megz mac & cheese

A, was craving some macaroni and cheese one day so I tried Megz mac and cheese which I had bookmarked a few weeks earlier.  This is definitely not the healthiest recipe but very comforting when you're having one of those days...

tuscan kale and chickpea pasta

A lot of people ask me how I get enough protein being a vegetarian.  I respond by saying vegetarians have several food options when incorporating tofu, legumes and nuts.  Enter this recipe.  Equally appreciated by my meat-eater hubby, A!

I made no substantial changes to Veggie Belly's recipe besides decreasing olive oil to 1 tbsp instead of 4 tbsp.  Hope you'll try it out!

thanksgiving weekend

This past weekend our great friends, K&K were in town from Seattle.  We had a great mix of food, fun and football!  Check out K's blog in a few days for more pictures! 

On Sunday, we had brunch at our home with K&K and other close friends and family.  We prepared scrambled eggs, bagels, croissants, pancakes and fresh baked pear crisp with a healthy dose of bottomless mimosas :)  I forgot to take a picture of the pear crisp but it turned out great!  My only substitution was using asian pears instead of D'anjou pears.

The fabulous weekend ended with A and I decking our halls for our 1st Christmas in our home!

kicchadi, gujarati comfort food

We used to eat this every Sunday evening when we were growing up.  It's the perfect comfort food for really anytime you're feeling under the weather and need something hot and soothing.  I prefer to eat kicchadi with a bowl of steamy kadhi but A, prefers just yogurt.


kicchadi

learned from my mom 

3/4 cup of plain white rice, rinse/soak for 30 minutes

1/4 cup split green lentils, rinse/soak for 30 minutes

1/2 onion, diced

1 inch piece of ginger

1 eggplant, chopped

handful spinach

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp jeeru (cumin seed)

1/2 tsp rai (mustard seed)

pinch hing (asofetida)

3 tsp dhanajeeru (cumin powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp marchu (red chili powder)

1/4 tsp hardar (tumeric)

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cups water

Rinse rice and green lentils thoroughly and soak for 30 minutes.  On medium heat in a pressure cooker, add oil and once sizzling add rai.  Wait 15 seconds and then add jeeru and hing.  Once fragrant, add onion and ginger to spice mixture.  Once the onion is translucent add the eggplant and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add remainder of spices and pour in the rice/lentil mixture.  Add 2 cups of water and handful of spinach.  Taste the liquid to check for spices.  If you like it spicier add more garam masala or marchu.  Set pressure cooker top with whistle and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium high heat.  Turn the heat off and let sit idle for 10 minutes to release all of the pressure in the cooker.  Serve with plain yogurt and gunda pickle.

Serves 2

coconut red curry with tofu and veggies

I always prefer healthier, low calorie foods but somehow the healthier version of coconut curry isn't quite the same.  This recipe is a great way to finish up all the veggies in your fridge.   Please bear with my awful winter time pictures!

coconut red curry with tofu and veggies

1 block of extra firm tofu (drained/pressed and cut into bite size pieces)
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 green and yellow zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, chopped at an angle
1 can coconut milk
3-4 tbsp red curry paste
2 tbsp oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the red curry paste and coconut milk until well combined.  Set aside.  In a large nonstick pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add pieces of tofu, cook until well browned on all sides.  In another large heavy bottom pot, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and onions/garlic.  Cook until translucent.  Add in the zucchini and carrots.  Wait a few minutes then add the coconut curry mixture to the veggie pot.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add tofu and cook with cover over low heat for 25-30 minutes until sauce has thickened.  After 25 minutes, add the remaining broccoli and let simmer for 2 minutes, then serve!  I add the broccoli last to maintain the crunch and color. 

Served with quinoa for me, plain white rice for A!  Don't forget the Sriracha either :)

lentil & sweet potato soup

lentil & sweet potato soup
adapted from Carrots'N'Cake

I was originally planning to make sweet potato gnocchi but since A and I are feeling a bit under the weather (after a crazy weekend!) I opted to make this hearty soup instead.  My only changes to the recipe were using 4 fresh roma tomatoes instead of canned, increasing to 3/4 cup lentils, added 2 cups more water for a soupier consistency and 2 tsp of indian red chili powder (for extra heat!).  I paired this with a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread. 

Serves 2-3

garlicky tofu and green bean stir fry

 

garlicky tofu and green bean stir fry
adapted from Whole Living 

This recipe turned out really well!  The only changes I made were to use a whole yellow onion, used Bragg's liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, added 3-4 garlic cloves, minced and reduced the amount of sesame oil to 2 tbsp.  On the side I served red quinoa instead of rice.  And we have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Serves 4 people

polenta lasagna

polenta lasagna

inspired by random things in my pantry and fridge

1 tube quinoa polenta, cut into 1/4" slices

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup ricotta, thinned with a splash of milk and add italian seasoning

1 cup refried beans (random, yes but soo good)

1/2 jar marinara sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Pour sauce to cover the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish.  Then add 1 layer of polenta slices (9 total).  Next layer with ricotta cheese, spinach, refried beans, marinara sauce and cheese.  Add another layer of the polenta slices, top with marinara sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 degree for 20 minutes.

Serves 3-4 people

ps - horrible phone picture taken at work :)

guacamole

guacamole

2 small haas avocados, diced
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp shredded ginger
1 jalapeno, shredded
1 tomato, diced
1 lemon, juiced
3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
s&p

In a small bowl, add all ingredients and blend together with a fork.  Add s&p to taste and serve.  Spicy Doritos for A, baked pita chips for me.  Perfect harmony.