On-the-Go Antioxidant Trail Mix & Hearty Green Stew “Chili”

For my snack today, I made a delicious trail mix that was quick to put together. I threw in some goji berries to make it high in antioxidants and the blend of almonds and walnuts made the trail mix high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat! It’s a perfect pre or post workout snack or even just when you are a little hungry.

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The Recipe: Antioxidant Trail Mix

Yields 1 serving

10 almonds

30 semisweet chocolate chips (~ 1 tbsp)

5 walnut halves, cut into smaller pieces if you want

1 tbsp goji berries

On a side note, the green roti that I posted a few hours ago ended up getting accepted by Tastespotting.com! I was so excited and happy 🙂 Check it out if you get a chance. Also, for dinner, we made a hearty green stew “chili”! 

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The Recipe: Green Stew “Chili”

Yields 4 – 6 servings

2 cups cooked kidney beans

2 cups kale

3 large celery stalks

2 carrots

2 medium tomatoes

1 tbsp seaweed kelp

1 cup broccoli

1/2 bell pepper any color

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black pepper

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Directions: Green Stew “Chili”

1. Blend together the bell pepper, kale, and broccoli to make a heavy stew gravy. 

2. Pour the kidney beans in with the gravy in a large pot. Let it bubble for a while and cook.

3. Cut all of the other vegetables and throw them into the pot when you start to see the bubbling occur. Sprinkle in all the spices as well and mix thoroughly. Allow the stew “chili” to cook for about 10 minutes. Serve warm! Enjoy alone, with some bread, or tortilla chips.

A Healthier Version of Pav Bhaji (A Popular Indian “Chili”)

There is this DELICIOUS Indian street food called Pav Bhaji that is basically a buttery, mixed vegetable “chili” with Indian spices. Indians enjoy this dish literally on a daily basis because it is easy, filling, and delicious! I personally love it – I cannot even describe how savory the dish is because of the authentic blend of spices, but sadly, it is also filled with butter and oil. Hence, my mom and I decided to experiment and create a healthier version to this yummy dish for dinner today. And, we were sneaky and included hearty quinoa grains into the recipe – you can’t even see or taste them – to make our own broth for the dish instead of using high-sodium, store-bought broths. With such amazing differences to the typical recipe, you are going to reap so many benefits from eating this dish because of the complete protein, fiber, and whole grain carbohydrates! Our unique take to Pav Bhaji is high in magnesium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A & B6 & C, potassium, and dietary fiber. Moreover, it has no cholesterol and is both low-sodium and low-sugar! You really don’t get that from your typical pav bhaji dish whether it’s from a street vendor or from an Indian restaurant! This popular dish is enjoyed simply alone, with some bread, or some rice. The texture of pav bhaji is like chili, but our recipe was a little bit thicker because of the quinoa so I would say it is almost in between chili and porridge. My little sister, who is very picky when it comes to eating, ate her entire bowl without complaining about no butter or a quinoa-y taste, which was pretty outstanding. Let me know how you like it!

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The Recipe

Yields 3 – 4 Servings

1 cup quinoa, cooked

1 large bell pepper (preferably yellow, red, or orange so you get the color of pav bhaji)

8 large mushrooms, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

1 1/4 cup edamame, shelled

1/2 cup parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 bunch kale leaves (~ 1 cup chopped)

1 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala (*)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp hing powder (optional)

 

* If you don’t have pav bhaji masala on hand, you can make it quickly by mixing the following spices together (you can add or remove depending on your taste too): black pepper, cardamom powder, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, coriander, cumin powder, ginger powder, dry mango, fennel, and turmeric powder. Pav bhaji masala can be found at your local supermarket or easily at a local Indian supermarket – they come in small packets like to the left.

 

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Directions

1. Cut up all the vegetables and wash carefully.

2. Blend the cooked quinoa and the bell pepper together with a little water to make the broth.

3. In a big pot, place the edamame, the blended broth, and all of the spices. Let the broth simmer for about 5 minutes so the spices integrate into the entire dish evenly.

4. Throw in all of the other vegetables and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes till the vegetables are fully cooked.

5. Serve warm with some rice or bread!

Lentil Healing Soup

I just got back from vacation aka eating tons and tons of “unkind” foods. So, for lunch today, I decided I needed to have a really soothing, healing soup. I chose a lentil base and tossed in a delicious blend of “kind” vegetables. First, I tossed in some dandelion root. Dandelions have been used for centuries now since it has been known to have mild laxative effects, promoting digestion and improving one’s GI tract. Then, I used some carrots, which we all known is the perfect detox vegetable. Carrots are known to help cancer prevention, strengthen the heart organ, and naturally detox with its high vitamin and antioxidant content. Lastly, I used some green beans, which have vitamins B1 and B2! Moreover, they are relatively high in protein and contain the essential minerals like calcium, making it a perfect source for vegetarians, helping to build strong bones (yes, your parents were right when you were kids!). I also added some flaxseed, which helps to fight constipation, inflammation, and cholesterol! This blend of spices and vegetables with the lentil protein all help to fight any bloat or gassiness that you may have from a holiday weekend! If you want to make this soup purely healing then do not add any salt (which you will notice is not in the ingredients list) – excess sodium can add to water weight so you want to avoid salt for a few days after a holiday weekend.

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 3 cups

1/2 cup mung beans, cooked

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup green beans, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 cup dandelion root, diced

2 large white mushrooms, diced

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ginger powder

1/2 garlic clove

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp masala powder

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Directions

1. Cook your lentils in a rice cooker or steamer with some bay leaves to help reduce any gassiness (you can also soak your lentils overnight if you prepare ahead of time).

2. In the meantime, chop all your vegetables.

3. After your lentils are cooked, toss them into a pan with your vegetables and spices. Add the vegetable broth and cook till the broth simmers and the vegetables are cooked.

4. Serve warm with some basil leaves on top!

Edamame, Okra, Pumpkin Stew

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 3 cups of soup

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup raw pumpkin

1/2 okra, sliced

1/2 edamame, shelled

2 tbsp seaweed kelp, raw or dried

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp salt

all of the vegetables and spices

Kidney Bean Colorful “Gazpacho” Soup

I really liked the ginger edamame soup I made last night so I wanted to stick with a similar theme for lunch today since I wanted something easy on my stomach, but filling as well. I also wanted to make it a colorful bowl since I read that the more colorful your plate, the more vitamins and minerals you are eating. So, I diced some tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots and boiled some kidney beans as my protein source. I decided to make half of this soup raw to reap the benefits of the vegetables! To make it an extraordinary soup (different than others), I stuck to using the ginger base like I did for dinner last night. I threw in some freshly grated ginger and a freshly grated garlic clove for flavor, with a hint of turmeric powder for anti-inflammatory benefits! I explained in my post last night that ginger is used in cooking because it’s really good for digestion and gives you a spicy zing, as I called it, without you having to add too much chili sauce. The soup was really portable too in an airtight container and tasted fine chilled, but you can warm it up as well! It’s an easy soup to make and can be used for either lunch, dinner, or a snack since it’s easy to digest and satisfying as well. It’s also perfect for anyone who is sick since it’s watery and all of the vegetables are soft, easy to chew, and great for your digestion if you’re sick. If you’ve ever been to Freshii, the organic make-your-own meal restaurant, this soup tastes a lot like a soup you would have there but I feel it is more healthy because I used a low-sodium vegetable broth (most broths on the market are very high in sodium so watch out)!

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 1 bowl

1/2 cup cooked kidney beans

1 cucumber, diced

5 cherry or grape tomatoes, diced

1 carrot, diced with skin removed

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 – 2 cup low-sodium broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp scallions, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp freshly grated ginger 

1 tsp onion powder or 1 tbsp onions diced

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 freshly grated garlic clove

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt (optional)

3+ drops of Tabasco sauce (optional for more spice)

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Directions

1. Chop and dice all the vegetables. Wash properly and set aside.

2. Place the cooked kidney beans and the carrots into a pot with the broth, and freshly grate the ginger and garlic into the soup. The rest of the vegetables will remain raw – if you want to cook them, place them in the pot as well. Cook the soup for ~ 5 minutes till the carrots are completely steamed.

3. Turn off the gas. Throw in all the spices and mix together.

4. Now, throw in all the remaining vegetables and the olive oil for added flavor.

5. Enjoy either warm or chilled!

Ginger Sweet Potato Edamame Soup

For dinner today, I tried making something different with an ordinary soup recipe. I knew I wanted to use edamame as my base protein so I looked around the kitchen for some other appetizing vegetables that would mix well with edamame to make a soup. I ended up choosing sweet potato, bok choy (need those daily leafy greens!), and zucchini. However, I didn’t want to just simply chop up all the vegetables because it seemed like a boring old soup to me so I decided to shred the zucchini instead so it become easier to digest and to chew (perfect for a soup!). Moreover, I wanted a different blend of spices. I used my typical garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and olive oil to cook the vegetables in the broth but in addition, I decided to throw in some freshly grated ginger to give it a different flavor than an ordinary soup. Ginger is used in cooking and in teas because it has anti-inflammatory benefits and is really good for digestion. Moreover, I love ginger in meals because it provides a spicy zing that is more than enough to make the entree tasteful so you don’t need to add chili powder or other spices. 

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The Recipe

Yields 1 – 2 Servings

Serving Size: 1 bowl

1 medium sweet potato, diced

3/4 cup edamame, shelled

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup low-sodium broth

2 bok choy leaflets

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp scallions, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp freshly grated ginger 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp salt (optional)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

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Directions

1. Shred 1/2 of a medium or large zucchini (with the skin intact). Cut the sweet potatoes and wash the bok choy. Place all vegetables into a pot with the edamame. 

2. Pour in the vegetable broth and let the vegetables simmer till completely cooked.

3. Throw in the spices and the olive oil for added flavor. I freshly grated ginger into my soup at the beginning so that its flavor could be absorbed by the water while cooked.

4. Enjoy warm!

Lentil Quinoa Soup

Blegh, today was a tough day. There was a huge thunderstorm and hailstorm in New York that literally seemed like a hurricane storm. Walking through it to get home was very exhausting so by the time I came home, my mom and I just wanted to throw a quick dinner together with the least amount of dishes possible. So for dinner today, I mixed together whole grains, lentils, and vegetables to make this hearty soup. It was really filling, and I incorporated some great spices to make it savory and have some anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, the soup was easy on my tummy so that was really perfect considering my big dinner last night at The Melting Pot. I hope you enjoy! 

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The Recipe

Yields 1 Serving

Serving Size: 1 dinner entree bowl

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup cooked sprouted mothbeans – click here to learn how to sprout

1/2 cup mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup cooked kale, chopped

1 cup vegetable broth or water

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 – 2 tsp fresh grated ginger root