Quick Lunch Series: Chickpea Week

I have been meaning to try these chickpea based recipes for sometime now. Although I always have canned chickpeas ready to go, it is always fun to use dry chickpeas: soak, cook and use! And while you do that, don’t forget to snack on the soaked chickpeas! Delicious!

I soaked some chickpeas during the weekend and steamed them Sunday night, so they were ready to go for the weekday lunches. I did not get to try all the recipes I wanted to, but here’s three fun ones.

First up is Chickpea Salad. I made absolutely no change to the original recipe and you can find it here.

Next up is this Quinoa salad. The only change is I added left over avocado. You can find that recipe here.

The last recipe is an old one but a favorite. This time around I did use artichoke. It is good with artichoke or mango. Check it out here!

Quick Lunch Series: Pear, Pomegranate and Pecan Salad

It’s what’s for lunch

I’ve had a left over pear for sometime and decided to pick some pomegranate seeds this past weekend with a plan to make salad for lunch. An internet search provided many alternatives. I liked the ring of Pear, Pomegranate & Pecan!

This is loosely based on this recipe. Here’s how I made my salad.

Ingredients:
Baby kale (1-2 cups)
Half a pear sliced
pomegranate seeds
pecans
sliced red onion
feta cheese

Dressing:
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar (I didn’t have apple cider vinegar)
Mustard
Minced garlic
salt and pepper
thyme
oregano

Lay out kale at the bottom of the bowl. Layer sliced pear, pomegranate, pecan, onion and feta. Mix dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad and enjoy!

 

Quick Lunch Series: Mediterranean Bowl

It’s what’s for lunch

I had some parsley I needed to use and several recipes that all looked good. Between one and the other, I ended making a combination recipe that turned out pretty good. Here’s how I made my Mediterranean bowl

Ingredients:

Quinoa: Tricolor quinoa cooked
Vegetables: Cucumber, heirloom tomatoes, red onion, red pepper, olives, banana peppers, capers
Dressing: Parsley blended with some olive oil and lemon juice
Toppings: Falafel, hummus, tahini, crispy jalapenos, pita chips, feta crumbles
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa. Mix in the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and onion. Add in the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Let marinate for an hour.

If making fresh falafel, can make ahead and warm before eating.  I had some frozen ones ready to eat.

When ready to eat, transfer to a bowl. Top with the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!

See Also:

Baked Falafel
Ultimate Mediterranean Bowl
Quinoa Salad

Repost: Mango and Farro Salad

It’s what’s for lunch!

It’s the time of the month, to clean the refrigerator. What better way than to plan new recipes!

I’ve tried a Mango and Spinach Salad and a Mediterranean Spinach Salad. This one is a cross between the two. What better way then to combine/refresh old recipes.

This time with some avocado!

Continue to read here for the recipe.

Quick Lunch Series: Curry Cauliflower Quinoa Salad

For a while Trader Joes had this delightful item on there ready to eat item list. I picked it up a few times and it tasted delicious and was great for those times when I needed to carry lunch and had nothing planned. Sadly, it disappeared from the stores  at the local store in recent times.

Source: Whats good at Trader Joes

This past week I decided to make some at home and here’s how I made mine.

Ingredients:

1 cup rainbow quinoa
1/4  cup french lentils
1 cup cauliflower florets cut small
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1/4 red onion, chopped fine (can also use green onions)
1 tsp curry powder
dash of garlic and ginger powder
salt and pepper to taste
dash of paprika
1-2 tsp coconut oil
cilantro to garnish
healthy dose of lemon juice

Soak lentils overnight or for 8 hours.

Bring two and half cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and lentils. Reduce flame and continue cooking for about 20 minuted or until cooked, adding additional water as needed.

Meanwhile, place a pan on the stove, add oil, and add  onions, cauliflower and red bell pepper. Toss in spices and fry  on medium high.  Alternately, you can roast the vegetables in an oven.

When the quinoa is almost cooked, add the sauted vegetables and continue cooking. Add lemon juice generously. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.

Makes 3-4 servings for that home-office lunch

What can go wrong with quinoa, lentils and cauliflower?  All in all a delightful lunch. Either at home or in the office really. Bought at TJ or made at home.

Fresh Blueberry, Pistachio and Edamame Salad

It was what’s for lunch… very tasty. I just used blue cheese instead of goat cheese.

Fresh Blueberry, Pistachio,

via Fresh Blueberry, Pistachio,

Best of 2015

I had a lot of fun in 2015 trying new recipes from around the world. There are many keepers in the list that i cooked over and over again, and I expect, will continue to do so.

Here are some of my most favorite recipes…

APPETIZERS & SNACKS

Baked Bajji

Baked Vada

GRAINS:

Quinoa Dosa

One-pot Mexican Quinoa

Mango Poha

Quinoa Vangi Bath

Cranberry Poha

BEANS & LENTILS

Cauliflower, Kale, Chickpea  Curry Pot

Black-Eyed Peas and Greens with Navrattan Spices

JAMS & JELLIES

Anise Flavored Kumquat Marmalade

DIPS & SAUCES

Sun-dried Tomato and Jalapeno Hummus

WRAPS & SANDWICHES

Edamame and Zucchini Wraps

CASSEROLE

Zucchini and Yellow Tomato Gratin

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowl

DESSERTS

Pumpkin Payasam

Cherry Swirl with Dark Chocolate & Cherry Bits

Baklava

BREADS, COOKIES & CAKES

Farro and Sun-dried Tomato Foccacia

Cherry and Cardamon Cake

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Airplane Cookies

JUICES & SMOOTHIES

Watermelon Cooler

CURRIES & MORE

Tomato in Yogurt Sauce

Eggplant Curry with Onion

SALADS

Cherry and Avocado Salad

SIDES

Honey and Sriracha Roasted Brussels Sprouts

SOUPS

Vibrant Beets Soup

Mediterranean Grain Soup

WHAT’S POPULAR WITH YOU?

Amaranth Upma

Amaranth Dosa

Spicy Chickpea and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Valor Papdi Bean

Baked Bajji

Edamame and Zucchini Wraps

Quinoa Upma

Mango Carrot Muffins

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Quick Lunch Series: Cherry and Avocado Salad

Cherry is the name so far, and I am on a roll snagging cherries from the groceries and trying new recipes while I can before they run out!

Here is an easy recipe for that office day meal.

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup pitted fresh cherries
1-2 tbsp walnuts ( or use slivered almonds)
1-2 tbsp sliced red onion
1/2 avocado, diced
a few roasted coconut slices

Dressing:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp while wine vinegar
salt
fresh ground pepper

Layer a bed of spinach. Add sliced and pitted cherries, nuts, red onion and avocado. Top with some roasted coconut slices.

Drizzle dressing as desired before serving or enjoying for a refreshing office day lunch!

Quick Lunch Series: Pear and Fig Salad

I eat a lot of soups and salads for lunch on a week day. The heat is on lately,  and my preference lately has turned to cold salads as opposed to a warm soup.

I picked up a box of Organic figs and pears recently from Whole Foods and the one thing that immediately  came to mind was a salad combining the two. As with soups, I eat a lot of salads. But as far as sweet salads go, I make them rarely. My all time favorite salad with fruits has always been the Raspberry Salad.

Figs have a sweet and delicious taste to them. So now and then I make the exception and try a new salad recipe with them.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh mixed greens
4-5 figs, washed and sliced
1/2 a green pear washed, and sliced
a handful of whole or chopped pecans (feel free to toast them)
1-2 tbsp sliced red onion
some feta, blue or gorgonzola cheese

Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and fresh ground pepper

Place all salad ingredients in  a large salad bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Toss with the lemon vinaigrette dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!

See Also:

Fig Spinach Salad

 

Roasted Kalettes with Beets and Cranberries

The past few months I have been hearing about Kalettes that are brand new vegetable — a hybrid between kale and Brussels Sprouts. There is some discussion on whether this should be called BrusselKale, Kale Sprouts (that is what Trader Joes is calling them), or Kalletes.  But Kalette seems apt, since the florets look like mini kale bunches. Kalettes are rich in Vitamin C, K and B6.

This recipe is adapted from here. There are more recipes posted there if you want to experiment with kalettes.

Ingredients:

1 bag (8 oz) Kalettes
1/2 golden beet sliced
1/2 red beet sliced
1/2 cup cranberries
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves minced
salt and pepper to taste
a little Balsamic vinegar
blue cheese

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss kalettes, beets, walnuts and garlic with some olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Can also add a few red pepper flakes. Lay out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Add cranberries and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle a little Balsamic vinegar and top with blue cheese and serve warm.