Cholesterol Lowering Foods

• Oats: Including 1 bowl of oats in a day's routine would be very helpful.
• Beans: Any beans from kidney to garbanzo to lentils to black-eyes peas etc etc... are rich in fiber and help reduce cholesterol.
• Eggplants and Okra :  These veggies are low in calories.
• Nuts: Eating a few nuts a day like almonds, peanuts, walnuts is very good for heart.
• Canola Oil - switch to oil instead of butter while cooking. That would help.
• Apples, strawberries, grapes and citrus fruits : These fruits have soluble fiber and helps lower cholesterol.
• Soy: Soy beans or food made of that like tofu or soy milk help reduce cholesterol.

Above all that, Exercise , Don't be lazy !!! ;)

Brown Rice and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Broth - 5 cups
• Water - 3 cups
• Brown Rice - 1 cup
• Carrot - 1
• Celery - 1 cup
• Zucchini - 1 cup
• Corn and peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Garlic - 2 tsp ( minced )
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oregano - 1 tsp

You can add more vegetables of your choice like, potatoes, beans, mushrooms etc.

Directions:

• In a soup pot, combine, broth and water. ( Adjust water accordingly. More water if you like it runny )
• Add brown rice and carrots. Bring it to boil.
• Add all other veggies ( except zucchini ) to the soup. 
• In a separate pan, heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic. Pour it over the soup.
• Add cubed zucchini towards the end. It need not be cooked for long.
• Add seasoning to the soup and let it cook till the rice is done.
• Serve hot with crackers or bread sticks.

Strawberry Lassi

This would be a delight drink on a hot summer day. Very easy to make and not time consuming at all.

Ingredients:

• Strawberries - 10-12
• Plain Yogurt - 2 cups
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Sugar or Honey - to taste

Directions:

• Wash and half the strawberries. 
• Blend them into a juicer.
• Add yogurt, milk and sugar ( or honey ) into the juicer and blend again till creamy.
• Serve chilled.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients :

• Carrots - 5 large ( peeled and sliced )
• Sweet Potato - 2 ( peeled and chopped )
• Onion - 1 ( chopped )
• Garlic - 3 cloves ( minced )
• Ginger - 1 tbsp ( grated )
• Vegetable Stock - 7-10 cups
• Sesame Seeds - 1tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Salt n Pepper - to taste
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Yogurt or Heavy Cream - 2-3 tbsp ( just for serving )
• Chili Flakes ( optional )

Directions:

• Heat oil in a saucepan. Saute chopped onions, ginger and garlic till the onions are translucent.
• Add the chopped carrots and sweet potato. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the vegetable stock and let it cook on simmer. Cover it and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes. Check if the carrots are well cooked. You should be able to mash the carrots and sweet potato easily.
• Remove from heat and use an immersion blender and blend till smooth.
• The consistency of the soup can be changed accordingly. You can add more stock if you like it runny.
• Place the soup back on simmer.
• In a separate pan, dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds for about 2 minutes constantly stirring to avoid burning.
• Let it cool and grind it into a coarse mixture.
• Remove the soup from heat and add this mixture into the soup. Add salt and pepper.
• Serve it with a dollop of yogurt or heavy cream.
• You can also sprinkle some oregano and chili flakes if you like a little spicy.
• Serve with crispy bread sticks or crackers.

Use the water left over after cooking dal or veggies.

• Whenever vegetables or dal is cooked in water, many nutrients are left back in the water. So do not throw it away. Instead use it when making some gravies or soups or sambars and rasams.
• You could also use that water to knead the dough for chapati.

Palak Pulao ( Spinach Rice )

Ingredients :

• Palak ( Spinach ) - 1 bunch
• Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• Onion - 1 
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Garam Masala ( or Pulao masala ) - 1 tsp
• Amchoor - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cashew Nuts - 10
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Directions: 

• Soak the rice in water for 10 minutes. Cook and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil, splutter cumin seeds. Add bay leaf , slit green chillies and cinnamon stick.
• Saute chopped onion and ginger garlic paste. 
• Add turmeric powder, pulao masala and amchoor masala.
• Wash and chop spinach.
• Add chopped spinach into the pan and cook till done. 
• Add cooked rice to the spinach and mix well.
• You can add roasted cashew nuts for garnishing.
• Serve with onion-tomato raita.

Variations: 

• Instead of chopped spinach, you could blanch and puree spinach and use that as well.
• You can add vegetables like potato or carrots or corn if you wish. 
• You can add other greens along with spinach.

Orange and Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• Oranges ( Peeled and Segmented ) -2
• Ripe Banana - 1
• Milk - 1 cup
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Sugar or Honey - 1/4 cup
• Ice Cubes - 4

Directions: 

• In a blender combine all the ingredients and blend till smooth.
• Serve chilled .

Onion Paratha ( Pyaz ke Parathe )

Indian flat bread stuffed with spiced onion mix.

Ingredients :


For Dough: 

• Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Water - as needed to knead the dough 

For Filling: 

• Chopped Onions - 1 cup
• Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander-Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
• Amchoor ( Dry Mango Powder ) - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp ( or replace it with finely chopped green onions )
• Chopped Cilantro - 2tbsp

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients of the filling together. The filling is ready . Keep aside.

• In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for dough and knead to make a soft dough. 
• Cover and keep aside, let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
• Make lemon sized balls of the dough and divide the onion mix into same number of portions as the number of balls.
• Roll the dough ball into 3-inch diameter circles. Place one portion of onion mix in the center. Seal by pulling the edges of the rolled dough together to make a ball. Make similar balls with the remaining dough and paneer mix. Keep aside.
• Now, heat the tawa or the skillet on medium-high .
• Take one ball and roll it into dry aata ( wheat flour ) so that the ball is coated from all the sides. 
• Start rolling it slowly into a 6-inch diameter circle. sprinkle some dry aata while rolling so that it does not stick to the rolling pin. 
• Place the paratha over the hot skillet. Let it cook for about half a minute and flip it over. You will find small brown dots on the surface.
• After about 15-20 seconds sprinkle a few drops of ghee or oil on the surface and flip it over again. Sprinkle few drops of ghee or oil on this side as well.
• Gently press the paratha all over with the help of a spatula. 

• Take the paratha off the tawa when both the sides turn golden brown.
• Serve them hot with your favourite raita  or even plain curds and aachar or chutney 

: 

Matar Paneer

Ingredients:

• Cubed Paneer - 1 cup
• Green Peas ( Fresh or Frozen ) - 3/4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2
• Onions - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste  - 1 tsp
• Heavy Cream - 1/2 cup ( optional )
• Cashew Nuts - 10-12 ( optional )
• Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Oil / Butter - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish

Directions: 

• Shallow fry the paneer cubes in a little bit of oil or ghee or butter till golden brown on both the sides. Take them off the pan and drop them in a bowl of salted water. Keep aside.
• Boil the green peas and keep them aside.
• Soak cashews in a cup of warm water for 15 mintues. Grind them to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
• Heat the remaining butter in the pan, crackle jeera ( cumin seeds ) and bay leaf.
• Saute ginger garlic paste and finely chopped onions.
• Add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till the butter starts to separate.
• Add garam masala, coriander- cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder to the paste and mix well.
• Add the cashew paste and cream into it. ( As I mentioned before, these two are optional. The curry will taste good even without these )
• Add 2 cups of water and salt. Water can be adjusted according to the consistency you like.
• Add the Paneer cubes and boiled peas into the gravy. Mix and let it cook on low-med heat. Let to a boil. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Basic French Toast

This is just a basic french toast.
There can be many variations to this recipe. You can add other ingredients to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• Bread - 6 slices
• Eggs - 3
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Sugar Powder - 3 tsp ( or to taste )
• Butter - for shallow fry

Directions:

• In a bowl, beat eggs, add milk and sugar. Mix well.
• Soak the bread slice in this mixture, from both the sides.
• Heat skillet and spray butter. Place the bread slice on the skillet. Cook for 30 sec till golden brown. Turn it and cook the other side till golden brown too.
• Serve along with your favorite juice for the breakfast.

Variations:

• Cut the slice diagonally and make the toast.
• Add Vanilla extract or honey in the egg mixture.
• Add cinnamon powder or nutmeg powder in the egg mixture.
• Pour maple syrup over the toast while serving.
• Top with fresh berries while serving.
• You can add a pinch of salt in the egg mixture.