Immunity-boosting recipes for the season

Bhubaneswar: In these times where one can’t dine out, visit restaurants or bars, walk down to your favourite patisserie or even have anxiety over ordering in, life can not only get pretty tough, but downright insipid! With coronavirus, forcing us to stay indoors, all we need is some exciting ideas to keep us busy.

Presenting three healthy and quick recipes, shared by Del Monte, that you can try at home without using any oil keeping as you focus on health and fitness. Certain food can affect your mood and give you an instant boost to tide over difficult times. Also please don’t forget the old mantra of adequate water, stretching and meditation to overcome any anxiety and stress.

Prune Energy Balls

Ingredients

1 ½ cups Del Monte dried prunes
1 cup almonds
2 tbsp chia seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ – 1 tsp sea salt

Method

In a food processor, add the almonds and pulse till they turn into a fine meal.
Add the dried prunes, chia seeds and salt and pulse until a dough forms.
Wet your hands slightly and shape 16-18 balls. Roll the balls in shredded coconut. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Crumb Bar

Ingredients

Granulated sugar -1 cup
Baking powder -1 tsp
All-purpose flour – 3 cups
Lemon zest – 1/2 tsp
Salt -1/4 tsp
Unsalted butter -1 cup (cut into small cubes )
Egg -1

For the filling

Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Cornflour – 1 and 1/2 tsp
Del Monte Cranberries – 2 cups

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Grease an 8×8 inch pan.
In a bowl, mix together 1 cup sugar, baking powder and all-purpose flour.
Add lemon zest and salt.
Add butter and egg and with the help of a pastry cutter or a fork, blend it into the flour.
The dough will be crumbly.
Pat half of the dough onto the prepared pans.
In another bowl, mix together ½ cup sugar, lemon juice and cornflour.
Fold in the cranberries.
Spread cranberry mixture on top of the crust evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining dough on top of the cranberries.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
Cool completely.
Cut into squares and serve.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 cup oats 1 cup Del Monte blueberries

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, adjust the oven racks to the middle position and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk the our, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.
Stir in our mixture with a rubber spatula, then stir in the oats and blueberries.
Using 2 heaping tablespoons per cookie, roll the dough into balls and place them onto a cookie sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart,
Bake until the cookie edges are just turning golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.
Store cookies in an airtight container.

 

(IANS)