A Better Pizza (quick recipe)

Too much take-away pizza may harm your health due to its high salt and fat content, But if you make your own pizza, you can definitely have it more often! – says Rachel Cooke from the British Dietetic Association.
According to her, it will have less salt and fat. Also, a whole-wheat base will up your fiber intake, which will help you feel fuller for a longer time – the key to weight management.

If you are looking for a fast healthy meal, try this recipe! It takes less than two minutes to make.


Ingredients:
1 whole-wheat pita bread
2 tbsp marinara pasta sauce
2 slices of mozzarella cheese
2 leaves of basil



Method:
Slice the pita in half. Gently ease it open, keeping both halves joined together. Spoon one tablespoon of sauce into each half. Place one slice of cheese in each half.

Put in the microwave for 25 seconds to melt the cheese. Add a piece of basil to both halves and serve.

Queen cakes

Ingredients:
75 g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
50 g butter or margarine
50 g caster sugar
1 standard egg, lightly beaten
2 x 5 ml spoons lemon juice
50 g currants
Milk to mix

Directions:
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Oven: 190ºC, 375ºF, Gas Mark 5

Place 9 paper cake cases in patty tins – this helps them to keep their shape – or on a baking sheet. Sieve the flour and salt. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the egg and lemon juice, adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last amount. Fold in the remaining flour and the currants and add enough milk to mix to a soft, dropping consistency.
Divide the mixture between the cases. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 15-20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
Makes 9.

Coconut and Cherry Cake

Ingredients:
300 g self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
150 g margarine
200 g glacé cherries, quartered
50 g desiccated coconut
150 g caster sugar
2 standard eggs, lightly beaten
125 ml milk

Directions:
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours
Oven: 180ºC, 350ºF
Gas Mark: 4

Well grease a 20 cm cake tin and line the base with greased greaseproof paper. Sieve together the flour and salt. Rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Toss the cherries in the coconut and add the mixture with the sugar. Mix lightly. Add the eggs to the mixture with most of the milk. Beat well, then add sufficient extra milk to give a soft dropping consistency. Turn into the prepared tin, level off and bake in a moderate oven for 1.5 hours or until well risen and golden brown. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn ut on to a wire rack to cool.

Vegetable Rice (Chinese)

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 kg (keep dipped in water)
Carrots: 4
Cabbage: 1
Capsicum: 4
Potatoes: 4
(finely chop all these vegetables)

Chicken: ¼ kg
(Boil in pan with one glass of water and make boneless)

Green Chilies, Ginger, Garlic (paste)
Chinese salt: 1 tbsp
Tomatoes: 4
Common salt: 2 tbsp
Red Chilies: ½ tbsp (powder)
Spices (Biryani Masala for locals): 1 packet (small)
White Zeera: 1 tbsp
Onions: 3
Oil: ¼ kg

Directions:

Take a pan. Finely chop onion and fry in oil until golden brown. Then add Chinese salt, common salt, chilies and zeera and mix well while heating on stove.
When the mixture looks well cooked, add all the vegetables and the boiled chicken.
Cook until vegetables are soft (cooked)
Then add spices (biryani masala) and put the pan on slow-heat. During this, add some amount of lemon juice or vinegar.
Take a second pan (open pan). Boil the rice with 2 tbsp salt in the usual procedure.
Now take out the rice, and in the same pan make 2-3 layers such that one layer is of rice and the other layer is of the spices (from the first pan)
Add food colour on top (yellow or orange) and put the pan with lid tightly in place, on very slow heat for 10 minutes

GREEN TEA RECIPES (PART THREE)

Green Tea and Mango Fool
Directions:

In a saucepan, warm 284ml of double cream and five green tea bags, until just below boiling.
Remove from heat and cool in fridge for half an hour.
Discard tea bags.
Whip cream and 75g of icing sugar until it holds soft peaks, then chill.
Cut two mangoes into slivers and layer cream and mango in dishes,
Serve with sweet biscuits.

GREEN TEA RECIPES (PART TWO)

Fragrant Noodle Soup

Directions:

Steep three green tea bags in a saucepan with 675ml of hot water for five minutes.
Remove tea bags.
Add two tbsp soy sauce, one tbsp pineapple juice, one tbsp peeled and sliced ginger to the water.
Boil and add 75g rice noodles, 60g thawed peas, six broccoli florets.
Cook until noodles are tender.
Pour into bowls.

GREEN TEA RECIPES (PART ONE)

Buttery Green Tea Prawns

Directions:
Remove veins from 200g of raw tiger prawns. In a frying pan, steep a green tea bag in 250ml of hot water for five minutes.
Remove tea bag and bring water to boil.
Add prawns; cook for three minutes.
Drain liquid, leaving one tbsp.
Add 15g salted butter and fry prawns until they sizzle.
Serve with radish, cucumber and lime juice.

Healthy Potato Chips (French Fries)

-the healthiest recipe of making chips by celebrity chef Mark Hix

Ingredients:
Baking potatoes: (4 large ; 200-250g each)
Olive Oil: 5-6 tbsp
Garlic: 2 cloves (peeled and crushed)
Rosemary Leaves: 2 tbsp
Parmesan: 3 tbsp (freshly grated)

Directions:
Preheat oven 200ºC (gas mark 6)
Halve the potatoes, then cut each half into 6 or 7 chips.
Place in cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Drain in a colander.
Heat oil in roasting tray in the over, then add potatoes, garlic and rosemary. Season. Cook for 45 minutes, turning a couple of times, until crisp and cooked through.
Scatter parmesan over and return to oven for 10-12 minutes.

Cold Cake

Ingredients:

Biscuits: 12-15 (plain)
Margarine/Butter: 2 tablespoons
Sugar: ½ cup
Condensed milk: ½ cup
Pineapple: 1 cup (square pieces)
Milk: 2 tablespoons
Cocoa Powder: 3 tablespoons
Fresh cream: 250g
Jelly: 1 packet (orange)

Directions:

Fry biscuits in 2 tablespoons of margarine/butter. When they become crispy, spread them on a plate to make a base layer.
Now take 5 tablespoons of sugar and cook with cocoa powder (3 tablespoons) and milk (2 tablespoons). Cool the paste formed and spread it on the biscuits layer.
Now on top of the biscuits, spread the pineapples to make the second layer of cake. And spread condensed milk upon the pineapple layer.
Refrigerate.
Cook the jelly, and when cool: spread it on cake. Leave some jelly spare for later use.
Refrigerate again.
Now add sugar in fresh cream and mix so well that you see bubbles in cream. Now fill the cream in an icing gun (etc.) and decorate the cake with a pattern of your choice.
Decorate the centre of the cake with pineapples in shape of flower.
And decorate the sides of the cake with pieces of jelly.
Now put in a freezer.
Once the cake is set, cut out pieces with a sharp knife.
Scrumptious cold cake is ready to be served and enjoyed!

Hispanic Rice

Ingredients:

Rice: ½ kg
Leek: 3
Chicken: 1 (whole)
Eggs: 2
Ginger: ½ teaspoon (ground)
Onion: 1 tablespoon (ground)
Salt: according to taste
Butter: ½ cup
Black pepper: 1 tablespoon
White Zeera: ½ tablespoon
Garlic: 1 tablespoon (ground)

Directions:

Drench rice in water, 3 hours before cooking and keep them in water.
Heat the butter and add the ginger, garlic and onion into it. Mix well for 3 minutes.
Then add black pepper, zeera, salt, leek (cut) and again mix well.
When the aroma starts rising, add the rice to this mixture and put them on slow heat.
Before this, wash the chicken well and boil it with salt and garlic.
Boil two eggs and cut them into circular slices.

Take out rice from the pan, into a dish.
Put the boiled chicken at the centre and spread the eggs around the outline of the dish.
Delicious Hispanic (Spanish) rice are ready!

Three quick healthy recipes: (each serves 4)

(1) CHICKEN AND SPINACH CURRY
Heat 3 tbsp of sunflower oil in a saucepan.
Add 1 onion and fry for 1 minute.
Add 1 clove of garlic, 2 slices of peeled, fresh ginger; ½ tsp each of ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, ¼ tsp each of ground chilli and garam masala. Fry for 1 minute.
Add 2 ripe, chopped tomatoes, reduce to a pulp.
Add 700g if chicken breast, stir-fry until cooked. Add 150ml coconut milk, simmer for 6 minutes. Stir in 200g spinach and serve.



(2) SALMON WITH CLOVES
Mix zest and juice of 1 orange, 2 tbsp of vegetable oil, 3 thin slices if fresh, peeled ginger, 3 cloves and ½ tsp of coriander seeds in a dish. Whisk briefly. Coat 4 salmon steaks in marinade.
Cover and chill for 2 hours. Remove all flavourings and place fish in a hot pan, immediately reduce the heat and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn steaks and fry for another 3 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve with wild rice and salad.



(3) AUBERGINE PATÉ AND TOAST
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add 1 finely chopped onion. Fry until soft. Chop 1 aubergine into cubes. Add to pan. Fry over moderate heat until soft. Chop 10 sun-dried tomatoes, 6 gherkins and 3 garlic cloves. Add to pan. Next, add leaves of 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 tbsp of chopped parsley, 2 tsp of capers and 1 tsp each of whole-grain mustard and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then mash or put through a blender.
Serve with toast.



Useful Information:

Cloves: may help relieve stomach problems and rheumatism.
Garlic: may lower cholesterol and blood pressure
Cumin: can relieve indigestion and wind. Infuse in hot water to help colds.
Ginger: can ease nausea and aid digestion.
Thyme: can ease colds, coughs and bronchitis