Boiled peanuts are popular in places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts rather the  raw or green ones are used. Boiling the peanuts are very easy at home. You can cook raw peanuts in different ways like stockpot method or in pressure cooker or crock pot. I prefer pressure cooker method which makes my work easier. Cooking time vary greatly depending on how fresh the peanuts are. The fresher the peanuts, less time it takes to cook. You can make so many Indian recipes with peanuts like burfi, laddu, rice and chat. But I love to eat the fresh boiled peanuts for evening snack as it has no extra calories in it like no oil or sugar. Try this recipe at home and enjoy !!!!!!


     Ingredients

        3 cups of Raw, Fresh Peanuts
        5 cups of Water
        3.5 tsp of Salt
        Pressure Cooker

     Method

• Wash and rinse the raw peanuts several times in water to remove the dirt and debris.
•  Soak the washed raw peanuts in a big bowl of water for 2 hrs or overnight. Again, wash it in cold water.
• After that, add the soaked, washed peanuts to a pressure cooker.
• Add salt and enough water to a pressure cooker containing peanuts.
• Now close the lid of pressure cooker, turn on the flame and wait for 2 whistles and then simmer it for 45 mins. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.
• Pour the cooked peanuts to a colander and drain the water. Cool for few mins.
• Break open the fresh peanuts and enjoy the tasty boiled peanuts.

     Tips

• You can cook the peanuts either in pressure cooker or stockpot or crock pot.
• Adjust the amount of salt according to your taste.
• You can store boiled peanuts in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Store it in a airtight container and enjoy cold peanuts.

     Health Benefits of Peanuts

• Rich in energy.
• Good source of monounsaturated fat, niacin, folate, vitamin E and anti-oxidants.
• Prevent gall stones  and good for heart.
• Good source of resveratrol which reduces the risk of stroke.    

        Strawberries are everywhere right now !! I got strawberries from ” Pick your own fruit farm”. Strawberry frozen yogurt is simple, delicious and healthy. It requires only few ingredients and is made without cooking. I really love the gorgeous pink color and the taste is just amazing. Try this yogurt and let me know your feedback.


    Ingredients

           1.5 Cup of Strawberries
           3/4 Cup  of Yogurt
           2 Tbsp of Sugar
           2 Tbsp of Honey
           1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extact
           1/2 Tsp of Lemon Juice
           Pinch of Salt

   Method

• Wash and slice the strawberries into pieces.
• In a blender/ mixie, add the strawberries, yogurt, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, lemon juice and salt.  Puree until the mixture is smooth.
• Transfer the contents to an airtight container and freeze until set, ideally overnight.
• Remove from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 15 -20 mins before serving.

   Tips

• If you get Greek yogurt, add that instead of using normal yogurt.
• Use stevia or agave for sweetness instead of adding regular white sugar and honey.
• Addition of salt is to enrich the sweetness of yogurt.

    Health Benefits of Strawberry 

• The dietary fiber in strawberry keeps digestion regular and lowers the blood pressure. 
• High in vitamin C and manganese.
• It has anti inflammatory and anticancer properties.
• Good for eyes and bone health.

                                           Happy ” 4th of July”
          We recently went for ” Pick your own fruit farm”. It was really fun to pick fresh fruits directly from the farm. There we got fruits like strawberries, cherries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. So I made this creative fruit skewers for a evening snack. This is fun and healthy snack/dessert, easy and quick to make and a nice treat to eyes. You can serve plain or drizzle with some honey or serve it with a bowl of heavy cream.

     Ingredients

             3 Whole Strawberries
             6 Banana Slices
             6 Blueberries
             6 Cherries
             3 Blackberries
             3 Cantaloupe Pieces
             3 Wooden Skewers

    Method

• Wash the fruits in a cold running tap water.
• Slice the banana and cut the cantaloupe into triangle shape.
• Slide the fruits onto skewers one at a time and they are ready to go.
• An alternative is to freeze it for 2hrs and serve it with a bowl of heavy cream..

    Tips

• On outdoors you can grill it in the rack of barbeque, after that drizzle it with some honey and toasted nuts.
• You can have some marshmallow in between the fruits on skewers.

          
    Healthy Benefits of Mixed Fruits

    Blueberry : High in anti-oxidants, reducing belly fat, good for digestion, heart and brain.

    Strawberry : Boosts immunity, good for eye health, fight cholesterol and cancer.

    Blackberry : Prevents cancer, good for skin, eye, digestion, diabetes and bones.

    Banana : High in fiber, lowers the blood pressure, high in potassium, high in nutrient absorption.

    Cherry : Good for arthritis and heart,  prevents cancer, memory booster.

    Cantaloupe : good source of vit A, beta carotene and vit C. Good for lungs health.