Pak Choi (Bok Choi)

Pak Choy is sometimes called “Chinese white cabbage.” It comes in tightly packed heads with white and green coloration. It’s popular in stir fries and similar hot dishes. This vegetable has a lot of positive health effects, and provides a great alternative to lettuce or other kinds of cabbages. All of pak choi is edible; I just cut off and discard the very bottom of the stems. The leaves can be eaten raw in salad and quick to wilt by steaming, sauteing or stir frying.

Health Benefits of Bok Choy
Here are some of the major health benefits that bok choy provides in a diet plan.

1. Calories
Bok Choy is a low-calorie food. As a green vegetable, it doesn’t contain a lot of the fats and sugars that push calorie counts through the roof. That makes it a good way to bulk up a meal without adding a lot of calories to your plate.

2. Carbs
When it comes to carbohydrates, or carbs, it’s really hard to keep this element of your diet under control. You can lower your calorie count, cut out red meats, and avoid cheeses and fatty foods, but those carbs still creep in. After all, carbs are in almost everything, right?
Bok Choy is one of a few select foods that has a low carb value, making it a prime candidate for a low-carb diet. However, nutritional advice on carbs varies. Ask your doctor about how to get your carb levels right with a daily menu.

3. Antioxidants
The general category of vitamins called antioxidants help to ward off a wide range of diseases. Antioxidants help to prevent some kinds of cancers. They also protect the heart against some kinds of illness. Basically, these elements help the body fight off illness and pack a powerful health punch. Bok choy is high in antioxidants and will that’s another reason why it can be so helpful to add this plant to your dinners.

4. Vitamin B
Fresh bok choy has many vital B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine, and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to replenish.

5. Vitamin C
Another vitamin that bok choy has is vitamin C. This vitamin, also found in citrus fruits, helps to prevent you from getting health conditions like scurvy, where a deficiency leads to skin problems and other illnesses.

6. Vitamin K
Pak choi is very good source of vitamin K, provides about 38% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has potential role in bone metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in bone cells. Therefore, enough vitamin K in the diet makes your bone stronger, healthier and delay osteoporosis. Further, vitamin-K also has established role in curing Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

7. Folic Acid
Bok choy is a source of folic acid, which is something pregnant women generally need in their diets. Talk to your doctor about a specific diet plan if you are pregnant or nursing, and ask about all of the risks and benefits of foods including bok choy for a specialized maternity menu.

8. Potassium
Potassium is another thing that your body needs in specific levels. Bok choy can deliver this nutritional element as well, although again, you should talk to your doctor about how much potassium you need depending on current medical conditions or medications that you are taking.

All of the above are great reasons to include bok choy in your diet. Get this and other green plants into your meals, and you’ll be following the time-tested strategy of eating better to feel better, promote longevity, and generally keep yourself healthy and happy.

Stir Fry Pak Choi & Tofu With Veggies

Pak choi (also called Bok Choy) is especially delicious when eaten raw. Just slice it up, toss with a light dressing, and enjoy. A great summer alternative is to grill it on your barbecue

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
8 baby pak choi or 1 large pak choi
1/2 cup red & yellow pepper cut in stripes
1 small carrot cut in stripes
1/2 cup zucchini
1/4 cup baby corn
1/2 cup broccoli
150 gm silken Tofu
1/2 cup (125 ml) skin-on almonds, toasted (optional)

Method
In a small bowl, whisk water with soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
Rinse pak choi under cold running water, spreading leaves to wash away dirt. Pat dry with paper towels. Leave baby pak choi whole. Cut large pak choi in half lengthwise. Cut out and discard core. Slice leaves and stalks crosswise into strips.
Heat oil in a large wide saucepan, or wok, over medium-high heat. Add tofu and stir-fry until light golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add vegetables & fry till tender.
Add pak choi and pepper. Pan will be quite full, but volume decreases during cooking. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp, 3 to 4 more minutes.
Stir soy mixture and then pour into pan. Stir until sauce thickens, approximately 2 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.
Serve with basmati rice or rice noodles.

Tips
Lower leaves of Pak Choi are little harder then upper leaves so while cooking Pak Choi, always cook lower leaves first and then upper leaves.

Apple Iced Tea

There's nothing as refreshing as this thirst-quenching iced tea on a hot summer's day. Try this sweet iced delight, flavored with apple juice...:)

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 Apple chopped
1 to 2 tsp tea (Adjust according to your likeness of strong or light tea)
2 tsp Honey
1 1/2 cup Water
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
4 to 5 Ice cubes

Method
Chop the apple pieces and add it to a pan with 1/4 cup cup of water.
Allow it to boil until the apple turns soft.
Grind the apple with the boiled water until smooth and strain the apple juice with a muslin cloth. Keep aside.
You can use ready made apple juice too.
Add tea powder, cinnamon powder, cardomom powder to the remaining water.
Bring it to a boil on slow until the tea powder is fully absorbed. Now strain the decoction and allow it to cool.
Then add the apple juice to the strained decoction, add honey and ice cubes and serve chilled.

Tips

You can use store brought apple juice too.

Brownies & More...

Yummy dessert that can be made in jiffy & believe me you will just love it :)

#Oreo Cream Shots
Ingredients (serves 4)
I cup whipped cream
1/2 cup powder sugar (according to taste)
Few Oreos crushed (depends how dark you want your cream)
Oreo or glazed cherries for garnish
Brownies

Method
Mix sugar, whipped cream & crushed Oreos.
Fill it in a piping bag with a star nozzle & refrigerate.
Take four shot glasses or whatever type of bowls/glasses you want to make it in.
Press brownie pieces in the glasses.
Next pipe the cream over the brownies.
Again put another piece of brownie, but don't press it too hard.
Now again pipe the cream and garnish with glazed cherry or a piece of Oreo.
Refrigerate for few hrs.
Serve chilled.


#Coffee Cream Shots

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup powder sugar (according to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1/2 tsp drinking chocolate to sprinkle
Few chocolate pieces for garnish
Brownies

Method
Mix sugar, whipped cream & coffee.
Fill it in a piping bag with a star nozzle & refrigerate.
Take four shot glasses or whatever type of bowls/glasses you want to make it in.
Press brownie pieces in the glasses.
Next pipe the coffee cream over the brownies.
Again put another piece of brownie, but don't press it too hard.
Now again pipe the cream and garnish with chocolate pieces & sprinkle drinking chocolate powder.
Refrigerate for few hrs.
Serve chilled.

Tips
If you are using readymade whipped cream, please check if it already has sugar in it, otherwise you will end up with a very very sweet dessert.
If you have a crumbled brownie, you can still use it in this.
Oreos give dark colour to your cream so add according to your liking.
If you like strong coffee flavour then you can add more coffee to cream.
MOST IMPORTANT- taste the creams before layering so you can adjust the taste accordingly.
If you don't have brownies (& you are too lazy to bake them), you can easily make this with any other chocolate cake ;)

Savoury Zucchini Muffins

Who says muffins have to be sweet only.... So I started looking for savoury muffins on Internet & came across many recipes of zucchini muffins. But then I liked something in one and something else in other...so I came up with this recipe of my own (off course I took help from those recipes) & now I can say that these are Very Healthy & yummy savoury muffins :)

Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 tbsp oatmeal
1 tbsp flax meal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (according to taste)

Wet Ingredients
1 cup milk
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tsp chives or 1 tsp onion green
2 tbsp water (if needed)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Sieve together wheat flour, salt, baking soda & baking powder.
Mix oats & flax meal in flour.
In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, milk, zucchini, carrot, mixed herbs & chilli flakes.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir lightly – don’t over mix. If needed add little water & mix lightly.
Line a muffin tin with muffin cups or baking paper and spoon in equal amounts of the batter.
Bake for 20 minutes & check on your muffins, turn the tray around in the oven. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until lovely and golden.
Cool them or enjoy them hot :)

Tips
I loved them HOT so I won't say eat them cold :)
Either serve these as it is or grate some cheese & sprinkle black pepper and warm them up in oven for few minutes.
You can make small muffins & scoop the centre. Then fill some spicy dip.
You can add some roasted nuts in the batter and sprinkle some on the top before baking.

Zebra Cake & Muffins

My kids named it B/W SpiderMan Cake. A lovely recipe adapted from Sum's cuisine :)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Maida
3/4 cup granulated Sugar
1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
a pinch of Salt
1 cup thick curd
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tsp Vanilla essence
2 tbsp Coffee decoction (mix 1/2 tsp coffee with 2 tbsp water)
2 tsp Cocoa powder
2 tbsp Milk

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200˚C. Grease a cake tin or muffin tray and set aside.
Mix the cocoa powder and coffee decoction & set aside.
Powder the sugar & in a bowl, mix the curd and sugar till the sugar dissolves.
Stir-in the baking powder and baking soda into the curd mixture. Mix well and set aside for 2-3 minutes. The curd will turn frothy and start rising and increasing in volume.
In the meanwhile, sieve the flour thrice and set aside.
Add the oil and vanilla essence to the curd mixture. Stir gently so that the air in the mixture is not lost.
Next, gently fold in the flour. Don’t stir very vigorously; do it gently. The batter should have a dropping consistency. If you find batter little thick then add little milk but remember to end with flour.
Divide the batter into 2 equal parts.
To one part of the batter, mix coffee-cocoa mixture and fold to incorporate.
To the other part, mix in 2 tbsp of milk to adjust the consistency.

How to proceed
Place the greased pan on a flat surface.
Pour 1 tbsp of plain batter in the middle of the pan; Without shaking the pan, pour the brown batter over the first.
Repeat with the two batters alternately till the entire batter is used up.
Do not touch the pan in the whole process; the batter will spread by itself & reach the circumference.
Lower the temperature to 180˚C, & bake for 35-40 minutes, till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Once done, remove from oven & let the tin cool on a wire-rack for 10 minutes. Run a serrated knife around the edges and upturn the cake from the tin and let it cool on the wire-rack for a good amount of time before you can slice it and enjoy :)

Tips
You can sieve the baking powder & baking soda along with flour (I personally feel this is better way as the batter loses its air if we add them in curds)
I had vanilla yogurt so I used that in place of curds.
Always use curds/yogurt at room temperature.
I reduced the oil by 2 tbsp and still cake turned out good.
If you don't like coffee flavour then omit that and only add cocoa powder in 2 tbsp water.
For Real SpiderMan Cake, omit coffee & cocoa powder and instead use blue colour in one part & red colour in other part. Then just run a toothpick from centre of the batter towards outside to give spider effect.
If using colour always remember to use less first as the colour usually darkens after baking.

You can use more colours and make Rainbow Cake with same recipe.

Rasgulla & Rasmalai

Two lovely desserts in one :)

Rasagulla
Ingredients (makes 15 small rasagullas)
1 lt milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
pinch of cardamom powder

Method
Sugar syrup
Add water and sugar to pressure cooker and allow the sugar to dissolve. Bring it to boil & add a pinch of cardamom powder.

Paneer balls
Boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once it’s boiled, slowly add the lemon juice. The milk will curdle and the whey will separate. Turn off flame. Leave aside for 3-4 minutes.
Drain the whey using a strainer line with cheesecloth or muslin cloth. Gather the four corners of the cloth and twist it gently and rinse under cold water to remove the sourness of the lemon juice. Tie the ends & hang it at a height to allow the whey from the chenna to drain completely. Leave aside for 30 minutes.
Remove the chenna onto a wide plate. Now knead it gently for 3-4 minutes, till there is no trace of moisture & is absolutely soft on touch. This is a very crucial step in the process of rasgulla making.
Make small smooth balls of the kneaded chenna. Ensure there are no cracks on the balls.
Add the paneer balls to boiling sugar syrup and close the pressure cooker.
After the pressure cooker starts steaming, turn the heat to medium and cook for about seven minutes.
Make sure the pressure cooker is large enough to accommodate the finished Rasgullas, as they will expand to about double in the volume while cooking in the syrup.
Close the heat and wait a few minutes before you open the pressure cooker. Pour cold water over the pressure cooker before opening.
Rasagullas should be little spongy. After rasgullas are refrigerated the sponginess will reduce and will be soft in texture.
Serve the Rasgullas chilled OR proceed to prepare rasmalai.

Rasmalai

Ingredients
15 small rasgullas, at room temp
1 cup sugar syrup (from the rasgullas)
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp sliced pistachios
2 pinches of saffron, mixed few tbsp milk

Method
Boil the milk in a frying pan on medium heat until the milk reduce to about half.
Make sure to frequently stir the milk as the milk burns easily in bottom of the pan.
Add the sugar syrup and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Add the cardamom powder, pistachios and saffron and combine. Boil for another 5 minutes.
Gently squeeze the rasgullas with a flat ladle such that it forms a patty shape and the syrup is drained out.
Add the flattened rasgullas into the thickened milk and cook on low flame for 5 minutes. They will absorb the sweet syrup and Rasmalai is ready. Turn off heat and cool.
Garnish with sliced almonds and pistachios.
Serve the Rasmalai chilled.

Tips

Make sure that paneer is freshly made.

You can use curd to separate milk & chenna, in that case you don’t have to wash paneer in water to remove sourness.