Baked Eggs with Spinach and Chili Oil

Heat a skillet and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute a pack of green scallions and a medium sized diced onion. Add a pack of baby spinach leaves. Cook until the spinach starts wilting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the cooked spinach to a baking skillet. Spread it, making hollow cricles to hold the eggs. Break four eggs carefully into the hollows keeping the yolks intact. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the egg whites are all set. In a skillet, heat a teaspoon of unsalted butter. Add a pinch of red chili powder and finely chopped teaspoon of fresh Oregano leaves. Drizzle the spiced butter on top of the cooked eggs. Sprinkle a teaspoon of crumbled goat cheese. Broil it for a minute until it turns golden. Serve hot with a dollop of Greek Yogurt.

Spiced Eggplan Steaks

Take couple of tablespoons of olive oil, couple of garlic cloves crushed, a teaspoon of cumin powder, small bunch of coriander leaves, small bunch of mint leaves, a small cinnamon stick, pinch of pepper flakes and rock salt. Pulse all of these in a food processor. The mix should be coarse but ground. Take a large round eggplant and slice it into half inch thick circles. Criss cross it on the surface with a knife. Brush some olive oil on the eggplants on both sides. Brush the spice mix on both sides of the eggplant. Roast it in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Take it out when they become soft in the center. Broil it for couple of minutes in the end to make the eggplant crisp and lightly brown in color. Serve hot with a Bulgar salad.

Bulgur Salad

Bring two cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add a cup of bulgar. Cook on medium-low heat until all the water is absorbed and it is soft. Fluff it with a fork. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add a tablespoon of currants and a tablespoon of peeled pistachios and a tablespoon of broken cashews. Add a quarter cup pitted green olives. Next add quarter cup of diced onions and saute it. Add the cooked bulgar and mix it well. Add a handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Serve it with a dollop of unsweetened Greek Yogurt seasoned with a pinch of sea salt and roasted cumin powder. This salad goes well with spiced eggplant steaks.

Swiss Chard and Feta Soup

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a small (around an inch of )cinnamon stick. Saute a diced onion, sliced green chilis, and four crushed garlic cloves in it. Once the onions have turned translucent, add couple bunches of Swiss chard leaves. Remove the center ribs and stems and coarsely chop them before adding them to the pan. Add a cup of coarsely chopped coriander and mint leaves. Add two cups of organic vegetable broth.  Let the soup simmer on medium heat until the chards are cooked. Use your immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot. Take a third cup of Greek yogurt and add half a cup of hot soup and whisk it well. Repeat it twice and add it back to the soup in the saucepan. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Serve in a soup bowl. Garnish with crumbled Feta cheese and a dollop of yogurt and few drops of lemon juice.

Salmon Steaks in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Take four salmon steaks and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and pepper on them on both sides. Take a cup of almond fluor and season it with sea salt and red pepper flakes. Coat the steaks with the fluor. Cook salmon steaks in a shallow pan greased lightly with olive oil until both sides turn golden. Keep aside. Puree couple of garlic cloves, one small green chili, an inch of ginger, a teaspoon of cumin seeds, and an inch of cinnamon stick with a teaspoon of olive oil. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the spice paste and cook on medium heat stirring it constantly to prevent the spice paste from sticking to the pan. Puree couple of large ripe tomatoes with a bunch of mint leaves. Add it to the pan. Let the sauce simmer for 7-10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Add the steaks to the pan and let them simmer on medium-low heat for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm.

Leak and Pea Soup

Heat a skillet; add a teaspoon of olive oil. Add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and couple of bay leaves. Add a cup of chopped scallions (or onions) and sauté until they start changing colors. Add a tablespoon of garlic-ginger-green chili paste (4-5 garlic cloves, 1 green chili or more if you want to fire it up, and an inch ginger) and saute until the garlic starts turning brown. Add a cup each of shelled peas and diced leak. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth and let it boil for 10 minutes. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup. Add a pinch of salt and pepper per your taste. Add a tablspoon of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Zucchinni Soup

Heat a tablespoon olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add couple of bay leaves, half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and couple of whole chili pods. Add a couple of garlic cloves, a small green chili and a small diced onion and saute until the onion turns translucent. Add a cup of diced zucchinnis and saute. Add two cups of vegetable broth and let it cook on slow-medium heat. Puree it in the pan using an immersion blender. Saute few curry leaves in a dollop of butter. Garnish the soup with the crisp curry leaves and freshly chopped tablespoon of coriander leaves. Serve hot. This is a delicious and heart warming soup.

Tropical Mixed Vegetables

Dice vegetables (equal parts of green beans, cauliflower, broccolli, red and yellow peppers, and mushrooms). Keep aside a cup of mixed vegetables to cook now and refrigerate the rest.Grind an inch of ginger, 3-4 garlic cloves, and one green chilli into a paste.  Make tomato puree with couple of ripe medium sized tomatoes. Roast a teaspoon of cumin seeds, an inch of cinnamon, 5-6 cloves, whole red chilis, a teaspoon of coriander seeds, and half a cup of grated coconut and grind it into a paste. Dice one medium sized onion.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok. Add the garlic-ginger-chili paste and saute for a minute. Next add the diced onions and saute until they turn golden brown. Add the ground spice paste and saute. Add the mixed vegetables and saute. Add the tomato puree. Finally add a cup of coconut milk and cook the vegetables on low heat. Season the cooked vegetables with couple of fried red chilis and bay leaves. Garnish with diced coconut pieces and serve hot.

Your taste buds will thank you for nourishing them with the flavors present in this recipe.

Lotus Kebab

Dice couple of fresh lotus roots and steam them in salted boiling water. If you are using frozen lotus roots, microwave a pack for 3-5 minutes to thaw it. Grind it with half an onion, one green chili, an inch of ginger, 3-4 cloves of garlic, and 5-6 whole peppercorns. Add half a teaspoon each of cumin powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add a pinch of cinnamon powder. Add juice of half a lime. Refrigerate the mix for an hour.

Preheat the broiler. Whisk an egg. Take the mix out of the refrigerator. Roll into flat balls, dip into the egg, and roll into almond fluor. Pat off the excess fluor. Place it under the broiler and grill it for 3-5 minutes. Remove it as soon as it turns brown without getting charred.

For those of you who do not want to use eggs, you can make flat balls and pan fry it until each side turns golden brown.

Make a dipping sauce as follows: Take a cup of Greek yogurt whisked with quarter cup of finely chopped mint leaves. Add a pinch of cumin powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt.

Serve these delicious kebabs with the yogurt-mint dipping sauce and raw onion and lemon slices. Yummmm.

Tomato Pulao

Dice a medium onion and 2 medium firm tomatoes. Take one tomato and cut it into round slices. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds, couple of bay leaves, two crushed cardamoms, half an inch of a cinnamon stick, 5-6 cloves and 5-6 peppercorns. Add a tablesppon of ground ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes. Next add diced onions and saute until they start turning brown. Add diced tomatoes and saute for few minutes.  Add previously steamed one cup of pearl barley. Mix them well. Fork them a bit to make them fluffy.  Put a layer of round tomato slices on top and grill for couple of minutes. Serve hot. The flavors and colors of this pulao nourish the soul while taking care of your health at the same time.

Mint Pulao

Soak a cup of whole barley overnight in warm water. Steam it in a pressure cooker until fully cooked. Make a paste of four garlic cloves, an inch of ginger and one green chili. Finely chop a bunch of mint leaves. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add couple of bay leaves, 5-6 peppercorns, a teaspoon of cumin seeds, and couple of whole crushed cardamoms. Next add the ginger-chili paste. Add a diced onion and saute until it turns brown. Add the steamed barley. Add the chopped mint leaves and mix it in with the barley. Garnish with pan fried tablespoon of crushed almonds. Serve hot.

Spinach tortilla wrap with chutney

Buy whole grain spinach tortilla. Make chutney with a cup of soaked sunflower seeds, couple of chilies, couple of garlic, juice of a lemon, a chopped small onion, a bunch of cilantro, pinch of sea salt and pepper. Puree into a smooth paste. Spread it over the spinach tortilla. Roll it. Enjoy this wholesome and delicious roll.

What is bad about white bread?

White fluor is bleached with chlorine gas that leaves a by-product called alloxan. Alloxan kills beta cells in the pancreas. These beta cells are responsible for making insulin. So, substitute white bread in your diet with almond fluor bread or sprouted whole grains bread.

Sample Meal Plan for a day

Breakfast – ½ cup whole oats with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (sprinkle a teaspoon of hemp seeds or flax seeds); 1 slice sprouted whole grain bread with ½ tablespoon of almond butter; one boiled egg white

Morning snack – ¼ cup low fat cottage cheese

Lunch – 1 cup salad greens; ½ cup cooked kidney beans; ¼ cup cooked barley;

Afternoon snack -- 1 tablespoon peanut butter with ½ medium apple

Dinner – ½ cup cooked vegetables; ¼ cup cooked brown rice; ½ cup non-fat plain yogurt with 6-8 blueberries

Post-dinner Snack – ½ cup of unsweetened almond milk

Veggie noodles with Hemp Pesto

Peel vegetables like zucchini, celery roots or parsnip. Grate them in a food processor. Toss them with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to soften them up. Prepare hemp pesto as follows: Take 3-4 garlics, a large bunch of chopped of basil leaves, quarter cup olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a cup of hemp seeds – pulse it in the food processor. If required for making a smooth paste, then add some more olive oil. Sauté a cup of vege noodles with this sauce. The noodles should get coated with the pesto. Serve hot.

Hemp seeds amino acid profile is complete just like any other sources of proteins like meat, milk, eggs and soy. It contains 80% essential fatty acids.

Vegetable noodles are low-carb alternative to traditional noodles.

You can store the remaining hemp pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Walnut Pulao

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, few bay leaves, quarter teaspoon of cardamom seeds, an inch of cinnamon stick, few cloves and peppercorns. Add a tablespoon of ground ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes. Next add a cup of chopped walnuts and almonds. Finally add a cup of steamed pearl barley. Mix them well. Add half a cup of finely chopped mint leaves. Fork the barley a bit to make it fluffy and serve hot. Garnish with roasted onion rings.

This is a healthy low-carb and tasty spin on the traditional rice pulao.

Spicy Tomato Soup

Heat a deep saucepan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add four crushed garlic cloves and one diced onion. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds, couple of bay leaves, and an inch of cinnamon stick, few cloves and peppers. Add six diced tomatoes and four cups of low sodium organic vegetable broth. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup in the pan. Add finely chopped bunch of fresh basil leaves. Add salt and pepper and serve hot.

Leafy greens with caraway vinaigrette

Roast couple of teaspoons of caraway seeds and coarse grind them. Mix it in with a teaspoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of grapefruit juice, a teaspoon of red wine vinegar, pinch of paprika and salt. Wash a pack of mixed green leaves (red and green lettuce, spinach leaves, radiochio, aragula, watercress and bok choy); mix it with quarter cup of chopped tomatoes and few slices of cucumber. Toss the dressing and top with finely chopped teaspoon of dill leaves. Enjoy this wholesome salad with lots of fiber.

Shakshuka

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 crushed garlic, a diced yellow onion, a yellow bell pepper and sauté until onion has become translucent. Add six diced ripe juicy tomatoes and two finely chopped jalapeno peppers. Add a pinch of paprika and quarter teaspoon of cumin powder. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. Break one egg into the skillet and set it gently and repeat for remaining five eggs. Cook the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard. Serve with warm whole pita bread.

Spinach-Mushroom Combo

Heat a skillet and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute a diced onion in it. Add a pack (around 8 ounces) of chopped shittake mushroom. Once the mushrooms start softening, add around 8 ounces of finely chopped spinach. If you chop the spinach in the food processor, it really works well in this recipe. Take a tablespoon of almond fluor and mix it with a squeezed lemon juice. Once the spinach starts wilting but is still green, add the almond fluor-lemon mix to thicken the sauce. Add a pinch of sea salt. Serve hot.

Eggplant Pizza

Take a round egg-plant and cut into quarter inch thick rounds. Brush it with crushed garlic and paprika powder. Broil it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and spread a teaspoon of marinara sauce on each slice. Sprinkle goat cheese, finely diced fresh oregano leaves. Put it back in the oven and broil until the cheese melts in 3-5 minutes.

If you are using store bought marinara sauce, find one without the high fructose corn syrup.

Almond bread with hemp and flax seeds

Take 2 ½ cups of almond fluor. Combine it with a teaspoon of baking soda, quarter teaspoon of sea salt, a tablespoon of hemp seeds, and a teaspoon of flax seeds. In a large bowl whisk three eggs, half a cup of yogurt, half a cup of ricotta cheese. Stir in the fluor mixture andknead it into smooth dough. Pour into a loaf pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Prick into the center with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, then the loaf is ready for you.

Alternatively, you can add all the ingredients in a breadmaker pan and slect the low-carb setting and let it bake until done.

This is such soft-textured bread that after eating this, you will never be satisfied with the store bought breads. The flavors are inviting as the bread bakes and with added hemp and flax seeds, there is no dearth of nutrition.

There are variations of it to try - have a sweet carving, add blueberries. For the spice lovers, add a teaspoon of toasted poppy seeds or sesame seeds and a pinch of smoked paprika. Enjoy.

Spinach-Ricotta ravioli with spicy sage butter

Buy a pack of spinach-ricotta cheese whole grain ravioli and cook it per directions on the package.

Prepare spicy sage butter as follows: heat a tablesppon of olive oil in a samll skillet. Add finely chopped bunch of sage leaves (around 16 leaves), powdered paprika powder per your taste. Remove from heat right away since it can smoke very quickly. Coat the cooked pasta with the sage butter. Serve hot.

Graceful Cabbage and Hemp seed Pesto

Grate a full red and green cabbage in your food processor. You can also buy a pack of grated cabbage from the supermarket. Dice an onion. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the diced onion and saute. Add a cup of red cabbage and another cup of green cabbage. Cook for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the pesto as follows: Pulese the following ingredients in your food processor: 4-5 garlic cloves, a cup of basil leaves (no stems), two tablespoons olive oil, a tablespoon of lime juice, a cup hemp seeds, pinch of sea salt. Do not make the pesto too smooth – it tastes better when it is chunky.

Add the hemp pesto to the cooked cabbage and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.

Salmon steaks in yogurt

Wash couple of salmon steaks and sprinkle a pinch of salt, turmeric powder, and red pepper. Leave them aside. Dice an onion. Grind an onion, 6-8 garlic cloves, couple of green chilies, and couple of inches of ginger with couple of tablespoons of yogurt. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet.  Saute the steaks lightly and keep them on the side. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil. Add a diced onion and sauté them until they turn golden brown. Add few cardamoms and half an inch of cinnamon stick crushed coarsely.  Add the ground spices. Add filet and simmer for ten minutes until the steak is cooked. Serve hot.

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and Spinach Curry

Finely chop a pack of spinach in a food processor with couple of garlic cloves, an inch of ginger and a green chili.  Dice a block of Paneer into small cubes.  Heat olive oil in a pan. Add a teaspoon of cumin seeds, 6-7 cloves, 4-5 peppercorns, and half a teaspoon of cardamom seeds. Add couple of chopped green chillis, an inch of grated ginger, couple of crushed garlic and saute for a minute. Next add a chopped onion and saute. Add quarter teaspoon each of turmeric powder, coriander powder, and chili powder. Next add a cup of tomato puree (you can make it fresh by blanching tomatoes (put couple of tomatoes in boiling water for couple of minutes followed by cold water) and then pureeing it in a blender). Add the chopped spinach and diced paneer and bring the gravy to a boil. Let it cook for 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Lauki Raita

Peel and grate a whole lauki (bottle-gourd). Steam the grated lauki for few minutes. Whisk a cup of yogurt with quarter cup of buttermilk. Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of roasted cumin powder. Add steamed lauki to it. Garnish with red chili powder and a tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaves.

Egg-plant Raita (cold soup)

Broil an egg-plant and remove the skin and mash it coarsely with a fork. Beat a cup of yogurt and quarter cup of buttermilk together. Mix the egg-plant with the yogurt mix. Add a teaspoon of cumin powder, pinch of chili powder and salt. Garnish with a tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve it chilled.

Broccoli and Cabbage Pasta and Arugula Pesto

To make Arugula Pesto, take 2 cups of Arugula leaves, a cup of basil leaves, 3-4 garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Put all the ingredients in a blender and pulse it. Add more olive oil if needed. Add a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and few roasted almonds to it and keep aside.

Steam a pack of grated broccoli and cabbage.

Toss the steamed broccoli and cabbage with the pesto and add some water if needed to make it smooth. Sprinkle parmesan cheese. Bake at 300 degrees Farenheit for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and starts turning golden brown. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped coriander leaves.

Some of my favorite foods and why?

Kale, Collard Greens, Watercress – lots of fiber and dense with micro-nutrients, high water content

Asparagus – Zero glycemic load (GL), high fiber and micro-nutrients

Blueberries – high fiber, low GL

Cantaloupe – High water content, low GL, super healthy carotenoids

Salmon – best amongst animal protein, omega-3 fatty acids

Black beans – high in protein, packed with fiber and anti-oxidants, high water content, low GL

Try the above and see the drastic fall in your fasting and post prandial sugar levels as well as long term A1C.

Drinks tonight?

In general, one 5 oz. drink is ok occasionally so long as you count its calories towards a serving of carbohydrates. And do it cautiously and combine it with your overall sugar management plan.

Also be aware of impact of alcohol on vision – couple of drinks every day can blur vision of diabetic patients. Be in touch with your Optometrist to carefully monitor and manage your vision.

Roasted Artichoke Hearts

Preheat the broiler. Take a can of artichoke hearts. If using fresh artichokes, boil them in salted water until cooked. Finely chop two cloves of garlic and a bunch of rosemary leaves. Brush the artichokes with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and pepper. Next add the chopped garlic-rosemary. Broil in the oven until the artichoke starts turning golden brown. Serve hot as an appetizer.

Spinach Raita

Finely chop a bunch of spinach leaves in a food processor. Add a cup of fat free buttermilk to the food processor and whisk it for 30 seconds. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Add quarter teaspoon of mustard seeds, couple of whole red chilies, few curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric and chili powder. Pour it over the whisked spinach-buttermilk mix. Garnish with a quarter teaspoon of cumin powder.  Serve as a side dish or a dip to go with whole grain chips or pita bread pieces.

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) and Pepper Jalfraizee

Make cubes out of a block of Paneer (fresh cottage cheese). Grate an inch of ginger. Dice an onion. Dice couple of tomatoes and peppers (pick up green, red, and yellow peppers).

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds and let them splutter. Add couple of whole red chilies. Add grated ginger. Add the diced onions and sauté. Add a quarter teaspoon of chili and turmeric powder. Add the vegetable and paneer pieces. Add the diced tomatoes. Add a teaspoon of vinegar. Let the vegetables cook. Finally add a pinch of garam masala powder. Garnish with fried curry leaves. Serve hot with brown rice or whole wheat bread.

Spices as natural medicines

Following spices are especially useful for balancing and controlling blood sugar levels:

Almond                    Basil                        Bay leaf

Caraway                  Chile                       Cinnamon

Coriander                 Cumin                      Curry leaf

Fennel seeds              Fenugreek Seed        Garlic                     

Lemongrass               Mustard seeds          Onion                     

Parsley                      Pepper seeds             Rosemary                 

Sage                        Sesame seeds            Turmeric

What about spices?

Spices are powerful. They are super-rich sources of plant compounds that fight oxidation and inflammation, the two processes underlying most chronic diseases. Spices have been linked to prevention and treatment of more than 150 health issues, including heart diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s.

Here are some spices that should always have handy for various recipes that you would find on this blog.

Spices

Cumin                      Black mustard seeds              Bay leaves

Cardamom               Cloves                                 Whole Black Pepper

Cinnamon                Coriander seeds                   Fenugreek seeds

Caraway seeds         Fennel seeds                        Sesame seeds

Turmeric powder       Chili powder                        Sea salt

Garam Masala         Coriander Powder                Rasam Powder

Oils and Vinegars

Extra Virgin Olive Oil            Almond Oil               Walnut Oil

Grapeseed Oil                      Flax seed Oil             Balsamic Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar              Nomu Shoya sauce