Alys Fowler, a BBC presenter and a trained gardener, specializes in growing plants in nooks and corners of urban homes. Led by her philosophy of trying to use all available space for growing plants, she manages to grow plants in window-sills, stair-wells and balconies. Some of the brilliant techniques adopted by this lady for growing plants indoors are given below.

Window-boxes for the plants:

Window-boxes for the plants

If you wish to grow plants in a window-sill, you should have a window box.  Ensure that the window-box has a depth of at least 20 centimeters. It should have drainage holes at the bottom.

You can choose to have wood, plastic or metal boxes. Wooden boxes are water-retentive, plastic boxes are convenient for usage and metal boxes are appealing. Incase of a metal box; ensure it is lined with cardboard. Make sure the box is large enough to accommodate the roots and it is secured well.

Plant composts:

Plant composts

Invest on the right compost which is light and has good absorbent properties. For lettuce, plant the seeds about 5 centimeters apart in the compost filled box. One way to water the box is to place the window box in a water container and allow the upper surface to dampen.

In case you are doing it in the conventional way, ensure you spray water until water leaks out of the drainage holes. You can improve the quality of the compost by adding rice worms and tea decoctions.

Growing salad plants:

Growing salad plants

Lettuces must be placed in shade, but most salad plants such nasturtiums have to be placed in sufficient sunlight. Herbs like mitsuba and mint however require less sunlight.

If you are growing plants in a balcony you can choose from a range of salad plants. You can grow radishes, French beans, spring onions and tomatoes. Cucumber plants are creepers that require support to grow. Water them frequently as that enhances the taste of the veggies.

Salad leaves can be grown during spring and harvested in autumn. For a regular supply of salad veggies, have plants at different growth stages. Wrap the window-box in a paper bag and place it in shade till the seeds to germinate. When the saplings are about an inch high, the bag is removed and the box is exposed to sunlight.

The saplings can be used for salad garnishes when they are about 2 inches high. Instead of lettuce you could also grow sunflower greens and buckwheat.
For fast results, you can sprout sunflower seeds. The seeds take only about a day or two to sprout and are rich in nutrients. Broccoli, red Clover and Alfalfa are sprouts that can be easily grown. You could also grow legumes like, peas, aduki beans and chick peas.

Bush Basil, Chives, Pennyroyal and Winter Savoury grow well in boxes. If you have a sunny window sill you could try growing Cayenne peppers. You could also grow sprouts which are excellent salad ingredients.

If you have space constraints while growing sprouts, you could adopt a tiered system of trays where you can grow sprouts one over the other. Sprouting jars with mesh lids that allow easy draining of water are also excellent choices for sprouts.

It may seem easy to make a nutritious salad quickly, but a good salad will require fresh ingredients. It will also need that little something to excite your taste buds. Following are five of the essential ingredients required to make a tasty salad.

Five Essential Ingredients for an Any time Salad

Greens:

Greens are a common ingredient in most salads. While they are very healthy, just greens may not necessarily make for an exciting dinner salad. Basic greens can be made more textural, colourful and appealing by adding more variety to the salad. Prepared mixed greens can be purchased from the market and used to make salads as they have the properties to extend the life of the greens by more than a week. 

Vegetables:

Salads can be made completely of greens, but adding vegetables will make your salad taste different. Vegetables such as frozen peas can add flavour to salads when tossed into them. They made salads tastier and make them appear as a delicious vegetable dishes rather than your everyday bowl of greens. A gourmet salad can be made quickly by adding slices of frozen carrots, marinated artichoke hearts or canned asparagus. Black olives and pickled, canned beets also make for interesting options.

Colourful fresh vegetables can be added to supplement the frozen or canned ingredients. Make sure that you choose the vegetables with less water content. Radishes, green onions and bell peppers hold well and can be prepared days before you make the salad while cucumbers and tomatoes must be chopped right before they are served. 

Protein:

The appeal and flavour of a plain salad can be improved effectively by adding some protein. Salads can be transformed into a great meal rather than a boring food by the addition of protein due to the flavour present in proteins. While your family may usually be forced to eat salads, you will notice fewer complaints when protein is added to their dinner bowls.  

Topping:

Prepared croutons can be used to add crunch to your salad. You can find them in a variety of sizes and flavours and they promise to add value to the dish. Seeds can also be sprinkled to your salad for more flavour. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds are high in minerals and vitamins and add crunch as well. Even nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews and pistachios are great additions. 

Dressings:

A salad dressing can either be the best or the worst ingredient in the dish. Adding too much will take away its natural flavour while adding too little will just leave you with a pile of ingredients that do not much to excite your senses. Prepared dressings can be used as a quick option as they last for a long time in your fridge. Vinaigrette dressing is a great option as it is the ideal natural, simple and quick one.

It is important to make sure that you are using fresh ingredients for your salad and that all the ingredients are added in the right proportion.

Very nice Apricot Filling is our today’s recipe. Hope you will like and enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 30 (1oz) dried apricots
• 185g (60z) can apricot nectar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon gelatine
• 2 teaspoon water
• 125g (40z) packaged cream cheese
• 1 cup cream

How to Prepare:

1. Chop apricots.
2. Put in saucepan with nectar, sugar and wine.
3. Stir over heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil; reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, drain, reserve apricots and liquid separately.
5. Sprinkle gelatine over water, stand over hot water until dissolved, add to apricot liquid.
6. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add apricot liquid, fold in reserved apricot shell, refrigerate until set.

This dish reminds me of Pop Eye (the cartoon character) which loves to eat Spinach, as Spinach gives him a lot of energy to fight against Evils. So Today’s Recipe Spinach Pie will also gives you a lot of Energy. Enjoy preparing it and eat with joy.

Ingredients:

PASTRY

• 1½ cups wholemeal plain flour
• 1 teaspoon vegetable salt
• 1½ cups wheatgerm
• 125g (40z) vegetable margarine
• ⅓ cup water, approximately

FILLING

• 2 bunches spinach (approximately 20 stalks)
• 500g (1lb) potatoes
• 250g (80z) cottage cheese
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ¼ teaspoon mixed herbs
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vegetable salt

How to Prepare:

Pastry:

1. Sift flour and salt into bowl, add husks in sifter to flour, fold in wheatgerm.
2. Rub in margarine until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, mix with enough water to make a stiff dough: knead lightly.
3. Roll out half pastry on floured surface to 23cm (9m) circle using saucepan lid as guide.
4. Put pastry circle on to greased oven tray, spoon over cold spinach mixture, spreading to within 2.5cm (1in) of edge of circle, pilmg up in the center.
5. Brush edge of pastry with water.
6. Roll out remaining pastry to 30cm (12in) circle.
7. Carefully lift over spinach, casing edges together: press edges together with fork.
8. Trim edge with sharp knife, make two slits in top of pastry.
9. Brush pastry with water.
10. Bake in hot oven 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate, cook further 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling:

1. Wash and chop spinach.
2. Pet in saucepan with just enough water to cover base of saucepan, cover, cook until tender drain well.
3. Peel potatoes, cut into cubes, cook in salted water until tender: drain.
4. Combine spinach, potato, cottage cheese, basil, mixed herbs, nutmeg and salt, mix well, allow to cool.

[Serves 4 to 6]

Hot Rice Salad With Vegetables may brings water in your mouth, as it looks very delicious, tasty and nutrition meal, hopefully you will enjoy making and eating it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
•  ¼ cup oil
• 375g (120z) packet frozen broccoli
• 1 red pepper
• 3 sticks celery
• 6 shallots
• 6 radishes
• vegetable salt
• 1 teaspoon sit sauce

How to Prepare:

1. Gradually add rice to large quantity of boiling salted water, boil uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender; drain.
2. Defrost broccoli, cut into section.
3. Heat oil in frying pan, add broccoli, seeded and cubed red pepper, sliced celery, chopped shallots and sliced radishes, cook quickly for 3 minutes.
4. Add rice, loss for 3 minutes.
5. Season with salt.
6. Add soy sauce just before serving, toss until combined.
7. Or rice, with the soy sauce added, can be placed in serving dish and the vegetables arranged on top.

[Serves 6]

Cottage Cheese Loaf full of Nutrition, full of taste and full of energy is our today’s planned recipe, hope you will enjoy eating it.

Ingredients:

• 1kg (2lb) cottage cheese
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 large onions
• 3 eggs
• vegetable salt
• 2 teaspoons mixed herbs
• ⅓ cup milk

How to Prepare:

1. Peel and grate onions or chop very finely.
2. Combine all ingredients, blend together well.
3. One tablespoon of soy sauce also can be blended in.
4. Pour into well-greased, deep 20cm (8in) casserole.
5. bake in moderate oven approximately 1 hour or until firm.

[Serves 6]

Very unique and delicious dish added in Today’s Recipe and it is having the name as Vegetable Pastries. It may be having Fun preparing this, but you will really like to have this in your supper with tea.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wholemeal plain flour
• ½ teaspoon vegetable salt
• 60g (20z) vegetable margarine
• ½ cup water
• oil for deep-frying
• FILLING
• 60g (20z) vegetable margarine
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 500g (1lb) ripe tomatoes
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 red pepper
• 470g (150z) can red kidney beans
• vegetable salt

How to Prepare:

Pastry:

1. Sift flour and salt into bowl, rub in margarine until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add water mix to a pliable dough.
3. Turn out on to lightly floured surface, knead 5 minutes.
4. Cover pastry, stand 1 hour, knead again 3 minutes.
5. Roll out to 3mm thickness.
6. Cut into rounds, using 15cm (6in) round cutter or use saucer guide.
7. Brush edges with a little water, spoon 2 tablespoons filling into centre of each round.
8. Pinch edges together, put into deep hot oil, fry until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes.

Filling:

1. Heat margarine in pan, add peeled and chopped omen and crushed garlic, saute until omen is tender.
2. Add roughly chopped and chopped pepper, drained and rinsed beans and vegetable salt, stir until combined.
3. Cover, simmer gently 15 minutes, remove lid, simmer further 10 minutes or until mixture is thick.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Makes 8 pasties.

[Serves 4]

Lets prepare Vegetarian Spaghetti today. Delicious, yummy spaghetti in your lunch or dinner may makes you happy, especially children.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 500g (1lb) tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
• 1 cup water
• salt
• 250g (80z) wholemeal spaghetti
• 470g (150z) can nutmeat

How to Prepare:

1. Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water 12 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain.
2. Heat oil in pan, add peeled and finely chopped onion and crushed garlic, saute until onion is transparent.
3. Add nutmeat, mix well, cook 1 minutes.
4. Stir in peeled and roughly chopped tomatoes, mixed herbs and water, mix well.
5. Season with salt, cover, simmer gently 10 minutes; add extra ½ cup of water if mixture becomes too dry.
6. Serve over spaghetti.

[Serves 4]

We are going to prepare Sesame Sticks. Children can take these to their schools for Lunch. Nutrition dish having a lot of energy. Enjoy preparing it.

Ingredients:

• 250g (80z) fresh or canned bean curd
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon vegetable salt
• ¼ teaspoon five spice powder
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 12 slices wholemeal bread
• sesame seeds
• oil for deep-frying

How to Prepare:

1. Drain bean curd, combine with beaten egg, cornflour, salt, five spice powder and sesame oil, mix well .
2. Remove crusts from bread, spread paste over bread, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. Cut each slice into 3 even sticks.
4. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown.
5. Serve as a party savoury.

In Cooking section we are going to prepare Herbed Vegetable Flan Pastry, for Vegetarians it will be very delicious dish and they will really enjoy eating it. Lets prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup wholemeal plain flour
• 1. Teaspoon vegetable salt
• 1 Cub wheatgerm
• 60 g (2oz) Vegetable Margarine
• ¼ Cup Water

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 2 Tablespoons wholemeal flour
• 410g (13oz) Can Vegetable Juice
• 2 Zucchini
• 2 Medium Carrots
• 1 Clove Garlic
• ¼ Teaspoon mixed herbs
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon chopped Parsley

How to prepare:

Pastry:

1. Sift Flour and Salt into Bowl
2. Add Wheatgerm, mix well.
3. Rub in margarine until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Gradually add water, mix to a firm dough.
5. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to line 23cm (9in) flan tin.
6. Prick base of flan with fork,
7. Bake in moderate oven 12 to 15 minutes or until pastry is cooked, cool.

Filling:

1. Heat oil in pan.
2. Add flour.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Gradually stir in vegetable juice.
5. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly.
6. Add finely sliced zucchini, peeled and finely grated carrots, peeled and thinly sliced onion, crushed garlic and mixed herbs.
7. Reduce heat.
8. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender.
9. Roughly chop mushroom, add to pan, cook further 2 minutes, cool.
10. Spoon mixture evenly into flan case.
11. Sprinkle over breadcrumb topping.
12. Bake uncovered in moderate oven 10 to 15 minutes.

Topping:

1. Heat oil in pan.
2. Add crushed garlic and breadcrumbs.
3. Stir until crumbs are golden brown.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Add parsley.
6. Mix well.

[Serves 4 to 6]