From Sunday Funday Dinner to Super Leftover Meatless Monday

February 26, 2013Leave a comment

After a beautiful Sunday service at Unity of New York I began to crave something new. Yes, this is possible. I wanted to create something I haven’t created before (and add my own spin of course). After much contemplation I decided to make a veggie paella. Traditionally paella is made with seafood and poultry or other meat products but it is chock full of veggies and made with smoked paprika, short grained rice and saffron. I found a fabulous recipe on Tienda.com which I ultimately revamped and made my own to cater to the picky-ness of my household. Here is this delectable recipe:

What you need:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced (a lot of garlic but I LOVE GARLIC)
1 large yellow bell pepper (or any other color)
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika (or regular if you can’t find smoked)
2 zucchini, cubed
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped (I didn’t seed or peel, I love the liquid)
1 cup chopped Tuscan kale
2 cups frozen peas
3 cups of vegetable broth/stock (keep warm)
1 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of one lemon
5-10 strands of saffron
1 1/2 cups of short grained rice (you can use arborio, bomba, brown, or calaspara rice)
Salt and pepper to taste

How you make it:
1. In a large pan (if you have a rice pan, use that) heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until translucent (or tender). Add smoked paprika, saffron, zucchini and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes (raise heat to medium for this).

2. Stir in rice and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat back to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Once most of the liquid is absorbed toss in the kale, peas, half of the cilantro and stir.

4. The paella is ready when the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. If you like the crunchy rice at the bottom, turn up the heat to high for just about a minute. Once you smell the toasting of the rice, shut the heat, add the lemon juice and serve.

I ate this for dinner last night and tonight! I served it with fresh tomatoes and avocado today. Delish!

This is the perfect meal for Meatless Mondays!

That’s all for now lovers!

Peace, love and veggie paella,

Guramrit

Fab Dinner Ideas for Busy People

February 11, 2013Leave a comment

Hey there lovely readers!

I hope my fellow Northeast peeps are safe and warm from this past weekends snow storm. Luckily the Bronx did not get too effected. I have definitely dealt with worse in Syracuse. I remember tropping it to class in nearly 5 feet of snow. Now just imagine my 5 foot 2 inch self walking in snow nearly as tall as I am. Crazy right?

As I sit here on this lovely Sunday evening I have become inspired to leave you lovely peeps with some potential dinner recipes for the week! These are super easy and delish. You can whip these up in NO time.

Recipe 1: Veggie Pasta Salad with garlic & olive oil sautéed asparagus and bruschetta.

What you need:
(For Pasta Salad)
1 bag of vegetable pasta (available at Trader Joes), cooked to al dente and cooled. Set aside.
1 cup cooked broccoli (I prefer to sauté with garlic & olive oil until tender but with a nice bite to it)
1 cup sautéed spinach (sauté with broccoli)
1 cup sautéed kale
1 vine ripe tomato, diced (or a handful of baby heirloom tomatoes cut in half)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (NOT in oil. You can get them in a bag from Trader Joes!)
1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of Italian dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

(For sautéed asparagus)
1 bunch of asparagus, stems trimmed
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

(For Bruschetta)
1 French baguette (or ciabatta bread), cut into one inch slices at an angle
2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil (plus more to add to drizzle on bread)
2 cloves of garlic (for rubbing on hot bread)
2 large beefsteak tomatoes (I used multiple colors for visual pleasure)
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

How to make it:
1. Combine all ingredients for pasta salad. Set in fridge until serving time to allow for flavors to combine. Feel free to use any extra fresh basil as garnish.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, place slices of baguette. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Put in oven for 8 minutes or until slightly brown. Let cool for a few minutes before rubbing garlic cloves on the bread.

3. Prepare tomato mixture. Combine tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Toss in basil. Let sit aside until bread has cooled completely. (Note: sometimes I just LOVE adding diced shallot into this. Not very traditional but I love the extra crunch component).

4. Sauté asparagus in a skillet. Sauté until bright green. Do not over cook. The crunch really makes asparagus fab!

Recipe 2: Baked Purple Potatoes with roasted Brussel sprouts and Gardein Vegan Chicken Patties

What you need:
4 purple potatoes (or any other potato you like)
1 bag of Brussel sprouts, halved (the steam in a bag sprouts work great)
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons grade A/B pure maple syrup
1/2 cup slivered chopped almonds
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 bag Gardein zesty marinara vegan chicken cutlets (prepare according to package)
**Tip: prepare vegan chicken in a skillet with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and any dried herbs for extra flavor and a crunchy exterior**
Vegan butter, sea salt, pepper for flavor

How you make it:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the mean time prep your veggies. Wash the purple potatoes. Drizzle olive oil or rub vegan butter on the potatoes and sprinkle sea salt on the potatoes. Wrap potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Place in oven and cook until you can poke a fork in the potatoes.

2. On a baking sheet, arrange Brussel sprouts and drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt. Place in oven when potatoes are half way done (after about 10-15 minutes). After about 5-8 minutes, remove baking sheet, drizzle maple syrup and scatter the cranberries. Cook until golden and slightly tender. NOTE: Do NOT over cook these. That’s what gives the sprouts an awful smell. After about 5-6 more minutes of cooking they should be done but this depends on your oven. Eyeball them.

3.Once golden, let Brussel sprouts cool and toss almonds with the sprouts and cranberries.

4. Prepare Gardein patties according to package instructions and my yummy tip. 😉

Recipe 3: Vegan Taco Tuesday/Thursday/Any ol’ day

What you need:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 leek, washed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Cumin, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper to taste
Homemade guacamole (see my recipe here: http://goo.gl/PvxEX)
Your favorite salsa (I love Trader Joes Pico De Gallo)
Spinach, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Red Onion diced (all your choice)
Whole wheat whole grain tortillas

How you make it:
1. In a sauce pan, over medium heat, sauté leeks with olive oil and garlic. Let leeks become translucent. Once translucent add black beans. Season with cumin, black pepper, sea salt and more garlic (if you’re a garlic lover like I am). Turn heat to low and let cook for 5 more minutes.

2. While beans are cooking, prepare guacamole, chop other veggies for taco assembly and set aside.

3. Warm tortillas in a skillet. Remove warm tortilla and place on plate and begin assembling tacos!

I hope you are inspired to create some delish dinners this week!

Peace, love and no beef!

Guramrit

(P.S. I actually LOVE Brussel sprouts)

625 Easy, Nutritious and Delicious Smoothie Recipes

February 2, 2013Leave a comment

Let’s face it, we are a society of convenience. If it isn’t convenient or easy, why bother? When it comes to your health, convenience doesn’t have to equal fast, greasy or gross foods. Those moments especially in the morning or even when you feel a craving coming on, why not opt for a smoothie? Why a smoothie, you may ask. Well, if you’re on the go like most people, you may not have the “time” or “energy” or even “motivation” to eat the right things for your body. A smoothie is a way to get all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and oils without taking hours to prepare. A smoothie, especially a green smoothie (yes, this means incorporating leafy greens), boosts energy, combats cravings, satisfies hungry, stimulates metabolism, cleanses you from the inside-out and improves overall wellness.

As I mentioned in an early post, I participated in a 30 day green smoothie challenge. At first I thought I was going to die of hunger but after 30 days I feel fabulous! I am making a green smoothie almost every single day. Those days when I don’t have a smoothie I feel odd and actually start to crave them. Out of my sheer love for green smoothies, I am creating an easy mix and match smoothie recipe. Pick one or two from each category (liquid base, greens, fruit, mix in) and create a fabulous smoothie without the hassle.

Tip for a great smoothie: 1-2 cups of liquid, 2 cups of greens, 1-2 cups of fruit, 1-2 scoops of protein powder/1-2 tablespoons of whatever other mix in. Blend. Also, blending the greens with liquid first makes for a better consistency.This yields two servings. Keep in a mason jar for air tight storage. .

Liquid Base:
1. Coconut Water
2. Organic Orange Juice
3. Organic Apple Juice
4. Organic Papaya Juice
5. Organic Almond Milk/Coconut Milk

Greens (Organic preferred):
1. Arugula
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Mixed Greens (available at Trader Joes)
5. Romaine Lettuce

Fruit (fresh or frozen works great. If using fresh, you will need 1 cup of ice):
1. Mixed berries (cherries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries- My favorite!)
2. Pineapple
3. Mango
4. Banana
5. Peaches

Mix-In’s:
1. Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds- great source of protein and Omega 3’s
2. Udo’s Omega 3-6-9 Oil Blend/Coconut Oil
3. Protein powder (try Spirutein Vanilla Tri-protein powder)
4. Bee Pollen (organic only! These little granules are jam packed with vitamins and minerals. Great for people who suffer from seasonal allergies)
5.Gary Null’s Green Stuff/any greens blend powder/spirulina powder (this adds extra green goodness without sacrificing taste or nutrition. I add one scoop to EVERY smoothie. I get a super green boost from the chlorella and spirulina).

These are just a few of my favorite combinations. Can’t decide which one you like best? Try: 2 cups spinach/kale, 1 cup of coconut water, 1 banana, 1 cup frozen mango, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1 scoop protein/green stuff or 1 tablespoon of flax/chia/hemp. Blend and enjoy!

I’m about to go make myself a pre-lunch time smoothie.

Peace, love, green smoothies and of course NO beef!

Guramrit

Telling the Difference between Appetite and Mental Hunger

January 30, 2013Leave a comment

fitnessrepublic:

Are your hunger pangs a result of biological reasons or psychological ones? You might just have consumed a large meal, and yet the desire to nibble on the contents of your refrigerator might overwhelm you into eating once again. When you find yourself in such a tricky predicament, turn to the basic definitions of mental hunger and appetite: mental hunger is when you find yourself craving for a specific food even if you have just consumed a satisfying meal, and appetite is a biological sensation created when you have not had anything to eat for quite some time

Read more: http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/telling-the-difference-between-appetite-and-mental-hunger.html

Great read.

Telling the Difference between Appetite and Mental Hunger

January 25, 2013January 8, 2014Leave a comment

A new study unveiled that at LEAST 800 new records of “food fraud” were added to the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention’s Food Fraud Database. Among the newly added products are: milk, saffron, honey, coffee, tea, fish, olive oil, black pepper as well as other spices. Get educated! If it doesn’t taste, smell or look right, don’t consume or purchase it!

(Source: http://i.cdn.turner.com/)