Watermelon Juice | Fresh Watermelon Juice Recipe

I know summer is long gone in many parts of the world or at least in mine. But I do love to have chilled juices in this rainy weather at times. Are you too like me?? So while it lasts, I am making use of the watermelon available and making fresh juice and popsicles and enjoying. This is not a recipe as such, I know. But watermelon makes such good pics.. So I couldn't resist the urge to click.. I am way below average in clicking shots of drinks and beverages but I love to click them still.. And hence they make their way to the blog as well :)

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Serves : 2 glasses

I Used:

Watermelon (chilled)	-	1 cup (chopped)
Honey	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	A pinch
Lemon juice (optional)	-	1 tbsp

The Way:

1. Cut the watermelon. De-seed it. Then take out the red portion and chop it roughly

2. Add it to a blender jar and blend it smooth. Then add honey (if needed, if the melon is sweet enough you need not add honey. Also can use sugar instead) and a pinch of salt (enhances taste, if you do not like it then you can avoid salt) and lemon juice (if using, I did not use) and give a quick blend

3. Do not add water as the melon has a good amount of water content. If you are not using chilled watermelon, then refrigerate the juice for a while and serve chilled or you can use 2-3 ice cubes while serving. Do not keep the juice for long as it will not taste good. Recommend to serve immediately after making

Cheers,

Chitz

Watermelon Popsicle Recipe | Easy Watermelon Popsicle Recipe | Kids Special Summer Recipe

As I am drafting this recipe, it's my little one's reaction on seeing the popsicle that comes to my mind. He kept on jumping saying "ice-cream, ice-cream".. Popsicles are so easy to make and so refreshing in this summer heat right :) And when you make popsicles out of watermelon and likes, it is easy to up the little one's water intake who is otherwise very hesitant to drink water :( Here I have added just a tsp of honey to the pureed watermelon to make this pops. If you like a tangy flavour add little lemon juice as well. Maybe you can make it more colourful by sneaking in a slice of kiwi or lemon as well :) In the pics the colour seems a little pale coz they were snapped right after taking out of the freezer. After a while they turned bright red !

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

I Used:

Watermelon (cut into cubes)	-	2 cups
Honey	-	1 tsp (optional)
Lemon juice	-	1 tsp (optional)

The Way:

1. Roughly chop the water melon into cubes. Remove the seeds and take them in a blender jar

2. Grind them. Add honey if using (if the watermelon is sweet enough you can omit them) and again give a quick blend

3. Pour the puree into popsicle moulds so that they are 3/4 full

4. Freeze them in refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours

5. After 8 hours de-mould them gently (can show under tap water while de-moulding) and enjoy !

Cheers,

Chitz

Strawberry Milkshake | Easy Strawberry Milkshake without ice cream

Last recipe was with strawberry and this one too is with strawberry.. Blame it on the season ;) Around a month ago, when my parents came visiting us in Pune, we went on a short trip to Mahabaleshwar and visited the Mapro gardens in Panchgani. There we got strawberries at a cheap rate of 150 rupees per kilo. Actually some were saying that if you visit in the morning the rates are still cheaper and you an get them for an easy 80-100 rupees per kilo.. We were expecting to go pluck the strawberries at the farms but the locals there told that since it was peak season we were not allowed to and that would be allowed during March-April time.. So what did we do? We ate a lot of strawberries and bought a lot more and came back :D Dhruv was ready to eat them all as such but he caught a cold two days later, so we didn't give him much.. And me being a strawberry lover in just shakes and cakes, went ahead and made milkshakes with them using chilled milk ;) 

You can have variants of this simple recipe.. You can sneak in some ice cream - anything of your choice, be it vanilla or strawberry. Don't like milk? Then replace with some Greek yogurt or have a mix of both the yogurt and milk. Add in a nice ripe banana or a couple of dates.. Maybe a handful of chia seeds.. Or a tablespoon of cocoa powder ;) Want to cut low on sugar? Then add honey instead or maybe cane sugar..The options are plenty. You can adjust to your cravings and dietary requirements! 

Makes: 1 tall glass

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

I Used:

Strawberry	-	4-5 nos
Cashew	-	5 nos
Almond	-	4 nos
Sugar	-	2 tsp
Chilled Milk	-	1 cup

The Way:

1. In a mixer/blender, crush the cashews and almonds together

2. Once they are coarsely/finely (as you need) crushed, add the strawberries and sugar and give a nice blend

3. Now add the milk and blend smoothly. Serve cold !

Notes:

I normally boil the milk and let them cool down and then refrigerate them and use in my milkshakes and smoothies

Cheers,
Chitz

Eggless Whole wheat Strawberry Muffins | Butterless Strawberry Muffins | Strawberry Cupcakes

My family exhibits varied emotions towards strawberry.. The hubby won't touch it, my son loooveeees it and I love it in forms of cakes and shakes and likes but not a great fan to eat it raw. My son loves the sight of it and is always happy to eat them as such. I should say as of now coz his interests change really quick ! Anyways, I had no difficulty in finishing off that box of strawberries thanks to Dhruv but I had been wanting to try this muffins recipe from Aparna's blog for quite some time and so this time I did it.. 

It is made of half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour and so it is a bit dense. Deeps liked it and gave a thumbs up and that should actually translate to "great" coz he is not a cake lover.. And as for Dhruv he likes muffins so he too loved it.. It's so easy to put up, just mix the dry and wet ingredients separately and fold them together and bake.. Easy right? And if you too do not want to eat strawberries raw but want to try some cake out of it, here is the perfect recipe!!

Recipe Source: My Diverse Kitchen

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Makes : 12 medium sized muffins 

I Used:

Strawberry	-	1 cup (chopped) (around 200 gm)
All purpose flour/Maida	-	1 cup
Whole wheat flour	-	¾ cup
Granulated sugar	-	½ cup
Baking powder	-	1 ½ tsp
Salt	-	½ tsp
Milk	-	½ cup
Oil	-	¼ cup
Thick yogurt	-	2 tbsp
Vanilla essence	-	1 tsp

The Way:

1. Take all the dry ingredients - all purpose lour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix well

2. Add the chopped strawberries to the flour and mix gently. Ensure that the strawberries are coated well with the flour

3. In another bowl take the wet ingredients - milk, oil and vanilla essence and mix well

4. Add the wet mixture to the strawberry-flour mixture and gently mix together in a folding motion about 4 to 5 times

5. Do not over stir. The batter will be lumpy and floury. I had to add 2 to 3 tsp of milk extra to eat up all the flour. But that is fine. With whole wheat flour it will be like that

6. Fill the muffin tray with liners and fill the batter in the liners. This batter will not rise much and hence you can almost fill the liners with batter

7. Bake them at 190 degree C for about 25-30 minutes till done and the top turns golden brown. Then cool for 10 minutes and unmould and serve

Cheers,

Chitz

Kiwi Smoothie

I am an ardent fan of exotic fruits. I love tasting and experimenting with new fruits & also veggies for that matter, but Deeps mostly prefer to stick to tested & approved tastes! What's your choice? Having said that, now you wouldn't mind me posting this recipe at a time when kiwis are not much in season, right? This post had been in my drafts for quite long & I feel it's high time for it to feature here.

Kiwis or Chinese gooseberries are native to some European nations & New Zealand. When ripe, they taste real sweet & can be devoured as such. Loaded with anti-oxidants, they make an excellent & quick option for making smoothies for your busy packed mornings.

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 1 tall glass

I Used:

Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint	-	2 sprigs
Lime juice	-	From 1 lime
Ice cubes	-	½ cup

The Way:

Dunk in all the ingredients in a blender & blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste & serve chilled

Cheers,

Chitz

Avocado Kiwi Smoothie

I know I go on long unannounced breaks, but that has become completely unavoidable these days.. So what am I back with? It is another refreshing and healthy smoothie for all fruit lovers out there. Trust me, this combo tastes great and I just couldn't resist making them over and again..  And for those who do not like to eat fruits raw, what better way to take in those nutrients, than with this sugar free smoothie?

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 2 tall glasses

I Used:

Avocado	-	½ of a large one
Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Almond powder	-	2 tbsp
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint leaves	-	A sprig
Ice cubes	-	3-4 cubes

The Way:

1. Place milk, almond powder, honey, mint leaves and ice cubes in blender & blend smoothly.
2. Now add the scraped avocado and cubed kiwi and blend again till smooth & creamy.
3. Serve chill for the refreshed feel !

Cheers,

Chitz

Persimmon Chia Yogurt Verrines - From my Guest

Now, is that a co-incidence or the heights of my lethargy, I'm not sure. But the next post after my guest post is a guest post for me from a very special blogger friend of mine ;) :D Guess who is doing the first guest post for me?? Yeah, she is the creative food photographer, food stylist & the wonderful Meena from elephants and the coconut trees. I am a great fan of her lovely pics. She tells the story of the dish through her appealing & mouth watering pics, which make me crave for them right away. Her Unakka Chemmen Podi is a award winning recipe which has brought me great accolades at my home :) 

So Meena is one of my great blogger buddy who constantly encourages me with my posts & recipes :) When I asked her to do a guest post for me, she immediately accepted & presented with 3 wonderful recipes & pics to choose from. I actually wanted tell her to do all 3 for me :D but then my sis intervened & selected this dish :) To tell the truth, I am a great fan of persimmon a.k.a sharon fruit & it was with great delight that I seconded my sis's decision :) 

So now, over to Meena dear !!

Thank you so much Chitz for inviting me to your space.It is such an honor to do this guest post for you. I will never forget that you were one among the first to join my blog and encourage me all along.

Hello lovely readers,

I am Meena, who blogs at elephants and the coconut trees.I am from Kerala,India currently living in California, United States with my husband and tween. I am a complete foodie and enjoy all kinds of cuisines. 

I started cooking after marriage and it was never easy for me. Those days there was no Google to help either. I must say I have done so many experiments and the poor man of mine just gulped it down.Then came the daughter.. a very sweet girl but she could reject food like a Master Chef judge :) That being said times have improved. Non vegetarian,super spicy food and baked goodies just vanish in no time:) I started blogging to acquaint daughty with Kerala food and to keep track of everything else that happened in my kitchen.

Persimmon is a fruit looks like tomato but gives a faint taste and smell of mango.Unripe ones can be really astringent and bitter.So pick ones that give in to a press. Persimmon freeze very well and ones thawed it is really pulpy and tastes really sweet that I do not use any extra sweetener when I eat, not even honey. 

The quality of the verrines lie on the yogurt you use.I used whipping cream and made yogurt at home.It really gives a creamy texture and certainly enhances the taste. Persimmon Chia Yogurt Verrine is an ideal fall dessert to make in large batch.It can also be had as a breakfast on the go if you were to fill it in jar with tight lid .

Ingredients :

Fuyu Persimmon - 2 ( 1 per person)

Homemade yogurt from heavy whipping cream - 4 -5 tbsp( Really thick not sour)

Chia seed - 1 1/2 tbsp

Honey - 2 tsp

Method :

• Wash ,wipe and freeze ripe persimmon for 24 hours.
• Soak chia seeds in 1/2 glass water and let it stand for 1 hour to expand or overnight in fridge.
• When u are ready to assemble in the glass simply take out the frozen persimmon put it in warm water for a few minutes then cut off leave part and peel  the skin gently with potato peeler (u might have to hold the fruit with a paper towel or cloth as the fruit would be still cold).Cut into bite size pieces

To assemble 

• Arrange few pieces of fruit at the bottom of the glass then slowly put 2 tbsp of yogurt per glass then hold a spoon upside down on top of  the yogurt  and gently pour 2-3 tsp of chia seeds onto the back of the spoon.So the layers would not mix up .On top add add the remaining cut fruits.Serve chilled or at room temperature.
• Before serving drizzle some honey.

Thank you so much Chitz for giving me an opportunity to be your guest.Wish you all the best and hope you join Deepak soon.

And that was the very sweet lady from the land of 'coconuts & elephants' :) treating me & my dear readers will a fall dessert. Thank you so much Meena for doing this guest post for me.. I do miss Persimmons & you made me reminiscence of my indulgence of it :)

Cheers,
Chitz

Roasted Nectarine Smoothie

Hellova dear friends ! A big hi to all those who missed me & have been wondering where the heck I am :D I had been on a short break coz of my relocation to India. So now that's done & am slowly settling to the clock & climate of Chennai, I thought I would take a peep into my humble space & post something from my drafts. It's been quite a while since I met & heard from you guys & yes, I AM missing you people. Getting back to a full time work after the year long break is fun & challenging, but it would not be a complete truth if I told that I do not miss the all time blogger life ;)

So want to know what my comeback recipe is. It is a simple smoothie with a twist, which by guarantee would be loved by a fruit phobic or a picky fruit eater too ! Want a name? None other than Deeps ! Yes, he is a very picky fruit eater & u can say at times me too ;) We are not great fans of fruits that are bitter or sour. So I find ways to mask that sense of taste very often.. And this one (which I found while gawking on foodgawker) was an instant hit with Deeps. He was like 'This is good' which actually translates to 'Wow, this is great !!' The roasting of the fruit before turning it into a smoothie actually did wonders. So, if you are on the watch out to use a nectarine or a peach (as the original recipe called for) in ways other than the raw form, then this is the recipe. Try it out & do let me know how you felt about it ! 

Recipe Source: Scarletta Bakes

I Took: 50-60 minutes

Serves: 4 tall glasses

I Used:

Nectarines	-	4 large, pitted & quarted
Canola Oil	-	¼ cup
Sugar	-	¼ cup
Greek Yogurt	-	2 cup
Vanilla Ice cream	-	6 cup (I used 3 cups)

The Way:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degree C 
2. Toss the nectarine quarters with oil & sugar until well coated
3. Arrange the quarters on a parchment lined baking tray with the cut sides facing up. Roast them until the fruit is shriveled & darkened which would take about 30-40 minutes
4. Allow them to cool once roasted. Add Greek yogurt & Vanilla ice cream & blend it to a smooth uniform consistency. Blend in batches of half if your blender cannot accommodate the whole quantity
5. Serve in chilled tall glasses :)

Cheers,

Chitz

Raspberry Iced Tea | Raspberry Ice Tea Recipe

Hi mates, so I am back after my short vacation trip to Venice & Pisa. It was really hot at this time of the year there & I have had its effects too, the nasty tan ;) But we did have a great time there walking around the entire city through the calle (alleyways) & travelling in their water boats, which by the way is their main mode of transportation like the bus & train in other cities !! And not to forget the exquisite cuisine, we experienced sea food at its heights there with a wide variety to choose, ranging from lobsters & king crabs to squids & giant prawns & the local sole fish. All contended & tummy & heart filled, I reached back with a slight fever & cold. So not much of cooking happening now. It's just some hot kashayam brewing & light food to munch on, so I am utilizing that to post an iced tea recipe that has been in my drafts for quite some time now :)

Raspberry is one fruit that I find very difficult to eat as such :D But it's benefits are too great to ignore this fruit - antioxidant rich, fights cancer & even increases metabolism rate & cuts down that extra fat :) So I decided to somehow include it in our diet. That's when the google search yielded this beautiful Iced tea recipe. And Deeps is a die hard fan of iced tea or any drink of the tea & coffee family & that made me all the more excited to try this awesome drink. It's pretty simple to brew up & a lip smacking drink when served chilled with ice cubes. Sip it over while you munch your evening cookies & you will definitely want to make more soon :)

I Took: 20 minutes

Serves: 5-6 glasses

I Used:

Raspberry	-	2 cups
Sugar	-	⅓ cup
Water	-	4 cups
Tea Bags	-	5 tea bags

The Way:

1. In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water & the raspberries to a boil. Reduce the heat & allow it to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then strain it & discard the pulp. Keep aside
2. In another saucepan bring 2 cups of water to a boil.Stir in sugar until dissolved
3. Remove from heat. Add the tea bags & steep for 5-8 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Alternately you can add tea dust or leaves too. If then, strain the tea leaves/dust
4. Add the raspberry juice to the tea mixture. Chill them in refrigerator for 3-4 hours & serve with ice

Cheers,

Chitz

Eggless Strawberry Banana Muffins | Strawberry Banana Yogurt Cupcakes

I love strawberries, but they have to be sweet. Now that's an ambitious request right? Very seldom I come across fully sweet strawberries. Most of the times it will be semi-sweet or sour. Then I resort to milkshakes or smoothies or yummy bakes, as they would need a small amount of sugar & would taste out of the world :) Last week we had a guest for lunch & they bought us a lot of fresh berries - blue, black, red & straw ;) And also we had a small outing to a nearby lake during the weekend. Then I thought I would bake some of these muffins & make it a tea outing that day ! I should admit that I thoroughly enjoyed baking these cuties, as they filled my whole house with a yummilicious smell. Do try them out as they are very simple & less time consuming and also you are guaranteed of a fabulous outcome !

Recipe Source: Joy of Baking 

I Took: 25 minutes (Prep) + 25 minutes (Baking)

Makes: 12 regular sized muffins

I Used:

Strawberry - ½ cup - cut into bite sized pieces Banana - 1 big sized - mashed All purpose Flour - 1 cup + 2 tbsp Butter - ¼ cup Yogurt - ¼ cup Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp Granulated Sugar - ¼ cup + 2 tbsp Baking Powder - ¾ tsp Baking Soda - ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon - ¼ tsp or an inch stick mashed with banana Salt - ½ tsp

The Way:

1. Mash the bananas. If you do not have ground cinnamon then add the cinnamon stick to the banana & mash it
2. Melt the butter (in an oven or saucepan) & allow it to cool to room temperature
3. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degree Celsius in conventional mode 
4. In a bowl whisk together yogurt, vanilla essence & mashed banana. Add the melted butter & stir to combine
5. In another large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon (if available) & salt. You can sift it for 3 times for even mixing of the dry ingredients
6. Then gently fold in the strawberries into the flour mixture making sure that they are coated well with the flour. This helps the berries to prevent from sinking during baking
7. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients & stir gently so that they are combined. Do not over mix, else the muffins might become hard
8. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or butter the muffin cups in the pan 
9. Place 2 spoons of the batter in each cup using a spoon 
10. Bake it for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through it comes out clean. Do not mistake the fruit within the muffin to be wet batter. Mine was done in 25 minutes

Cheers,

Chitz

Cream Fruit Salad

Assorted fruits & nuts in Cream

This is a post that has been in my drafts for a week, the one which I had planned to post before I started to India. But in the hurry burry of the packing & cleaning & last minute shopping & preparations, I did not get time. Yes, this was a sudden twist in the normal vacation plan of ours. We had to start 2 weeks ahead of our anticipated plan & that too in a notice of 5 days.. So u can imagine the work package that come with it :D But anyways happy to get an extended vacation & enjoyment in the scorching heat of South India !! 

So back to the post, this is a very simple & quick dessert that can be prepared with the available fruits & nuts at hand. I had it at my friend Rameena's place & immediately fell in love with it. And so one day when I had a craving I messaged her for the recipe.. I knew it was a simple one, but wanted to get it right, exactly like hers ;) You know, this is an easy way to feed fruits to kids & also even adults too !! So, off to the recipe ;)

I Took: 20 minutes

Serves: 4 ppl

I Used:

Cream - 300 ml Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp Sugar - 3 tbsp or As Needed Mango - 1 no Apple - 1 no Honey dew - ½ a normal sized fruit Almonds - As Needed Cashews - As Needed Raisins - As Needed

The Way:

1. Whip up the cream with sugar & vanilla essence till it gives a nice foamy texture
2. Cut the fruits into cubes as for fruit salad and add it to the whipped up cream
3. Add the chopped nuts and give a mix. This tastes more heavenly when you roast the nuts in a little ghee before adding to the whipped up cream
4. Refrigerate for an hour or overnight as time permits & serve chilled

Notes:

You can use any fruit & nut of your choice. I used the ones that I had available that day !!

Cheers,

Chitz