Grilled Chicken Avocado Sandwich

You really need to exercise your mind, apart from your body, to think of new and innovative ways to feed your family healthy food. We all love chicken sandwiches, don't we? Especially, when it is laden with a yummy creamy spread which leaves you licking your fingers!! Well, when on a controlled diet, you are ought to forget the creamy part. But not anymore! This sandwich spread is sure to delight you and fill in for all your creamy cravings with the very healthy and nutritious Avocados. Try this sandwich for your friends and family and give them the taste of good health. 

Ingredients

4-5 brown bread slices (or as per your choice and qty of bread)

300 gms chicken mince (I made some extra filling for later use)

1 medium onion sliced

1 medium tomato chopped

2-3 pods garlic chopped

2 avocados

2-3 sprigs of fresh coriander

2-3 green chillies (or as per taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction

Start with boiling the mince. Wash and drain the chicken mince in a colander and put it in a pressure cooker. Add the onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Do not add any additional water as the chicken will release its own juices. Also, no salt. Pressure cook the mince for 2-3 whistles or until done.  Let it cool completely.

Next, prepare the avocado base. Scoop out the avocado flesh and place it in the blender. Add the coriander, green chillies, and salt and pepper and whiz to a smooth paste. Adjust the seasoning accordingly. Remember not to add too much salt as this is just a part of the sandwich spread. Transfer to an air tight jar and keep aside. 

Now,  the chicken mince is cooled completely. Check if there is an excess of water floating in the cooker. If so, with a slotted spoon, spoon out the chicken and other ingredients and reserve the liquid to be used for some other curries in your kitchen. With the help of a hand blender, whiz the chicken mince a few times to get a smooth paste. Keep aside. I made of mistake of not separating the chicken from the water and so had to use a colander later to drain the excess liquid. I have not yet added any salt to the chicken as I wanted to keep it as a base for some patties or tikkis later on. 

Now, time to make the sandwich spread. 

Take equal amounts of the chicken mix and the avocado dip and mix well. Add salt and pepper and any other herb or seasoning as per your choice. I added some finely chopped capsicum. 

Now take the bread slices and spread some tomato ketchup on each slice. You can choose to put butter too. Take scoops of the chicken avocado mix and spread it out evenly. 

Cover it up with the other slice and grill. Serve hot!! Enjoy :)

Spicy Guacamole and A Delicious Healthy Dinner

So all that I am occupied with these days is to eat healthy and loose a few inches before the Diwali party. While I can go on a GM diet, I still have to cook for my family and that is where comes in the cravings. So instead of going on a strict diet altogether, I decided to eat healthy and conscious food and avoid unnecessary calories as far as possible. Breakfast is now a bowl of cereals and a cup of honey lemon tea, mid morning I try not to eat anything or maybe some yogurt or juice to keep myself going. Lunch is 2 chapatis with some curry/daal and veg/non veg, evening tea with honey lemon and some Marie Biscuits (this is where I go wrong by grabbing 3-4 biscuits at one go), and dinner again something light as this recipe today. I have also included a second round of exercise in the evening for 1/2-1 hour apart from the morning 1.5 hour session. 

I am hoping this regime helps me get back to where I was at least, if not more. 

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados

1 tbsp garlic chopped

3 green/red chillies

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 medium onion

2 sprigs coriander leaves

A handful of peanuts (optional)

Salt to taste

Direction

Cut the avocados into half and scoop away the flesh and add it to the blender. Discard the seed. Choosing the right avocado is very important. Always pick the avocados which are purplish in color and are soft when gently pressed. 

Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and whip a smooth paste. Transfer to an air tight jar and refrigerate until used. 

I used this dip as a spread for my corn thins (you can use bread or anything of your choice) and topped it with some papaya and cabbage salad in a honey and lemon dressing and sprinkled with some chaat masala. It was a wonderfully refreshing meal and healthy too!!

Cucumber and Avocado Dip/Spread

I am not a veggie or a salad person and sadly my baby is also turning into one. While I would really like to see her gorge on fruits and veggies like other or most babies do, I cannot blame her for her choice. However, I do love buying fresh and beautiful veggies and then come home looking for recipes which I think will satiate my taste buds. Today's recipe is one such. My cucumber and avocado were nearing their end and I had to do something meaningful with them. Luckily, there were a few recent posts on Cucumber Dip on CAL and from the basic recipe that was posted there, I decided to add my own twist. It is yummy, it is healthy, and it is filling too. Enjoy this dip with some Indian vadas, tortilla chips, or anything that you like. 

Ingredients

1 avocado skinned and deseeded and chopped finely

1 cucumber deseeded and chopped

1 tbsp garlic chopped (add more if you like)

1 tbsp coriander chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 medium onion chopped finely (you msy skip if you do not enjoy raw onions)

1 tsp olive oil (optional, I skipped)

10-12 roasted peanuts, skin removed

Salt, red chilli flakes and pepper to taste

Direction

Put the cucumber, avocado, peanuts, coriander, and garlic in a blender and make a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper and chilli flakes and pulse till smooth. The cucumber will be releasing a lot of water. You can strain the liquid and use it for making some fritters or likewise. I like my dip thick and chunky and so I strained the water completely. Now add the chopped onions and the olive oil, if using, and mix well. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator till further use.