Quotes

A "No" uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a "Yes" merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.

-Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political & spiritual leader

Washing Veggies..

Veggies look so green and beautiful when you look at them on the veggie shelves in the grocery store. I personally feel that they use a "Veggie Wash" or a "Clean Veggie spray".. and I'm sure these contain chemicals.. even if doesn't have the spray, I think we need to wash the veggies very well.

Here are a few ways to wash the veggies to ensure that it is completely clean, and free of any bacteria and dirt.

- Wash with Hot Tap Water and then with Cold Tap water
- Add 4-5 table spoons of Lime Juice to a pail of water and soak the veggies for about 4-5 minutes. Rinse in hot tap water, and then cold water.
- Add 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar to a pail of water and soak the veggies for about 4-5 minutes. Rinse in hot tap water, and then cold water.
- You can also soak the veggies in Boiling water for 1 to 5 minutes and then rinse in cold tap water

Whole-Wheat Walnut & Raisin Biscotti - no butter :)

I just saw "Everyday Food" on PBS and I loved this breakfast biscotti recipe. I immediately tried it, and it tasted great.

"Biscotti" means "double baked". A few good things about this recipe:
- No Butter
- Only 1/3rd cup of Sugar
- Very healthy as it has walnuts and raisins
- You can make it and store for a few days
- You can also make it to take along (to work/ travels) as a snack

The best part is that you use very little sugar, and no butter.. Sounds good right.. let's get into the details now..

Oil spray for the baking sheet
Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar (Brown or Regular) - 1/3 cup
Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Walnut halves - 1/2 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup (Use golden/dark raisins)
Eggs - 2
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon

Optional ingredients in place of raisins:
Cranberries - 1/4 cup
Apricots - 1/4 cup
Mini sweet chocolate chips - 1/4 cup
Or anything else you like!! Just limit the quantity to 1/4 cup

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the baking tray
2. Mix the dry ingredients
3. Beat the egg and the vanilla extract
4. Fold the dry ingredients with the egg mix
5. Make a "loaf" (1 inch thick, 2.5 inches wide and 7 inches long)
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes
6. Cut the loaf into 1/4 inch pieces using a serrated knife
7. Reduce the heat in the oven to 300 degrees
8. Place on the baking tray and bake (turning once after 10-12 minutes) for another 20-25 minutes
9. Store in an airtight container

The link: http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/recipes/walnut_raisin_biscotti.html

Chai (tea) spice mix

A lot of people as me "How to make good Chai (tea in the hindi language)".. the key is in the spices and the quality of tea. We all know that the quality of the end product depends on the ingredients that go into what you are making.

So here is a simple "spice mix" for Chai.. Please feel free to add more of what you like, and avoid what ever you don't prefer. For example, I like cardamom a lot, but don't fancy cinnamon too much.. so I add more of cardamom and less of cinnamon. I like to add the saffron and vanilla bean when the water boils, so I usually don't add them in the mix.

Ingredients:
Cardamom - 8 to 10 pods
Clove - 5-6
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch stick
Star Anise - 1/8 inch piece
Ginger powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Saffron - 6-10 strands
Pepper - 1-2 pods
Nutmeg - 1/8 teaspoon
Vanilla bean - 1/8 inch piece

1. Use a coffee grinder/mortar & pestle set/kitchen counter & knife to mix and coarse grind the spices.

2. Store the mix in a air-tight glass/plastic container.

3. Keep the container in the refrigerator or any cool, dry place.

You only need to add 1/2 teaspoon per cup of tea - so make small quantities to ensure that the mix is always fresh.

Quick tips:
- If your cup of chai tastes "perfect" then write down the ingredients (with the exact quantity used.)
If you think you need more of one spice, you can always add it to the mix.
- If you don't like it all together, you can always throw away the mix and start from scratch. Use small quantities of the spices for the "trial" so that you don't feel too bad about throwing away spices..

Let your taste buds decide the ingredients and the quantity of the same..

Try this, and let me know your "mix".

Some useful links to learn more about spices:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spices
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai

I'm back with Soy Chai

Hello.. I'm back after a brief break.. with a perfect recipe for a snowy day.. we had a snow storm last night, and it is freezing now! I really wanted to drink something hot tea but realized that I ran out of milk.. I had two cartons of Silk Vanilla Soy milk and decided to quickly try to make "Soy Chai".. and it turned out great!!

Here is what you need for two cups of tea (chai):
Water - 1 cup
Soy Milk - 1-1/2 cups
Tea leaves (four teaspoons) or tea bag (3) - the quantity really depends on the type of tea
A mix of spices
Honey/Sugar to taste

Again, please buy recently packed, good quality tea leaves or bags - it makes a lot of difference..

How to:
1. Boil water in a thick bottom vessel until you see bubbles
2. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of spice mix - see my next post for the ingredients
3. Add the tea leaves/tea bag and bring to a boil
4. Add the Soy Milk and bring to a boil
5. Add Sugar/Honey
6. Strain and drink..

I did not add sugar or honey for myself because the soy milk had a hint of vanilla. You can try it without sugar/honey and always add it later if necessary.

The quantity of water and milk can vary depending on how you want your tea. If you want it watery, add more water.. and if you want it thick, you can add more milk