Lowfat Sesame Ginger Chia Dressing

This is a recipe that was really popular on Melomeals circa 2011!

Sesame Ginger Chia Dressing

• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 cup water, broth or aquafaba
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
• pinch stevia
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Blend everything for a minute or two in a blender. Allow mixture to sit for 30 minutes so it can thicken up.

30 Minute Supermarket Chana Masala

I love Indian food! We are lucky to have some really good Indian restaurants in the Boston area and take advantage of them at least several times a month, but the food can be really heavy, so I love to make my own interpretations at home.

Click HERE for my amazing Spicy Tomato Onion Chutney recipe!

This is a super fast dish that will taste like it’s been simmering for a while. I purposely picked ingredients that are available in a regular supermarket. Traditional Chana Masala uses amchor to give it a lovely sour kick. I have replaced the amchor with lemon juice and added lemon zest for a lovely little explosion of flavor in your mouth. When you are cooking food fast, little things like lemon zest and cumin seeds dance around on your palate, which is very satisfying.

To make this a one-pot stew, increase the curry powder to 2 tbsp., the salsa to 3 cups, the soy sauce to 3 tbsp., and add a 16 oz. bag of frozen cauliflower when you add the chickpeas. Serve over rice for a full meal. This dish also freezes very well, so feel free to double it and freeze the second batch! Cook once, eat twice! I like to portion my second batch into 1.5 cup servings so I can pull one out whenever I want a fast meal.

30 Minute Supermarket Chana Masala- serves 4

• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 serrano chili pepper, minced, seeds removed if you don’t want heat (omit or add more depending on personal taste.)
• 8 cloves garlic, pressed
• Several pinches salt/freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped, fresh ginger
• 2 cups salsa*
• 1 cup light canned coconut milk (or half cup regular coconut milk mixed with ½ cup water, you can also use full fat if you want)
•  1 29 oz. can chickpeas (or around 3 cups cooked chickpeas) **
• Water or vegetable broth as needed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional) Tip: peel lemon zest with a peeler, making sure not to get any of the white pith and keep in the freezer.
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 cup cilantro
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat add the oil and spices. Toast spices for 20 seconds or so, then add the onion, serrano, and garlic along with a good pinch salt and pepper.
2. Cook for around 10 minutes, then add the ginger, salsa and coconut milk and chickpeas.
3. If the mixture looks dry, add some water or broth as needed
4. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring several times and adding broth as needed.
5. Take off heat, stir in soy sauce, lemon juice/zest and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning.

*The salsa brings all of the flavors together; allowing the dish to taste like it’s been cooked longer. If you don’t have salsa, you can use canned, crushed tomatoes.

**You can choose to drain the chickpeas or not based on personal preference.

Serve over rice.

Simple Pickled Onions

Condiments and sauces are my best friend! They can elevate a dish to the next level and are great to have on hand. One of my favs is pickled onions! I used red onions and red wine vinegar because I like the color, but you can use white onions and other kinds of vinegar. I would stay away from a live apple cider vinegar though because the flavor can be a bit intense.

Pickled Onions

• 1 large red onions, sliced (around 2 cups)
• 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 – 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• optional: 1 tablespoon sugar or 1 stevia packet

Method: Massage the onions with the salt, then add the rest of the ingredients. Incorporate them well, then pack mixture into a sterilized glass jar. Make sure the brine is covering the onion. Cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour. This will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.

SALSA!

Salsa

• 1 tablespoon oil 
• 1 tablespoon coriander 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• Pinch oregano
• 1 large onion
• 5 Serrano or Jalapeno Peppers
• 1 teaspoon Tony’s Cajun Seasoning or Salt
• Around a ½ cup of water
• 28 oz can tomatoes and their juice, crushed with your hands
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes

Method:

Over medium heat, add the oil and spices. Toast for several minutes or until very fragrant. Add the onions and peppers along with the salt and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often adding water to keep the mixture from burning. Next add the tomatoes, cover and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes. Take off heat, stir in the garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Puree in a food processor or blender. Allow Salsa to cool then adjust seasoning if needed. 

Clean out the fridge salad.

I love cabbage so much. Shredding it on a mandoline is my preferred way to eat it raw. I always have a large bowl of prepped cabbage in my fridge. I mix red and green together and use it as the base of salad instead of lettuce.  I added pea shoots, rainbow carrots, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, and garlicky, lemon hummus as the dressing.

I love eating a big salad for breakfast.

Coconut Mint Chutney

Cilantro-Mint-Coconut Chutney

• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp black salt
• 1 bunch cilantro (stems and leaves)
• 1 bunch mint (leaves only)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1-3 jalapenos, seeds and all.
• 2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp toasted coriander
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• Juice of 2 large limes

Method:

1. In a food processor, add the garlic and black salt.
2. Puree into a paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until combined.

French Lentil Soup

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp dried tarragon
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• Healthy pinch freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and white pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or 2 tbsp golden balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups dried lentils
• 6 cups water
• 1 Knorr veggie bouillon cube
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• Salt/pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom soup pan, over medium heat add the oil and mustard seeds until they pop.  Then add the tarragon, coriander, nutmeg, onion, garlic, carrots and celery along with a pinch of salt and white pepper.
2. Saute for 5-10 minutes, then deglaze with the wine or vinegar, add the lentils and broth; turn heat to high and bring to a boil for two minutes.
3. Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, then stir in the mustard, fresh herbs, and salt/pepper to taste.

Cheater Baked Falafel

Nothing beats traditional falafel made with soaked chickpeas, but this simple baked version is still pretty good!

Baked Falafel

• 1 29 oz. can drained chickpeas (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1 ½  cups chopped scallions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 TBS soy sauce or Braggs
• 1 TBS siracha or hot sauce (optional)
• ½  tsp kosher salt
• ½  tsp pepper
• ½  tsp baking powder
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• Around 1 – 2 cups dried breadcrumbs (more or less depending on the humidity, start with 1 cup and work your way up to 2 cups if needed) You want to be able to form a ball and have it hold together.

Method: Pre-heat oven to 400

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the breadcrumbs) into a food processor and pulse until combined. Place mixture in a mixing bowl and add the breadcrumbs.
2. Chill for 30 minutes. Use around 2 TBS per ball and roll them into balls.
3. Place on a sheet pan (I usually use a silicone baking mat, but you can just spray it with spray if you’d like) and spray the tops of the falafels with cooking spray. Bake for around 20 minutes, then turn them over, spray the other side of the balls and bake for another 10 minutes or so. You might want to check them after 15 minutes on the first side in case your oven is different from mine. This will make around 16-18 falafels and I usually serve 2 or 3 per person.

Hydrating Watermelon Smoothie

It's kind of amazing that three simple ingredients can work so well together it feels like you are drinking dessert. (four if you count the stevia). This lovely little smoothie had frozen watermelon, frozen banana (rations 3:1), lime juice, and a very scant scoop of Kal stevia. 

Lentil Pidcadillo Stuffed Peppers - Home Cooking

Clean out the fridge meals are a regular in my house. Those of you who used to read this blog years ago probably remember my method of having three sauces, two cooked legumes, and two cooked grains on hand. I still do that! My freezer always has cooked individual size portions of cooked grains and legumes, and my fridge is stocked with and abundance of homemade sauces. (Seriously, I make a new sauce at least 3 or 4 times a week during recipe testing for MeloMeals.) 

So, onto this meal. I had some red peppers I wanted to use and some cooked lentils, so I sauteed up some onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika along with a bay leaf for around 10 minutes, I deglazed with red wine vinegar and tomatoes and added raisins, green olives, and the olive brine. I filled the peppers with the mixture and popped them in my air fryer for around 15 minutes or so. I topped the peppers with my homemade vegan feta, and some pico. I added a bit of fresh marjoram to the pico, and wowza guys! It was amazing. So simple, so delicious, and so healthy. 

Recipe Testing: Vegan cheese made from whole soybeans!

Day 1: I plan on aging this for at least 7 days,

Smoked White Cheddar Day 1: I plan on aging this for at least 7 days,. 

Thai Red Curry Tofu, Daikon Noodles & Arugula

Hidden under the greens are noodles made of Daikon! I dry fried the tofu, then cooked the daikon/tofu in a red curry sauce I made a while back with some coconut milk (the drinkable kind from the carton) and peanut butter. 

This is my kind of breakfast! 

Vegan Goat Cheese

Tangy and Delicious Cashew-Soy Goat Cheese 

Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Sauce

I get so excited when I score Scotch Bonnets! Habaneros are easy to find, but these babies are elusive. When we went to Jamaica, I fell in love with the sauce at a little roadside place and have been re-creating it every time I am lucky enough to get my hand on these firey, floral little gems. 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (Vegan and Gluten Free of course!)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Far East Rice Noodle & Veggie Bowl

Spiced Chickpeas, Kale, Cabbage, Carrots, Rice Noodles, Sesame-Ginger-Turmeric Dressing