Beets Carrots Salad (Koshimbir)

Beets is the new popular super food and it has the most beautiful color on it. So deep and so intense that I always yearn to have a saree in that color along with eggplant color :) It is used as a natural dye color. It has a natural sweetness to it and makes a wonderful add-on ingredient in any salads. This particular dish is very simple and one can incorporate it in their meals every few days as a side dish. Raw beets leave an after taste to my taste palate :( Also I don't want to cook it before using it in salads as I will be losing on important nutrients. Catch 22 situation eh?:) So this is what I do, I give a very basic tempering to it and voila that weird after taste just vanishes.

Here is a  recipe for a beets carrots salad (koshimbir):

Ingredients:

• 1 beetroot med size
• 1/2 carrot
• 2-3 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 green chilies split
• 3-4 curry leaves(optional)
• pinch asafoetida (hing)-(optional again)
• salt as per taste
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• salt as per taste
• cilantro for garnish
• grated coconut for garnish (optional)

Preparation: 

• Grate the beetroot and carrot. Add lemon juice, salt, cilantro.
• Make a tempering, heat oil, add mustard seeds, once it starts to splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves, hing. Pour this over the grated beets. 
• Mix everything and serve at room temperature.

njoy!! happY cookinG!!

Nutrition Facts: Beets consumed raw or beetroot juice consumed regularly has shown to improve the blood pressure levels in individuals. Research shows that it has high nitrate levels and hence helps in lowering BP and also treats cardiovascular conditions. Beetroot juice supplementation has been shown to improve muscle oxygenation during exercise, suggesting that increased dietary nitrate intake has the potential to enhance exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercise. 

Mediterranean Salad

Salads bring in a sense of simpleness, subtle flavors, burst of colors and wellness. In short, a healthy deal for everyone. But people with heavy taste palate meaning who love masaledar khana(spicy flavorful food), may take some time to develop a taste for these simple salads. I did not enjoy salads before but now I love it. Yes, I have developed a taste for it. Give me a warm soup, a slice of bread and a salad any day and I am a happy soul! I like different kinds of salads, but Mediterranean has olives (I cannot resist it) and that's the reason I like this salad the most :)

Let us check this simple recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine lettuce roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 small cucumber cubed or roundel
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 red onion cut into rings
• 3-4 mini peppers roundels
• 1/2 cup olives, whole or chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

Seasoning:

• salt and pepper as per taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp water from olives (if using bottled)
• 1 pod garlic minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice Or 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

  

  MEDITERRANEAN SALAD 

Preparation:

• Layer everything one over the other. Make a dressing by mixing everything under seasoning and drizzle over the salad.
• Serve at room temperature.

PS: In this particular salad I have grilled the lettuce leaves and it tastes really awesome!

njoY!! happY cooking!!

Health Benefits:  Red peppers contain almost 300 percent of your daily Vitamin C intake. They are a great source of Vitamin B6, magnesium and Vitamin E. Sometimes used to fight diseases of the brain and nervous system. Olive fruits are a rich source of minerals like calcium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc. Romain lettuce is great for your skin and bones. Romaine's vitamin C and beta-carotene content make it a heart-healthy green. Feta cheese is a great source of Calcium which helps keep your bones strong. It has a fair amount of saturated fat so don't add more.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a nice parsley-mint flavored side dish that is served chilled or at room temperature and is a very healthy salad. Its main ingredient can be anything bulgar or couscous or Quinoa. I simply love it. It comes from Lebanon and is very popular in western countries. Very simple and a great summer treat.

Here is the recipe:

TABBOULEH 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa cooked (or use couscous or bulgar)
• 1 cup parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mint
• 1 cucumber small chopped
• 1 tomato small chopped
• 2 pods garlic minced
• 1 green chilli chopped(optional, I need my spice kick :))
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Tabbouleh 

• In a bowl add all the ingredients, mix gently and serve cold. So super simple right..:)
• Serve it with Pita and Falafels. 

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: It is loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is a mixture of powerful superfoods. A low-calorie salad that gives a sense of summer/spring feeling because of a generous dose of lemon, parsley, mint flavors in it.

Quinoa Salad with Tandoori Salmon

Quinoa falls under ancient grains and is quickly gaining popularity because of its high content of protein, beats all other grains in the market. Depending on everyone's taste palate using quinoa, you can make dishes as per your liking. Here I made a simple salad with tandoori marinated salmon fish. The combo goes very well and gives your soul a satisfying feeling :) If you have not tried it before, dont wait, try it now:)

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
For Quinoa Salad-

• 1 cup quinoa
• 7-8 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 med size sliced onion
• 1/2 med size any colored bell pepper sliced (I like to use those mini peppers- 2)
• handful cilantro or parsley
• 1/2 lemon juice
• salt/pepper as per taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 tsp oil

For Tandoori Salmon-

• tandoori masala 2 tbsp *
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste ( if the masala already has salt in it, skip it )
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salmon filet 4 (approx 3 inch each)
• Oil to fry the fish

Preparation:

• Marinate the fish with oil, tandoori masala, salt and lemon juice for 15 minutes atleast.
• In a shallow frying pan, add little oil, place the fillet on medium heat with skin side up and fry for 3-4 minutes. Turn over add little more oil and fry till cooked, maybe another 3-4 minutes.  Just fork it and see if done, it should be fleshy and pink color turns white...your fish fry is done.
• Take 1 cup quinoa, wash and rinse like any other grains. 
• In a pan add 2 cups water, quinoa and few drops of oil.
• Cook without lid till it comes to a boil, then cover with lid, simmer the gas and let it cook for 15 minutes. Switch off the gas, fork it to fluff and let it sit for few more minutes.
• In another pan, heat oil, add onion, saute it quickly, now add all other veggies and quickly saute it, add garlic pwd, pepper, salt. Quickly stir and add the cooked quinoa in it. Mix everything together and squeeze lemon juice. Start plating and enjoy your healthy meal!!

NjoY!!
*Notes: Tandoori Masala packets are found in market everywhere, not hard to find. I make home made tandoori masala when using in large quantities, for small amount I stick with Shaan or Everest packets. You can also add your choice of vegetables in quinoa like mushrooms, carrots, cucumber etc.


Nutrition Facts: Quinoa is a great grain to keep in your pantry these days. If you want to cut on rice, it makes a great substitute. Loaded with nutrients and protein content, it was termed as No 1 grain. You can use it in soups, salads, make upma, use in dosa batter etc. It's originally from south america and is available in market everywhere. It also comes in various colors.
Salmon, who doesnt know the benefits of salmon? :) It has earned a reputation as a healthy supportive food with good amounts of omega 3 fatty acid content which helps in cardiovascular problems, helpful in joint protection, eye benefits etc.

                

  

Radish(Mooli) Leaves Pachadi (Salad)

White radish in itself is a very healthy vegetable and mind you, don't throw away the leaves that come with the roots. They make a very yumilicious salad/pachadi. It is very easy to make and goes well as a side dish. On a summer day, you can have it as a wholesome salad if you like the taste. In childhood, my mom had to make use of both parts of radish root, because my sister liked the white root grated raita while I enjoyed the leaves pachadi. Good memories are attached with this dish :) It's only in the recent years that I started seeing the leaves in the USA market and my joy had no bounds. I make it every now and then and everyone enjoys it at home. Nice peppery, lemony flavor is sure to make you fall in love with this dish.

So here is the recipe:

Mooli Pachadi

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Mooli/Radish leaves, cleaned nicely and chopped finely [ makes 2 pressed full cups ] 
• 1 medium size onion finely chopped 
• 1 green chilli deseeded and finely chopped(no spicy then skip) 
• 1 tsp mustard seeds 
• 5-6 curry leaves 
• pinch of Asafoetida (hing) 
• salt as per taste 
• 1 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed 
• 1 red dry chilli 
• 1 tbsp any healthy oil

Preparation:

• Take the chopped leaves in a bowl. Do rinse off the water nicely so its not watery. * 
• Add lemon juice, salt, chopped onion and mix lightly. 
• Make a tadka, heat oil in a tadka bowl or small pan, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add red chilly, curry leaves, hing. 
• Stir quickly and pour over the pachadi. Mix everything nicely and its ready to be served. Nice peppery, lemony flavor is sure to make you fall in love with this dish. 

Notes:* to make it more yummy, you can add grated coconut on top as garnish.

You can also add roasted peanut coarsely crushed as garnish.

In India usually after one cleans the leaves, they apply salt and keep it for sometime, then rinse it off nicely.

Mooli Pachadi

Nutrition Facts:
High content of essential vitamins and minerals. Also rich in dietary fibre, hence helping in building immunity and fights fatigue. Radish leaves also demonstrate strong laxative properties that help ease constipation and a bloated stomach. Helpful in treating jaundice, pile, rheumatism and prevention of diabetes.