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Archive for February, 2016

Fruits that turn into Batman!

February 19th, 2016

People of all ages love superheroes – they are thrilled when their caped or disguised comic or reel heroes punch a villain on his face or fly great lengths to protect the citizens of the world. Batman is arguably one of the most loveable of all those superheroes.

So what’s the similarity between fruits and Batman? There is one common factor – both provide people protection against evil forces. While Batman protects Gotham city against bad people, fruits help us fight many diseases by giving us protection against various bacteria, fungi and viruses. So, why not gift fruit baskets to your loved ones the next festive season and become their superheroes?!

If you are not sure, which fruits help in improving our immunity, then here are 5 top fruits that you should include in your basket:

  1. Kiwifruit – This fruit’s pulp has a unique green shade and is very refreshing and delicious. Mainly made up of water, it has a tangy taste and its seeds are not too intrusive. Immunity-wise, this fruit is extremely powerful because of its high Vitamins C and E content. This fruit can be had raw, as smoothies mixed with strawberries for more tang or with spinach for iron. It has also been used in several fruit salads because it adds a decorative as well as nutritive touch to the whole plate!
  2. Blueberries – People, who want to improve the quality of their skin, slow down the ageing process and keep themselves healthy at the same time, should certainly consider these berries. These are rich sources of Vitamins C and A and can be had raw, in cakes or used in ice creams too.
  3. Papayas – One of the best fruits that you can have almost through the year, papayas are famous for several reasons, the top ones being for improved skin texture, better digestive systems and of course, to improve the immunity levels. This heat-inducing fruit is great to ward off the several disease-causing microorganisms that we come into contact with on a regular basis. This is best had raw with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, although you can make shakes, juices and salads with it too. This is a beta-carotene rich fruit that ultimately provides a lot of Vitamin A in the body after being processed by our digestive system.
  4. Strawberries – Who knew that these little red fruits can be such good sources of both taste and health?! For those of you, who thought that its looks imply that they are only pretty for salads and candies, do know that strawberries too house a lot of Vitamins A and C and its seeds are rich sources of minerals! Do include some of these in your fruit gift baskets that don’t have to travel long distances.
  5. Lemons – Also rich in Vitamin C, this fruit is our saviour in summer, isn’t it? Make lemonade out of, sprinkle a few drops of its juices on your salad and you’ve got yourself a winner!

Big or small, old or young, rich or poor, beautiful or ordinary – no matter what kind of person you are, fruits are protectors of one and all, just like Batman!

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Four Nutritious and Gluten Free Substitutes to Cake Flour

February 19th, 2016

Cakes and cookies are yummy desserts one cannot resist. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or on a strict diet, cakes are always an exception. They are not only delicious, but the whole process of baking them is a joy and the aroma of a freshly baked cake is heavenly.

But the joy is short lived when you find that you are allergic to gluten and have to avoid all food containing it.

Gluten is a mixture of proteins naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye and barley. It is the presence of gluten in wheat flour, which raises the cake batter and imparts structure to the cake. It also gives a chewy taste to the cake which we all love. Now how at all can we have all this without using wheat flour to bake? Is there an alternative to wheat flour, which can be used to bake these heavenly goodies? Or will we have to stop eating cakes altogether?

No worries! Thankfully, people have already done a lot of experimenting in baking using different flours and the good news is that the results are not only satisfactory but working with substitutes has driven away the monotony of working with only one type of flour.

Let us classify gluten free flours into 3 main categories:

 Grain flours – These include flour of white rice, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum and others.

Nut flours – Almond, peanut and hazelnut flour can be used in baking.

Grain free and Nut free flours – Coconut, soy and chickpea flour fall under this category.

You can make combinations of different flours at home or can get them through cake delivery services.

Let us see how some of these flours can be used in baking.

Soy Flour

Soy flour is rich in protein containing all essential amino acids required by our body. It also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and fibre. This makes it an excellent choice. Baked goods turn brown quickly when soy flour is used. Hence, it is better to keep an eye on the oven while your cake is getting baked. Use this flour in recipes designed especially for it.

Almond Flour

Touted as one of the healthiest foods, almonds are loaded with nutritious monounsaturated fats and phytonutrients. In addition, they also contain Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium. Almond flour is full of fat and moisture and it is not as powdery and fine like wheat flour. Hence while swapping stick to tried and tested recipes. Using it gives a sweet and nutty flavour to the cake.

Rice Flour

One of the key ingredients in gluten free baking, white rice flour is bland in taste. Hence, it goes along well with any type of flavour and turns out light coloured cakes with delicate texture.

A variation of white rice flour is brown rice flour which is made from unhulled rice grains.

Coconut Flour

The coconut flour, which is ground from dried coconut meat, is soft in texture and highly nutritious. It is loaded with proteins, fibre and lauric acid, a saturated fat, which is good for skin. Since this flour is dense and clumpy, the batter has to be beaten well. Be sure to add more eggs and fruits to increase moisture. Surprise your friend by sending cakes by post which you have baked using coconut flour.

When baking with gluten free flours remember that one type of flour cannot replace wheat flour. You need to use them in combination. The techniques and proportions used are different and you have to either do trial and error or bake recipes which have been tried.

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Health benefits of Persimmon fruit

February 17th, 2016

Popularly known as the Divine fruit, Persimmon is that one fruit, which is not talked about too much. Usually, found during the autumn seasons, this incredible fruit is a native to China. The orange colour fruit looks quite similar to a tomato but in fact belongs to the berry family. This low calorie fruit can be eaten raw or dried. It is used in a lot of pudding dishes in China and is extremely beneficial for our health. The Japanese persimmon or divine fruit has countless advantages, here are some of them: –

  1. Weight loss – This will be your best friend for life if you want to shed weight. Before we say anything, add persimmon right now to your fruit baskets. This med-sized fruit offers about 31 grams of calories. It weighs about 168 grams, and it barely has any fat in it. If you eat a whole persimmon an hour before lunchtime, you will not feel hungry at all. This is a good way to skip on some heavy food and have something nutritious which doesn’t add on calories.
  2. Anti-haemorrhoids – This little fruit is known for its anti-haemorrhoid properties. This is also added in liquids, which are used to control excessive bleeding. It is said that during olden days, people in China used the juice of this fruit directly on wounds, which would constantly bleed.
  3. Digestive system – Whether you have a strong digestive system or not, you must have this fruit at least once a week. The compounds found in this super fruit are said to prevent any kind of issues with your stomach or digestion. It is also great for improving your immunity system. Many medicines have this fruit as a key ingredient
  4. Great for diabetics – Patients with diabetes should have this without fail. Those who crave for hunger often must relish this fruit to the fullest. It will keep your blood sugar level in control and also give you the right amount of nutrition.
  5. Say goodbye to hypertension – Are you suffering from hypertension? Persimmon can fix your issues. When you have excessive of sodium in your food, you can trigger hypertension. Since this fruit has low levels of sodium, it can be used to relieve you from hypertension problems. Those who have hyperthyroid must also keep this fruit a part of their diet as they are not supposed to consume too much sodium.
  6. Enhances vision – If you work 24 hours in front of the computer or any other screen, then you need this fruit. The Vitamin A in the fruit improves vision and protects the eyes from any cornea damages.
  7. Natural cure for hiccups – Chinese medicines widely use this fruit extract for treatment of hiccups. Sometimes hiccups can make a major impact on your health if it goes on for more than 10 minutes. If you are having hiccups issues, pick up this fruit and eat it right away to stop.

All these wonderful reasons are enough to tell you why you must have persimmon fruit. Don’t forget to add this to every fruit basket gift, you will be sending to friends and family.

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Tips for Baking the Perfect Chocolate Cake

February 17th, 2016

If you are baking a chocolate cake for a special occasion, you will want to do everything to make it perfect. After you make a perfect cake, you will be ready for cake delivery.

cake delivery

 Luscious chocolate cake will melt in everyone’ mouth provided you take care of certain details:

  • Use high-quality cocoa: Try to use the best cocoa powder in the market. For a better flavour for the cake, go in for chocolate of a darker colour. But you must ascertain the ingredients are pure: the cocoa must not contain sugar- lest it spoils your measurements.
  • Quality of chocolate: The quality of the finished chocolate cake will depend on the quality of the chocolate used as ingredient. This is especially true of chocolate utilized as decoration.  By investing in more costly chocolate, your cake will turn out more delicious.
  • Preparation of tin: Remember to double line your cake tin with parchment paper. This prevents cake from drying out and helps the cake turn moist.
  • To enhance flavour: Add a half teaspoon of sea salt which will improve the flavour of the cocoa as well as balance the extra sweetness of the cake.
  • Adding chocolate: Chocolate that is coarsely grated produce a strangely mottled result and will not melt in the cake as smoothly as one expects. For a better result, one can combine melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
  • Fat content: Butter gives a tasty, rich flavour. Sometimes, milk and water are added to the batter. Milk will make the cake attractively soft.
  • Dry ingredients: Flour is the main choice but some use ground almond for a rich, marzipanny flavour. Also, essential are raising agents. You can use whisked egg whites or baking powder or baking soda bicarbonate or a combination of both. For sugar, most popular choice is fine caster sugar. Granulated sugar and dark Muscovado can be used for deep caramel flavour.
  • Added flavours: Some of these are vanilla, coffee or cinnamon.
  • Timing is key: You must pay strict attention to timings of your cake. This is vital if you don’t want your cake to dry out; you must prevent over-baking.
  • Keep away from door: Do not open door of oven till the timer goes off. It determines the difference between a great cake and an imperfect one.
  • Add fillings: Add fillings generously and take care to compensate the sumptuousness of chocolate cake with fillings of contrasting and exciting flavour.
  •  Cool away: After the cake has cooled, cover it with cling film and let it set overnight. This makes the cake easy to cut and serve next morning.
  • Try experimenting: Add some fun to the baking process. Use different textures while icing. You can contrast smooth and soft Ganache with crunchy cocoa nibs, to improve the experience of eating.
  • Make in large quantity: Don’t restrict yourself to making just one cake. Chocolate cakes disappear by the second and one will never be enough. Make enough so that everyone gets a slice or two to munch on with their tea. One can also opt for cakes delivery after one has perfected the art of baking.

These are some tips to make the perfect chocolate cake.

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Chocolate eating mistakes you should stop now!

February 12th, 2016

One of the simple pleasures of life, chocolates is a treasure in the refrigerator of a chocoholic person. As proved by science, chocolates lift up ones mood and generate feelings of happiness. While you are gobbling up that bar of delicious chocolate, here are a few mistakes you should stop making and also share with the recipient of your chocolates by post.

Not paying heed to its energy-boosting properties – If you are one of those who save their chocolate to enjoy it as a late night snack, you should get this – a bar of dark chocolate as it contains about 25 mg caffeine. When you drink a cup of coffee, you receive around 90 mg, and it will be sufficient to rev you up. As per a recent study, few people were said to feel more vigil after consuming dark chocolate, which contains about 60% of cocoa. If you find it difficult to get sleep at night, have one during your matinee slump instead.

Not choosing raw chocolate – Dark chocolate is filled with antioxidants and minerals such as iron and magnesium. But the raw chocolate has even more to offer. This is due to the cocoa beans utilized to prepare the raw chocolate, which are dried at low temperatures and helps the raw chocolate retain more antioxidants and nutrients.

Using cocoa powder for only hot chocolate –The cold-weather, creamy drink is only the tip of the chocolaty iceberg. Beat unsweetened cocoa powder along with little melted coconut oil in order to make some chocolate sauce and combine it with some melted cocoa butter in order make amazing homemade chocolate, or simply toss it up in your food processor along with frozen bananas in order to make yummy chocolate servings.

Always wanting sweet – Sure, a dessert gets all the glory during a meal. But using the cocoa powder in other aromatic dishes gives an extra layer of richness, and also lets one load up chocolate without taxing you with too much of sugar. You can try adding a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder into barbecue or chilli sauce or to pan sauces or combine it with spices like chilli powder or cumin in a spicy rub.

Eating only the chocolate – Few of us are simply addicted to chocolates. When you go on your grocery shopping, chocolates by default are in your cart and your promise yourself to last those chocolates at least a month. Turns out that you finished all of them in a wee!  When you are eating just the chocolate part, you get a dose of sugar without the satiety-boosting antioxidants and nutrients, so again you will be hungry. So instead, pair the chocolate with few almonds or a slice of butter/cheese to feel full. This way you will also be able to resist yourself from the next piece a bit longer.

So, the next time, you are about to relish on that piece of chocolate or send chocolates online, remember to not avoid these mistakes! Chocolates are a healthy food, but it is always good to have some self control.

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