Palak Chana Tofu (Spinach, Garbanzo Beans, Tofu)

1T olive oil
1 bag frozen spinach, defrosted
1/2 bag frozen green garbanzo beans from Trader Joe's, defrosted
1 15 oz package extra firm tofu, chopped into cubes
1 shallot
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno sliced
1t ginger crushed
1 in piece of ginger, finely sliced
1t each chopped cilantro & mint leaves
1t cumin seeds
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste

heat 1t olive oil in a saute pan. add crushed ginger, chopped shallot & jalapeno. saute until shallot is lightly browned & add spinach, cilantro & mint leaves. stir for 2-3 min until well blended. let cool & blend in a food processor.

in the same pan, heat the remaining 2t olive oil. add cumin seeds & finely sliced ginger. saute for 2 min, stirring occassionally until ginger is lightly browned. add sliced onion & continue stirring for 2-3 min. add cubed tofu & stir for 1-2 min until sides are lightly browned. add garbanzo beands & mix well. lastly add the spinach mix & 1-2 tablespoons of water if necessary to reach the consistency of a paste. add salt to taste & mix everything well. serve hot with whole grain tortillas 0r bread, or brown rice.

makes 3 servings of approx. 335 calories & 12g of fat.

Fennel Citrus & Shrimp Salad

i took this recipe from Food Network by Michael Chiarello & tweaked it to be 20/20 friendly & also to accomodate the ingredients i had at home:

2 small heads fennel, shaved
1/2 large grapefruit
2 oranges, naval or other
6 oz shrimp, peeled & deveined
2t extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1t
1T fennel spice rub (see recipe here)
sea salt (Maldon or Fleur de Sel preferably) & black pepper to taste

Heat 1t olive oil in a skillet. Rub the shrimp with the fennel rub & add to the skillet. cook for approx 4-5 minutes, turning occassionally until all sides are evenly pink.

Cut the skin and white pith off all the citrus fruits and segment the fruits over a bowl to catch the segments and juices. Add the shaved fennel (save the fronds for garnish). Season with the salt and pepper and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of the olive oil (I like to use a high-quality olive oil for this). Toss well, taste for balance and reserve.

This salad will serve as a meal by itself so take a dinner plate & plate the fennel/citrus mix at the bottom. put the pan seared shrimp on top & garnish with chopped fennel fronds.

Makes 1 serving of approx. 430 calories & 13.5g of fat

Delicious Green Peas & Arugula Soup

really simple but yumm soup i created couple weeks ago:

1 bag frozen green peas, defrosted
1 small shallot, chopped
1/2 bag arugula
1Q vegetable stock
1 cup sugar snap peas slivered
2 cippolini onions, thinly sliced & roasted in oven
1t olive oil
1t truffle oil
sea salt (Maldon or Fleur de Sel) & ground white pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a saucepan & add the chopped shallot. when lightly browned, add the arugula & saute for 1-2 min. it should just lightly shrivel, without overcooking. add the vegetable stock & green peas. let the soup start boiling & turn off heat as soon as it does. blend with hand blender or food processor - i like to keep it slightly chunky for the texture.

Meanwhile, dunk the slivered sugar snap peas in hot, boiling water for 1 min & drain immediately - they should remain crisp.

Bring the blended soup back to saucepan & turn on the heat to low. let it simmer for 1-2 min while you add salt & pepper. add a little water if needed to reach desired consistency.

serve the soup in individual soup bowls. garnish with slivered sugar snap peas & roasted cippolini onions. drizzle a tad of the truffle oil into each bowl & sprinkle a little sea salt for finishing touches.

Makes approx. 6 servings of approx. 105 calories and 2g of fat each

Whole Wheat Pizza with Sausage & Arugula

Here's my attempt to make my favorite pizza (sausage) healthy but tasty. all ingredients came from Trader Joes.

1lb Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough
4 links Isernio's chicken sausage
1t fennel seeds
1/4t crushed red pepper
1/4 red onion sliced thin
1-2 cups arugula
8 pcs roasted tomatoes, drained & diced into small pcs
2.5 oz Low Fat Irish Celtic Cheddar Cheese
olive oil spray & wheat bran to coat pizza stone

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Knead whole wheat dough (once its at room temperature). spray pizza stone with olive oil & wheat bran to avoid sticking. roll out dough on pizza stone to thickness desired - i'm a thin crust fan. grate the cheese & spread evenly. dice the sausage into small pieces. heat a small pan & spray with olive oil. add the fennel seeds & crushed red pepper. once they start sizzling, add the diced sausage. cook till its browned on all sides. sprinkle over pizza along with the roasted tomatoes. add the sliced onion on top.

put the stone in the oven & bake for 30-35 min, until crust and cheese are nicely browned. sprinkle arugula evenly across the pizza & serve immediately. you can sprinkle crushed red pepper & 1/2t good olive oil (it would increase cal/fat from what is indicated below).

makes 4 servings. Nutrition informaton per serving (1/4 pizza) is approx. 400 calories and 8.25g fat each.

Sprouts & Cabbage salad

This one is my own creation, based on a common Gujarati cooking method, very similar to an Asian stir fry, to make a quick & healthy salad that is crunchy (so leaves the nutrients in) but really tasty.

2 cups cabbage, shredded (you could replace with almost any greens)
2 cup sprouts (i used choli bean which is a reddish, smaller variety of black eyed beans, but you can substitute with moong, garbanzo or lentil sprouts)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
4-5 curry leaves
a pinch asafoetida
salt to taste
juice squeezed from 1 lemon/lime
cilantro to garnish

heat oil on medium heat in a skillet. add mustard seeds. when they start popping, add the curry leaves & asafoetida. add the jalapeno next. add the sprouts & cook for 2 min. add the shredded cabbage & cook for another 2-3 min. it shouldn't overcook as you want both sprouts & cabbage to stay crunchy. add salt to taste, squeeze the lemon/lime juice & garnish with cilantro. mix & serve immediately.

the marvel of this dish is that even if you double or triple the sprouts/greens, you still need just as much oil for the tempering. i make 3-4 servings at a time & take it for lunch alongwith a protein, instead of a salad.

Makes approx. 4 cups of salad, with approx. 75 calories & 2g of fat per cup.

Hot & Sour Soup with Baby Bok Choy & Lentil Sprouts

3 tablespoons olive oil,
3 turns of the pan 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches ginger root, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or grated
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 1 hr
6 cups of baby bok choy, trimmed and cut into sticks lengthwise
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken broth, fat free, low sodium
3/4 pound extra firm tofu (you may use shrimp or crabmeat instead)
2 cups lentils sprouted
4 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces, then shredded lengthwise into thin sticks
cilantro & lemon juice to garnish

heat oil in a saucepan. add ginger, garlic, scallions & red pepper flakes. saute for 2 min & add the bok choy. saute for 1 more min & add the chicken broth & mushrooms. when the broth starts boiling, add the lentils & tofu. let boil on med heat until lentils are cooked but still crunchy (not more than couple min). turn of the heat & add lemon juice (based on tartness you prefer) & cilantro. serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings of 260 calories & 6.5g fat approx.

Cuban Picadillo with a Healthy Twist

i was listening to one of those NPR foodie shows where they talked to some Cubans from Miami who shared the recipe for Picadillo & the significance of Picadillo in Cuban family life & culture. that peeked my interest so i dug up a recipe in Mmmmiami by Carol Kotkin & Kathy Martin but then decided to give it a more healthy twist to accomodate my 20/20 diet program. so here it goes:

1.25 lb lean ground turkey
1Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
1 large bell pepper, cored, seeded & chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp drained capers
1/2 cup green olives with pimentos
1/2 cup apple, diced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med heat. Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic & jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey & raise the heat to medium high. Brown the meat, breaking up well with a wooden spoon or spatula, until cooked through, about 10 min. Stir in the cumin & tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil (add 1/2 to 1 cup water if necessary), turn the heat to low & simmer covered for 15 min. Stir in the capers, olives, diced apple & vinegar & simmer, covered for 5 min until the apple is softened & cooked. Season to taste with salt & pepper, and serve.

it was pretty quick to put together, nice & healthy & most importantly, really delicious - i can't wait to make it again soon.

Makes 4 servings. Approx. 230 calories & 7g of fat, per serving