Veg Russian Salad

 This is the tastiest salad I have ever prepared. I am sure you will love it too because it hardly tastes like a salad. It tastes just as yummy as any dessert and easy to prepare too!!

Russian salad is usually prepared with either ham, salami or eggs but it really doesn't matter if you skip the non-veg part.

Nutritional Information (Approx)
Energy	44		Calories
Fat	5		%
Carbohydrate	1		%
Dietary Fiber	4		%
Sodium	2		%
Vitamin A	721		%
Vitamin C	1166		%
Calcium	26		%
Iron	38		%
Protein	0.77		Grams
Sugar	1.79		Grams

Ingredients
Chopped Carrots	1 cup
Chopped Green Beans	1 cup
Chopped Apple/pineapple	1 cup
Cooked and chopped potatoes	1/4 cup
Fresh peas	1/4 cup

For dressing
Mayonnaise	3 Tbsp
Cream or yoghurt	2 Tbsp
Salt	to taste

* Cook chopped carrots, green beans , potatoes and peas in boiling water for 6-7 minutes. Make sure the vegetables don't get cooked until they are very soft and mushy.

* Mix all the ingredients under "For dressing" in a bowl and keep it aside. 

* Mix the cooked Vegetables and apple in a bowl. Pour the dressing over it and mix lightly. Refrigerate it for few hours and serve.

*You can garnish it with coriander leaves while serving. You can also add fresh corn to the mixture.

Muesli

Muesli is a great breakfast to start with and if you have a sweet tooth, then you have many options with Muesli.

It is very easy to make Muesli at home and you can store it in an air tight container for a long time. You can add as many kinds of nuts you like but I have given what I usually add to my breakfast. So, here it is.

Nutritional Information (Approx)
Energy	220		Calories
Fat	27		%
Carbohydrate	13		%
Dietary Fiber	24		%
Sodium	1		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	0		%
Calcium	6		%
Iron	15		%
Protein	7		Grams
Sugar	8		Grams

Ingredients
Rolled/flaked Barley	1 cup
Rolled/flaked Oats	1 cup
Rolled/flaked wheat (optional)	1 cup
Corn flakes (plain)	1 cup
Flax seeds	1/2 cup
Sunflower seeds (Optional)	1/2 cup
Chopped Almonds	1/4 cup
Raisins (Optional)	1/4 cup
mixture of dried fruits of your choice	1/4 cup

You can mix all the above ingredients and store it in an air tight container. You can add your choice of fresh fruits to your breakfast bowl with Muesli and have it with either milk or yoghurt.

Vegetable Rice

My first post Finally!! I cannot start my blog with a better post than this. This Vegetable rice is my family's favorite.

It is a myth that you have to stop eating rice to lose weight. You can indulge in rice dishes even when you are on diet as long as you choose the right dish. Here is a rice recipe which will satisfy your cravings for rice and also is of less calories.

I usually prefer having such dishes as dinner since I get a Good night's sleep after a hearty meal. You can try it sometime and if you like it, you can bookmark it for future.

Nutritional Information
Energy	200		Calories
Fat	4		%
Carbohydrate	11		%
Dietary Fiber	14		%
Sodium	22		%
Vitamin A	0		%
Vitamin C	15		%
Calcium	3		%
Iron	9		%
Protein	4.37		Grams
Sugar	2.49		Grams

Ingredients
Carrots chopped	2
Onion chopped	1
Green Beans chopped	1/2 cup
Egg Plant chopped	1 whole
Any other Veggies of your choice	1 cup
Garlic Minced	4-5
Green Chillies chopped	4
Jasmine Rice (Or any rice)	Half cup
Chilli Powder	1 tsp
Coriander Powder (Optional)	1 tsp
Garam masala (Optional)	1/2 tsp
Tumeric Powder	A pinch
Salt	to taste
To Temper
Cumin seeds	1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds	1/2 tsp
Cloves	3-4
Cardamom	2
Bay Leaf	1
Oil	2 tsps

• Cut the vegetables and keep aside. In a cooker or a pot, add oil and wait till it gets hot. 
• Once the oil is hot, add the ingredients listed under "To Temper" and fry for 2 minutes. 
• Once the aroma of the spices develop, add the onions and green chillies and fry till the onion looks transparent.
• Add all the veggies and garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. 
• Add chilli powder and tumeric powder and mix well. You can also add Garam masala and Coriander powder for rich taste.
• Add 3/4 cup of water and salt to taste. 
• Once the mixture starts boiling, add Rice, mix and close the lid. 
• If you are using a pressure cooker, You can take it down after 1 whistle and if you are using a pot, you can check if the rice is cooked after 15 minutes.

Serve hot with cucumber raita.