Roasted Vegetables - Bhel Style

Looks yummy huh?!!

I think roasting vegetables was one of the BEST things to happen to vegetarians! Steamed veggies have a texture that doesn't suit my pallet and I do think they lose nutrients and taste. For those of you who are not familiar with Bhel, it is an Indian Street Food that is full of flavor and crunch. For this recipe I have paired up those same flavors to make this a fun side. I also chose vegetables that are high in protein.  

Ingredients: 

• Cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets, 1.5 cups
• Broccoli, cut into 1 inch florets, 1.5 cups
• Lemon, halved 
• Purple Onion, finely chopped OR Onion Powder - Optional
• Cilantro, finely chopped
• Rosemary, 1/4 tsp 
• Sunflower Seeds, 1/4 cup 
• Vegetable Oil, 1 tsp
• Coconut Oil, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste 

Direction: 

• Preheat oven to 450. 
• Cut up the veggies in a large bowl - use less or more veggies depending on your portion size. 
• Add melted Coconut Oil, Salt, Rosemary. If you plan to skip fresh onions you may add onion powder in this step. NOTE: Don't add the fresh onions now, they will burn during the roasting process. 
• Give it a quick toss to make sure everything is coated evenly. 
• Line a baking sheet with some foil. NOTE: the baking sheet sides need to be about 1 inch. This is very important, if they are higher than that the steam won't escape causing the veggies to steam instead, i.e. they will be mushy! 
• Coat the foil vegetable oil and place the florets on the sheet. NOTE: They should not be overcrowded as that will cause it to steam as well. 
• Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes. I like to brown mine a tad. 
• Let the veggies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. 
• Once cool, move them to the serving bowl or dish. 
• Drizzle some fresh lemon juice, cilantro and onions (onions are optional). 
• Sprinkle the sunflower seeds in the end for an awesome crunch! 
• Serve! 

I usually eat this as lunch. I gain weight very easily so this is a good alternative to stew and salad for me. This pairs up very well with Tofu Sticks (recipe coming soon). 

Healthy Egg Muffins



First of all, sorry for being MIA. I had a lot going on in my personal and work life but I won't bore you with all the details :)

Ingredients:
12 Eggs: 5 Whole, 7 Egg Whites Only
3 Zucchinis: Diced
1 Yellow Summer Squash: Diced 
Roasted Red Bell Peppers: 1/2 cup, Diced
Spices of your choice 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300.
Mix all ingredients, I added a few dashes of dried cilantro, garlic and a small dash of hot sauce. Lightly coat a muffin pan and load the goodies in.
Bake of 30 mins and VOILÀ! 

NOTE: You can eat these by themselves or in a pita pocket. I added some guacamole. Salsa would be a great substitute too! Feel free to add cheese if you would like, I am not a huge fan of cheese and butter so I skipped out on those. 

PS: These can be frozen, so this is great for meal prep. I made one batch, 12 muffins ... just enough for a my work week! I eat two'ish every morning. 

Zesty Cilantro Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup packed fresh Cilantro Leaves (1 bunch)
2 tablespoons roasted Sunflower Seeds
2 tablespoons Ghee or extra-virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons plain Yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Sambal Sauce (to spice things up)
2 tablespoons Lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
2 tablespoons water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Toss everything in a food processor or blender for about a minute and blend.
Serve with pasta or sautéed veggies.
Can be used as a dip for spring rolls or hot wings.

This is a pitta approved meal per the Ayurveda food guidelines.

Avocado Bean Bowl

Ingredients:
4 spicy black bean patties, cooked, I prefer Morning Star
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Tomato sauce
1/2 Lemon juice
2 Avocados chopped
1 cup Basmati rice, or rice of your choice
2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro

Directions:
Chop the cooked patties finely and mix it with the sauce, Avocado, Cilantro and the lemon juice.
Serve warm over rice.

This is barely a recipe but I was asked to post this so here it is!