Saturday, April 11, 2026

Baked Pasta & Spring Veggies

a recipe photo of Baked Pasta & Spring Veggies  

 Ingredients

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

 1 cup low-moisture part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup heavy cream

 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 1 large egg, lightly beaten

¾ tsp salt, divided

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces ( cups)

1 small zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch half-moons (about cups)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 medium cloves garlic, minced 

2 cups frozen green peas, thawed

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

½ tsp crushed red pepper

1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach, coarsely chopped (5 packed cups)

6 ounces whole-wheat penne, cooked according to package directions 

 

Preparations

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk 1 cup ricotta, ½ cup mozzarella, ½ cup cream, ½ cup Parmesan, beaten egg and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a large bowl until combined; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cut asparagus, sliced zucchini, chopped onion and minced garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Add thawed peas, 2 tablespoons basil, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chopped spinach in handfuls, stirring until just wilted before adding more, about 5 minutes.

Add the zucchini mixture and cooked penne to the large bowl with the ricotta mixture; fold until evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish; sprinkle evenly with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the pasta mixture is heated through, about 15 minutes. Garnish with basil, if desired.


 

 

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https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

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Sabja vs chia seeds: Dietician shares 5 ways they differ and which one your body actually needs

 Know the difference between chia seeds and sabja (basil) seeds (Picture credit: Freepik)chia and sabja seeds( darker one s sabja)

 Seeds are dense nutritional powerhouses that contain a robust nutrient profile. While some may appear similar, that does not mean they are interchangeable. Each serves a different purpose and supports the body in many ways. Sabja and chia seeds are among those that are usually confused at first glance. However, they are completely different basics of each can help you make better choices, as per your health goals, as not all seeds are equal.

Dietician Shweta J Panchal identified the differences between these two seeds in her Instagram post on April 10. She helped dissect the variations. Let's take a quick look at each of the seeds for better clarity.

1. Appearance

Sabja and chia seeds may look similar, but upon closer look, you will realise they are different. The dietician revealed the visual difference, “Sabja seeds are jet black in colour and chia seeds are greyish in colour with a few black and white speckles.”

2. Seasonal nature

Certain seeds are seasonal, while others can be eaten year-round. The dietician segregated them based on their functionality and properties. Since saja seeds aid in calming you because of their cooling properties, they can be consumed in summer to beat the heat-related issues like acidity and bloating. Chia seeds have neutral benefits, making them suitable for year-round consumption without any prominent seasonal limitations.

3. Soaking time

Preparation is another area where these two seeds differ. Since, sabja seeds swell quickly, Shweta said, “When you add sabja seeds in water, it hardly takes them 5-10 minutes to swell up.” But chia seeds take longer, requiring at least 30 minutes or even overnight to fully expand and get to their gel-like texture.

 

4. Nutritional focus

Next, let's look at the most important, their nutritional profiles, and each is great for your health. But their strengths lie in different areas.

“If you are looking for better gut health, bloating, acidity, and constipation, sabja seeds would be your go-to option. If you are looking for overall higher fibre intake, weight loss, better omega-3 content, which will also help your skin health, then chia seeds would be your go-to option,” Shweta elaborated.

5. Usage

How you add to your diet also differs, as the dietician noted that sabja seeds are commonly added to drinks like nimbu pani (lemon water), coconut water and traditional sharbat. Whereas, chia seeds are a bit more versatile and more flexible, finding a place in smoothies, breakfast bowls and puddings. So it means, for light, refreshing drinks, sabja seeds fit the bill, but for more meal-based options, chia seeds work better.

 Depending on your fitness requirements and dietary preferences, choose your best seed.

 

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

Bajra Onion Dosa

 Ingredients roughly 5 small size dosas

bajra 1 serving spoon/ 2 tbsp

arhar dal  1 tbsp

urad dal 1 tbsp

rice flour  1/4 cup approximately OR raw rice 

green chilies 1-2

ginger 1 " chopped

onion chopped 1 small or 2-3 tbsp

curry leaves finely chopped

salt to taste 

 

Preparations

I washed the 1st 3 ingredients well, soaked in warm water, if using rice, soak it along with the rest of the ingredients

while grinding,  add green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, grind with little water to a smooth batter

remove the batter in a bowl, as I used rice flour, in little rice flour, I mixed with little batter well, mixed rest of the batter, add salt, finely chopped onion.

heat tawa, make dosa like you normally make, cook on medium flame till brown on both sides.

you can have it with milagai podi, chutney, sambar, choice is yours.

Have it hot.This was my meal for the day, as on Saturdays, I've one meal, was contemplating what to make avil upma, or akki roti, then decided to do this soaked the ingredients in hot water for roughly 3 hours and ground to a smooth batter. Had it hot with milagai podi.

NOTE- you can add more dal, add chana dal too, only thing to remember add raw rice to grind, roughly equal to other ingredients, or add rice flour if you've.

There's no hard and fast rule about the quantity of each ingredients, like we do for addai.  I had ordered bajra flour, without looking if it was bajra flour/ bajra, I just kept it in my store. When I wanted to make roti with bajra flour, realised that it was whole bajra, half gave to my maid to use. Thought let me try making onion dosa with it, it was quite good, as I was making had it with my home-made milaai podi

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

Tndoori ananas chaat

 Ingredients 

1 medium pineapple (ananas)

Salt to taste

1½ tsp red chili powder

1½ tsp chaat masala

Black salt to taste

1½ tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp oil

1 medium English cucumber, chopped

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

2 tsp green chutney

2 tsp date and tamarind chutney

2 tsp sweet chili sauce

1½ tsp chaat masala

2 tbsp masala chana dal

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves

 Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shared how to make ananas chaat using air fryer. (@sanjeevkapoorkhazana/YouTube)

Preparations 

Preheat the air fryer to 200° ะก.

Peel, core and quarter the pineapple and keep them on a plate. Add salt, red chili powder, chaat masala, black salt and castor sugar. Drizzle oil and mix well.

Arrange the pineapple pieces in the air fry basket, fix the basket to the air fryer and air fry for 15 minutes.

Bring the basket out, cut the pineapple quarters into one-inch pieces and transfer them into a bowl. Add English cucumber and tomato.

Drizzle green chutney, date and tamarind chutney and sweet chili sauce.

Sprinkle chaat masala, black salt, masala chana dal and coriander leaves and mix well.

Transfer into individual serving bowls and serve.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

Til-Gud Pancakes

 Ingredients (Makes 6 pancakes)

Whole wheat flour – ¾ cup

Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp

Jaggery syrup – ¼ cup

Milk or water – ½ cup

Ghee – for cooking

Instructions

Mix flour, sesame, jaggery syrup, and liquid.

Make a pourable batter.

Cook pancakes on a greased pan.

Serve warm with some fruit salad to complete the meal with either lassi/ smoothie/ tea/ coffee.

 

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

Til-Gud Porridge

 Til-gud porridge is a gentle winter breakfast made with ground sesame and jaggery. Easy to digest and protein-rich, it suits colder mornings when heavy foods are avoided. This dish is often chosen for kids and elders during the Sankranti season.

 Ingredients (Serves 2)

Sesame seeds (powdered) – 2 tbsp

Jaggery – 2 tbsp

Water – 1½ cups

Ghee – 1 tsp

Instructions

Heat water and add sesame powder.

Cook on low flame, stirring continuously.

Add jaggery and ghee.

Cook until slightly thick and serve warm.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

Til-Gud chutney

 Til-gud chutney is a savoury-sweet winter side dish that pairs well with bhakri or roti. It highlights sesame’s protein content while jaggery adds natural energy. This dish shows how Sankranti ingredients fit easily into everyday meals.

Ingredients (Serves 3)

Sesame seeds – ½ cup

Jaggery – 2 tbsp 

Garlic – 2 cloves ( optional)

Dry red chili – 1

Salt – to taste

Water – as needed

Instructions

Dry roast sesame seeds until aromatic.

Roast garlic and chili lightly.

Grind all ingredients with water.

Serve with warm rotis.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs