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). 

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!