Barley and Butter bean with kale Soup

Eating too much sweets for Diwali I have to go back on my diet since I have problems with my heart.I used butter bean instead of chick peas because this is something new which I found in a can. In this soup I used almond cream instead of cream to make it more healthy and figure friendly.

Soup is very good for this cold weather ,very easy to prepare and of course tasty too.Just take  a carrot,handful of kale and butter bean and barley and there dinner is on the table.

Ingredients
1/4 cup barley
1 carrot cut in pieces
3 green chillies
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 onion chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 almonds
1/2 cup kale
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup vegetable stock
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation
Soak almond in water for 2 hours or over-nite.Then blend it with 1/4 cup water .
Wash barley.

Method
1.Heat a pot with olive oil,add in onion and let it cook for couple of minute.Then add in garlic and chillies,cook for another minute.
2.Add in barley and carrots ,salt and the stock. Mix cover and let it cook on low heat for about 15 minutes.
3.Add in kale and black pepper and then stir in almond cream.Cook it for another 5 minutes.
4.Taste for seasoning and serve and enjoy.

Long Beans or String Beans with red chillies

Long green bean is mostly popular in Asian cuisine. Growing up I used to eat this in stir fry's, soups and as curries.This is very nutritious and is available during summer months . Long bean is very easy to prepare ,just cut it in 1/3 inches long and blanch it for 3 to 4 minutes ,then place it ice water or run it under cold tap water to stop it from cooking.



Ingredients
2 cups of long bean ( cut in 1/3 inches long)
1/2 of sliced onions
3 cloves of garlic minced
5 chopped red chillies
4 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Preparation

1.Blanched the long bean for 4 minutes then run it under cold water.

Method
1.  Heat oil in a pan ,add in onion and let it cook for few minutes,then add in chillies and garlic.
Cook it for couple of minutes and then add in beans  and salt.Mix it everything together
2.Add in water,cover and cook it on low heat until it it cooked to your desire,
3.Serve over rice or with roti or just serve it as a side to roasted fish or chicken.

Kale with Cannelli Beans

Kale is  supper nutritious  ans is widely available during this cold months.Kale is really easy to prepare and it can be prepared in many different ways.Cannelli beans is good for  diabetic people since it regulates blood sugar and it also helps prevent heart disease.I cooked kale with cannelli  beans because I really need to eat healthy since I recently had a procedure done for my heart.I try to come up easy and simple recipe that is also healthy for my body. Try this recipe out and please let me know the outcome and if you have any heart healthy recipe please let me know.

Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1/2 cup cannelli beans.
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 Serrano peppers
1/2 of an  onion chopped
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

Preparation
Wash and clean kale.Take the leaves off the stem and cut in roughly.
Rinse beans if using from the can

Method
1.Heat oil add in cumin,let it pop the add in onion and cook it for a couple of minutes than add in garlic,pepper and cook it for another minute.
2.Add in kale ,mix i,t let it cook for couple of minutes then add in beans  with chilli flakes salt , nutmeg and water.Cover and it let for few minutes.
3.Serve with roti ,paratha or with rice.

Butternut Squash soup

Fall is here ,the weather is bit cold  and soup is one of the most comfort food .Butternut squash is rich in fiber and it also good for heart , as well as it regulates blood sugar. This  fall veggie is  cooked in many ways such as curry ,soup,used in paratha  or simply roasted and used in salad.Butternut squash soup is very healthy and tasty and is very easy to cook.I came up with this recipe after I was told by my cardio doctor to include lots of vegetables in my diet.Hope you would try this out and don't forget to leave me a comment.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped butternut squash
1 medium carrot chopped
1 Serrano pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 celery stock roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt to taste
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon cilantro roughly chopped
Few mint leaves roughly chopped
oil
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Method
1. Heat oil in a pot,add in all the veggies,onions,garlic,red chilli flakes,pepper and salt.
2. Mix everything together and then add in stock and cover and let it cook until all the veggies are cooked through.
3 Add in cilantro and mint and cover ,turn off the stove.
4 .When a little cool add the soup into the blender and blend it until smooth.Add in lemon juice.and serve with sandwich or crackers.

Mustard Green and Beans Soup

Mustard greens is very good for health and is very much used in Chinese and Indian cuisine. This is also good for our cardiovascular and also for prevention of cancer.A week ago I was admitted in the hospital with heart problem,so I decided to eat more leafy greens  and food  that is heart friendly.This is my version of heart healthy soup.






Ingredients
1 cup of kidney beans
1 cup black beans
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 of an chopped onions
1 Serrano pepper
1 cup of mustard greens chopped
1/2 cup of mint leaves
salt to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
 1 tablespoon oil
2 cups water or stock

Method
1.In a pot heat oil and add in onion ,garlic ,pepper,beans and salt.
2. Add in water cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
3.In a blender add in mustard greens and mint leaves and add in half of the beans soup and blend it together.
4.Then add the blended mixture back to the other half of the soup pot and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
5.Serve  with toasted bread or sandwiches of your choice.

Red Bell Pepper Paratha

Red bell pepper is a rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of antioxidant.Here this is easily available in the vegetable aisle of the grocery store.Mostly I use these peppers in salad and soups but today I used it in paratha because I had so much peppers in my refrigerator.This paratha is very tasty and  healthy . can be served as a breakfast , lunch or dinner with yummy ratia or any pickles or just with tea and coffee.I like this because it feels me up and I think I will also help me in losing calories.




Ingredients
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
6 red chillies
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint 
6 small garlic roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
salt to taste
warm water
2 tablespoon of ghee or unsalted butter

Preparation
In a food processor place bell peppers.onions,garlic,chillies, and chop it into fine pieces. then add in finely chopped mint and mix everything together.

Method
1.Heat oil in a skillet and add in cumin seeds ,let it pop then add the pepper mixture ,add in salt and cook it couple of minutes.Then leave it in a strainer to drain out excess liquid.
2.  In a bowl add in flour  and enough water to make a dough. Roll out the dough and make small balls  then make a hole and put in little bit of the mixture ,then make it flat and roll it out with a rolling pin
3.Heat a tawa or a non stick skillet and cook the paratha on both sides ,then with a brush brush the paratha's with the ghee.
4.Take it off the skillet and serve it with raita or and dip of your choice.

My daughter loves this and she likes it with mango pickles.

  

Tomato and Cucumber Sandwich

Growing up on the tropic island of Fiji Island cucumber and tomatoes are widely grown by the farmers. So people come up varies ways to use these veggies in their cooking.When my mom  used to make this sandwich butter was one of the ingredient but I have substituted it with mayonnaise. This sandwich is very good and is easy to prepare either for after school snack or just as a light lunch.

Ingredients
8 slices of whole wheat bread toasted
2 cumcumbers
2 tomatoes
salt
pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegannise
4 tablespoon of Sriracha

Method
1.Mix mayonnaise and Sriracha together in a bowl.
2.Spread mayonnaise on 4 slices of the bread and then cucumber  and tomatoes . Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of tomatoes and cucumber and then put the other slice of bread.
3.Serve and enjoy