Jewish Challah

Ingredients:

Instant yeast-2 tsp
Bread flour-2 cups
Warm water-3/8th cup
Eggs-1 large+1 yolk, plus 1 white for glazing
Vegetable oil-1/4th cup
Salt-1 tsp
Sugar-1/8th cup

Method:

Yeast preparation

1. Heat water and make sure the temperature is close to your body temperature. It should not be too hot or too cold.
2. Add yeast, sugar to a bowl and then add water. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy. Sugar makes the mix more frothy. Meanwhile work on the other ingredients.

Dough preparation

1. Add flour, salt in a big bowl and mix until there are no lumps.
2. Add oil and eggs and mix properly.
3. Now add the yeast-sugar mixture and mix everything properly. You may need 1-2 tbsp of extra water.
4. Now the exciting part comes-KNEADING!! The more you knead the softer your bread turns out. Knead the dough for atleast 10 min and make sure it becomes soft and there are no crumbles.
5. Transfer it to another bowl with oiled surface and cover with a moist towel or plastic wrap. Keep the bowl in a warm place for an hour or until your dough becomes double the size. I keep the bowl inside the oven. 

6. Now take the dough and knead it again quickly. 

7. Divide the dough into four parts and make a strand out of each part. So four strands in total. Start braiding the four strands.

 

7. The braiding feels intimidating but it is very simple. Just number the position of the strands and not strands itself and then just remember the magic numbers.

4 over 2; 1 over 3; 2 over 3; repeat!

Watch this wonderful video to understand it better.

8. Once the braiding is done, keep it on a baking tray and spread egg white on the surface.

9. The second 1 hr rise starts now! The bread will rise and becomes double the original size.

10. While you coat the bread with egg white, preheat the oven to 375 F. After egg white wash, let the  baking begin! Bake for 30 min: The surface becomes brown and shiny. Let it cool and serve with red chile olive oil.

Tips

1. If the yeast-sugar mix doesn't get frothy, the yeast is dead. It may be because of hot water or old yeast.

2. KNEAD, KNEAD and KNEAD!

Introduction-How to know what is HEALTHY?

Many of us try to lose weight atleast once in our life time. We often fail due to lot of different reasons. Some of us manage to lose it in the beginning but, the pounds come back quickly again. In order to reach our goal and to prevent the gain again, one needs to know few things and try to incorporate them in many instances in their daily lives. The first thing is to be able to define "HEALTHY FOOD".

Have you ever looked at 'Nutrition Facts Label' at the back of food items when you go grocery shopping? If the answer is yes and you understand the label, you have taken a major leap in your weight loss goal. But, for those who do not know the significance of it, you are reading the right blog.

Let's see how a nutrition facts label looks like.

Looks complicated? Lets break it down. You should consider:

 

1. Serving Size and Calories per serving

 

On an average, an adult woman needs 1200-1600 calories per day and an adult man needs 2000-2400 calories. If you are trying to lose weight, get a rough estimate of how many calories you are eating currently and try to reduce it either by opting smart food choices or by working out. Most of the time we ignore serving size and we may end up eating 2-3 servings. So, do take a note of how many servings you are eating and calculate number of calories consumed accordingly. 

 

2. Fat

 

Many people mistakenly think that fat is bad for body. Good news! You are not completely correct. There are different types of fat: Saturate, Trans, Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated. Completely eliminate Trans fat which is a BAD FAT! Saturated fat is good to a certain extent depending on the its source. Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats are GOOD FATS. It is very important to replace bad fats with good fats. So don't forget to take a note of what fats you are eating.

 

3. Carbohydrates

 

Diet conscious people try to decrease their carbohydrate intake. This is wrong. Carbohydrates are essential source for your regular functioning and they should constitute ~50% of your daily diet. But, not all carbs are good. A good carb is determined by its glycemic index. The lower the glycemic index the better the carb! Glycemic index is determined by the percentage of fiber and protein in a give food.

 

4. Protein

 

This is the ingredient which makes you look lean. If you want to tone down, don't forget to incorporate Protein into your diet. Protein makes your meal satisfying and helps in keeping your hunger in control. Do not eat more than what is needed. On an average, protein should constitute 30% of your diet. Most of the times, the food containing protein is associated with saturated fats and cholesterol. So, make sure you are incorporating the right protein into your diet.

 

5. Vitamins and Minerals (Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Calcium etc)

 

Last but not the least are Vitamins and Minerals. Are you thinking that it is too much information to remember? Slow down, take a deep breath and take one step at a time. These are nutrients that are essential for proper functioning of the body. They boost immune system, helps in growth and development and helps cells and organs to do their job. So, do not forget to incorporate them into your diet. 

In conclusion, for a perfect, healthy and balanced diet, you need to follow the above tips and incorporate them slowly in day to day life. This is the first and major step to reach your weight loss goal. Also helps in preventing the weight gain. Follow my blog for a detailed description of each of the above five segments of a nutrition fact label.  

More posts to come!

Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce-2 cups
Garbanzo Beans-1/4 cup dry
Vinegar and Olive oil Dressing- 2 tbsp
Dry roasted Sunflower kernel seeds-1/4 cup
Baby Carrots-6
Grape tomatoes-10
Avocado-1/2 medium
Strawberries-6

Method:

Boil the chick peas and keep aside. Toss the dressing on the lettuce and mix well. Add other ingredients, mix and serve! You will love the combination of avocado and strawberries along with grape tomatoes.

Margherita Pizza

Ingredients:

1/4 whole wheat pizza base (I used Boboli 100% whole wheat crust-10 oz)
1/4 cup pizza sauce
Fresh skim Mozzarella cheese
Basil leaves
1/4 tomato

Method:

1. Set oven to 450 C. Spread pizza sauce on the base evenly.
2. Slice mozzarella cheese and place them on the sauce.
3. Slice tomatoes and place them on the crust.
4. Add basil leaves and keep it in the oven for 15 min or until the base becomes crusty.
5. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and red chilli flakes and serve hot. Enjoy!

Moist Banana Bread!!

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas (medium)

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1.5 cups bread flour 

Nuts (optional)

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and make sure there are no lumps. Then add egg, vanilla, mashed bananas, milk and butter. Mix everything properly and pour into a greased 4X8 loaf pan. Bake for 35-45 min and make sure tooth pick comes out clean from the center. Turn off the oven and leave it inside for another 15 min. Remove it and serve the moist bread!