PAPAYA smoothy!!

PAPAYA smoothy!! 

1. When buying papayas choose fruit that

• is at least partly yellow
• gives slightly when pressed
• has smooth skin
• bruises free

2. When making smoothies

• remove skin
• remove seeds from middle
• I like to cut mine up in little pieces then put in the freezer for later use

Papaya Smoothie Recipe

• 1 to 2 cups of your liquid ( organic soy milk, organic almond milk, organic rice milk or organic low fat milk )
• 1/2 cup of your cream ( Organic natural yogurt )
• 2 to 3 cups of frozen fruit. (can be papaya)
• Cruhed ice – if not using frozen fruit

Other add-on fruits which go well with papaya for mixed smoothies are:

• kiwi
• pineapple
• mango

Hariyali Chicken Tikka

 Hariyali Chicken Tikka

 Ingredients

• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 green chili pepper
• 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 4 cups mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 scallion (use the white and light green park only)
• 1 tablespoon vegetables or 1 tablespoon canola oil and more for grilling
• 4 chicken breasts (chicken tenders)
• kosher salt
• fresh lemon juice

 

Directions

1. In a food processor/blender, mix cilantro leaves, mint leaves, scallion, bell pepper, cumin powder, green chili and garlic cloves.
2. Add oil to the above mixture and blend to form a smooth paste.
3. Remove the prepared green mixture in to a zip lock bag along with the chicken tenders.
4. Seal the bag and massage the marinade in to the chicken tenders. Place this bag in the refrigerator overnight or for at least ten hours.
5. Use skewers to place the marinated chicken tenders. Sprinkle salt on each side of them.
6. Heat the grill and rub it with some oil. Place the skewers on it to get grill marks on each side and cook until the chicken is done.
7. Drizzle some fresh lemon juice and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce and loved ones!

Tips: If salt is added in the marinade, it will extract moisture from the vegetables and leaves. This will result in a watery marinade, which is not desired.

Vegetarian Paella with Red Peppers & Chickpeas

Serves 4



1 cup short-grain brown rice (See Recipe Note)
Hefty pinch saffron (about 8 strands)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 tablespoon hot paprika
1 cup green beans, trimmed and halved
3 artichoke hearts, sliced (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper

Bring 3 cups of water and a hefty pinch of salt to a boil, add the rice, and cook for about about 20 minutes, or until the rice begins to soften. Drain and set aside. (Par-boiling the brown rice speeds up the overall cooking time.)

Combine saffron threads and 3 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl and set aside. Bring the broth to a simmer, then reduce the heat and keep at a low simmer until needed.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet, and sauté the onions until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic slices and peppers. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, hot paprika, saffron threads (along with the water), and season generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let it cook for a few minutes.

Make sure to have your vegetable broth simmering nearby. Fold in the green beans, artichoke slices, and chickpeas. Then stir in the par-boiled, drained rice. Ladle the simmering broth over the rice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated. A few minutes before the rice is fully cooked, scatter the peas over top. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

Recipe Notes
Paella with Traditional White Rice: If you'd prefer, use a traditional short-grain white rice for this dish, like Bomba or Valencia. If using white rice, there's no need to par-boil and you only need 3 cups of broth.