Showing posts with label Walnuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walnuts. Show all posts

Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Quinoa Salad Recipe


Vegan salad made with roasted sweet potatoes, baked spicy chickpeas, quinoa, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and veggies by tossing them in a simple dressing made of mustard and dates!

roasted sweet potato, chickpea, quinoa salad with walnuts, pomegranate, broccoli and beans in a mustard date dressing

Until my 20s, a salad in my life was just a plateful of sliced tomatoes or cucumbers. A boring but supremely healthy plate of food that neither tempted the vision nor the appetite. And then, I found this salad bar in a mall food court that totally made me love salads. While salad bars are extremely common in the west, there aren't many out here in the tropical sub continent. May be it is the weather or may be it just that there is no demand. I loved the idea that I could pile up my bowl with anything and everything and make my own salad. Unfortunately, the place shut down after a while. But ever since, I love DIY salads.

While I eat salads, I rarely post their recipes. When I make salads at home, they are usually very simple - veggies tossed in a simple vinaigrette, so I don't share them with you. But this salad, I had to share!!

roasted sweet potato, chickpea, quinoa salad with walnuts, pomegranate, broccoli and beans in a mustard date dressing

Where do I begin with this salad... it has so many delicious things all mixed together.
  • Roasted Sweet Potato - I found some gorgeous orange sweet potato (a rare find in Bangalore), so I bought some and roasted it in the oven with olive oil, salt, cumin and smoked paprika until they were soft and fabulous. Alternatively, roast some pumpkin.
  • Spicy baked Chickpeas - You have to add some crunch to the salad, and in this case, these chickpeas are the crunch element. I soaked chickpeas overnight and cooked them with salt until soft. Then I peeled them and roasted them with olive oil and salt. I tossed in some red chilli powder after removing from the oven. You can buy crispy chickpeas or you can just add boiled chickpeas.
  • Quinoa - This is what makes the salad filling and increases the protein content of the salad. If you cannot find quinoa, use millet or buckwheat.
  • Blanched Vegetables - I blanched some broccoli and beans and added them to the salad. I love broccoli and beans are just healthy. Add any of your favorite veggies, blanched or raw.
  • Pomegranate - I love pomegranate and I will add this to any salad I can. These sweet juicy pink seeds make any salad pop. They add a slight sweetness to the salad and complement the sweet potato really well.
  • Walnuts - You can never have enough crunch in a salad. Add in any nuts you love, I personally love walnuts. Plus, they are good for your brain.
  • Lettuce - Salad isn't salad until you have some green leaves. And while I list is last, it is most definitely the mandatory element of the salad. You can replace it with kale or baby spinach.
Since the salad itself had such gorgeous ingredients, I kept the dressing simple, yet interesting. Mustard, dates, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic and salt. Just blend everything until you have a tart sweet and hot dressing. 

This salad is substantial enough to be a meal in itself. In fact, it was our dinner and it kept us feeling full for a long time. However, it felt light also. 

The salad has ingredients that need preparation - roasting, baking, blanching and boiling. You can prep all of these in advance. That is exactly what I did. I roasted the sweet potato and chickpeas the day before. The chickpeas tend to get a little soft and chewy, but you can pop them in the oven for a while before adding to the salad to crisp them up again. I boiled the quinoa the previous day too. If you plan to make the salad the very next day, then you can also blanch the veggies the night before.

roasted sweet potato, chickpea, quinoa salad with walnuts, pomegranate, broccoli and beans in a mustard date dressing

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.


If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 



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Roasted Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Quinoa Salad Recipe


roasted sweet potato, chickpea, quinoa salad with walnuts, pomegranate, broccoli and beans in a mustard date dressingVegan salad made with roasted sweet potatoes, baked spicy chickpeas, quinoa, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and veggies by tossing them in a simple dressing made of mustard and dates.

Recipe Type:  Salad
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     8 hours
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3


Ingredients:


1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
1 medium Sweet Potato
100gms dried Chickpeas
0.5 cup Pomegranate Seeds
10 French Beans
1 cup Broccoli florets
6-8 Walnuts
3 cups Lettuce leaves, loosely packed
5 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Mustard Powder
0.5 tsp Garlic Powder
0.25 cup Vinegar
0.25 cup Water
8 Dates
0.5 tsp Red chilli powder
0.5 tsp Smoked Paprika
0.5 tsp Cumin Powder
Salt to taste

Method:


1. Soak the chickpeas for 8-10 hours. Drain and boil in salted water until done.
2. Drain and peel the chickpeas. Dry as much as possible.
3. Toss with 1 tsp Olive oil and bake at 200 degree C for 25-30 minutes until crisp.
4. Remove from oven and toss with red chilli powder.
5. Peel and dice the sweet potato.
6. Toss in 2 tsp olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and cumin powder until all pieces are coated.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 200 degree C until done.
8. Cook the quinoa as per instructions on the packet until done. I soaked the quinoa for 1 hour and pressure cooked with 1.5 cups of water.
9. Boil water and add a pinch of salt. Blanch the broccoli florets and beans for 2-3 minutes. Remove from hot water and immediately put the broccoli and beans in cold water.
10. Soak the dates in warm water. Drain the water, deseed the dates and blend into a puree. Use little water while blending if required.
11. Blend together mustard powder, vinegar, garlic powder, date puree, water and salt until mixed.
12. Make the salad by tossing the lettuce leaves, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, quinoa, blanched broccoli, chopped blanched beans, walnuts, pomegranate seeds and the dressing together.
13. Serve at room temperature.

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Vegan Date and Walnut Cake Recipe [Video]


Vegan cake made with dates and walnuts!

Vegan cake made with dates and walnuts


A few weeks before my birthday, Gee asked me to help her bake a cake. She's only ever baked two cakes in her whole life - Banana Bread and one plain Vanilla, but both a long time ago. And both of those in my house. This time, she wanted to bake one in her house to test out her oven. I was all confident telling her what to buy and how much to buy, until I landed up in her house and realized, that the last cake I baked, not muffins or cheesecakes, but a loaf cake was actually 2 years ago!!! 

As a cook, it is never good to forget your skills, and here I was all lost and upset. So I decided I need to start baking more often. Lo and behold, this Date and Walnut Cake. I made it multiple times since I first did to just brush up my baking skills and dust out my recipes. And I can say with conviction, that I have loved it each time that I baked it. It has been a little difficult however, to stop sneaking in a piece - for me and for Raj. He'll even wipe out the crumbs (so will I !!). This cake is uber moist and slightly dense. It is rich and gooey to eat and when you find those little bits of walnuts and dates, it makes the bite, that much more special. I love the walnuts in the cake!!

If you like light airy cakes, then this may not fit the bill. 

Vegan cake made with dates and walnuts

The lucky recipients of my trials have been our friends. Lots of free cake going around from this household. 

Date and Walnut has always been a family favorite, only this time, I made it Vegan. It wasn't that I was looking for a vegan recipe, but this one just worked so perfect that I don't think I'll ever want to add dairy and change it. The cake uses Coconut Oil as the fat component, and I tell you, it tastes delicious. It imparts a slightly coconutty taste to the cake, that makes it so much more exotic in flavor. If you aren't such a coconut fan, use any neutral flavored oil like canola or sunflower. To enhance the coconut flavor (cause I'm a big coconut lover), I used coconut milk. Feel free to use almond or soy milk. If you have none, use water, however it may make the cake feel less rich in taste.

There are three sweeteners in here - Dates, Jaggery and Sugar. 

  • Dates - Use the best quality you can. The flavor does come through and you want it to be good. I usually buy dates with seed and deseed them while using. The dates are cooked along with jaggery and water until soft and then blended to a puree. This adds sweetness as well as flavor to the cake.
  • Jaggery - Jaggery is unrefined cane sugar.  With refined sugar off the list for many of us these day, jaggery is the perfect replacement. You can use palm sugar or coconut sugar or brown sugar if you cannot find jaggery. If you do have access to jaggery, buy the darkest, that is the least refined and has the best flavor profile. Sometimes, it even tastes like chocolate. 
  • Sugar - I used half a cup of jaggery, and later added refined sugar, because the cake wasn't sweet enough. To avoid using refined sugar, just increase the quantity of jaggery to 1 cup or use powdered sifted jaggery powder later if the sweetness is less. You could also replace all of the jaggery with powdered sugar.

Vegan cake made with dates and walnuts


I have used all purpose flour or maida in the cake. I generally opt for whole wheat, however, I did not want this cake to be any heavier than it already was with all the vegan liquid ingredients. I suggest, if you are looking to use whole wheat, keep it at 50% and the remaining 50%, use all purpose flour.

The best part of the cake is the walnuts. Be generous. However, let me warn you that the cake gets a little difficult to slice when those walnut bits come in the way and you may not get the perfect slice. But don't let that stop you from baking the cake. Your family won't mind the large chunky slices, I assure you.cThe cake is soft and moist, so only slice it once it has cooled completely. Slicing it when hot will lead to it breaking into chunks around the walnuts.

Serve it warm with tea/coffee. 

Vegan cake made with dates and walnuts

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are upto.


If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 



You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email




Video Recipe





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Vegan Date and Walnut Cake Recipe


Vegan cake made with dates and walnutsVegan loaf cake made with dates and walnuts. Eggless and dairy free cake.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     20 minutes
Cook time:     50 minutes
Total time:     70 minutes
Yield:                Makes one 9 inch loaf

Ingredients:


30 Dates
10 Walnuts
2 cups Flour
200 ml Coconut Milk
0.5 Coconut Oil
0.5 cup powdered Jaggery
4 Tbsp powdered Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
0.5 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Essence
Pinch of salt
0.5 cup Water

Method:


1. Boil together 20 chopped dates, water and the jaggery until the dates are soft or 5-6 minutes. If you want to make a refined sugar free cake, increase the quantity of jaggery to 1 cup.
2. Allow the mixture to cool, and then blend to a smooth puree. Add water if required.
3. Mix together the coconut oil and half the coconut milk until combined.
4. Add in the date puree and mix well.
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
6. Sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. You can add a pinch of salt if you want.
7. Mix until combined. Use the remaining coconut milk to loosen the batter if it is very dry.
8. If the cake batter isn't sweet enough, add the powdered sugar until you get the desired sweetness.
9. Mix in chopped walnuts and the remaining dates.
10. Grease a cake tin (9") and line with parchment paper or butter paper.
11. Pour in the batter.
12. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 200 degree C or until done. An inserted toothpick or knife should come out clean.
13. Demould after 4-5 minutes.
14. Allow to cool before slicing.


If you liked this, you may also like:

Eggless Blueberry Muffins with streusel topping
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how to make honey cake recipe,how to make bangalore honey cake recipe, how to make iyengar bakery honey cake recipe, eggless cake recipe, eggless baking at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com
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Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats


When temperature soars, a cold breakfast is welcome. This Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats made with rolled oats, apple juice and yogurt is exactly what a cold breakfast should taste like...

How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com


How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com


I'll be completely honest, I was never one for a cold breakfast. Hot hot breakfast is what I am used to, and sometimes, I'll satisfy myself with food that is at room temperature. But chilled, just out of the fridge was something that never tempted me. Those rare times I eat cereal, I eat it with warm milk. But a couple of years ago when I went for a training to Hyderabad and was served cold Muesli in the buffet breakfast, I may have just converted a little bit. I still cannot eat cold breakfast every single day but when temperatures soar the way they have begun soaring, a cold breakfast is a relief!!

The first weekend I was back from the training, all I wanted to try was this Bircher Muesli... I couldn't wait to go out and buy rolled oats. I did go out, only to realize that the market is flooded with quick cooking oatmeal but there was no rolled oats anywhere. Gourmet super markets carried imported brands but they were super expensive. Finally, I tried making the muesli with oatmeal. While the taste was spot on, the texture really wasn't. Soaking oatmeal overnight gives it this pasty soft texture that is a total turn off. So if you really do make it with oatmeal, I highly recommend a shorted soaking time, maybe 2-3 hours.

How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com


How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com

Then I found this super affordable brand of Rolled Oats here. And luckily for me, just last week I found it stocked in an Organic store in Bangalore. Bircher Muesli it had to be.

This Bircher Muesli is till date the ONLY cold breakfast I eat. This muesli is all apple-y and yogurt-y, a flavor combination that tastes fresh and warm while being cold, um huh, you understand? If you are not a yogurt person, just replace it with milk and if you are looking for a vegan option, Almond milk goes great, but for me, it has to be fresh slightly sour yogurt.

This is a simple, no-cook recipe. But then, simple food always tastes the best, doesn't it?

To make this Bircher Muesli, soak the oats overnight in apple juice. In the morning add yogurt, lots of chopped nuts and lots and lots of chopped fruits. Sugar or honey for sweetness. Now this is something you can add or skip and it won't change the taste one bit - Basil Seeds. Basil seeds are the same family as Chia but are much more economical to purchase. They swell up when soaked in water just like chia seeds. You may know them as Falooda Seeds or Sabze ka beej. I soaked a few tablespoons of it in a cup of water and allowed it to swell while I cut fruits and chopped nuts. Once they had swelled up, I added them to the muesli. 

Use this recipe as a guide to make your perfect Bircher Muesli or Overnight Oats. I added fruits that my family loves and what are in season here - Apples, Pears, Bananas and Pomegranate (of course, pomegranate). You can use whatever you have. I'm a total "nut" case too, so I always have a variety of nuts and dry fruit stocked up to snack on. Use what is locally available to you.

How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com

How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)




Bircher Muesli | Overnight Oats


How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.comBircher Muesli or Overnight Oats is a cold breakfast made by soaking rolled oats in apple juice overnight and adding yogurt, nuts and fruits in the morning.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            International
Total Time:     20 minutes (excludes soaking time)
Yield:                Serves 5-6


Ingredients:


2 cups Rolled Oats
2 Tbsp Basil Seeds 
400 ml Apple Juice
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts)
4 cups whisked Yogurt
3 Apples
2 Bananas
1 Pear
1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds
1 cup Water
Powdered sugar to taste

Method:


Soak the rolled oats in apple juice overnight.
In the morning, peel and grate 2 apples and add to the oats.
Add whisked yogurt and powdered sugar to taste.
Soak the basil seeds in 1 cup of water and allow them to swell up and then add to the muesli.
Top with chopped fruits and nuts and serve.


How to make overnight oats, overnight oats recipe, bircher muesli with apple juice recipe, how to make bircher muesli with apple juice, rolled oats recipe, how to make rolled oats, cold breakfast recipe at www.oneateaspoonoflife.com
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Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies


This is my LAST post of 2016 and it's been a wonderful year, definitely better than the last 2. The year had me complaining a lot about hectic schedules but it also had me winning an award at work (yay!!), completing 5 years of a wonderful marriage, taking a memorable vacation to Cambodia with the people I love the most in the world. It has also been the year where I have blogged the most. This is my 70th post of the year. It is much less than how often I would like to write but it is a start. So while I sign off this year, I'm leaving you with a little treat to celebrate 2016 and here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year!!

How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Coffee+Chocolate+Walnuts = AMAZING moist stimulating brownie.

These brownies are good for you, really. Waaah, you think I'm just throwing it around, don't you?
1) Walnuts are good for your brain. They also shaped like them. They help in improving memory, etc etc. Well, point to be noted is they are good for you.
2) These brownies are perfect energy boosters with the added Coffee.Some think that may be bad for you, but we don't associate with coffee haters anyway. I mean, is there a tastier way for you to have coffee, than in a Brownie?
3) Everybody says chocolate is good for you, don't they? Well, here's some nice dark chocolate.   Cheers for our health!!

Have I convinced you? I do hope I have because I wouldn't want you to miss out on this little piece of heaven.

How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

For once, I simply made the brownies. No birthday, no celebration, no potluck, no get together. Just cause I wanted to treat myself, (yes, myself) to a dark moist chocolatey brownie. I've worked hard all year and I deserve it. So do you!! And when something tastes so good, it really does not need excuses or occasions. Of course, I shared this with family, but it was I who cut into them while still warm (not advised, but let's be honest, who can resist warm brownies) and ate to my heart's content before sharing it with anyone.

I feel happy and good when I eat things I love and chocolate usually ranks high on the list of foods that make me happy. What is it that you love to eat? What makes you happy? Let me know, may be I have a recipe just for that.

How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com
How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


If you liked this, you may also like:



Vegan Coffee Walnut Brownies


How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comVegan Coffee Walnut Brownies are moist cake like brownies made from chocolate, coffee and walnuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     25 minutes
Yield:                Makes 9

Ingredients:


100gms Semi dark vegan Chocolate (grated)
3/4 cup Flour (Maida)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Water
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
8 tsp Oil
2 Tbsp Flour
3 tsp Coffee Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3 Tbsp chopped Walnuts

Method:


Microwave the grated chocolate and 1/2 cup water on high for 30 seconds until the chocolate is soft. Whisk to combine the chocolate and the water. If doing this on the stove top, do it on low heat.
Add the coffee powder and oil to the chocolate and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well.
Sift the flour and baking soda together.
Add the flour to the chocolate and mix until combined.
Add more sugar or water as required. The batter should be sticky and thick.
Add half the chopped walnuts and mix.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
Grease and line the baking tin with parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the tin and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Remove from the tin after 10-15 minutes and pull out the parchment paper.
Allow it to cool before cutting into squares.

How to make vegan chocolate cake brownies recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

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