ABC Juice

ABC juice that is Apple, Beet root, Carrot Juice. This is a popular detox juice which is so healthy and colourful because of the fruit and the veggies added to it. This juice helps to loose weight and maintain good health and also provides a good skin tone. So this drink is also called a 'Miracle Drink' too. This drink was introduced by Chinese herbalists for the treatment of lung cancer and many other diseases. But nowadays it becomes so popular and known as miracle drink.
This drink is packed full of nutrients from one fruit and two vegetables which provides plentiful amount of antioxidants.

Apples contain nutrients like Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, C, E and K, Folate, Niacin, Zinc, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron, Calcium, Sodium and Manganese. Also the dietary fibers found in apples are very beneficial for health. Carrots contain a wide variety of vitamins such as Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E and K, Folate, Niacin and Pantothenic Acid. There are minerals like Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Selenium packed in it. One of the most important components found in carrots is beta-carotene. You can get the best of these nutrients by juicing the carrots. And the heart friendly Beetroots are enriched with nutrients like vitamin A, C, B-complex, potassium, iron, magnesium and copper. They contain anti-aging agents as well.(Information collected from here)

INGREDIENTS:

Apple-1 medium

Carrot-1 medium

Beetroot-1 small

Lemon- a squeeze (optional)

Chilled water- 2 cups

PROCEDURE:

• Take apple and carrot almost same quantity and use little smaller beet root. You could use three in equal quantity too.
• Add a piece of ginger if you like to include.
• Peel the veggies, no need to peel the apples but core them to remove the seeds.
• Chop every thing in small pieces.
• Add them in a blender or juice jar and puree them. Then add the chilled water and pulse again once or twice to mix well.

• You can drink as such too which adds more fibre. I like to strain and use the clear juice.
• Pass the juice through a strainer and press with a ladle/spoon on top. You could extract using your hands too.

• Add a squeeze of lime if you wish. Chill if you wish for few minutes.
• Do not store this juice. Make it fresh for better results.
• For the best results take miracle drink with empty stomach, early in the morning. One hour after consuming the drink you can take your regular breakfast. You can even take it twice a day, one in the morning and the other glass in the afternoon.

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Apple Pickle

Apple Pickle: Last week i bought some red apples and  they tastes similar to green apples; they are sour in taste. So no one is ready to finish those apples. Apple pickle has been there in my to do list for long time and i thought this is the best time to try with these sour apples.

I have prepared this pickle in an instant way and it turned out really yummy. Spiciness from the masalas and the mild sweetness and the flavour from the apple really gives an unimaginable taste. We loved this pickle a lot and i have finished half of the pickle the day i have prepared itself. So fast moving pickle when compare to other pickles. Kids too love this pickle as its is spicy and also mildly sweet.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Cuisine: Indian
Makes: 1½ cups

INGREDIENTS:
Apple, green/red- 2 nos
Lemon- 1/2 small
Sesame oil (or)Refined oil- 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic, cut- 2 big cloves
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Asafetida- 1/4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 tablespoon (Use Kashmiri chilli powder for less heat)
Fenugreek powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Cut and core the apples to remove the seeds and cut them into a small bite sized pieces and keep in a bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon juice over the cut apple and allow to coat well to avoid browning of apples.

• Roast some fenugreek seeds till light golden colour, till you get the roasted aroma.
• In a pan heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds.

• Then add the cut garlic and curry leaves and roast in the oil till the colour of the garlic edges starts to get golden colour.
• Now add the asafetida, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and  half a teaspoon of roasted fenugreek powder.

• Switch off the gas immediately after adding and mix all these spices in the hot oil to cook to leave the raw smell of the spices.
• Add the apple and enough salt to taste and mix well.(Do not heat the mixture the heat from the pan is enough)

• Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly and transfer the pickle on an air tight container.
• Keep the pickle out side for an hour to absorb the masala. Then refrigerate the pickle and finish with in a week time.

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Apple Chicken Curry

I got this recipe few months before in Thursday Magazine's Spices and Flavors section. In that they published this recipe from Washington Post. I kept the recipe to try for this Christmas. I saw this recipe paper a day back and instantly tried and we liked the recipe a lot.

The taste and the texture of the curry is bit different. But the masalas used are all Indian spices so the curry suits to Indian palatte. The texture of the curry is little soupy and new for me but it goes well with plain rice. I have served with Basmathi rice. U can serve with Basmathi or Jasmine rice. Mild sweetness from the apple and the juicy chicken. Different from normal chicken curry. Perfect dish to try for some change in cooking.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: Continental
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:
Onion-1 large
Garlic- 2 big cloves
Celery- 1 stem(optional)
Red capsicum-1 Medium
Apple-1 big (Preferably Green apple like Granny's smith)
Chicken, with or without bone- 600 grams (I used half chicken)
All purpose flour- 3 tablespoons
Pepper - 1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 +1 tablespoons
Butter-1 tablespoons
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Water(or)chicken broth- 3 cups (I used water)
Coriander/ parsley leaves- 3 strands

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the onion, garlic, celery, red capsicum in to small dice; combine them.
• Peel and core the apple and cut the apple into small bite size pieces.
• Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.
• In a plate take 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour and season with 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and salt. 

• Add the chicken pieces and roll well to coat the flour evenly all over the chicken pieces.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a broad pan and add the coated chicken (shaking off the excess flour). 
• Cook until lightly browned on the outside, the chicken might not be cooked through.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate.

• In the same pan heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil together.
• Add the onion, garlic, celery,capsicum  and pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes until the veggies are soft by stirring occasionally.
• Add the apple and stir well to incorporate and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Then stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and cinnamon powder and cook for a minute.(If you donot have cinnamon powder replace it with garam masala powder)

• Then add a tablespoon of flour over the mixture ad stir to incorporate.
• Cook for a minute to allow the flour to roast.
• Add 3 cups of water(or)chicken broth and mix well then add the chicken pieces and any accumulated juices from the chicken.

• Cook the curry in medium flame and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• The mixture continue to thicken as it cooks, and the chicken should be cooked through.

• Taste the curry and season with 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and salt.
• Chop some coriander or parsley and add on top of curry before serving.

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Apple Pie/ Apple Tart (100th Post)

        An apple pie is a fruit pie (or tart) in which the principal filling ingredient is apples. It is sometimes served with whipped cream or ice cream on top, or alongside cheddar cheese. Pastry is generally used top-and-bottom, making it a double-crust pie, the upper crust of which may be a circular shaped crust or a pastry lattice woven of strips; exceptions are deep-dish apple pie with a top crust only, and open-face Tarte Tatin.
 

      Here I have made apple pie in a basket look alike shape.  You can cover the filling with a normal rolled pastry and prick them at the centre to allow the steam to escape and allow the pie to cook inside. I have used Granny's Smith Green apples for this recipe you can make this with any apple which are crunchy and acidic.

INGREDIENTS:

For Short Crust Pastry:

All-purpose flour- 2 cups

Salt- ¼ teaspoon

Icing sugar- 4 tablespoon

Unsalted butter, slightly cold-200 grams (1 cup)

Egg yolk- 1

Cold water- 4 to 5 tablespoons or as required

For the Apple Filling:

Apple, chopped -2 (crisp and acidic cooking apples like Grannys Smith, Golen Delicious…etc)

Raisins- 3 tablespoons

Brown sugar- ½ cup (can use normal white sugar also)

Cinnamon powder- ½ teaspoon

For Brushing the shell:

Egg white-1

Apricot Jam, melted - ¼ cup

PROCEDURE:

• Combine together, all-purpose flour, salt and icing sugar. Add butter and mix gently using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. For a well inside the crumbs and add egg yolk and sufficient quantity of ice water, mix gently until the dough just comes together. Knead the dough until you get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into two parts and wrap with cling film and chill in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

• Preheat oven to 180^oC.
• Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until 3 mm thick and keep inside the base and cut the extra hanging pastry. 

• In a bowl mix the chopped apple, raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Fill the base with the apple filling up to the top and level with this using a spoon.

• From the remaining pastry using pizza cutter or knife cut some long strips, to keep on top of the base to shape a fruit basket like appearance. 
• Brush the top with egg wash using a pastry brush. Transfer the tins to oven and bake till the surface turns golden.

• Melt the apricot jam in oven for 30seconds or in a small pan over the stove heat till the jam melts. Brush the baked apple pies with melted jam using a pastry brush.
• Serve with whipping cream, ice cream or cheese.
• Makes 1 large pie or small 4 pies.

 

      

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