Butternut squash black bean taco with avacado sauce

Taco
Use corn tortilla.
I wrap 6 tortilla in wet paper towel and microwave it for 1 minute

Butternut squash
Cube butternut squash
Chop green part of scallions

Heat few tablespoon evoo in cast iron skillet
When hot add squash ,Mexican chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder salt.close lid cook for 6 minutes.
Remove lid mix well.
When squash is knife tender switch off add scallions mix well. keep aside

Avacado sauce
1 small avacado
1/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 peeled garlic cloves
Squirt of sriracha
Couple of spoon if water
Blend nicely in blender keep aside

Refried black beans
I cook this in bulk in slow cooker and use
Add cleaned black beans ,water, salt  onion flakes ,

garlic powder. cook high 8 hours
Next day add chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, mash well.

To assemble taco, lay flat a tortilla , add tablespoon if black bean, tablespoon of butternut squash, dab of sauce
Roll and enjoy

Seed noodles

Vermicelli moong bean thread 2 rolls soaked in water and drained

Heat cast iron pan
Heat 2 tablespoon coocnut oil
add 1/2 spoon each of mustard, cumin, kalonji, hing
When mustard splutters add 1 teaspoon channa dal and 1 tablespoon peanuts, let is become golden
Now add 1/2 cup frozen corn, 1 cup chopped cabbage stir fry
add 2 cloves crushed garlic with skin, big pinch red pepper flakes and powdered black pepper, salt
Mix well.

Serve hot

Roasted beet bowl

Tuck in a bowl
 2 handfuls of roasted cubed beets(450 degrees bake 1 hour tossed with olive oil, salt , pepper)
2-3 handfuls of spinach
1 tablespoon crumbled feta
1 tablespoon walnuts or pecans
1/2 cubed avocado
Drizzle with flavored balsamic or balsamic reduction

Optional
Hummus
Olives
Red onions

Enjoy

Hummus Bowl

Tuck the following into a bowl and attack

Chopped cucumbers
chopped or handful baby carrots
2 handful spinach topped with a tablespoon of balsamic reduction and tablespoon of chopped red onion
handful curried tofu(super firm tofu cubed and sautéed with curry spices)
1/2 avocado sliced
2 tablespoon hummus to top this all

enjoy 

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.