Heart Healthy Bulgur Wheat Upma

The month of February is generally anticipated for Valentine's Day ! Heart themed products abound everywhere. Love is in the air and the candy, flower and greeting card industry turns a brisk profit, I am sure !
It might however be a less known fact that February is also Heart Health Month. So its actually time to pay attention to our hearts , literally !!
Here are a few tips to keep that beloved organ healthy - :

1. If you are at risk for heart disease ( heredity, life style, etc) , make sure you know your numbers. Check your blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol levels and weight. Having a base line makes it easier to chart your strategies for a healthier heart and hence a healthier life.
2. Eat omega-3 rich walnuts everyday. These nuts help in decreasing the inflammation of the arteries around the heart. Obviously, having bowlfuls of nuts, however healthy, is not the route to go. Moderation is key. Experts suggest that 5 - 6 walnuts will help ensure that your heart functions longer and better. The fats in the nuts will also make you feel fuller faster, so that overeating is less likely ! 
3. Give yourself a break from stress. Stress is all encompassing and ever present ! Whatever job you might have, whichever walk of life you may belong to, you will have some amount of stress. What matters is how you deal with it. Allow yourself some time to relax - cultivate hobbies, exercise, listen to music, anything that relaxes you. You will doing your heart a world of good ! 
4. Pay attention to what you eat. Your diet is the most important way to regulate your health. In the current age, we all have a wealth of information at our fingertips. Research about all the different foods that are good for you and try different recipes with them. You never know - you might find several new favorites :-)
5. Include strength training to your routine ( I am going to go out on a limb and assume that you will have a workout routine ;-) ) Weight training reduces fat and increases muscle mass. This will also improve your aerobic capacity.

Do consult your physician if you have concerns about your health. You can come up with a perfect plan suited to your needs and preferences when you work with your primary health care provider.

Source: WebMD

With these tips in mind, I would like to share a recipe with heart healthy whole grains.
I have used broken wheat, also known as Bulgar wheat to make this Indian breakfast dish, that is traditionally made with semolina.



Ingredients:
1 C broken wheat / bulgur wheat / daliya
1 tsp oil of choice
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera seeds
2 Tbps raw peanuts / cashews
1 - 2 green chiles
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 C mixed frozen veggies (carrots / green beans/ bell peppers / peas)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp coriander jeera powder (optional)

For garnish : 
2 Tbsp grated coconut
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Method:
1.Dry roast the broken wheat over a medium flame for a few minutes.
2. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium flame. Add mustard seeds, jeera seeds and the nuts (if using). When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add ginger and green chiles and saute for a few seconds before adding the chopped onion.
3.Saute the onion until translucent. Then add all the spice powders and mix well.
4. You could choose to omit the spice powders for a less savory dish
5. Add the veggies, mix well and then pour in 2 cups of water.
6. Stir in the salt. When the water starts boiling, add the roasted broken wheat.
7. Cover the pan and cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes.
8. Check periodically and add more water if required. The end result should be chewy , but not mushy.
9. Garnish with shredded coconut and/or chopped cilantro.
10. Serve with fruit for a heart breakfast or brunch!


I am sending this dish off to Sugar Free Sunday over at FlipCookBook.
How will you keep your heart healthy this year ?

Low Fat Coco Pudding

At the beginning of the year, I had promised myself that this year I would try and be more active on my blog...having been ridiculously slow with posts the previous years. But as the first month drew to a close, I realized that I haven't really made much progress ! My children's colds, then my own ...catering to the needs of an active kindergartner and a baby, cooking and cleaning and a few other activities leave me with no time...I also know that these are just excuses...other bloggers out there juggle far more than I do and manage to post wonderful , creative posts quite regularly..but it is what it is and all I can do is do better next month!
The following recipe came out of a low fat dessert cookbook that I had purchased from a library sale. I had perused all the recipes but had never cooked from it before...but one evening, while my son and his friend romped through the house, I felt like making a decadent pudding for them to snack on and chanced upon this recipe !
It turned out delicious and pretty easy to make...Of course , I did need to spend some time at the stove and then the finished pudding did need to be cooled a little in the refrigerator, but if you have an hour or more then you can easily delight your family and friends with this pudding.



Recipe :  Coco pudding
Vegetarian, Low fat


Ingredients :
1/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
2 T cocoa powder
1 can evaporated skimmed milk
1/2 C pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract


Method:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, evaporated milk and maple syrup. I didnt have any maple syrup on hand and used 1/2 a cup of sugar instead.
2. Bring this mixture to a low boil over medium high heat . Reduce the heat and cook until mixture thickens. This took me about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. A little flavoring goes a long way, so use the extracts judiciously.
4. Cool slightly and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Garnish with chocolate shavings and watch as it disappears !
The whole wheat pastry and the skimmed milk amps the nutrition content of this dessert.


The two young food critics for whom I made this pudding polished off their plates in a jiffy !
This is one recipe that I know will become a staple at my house.

Vegan / Dairy Free Option: Replace the evaporated milk with an equal quantity of non dairy milk like almond or soy milk. Unflavored and unsweetened milks should be preferred.

Gluten Free option: Replace the whole wheat pastry flour with a gluten free flour, preferably one with a mild taste, such as oat flour.

Do try this out and let me know !

Pohe / Seasoned Flattened Rice Snack

I come from a family of breakfast eaters...we always eat breakfast, no matter what time we wake up !! Traditionally though, the breakfasts that my mom prepared for us were usually savoury. It was only after I came to the US that I found out that people here preferred their breakfasts on the sweet side !
The recipe that I have today is one that we often had in the mornings before we went off to school. It is simple, quick to prepare and quite delicious ! Maharashtrians call it 'kanda Pohe' and in Kannada, it is called
'Oggarisida avalakki' . What it is , is a simple preparation of seasoned flattened rice, garnished with fresh coconut and cilantro leaves.



Ingredients:
1 C flattened rice (pohe, avalakki)
1 tbsp canola oil (or oil of choice)
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp peanuts
1 -2 green chiles
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/4 C finely diced potatoes or green peas (optional)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp fresh shredded coconut
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
juice of half a lemon

Method:
1. Soak the flattened rice in plenty of water for a couple of minutes and then drain completely and set aside.
2. Add the salt and the sugar to the flattened rice, mix well.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and the mustard. When the dals brown slightly and the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the green chiles and the onion.
4. Saute for a few minutes on medium heat. The onion should retain a slight crunch.
5. Add the turmeric to the onion mixture and mix well.
6. If using potatoes or peas, add them to the pan now and cook until the veggies are tender.
7. Pour the lemon juice and mix.
8. Add the flattened rice and mix thoroughly. Be gentle, though, you dont want the avalakki flakes to get crushed !
9. Sprinkle the coconut and the cilantro on top and serve hot !

Enjoy a plateful of this simple dish as breakfast or as snack with a hot cup of coffee , tea or beverage of your choice  !

Side Notes :
1. I have had this dish where the cook used so much oil that there was a layer on the bottom of the plate..Although this might increase the flavor and give a crunchy fried mouth feel, it is neither healthy nor necessary to use so much. Just use your judgement and make the dish a healthy one!
2. You can buy flattened rice in big packs in Indian grocery stores. There are two types - thick and thin...This recipe needs the thick variety...the thin avalakki will not be able to stand up to the soaking.
3. Try flattened rice made out of brown rice, if available in your store.

Usher in the new year with something sweet !

I hope your new year is off to a great start ! I spent a quiet evening with my family at home....couldnt even keep my eyes open to see the ball drop ! I guess having a 10 month old whose nightly sleep patterns can best be described as sporadic, will do that to you !
Coming to the recipe, I guess its been around for a long time, judging by the number of variations on the internet and how long people have been making it and delighting others with it :)
I only made slight changes to account for available ingredients.
Without further ado, then - here is the recipe for my magic cookie bars with oats crust!

  

Ingredients:
1.5 cups toasted oats
5 tbsp butter (melted)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 can condensed milk
1 C shredded sweetened coconut
1 C mixed nuts of choice
1 C chocolate chips

Method:
1. The original recipe called for a crust made with crushed graham crackers. But since I didnt have any on hand, despite the grocery trip that I made the previous day, I had to come up with one made with oats.
I toasted 1.5 C of plain rolled oats on the stovetop and pulverized them in my mini food chopper after they cooled down.
2. Add the cardamom powder to the oats.
3. Melt the butter and mix with the oats mixture. I used a 1/2 cup of butter that the recipe called for, but I think a little less will do as well.
4. Press the mixture into a 9 X 9 or a 13 X 9 pan. The larger pan will give flatter bars and the smaller pan will give thicker ones.
5. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the crust.
6. Layer the nuts, coconut and chocolate chips evenly over the condensed milk.
7. With a spatula, press everything evenly so that the condensed milk seeps upwards into the other layers. Alternatively , some sites suggest that you could pour the condensed milk as the last layer over the other ingredients.
8. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, until the coconut browns a little and chocolate chips melt a tad.
9. Cool , slice and serve !
10. If for some reason, you have difficulty slicing, refrigerate overnight and then slice the next day.

Be aware that this is in no way a healthy recipe :D ...With the condensed milk, chocolate chips and the sweetened coconut flakes, this is pure sugar overload. So make tiny slices and enjoy moderately.
That said, the oats crust added a nice crunch and a contrast to the sweet filling. This is a decadent dessert and should be enjoyed sparingly. But do try it at least once and share it with family , friends and colleagues and see their love for you exponentially increase with each bite !

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year ! May the new year herald the beginning of good tidings, an abundance of health and happiness and a celebration of everything that is dear to you !!

Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie Review and Giveaway

Update : This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations Springbird ! You should receive your prize pack soon !  

I find that Smoothies are a very convenient way to get your nutrients - combine all your main ingredients , give them a whiz ,  add in any toppings or flavorings and you have a portable, delicious and nutritious meal in a glass (or a cup or however you choose to drink it!) They are customizable, enjoyed by all age groups and pretty easy to make at home.

I love smoothies and I make them at home all the time...so when I was sent the Yoplait Chocolate Banana smoothie to try and review, I was curious..to say the least..
The prize pack that I received contained the following:
* A VIP coupon for a sample of Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie
* A neck pillow
* A Smoothie tumbler
* Lavender eye mask

Each smoothie pack contains enough frozen fruit and yogurt to make 2 8oz servings...You still need a blender to make the smoothie. I used the smoothie pack along with a cup of 2 % milk to make 2 servings of smoothie which I then gave to my husband and 5 year old son to try...Since anything with chocolate is met with no resistance at my home, I gathered that the taste was good enough! I could see that the smoothie was pretty thick and chocolate-y.
The smoothies have live and active cultures and provide 50% of the daily recommended calcium values. They are available in your grocer's freezer in several different flavors.

That said, I couldnt really see the value of this product. Anybody with a blender at home can easily whip up any kind of smoothie themselves at a lesser price and with the added satisfaction of using fresh ingredients.
The smoothie packs might be useful to have as backups in the freezer for those occasions when you are out of yogurt or fruits and have a hankering for a smoothie.

One of you can win the exact same prize pack that I reviewed and try the smoothie yourself !  All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what flavor of Yoplait Smoothie you would like to see in the markets next. The giveaway will be open until December 13 11.59 pm CST . Please include your email ids so that I can inform you if you win !
You can also download a coupon for the Yoplait Smoothie here

If you are interested in learning more about the product, check out the following links:
Yoplait Frozen Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie Website
Yoplait Smoothie's Facebook page
Yoplait Smoothie's Twitter Handle


Disclosure: The Yoplait VIP Coupon, information and the giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. The opinions, however are all mine!