" Nutritious and Delicious"- Watermelon and Strawberry Pops

Feeling Hot in Summer??? Want to cool off with a healthy treat???? I promise...you will love this one!!! I had invited 'G' and 'A' yesterday for dinner. I was thinking about dessert.Since 'G' loves 'healthier' foods...I thought about this Sweet...Juicy..Watermenoly....Berrilicious treat!! The sweet watermelon juice with the tart strawberries..is a wonderful combination and you will definitely go for one more without feeling guilty!!!

It is so simple to make...and you can make these with any Juicy fruits...like Peaches puree, Orange juice, Apple Juice, Kiwi Puree and add berries or other fruit pieces to it.....Freeze into Pops...DONE!!!
Kids love anything that is cold and on a stick!!! You won't feel guilty if they eat two of these at once!!

Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon pieces
1/2 cup sliced strawberries(you can add any berries)
1 tsp sugar(skip if the watermelon is sweet enough)
1/2tsp salt

Method:
1) Puree the watermelon in the blender along with salt and sugar.
2) In the Popsicle molds add the sliced strawberries.Try to press them on the sides of the mold...so that they look pretty.
3) Pour the watermelon juice in the mold
4) Insert Ice cream sticks/ mold inserts in the molds.
5) Freeze in the freezer for 4 hrs..ENJOY!1

"Everyday Cooking"- 'Three Pepper' Spicy Shrimp

"M' has been away for this whole week. I am bored... tired ...handling both 'E' and 'A' on my own... and.... can't wait for this week to get over!!
To give myself some 'enthusiasm'...I cooked this for lunch today. 'M' is not a big fan of Shrimps (He thinks they look  like worms!!! LOL!!) So Shrimp is my 'lonely' food...i.e food that I cook ..when he is out on work tour ...
I like my Shrimp spicy....and today I made it with three types of peppers- Green Chili Pepper(green chilies), Green Bell Pepper and Black Pepper...
And that gorgeous...delicate Cilantro...is from my very own vegetable garden!!!

Ingredients:
1 Cup cleaned deveined Shrimp
1/2 large onion sliced thinly
1 large tomato sliced thinly
1/4 cup Green Bell pepper sliced thinly
1-2 Green Chili sliced thinly
8-12 whole Black Peppers
1 Clove Garlic finely chopped
1/2tsp Chicken Curry Masala
1/4tsp Cumin
3tsp oil
Salt
Chopped Cilantro for Garnish

Method:
1) Heat oil in a pan, when hot add the cumin and black pepper.add the sliced onions.Fry till golden brown.
2) Add the Chilies, Green peppers,garlic and tomatoes and salt and fry till nicely cooked and brown.Add the masala powder and fry 1-2 mins.
3) Add the cleaned washed Shrimp to the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins till the Shrimp is tender and cooked through.
4) Garnish with chopped cilantro.Serve HOT with Rotis/ Naan/ Rice.

"Sweet Treats"- Cranberry-Almond-Pistachio Biscottis

Back from a great vacation to 'Put-in-Bay ,South Bass Island' in Ohio. It is a tiny little island on Lake Erie and was a great spot to spend the day with the kids. Little 'E' and 'A' had fun riding in the Golf cart on the petite roads of the island.
Now that we are back, and having being missed by my kitchen for 4 days (just kidding!)...I made these Lovely Crunchy Colorful- Cranberry-Almond-Pistachio Biscottis ( my all time favorite!!!) to warm up the oven!

I have come to love the combination of Red Cranberries and Green Pistachios...and have been using it a lot in desserts lately.I think it looks colorful and festive and makes the food 'pretty looking'!

Ingredients:
3 and 1/2 cups All purpose flour
5 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 large eggs
1/4cup oil
1and 1/4th cup granulated sugar
3tsp Baking Powder
1/4tsp salt
1/2 cup Chopped Almonds and Pistachios
1/3rd cup chopped dried Cranberries
1tsp Vanilla essence

Method:
1) Cream together butter,oil,salt and sugar.Add the eggs and beat again till well blended and smooth
2)Preheat oven to 350F and grease a cookie sheet evenly.
3) Add rest of the ingredients to the creamed butter.Make into a soft dough.
4) Roll into logs and flatten them.

5) Bake at 350F for 25 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 mins.Turn the oven  down to 325F
6) Slice the baked log horizontally or at an angle with a sharp knife.
7) Place the cut-up Biscottis flat on the cookie sheet and 're bake' at 325 F for 10-12 mins until slight golden.Do not let them brown!! Remove from oven promptly.
8) Let them cool on the cookie sheet it self. Store in airtight container.

 Dunk and enjoy this sweet- crunchy- nutty -colorful Biscottis with your favorite cup of Coffee or tea....