Category: Healthy Kids Food

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Honey Infused Garlic- Ancient Immunity Boosting Recipe

Garlic infused honey is a combination that has been used in many cultures for centuries and is still popular today. In Ancient Egypt, honey was often combined with garlic to create a remedy for a variety of ailments. In many parts of Asia, garlic and honey were combined to make a remedy for sore throat. In India, garlic and honey are used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems.

When it comes to immunity boosting foods, you donā€™t have to look too far. Your very own kitchen is a storehouse of ingredients that can help you nourish every day.

This garlic infused honey is great for cough, cold, viral infections, stomach flu, digestive system and to boost your immunity. I have been giving garlic infused honey to my little one since he was 3 years old, especially when thereā€™s a change in season. Few months back I suggested this remedy to my helper whose 4-year-old kept catching cold every now and then. It has been over 5 months now she hasnā€™t had any cough or cold. Since then, I have suggested this remedy to many mothers and the feedback has been amazing. It has helped many kids to recover from cough & cold much faster.Ā 

What makes garlic powerful?

Garlic has been used for centuries not only for culinary purposes but also for medicinal purpose. Garlic was found in Egyptian pyramids and ancient Greek temples. Ancient medical texts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China and India each prescribed medical applications for garlic. It contains allicin which makes it anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Cooked garlic is beneficial but nothing, I repeat, nothing compares to raw garlic. Garlic when cooked loses many of its beneficial enzymes.

Benefits of Honey

Honey is a sweetener made from nectar collected from flowers. It is a natural preservative and is used in many recipes for its sweet flavour. Raw honey is full of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, and acts as an antioxidant to fight off free radicals. It is antibiotic, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes to boost immunity which is especially important when fighting an illness. Ā 

If you want to benefit from this recipe then it is imperative that you buy raw, unpasteurised honey. Look for words Raw & Unpasteurised on labels and not Organic. 

How to prepare it?

Ingredients

  • Raw honey 150 ml
  • Garlic 7-8 cloves
  1. Take honey in a glass bottle. 
  2. Mince 7 to 8 cloves of garlic and mix it in honey. Alternatively, if you donā€™t want to add minced garlic, you can use whole garlic.Ā I added minced garlic because my child can’t eat garlic. He might puke his bile juices out. šŸ˜„
  3. Let it remain infused for 2 to 3 days. Then you can consume it.

How to consume it?

You can have it either first thing in the morning or before bed time. In the Middle East, locals take a glass jar, fill it with honey and add slivers of garlic to it. They eat one or two pieces every morning. 

What you should know before consuming it?

  • If garlic on an empty stomach gives you a burning sensation, try having it 30 minutes after your breakfast or at night. 
  • If raw garlic makes you feel gassy and acidic then this may not be for you. 
  • If you have IBS, check with your doctor before consuming raw garlic. 

Notes:

  • Make sure the garlic is completely submerged in honey. If it is not, then it will catch mold. The trick is to add 1 or 2 tbsps of water on top. This will ensure that garlic doesn’t come on top.
  • In a few days or weeks, you will notice tiny bubbles forming on the surface. Hooray!! The infusion has fermented.
  • Stick to the quantity mentioned above or your infusion will not ferment. Too much honey or too less garlic could be the reason that the infusion did not ferment well.
  • Store this infusion in a cool place. It will last you many months. The older it is the better.
  • You can easily double or triple the recipe depending upon your requirement.
  • The flavor will continue to develop overtime. The pungent taste of garlic will mellow down and honey will become runnier than before.

Enjoy good health! šŸ™‚

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Broccoli, Potato & Corn Tater Tots- Guilty pleasures made less guilty

Before beginning the recipe, hereā€™s a very interesting insight about Tater Tots. I am sure you know, Tater tots were invented by an American frozen food Company, Ore-Ida, in the year 1953. Tater is short for potato. This recipe came into being when the founders were trying to figure out what to do with the leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes. They chopped up the slivers, added flour and seasoning and the product was first offered commercially in stores in 1956.

Now, what I found most interesting is that, originally these tots were inexpensive. People didnā€™t buy it because they thought itā€™s cheap. Itā€™s when the company raised itā€™s prices, people began buying it. Human psychology can really be weird. šŸ˜„ Today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds. Can you imagine!!!

Overtime recipe was developed further and potatoes were substituted with other nutritious vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini. 

These Homemade Tater Tots are way easier to throw together than I expected them to be, and my family loved them! So say goodbye to those frozen bags of tater tots. This homemade version is super easy to make, budget-friendly, and taste way better than store-bought!

So, hereā€™s a healthy and a delicious twist on tater tots, made with nutrient-rich broccoli and crispy breadcrumbs, perfect as a side or snack.

Ingredients: for 30-35 tots

  • 4 medium size boiled Potatoes 
  • 1/2 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
  • 1 large head Broccoli, approx 350 grams
  • 1 tbsp minced Garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 tbsp Chilli flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (optional)
  • 90 grams of Cheddar Cheese, grated

Method:

  • Grate boiled potatoes in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn kernels in boiling water. Keep aside for 10 minutes. You can use boiled fresh corn too.
  • Grate 1 large head of broccoli. Add 1 tsp salt to it and keep aside for 20 minutes. 
  • Squeeze out as much water as you can from the broccoli. Coarsely blend corn in a blender. Just blitz for 10 to 15 seconds. (DO NOT ADD WATER). Add both broccoli and corn to the potatoes. 
  • Now add minced garlic, salt & pepper to taste, egg, bread crumbs, chilli flakes, Italian seasoning and grated cheddar cheese (you can add more). Mix everything well and form a thick paste. If it feels sticky, add more bread crumbs. 
  • Check for seasoning. Once ok, give it a cylindrical shape or any shape you like. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes. 
  • Pre-heat the oven at 200Ā°C.
  • Spray a nonstick baking sheet with oil. Alternatively, line baking tray with parchment paper and brush it with oil. Shape the mixture into tot shapes and spread them evenly on the sheet.
  • Bake for 8ā€“9 minutes. Flip and then bake for an additional 8ā€“9 minutes on the other side until golden brown.
  • Serve it with ketchup, mint chutney or tzatziki (hung curd dip). I personally enjoy them with tzatziki.

Enjoy!!! šŸ™‚

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Wholewheat Carrot Orange Tea Cake- Kid Friendly Easy Recipe

Carrot cake is my and my childā€™s all time favourite. Thereā€™s something so heartwarming about a good carrot cake. As soon as those orange carrots hit the Indian market, this is one thing I crave. 

Why did I add orange to this cake? Well, I think it gives it that special subtle finesse that makes it stand out. Orange flavor goes beautifully with carrots. It gives a burst of citrus flavour along with a bright punch.

One bite of this can even convert those silly people who donā€™t like carrot cake šŸ˜„ Who are these people anyway!

My child loves to carry a slice of cake or a muffin in his school snack box. So I had to make it healthy and equally delicious for my child. This is the recipe that I mastered after a few failed attempts. Well, not exactly failed though. Those failed attempts were edible too but this one comes out to be perfectly soft, moist and fluffy. 

It is made using Wholewheat flour and Jaggery. Now baking with wholewheat flour can be a little tricky. It can make the texture of the cake dense. To ensure that your cake remains light and fluffy, the trick is to sieve wholewheat flour 3-4 times. This will add more air and the cake will not come out dense.

This recipe is actually so easy to make that anyone who hasn’t tried baking before will be able to crack it. Being a mother I understand how busy days get and trying those time consuming recipes can be quite daunting at times. To save you from all that hassle, all you have to do is put everything in a blender and Viola! Your batter is ready in less than 5 minutes. This will also save you from washing too many bowls which is quite a task when you have to bake.

Do try out this recipe and let me know. Trust me it will not disappoint you. šŸ™‚ You can frost this cake with your favourite cream cheese frosting. This recipe is a make-ahead cake recipe whose taste and texture will not be compromised.

This cake is not overly sweet. I don’t prefer too sweet desserts. Feel free to add more jaggery if you like.

Recipe: cup measurement 250 ml

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 30 mins



Ingredients

  • 2 medium size Carrots, shredded
  • 3 heaped tbsps Orange Marmalade 
  • 60 grams softened unsalted Butter or any non-fragrant oil
  • 1/2 cup Jaggery powder
  • 1 1/2 cup Wholewheat flour
  • A generous pinch Salt
  • 2 small Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Milk 
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • Handful of Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Method

  • In a blender, add butter, jaggery, lightly beaten eggs, milk, shredded carrots, marmalade & vanilla extract. Blend well on high speed till everything comes together. Take it out in a large bowl.
  • In another bowl, sieve wholewheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add walnuts now if using and combine everything well. 
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 2 to 3 batches. Gently cut & fold each time till everything incorporates well and there are no lumps. Donā€™t mix rigorously or over mix the batter. This will lead to a dense cake texture.
  • Preheat oven at 180C 10 minutes prior to baking. Grease a 7 inches diameter round pan or 11x7x2 inches rectangular baking pan with butter and line it with parchment paper or alternatively you can dust it with some flour. 
  • Add the batter. Tap the pan on the shelf 2-3 times to clear out all the air bubbles. Now, bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack of your oven or till a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. 
  • Allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then transfer it on a wire rack to cool completely. If you find that the cake is sticking to the bottom of the pan, leave the cake upside down for sometime and let gravity do it’s thing.

My Pro Tips:

  1. Use fresh baking soda. It looses it potency after 6 months of opening it.
  2. When measuring dry ingredients, level it off using the straight edge of a spoon or a butter knife.
  3. This recipe makes 12 muffins. Bake them for 14 to 18 minutes and allow the muffins to cool completely on wire rack.
  4. You can add cinnamon and ginger powder to this recipe to add a warm touch to it.
  5. If you want this cake to be perfectly moist, use fresh carrots and shred them. DO NOT USE packaged pre-shredded carrots for this recipe. This is the prime moisture for your cake and you don’t want to miss it.
  6. In case you want to bake this cake for yourself and are feeling fancy, I would highly recommend adding Orange Whiskey Marmalade. Orange and whiskey combination can lift your simple cake to something gourmet. You can buy it here-
Orange and Whiskey Marmalade

Substitutes:

  • Eggs: You can either use flaxmeal or 1/4th cup Greek yogurt for every egg. For flaxmeal, take 1 tbsp flaxseeds for every egg. Coarsely ground them. Add 4 tbsps of water and let it sit for 15 minutes. It will become like a slimy gel like mixture. Use this as a substitute for one egg.
  • Orange Marmalade: If you don’t want to use Orange Marmalade, you can use 1/4th cup of freshly squeezed orange juice along with a tsp of orange zest instead. If using orange juice, you might have to adjust sugar accordingly. Add 1 or 2 tbsps of extra jaggery powder.
  • Jaggery: In case you donā€™t have jaggery powder, you can use any unprocessed sugar like palm sugar, coconut sugar etc.
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Healthy Iron Rich Pancake- Kid Friendly Recipe

Kids have limited appetite. Give your child the best nutrition in that little food that they eat. The biggest struggle for vegetarians or vegans is to fulfill their child’s iron needs. While balanced diet here is the key but we all know how balanced it gets with the children especially the ones who are picky eaters.

So, I am going to share with you a simple recipe which has a great balance of protein and iron.

We all make BESAN CHEELAS at home. Sharing with you a simple way wherein you can make the best out that one Cheela that your child eats. šŸ˜Š And trust me it comes out delicious and packed with flavours. Also, this makes a great lunch box recipe too.

This recipe requires no elaborate preparations, so donā€™t need to plan ahead either. Just stir together the ingredients to make a batter, pour it on a hot griddle & cook up a delicious healthy meal.

What is Cheela?

Cheela is a sweet or savory Indian Pancakes made using lentils, cereal or grain flour. They are often made without any leavening agents, so they are considered to be healthy.

What is Besan?

Besan is a Hindi word which means “gram flour”. It is a pulse flour made using channa dal or chickpea flour. So besan cheela is gram flour pancakes. These pancakes are Gluten Free, vegan and nutritious. Gram flour is a fabulous source of protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6. Just 100 grams of gram flour can give you 22 grams of easy to digest natural protein. You can make these pancakes with basic ingredients as well but when you add green leafy vegetables to it, it not only enhances the taste but also makes it wholesome and an amazing source of iron for your kids.

Also the vegetables I have added are all homegrown. If you donā€™t have enough space, grow them in small pots. Itā€™s no rocket science. Just get a few pots or grow bags, potting soil and seeds from any nursery near your house. Engage your children while planting it. The satisfaction of eating your homegrown organic vegetables is unmatchable. Try it!

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minsServing: makes 3 Pancakes
Cook time: 5 mins
  • Besan/Chickpea flour: 1/2 cup
  • Sattu/Roasted Gram flour: 1/4th cup
  • Semolina/Suji: 1/4th cup
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera:  1/8th tsp
  • Bishop seeds/Ajwain: 1/8th tsp
  • Garam Masala: 1/4th tsp
  • Roasted Cumin powder: 1/4th tsp
  • Turmeric: 1/4th tsp
  • Salt & Black pepper to taste
  • Chat Masala to taste (optional)
  • Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Water as required 
  • Chopped Methi (Fenugreek), Spinach, Radish leaves, Mint leaves, Curry leaves & Coriander leaves: 1 cup
  • Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
  • Ginger: 2ā€ long, grated
  • Ghee or Oil as required 

Method

1 Take Besan/Chickpeas flour, Sattu or Roasted Gram flour (great source of protein) and Semolina/Suji (for crispiness) in a bowl.

2. To this add turmeric, cumin seeds, ajwain/bishop seeds, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, black pepper, salt, chaat masala and coriander powder. Mix it well. Add enough water to make a thin but not a runny batter. Start with 1/4th cup water and the gradually add more as required. Continue whisking until the batter has a smooth, flowing consistency. There shouldnā€™t be any lumps, so make sure to break those up while mixing the batter.

Tip: Use a wire whisk to whisk the batter. This will ensure that your batter is lump free.

3. Now add chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, spinach leaves, onion, grated ginger (fabulous food for digestion), curry leaves, coriander & mint leaves. Use the leaves that are in season. All the green leaves are a great source of iron and this is one of the best ways to incorporate this in your child’s and your diet.

4. Keep the batter aside for 10 minutes. Heat a cast iron tawa on a medium to low heat. I have made it on normal tawa in which we make rotis but if you canā€™t make it on tawa then you can use a non stick pan as well.

5. Brush the tawa with desi ghee or oil. Add generously to avoid dry cheelas because besan tends to soak ghee/oil. Take a ladle or Ā¼ to ā…“ of a measuring cup full of the batter and pour on the pan. Spread the batter evenly with the back of your ladle to make thin cheelas.

6. Then continue to cook the chilla on a low to medium-low heat until the top begins to set. You can drizzle some more oil or ghee along the edges for a crispy cheela.

7. You can flip the chilla once or twice for even cooking.
Once the base gets golden brown, itā€™s time to flip the cheela. Cook the other sides till you see golden spots on cheela. You can flip the cheela once or twice for even cooking.

8. Finally, fold it and then serve it mint chutney, homemade ketchup or the way your child likes it.

Enjoy!! šŸ˜Š

Notes:

  • If some of the spices mentioned above are not available, feel free to skip them.
  • Incase you don’t find sattu or roasted gram flour, feel free to skip it and add more besan or chickpea flour. However, sattu is a great source of protein and iron, so it’ll be great if you can get your hands on it.
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Quick Strawberry and Apple Preserve- Healthy Kid Friendly Recipe

I love making fuss free healthy recipes for my little one. Strawberries have literally become synonymous to preserves and jams. With only a few ingredients, you can whip up homemade strawberry preserves in no time and itā€™ll keep so well in the fridge for weeks to come!

This delightful homemade preserve is one of my sonā€™s favourite and it is super easy to make. He enjoys it with almost anything – pancake, on a toast, parantha. It takes only 5 ingredients and tastes so much better than the store bought ones which are laden with sugar, artificial colours and preservatives.

This preserve is made in smaller batch without the use of pectin. But this recipe can be doubled or tripled to make a larger batch of preserve. If you want the preserves to last longer than three weeks in the refrigerator, you’ll need to process the jars in a hot water canning bath.

Do make this strawberry preserve when berries are in season and I am sure you will love it.
It tastes delicious. Itā€™s healthy and its is ready in flat 20 minutes. 

This preserve does not contain any processed sugar. It is not sickly sweet. This is something your child and your family can enjoy guilt free. I have added chia seeds to it for more nutrition and also it improves the texture of the preserve.

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minsServing: makes 2 ounces
Cook time: 15 mins
  • 100 gms Strawberries
  • 1/2 cup Apple
  • 30 gms jaggery powder or unprocessed coconut sugar
  • 1.5 tbsps Chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional but recommended)
  • 1/4th cup Water

Method

  1. Chop strawberries and apple finely. Add them in a pan. Keep the flame low. Cook for a minute. Now add coconut sugar or jaggery powder. 
  2. Stir till sugar melts. It should take a minute or two.
  3. Now add water. Cook till apple becomes mushy and the preserve thickens. It will roughly take 9-10 minutes. 
  4. Once it thickens, add lemon juice, vanilla extract and chia seeds. 
  5. Cook for a minute and Voila!!! Itā€™s done šŸ™‚

Notes:

  • You can skip apple here and add 1/2 cup more of strawberries or other berries of your choice.
  • Do not skip lemon juice. Lemon juice is required to set the preserve. The acid in it neutralizes the PH level of the mixture. 
  • Store in an airtight glass jar. Refrigerate for longer shelf life. Use within 3-4 weeks
  • Use a dash of cinnamon for a warm touch.

Enjoy good health! šŸ™‚