Mixed Veg & Chick Pea Salad with Parsley & Yogurt Dressing

Do you love salads? I do, not just because they are so healthy and good for the body but also they are easy to put together in a jiffy. Most of the time no cooking is involved, add this and that. Come up with a dressing and toss things together and the salad is ready in few minutes. Starting the meal with fiber and water rich food like salads or soups with veggies fills you up and prevents from over doing the high calorie main course later. So give this colorful salad a try as a part of your Thanks giving meal and let me know how you like it. Now getting on to this super simple recipe.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - None

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Cucumber - 1 (Medium size, washed, peeled and cubed)

Tomato - 1 small chopped

Mixed bell peppers - 1 Cup(Red, yellow and green washed and cubed)

Salted & boiled chick peas - 1/2 Cup



Dressing



Greek yogurt or thick yogurt with excess water drained - 3/4 cup

Fresh parsley or cilantro - 1/2 cup (finely chopped, I just put them in my food processor with little bit of yogurt and blended till a coarse paste)

Lemon juice - 2 Tbsp or to taste

Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Black pepper - 1/2 tsp to taste



Method



1) Stir together yogurt, parsley or cilantro(works wonder with yogurt dressing too), lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you like crushed garlic add 2 cloves but I didn't.



2) Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, mixed peppers, chick peas and add dressing, tossing to coat.

Serve.

Events



1) Sending this to Herbs and Flowers - Parsley an event hosted by Anu's Healthy Kitchen an event started by PJ of Seduce your taste buds.



2) Sending this to Soup and Salad Mela by Srivalli.

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Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Scallion & Coconut Salad

 Do you love fresh raw vegetables and include salad as a part of your every day meal. Then this recipe is definitely for you. I try to include at least one raw vegetable dish as part of our meal and in order not to get bored, I try a variety of them. This simple salad is perfect for any body including carb watchers. Made with all low GI vegetables, these are perfect even for people on a diet plan.  Do try this out and let me know how you liked it.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 2 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Cucumber - 1

Yellow bell pepper - 1 (Small)

Scallion - 1 bunch

Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Lemon Juice - 1 Tsp or to taste

Freshly ground pepper - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Chopped cilantro - 1 Tbsp



Tempering



Coconut oil - 1 Tsp

Asafoetida powder - pinch (avoid this in case of gluten intolerance)

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp



Method



1) Wash all the vegetables, peel and chop the cucumber into small pieces. De seed the yellow bell pepper and chop into fine pieces. Remove the root of the scallion and chop the white portion and little bit of green portion alone into pieces.



2) Combine cucumber, yellow bell pepper, scallion, grated coconut, salt, lemon juice, chopped cilantro and freshly ground pepper and keep it aside.



3) Heat a small pan and once it is hot, add the oil. After the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds and once the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the asafoetida powder and transfer the tempering to the salad.

Combine well and enjoy.

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Greens, Fruit, Nut & Veggie Salad with Yogurt & Honey Dressing

Eating vegetables raw is good as they retain the optimum nutrients required for the body. Cooking or over cooking leads to lose of nutrients, so try to include atleast one raw vegetable in your diet every day.

Salads are a good way to include raw vegetables in the diet. This is a very easy to make salad, the addition of fruits and nuts add lot of taste and make it very interesting to eat.

I had two cups of Organic Spring mix left out, a carrot,  bell pepper, half orange, a carrot and half an apple. Added handful of pistachio and sliced almonds and raisins. Addition of yogurt and honey made this salad taste almost like a dessert. Toss everything together and enjoy.

Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Organic Spring Mix ( Baby Lettuces, Baby Greens, Endive, Radicchio) - 2 Cups

Organic Carrot - 1

Chopped bell pepper - 1/4 Cup

Chopped apple - 1/2

Diced Oranges - 1/2

Pistachio and Sliced Almonds - Handful

Raisins - Handful

Dressing

Thick Yogurt - 1/4 Cup

Olive Oil - 1 Tbsp

Honey - 1/2 Tbsp

Orange Juice - 1 Tbsp

Method

1) Add all the dressing ingredients in a shaker or container and shake it to mix well.

2) In a big bowl, add all the salad ingredients and add the dressing, toss, chill and serve.

Note - If you are looking for a salad for a person on diabetic diet, exclude carrots, raisins, apple and orange. Add cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and go for Balsamic Vinaigrette as salad dressing. But substitute the sugar in the salad dressing with Xylitol. Will post later on how to make Balsamic Vinaigrette at home.

Events

1) This goes to Only Salads hosted by Chef and her Kitchen an event started by Pari.

2) This goes to Food Palette Series - Green.

3) This salad goes to The Seasonal Sundal event.

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Pineapple Salsa/Salad

Pineapple is such a perfect juicy fruit with its a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. Pineapple is available year around at a very nominal price. I  made this salad with the leftover pineapple and few of the veggies in hand and it tastes delicious. Try out this flavorful salsa and you are sure to love it.



Know what you Eat - Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. Vitamin C is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, defending all aqueous areas of the body against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, copper and dietary fiber.



Cooking Time – None

Preparation Time – 10 – 15 Mins

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Fresh Pineapple - 1 1/2 cups (Chopped)

Red Onion - 1/4 cup (Chopped finely)

Green & Red Bell Pepper – 1/2 Cup(Chopped Finely)

Fresh Lemon Juice – 1 tsp

Finely Chopped Jalapeno Pepper - 1/2-1 tsp. (or to taste, if serving for kids replace this with powdered black pepper) 

Finely Minced fresh ginger – 1/2 tsp

Salt -  1/2 tsp(or to taste)

Finely Chopped Cilantro - 2 Tbsp



Method



1) Combine pineapple, red onion, green & red bell pepper, ginger and chopped  cilantro.                    

2) Add Jalapeno or Black pepper, Salt and Lemon Juice.

3) Chill 2-3 hours to marinate flavors and then enjoy.

4) Enjoy with some baked corn tortilla chips as a guilt free snack.

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Brown Rice Pasta & Black Beans Salad

Know what you eat:



Just one cup of brown rice will provide you with 88.0% of the daily value for manganese. This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids, which are important for a healthy nervous system.



Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. You may already be familiar with beans' fiber and protein, but this is far from all black beans have to offer.







If you are looking for whole grain pasta, try out brown rice pasta. It tastes much better than whole wheat and the fiber content is much more than whole wheat.











Cooking Time - 25 mins



Preparation Time - 10 mins



Serves - 4





Ingredients







Cooked brown rice pasta - 3 cups



Cooked rinsed & drained black bean - 1 cup



Chopped vegetables - cherry tomatoes, scallion, celery, black olives



Salt to taste for pasta, bean







Dressing





Olive oil - 2 tbsp



Lemon juice - 1 tbsp or to taste



Onion powder - 1/2 tsp



Garlic powder(optional) - 1/4 tsp



Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp



Dried parsley - 1 tsp



Mustard powder - 1/2 tsp



Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste.







GarnishingChopped cilantro or parsley











Method





1) Cook pasta as per directions, rinse in cold water and drain completely.



2) Soak black bean overnight and add salt cook till soft. Remove, rinse and drain the water completely.



3) Whisk all the salad dressing ingredients.



4) Combine cooked pasta, black bean and the chopped vegetables.



5) Add the salad dressing and toss gently to combine.



6) Garnish and serve.

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Rajma(Kidney Bean) Salad

Know what you Eat - Kidney beans are an excellent source of molybdenum. Molybdenum (MO) is an essential trace element although its functions are poorly understood. These are not fully understood at this stage, but it is thought that molybdenum aids in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, is involved in protein synthesis, is vital for the utilization of iron, protects against cancer, prevents anemia because it is necessary for iron metabolism, is necessary for the formation of uric acid, promotes a feeling of general well being and helps to prevent tooth decay.



Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - Nil

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Cooked Kidney Bean(Either home cooked or canned one) - 2 cups(16 oz)

Tomato - 1

Scallion - 4 stalks

Salad Dressing

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp to taste

Chat masala or Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Garnishing

Chopped Cilantro - 1 tbsp

Method

1) Take 2 cups of cooked kidney beans and rinse in cold water and let the water drain completely.

2) Chop tomato and scallion into small piecese and combine with drained kidney bean.

3) Combine olive oil, salt, lemon juice and chat masala or powdered black pepper, whisk and transfer it to kidney bean + chopped vegetables and toss gently.

4) Garnish with chopped cilatro and serve.

Adding chat masala will give a zing to the salad.

l This is our entry for My legume love affair 11th helping hosted by Taste with eyes.l This is our entry for WYF Event hosted by ECl This dish goes to 15 mins Event hosted by Mahimaa

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Spinach, Chick Pea, Fruit & Veg Salad and Almond Milk for brunch

During school days, my kids have to be woken up really hard. But in the week ends, they get up by themselves earlier than school days and we are all up and running early in the morning. My husband sits with them and make them do little yoga and exercise and I am off to the kitchen making an elaborate breakfast for the special Sunday. So we have full breakfast and lunch(in fact a little elaborate than the weekdays) on the week ends too. But unusually I ended up having brunch on a Sunday morning few months back. This salad I prepared for brunch on one of those Sunday's for myself when my husband was travelling out of country and my elder one had gone to his friend's place for a sleep over and stay. Only me and my younger one were at home, lazing around we both read for some time, watched tv for some time. Being a picky eater I had prepared things which my younger one normally eats and for me  had a little bit of everything in my refrigerator. Little lazy to cook just for me, I prepared this healthy & filling salad.



Know what you Eat - Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, Spinach is also an excellent source of folate. Folate is needed by the body to help convert a potentially dangerous chemical called homocysteine that can lead to heart attack or stroke if levels get too high, into other benign molecules. In addition, spinach is an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that can help to lower high blood pressure and protect against heart disease as well. Chick Pea(Garbanzo) are a good source of Protein, folate and also contain the following minerals Calcium, Iron, Potassium and Magnesium. Eating diets rich in fresh vegetables help in weight loss and are good for people with diabetes and for the healthy people to remain active throughout the day. Source - Whfoods & Nutritiondata.



Preparation Time - 15 mins

Cooking Time - none

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Spinach - 1/2 bag(I had  half of 5 oz bag)

Cooked Chick pea - 3/4 th cup

Iceberg lettuce - 1/2 cup(chopped)

Carrot - 1(Peeled & cut into thin strips)

Beet root - 1(small)

Cherry tomatoes - 10(cut into half)

Black grapes - 10(cut into half)

Red raddish - 5(cut into thin slices)

Cucumber - 1/2(cut into thin slices)

Orange - 1/2(cubed)

Red bell pepper - 1/4 (cut into thin slices)

Toasted walnuts - handful

Shredded Cheese(vegetarian) - handful

Dressing

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

Orange juice - 1 tsp

lemon juice - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Method

1) Peel the beetroot and cut into small cubes, add 1/2 tsp of olive oil and put in a toaster for 2-3 minutes.

2) Remove it and once cooled, add the spinach, lettuce, chick peas, carrots, raddish, cucumber, grapes, tomatoes, orange, bell pepper strips, toasted walnuts and cheese.

3) Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and add it to the salad ingredients and serve.

4) I had this salad with Almond milk and believe it, this is a very nutritious and filling lunch.

Almond Milk





Ingredients



Almonds - 12 nos

Raw Milk - 6 oz

Ice cubes - few

Honey - 1 tsp

Cardamom powder - pinch

Saffron - pinch



Method



1) Boil the almonds in little bit of water for a few minutes and set it aside to cool.

2) If you press the almonds between your fingers, the almond peel will come off.

3) Grind the almonds into a smooth paste and then add milk, ice cubes, honey, saffron and cardamom powder and blend them together and serve.



Event Participation



1) Taking the Salad & Almond Milk to Monthly Mingle Brunch hosted by Meeta of What's for Lunch Honey.



2) This also goes to No croutons required-November theme root vegetables hosted by Lisa.



3) This also goes to Yasmeen's healing foods event.

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Sprouted Mung(Green) Bean Salad

Know what you Eat: Mung beans(green bean) are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, thiamin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium ,copper, and folate.


Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 0
Serves: 3 to 4


Ingredients

Sprouted Mung(Green) Beans - 1 cup
Chopped Tomato - 1 cup
Choppped Green Pepper - 1/2 cup
Chopped Red Pepper - 1/2 cup
Chopped Scallion - 1/2 cup

Dressing

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp or to taste
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Powdered black pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste

Garnishing

Chopped Cilantro - 1 tsp

Method
1) Combine sprouted mung bean, chopped tomatoes, green and red pepper, scallion.
2) Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to the above and toss gently.
3) Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

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Chick Pea fruit and vegetable salad

Nutritional Info - Chickpeas are a good source of protein, iron and folate. This folate is shown to help improve insulin resistance and reduce risk of heart disease.







Cooking Time - Nil
Preparation Time - 15-20 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Cooked, rinsed, drained chick pea - 1 cup
Chopped onion - 1/4 cup
Cubed pineapple - 1/3 cup
Cubed mandarin orange pieces - 1/3 cup
Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
Chopped Cabbage - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp to taste
Chat masala - 1/4 tsp or to taste

Garnishing

Cilantro (optional)

Method of Preparation

1) Combine chick pea, pineapple, orange, onion and bell pepper.
2) Add salt and chat masala to the above.3) Toss all of the above and garnish with chopped cilantro

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Quinoa Bean Salad

Nutritional Info - Quinoa seeds contain twice the protein of rice and a very good source of dietary fiber.









Cooking Time : 15-20 mins
Preparation Time : 15 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Quinoa - 1/2 Cup
Water - 1 Cup
Grape Tomato - handful
Scallion - 3 stalks
Roasted Peanuts - handful
Cooked beans - 3 handfuls ( i used black bean, white bean and garbanzo each one handful)
Bell Pepper - 1
Pineapple - 4 slices
Salt - 1 tsp

Dressing

Oil - 1 tbs
Pepper - 1 tsp
Mustard powder - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Onion Powder - 1/2 tsp

Garnishing

Cilantro

Method of Preparation

1) Soak Quinoa at least for an hour and rinse thoroughly.
2) Add water and 1/2 tsp of salt and cook quinoa it is completely done.
3) Cool the quinoa completely.
4) Half the grape tomatoes, chop green onion, bell pepper and pineapple and add it to the cooked quinoa.
5) Add roasted peanut and cooked beans to the above.
6) Whisk together all of the salad dressing ingredients, add and toss the salad.
7) Garnish with cilantro and server

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Peanut Salad

Nutritional Info - Peanuts are an excellent source of protein, low in satured fat yet high in mono and polyunsaturated fats.

Cooking Time : 15-20 mins

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Peanut - 1 cup
Scallion - 3 stalks
Onion (small) - 1
Tomato (Medium) - 1
Salt
Pepper

Method of Preparation

1) Soak peanut overnight.
2) Pressure cook with salt till 3 whistles and keep it in low flame for 3-5 mins.
3) Rinse the cooked peanut and drain the water completely.
4) Chop the onion and soak in few spoons of apple cider vinegar for 10-15 mins.
5) Chop tomatoes, scallion, squeeze out the onion from vinegar and add all to the drained peanut. You can add any vegetables of your choice.
6) Add salt and pepper and toss the salad.

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Avocado Roman Bean Salad

Nutritional Info - Avocado has good for you fat. They contain more fiber and protein than most fruits.

Cooking Time : 20 mins

Preparation Time : 10-15 mins

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Roman Bean (soaked overnight and cooked) - 1 cup
Tomato (medium) - 1
Scallion - 3 stalks
Avocado (small) - 1

Dressing

Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Lemon - 1/2 or to taste
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
Pepper - 1 tsp or to taste
Mustard powder - 1 tsp

Garnishing

Cilantro

Method of Preparation

1) Soak roman bean or any bean of your choice overnight, pressure cook it with salt. Once cooked, rinse the bean with
cold water and let the water drain completely.
2) Now cut the tomato and scallion into small pieces.
3) Cut the avocado into cubes; do not cut them into small pieces other wise this will become like a guacamole
4) Now mix the entire above, whisk the salad dressing and add it to the salad and gently toss the salad.
5) Garnish with chopped cilantro

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