Feel-good lunches! (also-known as salads)

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 Nowadays, I am quite obsessed with whole grains and healthy salad meals for lunch. In any case, on a hot summer day, it is nicer to eat a salad than roti and curries. And there is the added advantage of feeling healthy and wise for having had a good meal. 

So my usual recipe goes as follows:

Grain - quinoa/couscous/brown rice/barley - cooked as usual

Raw ingredients - chopped cucumber, chopped tomatoes, olives (optional), chopped melon/apple (optional)

Cooked ingredients (optional, only if I feel like adding them. I just toss them in some EVOO) - mushrooms, red/yellow bell peppers

Nuts and seeds - some or all of soaked almonds, dry almonds, walnuts, raisins, some roasted melon and watermelon seeds

Top with plenty of lemon juice and black salt. Add pepper and chilli flakes. Toss and enjoy :)

Optional toppings - Any bhujia/chips lying around, green chillies

I sometimes add some more things as per status of my fridge and my mood. If I feel like making it heartier, I add a protein element, usually Paneer, which could be crumbled or cubed. For extra fun, I have added Chinese-style fried Chilly Paneer (not the healthiest version, but Oh so good!). 

Epilogue:

(Quick ref for cooking grains)

Couscous

  • 1 1/2 cup couscous
  • 2 3/4 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and stir. Add couscous and remove from heat and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. 

Quinoa

So far, I have cooked quinoa as follows:
Wash quinoa under running water. (like rice)
Add water with quinoa to water being 1:2. Boil it for 15 minutes in a covered pan.
Remove from heat and let it rest for 15 more minutes. 

Recently, I came across this recipe - it suggested a slightly different way. This recipe dry-roasts quinoa (like we do for wheat Daliya), and then cooks it the same way as I do. Since there is dry-roasting, pre-wash step is skipped. But it did lead to more flavorsome and nicer to eat quinoa. I am also planning to try avocado with this salad. Will update when I do. Till then, Happy lunching!

Ref: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/quinoa-avocado-salad/

Barley 

(July 18, 2023) I have had barley in salads in restaurants before, but today was the first that I used it at home. And did I love it! I made it in Egyptian style, with pomegranate molasses (another first today, yay!)

Barley cooked pasta style - for 45 minutes, with salt and plenty of water.

Complete ingredients list is: 

  • 1 cup pearl barley 
  • EVOO
  • 2tbsp pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1tbsp honey (I got some very nice chilli honey that I am using currently)
  • Cinnamon, cumin
  • cilantro/parsley, raisins, pistachios/walnuts, feta cheese
  • scallions, pomegranate seeds

Ref: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/egyptian-barley-salad-with-pomegranate-vinaigrette.html

   

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