Apple Dates Smoothie

These days I have started the gym again and am also trying my hand at badminton. Praying that either or the other  works out for me and I reduce atleast few kilos. But after a hectic and sweaty workout, I rarely feel like cooking but would be very happy if someone else is there to take care of me. Is my mother listening? or atleast something that could be put together quickly and is healthy and filling. This is a simple yet healthy delight which I have adapted from KurryLeaves ( my namesake with a different spelling) with whom I have been paired with this wednesday for the BlogHop Wednesdays by Radhika. 

Ingredients:
Apple: 1 cubed
Dates: 4-5 deseeded and chopped
Milk: 1-1and 1/4 cup
Sweetner: optional but as per taste

Cinnamon: garnish
Chopped Apples or Dates: Garnish

Preparation:

If your dates are hard and dry,soak them in 3-4 tbsp of milk for about 15 minutes or so. Then blend together all the ingredients to a fine puree /juice adding milk as needed. Adjust the sweetness by going for a healthy sweetner like honey or even more dates puree or maple syrup.

Serve as an intermediate filler for dinner garnish with more chopped apples/dates and sprinkle of cinnamon.

Healthy filling drink. A sweet start at breakfast for a hearty day ahead.You can even make it spicier with the addition of choice of spices and even other dry fruits.

Tutti Frutti Bread

Recently my daughter had a taste of sweet tutti frutti bread and she insisted I recreate it at home. I adapted the recipe from here and it was successful. You can also try it out with a combo of nuts and dryfruits,but tutti frutti adds colour to it and makes it more appealing. I had just 2-3 slices remaining, with which I had taken the pics after which they were completely gobbled up. I have tried out a mini loaf with the recipe and buns or rolls or crescents can also be tried out.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour: 1 cup + as needed for dusting
Whole Wheat Flour: 2 tbsp
Sugar: 3/4 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Yeast: 3/4 tsp

Water: 7 tbsp + as needed
Vegetable Oil: 3/4 tsp
Egg White :1 or 1/2 of an egg or 1 tbsp Cornflour + 2 tsp of water mixed together or your choice of replacer.

TuttiFrutti : atleast 1/2 cup

Preparation:
Mix together the dry ingredients of flours,yeast,sugar and salt. Prepare your egg replacer/even 1/2 of egg.

Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and add in the water,oil and egg. Knead together to form a dough. Fold in the tutti frutti and knead again on a  lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes till you get a smooth elastic dough. 

You may have to add more flour once yo add the dry fruit as it may become sticky. You can also rest the dough in between for about 5-10 minutes so that it absorbs lesser flour than needed/stickiness is reduced.This process is known as autolyse.

Once the dough is ready,put it in a loaf pan or other suitable baking dish as you like. You can lightly grease the dish/pan before putting the dough. Shape the dough if needed and then loosely cover it with a plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place until doubled.

Bake in a preheated oven at 175C /350F for about 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Mine was done in 18 minutes. Keep an eye from the 15th minute onward.Take out cool in the pan for a few minutes and then cool completely in the wire rack,before slicing and serving.

Simple fruity bread best with evening tea. I suppose this also goes as a deletable picnic snack. You can also serve it with accompaniments like jam,honey etc, but they are best as such. The delectable bread also goes to BBD# 42 - Picnic breads at Palmira, an event by Zorra