The very thought of being fit often starts with the worry over one’s diet. At a time when lifestyle diseases are on the rise,the need to manage what you eat is important. Do not worry, it is quite easy. You don’t need to forsake deliciousness to follow a diet regime. Our reporter Arya U R speaks to food experts and home chefs, and lists out some yummy recipes of warm soups, salads and smoothies to balance your gastronomy needs.
Healthy Quinoa Avocado and red kidney beans salad
Ingredients
Method
Cook the quinoa, whisk extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice rapidly, till they are mixed. Add salt, pepper and cumin and set aside. On a large platter, combine all the ingredients. Drizzle with the dressing on top or toss.
Kalesh K S, executive chef of Crowne Plaza, Kochi.
Oats and Strawberry Honey Smoothie
Ingredients
Preparation
Preparation: Grind all ingredients well in a blender and serve. Garnish with a few pieces of strawberry.
Broccoli-Chicken quinoa bowl
Ingredients
Preparation
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, orange zest, chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper well and marinate the chicken breast pieces cut into cubes with it for 30 minutes. In a saucepan saute chopped garlic and capsicum and add the cooked quinoa into it and saute for a minute. Now add broccoli to the pan and pour olive oil as per need and warm it through with the quinoa mix. Now take the marinated chicken cubes and put them in a hot skillet and cook until the cubes turn brown on all sides. Cook well for 10 minutes. On a plate place the quinoa-broccoli mix along with cooked chicken cubes to serve.
Peanut Butter Bowl
It is a nutritious dessert option which can be savoured as a healthy breakfast or as an afternoon snack. The easy-peasy smoothie bowl is a must-try on the children’s menu.
Ingredients
Preparation:
Put the almond milk or soya milk, ice cubes, yoghurt, peanut butter, chocolate powder, honey and bananas in a blender and puree until creamy and smooth. Pour into individual bowls and sprinkle with toppings like sliced bananas, chia seeds, almonds and chocolate syrup.
Carrot and ginger soup
Ingredients
Preparation
Take a saucepan pour some olive oil and put grated ginger and onion pieces and saute over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the carrots into the pan and cook for 5 minutes, while stirring often. Add the vegetable broth, thyme and salt to the pot. Bring it to a boil, cover it, and then turn the heat down to low to let it simmer for 8 more minutes and let it cool. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or a high-powered blender. Blend for about 1 minute or until it’s pureed and smooth. Garnish with thyme and any nuts of your choice.
Baked cauliflower soup in chicken stock
Ingredients
Preparation .
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut cauliflower florets into small slices and drizzle them with oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cut onions in half and rub olive oil. Place them flat down on the baking sheet alongside the cauliflowers. Add a few strands of rosemary. Place the baking sheet into the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the cauliflower become golden brown. Transfer the ingredients into a blender when cool. Add the cauliflower, onions, garlic and broth. Make sure to remove the outer skin of the onions and garlic cloves. Blend on high for one minute. If the soup is too thick, you can add more broth or water.