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!

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!