Dal - Yellow Lentils - Indian Recipe

Dal - Yellow Lentils - Indian Recipe

This is the classic dal recipe that I have been using for many years. You can find all the

ingredients in any medium to large supermarket and it is really easy to make. Serve it as a side
dish to main Indian dishes or serve with rice as a vegetarian entrée. The ghee is clarified butter
and can be found in Indian grocery stores, or at plenty of websites online. You can substitute
butter or oil in a pinch.
Ingredients:

1 cup mung dal, yellow or red dried lentils
2 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
lengthwise into paper thin slivers
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper to taste
1 ½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup ghee, melted butter or light oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 teaspoons fresh cilantro leaves,

chopped

Directions follow below....

Carefully pick through the dried lentils, removing any debris or small stones. Use a sieve

or colander to wash the lentils by running cold water through them and agitating them until the
water runs through clear. Drain the lentils fully, and then place them in a solid cooking pot with
the water, garlic, turmeric, ground coriander, red pepper and salt. Bring this to a boil over high
heat, then partially cover and reduce the heat just low enough to simmer for 30 minutes, or until
the lentils are tender but not mushy or falling apart.

Here is where we make the flavoring for this dish. It is important to get this right and use

fresh spices as called for or else the dish will just be a tasteless pile of mush. While the lentils
are simmering, heat a 10 inch skillet with the ghee/butter/oil over medium high heat until a drop
of water flicked into the pan sputters on contact. Be careful not to burn this, as that will make for
a bad flavor.

When the pan is hot, add the onions and the cumin seeds then lower the heat to medium.

Stir this often, almost constantly for 6-8 minutes until the onions are soft and browning very well.
They should be so brown that they turn sweet the way fried onions do. Set aside.

When you are sure that the lentils are cooked correctly, combine them with the onion

based seasonings, then top with the chopped cilantro leaves and serve with rice.

Everyday Power Eating

Everyday Power Eating

We all think so much about what we eat, but do you ever wonder about when to eat? For example, is it good to eat before exercise? Right after? To have an early dinner or eat right before bed?

It turns out that when you eat can have a great effect on whether and how your body can use the food effectively. So, when planning meals, use these simple guidelines.

The Basics

First keep in mind the very basics: Foods are composed of protein, carbohydrates and fat, the three energy nutrients. Each plays a specific role in the functioning of our body.

• Carbohydrates provide quick energy but are not stored well in the body.
  Examples are breads, cereals, pasta, rice, bagels, crackers, fruit, fruit juice, vegetables and legumes.
• Protein is used primarily for building muscle and other body parts.
  Examples include chicken, beef, pork, legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds and eggs.
• Fat is a long-term storage form of energy.
  Fats are found in butter, meats, margarine, mayonnaise, fried foods and some salad dressings.

In addition to those main elements, foods also contain vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that keep us healthy, full of energy and focused on the task at hand.

Foods for specific times of day

• Breakfast: Choose carbohydrates and protein to jump-start your day and feed your brain. Good choices include:
  • whole-grain cereal, low-fat milk and fresh fruit
  • a sandwich, fruit and glass of milk
  • for speed, go for a blender smoothie made of yogurt and fruit
  • if lunch isn't for hours, try a larger breakfast (add toast with peanut butter to the cereal and fruit) or try a hot cooked cereal that packs staying-power
• Lunch should include a good protein source to help keep your body functioning throughout the afternoon. Avoid the tendency to overeat or to eat high-fat foods, which cause fatigue. Good choices include:
  • vegetable salad with kidney and garbanzo beans and a whole-grain roll
  • a sandwich on whole-grain bread with raw veggies on the side
  • hearty soup (full of veggies, rice or pasta, and legumes or chicken), whole-grain crackers and a piece of fruit
  • pasta salad with veggies and legumes with a fruit salad
• Your evening meal should be the smallest of the day, unless you're working the 3-11 shift! Think small portions of great-tasting food, and use the time to catch up with the rest of the family instead of consuming too-large portions and more calories than necessary. If you haven't had at least five servings of fruit or vegetables by dinnertime, load up on these healthful foods and decrease portions of meat, chicken, or other protein.
• Before a workout choose foods high in carbs for energy and low in fat for quick digestion. Instead of a sugar-laden energy or cereal bar, try these:
  • fresh fruit and yogurt
  • sandwich with a low-fat filling such as turkey (easy on the mayo)
  • low-fat string cheese and a glass of juice
• After a workout, especially if you're trying to maintain or lose weight, avoid the urge to eat anything. Instead, drink lots of water and train your body to wait for the next meal.
• Before bed, avoid high-sugar foods or anything containing fat. Instead, focus on relaxing carbohydrates such as:
  • a glass of skim milk and 2-3 crackers
  • low-fat yogurt
  • fruit salad

Butter Chicken - Chicken Tikka Masala

Butter Chicken - Chicken Tikka Masala

There is a good reason why most Indian restaurants I’ve been to have this dish on their

menus – because it is so delicious! It’s best to use leftover Tandoori Chicken for this, or you can
just whip up a batch of that to use in this quick recipe. You can get garam masala at an Indian food
store, or online, or try this recipe without it to see if you still like it.
Ingredients:

8-10 pieces of Tandoori Chicken
3 cups canned tomatoes in tomato puree
4 green chilies, seeded and chopped fine,

[or ½ teaspoon ground red chili
pepper to taste]

2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and

chopped fine

10 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons garam masala
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
Directions follow below....

f you like, you may de-bone the chicken pieces for easier handling in this recipe.

Combine the tomatoes, chilies and ginger and set aside.

Please 8 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy fry pan or cooking pot on medium

heat. Coat the pan with melted butter and sear all the chicken pieces a few at a time until they
are slightly browned. Set them aside in a bowl as you finish each batch until all are done.

Add the cumin and paprika to the buttery pan along with any chicken juices that have

accumulated and cook while stirring constantly for 5-15 seconds just to let the flavors come out.
Add the tomato, chili and ginger combination and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens a
little. Then add the cream and salt and combine. Then add the seared chicken pieces along
with any juices that have accumulated in the reserved bowl. Gently stir to combine, and reduce
to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered until a sheen develops on top of the sauce to show
that the fat in the cream is starting to separate. You must check and stir the sauce often to make
sure that the cream does not scald or burn and give a bad taste to the dish.

When done, stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter, remove from heat and let this dish

stand for 10-20 minutes, then fold in the cilantro leaves and serve with rice. This dish keeps well
in the fridge or freezer for reheating later.

Are You Eating the Right Fat?

Are You Eating the Right Fat?

By: Brooke C. Wheeler

Which is healthier for you: a peanut butter sandwich or a glass of whole milk? In terms of fat, the sandwich is actually better for you, according to an article recently published by American Heart Association.

The AHA recommends a daily fat intake limited to 30 percent of your day's total calories, but the studies highlighted in a recent issue of Circulation show that the type of fat you eat may be just as important as the amount. People who eat a diet high in monounsaturated fat were found to have a lower risk of heart disease than those who eat more saturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats may help reduce harmful triglycerides in your blood and increase good HDL cholesterol.

So how can you change your diet accordingly? Try to incorporate more foods that have more good (mono or polyunsaturated) fat and less bad (saturated) fat. Here are a few examples:

The Good Guys

Peanut butter
Olive oil
Avocados
Soybeans
Nuts
Canola oil
Corn oil
Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds

The Bad Guys

Marbled meats
Organ meats (including sausage)
Butter
Ice cream
Mayonnaise
Milk
Cream
Cheese
Palm oil

In The Middle

Lean red meat
Chicken
Fish

Beware: hidden saturated fats also lurk in lots of snack foods such as cookies, chips, and candy. For example, anything with coconut or coconut oil -- even if it's a vegan snack -- will be high in saturated fat.

And note that this isn't, of course, an open invitation to start gorging on peanut butter. It's still wise to keep your total fat intake to around 30 percent a day -- just make them "better" fats.

Diet Advice to take to Heart

Diet Advice to take to Heart

By: Valerie Denny

Reviewed By: Timothy Yarboro, M.D.

It seems to be a universal truth that following a diet in order to fit into your skinny jeans is infinitely more motivating than getting psyched for a diet that promotes heart health. Who ever sighs and says, "I wish I had Cameron Diaz's cardiovascular system"? But the great news about eating a heart-healthy diet is that along with reducing your risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death for women), you have the potential to lose weight as well. "For people who are making poor choices in their diet," nutritionist Amy Hendel says, "if all they did was flip their diet to healthier choices, they would see benefits and weight loss, and they wouldn't even need to get into portion control until they were well into their journey." Here's how to make the flip.

1. Cut down on eating foods from a box. Go for whole, natural foods, before they become processed and boxed, by doing most of your shopping in the periphery of the grocery store. Instead of buying boxed foods, go for fruits and vegetables; whole grains in their high-fiber state, before they get processed into white bread; whole grain, high-fiber cereals like bran cereals; and lean cuts of meat without the skin.

2. Eat the right kinds of fat — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Many women shun fat, thinking they'll lose weight more easily, but the right kind of fat actually has several benefits. It's good for your heart and your waistline, as well as for satiating you at mealtime. You'll find monounsaturated fats in olive, sesame, sunflower and canola oil, plus nuts and avocados. Cook with these oils and sprinkle nuts into your yogurt to get their health benefits, but remember that they are still highly caloric and a little goes a long way. One gram of any kind of oil has nine calories. Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish. Healthy choices include salmon, sardines and tilapia for their omega-3 fatty acids and low mercury count.

3. Avoid the two bad fats — saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fats are found in anything derived from an animal. Meats and cheeses are the main sources of saturated fat. Trans fats are created in a lab when molecules are rearranged to become fat that is added for taste and preservation in processed foods. Trans fats can even lurk in foods labeled "0 trans fats." Hendel says, "Companies are legally allowed to say '0 trans fats' in the mathematical breakdown on the label, but if you go down to the ingredients, you can find trans fat there. If you eat 10 servings of these half-a-gram-of-trans-fat foods in one day, you could be unknowingly consuming five grams of trans fats. Multiply that by a week and a month, and you've got a lot of artery-clogging fat in your diet that's insidiously found its way there."

4. Don't skimp on dairy. "There is so much mythology out there on dairy products," Hendel says, "but there are many studies that show people who consume several portions of fat-free dairy products per day are at a lower risk for hypertension or heart disease and are more able to shed pounds."

5. Cut your sodium intake to two grams (2,000 milligrams) per day. Read food labels to find the sodium content. A regular can of soup might have 900 to 1,000 milligrams, which would be half of your sodium for the day. "Many years ago," Hendel says, "hospitalized patients were put on a diet with two grams of sodium per day to get them healthy enough to leave the hospital. Now all the cardiac health care professionals recommend two grams a day or less to the general public, which means we've all been consuming too much sodium." To cut back on your sodium intake, try using fresh herbs rather than salt to season your food.

6. Bone up on antioxidants. Not only can antioxidants fight cancer, but they're also good for your heart. Antioxidants subdue heart-disease-causing free radicals. "You want a variety of colors — red apples, yellow grapefruit and squashes, orange tomatoes, green peppers — to get all the benefits of the antioxidants," Hendel says.

7. Educate yourself on heart-healthy foods, and save money at the same time. "A supermarket like Whole Foods prides itself on the fact that anything you find on its shelves will have absolutely no trans fat," Hendel says. Go to a Whole Foods store or to another market that follows heart-healthy guidelines, and take note of what food products are featured. After you've figured out what's healthy, go to a cheaper market to buy those foods. "It takes one hour of perusal and writing some notes," Hendel says, "like: 'These are the seven meal replacement or snack bars I can buy, these are the 20 cereals I can buy.'"

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken

There are only three secrets to cooking good Tandoori meats, including chicken. The first is

the use of the special clay Tandoor oven, which not many people have in their homes. The second
is the special Tandoori coloring, a rich red color imparted to the meat. But for me, the third secret
is the most important to learn is the special yogurt marinade used to flavor the meat. Here are the
ingredients and method to create delicious Tandoori Chicken at home.
For the Tandoor oven, we can substitute
the barbeque grill or the oven. For the
coloring, you may be able to find special
Tandoori food coloring at a local Indian
grocery store or online. Or you can try
substituting a combination of red and
orange/yellow food coloring until you get
the color you want. Many Tandoori
recipes call for meat tenderizer but I omit
this. I was never able to control its use;
most of the time it would over tenderize
and make the surface (only) of the
chicken mushy. Its omission has no
downside in my opinion since if you cook
the chicken correctly it will be very
tender. There is no substitute for the
marinade which is described below….

Ingredients:

The Chicken:
3-4 pounds (approx) chicken pieces, bone-in. Alternatively, use boneless skinless chicken
breasts cubed for kabobs

For the marinade:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 large fresh garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground red chili pepper
1 teaspoon tandoori coloring, or substitute paprika
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Combine well all the ingredients for the marinade and let stand for a few minutes for the

flavors to combine. Be careful with the food coloring since it can stain your fingers.

Remove the skin from the chicken pieces. For a traditional Indian look, slash each piece 2

4 times with a knife to create just ¼ to ½ inch deep slashes. This will give a traditional look plus
allow the marinade to contact more of the chicken.

Add the chicken to the marinade and coat all the pieces. You need to let the chicken

marinate for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator. It’s ok to let it marinate all day or
overnight. Be sure to stir the chicken a couple of times during this time.

After just a couple of hours, the chicken is ready to cook. You can use a regular oven to

roast the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until it is just cooked through. It is
very important not to overcook chicken because it gets dry and tough very soon after it is cooked
through. Alternatively, you can grill this chicken on a barbeque grill, basting once or twice with a
light cooking oil like canola oil.

All cooking times are estimations because your oven and barbeque may be much hotter or

colder than mine. Please take care to cook the chicken thoroughly, but not so much as to dry it
out.

If by chance (not likely!) you do not finish all your Tandoori Chicken you can use the

leftovers in a Butter Chicken recipe.

Enjoy!

overeating & emotional eating

Hungry Girl: Comfort Food

By: Lisa "Hungry Girl" Lillien

Comfort foods. They're the foods we crave, that make us feel, well, comfortable. Usually they're fat-packed, calorie-ridden nightmares. Usually ‑- but not always. I've sniffed out some of my favorite guilt-free comfort food finds to share with you.

Boca Chunky Tomato and Herb Lasagna

One serving contains 270 calories, 5 grams fat, 41 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, 20 grams protein.

I've spent a large part of my life trying to escape the evil clutches of lasagna. Now, thanks to our friends at Boca, I no longer have to run screaming from this Italian favorite. My favorite soytastic product ever to emerge from Boca-land is their Chunky Tomato and Herb Lasagna. Imagine eating a 10.5-ounce serving of cheese, sauce, noodles and "meat" (okay, soy that tastes like meat), all for 270 calories and 5 grams of fat (plus 5 grams of fiber). You can! And I recommend you do ‑- because this is the most awesomely delicious frozen lasagna I've ever tasted.

Amy's Burrito Especial

One burrito has 260 calories, 6 grams fat, 45 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams protein.

If you love Mexican food, you'll flip over Amy's Burrito Especial. Amy's Kitchen produces dozens of organic, authentic-tasting Mexican entrees. One of my favorites is their Burrito Especial, which is packed with black beans, rice and cheese. Each large-and-in-charge burrito is like a delicious fiesta in a tortilla and contains just 260 calories. Go, Amy!

Healthy Choice Macaroni and Cheese

One serving has 290 calories, 7 grams fat, 44 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, 12 grams protein.

Good news, people. You can live out your macaroni and cheese fantasies every once in a while, and not completely wreck your diet. You just have to be sure to choose your noodles carefully. Healthy Choice makes a version of mac 'n' cheese that's creamy, cheesy and super-satisfying, and the single-serving tray has just 290 calories per serving. Yum!

Lean Pockets Ultra Supreme Pizza

One serving has 200 calories, 6 grams fat, 19 grams carbs, 7 grams fiber, 24 grams protein.

Crave pizza? You can enjoy a pizzalicious, Italian, meat-stuffed treat without guilt. Each Lean Pockets Ultra Supreme Pizza packs in Italian sausage, yummy pepperoni, gooey cheese, green peppers and tomato sauce ‑- all stuffed inside a soft-baked, whole grain crust. With just 200 calories, 6 grams of fat, 12 net grams carbs and 7 grams of fiber, how can you possibly say no to one of these palate-pleasing pouches?

Morningstar Farms Veggie Corn Dogs

One serving has 150 calories, 4 grams fat, 22 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams protein.

Think it's impossible to enjoy a delicious battered item and still fit (comfortably) into your skinny jeans? Au contraire! Thanks to Morningstar Farms, you can. With approximately 70 percent less fat than their beefy corn dog counterparts, these sweet, crunchy veggie pups are perfect for lunch, dinner or as a satisfying snack. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

5 Superfoods for Weight Loss

5 Superfoods for Weight Loss

Reviewed By: Timothy Yarboro, M.D.

Some foods make it really difficult to lose weight. They create their own self-sustaining cravings ("Betcha can't eat just one!") and play havoc with your blood sugar and, ultimately, your waistline. But other foods do just the opposite. You might have heard that certain foods can help you shed pounds. It's true! Here are some other tasty options that will fuel you up and generate weight loss. Make these foods a part of your daily diet and watch the pounds come slipping off.

1) Grapefruit. Ever tried the grapefruit diet? Turns out there may be some good research to back up grapefruit's reputation as a fat fighter. In a 2004 study at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California, researchers investigated the effect of grapefruit on weight loss and found that eating half a grapefruit before a meal can actually help people drop weight. The researchers studied the effect of grapefruit capsules, grapefruit juice and real grapefruit. All three seemed to help, but the folks eating the real grapefruit got the best results. The mechanism isn't completely understood, but the results speak for themselves. As an added benefit, grapefruit contains cancer-fighting compounds like liminoids and lycopene, and red grapefruit has been shown to help lower triglycerides. And half a grapefruit has only 39 calories.

2) Sardines. Sardines might just be one of the greatest health bargains of all time, and they're a boon to anyone wanting to lose weight. First of all, sardines are loaded with protein, which helps stabilize blood sugar, makes you feel full and helps stimulate metabolism. Second, they're a great source of omega-3s, which not only strengthen the cardiovascular system but also are helpful in boosting mood. (And when you're in a good mood, you tend to crave less junk food!) Third, sardines are convenient, easy to find and cheap. And because they're very low on the food chain, they're remarkably free of contaminants, such as mercury and heavy metals.

3) Pumpkin. You may know this vegetable for its central role in Thanksgiving celebrations, but it's also one of the greatest weight-loss foods ever. Plain old canned pumpkin is absolutely loaded with fiber and has a mere 40 calories. Dozens of studies confirm that high fiber intake is associated with a host of health benefits, including weight management. Pumpkin is also among the easiest food in the world to prepare. You can sweeten it with your favorite low or 0-calorie sweetener, sprinkle it with blood-sugar-lowering cinnamon and nutmeg for good measure, throw in some healthy almonds and make it one of the best tasting weight-loss treats around. It's filling and delicious.

4) Grass-Fed Beef. Meat is a great diet food -- if it doesn't contain antibiotics, steroids and hormones. Eat grass-fed beef and avoid the health concerns that go along with eating meat while getting all the terrific benefits. Buffalo burgers are a good alternative if you can't find grass-fed beef. High-protein diets are associated with weight loss for a variety of reasons: Protein stimulates metabolism, helps you feel full longer and helps decrease the desire to overeat. Grass-fed beef has a high omega-3 content, giving you multiple health benefits into the bargain.

5) Green Tea. This natural weight-loss stimulant might not be a food, but green tea is still a great slimming solution, not to mention that it's rich in antioxidants, promotes heart health, aids digestion and regulates blood sugar and body temperature. It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight. Drink it daily to boost your metabolism. Some research has shown that five cups a day is the magic number for fat loss. As an added benefit, the theanine in green tea is also a great natural de-stressor.