Healthy Wild Rice Salad

Eating healthy does not always mean feeding on the same old-fashioned salad and boiled vegetables. In fact, I recently discovered a new card on the diet table - Wild Rice! For those who have never seen it, purple rice is one of the several varieties of colored rice. Anthocyanins are the color pigments that give many foods their deep rich red, blue, and purple colors. The risk of several chronic health conditions, including atherosclerosis, is also lowered by regular consumption of such foods. They have a slightly nutty flavor that might need some getting used-to, but their distinct color and nutritive content far outweigh this fact, making them a great addition to salad recipes. I added some cooked garbanzo beans, and some onions, walnuts and tomatoes to make this delicious Wild Rice Salad which could very well be served as a side dish.


Wild Rice Salad with Chickpeas

Ingredients
2 cups wild rice - cooked
1 cup garbanzo beans
2 tbsp red or white onions - chopped
3 green onions - sliced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup firm tomatoes - chopped
2 green chillies - chopped
Salt and pepper - to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
fresh cilantro - to garnish

Method
Heat half of the olive oil in a small skillet on medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute till mildly soft and brown in color. Next add the garbanzo beans and add about 2 tbsp water. Then add the cooked wild rice, salt, pepper and green chillies and let it cook for about 5-7 mins. Once done, let the rice cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the remaining olive oil and red wine vinegar to make the dressing.

In a large bowl, gently mix together the cooled cooked rice, green onions, chopped tomatoes, walnuts and the dressing. Garnish with some chopped cilantro, and serve the Wild Rice salad as a healthy and delicious side dish!

Related Recipes
Summer Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Sprouted Beans & Lentil Salad
Vegetarian Mexican Salad

Cucumber and Cilantro Dip

Chips and Dip are a favorite finger food for most of us, and with a wide variety of dips available in the markets, there's no end to the choices we have. But there's nothing that comes close to a fresh dip made at home! Plus, these are the best ways to make use of veggies and ingredients we have in our pantry. The possibilities are numerous, and you can actually enjoy dips with a lot of food like your raw veggies, as a salad topping, or with your tortilla chips! Here's a simple yet tasty and nutritious recipe for a Cilantro and Cucumber dip made with light sour cream. I add some mint and green chillies for the fresh taste and a spice kick, and the resultant dip is sure to make a lovely addition to your dinner table.

Ingredients
1 cup of low-fat (light) sour cream
1 fresh cucumber
a fistful of cilantro - finely chopped
6-7 mint leaves
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
salt - to taste
3 green chillies (choose the spicy ones)

Method
Mince the green chillies, cilantro, mint leaves and cucumber in a blender with one spoon of sour cream. Puree to make a smooth paste. Add this to the remaining sour cream. Add lemon juice and salt and mix well. Transfer to a serving cup and garnish with some mint leaves or cilantro and lemon rind. Enjoy this cool and refreshing dip with your chips, veggies or just as a side dish!

Simple Chickpea and Mung Salad - A bowl full of Protein

There are days when you feel like eating the most simple and nutritious things in life, and naturally, the first thing that comes to your mind is a Salad. There are loads of salad dressings available in the market these days, but if you closely look at the labels on them, you'll find they are not always less in calories. It's best to stick to simple and traditional home-dressings when you are trying to fill yourself up with something nutritious. Here's my favorite salad, which I call a bowlful of protein, as it's made of lentils, spinach and peppers, no fancy dressing, no additional pizzazz, just plain old simple Indian salad!

Ingredients
2 cups of washed fresh spinach leaves
2 cans of boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 cups of boiled green mung beans
1 green or yellow bell pepper
1 small onion - chopped finely
1 green cucumber - diced
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1 firm tomato - chopped finely
salt and pepper - to taste
chaat masala - to sprinkle on the top
a handful of coriander leaves - chopped

Method
Mix all the ingredents except the spinach leaves in a large bowl and add the lemon juice to it. Let it refrigerate covered for at least half an hour, allowing the lentils to soak the lemon juice. Before serving, add the spinach leaves, salt, black pepper powder and chaat masala and toss well so it is evenly combined. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately!

This Chickpea and Mung salad is a healthy and highly nutritive salad, and can keep you full for quite some time, thanks to all the protein and fiber content that it has!

Roasted Tomato and Peanut Chutney

Tomatoes, the beautiful and highly nutritious red delights add flavor to so many of our foods. I posted about the Green Tomato chutney recently, and so the circle wouldn't have been complete without using the ripe red tomatoes too to make one! So this time, I combined tomatoes with peanuts, onions and spices to make this Roasted Tomato Chutney. We savored this with Rava Dhokla, but you can use this as a dip or sauce with any finger food, even french fries. It might look similar to Marinara sauce, but believe me, the similarity ends at the looks. This might be a staple in many south-indian chutney recipes, but to me, it was a new one. Roasting the vegetables just adds a unique flavor, kinda-smoky-like. The spices bring an indian touch, yet peanuts add a crunch that reminds you of the asian cuisine. So hope you enjoy this spicy fusion chutney with Roasted Tomato and Peanuts just as much as we did!!

Ingredients
3-4 fresh firm tomatoes - chopped finely
1/2 cup peanuts - roasted and ground
2 tbsp (split pea) chana dal
1/2 cup onion - chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp red chilli powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt - to taste
1 tbsp sugar

Method
Heat oil in a pan, then add cumin and mustard seeds. Then add the chana dal, and when it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions. Saute for a minute, then add the roasted and ground peanuts. Add the ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup water. Allow to cook till the tomatoes are almost soft and mashed. Remove from heat and allow to cool for some time. Now add this mixture to a blender, add 2 tbsp oil and blend it to form a smooth paste. The chutney will still have some chunky pieces because of the chana dal and peanuts, but that adds crunch.

Store in an air-tight jar and refrigerate. Enjoy this with dhoklas, idlis, bhajiyas and chips!!

Grape and Green Tomato Chutney (Sauce)

Its amazing how most of the times, it is the sidekick which brings more flavor to the main course, right? The dips, sauces, pickles and salads make all the difference between good food and great food on a table, so it's important to give due respect to these side dishes and accompaniments which add more value to what you cook. One such experiment I tried last week was with green tomatoes and grapes. The markets are flooded with ripe tomatoes, yet there are so many green ones too that I was tempted to try making a dip using these. Grapes are found in abundance in CA, and when I came across this grape chutney recipe over at Food Network, I couldn't resist the temptation to combine tomatoes with grapes and add some green apple to it to form a nice savoury sauce. With the seasoning and green chillies, it turned out to be a wonderfully successful experiment!

Ingredients
5-6 large green tomatoes - sliced
1 semi-ripe green apple
3 cups green seedless grapes
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup raisins
3-4 green chillies - chopped
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp fresh ginger -chopped finely

Method
Put the tomato slices in a medium saucepan. Peel and dice the apples and add them to the tomatoes. Add the onions, sugar, vinegar, raisins and salt. Mix well. Add a little water if necessary. Cover partially and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Now add the green chillies, mustard seeds, ginger and grapes to the hot mixture. Cook for about 30 minutes longer, or until mixture is thick and all fruits are almost mashed. Remove from flame and alow to cool completely.

Now blend the entire mixture in a blender to form a coarse sauce. Do not add water. Adjust salt and sugar to your taste, then pack the chutney into hot sterilized jars. You can seal the jars for a longer use.

Enjoy this tangy and savoury sauce as a dip with chips and finger food. It can also be used to add more flavor to rice and other curries. We had it with pakodas and the combination just clicked! Check out the Rice Pakoda (Fritters) recipe here.

Spinach-Strawberry-Almond Salad

Salads have been considered as a healthy food since a long time now. And there was a time when they were healthy, yet dull and boring. But here's a strawberry salad that is colorful, tasty and nutritious. Additions of fruits, nuts and dressings can make a huge difference! Try this Spinach Strawberry and Almond salad which is tasty, with a tinge of sweetness. I had first had it in a salad buffet place called "Sweet Tomatoes", and here is my adapted recipe. I think the sweetness of strawberries goes well with the lemon-orange juice and oil dressing. The nuts and cheese take it to another level altogether!

Ingredients
1 bunch spinach leaves - rinsed
10 medium strawberries- sliced into halves
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp slivered almonds or walnuts
1/2 onion - chopped in thin rings (optional)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tspn salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil (if not available, use veg oil)

Method
Take a small bowl and mix the vegetable and olive oil, salt, lemon juice, orange juice and pepper. Whisk well to form an even dressing.

Cut the strawberries into bite-sized pieces and add the powdered sugar to them. Set aside so they induce the sweetness.

Take a large salad bowl, add the spinach leaves and strawberries. Then add in the dressing and toss it around so the salad gets coated evenly. Add the chopped or slivered almonds/walnuts and mix again a little. Garnish with the shredded cheese. Serve as a side dish or even as a main course!!

It is not only colorful and tasty, but full of essential vitamins, iron, anti-oxidants, protein and good lipids - everything needed for a healthy heart and mind! This Spinach & Strawberry Salad is a perfect summer salad for barbecue parties or cocktail evenings!

Similar Recipes:
Mixed Green Salad with Apricots
Roasted Asparagus Salad with Garlic
Spring Salad with Cranberries and Pecans

Date and Raisin Chutney (Sweet n Sour)

Dates and tamarinds have long been favourites for a chutney; Yet recently I discovered this amazing variation which adds raisins and fennel seeds to these to make a wonderful sweet and sour sauce that has a unique flavour and aroma. This Date and Raisin Chutney can also be preserved for sometime. It looks as appetizing as it tastes, and even if the ingredients make you skeptical, I would urge all of you to definitely give it a try. It tastes great with parathas, snacks or as a spread!

Ingredients
1 cup pitted dates - chopped
1 cup raisins (dried grapes)
1/2 cup tamarind paste
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup jaggery (or to taste)
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2-3 slit green chillies - slit and cut into 2-3 pieces

Method
Take a pan and dry roast the fennel seeds and mustard seeds over low flame until you can smell the aroma. Grind it to a fine powder using a spice grinder or stone and mortar. Now add this to tamarind, dates, raisins, chilly powder and jaggery and green chillies. Now heat oil in a saucepan, add the mixture to it and cook for 5-7 mins until it becomes soggy and thick. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40-50 mins so that it is entirely cooked and sticks a little (yet can fall off) from a spoon. Remove from heat and let it cool entirely.

At this point, you can choose to blend/churn this chutney in a mixer if you like it smooth. I prefer it thick with the date and raisin pieces barely visible. Take a sterilized jar (washed in boiling water and dried in sun) and store in a cool dry place. Referigerate after first use, and you can easily preserve it for a month. Relish it in place of pickles or as fresh chutney/sauce with snacks. You could even spread it on a slice of bread!

I'm sending this over the Asha's RCI-Karnataka Event and also to Swapna's AFAM-Grape Roundup!!

Homemade Mexican Salsa

"Chips and Salsa" is a universal favourite, and though Salsa finds its origin in the mexican cuisine, it's fame has crossed borders and travelled far and wide. It is similar to ketchup, but much more tasty and spicy. In fact, different cuisines have added their touches to salsa and hence you'll find a variety of salsa bottles on supermarket aisles. I'm sure most of you know how to make this, but just for the benefit of a few of my readers who might not, here's my homemade authentic mexican salsa recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion - finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 capsicum - chopped finely
3 serrano chillies - chopped
red chilly powder (optional)
salt/pepper - to taste
2 tsp oil

Method
Take a pan, add 2 tsp oil and add the chopped onion, capsicum and the serrano chillies. Saute for 1-2 mins, but not so that they become soggy. Then add the chopped tomato. Add some salt, and red chilli powder and mix everything together. Remove from flame and let the mixture cool a little. Finally pulse everything together in a mini-grinder or food processor for 2 mins. DO NOT add water. Make sure that the salsa remains chunky, and do not blend it into a paste.

There, a perfect accompaniment to your chips (tortilla or regular) is ready. Enjoy and indulge in the spicy flavours of Mexican food!!

Apricot Peach and Mixed Green Salad with Feta Cheese

I have loved the dry apricots since a long time now, and recently, I've started enjoying peaches too. I suffered from a negative notion about peaches for some years, until a friend started getting them for me to share at lunch, and slowly I started liking them. Same is the case for Green Salads. The concept of salads in India is very different from what we see in the US. And believe me, it took me almost 4 years to finally start appreciating the flavors in a bowl of salad. I always knew it was healthy, but never really got to savour it!! But not anymore; I enjoy eating then and here's a recipe that I recently tried. It turned out great- a hand-tossed mixed green salad with apricots, peaches and Ceasar dressing.

Ingredients
1 bag of mixed greens
1 large ripe peach - cut into thin slices
1 fresh apricot or canned slices
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp orange juice
6 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp Ceasar dressing
8-10 garlic-flavored croutons (optional)
3 large tbsp Feta Cheese
salt and pepper - to taste

Method
Wash the peaches and apricots and slice thinly. Toss the fruits with the lemon and orange juice . Now add the olive oil and the dressing. Mix in the greens and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally top it off with Feta cheese and croutons and enjoy as a healthy meal by itself, or as a side order.

Green Chutney (Sauce)

Side orders are generally the most tasty servings, and it's so not fair that they never get the importance that a main course enjoys!! But seriously, "chutneys" and "pickles" are cherished in every Indian home. In fact, after I married my chutney-craving husband, I rarely have a day when I run out of his favourite Coriander sauce. He can eat almost anything with this!! makes my life easier, so no complaints!! Enjoy this fresh coriander and green-chilly chutney that does not take more than 5 mins to make.

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh chopped coriander

3 green chillies - chopped

1 tsp ginger-chopped

a fistful of raw peanuts

5-6 mint leaves (optional)

salt, sugar and lemon juice - to taste

a pinch of asafoetida

Method

Take a blender and add the peanuts to it first. Grind them for a min. Now add the remaining ingredients, add water as needed and blend together to achieve a thick paste like consistency. And no, it's not supposed to be as watery as you have been served in some restaurants!!(Taste to make sure you don't need more salt:)) There, your chutney is ready to be savoured with any of the snacks found here

Tip: You can freeze and store the thick chutney for as long as 12-15 days. Thaw it in the microwave before using. Add a little water and you are ready to go!

Mango & Grape Salsa

Leftovers can come in handy to prepare some of the best dishes sometimes, and nothing can prove that more than this delicious Fruit Salsa recipe that I share with you today. Inspired by the mexican salsa, here's my variation using mangoes and grape juice. Mangoes impart sweetness while lemon and tomatoes provide the tangy zest which when blended with the spicy kick of the jalapenos, gives rise to a complete taste that your tongue will not forget for a long time!! This grape and mango Salsa serves as a great accompaniment with chips and taco salads too.

Ingredients:
1 large mango - skinned and chopped finely
3 tbsp Green Grape juice
1 capsicum-finely chopped
2 jalapenos (optional)
cilantro-finely chopped
1 small onion-finely chopped
1 small tomato-finely chopped
lemon juice, salt and red pepper/black pepper powder to taste

Method:
Drizzle the grape and lemon juice over the chopped mangoes and referigerate for 10-15mins so that the flavours mix well. Now add the onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and the spices to a grinder/chopper and pulse for 2-3 seconds. Repeat one more time. Make sure the vegetables are only minced, not blended. Add these to the mangoes and mix well. Add black pepper if you need to make it more spicy and garnish with cilantro.

Colorful and refreshing, your spicy and tangy mango and grape salsa is a great mix of flavors and sure to make your tongue tingle:)

Similar Recipes:
Homemade Mexican Salsa
Grape and Green Tomato Chutney