Clearly I have a love for paninis. I love mozzarella cheese and its amazing melting quality. It is not too salty like other cheeses and does not over power the tomato which tenderly falls apart with each bite. The difference with this panini is that the tomato is marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette then added to the bread along with basil and mozzarella.
I take pleasure in the simplest things.
I am completely satisfied.
Peace, love and no beef.
Guramrit
Today I went to Uno’s with my mom and brother. The bad thing about going to Uno’s on a Sunday: it is crowded. We decided to take the food to go. My brother ordered his usual cheeseburger with the works and I got my broccoli and cheese soup. However, today I wanted something a little extra: gorgonzola walnut side salad.
The salad comes with romaine lettuce and a few mixed greens along with cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced red onions (I pick this out because I do not like the taste of raw onions), crumbled gorgonzola cheese and candied walnuts. This salad is served with a blueberry pomegranate vinaigrette and homemade chunky herbed croutons. This entire salad is light and refreshing. The flavors of the robust gorgonzola is complimented by the vinaigrette and candied walnuts. I had to pick a little of the gorgonzola out since I did not want to over do it with the cheese.
Two benefits of this mid day meal:
1. The soup was about $4 and the side salad was also around $4 – A total of approximately $8 for a healthy and filling meal.
2. It is a low-calorie meal. Soup: 300 calories and Salad: 200 calories.
Eating out usually seems like a drag when you are trying to eat healthy but you can enjoy food at your favorite restaurant if you eat small portions and choose a healthy alternative.
That is all for now readers!
Peace, love and no beef!
Guramrit
P.S. My other random craving has been Multigrain Cheerios with fresh raspberries served with some soy milk. It is the perfect midnight snack.
I get very bored with the typical soft taco that is served in my house hold. Tonight I decided to try something completely different. I made the usual guac, chopped up fresh tomatoes, romaine lettuce and shredded some sharp white cheddar cheese. The beans on the other hand I wanted to taste different.
We bought a soft taco dinner kit which comes with a taco seasoning packet and taco sauce. I warmed up the soft tacos in the microwave and took the can of vegetarian refried beans and spiced it up using the taco sauce and a few other ingredients. I warmed the beans in a sauce pan, added a packet of Sazon, the entire packet of taco sauce and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. I must say it added the right kick I looked for. Usually I hesitate to try anything new at home especially since my family is full of picky eaters (minus my dad, he is like a vacuum. We give him the leftovers).
Next time I want to add some sauteed veggies to my tacos or maybe use a different kind of bean rather than refried.
More food for your thoughts later readers!
Peace, love and no beef!
Guramrit
So I have decided I really do not like dhal. Especially black dhal. My cousin’s wife made dhal and subzi today. Her subzi consisted of spiced peas and mushrooms, which was unlike any subzi I have ever had before. The dhal was bland and boring. It was incredibly soupy and not what I was in the mood for. My favorite part was the crispy paranthas. I love the way my cousin’s wife makes the paranthas. They are crispy and square, rather than circular which is traditional.
Don’t get me wrong, not all dhal is bad. I just don’t like it.
I think I need a break from Indian food. But I still want Masala Dosa.
More next time readers!
Peace, love and no beef.
Guramrit
Last night my dad decided he wanted to have a late dinner at Bukhara Bistro in Yonkers. Since I basically lost my appetite waiting for my aunt, uncle and cousin to show up I thought it was a good idea to try the Navratan Vegetarian Thali. In India they give you a plate with little bowls of different dishes, rice and usually Tandoori Naan/Roti. This way you can have a little bit of each dish without over eating.
Here is what a thali looks like:
[Note: All regions of India serve thali’s with different dishes!]
My dish came with a subzi (spiced mixed vegetables), dhal (lentils made in a soupy, stew like manner), paneer dilruba (home-made indian cheese in a tomato cream sauce), raita (yogurt with herbs), basmati rice, achaar (pickle), naan and 2 gulab jamans (my favorite rose-water, milk and honey pastry served in a warm sweet honey sauce). Of course I shared this with my dad and ate as much as I could handle. I immediately went for the paneer, which is my favorite. I had a little bit of dhal (it was decent but not my favorite), a good amount of raita and half of the large piece of naan presented to us.
As usual I had my mango lassi at hand and my spoon ready for the gulab jaman.
By sharing this meal I was able to cut my calories in half. The thing that made this dish even better was that the meal was presented in small bowls for easy portion control and easy sampling.
That’s all for now!
Peace, love and no beef!
Guramrit
No Beef Here 