Mediterranean Chickpeas salad with Tahini dressing

Have you been struggling to eat salads like me? I love salads as a side but it is difficult for me to eat them as a meal. I like cooked food more over raw vegetables to feel satisfied. If I have an option, I would choose soup over salad to eat healthy.  However I feel that sometimes salads can provides an array of flavors and textures that can't be found in soups. Therefore, I have been trying to come up with the salad that I can enjoy as a meal and this Mediterranean Chickpeas Salad is just what I needed. It is a perfect blend of vegetables, flavors and cooked spiced chickpeas! Needless to mention, this salad is my perfect balanced meal that is rich in nutrients, fibers and protein. 

The Mediterranean Chickpeas Salad is refreshing and very simple to prepare. The recipe is very flexible as far as the blend of vegetables that can be used to prepare it. But the two star ingredients of this salad are the spiced chickpeas and the tahini dressing. These two are a must to enjoy that delicious tasting Salad. 

Vegetable blend -

I have used fresh baby spinach, baby cucumbers (Turkish cucumbers), avocado, cherry tomatoes and parsley. But if you don't have these veggies, here are some fresh veggies that goes well with this salad - broccoli, green or red bell peppers, red onions, corn kernels, kalamata olives, etc. For leafy greens, you can try arugulas, baby lettuce or chard. Also, you can use chopped roma tomatoes if you can't find cherry tomatoes. 

Chickpeas - 

In an effort to save time I have used canned chickpeas but you can also use dried chickpeas. Just soak the dried chickpeas overnight and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles. Just remember to not overcook them as we don't want to mash them. 

Tahini -

As I mentioned earlier, tahini dressing is very important for this recipe. So, try to find store brand Tahini to save time. You can also prepare it at home easily, it refrigerate well for up to 2 weeks. 

Mediterranean Chickpeas Salad with Tahini dressing

Prepare time -15 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Salad vegetables

1 Large Avocado cubed

2 Cup Baby Cucumber diced

8-10 Cherry tomatoes halves

1 Cup Baby spinach

1/4 Cup Parsley finely chopped

1/4 Cup Red onion thinly sliced (optional)

Tahini dressing 

1/4 Cup Tahini

2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Black pepper powder, to taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 Medium Lemon

1 Tbsp Maple syrup or honey

2 tablespoons water, more as needed

Salt to taste

Spiced Chickpeas

1 Can (16 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed (1 1/2 Cup boiled Chickpeas)

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1/4 Tsp Cumin powder

1/4 Tsp Black pepper powder, to taste

1/4 Tsp paprika

Salt to taste 

Instructions

Begin by heating up a pan on medium flame and add olive oil. Add drained and washed chickpeas along with the remaining ingredients listed under Spiced Chickpeas. Combine well and cook the chickpeas for 3-5 minutes. 

Turn off the flame and transfer the Spiced Chickpeas to a bowl. Keep it aside.

Now in a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients listed under Tahini dressing except lemon and water. Squeeze in the lemon juice and whisk everything together until well combined. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of water for better consistency of the dressing. Keep the Tahini dressing aside.

Finally in a big mixing bowl, add all the vegetables listed under Salad vegetables followed by the Spiced Chickpeas and Tahini dressing. Combine everything well so all the ingredients of the salad are nicely coated with the dressing. 

Serve this deliciously blended Mediterranean Chickpeas Salad in a big Salad bowl or a plate and enjoy your meal! :)

Wholesome Buddha Bowl with Quinoa and Tofu

The holiday season here in America is over and so now I am trying to get back to eating healthier food. Healthy food does not mean cutting out on tasty food but instead eat food with more nutritional value that can help me stay fit. So lately I cut down on the intake of white rice and white pasta and replaced with quinoa, brown rice, ancient grains and whole wheat pastas, millets and whole wheat flours and off course ton of veggies. So in my quest of eating more wholesome food, I have started preparing various different nutritious Buddha bowls. They are perfect for either lunch or dinner and keep us fuller longer. 

What is Buddha bowl?

There are different versions of the story but according to one of them, Buddha bowl literally came from Buddha's bowl that he carried with him while on his journey to enlightenment. He would gather the vegetarian food in a bowl that the villagers offered to him and eat it at the end of the day. This vegetarian dish is served in a large bowl or a plate with high rims. It can have various elements of well balanced meal ranging from grains like quinoa or rice, protein such as Tofu, beans or paneer, vegetables of choice either steamed, roasted or raw and fruits of choice, etc. 

My family loves Buddha bowl especially when I add some Tofu or paneer to it. 

How to press Tofu?

Tofu is one difficult ingredient that is tricky for many people to handle. Also, not everyone is a fan of the texture of the Tofu. But you can say that I have been blessed in that respect as my family just like to eat tofu in any shape or form I prepare it. With that being said, we all love the crispy baked/air-fried tofu the most! In order to get the delicious crispy tofu, follow these steps:

1. Get firm or extra firm tofu from the store. 

2. Press it using Tofu-press for about 20 minutes. Alternatively, place Tofu block in a flat bottom strainer and press it with heavy weight plate on it for at least an hour. You can press Tofu beforehand to save some time on the day of preparing Buddha bowl.

  

3. Sprinkle your choice of spices and oil and bake the cubed tofu in the oven.

      

Roasted Veggies 

For this recipe I have used beetroots, baby carrots and bell pepper but you can use any vegetables of your choice, such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, cauliflower or mushrooms.

Beans

Beans are actually optional if adding protein like tofu in your bowl. But I love to have different textures in my bowl, so I added pinto beans. You can also use chickpeas or kidney beans. 

Grains

I have used quinoa in the recipe, but you can use any variation of rice, couscous or even mix of ancient grains as per your preference. 

Fresh salad and fruits

I had cherry tomatoes on hand but cucumber, cabbage or avocadoes could be used instead.  Also, feel free to include or exclude fresh fruit in the bowl. But they will definitely add some flavor to your dish. 

Wholesome Buddha Bowl with Quinoa and Tofu

Prep time - 30 minutes

Cook time - 35-40 minutes

Yields - 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

For Cilantro lime quinoa:

1 Cup dried Quinoa rinsed and washed

1 1/2 Cup Water 

2-3 Tsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice

Handful of Cilantro rinsed and chopped

1/2 Tsp Olive oil

Salt to taste

For Pinto beans with Spinach:

1 Can Pinto beans - 16 oz rinsed and washed

1 Cup Baby spinach rinsed

1 Tsp Olive oil

1/4 Tsp Black pepper powder

1/4 Tsp Cumin powder

Salt to taste

For Roasted Veggies:

1 Cup Beets peeled and cubed

1 Cup Colorful bell peppers washed and diced

1 Tbsp Olive oil 

1/4 Tsp Black pepper powder

1/4 Tsp Cumin powder

Salt to taste

For Tofu + marinade:

1 Block of Extra Firm Tofu - 16 oz pressed and cubed

1 Tbsp toasted Sesame oil

2 Tsp Soy sauce

1 Tsp Siracha sauce (add more for spicier taste)

1 Tsp Maple syrup

Fresh fruits and veggies:

1/2 Cup fresh Cherry tomatoes rinsed 

2-3 Fresh Orange cubed or Fresh fruits of your choice 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for marinade and combine well. Now add cubed tofu to the bowl and coat them evenly in marinade. Let the tofu marinate until we work on the remaining elements of the bowl.
3. Now line the baking tray with foil and place all the veggies - beets, carrots and bell peppers on the baking tray. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle black pepper powder, salt and cumin powder on the veggies. Mix well and roast in the oven for 15-17 minutes. 
4. While the veggies are roasting, let's prepare Cilantro Lime Quinoa. Take quinoa in a bowl and wash them well, until the water runs clean. Now add quinoa, water, salt and olive oil to the Instant pot to cook them for 1 minute on manual high pressure and let the pressure release naturally.  
• Alternatively, you can cook quinoa in a big pot on the gas stove. Boil 5-6 cups of water, add quinoa and cook them for about 10-12 minutes. Drain any excess water and place quinoa back in the pot. 
5. Add chopped cilantro and lemon juice to quinoa and mix everything well. Taste check quinoa to adjust salt as needed and transfer Cilantro lime quinoa to a bowl. 
6. Rinse clean the inner pot and place it back in the IP. Turn on the sauté mode and heat up olive oil. Add pinto beans and baby spinach to the pot along with the black pepper powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix everything well. 
7. Cook until baby spinach leaves are wilted. Be sure to stir the beans and baby spinach frequently to avoid any burning at the bottom of the pot. Transfer everything to a separate bowl. 
8. When the roasted veggies are ready, transfer them to a bowl and replace the foil if needed. Do not turn off the oven at this point as we will need to bake tofu in it. 
9. Line the marinated tofu cubes on the baking sheet evenly, leaving some space between each cube for it to bake properly. 
10. Place the marinated tofu tray in the oven and bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Remove the crispy baked tofu cubes from the oven when done. 
11. Arrange all the elements - cilantro lime quinoa, crispy baked tofu, roasted veggies, pinto beans, fresh cherry tomatoes and orange cubes - of the Buddha bowl in a plate or in a bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and drizzle some of the remaining tofu marinate liquid or hot sauce to add more flavors. 
12. Enjoy the delicious flavorsome wholesome Buddha bowl! 

Mexican Quinoa

Quinoa as we know is one of the super foods. But, is it a super grain or super seed? Fun fact - Widely known as whole grain, Quinoa is actually a seed from amaranth family. Nicole Spiridakis wrote in a story for NPR, "The yellowish pods are the seed of a plant called Chenopodium quinoa, native to Peru and related to beets, chard and spinach." 

This super food is high in fiber, full of antioxidants and minerals, rich in protein, yet lean. Due to such high nutritional value, Quinoa provides great health benefits and also serves as one of the popular diet foods for those trying to lose some extra pounds. :)

I have been using Quinoa for quite a few years now. I have successfully tried multiple different combinations of spices and vegetables with quinoa, making this super food a part of our meals at the house. Let me share one of these recipes that also happens to be the most favorite Quinoa recipe of my family. So without further ado, let's start with preparing what I call - the Mexican Quinoa.

Ingredients (makes lunch for 3-4 people) - 

1 cup quinoa  (thoroughly rinsed and washed)

1 tsp olive oil for cooking quinoa

1 3/4 cup water 
1 can black beans 15 oz (rinsed and washed)

1 medium tomato 
1 large slice of red bell pepper (optional)

1 small red onion (1/2 cup when chopped)

1/2 cup boiled corn kernels 
4-5 spring onions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro 

For dressing -

 

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil 
1.5 tsp Cumin powder 
1 Lemon
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chili flakes (add more if like more spicy)
1/2 tsp Black pepper 

Take quinoa in a bowl and wash them well, until the water runs clean. Now add Quinoa, water, salt, olive oil to the Instant pot to cook them for 1 minutes on manual high pressure and let the pressure release naturally. Alternatively, you can cook Quinoa in a big pot on the gas stove. Boil 5-6 cups of water, add quinoa and cook them for about 10-12 minutes. 

                                                

While Quinoa is cooking, finely chop all the vegetables - tomato, onion, red bell pepper, and spring onions.

                              

To make the dressing, take a small bowl and add extra virgin olive oil to it. Add cumin powder, red chili flakes, salt and black pepper and give it a good stir. At the end, squeeze in lemon juice and whisk it all together. 

  

                    

                                         

Now, open the lid of the Instant pot, stir quinoa just a little to check if its properly done. Quinoa should be soft and fluffy just like the picture below. Drain the quinoa under cold water and transfer them to a large bowl. Let them cool completely.

                     

After that, add beans and veggies including corn and cilantro to the quinoa along with the prepared dressing. Lightly toss everything together so that the quinoa get coated well in the dressing.

Our Mexican quinoa is ready to eat. You can eat it warm or after it cools down. Take some prepared quinoa in a plate and serve them with fresh avocado slices or tostadas.

This recipe is so easy to make yet it is healthy, fulfilling and tasty. I am sure you and your family will also enjoy this one pot meal much like my family does.

Notes - 

• For this recipe you can use either multi-color or white quinoa, whichever is available. 
• I have taken canned beans, they are pre-cooked. If you are using raw beans, soak them for at least 5-6 hours and pressure cook them. You can do this step a day prior and store the beans in refrigerator if desired.
• Corn kernels can be canned or you can boil corn ahead of time.
• Simply exclude red onions and spring onions if you don't eat onions.