally my special green pasta and chicken recipe. Surely this will bring a smile on your kid’s face and light up the meal experience.

Few weeks back, there was a big drama at home with my kids not wanting to eat home-cooked food but were demanding to order food from outside. Under ordinary circumstances, it would have been no problem, but the new house rule restricting ordering outside food to once a fortnight made the situation grim. Obviously as always I had to play the middle man between the mom and the kids and forged an agreement that I would make pasta and chicken which would be better than any neighborhood Italian restaurant  in town.

So started the preparation with my little chefs at work with me. The theme was green so we decided to make pesto sauce to blend the chicken.

Green Pasta and Chicken

Pesto Chicken

• Boneless chicken—500 gms
• Pesto sauce 1 cup
• Marinade
• Salt to taste
• White pepper—1tsp
• Vinegar—3 tbs
• Ginger-garlic paste—2 tbsp

Method

Mix the marinade evenly on the boneless chicken and set aside for 30 minutes

Sauce

• 3 cup basil leaves
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Put all the ingredients in the blender and make a smooth paste. Remove in a bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup and add 2 tbsp of hung curd to the rest.
• Marinate the chicken with the pesto sauce and curd mix.
• Let it rest for 2 hours in the fridge.
• Remove from the fridge after two hours and bring to room temperature.

Grilling

• Pre-heat the oven at 250 degree centigrade
• Skew the marinated chicken pieces on bamboo skewers and place on the grilling rack.
• Ensure the drip tray is below the grilling rack Grill for about 5 minutes and then remove baste with olive oil and sprinkle bread crumbs on the Chicken pieces. Grill again for 4-5 minutes.Remove and keep aside

Pasta

• Wheat pasta—2 cups
• Olive oil 2 tbsp
• Garlic—1 tbsp crushed
• Salt to taste
• Pesto sauce—1/3 cup
• Milk 1 cup
• White pepper—1 tbsp
• Boil the pasta.
• Drain the water and keep aside in the strainer. In a pan heat oil, add the garlic and seasoning.
• Saute till garlic is light brown.
• Add milk and bring in to a boil.
• Stir in pesto sauce.
• Let is mix and now add in ½ tsp of dissolved corn flour to thicken the sauce.
• Stir in the pasta and cook for 2 minutes till the sauce is mixed with the pasta.

Remove on a serving dish and place the skewed pesto chicken on the pasta.

Garnish with  sliced tomato, oregano, chili flakes and serve hot.