Healthy Concoctions Prepared The Hablis Way

A jar of spinach powder and smoothie at Hablis Hotel, Chennai

By Weena Pradhan

 

I could write an Ode to Spinach, the most loved of the ‘greens’ that tops the list of weight watchers’ must-eats. And that translates to having it handy most days of the week, right? Well confession time: Not all of us are organised enough to have a well-stocked fridge on all days, at least I am not! I know how it feels to be stranded, been there often!!

Dried Spinach Powder has come to my rescue from the time I was gifted a tiny 50 gms jar of the marvel powder by Hablis Hotels while I dined at their rooftop, open-air restaurant, Novella. I have now bought for myself a bigger jar of the Spinach Powder from the hotel and have donned the chef’s hat experimenting as often as possible. My previous blog titled ‘Spinach Powder, The King Of Super Foods’ is almost an ode to it, but in prose!! Listing it multitudinous benefits, check it out in the link above.

This post is a continuation with a couple of simple recipes using dried Spinach Powder. It is so versatile, you could use it in almost every dish, barring the desserts of course!

I whipped up this yummy spinach powder smoothie for myself at breakfast along with two scrambled eggs. My son training for fitness and building his body has made it his post-workout meal. That was my woohoo moment, I had won over one member of my family to Spinach Powder! You will see for yourself how wholesome the smoothie is. He did add a scoop and a half of his whey protein by the way to suit his heavy workout.

Spinach Banana Smoothie With Dried Spinach Powder

A jar of spinach powder and smoothie at Hablis Hotel, Chennai

INGREDIENTS :

  • 1 ripe banana (medium-sized)
  • 1 tsp Greek yogurt (regular, firm, low cal curd will do as well. Just make sure it’s not sour)
  • 1 tsp peanut butter or almond butter
  • 1 tsp organic honey
  • 1 tsp dried spinach powder.

DIRECTIONS :

  • Blend all of the above to a fine, smooth consistency and you have a yummy green smoothie in 5 minutes.

Serving :

  • 1 tall glass, good for one person.

I believe in consuming my health food and drink fresh and therefore haven’t tried chilling the smoothie or preserving it for later use. If you do try, I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Here is another simple spinach powder recipe that I tried at an evening with some friends that came home for dinner. Served it with fresh vegetables , but it went well with nachos too. A perfect hors d’oeuvre accompaniment.

Tofu Spinach Dip With Dried Spinach Powder

Vegetables with dip at Hablis Hotel, Chennai

INGREDIENTS :

  • ½ organic Tofu slab – medium firm and drained
  • 2 tsps dried spinach powder
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 tbsps lemon juice
  • ¼ yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsps nutritional yeast
  • Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS :

Add tofu and all the other ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. It took me under 10 minutes to get this Tofu and Spinach dip done, thanks to the dried spinach powder.

Serving :

  • 2-3 cups.

I am looking forward to trying out more recipes where I can substitute fresh spinach with dried Spinach Powder and will post them soon (if they turn out well!!)

In the meantime, if you want to buy dried organic Spinach Powder, you can head to one amongst the top hotels near Chennai Airport :

A jar of spinach powder at Hablis Hotel, Chennai

Hablis Hotel Chennai, 10 GST Road, Guindy, Chennai 600032, India, Tel : 91 44 4023 5555. Ask to be connected to SPICE restaurant to buy their merchandise.