Vegetable Lasagna

This Recipe of vegetable lasagna is always a hit with my family and friends.  It does require a bit of planning and grocery shopping.  The good thing is that it can be done in advance and then you can easily heat it up later.

Preparation Time: About an hour
Serves: 7-9 pieces

Ingredients:

9-10		Lasagna Noodles
1	Package/Ounces	Frozen Spinach, thawed & drained
1	Medium	Red Onion, chopped
1		Red & Green Bell Pepper, chopped
		Salt & Pepper to taste
		Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
1	Tsp	Oregano
		Basil leaves, fresh & chopped
8	Ounces	Ricotta Cheese
1/2	Slab	Firm Tofu, crumbled
24 or 2	Ounces/Jars	Pasta Sauce
		(I buy vegetables sauce &      tomato garlic sauce)
2	Cups	Mozzarella Cheese
1/2	Cup	Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta with a touch of salt. Drain, add cold water and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add bell pepper, onion, spinach, crumbled tofu, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Mix it well and set aside.
3. Cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish with a layer of sauce.  
4. Then add a layer of noodles.
5. Now spread the mixture from the bowl over the noodles. Try to pack mixture little firmly and evenly.
6. Now, in the same way, add a second layer on top of it. Add another layer of noodles. cover it with sauce and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
8. Then broil it for 5 minutes. 
9. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips: Other vegetables can be added like broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and corn. Sauté the vegetables for five minutes before adding them to the mixture. Sometimes I open a can of black beans, rinse and add to the mixture, also. To speed up preparation time, pre-cooked pasta can be used.

ENJOY!

Serving Size is 1/4-1/2 piece.

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This Week's Healthy Tip

The Health Benefits of Lasagna 

From livestrong.com:

Prostate

No lasagna is complete without generous portions of tomato sauce. Tomato sauce and other tomato products are rich in the antioxidant lycopene. Antioxidants are special compounds in food that shield your body's cells from harm. A diet rich in tomato products reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer, reports Edward Giovannucci of Harvard University. A paper published in the January 2002 issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" found that consuming at least two servings of tomato sauce per week slashed prostate cancer risk by more than 25 percent.

Calcium

The cheese that often tops vegetable lasagna is loaded with dietary calcium. Regularly consuming calcium-rich dairy products significantly reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis. However, cheese can be high in total calories and saturated fat. Choose fat-free or reduced fat cheese that contains the same amount of calcium with less fat and calories.
 

Veggies

The eggplant, spinach or tomatoes that you put in your vegetable lasagna are a boon to your health. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables significantly reduces your risk of contracting chronic diseases like cancer, stroke and diabetes, the Harvard School of Public Health reports.
 

Whole Grains

Choosing whole wheat pasta to use as your vegetable lasagna base will make the dish much healthier than if you decided to use refined grains. Unlike refined grains, whole grains are loaded with dietary fiber. The dietary fiber in whole grains shields your heart from heart disease, MayoClinic.com reports. Check the ingredients list on the package to make sure that your whole grain pasta choice is really whole wheat. The first ingredient listed should be "whole wheat" or "100 percent whole wheat."

Bhel Puri

One of my favorite chaat is Bhel Puri. The best ones I've found are sold by street vendors at their stalls.  It is a very famous push cart food in India. It is similar in style to America's food trucks.  Bhel has been very famous in the Gujarati community for centuries. It is eaten as a snack, sometimes as an appetizer and sometimes as a main meal. In any form, Bhel is always appreciated by any guest and host, too. It is a medley with an array of flavors to tantalize the taste buds including sweet, sour, crunch and rich aromas.

Cooking Time: Varies
Assembly Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Level:  Easy
Recipe Type: Vegan
For Jain Recipe: Omit potatoes & onion & add cubed apple and/or cucumber

Ingredients:

1/2	lb.	Mamara (rice krisipes) available at Indian store
		(Bhel mixture is readily available at Indian stores)
1/4	lb.	Thin Sev (crunchy noodles available in Indian store)
3	TBsp	Roasted Peanuts
2	Small	Potatoes, cubed
1	Small	Onion, cubed
		Green Sauces (also ready-made available)
		Date Sauce
		Garlic Sauce
	Few	Cilantro Leaves, chopped
		Lemon Wedges, optional
1	Small	Raw Mango, cubed

Directions: 

1. Mix all the ingredients very well. 
2. Garnish with thin sev, cilantro and onions.

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This Week's Healthy Tip

Popular North Indian Chaats (Snacks) & Their Health Benefits 

From fitho.com:

Aloo Chaat: Crisp brown deep fried potato pieces served with, chaat masala and a mixture of sweet and tangy chutney. Potatoes are healthy, but deep frying them makes them unhealthy. So, clearly this chaat is not something you can indulge in, when you’re trying to watch your weight. If you want to make it healthier, you can pan fry or bake the potatoes with less oil, but it still doesn’t make aloo chat healthy  . So follow the golden rule ‘mind the portion size’ while eating aloo chaat.

Calories: Approximately 350 calories (based on serving size)

Bhel Puri:  Made from puffed rice (murmura, muri) with mash boiled potatoes, sev (yes, they are fried) with, tomatoes, onions along with tangy tamarind sauce and spicy coriander sauce. Bhel Puri is a healthy option in chat and and a good snack if you’re watching your waistline.
Calories: Approximately 200-250 calories (based on serving size)

Pani Puri:  Called by varied names across India- Puchka, Gol Gappa, Bataashaa, Gup Shup, is a round hollow fried crispy shell, and filled with water mixture of tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and boiled chole (chickpeas).
Yes, the shell is fried, but the filling is mostly healthy, so this one is on our approved list of chats.
Calories: 150-180 calories for 4-5 medium sizes pieces.

Papri Chaat: A mixture of crispy fried dough wafers made from refined wheat flour, chick peas, boiled potatoes and yoghurt, tamarind chutney which is garnished with sev. This chaat is a borderline case. Its got the benefits of the boiled vegetables, and the benefits of yoghurt nutrition, but the base (papri) is fried and made from refined flour, which has a high glycemic index and is loaded with calories and fat.
Calories: Approximately 300 calories for a medium size serving.

A really healthy chat is yellow matar chat or a fruit chat. As you can see, with most chats, there is a part of it that’s unhealthy. Now, you know what is unhealthy, and what to avoid. So, next time you’re at a chat stall, you won’t be left wondering about the nutrition. If you like to indulge occasionally, its alright.  Just make sure you eat healthy most of the time and you get your exercise in!

Fried Okra

Okra is one of the most common vegetables cooked every day. The key factor of good okra subji is that the okra has to be fresh, tender and small in size.  The necessary softness has been compared to Ladyfingers. There are numerous ways okra can be cooked easily. In my opinion, stir fried is the best way to cook it because it is easy, quick and loaded with key nutrients.

Cooking Difficulty Level: Very Easy

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Recipe Type: Vegan 
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1	Lb.	Fresh Okra, washed & dried for 15 minutes
		& cut lengthwise
2	TBsp	Curry Powder (add more to your taste)
		Salt to taste
1	Medium	Red Onion, cut lengthwise
2	TBsp	Tomato Paste
1	Tsp	Garlic Paste
1	Tsp	Ginger Paste
1	Tsp	Green Chili Paste (optional)
2	TBsp	Olive Oil or Canola Oil

Directions:

1. In a skillet or wok on medium heat, add oil and cut onions.
2. Add green chili, ginger and garlic paste and fry them until soft.
3. Add okra and stir well.
4. Add curry powder and salt and any additional spices that you like. (You don't have to, but I did!)
5. Notice okra will change the color as it is cooked.
6. Add tomato paste and stir well.
7. Cook for another 3-4 Minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy with roti, rice and Dal's and it is easier to eat with ready made tortillas.

Tips:

• To enjoy you can roast tortillas or ready made roti on an open flame on top of your stove top.
• For an electric burner, a small grill is required. 
• It is a good idea to experiment with curry powder. All of them are not equal. I like the one which comes with all of the spices and mace. So I add little bit of curry powder and the spices which I trust more. But fresh spices are more easily available in the US and they are better in quality, also.

Good luck with this next adventure in cooking!

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This Week's Healthy Tip


The Health Benefits of Okra

From nutrition-and-you.com:

• Very low in calories, provides just 30 cal per 100 g and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; but is a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins; recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
• The rich fiber and mucilaginous content in Okra pods helps smooth peristalsis of digested food particles and relieve constipation condition.
• The pods contain healthy amounts of vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as beta carotenes, xanthin and lutein. It is one of the green vegetable with highest levels of these anti-oxidants. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Fresh pods are good source of folates; provide about 22% of RDA per 100 g. Consumption of foods rich in folates, especially during pre-conception period helps decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in the offspring.
• The pods are also an excellent source of anti-oxidant vitamin, vitamin-C; provides about 36% of daily recommended levels. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps body develop immunity against infectious agents, reduce episodes of cold and cough and protects body from harmful free radicals.
• The veggies are rich in B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid. The pods also contain good amounts of vitamin K.  Vitamin K is a co-factor for blood clotting enzymes and is required for strengthening of bones.
• The pods are also good source of many important minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

Almond Lassi

Almond Lassi from ifood.tv

This is one of the favorite drinks of Punjab, Northern India.  It is healthy and refreshing for the summer.  The yogurt provides prebiotics to aid in digestion.

Cooking Difficulty Level:  Easy
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2	Cups	Fresh Plain Yogurt
2	Tsp	Kevra Water or Rose Water
2	Cups	Water
2	Tbsp	Sugar
2	Tbsp	Crushed Almonds
		Ice as desired

How to Prepare: 

1. Mix all the ingredients very well using a hand mixer.
2. Add ice in a glass and pour to serve.
3. You can add strands of saffron if you like.  Heat for about 5 seconds.

Nutrition Facts for Entire Recipe (2 Servings)

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This Week's Healthy Tip

The Health Benefits of Yogurt 

From askdrsears.com:

1. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. 

2. Yogurt contributes to colon health. Yogurt contains lactobacteria, intestines-friendly bacterial cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria, especially acidophilus, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids.

Secondly, yogurt is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk for colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. 

3. Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

4. Yogurt can boost immunity. Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream.

5. Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. It's good to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

6. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies and decreases the incidence of yeast infections.

7. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

8. Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. Plain yogurt contains around ten to fourteen grams of protein per eight ounces, which amounts to twenty percent of the daily protein requirement for most persons. In fact, eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures, contains 20 percent more protein than the same volume of milk (10 grams versus 8 grams). Besides being a rich source of proteins, the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."

9. Yogurt can lower cholesterol. There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt can reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

10. Yogurt is a "grow food." Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.