Paneer in spinach tomato sauce

Adapted form Vij's at Home

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 cups whole spinach leaves fresh or frozen
3 medium ripe tomatoes diced
2 teaspoon tomato paste(This is to give thickness you can use corn strach slurry or coconut milk or mashed potato flakes instead)
1/2 spoon cayenne or more to taste
1 spoon curry powder
salt to taste
1/2 spoon mustard
1/2 spoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoon Oil
Paneer 200 grams
few black pepper grinds

Method:

Heat oil. Add mustard and cumin  seeds when it splutters, add tomatoes, cayenne, currypowder and salt.
saute well. close lid and leave in medium flame for 4 to 5 mins.
open lid and mash tomatoes with back of your ladle.
Add spinach close lid and leave for another 6-10 minutes
When spinach is tender, mix well. Add thickener to the pot and again mix well.
Simmer 5 - 10 minutes.
Cut panner microwave it for 30-45 seconds.
Add to spinach sauce.
Add few grinds of black pepper.
Serve hot.

Paneer - Cheddar salad

Serves 1
Ingredients:

50 grams paneer
1 tablespoon yogurt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon your favorite spice(curry powder/garam masala/sambar powder/cayenne or just hot sauce) + salt(as needed)

50 grams sharp cheddar
1 small carrot diced or tomato seeded and diced
2 cups lettuce(I used iceberg to highlight paneer taste)

Method:
Make spiced panner as below:
  - Dice paneer into small pieces and add to bowl
-  Add yogurt + spice+ salt mix well
- Spread it on microwave plate and nuke it for 2 minutes

To serve salad: Mix lettuce + carrots/tomato and then top it with paneer and cheddar.

Note: You can add more items to this salad like red onion, olives, bell peppers etc to suite your taste

Mashed cauliflower

This is one of the simplest and "blah" looking recipe.
But this is plain awesome when you want that fullness without rice/grain/carbs.

It is like a  blank canvas to serve all you spicy, tangy gravies.

Make a batch and you can use it for a day or 2.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower 1
water/veggie broth 1 cup or 2
salt /pepper to taste

Method:
Take a big dutch oven or soup pan.
Cut cauliflower into big florets and drop in the pan.
Add water. Follow your instincts here add water or broth just needed to immerse cauliflower 1/2 way.
Add salt.
Close lid and leave at medium flame for 10-15 minutes.
Open and check for doneness, if soft and done. Switch off. If not leave for another 5-10 minutes.
Take a hand blender and blend to smooth mashed potato consistency. If difficult to blend add more water/broth.

If no hand blender, try potato masher or food processor or plain old mathu(tamil wooden tool for mashing lentils and such).

Mix in pepper.

Serve with stir fried veggies or sambar or dal or whatever you like.

Simple real food salads

(1)
Produce:

2 cups lettuce, sliced

3 carrots grated

1 stalks celery, chopped

1 or 2 Granny Smith apples, diced

Mix all of the above together with: dressing(sunflower seed+ water+salt pepper blended)


(2)
Produce:
Corn kernels fresh or frozen

bell pepper diced,

tomato(seeded and diced)

red onion diced

avocado diced

Mix all of the above together with: dressing(lemon juice+salt pepper + cumin powder+ blended)


(3)
Produce:
Avocados pitted and sliced

Cucumber(optional ) diced

tomato (seeded and chopped)

red onion sliced

Mix all of the above together with:

salt + pepper+ garlic powder


(4)
Produce:
Chop finely : cauliflower  , zucchini or yellow squash

Paneer diced and nuked for 1 minute

Mix all of the above together with:

 curry powder + salt + pepper


(5)
Produce:
Chop finely : read radish, ice berg lettuce
Whole Cherry tomatoes

Mix all of the above together with:

 salt + pepper and dash of olive oil

(6)
Produce:
Avacado, jalapeno or serrano, frozen corn 1 cup, 1 garlic clove crushed, 2 tomatoes diced, 1 tablespoon chopped spring onions


Heat 1 spoon coconut or EVO oil
add corn, chili,  garlic sautee
add dice tomatoes cumin powder sautee 1 more min

served topped with diced avacado and spring onions

Some steamed salads

(1)
steamed potato
avacado
roasted cumin powder
salt pepper

(2)
summer squash

Baked eggplant

Spagetti Squash Laksha

Radish Salad

Stuffed Bell Peppers

For 2:

Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped cauliflower

3/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

100 gram paneer cut in small cubes

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

a dash of kitchen king or garam masala or curry powder to taste

1 table spoon coconut oil

Method:

Halve the red or orange bell pepper

Remove seeds and white pith. Leave stems to keep it intact

In a bowl toss coconut oil, cauliflower, cubed paneer, cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder and kitchen king to taste.

Fill peppers with the mix. Make sure Paneer pieces are tucked in and not on top(they will turn brown and crisp)

Heat oven to 375 degrees 

place bell peppers on roasting pan and roast for 30-40 minutes till peppers are soft.

Server hot!

Mediterranean or hummus wraps

Hummus, what a wonderful dip.
I love it on anything!!!
I have contemplating on doing a hummus wrap without gluten..so that rules out all tortilla/burrito/pita etc...in comes rice sheet what a wonderful thing , so damn low in calories and very versatile. Tried this today and when I took my first bite ....one word...YUM!!!! full of bursting favors.
2 main ingredient not to be left out in this is mint and hummus... enjoy!!
Swap in other ingredients u love
Roasted peppers, red onions, olives, artichokes , steamed beans...sky is your limit.

(I know its ugly picture, need to learn food photography ASAP !!!)


For 1 wrap

1 rice sheet
1 tablespoon hummus
1 tablespoon eggplant dip(optional for those eggplant haters, you can substitute some roasted salsa if you want)
2 teaspoon crumbled feta
4-5 mint leaves
handful spinach leaves
3 cucumber sticks
3 carrot sticks

Method:
Dip rice sheet so it is wet, even if it is stiff dont worry if it is wet all over, it will become soft sooner
Place the sheet on cutting board
Now layer items in following way

Mint
spinach
hummus
cucumber
carrot
eggplant spread
feta

Fold and roll up like burrito

I did a assembly line that makes it easier to wrap many wraps
like
bowl full of mint, spinach, next to it cucumber, next carrot
on side hummus, eggplant dip , feta
near cutting board rice sheets and a plate of water

 When packing for lunch make sure to leave space between rolls or apply pam between rolls to prevent sticking. If sticks no worries use fork and spoon...still yummy!! :)

Have it as it is or dip in a sauce of 50% sriracha+50% ponzu(soy sauce with citrus- available in asian groceries)

Enjoy!!

Taco less salad

I like mexican food. Taco salad...mmm yum!!!
What not to love?? But fried taco shell oh god a big no no...so came up with this salad , which has all goodies without the fried shell.
Try it you will love it.

Serves 2

Salad Items:
Ice berg lettuce (1/2) sliced into thin ribbons
about 100 grams sharp cheddar grated or diced
1 tomato seeded and diced
1 big avocado diced

Optional:
sliced black olives
dice cucumber
sliced red onions
1 can beans(black or red or pinto) rinsed and drained, feel free to use fresh if you have handy

Topping:
Fireroasted or regular salsa 1/2 cup for each serving


Method:
Mix all salad items together.
Now mix beans(if using) with salsa and heat in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Top it on salad and enjoy!!!

Sesame Tofu (Chicago Grand lux cafe style)

Ingredients:

Super firm sprouted tofu small pack

Cooking spray



Breading items:

3 tablespoon mashed potato powder(If unavailable use some flour like rice or bread crumbs(I use gluten free bread crumbs))

1/2 spoon cayenne

2 pinches salt

1 teaspoon sesame seeds


Method:

Mix all breading items.

Cut tofu into sticks. Don't squeeze water it is needed for breading to stick.

Dip into breading mix so it sticks to all sides.

Lay it on a flat baking sheet covered with foil

Spray cooking spray

Bake in 400 degrees for 15 minutes

Rotate , dust some breading mix if you have remaining on top and spray oil again

Continue to bake at 400 for another 10 minutes till its golden brown.

Serve it as it is with ketchup Or top salads , pastas etc.

If breading is less ...just mix up more :)