Orange-Lemon Tea Fizz

Nothing can beat a glass of chilled lemon tea as an accompaniment to a pizza, sub or a sizzler! The best part is this can be made in advance and refigerated. So that you can chill out when you have to serve this..

Lots of variations could be tried.. The first one is Orange-Lemon Tea and the second one is Lemon - Ginger Iced Tea... The secret of a good iced tea is to make the tea decoction and cool it completely before flavouring it. And of course, it is all in the way you serve it.

Take a tall glass, first fill it with lots of ice cubes and pour the tea. And chill out..



Ingredients

Orange - Lemon Tea

3 cups boiling water
1-2 tea bags
Sugar to taste
1 cup Orange Juice (Use the canned juice)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 bottle Soda ( optional)
Ice Cubes


Brew tea decoction.
Make a light tea decoction, let it cool completely.
Before serving add sugar, lemon juice, orange juice and Soda. If you do not like fizzy stuff, then opt out the soda.
Serve over ice cubes in a tall glass.

Lemon Ginger Iced Tea



Ingredients

1 bag green tea
Thin slices fresh ginger
Fresh Lemon juice
Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Make a thin green tea decotion, Let tea cool completely.
2. Strain ginger juice, add through a strainer. Add lemon juice and sugar.
3. Pour in to tall glasses filled with ice.

Sip it with your friends with some nice murukku and hot gossip!

Mixed Sprouts Fried Rice

For a change, toss in mixed sprouts in the fried rice. The Soya, ginger, garlic and red chilli give a chinese touch... Spicy and good for lunch packs!



Ingredients

2 cups of cooked basmati rice
1 cup sprouts (Mixed sprouts)
1 tsp red chilli paste (soak 2-3 dry red chillis in 1 tbsp of vinegar for half an hour and grind to make a paste)
1 tbsp. groundnut oil
½ tsp. soya sauce
1 tsp tomato sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
White pepper powder
2 tbsp spring onions

Method :

Heat oil in a kadai in a high flame and toss the chopped garlic and ginger. Add the red chilli paste and stir fry for 10-15 seconds. Now add sprouts and cover and cook for 2-3 mts on medium heat.
Add the soya sauce, tomato sauce, salt and white pepper powder and mix well.
Add the completely cooled rice to the kadai and stir fry tossing well for about 2 minutes.
Garnish with spring onions. Serve hot.

Hyderabadi Mixed Vegetable

A nice blend of veggies, tasty with yoghurt and spices..
Ingredients

Vegetables needed :

1 cup beans
1 cup carrots
1 cup potatoes (peeled)
(above 3 items to be sliced in to thin strips (like Avial veggies)
1/2 cup long aubergines - cut in to round
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1 small cup green peas
1 finely chopped onion
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
Half a lemon
salt to taste

Spices

1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp clove powder

Oil for deep frying
1 cup of thick yogurt
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Ghee for tadka

1. Microwave (Steam) the potatoes in a closed bowl for 3 minutes.
2. Along with the potatoes (After 3 mins), you may add the green peas and microwave for a minute.
3. Let it cool and keep it separately.
4. Heat the oil to the right temperature and quickly deep fry cauliflower, carrots and beans. ALL SEPARATELY, because the cooking temperatures are different for these veggies. Keep it aside.
5. Heat the Kadai, add 2 tsp of ghee, add garlic and ginger paste. Add the onions and fry it till golden brown.
6. Add the cup of yogurt, little turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder. Stir quickly for 2 minutes so that you get the creamy masala.
7. Add all the vegetables, stir well.
8. Add salt, juice of half a lemon.
9. Lower the flame and finish off with 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1 tsp cinnamon powder and 1 tsp clover powder.

Watch the spices giving off the yummy flavour.. Can be served as an accompaniment to Jeera Pulao or Phulkas.. Enjoy!

Mango Coconut Ladoo

Here's a cool recipe.. with a subtle blend of ripe mangoes, dessicated coconut and milkmaid..

Ingredients

Mango Puree - 1 cup
Milkmaid - 1/2 tin
Dessicated dry coconut - 1 pkt (200 gms)
10 elements Muesli from Naturally Auroville - 1 cup ( This muesli has lot of dry fruits and tastes yum).. You could replace it with muesli with fruits and nuts too..


There is no cooking involved! Sounds great, no?

1.Make a smooth puree with sweet mangoes, add the milkmaid to it. Mix well and keep aside.

2. To this, add the muesli and the dry coconut powder, so that it becomes semi-solid, just in the consistency to roll up in to small ladoos.

3. Roll over in dessicated coconut to give that extra punch. Refrigerate.

Watch the ladoos literally melt in your mouth!
Variation : Apple Puree and it would be Apple Ladoo.. Want to try?

Quick Lemon Pie (Eggless)

Chewy lemon pie made in a jiffy! The use of fresh lemons gives the fresh tang and you just need marie biscuits for the base. I am sure your guests would enjoy this dessert option..


Ingredients

10 Marie Biscuits
20 gm butter
2 tsp Demerrara sugar

For the topping

Equal amounts of Condensed milk and chilled cream (Amul Cream)
Juice of 2 small lemons


Powder the biscuits by crushing them with a rolling pin. Heat the butter, add this to the biscuits along with the sugar. Knead well and line this in a baking dish, press well and bake for 5 minutes. By then the top of the crust would become golden brown.

In another bowl, whip the cold cream, add the condensed milk. Lastly add the lemon juice and mix well. Pour this topping on the crust, chill for 2-3 hours. For the first hour you can put this is the freezer and later on transfer to the regular chiller in the fridge.

Cut in to squares and serve. Watch the lemon pie melting in your mouth..