Cooking with frozen vegetables: Vegetable curry

Frozen vegetables don't get much love however I find them to be a great alternative to fresh veggies. Some argue that frozen veggies are better because fresh veggies sitting in the market for days have lost a lot of their nutrition. Veggies begin to lose nutrients as soon as they are picked so when they are frozen immediately after picking the nutrients are preserved. Either way if you are eating fresh or frozen veggies you are doing the right thing as both are good for you. 

I decided to try some frozen cauliflower and peas for a weeknight curry and I have to say I was impressed with their quality. Whole foods market carries a variety of frozen organic veggies in a addition to regular.

To make my vegetable curry, start by thawing the frozen cauliflower and peas, set aside. See how good they look below!

Sautee' onions, garlic and ginger in a large pan then add curry powder and ground coriander. Cook for about 1 minute then add lentils, peppers and chopped tomatoes. Cook for another 3 minutes. 

Add cooked potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, peas, chicken broth and mix gently after adding some salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 3 minutes and drizzle some olive oil when done. 

Voila! You have yourself a delicious meatless meal made with frozen veggies. You can serve this alone, with rice or naan bread. 

Ingredients you will need

3 cups steamed lentils

1 1/2 cups frozen cauliflower thawed

1 cup frozen peas thawed

2 large potatoes cubed

1/2 a small butternut squash cubed

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 inch size fresh ginger minced

1 large tomato diced

1/2 a cup chopped green and red peppers

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper 

olive oil

Out and About : Bloggers dinner

This week I had the pleasure of being invited to a Bloggers event hosted by lovely Georgina from the popular blog Notes on lifestyle. I have attended a few Bloggers events and this one was one of my favorite. I loved the dinner setting of the event as it allowed shy bloggers like myself to socialize easily. 

The event was held at Boston Chops a Steakhouse in the South end.

Got to meet old friends and make new ones like Amy from Creative Soul Spectrum, Mo from Belle of the Bean and Nikia from Pink & Red pumps catering Be sure to check out their great blogs.

Me with the event host Georgina. Loved her outfit

I ordered a Skirt steak with a side of arugula and fries. I am not a huge steak person but this was  well seasoned and delicious!

Cooking in style: Ruffle aprons

This week I am loving these cute Jessie Steele ruffle aprons from Layla Grayce.com.These aprons are a great way to bring fun and style to your kitchen. 

Kitchen cuties by agnesvazhure featuring a ruffle apron

Jessie Steele ruffle apron / Jessie Steele ruffle apron

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Kale

I love one pan dishes especially on weeknights when I am too tired to spend time in the kitchen. Thanks to Food and Wine magazine I found this yummy recipe of chicken, potatoes, kale all in one dish. After making a few adjustments to the already great recipe I was impressed with the outcome. What makes this dish special is that the juices from the chicken trickle down to the potatoes and kale which elevates their flavors. I served it with some sliced avocado on the side.....yummy!

Ingredients

6 marinated chicken thighs (marinade recipe below)

1 bunch kale chopped

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic minced 

1/2 a yellow onion sliced

1 tomato sliced

2 tbsp chicken broth

1/2 lemon juiced

Olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

chicken marinade ingredients

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 inch fresh ginger minced

3 tsp Peruvian barbecue seasoning

salt and pepper

olive oil

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop kale, garlic and slice the onions and tomatoes. Potatoes can be cut into any shape of your choice, in this case I cut them into wedges. 

- In a large greased roasting pan, layer the mixture of potatoes, onions, garlic, kale and olive oil. 

- Place marinated chicken thighs over the vegetables and drizzle juice from half a lemon over the vegetables and chicken. Add 2 tbsp of chicken broth in the pan and cover with foil. Cook covered for 20 minutes and then remove foil. Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. 

Juice madness: Pinapple, Carrot and Beet juice

Image credit - Vera Kratochvil

Is eating healthy one of your new years resolutions? If so I would like you to join me on  my juicing journey. I have always been a health fanatic but the realization that I will be 30 in a couple of years has made me take my health more seriously. The National Cancer Institution recommends eating 5 servings of vegetables and and 3 servings of fruit a day. I don't know about you but this can be very hard to do and I have found that juicing is the best way for me to achieve this. I am already noticing changes in my skin, energy and overall health after a few weeks of juicing.

Today I am making a Pineapple, carrot and beet juice which is one of my favorite combinations.This juice is more on the sweet side and I do not recommend making it everyday. It is important to make juices that are low in sugar as well to balance it out. A low sugar example is a kale, cucumber, apple and ginger juice which I will be sharing soon.

 Juicing is easy and fun, here are a few pointers for beginners,

1. The first thing you need to start juicing is to invest in a good juicer. Juicers range from $30 to hundreds of dollars. If money doesn't grow on trees in your area I suggest the Breville compact juice fountain which retails for $100. This is a reasonable price if you are looking for good quality but don't want to spend too much. I have had mine for 2 years with no issues. 

2. The next thing is to buy good quality fruits and vegetables. I prefer organic produce for juicing however non organic is fine as long as you wash the produce thoroughly with a natural vegetable rinse to remove any chemical residue.

For this recipe you will need 4 carrots, 1 medium size beet peeled, fresh ginger (about an inch) and 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks. This is enough to fill 2 glasses.

3. Chop vegetables and fruit into medium pieces and remove pineapple skin before juicing. Most juicing machines are easy to use, all you have to do is throw the fruit and vegetables in the shoot and voila! The beet gives this juice a beautiful deep red color while the pineapple and carrot take it to another level.

3. Juicing is effective everyday combined with a healthy diet. You will get maximum benefits from juice when you drink it immediately because it starts to lose its nutritional value the moment it is made. Drinking your juice in the morning before ingesting other foods is highly recommended so your body can absorb all the nutrition.

I would love to know what you are are doing to improve your health this year?