Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is an excellent alternative to rice and is easier to cook.  It is much healthier choice as it is high in protein.  

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa

1 cucumber

2 carrots

3 celery stalks

1 orange or red pepper

1 cup boiled chickpeas

1 cup boiled kidney beans

½ cup cranberries

½ cup chopped cilantro

4 cups of water to cook quinoa

¼ cup of homemade vinaigrette

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

¼ cup olive oil

Juice of 3 lemons

1 ½ tsp of dry basil

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients for vinaigrette in a small jar.  Close the jar and shake it well. Your vinaigrette is ready!

Making Quinoa Salad:

  1. Chop all the vegetables into bite size pieces and put aside.
  2. Boil quinoa in water for 10 min and take off the stove.  Keep it covered and leave it aside for 5 min and fluff it with fork.
  3. Add all the cute vegetables to the quinoa.
  4. Add cilantro and cranberries.
  5. Pour vinaigrette on top and mix well.
  6. Refrigerate for about 2 hours and serve it cold.

You can enjoy this quinoa salad as a snack, as full lunch or as a side with fish or chicken.  

Please try this recipe and if you have any questions or comments please leave it below. Enjoy!

Eat healthy and be happy!!

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment

Gluten Free Pancakes

Oat pancakes with  berry sauce for breakfast is the perfect way to start your day.  These pancakes are healthy, gluten free and easy to make.

Ingredients:

For pancakes:

7 tb spoons of Oats

1 fully ripe banana

2 eggs

1 tb spoon shredded coconut

3 small cardamoms

2-3 tb spoons of water (needed only if batter is thick)

Coconut oil to grease the griddle

For berry sauce:

1 cup frozen mixed berries

2 tb spoons of honey

Making pancakes:

  1. Add all the ingredients except water in magic bullet and grind them.
  2. Add water if the batter is too thick and mix well.
  3. Heat a griddle (if you don’t have a griddle, a non-stick pan will do) over medium heat.  Lightly oil the griddle, put about 4 tb spoons of batter on griddle for each pancake.  Let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until top has few bubbles bursting.  Then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. This batter makes 6 pancakes.

Making Berry sauce:

  1. Add berries in a small saucepan and let them cook until they are soft and thick.  
  2. Add honey and mix well.
  3. Use this sauce on pancakes and enjoy!

Please try this recipe and if you have any questions and comments, please leave them below.

Eat healthy and be happy!

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment

Vegan Sweet Potato Cake

This Vegan cake recipe is for my friends who are vegan and don’t consume eggs and dairy.  It is very healthy and is full of nutrients.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups oats flour

½ cup potato starch

1 tb spoon flax seeds (egg replacer)

I tb spoon baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

2 tb spoons raisins

2 tb spoons slivered almonds

1 ¾  cup of honey

1 large sweet potato

¼ cup oil

2 tb spoons of water

Making Vegan cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a cake pan with parchment paper and put it aside.
  3. In a bowl mix oats flour, potato starch, flax seeds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  4. In a mixer mix honey, oil, sweet potato and water.
  5. Add the wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.
  6. Pour the mixture in cake pan.
  7. Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes.  Check it with fork to make sure that the cake is ready.  
  8. Once you take it out of the oven, let it cool down and then cut into desired size pieces.  Enjoy!

Please try this recipe and if you have any comments and questions, please leave them below.

Eat healthy and be happy!!

 

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment

Vegetable Soup

During the winter season, soup is one of my family’s favorite lunch.  I always experiment with my recipes and have been able to come up with various great soup combinations.

In this recipe, I am going to share my favorite vegetarian soup with you.

Ingredients:

2 carrots cut in medium sizes

1 sweet potato cut in medium sizes

⅓ cauliflower cut

2 small cloves of garlic

½ inch piece of ginger

2 tb spoons of oil

Dry basil

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Cumin seeds

Pinch of turmeric

½ tsp of paprika

2 cups of water

Making soup:

  1. Heat oil in pressure cooker.
  2. When oil is heated, add cumin seeds.
  3. When cumin seeds starts to roast, add all vegetables, garlic and ginger and roast in oil for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika and water.
  5. Let the vegetables cook until 2 whistles of pressure cooker.
  6. After cooker simmers down, use hand blender and blend all the vegetables.  If the consistency is too thick, add some water and bring it to boil.  If the soup is watery, boil it for few minutes and bring it the required consistency.
  7. Add dry basil and serve it hot. Enjoy!

Please try this recipe and if you have any questions and comments below.

Eat healthy and be happy!

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment

Chicken Chow mein

Chow Mein is a popular Chinese stir fry dish.  In this quick and easy recipe, along with chicken, you can use any vegetables and make it colourful and nutritious.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

2 red peppers cut into bite size pieces 

2 yellow peppers cut into bite size pieces

4 bok choys roughly chopped

½ lbs mushrooms cut into bite size pieces

One bunch of green onions

2 carrots julienned 

1 small onion cut into small pieces

3 small cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 inch of grated ginger

2 tb spoons of cooking oil

⅓ tsp Black pepper

½ tsp of salt

½ tsp of dry basil

7-8 leaves of fresh basil

1 ½ tb spoons of soya sauce

4-5 drops of sesame oil

1 tb spoon of oyster sauce

1 ½ tb spoon of chinese cooking wine

Chow Mein noodles

Making Chow Mein:

  1. Boil chow mein noodles as per the instructions on the packet and keep aside
  2. In a wok heat oil.  Add ginger and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes on medium high.
  3. Add chicken and cook it until it is not pink anymore.
  4. Add in onions and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add all your vegetables and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.  Add salt, black pepper and dry basil.  Don’t overcook the vegetables, they should be crunchy.
  6. Add in the cooked chow mein noodles, soya sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cooking wine and fresh basil.  Mix well and serve hot.  Enjoy!

Please try this recipe and leave your comments and questions below.
Eat healthy and be happy!

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment

Gluten Free Granola

Granola is one of my favourite healthy breakfast or snack.  It can easily be made at home and tastes better than store bought one.

Ingredients:

4 cups oats (wheat free)

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup  pumpkin seeds

½ cup chopped almonds

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped dried peaches

¼ cup of grapeseed oil

¾ cup of honey

Making Granola:

  1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and put it aside.
  3. In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, pumpkin seeds, almonds and walnuts.
  4. In a small saucepan heat oil and honey.  Stir it together and take it off the stove.
  5. Pour the honey and oil mixture on dry ingredients in bowl.  Mix it well.
  6. Spread the mixture evenly on parchment paper and put it in the oven.
  7. Bake it for 35 minutes or until everything is toasted brown and crispy. Stir it once in between after 25 minutes.
  8. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down and then add cranberries, raisins and peaches. Mix well.
  9. Store it in an airtight jar for 7-10 days. Enjoy!

Give this recipe a try and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.

Eat healthy and be Happy!!

Kamal gandhiLeave a comment