Cucumber Tomato Salad

Many of the meals on this blog are meant to be super simple, such as the one pot lentil meals with roti (Indian Flatbread). A great way to make sure you get your vegetables with dinner is to make a simple side salad. Here's one great option!

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Onion, finely diced

1 Large Cucumber, finely chopped

2-3 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped

Cumin Powder, to taste

Salt, to taste

Lemon Juice, to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together, per taste. Enjoy! If you're not sure where to start with the spices, add 1/4 tsp of each. Taste it and keep adding 1/4 tsp until you achieve the taste you want to eat over and over again!

Avocado Cheese Tortilla Snacks

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
2-3 Corn Tortillas (Ingredients should be Corn, Water, Trace of Lime ONLY!)
1 Avocado, cubed
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Tapatilo Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle Sauce (Optional)

Method:
1. Warm Tortilla on a pan, about 10-15 seconds on each side. Keep heat on low.
2. Place a handful of cheese on the tortilla and let it warm until melted. Now remove the tortilla off the pan and place onto a plate.
3. Add cubed avocado.
4. Season with salt, pepper and tapatilo sauce as desired.

 It's a great healthy snack when things are busy and chaotic!

Cauliflower Shak

Serves: 2 
Ingredients:
Cauliflower, chopped small
Cooking Oil
Asofetida (Hing)
Turmeric (Haldar)
3-4 Curry Leaves (Limbdo)
Mustard Seeds (Rye)
Fresh Green Chilis, finely chopped or shredded
Juice of lemon, to taste
Salt, to taste
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

Preparation:
1. In an iron skillet, warm some oil (1-2tbsp).
2. Add turmeric, asafoetida and curry leaves. Now add the shredded green chilis.
3. Next add mustard seeds. When you hear the seeds sizzle, add all the cauliflower.
4. Add salt, juice of lemon and mix well. Let it cook on low heat until cauliflower is soft.
5. Garnish with chopped cilantro
6. Eat with roti, daal and rice!

Culinary Medicine Tip: The use of Iron Skillet's in cooking is returning! Recently, using non-stick cookware has been popular, however there is always the concern of scratching the Teflon which will emit toxic fumes when used at high temperatures. Another great option is an iron skillet. Inspired by my mom, I bought myself one and use it for many of my dishes. The most obvious benefit of using an Cast Iron Pot/Pan is that it adds iron to whatever you cook (many of us are iron-deficient). It also provides even heat distribution so the food cooks evenly. It is non-stick by nature so you don't have to worry about using more oil/grease than you have to, and lastly - this is an investment that you won't have to replace for a very long time! Try one out and let me know what you think!

Berry Yummy Breakfast Smoothie

My husband and I wanted to start eating healthy for breakfast. First, we stopped buying cereal, muffins, waffles, pancake mix, etc. Then we spent a couple days wondering how to replace that, and here's one of the best things we came up with! Whoever wakes up first often gets the pleasure of making 2 tall cups of this berry smoothie. We own a Vitamix (best blender ever!) and I promise, this will have you out the door quickly in the morning, and your tummy feeling very full + satisfied!

Serves 2
Ingredients:
10-12 large strawberries, washed. If you use the Vitamix, you can keep the stems on.
2 handfuls of blueberries, washed.
Agave Syrup or Honey, to taste
1/4 cup Plain Yogurt
8-10 Ice Cubes
1 cup Acai Berry Juice
Frozen, Sweetened coconut (optional)



Preparation:
1. Blend together all ingredients and enjoy!
2. I will often pour the smoothie straight into a mug that has a lid on it, and place a straw inside so that it is easy to drink while in the car on the way to work!