Very Berry Overnight Oats; can be vegan

Believe it or not, my regular weekday breakfast is oatmeal!! Yes, oatmeal every single day.. I am sure you must be thinking.. how boring!! Well, actually it isn't as I make my oatmeal many different ways: steel cut oatmeal, oatmeal with quinoa, oatmeal with lots of dry fruits, berries and nuts , masala oats and from time to time: overnight oats!  

I have oatmeal for breakfast everyday because it is by far the easiest healthy and nutritious breakfast one can make in minutes. The good thing about overnight oats is that there is no cooking involved. You just dump/layer all the ingredients in the container that you are going to take it in and leave it in the fridge. The best thing about overnight oats is that it can be made/packed the night before , which means that making breakfast is one less thing to worry about in the morning upon waking. You just grab your jar of oatmeal from the fridge and head out the door. 

Overnight oats has been especially good this summer helping me beat the heat! The yogurt and fruit medley are cooling to the body and highly enjoyable to the mouth! I especially love piling up all the fresh fruits on the oatmeal. I am sure you will too once you try it. I use chia seeds in mine, which is entirely optional. Do give it a try. You can use any fruits of your choice. While it is gluten free when you buy gluten free oats ( oats not contaminated by wheat ), it can be vegan if you use almond/soy milk and/or yogurt. I cannot think of an easier and healthier breakfast!!

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 0 mins
Total time: 10 mins 

Servings: 1

Ingredients: 

Oatmeal: 1/2 cup

Milk: 1/2 cup 

Yogurt: 1/4-1/2 cup ( depending on preferred consistency)

Mixed berries: 1/2 cup

Honey: 1 tsp 

Chia seeds: 1 tsp ( optional)

Method: 

Take the jar/ container that you are going to take the oatmeal in. Add 1/2 cup oatmeal to it. 

Now add 1/2 cup milk. 

Next add in the fruits, the yogurt,chia seeds and lastly the honey. 

Keep it in the refrigerator overnight or until you are ready to eat. 

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy: 

If you like a really creamy texture, use quick oats. If you like a little more substance, use whole oats. 

You can use any fruits that you have on hand or prefer. 

Tip for healthy living: 

A healthy diet should include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and proteins. The more colorful the meal, the more nutrients it contains. Try to include all the food groups in all your meals and make them as colorful as you can!

Food for thought: 

Commitment is an act, not a word. Jean-Paul Sartre

Gajbaje ( Mixed vegetables cooked in coconut based spicy sauce)

Gajbaje is a traditional Konkani recipe that makes use of a variety of vegetables ( usually fall vegetables such as the gourds and the root vegetables) and is cooked in a spicy coconut based sauce. The spice level can be adjusted based on individual taste. This dish is usually a part of the festive menu as onion are garlic is not used for this dish. This is a very easy to make dish and the best thing is that one can use any leftover vegetable for this dish. 

Let’s check the recipe below.

Serving size: 4-6

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15-25 mins Total time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients:

Rolo banana( cooking banana): 1

Potato: 1

Green beans: 4-6,

Carrot: 1, medium sized 

Zucchini: 1 medium 

Salt: to taste 

Water: for cooking and grinding as needed.

For grinding: 

Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup

Red chillies: 4-6

Tamarind: marble size 

For garnish:

Cooking oil: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp 

Curry leaves: 1 sprig.

Method: 

Peel and chop the veggies into 1-2 inch size pieces. Add them to a pot with 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt and cook until just tender. 

When the vegetables are cooking, grind together all the ingredients lists under “ for grinding” to a fine paste adding water as needed. 

Add the ground masala to the cooked vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn off the flame. 

Tempering: 

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a small pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds. Once they splutter, turn off the flame and add curry leaves. Add this to the above pot.

Serve hot with rice or dosas( Indian pancakes) or Roti ( flat bread).

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy: 

You can use any combination of vegetables for this dish. However, hardy vegetables such as gourds and root vegetables are preferred as they don’t get mushy due to the varied cooking times.

Spaghetti with meatless Meatballs served with vegan scallopini & grilled asparagus ; a Meatless Monday Meal!!

At the outset I would like to inform you that this post is sponsored by Gardein and is a review of their vegan products. 

Most days in our home we eat vegetarian meals and enjoy them. On occasion I cook fish or chicken but that’s about it. I do not cook meat. Most people find it difficult to eat a meal that is devoid of meat. Quite often they have a hard time finding a wholesome meal that is vegetarian. Truthfully, most Indian meals are vegetarian and quite wholesome. Growing up, nonvegeterian fare was cooked only on Sundays. However I understand the situation people here in the US find themselves in. That’s why when Gardein approached some Meatless Monday bloggers, I was quite happy to participate in their campaign and promote their vegan fare. 

Gardein is committed to provide high quality vegan, plant based products that are kosher and do not contain any artificial flavor, color or preservatives in them. They have a wide range of products. Last week I received a nice cooler package of the following Gardein products to try: 

• 7 Grain Tenders 
• Classic Meatless Meatballs 
• Beefless Ground 
• Chick’n Scallopini 
• Crispy Chick’n Mandarin Orange 
• Crabless Cakes 

Previously I have tried the Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, the Veggie burger, the Ultimate Beefless Burger and the Crispy Chick’n Patty. All of them are quick and easy to prepare items, making them perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can check the review for them here.

The kids were in the mood for sphagetti. So this time around I decided to make a weeknight meal using the classic Meatless Meatballs and chick’n scallopini. Making it was easy and everyone polished it off their plates.  

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Chick’n Scallopini from Gardein: 1 

Classic Meatless Meatballs from Gardein: 1

Sphagetti: 1 package ( I used Barilla)

Pasta Sauce: 1 bottle ( I used Barilla)

Garlic: 3-4 cloves, finely diced

Chives: 2-3 

Olive oil: 1+ 2 tbsp+1 tbsp

Asparagus: 6-8, broken into bite sized pieces

Salt: to taste

Black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp, freshly ground

Method:

For the scallopini: 

Cook the scallopini as per the instructions on the package. Cooks within 5 mins. 

For the Sphagetti: 

Cook the sphagetti as per the instructions on the package.

For the sauce: 

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan. Add the diced and crushed garlic. Sauté for 2-3 seconds or until fragrant. Add the pasta sauce and let it come to a gentle boil. Now add the meatballs in and let it simmer as per the directions on the package. When done turn off the flame and keep aside.

For the asparagus:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 mins. 

Plating:

Place a serving of spaghetti in the middle of the plate. Pour a ladle of pasta sauce with 1-3 meatballs on top of the pasta. Serve one slice of scallopini and a serving of asparagus.

Serve hot. I will bet that most won’t notice the difference. Gardein products are  that good!! 

Enjoy! 

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Pasta Primavera; Meatless Monday

Sometimes my children get bored of having rice for dinner on a daily basis and ask for something else.. While they are not much of a pasta fan, I think this particular time, they just felt like pasta and requested for pasta for dinner. I had a lonely pack of Rotelle pasta sitting in my pantry and decided to use it. I was going to make a basic white sauce, throw in some peas and carrots and call it a day. Coincidently, on the back of the pasta package I found the recipe for Rotelle Primavera. Usually I am wary about recipes on the box but this one was vegetarian and had green beans asparagus, green peas and bell peppers. When I looked in my freezer, I found that I had used up my peas and carrots but I had a handful of just peas. In my refrigerator I had fresh green beans and purple asparagus. I didn’t have any peppers on hand. I didn’t have half and half so I used whole milk instead, which also cuts the calories!  I decided to try the recipe. I am glad I did. It was quick and easy to make and the taste was delicious! The kids loved it and so did hubby!! I strongly recommend this wholesome pasta recipe, especially now that spring is here and there will be a plethora of fresh vegetables in the market. No, this post has not been sponsored by Ronzoni pasta!! 

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 15 minsTotal time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

8 ozRonzoni® Rotelle

1/2 lbfresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces 

1 lbasparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 Tbspbutter

1 Tbspolive oil

1 tspsalt

2 Tbspsall purpose flour

1 1/2 cupswhole milk or half and half. 

1 cupfrozen peas

1/3 cupgrated Parmesan cheese1 tsp 

 freshly ground black pepper

Method :

Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding green beans to pasta cooking water during last 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil; add asparagus. Season with salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetable are crisp-tender; reduce heat to medium. 

Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

 Add milk and peas. Cook, stirring frequently until mixture thickens slightly. 

Toss hot cooked pasta and green beans with sauce; serve with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. 

Serve hot!

Enjoy!!

Cooking made easy: 

You can use other vegetables that you may have on hand such as broccoli, peas and carrot, cauliflower etc.