Trader Joes's- Indian Fare Palak Panneer Product review!

Hey guys,

I decided to start a new section of my blog on food product reviews. I love to try new things from Trader Joe's because most of them are absolutely amazing, but some are a waste of my time so I thought I'd share with you my opinion on all their products so you don't have to waste your time buying it :).

First one is their traditional Indian Fare Meals. The one I'm making today is the Palak Paneer.

All you do is boil some water and submerge the unopened package in there for 3-5 minutes.

The only thing I dont like about this so far is the sodium. 36%.. I don't really need to worry about sodium since I'm young and I dont need to worry about that kind of stuff yet but I would not recommend this to anyone who is wanting to keep their sodium in take down.

This seems like a pretty salty meal so I'm going to be using the Sonoma low carb wraps and some Prepackaged coleslaw with oil and vinegar for a full healthy meal.

I'm only going to eat HALF of the Indian fare meal as one serving is only HALF A PACKAGE NOT THE WHOLE THING =)

After trying, definitely liked it. Very spicy, my mouth is on fire! And I eat quite a bit of spicy food. I would recommend this one, but I think next time I will try a different flavor. I have the Madras lentil in my cupboard that I will be trying later and I'll do a review to let you know if it is better. I wouldn't have this by itself. I definitely would have a salad and some  bread or wrap to go with it as it is just kind of a big mush that needs to be eaten with something that has substance :)

Doesn't make me feel gross after, I feel pretty satisfied, try it yourself, Cheap and yummy ;)

Spaghetti Squash Bake

Its Monday, time for another healthy Monday night dinner recipe :) Today I'm making a low carb recipe. Spaghetti Squash bake. I like this recipe because I already had all the ingredients (except for the squash) so I didn't have to go searching for some weird health food item. 

You'll need:

1 spaghetti squash
2 TBPS margarine
1 TSP Fresh thyme (I used dried, but everythings better fresh)
1 Small yellow onion
1/4 TSP Red pepper flakes (I like HOT AND SPICY so I put more)
1/2 Cup light sour cream
3/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese

1. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and place it face down on a dish filled with 1/4 Inch of water. Put it in the microwave for 10 - 12 minutes. You can also bake it for 45 mins if you have the time but microwaving works just fine.

2. In a skillet on medium heat add the onion, margarine, thyme, red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally until onion is browned slightly in color.

3. Scrape the insides of the squash into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, cheese and onion mixture. Mix until well combined.

4. Transfer the mixture into a baking dish and flatten out so its evenly spread. Springle some more cheddar cheese on top.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Asian 1

Asian 1 is a restaurant that was brought to my attention by a health nut family friend of mine. She brought home the take out menu for me so I could take a look. They provide non-frozen meat and vegetables that are cut and prepared DAILY. They use high quality, high fiber %100 Natural brown and white rice. There's no preservatives, additives or MSG... "So healthy its just like cooking at home."

I took a look at the menu and they have a low calorie section. You have the option to order your sauces with STEVIA for a sugar free option, and many of there dishes can be made gluten free or vegetarian. Another bonus is the soup you get to start :) Always something different.

After trying this place once, the price, the quality and the way I feel after dining here leaves me coming back every time I cross the border to go to trader joes.

They have a lunch special $7 for a FULL meal

Veggie Egg rolls:

Made in Canola oil. Tastes so fresh and NOT GREASY!

Cashew nut delight (top) veggie delight (bottom)

So good, I get this pretty much every time.

Red Curry:

WOW. Curry sauce was amazing and spicy (I ordered level 4). The suace that I didn't eat I packed up and took home to use on a meal later on, thats how good it was.

Pad Kee Mao:

This place is great if you enjoy healthy, delicious freshly made meals for a good price :)

http://asian1.us/Asian1/Contact_Info.html

Cauliflower crust pizza!

EASY HEALTHY RECIPE for a Carb free dinner!!

Using Cauliflower for the dough... AMAZING, tastes just like pizza except you don't feel nasty, gross and bloated after having a few slices. I made about a 10' pizza and it fed 3 of us girls. Put whatever toppings you want, and I used vegan cheese, however, using regular cheese would be fine since you aren't eating any carbs!!

Just use a cheese grater to grate the cauliflower until you get about two full cups.

Cauliflower Crusted Pizza

Serves 2-3 people.. about 9-12 inch pizza

Ingredients:

CRUST:
1/2 LARGE head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
1 large egg
1 cup vegan cheese (OR REGULAR :)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion salt

TOPPINGS:
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup vegan cheese
1/2 cup olives (i love olives)
1/4 cup green peppers
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup sliced mushroom

1. Shred the cauliflower. YOu can use a food processor if you would like. One head of cauliflower will give you about 2 cups.  Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes.. Set aside to cool down


2. Crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.

3. Prepare the pizza: Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the veggies!! Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted. Cut and Serve!

First blog post-Dinner Time- Stir Fry

Well one of my favourite things to do when I get home from a long day at work is make dinner. This is what I made for dinner tonight and I'm pretty impressed with myself.

I called this Yummy Tofu Stir Fry:

All you need is
Olive oil/coconut oil
Balsamic vinegar
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Trader joes southern greens blend
Extra firm tofu
Minced garlic
Worcester sauce
Siracha

Put some olive oil in a pan. Cut the brussel sprouts in half and put them in the pan. Put the carrots all chopped up in the pan too. Poor balsamic vinegar over top. Cover and mix occasionally for 5 mins. Take carrots and brussel sprouts out of pan and put them aside in a plate.;

Use the same pan while its hot and add coconut oil and chopped up tofu for one min. Add Worcester, garlic some more balsamic vinegar, cover for one min. Add a big handful of greens to the mix. It starts out as a lot but shrinks somehow to a quarter the size so don't be scared to fill up the pan to the top full of greens- it will shrink.

Cover and stir occasionally for 2 mins.

Add the brussel sprouts to the pan for another minute and mix everything up.

Put it on a plate, drizzle with siracha and enjoy my friends thank u for being a part of my very first blog.