Fathers Day Special

What do you give the guy who’s given you so much? Maybe not those novelty shorts. Here are meaningful ways to show dad some appreciation.

• Treat him to his favorite event: ball game,round of golf, camping trip, night at theopera. Make it for two and go with him.
  
• Has he always wanted to learn how to paint/cook/sail/write? Book himinto a class.
  Make up a gift certificate entitling him to your help with his nextbig home improvement project.
  
• Gather special photos and mementos into a Father’s Day scrapbook.
  
  

Chocolate Wafer Ice Cream Sandwiches

PREP TIME 10 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 10 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING Original recipe yield: 15 ice cream sandwiches

INGREDIENTS
1 (9 ounce) box chocolate wafer cookies
1 quart ice cream, softened
1 (12 ounce) package mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
On a cookie sheet place 15 chocolate wafers flat side up. Working quickly, top each wafer with a small scoop of ice cream. Top each sandwich with another wafer, flat side down. Gently push the top wafers down until the ice cream comes to the edge of the wafer cookies. Freeze for one hour, or until firm. Roll each ice cream sandwich in mini chocolates chips so that all the exposed ice cream is covered. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

BROWN RICE VEGETABLE PULAV

BROWN RICE VEGETABLE PULAV

Ingredients
Brown rice 1½ cups
Green peas, shelled ½ cup
Carrots, small dices 2 medium
French beans, chopped 10-12
Cauliflower, florets ¼ medium
Fresh button mushrooms, halved 6-7 medium
Bay leaf 1
Cloves 2-3
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon 1-inch stick
Salt to taste
Green chillies, slit 2
Tofu, cubed 100 grams

METHOD

1. Soak brown rice in four to four cups of water for one hour. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat a deep pan, add bay leaf, cloves, cumin seeds and cinnamon. Add drained rice and salt and sauté for one to two minutes. Add three and three quarter cups of water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add green peas, carrots, French beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, green chillies and tofu. Stir and mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook till done.
4. Serve hot.

PALAK AUR PANEER KE KOFTE

Palak koftas stuffed with paneer and served with a onion-tomato gravy

Ingredients

Spinach (blanched, squeezed and finely chop)
2 bunches Breadcrumbs ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Green chillies (finely chopped) 4-5
Paneer (grated) 1 cup
Oil 2 tbsps + for deep-frying
Onion (grated) 3 medium sized
Ginger paste 1 tbsp
Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Tomatoes (grated) 4 medium sized
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Fresh coriander leaves (chopped) a few sprigs

METHOD

1. Mix chopped spinach and breadcrumbs with salt and chopped chillies. Divide the spinach mixture into sixteen equal sized balls. Stuff grated paneer into them.
2. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the koftas till golden brown. Drain onto an absorbent paper.
3. Heat two tablespoon of oil in a kadai. Add onions and fry till golden in colour. Add ginger and garlic pastes. Cook till oil surfaces. Add tomatoes and cook for eight to ten minutes. Add red chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala powder and salt. Stir and cook for about five to six minutes.
4. Add half a cup of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for five minutes on low heat. Add more water if the gravy is too thick.
5. Arrange koftas in a serving dish and pour hot gravy on top and serve immediately garnished with chopped coriander.

Chilli Garlic Crab

CHILLI GARLIC CRAB
Deep fried crabs in a lip-smacking and spicy chilligarlic sauce

Ingredients

Crabs 2 large
Red chilli paste 2 tablespoons
Garlic, chopped 14-16 cloves
Oil 2 tablespoons + to deep fry
Tomato ketchup 2 tablespoons
Fish or chicken stock 1½ cups
Salt to taste
MSG ¼ teaspoon
Cornflour 2 tablespoons
Sugar 1 teaspoon
Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Spring onion greens, chopped 2 stalks
Egg, beaten 1

METHOD

1. Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the whole crab along with the claws. Drain and set aside on absorbent paper.
2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in another wok. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add tomato ketchup, red chilli paste and stock. When the mixture comes to a boil, add salt and MSG.
3. Dissolve cornflour in half a cup of water and add to the sauce. Add sugar and cook till it thickens slightly.
4. Add vinegar to the sauce along with spring onion greens and mix. Add the egg in a thin trickle and cook till the egg strands rise to the top.
5. Place the fried crab in a serving dish, pour the sauce over it and serve immediately.

Anti-ageing honey

As kids we are generally told a bit about the bees collecting honey from flowers. But what most of us may not know is that these industrious insects also produce an anti-aging medium that is based on honey and named as Royal Jelly.

Central Bee Research and Training Institute (CBRTI) in Pune is credited for producing Royal Jelly, a variety of honey valued as nectar since it is said it increases longevity as well as possesses most extraordinary medicinal qualities.

But priced at rupees 15,000 per kilogram, it is surely not within everyone’s reach. Besides it is hardly sold in the domestic market and mostly used for export purposes.

Film stars and other celebrities also consume the Royal Jelly. It is being endorsed as the most effective solution for time reversal so as to let one enjoy a few more years of life.

"The royal jelly is secreted from the hypo-phaseal gland of the bee. The secretion is used to attract the queen bee. In man, the secretion from the glands deteriorates with age. On consumption of this jelly, the gland secretions are increased and brought to the normal level. The age factor is reduced and person can live longer,” said Dr. Subbha Rao, a leading scientist with the Central Bee Research and Training Institute (CBRTI) in Pune.

“Among VIPs Vasundhra Raje and Amitabh Bachchan use it,” Dr.Rao added.

Other than its anti-aging abilities, it also stated to have the power to keep deadly diseases such as cancer and AIDS at bay.

The pollen collected by these bees is also a major source of protein and is a major helpfor those who are trying to shed a few kilos.

"The pollen is laden with proteins. The vitamins, minerals and enzymes required on a daily basis are found in it. It is good for those who do not wish to have extra calories. Apart from carbohydrates it has everything. Those who have a sitting job, more to do with using the brain, it is of good use for them. Generally, IT people use these pollen," said Dr. Lakshmi Rao, a Scientist with the CBTRI.

Many medical journals have documented the great qualities of Royal Jelly.

Understanding Hypertension

It is popularly believed that high blood-pressure strikes after 40 which is an absolute misnomer. The best way to avoid it is by leading a stress-free life as far as possible, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and having regular health check-ups.

I had two friends for tea the other day and one topic led itself into another. Finally we came upon the topic of blood pressure. One of them was saying ‘ Doctor says my husband has high blood pressure and has to reduce weight for which he has prescribed walks and a special diet’. She then added ‘Where is the need for all this? Just one pill in the morning and he should be fit, shouldn’t he? He does not have the time for walks, special diet and all that.’ Then she added ‘ the blood pressure is just a little high, but doctors these days make such a big fuss… eat this, don’t eat this and what not. My husband is just 35…” she went on and on in this stream.

I was quite aghast at her trend of thinking. Her husband was diagnosed of hypertension (as high blood pressure is medically termed as) and she wanted to know why he should reduce or go on a special diet when a pill a day can do the trick … But then I realised that my friend was not isolated in her ignorance.

There must be many more who take high blood pressure for granted.

High blood pressure or hypertension should never be taken lightly even if it is just a little higher than normal for if ignored and not taken care of immediately it can lead to serious repercussions

First of all we need to understand what blood pressure is all about. It is explained here in a very easy to understand manner.

What is Blood Pressure?

In simple terms, blood pressure is the pressure that the blood exerts on the blood vessels while circulating.

When the heart contracts, it forcefully drives the blood into the arteries. This is ‘systolic blood pressure’. And when the heart relaxes, the pressure is comparatively low and termed; ‘diastolic blood pressure’

What should the blood pressure be?

A systolic pressure of 120 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure of 80 mm Hg are considered normal. These pressures are read as 120/80.

What are the functions of blood pressure?

Blood pressure has three important functions:
1. To take blood back to the heart after making its way through more then 60,000 miles long blood vessels.
2. To exchange nutrients and waste products between the various cells of the body and the blood capillaries.
3. To filter (and therefore purify) blood in the kidneys and the lungs.

What is Hypertension or high blood pressure?

Hypertension is a result of interaction of Cardiac (heart) output and the resistance to this blood flow by arteriole. As such if blood flow increases the resistance will decrease and normal blood pressure will be maintained. If one of these two factors or both increase, the blood pressure goes up.

What are the probable factors that may lead to hypertension?

In ninety percent of the cases the cause of hypertension is not known. This type of hypertension is called essential or primary hypertension. However, some other factors which could lead to hypertension are:
1. Heredity: It is possible that some gene may be responsible for hypertension, but it is now well understood that if environmental forces are not at play, heredity can have little influence.
2. Tensions: Mental tensions leads to excessive secretion of catecholamines (adrenaline and non adrenaline). These secretions stimulate the nerve endings in the brain stem to cause an elevation of the blood pressure.
3. Excessive intake of salt: Studies have shown that in all those countries, where the average salt intake is high, the incidence of high blood pressure too, is high. Studies have further suggested that those people who are genetically prone to hypertension should limit their salt intake.
4. Obesity: Obesity is even more strongly correlated to hypertension than excessive intake of sodium. Weight reduction will lower the blood pressure of both hypertensive and normotensive individuals. Incidence of high blood pressure is 2½ times more in obese than in normal persons. Another alarming fact is that in obese people high blood pressure develops much earlier in life.
5. Other factors: Sedentary life style, smoking and alcohol consumption can all lead to high blood pressure.