CHANNA MASALA

• One small pack of firm tofu
• Spinach 2 bunches, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• A small piece of ginger, grated
• One small can chopped tomatoes
• 1-2 Thai green chilies (optional) slit along the mid line
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 cardamom pods
• 3 cloves

1. Take the tofu and use either a tofu press or 2 heavy flat objects (cutting boards or heavy pans) press the tofu between to get rid of the excess water.  After about 2 minutes, cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. In one thick bottomed pan add the Thai green chili and sauté for 1/2 a minute, add the clean rinsed and drained spinach. Turn flame on low and cover and cook for 6 minutes. Turn off the flame or heat source. Now take the spinach and purée it until nice and smooth.
3. In another thick bottomed pan add cumin seeds, heat on medium for a minute, now add the sliced onions. Cook and sauté for 2 minutes on medium, add 2 tsp water if needed. Now add tomatoes and all the other spices and cook on low, covered for 10 minutes. The mixture should be a thick sauce like consistency.
4. At this point, the onions and the tomatoes should me well cooked, now add the spinach purée. Stir the purée in and once well mixed with the tomatoes and onions, add the tofu cubes.
5. Stir it gently, cover and cook on low for 2 additional minutes.
6. Add a small amount of salt if needed. About 1/2 teaspoon goes a long way.
7. When you eat this dish, watch out for the cardamom pods and cloves, don’t bite into them as the taste can be rather strong, these are great flavoring spices, in addition to medicinal properties they also add tons of aroma to the foods.
8. You can enjoy palak paneer with rice, quinoa or rotis.

• Almond  Milk or Flax Milk (1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries
• 1 tbs raisins

1. Mix all of the above and soak overnight in the fridge.
2. Top with shaved almonds and/or walnuts

• tofu, extra firm, light or low-fat when possible ( 14-16 ounces)
• garlic, minced (1 clove)
• onion, diced (1/2 cup)
• green  pepper, diced (1/2 cup)
• red pepper, diced (1/2 cup)
• mushrooms, chopped (3/4 cup)
• turmeric powder (1/4 teaspoon)
• cumin powder (1 teaspoon)
• black pepper (3/4 teaspoon)
• salt (1/4 teaspoon)

1. Add 1/4 cup water to large sauté pan. Once heated, add onion.
2. When  the  aroma releases from the onion and it starts to become translucent, add garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, add peppers and mushrooms and add 1/4 cup water if vegetables are sticking to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Crumble tofu with hands and add to pan along with turmeric, mixing well. Add cumin powder, pepper, and  salt, and cook for another 4-6 minutes until everything is cooked through.
4. Serve with whole grain toast or on a warm corn tortilla.

• 121 calories
• 10.4 g protein
• 10.6 g carbohydrate
• 2.8 g sugar
• 5.3 g total fat
• 36.6% calories from fat
• 4.7 g fiber
• 594 mg  sodium

• 6 ripe avocados
• 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/3 cups of honey
• 1 cup Blueberry

1. Remove skin and seed from avocados, and place the green flesh into a food processor, removing all brown spots as you go.
2. Add lemon juice and honey, and blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Add sliced almonds and blueberry

Ingredients

What you need:

1. 1/2 cup  cooked brown rice or quinoa
2. 1/2 a cup to 1 cup cooked lentils (any lentils are OK)
3. 1 cup of grilled vegetables
4. 1/2-1 cup cooked  greens (add garlic to make them flavorful)
5. About 2-3 table spoons of shredded carrots or/and radish and lemon juice
6. Light soy sauce or liquid aminos or other healthy dressings or sauces (about 2 teaspoons)

Directions:

Cooked brown rice or quinoa, cooked lentils, mixed grilled vegetables, these are usually already available in my fridge. This is because I always make a little extra and put it away for use when I have very little time to cook a full meal.

Take about 1/2 a cup to one cup of each of the above and add this to a bowl (thanks to cava for this wonderful idea), it tastes better heated up of course.

Sauté green like spinach or kale with fresh garlic and add this to the bowl with all the above ingredients. Some fresh carrots and/or radish with a dash of freshly squeezed lime or lemon and some mint leaves ( if available).

Spice it up if you like with some fun sauces you can combine and experiment with at home. My  favorite is Gochujang (Korean) Gochujang or red chili paste, a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment made from chili powder.  Add a teaspoon or two of a flavorful sauce.

Make the most out of left overs by adding some freshly sautéed greens and some grated carrots/radish and lemon. 

This makes a great lunch, if you are taking this to work leave the carrots and radish out, and add this after you have heated your bowl.

This is to be made as a cold or a warm salad.  I prefer it cold, it just makes a great cool salad for summer days.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of sprouted lentils, can use French lentils but black or brown lentils also work very well
• 1 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 /2 – 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 – 1 tsp pepper
• Brown  sugar, a small pinch
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• Juice of 2 lemons, can also substitute with limes
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup chopped dill
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 clove garlic minced

Directions:

1. Heat a stock pot or a sauce pan on medium to high. After about 45 seconds to 1 minute add one tablespoon of olive oil and immediately add the sprouted lentils. Cook on high for a minute with constant stirring.
2. Add one cup of vegetable stock or water. Decrease heat to medium, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, until most of the stock is absorbed by the lentils. Then allow them cool down to room temperature.
3. Add the chopped onions, parsley, dill, minced garlic, cucumber, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
4. You can also add a pinch of brown sugar. This adds to the flavor and helps the salt, pepper and lemon or lime stand out. Serve warm  or refrigerate for later use. Good for up to 2 days.