Health for life

Showing posts with label butter. Show all posts

Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies Home Bakers Challenge 3

Monday, May 19, 2014

As i told earlier, i baked 3 cookies out of 4 cookies suggested by Vijayalakshmi for our this months Home Bakers Challenge, one among the cookies is this peanut butter cookies. Am an ardent fan of peanut butter and my pantry will always a huge bottle of this nutty butter. This peanut butter is quite versatile and tried many dishes out of it, even i tried adding in our Indian eggplant curries, trust me they tastes fantabulous. I baked this peanut butter cookies immediately once Viji announced her choice of cookies and everyone at home just loved munching this super nutty cookies.

Peanut butter cookies with crunchy peanut butter tastes fantastic and obviously they makes a pect pair with a cup of warm milk. Eventhough am not a breakfast person, i dont hesitate a second to munch these baked goodies for my breakfast, yep i just love it that much. Now you may know how much i love these super nutty butter.To add more nuttiness to this delicious scrumptious cookies, you can also some chopped roasted peanuts too.Sending this biscuits to Gurus Giveaway - Kids Special.

Recipe Source : Martha Stewart
1+1/2cups All purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
1+1/2cup Crunchy peanut butter
1cup Packed light brown sugar
1/2cup Unsalted soften butter
Milk (as per need)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, sugar and butter until they turns smooth.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and keep aside.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine,sprinkle milk to turn everything as soft dough.

Pinch off the dough as medium size balls, and roll.

Place it over a baking sheet lined over a baking tray, press the balls with a fork.

Bake the cookies for 15-18minutes until they turns lightly golden.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack and enjoy.

Butter Beans Coconut Pulao

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Pulao or biryani, i dont mind eating them anytime of the day, yes i love it that much. Pulao goes for a quick preparation when compared to biryani.Vegetable or beans anything works wonder in pulao and i love to add both vegetables and beans together in pulao just to feed my kids easily as they love pulao or biryanis very much. This wonderful one pot meal suits pectly even for a sunday lunch and tastes more delicious when served along with spicy chicken curry or paneer based curry.

Today am here with an another quick,nutritious and flavourful pulao i prepared with butterbeans and with a spiced coconut milk. This pulao may sounds almost like ghee rice or coconut pulao but the addition of butterbeans make it more interesting. I didnt add any veggies but still you can add vegetables like green peas,carrot and beans. If you dont like butterbeans, just replace it with paneer cubes.Its 2nd sunday of the month and since i belong to a group of friends who blogs on sunday for the event Lets Brunch On Sundays am posting this incredible,aromatic and nutritious one pot meal today. Do you know the main motto of this event is to blog on sundays since most of the bloggers couldnt able to feed their blog babies during weekdays coz of their busy schedules, so myself and Veena both planned to create an event to cook and post a dish which goes under Sunday brunch,lunch or dinner.Sending MLLA 64 guest hosted by Lourdes Princy, event by Lisa and Susan.

2cups Basmati rice (washed and soaked for half an hour)
2nos Onions (sliced thinly)
6nos Garlic cloves
1cup Cooked butter beans or else as more as you desire
2nos Whole spices (bayleaves,cloves,cinnamon sticks,cardamoms)
Oil
Chopped mint leaves

To grind:
1/2cup Mint leaves
1cup Grated coconut
6nos Green chillies (more or less as u desire)

Grind the mint leaves,coconut and green chillies as fine paste.

Squeeze out the spiced coconut milk and add more water to make 4cups of coconut milk and keep aside.

Heat enough oil in a pressure cooker,fry the whole spices until they turns brown.

Add the garlic cloves, fry until they turns slightly brown, then add the sliced onions and saute until the onions turns transculent.

Now add the rice and saute for few minutes.

Finally add the cooked butter beans, give a stir.

Now add the spiced coconut milk,salt to the rice, cook everything in simmer with lid closed until the rice gets well cooked.

Add the chopped mint leaves, toss the pulao gently

Serve with raitas.

);

Butter Pulao Mughlai Kesar Murg Bread 65 A Virtual Birthday Party for Divya Pramil

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Celebrating virtually a friends birthday, seriously am loving it. Eventhough many miles separates us we, a bunch online friends aka bloggers trying our best to celebrate birthday of each and every person of our small group. Today Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook, a young and bubbly chef aka one of my best sister celebrates her birthday and we cooked few party dishes from her space to celebrate this day.

Happy Birthday Divya Pramil, make god bless you.Look up to the sky, too many stars are shinning up there, i want to see you shinning like a star on the sky of life, have a sparkling birthday Sister.

To a wonderful person i crossed in this virtual world, i cooked three dishes from her space to celebrate virtually her birthday. She shares many beautiful dishes and her breath taking clicks will definitely tempt you also you will learn easily her dishes through her stepwise pictures. Hope Divya will love and enjoy my virtual treat, but seriously everyone at home enjoyed this beautiful dishes and Bread 65 is our recent favourite.Dont forget to check out Sangee,Manjula Bharath,Divya Prakash,Vijayalakshmi,Preeti Tamilarasan,Shama Nagarajan,Priya Ranjit and Pretika the other bloggers joining their hands with me. Go through their blog and enjoy the virtual feast we cooked for Divyas virtual birthday party.

Butter Pulao from Here

1cup Basmati rice (washed & soaked for 30minutes)
1no Onion (big& sliced)
1no Green chilly (slit opened)
2nos Garlic clvoes (chopped)
1/2tsp Pepper powder
10nos Cashew nuts
5nos Raisins
Salt
3tsp Butter
2cups Water

Heat a pan,add a teaspoon of butter, add the cashew and fry until they turns golden brown.

Add the raisins to the same butter and fry until they turns brown. remove and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker, heat two teasppon of butter,once the butter starts melting, add the slit opened green chilly,chopped garlic, saute for few seconds.

Add the sliced onions,saute well until they turns transculent.

Now add the salt, pepper powder,cook for few more minutes.

Add the soaked basmati rice,saute for a minute, add 2cups of water, stir.

Now add the fried cashews,raisins, give a stir and close the cooker with a lid, dont put the weight and cook the rice in low flame.

After 5 minutes, check the water and rice, if the rice is cooked and no more water, out off the stove.

If the rice is not cooked again for few minutes.

Toss gently the rice, dont stir much and serve with raita.

Bread 65 from Here:
3nos Bread slices
1/4cup Gram flour
1tbsp Rice flour
2tsp Cornflour
1pinch Baking soda
1/2tsp Ginger garlic paste
Few curry leaves (chopped)
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Fennel seeds (crushed)
Salt
Oil for frying
Yellow food colour - A pinch

Cut the bread slices as small cubes.

Take a medium size bowl with gram flour,corn flour,rice flour,baking soda,ginger garlic paste,chopped curry leaves, red chilly powder,crushed fennel seeds, salt and yellow food colour, make a thick batter by adding enough water.

Batter should not be watery.

Heat the oil for deepfrying, dip gently the bread cube in the prepared batter and drop immediately the hot oil.

Fry until they turns brown, dont over crowd and fry in small batches.

Remove from oil and drain the excess of oil with a paper towel.

Enjoy!

Mughlai Kesar Murg/Saffron Chicken from Here
1/2kg Chicken
2cups Thick curd or Yogurt
1/2cup Warm milk
3tbso Fresh cream
1tsp Saffron
1/2tsp Ginger powder
1tsp Red chilly powder
2tsp Coriander powder
1/2tsp Fennel powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
a pinch Asafoetida powder
1tsp Cumin seeds
Salt
Oil
Chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly, add the curd,ginger powder,chilly powder,coriander powder,fennel powder,turmeric powder,salt and mix well until the chicken pieces gets well coated.

Keep aside for half an hour.

Meanwhile soak the saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside.

Heat a kadai with oik, once it gets hot, gently remove the spiced curd coating from the chicken and drop it in hot oil.

The curd may get dispersed in oil,but dont worry,fry the chicken until they get half cooked.

Remove the chicken pieces from oil.

Heat an another pan with oil, let crack the cumin seeds, add the asafoetida.

Now add the curd mixture used for the chicken marination,stir well and cook for few minutes until the oil gets separates.

Add the fried chicken, stir well.

Add a cup of water to the cooking chicken and cook everything in medium flame until the gravy gets thickens.

Finally add the saffron milk,cook for few minutes.

Add finally the fresh cream,mix well and remove from flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy with butter pulao.

Sending to Srivallis Side dish Mela.

Butter Worse For Arteries Than Olive Oil

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Meals high in saturated fat (SAFA), as opposed to monounsaturated fat (MUFA), may impair artery function. That was the finding of a small study published in the December issue of Diabetes Care:

Differential Effects Of Two Different Isoenergetic Meals One Rich In Saturated And One Rich In Monounsaturated Fat On Endothelial Function In Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes Care, December 2008

After 33 participants with type 2 diabetes consumed either a meal high in saturated fat (butter), or high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil), (meals had the same number of calories) their artery function was assessed.

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD):

Declined by 16.7% after the saturated-fat-rich meal
Increased by 5.2% after the monounsaturated-fat-rich meal

FMD measures the relaxation of an artery due to increased blood flow. FMD is a marker for heart disease risk. As FMD decreases, blood flow is impaired.

The authors concluded:

"Consumption of an SAFA-rich meal is harmful for the endothelium, while a MUFA-rich meal does not impair endothelial function in subjects with type 2 diabetes."

________

Butter Beans Salna Butter Beans Parotta Salna

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Have you ever tasted parottas with fingerlicking salna when the weather is down, if not seriously you are missing something. Salna and parotta makes a pect pair and one of most famous salna is chicken salna, the roadside shops serves this fingerlicking side dish with hot flaky parathas. Usually people prepare salna with mixed vegetables,eggs or chicken, for a change today i prepared this salna with some pressure cooked butter beans.We love parathas very much especially for the salna we get from the restaurants, coz this salna tastes extremely delicious with idlies or dosas. Obviously we buy less number of parottas and ask for more salna.

Coming to this butterbeans salna, this side dish gets ready very much easily, you can go for any beans if you dont have or dont like butterbeans.Along with beans you can also add veggies too if you want to make your salna more healthy and tasty,however salnas can be made with anything eventhough my favourite is always Egg Salna.Today is the first thursday and its time to post a vegan dish for Vegan Thursdays, an vegan event running twice a month, am posting this fingerlicking,nutritious butter beans salna for the event.

2cups Butterbeans (pressure cooked)
1tsp Fennel seeds
Few curry leaves
1no Green chilly (slit opened)
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
Salt
Oil

For masala:
2no Onions (chopped roughly)
2nos Tomatoes (chopped)
1/2cup Coconut (grated)
1no Cinnamon stick
1tsp Peppercorns
1tsp Cumin seeds
1tbsp Fennel seeds
1tbsp Coriander seeds
Few curry leaves

Heat few drops of oil,saute the onions,tomatoes,cinnamon sticks,peppercorns,cumin seeds,fennel seeds,coriander seeds and grated coconut for few minutes and grind as fine paste.

Heat enough oil, add the curry leaves,fennel seeds,slit opened green chilly and fry it..

Add the masala paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder,salt and cook everything in simmer for few minutes.

Finally add the cooked beans, saute for few minutes.

Add enough water and cook until the salna gets slightly thick.

Put off the stove and add the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with parottas,rotis.

Lessons from the Butter Incident

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I love comedies. Satires, in particular. Some of the greatest of life lessons were buried deep within satirical works of literature, theater, and film. We laugh through them, but seldom do we stop to consider the valuable nuggets weve been just given.

In respect to filmography, what are probably two of my most favorite scenes are: Chers observations to her friend Tai, about Monet paintings, in the movie "Clueless"; and Camerons enthrallment with the little girl in Georges Seurats "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte," in the movie "Ferris Buellers Day Off."

These two scenes loosely mold a certain view I hold about life: Upon close examination, our lives are one, big, muddy mess; only from a distance, can we truly appreciate the elaborate works of art they have become -- black splotches and all. Just because we cant see the big picture now, does not mean there isnt one.

This week has been no different, for me.

The fact is, the diabetic online community painted a pretty big canvas, this week. Some used dark, somber, depressing hues. Some used vibrant, optimistic shades. In the end, we formed something. A message, quite loud, and clear. Emotions, and watercolors were mixed, and something out there... was soon formed... that when I step back, its quite the masterpiece.

Diabetics are TIRED...

Of fear mongering, population targeting, and misinformation in the media: Yes, non-communicable health conditions are dangerous, and they need a certain level of awareness; NO, they dont benefit from overly inflated, statistical research, aimed at scaring to death, targeting, humiliating, and laying blame on certain populations. This kind of environment only engenders animosity, a lack of empathy, and persecution, as well as breeding depression in those affected.
Of the same, stereotypical, awareness figures: Yes, diabetes can affect an aging, overweight population... But it can affect everyone else, as well! So many of us are NOT old, or overweight. Many of us are young, active, healthy, athletes even. (Yes, even many Type 2s!) Why not showcase people who have worked WONDERS in spite of diabetes? People who can garner our pride, and our motivation? People who are not clueless, but veterans at this game.
Of the same, stereotypical, awareness messages: Diabetics dont need to follow a 60% carbohydrate diet, in order to do well. Diabetics can be low carbers, vegans, moderate eaters, athletes who consume even more carbohydrates than this. We come in all shapes, and sizes, and we dont live by a chart... We live by what our glucose meters tell us! The sheer mention of a new diabetes cookbook out there really enrages most diligent diabetics... because we KNOW its a lot of bunk. Theres no such thing as a diabetic diet, and there are so many stupid notions out there to even recap in this little post (like that everything needs to be low fat), that I wont even go there.
Of the insincere profiting from our disease: Of cheesy product marketing, cook books, miracle cures, and scam artists. Of medications and treatments that cost an arm and a leg, accessories that cost an arm and a leg, and tools that are kept from folks who need them because only those who are privileged to good health insurance, or a good income, can access.
Of the FDA: Famous for slowing down progress in what many deem as necessary advances, and tools in our community, yet the fast trackers of so many dangerous drugs, at the same time. Oh, why, FDA, must you not advance progress on something like a more accurate blood glucose meter... but you are eager to fast track yet another drug before we are fully ascertained of all its risks in a certain population? (You know, this didnt use to be like this... I guess back in the 80s we complained the slowness of medication approval killed people... I can see it in certain diseases, etc, but Im not so sure the dangers outweigh the risks, in diabetes. If Victoza sucks... its no ones fault but Novo Nordisks, and the FDAs.)
Of the constant social equation behind having Diabetes:

Diabetes needs psycho-social support. Its one of those conditions that just incredibly grips at the heart of where we are the most connected to one another -- the social connections and moments that, though sometimes centered around food, nourish our souls and our relationships.
Of just the entire need to JUSTIFY ourselves, and who we are, and what we are to outsiders. The road to self acceptance, and the personal acceptance of others as diabetics (and whatever their stories) is a MARATHON... often with thorny roses, along the way.

Of the lack of progress on these issues, and the lack of change: This same old tired song and dance is being played upon our diabetic lives, over, and over... and over again.

But at the same time... Diabetics are TIRELESS...

Optimists: We can see the light in any shade of gray; we can see how a bad can work for a good. We can see a blessing in what might otherwise be a terrible curse.
Advocates: We will go wherever, whenever. Our words will ring true. We will go out, and educate anyone, write letters, write blogs, create societies, start petitions, groups, online social media, make personal appeals, teach. All under almost any circumstances: flooded homes, lack of sleep, weekend warriors. We will NEVER stop.
Friends: An ear, and a shoulder, for those to cry on, to garner knowledge from, experience from, a virtual hug to embrace, a meet-up to get excited about... REGARDLESS of type. We are the secret society we have made for ourselves, thats not so secret, and were eager (though bitterly so) to welcome you on board.
Hopefuls: People who look into their loved ones eyes, and will NEVER lose their faith, their dreams... their visions... their drive. The reasons to keep trying, to fight for tomorrow, to wake up for TODAY.
Supporters: Because it doesnt matter who, what, when, or how... tries to hurt you, or put you down... we will ALWAYS have your back. Always. Even if youre old, not so perfect, not so fit, not an athlete, in denial... and cook with butter.

This week... I truly learned the AWE inspiring embrace of the D O C.

If you are battling diabetes all on your own, I would like to truly urge you to consider, even if only as a fly on the wall, becoming a member of the diabetic online community. No need to blog, no need to be OUT there. But even just reading blogs like this, or attending Diabetes Social Media Advocacy night, on Twitter (Wednesdays, at 8 pm CST/9pm EST), will do SO MUCH for your well being. You NEED psycho-social support. Your social environment may want you to be alone with your disease, but you DONT HAVE TO BE. You are NOT alone. EVER. You can do this thing. Come walk through life with us. Your shoes might be different, but when they walk beside mine... They make that long road... oh so nice. (We have plenty of extra blue shoes to spare.)

For Further Reading:

"Shes Got Diabetes, Now, YAll!, Saturday, January 14th, 2012

Tea Kadai Butter Biscuits

Thursday, February 20, 2014

As i told earlier,am running three days of blogging marathon with tea kadai menu as my theme for this weeks blogging marathon . For my todays post,am posting this famous tea kadai butter biscuits, i cant imagine a tea stall without these super buttery melt in mouth biscuits. In my earlier post, i have told few words about my relatives tea stall na, he will always have this butter biscuits in that famous huge tea kadai bottle. Whenever my maternal uncle or my grandma make a visit to our home, they will definitely come home with these butter biscuits which they never failed to bought them from that relatives tea kadai.

Butter biscuits dipped in warm tea or coffee, have you ever had this. I dont have words to say how delicious this coffee dipped butter biscuits will tastes. If you have never tried this, dont forget to make some butter biscuits at home and enjoy with a warm coffee or tea, am sure you will know the taste of this incredible pair.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#30.Sending this biscuits to Gurus Giveaway - Kids Special.

1cup All purpose flour
1/4cup Sugar
a pinch Salt
1/2cup Unsalted softened butter

Sieve the flour with salt and take it in a mixing bowl.

Powder the sugar, whisk together the softened butter and powdered sugar to make a creamy paste.

Now add the flour to the butter, knead as a soft stiff dough.

Roll the dough as a medium size log and wrap it in a plastic cling film,place it in fridge for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Remove the chilled dough from fridge, cut them as 1/4inch thickness.

Arrange over a baking sheet line over a baking tray with enough space in between,with a toothpick poke the center of the cookie dough.

Bake them for 10-12minutes.

Let the cookies cool completely and store them in an air tightened box.

Serve with coffee or tea.

Butter coffee new drinks to add energy

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Butter coffee, new drinks to add energy - Add butter in coffee can not only give a different taste sensation, but also believed to increase energy and help you lose weight. But of course, you have to use special coffee and butter.

"Adding butter to any coffee is a bad idea. I realized that if you want to drink something that feels good, makes you feel more powerful, and lose weight, you need something special," said Dave Asprey, Bulletproof Executive, as reported by NY Daily News.

Asprey then offered coffee butter made use of its products, such as: upgraded coffee, coconut oil, milk and butter from cows that eat only grass.

Coffee upgraded (upgraded coffee) itself is a product produced by the company Asprey. The coffee is green coffee that was grown by a process called Asprey as bulletproof. This process affects how the coffee was grown, treated, and then sent to the consumer.

Coffee cup butter is estimated to contain 100 to 200 calories, depending on what you add the butter. Asprey also added that his upgraded coffee can also boost brain power.