We all love different flavors in our food. Sometimes , adding more fat may seem to add more savoriness in a recipe but believe me , that feeling is not long-lasting . There can be several ways to add more flavor without adding fat ,salt or sugar !

Following are a few ingredients which come in handy and instantly add more flavor to any dish :

Roasted onions : Make your recipe taste like onion fries! Roast onions in bulk and freeze. Then use as and when you want in soups,curries,snacks,sandwiches etc .

Roasted tomatoes : Roast tomatoes and refrigerate or freeze. Add at the end to perk up flavor in soup ,sandwiches , pilafs or main course recipes.

Lemon or Vinegar : Add these for tartness in any food . It is a very fulfilling flavor . Adding lemon to salty as well as sweet recipes gives them a whole new twist !

Garlic: Crush , shred or cut garlic in small pieces and the roast on simmered flame. Roasting brings out true flavors of Garlic. Sprinkle it as per taste in your main course meals.

Ginger : Ginger is a well known staple for Chinese and Indian recipes. It adds a subtle hot flavor to food. Shred or cut into small pieces and boil for a most flavorful addition.

Fresh crushed black pepper or white pepper : Pepper has its own distinct aroma and flavor. It is hot so you may use it as per your tolerance.Fresh crushed pepper is always better in its texture and taste. So if you have a pepper mill then that works great! Otherwise use pre-crushed pepper ! After cooking any soup or grilling veggies, just crush/sprinkle a little pepper over it . And it will have an instantly elevated aroma . 

Frozen fruit:  Add to pancakes , waffles , salads instead of adding sugar or syrup.

Roasted or fresh herbs : Herbs like Coriander , Parsley , Oregano,Thyme,Rosemary and so many others add a beautiful flavor as well as health benefits. For example, coriander aids in digestion and it has fiber and antioxidents in high density. Just chop these herbs and sprinkle over any soup, steamed veggies, or even snacks for a different and spiked up flavor ! 

Powdered dry spices : Spices like powdered Cumin,Bay-leaf,Cloves,Cinnamon etc. are generally very strong flavored. So even a pinch of  powdered spices can add a lot to your recipe. Most of the spices are mentioned in Ayurveda as having medicinal effects on our health. For example cumin, turmeric , cloves have a largely positive effect on the digestion of food they are mixed in. They also help in relieving gas troubles.Powdered spices can be used as per your tolerance just like herbs. Add roasted powdered cumin to plain yogurt and you'll love the taste ! You'll never want to eat sweetened yogurt again !!

Grilled veggies: use grilled zuccini or grilled squash instead of butter on sandwich. They have a creamy and sweet flavor.

Fresh fruit juice  : Add natural sweetness to anything with a little fresh juice from any of your favourite fruit like Apple, Orange , Grapefruit etc. Beside adding a great taste, they will be adding natural sugar and a lot of minerals . I spray apple juice on my pancake for natural sweetness while it is still cooking. Yum !

Chives : Gives a distinct flavor when added to any soup our main course recipe. Great tasting when roasted.

Avocado purée : Replace heavy cream in any recipe with Avocado puree for added flavor and big health benefits of good fats.

The biggest time saver ? Roasted Onions, Roasted Herbs, Roasted Tomatoes , Roasted Garlic, Avocado Puree , Chopped chives,Grilled Veggies and more of whatever you can think of can be frozen in small zip-locks and can be used instantly when needed. If once prepared, will give you immense plesure by adding flavor to your food without adding extra Fat or Sugar or Salt !!! 

What do you add for instant flavor to your recipes  !? 

Image Credits @Paul

Someone once said  “Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles.” I feel that it is true to a large extent J .

 If you have a lot of it , jewelry can be difficult to organize and keep track of . It is great to have a self contained  and practical jewelry organizing solution.

There are a few types of jewelry :

 Gold – You don’t want too much of gold lying around your house . So gold is best if stuffed inside a safety deposit box. Just keep a very few items which you would wear very regularly.

Silver – Silver is good if it is in Sterling or a non-corrosive form. Otherwise it turns black after some time of air exposure . So storing Silver usually needs covering the jewelry in something – may it be a zip lock , a jewelry purse or an airtight box.

Imitation Jewelry – Depending upon the quality of jewelry, imitation jewelry can also lose its luster overtime . So it is better to keep everything in a covered storage.

 Though all jewelry call for covered storage as we see , We can still go by our instincts and use open storage for some of it -- for instance jewelry hanging trees .

 Here are a few innovative and beautiful ideas :

Jewelry Trees 

Jewelry Chests/Drawers [This one is from Target]

Plastic storage : Tarnish Inhibitor Cases [This one is from Container Store]

Traditional Jewelry Boxes Like This one [Image From nuttakit]

Something Cute like this [This one is from The Bling Thing]

I loved Andy’s idea of building something creative like this[From the CreativeJunkie]

Simpler ideas to  assort  jewelry  include  using egg cartons, small bowls , ice-trays , sectioned plates, drawer organizers . 

How do you store and organize your jewelry? My next post will be on a simple DIY Jewelry Organizer .

I have been noticing this for a long time now. I noticed this with my daughter’s behavior. Usually she is very friendly, helping, disciplined and quick-witted child. But whenever her diet is off-track, her behavior comes off-track too.  We start having problems disciplining her because she becomes more spirited, more adamant and more cranky .

This shouldn’t be a surprise because we adults get a similar effect if we don’t get to eat a healthy diet. It is just that we usually ignore the fact that our mood is affected by the type of food we eat .

So now whenever I get this feeling that my little toddler  is not her usual-cute-self J  I immediately take a look at how she’s been eating recently .Just about 99 % of times ,she ‘d not been eating regularly or I might have been less careful in giving her healthy and whole foods.A healthy balanced diet for the the whole family thus seems to be vital in having happier times all the way!

Top 5 ingredients I avoid to keep stress  away:

1.       Sugar – Sugar-filled juices, candy, desserts , all give a sugar high and then an energy crash. That crash brings in stress for adults and crankiness for young children. Once I saw small children having sodas and then wrecking havoc .

2.       Saturated Fats – Staurated fats if taken in very high amounts, deposit subcutaneously , clog arteries , fog brain and more . Here is a nice article about Saturated Fats and Trans Fats Hydrogenated fats : Silent Killer 

3.       Processed Foods – Processed foods are leeched of all the nutrients and give empty calories. Too many processed foods in our diet can deprive us of important nutrition . A processed food based diet can lead to deficiencies and obesity.

4.      Caffiene - Even chocolate and tea has caffiene . Children can get caffiene in form of chocolates. For a young child, a dark cocolate cookie or candy can add caffiene as well as sugar . If eaten in large amounts , drastic behavioural deviations can be noticed.

5.       Preservatives /Additives – Additives or preservatives in food are mostly chemicals which can always have adverse side effects on physical or mental health in the long run .

      For a long time now, I am strongly buying more and more natural and whole foods as much as possible. 1 key rule is -The ingredients  we use to cook our meals should be least processed . For example, natural honey is several times better than using white or brown sugar. Anyways , sugar deserves another article from me J . Whole steamed grains are much better than using more processed flours.Homemade yogurt + fruits is way better than over the counter sweetened yogurts .

Other than avoiding above ingredients ,following are the ingredients I include in my family’s diet to make sure our brains are getting enough food to stay happy and healthy. 

1.       Good Fats : Omega-3s , Mono-Unsaturated fats are very good for our overall health. Nuts and seeds , Olive Oil, Canola Oil .

2.       Fiber : Oatmeal is always our start of the day. I miss it the day I don’t eat it as a breakfast. Steamed veggies, legumes , nuts everything is a good example.

3.       Water : Drink a lots and lots of water !

4.       Veggies : Veggies including leafy greens  are filled with pure nutrients we shouldn’t miss in our diet . So go for all the colors and enjoy the flavors ! Go for Organic vegetables whenever possible.

5.       Whole Grains: I like the idea of steamed whole grains and mixing them in our recipes. Whole grain flours are good as well.Whole  Grains are filled with fiber , protein ,complex carbs and foleic acid and so are quintessential to our daily diet.

 So here is how I relate food to our behavior .Please share the ways in which you have noticed food has been affecting your family’s behavior positively or negatively. 

NOTE: If you would like to share your story , please click comments and scroll down to the bottom of the page to reach the captcha enabled comment box:)

Take Care, 

I  want to talk about protein today. And I would love to hear new ideas from you ! We are vegetarians. Everyone whether a vegetarian or not , is always concerned about ‘how vegetarians get proteins into their food ?’ .  Here the top 5 protein rich vegetarian ingredients I mix and match in my various recipes for more protein.

Milk : Cheese, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese

We are very lucky to have a toddler who loves milk ! She eats all milk products with a great interest . She will take milk over any other food anytime J . Milk products are easy to mix in any kind of food . Ways to mix in milk –products :

1.  Make dough for Roti/Parantha [ Indian Flat-Bread]  in Fat-Free Milk or Cottage Cheese instead of water .

2.     Buy several kinds of Cheese slices - mozzarella, american, swiss, colby-jack,vegan etc.  and Cheese sticks for snacks and sandwiches.

3.       Yogurt is a very healthy way to include Proteins,Calcium as well as probiotics in your diet. I don’t buy the sweetened yogurt over the counter . They have way too much sugar. We make yogurt ourselves at home. Here is the way you make your own yogurt  easily like a breeze. This home made yogurt is healthier, more natural  and has a greater probiotic factor to it.

4.       I make cottage cheese [Paneer] at home and my daughter loves to eat it as it is .Here is the way to make your own Cottage Cheese. Cottage Cheese made at home is so much more flavorful than any cottage cheese you would buy at store.

Lentils and Legumes: Lentils can be around 20 or more kinds . Largest variety can be found in any Indian store and the most basic ones can be found in any grocery store . They have very distinct flavor which vary largely from one another.Chick Peas and Kidney Beans come under the same category. Ways to mix in lentils:

1.     Chick Peas , Lima Beans and Red Kidney Beans can be bought dry and then boiled to be used in Salads or just as a snack . Sprinkle your favorite spice on them to make them taste even better! Canned beans can be used to save time .

2.      All the lentils can be cooked in the same way as mentioned in this Lentil Recipe. This tastes yummy and can be eaten as a soup or with a bread or naan!

3.       Mix them up or boil individually with less amount of water to attain a more solidified form . They can then be stuffed into breads , crouquettes or can be used as an ingredient in making dough for a bread

4.       Grind your favorite beans with your favorite herbs and spices in a blender to make a dip to savor with chips or steamed veggies.

Soy : Edamame, Soy Milk, Tofu

1.       Add Edamame to salads , soups and snacks. They have a great flavor !

2.       Add soy Milk to soups , curries to add a nutty flavor.

3.       Add soy milk to your baking recipes to create a vegan wonder !

4.       Tofu is a wonderful addition to stir fried veggies.

5.       Grilled Tofu on a stick along with other grilled veggies look and taste yummy !

Nut – Butters , nuts ,seeds

1.      Almond or peanut butter taste great with or without jellies on multigrain breads.

2.       Adding seeds and nuts to salads and soups add a great crunch and flavor.

3.       Soak almonds overnight and then grind them to a puree with the help of minimum required water in a blender. Freeze in ice trays. Empty out the almond cubes in ziplocs. Use as you want !! This is a great time saving way to incorporate almonds in your smoothies, oatmeal etc.

Grains : Wheat,Brown Rice , Oats, Barley and many more

1.       Always use least processed form of grains. That retains the nutrients to their best quantity and quality.

2.       Use brown rice instead of White .

3.       Eat Oatmeal for breakfast . You’ll be happier J

4.      Buy grains and boil them in water . When they are soft, drail water if left. Use these grains in any way you like --- Soups, Salads,Pilafs   or just plain snack !!

These are a few ways I use in my daily cooking. Please share any tricks you know for easy additions of proteins !

Have a Happy and Protein-Rich Cooking experience!

WorkingMaa..

Image Credits @Idea go , @vitasamb2001 , @Paul , @m_bartosch , @Simon Howden

I have a toddler who sometimes chooses what to eat by the looks of it . Sounds familiar? She is otherwise a great eater. She eats almost  everything  I send with her to the DayCare. But sometimes she just wants to be picky . She usually says ‘No’ to the food which is not familiar to her. We think that it is her survival instinct J. This instinct tells her to be careful in what she eats. So I have to mix in the new flavor in a tried out recipe and that usually makes the food transition easier for her.

Also , I always try to be honest with my daughter. She is very young – just 2.5 years old. I still talk to her about what I am putting in her food and why it is good for her. If she’s near to me when I am cooking, I invite her to my kitchen counter to see what I am doing. She’s always intrigued by the ‘green leaves’ I stuff in her parantha , honey and raisins I mix in her oatmeal and colored vegetables I mix in the brown rice !

There are days when she eats a lot and days when she wants to eat nothing at all . So I have to vary her diet according to that. I will  write a series about several ways I add  more nutrients to my family’s diet.

 Please share  if you have any tips of your own !

WorkingMaa..