Asian Salmon with Bok Choy Stir Fry

Searching for new ways to make salmon, this recipe is for you. An asian twist on the salmon. Very easy to make yet tastes so delicious.

Ingredients:
handful of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

for salmon:
2 6-8 oz salmon fillets (I used salmon fillets without skin, I usually find salmon smelly with skin)
3/4 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons good oilve oil
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

for stri fry:
1 pound bok choy - trim the ends. Trim off the ends of the bok choy and chop, keeping the white parts separate from the greens.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger root, finely minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:
Whisk all the ingredients under "for salmon" except salmon (dijon mustard acts as emulsifier). Coat the salmon with the mixture and keep them aside.

In a pan on medium high heat, add vegetable oil, sesame oil. Add white parts of bok choy and saute for 3 minutes. Add the greens and saute for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the rest of ingredients under "stir fry". Add this sauce to the bok choy and stir until the water content is evaporated.

Cook the salmon in a pan on medium heat until just cooked (this will take couple of minutes on each side). We don't need to add oil to the pan as there is oil in the marinade. Also try to coat the fish with all the marinade before you add it to the pan. Serve salmon with bok choy stir fry topped with roasted peanuts.

Tips and More:

• Spinach is also a best option for this recipe instead of bok choy. In fact, any greens like chard, kale etc. should work.
• Don't overcook salmon. It will be dry. Turn of the heat when you still see a thin pink line in the middle. Salmon continues to cook by the time you eat. By doing this, you will have a tender moist juicy fish.

Red Curry Shrimp

We Indians eat curries with roti or rice very often. I thought why not try curry from other cuisines. My very first thought was thai curry. There are many variations to it and the recipe I tried is red curry with shrimp and of course with lots of veggies.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup peas
3 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced (optional)
1 small onion diced
2 table spoons thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons oil (peanut, sesame, canola)
dill or basil for garnish (optional)

Method:
Heat a pan on medium high and add oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add red curry paste (I bought it from a thai grocery store) and saute for another minute until fragrant. Add shrimp to the pan and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, it will take 4-5 minutes. Garnish with basil or dill and serve with white rice or brown rice. Is that quick or what.

Tips and More:

• You can go little or over the board with veggies. Well you got to eat your vegetables.
• I personally don't like coconut milk in curries, but many people love it. Actually, thai curries traditionally have coconut milk as their base to the curries. So, add 1/2 - 1 cup coconut milk, store bought (you can make it yourself if you have all the time in the world) and add it to the pan after you saute the red curry paste for a minute. Let the milk come to a boil and then add the shrimp.
• You can also make chicken version with the same recipe. Add green and red bell peppers for additional flavor.
• Curry paste usually has all the elements but check on the seasoning at the end.

Roasted Broccolini or Broccolette / Roasted Vegetables

 

This recipe will make delicious vegetable side to your meal. It is easy to make yet tastes simply delicious. The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
12 stems broccolini or broccolette
3 garlic clove roughly minced
2 table spoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet on a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccolini and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Tips and More:

• Make the same recipe with broccoli. Temperature is same, but broccoli might take a little longer, around 20-25 minutes to cook. The other night, I made roasted broccoli

• Sprinkle with 2 table spoons of Parmesan cheese immediately after taking the broccolini out from the oven. It tastes even better with addition of cheese.
• Vegetable tastes great by itself, you don't have to add lot of seasonings. Simply roasting vegetables will enhance the natural flavors and tastes good. Here are some ideas. 

Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes: Potatoes have healthy starches and they are good for your health when they are cooked right. These rosemary garlic potatoes satisfies your craving for french fries but yet keeps you fit and healthy.

Ingredients:
3 pounds small red or white potatoes - cut into halves (any kind you like - cut into any shape, medium size pieces or into wedges or rounds, any way you want, but the cooking time varies depending on the size of the potato piece)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or use fresh if you have on hand)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the potatoes on aluminum lined baking sheet and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Toss until the potatoes are well coated. Spread out the potatoes into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the potato piece) or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. Note: I like my potatoes with skin. They crisp up nicely, and adds texture. Also they add more fiber.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts: These cute little babies has great nutritional values.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (to your taste), and serve immediately.

Roasted Soy Nuts

Wonderful soy!! A healthy way to have your mid afternoon snack. 

Ingredients:
1 cup dried soy beans
salt (optional)
cayenne pepper (optional)
black pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)

Method:
Rinse the soy beans. Soak the soy beans in a bowl large enough, to allow beans to double in size. Allow the beans to soak for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 300 degree F. Drain the beans and pat them with a towel. Toss them in olive oil and this step is optional. Spread the beans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Slow roast them stirring every 10 minutes. It will take around 30 - 40 minutes. The time it will take for crunchy soy nuts will depend on the moisture of the soaked beans. If you under roast them, they will be chewy, if you over roast them, they will be burnt. So, keep a close eye on them at the end. The nuts should turn golden brown and crunchy. Once you take them out from the oven, toss the nuts with a couple of pinches of salt, pepper and paprika for extra flavor. Cool them for 30 minutes, store them in an air tight container and enjoy when ever you want.

Tips and More:

• You can increase the oven temperature up to 350 F if you want to speed up the process. In this case, the nuts will take 20-30 minutes.
• Season the nuts with your favorite spice like Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning etc. instead of paprika and salt.

Herb Salmon with Spinach Mashed Potato

Does Salmon need any introduction? Its one of the healthiest food source available to us. Rich in Omega3s, high in protein content and what not. This is not to say that it will not be delicious. Try this and it will surely end up in your list of favorite recipes. The following recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:
For Fish -
2 6-8 oz fresh Salmon fillets
1 teaspoon fresh Dill (or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spice Mix - 1 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon chili powder (little or adjust to your spice level)

For Spinach Mashed Potato -
2 large yukon gold potatoes - peeled and chopped medium pieces
3 cups (tightly packed) fresh spinach
salt
pepper
3 cloves garlic finely minced
pinch of dried rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 tablespoon butter
splash of milk (I used 2% milk, you can use half n half for more creamier mashed potato)
1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

Method:
Add the potatoes to a microwave safe bowl, add splash of water, close with a lid and put it on high in the microwave for 6 minutes, tossing half way through. Repeat the same process for spinach but, don't add water and cook the spinach in microwave until just wilted, which will take around 3 minutes. While you cook the potatoes, rub the spice mix to the salmon fillets. Also pat fresh dill on both sides of the fish and keep the fish aside.

Heat a pan (for salmon) over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan and when the oil is hot, add the fish and let it cook for a couple of minutes on each side (just until the fish is cooked). In another pot add butter, garlic and rosemary and take it onto the stove over medium heat. By doing this, the garlic slowly takes the heat and won't burn. Once the garlic starts to turn light golden brown, add the potatoes, milk, chicken stock and mash it with a wooden spoon or masher. Squeeze out the excess water in spinach and add it to the mashed potato. Add some salt and pepper and mix well.

Serve the fish with mashed potato and enjoy! 

Tips and More:

• If you want sauce with your fish and mashed potato, after you take out the fish from the pan on to a plate, add 1/4 cup white wine, 1/2 juice of lemon and 1/4 tablespoon butter. Stir for 30 seconds or just until the quantity is reduced to half. Pour the sauce onto the fish for light citrusy taste. 
• You can also add parsley to the sauce for more flavor.
• Serve with sauteed asparagus for more veggies on your plate.

Spinach Asparagus Stuffed Omelette

Asparagus and scrambled eggs is one delicious combination. I whipped up this recipe by adding a few more ingredients and had this classic breakfast as dinner. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 asparagus - woody ends removed
2 cups spinach
6 extra large eggs (Use only 2 egg yolks and 6 egg whites)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or chili flakes (optional or adjust to your spice level)
2 tablespoons grated monterey jack cheese

Method:
Heat a pan on medium high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil to it. Add asparagus and saute them for 2 minutes. Add 2 pinches of salt (from the 1/4 teaspoon) and couple of pinches of pepper (from 1/2 teaspoon). Add spinach and saute until just wilted. Take them on to a plate and keep them aside. Beat 2 egg yolks, 6 egg whites, remaining salt, remaining pepper, chili powder, milk until just combined. Reduce the flame to medium and pour the egg batter into the pan. Wait just until the top layer of omelette is set and flip it. Wait for 30 seconds and flip again. Switch off the stove, add the asparagus spinach mixture in the center and add cheese to it. Fold the omelette onto the asparagus and spinach and wait until the mixture is heated through and cheese is just melted.

Tips and More:

• Add mushrooms, olives, broccoli, bell peppers or any of your favorite vegetables. 
• We are taking out the egg yolks, just to lower the cholesterol content.
• Serve with couple of slices of your favorite bread or you could make a sandwich out of it, like my husband did :)
• Add 1 clove of garlic (minced finely) to the asparagus spinach mixture for extra flavor. You have to add the garlic after you add the spinach in order to avoid burnt garlic flavor. Nothing worse than the taste of a burnt garlic.

Fish Piccata

Tilapia is such a delicious fish with almost no fat. Its a good source of protien and always satisfying.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup white wine
1-2 lemons, juiced (depending on how much citrusy you like your fish, I would say 1 lemon is good)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional or adjust to your spice level)
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, blot the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt, pepper and chili powder. Dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Saute the fish in oil until just cooked, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the fish from the pan and place on a platter. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and capers and stir. Add the butter and stir to bring the sauce together. Pour onto the fish and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Tips and More:
You can use any kind of white fish for this recipe, not just tilapia. Serve with sauteed asparagus or french beans on the side.

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Bread

Who doesn't like banana bread, and if we can make a healthier version of that, its ever better ! Check out for a low cholesterol, low sugar, whole wheat, anti oxidant and omega 3 rich "banana walnut bread" and enjoy it anytime, guilt free. Believe me, this recipe is so delicious, I made this 3 times in a month :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, dry roasted and roughly chopped
2/3 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen blueberries that are thawed)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and dust it with all-purpose flour. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, sift it twice and set aside.
Mash 2 bananas. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes, you want a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla, beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients (flour mixture) just until incorporated, no need to overly blend. Mash the remaining 2 bananas with a fork in a small bowl so that they still have a bit of texture. Fold in the nuts, blueberries and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good tap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.
Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown. Good way to check if its done is to insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf and it should come out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Tips and More:

• If you don't have vanilla extract, vanilla essence is fine. 
• You can substitute walnuts with pecans. 
• The sugar we put in the bread is very less and thats fine too, the bananas give the sweetness needed.
• We are sifting the flour twice in order to incorporate air into it. Since the whole wheat flour is denser than the all-purpose flour, this step is very important. 
• Butter is high in cholesterol, vegetable oil is not. Hence, I replaced most of the oil content with vegetable oil. I added some butter for much richer taste.

Greek Chicken Kebabs

Greek food is very flavorful and satisfying too, yet very healthy. It is one of the recipes to take onto the outdoor grill and entertain your friends. The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
wooden skewers around 8-9 soaked in water for 20 minutes


for chicken -
2 chicken breasts - cut into cubes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional or adjust to your spice level)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
juice from half a lime

for vegetables -
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic grated
2 pinches of chili powder (optional)
1 medium zucchini - cut 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red bell pepper - cut into squares
1 medium green bell pepper - cut into squares
10-12 broccoli stems

for tzatziki sauce -
1/2 cup greek yogurt 
1 garlic clove grated
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
couple of pinches of pepper
4 inch cucumber grated (no seeds, skin can be on if it is an english cucumber)
1 tablespoon of fresh mint or 1 pinch of dried marjoram or 1 pinch of dried/fresh dill

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients (under "for chicken") except chicken. Add chicken to the marinade, mix well and keep aside. Chop all the vegetables, drizzle olive oil, add all the ingredients under vegetables and mix until the vegetable are evenly coated. Now skewer the chicken and the vegetables alternatively on to the skewers. Place the skewers on the rack and place the rack on a baking sheet to collect any juices from chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Mix all the ingredients under tzatziki sauce for dipping.

Tips and More:

• To the above vegetables, you can also add red onions. If you don't have marjoram in hand, replace with dried oregano, it tastes almost the same. 
• Also, you can make the same recipe with fish or lamb. However, the cooking time is a little less for fish and little long for lamb.
• You can buy pita pockets from any grocery stores, add these kebabs, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese and the tzatziki sauce for gyros.
• Geek yogurt  is a thick and creamy yogurt. You can find it at any regular grocery store. Usually it is high in fat content as they use whole milk. So, to make low fat greek yougurt at home, place the yogurt (low fat) in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• This particular recipe has lot of ingredients but is very simple to prepare. It will not take more that 30 minutes. First marinate the chicken, keep aside. Now preheat the oven, chop the vegetables and coat them with the marinade. Vegetable don't have to marinate, so immediately skewer the chicken and veggies onto the skewer and pop it into the oven. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce :)
• Just to avoid hard scrub cleaning, line the baking dish with an aluminum foil.

Vegetable Pasta

Pasta really fills you up and is good for you. Whole wheat pasta has more fiber than regular pasta and that is even better. I made this recipe on a week night with in no time. The recipe turned out to be really delicious that my husband and I couldn't stop eating :) The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
10oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion - chopped
16oz can crushed tomatoes
2 medium size zucchini - cut into thin match sticks
1 cup frozen peas
8 - 10 broccoli stems
3 cloves of garlic - finely minced
1/2 cup half and half
1 large red bell pepper - cut into strips
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken stock (vegetarians can use vegetable stock or water is fine too)
salt to taste - around one teaspoon
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
chili flakes - 1/2 teaspoon (optional or adjust to your spice level)

Method: 
Bring a big pot of water to boil and season the water with salt (this is your only chance to season the pasta), add the pasta and cook until aldente(almost cooked but still has a bite to it).

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add olive oil. Saute the onions for about 4 minutes or until the onions start to turn translucent. Add zucchini and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, basil, red bell pepper, broccoli and saute for another 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock.  Turn the heat up to high and let the veggies cook for 3 minute until the mixture is thick enough for a sauce. Stir in the milk (half and half) and peas and let the mixture cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the cooked pasta and cheese and mix it well for 30 seconds. Bon Appetit :)

Tips and More:

• Cut your cooking time by10 minutes. While you cook your sauce, try to cook the pasta too, not one after the other.
• You can really be so versatile with this dish. When I cooked this dish, the vegetables I used were the ones I got in my fridge that day. But you can use carrots, mushrooms, corn etc. Add parsley for more flavor or replace basil with parsley
• You can also add chicken for additional protein (pasta has protein in it).