Warm Tomato Quinoa

A fellow gym mom gave me the idea of pairing tomato and quinoa to make a warm alternative to rice.  I tried the following in my slow cooker and loved it!  As always, the curry spices are optional.  I think this quinoa would taste great even without the added heat from the chilli powder.

1 cup quinoa
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp Chilli or Curry powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 or 2 tbsp salt (If you want this to be a stand-alone dish, use more salt.  If you intend this as a replacement for rice to accompany a flavorful side dish, use less salt.)

1 tsp black pepper (optional)
2 tbsp oil 
2 cups hot water

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir. Cook on low for 1 hour and then on high for 1 hour until all quinoa granules are translucent and cooked through. Serve warm. Makes a great accompaniment to the chicken curry recipe I published earlier.

Pumpkin Flatbread

I found a way to sneak more veggies onto my kids' plates, in a way that was adult-friendly as well.  I've found that these flat breads are versatile enough to be used for any cuisine (think Indian Pumpkin Roti/Chapathi, Mexican Pumpkin tortillas, Middle Eastern Pumpkin Lavash, etc.), and portable enough for any lunch pail.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Flat Bread

1 15oz can of pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp black pepper*
1 Tsp sesame seeds**
2.5 Cups whole wheat all-purpose flour

1.  Mix together the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper and seeds in a large bowl.
2.  Incorporate 2 cups of the flour, adding the remaining .5 cup if necessary to make a soft dough.
3.  Pinch off pieces of the dough and form a ball from each piece.  Roll out each ball with a rolling pin to make the individual flat breads, using extra flour as necessary.
4.  On medium heat, cook each flat bread on a lightly oiled skillet (cast iron works best), on medium heat.  Turn over partway through cooking, and ensure light browning on both sides. 
5.  Serve warm.


* In place of black pepper, try a seasoning or spice mix.  Be wary of extra salt in any seasoning that you try, and adjust the salt content accordingly.

** In place of the sesame seeds, try flax seeds or cumin seeds. 

Easy mini quiche

These crust-free mini quiches are a healthy (and gluten free!) portable breakfast item. I'm all about the make-ahead breakfast these days, and I've found that these mini quiches refrigerate (or even freeze) well. A few minutes in the toaster oven, and they are good to go. I usually pair them with my banana oat mini scones to get a complete breakfast on the go. This recipe is versatile enough to be used with any cooked vegetable. 

Ingredients

3 cups cooked broccolli 

1 tbsp masala (or really any seasoning you prefer)

1 tsp dried chives

1/2 cup low fat shredded cheese

3 cups of egg whites (or eggs or egg substitute)

Salt to taste

1) preheat oven to 350F

2) lightly grease a 12 compartment muffin tray

3) mix together broccolli, chives, masala and salt

4) divide broccolli mixture equally into all the muffin cups

5) add a little shredded cheese to each compartment 

6) pour the egg white into each of the compartments

7) bake at 350 for 20-25 mins until a toothpick inserted in the center of a quiche comes out clean.

8) serve immediately or let cool on a wire rack completely before storing.

No-Sugar-Added Banana Oat Scones

I whipped these up today and they were a hit with the family.  These banana oat scones don't use any extra sugar, relying on bananas for their sweetness (and flavor!).

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 Over-ripe bananas
3 cups Quick Cook Oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon favorite pumpkin pie spice (I used equal parts ground cinnamon, cardamom and cloves)


1) Toast the oats in toaster oven until golden brown. (Alternatively, toast in preheated 350F oven 5-10 minutes until golden brown).  Once toasted, set aside to cool slightly.

2) Grind the toasted oats in a food processor to make a coarse flour.  Set aside.

3) Mash the bananas in a food processor thoroughly.  Add oat flour, salt, vanilla and spices and mix thoroughly.

4) Scoop out the dough into buttered muffin tins (should yeild about 24).

5) Bake in 350F oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Kid-Friendly Fat-Free Hummus

I created this simple recipe using some simple ingredients that I always have on hand.  I introduced it to my kids as a dip to accompany veggies and....

My. Kids. Ate. Their. Veggies. With. This. Dip.

Need I say more??????





Ingredients:  
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
Juice from 1/2 lemon (optional--add if you like a particularly tangy hummus)



1) Mash the chickpeas till fine. I used a hand blender.
2) Add garlic paste, salt, pepper and sour cream (and lemon juice, if using) until well combined.
3) Enjoy.  Really--that's all there is to it! 

Savory and Spicy Kale and Spinach soup

I adopted this recipe from Anupy Singla's "The Indian Slow Cooker".  The first time I tried it, I kept having it by the cupful.  It's a great way to get in a ton of Kale and Spinach in a nutritious (and fat free! and low carb!) soup. I've found that the recipe is versatile enough to substitute almost any vegetable.  Enjoy!


1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 lb baby Kale (you can use regular kale, but the fibers will change the consistency of the soup)
1/2 lb Spinach
1/4 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons lentils (use any kind you have on hand, or substitute rice)
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon salt
Water

1.  Place all  ingredients in slow cooker.  Add enough water to just cover the ingredients.
2.  Cook on high for 6 hours.
3.  Blend all ingredients until smooth (using either an immersion blender or by pouring into a counter-top blender and then returning it to the slow cooker).
4.  Allow to cook on high for another 0.5 hours

Kid Friendly Spicy Salmon Cakes

I've been offline for a while, but here I am back again! I made these today for my kids, and they wolfed them down.  This simple recipe's a keeper! 



2-6oz cans of Salmon (Wild-caught Alaskan salmon packed in water)
1 tsp dill seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp mild curry powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup Japanese panko-style bread crumbs
1 large egg

Butter or coconut oil for shallow frying/ grilling



1. Completely drain liquid from cans of salmon.
2.  In a bowl, mix drained salmon, dill seeds, curry powder, salt, bread crumbs and egg.  Mix thoroughly.
3.  Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. 
4.  Using 1/4 cup of the salmon mix, carefully form a ball by rolling it around in your hands.  Flatten the ball to make a cake.
5.  Carefully place the cakes in the hot oil.  Shallow fry for about 4 mins on each side, until golden brown.
6.  Serve hot and enjoy!