While we continue to stay indoors, let's focus on becoming healthier versions of ourselves by indulging in self care. Boosting up our immunity surely tops our 'self-care regime' list. The best way to do so is by eating right.
Since eating out isn't an option, let's put on the chef's hat and experiment in the kitchen. It is a beautiful way of meditating that will make you mindful, conscious and healthy.
Read on for a list of recipes to try at home that make use of all those immunity bolstering ingredients that are easy to find at home.
1. NEEM, PEPPER & ROCK SALT
Neem is known to reward life with its ace healing properties. So, let's start this blog with a simple tip for you to follow every morning to reward your body.
Nestip: Start your day with a spoon of 7 Neem leaves, a pinch of rock salt and pepper.
A combination of the three will ensure you live life in the finest fettle amidst all the Corona scare.
Neem:
- Purifies blood
- Clears impurities and toxins
- Destroys bacteria, stimulating the immune system.
Pepper:
- Relieves cold and cough
- Prevents spread of infection or disease
- Fights disease causing free radicals, and boosts immunity
Rock Salt:
- Provides essential trace minerals to the body
- Activates the infection fighting cells
- Helps kick off illnesses
2. GOLDEN GOODNESS SMOOTHIE
Start your day by indulging in energy with this Golden Goodness smoothie. The presence of turmeric makes this an immunity boosting smoothie. Let's use the much needed ingredients to bolster the immune system!
Ingredients:
1 banana, chopped and frozen
1 cup yogurt
½ cup cooked rolled oats
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 tbs muesli
½ tbs seed mix
A tinge of vanilla essence.
Follow the steps to make your yummy, wholesome smoothie:
- Boil half a cup of oats and keep it aside.
- Throw in the chopped banana, yogurt, turmeric and a tinge of vanilla essence and some ice cubes in a blender. Blend on high speed for a few seconds until smooth.
- Whip the blended yogurt well until creamy.
Pick out your favourite glass and layer the bottom with the rolled oats and then pour the creamy smoothie on top of the oats layer.
Add a layer of granola or muesli to add some crunch as the top most layer. Garnish with some seed mix, or your favourite nuts.
Serve or relish these yummy layers of immunity boosting goodness in your favourite glass.
Sit back - Sip - Scoop - Smile
3. IMMUNITY BOOSTER BOWL
Here is a wholesome bowl, tossed together with the goodness of immunity boosters to make a meal fun while you stay home.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup of diced bell peppers
2 tbs chopped olives
½ cup chopped basil leaves
1 orange
1 tbs yogurt
lemon juice
salt & pepper
chilli powder
oregano
chilli flakes
For dressing:
½ tbs orange squash
½ tbs olive oil
½ tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs lemon
- Take a big bowl, throw in the olives, bell peppers and the chopped basil leaves, followed by the quinoa. Mix it all well and keep it aside.
- Make the dressing by mixing the required amounts of orange squash, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. High in vitamin C and vital minerals, this dressing is what adds the tasteful flavour to your salad.
Generously pour this into the bowl.
- Add salt, pepper and seasoning to the mix.
In a small bowl mix yogurt, chilli powder, salt, pepper and some lime juice.
Smear this yogurt dressing at the bottom of the shallow bowl and gently add the entire salad mix on top of the the bed of yogurt.
Top the salad with chopped oranges and a stem of basil to add a touch of prettiness to your immunity booster bowl.
4. WHOLE WHEAT METHI CRACKERS
A whole lot of us are in the 'Netflix and Chill' mood during this lockdown period, pulling off late nights as we binge watch our favourite TV shows.
With limited rounds to the market, we're sure your stash of chips run out of stock from your pantry.
Worry not, here's a healthy yet yummy solution to those binge-watch cravings.
Click on the image above to shop the platter
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup chopped fenugreek (methi)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp ajwain
1 tsp chili flakes
½ tsp baking soda
Mix all the ingredients together, roll it out and cut into desired shapes. Follow suit to bake your lot of crispy, crunchy methi crackers at a pre-heated oven on 180deg for 20 mins.
Ta-daaa...crispy, crunchy crackers
Relish these guilt free crackers while you dunk them into your favourite dips.
Nestip: It tastes best with a mix of salsa and cheesy dip. Netflix and Chill while you munch and crunch!
Click on the image above to shop the bowl
3. LEMONGRASS GINGER - BASIL TEA
It's definitely no secret that herbal teas are a popular selection for those who want to improve their health naturally. This lemongrass ginger-basil tea offers nothing but positive effects when it comes to immunity and it's also a calming treat to your taste buds.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 5 cups water
- ½ cup chopped lemongrass leaves
- ½ cup basil leaves
- 5-6 small ginger slices
- 1 lemon
- Honey (as per taste)
Follow these simple steps to sip onto a refreshing and rejuvenating tea:
- Take 4 cups of water in a pan.
- Add the finely chopped fresh lemon grass leaves, chopped basil leaves and ginger slices.
- Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 10 mins.
- Remove from the flame and cover the concoction and let it steep.
- Add the finely chopped fresh lemon grass leaves, chopped basil leaves and ginger slices.
- Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for 10 mins.
- Remove from the flame and cover the concoction and let it steep.
Strain into cups and infuse with a dash of honey and lemon juice for a subtle combination of sweet and tangy.
So what if you cannot step out, have your own little tea party with your 'chai partner'.
6. FIBRE RICH WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
With bread out of stock everywhere,
Worry not, because you can bake your own with utmost flair.
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups milk
2 tbsp vinegar
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp milk powder
2 tbsp olive oil
To bake your yeast free healthy home made bread, read on and follow:
- Mix the milk and vinegar and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven at 180 C for 15 min
-Grease the baking dish and dust some flour too.
- Sift all the dry ingredients twice (flour+baking powder+baking soda)
- Add sugar, salt and milk powder to the dry ingredients, followed by adding the olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
- Add milk+vinegar to the dry ingredients and gently knead the dough.
- Put the dough in the baking tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 180C and then for approximately another 30 minutes on 170C.
Nestip: Generously sprinkle seed mix on top of the dough before baking (sunflower, flax, pumpkin) to treat yourself with extra minerals, good digestive health and of course improved immunity.
Slice your bread as thick as you like it.
Lather away butter or your favourite jams and preserves. Enjoy every bite of this wholesome healthy homemade bread.
Click the image above to shop!
Pretty platters make the food look prettier always.
7. CITRUS CHOCO-CHUNK COOKIES
Let's end on a sweet note. With bakeries and your favourite confectioners closed for the time being, satisfy your sweet tooth by baking your own set of cookies with an addition of the much needed vitamin C.
Ingredients:
½ cup softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 flax egg (2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 1 tbsp water, mix and rest for 5min)
1 ¼ all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp corn flour
1-2 tbsp milk
1 tsp orange zest (save some for garnish)
½ cup choco chunks
To bake the yummy citrusy and chunky treats, follow:
- Beat the butter with sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Put in the flax egg you made and mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda and corn flour to the bowl and mix the dry and wet ingredients together.
- To this, add some orange zest for the citrusy flavour.
- If you feel the dough is too dry, add a little milk.
Refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C and line the baking tray with parchment paper.- Make the dough into balls and place on the baking tray and press them lightly.
- Placing the chocolate chunks to this is the most fun step. Sprinkle some orange peel crumbs too.
- Bake at 180C for 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden-brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking tray outside the oven for another 10 minutes before you attack on them.
Get yourself some warm milk, dunk these sinful cookies and do nothing but indulge. You totally deserve after all the hard-work.
Chewy, Citrusy, Chocolatey & Chunky.
Simply Yummy!
We hope you enjoy every bit of MAKE, BAKE & SHAKE with your folks while you stay indoors. Share with your creations on instagram @nestasia.in. What better way of keeping yourself entertained than cooking and eating fresh healthy food. Because, good food is good mood !
info@nestasia.in
+91 9903504754
