Healthy Quiona For Breakfast

Quiona is cooked just like rice. Once it is cooked, then so many recipes can be created with this healthy grain. This one is a simple and easy to make in the morning rush hour.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup white quiona
Salt to taste
2 Tabs extra virgin olive oil
Handful of chopped red onions
1/2 Cup frozen edamame
1/2 Cup frozen organic sweet corn
1/2 Cup dry cranberries
2 Tabs sundried tomatoes in olive oil
2-3 Tabs small walnut pieces
Grated Parmesan Romano cheese to garnish

Method

Dry roast quiona for couple of minutes, wash it and keep aside. Boil one and half cup of water. Add quiona and pinch of salt and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

In the mean time, heat the oil in a medium pan and saute onions for 3-4 minutes, until they get soft.
Add edamame, sweet corn, dry cranberries, sundried tomatoes (without oil) in the pan and cook for few minutes. Add quiona, little more salt and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with walnut pieces and Parmesan cheese!!

Mushroom And Onion Rice

This beautiful looking rice, brownish in color, can take the center place on any dining table. It was discovered accidentally when onions got cooked much longer than I usually do and they turned dark brown in color, which in turn, gave such a nice brown look and sweetness to the finished rice. Mushrooms add even more flavor to the dish.

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly
8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms
¾ cup basmati rice, soaked and washed in 2-3 changes of water
½ tsp salt or to taste
1 ½ cup water
Half lemon
Freshly squeezed black pepper

Method:
Heat the oil in a nonstick pan on medium heat, add onions and sauté them until dark brown in
color, about 8-10 minutes. Add mushrooms, sauté them for a couple of minutes. Add rice and salt. Mix them gently to get coated with the rest of the stuff. Stir in water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to minimum, cover the pan and simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the rice, add black pepper and let it sit undisturbed for five minutes with cover on. Fluff them with a fork and serve hot with any lentil dish, yogurt, or as such for lunch or dinner.

Split Mung Lentils With Spinach

I am going to post this receipe today for Brianne who is really fond of lentils.

This is a skinless variety of split mung lentils in yellow color, popularly called as yellow dhal. It is super healthy and super easy, takes only a few minutes in pressure cooker. Spinach adds a new taste and look of green ribbons floating in yellow dhal. It can be cooked in regular pot also which takes little longer time to cook.

¾ cup yellow dhal, washed, soaked for ½ hour and drained
4 cups water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp grated ginger
½ tsp minced garlic
2 ½ tabs olive oil
½ tsp cumin seed
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
½ tsp red chili
1/2 tsp garam masala
Pinch of paprika & black pepper
1 small hand of cilantro leaves to garnish

Place dhal, water, salt, turmeric, ginger, garlic and ½ tbsp oil in the pressure cooker. Close the lid tight and let it cook on medium to low heat until pressure regulator starts whistling. Turn the stove off quickly, but do not open it, wait for 15-20 minutes until all the steam is released. Dhal should have a very soft and creamy texture. Transferred to a warm serving bowl.

For tempering, heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add cumin seed and let it sizzle a few seconds. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until golden brown, add spinach, red chili, garam masala, paprika, black pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until spinach is wilted. Pour it over the hot dhal and swirl it to mix gently. Garnish with cilantro. It is ready to be served with any rice dish or any kind of flat bread or stuffed bread.

When using a regular pot instead of pressure cooker, let dhal cook on medium to high heat until it boils. Then reduce the heat and cook it for about 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring in between until dhal is soft and creamy. Transfer to a warm serving bowl. Tempering is done same way as written above.

CILANTRO MINT CHUTNEY

This is a traditional Indian green chuteny served with most of the appetizers. It can act as a condiment or dip with all kinds of meals to perk up their flavour also.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup packed soft mint leaves
1 Tbsp broken walnuts
1 Tbsp raw peanuts
1-2 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp sugar
3-4 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Take a blender or food processor,add cilantro leaves, mint leaves, walnuts and peanuts,chopped green chilies, sugar, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper and blend them to a fine paste.

Quantity of lemon or lime juice can be adjusted according to desired consistency and sour taste.Keep it ready in the jar, it can be used as a low calorie spread for sandwiches and tortilla rolls or a dollop over hot sizzling soups.

Egg White Omelete With Asparagus

For December recipe i would like to post asparagus omelet. Though asparagus is my favourite low calorie vegetable but i never thought of using it for omelet until i had it for breakfast in Four Season Hotel in Westlake California, where they always cook fantastic healthy food. This is how i created in my own way.

INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 pinches freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped red onions
1 Tbsp chopped green chili seeded
3/4 cup very thinly sliced or chopped asparagus after removing the tough ends (remove the hard skin with vegetable peeler if required)

Break the eggs in a mixing bowl, keep only the egg-whites and discard the yolks. Add half of the salt, pinch of black pepper and cilantro and use a wire whisk to beat the egg-whites to get little frothy and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions and green chili and cook for about 2 minutes. Now add asparagus, rest of the salt and black pepper and continue cooking for 6-7 minutes or until asparagus seems to soften up.

Immediately add whisked egg-whites and swirl the pan to evenly distribute it and let it cook undisturbed for about 4-5 minutes or until eggs are cooked at the bottom. At this stage fold the omelet to double layer. Cook the folded omelet on low heat for few seconds on both sides for more crisper taste.

Its ready to be served with toasted bread and cilantro chutney.

SWEET AND SOUR PUMPKIN CALLED PETHA OR KADDU

November is a Halloween time when all kinds of colorful pumpkins are seen everywhere.
This recipe can be used for orange pumpkin or green acorn squash which is a close cousin of it. I like to use acorn squash, as it is more flavourful and is a perfect replacement for Indian Petha or Kaddu. My mother always used sugar and mango powder to make it sweet and sour, but my friend Sarita Kacker suggested to use brown sugar and tamarind chutney and it turned out even better. Thanks to her!

INGREDIENTS
3 Tbsp canola oil
Pinch of whole cumin seed
1 tsp coarsely ground whole coriander
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 inch piece of ginger minced
4 cups acorn squash, peeled, washed and diced in half inch pieces
3/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili powder or to taste
2 tsp brown sugar
1-2 Tabs tamarind chutney or 2 tsp mango powder
Cilantro leaves to garnish

Heat the oil in large nonstick pan on medium heat, add cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and let them sizzle upon contact with hot oil. Add onion followed by ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes until onion look translucent.

Now add acorn squash, salt, turmeric, chili powder and cook stirring them so that vegetable pieces get coated with oil, for 3-5 minutes. Cover the pan and bring the heat to low and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until squash is very soft, stirring few times in between.

Remove the cover, add brown sugar and tamarind if available, otherwise add mango powder, mix them while mashing some squash pieces. Cook for another 4-5 minutes and serve hot garnished with cilantro.

FRUIT CHAAT

For October recipe i would like to write for fruit chaat, which is similar to fruit salad with pleasantly sweet and sour irresistible taste.In this chaat all kinds of seasonal fruits can be used with tamarind dressing.It can be served at any time of the day and is a good way of eating bowl full of different fruits.

INGREDIENTS

1 peach cut in small bite-size cubes
1/2 pear cut in small cubes
One cup pineapple cubes
1/2 cup boiled potato cubes
1/2 avocado cut in small cubes
1 cup cantaloupe in small cubes
1 ripe banana cut in thin rounds
1 ripe guava in small cubes if available
2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2-3 Tbsp tamarind chutney
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Chaat masala to taste (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped mint leaves

Take a big bowl, add all the fruits. Toss it with lemon juice and tamarind chutney. Adjust the dressing according to taste. Sprinkle salt, pepper and chaat masala. Garnish with mint leaves, and serve chilled.

Note...Tamarind chutney is available in Indian Supermarkets or can be made at home. Next week i will be posting recipe for tamarind chutney.