Jalfrezi veggies & tofu

I stopped by Apple A Day after yoga the other day and came across a jar of Jalfrezi sauce by Seeds of Change. I had never tried or heard of it, but it sounded really good--fenugreek, cardamom, and turmeric. I found out that jalfrezi is a type of Indian curry used for stir fry. The instructions are simple enough too--just throw it on your tofu or meat once it's cooked and let it simmer with the sauce for 10 minutes. It turned out to be delicious and now I stop and pick up a jar every weekend.

Ingredients

1 jar Seeds of Change jalfrezi simmer sauce
1 package firm tofu
2 carrots, chopped diagonally
2 celery stems, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1 zucchini, cubed
Olive oil

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and zucchini and cook until the carrots are almost soft. Add the tofu and jalfrezi sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Kale!

I like kale and I've been using it a lot more these last couple months. This creation came about when I wanted light and healthy lunch on a cold (Miami cold, that is) Saturday afternoon. I also discovered that throwing in some kale at the end of cooking a soup or any sauteed veggie dish will add the extra leafy green goodness oompf and heartiness.

Ingredients

1 bunch kale
8 oz. sliced white mushrooms
1/2 carton firm tofu, cubed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage

Instructions

Spray some olive oil in a large pan. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Addthe mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme, and sage. Cook until the mushrooms begin to cook down. Add the kale and continue cooking until the kale is wilted and the mushrooms are done. Enjoy!

Tandoori Chicken

You may or may not know that it is REALLY hard to find good Indian food in Miami. My favorite Indian restaurant, Renaisa, closed a while ago. So, I've taken matters into my own hands. Mr. M's favorite dish is Tandoori Chicken, so here is what I did for my first attempt. I used Arora Creations Tandoori Chicken Blend because it has all the spices I was unable to find separately. You can find the the Arora blend at Norman Brothers in South Miami.

Ingredients

1 package boneless and skinless chicken cutlets
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (you are supposed to use plain distilled vinegar, but I didn't have any and didn't feel like going to Publix)
1 package Arora Creations Tandoori Chicken Blend
1 large oninon, cut into large pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, and Arora blend in a large glass bowl. Use a knife to make a few small slits in the chicken. Mix well and then add the chicken breasts one at a time making sure each one gets completely covered with the mix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours (up to 24 hours). After marinating the chicken, remove the chicken from the bowl, remove each chicken breast from the bowl and squeeze out any excess marinade. Place each breast on a greased oven pan after squeezing. Cook for 15 minutes and turn each chicken breast over once. Place the onion pieces on the baking sheet over the chicken. Continue cooking until done, about another 20-30 minutes. Serve with basmati rice.