Pindi Chana (aka Spicy Chickpea Curry)

During last month's vegetarian week, I gave this curry recipe a try. I've got to admit, it was fantastic! We especially loved the naan bread that I served it with, which isn't too surprising because the bread is fairly high in calories and is of course, delicious. You could also serve this with rice, and it would be just as good.

Pindi Chana (from Cheap Healthy Good)

Ingredients:2 15-oz cans chickpeas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 4 cloves garlic, minced and 1 1/2 inch piece ginger, grated)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
salt, to taste
cilantro, chopped for garnish (about 1/4 cup)
water, as needed

Directions:
1) In a deep pan or wok, heat oil. Add cumin seeds. Cook 'til they begin to pop.

2) Reduce heat to medium-low, and add in onions, green chilies, garlic, and ginger. Cook a few minutes, until veggies are lightly browned.3) Add salt and spices. Stir. Cook a few more seconds.

4) Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir. Cook a few more minutes, until well incorporated.

5) Add chickpeas and 1 cup of water. Drop heat to low. Cook 8 to 10 minutes.6) Top with cilantro. Serve warm.

Goal Revision

I've been doing some deep thinking, soul searching, stomach consulting ... and I've come to the conclusion that my vegetarian weeks have to go. So far we've had 2 different vegetarian weeks, one in March and one in April - and I found both to not really work for me.

For one thing, I find that instead of being encouraged to eat more veggie meals, I'm actually eating less. When I find a good vegetarian recipe I've started setting them aside for "Veg Week", instead of incorporating them into my regular weeks. In turn, I'm eating more meals with meat in anticipation of not being able to have any during my non-meat weeks. So it really just isn't working out the way I thought it would.

Instead of making one week a month a completely veg week, I'm just going to work on increasing the number of vegetarian meals I have OVERALL. No required eat-x-number-of-veg-meals-a-week, no completely veg weeks, just eat more veggies in general!

I feel a little bad about not meeting my initial goal, but I'm also a little bit pleased with myself for realizing this wasn't working for me and being willing to revise it.

Fish can be good!

I used to hate fish, and all through my childhood I would refuse to eat all fish (unless it was from Skippers restaurant, and at that point it's so breaded and deep-fried that I'm not sure it still qualifies as fish). I've slowly tried to incorporate it into my diet, since it's so healthy and has those great omega-3s and all that good stuff. I still don't love the taste, but I'm trying to learn to like it more.

My coworker told me about this super-easy way to make salmon, and it really is so simple and tasty that even a non-fish lover like me can make it and enjoy it.

Ingredients:1 Salmon Fillet
1 onion
Lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the salmon on foil and add chopped onions and lemon juice to the fillet. Fold the aluminum foil up until it forms a pouch. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.I served the fish with wild rice and snap peas, and we also enjoyed a special macaron from a local store, Marie&Freres. It was beyond decadent, and I plan on going back for more macarons. I'm calling it "research" for making my own. :)

Spaghetti Sauce from the Crockpot

I love a good homemade spaghetti sauce, and what's easier than throwing all the ingredients in the slow cooker for the day? I liked this recipe, but I was surprised the house didn't smell better when I first came home. It has a slightly strange aroma (probably from the herb combination), but it still tasted good so I'd probably make it again. Serve over pasta, with garlic bread and a green salad.

Meat Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, chopped

1/4 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon white sugar (I omitted)

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onions and Italian sausage until the sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage and onions to a slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook and stir the ground beef, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and marjoram, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ground beef into the slow cooker.

• Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Set the cooker on Low, and cook the sauce for 8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the sugar. Serve hot.

Buttermilk Chocolate Bread

I was on the lookout for recipes requiring buttermilk (since I had so much of it left over), and when I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it. This bread was really rich, and we very much enjoyed it. We couldn't decide if we should call it dessert bread or cake bread, but either description fits!

Buttermilk Chocolate Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in pecans.

• Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

(Easy) Ratatouille

I LOVED the movie Ratatouille, and ever since seeing it I have wanted to try the signature dish, which of course is Ratatouille. This version of the recipe is not authentic, but that's OK. Also, I couldn't find eggplant so I substituted butternut squash. This dish turned out so amazing, you have got to give it a try! I served this with couscous and it went together surprisingly well.

Ratatouille on the Run (by Cheap Healthy Good)

Ingredients:2 Tbsp olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 large eggplant (unpeeled), diced (I used squash)
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 ounces goat cheese

Directions:
1) Heat oil in big Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add eggplant, green bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, zucchini and basil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low or medium-low and cover. Simmer until veggies are cooked through and tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.2) Take cover off pot and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and season to taste. (You can make this 2 days ahead of time. Just remember to refrigerate.)

3) Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ratatouille in 9-inch pie dish or an 8x8 Pyrex glass dish. Top with cheese, if you like. Bake about 20 minutes, until center is heated.

It's better than it looks

This dip looks rather disgusting, but it actually tastes really good! I sometimes make it for breakfast, as it's very high in protein and keeps me full till lunch. Don't be put-off by its unattractiveness - give it a try!

Cottage Cheese, Avocado, and Black Bean Salsa Dip

Ingredients:

1 can corn

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (16 ounce) container 1% fat cottage cheese

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced

2 roma (plum) tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)

2 cups salsa

1 (13.5 ounce) package tortilla chips, if desired

Directions:

• Cook the black beans in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm and tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, and rinse under cold water to remove liquid and excess sodium. Set aside.

• Place the cottage cheese in a mixing or serving bowl. Peel, pit, and dice the avocado into bite size pieces, and add to the cottage cheese. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and dice into bite size pieces. Add to the cottage cheese along with the corn, black beans, and salsa. Stir until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.