Kale Quinoa Salad

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This Kale Quinoa Salad is a super healthy yet delicious salad with two super foods – kale and quinoa. Vegan and gluten free .

Kale Quinoa Salad
One of the finds of this quarantine has been our love for Kale. Before the lockdown started I was going to work on a salad series for the blog, and given that covid cases had started in India, Anubhav and I decided to stock up on some food, so that we do not have to go out that often. While researching for vegetables that will last a little longer in the refrigerator Kale came up and so I decided to buy a bunch.

Previously, the only way I had eaten Kale was in smoothie form. The kale taste was masked by the taste of green apples, spinach and other veggies. When I got this big bunch of kale to use during the lockdown, I looked at ways to use it in meals. This kale quinoa salad was one of the main ways kale was used, but I also experimented with kale in my pizzas and that was a very tasty experiment. Will share that recipe soon too.

What is Kale?

Kale is a nutrient dense green leafy cruciferous vegetable and is a part of the cabbage family. It is a crisp vegetable and has a hint of earthiness in it. Since it has thicker leaves, as mentioned above, it lasts longer in the fridge than more delicate greens like spinach.

There are different types of kale, and it comes in a range of colors from deep green and purple with certain varieties even white and pink. The most common variations of kale include curly, purple, and Tuscan kale (the one I use most often and slightly less bitter than the curly variety). source

Health Benefits of Kale

In recent years, Kale has become popular for the number of health benefits associated with it. It is considered a superfood and has high contents of Vitamin A, K and C, while being a powerful source of antioxidants. Since its low in carbs and calories, it makes a great addition to healthy salad and meal options.

Kale contains phytonutrients that are known to fight cancer. Being rich in vitamin A, kale is good for vision. It is a rich source of Vitamin C which makes it good to include in your diet to boost immunity. 

Like spinach, Kale contains calcium and also is a source of Vitamin K, both of which are good for bone density. Kale is also good for people with diabetes, and aids digestion. The high content of vitamins makes it good for skin and hair.

Like any other food, excess of anything is not advisable. And in case you are on any medication or dietary restrictions, please consult with your nutritionist or doctor before including any new food item in your diet.

source

Kale quinoa salad

Cooking with Kale

Kale can be bitter, especially when you try to eat it raw. After using kale in a number of my salads, I have learnt there is a way to reduce the bitterness associated with kale.

  • Remove leaves from the large center stem of kale.
  • Discard the stem- compost them and help the environment.
  • Thoroughly wash the leaves, dry them and if you want, chop them.
  • Put the leaves in a bowl and drizzle a little olive oil on them, along with some salt and pepper. Massage the leaves with your hands for about 2 minutes. This wilts the leaves and tenderizes them making them easier and more palatable to eat.

While boiling decreases some of the benefits of kale, you can safely steam, sauté or bake kale to use in recipes. Kale chips are surprisingly tasty and a great way to have a crunchy snack.

Sourcing Kale in Delhi

INA in Delhi is one place that Kale is easily available and not as expensive as you would think. For 100-150 bucks you get a big bunch of Kale. Krishi cress also has a good stock of Kale, plus they deliver to most places in the NCR, though they are slightly more expensive than INA. INA too does deliver to certain areas in Delhi. I have also seen Kale in Foodhall, but have found Foodhall fairly more expensive than both INA and Krishi Cress for most items. These are the places I know of. Will update when I find more resources.

KALE QUINOA SALAD

With two super foods in this salad- kale and quinoa, you have a super healthy meal. This Kale quinoa salad is so easily adaptable to what you have on hand. I had made this kale quinoa salad when oranges were available in the local market, but you can play around with what you have. I love apple with kale, so it always is an addition to my kale salads. The great thing about kale is that it doesn’t wilt quite easily as lettuce so you can get away with letting it sit for a while for the flavors to meld.

The dressing is a simple vinaigrette with oil, vinegar, mixed with a little bit of dijon mustard and seasoned with salt & pepper . You could use lemon juice instead of vinegar is you want.

Give this healthy kale quinoa salad a try. Feel free to change the salad to your liking by adding or subtracting any vegetable you prefer. For a little crunch, add a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Kale Quinoa Salad

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Easy Sweet Corn Soup Recipe

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Creamy sweet corn soup recipe- a vegan, vegetarian gluten free option without adding any corn starch.

Creamy Vegan gluten free corn soup recipe

I love corn in any form. I love it when its in salads, pastas, pizzas or actually anything.

While I grew up on sweet corn soup, this blended corn soup has been a recent discovery. By blending corn, you get this creamy soup with the taste reminiscent of sweet corn soup, without the need to add corn starch.

I have made this soup a couple of times now- the first time for a styling assignment for a brand. This time I wanted to try making the soup by roasting the corn in the husk first and then cooking and pureeing it. Unfortunately we could not find any corn in the husk, but if you do let me know how roasting the corn first and then following the recipe steps works for you.

Blending the corn gives a nice creamy thickness to the soup, and I have not felt the need to add any cream to it, even the original recipe had mentioned to add a cup of cream. You could though top the soup with a drizzle of cream or coconut milk, for a vegan version.

This corn soup is a great gluten free, vegan soup option and not that hands-on a recipe – so perfect for a weeknight meal option as well.

If you try this easy sweet corn soup recipe, please tag me in your creations on Facebook, Instagram or leave a comment here. Have a great week ahead.

Creamy Vegan gluten free corn soup recipe

Easy Sweet Corn Soup: gluten free, vegan fresh corn soup
 
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Author:
Serves: serves 3-4
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp red chilli flakes
  • 3 cups corn
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable stock (you can use chicken stock if you like)
  • Cream or coconut milk to garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat oil and butter in a sauce pan.
  2. Saute the garlic till golden brown.
  3. Add the onions and cook till translucent.
  4. Add the corn and jalapeno cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the stock and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from flame, and blend the soup either using an immersion blender or a blender.
  8. When ready to serve, heat again. Check seasoning. You can top the soup with microgreens,a drizzle of cream, a sprinkle of red chilli flakes/chili oil, cilantro or green onions.
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Lauki/Ghiya Chocolate Ice cream

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Chocolate ghiya ice cream

I know, I know this sounds weird. But believe me when I say you will never be able to guess the secret ingredient in this chocolate ice cream if I were to make you taste it.

This ghiya/lauki chocolate ice cream is my grandmother’s recipe. She used to make it for us when we were kids. And as kids we never knew she put a vegetable we all would not touch with a ten feet pole. My grandmother was really good with making us eat veggies by disguising them in. For a long time we were unaware that Mummy’s Chocolate Ice cream had ghiya/lauki/bottle gourd in it. I guess one day it slipped from one of the adults and thats when we realized all these years we had been tricked.

Ghiya or lauki or bottle gourd is one of the key components in my grandmom’s chocolate ice cream. I am not sure where she learnt the recipe. Or whether it was something she made up herself. Either case, I loved her chocolate ice cream and summer vacations at my grandparents meant that this chocolate ice cream would be on the menu.

While I have seen my grandmother making this ice cream as an adult, I never got the opportunity to learn the exact measurements. When I first made this recipe, I asked my grand mom for the measurements but she also gave me approximate measurements since that’s how our elders always cooked- with intuition and the need to use up things that are getting bad in the pantry. With a good idea of the recipe, I set about making it. Since the recipe is fairly easy and adjustable to one’s taste, I got pretty good results. My grandmother would use Bournvita and while as a kid I enjoyed the taste, as an adult I thought using cocoa powder gives a better chocolate flavor, and thats what I have shared in the recipe.

You can add roasted almonds, like I did for the Disney video here. You could also pulse some raw cacao nibs, and replace some of the cocoa with it. Since sweetness is a very subjective thing, and what I might find sweet, you might not – adjust cocoa and condensed milk amount accordingly.

Ghiya Chocolate Ice cream

VEGAN ALTERNATIVE

Its a simple easy recipe and with ingredients that should be in your pantry and/or easily available in the market. This recipe is eggless- which is great for people who prefer eggless recipes. I have never tried this with dairy free milk, but it could work. The problem would arise when you have to replace the condensed milk. Since condensed milk is basically milk reduced with sugar- if you increase the amount of milk called for in the recipe and reduce the bottle gourd with sugar and dairy free milk in the first step, the recipe might work and be made vegan. You would also of course have to sub the cream with a dairy free alternative as well.

MAKE THIS ICE CREAM WITHOUT AN ICE CREAM MAKER

Even though I have an ice cream maker, I don’t generally use it for this recipe. Still I get a creamy ice cream texture. The trick is to remove the ice cream every 2-3 hours, or as the edges start freezing and beat it for a minute. I do this 3-4 times before letting it freeze overnight. This helps in avoiding crystallization and yields a creamy texture. Also, the base after cooking and being churned should preferably be refrigerated before freezing. That too helps in the mixture freezing quicker, which gives a creamier and smooth ice cream texture.

HOW TO MAKE SMOOTH, CREAMY HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

Fat is the one of the main factors that provides smoothness to ice cream. Using whole milk instead of lower fat percentage milk will lead to a richer and creamier texture.

The more air bubbles there are and the smaller they are, the smoother the ice cream will be. Also smaller ice crystals in the ice cream give a smooth texture. Constant churning while the ice cream is slowly freezing, helps keep the ice crystals moving as they chill. An ice cream maker helps in this process, but using the technique given above you can make smooth, creamy ice cream without an ice cream maker too.

Another thing I have learnt is how you store the ice cream. Make sure you store your ice cream in an airtight container. Covering the top with parchment paper prevents ice crystals from forming. I used to cover with cling film earlier, but sometimes that freezes into the ice cream, making it difficult to remove. By using parchment paper, you avoid that. In case your ice cream crystalizes too much after first serving it, you can always churn it again in your ice cream maker, or thaw it a little and beat it the same way as suggested above, before refreezing it again.

If the ice cream does freeze too hard for scooping, allow it to sit out on the counter for 10 minutes before trying to serve it.

Ghiya Chocolate Ice cream

Lauki/Ghiya Chocolate Ice cream
 
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This creamy chocolate ice cream is made with Lauki or bottle gourd. Enjoy this smooth textured creamy chocolate ice cream recipe that has the goodness of bottle gourd in it. Nobody will be able to guess it has a vegetable in it and your kids will love it.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert, ice cream
Serves: serves 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 large bottle gourd/ghiya, grated (about 2 tightly packed cups of grated ghiya or 3 loosely packed cups)
  • 750 ml milk, preferably full fat
  • 200 ml cream
  • 1 tin (400gms) condensed milk
  • ½-3/4 cup cocoa powder (for a more intense chocolate flavor, add ¾ cup cocoa powder)
  • ¼ cup roasted almonds (optional)
Instructions
  1. Wash, peel the lauki/bottle gourd and grate/shred it. Keep aside.
  2. Heat a thick bottomed pan/kadhai, and add the milk and lauki. Keep stirring and let the milk come to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook on medium low. Keep stirring until the most of the milk has evaporated. Scrape the sides too from time to time to get the milk solids back into the milk. It will take about 30-40 minutes.
  3. Add the condensed milk. Cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  4. Add the mixture to a blender. Pour in the cream and cocoa powder. For a more intense chocolate flavor use ¾ cup cocoa powder. Note: I have also successfully subbed ½ cup ground raw cacao nibs for the cocoa powder, plus ¼ cup cocoa in this ice cream.
  5. Blend the mixture till you get a smooth consistency.
  6. Transfer to a freezer safe air tight container, and refrigerate the mixture covered for 2 hours. You could freeze it at this point too, but since the mixture is warm, for a creamier texture it is advisable to cool it down slightly before freezing it.
  7. Once cool, place the container in the freezer and allow the mixture to freeze for 2 hours or once you start seeing the edges freezing slightly.
  8. Remove from freezer and beat with a hand mixer to break up ice crystals that are beginning to form.
  9. Cover and place back in the freezer.
  10. Freeze for 2 more hours and then remove from the freezer and beat again with the hand mixer. Repeat this step one more time, before leaving it for an overnight chill. The final beating step is when you can add your add ins like roasted almond. After the final beating, cover the top with parchment paper, and then the air tight lid. Freeze overnight, or until ice cream is firm. Scoop and enjoy!
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