Pineapple Chick’n with Sriracha

This recipe has been made using Gardein’s Teriyaki Chick’n Strips. They are vegan yet taste like meat. They are made from plant based ingredients that are kosher with no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. The primary ingredient in the Chick’n strips is soy and ancient grain flour. I hope you had a chance to look at my post regarding vegan burgers from Gardein. You can check it out here. Yesterday I had the chance to try their Teriyaki Chick’n strips. I made Pineapple chicken with it. I spiced it with Sriracha of course! 

As you can see, my family likes spicy food so we always add a touch of Sriracha which gives it a nice kick.  Cooking the Chick’n strips hardly takes any time. The recipe for he pineapple Chick’n  is  on the back of the pack. But I will write it below for you. 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 10 mins 

Ingredients: 

Gardein Teriyaki Chick'n Strips: 1 package 

Pineapple cubes: 1 cup

Sriracha sauce: 2 tsp 

Scallions, finely chopped: 1 tbsp

Cashewnut halves: 1 tbsp 

Method: 

Cook teriyaki chick'n strips as per package instructions until addition of the sauce. Don't add the sauce. Add the pineapple pieces and cook for 2 mins. 

Now add the sauce and cook for another minute. 

Add the Sriracha sauce. Mix well. 

Garnish with scallions and cashewnut pieces.

Serve with rice. 

Enjoy! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. This is a perfect meal for a weeknight dinner or a relaxed summer evening.

You can check out all the other Gardein products here. 

I am looking forward to trying the remainder of their products in the near future.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

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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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Tendle Ani Batate Upkari ( Ivy Gourd and potatoe sauté); Meatless Monday

Have you ever noticed that when we are stressed/rushed/hurried, we gravitate towards comfort food. What is comfort food?? Different people may have different definitions for it. For me, comfort food is food that you grew up with; food that is familiar to you. Food that makes you nostalgic; food that you can cook with your eyes closed; without any thought! That to me is comfort food!! What is comfort food for you? 

When I am in a rush, I like to cook things that are familiar and that which I can cook without any conscious thought! This for me is with our traditional Konkani food that is really easy to put together. There is not much prep time or cook time involved. They are very simple recipes without a long list of spices in them. The ingredients are very few and involve only 3-4 ingredients apart from the main vegetables that are being used. These usually are: cooking oil, mustard seeds and red chilli peppers. The level of hotness can be easily modified based on individual preference without compromising the taste. In this recipe the vegetables used are potatoes and  ivy gourd. Ivy gourd is also known as gherkin/tendle/tendli/kowakkai/kundru/tindora/tonde kai. Check out this recipe.

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Tendle/Tendli/Kowai/ Ivy gourd: 250 gms or 10 oz
Potatoes: 2 medium sized.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Dried red chillies: 1-2 medium sized, broken into two pieces.
Salt: as per taste
Water: 1/4 cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional).

Method:

Peel the potatoes. Wash them and cut them into 1 inch length pieces with 0.5 cms thickness.

Wash the ivy gourd thoroughly. Chop the tips off at both ends of the  ivy gourd. If it is red inside, discard it. Slice the  ivy gourd thinly along the length of the  ivy gourd. Each  ivy gourd can be sliced into 6-8 slices. Slice all the  ivy gourd in this manner and keep aside.

Heat coconut oil and mustard seeds in a sauté pan. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add broken dried red chillies.  Now add the sliced  ivy gourd and chopped potatoes. Add salt, water and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame until both the  ivy gourd and potatoes are tender( around 10-15 mins), sauteing once in a while.

Turn off the flame. Garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Serve hot with rice or flatbread/ roti.

Enjoy. 

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday #47, Fiesta Friday #128  and Saucy Saturday #53!

Cooking made easy:

The above dish can be made quicker if cooked in a pressure pan. After adding the sliced  ivy gourd, potatoes, salt and water, bring it to a boil, close the pressure pan lid. Place the weight/whistle of the pressure cooker and cook on medium flame until you hear the first whistle. Turn off the flame. Wait for the pressure to be completely released before opening the lid. Garnish with freshly grated coconut if you wish.

Tip for healthy living:

 Ivy gourd is an extremely healthy vegetable that is fat-free and fiber rich.It is a great source if iron, vitamin B2, thiamine and dietary calcium.It has been used to treat leprosy, fever, asthma, bronchitis, and jaundice. The fruit possesses mast cell-stabilizing, antianaphylactic, and antihistaminic potential.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinia_grandis

https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/ivy-gourd/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/553875-nutritional-value-in-tondli/

Food for thought:

Don't be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Chili Garlic Asparagus Rice

Summer is here!! Which means I don't want to spend hours slaving in the kitchen!! Not that I ever did! ;) You guys know me.. If it isn't quick and easy, it is not happening in my kitchen!! It is more so now than ever as the kids want to be more outside the house than inside! This recipe that I am sharing with you today is another of my accidentally invented recipes!! Or rather spontaneously put together recipes!

My husband likes to take his lunch from home. He loathes to eat outside food. However, his home-cooked lunch has to follow certain guidelines:
A. It cannot be a sandwich
B. Rice item is preferred.
C. It has to be vegetarian.
D. It should not smell of spices while reheating!!
E. It cannot have any kind of sauce/gravy or any other liquid component to it that may possibly leak from the lunch box!!

Well, I have been very creative and innovative with his lunches. Usually I put together some kind of fried rice/ pilaf sort of thing together for him. This particular rice is another such innovative dish which happened to come together due to a tired me on a weeknight . I had made spicy garlic sauteed asparagus and Basmati rice for dinner. I decided to rice into it. Then I remembered that I had some grilled corn in the refrigerator. I took it out, shucked the corn and added it into the rice! And voila!! A delicious dish was born!!

My husband just loved it! Here is the recipe for you to try!

Prep time: 8 minsCook time: 12 mins
Total time: 20 mins

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Asparagus: 6-8 nos
Garlic cloves: 4-5 nos
Red chilli powder( medium spice level): 1/2 tsp ( the amount of chilli powder can be adjusted based on the level of spiciness of the chilli powder and of the individual.
Olive oil: 2 tbsp
Water: 2 tbsp
Cooked rice: 3 cups
Vinegar: 1 tsp
Grilled corn: 1
Black pepper powder: 1/8tsp
Scallions: 2, green part only, chopped.
Salt: to taste

Method:

Wash the asparagus. Snap off the woody stem. Break the remaining stem into 2-3 pieces depending on the length of the asparagus. Keep aside.

Mince the garlic. Keep aside.

Shuck the corn. Keep aside.

In a sauté pan/frying pan/wok, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add the minced garlic. Sauté until garlic is fragrant. Do not burn it. Add the red chilli powder. Sauté for 10 seconds. Add in the asparagus. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water, stir fry for couple of minutes on medium-high flame. Add salt as per taste. Now lower the flame and cover and cook for 5-6 mins or until the asparagus is tender.

You can stop at this stage if you want make just chilli garlic asparagus.

To continue making the rice, add the shucked corn to the pot. Mix well. Now add the  cooked rice  ( preferably cold rice) into the pot. Fold in the rice until it is mixed. Add vinegar & black pepper powder. Toss.

Garnish with chopped scallions.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

 I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday #46, Fiesta Friday #127  and Saucy Saturday #52. Angie's co-hosts this week are Suzanne @ apuginthekitchen and Jess @ Cooking Is My Sport.

Cooking made easy:

When I cook rice, I always cook a little more than I actually need. This way, I have some rice in the fridge on hand to rustle something up together in a hurry!

Tip for healthy living:

Eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis is a great way to keep your body in good shape and condition. 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 days a week or 75 mins of vigorous exercise spread through the week is recommended. A minimum of one hour of physical activity every day is recommended for all individuals from 5 years of age!

Food for thought:

It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better. Gianni Versace

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Lasuni Chilkewala masoor palak ( garlic flavored orange lentil and spinach stew ) ; Meatless Monday

Last Thursday evening I was running several errands. Well, most evenings I have errands to run, but this particular day was more hectic than the others. The reason for this was that I had to attend the PTA meeting but before an hour before that, I had to meet-up with the out-going treasurer for transfer of information. You see, was kind of cuckolded into the position of treasurer for the PTA. Thursday also happens to be my day for grocery shopping. In midst of all this, I had nothing for dinner. When I say nothing, I mean nothing cooked!! When I got home from worked, I quickly cooked the rice and the lentils in the pressure cooker and then left for the meetings. When I came back home, I was too tired to make anything. I wanted to cook spinach and lentils separately. I decided to make them together. The traditional dal-palak ( lentil-spinach) stew/soup is made using split pigeon peas. I decided to combine whole orange lentil and spinach and make the stew but in a quick fashion. I washed, chopped and cooked the spinach along with one chopped tomato & one onion. I added the cooked lentils to the spinach with some salt and asofoetida. I then tempered this mixture with sautéed garlic, red chilli and garam masala powder. Delicious chili Garlic spinach-lentil stew was ready! My husband went for seconds!!

Sometimes, the best recipes are those that you come up with, either accidentally or when in a hurry! Do give it a try. It is nutritious and delicious!

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

Whole orange lentil: 1/2 cup
Water: 1 & 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup
Green chillies: 1,slit( can be adjusted as per individual spice preference)
Spinach: 1 & 1/2cups, chopped
Onion: 1, small, chopped
Tomato: 1 small, chopped
Garlic: 5-6 cloves, chopped fine
Coconut oil: 1 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used).
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp ( can be adjusted as per individual spice preference.
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/4 tsp if using solution.
Garam masala: 1/4 tsp ( optional)
Salt: as per taste.

Method:

Rinse the whole orange lentil  and add it to a pot with 1 and 1/2 cups water. 
Cook until tender ( around 20 minutes on stove-top, 10 minutes if cooked in pressure cooker). Turn off the flame and keep aside.

Separately cook the spinach with 1/2 cup water, chopped onion, tomato and salt for 6-8 minutes. Turn off the flame. 

Add the cooked lentils and Asofoetida to this and mix well.

In a small frying pan/sauté pan or kadai, heat coconut oil on medium heat. 
Add the chopped garlic cloves. Sauté until garlic is fragrant. 
Add the chilli powder and garam masala powder. Turn off the flame( be careful not to burn the chilli powder)!! 

Add this to the lentils. 

Serve hot with rice/roti/bread. 

Enjoy!! 

I am bringing this comfort dish to Throwback Thursday#45, Fiesta Friday#126  and Saucy Saturdays#51! 

Cooking made easy:

The cook time can be even lower if you cook the lentils and spinach in the same pot. If using the pressure cooker, you can add to the pot the lentils, spinach, onion and tomato together and cook it.  If using the stove top, you can cook the lentils with the tomatoes and the onions and add the spinach towards the end.

The consistency and taste will vary a little depending on the cooking method selected. If cooked in the pressure cooker, it will be more soupy in consistent while the stove-top will give you a more stew-like consistency.

Tip for healthy living:

Making wholesome soups/stews like this not only makes dinner easy but also provides for a complete meal!

Food for thought:

Don't give up what you want most, for what you want now. Unknown.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Faro Salad; Meatless Monday

Faro is a newfound grain for me. I did say for ME, because Faro is a very ancient grain. It is a essentially a form of wheat that looks more like Barley and has a nutty taste. It is usually found in salads & soups.I came across this grain thanks to my colleague. She brought me this little bag of "quick cook" Faro from Trader Joe's to try. I had never had Faro until then. I decided to make a salad with it. I wasn't sure what would go well with this grain. My friend told me that she had eaten a spinach- tomato-Faro salad and really liked it. I had both spinach and tomatoes in my refrigerator. I decided to use them.

I basically cooked the Faro as per the directions on the package.  I then let it cool down.The yield is amazing. A little bit goes a long way! Just one cup was plenty for 4 people! I blanched the spinach( the reason being these were thick-leaved spinach) and I was not crazy about eating them raw. Of course, the pictures would have looked better with raw spinach. Then again, I am sure you guys will agree that taste is just as important. I sliced some cherry tomatoes. I tossed them all together with lemon-olive oil dressing . I used parsley to garnish it. That's it guys! That simple. I must say that it was absolutely delicious! I  would make this again and again. It would make for a great lunch! Do try this if you get a chance. The Trader Joe's Faro does cook in exactly 10 mins!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Faro: 1 cup, uncooked
Water: 2 cups
Salt: a pinch
Spinach leaves: 1 cup, blanched
Cherry/grape tomatoes: 10-12
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Freshly ground black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: to taste
Parsley: 1/4 cup, chopped.

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Add Faro, simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Open the lid, fluff it with a fork and cover again. Keep aside.

Slice the cherry/ grape tomatoes into half.

To a small jar, add  1 tbsp olive oil ( extra virgin), 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper and salt. Shake the jar and mix well. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl, take the blanched spinach, the sliced tomatoes, the cooked faro, chopped parsley and the olive oil-lemon juice dressing. Mix well.

Garnish with parsley.

This salad can be served warm or cold.

Leftovers for lunch with avocado!

Enjoy!

I am bringing amazing salad  to all our friends at Throwback Thursday#43, Fiesta Friday#124  and Saucy Saturdays#49! Angie's co-hosts this week are  Lindy @ Love in the Kitchen and Liz @ spades, spatulas and spoons.

Cooking made easy:

Like I always say, you can add pretty much anything you want into a salad. So feel free to improvise based on the ingredients that are available to you.

Whenever you are unsure regarding the dressing to be used, olive oil-vinegar or lemon juice is the safest bet. Again when in doubt of the proportion, use equal amounts of oil and acid. My trick is that I make extra in a jar and use as much as needed.

Tip for healthy living:

Salads make for a great way to include vegetables & sometimes fruits in a diet. Try to incorporate some kind of salad in all your meals. You will be covered for your daily 5-6 servings of vegetables. 

References: 

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/vegetables
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55983
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/experts-recommend-5-9-servings-of-fruits-and-veggies-daily

Food for Thought:

Fair isn't everyone getting the same thing. Fair is everyone getting what they need in order to be successful. Unknown.