2017 Nov 4
by Ridmi Upeksha
When it comes to food, most of us are either too busy or too tired to make a meal for ourselves with our extremely busy lifestyles. Yet we all try to become health conscious when possible and keep track of the of the meals we eat regardless of how busy our lives may be.
We are in an age where there are various cooking methods introduced to fit into our busy lives, so now cooking isn’t a big problem any more. To quickly whip up an omelette, to mix a salad or to make a quick stir-fry isn’t something that will take up a lot of time from your schedules.
Salad Craze
Every now and then we all feel that we take in a lot of unnecessary extra calories and fat from our meals, specially from our lunches. But modern day quick salads have given us the answer to our worries about these extra calories. To make a well balanced salad portion you can incorporate your own ideas and create one on your own, without having to follow a recipe as such. However here are some great ideas in case you are wondering how to get a head start on preparing a salad for your lunch.
1. Red Rice & Mint w/ Soy Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup raw red rice, cooked to package instructions
2 cups diced cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
Shallot Dressing:
3-4 large shallots, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Zest of 1 medium lemon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt, to taste
Method:
Cook 1 cup of raw red rice. Allow to cool.
In sauce pan over medium-low heat, add only 2 tablespoons of oil and cook shallots and garlic until a light golden brown or until fragrant.
Immediately remove from heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, vinegar, lemon juice and cracked black pepper. Stir till sugar dissolves and all ingredients are mixed together. Put aside to marinade further while you prepare vegetables and herbs.
After rice has completely cooled, toss in cucumbers, chopped herbs and shallot dressing. Eat immediately or chill in refrigerator.
For a warm red rice dish, toss cucumbers and herbs with warm rice. Heat up dressing in sauce pan till warm and toss with rice. Serve immediately.
2. Rice, Feta Cheese, & Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients:
250g Red rice
Zest of 2 lemons
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of caster sugar
1 small ready-roasted chicken (skin discarded and meat shredded)
50g almond toasted and chopped
1 medium cucumber, deseeded, cut into diagonal chunky pieces
1 bunch spring onions chopped
100g feta cheese, crumbled
1 Pomegranate, seeds removed
Small handful dill, finely chopped (Optional)
Method
Boil the rice in plenty of salted water until just cooked, about 30 mins.
Meanwhile, make the dressing and prepare the other ingredients. Place the lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a jam jar with a fitted lid. Add seasoning and the sugar and shake well.
Drain cooled rice and tip into a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the warm rice and mix well. Let it soak in a little, then toss through the rest of the ingredients.
3. Green Gram Tabbouleh
Ingredients:
200g of Green gram
1 bunch of spring onions
200g ripe cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large bunch of fresh mint
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
Method:
Rinse the green gram, then cook in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
Trim and finely slice the spring onions, halve the tomatoes, then pick and finely chop the herb leaves.
Mix the cooled green grams with the spring onions, tomatoes, herbs and 4 tablespoons of oil. Add the lemon juice to taste, season with sea salt and black pepper, then serve.
Healthy Eaters
If you are used to eating a heavy meal for lunch, but are in dire need to change to a healthier meal plan, switching to a salad meal wouldn’t be the ideal take off. For those who want to eat healthy yet stick to the same portion of rice to be included in the lunch meal , here are some great ideas to spice up your lunch meal into something healthy and yummy!
4. Jack-fruit Pilaf
2 cups of basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes
400 grams of Jackfruit, cut into small pieces
2 medium size onions, thinly sliced
1 inch ginger root and 3 garlic cloves chopped and made into a paste
3 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
1 inch long cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
3 strands of nutmeg
1 tsp of fennel seeds
5 cups of water
3 tsp of ghee
5 tbsp of oil (Optional if you are not frying the jackfruit)
3 tsp ed chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 chopped green chillies
1 tsp of chopped coriander leaves
50g of roasted cashew nuts
1 tsp of garam masala powder
1 tsp lemon juice (Optional)
Method
Soak the rice in water rinsed for 30 minutes. Later drink the rice and keep aside
Towel dry the cut jackfruit for pan frying (You can steam, deep fry or steam the jackfruit according to our preference)
Heat the oil and add the jackfruit into the oil
Pan fry until the jackfruit pieces are in light golden colour
Drain the jackfruit pieces on to a kitchen paper towel
In a large cooking pot heat the ghee and then add green & black cardamon, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, nutmeg, fennel seeds and sauté until they are fragrant. Add the thinly sliced onion on to the spices and sauté until its golden brown.
Take half of the fried onion slices from the pot and reserve them for later.
Lower the flames and add the ginger-garlic paste and 3 tsp of red chilli powder into the onion spice mix. Add the basmati rice and stir into the spice mix.
Add the 5 cups of water and salt to taste, and let the rice simmer for about 10 mins on lower flame until half cooked.
After 10 mins, turn off the cooker and add the panfried jackfruit, cut green chillies, chopped coriander leaves, roasted cashew, gram masala powder, and lemon juice on top of the half cooked rice.
Place the rice pot in the cooker and let the rice and the jackfruit simmer on low heat for about another 10-12 minutes.
Serve the Jackfruit pilau with raita, pickle and papadam.
5. Simple veggie & tofu stir-fry
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cashew nuts
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
175 g firm tofu
1 teaspoon cornflour
vegetable oil
runny honey
2 cloves of garlic
5cm piece of ginger
4 spring onions
2 fresh red chillies , optional
½ a head of broccoli
½ a red pepper
4 baby sweetcorn
80 g sweetcorn
1 lime
low-salt soy sauce
Method:
Place a frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the cashew nuts, then 30 seconds later add the sesame seeds. Toss for a further 30 seconds until golden, then tip into a bowl.
Cut the tofu into cubes, then place in a bowl and dust with the cornflour and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Add oil to the pan or wok and place back over a medium-high heat.
Fry the tofu until golden and crisp, then scoop it out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. While it’s still warm, drizzle with honey and scatter over the nuts and seeds.
Peel and slice the garlic and ginger, then trim and slice the spring onions on an angle. Slice the chillies (if using), cut the broccoli into florets, then slice the pepper. Halve the sweetcorn lengthways.
Return the pan to a medium heat and add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and chillies (if using). Stir-fry for 30 seconds, or until the garlic turns golden.
Add your vegetables and stir-fry for a further 4 minutes. Squeeze in the juice from half the lime and add a splash of soy sauce.
Tip the vegetables into bowls, top with the crispy tofu and serve with the remaining lime wedges and some chilli sauce, if you like extra heat.
The Wrapper
Whole Wheat wrap for your lunch is not such a bad idea. You will be taking in the proper amount of nutrients, carbs, and fibre at the same time. This can be the best way to keep track of how much of calories you take in which will perfectly fit to your busy life.
6. Whole- Wheat Black Bean wrap
1 Whole-Wheat Wrap
1/4 cup of boiled cowpea
1/4 thinly slice avocado
1/4 thinly sliced mango
1/4 chopped onion
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salsa (Optional)
