Curry for Dinner and Lunch!

So, I made some more Indian curry tonight and I'll share the recipe but thought I would also share this tip. I like to divide the leftovers up into containers straight out of the pot, it helps with keeping track of the portion sizes and definitely creates ready to go lunches or other meals for the next few days. Who says lunch needs to be PB&J on wheat with celery sticks and an apple? I'll be showing up tomorrow with chickpea curry over basmati rice and well, a little yogurt because if you haven't figured it out yet...I like plain non-fat yogurt over my curry. It adds a bit of tartness and calms down the spice when I get a little over zealous with that cayenne!

For this dish, I literally walked in to the apartment at 6:15pm and had cooked and eaten by 7:00pm...Yeah, I was hungry and yes, it can be that easy!!!

Chickpea and Pea Curry

3 onions, chopped coarsely

4 cloves garlic

2 tsp olive or vegetable oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed

1 cup frozen peas

Very similar process to my earlier vegetable curry recipe, so please feel free to refer back for variation on ingredients. Puree the onions and garlic in a blender. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion garlic paste and cook down until thick (the water will evaporate). Add all the spices, stir for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes and cilantro. Stir for 2-3minutes. Add the chickpeas and peas and simmer for 10 minutes. Voila...quick and easy curry. Serve over basmati rice, quick recipe below.

Basmati Rice

1 tsp olive or vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup basmati rice

1.75 cup water

Heat the oil in a pot, add the cumin seeds and salt, they will start to sputter. Add the rice and water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until water is gone. Note, you can also just cook the rice according to the package directions or in a rice cooker! Whatever makes your cooking easier, because that's what people tend to stick to! Healthier eating is hard enough without the added work.

The meal is a great rice and beans type meal and has a lot of great flavours! Nutritional value is very similar to Kichdi with about 17 g of protein and more carbs because of the rice (approximately 70 g). You could easily serve without the rice and substitue with quinoa or a whole grain pita or chapati. Yum!

Kitchi, Comfort Food the Indian Way (Rice and Lentils)

My mother would definitely say that I would not touch this stuff as a child but lately, I can't get enough. I even talked to my father the other day and said, "Don't laugh, but guess what I'm eating"...I'm sure he laughed once the words poured out of my fingers into that little GChat box! Haha! But seriously, Kichdi, Kichadee, Khichdi, Kitchouri...whatever you want to call it boils down to two main ingredients - dry lentils and rice and I'm telling you it's convenience and comfort in a bowl! In India, more bland versions are used to help fight the common cold and often, it is the first solid food introduced to babies. How's that for a little food trivia?

So what exactly are we talking about here...well 30 minutes start to finish...no soaking, just a little rinsing and chopping and a ton of nutritional value! I like to keep my Kichdi basic but you could certainly experiment with adding vegetables, varying the ratio of lentils and rice and using different spices.

Kichdi

1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 small tomato, finely diced

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed

2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add all of the spices and saute for one minute, then add the tomatoes and saute until cooked down a bit (approx 2 minutes). Add the rice and lentils, stir, then add the water. Stir and cover pot mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then set to a low heat setting on the stove. Cook until water is gone (about 15 minutes). When cooked mix in cilantro. Serve with a little plain yogurt on the side for some added calcium and comfort.

I don't think it gets much easier! You can add a mixture of vegetables before you add the rice and lentils such as peas, carrots, corn, green beans, potatoes, etc. I recommend cooking them a bit before adding the rice and lentils and adding just a little more water. Make sure the veggies, rice and lentils have about a half inch of water on top when you start the boiling process. In any case, its purest form as pictured here, this meal has about 17 g of protein (that's with the yogurt!). Not so low with the carbs (65 g) but still worth the post and indulgence!

Thai Mango Salad with Grilled Tofu

There definitely isn't enough room in my fridge for all the gread produce that creeps into the supermarkets during the summer season! One of my all time favourites is the mango and it somehow seems to be gaining popularity. I grew up sucking on the seeds of the mango over the kitchen sink...boy that was messy. Now I like my mangos in a nice salad. A salad that I've really enjoyed is a Thai Mango and Peanut Salad which I will share with you below. Throw on some grilled tofu and you have a healthy protein filled meal!

Thai Mango and Peanut Salad with Grilled Tofu

The Salad:
2 Firm Mangoes, Sliced

1 Red Bell Peper, Sliced
1 cup Carrots, Grated

4 cups Lettuce

1/2 cup Green Onion, Chopped

2 tbsp Mint, Chopped

2 tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

1/2 cup Peanuts, Chopped and Roasted (you can roast these in a skillet over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes).

The Dressing:

1/4 cup Olive Oil (or veg oil)

1 tsp Lime Rind, Grated

2 tbsp Lime Juice

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Jalapeno, Minced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

The Tofu:
1 Block of Extra Firm Tofu, Sliced.

Marinade to cover Tofu

Marinate the tofu slices the night before you plan to cook it in either some of the above dressing or any other salad dressing. Balsamic vinegar works well. You can also use BBQ sauce for that sweet and tangy flavour. I like to marinate for a while so the flavours really get in to the tofu. Then just grill the tofu, it's so simple. Throw some of the grilled tofu over the salad and you have a great, healthy meal! A serving of the salad with tofu has about 17 g protein and 25 g carbs.

You can scroll back through for tips on changing the texture of tofu. I like to buy the extra firm tofu. I drain the liquid, cover the tofu in paper towel and put a weight on it to get out a little more of the moisture. Gives the tofu a more dense texture.

Peanutty Goodness! Broccoli and Tofu in a Peanut Sauce

Every once in a while I crave the creamy goodness that is peanut butter. Of course peanut butter is delicious on toast, with apples or bananas and as a spread in general but in this recipe my thought was to experiment with peanut butter as a sauce...like in a lot of southeast asian cuisine. Before I get to the recipe, let's talk a little about peanuts and peanut butter. First, it seems like peanut butter should be as close to crushed or pureed peanuts as you can get...so I say go for the natural gooey stuff it looks kinda nasty at first but hey...you avoid the trans fats and all that hydrogenation processing that must go down ;o)

What's good to know about peanuts/peanut butter is that it contains good fats that may help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in our bodies...yes, you can have your cake and eat it too! More on the benefits or noteworthy precautions on this food can be found here - http://peanut-butter.org/peanut-butter/Health+Benefits+of+Peanut+Butter.

Most importantly, however, to keep in mind when lathering on that thick layer of peanut butter...it may have some good fats but it's also super high in calories so lets stick to moderation for this delicious treat. A good fat doesn't negate the high calories!!! So...let's get cooking...

Broccoli and Tofu in Peanut Sauce

1 Tbsp of Peanut Oil

1 Crown of Broccoli Chopped

1 Onion Chopped

1 Red Pepper Chopped

1 Block Firm Tofu Cubed

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Hot Water

2 Tbsp White Vinegar

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Molasses

Hot Pepper (cayenne) to Taste

Heat the peanut oil in a skillet. Add the vegetables and tofu, sautee until tender, about 5 minutes. In the meantime combine all the other ingredients in a small bowl. When the veggies and tofu are cooked pour this mixture over the veggies and tofu and simmer for another 5 minutes. YES...it's really that easy!

I like this recipe over brown rice or noodles. You can also mix up which vegetables you use...I can see celery and mushrooms tasting pretty good with this mixture! With literally a 30 minute preparation to completion time, there are no excuses!!! One serving is about 29 g protein; 24 g carbs.

Let's Get Roasting - It's Snack Time

Tonight, I decided to experiment with some homemade roasted nut/bean snacks. Have you ever noticed the markup between raw bulk nuts and the fancier spiced ones at the market? Well I'm here to tell you that it's easier, fresher and healthier to take the bulk and make your own mixes! Controlling what goes in to these snacks should not be under rated. You can control the salt and the spices to your liking...yahoo! I find Indian snacks from the market like roasted chickpeas and curry nuts too spicy and here I have control.

Let's for a moment talk about nuts - They are calorie dense so tread carefully. They are an excellent source of protein and unsaturated fats like omega-3, which can reduce the bad cholesterol in your system. So stick to 1-2 oz per day and you're on your way - heart healthy snacks, here we are!

Curried Cashews - Combine 0.5 tbsp of olive oil, 1.5 cups of raw cashews, 1/2 tsp of tumeric, salt, coriander, cumin (each), 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Roast in oven at 350 for 12 minutes (stirring once at 6mins). Cool and serve. Spicy and delicious. Refer down to the benefits of curry spices. You'll be surprised!

Rosemary Garlic Almonds - Melt 1/2 tbsp margarine in a skillet, add 1 tbsp fresh minced rosemary and 1 minced clove of garlic. Heat until aromatic. Add 1.5 cups raw almonds and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir and mix well for 1 minute over heat. Add 2 tsp worcestire sauce and mix well. Place on cookie sheet in single layer. Roast at 350 for 8 minutes. Cool and serve. Amazing savory mix, these are my favourite.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas - 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drain, rinse and pat dry. Mix with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp of garlic salt. Mix well and put in single layer on cookie sheet. Roast at 350 for 20 minutes. Flip the chickpeas. Crank heat up to 450 and roast for an additional 15 minutes. This will dry them out and make them a crispy spicy snack! Remember to cool before you eat or your tongue will be in for a rude awakening!

Curry for Company

Ever been to an Indian dinner party and thought, wow, this must have taken forever? Well, guess again! Some curry staples like mixed vegetable curry is much easier and less time consuming than you would imagine. Unless of course, you start with fresh spices and pull out the mortar and pestle...

You also may not know all the health benefits to the spices contained in a curry powder or garam masala mix. Tumeric, for example, has been associated with healing properties and has been used to heal cuts and burns. It's also thought that it may be helpful in treating, possibly curing, Alzheimers! So many other spices in the Indian store spice blends to think about - cinnamon, black pepper, anise, allspice, asafoetida, cardamom, chili pepper, clover, coriander and cumin. I encourage you to google the healing benefits of each of these spices and think - "Holy smokes, this one Indian dish will combine them all!" Here's a start - http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Health-Benefits-of-Curry&id=423844 Now on to the food. Here's a simple recipe for a vegetable curry. Add whatever beans/vegetables you like. You can even get paneer (homemade Indian cheese) from the market, should that be desired.

Vegetable Curry - This makes a lot! It freezes well and lasts a while in the fridge, the spices actually act as a preservative...interesting little tid bit, huh?

3 Onions, chopped

4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup non fat yogurt
4 cups of mixed vegetables and beans (I used, potatoes, carrots, frozen corn, frozen green beans, frozen peas and chickpeas)

Puree the onions and garlic with a little bit of water in a blender. Heat oil in a large saucepan. When oil is heated, at the pureed mixture (careful of splatter). Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Mixture will start to change colour. Add the cumin seeds, cook and stir for a minute and then add the remaining spices, the crushed tomatoes and the yogurt. You can alter the spice combination to make it a little spicier or less spicy depending on your preference. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the "hard" vegetables like potatoes, turnips, carrots, etc. Add water to cover the top of all the vegetables. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Then add the beans and frozen vegetables and heat through. Serve on top of brown rice, basmati rice, quinoa or maybe with a little naan bread. I usually top with some nonfat yogurt or nonfat cottage cheese and a mint chutney. Chutney recipes to follow shortly, promise!

When you add a starch (e.g., rice, naan) to serve with the carb count will go up. So I tend to do more curry, less starch. Sometimes no starch at all, especially if I add the potatoes. This curry on it's own has some good ratios - 22g carbs; 10g protein; 5g fat.

Tofu Tikka Masala - An Indian Classic Gone Veggie

I am an Indian born in Canada. Throughout my life, the one dish that almost everyone who liked Indian food would ask for was chicken tikka masala. This dish is often times considered an Indian classic, you see it all over the place - the orangeish/reddish boneless chicken perfectly grilled or baked. The flavours are amazing! I began to think about how a vegetarian could enjoy the same flavours with a high dose of protein. Sure you could pretty easily marinate some veggies but you definitely won't get the same protein as chicken so, I thought, let's try tofu! Let me tell you, it was amazing and I am thoroughly looking forward to the leftovers!!!

Now many people are skeptical of tofu. I think the main issue is the texture. But can the benefits outweigh the texture? Maybe? Tofu is high protein, low fat, no cholesterol and high in calcium and vitamin E. I recommend googling the benefits of tofu so that you can learn more about this very intriguing food. Also, I would like to add that there are several ways to alter the texture of tofu. I hear (but have yet to try) that freezing tofu can make the texture meatier when you cook it. Something about removing the water from the tofu through freezing. I will report on it should I ever try it.

One other issue with tofu, at least for me, is that it can be bland! A good marinade can do wonders for tofu. How better to spruce it up than with some Indian spice mixes? Below is my recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala. Hope you like it and please report back if you give it a try.

Tofu Tikka Masala

1/2 Pkg of Tandoori spice mix (any Indian grocery store will have this)

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp olive oil

1 block of extra firm tofu cut up

1 small onion chopped

1 small red pepper chopped

Plain yogurt to top off the dish

Mix the tandoori spice mix, yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil in a container. Add sliced tofu and marinate overnight. The longer you marinate, the better the flavour.

Whenever you're ready to cook the tofu, add to a grill along with the onions and peppers and grill until cooked. If you don't have a mini grill your kitchen, you can cook the tofu, onions and peppers in a pan over the stove. I just like the grilled tast on the tofu. I ate it with some mixed greens and topped with a little yogurt and black pepper. I'm sure it would be equally great with some rice or some naan bread (although that adds carbs!) Absolutely delicious and well....SPICY! So keep the plain yogurt close by! You can adjust the kick of your tofu with the amount of tandoori mix you use. (And check this out - approximately 15 grams protein; 19 grams carbs!)

Get Creative with Your Salads - Here's a Start

I love a good salad loaded with veggies and nutrients. I won't lie though, every once in a while I could use some help with being more creative with salad choices. One night out I noticed an interesting salad option on the menu containing roasted vegetables. I was intrigued, I don't usually think of roasted vegetables served on a bed of mixed greens or baby spinach. Anywho, I ordered my standby dish but kept the idea in my head so that someday I could venture out and explore roasted vegetable ideas for salads. Another night, my refrigerator was a bit lean but I did have green beans and sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes have long been praised for their dietary fiber and complex carbohydrate content so they seemed like a good choice. Green beans are loaded with nutrients and are a low calorie option. I kind of took it all and rolled with it and came up with a delicious roasted sweet potatoe and green bean salad. What do you think?

Green Bean and Sweet Potato Salad

2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cups cooked green beans

1/4 cup walnuts

Salad greens (I used baby spinach)

Line a cookie sheet with foil, layer sweet potato and red onion. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake in oven at 450 for about 20 minutes (or until tender). Add the walnuts and green beans and roast for another 5 minutes. Remove veggies from oven and serve over greens. This can be warm, room temperature, cold. The roasted veggies last well for a few days.

My favourite dressing option:

My dressing of choice was a tzatziki like dressing using non-fat greek yogurt, garlic and vinegar. Mix together 1 cup of yogurt, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar. You can use less garlic if you don't like a potent garlic flavour like me! The dressing lasts for a while and can be used as a dip with crudite or even with pita bread, yum!

The whole thing - approximately 10g protein and 47g carbs. A little higher on the carbs, but complex carbs and whole foods are a good thing. Lighten up on carbs at your next meal, this is worth a shot.

A Dinner of Covenience

Once again, Morningstar Farms saved my evening. I rolled in to the apartment so hungry at about 8:45pm. Not the best time to start cooking something elaborate. But it's pretty simple to pop a few veggie burgers in the oven and make a meal out of it! My favourite veggie burger is the Morningstar Farms spicy black bean burger. Heat it up in the oven and top it with a little cheddar and some salsa, it's delicious. And...here's the kicker...if you skip the bun you can double up on the burgers and still have a relatively low calorie meal. This double burger meal with a side salad was so filling, I couldn't finish it. The entire plate contents rang in well under 500 calories (according to my internet calorie sources). Can you believe it???



I like to pair up my high protein burgers with a good side salad. This one had lettuce, sprouts, carrots, red onion, green pepper, cucumber and was topped with a few almond accents. I love a good salad, always very refreshing and it makes your insides feel healthy, you know that feeling, don't you?! But who enjoys chopping up all those veggies, especially if you just want a salad for one. Well, here's my tip. I keep a "salad bar" in my refrigerator. When I get back from the supermarket, I take an extra 20 minutes when putting stuff away to chop! Containers of pre-chopped veggies fill the fridge so that when I'm up for a salad I can just pick what I am in the mood for and be ready to eat in less than 10 minutes. Trust me, it's worth it and you'll be eating more veggies in no time! Once I started keeping everything pre-chopped, I noticed I was throwing out a whole lot less of rotten smelly veggies, yes this was very wasteful I know! I'm getting better. Anyway another delicious and very quick dinner idea I'm happy to share with others. I hope you try it out! And of course, the counts: approximately 32g of protein and 46g of carbs. That's a great ratio!

Greek Yogurt Unveiled

There's almost no doubt in my mind that you have recently been in the supermarket and noticed a change in the yogurt section of the dairy aisle. Like there wasn't enough yogurt choice already, now there's this whole other area of a special yogurt, Greek yogurt. This yogurt is creamier and richer and more dessert like - uh, yum! It appeals to a different palate than those regular yogurt lovers out there. Overall it's probably not that different from regular yogurt but nutritionists like to praise it's lower sugar (aka carb) content and higher protein content. Not only is this what someone with PCOS is looking for but it's also something that makes you feel fuller. I say, bring it on!


I like to round out my Greek yogurt snack with a bunch of roasted, unsalted almonds. Research has shown that almonds can be beneficial for lowering LDL cholesterol and risk for heart disease. They also are said to prevent after meal sugar spikes which protects a body against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is so much literature out their that you can read about almonds, so if you are interested in learning more, I send you out to Google land! I can't confirm the research but I've got nothing better to go on right now and I like the taste so I tend to take the almond plunge! Be sure to count those almonds though, because as healthy as they are with their good fats...even a handful could skyrocket your calorie intake for the day! What's that? aAbout 13g of protein and 15g of carbs, how WONDERFUL!

Bring On The Sausage, Veggie Sausage Of Course!

If you are a vegetarian in the United States, there's no doubt in my mind that you have come across Morningstar Farms products. The green packaging in the supermarket just draws you in and you think - hmmm, I'll give it a try. Here's my thought - if you haven't tried it, it's time! High protein, low carb, low fat - win, win, win!!! Have no idea what I am talking about, visit here -http://www.morningstarfarms.com/.

One of my favourite Morningstar Farms product is the sausage patty (not to be confused with the sausage link). I use it in my favourite morning meal pretty often. Of course now I am going to share that meal with you - Spicy Sausage and Egg Scramble. This recipe rings in at about 34g protein and 15g carbs...hot dawg!

Spicy Sausage and Egg Scramble

2 Morningstar Farm Sausage Patty (microwave for 1min and chop it up)

1 tsp olive oil

1 quarter cup chopped onion and red pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper, salt and cumin seeds

1/4 cup egg beaters

1 oz shredded Cabot Cheddar (50% Reduced Fat is my favourite)

Heat the oil, add onion and pepper and saute until soft. Add spices and blend. Add chopped up sausage and egg beaters and stir until cooked. Top with some cheese and eat away guilt free. Goes great with a little ketchup!

Shake Shake Shake - Shakeology!

Beachbody has successfully made a shake that I have come to adore. Beachbody coaches and customers throughout the nation are sipping on this nutrient dense shake every day and have so many great things to say about it. I am among those customers. Not only does it taste great, it energizes you and makes you feel great. So much has been written about Shakeology and my goal is not to reinvent the wheel. I highly encourage you to visit http://www.shakeology.com/gy.com/ and learn for yourselves.

My shakeology standby recipe of choice - 1 scoop chocolate shakeology, 1 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup unsweetened frozen strawberries (Result: 19g protein; 30g carbs). LOVE IT!

If you are intrigued and want to give it a try, message me, I can help you get your hands on the product through one of my many Beachbody Coach friends.

What can I do with Quinoa?

It looks like a grain, it's cooked like a grain, it tastes like a grain...but it's not a grain, it's a seed. When cooked it has a light fluffy texture like rice or couscous and can be used as a replacement in dishes that use either. It's great for a lower carb meal because of it's high protein content - 12-18%. More information on quinoa can be found here: http://www.quinoa.net/ .Today, I decided to add quinoa to a standby spicy veggie chili I have come to enjoy - delicious and nutritious. I make the full recipe and freeze individual servings so I can have convenience meals for later weeks. I would get so tired of some of my favourite recipes if I ate them everyday for a week! Ick!


Spicy Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa

This recipe isn't the lowest carb recipe so make sure to pair it with lower carb recipes through the day. We've got about 15g protein and 50g of carbs we are working with here.

Cook quinoa according to package instructions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped chilpotles in adobo (more if you like it with an extra kick!)
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
salt to taste
1 can petite diced tomatoes (low sodium is best)
15 oz drained and rinsed red beans
15 oz drained and rinsed black beans
1 cup frozen corn

Heat the oil and add the veggies, cook for a few minutes until veggies start to brown. Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir. Add tomatoes and 4cups of water. Simmer for 30 minutes, until veggies are softened. Add beans and corn and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over the quinoa. Great garnishes include green onion and cheese or sour cream (if you have the room in your intake for the day). I myself like the Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar.

Not too shabby. Let me know what you think!