Chickpeas Salad with Sesame and Garlic Dressing

 

Eating healthy is easy if you have flavorful and variety of recipes.   I normally start with what ingredients I like and rest just follows. This recipe, crunchy Chickpeas Salad with Sesame and Garlic Dressing, is perfect for summer lunch and would be wonderful for side dish for summer picnics or barbeques. 

 

 Ingredients

For Salad

1 15 oz Can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) or 1 and ½ Cups.

2/3 Cup Diced Cucumber

2/3 Cup Diced Tomatoes

½ Cup Diced Celery

½ Cup Bell Pepper (you can use red, orange or yellow)

2/3 Cup Chopped Water Cress

¼ Cup Chopped Fennel Bulb

1 -2 Tbsp Raw Sunflower Seeds

Dressing

3 Tbsp Tahini

3 Cloves Garlic (minced or pressed)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar

¼ Tsp Black Pepper

Salt to Taste

Method

*Dice all salad veggies approximately same size as chickpeas.

1.  I a mixing bowl, add Chickpeas, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Celery, Bell Pepper, Fennel, and Water Cress.
2. Toss everything together.
3. In another mixing bowl all ingredients for dressing and whisk everything together.  This will be very thick so add water gradually to thin the dressing to until it is pasty. Be careful to not add too much water as after adding dressing veggies in salad will also release water.  You don’t want to make it too runny.   You can also use raw Sesame Oil to liquefy the dressing instead of water.
4. Pour dressing over the salad and again toss everything together until dressing is well distributed.
5. Now not that the salad is not nutty and crunchy, sprinkle sunflower seed over the salad.

Grab a spoon and enjoy 🙂    Great for lunch or as a side dish.

Guacamole

Who doesn’t like Guacamole? Mexican Dip, made with few fresh ingredients is so tasty and contains essential Omega Fatty acids…. but yes you do have to watch out for those tortilla chips. 

 

Ingredients

2 Ripened Avocados

3 Cloves of Garlic Finely Chopped or Crushed (Can also use Garlic Press)

2 Tsp Lemon or Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Onion (Preferably Red Onion)

2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves.

½ Tomato (Optional—I did not add it)

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped jalapeño or to Taste (Optional)

 

Method

1.  Remove pits from Avocados and scope out flesh of Avocado flesh with a spoon.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash Avocados with a fork.
3. Add Garlic, Onion, Lemon Juice, Coriander Leaves, Tomatoes, and Jalapeno to mixing bowl.
4. Mix everything together and do a taste test and adjust if necessary.

 Tortilla Chips and Guacamole is a match made in heaven, but can use it as a spread for wraps and sandwiches or use it as dip for fresh veggies.

This one is you Raji… 🙂

 

Herbed White Beans Hummus

I have been following Dr Fuhrman’s diet for a few weeks now and have been enjoying healthy eating.   Today for dinner I made White Beans Hummus lettuce wraps and they were delicious.  I love hummus and can have it every day of the week but this is a great variation for a change. I love the addition of fresh herbs in this recipe.  This recipe is straight out of Dr Fuhrman’s recipe list with slight modifications.  Original recipe also calls for a Tsp of Dijon Mustard and does not include garlic. Also since I am watching my calories especially from fat I did not add olive oil to my portion.

Ingredients

1 Can 15 oz White Beans

1 Tbsp Tahini (Sesame Paste)

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Tsp Lemon Juice (or to taste)

1 Tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp Water

Salt to Taste

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Basil

1 Tsp Finely Chopped Thyme

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch or two Red Pepper Flakes  

Method

1. Drain and rinse White Beans.  
2. In a food processer, grind Beans, Tahini, Garlic, Lemon Juice, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt and Water to paste.
3. Add Basil and Thyme and pulse a few times. Do not over process.  You want herbs to be visible. 
4. Transfer it to a serving bowl and drizzle some Olive Oil on top and sprinkle Red Pepper Flakes.

Can be served as dip for veggies/pita bread or use it as spread for sandwich or wraps.  I made lettuce wraps with this hummus, some fresh veggies and a blend of wild rice.   To my surprise, they were extremely scrumptious and of course healthy!

 

Roasted Tomato and Vegetable Soup

So… I have been on my weight loss mission for over a week now and the results so far:  4 down, many more to go.    Of course I have been exercising and eating healthy.     Feeling muscles that I did not know exist and salads & smoothies are my best friends these days. The keys to sticking to healthy eathing are varity and creativity.  Don’t want to get bord eating same things and need to jazz dises with fresh herbs and spice.  Having said that,  I stood in front of my fridge full of colorful veggies and fruits wondering what I will have for dinner.   Looked at a carton of cherry tomatoes and wheels started turning and an idea of Roasted Tomato Soup was conceived.   I checked the crispers and found veggies that I could throw in.   What better way to warm up on this cold, rainy, and windy day than a bowl of Roasted Tomato and  Vegetable Soup?   Healthy, Satisfying, and Delicious!

Ingredients

25 Cherry Tomatoes (you can substitute about 4-5 Plum Tomatoes)

1 Medium Onion

4-6 Cloves Garlic1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil   

3 Cups of Vegetable Stock

1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Zucchini (roughly half a zucchini)

1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Celery (about 2 stalks)

¼ Cup Finely Chopped Carrots

1 Cup Chopped Kale

½ Avocados

½ Cup Black Beans

5 Leaves of Fresh Basil Thinly Sliced

½ Tsp Black Pepper

Salt to Taste

 

Method

1.  Preheat Over  on 400 F
2. Line baking tray with a piece of foil
3. Wash, dry and place tomatoes on baking tray
4. Rough Chop Onion and add to baking tray
5. Add Cloves of Garlic to baking tray with skin on
6. Roast Tomatoes, Onion, and Garlic for about 20 -25 minutes.
7. Change temperature Setting to Broil and roast for 5 more minutes or until tomatoes and Onion Caramelize.  Watch closely to avoid burning.
8. Chop all the vegetable.
9. Once Tomatoes, Onion and Garlic are roasted,   let them cool and carefully peel Garlic skin off.
10. Transfer it to a cooking pot with all the liquid that is released.
11. Add, Vegetable Stock, quarter of an Avocado, and ¼ Cup Black Beans to the pot.
12. With a hand blender, blend everything together until smooth.
13. Turn the flame and bring it to boil. 
14. Add Carrots, Celery and remaining Black Beans.
15. Simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.
16. Add Zucchini, Avocado, Basil and Kale and simmer for five more minutes.

I am trying to avoid fat calories so i did not but you can top it with cheese (Cheddar or Parmigiano Reggiano ) and Serve it with your choice of bread. 

Aloo Matar–Curried Potatoes and Peas

A fresh bag of peas is calling my name as I open the fridge.    Whenever is see fresh peas in grocery store I always get it.  Matar Bangan (Peas and eggplant) subzi Guajarati style is a family favorite (which I will save for a later post).  But to break away from same old, I decided to make Aloo Matar (Potatoes and Peas)North Indian style.   Aloo Matar is fairly simple, quick and child friendly recipe.   So here is how Curried Potatoes and Peas are made.

 

 

 

Ingredients

2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Peas

2 Large Potatoes

2 Roma Tomatoes

1 Medium Onion

½ inch Piece Ginger

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Red Chili Powder

2 Tsp Coriander Powder

¼ Tsp Garam Masala

¼ Tsp Aamchur Powder (dried Mango Powder)

¼ Cup Milk

1 Tsp Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

2 Tbsp Oil

Salt to Taste

Pinch of Asafetida

 

 

 

Method

1.  Peel, wash, and dice potatoes in to Medium pieces.
2. Crush Ginger and Garlic to make a coarse paste
3. In a pan/Kadhai heat oil until cumin seeds splutters.  You can test by adding few to oil.
4. Once oil is hot enough, add Cumin Seeds and Asafetida.
5. Add Onion and cook for a few minutes.
6. Add Tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
7. Add Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala, Coriander Powder, Aamchur Powder and Salt.
8. Cook Tomatoes and Onion until Tomatoes break down and mixture is pasty.
9. Add Peas and Potatoes and 2 -2/12 Cup Water.
10. Bring it to boil then cover and cook on medium flame until everything is cooked.
11. Take Kasuri Methi in your palm and crumble it with your fingers to make it finer.
12. Add Milk and Kasuri Methi.
13. Simmer for 5 minutes on medium flame. 
14. Garnish with Fresh Coriander leaves.

Serve hot with your choice of flat bread (Roti, Paratha, Naan or Puri) and also pairs well with hot seaming rice.