Refreshing Strawberry Hibiscus Ice tea.... Perfect combination of all the goodness to beat the heat!!!!!

Strawberry Hibiscus Tce Tea

Ingredients:

Ingredients	Quantity
Freshly Brewed Hibiscus Tea	2 cups
Strawberry juice/pulp	3 strawberries+2 tablespoon water
Lemon juice	2 tablespoon
Agave Nectar/Honey	2 tablespoon
Ice	3 to 4 cubes
For Garnish
Strawberry	1
Fresh mint leaves	2 to 3 (optional)

 

Method :

Hibiscus Tea

• I have used the Hibiscus tea bags, just dip the tea bag in room temperature water for 10 to 15 minutes and fresh hibiscus tea is ready. One tea bag makes 1 to 2 cups of hibiscus tea depending on the brand. This tea is caffeine free.

  

  This is the brand i used, but you can use other brand which is locally available :)  

  
  

• Make the strawberry pulp/juice out of 3 strawberries and 2 tablespoon water by combining them in a blender.

• In a large mixing bowl pour the hibiscus tea, to it add the strawberry pulp, lemon juice, agave nectar/honey and stir well .

• Add the strawberry ice/plain ice to it. I really like the idea of putting the fruit slices or whole berries into the water before freezing the ice cubes, it gives a different look as well as I am sure the kids will love it!!!

• Serve it in a tall ice tea glass and garnish with fresh strawberry slices and mint leaves.

• Makes   1 serving

GOOD HEALTHY REASON TO TRY THIS RECIPE!!!

• Hibiscus flower tea is made from the dried calyces of the hibiscus flower. Calyces are known to contain high levels of antioxidants and, for good health, antioxidants are an essential part of our diets. They help to rid our bodies of free radicals (destructive molecules that can damage our cells and DNA) and protect us against chronic disease, such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

• Hibiscus is traditionally used for supporting normal blood pressure

• Hibiscus tea also supports upper respiratory health including the throat and also used topically to support skin health

• Strawberries are packed with vitamins, fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie food

• Strawberries help in improving the blood sugar regulation.
• Replenish your system with antioxidants, cheers!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Enjoy the freshness of FRUIT in your WATER

Infuse

your WaTeR

DON’T JUST DRINK WATER ADD SOME VITAMINS & MINERAL MAGIC TO IT....

Here are some cool ways to give a zing to your normal water to replenish and energize you through the summer day!!! 

GRAPEFRUIT CUCUMBER & MINT WATER

 

I enjoy Grapefruit water so much that i love refilling the pitcher again and again and also the water consumption is on a good graph and i feel fresh all the time :)

The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient.

You will need

12 cups of water

1/2 grapefruit sliced

1/2 cucumber, sliced

10 mint leaves.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add grapefruit, cucumber, and mint to pitcher. Cover with 3 quarts of water and refrigerate overnight or serve right away.

LEMON CUCUMBER & MINT WATER

Lemon: Lemon water makes for a powerful detox drink; lemon juice helps to cleanse and alkalize the body. 

Lemon also aides in digestion and boosts your immune system.

Mint: Mint adds a ting of sweetness without any additional sugar, and it also helps settle your stomach and aids in digestion.

Cucumber: Adding a few slices of cucumber to your water makes for excellent re-hydration, and also adds in  anti-inflammatory properties .

You will need

12 cups of water

 2 lemons, sliced

1/2 cucumber, sliced

10 mint leaves.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add lemons, cucumber, and mint to pitcher. Cover with 3 quarts of water and refrigerate overnight.

Keep drinking this water before and between the meals. 

lemon and grapefruit water 

APPLE CINNAMON WATER

Cinnamon regulates blood sugar levels and simultaneously increases insulin levels in the body.  And it increases the metabolism of glucose.

Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon helps prevent this increased storage of fat and enables you to lose weight.

You will need:

 1 Apple thinly sliced, I like Fuji but you can pick your favorite

 1 Cinnamon Stick

Intructions:

Drop apple slices in the bottom of the pitcher and then the cinnamon stick.

 Makes 2 liters, re-fill water 3-4 times before replacing apples and cinnamon.

Cover with ice about 1/2 way through then with water. Place in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.

WATER AND WEIGHT LOSS

• The process of burning calories requires an adequate supply of water in order to function efficiently; dehydration slows down the fat-burning process.

• Burning calories creates toxins, and water plays a vital role in flushing them out of your body.

• A healthy (weight loss) diet includes a good amount of fiber. But while fiber is normally helpful to your digestive system, without adequate fluids it can cause constipation instead of helping to eliminate it.

 

apple grapefruit lemon infused water

Cheers to Summer 

ENJOY !!!!

"Fish Tacos" Tacos de pescado all the way from Baja California in MEXICO . Buen Provecho!!

 

FISH TACO

 

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling.
A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese.

A taco is generally accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, minced meat, onions and lettuce. Totally Tacolicious!!!

Tacos de pescado ("fish tacos") originated in Baja California in Mexico, where they consist of grilled or fried fish, lettuce or cabbage, salsa, and a sour cream or citrus/mayonnaise sauce, all placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla.

Ingredients	Quantity
Tortillas	4 small
Tilapia fillet	3 pieces
Sour cream light (50% less fat)	4 tablespoon
Salsa sauce Coleslaw	4 tablespoon 4 tablespoon
Jalapenos sliced	2
Avocado sliced	1 whole
Coriander chopped	4 tablespoon
Lime	1

Method :

Before we start I will quickly help you with my recipe of spicy salsa and coleslaw ….

Salsa

There are a lot of brands of salsa in the supermarket snack isle specially next to the chips and fried tortilla what we know is junk :P  But I prefer making my own salsa  which is super quick and easy and with no preservatives at all, I mean NO to the EXTRA SODIUM!!! 

In a blender throw in tomato (1 whole roughly chopped), jalapenos (2 whole roughly chopped) onion (half roughly chopped), 2 tablespoon coriander, 3 garlic cloves and blend them till a paste.

Finely chop half tomato and coriander (2 tablespoon) and add it to our salsa paste and mix well and at the end add 2 to 3 tablespoon of lime juice and ½ teaspoon of salt and refrigerate.

Coleslaw

For the coleslaw cut 1cup cabbage thins, you can finely chop or else just julianne it, to this add 1/3^rd cup of thin sliced or chopped white onion and 3 tablespoon mayonnaise light (50% less fat), 1 teaspoon black pepper and half teaspoon salt, mix well and refrigerate .

 Method for the fish taco

Marinating the Tilapia (other option to tilapia can be basa fish fillet or catfish fillet)

Clean the fillet and sprinkle some salt, black pepper, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon lime juice on the fish and evenly coat the fillet with spices. Keep it aside for 10 to 20 minutes.

While our fish is getting tastier let’s get our fresh tortillas done 

Method for Tortilla 

You can also get the ready tortillas which are made of either all purpose flour or corn flour. But I prefer making them fresh and with my own choice of flour…healthier and tastier

In a mixing bowl add ½ cup of wheat flour and ½ cup of all purpose flour and to this add pinch of salt and mix well. Now to this mixture add on water and keep mixing it until soft (but not sticky) dough is form (just like the way we make chapattis/rotis )

Roll out small tortillas (around the size of your palm ) on medium heat on a pan cook them on both the sides until small bubbles are form and the tortillas turn slightly light brown.

Frying the tilapia

In a heated pan pour 2 tablespoon oil and shallow fry the tilapia or grill them in a grill pan for about 7 to 10 minutes till cooked evenly on both sides.

 

Vegetarian filling for my vegetarian friends... yea!!

Slice 1/2 red bell pepper 1/2 yellow or green bell pepper 1/2 white onion and 100 gm of paneer (cottage cheese) marinate the same way as tilapia and stir fry in olive oil.

Assembling the Taco!!!

In the serving plate arrange the 2tacos in L shape, place the tilapia pieces or the vegetarian filling , add the salsa sauces, coleslaw and sour cream, top it with avocado slices and jalapenos  and serve immediately.

 

1.place tortilla  2.place tilapia 3.add the salsa and coleslaw 4. add sour cream 5.top with avocado and jalepeno

Here you go!!

GOOD HEALTHY REASON TO TRY THIS RECIPE!!!

• 1 fillet of Tilapia or basa or catfish has  0g carb  and around 21 to 22 g protein which is equivalent of 1 chicken breast and also rich in vitamin B12.

• It’s a good and tastier way to include the raw vegetables.

• Salsa is a good source of vitamin c and antioxidants.

• Avocados are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and also good amount of potassium and vitamin c  .

ENJOY!!!