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Indian Feast & Product Reivews!

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. The only time I ever get to have it is if I go out to an Indian restaurant or get take out. Lately, I have had an enourmous craving for it, but not a craving to go anywhere and order food! I decided I would try out some boxed Indian meals… my hope is to find some time to actually prepare an Indian dish from scratch. But for now, boxed it is.

I started with these:

Tasty Bite Bombay Potatoes:

Ingredients: Water, Potatoes, Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Onions, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Ginger, Garlic, Corn Starch, Coriander, Chilies, Cumin, Spices.
(VEGAN, KOSHER, GLUTEN-FREE, MSG-FREE & NO PRESERVATIVES!!!)
Nutrition per half box: 100 calories, fat 4g, carbohydrates 13g, fiber 3g, protein 5g

I was actually quite impressed with the nutrition! An entire box provides 10 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber! Pretty awesome! I was lazy and just microwaved the the contents of the package for 3 minutes. It was kind of a watery dish, so I used it as a sauce for some veggies, as you will see below!

Step 1: Saute lots of beautiful delicious veggies with spices! (ginger powder, garlic powder, coriander, chili powder, cumin, onion powder)

veggies include carrot, celery, mushroom, onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes

Step 2: Spiralize zucchini

Step 3: Pan-fry spiralized zucchini

Let me tell you, this was the best idea I ever had! TRY IT!!

Step 4: Microwave Tasty Bite contents and combine veggies and zuke spiralz in a bowl and top with heated the, in this case, bombay potatoes!
(this was only my FIRST bowl of goodness!)

Indian Life Samosas: Mixed Vegetable

I LOVE samosas! And these truly did not dissapoint for being frozen. They are a great snack for whenever, but I figured if I was going to have an Indian boxed/frozen feast I might as well go all out!

Ingredients: Peas, potatoes, carrots, corn, enriched flour, filtered water, onions, salt, ginger, green chilies, lemon juice, cilantro, canola oil, herbs and spices and citric acid.
VEGAN
Nutrition per Samosa w/ Tamarind sauce: calories 130, fat 6g, carbs 17g, fiber 1g, protein 2g

I was not exactly impressed with this nutrition info… but it is a yummy snack wrapped in a pastry shell! A good way to get in some fat at least! But at least I can feel good because of this from their website…”Majority of our products are 100% NATURAL with newer ORGANIC ingredients with NO PRESERVATIVES to minimum. Most of our extensive line of products have NO Added Flavor, NO Color, NO Eggs, NO MSG, NO Lard or NO Hydrogenated oils (Trans).” Not bad!

Directions: dipped warm and soft naan in bombay potato contents while consuming! Dip samosa in TAMARIND sauce

Indian Life Garlic Naan:

Ingredients: Organic Unbleached Enriched Flour, water, garlic, canola oil, salt, sugar, yeast, baking powder, vinegar and calcium propionate

Nutrition per half Naan: 150 calories, fat 4g, carbs 24g, fiber 2g, protein 4g

This Naan is unbelievably good for buying it prepackaged. All you do is wrap it in foil and put in the oven for a few minutes!

Of course, enjoy any type of cuisine with a side of Kabocha with ketchup and tobasco
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Overall, I was extremly happy with my Indian feast! The veggies with pan fried zukes + the bombay potatoes was absolutly delicious! With the addition of the soft doughy warm naan and crispy samaosa, I was in boxed meal Indian heaven. I could not have been happier…

note: if you try the Tasty Bite bombay potatoes, I highly suggest serving them with veggies as the base. It makes for a delicious, yet hearty (from the taters and chickpeas) sauce for the veggies.

Posted in Dinner, Product Review, Uncategorized | 8 Responses »
Tags: indian food, kabocha squash, Product Review, stir fry, veggies, zucchini

Warm up with Miso

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

With rapidly approaching low temperatures outside, I am preparing to warm up inside. I have already begun to feel the onset of the chilly weather via the common cold. Every year when the tempertures drop, I get the “common cold,” as do most it seems. It is hard to walk into any public setting (school, restaurant, drug store) and not hear multiple people sniffing, coughing, sneezing ect.

Appetizing, no? Well, No is correct. But the recipe I am so enthused to share with you all…? Well, yes, in fact, it is

Forget over-the-counter medications that are hard on your body and merely cover up your sneezing and coughing for 4-6 hours (if they even do!) and try a more preventative and healing approach with my latest recipe.

Without further ado, I give to you…
MyVerFirstKitchen’s Warming and Healing Macrobiotic Miso Soup
serves 1 big bowl, or 4 small ones

The ingredients for this soup are available at most health food stores, Asian markets/grocery stores or Whole Foods. I have also added them to MyVeryFirstKitchen’s Amazon Store so you can at least know what to look for in the store. Not familiar with sea veggies, macrobiotics and healing??

Check out my page dedicated to Macrobiotics, Macrobiotics: Eat to Heal

Before I delve into this glorious recipe, can I just mention that this was by far the best Miso soup I have ever consumed. Yes, not only the best I have ever created, but the best I have ever tasted. I attribute it’s complex, intoxicating and delicate flavor to the Kombu, which I used to flavored the broth.

So, what do you need to make this amazing soup?

Ingredients
-Kombu: one 4×4 inch piece

-Wakame: 1/2 teaspoon

-Dried Mushrooms (I used a medley I bought from TJ’s and used about 1/3-1/2 of the package. Dried shiitakes work amazingly)

-Nama Shoyu: 2 Tablespoons (I was all out and substituted Tamari)

-Miso paste: 4 teaspoons (preferably mellow white, and Westbrae Natural is a great brand to purchase)

*optional additions include:(for a heartier miso soup)

-tofu, sliced into small cubes (about 3/4 inch)

-veggies such as carrot pieces, onion, scallions, sliced mushrooms

Instructions:
-Soak rinsed mushrooms in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes

(tip: boil one cup of water in a tea kettle or on the stove and then pour it into a heat safe bowl and add the shrooms)

-Rinse, pat dry and then soak the Kombu in 3 cups of water for 10 minutes

-After 10 minutes, add the kombu and its soaking water to the soaking mushrooms for an additional 5 minutes

-Remove mushrooms, slice off and discard stems and thinly slice caps and return to water

-Bring the water to a simmer, making sure to keep just below a boil, and cook for 15 minutes

-In the mean time, prepare wakame by soaking it in 1/2 cup of just boiled water. The wakame will expand by 20 times in size!

*(this is also a good time to prep any tofu and lightly steam your carrots and onions, if using. The veggies should be sliced thin or diced as small as the tofu)

-After 15 mintues, remove and discard kombu and mushrooms from the simmering water with a slotted spoon and then add the shoyu or tamari, and the miso. Stir until the miso is well incorporated (about one minute) and then add the wakame, tofu and any veggies.

-Remove from heat, pour into bowl, and serve! (if using scallions, sprinkle them on top right before serving)

kombu and mushrooms soaking:

simmering the broth (kombu + mushrooms):

“just poured into bowl” miso soup:

Directions: Consume for a happy body:)

Posted in Dinner, Ethnic, Health Tips, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegan, snacks | 2 Responses »
Tags: kombu, macrobiotic recipe, miso, sea veggies, soup, wakame

Kabocha for days
Saturday, November 14th, 2009

My love and appetite for Kabocha Squash is indefinte. I recently stocked up after an “out of kabocha squash” scare at my local co-op. I decided to try making “kabocha moons” this time, as opposed to roasting the squash whole until done, or in quarters as I did here.

Although, nothing can truly beat roasting an entire Kabocha squash until the entire house smells of its goodness, at least in my books.

Oven: 450
Procudre: Roast whole kabocha (I like to poke a whole or two into it)
Time: 15-45 minutes (depends on on the size of your squash) or until just soft enough to safely cut.
LET COOL 5-10 mintues before slicing in half
Slice: Remove stringy insides and seeds and slice Kabocha into half moons and top with any seasonings you like
Seasoning: I left 1/2 of the slices plain; 1/4 seasoned with pumpking spice and coconut oil; the last 1/4 of slices I seasoned with braggs liquid aminos, ginger, garlic, seseme oil, red pepper flakes, and maybe a few others. I figured an asian spice mix was appropriate as Kabocha is a Japanese Pumpkin!
Roast: Roast the the half moons until it reaches your desired crispiness/softness/gooeyness (20-45 mintues longer, flipping half way through)
NOTE: I prefer to roast my veggies on parchment paper with canola oil spray, but when I run out, I opt for foil + spray

I roasted a few trays of kabocha, as you can never have too much! One of the trays also included extra firm tofu, brussel sprouts and broccoli trunks.

Tofu: Extra Firm patted dry & sliced
Seasoning: (another Japanese insipriation) Red pepper flakes, braggs, garlic powder, onion powder, seseme oil, ginger powder, agave, onion granules, and I think that is all (?) I also enjoyed my tofu with some nori!
*The broccoli trunks and sprouts were included in this seasoning mix to simplify things

I loved the half moon style of roasting kabocha. It was carmelized in parts and absolutly delicious (of course). I will defintly rotate my Kabocha prep methods with the half moon style.

Kabocha dinner #1 (there were many “seconds”):

Reheating for Kabocha dinner #2 (although Kabocha is delicious cold!):

squash + maple brussel sprouts + roasted mushrooms + spinach + leftover black beans stir fried with veggies + spices

ps: spinach leaves make awesome little mini “wraps” for the beans or squash

Kabocha dinner #3

tortilla veggie&cheese pizza + shrooms + leftover black beans + bell pepper halves stuffed with black beans and parmesan + Kabocha squash

I am slighly addicted to dipping Kabocha into ketchup + tobasco, but it is excellent on it’s own as well!!

How do YOU enjoy Kabocha if you have tried it? What is your favorite winter squash and way of preparing it?

Posted in Dinner, Ethnic, Recipes, Vegan | 7 Responses »
Tags: black beans, gluten free, kabocha squash, leftovers, spinach, stir fry, tortilla, veggies

Recent Eats: Protein Power
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Some recent eats around MyVeryFirstKitchen, and for lack of a better theme to tie everything together, we will go with PROTEIN POWER snacks/meals

1. Baked tofu + green beans

(extra firm tofu, pressed with paper towels & baked for 20 minutes with seseme oil + bragg’s liquid aminos + spices, flipped half way through, at 425)

2. Smoked salmon chunk + carrots + peanut and pumpkin butter + brussels sprouts and parsley from the garden

3. Spicy Black Beans from scratch (these have such an amazing texture compared to canned beans. Plus, NO SODIUM!)

Instructions: Soak beans overnight (or in the morning before you go to work/school) with double/triple the water. After 8-12 hours, rinse beans thoroughly. Add fresh water (double the amount) to your pot/pan and with the rinsed beans and slowly bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until your beans are the consistency you want and the water is absorbed. Easy!

4. Snack Plate: Celery + almond butter + raisins, pumpkin and cinnamon

5. Tortilla Pizza + Veggies + Cheese
(high protein La Tortilla Factory tortilla’s or Flat Out Wraps)

6. Dessert lately has been alot of Greek yogurt + toppings:
Raspberries + dark chocolate chips + pom seeds + crushed Newman’s o cookie

Random eats but good ones, especially the new addition of yogurt to my dessert menu (18 grams protein/serving)

*some snacks/meals that don’t exactly follow my protein theme of the day*

Brussels Sprouts + Shallots (before)

After:

These were awesome! I have never pan “fried” brussels sprouts before, I always roast them in oil + maple syrup

Lots of veggie salads + Annie’s salad dressing (the best!)

ORGANIC DARK CHOCOLATE

Sorry for the overload of eats!

Posted in Dinner, snacks | 6 Responses »
Tags: almond butter, Dessert, greek yogurt, peanut butter, pumpkin, salad, snacks, tortilla, Vegan, veggies

Pulled Chicken Sandwich
Thursday, November 5th, 2009

The best part of roasting your own chicken??

Leftovers

Try these amazing pulled chicken sandwiches

You will need:

3 Tablespoon (T) of Ketchup
1 T of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T of grainy mustard (regular will do fine as well)
1 T molasses
1 teaspoon (t) chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
4 turns of fresh ground pepper
a dash (or 1/8 t) of ground ginger
Desired amount of shredded chicken meat, at least 3 servings (or 12 oz)
-you could also use raw chicken meat cut into 2 inch pieces, cooking time will increase
-add the raw chicken to the saute pan with all other ingredients, follow instructions and cook until cooked through (20-25min)
*Buns of choice (I prefer Rudi’s organic)
Mayo/horseradish

1. Combine all of the ingredients besides the shredded chicken and buns in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally.
3. Once sauce has reached desired consistency, should be like a very thick bbq sauce, add chicken
4. Stir with chicken just until it is heated through
5. Spread mayo onto bun (or desired sauce) and top with chicken mixture
6. Serve with a pickle and enjoy

Posted in Dinner, Meat | No Responses »
Tags: bbq, burger, chicken, leftovers, Meat, rudi's organic, sandwich

How To Roast a Chicken
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Roasting your own chicken is wonderful. You can buy free range organic (Trader Joe’s has these), roast it with your favoroite seasonings, and enjoy with integrity. Your home will also smell of amazing garlic, rosemary (my herb of choice) and lemon while roasting

Preheat oven to 425

Step 1: Rinse your chicken with cold water and pat dry
Step 2: Remove giblets if they have not done so for you from the cavity of the chicken
Step 3: Stuff about one lemon’s worth of slices, entire head of garlic, fresh herb sprig and a 1/2 tablespoon of butter into the cavity of the chicken
Step 7: On the top of the chicken, make a small insert into the skin and slide a 1/2 tablespoon of butter underneath the skin
Step 8: Sprinkle chicken liberally with sea salt + pepper
Step 9: Put chicken in casserole/baking/roasting pan or dish and into the oven for 90 minutes, or until the juices are running clear

Enjoy leftovers all week long: Rather than buying chicken strips, chicken thighs, breasts, ect, try and reduce your footprint and buy a whole chicken for roasting. From there, make your own soup stock and freeze it for future usage. Save the planet AND money.

CHeck out THIS link to learn more about the most enviormentally friendly way to eat meat.

HERE is another article to check out about eating meat in the most green fashion possible.

Posted in Dinner, Meat, eco-tip | 1 Response »
Tags: chicken, Dinner, eco-tip, leftovers, Meat

Balanced Vegan Dinner
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

This dinner is the perfect balance of carbohydrate + protein + fat. It is cozy and delicious. Here is a quick, light, healthy meal that will leave you satisfied. Multiple servings are a must, I am only showing the first round of servings here:)

Baked tofu with homemade pumpkin cardamom sauce:

Slice and blot (with paper towels) extra firm tofu and bake at 425 for 20-30 mintues depending on your oven, flipping half way throught. You can also “marinate” your tofu in oil or any yummy sauce you like. BBQ is delish. For this recipe, I bake it plain so that it may be dipped in this yummy pumpkin sauce.

Meanwhile, make pumpkin sauce:

1/4 cup pumpkin pecan butter (or TJ’s pumpkin butter)
cardamom and cumin seeds (about a tsp each)
one clove garlic
pinch of ginger powder (optional)
honey, agave or brown sugar to your taste
soy milk creamer to thicken
water to thin if needed

Begin by frying seeds until fragrent in a non stick skillet
Remove from heat and mix with crushed clove of garlic.
Add pumpkin to skillet and stir until warmed throughout, add other spices and seasonings, and then add the fryed seed mixture.
Stir in soy milk creamer and sweetener to taste.
Drizzle over baked tofu, or use as dipping sauce! Delicious on sweet potatoes too.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Peel potatoes if desired, otherwise slice sweet potatoes into wedges.
“Paint” them with olive oil using a pastry brush, you can be quite generous with oil here, as this is the main fat source of the meal and will help in the absorption of valuable nutrients. (you can see my technique for “painting” oil here)
Season with sea salt + garlic powder + red pepper flakes or chili powder

Bake at 500 degrees for 15-20 minutes, flipping half way through.
(Or, if you are baking your potatoes and tofu at the same time, put the oven to 450 and flip tofu when browned on the bottom. Baking time will vary, so keep a close watch!)

Last but not least, MYVERYFIRSTKITCHEN wouldn’t be what it is without a ginormous salad:

Spinach + mushrooms + broccoli + tomatoes + yellow bell pepper + favorite salad dressing (honey mustard for me.)

Perfectly satisfying deliciousness of protein + startch (with some healthy EVOO fat!) + vegggggies. There is even room for a cupcake!

Posted in Dinner, Health Tips, Recipes, Vegan | No Responses »
Tags: balanced meal, Health Tips, healthy, pumpkin, salad, sweet potato, sweet potato fries, tofu, Vegan, vegetable, veggies

Coffee Controversy
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

So my day started without coffee this morning! There are many coffee haters out there so I thought I would let you all know about coffee’s health benefits!

It can LOWER your risk for cavaties, diabetes, colon cancer, depression, Alzheimer’s, liver disease, gallstone disease and more! Oh and for me? It helps decrease my asthmatic symptoms, wakes me up, makes me feel warm and cozy, and gets me out of bed in the morning! Addiction? Maybe! But then I am also addicted to vegetables…so there

I found a lot of my coffee facts here and here

I know many bloggies out there are anti-coffee drinkers, and I know its not the BEST thing in the world for me, but I LOVE it!! We all have our vices, right? A steaming cup of coffee in the morning, mmm, nothing better Well, we are all out! I knew I would have no time to stop anywhere, so tea it was. Chai is my fav!

I even got a Pilates workout in this morning thank goodness. My back has been KILLING me since school started, lugging books and my laptop all over campus all day!

Snacks for school/work today included:

I didn’t have the Amazing Meal, and have yet to try it! Any thoughts on it?? I am back in an Oikos greek yogurt phase…!

Dinner tonight was what is becoming quite the usual: Flat out wrap tortilla pizza + one HUGE sweet potato (which I added ketchup and tobasco to) + greens + some of the boys unpictured Beecher’s Mac and Cheese (so good!!)

Night friends! Gotta get up early to go get coffee!!!!

Posted in Dinner, Health Tips, snacks | No Responses »
Tags: coffee, flat out wrap, health, sweet potato, tea, tortilla, yogurt