Baked French Toast Slices

I don't like spending too much time in the kitchen for making breakfast. I always prefer recipes for breakfasts that can be prepared within 15-20 minutes. French toast has always been my favorite breakfast recipes especially on lazy Sunday mornings when we wake up late and most of the time it is a brunch or very light breakfast. If you ask my son what he'd like to have for a quick breakfast, the answer is always the same - Either it is pancakes or french toast. He usually has oatmeal or cornflakes before going to school everyday which he finds very boring. But as he is a very slow eater, I have very limited choices to give him for breakfast during school days. 

This version of baked french toast is so delicious and trust me no one can ever go wrong with this recipe.. This recipe is always a hit. It is really very simple and quick to make. Crispy outside and fluffy inside with sugar and a bit of buttery taste - these french toasts are absolutely yummy or should I say tremendously decadent. If you want, you can serve these french toast drizzled with syrup of your choice or eat it as it is. Do try these fantastic baked french toast slices and enjoy.

Ingredients:-

• 8 slices of bread
• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• few drops of yellow color (optional)
• bread crumbs 
• butter

Method:-

• Cut each bread slice into three pieces.
• Grease a baking tray with butter and keep aside. 
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• In a wide bowl, add eggs, sugar, yellow color, vanilla essence. Beat well with a whisk.
• Add milk and beat again until the mixture is well blended.
• Dip each bread slices in the bread mixture. Do not over-soak. Just coat it completely.
• Roll in breadcrumbs.
• Place on a greased baking tray.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
• Remove and brish the tops with melted butter.
• Flip to the other side and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes.
• Serve with drizzled syrup.

Notes:-

• You may avoid rolling the bread slices in breadcrumbs.
• You may cut the bread into half to form triangles instead of slices.
• Adjust the sugar as per required. 
• If you do not want to bake them, just grease a pan with oil or ghee, dip each bread slices in the mixture and fry on low heat on both sides till golden brown.. Do not use breadcrumbs if you are frying it in a pan. 

Happy Cooking!!!

Sending this to :- Arthy Shama's Healthy Snacking and WTML & Gayathri’s Announcement Page and Vardhini's Bake Fest # 25 

Vegetable Dalia Upma - A Diabetic Awareness Post

Swathi had invited me to write a post on diabetic awareness. Unfortunately, I had some internet issues and then my son went down with viral fever..  Sorry for the delay Swathi Iyer. Hence, I dedicate this post to raising diabetic awareness and trying to make a difference for those living with diabetes.

Diabetes is a never-ending condition.  This means that it lasts for a long time, often for someone's whole life. For our bodies to work properly we need to convert glucose (sugar) from food into energy. A hormone called insulin is important for the conversion of glucose into energy. There are two major types of diabetes called type 1 and type 2. Diabetes that occurs temporarily during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes.  Most common symptoms include- a history of blurred vision, itchiness, nerve damage, repeated vaginal infections, and tiredness.

My Father-In-Law and Father had diabetes and my Mother-In-Law is also diabetic. My father-in-law used to take 1 tsp fenugreek seeds soaked overnight in a cup of water to keep his diabetes in control. My Mother-in-law eats less rice, more vegetables, moderate fat food, black tea without sugar and includes greens and bitter gourds a lot in her diet.

The most important thing you should do is to lose weight which can help you lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels very much.  Small lifestyle changes such as a well –balanced diet and a regular exercise can help manage the blood glucose levels without further complications. Before you plan a fitness regime for yourself, it is a must to get your doctor’s approval on it, especially if you’ve been inactive for long. Measure your blood glucose levels more frequently. Avoid eating sweet foods. Eat more of low-carb foods. Eat more frequent meals with smaller quantities to beat hunger. Also drink lots of water because the best way of getting rid of excess sugar is through urine.

Some people believe that eating fruit is healthy for diabetes. Of course, fruit is a healthy food as it contains fiber and lots of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. But you should consult your doctor about which fruits are right for you, the quantity to be eaten and also how often can you eat them.

Dalia or broken wheat is a healthy choice if you are on a diabetes diet. It is an excellent source of fiber and low in fat which is why it is mostly recommended food by dieticians too. This upma is definitely tasty, flavorful and nutritious for an early morning breakfast. 

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup broken wheat / dalia
• 1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
• 7-8 french beans (stringed and chopped)
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• handful of green peas
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 inch piece ginger (shredded)
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp split & skinned black gram / urad dal
• 1 tsp split Bengal gram / chana dal
• few curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida
• salt to taste

Method:-

• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and asafoetida.
• Add onions, green chillies, ginger, carrot and french beans. Saute for 2 minutes.
• Add 3 cups water, green peas and salt.
• When water starts boiling, add the dalia. Mix well and simmer.
• After 5 minutes, mix lightly and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Notes:-

• You may avoid adding vegetables and make the upma plain if you want. 

Happy Cooking!!

Sending this to :- Arthy Shama's Healthy Snacking and WTML & Gayathri’s Announcement Page

Venn Pongal (South Indian Style Khichdi)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It reminds me of the saying, "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper is the key to a healthy lifestyle." In our home, breakfast time is usually a very hurried affair. Hubby and son are always on a rush for office and school. On the contrary, dinners are one of the most happy times, because of mainly three reasons - food, family and discussions.

Pongal is one dish that is prepared at least once in a week in our home. It is my comfort dish with a simple combination of rice and moong dal (yellow split lentils) seasoned in black pepper, cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds and ghee (clarified butter). It is a very common and popular breakfast in South India. We can also say, a South Indian version of the North Indian khichdi. It is a very healthy, nutritious and quite filling dish. My son loves this pongal accompanied by some sambar. You can have it for dinner too and if you ask me - my family can have it 3 times a day without complaining. It is one of the best foods you can give your toddler (just do not add peppercorn to the recipe). 

Ingredients:- 

• 1 cup parboiled rice
• ½ cup moong dal (yellow split lentils)
• 3 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• salt to tase

Method:-

• Wash the rice and dal together and pressure cook with 5 cups water and salt.
• Heat 2 tbsp ghee and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and curry leaves.
• Fry for 1½ minutes and pour this seasoning over the rice-dal mixture. Mix well.
• Transfer the mixture onto a bowl.
• Serve piping hot drizzled with the remaining ghee.

Notes:-

• You can add 1 inch piece ginger cut into slivers in the seasoning if you like.

Happy Cooking!! 

Sending this entry to :- Cutchi Kitchen's Giveaway and Hetal's 1st Anniversary Celebration Giveaway and Cook With White announced at Merry Tummy and Foodabulous Fest Event organised by SimplyTADKA & Rafeeda's Announcement Page and  Cooking With Seeds event hosted by Shruti Rasoi and announced by Priya and Amrita's Party Event and Srivalli's Kid's Delight Potluck Party and Nandoo's Healthy Breakfast Event 

Spinach Cheddar Muffins - Home Baker's Challenge # 5

This month's challenge for Home Bakers Challenge was announced by Shama Of Easy 2 Cook Recipes. She gave us six choices - vegetable muffins, banana coconut crumps, banana nut muffins, honey drizzled semolina cake, pumpkin coffee cake and spinach cheddar muffins.

I always wanted to bake a savory muffin. But somehow kept delaying it. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so. And I was really excited to try the spinach cheddar muffins.

I love the taste of spinach, color, flavor and nutritional value. These are very simple to bake muffins which are quite tasty and healthy too. I made slight changes to the original recipe as it was very mild and also because I used fresh spinach instead of frozen. I made these muffins on a Sunday morning for breakfast and immediately fell in love with these delicious muffins. My hubby declared that I should these muffins at least once a month. 

Ingredients:-

• 2 eggs
• 1 onion (finely chopped) 
• 1¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup spinach (finely chopped) 
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp baking pdr
• 1 tsp red chilli pdr  
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Method:-

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the muffin cups.
• Heat butter in a wok and add onion. Saute for a minute. Add spinach and cook till water evaporates. Keep aside to cool.
• Sieve altogether flour, red chilli pdr, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and flour alternately and keep on beating.
• Add cheddar cheese and spinach and beat until evenly blended.  
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons into each muffin cup. 
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

 Notes:-

• You may use ½ cup frozen spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry) 
• You may also use cottage cheese instead of cheddar cheese or half cottage and half cheddar cheese as you like.

Happy Baking!!! 

Moong Dal Sambar

Sambar is a popular and loved dishes in any South Indian cuisine. Any South Indian meal is incomplete without sambhar. Every South Indian family will have their version of sambar with lots of variations to it. Today, I'd like to share my version of moong dal sambar. Moong dal is a rich source of protein and fiber. Also, it is low in fat and cholesterol free. It is very easy and quick to make, especially in days when you’re too bored to cook. In fact, I like this more than the regular sambar. I love to have moong sambar poured over piping hot idlis. Definitely my kind of comfort food!! This sambar is a perfect accompaniment to idli, dosa, upma, pongal and even rice.  

Ingredients:-

• ½ cup moong dal / yellow split lentils
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chilli pdr  
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds 
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 3 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 2 green chillies 
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• a pinch of asafoetida
• small ball of tamarind (soaked in water)
• salt to taste
• few chopped coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method:-

• Boil moong dal along with 2½ cups water and 1 tsp oil.
• When done, whisk the dal well and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, garlic and asafoetida.
• Saute well and add onions and whole green chillies.
• When onions are soft, add tomatoes and cook till oil separates.
• Add the dal, salt, tamarind pulp and sambar powder.
• Cook till you get required consistency.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes:-

• You may add 2 drumsticks (cut into small pieces) after adding curry leaves.
• You may add chopped vegetables (brinjals, lady finger's or potato) to the sambhar along with tomatoes.
• You may increase the amount of water as per required consistency.

Happy Cooking!!

Sending this entry to :- Healthy Diet–Lunchbox Recipes & Priya's Healthy Diet page and SIC–South Indian Cooking & Anu's Page and Srivalli's Side Dish Mela

Oats - Dalia Idli / Oats - Broken Wheat Idli

Idli is a common breakfast for all South Indians. There are many types of idli's such as rice idli, quick rava idli, ragi idli and much more. I decided to make this wonderful and nutritious version of idli for my son today. Broken wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces. Wheat is always healthier as compared to rice. It is also a good source of iron, magnesium and phosphorus. On the other hand, oats is considered to be good at heart, since it helps in reducing cholesterol. It has high soluble fiber than any other grains. Oats are rich in iron, magnesium and proteins. These idli's are very good for diabetic people as they are advised to have as little rice as possible.This is one idli I enjoy making and eating the most. These idli's are really yummy, simple and quick to make. Very healthy for kids especially for those kids who run away from roti's and paratha's. Perfect for kid's lunch box.

Ingredients:-

• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup dalia (broken wheat)
• ½ cup whole urad dal (black gram dal) 
• 1 tsp salt

Method:-

• Dry roast oats and grind to a fine powder.
• Soak dalia and urad dal separately for ½ an hour.
  
• Grind urad dal to a very fine paste adding as little water as required. 
• Strain the dalia well and grind it along with urad dal.
• In a vessel, mix ground dal and dalia batter along with oats pdr and salt.
• Mix well and keep aside to ferment for 3-4 hours.
• Lightly grease the idli plates with oil.
• Pour the ladleful batter in each plate and cook without weight for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove idli's and keep aside to cool.
• Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Notes:-

• You may add in grated carrots, finely chopped onions or green chillies just before putting the idlis in the plates.
• You may also temper idli's with mustard seeds, peppercorns and curry leaves if you like.
• You may make plain broken wheat idli's or plain oats idli's the same way. Just add 1 cup of oats or dalia instead of half.

Happy Cooking!!

Sending this entry to :- Pari's Only Food For Pregnancy Event and Sreevalli's Healthy Bites Event and SIC–South Indian Cooking & Anu's Page and Cooking With Love - Sister & Sara's Home Page and Healthy Diet–Lunchbox Recipes & Priya's Healthy Diet page and Amrita's Friends Forever Event and Kids Delight "After School Bites" & Valli's Announcement Page and Whats with my Cuppa 2 & Nupur's Home Page