Udon Noodles with Vegetables

I found a packet of Udon noodles at Costco one day and decided to make them for dinner that day. It turned out so well that we eat it 3-4 times a month! The chewiness of the udon goes very well with the crunchiness of the vegetables.The ingredient list seems long, but apart from what you use for the sauce, the rest (mainly vegetables) can be swapped around to what you prefer. You can even add tofu or chicken if you wish to increase the amount of protein in the dish.

Makes: 6-8 servings

Calories: About 400-450 in each serving

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped/minced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup scallions/green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium variety)
3-4 tbsp rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp schezuan sauce
Vegetable broth, IF needed to thin out sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 carrots, thinly sliced/julienned
1 head broccoli, thick stem removed and florets separated
1 watermelon daikon/radish, sliced (optional)
2-3 cups bok choy, roughly sliced
2-3 cups mushrooms (preferably fresh, not canned), sliced
24 oz udon noodles (=4 Costco individual packets), loosened apart by hand
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted (optional)
Any other vegetables you may want to add (e.g. sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, edamame)

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium-high heat and then add the sesame oil. Heat only till the oil becomes slightly fragrant otherwise you will burn it. Add the ginger, garlic and half of the scallions and saute for a few minutes. Then add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, schezuan sauce and brown sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/8 cup of vegetable broth if you feel that the sauce is too thick and cook for 2 minutes.

Now, add the carrots and broccoli and stir fry for 2 minutes before adding the mushrooms and bok choy. Stir fry for 2-3 more minutes and then add the noodles. Stir for one more minute and then add the remaining scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Mix well so that the thick sauce completely coats all the noodles and vegetables. Serve hot.

Note: If you are buying the noodles from Costco, they are in one of the cold food aisles and are precooked. The name of the company is O'Hana House and the color of the package is pink. They are made from water, organic wheat flour, organic tapioca starch, sea salt and lactic acid. It has 6 individual packets in it (6oz each) and each packet is about 2 servings (about 120 calories in each serving, 0 from fat and 3g of protein).
If you are not buying from Costco, your local grocery store or asian store will have some brand of precooked udon noodles. If you can not find udon, you can use thick egg noodles (just boil them before hand).

Garlic Mushroom Tapas (Champinones al ajillo)

This is probably one of the most delicious and popular Spanish tapas dishes. In Spain, about 1/4 of a cup of olive oil would be used to make this, but I used about 2 tablespoons. The extra oil would obviously add flavor, but this healthy version is still quite good. Serve it with some crusty sliced bread to mop up the leftover juices!

Makes: About 4 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

400 grams button mushrooms, thickly sliced (leave whole if the mushrooms are very small)

4 cloves garlic- 2 sliced and 2 finely chopped

1 small red hot chilli pepper, coarsely chopped

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chicken stock (optional, but adds a lot of flavor)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and crushed black pepper

Heat a tablespoon of oil and add the sliced garlic and red chili. Saute for about a minute and then add the mushrooms. After a minute or 2, add the lemon juice and chicken stock.

In a small bowl, crush the chopped garlic with the back of a teaspoon along with a little salt and parsley. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to make almost a paste-like mix. Stir this mix in with the mushrooms. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed black pepper and serve.

Brown Chickpeas (Kala Chana) Chaat

I made this for lunch the other day because I got canned 'kala chana' for the first time and wanted to try them out. Since chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber and are low in fat, they are perfect for a healthy lunch or snack. You can make your own variations and add vegetables like boiled potatoes or top it up with some yogurt raita.

Calories: About 180-200 per serving

Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cans (200 grams each) Brown Chickpeas in water, drained (or boiled Brown Chickpeas)

1 tbsp oil

6 curry leaves

1/2 tsp cumin (zeera)

2 green chilies, thinly sliced

1-2 handsful cilantro

4 tbsp thick tamarind paste (soak tamarind in water and squeeze out seeds, etc when soft)

Salt, to taste

Red chili powder, to taste

2 tbsp cooked tomato salsa (from the "Pan-seared Fish with Cooked Tomato Salsa" recipe)

Heat oil and add the curry leaves and cumin. When they crackle, add the brown chickpeas, salt and red chilies. Add the tamarind paste, half the cilantro and green chilies. Cook for about 4-5 minutes (adding a few teaspoons of water if too dry). Taste and adjust to your taste preferences. Add the tomato salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and cover on very low heat for 5 minutes. Serve.

Note: If you do not have prepared cooked salsa, you can add a tomato and half a sliced onion initially to the oil after the curry leaves and cumin and cook on medium heat for a few minutes before adding the chickpeas.

You can also make this with the lighter colored variety of chickpeas.

Asian Bok Choy Slaw

This slaw is perfect as a side for a variety of dishes, especially burgers and other grilled meats. The flavors are bold, yet not over powering or overwhelming. And the best part is the unbelievably low calorie count!

Calories: Only 35 per serving (each serving being 3/4 cup)

Servings: 4-6

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp salt

6 cups bok choy, thinly sliced (including more than half of the white stem)

2-3 cups carrots, shredded

2-3 scallions/green onions, thinly sliced

2 handful cilantro, chopped

1-2 handful roasted peanuts, crushed

Make a dressing with the first 5 ingredients and keep in the fridge. About 10 minutes before ready to serve, combine the other ingredients and then the dressing. Mix well and serve.

Note: Even though I prefer it crunchy, you can mix the dressing with the veggies ahead of time and refrigerate. The flavor will be just as good, but it will lose its crunchy texture.

Minced Chicken with Chilies and Cilantro in Lettuce Cups

A super easy (and healthy) recipe that's high in flavor. A must try!

Makes: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

500 grams chicken mince

6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 small green chillies, finely chopped

3 red chillies, finely sliced into thin, long sticks

3 stems green onions, sliced into thin, long sticks

1/2 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 lime leaves, finely sliced

1/4 bunch fresh mint leaves

1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Salt, to taste

1/2 medium sized red onion, finely sliced

2 limes, juiced

Iceberg lettuce cups

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Heat oil in a large wok. Add the minced chicken and stir till it starts to turn white. Add garlic, yellow onion and chillies and stir-fry for a minute. Quickly add fish sauce, red onion, lime leaves, herbs and salt. Cook for another minute. Add the lime juice and remove from the stove. Arrange the lettuce cups on a platter and scoop the minced chicken into them. Serve.

Note: While stir frying, add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of rice vinegar to make the wraps more juicy. These ingredients increase the number of calories slightly, but add more flavor.

Warm Zucchini and Tomato Salad

On a day when you want to have something light, yet filling for lunch or a substantial side for dinner, this recipe is for you. Its simple, yet so delicious and juicy. If you're not a big zucchini fan, you can make it with just one layer of tomatoes and it will turn out just as good.

Makes: 4-6 side servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt, to taste

Black Pepper (freshly crushed), to taste

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 medium sized zucchinis, sliced into 1/2 inch circles

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch circles

1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

Handful chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 200 C (abut 400 F). Take the first 6 ingredients and mix them well in a bowl. In an oven proof, glass dish place the zucchini and brush half the olive oil and lemon dressing over it. Then, place the tomatoes on top and brush the remaining dressing over them. Garnish generously with onion and chopped parsley. Place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Note: You can add 1/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese to the top before putting it in the oven. The baking time would probably be reduced so as not to burn the cheese.

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.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Tried this recipe yesterday and it turned out to be pretty good. The green chilies add a kick to the whole dish but you can omit it if you don't want it spicy. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture to put up for you all but it looked really pretty with the cilantro, cucumber and peanut garnish.

Calories: About 350 per serving

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

12 oz (about 350 grams) whole wheat spaghetti

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup boiling water

1 cup scallions, sliced

4 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp sugar

1/8-1/4 tsp red chili powder

2 green (or red) chilies, finely chopped

1/4 cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely chopped (divided into 2 equal portions)

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

Handful chopped cilantro plus more for garnish

Thinly sliced cucumber, for garnish

Boil the pasta as per directions till done. Rinse under cold water to avoid clumping.

In a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, hot water, scallions, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic. sugar and chili powder. Heat the oil in a pot and pour the peanut butter mixture into it. Add the noodles and then the green chilies, cilantro and one portion of the peanuts. Mix well (making sure the flame is not too high) and remove from heat. Take it out in a platter and garnish with the left over peanuts, cilantro and sliced cucumber.

Note: I put a teaspoon of sesame oil in the noodles after rinsing them with cold water for added flavor and fragrance.

To increase the protein content, you can add sliced and stir-fried chicken breast in the peanut sauce right before adding the noodles.

Oven 'Fried' Zucchini

These turned out delicious! They are crispy from the outside and soft and gooey from the inside. A perfect, low-cal side or a snack!

Makes: 2 servings (about 6 pieces each)

Calories: Approximately 39 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (250 grams) zucchini, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp low fat yogurt

1/4 cup yellow corn meal

1/4 cup oats

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed black pepper

1/8 tsp red chili powder

1/8 tsp cumin powder

1-2 tsp parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Put the sliced zucchini in salted boiling water and let it cook for about 3 minutes (till half cooked). Drain and let it dry on a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup water with the yogurt. In a sealable plastic bag, mix the cornmeal, oats, salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin and parmesan cheese. Dip the zucchini pieces into the water-yogurt mix and drop it in the oat-cornmeal mix. Then place the pieces on a baking grill, lightly sprayed with oil. Once all the pieces are laid out, spray oil on top of them and place in the oven for about 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown). Serve hot.

Garlic Green Beans And Mushrooms

Serves: 4

Calories: About 100 per serving.

500 grams green beans, steamed (or put in boiling water for 3 minutes and then in ice cold water)

7 cloves of garlic (2 cloves sliced thinly and 5 cloves finely chopped)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tbsp butter (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a wok on medium heat and add the sliced garlic till very light brown. Add the chopped garlic, let it cook for a minute and then add the green beans and mushrooms. Add butter, salt and pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Serve.

Note: If you are out of mushrooms, don't fret. The dish tastes just as good without them! :)

Roasted Okra

Okra is a good source of fiber, folic acid, vitamin B6 and other nutrients but it is generally fried or cooked in a lot of oil, which the okra absorbs. This recipe uses barely any oil and couldn't be easier, but does not disappoint as far as taste is concerned. A delicious and healthy side dish!

Serves: 2 (about 60-65 calories per serving)

Ingredients:

18-20 okra pod, sliced 1/3 inch thick

Olive oil/oil spray

Salt, to taste

Black pepper powder, to taste

Chat masala, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to about 425 F (220 C). Line a baking sheet/tray with foil and spray with oil. Arrange okra in one layer and spray over it with oil (or drizzle with a little olive oil). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chat masala. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Then broil for a minute (keep a close eye on the okra because it can burn easily). Take out into a dish and cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion: Pour 'raita' over the okra. For raita: take 1/2 cup of yogurt and add 1/2 tsp garlic paste and salt (optional: cumin powder, red chili powder, black pepper powder). Add a little water to make yogurt a bit thinner in consistency (but not too watery).