Carrot Broccoli Soup

Soup is a comfort food! Nonetheless, soup can also make a meal when served with accompaniments such as bread, salad, soup sticks or crackers. Soup is a healthy substitute for the regular meal, when you don't feel like cooking an elaborate meal. Here is a recipe for a thick, healthy soup!

Ingredients:

Broccoli - large, 1 no  

Carrots - 2 no

Garlic - 2 cloves

Bay leaf - 1 no

Onion - 2 no, cubed

Butter or ghee - 1 tablespoon*

Cashew nuts - 10 no

Salt - to taste

Pepper - ground, ½-1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)

* You can substitute butter/ghee with vegetable oil.

Method:

• Separate broccoli florets and wash them in running water. Drain and keep aside. Peel carrots and cut into cubes.
• Heat ghee or butter in a kadai. Add bay leaf and sauté for a minute. Add in garlic cloves and onion cubes. Sauté till onion becomes transparent. Now add broccoli, carrot, cashew nuts and half a cup of water. 
• Cover and cook on low flame till the vegetables are done. Switch off the stove and allow the contents to cool.
• Remove the bay leaf, and blend the remaining ingredients into a smooth puree using the mixer-grinder.
• Transfer the puree to the kadai. Add 3 cups of water, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring it to boil and then simmer for 2-3 minutes. Your soup is ready! Serve hot with bread or any other accompaniment of your choice. 

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Home-made Energy Bar

The latest dietary guidelines issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research recommends daily intake of 35 grams nuts and seeds for every adult. While other international guidelines recommend daily serving of 30 grams of nuts. How to include nuts and seeds in our daily diet? Here's an easy way of making a snack with nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

Ingredients: (Makes 24 bars)

Almonds - 80 grams

Seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, flax seeds) - 80 grams

Roasted peanuts - 80 grams

Cashew nuts - 25 grams

White sesame seeds - 15 grams

Pistachio - 20 grams

Black raisins - 40 grams

Rolled oats - 300 grams* 

Dates - 15 no**

Honey - 2 tablespoons

Coconut oil or ghee - 1 tablespoon

Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon***

* I used Quaker oats. You can use any brand of your choice.

**I used Kimia dates. If you are using hard dates, soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes.

***Instead of cinnamon powder you may use vanilla extract if desired.

Method:

• Roast almonds, cashew nuts and pistachio in a kadai on medium flame for 3-4 minutes. Keep aside to cool.
• Roast rolled oats till the grain becomes crispy. Roast the seeds for 2 minutes. Roast black sesame seeds till the seeds start to sputter. Allow the ingredients to cool.
• Chop the nuts coarsely using the pulse/whip function of mixer-grinder just once or twice.
• Remove the seeds and grind the dates with 2 tablespoons of water into a smooth paste.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee or coconut oil in the kadai. Add the dates paste and cook on low flame till it thickens and forms a mass. Add honey, cinnamon powder and black raisins. Blend together. 
• Add the nuts and mix together. Now add all other ingredients and mix well. Switch off the stove.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the tray and spread uniformly.
• Apply the remaining ghee or coconut oil to the surface and press down using a spatula.
• Place the tray in the storage compartment of the fridge and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Later cut the mixture into bars. Finally bake at 160℃ for 4 minutes using the microwave oven in convection mode or in an Oven-Toaster-Griller.
• Allow the bars to cool to room temperature. Separate the bars and fold them individually in parchment paper as shown in the picture.
• Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated. Use as needed.

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