Homemade granola

Ingredients:

Rolled oats 200 gm

Mixed nuts 150 gm (almonds, cashew nuts, walnut, Brazil nuts take your pick)

Mixed seeds 50 gm (Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds etc)

Desiccated coconut 50 gm

Ground cinnamon 1 tsp

Dried fruits 150 mg (apricots, prunes, figs, dates etc)
Maple syrup/runny syrup 3tbsp
Olive oil 2tbsp

Pre-heat the oven to 180 c. Put the dry granola ingredients including the coconut and but not the dried fruit , on a baking tray. Sir well. Add the maple syrup or honey and stir again. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remember to take the tray out every 5 minutes and give it a good stir and smooth out before putting it back in the oven.While it's roasting, chop up any large sized dried fruit. When the granola is nice and golden,  remove it from oven and mix it with the dried fruit.

Once it's cooled down, serve it with a dollop of natural yogurt and some brown sugar if needed. The granola stays in an airtight container for more than 2 weeks.

Chicken with sundried tomato and basil with roasted veggies

Ingredients:

2 organic chicken breasts
50 gms sundried tomato paste
20 leaves of fresh basil leaves chopped finely
 2 carrots cut lengthwise
2 parsnips cut lengthwise
5 brocolli florets cut into medium pieces
10 mushrooms halved
1 medium red onion chopped lengthwise

Marinade the chicken with sun-dried tomato and basil paste and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Boil the vegetables in hot boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Strain and keep aside. Then grill the chicken breasts in the oven at 175 c till they are crispy. Put the vegetables in the oven after the chickens have been cooking for about 15 minutes. Take each tray out when they are done. Serve hot.

Down came the rain by Brook Shields

Title:Down Came the Rain: A Mother's Story of Depression and Recovery
Rating:****
I first heard about this book on oprah. I thought Brook Shields was honest and heartfelt. And that is the overwhelming feeling that I get from this book. It's what she went through during and after her pregnancy. It is a truly heartfelt book. She does mention the special issues she has to deal with because she is a celebrity but there is no self pity. She comes across as a mature woman who had to go through hell for a specific period in her life.

It is an excellent book. Speaking as someone who has suffered post natal depression, it was eerily accurate. And it is not even a little bit self indulgent.  Absolute must read for someone who has suffered from post-natal depression. An excellent read for pregnant women. A very good book for all the other women.

Salmon Kedgeree

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets
200 ml skimmed milk
1 vegetable stock cube melted in 200 ml water
200 gm basmati rice
1 red onion chopped lengthwise
100 gm baby spinach

Set the oven temperature to 180C.  Mix the milk and the stock and put in an ovenproof dish. Put the salmon fillet in the mixture and cover in a foil from all sides. Cook in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or till the salmon flakes easily. Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Wrap the fish in the foil to keep it warm.

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and add the rice. After the rice is well coated with oil, add the liquid from the fish and cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Then add the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes or till the rice is well cooked. Flake the salmon and add to the rice and serve hot. Garnish with a boiled egg cut into thin slices.

Easy no-cheese pizza

This pizza does not need cheese to taste good. However if you want cheese on it, feel free to put some after all the other toppings. It comes out very well even without the cheese. Crisp and nice.

225 gm wholemeal bread flour
11/2 tsp dried yeast
150 ml warm water
4 tbsp tomato passata
1/2 red onion finely chopped lengthwise
1/2 each red,yellow and green pepper chopped finely lengthwise
1 tsp chopped mixed herbs
1 tsp sea-salt
8 cherry tomatoes halved
1 tbsp olive oil

Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Blend the yeast into water until the yeast is dissolved.Make a well in the center of the flour and add the liquid.Mix them together and knead on a floured surface till it is smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 10 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 200C.
Knead the dough and roll it out on a large flat surface into a large circle. Place it on a baking sheet. Brush the pizza base with olive oil.Spoon the passata onto it evening leaving a border around the edge.Arrange the tomato, peppers and onions on the base and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Easy leek and potato soup

Ingredients:
4 leeks chopped roughly
1 medium potato chopped into small chunks
3 spring onions chopped into small pieces
1 clove of garlic grated or cut into small pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
Cream to garnish and serve


Heat the oil. Add the garlic and spring onions. Stir for about a minute. Then add the leek and potato pieces. Cook for about 4 minutes till everything is well coated with oil. Then add water and cook for about a half hour or till everything is soft. Then blend in a food processor till the mixture is smooth. Pour in a bowl and garnish with cream before serving.

It is a very filling soup and goes extremely well with garlic bread. Try it, you will thank me.

"Body for life" by Bill Philips

Body for life by Bill Philips 
This book came to my attention in the year 2001 when I was sitting in Borders in Chicago drinking coffee loaded with sugar and cake on the side while looking through the book. The first thing that struck me on this book that I have not come across in other nutrition and fitness publications was the amount of space dedicated to the images and stories of people who transformed their health and bodies by the eating and exercise plans described here, which were really inspirational and pulled me right into the book. While this program is designed for 12 weeks (used by some brave ones to compete for a prize based on amount of progress and physical transformation), in reality it is meant to encourage a life time commitment to yourself and your well-being.
    The basis of the exercise plan is only 20 min of aerobic first thing in the morning for 3 days and weight training 3 times per week. The instructions for the exercises are very clear and mostly could be done with variety of dumbbells in the comfort of your own home especially for beginners and ladies who would not need to work with heavy weights in the beginning. The eating plan is very simple and clearly described with "all you want to eat Sundays". Over the years I have read many books on fitness and nutrition but the "Body for Life" stands the test of time with its common sense approach, clarity in the description on plans and instructions and the sheer motivational power it conveys through the true stories of people that actually executed the program with great results.
    My only issue with Body for Life at the time was the outright advertisement of the nutritional supplement products by the author's company - At another time I would like to review various supplements including the products advertised in this book - so stay tuned!

O.S.