I know many people who are not fond of vegetables.  Honestly, I find this a big problem.  This really explains the type of society we are: obsessive, obese and addicted to the things that are not good for us.  As a child I grew up eating vegetables and grew to love new veggies each and every day.  The fact that many of the people I know do not like vegetables and do not eat them, disturbs me.

How can you live a healthy, prosperous or long life if you do not eat vegetables?  Sorry to all you meat eaters but I think some of you need a reality check: Meat is just one food group. You need more than just carbs and the dead flesh of an animal to survive.  Do you honestly think the people who live up to 100 years of age actually ate meat all day? They had healthy life styles which included a healthy, wholesome diet and they exercised regularly.

I know a few people who are trying to lose weight and get on a healthy track but they are having a hard time putting the steak, ribs and junk food down.  Listen, if you really want to make an effort to do your body some good, take care of it by eating some baby carrots, celery or adding vegetables to your dinner.  Dinner should not merely consist of meat and potatoes.  Sure, potatoes are vegetables but it is pure carbs and actually can keep the weight on you.

I am not trying to convert the world to the food religion of vegetarianism but I am trying to promote healthy eating and eating in moderation.  Try to go for grilled options rather than fried.  If you have a few options for dinner try to include vegetables and avoid going for seconds.

If you are new to the veggie game, you can try tossing it into some pasta or try a salad.  You can build your own salad that is uniquely you and incredibly delicious at the same time.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the following about vegetables:

• Vegetables are important for the health and maintenance of the body.
• Eating fruits and vegetables reduces risk for: Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, (protects against) Cancer, Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, Kidney Stones and High Blood Pressure
• Veggies are low in fat (naturally!), calories and do not contain cholesterol
• Important nutrients include: potassium (helps maintain blood pressure), dietary fiber (lowers cholesterol levels, reduce constipation and regulate bowel movements), vitamins A (promotes healthy eyes and skin, protects against infections), C (helps heal wounds, cuts, aids in Iron absorption great for anemics & Women especially), and E (provides protection against infection and is an important antioxidant) as well as Folic Acid (important for red blood cell formation).

When you look at the food pyramid you can see that the meat section is the smallest section while grains and veggies are the most important aspects of the meal!

These are just a few ramblings of mine for the day.

Peace, love & no beef!

Guramrit

Uno’s Restaurant’s Broccoli & Cheese Soup.

Pure imagery. Pure desire. Pure taste.

Enjoy.

Guramrit

It’s summer so BBQ’ing is something common.  I am not one to BBQ and I lack the proper equipment but given the opportunity yesterday I was able to create some delicious tofu vegetable kabobs.

Yesterday I ate a great amount of veggies, more than I ever had.  I had a veggie burger, vegetable rice, grilled corn, veggie pasta salad but for me these veggie kabobs were the cream of the crop.

Ingredients:

1 Package Extra Firm Tofu

Assorted Vegetables (Bell Peppers/Sweet Peppers, Onions, Zucchini, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Mushrooms or even Pineapple if you like)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tablespoons of Chopped Garlic

Salt, Pepper, Cayenne Pepper (all to taste)

How to do it:

1. Remove the liquid from the tofu package.  Remove the brick of tofu, place on a plate.  Top with paper towels and add a cutting board on top of the paper towel covered tofu.  Let the towels absorb the extra liquid.  This should take about 15 minutes.

2. In a separate cup/bowl create a marinade with extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic and the seasonings.  Once all the liquid has been drained from the tofu, rub the tofu with the marinade and let sit covered loosely for 20 minutes.

3. Chop vegetables into bite sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

4. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.  Take wooden skewers and add vegetables and tofu in alternating fashion.

5. Add skewers to a hot grill and allow to cook.  Turn kabobs every 4 to 5 minutes to make sure all sides are fully cooked.  Feel free to add more marinade and salt and pepper to ensure full flavor.

6. Once the tofu is crispy, remove from grill and enjoy.

Enjoy your Sunday Night readers.

Peace, love & no beef!

Guramrit

Yes, I am talking about Tiramisu.

This entry is purely visual.

Enjoy!

Peace, love & no beef

Guramrit

After work, as a family we went to an Indian restaurant: Bukhara Grill located in Yonkers.  My brother and dad got the buffet special and practically ate everything on the menu. While my mom and I split matar paneer (semi soft Indian cheese with peas in a creamy curry sauce) served with basmati rice.

Of course I cannot have my dinner without Tandoori Naan (cooked in the Tandoor Oven– made out of clay) and a Mango Lassi. The combination of flavors was perfect.  I think the creaminess of the matar paneer was something I was not used to.  Usually I have the type that does not come floating in a  sauce, it is usually rather dry but does not lack in the delicious spicey component.

To top off this wonderful meal we had keer, a rice pudding seasoned with cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Sometimes it has slivered almonds or cashews or raisins but I prefer it plain with out all the extra froofroo.

It was nostalgic, almost euphoric.  It reminded me of my grandmother.

Rest in Peace Dadi Ma. Love you.

Peace, love & no beef.

Guramrit