Ingredients

Cauliflower - 1 no
Cream of celery soup – 1 can
Cheese - fat free - ½ cup
Butter – 2 tbsp
Paprika and parsley

Preparation

Cook cauliflower in salted boiling water. Drain well. Cover bottom of a greased 9″ pan with a layer of soup. Place cauliflower over soup. Add remaining soup. Sprinkle with cheese. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley. Bake 350° for 20 minutes.

Tip: When you are really short of time, you can think of partially prepared products. Today’s well-stocked supermarkets offer an array of partially prepared products; chopped carrots, broccoli or tomatoes to cooked macaroni and cheese; chopped dried fruit or nuts to rice; sliced red and green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli florets - the list presumed to be endless.

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts– 2 lbs
Celery – finely chopped – ¾ cup
Carrot – finely chopped – ¾ cup
Onion – finely chopped – ¾ cup
Bacon – finely chopped – ¾ cup
Pepper and salt to taste

Preparation

Rinse and core brussel sprouts and then separate leaves. In large frying pan heat bacon, carrot, celery, and onion until vegetables are lightly browned. Add 2/3 c water. Add sprouts and stir until slightly wilted, about 12 minutes. Pour into bowl add seasoning to taste.

Note: The nutritional content of sprouts is considerably greater than the original food value of the seeds and beans from which they sprout. In fact, sprouts have a greater concentration of vitamins & minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytonutrients, immune enhancing and detoxifying protect ants and anti-oxidants than at any other point in the plant’s life.

Ingredients

Butter – 1/3 cup
Dried thyme – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Pepper – ¼ tsp
Cauliflowerets – 3 cup
Broccoli florets – 2 cup
Carrots – 6 no
Onions - 3 no

Preparation

Place butter in a shallow 3 qt. baking dish; place in a 400º oven for 5 minutes or until melted. Stir in thyme, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Notes: Baked foods are excellent for health. While having vegetables, make sure that you are consuming all types of vegetables. You can plan the menu for a week, keeping this in mind. Here Broccoli is of dark green type while, carrot is of orange type.

Ingredients

Yam – sliced 1 inch thick and 11/2 inch long - 3 no
Crushed Pineapple – 3/4cup
Maple syrup – 4 tbsp
Egg white – of 2 eggs

Preparation

Cook yams in boiling water for 25-35 minutes or until very soft and tender. Drain and mash thoroughly until smooth. Preheat oven to 400. Mix drained pineapple and 3 tablespoons syrup into mashed yams. Spoon into a 9 inch round or 8-inch square non-stick baking pan. Beat egg whites to soft peaks; add remaining 1 tablespoon syrup and beat until stiff; spread with a spatula, using a swirling motion, on top of yam mixture. Bake at 400~ for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tips: People are hesitant to eat bread because they think it will make them fat. The fact is that the toppings we add to bread have many more calories or fat than the bread itself. Many breads except for biscuits, muffins, and sweet rolls—are low in fat.

Ingredients

Banana – 4 no
Lemon – grated rind and juice – 2 no
Brown sugar – 1/4 cup
Butter – melted – 1/4 cup

Preparation

Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a buttered baking dish. Brush bananas with lemon juice; sprinkle with grated lemon juice; sprinkle with grated lemon rind and brown sugar. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm as a side dish with meat or as a dessert plain or with ice cream.

Note: Bananas contain lot of vitamin B6, which is needed to make a neurotransmitter called serotonin in the brain. Serotonin can reduce pain, depress appetite and make you feel relaxed and less stressed. One property, which distinguishes bananas from other fruits is that bananas are rich in carbohydrate. Bananas contain low levels of carotene and vitamin C, but are rich in potassium.

Ingredients

Egg plant – cut into cubes – 1 no
Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Onion – chopped – ½ cup
Tomatoes – 1 lb – 1 can
Parsley – chopped – 1 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Pepper – 1/8 tsp
Bread crumbs – 1 cup
Fat free cheese – ½ cup

Preparation

Sauté eggplant lightly in drippings or oil in a large skillet; place in 8-cup casserole. Sauté onions in same pan until soft; stir in chili powder and cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper; heat to boiling; pour over eggplant; top with crumbs and cheese. Bake 350° 30 minutes or until eggplant is tender.
Tip: While buying, make a habit to read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and added sugars (caloric sweeteners).

Ingredients

Medium eggplant – 1 no
Mayonnaise – 3 tbsp
Water – 3 tbsp
Grated Parmesan cheese – 6 tbsp
Breadcrumbs – ¼ cup

Preparation

Cut skin off of the eggplant and slice in 3/8 to 1/2 inch slices. Put in ice water for 15-20 minutes. Blend mayonnaise and water together. Mix Parmesan cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs. Take the eggplant out of ice water and blot dry. Dip in mayo, then in breadcrumbs. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a nonstick baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven 475° F. for 5 minutes, turn over and bake for 3-4 minutes longer or until eggplant is golden and crisp on the inside and tender inside.

Note: While selecting, look for eggplants that are shiny, plump, firm, and unwrinkled, definitive signs of freshness. The fruit should feel heavy for its size, indicating good moisture content. Eggplants that have scars or bruises on the surface indicate the flesh may be bruised and discolored inside.

Ingredients

Frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, lima beans, cut green beans) – 1 pound
Potatoes – 3 no
Chopped tomato – 1 no
Chopped onion – 1 no
Curry leaves - 8 no
Yogurt – 2 cups
Coriander (chopped) – 2 tbsp
Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp
Ginger- 1 tbsp
Powdered cumin coriander – 3 tsp
Powdered red hot pepper- 1 tsp
Powdered turmeric- ½ tsp
Salt- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Preparation

Heat the vegetable oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add cumin seeds followed by the chopped onion. When the onion turns brown, add the mixed vegetable. Fry for two minutes, add potatoes, tomatoes, turmeric powder, powdered red pepper, salt, curry leaves, crushed ginger. Cover the pan and cook the mixture on medium heat for 20 minutes or till the potatoes are soft. Then add the yogurt and stir it thoroughly in the vegetable. Garnish it with chopped fresh green coriander,

Note: This is a tasty dish, which you can go for, once in a while.

Tips: Store yogurt in the refrigerator before and after opening. Yogurt will have the best flavor if your refrigerator is kept at 40° F or lower. The yogurt will keep until the expiration date. Yogurt stored at higher temperatures or for longer times may develop a sharp flavor. If liquid separates, mix it thoroughly into the yogurt before serving. Do not freeze yogurt. It will separate when thawed. Foods containing yogurt as an ingredient, such as Popsicles or cooked casseroles, may be frozen.

Ingredients

Pineapple chunks – 10
Low fat vanilla yogurt
Sugar substitutes – 2 packages
Sliced banana – 1
Low fat sugar cookies

Preparation

Mix pineapple, bananas, sugar substitute, and yogurt. Serve with low fat sugar cookies.

Tip: Low-fat yogurt is a richer source of calcium than milk.

Ingredients

Potato - chopped- 3 no
Carrot - chopped- 2 no
Onion – chopped – 3 no
Green chilly- chopped - 2 no
Ginger- chopped- 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 6 no
Coconut milk – milk of ½ coconut
Salt – to taste
Powdered spices – 1 pinch (optional)
Oil – 2 tbsp
Water – 2 cups

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves, chopped green chilly, ginger and chopped onions. When it turns golden brown, add chopped potatoes, and carrots. Mix it well for 3 minutes and then add water, powdered spices and salt. Bring to boil. Mash the potatoes and carrots with a wooden ladle while stirring. Simmer till the mixture thickens. Now add coconut milk and after one minute pour it into a serving bowl and serve hot with buns or bread.

Note: This is a recipe, which you can go for occasionally. Very tasty as well as nutritious !