How to cook Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite super foods. It’s really versatile – can be eaten hot or cold and is a great replacement to many different types of staples.

I use it in place of rice, I throw it in a salad to make it a fulfilling meal, I use it to make burgers and more.

As a part of my youtube channel, I work on teaching people how to make simple and healthy recipes. Today I am making a really basic recipe for quinoa.

Here is the recipe:

 

I will be uploading add-on recipes with what you can do with your cooked quinoa soon. Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date!

Cheers,

Sheetal

Quick and simple spinach recipe

Hi!

I have been trying to get all that spinach into my diet and I have been struggling with it. Other than in smoothies – spinach isn’t really a favorite of mine – so I set out to find really yummy spinach recipes and make them healthy and easy too.

Today I have given the traditional palak paneer (a spinach and cottage cheese dish) that’s loaded with cream and decided to leave the cream out to make it healthy. It did require some adjustment – and finally arrived at this recipe which is really simple!

 

The ingredients you will need are:

• 4 teaspoons oil
• 2 small chopped onions
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 small chopped tomatos
• 1 bag of spinach (chopped)
• 1 cup paneer or cottage cheese
• Salt to taste
• Chilli powder to taste

Be sure to add this recipe to your list – it hardly takes 15 minutes to put together and you will absolutely love the flavors!

Let me know how it turns out.

Subscribe to me for more healthy recipes!

 

Instant raw mango pickle

It’s mango season!!! The best time of the year is right around the corner and we are going to be indulging in mangos this season. Raw, ripe, raw, cooked – the whole 9 yards.

Today I have for you a recipe for an instant raw mango pickle. It’s a healthier take on a regular indian pickle – using less oil and salt than a regular pickle.

Here are the ingredients you will be needing:

1 raw mango

2 tablespoons of salt

1 tablespoon of oil

1 pinch of asafoetida

2 teaspoons of chilli powder

1 /2 teaspoon of mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek powder

You can see the recipe below for instructions on how to make it:

What did you think of the recipe? Do you have any questions? Be sure to let me know in the comments! And ofcourse, if you are looking for more simple, healthy and delicious recipes – be sure to follow me!

 

Sauteed onion curry indian style!

The other day I was going through Facebook when someone posted that they had too many onions and nothing to do with them. It got me thinking of this really simple sauteed onion recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation as a meal that you can make in minutes.

This is a simple Indian recipe that you can make when you have a lot of onions on hand, or even if you are looking for a simple but healthy side to your rice or roti.

The ingredients you will be needing for this recipe are:

Oil
6 small onions or 2 big onions
4 table spoons Gram flour (Chickpea flour)
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to taste

The instructions and exact recipe are here here:

 

Let me know how it turns out! And be sure to comment, like, follow, share or subscribe if you like the video!

 

Almond milk and date smoothie recipe

At Big Blender, we had an almond milk and date smoothie on our menu and it was an absolute favorite. The oats, the dates and the almond milk come together to bring you a flavorful healthy breakfast smoothie.

Now, handing over the recipe to you so you can make it on your own!

Here’s how you make it!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk (Find out how you can make your own here)

3-4 pitted dates

1/4th cup instant oats

Instructions:

Put everything into the blender. Blend! Serve.

Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

How to start eating healthy

I am a self-declared health-food foodie. But every once in a while I find myself completely falling off the wagon.

I find it more and more difficult to resist the temptations of eating something unhealthy and soon, my body goes from craving healthy food to craving unhealthy food.

Having fallen off the wagon and gotten back on successfully multiple times, here are some quick tips to help you get and stay healthy:

1. Clean out your kitchen

This is the first step to your journey. I find that cleaning out my kitchen and getting rid of everything that I know is unhealthy for me is an amazing way to control what I eat. If I really want to eat a cupcake and I have only fruit at home – guess what I’m going to end up eating?

Yep – you got it. I’ll finally end up eating an apple or grabbing a bunch of nuts.

PRO TIP: Do not: hide away your “treats.” Get rid of them completely.

2. Shop smart

Now that you have cleaned out your kitchen, it is important to keep it clean. When you are out grocery shopping, you need to stop the evil from getting back in. Do not buy anything that you know is unhealthy for you.

It also helps to have a shopping list.

3. Learn to cook

I cannot emphasise this enough. Learning to cook gives you the power to decide what you are going to eat and when you are going to eat it. It also allows you to customize the food you are eating – maybe you feel like a little extra spice today?

4. Indulge your tastebuds – with healthy alternatives

This is the part where it all gets fun!

One of the things that I love most about cooking is that I have found many healthier alternatives to the unhealthy food that I love. I find that I can introduce the same flavors, the same textures etc by using healthy alternatives. You can get creative and indulge yourself in the flavors you love.

5. Plan, plan, plan! 

I overestimated the power of this – but once I’ve gotten into the flow of planning – it makes your life so simple. You know exactly what you need to buy when you are grocery shopping, exactly what to prep when and you don’t waste your time wondering what to eat.

Plan out your meals a week at a time! I find that keeping a list of simple, healthy recipes really helps.

Here is my youtube channel where I make quick meals and snacks live, so you know exactly how long it takes:

Here is the link

6. KISS – keep it simple stupid

Health food recipes often feel like too much work. Too many ingredients to prep and takes way too much time. The simplest way to battle this is by keeping it simple.

Keep the recipes you plan to use on the week-days simple and pick up pre-cut salad greens, veggies and fruit to save your time!

Hope this article helps! I know its a long and difficult journey but together we can do it! Let me know if you have any other tips that have really worked for you!

Spiced carrot salad

 

I love a good salad. And a spicy salad that takes just minutes to make is always a good idea to serve with dinner. Coming from India, we definitely love a little heat in our food and this salad is just brimming with Indian flavors.

This is a favorite in my house – we hardly go a week without this popping up on the menu.

Spiced Carrot Salad Recipe:

• Serves: 2
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cooking time: none
• Total time: 5 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy

The ingredients you need for the spiced carrot salad are:

• Shredded carrots
• Peanut Powder
• Roasted Gram Powder
• Spiced Chillies
• Salt
• Spiced Oil
• Lime/ yogurt

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix! Serve with roti’s or as a side to rice.

If you are looking for simple, healthy, vegetarian recipes then be sure to follow me!

 

 

 

 

 

6 things that made 2014 the best year of my life

Looking back at the year gone by, I really feel it was the most amazing year; and there are a few key things that changed to make it happen. Here they are!

1. Take on projects/responsibilities that scare you

I started off the year by taking on the role of president at my Toastmasters club and ended the year – leaving the country for a month to work on costumes for a movie. Through the year my schedule was constantly full of responsibilities and commitments. There were times when I dreaded them and times that I loved having to check my schedule, but at the end of the year all I can say was:

… Because now I know that I am stronger, more talented and more things are in my reach than I ever imagined. 

… Because confidence comes from hitting targets, reaching new goals and learning how to deal with unfamiliar situations with ease. 

2. Travel. Travel. Travel.

In January I set off on a road trip to Gujrat with my family and will end the year with a short trip to Mumbai. With an international trip in between, hitting the beaches atleast 4 times this year and plenty of travel with friends for pleasure and travel with work – I feel like the little wanderer in me is satisfied with the places seen, the people met and the memories that are etched in my mind forever.

A few things that I will remember forever are:

a) In Malaysia I went to a Muay Thai competition, sitting amongst locals [who didn’t speak english] and learnt that I was sitting with one of the boxers’ family. They taught me a lot about the game, and now I had a home team to cheer for! I even learnt some Malay.

b) The most beautiful sunrise – that changed the walls of the (half cave?) hill we were standing at from a beige to yellow, orange, red, pink and even shades of purple!

… Because travel leaves you enriched, refreshed, and a better person.

… Because travel teaches you how to deal with different kinds of people 

… Because travel leaves you with more stories to tell, and makes you a better conversationalist. 

3. Give. A lot. Of time, affection, gifts.

Spending time with those you love and giving them your undivided time, affection and thoughtful gifts will make your year filled with moments of happiness and images of smiles that you will never forget.

… Because there’s nothing more important than healthy, love-filled relationships

… Because happiness is the happiness of those you love

4. Do things you’ve never done before

Whether it is something like signing up for a marathon coaching class, learning to surf, organising a vacation or giving someone who is not really your type a chance – doing things you have never done before will help you explore more about who you are. It also will put a smile on your face when you realise that your year is filled with little memories!

… Because new is always fun. 

5. Make new friends. Lots. All kinds. From different walks of life.

Now this one seems a little difficult – because before this year – I had no way to meet new people. I had the same job, went to the same gym, hung out with the same friends, lived in the same neighbourhood, went to the same toastmasters club. But this year – taking on new roles like president at toastmasters, joining a tennis class, signing up for the accelerator program and taking on a movie project introduced a whole lot of fresh blood.

Doing new things and taking on new roles will open up the flood gates!

… Because new people bring in new ideas, new stories and much learning. 

6. Be yourself. Speak the truth. Stand up for what you believe in.

Once you start treating yourself the way you want to be treated, and set your standards by speaking the truth and standing up for the things you believe in – all the right things will come into your life.

Sometimes telling the truth is scary. Sometimes standing up for something means you’ll be all alone in a crowd. But, at the end of the day – you will be so much prouder of yourself and respect will be given.

… Because there’s nothing cooler than being yourself

So here are some .. new year’s resolutions that I had put together for the year of 2014. Planning to make another amazing list for the year of 2015!

Are there any resolutions that changed your life? Any that I should try for 2015? Would love to hear from you!

Happy December!

DIY Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee is good for waking you up in the morning, but did you know that coffee can wake up your skin too? Some of the coolest things coffee can do when applied to the skin are:

1. Coffee minimises the appearance of cellulite!
2. Its a great exfoliator for the skin
3. Leaves the skin looking smooth and bright!
4. Reduces puffiness of the skin – great for treating under-eye bags!
5. Contains anti-oxidants that benefit the skin

Great news, its pretty easy to involve coffee into your regular skin care routine. It can be converted into a great scrub that will leave your skin feeling glowing and healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of freshly ground coffee
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of Olive oil [a little bit less will do]
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder

 Instructions: 

1.  Pour dry ingredients into a bowl

Ensure that your coffee, sugar and cinnamon powder are finely ground before this step. Else, pulse in the mixer for a few seconds to get the right consistency like in the picture below. 

2. Add olive oil and stir

Add the olive oil and stir till you get the right consistency. You may require a little less or a little more olive oil so add it in slowly. Please note, its best to use your hands for this step.. plus, your hands get a free scrub in the process!

 

3. Store!

Store your freshly made coffee scrub in a jar and use in the shower. 

Note: 

Please be careful when it comes to the drain, you may clog it with the coffee. Using a filter over the drain can help prevent this. 

Do you have any other home-remedies using coffee? Write in to us and let us know! 

If you liked this article and would like to see more, follow us for more updates! 

 

 

I no longer have patience

I love Meryl Streep, and I think she puts across this thought beautifully. 

So many times I myself and people around me tend to put up with so much that just leaves them unhappy, confused and tired. 

When I gave up being tolerant to things that made me feel less than my extraordinary self – my life changed for the better. The people I chose to keep in my life were the ones that made me feel special. 

Meryl Streep explains it beautifully! 

Cudos!

What do you think? Have you decided not to tolerate anything recently? Has it helped make your life better?

Ioadicaeu's Blog

“I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me. I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with…

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