Garlic Fries

You want fries with that? Now fries can be healthy if you make it at home. It's easy to make fries at home. All it takes is some sliced potatoes, oil and an oven. This is a recipe that I tailored to make garlic fries.

Ingredients:
3-4 Potatoes cut into wedges
5-6 Garlic pieces (finely chopped)
Oil, salt, red pepper

1. Cut potatoes into wedges, and put it in a bowl
2. Finely chop the garlic, and put it in the bowl
3. Now put some olive oil (or vegetable oil), salt, red pepper, and mix it really well. The oil should coat all the potatoes.
4. Put it in the oven at 425 degrees Farenheit for about 20 min, and then turn them over, and then probably another 20-30 min.

That's it. Quick, delicious, and crisp fries!

Aaloo Raita (Yogurt with potatoes)

This is very simple, and you could eat it with any rice dish or with bread, naan etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1 potato (1/2 potato if the size is big)
1/4 cup milk

1. Boil Potato. I usually do this in microwave, takes 2-3 mins.
2. Allow the potato to cool, peel, and cut it into small pieces.
3. In a bowl, take yogurt, put milk in it and beat it with a whisk to get smooth consistency.
4. Add potatoes to it.
5. Add salt, pepper according to taste.
6. For garnishing use little bit of red chili powder and coriander leaves.

This is healthy too since it contains yogurt and fresh ingredients. That's it. Quick, easy, delicious and healthy.

Hassle Fee Dessert

If there are guests coming over for dinner, then most of the time goes into preparing the main course and there is usually not enough time left for preparing dessert. This idea for dessert I saw on the Easy Entertaining Show on Food Network.

It's very easy and simple. It makes a great dessert for guests but also you can prepare it in weekdays just for yourself. And best of all it uses one of the delicious ingredients: ice cream.

Ingredients:
- Hazelnut Gelato Ice cream (or any other ice cream will do)
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar and coco powder

1. Put two scoops of ice cream in a cup.
2. Steam the milk to make foam. I don't have a steamer, so warming the milk, and then putting it in a blender to make the foam also works.
3. Put the foam over the ice cream in the cups.
4. Sprinkle powdered sugar, and coco powder on the top.

That's it. It's quick, easy, delicious, and sure to impress your guests.

Customizing Header

This is not a recipe for eating, but recipe for customizing the blogger header. I had to try different options before finding one that worked. So I thought to share what worked here.

1. I tried to remove the default header by following the steps listed here. The steps in the main blog didn't work for me, but a comment listed on the blog worked. It basically states that go to 'Edit Html', and change the 'locked=true' to 'locked=false' for the 'div id=header-wrapper' section.
2. Click on 'Template'->'Page Elements'.
3. Click on 'Edit' for the header, and click 'Remove Element'. This will remove the default header.
4. Click on 'Add a Page Element', and click on 'Picture' and upload the picture for the header.
5. If you have a header picture of the correct size, uncheck 'Shrink to Fit' check box. Click Save.
6. Drag the new picture element where header used to be.

That's it. It should put the header with the image on the blog.

Healthy Sprout Salad

This recipe is easy as well as good for you. You can eat it as a snack or as a salad or lunch. Just put it in a container and take it with you.




Ingredients:
- 1 Bag of Mung-Dal Sprouts (available at Indian Stores or health food stores)
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped
- Salt/Pepper
- Lemon Juice

1. Rinse mung-dal sprouts
2. Boil some water in a pan, and add mung-dal sprouts for 5-6 mins
3. Strain the sprouts, and put it in a bowl.
4. Add cucumber, onion, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to it.
5. Mix it well and enjoy!

This is quick, easy, delicious and healthy!

Chocolate Ice cream Coffee Dessert/Drink

This is great drink/dessert made with chocolate ice cream and coffee, two ingredients that go along really well together. I saw this on TV and is really easy to make.

Ingredients:
Chocolate Ice cream
Milk
Instant Coffee Powder
Coco Powder

1. Combine two scoop of chocolate ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon coffee powder (and some sugar if you like it really sweet) in blender, and blend it.
2. Pour it into a glass, put some whipped cream on top, put another scoop of chocolate ice cream on the top, and sprinkle powdered sugar and coco powder on top.

That's it. It could be used as an after dinner dessert or drink. It's quick, easy and delicious.

Super Easy Delicious Sandwich

All my recipes usually start with the phrase: "This recipe is quick and easy". What can I say, that's the description of this blog as well. And this sandwich recipe that I am going to share below is really very quick, easy and delicious.

Ingredients:
Bread
Mayonnaise
Cucumber
Tomatoes

1. Spread mayonnaise on the bread pieces.
2. Put couple of pieces of cucumber, and couple of pieces of tomatoes.
3. Sprinkle salt, pepper according to taste

That's it. It's very fast. You can make it in the morning and take it for lunch and snack. Also mayonnaise keeps it soft and moist. Kids will like it as well. There you go, quick, easy and delicious!

Roasted Potatoes

This recipe was on Everyday Italian show at Food Network. It's very quick and hasslefree.

Ingredients:
- Small red potatoes (10-20)
- Small white potatoes (10-20)
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- Olive Oil
- Salt, Black pepper

1. In a bowl mix olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper (and any other herbs you want)
2. In a baking pan or sheet, put potatoes and pour the oil mixture
3. Put it in the oven for about 45 mins.- 1 hr at 400 degrees

It could be prepared in advance if company is coming over, and just reheat when needed in the oven for 10 mins.

Jeera Aaloo (Potatoes with Cumin Seeds)

This is one of the simplest dishes you can make. And I have made it many times when I don't have enough time, or I just need to add one extra side dish to the menu. Whatever the case, try this quick and easy recipe for potatoes.

There are many versions for it. This is the simplest one that I like.

4 Potatoes
2 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
2 green chilli pepper (split in half)
Salt and red chilli pepper according to taste

1. Boil potatoes (I usually do this in the microwave. Just wash the potatoes, put it in a plastic bag, and boil for about 4-5 mins)
2. Let the potatoes cool a bit, and unpeel them. Cut the potatoes in square pieces.
3. Take a pan, and heat the oil
4. Add cumin seeds to it, and add the green chilli peppers. Cook it until the cumin seeds are little brown.
5. Add potatoes to it.
6. Add salt, red chilli powder to it. Also if you like you can add 1 teaspoon of garam masala.

This can be eaten hot or you can just pack and take it with you as a snack. It's quick, easy and delicious!

Quick & Easy Home-made Yogurt

I used to think that making yogurt (dahi) at home is very time consuming and takes a lot of effort. However, that's not the case at all. It's very simple, economical and takes no time at all. All you need for making home-made yogurt is milk and 2 tablespoon of yogurt.

The steps to making home-made yogurt are:

1. Boil milk on microwave or stove. I usually do this in the microwave in a glass bowl so that it goes from microwave to fridge to the dinner table.
2. Let the milk cool down so that it's warm. During winter, don't let it cool down too much.
3. Add 2 tablespoon of yogurt which acts as a culture.
4. Cover it with a lid. Put it in such a place so that it does not get moved or knocked over. If it's winter, you can also put a cloth over it.
5. Let it sit for more 8-12 hours, and that's it.

I usually boil the milk while I am eating dinner or after dinner. Let the milk cool down a bit, and then add culture to it. Set is aside for the whole night. Next day, home made yogurt is ready!

Super fast dish made with home made cheese

There is a very simple way to make cheese from milk, and this type of cheese is very common in India. So how do you do it? It's very simple, and takes only a few minutes.

A lot of people are curious how to make fresh cheese at thome. It is easy really.

I'll describe how to make fresh cheese, and a simple recipe using fresh onions and tomatoes. So here it goes:

I. Make Fresh Cheese From Milk:
1. Boil 1/2 gallon milk on stove or microwave.
2. After it comes to a full boil, put two tablespoon of vinegar in it, and keep stirring. As you are stirring you'll see cheese forming and separating from water. Keep stirring until you see the liquid become more or less clear. It looks like Cottage Cheese.
3. Strain the cheese in a strainer. That's it, home made cheese is ready!

It could be used for making sandwiches right away, or you can make paneer burji in another 10 mins.

=> I usually boil milk in the microwave, as it's easy to clean up. For 1/2 gallon of milk, my microwave usually takes 6-8 min, but be sure to watch it.

II. Making Indian Panner Burji (Fresh made cheese with ginger, onions, tomatoes)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion if it's big (or 1 small one) chopped
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 teaspoon ginger minced
• 2 teaspoon oil
• Salt, pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Garam Masala (Optional)

1. In a pan, heat some oil.
2. Put some minced ginger in it.
3. Put chopped onions in it, and let it become light brown.
4. Put diced tomatoes in it (fresh or canned)
5. Add salt, pepper according to taste.
6. Add turmeric powder.
7. Cook for about 5 mins (till most of the water is dried).
8. Put fresh made cheese in it.
9. Add some garam masala if you have it.
10. Serve with bread.

Wasn't that simple. You can make the cheese ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. And then when you are ready just make sandwiches with it, or make delicious fresh paneer burji with onions, tomatoes, and ginger and serve it hot!