Reishi mushrooms or Lingzhi mushrooms were originated in East Asia and have been used as traditional Chinese medicines for over 2000 years. Reishi mushroom have many health benefits. Right from being a beautifying agent to act as an immunity-boosting agent, reishi mushrooms have multiple health benefits. Reishi mushrooms can taste bitter, due to the presence of triterpenes, but if incorporated smartly in your dishes, they can turn out to be more acceptable. Here are some delicious reishi mushroom recipes: Reishi mushroom tea Ingredients required: Reishi mushrooms (mostly available in dry woody pieces) 2 cups of water Honey /ginger (optional) How to prepare Bring two cups of water to boil, preferably in a ceramic or stainless steel pot. Pulverize the mushroom as much as possible. Then add one teaspoon of pulverized reishi to the boiling water. Simmer for two hours for best extraction of the bioactive ingredients. Allow the tea to cool for a while. You may mask the bitter taste by adding honey or ginger to the tea, but in small amounts. Recommended Read:  Top 10 Secrets about Green Tea Reishi coconut chocolates Ingredients required: ½  a cup of coconut oil ¼  cup of cocoa powder 2 tablespoons raw honey and maple syrup 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered reishi 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract How to prepare:

Pears are rich in fibers, vitamins, and antioxidants. Adding pears to your diet in any form can be really beneficial to your health. There are numerous ways you can include pears into your meals. Here are some easy pear recipes you can try today! Recommended Read:  5 Healthy Snack Recipes With Apples Baked Pears with Cinnamon & Walnut Ingredients: Pears – 2, halved Walnuts – 4 tbsp Cinnamon – 2 Tsp Honey or Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup – 2 to 3 Tsp Greek Yogurt or Gluten-free yogurt – to serve How to Prepare: Cut each pear in half and scoop out the seeds using a melon-baller or tablespoon. Fill the cavities with chopped walnuts and drizzle with honey or maple syrup. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly, and baked in a preheated oven of 175 C/350 F for 20 to 25 mins, or until golden on top. Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt, or even vanilla ice cream. Pear Butter Ingredients: Pears – 2lbs, peeled, cored and diced ripe pears Honey or Agave nectar – 2 tbsp Lemon juice – ½ tbsp Cinnamon – 1 Tsp Ginger powder – ½ tsp Salt – a pinch A pinch each of nutmeg and cloves How to Prepare:

Dips and spreads are easy ways to make your regular food exciting. If you are hosting a party, you could make fancy dips and spreads to surprise your guests. A lot of people on low-calorie diets also look for dips and spreads to make their salads taste better. With added fat, carbohydrates and other rich ingredients, most ready-made dips do nothing but add those extra pounds. Below are five amazing low-calorie dips and spreads you should try out the next time you want some yummy, healthy food. Recommended Read:  Healthy Weeknight Dinner Recipes Yogurt and pesto dip Ingredients 1 cup of fresh basil leaves ½ cup of yogurt (unflavored) 2 garlic cloves– peeled Salt to taste Handful of finely cut chives How to prepare: Add the garlic cloves, basil leaves, and salt to a food processor and finely blend it. Hand-whisk the yogurt until it is smooth and creamy. Add the basil paste and the yogurt to a serving bowl and sprinkle chives on top. Avocado Hummus Ingredients 1 cup canned chickpeas 1 ripe avocado 1 teaspoon lemon juice Handful of chopped cilantro leaves 1 garlic clove Few teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste How to prepare:

Granola is prepared by baking and it is crisp, toasted and golden brown in color. Granola is not just tasty but also quite healthy because it comprises oats and nuts that fiber, iron, heart-healthy unsaturated fats, and proteins respectively. Recommended Read:  Quick and Healthy Breakfast Recipes for Busy Mornings So, here is a list of the top 5 healthy homemade granola and homemade granola bar recipes for you to try out: Easy Granola at Home Ingredients: 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 ½ cup raw nuts and/or seeds 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil ½ cup maple syrup or honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if How to prepare: Preheat your oven to about 350 degrees. Then, line a spacious rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the oats, nuts and/or seeds, salt and cinnamon. Pour in the oil, maple syrup and/or honey and vanilla. Mix well, until every oat and nut is lightly coated. Pour the granola into the pan and spread it in an even layer. Bake until golden, about 21 to 23 minutes, stirring halfway. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.

When your baby is first introduced to solid foods, it can be a challenge to understand the nutrient levels present in fruits and vegetables. Here are 5 recipes for your toddler that are both healthy and tasty. Recommended Read:  Baby-Led Weaning: All You Need To Know Rice/ Oatmeal/ Barley Cereal Ingredients: 1/4 th cup ground brown rice/ground oats/ground barley (use a food processor) 1 cup water Breast milk or formula milk Chopped fruits How to prepare: Boil the water and add the rice powder/ powdered oats / powdered barley, while continuously stirring the mix. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then, add breast milk or formula milk, and add chopped fruits for taste. Serve it warm.    Apple Sauce Ingredients: Any number of apples Water (according to the number of apples used) Cinnamon (for taste, only after consulting your pediatrician) How to prepare: Peel the apples, remove the cores and cut them into small chunks or slices. Place these chunks in a pan and add some water. Let the apples tenderize; mash the apples for a smooth consistency. Reserve some water from the pan. Then use a blender to make this puree thick.  Add the reserved water if you wish to make the puree thin.