Spicy Desi (Indian) Potato Tian

Spicy Desi (Indian) Potato Tian

(Serves 2)

 Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 1 lb Red Potatoes, Sliced
• 1/2 cup Maggi Tomato Chatpat Sauce 
• 1 cup Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Chaat Masala (optional)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the Olive Oil, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes and Chaat Masala. Set aside. 
3. Spray the inside of a baking dish with the Pam Cooking Spray and place all the potatoes vertically as shown in the picture below. 
4. Drizzle the oil and spices mix over the potatoes. Bake for 60 minutes or until it is golden brown. 
5. Drizzle some Tomato Sauce and Cheese. 
6. Serve warm.

I usually serve this as a side. For those of you wondering what Tian means or where I got that word from, according to Google its a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooked in Olive Oil and then baked.

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

(Serves 4 – 2 half quesadillas per serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces White Mushrooms, Sliced
• 8 cups Baby Spinach
• 8 Whole Flour Tortillas
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Sliced
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ Tsp Cumin
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 4 Slices of Cheese or 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 4 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Onions to the pan. Sauté till they turn yellow and then add the Red Bell Peppers. NOTE: We only want to soften the peppers. Set this aside.
2. In the same pan add in the Mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms soften up add in the Spinach. Note: You will need to constantly toss the Spinach so that it doesn't burn. The goal here is to wilt the Spinach.
3. Add in the onion and pepper mix. Now let’s add in all the seasoning.
4. The salt tends to make the vegetables sweat a tad more, so cook for another 3-5 minutes. Once it is the consistency you like, turn of the stove and take the filling off the heat.
5. Spray the inside of a skillet lightly with Pam Cooking Spray and heat the tortilla. Once it softens up, layer half the tortilla with the sliced cheese and filling. Fold.
6. Cook evenly on both sides. Be careful when flipping over the YUMMY Quesadilla! It takes less than a minute to cook these so be very careful.

Serve warm with sour cream!

I find sautéing vegetables and then making quesadillas very easy. When my brother and I were much younger my mom would make the vegetable filling on her day off and refrigerate it. This made for a healthy lunch while she was at work. This is ideal for college students too! 

PS: Spinach is an EXCELLENT source of Iron, boost energy level, so eat up! 

Vegetable Tian

Vegetable Tian

(serves 6)

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• 1 Medium Zucchini - sliced
• 1 Medium Yellow Squash - sliced
• 1 Medium Potato - sliced
• 1 Medium Tomato - sliced
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped Onions to the pan. Saute till they turn yellow and then add the Garlic. NOTE: Garlic cooks much faster than Onions so be mindful of that. Once the Onions and Garlic mix is done sauteing, layer it at the very bottom of your baking pan. Don't forget to spray the inside of your baking pan. 
3. Place all the vegetables vertically in an alternating pattern as shown in the picture. 
4. Sprinkle the cumin and pepper flakes over the vegetables and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Remove the foil, sprinkle cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until it is golden brown

Serve warm. I usually serve this with some rice. For those of you wondering what Tian means or where I got that word from, according to Google its a dish of finely chopped vegetables cooked in Olive Oil and then baked. Doesn't that sound oh so fancy?!!

Zesty Vegetable Egg Casserole

Zesty Vegetable Egg Casserole

(serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
• 2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• 3 Medium Tomatoes 
• 3 Green Onions - finely chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper - finely chopped
• 2 Cups Spinach - chopped
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
• 3 Whole Eggs
• 7 Egg Whites 
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Cilantro - finely chopped

Directions: 

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped Onions to the pan. Saute till they turn yellow and then add the Garlic. NOTE: Garlic cooks much faster than Onions so be mindful of that. Once the Onions and Garlic mix is done sauteing, turn the heat on low. 
2. Cut the Tomatoes into quarters and take the seeds out. This will eliminate the extra juices and cut down the cooking time. Chop them finely. Add them to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat. 
3. Add in the Red Bell Peppers, Spinach and Green Onions. Give it a good stir and add in the Red Pepper Flakes, Cumin and Salt. Turn the heat off. 
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
5. Whisk the 3 whole eggs and the 7 egg whites. 
6. Spray the inside of a large 8x11 casserole dish. Place the vegetable mixture on the bottom. Pour the whisked eggs over it and sprinkle it with the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes or until it is golden brown. 

Serve warm. 

Optional: Serve with a dollop of light (or fat free) sour cream. I like to add some hot sauce to mine. What can I say, I like it hot!!