Red Curry Noodles

I like using whole wheat spaghetti since it is a good source of fiber and tastes really good. This recipe is hearty and comforting and great for a relaxed night in.

Makes: 2-3 servings

150-200 grams whole wheat spaghetti

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp oil

4 lime leaves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, chopped

1 stem lemon grass, cut into 1-inch long pieces and then smashed

1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

Salt, to taste (use ONLY if not using fish sauce)

1 cup low fat coconut milk

1 tbsp red curry paste (use less if you do not want it too spicy)

3 cups chicken broth (you can use plain water as well, but broth will add a lot of flavor)

2 handsful scallions/green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 handful fresh cilantro

Juice from 1 large lime (more if you wish)

1/4 cup roasted, chopped peanuts (optional)

Heat the oil and saute the lime leaves, lemon grass, garlic and ginger till soft and then add the chicken. When chicken is slightly brown, add in the fish sauce and 1/2 a cup of stock/water and cook on medium low heat till chicken is almost done. Add the remaining chicken stock and the noodles and heat through. In a separate bowl, mix in the red curry paste with 1/2 of the coconut milk till no lumps remain. Then add this mix into the chicken and stir. Add the rest of the coconut milk and cook on medium heat till the noodles are almost done. Add the mushrooms, scallion and cilantro and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the lime juice right at the end , garnish with peanuts and serve.

Note: If you feel that you want to make the noodles more soupy, add more stock or water. If you want it thicker, cook it on high heat towards the end.

Eggplant Burgers

I had a huge eggplant sitting in my refrigerator for a few days and wanted to make something different. The following recipe is what I ended up doing and it turned out quite good. Its quite healthy and low on calories. You can serve it with oven baked fries or potato wedges. If you want to make it healthier, replace the regular fries with sweet potato fries. I'm still trying to calculate the final calorie count. Will add that in when I do.

Makes: 4 servings

Patties:

4 large round eggplant slices, each about 1/2 inch thick

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

2 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

4 hamburger buns

Tomato Salsa:

1 large ripe tomato, finely diced

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1 green chili, finely chopped

2 tsp lemon juice (or 1 tsp balsamic vinegar)

1 tbsp grated fresh parmesan cheese

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Toppings: (all optional)

Lettuce (I did a combination of lettuce and bok choy)

Mayonnaise

Ketchup

Cabbage (thinly sliced)

Parmesan cheese, grated

Take the eggplant slices and sprinkle them with salt on both sides. Place in a colander and set aside for 30 mins.

In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the salsa and keep aside.

Take the eggplant and squeeze each slice lightly. Heat a grill pan on medium heat and brush with a little oil. Place the eggplant flat on the pan. Grill on both sides till eggplant is soft and moist (but not breaking), switching sides every 2 minutes and brushing with a little more oil each time. When the eggplant is ready (in about 6-10 minutes), drizzle each slice with 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar and remove from heat.

Assemble the burgers by putting a slice of eggplant on the bottom on a bun. Add the salsa and then the lettuce and parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

Finger Kababs in Tomato-Onion Sauce

Despite having a Pakistani touch, this recipe is nutritious, not too spicy or too high in calories. Its quite easy to make, yet seems like you spent some time preparing it and, therefore, good for entertaining as well.

Ingredients:

For kababs:

400 grams ground beef1/2 medium red onion, chopped

4 tblsp yogurt

1-2 green chilies, chopped

Cilantro-handful, chopped

1/4 tsp garlic paste

1/4-1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional)

Salt, to taste

For Sauce:

2-3 tbsp oil

2 large tomatoes, diced

1-2 medium red onions, sliced

4-5 curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds ('Rai')

2-3 whole green chilies

1/2 tsp garlic paste

Salt, to taste

Red chili powder, to taste

Water, if needed

Combine all the ingredients for the kababs and process in a food processor/chopper till well mixed. Make 'kababs' in the shape of thick fingers and set aside.

In a sauce pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add curry leaves and then the green chilies and mustard seeds. Add in the onions and cook till a little soft. Then, mix in the tomatoes, garlic paste, salt and red chili powder. Simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce does not burn. Add in the finger kababs one by one and let them cook on all sides, making sure not to break them. Add a little water and cook on medium-low, partially covered, for about 20-25 minutes. If sauce seems too thick, add some more water and cook. If it seems too runny, cook uncovered on high heat for a few minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with white rice or chappati.

Baked Lemon and Herb Chicken

This has to be one of the easiest, low calorie chicken dishes I have ever made, but also one of the yummiest! I guarantee that you will love it!

Calories: About 160 per serving

Makes: About 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 chicken with bones, cut into 12 pieces

1 large yellow lemon, zested and juiced

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, coarsely crushed, to taste

1 tsp corn flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

Mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oil, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper to make a marinade. Do a taste test to see if the flavor is according to your taste (the salt should be a tad bit on the higher side). Add it to the chicken and let it marinate (preferably for 45 minutes to an hour).

Preheat oven to 325 F. Put the chicken in an oven proof glass dish and place it in the oven. Bake for about 35-45 minutes (till the chicken is no longer pink from the inside or about 165 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer reading). Take out the chicken into a serving dish, minus the released drippings/juices.

In a separate small pan, heat the drippings. Add the corn flour mixture, while stirring constantly to avoid getting lumps. Once the sauce thickens, pour over the chicken and serve hot.

Note: If you feel that the chicken is drying up while baking, you can add 1/4 cup of chicken stock.

You can also use fresh herbs for this recipe. If you decide to do that, blend the marinade well initially before pouring over the chicken.

Spicy Stir-Fry Vegetables with Garlic, Ginger and Lime

My stir-fry vegetables have usually turned out soggy in the past. But this recipe is quite fool proof and the vegetables are crisp and delicious (and of course, healthy). You can add chicken or nuts to the recipe as well and alter the ingredients to your preference.

Ingredients:

Sauce-

1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock (home made or store bought)

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

5 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 tsp honey (or brown sugar)

1 tsp corn starch, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

1 green or red chili, finely chopped

Vegetables- (a combination of the following, or any other you prefer)

1 carrot, sliced to finger size

1 cup bok choy

1 cup cauliflower pieces

5-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or fresh button mushrooms)

1 cup sliced srping onions

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1 thumb-size piece of ginger, sliced into matchstick size pieces

4-5 tbsp stock

To begin, place all the ingredients of the stir-fry sauce (except garlic and corn starch) into a small saucepan and cook on medium high heat. When it bubbles, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then add the corn starch and let it cook for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Taste is to check flavor. Add fish sauce if its not salty enough. Add honey if too sour or salty. Add a little more stock if too thick.

In a separate wok or flat-ish pan, heat a teaspoon of oil on medium heat and add ginger, carrots and mushrooms. When this mix dries, add the 4-5 tbsp stock one by one. Cook till carrots are a little soft. Add the cauliflower and cook (covered) for about 4 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and 1/3 of the stir-fry sauce. After the vegetables have softened a little, add the rest of the stir-fry sauce. Toss and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Note: Do not over cook the vegetables. Only cook them till they are just a little soft but still crispy and crunchy.