​Here is a simple, heart-warming soup recipe that is sure to please the entire family and has many beneficial properties of dill and cumin. 

Heat some olive oil in the pan (be careful not to heat to very high temperature, otherwise olive oil will smoke). Next, add a little cumin. Once the cumin brown up a bit and start to release their aroma, then add clear chicken or vegetable broth. Now add thickly cut carrots- I like the thin longitudinal look but you can also cut them in circles.

​​Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for just a few more minutes. Add loads of fresh dill and just a pinch of dried ginger powder. Next add some freshly ground black pepper and black salt to taste. Personally I prefer the sulfurous taste of black salt in this recipe, but if you don’t have it around, then good quality sea salt will work just as fine. Cover and let sit for a few extra minutes. It tastes best when carrots are cooked thru but not too soft.

Serve it warm with loads of crumbled feta cheese for a satisfying and soothing meal experience! Skip cheese if you are worried about the salt or fat content, though it really does taste extra-yummy with the feta. :-)

​We have all heard about how eating raw garlic is very good for us. But what is challenging (in addition to the garlic breath) is to find healthy and tasty ways to consume raw garlic.

So, here is a modified garlic bread (garlic toast) idea- take a slice or two of whole wheat bread. You can try spelt bread if you are gluten intolerant. Then layer on a few slice-shavings of cheese. I have used Havarti here though any medium hard cheese which can be shaved into thin slices should work well. Then layer finely sliced garlic and then toast in a toaster oven on 350 °F for around 7-8 minutes. You can even sprinkle some flavorful dried herbs on top like dried oregano- which provide many added health benefits.

The heat from light toasting will help to bring out not only the flavors but also the intrinsic healing essential oils of these herbs and garlic.

Depending on which cheese and herb/s combination you choose to use, you can create many awesome flavors. You can have a quick, healthy snack and at the same time consume a few cloves of raw garlic and some healing herbs! 

​This is a tomato and cucumber salad which has been completely transformed with fresh and healing Moroccan flavors! In addition to all the healing herbs and spices, this salad also contains raw onions and garlic, which are very known to enhance immune function of the body.

​Finely chop up half an onion. Add couple of super finely chopped up garlic cloves. Next add chopped up cucumber and tomatoes. Then add finely chopped up half a small dill pickle. Then chop up some cilantro, though we will add it at the very end!

In a salad mixing bowl, add all the chopped up ingredients minus cilantro. Then sprinkle some grated cheese mix. To increase nutrition quotient, I have added Tex-Mex mix which is made up of three cheese varieties (Mozzarella, Cheddar and Monterey Jack). In case, you don’t have this, any single variety of cheese such as parmesan will also do. Now that we have all our key salad constituents in place, it is time to add all the healing herbs and spices. 

First sprinkle some cumin powder. Then just a hint of coriander seed powder. Then a pinch or two of sumac. Sumac and dill pickle lend a slight sourness to balance our salad taste. That is the reason we have not specifically added any lemon juice or zest. But in case, you do not have any sumac or prefer to have a more sour-y taste, then feel free to add a little lemon juice and some grated lemon zest.

​Next fresh grind some black pepper over this mix followed with just a hint of sea salt (to taste). Then sprinkle generous amount of dried parsley. Finally add a little of Ras-al-Hanout. This is a specialty Moroccan spice mix. It lends a little extra oomph to the salad, but in case you don’t have it around, then no worries, you can easily skip it!

Once you drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over this salad, mix it well and serve it in a bowl with fresh cilantro as a garnish as well as a distinct salad component. This is a very Moroccan style of salad-presentation. Also, if you want to increase nutritional content, then substitute all or some of the olive oil with flax seed oil for an extra dash of Omega 3s.

Read about healing health benefits of including tomatoes in your diet.

It looks gorgeous and tastes great. Hope you enjoy it. Do let me know how yours turned out in comments below…

​To make this yummy salad, finely chop up some red onions and pepper. You can choose the type of pepper based on your taste and heat-tolerance. I am being quite daring here and am using Habanero. But any variety including vibrant sweet peppers will do!

​Next coarsely slice up some garlic and finally thinly chop up an uncooked chicken sausage. Here I have used feta and spinach chicken sausage. But you could use plain chicken sausage or veggie (non-meat) sausage. This recipe would work well with chorizo or any other Italian and/or Spanish sausage as well…

Start with heating some olive oil in an iron griddle. You can use a steel pan, but there seems to be something ‘just special’ about using an iron griddle for such type of grill/pan cooking. Add a little whole cumin to hot oil. As it starts to release its aroma, add the chopped peppers and garlic.

​Sauté them for just a little bit and then add the chopped chicken sausage. Sprinkle some fragrant dried oregano and thyme on this mix. Freshly grind some black pepper and sea salt to taste as well. Finally, add the finely chopped onions, mix and sauté this till sausages have cooked well and have browned a little on each side.

​Finally add coarsely chopped mushrooms, sauté till mushrooms have browned and softened and your wonderful, yummy salad is ready to eat! Serve it with some cold Pinot Grigio, White Bordeaux or chilled Chardonnay.

Enjoy this chicken sausage and mushroom salad- hot, warm or even a little limpid. Note you can use the initial sausage spiced mix to make scrumptious Chicken Sausage Tapas! That’s the best part about such salads- since one enjoys it over a conversation, you want to ensure, it will still taste good when it has got cold ‘waiting’ in the plate!

Do let me know if you have any questions or if you used any amazing variations. Tell me and others about your experience by writing in comments below…

​Categories: 
Quick Healthy Eats

Keywords and Tags:
#kidfriendlyrecipe #friedcheese #corn #parsley #mediterraneancooking   #eatingsmart #eatinghealthy #healthandwellness #simplehealthyfoods #healthfood #nutritiousfood

​In the heart of our cold winter, as we long to welcome spring, here is another perfect spring salad, which can be enjoyed all year round. Fry a little Feta cheese on medium heat. Here I have not used any semolina or bread crumbs, so it can stick a bit to pan. But I liked its pure taste that way! :)

​It is entertainment season and any a times, we want to provide quick filling finger foods without necessarily compromising on taste or healthy/healing quotient! So, here is a quick nutritious cheese spread recipe that you can top off on some crackers for your guests or enjoy when you are chilling at home with a bud and some movies…

Start with some ricotta cheese. Sprinkle in generous amounts of chives and thyme. Fresh is preferable, though you can easily use dried herbs for an even more intense taste. Add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste. Drizzle in some extra virgin very good quality olive oil. Mix it well and then top it off with a little more olive oil and chives for a yummy Ricotta-herb cheese spread.

Here we have spread it on some flavored pita crackers for a reminiscent Mediterranean taste. This would pair well with barbecued kebabs and a fresh tomato-cucumber salad. But you can also use this cheese-herb spread with rice or multi-grain chips or crackers of your choice.

Categories: 
Quick Healthy Eats

Keywords and Tags:
#ricottacheese   #healthyrecipe   #healthyspread   #cheeseandcrackers​  #eatingsmart #eatinghealthy #healthandwellness #simplehealthyfoods #healthfood #nutritiousfood

​Here is another simple and tasty rice side dish which you can serve by itself or with any curry or with kebabs and other skewered meats. With spring approaching and barbecue season coming up soon, this last option is definitely a great idea.

​To make the rice: wash some parboiled rice. You can also use other non-sticky rice like Basmati or brown rice, but parboiled is best for this dish, which has more Mediterranean flavors. There is an Asian version of saffron rice, which is best made with Basmati rice- that’s another healing recipe for another day… ;)

Heat a pot on high heat and then add the washed rice and a little olive oil. Mix well and then add chicken or vegetable broth. You can also use plain water, but using broth adds wonderful flavors and heightens nutritional value; so a better choice. Bring this to a boil and then cover and lower heat to a simmer. Allow for rice to cook completely and cover, so that there is just a hint of gap for excess moisture to escape and simmer on very low heat for another little bit, while all excess moisture escapes and rice is well cooked but also is nicely defined (i.e. does not look sticky or pasty).

Saffron flavoring our rice: Take a few strands of very nice quality Spanish saffron in a couple of table spoons of water and let sit. Heat a pan on medium heat. Add a little olive oil. Be careful that the pan is not too hot, otherwise olive oil will smoke, which is not good. Next add a few cardamom and mix in oil, so they start to release they awesome aroma. 

Next add the prepared rice and the saffron-water. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top and mix well. Cover (but leaving a little gap) for these flavors to set in from the steam, but at the same time, for water-moisture from the saffron water to escape. We want our rice grains to be well-cooked but also nicely defined for maximum texture and taste! 

Finally chop up loads of fresh parsley and mix with the rice before serving. Serve hot as a nice, filling side dish or with curry or kebabs.

Categories: 
Quick Healthy Eats

Keywords and Tags:
#saffronrice #sidedish #riceside #mediterraneancooking   #eatingsmart #eatinghealthy #healthandwellness #simplehealthyfoods #healthfood #nutritiousfood  

​Heat some olive oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic (thin longitudinal slices). Once they start to soften, add thinly chopped onions. Pan roast for a few minutes. Then add couple of Bocconcini (fresh mozzarella pearls). Switch off heat source and let this cheese melt over (hot) roasted onions and garlic.

In a separate bowl cut couple of tomatoes into large chunks. Drizzle some flax seed oil and just a little of good quality Modena Balsamic Vinegar. Mix well. Top with roasted garlic, onion and melted cheese. Sprinkle some dried parsley, dried oregano and freshly ground black pepper. Finally garnish with Parmesan cheese petals and serve warm.

This is a good side salad or even a complete one-dish lunch. Melting mozzarella cheese makes it very chewy in a wonderful way and makes it blend incredibly well with all the other tastes! The mellowed pungent taste of roasted garlic & onions seems to merge with herbs and parmesan petals- where olive & flax seed oils seem to bring it all together along with Balsamic Vinegar (which highlights tomato flavor). 

Bottom-line: a simple, easy to make and super yummy salad! :-)