TOFU SCRAMBLE FOR BREAKFAST

TOFU SCRAMBLE FOR BREAKFAST
This is another healthy breakfast option like omelets with egg whites. Usually we have bread toasts with omelets or scrambled egg during week days. My husband is very comfortable with eggs for breakfast but having eggs daily is a big No No for me. Since we started having tofu recently, I came up with the idea of scrambling tofu instead of eggs for breakfast. This idea worked out rather well in our family. They can be scrambled plain with just some salt and pepper. I have zinged it up with some bell peppers and a little bit of spices. If needed, any other vegetables can also be added. This is very tasty than the plain scramble. Here goes the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
Silken tofu, 1 packet.
Onion, medium, 1.
Bell pepper, any color, 1.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Green chili, 1-2 depending upon the spice level consumed.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and bell pepper into small pieces and slit the green chili into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion, bell pepper, and chili and sauté for a minute. Then add the fennel seeds, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt and keep sautéing until the onion and peppers are tender. Now add the silken tofu and mix everything well breaking the tofu finely while mixing. Serve hot with warm toast.

PALAK TOFU

PALAK TOFU

We started eating tofu recently only after hearing about the heart-healthy benefits of tofu. The taste is pretty mild, more likely tasting like an egg white. Eating tofu regularly reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, thus preventing heart diseases but an excess consumption of tofu should be avoided by people with thyroid disorders. Other than that tofu is low in carbohydrates and rich in protein. Moreover spinach is also used here, which has a carb value of less than 2 g. This is an absolute low-carb dish that can be had with any whole grain breads or chapathis.

My husband suggested substituting tofu instead of paneer in dishes that require paneer and here I am with palak tofu. Initially I just cut the tofu into small cubes and used it in the dish but that did not suit our taste, so I baked them for a few minutes spraying them with a nonstick spray. We loved it this way.

INGREDIENTS:
Extra-firm tofu, 1 box.
Spinach, 1 large bunch.
Onion, medium, 1.
Tomato, 1.
Green chili, 1.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Ginger, 1 small piece.
Red chili, 2.
Coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons.
Cloves, 2.
Cinnamon stick, 1 small piece.
Fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Cut the tofu into small pieces. Spray a baking dish with any nonstick cooking spray and arrange the tofu pieces side by side. There should be sufficient space between each piece. Bake them at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the tofu pieces turn brown. Set them aside. If needed the tofu pieces can also be sautéed in a pan with a teaspoon of oil until they turn brown. Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces and slit the green chili into 2. Clean the spinach leaves and drain the excess water from the leaves. They need not be chopped as everything will be blended. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add red chilies, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and fry them for a minute and remove them from the pan and let them cool. Now add the chopped onions, tomatoes, and green chili and sauté them for a few minutes. Then add garlic and ginger and keep sautéing until everything is well blended. Add the spinach leaves and let them wilt along with the sautéed onion and tomato and let it cool. When the spice mixture and spinach mixture are cooled, blend them together into a smooth paste. Put the blended mixture in the pan again, add salt and let it simmer under medium flame for 5-10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Then add the baked tofu pieces and stir everything well. Serve hot with rotis.

CHEDDAR AND SPINACH OMELET WITH EGG WHITES

CHEDDAR AND SPINACH OMELET WITH EGG WHITES
This is my entry for The 101 omelet series by Sangeeth of http://letusallcook.blogspot.com/. I started preparing omelets with egg whites for breakfast recently as a part of low-carb diet for my husband. Usually I prepare using 2 egg whites but these were not so filling, so I started adding more vegetables along with the recipe. This is one such omelet. This is a very easy and fast recipe suitable for the morning rush hour. I have used frozen spinach and readymade grated carrots to add some color. Frozen spinach is ideal for this omelet as more spinach can be used here than fresh ones. If needed, any other vegetables can also be added along with the spinach.

INGREDIENTS:
Egg whites or egg beaters, 1 cup.
Frozen spinach, ½ cup.
Grated carrots, ¼ cup.
Salt as per taste.
Mild low-fat cheddar cheese, ¼ cup.
Pepper as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Thaw the spinach and remove the excess water out of it. Put the egg whites on a bowl and whisk them well. Add the spinach, grated carrots, salt and pepper and whisk everything together. Meanwhile heat a flat pan and when the pan is hot enough, pour the omelet and spread the omelet all over the pan by moving the pan to its sides slowly. Add the grated cheddar cheese over the top and flip the omelet. Remove the omelet from the pan after 10 seconds when the other side is also cooked. Serve the omelet with any whole grain bread.

METHI CHICKEN

METHI CHICKEN
This is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging event. This is a wonderful event started by Kalyn from http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/ hosted this week by Amy and Jonny from We Are Never Full
The herb I am using this time is fenugreek. Fenugreek is a very common herb in most Indian cuisines. The seeds have so many health benefits. Here a few benefits of fenugreek:
Fenugreek seeds are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, Vitamin A and C, iron, calcium and minerals. It aids in digestion and purifies the blood. Regular consumption of fenugreek helps in controlling high blood sugars and lowers cholesterol. The seeds have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also good for treating respiratory infections and mouth ulcers.
There are many variations in the preparation of methi chicken. This is my version. I have not used tomato here. The spices used here also less. If needed, a teaspoon of garam masala can be added or 1 bayleaf can also be added while sautéing the onions.

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken, ½ kg.
Methi (fenugreek) leaves, 2 bunches.
Onions, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Yogurt, ½ cup.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Green chilies 2, (optional).
Red chili for seasoning, 1, (optional).
Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Clean the chicken and chop them into bite-size pieces. Wash the fenugreek leaves and remove the leaves from the stems and keep aside. Chop the onions and slit the green chilies. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds, and red chili and fry for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and green chilies and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté everything for a few more minutes until the onions are caramelized. Add the chili powder, coriander powder, salt as per taste, and yogurt and closed for 5 minutes until the raw smell of the spices go. Then add the chicken along with 1 cup of water and cook closed under medium flame for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is well cooked. Now add the methi leaves and cook closed for a few more minutes until the leaves have wilted and everything turns dry. Turn off the stove and serve hot with rice or rotis.

LOW-FAT METHI MALAI MATTAR

LOW-FAT METHI MALAI MATTAR

I tasted methi malai mattar only recently. I loved the taste so much that I thought of preparing it at home that same weekend. Most of the recipes that I googled had at least half-a-cup of heavy cream used in the gravy, so the idea of preparing methi malai mattar was dropped temporarily since my husband was on a diet. Recently on a Food Network show, I don’t remember which one since I have been watching Food Network like crazy recently :( There was one episode in which a low-fat clam chowder in which 2% milk was substituted in place of heavy cream to reduce the calories in the chowder. That flashed a light over my head and here I am having a recipe for low-fat methi malai mattar. Since this was the first time, I was preparing this dish, I used whole milk here. Next time, I should try this with nonfat milk or fat free half and half and see. The result was this low-fat version tasted like the one with cream and it was also thick. There was no difference in the taste.

INGREDIENTS:
Methi leaves (Fenugreek greens), 2 bunches.
Onions, 2.
Tomato, 1.
Green chiles, 2.
Whole milk, ½ cup or fat free half and half.
Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.

Fresh or frozen peas, 1 cup.
Salt as per taste.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Clean the fenugreek leaves and remove the leaves from the stems. Chop the onions and tomato into small pieces. Slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and after a few seconds when the cumin seeds change color, add the chopped onions, tomato, green chili, and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes until everything is well blended. Add the fenugreek leaves, peas, 1/4 cup of water along with ½ of milk and salt as per taste and cook closed under medium flame for 5-7 minutes until the peas are cookes and a thick consistency is obtained. Switch off the stove and serve hot with rotis.

WHITE BEAN AND PASTA SOUP

The inspiration for this soup was from “Everyday Italian” by Giada De Laurentis. There was one episode where a spicy soup, corn bread, and hot chocolate with chili. I loved the way she prepared the soup. It looked so colorful that I decided to give it a try. She added carrots and broccoli in the soup. I used only white beans, zucchini, and celery here since my husband does not like carrots and I don’t like broccoliL. To make this dish more diabetic-friendly, any whole grain pasta can be added instead of regular ones. I have also used canned tomatoes here to add more flavor to the dish. If needed, regular chopped tomatoes can also be added.

INGREDIENTS:
White beans, 1 cup, soaked overnight.
Red onion, 1.
Garlic, 2 cloves.
Canned tomatoes, about ½ can.
Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Pasta, any type, 1 cup.
Salt as per taste.
Olive oil, 1 tablespoon.

PREPARATION:
Soak the beans overnight and cook them until they are tender. Chop the onion, into small pieces and keep aside. Crush the garlic coarsely. Heat a pot with some olive oil. Add the onions along with the crushed garlic and sauté them for a minute. When the onions are tender, add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, cooked beans, chili powder, and salt along with 5 cups of water. Cook the soup closed for 10 minutes. Then add the pasta and let it cook until it is al-dente. Take care not to overcook the pasta. If the pasta is overcooked, they start to fall apart and don’t taste good. Switch off the stove and serve the soup garnished with a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil on top. This hearty soup goes well with any bread.

CHOW CHOW PORIYAL/CHAYOTE SQUASH CURRY

CHOW CHOW PORIYAL/CHAYOTE SQUASH CURRY
This recipe is from my SIL. Usually my mother prepares chow-chow kootu with moong dhal or sometimes poriyal with only onions and adds red chilies and grated coconut as seasoning. This version is different from my mother’s recipe. My SIL makes it with tomatoes and onions. This is an easy and simple dish to make and it goes well with rice and rotis. To spice up the dish even more, some fennel seeds can also be added here. I have not used fennel seeds this time. If needed, the chili powder used in the dish can be reduced and 1 green chili can be added instead to add more flavor to the dish.

INGREDIENTS:
Chow-chow or chayote squash, 1.
Red onion, small, 1.
Tomato, small, 1.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 1 tablespoon.
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
Mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon for seasoning.

PREPARATION:
Dice the onion and tomato into small pieces. Peel the skin of the chayote squash and remove the seed in the middle of the squash and scrape off the areas surrounding the seed. Cut the squash into small bite-size pieces. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and when they start to splutter, add the diced onion and tomato and sauté them for a few minutes until everything is blended well. Then add ginger-garlic paste, the squash pieces, chili powder, coriander powder, salt along with ½ cup of water. Mix everything well and cook closed under medium flame for 10-15 minutes until the chayote squash is tender. Switch off the stove and garnish with curry leaves and cilantro. Serve hot with rotis or rice.