The healthful cook

Spaghetti Squash with spinach and mushrooms

2011-01-03T19:05:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone!! Hope your year is filled with the wonderful joy of cooking wholesome meals for your family. I have been focusing a lot on sustainability and have decided to go completely local and seasonal this year. I figured it is possible to cook gourmet food even if you restrict yourself to buy only locally produced seasonal veggies and greens. Another focus for this year will also be improving my photographic skills so that the pictures I have in this blog look more pleasing and appetizing.

Winter has the name Squash written all over it, right.. So, here’s my first time buying and cooking Spaghetti Squash. My daughter loved scraping the spaghetti out of the squash. I loved how simple and easy it was to cut and scrape. When I said that we'll have Spaghetti Squash for dinner, my husband thought that it was spaghetti with squash and he was pleasantly surprised to see that it's just all vegetables and no white carb.

Ingredients:

Source:Creative Commons

1 Spaghetti Squash - Standard Medium size

Button Mushrooms - about 500 gms - washed and cut

Fresh leaf Spinach - about 500 gms - washed and dried
Olive oil - 1.5 tbs
Cheddar Cheese - 3 tbs
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Roasted almonds - 1/2 cup (optional)

Prep:

Source:Creative Commons

1.Poke the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer or fork.

2.Microwave it on high for about 12 minutes.(This depends on the size of the squash. Mine was a standard grocery store size). In between, turn the side once to make sure all sides are evenly cooked.

3.You will see water oozing out of the skin. The squash will be hot. Use your mitt to take it out and let it cool for a few minutes.

4. Now cut in half lengthwise.Use a fork to scrape the strands.

Cook:

In a medium size pan, heat olive oil and stir in mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes and add spinach. Saute until spinach wilts. Add salt and pepper. Stir in the squash and saute once or twice to mix everything. Now add more salt and pepper as required and add the cheese.

Serve hot in a bowl and sprinkle the almonds. The almonds add a nice nutty taste to this meal. You can also add roasted peanuts or cashew nuts.

What is your favorite spaghetti squash recipe? Let me know so I can try and enjoy..

Cafe Flora - A great eat out for Seattle Vegeterians and Vegans

2010-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy for the past 5~6 months with school/work and kids. We lived on a strict schedule and any deviation from it caused setbacks that were hard to deal with.And as a family we didn't get to go out to a good restaurant in a long while. Now that the exams are over and we have some breathing room we decided to enjoy the holiday season by trying out some new vegeterian friendly restaurants in Seattle.

First on our list was Cafe Flora. It is a cute little restaurant in Seattle that serves the growing Vegeterian/Vegan community here. We loved the atmosphere and the open space. The environment was calm and mellowing yet had some vibrance to it. We decided to try out the QUESADILLA VERDE for starter.

It was nothing like the quesadilla you have in mind. It was mildly sweet and delicate with roasted yams,pumpkin seed cilantro scallion spread and pepper jack cheese.

And for the main course we tried the FORAGED CHANTERELLE PIZZA and FALL PUMPKIN PIZZA. The Chanterelle mushrooms were locally foraged . The pizza also had Crimini mushrooms, Kale,basil cashew cheese, roasted Delicata squash and gremolata.

The pizza was delicious and it took us only a few mins to finish all pieces. Then we tried the Fall Pumpin pizza. It had Creamy pumpkin pesto, Gruyere Cheese, sherried apples, chili pecans, and fried sage. The taste was divine. I couldn't take a picture of that pizza as it was all gone by the time I took my camera out.

We also had vegan chocolate cake for dessert. With our appetite deliciously satisfied our hearts were light. We came out of the restaurant with a happy feeling. It was a great holiday evening with family and it will stay in our memory forever.

If you live in the Northwest area, you must visit this place and enjoy the vegeterian delights as we did.

Grilled pita sadwich with sauteed spinach and potatoes

2009-06-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

Pita bread is one of my favorite flat breads. I try to have it in the freezer most of the time to put together an easy sandwich.After trying out Meena's Aloo palak for the tried & tasted event, I wanted to use that as a filling for pita sandwich. Here's the recipe for a quick grilled pita sandwich:

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat pita bread - sliced into 2 halves
1 tbs Hummus(I had roasted red pepper hummus)
2 tbs shredded cheese (pepper jack or cheddar)
1 cup sauteed Spinach with Potatoes(Recipe here)

Method:

1.Take one half of the pita bread and spread one side with hummus.
2. Spread the cheese on top of the hummus and fill with spinach and potato mixture.
3.Keep it in a panini grill and let it cook until the cheese melts.
4. Serve warm with any spicy sauce. (I used Masala ketchup)

Tried & Tasted - Aloo Palak (Potato 'n Spinach)

2009-06-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty busy for me as I had some final interviews for my MBA admission.Hope to hear some positive news soon. Coming weeks are going to be even busier with the summer vacation for my daughter and her summer camps/classes etc., ..and our India trip.. I can't wait to see how Chennai has changed.. I'm excited about taking my daughter to the places where I had been as a child..will be interesting to see her reaction...

This month's Tried & Tasted event is hosted by Jean of Kits Chow. Jean has chosen Meena's Hooked on Heat as the blog of the month.I have visited Meena's site many a times since I was introduced to food blogs and love her recipes. I chose to try the aloo palak from her recipe collections. I decided to use it as a filler for my pita sandwich. you can also eat it just as it is. A quick healthy salad ready in under 30 minutes and it tastes great..

Here's the recipe:

2 large bunches of spinach,chopped
1 large potato, sliced into thin wedges
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp light cooking oil
salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep non-stick wok and saute cumin and coriander seeds with garlic and onions till fragrant.
2. Add in spices and fry for a few seconds.
3.Throw in potatoes, season with salt and fry for a few minutes till partly done.
4.Add in spinach, and stir fry till it starts to wilt and potatoes are cooked through. Serve warm.

Spinach and Split yellow mung beans (dal) soup

2009-06-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Mung dal is favorite in our household and I try to use it atleast every other day. It is a great source of protein and has good fiber content too. When you buy this dal from the Indian store, you roast it a little bit and then store it to extend it's shelf life.

I am trying to use leafy greens as much as possible in my cooking. Spinach is the most common leafy green I get and I try different kinds of recipes with that. Here's our all time favorite soup recipe using spinach and mung dal from The art of Indian Vegeterian Cooking. This recipe is slightly modified from what you see in the book.

Servings: 5 or 6

Ingredients:

1 cup split yellow mung beans(dal) - can be substituted with split green peas

1 cup fresh spinsch,washed,trimmed and coarsely chopped or 1/2 pkt of frozen spinach

5 cups water

3 green chillis

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Cumin(jeera) powder

1 tbs minced fresh ginger root

1 tbs ghee or canola oil

1 ts cumin(jeera) seeds

1/4 ts asofetida

1/2 tbs lemon juice

salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and drain the mung dal. If using frozen spinach, defrost it at room temperature,place it in strainer and press out all excess water.

2. Place the mung dal, water,turmeric,jeera powder,ginger root,green chillis and a dab of ghee or oil in a heavy non-stick suacepan.Strring occasionally, bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low,cover with a tight-fitting lid and gently boil for 1 hour or until the dal is soft.

Alternatively, you can pressure cook the dal to save time. Combine all the ingredients in a 6-quart/liter pressure cooker, cover and cook for about 25 minutes under pressure. Remove from the heat and let the pressure drop by itself.

3.Off the heat, uncover and add the salt.Beat with a whire whisk or rotary beater until the dal soup is creamy smooth.Add the fresh spinach,cover and boil gently for 5-8 minutes more or cook frozen spinach for 2-3 minutes.

4. Heat the ghee or oil in a small sauce pan.When it is hot, pur in the cumin seeds and fry until they are brown.Add the asofetida and fry 1-2 seconds more. Then quickly pour the fried seasonings into the soup. Cover immediately. Let the seasonings soak into the hot dalfor 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice,stir and serve.

I am sending this recipe to the RCI: Jain Cuisine event hosted by PJ from Seduce your Tastebuds. Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine started the RCI events and she has been letting fellow bloggers host the event every month.

Healthy eating habits for kids

2009-06-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

I always look for ways to introduce and practice healthy eating habits for my daughter. I was a chubby kid when I was in elementary school and I am worried that my daughter may have gotten my gene. I feel that it's my duty to teach her to make healthy eating choices and be physically active. I found Dr.Susan's kids-only Weight Loss Guide book in our library during my last visit. I liked reading it and thought of sharing some useful points from her book.

According to Dr.Susan, there are three simple steps that you must take with your child down the path towards healthy eating. Those are

Step one: Help your child make healthier choices.

Step two: Teach your child to eat smaller portions.

Step three: Make sure your child eats enough and isn't deprived of foods she loves.

For step one, you have teach your child about main food groups. You can use USDA's food group pyramid. Once your child learns about different food groups and their nutritional values, you can all sit together and take a look at the food your child is eating. List down all the meals and snacks your child is eating regularly and see if you can find healthier substitutions for them. Dr. Susan has given a list of great substitutions for the food that children like. Here are some :

French Toast : For the batter, use fat-free or low-fat milk and use 100% whole-wheat bread instead of white bread. Give your child just a little syrup for flavor.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich: Use all natural peanut butter(read the label to make sure peanuts are the only ingredients),100% whole-wheat bread and real fruit jam instead of jelly.

Breakfast Cereal: Mix your child's favorite sugary cereal with a low sugar cereal(e.g., Honey nut cheerios mixed with Total or Frosted flakes mixed with bran flakes) and use low-fat or fat-free milk.

Pizza: A slice of veggie pizza is actually quite a well balanced meal for a child- it has protein,veggies and carbs. You can special order and ask for less cheese. Pair pizza with seltzer or water rather than soda.If you can convince your child to eat a salad along with it, you have got a great meal.

Potato Chips: Try replacing it with low-sodium pretzels,salted air-popped popcorn or couple of rice cakes.

Glazed donuts: Try donut hole, handful of jelly beans,a lollipop or a cup of caramel popcorn.

Large scoop of ice cream: Instead offer a small frozen yogurt or sorbet or a smaller scoop of ice cream.

Here's the food diagram for a vegeterian kid:

Now for step two, the child has to understand what a serving is and how many servings of a certain food group is needed everyday. Dr. Susan gives a list of serving sizes for common food items:

1. A serving of cooked pasta,rice,fruit,cereal or cooked vegetables is equal to an adult or teen's closed fist or a child's slightly open fist or a baseball.(about one cup).

2. A serving of cold cereal is two handfuls(about a cup).Teach your child to use the same size bowl every morning. Use a measuring cup once or twice to see where the cereal should measure up to in the bowl. Then your child will be able to pour a healthy portion of cereal each morning without help.Instead of a second bowl of cereal, offer a piece of fruit.

3.A serving of butter,margarine,cream cheese or mayonnaise is equal to the tip of your thumb to the first joint(about one tablespoon). Keep this in mind when you are making sandwiches for your child.

4.A serving of peanut butter if the size of a golf or ping pong ball(about two tablespoons).

5.A serving of waffle or pancake is equal to a CD(in circumference).

6.A serving of french fries is TEN fries.

7.A serving of chips or pretzels about Fourteen.

8.A serving of cheese is one string cheese, or it's the size of an adult's index finger or the shape of an index card(sliced cheese).

This book is really good and will be very useful for people who want to teach healthy eating habits to kids. Try reading it when you get a chance.

Tried & Tasted : Low-fat Strawberry Snack Cake

2009-05-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's summer and that means lots of berries to eat.I love Sttrawberries. Bought 5 lbs of fresh juicy strawberries in the farmer's market and was wondering what to make with them. As you know, shelf life of berries is very short and it's better to use them up as soon as you buy them.

I came across this event Tried and Tasted started by Zuzana. The concept is to appreciate fellow food bloggers' work by recreating their recipes and writing about them. For this month, we have to try out recipes from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen . I was floored by the healthy recipes I found in this site hosted by Susan. I found this great recipe for Strawberry Snack Cake and loved it because it's low fat.

I just made slight changes in the ingredients. I used Whole wheat pastry flour instead of cake flour and used brown sugar instead of regular sugar. I didn't have soy yogurt and used canola oil instead.

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 9 servings (from 8x8 inch square pan)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tbs canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound strawberries, stemmed and sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Method:

1.Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2.Add Oil, vanilla, water, soymilk, and lemon juice.
3.Mix until just blended--do not overmix.
4.Pour into oiled 8x8-inch pan and bake at 350 F until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
5.Remove and allow to cool completely.
6.Combine the strawberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water in a saucepan.

7.Cook over medium-high heat until sauce boils and thickens. Spread over top of cake. May be served warm or chilled.

Quinoa Pulao

2009-05-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Being a vegeterian, Quinoa is my favorite source of protein other than milk/cheese/lentils and beans. Here's an excerpt from Whfoods about Quinoa's health benefits:

A recently rediscovered ancient "grain" native to South America, quinoa was once called "the gold of the Incas," who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.

You can read more here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

I like making Quinoa pulao since it's quick and has all the health benefits. Helps me avoid going to fast food restaurants when we need a quick dinner. It can made as a main meal for lunch too.

Here's the recipe:

Servings: 4 cups

Ingredients:

Quinoa - 2 cups
Mixed vegetables ( peas,carrot,green beans) - 2 cups (you can use frozen or fresh)
Water - 2 cups
Ginger - 1 tbs
Thai green chilli - 3
Cumin powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric - 1 tsp (optional)
Asofetida - 1/4 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter(ghee) or Canola oil - 1 tbs

Method:

1. Wash quinoa thoroughly and drain.
2. Heat a medium sized(5 quart) pan and heat the ghee or oil in it.
3. Add minced ginger/green chilli and asofetida and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add the quioa and roast it for a few minutes.
5.Add diced vegetables, salt turmeric and cumin powder and saute.
6.Add water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Serve hot with tomato chutney.

Sending this recipe to WYF Quick meal event hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food.

Eggless Oat Flour Muffins

2009-05-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

Eating healthy food is a goal I always try to work towards. After having 2 kids, it has become even more important to have healthy eating habits and set good exaple for the kids. As I explore healthy recipes I want to post them here in this blog so it will be a Healthy living journal I can pass on to my kids. Here's my first try.

I bought Oat Flour from Whole foods thinking I'll make porridge with it. But I wanted to try a more tastier option and looked for Oat Flour muffin recipes. I found several and combined them to come up with my own version. I made this Oat flour muffin as an evening snack for my daughter. She loved it and I was happy to let her go for a second one since I know it's low fat and healthy.

Here's the recipe:

Servings : 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups Oat Flour
2 ts Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Raisins
2 tbs sweetened coconut flakes
5 tbs Honey
1 cup Milk
2 tbs Canola oil
Egg Substitute for 2 eggs

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Line the muffin tins with paper cups.

2.Mix the Flour, baking powder,cinnamon,walnuts and raisins in a mixing bowl.

3. In a seperate bowl, mix together the honey,milk,oil and egg substitue.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir lightly. Don't overmix.

5. Fill the muffin tins to half and sprinkle the coconut flakes on top.

6. Bake for about 16 mins or when a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

7. Take the muffins Cool in a wire rack.