Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Monday, May 7, 2018

South of the Border Burrito; Meatless Monday vegan recipe and a giveaway!!




My family is a connoisseur of vegetarian food. Fish and chicken is cooked only occasionally. I love fish and cannot resist grilled chicken. However, my husband and kids prefer vegetarian food over non-vegetarian. Needless to say, I therefore end up cooking more vegetarian dishes than non-vegetarian. Truth be told, personally for me, cooking a vegetarian dish is much easier and quicker than non-vegetarian.



I am a huge supporter of the Meatless Monday Movement. I often feel that people in the West have this misconception that a meal is incomplete without some form of animal protein and that animal protein is essential for normal growth and development.  Indian cuisine proves that this is a myth. Many Indians are vegetarian and lead a healthy, whole and successful life. 

Coming back to the recipe on hand.. when Taylor from Meatless Monday told me about an opportunity to work with Kristi Funk by trying one of her healthy recipes that support her  latest book filled with tons of information regarding breast cancer, how to prevent it with a healthy lifestyle, I was all for it! I am always on the quest for cooking in a healthier manner. I grew up in a family where 1 liter of oil would last the entire month. This recipe of Kristi’s uses no oil at all! I had to try that. I have to tell you, it came out delicious!! 




For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Kristi Funk, she is a leading board-certified breast cancer surgeon and specialist in comprehensive wellness, including nutrition, fitness, and stress management. Best known as the breast surgeon for Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow, Dr. Funk has compiled her accessible and powerful strategies for reducing cancer risk and achieving optimal overall health into a much-anticipated book, Breasts: The Owner’s Manual, which came on shelves May 1, 2018.



Dr. Funk embraces meat reduction for healthy living. She personally provided a selection of delicious Meatless Monday recipes exclusively for us to try. One of them was the South of the Border Burrito. I tried it and everyone at home loved it! It was quick and easy. I would have never imagined that cooking without oil would taste so good! I made some minor changes to it due to lack of some ingredients. I didn’t have cilantro or avocado and therefore skipped it. I used chopped lettuce instead. Instead of Braggs amino acids I used tamari sauce. I have described the recipe verbatim as provided by her.

If you would like a copy of Dr Funk’s book, sign up with your email to participate in the give away! 




Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) organic firm or extra firm, well drained tofu (prep technique below)
1 onion
1 large green pepper
1 large red pepper
2 handfuls chopped spinach
2 tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
2 T Bragg Amino acids (or tamari)
Veggie broth to broth sauté
Salsa
1 Avocado
Cilantro to taste
Whole grain tortillas

Directions:

Heat pan with a tiny bit of broth just covering the bottom of the pan. Once the broth is simmering, add the chopped onions, tomatoes and peppers. Sauté until they start to get soft (about 6-8 minutes). Keep adding broth by the tablespoon when pan is gets too dry.

Crumble tofu (I use my hands), add turmeric and Bragg Amino acids and sauté until everything is starting to brown just a bit.

Add spinach, turn OFF heat, and toss for a minute or so.

Taste and decide if you want to add a little more Bragg’s.

Heat tortilla until soft and fill with mixture. Add salsa, cilantro and avocado and wrap into a burrito.

Tip: Draining tofu completely is important. Cut the tofu block in half and press in clean kitchen towels, then wrap in a dry towel and place under a heavy pan (or a stack of books!). Leave for at least 20 minutes and change out towels if they get too saturated. Better yet, buy a tofu press... such a great gadget to have!

I am bringing this salad to all my friends at Angie's Fiesta Friday #223. Her cohost this week is the amazing Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau.


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Friday, May 5, 2017

Quick Fish Tacos; semi-homemade



It is Cinco de Mayo today!!! Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican army over the French forces at the Battle of  Puebla.  It is celebrated with great pomp in this part of the world. This was just a reason for me to make Tacos. Everyone in my home loves tacos; any kind! We love vegetarian tacos, bean tacos, fish tacos, chicken tacos.. You name it, we like it; except the ones with meat in it. You see we don't eat meat.





Tacos are nothing but some kind of vegetarian or meat filling in the middle of a small tortilla ( roti) that is usually topped with lettuce/shredded cabbage, onion, sour cream, taco sauce and shredded cheese. When I make tacos at home, I make it healthy by switching the sour cream with Greek yogurt and using low fat shredded cheese. I sometimes skip the cheese in mine altogether. I also substitute lettuce with shredded cabbage. I also sometimes top it with baked butternut squash. You can make a vegetarian version using just butternut squash and the shredded lettuce and sauces.





Tacos are perfect for weeknight dinners when you don't have much time or patience and want to rustle something quick and easy. You can serve it with guacamole , any kind of salsa,  pico de gallo or salsa verde if you wish.




I often keep some organic, least processed breaded fish fillets in my freezer for quick use. I also almost always have some organic corn tortilla in my refrigerator handy.
Today, I am sharing with you one of my easy, quick to rustle taco recipes. 





I am bringing this to all my friends at Angie's Fiesta Friday!!   Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Sue @ Birgerbird are the co-hosts this weekend!

Servings: 2 ( 2 per person)



Prep time: 5-10 minsCook time: 15-20 minsTotal time: 20-30 mins



Ingredients:


Corn tortillas: 4 (in number )
Breaded fish stick or fish fillets: 4 in number
Greek yogurt: 1/2 cup ( may not need all)
Chopped onion: 1/4 cup
Shredded cabbage: 1/2 cup
Taco sauce: 1/4 cup ( may not need all)
Shredded low fat Mexican blend cheese: 1/2 cup ( may not need all)
Roasted butternut squash cubes: 1 cup ( may not need all), ( optional)

Method:


Cook the breaded fish sticks in the oven or the microwave as per the instructions on the package and keep ready.




If you wish to add roasted  butternut squash(optional), roast it in the oven in a single layer at 350 degrees for 30mins. Keep ready.



When the fish is cooking, finely shred /chop the cabbage/lettuce and keep ready.

Assembling the tacos:


Warm up the corn tortilla on a griddle or for 10 seconds in the microwave.  



Place the tortilla on the serving plate.


Apply a layer of Greek yogurt. 




Now, place one piece of cooked breaded fish. 



Top it with 1/2 tsp chopped onion, 1 tbsp shredded cabbage and 1 tbsp shredded cheese.





If using roasted butternut squash, add it to the taco before the cheese.


Drizzle taco sauce on top.





Do the same with all 4 tacos.

Serve
 it with guacamole , any kind of salsa,  pico de gallo or salsa verde if you wish. Eat immediately.

Cooking made easy:

Tacos are usually assembled by the individual who is eating it. Tacos made ahead of time becomes soggy.

Tip for healthy living:


Tacos can be made gluten free by using corn tortillas. You can totally skip the yogurt and shredded cheese and make it vegan by substituting it with a cabbage slaw.

Food for thought:



Nothing is possible until you do. Maya Angelo


Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!




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Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Vegetarian Bean Quesadilla


My daughter is that stage of growing where she wants to try different kinds of cuisine and food. She also tells me that she does not want to eat baby food anymore. She wants to eat "grown up" food. So for dinner the other day I decided to make some thing that she could eat. She prefers vegetarian fare. I know she likes rotis/ chapatis which are basically Indian flat bread that is like a whole wheat tortilla. She also likes cheese and sour cream. I decided to make a bean quesadilla using most of the ingredients that she likes or will eat. I swapped the sour cream with Greek yogurt. The beans stuffing was easy to make and she liked it.







I added some picked jalapeños to half it for my husband and I to spice it up a bit. I served it with fresh salsa with avocado and Greek yogurt. The end result was so good that my husband asked me where I had gotten the quesadilla from!! 




Do try it. It is great because you don't have to slave in front of the stove in this warm weather.The recipe is also in time for Cinco de mayo and Mother's Day which is around the corner! Serve the quesadilla with 
guacamole , any kind of salsa,  pico de gallo or salsa verde, or all of them if you wish!



Servings: 3-4



Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 15 minsTotal time: 25 mins



Ingredients:


Whole wheat tortillas/ roti/ Chapati: 2, large.
Mexican shredded cheese mix: 1 cup
Greek yogurt: 1/2 cup

For the bean stuffing:
Cooked & drained red kidney beans : 2 cups ( or 1 can (8oz).
Cooking oil: 1 tsp ( I used coconut oil)
Onion: 1 small, diced fine
Cumin powder: 1/4 tsp
Bell pepper/ capsicum, diced fine: 1/4 cup
Black pepper, freshly ground: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Cilantro, chopped fine: 1 tbsp ( optional)
Pickled jalapeños, chopped: 1 tsp ( optional)

Method:


Heat the oil in a sauce pan or sauté pan on medium heat.


Add the dice onion. Sauté until the onion begins to sweat.


Add the diced bell peppers. Sauté for a minute.


Add the cumin powder. Sauté for 10-20 seconds.


Add the cooked and drained red kidney beans, salt, black pepper and mix well until it all comes together.


Using a potato masher, lightly mash this mixture.


Add finely chopped cilantro. Mix.




Turn off the flame and keep aside.




Heat a griddle/ tawa on medium flame. Place one roti/ chapati/tortilla on it. Reduce the flame to low.




Spread the bean mixture on top of the tortilla evenly.

Sprinkle the pickled jalapeño pieces if you want it spicy.


Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. 




Place the second roti/chapati/ tortilla on top. Let it cook for a minute or two.

If possible, flip the quesadilla and cook for a minute on the other side. If you cannot flip, it is ok. Just continue cooking for couple more minutes until the cheese melts.

Turn off the flame. Using a pizza cutter or serrated knife , cut it into six pieces/ wedges.




Top it with a dollop of Greek yogurt.




Serve it with 
guacamole , any kind of salsa,  pico de gallo or salsa verde if you wish.!

Enjoy!


I am bringing this to all my friends at Angie's Fiesta Friday for the Cinco de Mayo celebrations!!   Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes and Sue @ Birgerbird are the co-hosts this weekend!

Cooking made easy:


If you are gluten free, you can use corn tortillas. If the tortilla is really small, just cut it into 2 or 4 pieces.

Alternatively, you can use just one tortilla, put the filling on one half of the tortilla, top it with cheese and fold the other half of the tortilla on top. You can then choose to cut it into 3 pieces/wedges or just 2 halves.

Tip for healthy living:


You can enjoy any of your regular food by switching high calorie, high fat ingredients with low calorie, low-fat, healthy ingredients. For eg, in the above recipe, I have switched the sour cream with healthier Greek yogurt.

Food for Thought:


The secret of our success is determined by our daily agenda. John Maxwell.





Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!






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Saturday, June 4, 2016

Poori-Saagu ( Fried Indian bread served with spicy mixed vegetable stew).



Poori-Saagu is a common item found on the menu in restaurants in the region of Bangalore/Mysore in India. Whenever I visit Bangalore, I love to eat in the small hole-in-the-wall types restaurants that are all over the city. For some reason the food is absolutely delicious!  Poori is nothing but puffed Indian bread that is usually fried. This is served with a mixed vegetable spicy stew that is made with coconut-based sauce.



So how is this healthy and what is a fried item doing on my blog? I can answer that honestly. My blog promotes healthy eating and living realistically. While best practice would be for us to eat healthy 100% of the time, this is not realistic. Everyone craves certain types of food from time to time. It is ok to indulge those cravings in MODERATION once in a while. My one such craving is poori.



Poori can be made a tad bit healthier by virtue of the choice of flours used. This can be done by using oat-flour instead  of wheat flour.  It fluffs up just as well as that which is made with wheat flour  and tastes just as great! Do give it a try to check for yourself! You can make it gluten-free by using only oat flour, but that may get tricky when you fry them as once they expand, they tend to collapse. 



These are also perfect for the lunchbox for the kids, especially when you serve it with a mixed vegetable side-dish such as Saagu


For recipe for Saagu, Click here:


Recipe for Oats Poori:

Servings: 2-4


Ingredients: 6-8 small- medium sized pooris


Oat flour: 3/4 cup
Whole wheat flour: 1/4 cup
Cooking oil: 1  tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Lukewarm water: 1/2 cup ( you may not require all of it).

Method:


In a bowl mix together the flour, 1/2 tsp oil, salt and sugar. 

Make a well in the center. 

Add water little bit at a time and make a nice, soft dough. 

Knead well and make a ball. 

Apply oil to the outside of the ball. 

Cover with a damp cloth/ paper towel and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Pinch little portion of the dough to make small lemon sized balls. Now roll out the balls to make small pooris.

Heat oil in a wok/ kadai on medium flame. 

When the oil is hot enough, drop the poori in it and with the back of a slotted spoon gently press it down into the oil. This will help the poori puff up. 

When the poori puffs up and floats to the surface of the oil, flip it and let it cook for few seconds on the other side. 

Now remove it from the oil and drain it on paper towels.

Serve hot with Saagu as I have done or any side dish of your choice!



Enjoy!



I am bringing this delicious breakfast to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#41, Fiesta Friday#122  and Saucy Saturdays#47! Angie's co-hosts this week are Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Aruna @ Aharam



Cooking made easy:


If you are not gluten-intolerant and you don't particularly care for the texture of oats flour, the best texture can be achieved by doing a 50:50 mix of oat flour and whole wheat flour.

Tip for healthy living:


This information is especially for people who are gluten-intolerant & those who choose to avoid gluten. While oats are naturally gluten free, it is best to get oats that are labelled " gluten-free", as quite often oats is contaminated with wheat as they are often processed in the same facility.


Food for thought:


Everything that is done in the world is done with hope. Martin Luther




Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!