BANANA AND CINNAMON SMOOTHIE

There're days we like to start our day with a light and healthy breakfast. A smoothie or a health shake is what strikes us first. Smoothies are filling, healthy, light and easy to prepare on a busy day. Though they're easy and fuss free to prepare, it gets boring to have the same everyday. Why not try and play with spices is what struck my mind.

Cinnamon is one of the few spices that's used in cooking, baking, to spice tea and flavour cakes. It pairs beautifully with fruits and love the aroma of fresh cinnamon in cakes. This urged me to try using it for a smoothie too. I had planned on a banana smoothie for breakfast to make it easy as it was a busy day ahead. To make it interesting, added this wonderful spice and oh it was heaven!

The creamy banana with cinnamon makes it rich in taste. Make sure you use fresh cinnamon powder, though you can use store bought ones, the fresh one has its place. For sweetness, it has honey, as you all know I don't like to use white sugar and avoid it as much as I can. You're free to use sugar or any sweetener as per your taste. I've used milk to blend them, vegans can choose a nut milk instead. 

INGREDIENTS

To make a tall glass of smoothie

Banana - 2 (I've used hill banana)

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

Honey - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp

METHOD

Chop the bananas into small pieces, add it to a blender along with milk, honey, water and cinnamon. Blend all the ingredients together in a blender till you get a creamy frothy texture. Serve it immediately or cold. Here you go, your breakfast smoothie is ready!

You can use all milk and no water for a nice thick smoothie. In that case, add 1+1/4 cups of milk. Vegans can substitute nut milk in the above recipe. The milk quantity remains same for nut milk but please add water if you're using a nut milk.

If you're serving this for kids, replace milk with vanilla ice cream and they'll love it! If you're using a mixer jar to blend, first blend the banana, milk and honey nicely. Then add the water and cinnamon. Also, try it with other fruit combinations and drop in your feedback. 

VEGETABLE CLEAR SOUP

The one thing that we all crave or wish to have when we have a cold is some good hot soup! At the same time who feels like preparing one with all the blending, grinding and boiling procedure when we're sick.. this recipe comes in handy and my go to recipe for such times! 

It's one pot, no grinding required, mild and soothing! You can prepare this soup with veggies of your choice. 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

Carrot  - 2

Beans - 10

Frozen peas - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Cumin - 1/4 tsp

Clove - 2

Freshly ground pepper - 2 tsp or more as per taste

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Water - 4 cups

Oil - 1 tsp

Salt

METHOD

Chop the beans into 2 inch pieces and the carrots into thick pieces. Slice the onions and cut each tomato into 4 pieces. In a pressure cooker, add oil and saute the onion and the veggies. After a minute or two add the tomatoes with salt, turmeric and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add required water. Check for salt and add more salt and pepper if you require. Close the lid, after 3 whistles switch off  the heat and let the pressure release. In a small kadai, temper cumin and clove. Open the lid and add the tempering to the soup. Mix and serve hot. 

Isn't this simple? 

SPICY CHILLI POTATO FRIES

Potato is one versatile vegetable and loved by all. From soup to desserts it can be used in all! So here's another recipe with the versatile potato. Potato fingers is a good old recipe and I've already posted one of my Potato Fingers recipe but this one is a little spicy and different from that. Try it out, it's very simple to prepare. A very good evening snack recipe that can be had with rice preparations too.

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes - 3 medium size

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Corn flour - 2 tsp

Salt 

METHOD

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into long strips. In a bowl add chilli powder, salt and corn flour. Mix well. Heat oil and fry immediately. Serve hot. Add corn flour if you're going to fry it immediately otherwise add when you're going to fry them.