Aloo "Keema" (vegetarian curried meatless-ground "beef" with potatoes)

What You'll Need:
1/4 c. finely chopped white onions
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder (can adjust amount for more/ess heat)
3/4 c non-fat yogurt, whipped
3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 pack Morning Star Meal Starter Crumbles (or any soy ground "beef"), thawed
1/2 tsp salt, divided
3-4 whole cloves
1 tsp paprika
3-4 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1tbs coriander powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala (you can find this at any Indian store)
2 tbs fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 c water
1 golden potato, cubed (approx. 1")

What To Do:
In a large pot saute the garlic powder in the olive oil over medium-high heat, until golden brown. Add fresh chopped onion, 1/4 tsp salt, chili powder, green and black cardamoms with 1-2tbs water. Continue to saute for 2-3 minutes over medium heat; if mixture begins to dry add additional water so it doesn't burn. Once onions begin to turn soft turn heat to high and add yogurt, stirring constantly (make sure the pot has heated up before adding yogurt).  Reduce heat to medium-high and add chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and 2 cups of water. Adjust heat so mixture remains at a steady simmer. Cover and cook until tomatoes are tender (approximately 5-10 mins). While the mixture cooks, begin preparing the "beef".

In a separate bowl, combine the soy ground "beef", 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1-1.5 tbs non-fat yogurt, coriander powder, and Garam Masala and fresh coriander leaves. Mix well.

Add "beef" mixture and potatoes to the simmering sauce. Continue to cook (covered) on med-fast simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. After about 20 minutes remove the lid and adjust the heat a bit, if needed, to evaporate any liquid left. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, until most of the excess liquid has evaporated. Taste; add salt if needed.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, serve with rice or naan.

Meatless "Beef" Pastries (Low-Fat, No-Cholesterol)

Yield: 24 pastries

What You'll Need:
1 pack Yves Meatless Ground (Soy-based meatless ground "beef")
1 Tbs (heaping) ground coriander powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped
1/4 c. water
salt to taste

8 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1 can olive oil spray
mini muffin tray


What To Do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium sized sauce pan or non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic powder and saute until golden brown.  Add meatless ground product and saute for about about a minute over medium-high heat.  Add in remaining spices, water and chopped onions. continue to cook over medium heat until water is evaporated (about 7-10 minutes).  Taste and add salt if desired (I added about 1/4 tsp).



Once the "meat" is cooked begin working with the phyllo dough. First, lightly spray the mini muffin tray with olive oil or low calorie butter spray.  Layer 4 sheets of phyllo dough on top of each other, lightly spraying each layer with olive oil.  Cut the sheets into 12 squares (cut in to 4 sections horizontally and 3 vertically).  Place each square (should have 4 layers) into the muffin tray.  Repeat this with the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough.

 

Place about 1 tsp of the "meat" mixture inside each of the phyllo dough squares, fold the corners over to seal the "meat" inside as you go.  Spray lightly with olive oil or with one spray of low calorie butter spray; with your finger make sure the top of the pastry is slightly moist with either the butter spray or oil.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Tips:
* Try using ground chicken breast instead of soy "meat" for a change in taste
* Store in the refrigerator. To reheat cold pastries, place on metal tray in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes

Nutrition Information is an estimate based 
on an online tool.Serving size is per pastry

Strawberry-Avocado Muffins

Yield: 14 muffins

What You'll Need:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (about 300 grams)
1 c. chopped strawberries
3/4 c. fat-free milk
1/2 c. avocado, mashed (about 1 haas avocado)
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. egg whites
12 foil-lined cupcake liners (muffins will stick to paper liners)

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium sized bowl combine flour, sugars, baking powder and cinnamon.  Add chopped strawberries and toss well.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, avocado, egg whites and vanilla until well blended. There may be some chunks of the avocado left, try to break them up as much as you can. Mix milk/avocado mixture and flour mixture together until well blended.  Bake 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown and tops spring back when touched.

Nutrition information is an estimation of
 1 serving; based off of an on-line tool

Spicy Tempeh Salad

Yield: 3 servings 

What You'll Need:

1 package Home style Tempeh - spicy veggie (I got mine from Whole Foods)

1 (8 oz) canned corn

1 c. green leaf lettuce, chopped

1/4 c. red cabbage, chopped

1/4 c. crushed olives (about half of a 4 oz can)

2 Tbs diced red onion

2 Tbs diced green onion

2 Tbs diced red bell pepper

2 Tbs minced cilantro

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce 

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

Sweet and spicy spring roll dipping sauce (made with red chillies, garlic, vinegar, etc; can be found in Asian section of grocery store)

Shredded soy cheese (to sprinkle on top)

What To Do:

Cut tempeh into 1/2" cubes; saute over med-high heat with olive oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce in a frying pan for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Once tempeh is cooked, remove from heat.  Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, combine corn, lettuce, cabbage, olives, red onion, green onion, bell pepper and cilantro; mix well.  Add in cooked tempeh and toss.  Before eating, drizzle sweet and spicy dipping sauce over salad as a dressing and sprinkle with a little bit of soy cheese. 

Tips:

*If you prefer, you can also grate or crumble the tempeh instead of cutting in to cubes

*To give the tempeh a slightly smoked flavor, try adding 1/4 tsp liquid smoke

*Try adding 1/2c cooked quinoa (boiled in 1c. veggie broth for about 15-20 mins) for added flavor and protein 

*You can mix the dressing into the salad before serving-- you will need about 3 1/2 Tbs, or to taste of dressing for the entire salad.

*This is a spicy salad! If you don't like food with too much heat, try regular flavored tempeh instead of spicy

Nutrition facts are an estimation of
1 serving; based off of an on-line tool 

Sausage Breakfast Burrito (Cholesterol-Free and Low-Fat)

What You'll Need
1/3 c. liquid egg whites (equivalent to 2 eggs)
1/8c. shredded soy cheese (I used soy-station 3 cheese blend)
1 Tbs diced tomato
1 Tbs diced green onion
1 Tbs diced yellow onion
1 Tbs diced red bell pepper
2 tsp cilantro, minced

2 veggie sausage links (I used Morning Star)
1 whole wheat tortilla
Salt and Pepper, to taste
cooking spray

What To Do:

In a small bowl, toss diced tomatoes, green onion, yellow onion, bell pepper and cilantro together.  Lightly spray a frying pan with cooking spray (I use olive oil cooking spray); heat over med-high heat.  Add egg whites, veggies and salt/pepper (to taste); scramble.  While the egg is cooking, heat the sausage links as directed on the package, cut in to small pieces and add to the egg whites. Once the egg is cooked (about 3-4 minutes) sprinkle soy cheese, turn off heat and mix until melted.  Wrap in warmed tortilla (I stuck mine in the microwave for 30 seconds).

Tips
* You can also use other egg substitutes in place of egg whites
*If you prefer some extra heat, add 1 tsp minced jalapeños
*I use Smart & Delicious Low-carb Tortillas (low calories and high fiber) and Morning Star Veggie Sausage Links
*The cheese I used can be found at Trader Joe's
*To reduce the overall sodium content, you can use low-sodium veggie links and less cheese

Cholay I - Curried Chickpeas

What You'll Need:
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 small can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 c. yellow onion, diced
1 c. water
1/4c cilantro, minced
1 medium sized golden potato, cubed (about 1/2" cubes)
1 Tbs coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Garam Masala  (Indian spice, found in spice or ethnic section)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch cinnamon
fresh cilantro, for garnish

What To Do:

In a saucepan, heat drained garbanzo beans in water over high heat (until heated through); remove from heat, drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, in a large frying pan or large shallow saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat; saute garlic and ginger powders until lightly golden.  Add a 2-3 tablespoons of water and add in remaining spices: coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, cayenne, cinnamon and Garam Masala. Saute for about 1/2 - 1 minute, until spices well blended. Add diced onion and entire contents of diced tomatoes can; stir until spices are mixed in well.  Increase heat to medium/high and add cubed potatoes and 1 c. water; simmer mixture (med-fast simmer), uncovered, for about 8-10 minutes.  Add diced bell pepper, heated garbanzo beans and tomato sauce. Stir occasionally and continue to cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes, or until excess liquid is evaporated and a thick sauce forms. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

     

Tips:
* If you don't have tomato sauce on hand, you can use 1/8 tomato paste instead
*Instead of canned diced tomatoes you can also use 4-5 fresh roma tomatoes
*To check if potatoes are cooked through, pierce with fork-- if the fork goes in easily, they are done

Portobello Mushroom Burger

What You'll Need:
2 portobello mushroom caps (trim the stems)
2 whole wheat 100 calorie sandwich thins
1/8 c. vegetable broth
1/8 c. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. worcestershire  sauce
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (if broiling)

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. dried oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. onion powder

What To Do:

Mix all spices, broth, balsamic vinegar, oil, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke together in a small bowl. With a fork, pierce small holes all over the smooth side of the mushrooms (don't poke all the way through).  Place mushroom caps in a plate or other shallow dish (smooth/pierced side up) and pour marinade over the mushroom caps. Marinate for about 20 minutes, flipping once.  When you flip the caps, spoon some of the marinade that has collected at the bottom of the dish onto the mushrooms.  Broil mushroom caps on a wire rack with a tray underneath for about 7 1/2 minutes on each side, or until tender. Top with your favorite vegetables and condiments (I used pan seared tomatoes - see below-, mixed greens, low-fat mayo and low-fat cheese).

Quick Tips:
*With marinade that is left over in the shallow dish, you can pan sear fresh veggies such as red bell pepper, onions or tomatoes to top the burgers with
* Before broiling the mushroom caps, you can spoon a tablespoon of the marinade to boost the favor a bit

Thank you Chrislyn S. for the idea!

Baked Chicken Tikka Kabobs

What You'll Need:
1lb ground chicken breast
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1/4c. diced red onion
1 capful hickory flavored liquid smoke
1/8c and 1 Tbs egg substitute

Spices:
2 tsp (slightly rounded) Shaan Tikka BBQ mix (found at indian stores)
or
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin seed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (less if you don't like too much heat)
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
small pinch cinnamon

What to Do:
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass dish (line with foil for easy clean up)
Mix all spices, liquid smoke and vegetables into the thawed ground chicken.  Divide meat into 4-5 portions. Place each portion into the greased pan and form into a elongated kabob shape (approximately 2" thick and 6" long). Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375 and bake for an additional 15 mins. Broil for about a minute to brown slightly. Garnish with fresh cilantro and onion.

Tips:
* Taste test the chicken before baking -- microwave about 1 tsp of the raw chicken for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes, until cooked through, add more salt or red pepper if needed.
*Since chicken breast is lower in fat it tends to dry out easily. When reheating baked kabobs in the microwave, place a slightly damp paper towel over the kabob to retain moisture and prevent it from drying out.

Date-Nut Shake

What You'll Need:
8 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk
3 medjool dates
3/4 banana, frozen

What To Do:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.