Dips: Hummus, Curd and Cheese, Guacamole

Dips of the day: Three types which I have prepared at home....
Brut: 10-12 hours. 
Preparation Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Makes 1 1/2-2 cups

1. Hummus: 

Making hummus is not too hard, but it’s not all about having the right recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cups dried chickpeas (the smallest you can find)
1/2 cup Tahini sauce Tip: Tahini sauce is made out of Sesame seeds. 
juice from 1 to 11/2 squeezed lemons
6-8 garlic cloves
salt
2 tbsp olive oil (you can reduce the quantity but raw olive oil is very healthy)
1 tbsp chopped parsley or basil 
2 cups of water
2-3 olive for decoration 

Method:
1.Wash the chickpeas several times, until the water is transparent. Soak them in clean water over night. The grains should absorb most of the water and almost double their volume.
2.Tip: Do not cook in pressure cooker. Wash the chickpeas well and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, NO salt. Cook until the grains for 15-20 mins. When you pressed between two fingers it should become little soft. Remove the peels and foam which float over the     cooking water. When done, drain grains and keep the cooking water.
3.Let it get little cold. Put the chickpeas into a food processor and grind well. 
4.Add the tahini sauce, water and the rest of the ingredients in the food processor until you    get the nice and smooth texture. If the Hummus is too thick, add some of the cooking        water. 
5.Serve with some good olive oil, olives, chili powder and chopped parsley.

Tip: you can eat with pita bread, Bread stick, Salad, you can use as a sndwhich spread and so on. To solve the gas problem,you should soak the chickpeas in clean water for 10-15 hours, switch them at list once, and take off the foam that appears over the boiling water during the cooking. There is nothing like good, healthy, homemade hummus. 


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Curd & Cheese:
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: none 
Makes 1 1/2-2 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup hung curd Tip: keep your curd in to muslin cloth
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp of grated garlic
1 tbsp cream cheese
2 tsp chopped coriander
salt to taste 
Add 1/4 tsp of black salt also (which will give you good taste)

Method:
Tie the curds in a thin muslin cloth. Hang and allow the water to drain out for 1 hour.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Serve cold. 
Accompaniment: carrot, cucumber, capsicum, celery sticks or unhealthy option: chips, bread stick. 

Note : Each salad stick contains less than 1 calorie
Tips: This low-calorie cheese dip is a tasty substitute for cheese and cream dips which are high in fat and cholesterol.

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Guacamole:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: none 
Makes 1 1/2-2 cups

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1-2 chilies paste
2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander) leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt or regular salt
1/4 tsp of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Serve with tortilla chips.

Method: 
1.Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. 
2. Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.
Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.
3. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.
4. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.

Variations:  Tip:For a very quick guacamole just take a 1/4 cup of salsa and mix it in with your mashed avocados. You don't need to have tomatoes in your guacamole. To extend a limited supply of avocados, add either sour cream or cottage cheese to your guacamole dip. Purists may be horrified, but so what? It tastes great. In fact, guacamole with a little cottage cheese added to it is my favorite.

Vegetable Lasagna Recipe (Italian food):

I have kept things simple with onion, zucchini, yellow and red bell papers,
Mushrooms, garlic, basil, parsley with white sauce and pesto sauce, Cheese.
The recipe is adaptable — you can choose to add your favorite vegetables.
Just keep the proportions similar — 8 to 10 cups of chopped vegetables should do it.

Ingredients: 

8 lasagna Sheets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (140 grams) chopped onion (1 large onion)
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 to 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 to 10 mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (500 grams or 4 cups)
1 roasted red peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 roasted yellow peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
Generous handful fresh basil leaves, parsley chopped
1 big bowl of white sauce
8 ounces (227 grams) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , shredded
2 ounces 1 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Heat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.
Lightly oil or spray 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Now boil the water in add one spoon of oil and pinch of salt in it and add the lasagna sheets in hot water .
Heat the oil in a pan, then add the garlic, ginger, onion; saute for 4-5 mins.
Add the  Zucchinis and peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes, constantly tossing them.
Next, add the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano,basil, parsley and seasoning.
Allow it to boil, reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

For the white sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour (maida) and stir over a medium heat until it comes away from saucepan and forms a ball.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly pour in the milk,
return to a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly (very important).
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Season to taste.

For the decoration:
Pour a third of the cheese sauce into the base of a large oven-proof baking dish.
Cover with a third of the pasta, then half the vegetable mixture.
Repeat layers using the vegetables and pasta.
Finish by covering the top with the remaining sauce, making sure all pasta is covered.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 40-45 mins, or until the top is golden brown.

Weight loss soup:

Weight loss soup:

Ingredients: 
1 cup chopped cabbage
½ cup chopped mushroom
½ cup chopped spring onion
½ cup cucumber puree 
6-8 leaves basil
½ tsp parsley leaves
½ tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste
½ tsp black pepper and/or chili flakes
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 litter of water
Garnishing with cilantro leaves
Method:
Take a pan add oil in it. Make it little warm and add all the vegetables. Add water. 
Bring the soup to a boil again. Add cucumber puree to it. Add some salt and pepper and chili flakes to taste and lemon juice. Chop the cilantro leaves. Garnish each with the chopped cilantro leaves. Serve the weight loss soup immediately.
Tip: You can drink hot/cold this soup. All the vegetables has cooling effect so you can enjoy this soup in summer. This soup is very good for weight loss. If you want to lose your weight faster so drink this soup every day before lunch and dinner. 

White pumpkin and pesto Soup:

White pumpkin and pesto Soup:

Ingredients: 
2 cups chopped white pumpkins
1 tsp basil 
1 tsp parsley
½ tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
6-8 pcs garlic
½ tsp ginger
Handful of pumpkin seeds
Cilantro leaves decoration
Method: 
Fry the pumpkin, garlic and ginger in the Olive oil/butter until softened. Add fresh basil leaves and parsley. Add a pint of the water and bring the pumpkin to a boil in the pressure cooker. Add handful of pumpkin seeds. Let it cool for a while and then use a blender, food processor or hand blender to puree it.
Bring the soup to a boil again. Add water needed, and then add this to the soup with some salt and pepper to taste. Chop the cilantro leaves.
Garnish each with the chopped cilantro leaves, some whipped cream and pumpkin seeds.
Serve the pumpkin soup immediately.


Tip: you can add cream also to make it testier. It is very good in summer because it is very cool vegetable.  
It is one of the vegetables which is very low calories;  provides just 26 cal per 100 g and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; but is rich a source of dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. You can control cholesterol and reduce your weight too. Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.
It is also an excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α and ß carotenes, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body.
Zea-xanthin is a natural anti-oxidant which has UV (ultra-violet) rays filtering actions in the macula lutea in reitina of the eyes. Thus, it helps protect from "age related macular disease" (ARMD) in the elderly.
Rich in B-complex group of vitamins like floats, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid.
It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.