Don’t you just love the aroma of a freshly baked bread! It’s divine and captivating. And baking your own bread just elevates the overall eating experience. The best part of baking a bread is that once you try it, you wouldn’t want to buy bread from a bakery or a store.
If you happen to be a frequent baker or planning to be one, you should always have basic ingredients in your kitchen like flour, yeast, baking soda, eggs, oil, salt, sugar, dairy products (cream, butter, milk, etc.), herbs, different kinds of flavors and extracts to add in as well as spices. Here are a few basic kinds of breads you can easily bake at home which will make your meals a little more thrilling.
White bread
The white bread is the most basic kind that is eaten in almost every household. Whether you want to fix a quick turkey sandwich or a peanut butter sandwich, white bread is a perfect choice. To prepare this spongy loaf with grainy golden crust all you need is some warm water, sugar, dry active yeast, butter or oil and salt. All the amounts in these ingredients can be customized according to your personal liking. Generally, the whole process of preparing the dough and baking takes around 2 hour and half hours.
Brown bread
If you’re a health geek then whole wheat bread (brown bread) is an appropriate option for you. The grains used in this kind of bread have the germ and the bran intact, that means it has all the required essential nutrients like proteins, vitamins and fiber. Brown bread is made with a combination of the whole-wheat flour and a small portion of white flour, apart from the common ingredients you can use honey as an alternative for sugar. Using different kinds of seeds and nuts is also a good idea for giving your brown bread a lovely texture.
Multi grain bread
Like the name suggests has two or more different kinds of grains like barley, oats, wheat, flax etc. along with edible seeds like quinoa, sunflower and pumpkin. Preparing multigrain breads can almost take 4 hours or more so make sure you have enough time in your hands before serving.
French baguettes
You can also try baking some beautiful French baguettes, which might look a little complex to master but once you get a hang of it, there’s no stopping. It uses the most basic elements of a normal white bread, you can incorporate other flavors if you want to. The only part you need to take care of is the shape and the texture. Make sure that the baguette is shaped properly, that is it should be round in the middle and tapered at the ends. The consistency on the other hand should be as such that post baking, it’s crispy golden on the outside and moist on the inside.
You can also try baking breads by including a myriad of fresh flavors of fruits and nuts adding that extra sweetness and tanginess. These additional flavors are ideal during special occasions and holiday seasons.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.