Vegan Chocolate shake - 'healthy' is just a side effect.

Went riding some 20 odd miles, following it up with Yoga. But often time is one luxury we don't have. Ritu had to leave for farm and I was to fix the breakfast no time. One one side I quickly tossed a raw tomato Pulao (Pilaf) and on the other side started conjuring the one minute smoothie. Have been having a lot of fruit smoothies, so mind turned chocolaty.
So got 3 bananas, handful of cashew, 2 scoops of cocoa powder (99%+) 5-6 dates and loads of ice, and 2 scoops of Grainny's seed mix. Notice that no extra sugar is added. All this went into the blender for 60 seconds, while I turned focus on the Pulao. Both were ready in under 5 mins and served. The shake, it seems, turned out to be pretty good. How I know that? The pre-teen daughter did not raise any brow, and asked for a repeat tomorrow also.

Now time for some Shavaasana. :p

Want to know how the Pulao was made?

Runners Pasta - In Pesto and Garlic dressing.

Went out running 10kms on a rolling terrain, with the Run Guru Amit Ojha. All I had to do today was to not leave his shadow, and he made me drop full 7 minutes from my previous 10km best. And it sure left me amply hungry. Reached home to find Ritu rushing to the Farm, and I was promptly deputed to make the smoothie and fix breakfast for all.
The net neutrality issue and Baba Ramdev have a lot to do with the post today. Because if it gets implemented, and FB or Blogger, get on to the receiving end, we soon will be posting a lot less of these food pictures. Anyway the pasta turned out to be super. The proof is the empty dishes in sink. 

pasta remains one of the favourite post workout meals. Others being Idlis, dosa, or a millet khichdi. Of course, it is vegan and made with homemade Pesto and home grown herbs.
And Ramdev... He added a lot of comic relief. Kudos! (can you believe it, he is been accorded the Cabinet Minister Status)

Recipe -

What all you need?

1. Half pack whole grain pasta
2. Onions - 2
3. Spring onion - 4 chopped
4. Seasonal veggies, I used Gobhi and Kale (grown at Upavan by Ritu )
5. Cold pressed groundnut oil 2 table spoons for cooking
6. EV olive oil for dressing
7. Cashews - handful
8. Garlic - 4-5
9. Grainny's Vitalitea - Realised that major herbs in this, like oregano, thyme, and rosemary, are also used in Mediterranean cooking.
10. Frozen Pesto - 2 cubes (made with home-grown  basil)
11. What else?... ya salt, red and black pepper. 

Method -

• Boil pasta in 2x water in pressure cooker. Drain water and rinse with cold water.
• Switch on music and start playing the leftover playlist. I had Harry Belafonte in the kitchen.
• Take a deep pan, oil it and cook onions and gobhi. Add spring onions cook a bit more. Nothing harsh, just ‘Belafonte’ the stuff.
• In the grinder put the cashew and some water, make paste, and add to the pan. Taste, now add salt and peppers. Cook a bit more. But you want to keep the veggies fresh and crunchy (remember)
• Now throw the pasta in the pan, add kale, toss it a bit with half a spoon of Vitalitea, and cover the pan for a minute.
• Feed the cat.
• Crush garlics in olive oil. Switch off the stove.
• Time for quick 10 pushups. 
• Add the garlic dressing to the pasta.
• optional - Sprinkle 2 spoons of Grainny's Seed Mix.

Time to eat and scoot to work

Total time taken – 10-12 mins.

Note - 

No animal was hurt in the entire process of cooking and eating.

Resemblance to any Professionally cooked Pasta is coincidental and entirely unintentional.

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The Author - Manas Arvind, Chief Ecovation officer - Grainny's.
After 18 'interesting years' in creative communication strategy and design, is - pursuing his interests in world cuisine, fighting for animal rights, advocating growing food at home, helping set a local farmer-citizen community, teaching photography, digital marketing, and Haiku writing, planning for the next Tour of Tigers for cyclists, besides spending countless hours in the bakery, researching and making food which is safe, healthy, and cool for us, next generation, and environment.

Learn about Grainny's at www.grainnys.com

Superman's Breakfast

Now it has been a long time since I posted anything here. Yes we have been making and eating good stuff, just that got busy with many things. Will come to that later.
Here is something which you probably have had before. Ya, but this one is a bit twisted, with Ritu's happy iinventiveness.

You need some sweet potatoes, potatoes, lime, beetroot and spices. And a green leaf for the garnish (we used kale, which I chomped into after the picture)

Clean the potatoes thoroughly and get rid of all the clingy soil. We are not going to peel these.
Cut these into half a finger long chunks. Put them in a microwavable glass dish, cover with lid, and toss them with a spoon of mustard oil (actually I don't care, but mustard tastes and works well)

Just microwave it covered for 4-6 mins. Check if done, else put it back for 1-2 mins.
Now squeeze the lime, add some salt, chat masala.
Ya toss it well after grating some raw beet root amply on top.

Enjoy the super breakfast!

Total time from thought to naught - 10-12 mins.

Signing off!

Manas Arvind
The health Chef in a hurry

www.grainnys.com