Curry Potatoes

My family loves Indian curry dishes!  It is such a fun way to cook!  And it is so pleasing to the palate!  It is nice that my family enjoys different tastes so we can enjoy a variety of foods.  This dish is a great dish to eat as a soup or over rice and of course with a salad.  It is only good as a leftover for maybe one day.  When you leave okra for too long after it has been cooked it becomes very gelatinous.  So it is best to enjoy it the day when it is made.  This is also wonderful served with papadum which is an Indian lentil cracker that can be found in Indian stores.  We bake it so it is not cooked in oil.

If eating as a soup it is tasty with some fresh cilantro.

Saute the spices/herbs in a 1-2 TBS water for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetables and water and cook until the potatoes are tender.

It is good served over rice and with fresh cilantro.  Fresh cilantro is really good with most Indian dishes.

We enjoy it with a big salad too.

And served with papadum (Indian lentil cracker).

Curry Potatoes

4 Red Potatoes, chopped

1 cup green peas (frozen is best)

1 small onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 cups okra, chopped in slices

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp garam masala (can be purchased in an Indian food store or some stores will carry this item)

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp ginger (can be fresh)

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables by chopping and set aside.

2. Saute garlic and spices (garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and ginger) with 1 TBS water on medium low with lid on for 5 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup of water, potatoes carrots, and onions to the soup pot and cook on medium high for 10 minutes.

4. Add 4 cups of water, okra, and frozen green peas to the soup pot and cook on low for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

5. Serve with basmati rice or as a soup. 

6. Garnish with cilantro and with a big salad.

Enjoy!

Fajita Burritos - A Healthier Option

One of our favorite types of food to eat is Hispanic cuisine.  We have always enjoyed eating fajitas, burritos, tacos, etc.  There are so many fun ways to eat this type of food.  The only problem is the fajitas are cooked in oil and make us feel so heavy after eating them.  Fajitas can be cooked in a little water without the oil which is fine but I learned a new way to cook them… Why not bake them in the oven and then the flavors can slow cook in the oven and they taste so yummy!  It is a very easy way to make them and then you can leave them in the oven while cutting up the salad for your meal as well.  I like to make my mashed beans ahead of time and just heat them up when I am ready to use them.  The beans freeze well so they can be made a week in advance.  Here is the recipe for my chili beans.

Even though there are several stops for this recipe, once it is finished it is very easy to reheat and eat for more than 1 meal.  (It is a great leftover.)

All of the vegetables came from the garden which made it more fun to eat.  

Cut into shapes you want in your fajita burrito.  We like strips so it fits in the burrito shell nicely.

I use parchment paper on the cookie sheet to avoid spraying the pan with oil.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 20-35 minutes.  We like them just tender or al dente.  They are very good when they have a slight crunch left.

A closer look at the yummy vegetables!

It is nice to see the vegetables still in their cut form and not all mushy.

I arranged them with some homemade pinto beans and a salad.

It is a perfect meal because it has everything you need in a meal.  No dairy needed in this recipe.  All of the flavors mixed so well together.  I used equals amounts of the salad, pinto beans, and fajita vegetable.  Green onion is best then it did not taste like onions only.  The fajita vegetables can be served over rice, with tortilla chips, or corn tortilla.  The fajita vegetables keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.  They are very good with just tortilla chips and beans as well.

Fajita Burritos

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini squash, sliced

4 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large tomato, large pieces

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1. Slice vegetables and place on a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Bake vegetables in the oven for 20-35 minutes or until al dente.

4. Serve with mashed beans, salad and in a burrito shell, over rice or with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!