Dubai Summer : Smoothies

Dubai is experiencing the summer and it’s at it’s  peek now.

As a blogger I have been taken by smoothies and I try to make them whenever possible. They are refreshing and filling after a ifthar. Less ice is better.

Smoothies are basically thick and you can just build your own according the thickness you prefer so ingredients matter but not the quantity unless you are planning to make for a large crowd. Leftover fruits can always make a good smoothie. Using watermelon is common un smoothies and is better as it has a natural sweetness and a thickening ability.

Some fruits ideal for smoothies

Bananas

Watermelon

Apple

Strawberry

Mango

Pears

A few ingredients that goes into smoothies together

Almond gives a crunchiness

Dates a very natural sweetner

Milk a booster of creaminess

Natural coconut water a natural sweetner and a good substitute for water (vitacoco in dubai)

The best gadget for smoothies is nothing but the nutribullet.

You can blend and serve in it or share with another on another glass.

My mum has one and am craving for one too 🙂

I will be posting a few smoothie recipes soon.

Stay tuned . Eid mubarak

 

Summer

Red Tomatoe Pizza

The interior is amazing
I just love every bit of furniture they have.
It’s just the best place to sit and enjoy a good woodfire pizza.ambience is warm and welcoming.

I was choosen as a winner for an instagram contest and I got the chance to dine for free oh yea I chose to takeaway as it was Ramadan.

 

I got a four cheese pizza and a signature pizza. The four cheese pizza was really good and my nonspicy son loved it.

The signature pizza was perfect for adults with a balance of spices.

I really enjoyed there pizza which was different to the normal pizzas we have been having which was cheap yet too bland.

What make red tomato pizza special is they make it individually with care.

Mix and muesli

We are all bored of eating the same thing every day. But sometimes when it is healthy some don’t have an option but to grab and go those muesli packs with a cup of milk and stay fed. I am not a daily muesli person, in fact, I hate those plain mueslis. I would eat it if it had a load of nuts and dried fruits. When I came across the mix and muesli concept I really liked it because I can mix my own combination and enjoy muesli.

I was told to choose one and I opted for the premix as it mentioned having mixed berries, dried apple, pecan, almonds, raisins and chia seeds. On top of all the entire ingredients are totally Organic. Isn’t that nice? Yes, it sure is a good healthy “Energy booster”. That’s what my mix is called.

I did a 2-day muesli of which day 1 was muesli with milk and day 2 was muesli with yogurt. Don’t frown. It was delicious. Try it and let me know.

Check my Instagram and watch my muesli days for inspiration.soon il try it with orange juice 🙂

 

 

 

Exploring curves : weekly photography challenge

This was the tinniest pumpkin I’ve seen in my life to date 🙂
Those are my babys hands exploring the curves on this pumpkin.

 

Curve

Simple pizza recipe

Ingredients
In a bowl add
2 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp anchor milk powder
Saltafew pinches

In a cup
1 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
Add 3 tbsp hot water and let it sit for 10 mins
Break an egg and 4 tbsp milk into the yeast
Mix well

Pour over dry ingredients and mix
Add some water and milk to make a full smooth dough
Let it rise for an hr

Flatten fill and roll to make soft buns.

Simple meals

When I read todays prompt it was past 4 aminthe morning and all that came tomy mind was food. As it was sohoor/sahar time in Dubai and nowadays I just have a simple snack or meal as having something at that time is compulsory. Dates and milk have been my go to in a rush snack.  I feel really comfortable with it. Let alone thesahar meals even during the days when we are not fasting I prefer a vegetarian or 1 pot meal to those with meat. In colombowe used to have a simple sunday meal which consist of rice with coconut sambol. My dad loved having those on sundays and it still makes me happy to have something like that with a papad and curd chillie fry. Simple food are really filling.

The simpler you cook

the more you enjoy

It applies for the person who cooks a lot as the more complicated your menu is the less likely you are to enjoy.  That is what I have learnt the hard way. Being bought up in a culture where for lunch they cook a rice, 2 different types of vegetables minimum and a meat curry. If there is a guest or function the variety of vegetables can go upto 5 minimum. And the meat variety can be 3 types. A fried meat,  a devilled meat and a meat gravy. The desserts can vary and mostly it was wattalappam but now people have all sorts of western desserts with 1 traditional wattalappam.

So having come from such a country it was really tough to go for one pot meals and simple food yet it was a hassel to cook a variety just for 1 as my hubby doesn’t enjoy heavy meals.

 

 

Simplicity

Waves are pure white

So is a childs mind
Pure

The week of cooking

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Calamari devil

Calamari, squid and cuttlefish – what is the difference ???

I had the best catch of calamari at C4.
1.8kg for 17 dirhams only and I got to make it 3 ways. Trust me that was awesome.

1st i made pan fried cuttlefish.
Now what am supposed to type. Yes it said cuttlefish.

I dint follow a recipe just tried adding some onions, tomato paste, tomato ketchup with chillie and pepper powder and kept on frying and cooking on a low heat. ofcourse the cuttlefish was cleaned, washed and chopped into pieces.

 

Moving clouds

I was wondering as we drove along the highway

Are the clouds moving

Or is it the sky rotating

Well the next days journey to dubai was filled in my mind

Success has no limits it can be achieved even highup in the sky.

Sky