Asparagus Stir Fry / Asparagus Bhaji

I am new to asparagus - I've eaten it in some stir frys etc, and thought I may like it but up until this week I'd never bought and tried cooking it myself. So I decided to take the plunge and bought some from the local farmers market - it so green and vibrant - it just looks good for you!

Serves:3

Ingredients:

1) 1 bunch of Asparagus
2) 1 tspn of olive oil
3) 2 tbspn water
4) 1/2 tsppn cumin seeds
5) 1/2 tspn garam masala ( optional)
6) salt and sugar to taste
7) half a lemon

Method:

1) Wash and pat dry the asparagus
2) Cut the asparagus into small 1 inch pieces, stop towards the last 1 inch or when you think the asparagus is too tough
3) Heat the olive oil in a pan, once the oil is hot turn down and add cumin seeds
4)Once the cumin seeds sizzle, add cuts asparagus
5) Saute for 2 minutes till mpsr of  the asparagus is lightly seared all over, then add water,cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
6) Uncover, add salt, sugar, garam masala (optional) and squeeze the lemon.
7) Stir and and keep covered till you're ready to serve.

I served this up with some tomato avocado salad, chapati's and dal makhni, and it all went down a treat. Safe to say that we will be eating a lot more asparagus from now on :)

Happy Cooking!

Quick Vegetarian Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Today we decided to spice things up and try making enchiladas at home, and they were a big hit. As always we tried to keep them quick, simple by using some pre-prepared ingredients.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1) Corn Tortillas
2) 1 can Refried Black beans ( i used Amys)
3) Grated Cheese
4) 1 bell pepper
4) I medium onion
5) Enchilada sauce - Green tomatillo sauce ( i used Rick Bayliss Fronterra sauce)and Marinara sauce
6) for the garnish - sour cream, avocado slices and orange quarters
7) 1 tbsp olive oil


Method:
1) Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen napkin and microwave for 2 minutes. Keep covered.
2) Slice the onion and bell pepper and saute in olive oil till nicely browned.
3) Now add the black beans and saute till the beans are warmed.
4) Preheat oven to 325
5) Assemble the enchiladas - use a baking tray or a lined cookie sheet. On each tortilla put a tablespoon of cheese and a tablespoon of beans or change proportions as per preference :). Then roll and place with the seam side on the bottom of the tray. Liberally pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. ( We used 2 trays  - and had the tomatillo sauce on one and marinara on the other. The marinara sauce was a last minute idea as i was suddenly not sure if my 5yo would like the other, so I decided to try a more familiar taste.)
6) Sprinkle some more cheese on top and place in the oven for 15 minutes,
7) Serve one red and one green enchilada, garnished with  avocado slices, orange quarters and a generous dollop or sour cream.

This was a great quick warm meal, and of course all of us 5yo included liked the tomatillo sauce a LOT!

Warm Chickpea and Coconut Salad

A simple hi protein, good fats recipe, useful on my no grain diet plan. Very popular as a snack, I find its quite filling and can be a meal in itself - plus is spicy, savoury and warm - so is a yummy dinner alternative.

Serves:2

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup of kala chana ( small dark chickpeas). If these are not available consider using- garbanzo, pinto, red, kidney, peas as per your preference
2) 1 tbspn of ghee
3)  1 tspn of cumin seeds
4) 1 whole red chilli 
5) 2 or 3 curry leaves ( i left these out in my prep this time, cos i didn't have any)
6) salt and peer as per your taste
7) 2 tbspn of coconut flakes (I use dry flakes but frozen or fresh grated coconut flesh is much better)

Method:
1) If using dry beans soak in double the water one day ahead of preparation
2) Strain and cook beans for 15 minutes in an open pan. ( for faster cooking use a pressure cooker)
3) In a pan heat 1 tbspn of ghee
4) Once the ghee is hot add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
5) Then add red chilli and curry leaves
5) Now add the boiled and strained kala chana/ beans and saute.
6) Add salt, pepper, and coconut flakes.
7) Stir and leave covered for 2 minutes.

Sundal is ready to eat. You can also freeze this and easily take along for a healthy office snack/ picnic lunch anytime.

Tofu Scramble

This is a family favorite Tofu and Peas scramble. Tofu and peas up the protein quotient, and this can be eaten on its own or served with some bread or naan to make a complete meal.

Serves: 2

Ingredients 
1) half a packet of  frozen peas ( I use Safeway)
2) half a packet of extra firm tofu ( I use  O organics )
3) 2 medium tomatoes
4)1 medium onion
5) 2 tbsp olive oil/ghee
6) a pinch of turmeric powder
7) 1 tspn garam masala
8) 1/2 tspn paprika
9)  some coriander/parsley leaves for garnish
10) salt per taste
Method
1) Grate the tofu and (time permitting) set aside on a paper towel to drain
2) Heat some olive oil in a skillet 
3) Add in finely diced onion and brown
4) Now add in finely diced tomatoes and saute till tomatoes are cooked
5) Add in turmeric, garam masala and paprika.
6) Add frozen peas, half a cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes ( if you want to shorten this 5 minutes, microwave the frozen peas with a tbsp of water while the onion is browning, then this step should take only 2 mins)
6) Add the grated tofu and stir in.
7) Garnish with coriander/ parsley.

Serve hot!This is a spin on a common Indian street breakfast  called Bhurji that can also be made with eggs( skip water while cooking) and paneer (a kind of ricotta commonly found in your local Indian store.) 

10 minute Tofu Stir Fry

Another 10 minute recipe - this time featuring Tofu, Edamame and Peanut butter for protein. I love Asian food, but find it very challenging to find vegetarian options. So here is what I came up with - helps me stick to a low carb diet, with plenty of vegetables - and I hope its helps you too. Also since it mostly using ingredients from my fridge - tofu, frozen vegetables - its easy to do towards the end of the week when I am running out of fresh vegetables:)

Serves: 2

Ingredients 
1) half a packet of  frozen Asian stir fry veggies ( I use Safeway)
2) half a packet of extra firm tofu ( I use  O organics )
3) a third of a packet of frozen edamame beans (I use Safeway)
4)1 medium onion
5)1 medium bell pepper
6) 2 tbsp olive oil
7) 1 tbsp peanut butter
8) 1 tbsp soy sauce
9)  half a cup of crushed peanuts and half a tsp pepper flakes for garnish

Method
1) Cube up the tofu and brown on all sides in a hot pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil, and set aside on a paper towel to drain
2) Hat some olive oil in a wok
3) Add in finely sliced onion and bell pepper. Saute for 2 minutes till they start to brown
4) Now add in frozen vegetables and edamame
5) Add half a cup of water, cover and cook for 5 minutes
6) Add in soy sauce, peanut butter and browned tofu and stir in.
7) Garnish with crushed peanuts and pepper flakes. ( I like mine with sriracha!)

Eat immediately!
With tofu, edamame and peanut butter this is a high protein recipe, but all the vegetables also provide fiber and crunch that help keep munchies at bay.

10 Minute Low carb Vegetarian Tacos

We love tacos, but we are trying to eat healthier as well as eat out less. We save eating out for special occasions - trying to set a good example for the 5 y.o.! 

We haven't reached the stage of making our own tortillas yet, and I doubt we will for quite some time. We do want to eat healthy, but not to the point where we make everything ourselves and have very little time for other activities. To that end, I have been searching for a healthier tortilla - most tortillas tend to be loaded with carbs and high calorie (150+ calories each). So far, the La Tortilla Factory is the only low carb tortilla I've found in the shops (Safeway to be precise), and it doesn't taste too bad either.

The recipe itself is really simple, takes about 10 minutes.

Serves:3

Ingredients:
1. Tortillas
2. Tomatoes
3. Onions
4. Green bell pepper
6. Grated cheese
7. Can of beans (we use Amy's vegetarian chilli)
8. Your choice of salsa
9. Avocados
10. Lettuce/ salad leaves for crunch

Method:
1. For the fajitas, cut up the onions and bell pepper into thin long strips, stir fry and keep aside.
2. Cut tomatoes, avocados into thin strips as well.
3. Heat up the can of chilli and let it simmer as you heat up the tortillas.
4. Assemble everything on the tortilla - beans first, followed by the fajitas, then tomatoes, avocados, salsa and cheese. We also like to self assemble the Tacos at the table, makes for a much more interactive meal.
5. Fold and eat!

We all love these tacos, and our 5 y.o. gets quite excited about taco night. And since my wife is currently on a no-carb diet, her taco looks like this:

Happy eating! If you happen to read this and try it out, let me know :)

Protein Packed Quinoa Khichadi

Protein Packed Quinoa Khichadi

Another  Quinoa recipe - this time based on a popular fasting recipe from India - Sabudana Khichadi.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Quinoa ( I use Trader Joe's Organic tri color Quinoa, cooked per instructions on the packet)

1 quarter teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp roasted peanuts, ground coarsely

salt to taste

1 quarter teaspoon sugar 

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoons finely chopped coriander/ cilantro

1 teaspoon desiccated coconut

Method:

1) Heat ghee in a wok

2) Turn down heat, add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle

3) Add cooked quinoa

4) Add the roasted peanut powder, salt and sugar

5)  Cover and cook for 2 mins 

6) Garnish with lemon juice,coriander/ cilantro and desiccated coconut and serve

10 minute Vegetarian Quinoa Pilaf

Vegetarian Quinoa Pilaf

I am trying to eat healthier and so am constantly looking up low carb, no grain,vegetarian recipes that are quick and healthy. Once in a while I come up with something of my own and thought I'd post them here, just in case its useful. This is also family friendly - both my husband and son took to it right away and now this is a regular part of our menu plan.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Quinoa ( I use Trader Joe's Organic tri color Quinoa, cooked per instructions on the packet)

200 grams frozen vegetables ( Safeway farms mixed veg - green beans, peas, carrot & corn)

1 quarter teaspoon garam masala

1 quarter teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tbsp cooking oil

salt to taste

2 teaspoons fried onions

2 teaspoons finely chopped coriander/ cilantro

Method:

1) Heat oil in a pan

2) Turn down heat, add cumin seeds and allow the to sizzle

3) Add frozen vegetables, saute and cook till vegetables are cooked but still firm

4) Add the garam masala and salt and stir

5) Add the Quinoa and stir so that the vegetables and garam masala are evenly distributed

6) Garnish with fried onions and coriander/ cilantro and serve