Curried Kidney Beans, Quinoa, Roasted Zucchini, Mango Salsa Bowl




Ingredients

For the kidney beans:
  • 1 large tomato
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • ½ inch ginger
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ to ⅓ tsp cayenne/red chili powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder or flakes
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves or ⅛ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 15 oz can of kidney beans or 1.5 cups cooked kidney beans
  • ⅔ to ¾ tsp salt (depends on if the kidney beans were salted)


Veggies:

  • sliced zucchini
  • thinly sliced broccoli stems
  • sliced radishes
  • greens or lettuce
  • ripe mango or mango salsa




Method
  1. For the Curried Kidney Beans: Blend all the ingredients through water and 2 tbsp of the drained kidney beans until smooth. Add blended tomato mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens slightly about 6 to 7 minutes. Add he kidney beans and salt. Cover and cook over medium heat for 9 to 12 minutes or until the kidney beans can be easily mashed. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Cook longer if the sauce is too thin.
  2. For the Veggies: Roast the zucchini and broccoli stems on a grill pan until roasted to preference with or without oil. Sprinkle salt and garam masala on the veggies once done and keep aside.
  3. Cook the quinoa or other grains.
  4. Cube the mango and use as is or make salsa with finely chopped red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Arrange the bowl with a heaping serving of saucy kidney beans, quinoa or other cooked grain, crunchy lettuce or greens of choice, roasted zucchini and broccoli stems, radish slices and mango/mango salsa. Sprinkle salt, pepper/red pepper flakes, and generous garam masala on the bowl. Add a dash of lemon juice. Serve!

Pineapple Salsa Recipe


Ingredients
Whole pineapple
1 cup pineapple, diced
1 cup peppers, diced (any combination of red, orange, yellow or green peppers)
1 cup Roma tomatoes, diced
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup onion, diced
2 limes
Salt and Pepper
Optional: 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Instructions
  1. To make the pineapple bowl, cut about ⅓ of the pineapple off, leaving the stem attached to the larger piece of the pineapple. 
  2. Make a cut around the outer edge of the pineapple fruit and make cuts across the middle too. Use a metal spoon to loosen and scoop out the pineapple chunks. 
  3. Pour the extra juice out of the pineapple bowl so that it is empty.
  4. Dice enough of the pineapple chunks to make one cup of diced pineapple to be used for the salsa and save the rest for another use.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, diced tomatoes, diced peppers, minced onions, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
  6. Transfer the salsa to the pineapple bowl for serving.

Greek Salad


Ingredients
iceberg lettuce
olives, pitted (I use Kalamata Olives)
cucumber
bell pepper
tomato
tofu
salt, pepper
dill (optional)
olive oil, to your own taste

Instructions
Wash and slice the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper and tofu.
Arrange all ingredients in a bowl an season the tofu with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with a little olive oil.

Avocado Pasta

Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti
2 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup canned corn kernels, drained and rinsed




Instructions

  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  2. To make the avocado sauce, combine avocados, basil, garlic and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, avocado sauce, cherry tomatoes and corn.
  4. Serve immediately.

Rich and Creamy Skinny Fettuccine


Ingredients
6 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
¾ cup 1% milk
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
chopped parsley for garnish, if desired





Method

  1. Boil pasta in salted water until al-dente per package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, add olive oil and garlic to a large saute pan. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in flour and cook an additional minute stirring constantly.
  4. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened 3-5 minutes, stir frequently.
  5. Take off the heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
  6. Toss the sauce with cooked pasta and drizzle with lemon juice.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with parsley for garnish if desired.

Change Your Ways, Reduce Your Risk: 7 Tips for Preventing Diabetes





One-fourth of people don’t know they have diabetes—a scary fact, given the complications of chronically high blood sugar: heart attack, stroke, sight-robbing eye disease, kidney failure, foot amputation. Worse, another 86 million adults have prediabetes, a condition of elevated blood sugar just below the threshold for diabetes.

The vast majority of cases are type 2 diabetes, a condition characterized by insulin resistance, meaning cells fail to respond to insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin.

The good news is type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. A seminal 2006 study demonstrated that intensive lifestyle modification reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent, as compared to a 31 percent risk reduction achieved with the antidiabetes drug metformin.

7 tips to help reduce your risk:
  • Lose excess body fat. Being overweight is a big risk factor for diabetes. In contrast, every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight lost reduces diabetes risk by 16 percent.
  • Follow a plant-based, low-calorie diet. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables—a dietary pattern studies show reduces diabetes risk. Foods to avoid are those rich in trans fats (also called hydrogenated fat), saturated fat, and sugar.
  • Drink water. Studies link sugar-sweetened beverages with obesity and diabetes. Cut them out of your diet and the risk of both conditions falls.
  • Move your body. Physical inactivity raises the risk of diabetes. Exercise renders cells more sensitive to insulin. The aforementioned 2006 study had volunteers exercising moderately 150 minutes a week. Brisk walking does the trick.
  • Stress less. The stress response triggers the release of several hormones that increase blood sugar. Studies show that mindfulness meditation improves the ability to cope with stress. Physical activity and social support also help relieve stress.
  • Sleep well. Chronic sleep deprivation and poor quality sleep increase the risk for diabetes and obesity. For tips on sleeping better, see this Remedy Chick’s blog. If you have continued problems sleeping, contact your doctor.
  • Keep medical appointments. Warning signs of type 2 diabetes are less dramatic than those of type 1 diabetes. That’s why it’s important to see your doctor regularly.

Macaroni Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Proscuitto




Ingredients
1 16-ounce package medium shell macaroni
½ cup red onion, chopped
1½ cups celery, chopped (about 3 ribs)
½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup pepperoncini, thinly sliced
1 cup prosciutto, sliced
½ pound smoked mozzarella, sliced in ¼-inch chunks
3 tablespoon capers, drained
½ cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk (low fat if preferred)
¼ cup pepperoncini juice (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp pepper

      
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. 
  2. Add macaroni and boil according to package directions until al dente. 
  3. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, gently combine pasta and next 8 ingredients.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, buttermilk, peperoncini juice, wine vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper. Taste for sweetness and saltiness and add more to your liking. 
  5. Add mayo mixture to pasta mixture and gently combine.
  6.  Add more salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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