Three Bean Salad.. and a Mother’s Day Giveaway!

What better occasion than Mother’s Day to share this very informative post with you all. As mothers we do everything for everyone else but us. We forget about our health, our well-being and “me” as an individual. In this day Cancer is ubiquitous. Every family has atleast one person who has been diagnosed with some form of cancer or the other. For us as women, breast cancer is most concerning. Breast cancer has become quite commonplace today. We can however fight it with good, healthy food and lifestyle. These are also the topics that Dr Kristi Funk addresses in her latest book “Breasts, an owner’s manual" which was released onto the bookshelves on May 1st , 2018. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Kristi Funk, she is a leading board-certified breast cancer surgeon and specialist in comprehensive wellness, including nutrition, fitness, and stress management. Best known as the breast surgeon for Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow, Dr. Funk has compiled her accessible and powerful strategies for reducing cancer risk and achieving optimal overall health into this much-anticipated book, Breasts: The Owner’s Manual. 

To get your own free copy by participating in the giveaway, all you have to do is enter your email Address. 

Dr. Funk embraces meat reduction for healthy living. She personally provided a selection of delicious Meatless Monday recipes exclusively for us bloggers to try. Today I am sharing with you another of her very healthy, quick and easy recipe which is right up my alley: a three-bean Salad! This is a salad that can be rustled up within minutes. It would make for a delicious weekday meal, perfect for potlucks, parties, picnics and barbecues!! Do try it. 

I have tried not to alter anything and I am presenting Dr. Funk’s recipe verbatim.

Three beans walk into a Salad..

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (rinsed well)

1 can kidney beans (rinsed well)

1 can chickpeas (rinsed well, save chickpea liquid)

1 avocado cut into half inch cubes

2 Persian cucumbers chopped into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup tomatoes (chopped)

1 tsp fresh oregano (preferred) or 1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 to 3 T of red wine vinegar

1-2 T chickpea liquid

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine beans, veggies and avocado and toss gently. Add oregano, then toss, add chickpea liquid, then red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Chill the beans before making this if you are planning to eat it right away. Or you can make it (minus the avocado), chill for an hour, then add the avocado right before serving.

I am bringing this salad to all my friends at Angie's Fiesta Friday #223. Her cohost this week is the amazing Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Dudde Phulla Gojju ( pumpkin flower chutney)

This post was written a couple of months ago and I never got the time to publish it! I am glad it is here now when everyone has come back with renewed determination to eat healthy!!

Did you know that you could make a dip/chutney from pumpkin flowers??
I didn't know either!

During Fall, when I went pumpkin picking, I picked up a bunch of pumpkin buds to fry! Yes, it is a specialty cuisine in our community! The lady at the farm told me to pick as many flowers as I wished! My 4 & 7 year old kids were also picking them for me. They picked up a bunch of not just buds but flowers too!!

The flowers in the back were used for this chutney/gojju

I was regaling this to my mom and telling her how sad I would feel to throw them out. My mom told me to make chutney out of the blossomed flowers. I laughed when she told me that! I had never heard of such a thing! But when I realized how easy the recipe was, I decided to give it a try. The result was delicious! It was gone within a day! We used it as a dip with the dosa for breakfast and then again with rice for lunch!

Do give this simple recipe a try!

Servings: 3-4

Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 5 minsTotal time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Pumpkin flowers: around 20-25
Red chillies: 2
Methi seeds: 3-4 nos
Asafoetida powder: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Ghee ( clarified butter) or oil: 1/2 tsp
Tamarind : pea-sized if dry or 1/8 tsp if using pulp.
Water: 1/4 cup


Tempering:
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf: a sprig

Method:

Wash and thoroughly clean the pumpkin leaves. Separate flowers from stem. Discard stems.

Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a frying pan. Add the red chillies, methi seeds, asafoetida & pumpkin flowers. Sauté for a couple of mins or until the flowers are wilted.
Turn off the flame & let it cool down.
Once cooled, add tamarind, salt and eyes and blend it to a smooth paste.
Take this in a bowl.

Tempering:
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a frying pan.
Add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and turn off the flame.

Add this on top of the chutney as garnish.

Mix before serving.

Serve with dosa/ chapati or rice!

Can be refrigerated and used for up to a week.


Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #156  and Saucy Saturdays#81.

Cooking made easy:

Regular cooking oil can be used as a substitute for most recipes that call for ghee or clarified butter. However, the dish may not be as flavorful. If you are health conscious then it is better to use ghee & oil in the ratio of 1:1. The dish will be low in calories yet flavorful!

Tip for healthy living:

Ghee is a much healthier option than most oils. A little bit of ghee can go a long way in making your dish flavorful. Also, ghee prevents food from burning easily when you have to sauté for long periods of time.

Food for thought:

Nothing has more strength than dire necessity. Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Virgin Peach Melon Daiquiri ;Meatless Monday

With the soaring temperatures, our urge to constantly  find ways to cool down increases!! The most common method to cool down is to drink something cold.  This often makes us gravitate towards unhealthy drink options like  store-made/ bought Smoothies, Coolattas etc which pack a ton of sugar! These drinks can be made at home within 5 minutes if you have the ingredients at home! If you don't have all the ingredients, you become creative and make use of what you have!  All you need is a blender of some kind; nothing fancy.

Summer is a season of watermelons and peaches!! We often buy whole watermelons and then that watermelon occupies a lion's share of space in the refrigerator! I have found that using it in a juice-drink is the quickest way to finish it off! At the farmer's market I get carried away and often buy more peaches than what I can eat! Yesterday evening once we got home after a walk at the park, I decided to use these two fruits and make a drink. I just blended some watermelon and a peach with some cubes of ice and voila! A perfect drink was ready! The hubby and the kids drank it even faster than I made it!! Both the watermelon & peach were sweet, so I didn't have to add any additional sugar. It was truly delicious and refreshing! Added bonus: the kids go their daily quota of fruits without even realizing it! How cool is that!

Prep time: 3 minutes

Total time: 3 minutes

Servings: Two 8 oz glasses

Ingredients:

Watermelon: 1 palm-size slice ( roughly 1 1/2 cups diced cubes )
Peach: 1 medium-sized ( around 1/2 cup of diced cubes ).
Ice-cubes: 4 nos
Sugar/honey: 1 tsp ( optional)

Method:

Peel the watermelon and dice it small. Keep aside.

Wash and peel the peach. Slice it. Remove the seed.

Reserve two small pieces and add the rest of the  watermelon cubes with the  peach slices & ice cubes to the blender . Add sugar if the fruit is not sweet. Blend for 30-45 seconds.

Divide the juice between two tall glasses.

Garnish with reserved watermelon cube.

Serve immediately/ serve cold.

Enjoy!!

I am bringing thirst quencher to all our friends at Throwback Thursday#44, Fiesta Friday#125  and Saucy Saturdays#50! Angie's co-hosts this week are  Quinn @ dadwhats4dinner and Elaine @ Foodbod.

Cooking made easy:

You can make a drink with fruits of your choice and availability. If the pulp is thick, add additional water. If the fruit is sour, sweeten it a little with honey or sugar. Play around and find out which combination works out the best for you!

Tip for healthy living:

Whenever you buy fruits or vegetables, it is best to buy whatever is in season. The produce that is in season is usually locally grown which in turn means that it has not travelled far and therefore is fresh.

Food for thought:

Every day may not be good.. But there is something good in every day! Unknown

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Quinoa-Methi Pulao ( Quinoa-Fenugreek-Rice Pilaf); Meatless Monday

I am big fan of quinoa. I make quinoa-black bean salad, quinoa-avocado salad, quinoa dosa, quinoa idlis, quinoa cutlets. However, unlike many people, I cannot substitute rice with quinoa. I love my rice. You see, I am South-Indian and we South-Indians love our rice! Being  that I am always looking for novel ways to incorporate quinoa into my diet, I experimented making a pilaf using it. I mixed it with rice in the ratio of 1:1. I loved it! Even my picky kids ate without any fuss ( or even realizing), which to me was very encouraging. Since then, I became even more adventurous and made quinoa-methi pulao. This one came  out perfect and my husband almost didn't realize that anything was different.

I think this is a technique that all those who want to incorporate quinoa in their meals should use until they are habituated to quinoa.

Methi pulao is one of my favorite dishes. It is simple and easy to make one-pot meal.

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients :

Basmati rice: 1 cup
Quinoa: 1/2 cup
Fresh Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves): 1 cup ( from 1 medium bunch), washed and cleaned.
Soya chunks: 1 cup ( optional)
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Coconut oil: 1  tbsp
Clove: 2-3 nos
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Bay leaf: 1 medium-sized
Cardamom pods: 2-3
Cashewnut halves: 1 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, chopped lengthwise.
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chillies: 3-4( depending on your spice level),chopped fine
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Tomato: 1 medium, chopped
Salt : to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Hot Water: 3 cups + 1 cup

Method:

Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly until all the starch is removed. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 mins. Drain the water and let it dry for 20-30 minutes.

Soak the soy chunks in 1 cup water with a pinch of salt for 5-10 mins. Squeeze and remove them from water. Keep aside.

Wash the quinoa and keep ready.
Boil the water and keep ready.

Heat oil/ ghee mixture in a kadai/ sauté pan/ pressure cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves and the onions. Sauté until the onions turn transparent.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds.

Now add the turmeric powder and the chopped tomatoes. Saute until the tomatoes wilt.

Add the methi leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Add the garam masala powder and drained soy chunks. 

Add the drained rice and sauté for 2-4 minutes. 

Add in the hot water, salt, sugar and bring it to a boil. 

Add quinoa. 

Cover, reduce the flame to low and cook for 15 minutes. If you are using a pressure cooker/ pan, do not use the whistle/ weight.

When done, fluff with a fork/ spoon.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve hot with a Raita of your choice or by itself.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this delicious dish to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#39, Fiesta Friday#120  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Linda @ Fabulous Fare Sisters

Cooking made easy:

The quinoa can be cooked separately and added to the pulao at the end once the rice has cooked.

Quinoa can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can use only garam masala powder or only whole garam masala depending on your preference and availability.

Tip for healthy living:

Fenugreek leaves are highly nutrient-dense . They are especially beneficial for diabetics. Quinoa as we are all aware is a super-food! It is gluten-free and protien-rich. You can read more regarding the benefits of quinoa in the references below:

References:
http://healthnfitnesshops.com/7-health-benefits-of-quinoa.html/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4994/7-Benefits-of-Quinoa-The-Supergrain-of-the-Future.html
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-quinoa

Food for thought:

People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them. James Baldwin

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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Pancharatan Dosa Wrap ( Crepes made with 5 different kinds of lentils) ; Diabetes Friendly Thursday

It is that time of the month again when we share with you amazing, drool-worthy, diabetic-friendly and weight-watcher friendly recipes!

Celebrate the month of May with Team DFT, indulging on some delicious and hearty wraps that are diabetic friendly and weight watchers friendly.

                       Creating Recipes with a Cause! I am a proud DFT blogger. 

                                        To learn about DFT, Read this Link! 

                                        To view more DFT recipes, Click here!

When the team decided on this month's theme as  "wraps", I wanted to bring to you all a wrap that could cater to all taste-buds and preferences , yet be healthy and easy to make with simple ingredients that are normally present in your kitchen.  I am sharing with you Pancharatan Wraps with three different fillings! 

Wrap with vegetarian cauliflower filling.

The three fillings are vegetarian/ vegan filling, cheese filling and scrambled egg filling! Depending on yours or your children's preferences, you can easily customize the filling with one single batter for the wrap.

Wrap with cheese filling.

The wrap is protein-packed dosa with no carbs in it as the dosa batter has been made with 5 different lentils and no rice.  This is a quick and easy to make batter that does not require fermentation. You only have to soak the lentils in water for 1-2 hours and it can be ground to make the batter.

Wrap with savory scrambled egg  filling.

The vegetarian/vegan filling has been made with cauliflower that has been sautéed with onions.

Wrap with vegetarian cauliflower filling.

For the cheese filling, I have used shredded mozzarella cheese.

Wrap with cheese filling.

You could also use crumbled paneer ( Indian cottage cheese) or crumbled tofu for vegan option.

Wrap with savory scrambled egg  filling.

The scrambled egg I have used is the spicy Indian version, you could use any version of your choice.

All of these wraps make for a easy, healthy, filling dinner or lunch options.

Servings: 6-8

Serving size: 1 for children, 2 for adults.

For the Pancharatan Dosa:

Ingredients:Urad dal ( split matpe bean): 1/4 cup
Toor dal ( split pigeon peas): 1/4 cup
Chana dal ( split chick-peas): 1/4 cup
Moong dal( split mung beans): 1/4 cup
Masoor dal ( split orange lentil): 1/4 cup
Methi seeds ( fenugreek seeds): 1/2 tsp
Water to soak and grind : as needed
Salt: as needed
Coconut oil : for greasing the skillet/griddle

Method:

Wash the lentils thoroughly. Soak all the lentils and fenugreek ( methi) seeds in thrice as much water, for at least 1-2 hours. I like to soak it overnight if I am in no rush.
Grind it in a mixer-grinder/ blender until it is a smooth paste, using water as needed to grind. Make sure the batter is thick and not runny. Add 1/2 tsp salt, mix well.

This batter is good with/without fermentation.

Heat a griddle/ tawa/ frying pan to medium hot. Grease the pan using 1/4 tsp oil. Pour 1 ladleful of batter ( around 1/3 rd cup batter) and spread it on the tawa in a circular motion to cover the pan. Cover and cook until you hear a hissing sound ( around 2-3 minutes). Flip the dosa and cook it from the other side for 1-2 minutes.

Make as many dosas/ crepes as needed and keep ready. Store the remaining batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

The Cauliflower ( Vegetarian) filling:

Ingredients:

Cauliflower: 1/2 of medium-sized head, florets separated.
Onion: 1 medium, diced medium
into two.
Coconut oil: 1/2 tbsp
Jeera( cumin seeds): 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf: 1 sprig ( optional)
Haldi( turmeric powder): 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Cilantro( coriander) or parsley leaves for garnishing.
Warm water: 2 quarts ( for soaking the uncooked cauliflower).

Method:

Wash the cauliflower florets.Soak the cauliflower florets in lukewarm
water with a pinch of salt for 10 mins. Drain completely and keep aside.

Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan/ frying pan upon medium heat.Add the cumin seeds. 

After 20 seconds, add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves. 

Now add the slit green chillies and chopped onion. Sauté the onion until it is transparent. 

Add the turmeric powder, sauté for a minute. 

Now add the drained cauliflower florets, salt and mix well. Cover and cook on low  until the cauliflower is tender ( around for 5-10 mins).Turn off the flame.

Garnish with fresh finely chopped cilantro/ parsley  leaves.

For the cheese filling:

mozzarella cheese/ crumbed paneer/ cottage cheese: 1 tbsp, heaped
Freshly ground black pepper: a pinch

For the scrambled egg filling: click here for the recipe.

Assembling the wrap:

Place the wrap on a plate/ cutting board. If using dosas/crepes that were made ahead of time, warm the dosa/crepe in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or on the pan for a couple of minutes. 

Take 1 heaped tbsp of filling and place it at the center of the wrap.

Fold the two sides slightly and then roll from the bottom upwards to make a right roll. 

Wrap with cheese filling.

Slice in the middle if you wish!

Serve warm.

You can serve with chutney of your choice if you wish.

Enjoy!

I am bringing these amazing crepes to all my friends at Throwback Thursday#38, Fiesta Friday#119  and Saucy Saturdays#45! Angie's co-hosts this week are Ahila @ A Taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine and Diann @ Of Goats and Greens.

Cooking made easy:

The dosas/crepes can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To use it in a wrap, just warm it up a little either on the stove-top or in the microwave.

Any other vegetable combination like peppers/ capsicum, carrot, cabbage may be used.

The wrap can be made ahead of time if you want to take it for lunch. Just warm it up in the oven for a few seconds before eating.

Footnotes (Tip for healthy living):

All the lentils are excellent sources of protein for vegetarians. Tofu and paneer are also great sources of protein. Egg as we know is a mine house of nutrients!
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable known for many of its health benefits.

References:

Disclaimer

I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

Do Check out the other DFT contributors  and their links!


1. Sonal
http://simplyvegetarian777.com/mung-cheela-tandoori-mix-veg-filling-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/
2. Swati
http://www.letscookhealthytonight.com/egg-white-salad-whole-wheat-tortilla-wraps/
3. Shailja
https://shailjatomar.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/fiesta-masoor-cheela-texmex-salad-wrap-diabetes-friendly/
4. Apsara
http://eatingwelldiary.com/2016/05/12/kids-friendly-lettuce-wraps-for-diabetes-friendly-thursdays/
5. Sarika
http://www.spicezone.com/moong-dal-kebab-wrap-dft/

6.Parvathy

Food for thought:

We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe. John Henry Newman


Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!