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Tag: dried mint

Bulgur Pilaf with Red Pepper and Eggplant

This is a perfect accompaniment for the kebabs from yesterday’s post. I added delicious red pepper and eggplant to the grain and included harissa which is a Moroccan spicy condiment. It was a delicious dish!

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 large red pepper, diced
  • 1 small eggplant, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 1½ cups bulgur wheat, washed and drained
  • 2 cups hot water
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the harissa and tomato paste. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the red pepper, eggplant and jalapeno. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, mix well and simmer on a medium low heat, covered for about 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add the bulgur and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the hot water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the bulgur rest for 20 minutes. Take the lid off, fluff with a fork. Add salt and dried mint. Check for seasonings. Serve warm.

Minted Masoor Dal

I love simple lentil dishes. It reminds me of home- comfort food. I like using the pink lentils the most as they cook really fast and are delicious. I served these lentils with the cauliflower in the past. This is a perfect complement to the veggies as the lentils provide a good amount of protein without cooking any meat- if you don’t want to. I recently decided to go vegan twice a week. Mondays and Tuesdays are my day to stay away from meat and all meat products. I certainly don’t want to give up any kind of food, but I think reducing the amount of meat we eat is a great idea. The good thing is that Indian food lends itself to a vegan lifestyle. If you are not eating vegan, by all means use butter or ghee to finish off the dish- it brings a whole lot of nutty flavor to the lentils and makes them delicious. The other important ingredient in this dish is dried mint. You must try this dish- it is one of my favorite…

  • 1 cup masoor dal
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 garlic cloves, mashed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint
  • 2 teaspoons oil, ghee or butter

Add the dal, water, garlic, turmeric and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or till the lentils are soft. Add the dried mint and oil/ghee. Cook till it reaches desired consistency. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.

Healthy Chicken Tikkas

Healthy Chicken Tikkas1 I usually make chicken tikkas out of thighs. I love the tender pieces of thighs and they are very forgiving- with the cooking time that it.

I decided to use chicken breast and marinated the pieces in an aromatic mix. I simply blended ginger, garlic, cilantro and dried mint.  I mixed it with a bit of non-fat Greek yogurt.

I think the trick is to marinate the pieces for a few hours if not over night. The flavor will get stronger and that is what you need when you are trying to cook with less fat and use meats that are very low in fat.

Instead of cooking the pieces in the oven, I decided to use my non-stick frying pan. Cooking it on the stove top gave a bit more control over the cooking time. I kept checking on the chicken to make sure it doesn’t over dry- that is the worst thing- you don’t want chicken breast tasting like cardboard.

Enjoy this dish but make sure to watch the chicken- closely… enjoy!

  • 1½ pounds chicken breast, skinless

Marinade

  • 2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 3 teaspoons oil

Process ginger, garlic and cilantro till smooth. Add the mixture in a small bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, salt and dried mint. Spread the mixture all over the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 4 to 5 hours or over night.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons oil into a non-stick pan. Heat on medium and add the chicken pieces. Lower and cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the pieces). Turn the pieces and drizzle the remaining one teaspoon oil and cook till done. Serve hot.

Cauliflower with Cilantro and Mint

Cauliflower with Cilantro and Mint

  • 1 head of cauliflower, florets taken out and washed
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • One lined cookie sheet

Preheat oven to medium broil

Transfer the cauliflower onto the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt. Broil for until the florets are golden brown.

Green Sauce

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried mint (1/2 cup fresh)
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • ¼ cup water

Transfer the onion, garlic, cilantro, mint, fenugreek and water into a blender. Blend till smooth.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the green sauce and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cauliflower and mix well. Lower the heat and cover with lid and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or till the florets are tender but not very soft. Add the coriander powder and salt. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Serve warm.

Paneer Makhani (Indian Cheese Cooked in a Tomato Butter Sauce)

Paneer Makhani This is a very popular dish served in Indian restaurants. Some friends were coming over with their kids and I thought of making Indian food that day. Since I was cooking a vegetarian meal, paneer was definitely on the menu- I just didn’t know what kind to make.

As I thought about all my choices, paneer makhani came to mind. I looked in my blog and realized I have never made it before- how can that be?? It is one of the more popular Indian dishes out there.

This version is the easy and quick one- it is done in about half an hour. There are other versions out there with more complex flavors but I don’t see any reason for that- this one is delicious and simple and best of all a big hit with everyone.

All you need is a can of crushed tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic. One key ingredient is roasted cumin seeds- they impart a lovely, sweet, nutty flavor- not as smokey as the regular cumin seeds. I usually roast some cumin and always have it on hand. Another important ingredient is dried mint- I garnished the dish with some. It provides a delicious flavor as well. In case you don’t have the dried variety, add some fresh mint into the processor with the onions, ginger and garlic.

Try this dish next time you want to have a healthy, quick and easy Indian dish…
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