Granny's Tomato Soup

This soup recipe is the best ever Tomato Soup I have ever tasted in my life. I learnt it from my grand-mom. Everyone who has tasted this has found it extremely delicious. I is easy and needs very few ingredients

Ingredients
6 medium size Roma Tomatoes
1/2 medium onion diced into 4 pieces
11/2 inch piece of ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 quart water

Method
1. In a pot boil tomatoes onions and ginger till the tomatoes start peeling off and look fully cooked.
2. Remove the pot from heat and strain the water. Preserve the strained water.
3. Using half cup of preserved water and blend the cooked ingredients to a paste
4. Pass the paste through the strainer to avoid any coarse particles from the tomatoes
5. Add the left over water to the strained paste and boil on medium heat. Add salt, sugar and pepper and give it a good stir.
6. Boil it for 3 minutes. Add more water if you prefer it thin and serve hot.

Note:
1. Any type of tomatoes can be used. I have used Roma for a good color
2. If the color fades out after add water, just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato ketchup
3. My grand-mom used to temper the soup with cumin and butter (heat 2 tablespoons of salted butter and add 1/2 spoons of cumin seeds to it. Remove from heat when cumin seeds splutter, add this butter to the soup and cover it).

Try this soup for sure. It is easy and yummy. Kids will love it for sure.

Easy Spinach Soup

Severs 4

Ingredients

1 packet of Cello Spinach

½ small size onions diced into 4 pieces

4 cloves garlic

2 chilies

2 tablespoons butter

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ cup whole milk

2 quart water

Water for thinning the soup

Method

1. In a pot add onions, garlic and chilies and allow the water to boil till onion and garlic tenderizes a bit.

2. Add spinach to the boiling water and let it boil for 3 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and strain all the water and run cold water through spinach.

4. Blend the boiled ingredients to a fine paste

5.In another pot melt butter on low flame and add the spinach paste to the butter. Cover the pot immediately.

6. Remove from heat, add salt, sugar and mix well

7.Place it back on low heat and cook for 3 to four minutes

8.Turn off heat and add milk stirring continuously

9. Add water to thin it to desired consistency.Taste and add more salt if needed

10. Serve warm

Note: 

1. Add heavy sour cream instead of milk to make it richer.

2. Top it with grated cheddar cheese if desired

3. Add chicken broth for thinning the soup as a substitute to water

Couscous Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 Cup Canadian Couscous (or couscous of your choice)

4 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of your choice)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds

3 dried red Chilies/ green chilies

1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper

5 cloves

2 bay leaves

4 curry leaves (optional)

1 table spoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (regular vinegar works too)

1/2 cup cauliflower florets/ broccoli florets

1/2 cup diced peppers (your choice)

1/2 cup diced yellow squash

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cilantro/parsley

Water for boiling couscous

Method:

1. In a microwave safe bowl add 4 cups of water and 1 cup of couscous and microwave on high for 13 minutes. 

2. Transfer the cooked couscous in a strainer and run cold water on it and leave it aside for about 10 minutes allowing the couscous to dry. Fluff it with a fork.

3. Heat a pan on medium flame and then add oil (olive oil heats in about 5 seconds in a heated pan). Add cumin seeds whole black pepper, cloves,chilies bay leaves, curry leaves and chopped garlic. Do not let the garlic brown.

4. Add cauliflower and cover  the pan till the cauliflower gets tender. You can sprinkle some water to help cauliflower tenderize. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes. If using broccoli, do not cover or sprinkle water. Just saute for a minute

5. Add yellow squash and cook for a minute.

6. Add peppers and tomatoes and cook for another minute

7. Add red wine vinegar and then transfer the couscous to the pan.

8. Season with salt and sugar and mix well. Remove from the heat and transfer it to the serving plate.

9. Top it with cilantro or parsley

Note:

1. Couscous can be cooked in chicken broth too to enhance the taste. Heat 1 1/2 cups chicken broth to one cup couscous. Add couscous. Turn off heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and then add butter if needed.

2. Add vegetables of your choice (carrots, beans, zucchini, etc)

3. Cumin, cloves, black peppers, bay leaves can be substituted with Italian herbs seasoning. Add the seasoning to heated oil.

Peanut Sesame Hummus

Ingredients:

3/4 cups raw peanuts                                

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 Thai chilly
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method:
1. Transfer peanuts and sesame seeds and cumin in a microwave safe plate and put it in the microwave at high for 2 minutes
2.In a blender add the microwaved ingredients, garlic, chilly, salt, lemon juice and blend to make a fine paste.
3. Transfer it into a bowl and top it with olive oil

Note:
1. Relish this hummus with a snack of your choice
2. Sesame seeds can be substituted with 'Tahini'
3. Add more chilly if you prefer it hot.
4.Peanuts and sesame can be roasted in a pan as a substitute to microwaving

Sprouting Mung Bean. Recipe: Mung Bean Salad

Sprouting beans, seeds, nuts or grains is an easy, minimal effort process and has health benefits and more over inexpensive. Sprouting is believed to increase the protein quality, fiber and essential enzymes. 

Sprouting does take time but does not consume a lot of time on our part. Here, I am showing you process of sprouting Mung Bean.

Method:

1. Soak 2 cups mung beans in sufficient water. Water should be at least 2 inches above the level of the beans. Leave it to soak for 7 to 8 hours.

2. After 7 to 8 hours you will notice the cover of some beans ripped and you will notice the white part inside. This is an indication that the beans have been soaked well.

3. Drain all the water and transfer all the beans in a wet thin cotton or muslin cloth and wrap all the beans together. Leave the wrapped beans in a strainer so that excess water drains out. Leave it for another 7 to 10 hours allowing it to sprout. Sprinkle sufficient water on wrapped beans periodically. Twice or thrice in 10 hours should be fine. Keeping the cloth damp makes sprouting easy. 

4. You should notice the beans sprouting within 4 hours. In about 8 hours you should have about 0.5 cm to 1 cm long sprouts. It is ready to be consumed.

5. Refrigerate the beans in an air-tight container at this stage if you have to consume it after a while

6. Mung Beans can be consumed raw or steamed for 10 mins

Recipes:

You can be extensively creative with mung bean recipes. The following recipe is a Mung Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup sprouted mung beans (raw or steamed.)

2. 1/2 medium size onion finely chopped

3. 1 medium size tomato finely chopped

4. 1 celery stick diced 

5. 1/2 tea spoon salt (salt can be altered as per your taste)

6. 1/4 tea spoon pepper

7. 2 tbl spoons of lemon/lime juice (you can alter lemon/lime juice as per your taste)

8. 2 tbl spoons of chopped cilantro or parsley

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and your salad is ready.

Diced cucumbers, nuts,sunflower seeds apples, bell peppers, garlic powder (anything you like can be added to this salad. You need not be rigid about using the same ingredients mentioned in the recipe)

Topping the salad with cornflakes can add some crunch to the salad. 

You can have the salad as a complete meal or as a side or just a small snack.

Note: Mung beans can be refrigerated and stored for about a week.