Easy Chana Masala

Confession: I had never tried Indian food until I went to college. My parents are not the most adventurous of eaters when it comes to Eastern cuisine, so I had long been taught to associate Indian and Thai food with fear and indigestion. But one trip to Sitar in Nashville converted me for life… at least to a faith in the less spicy dishes. Tandoori chicken, garlic naan, samosas, bring it on. Vindaloo curry…. not so much.

Anyway, my new mission is to somehow convince my family that Indian food isn’t scary and can actually be made easily at home with familiar ingredients. Enter this recipe, which could not be simpler.

Easy Chana Masala

Serves 4; ~125 calories per serving, ~160 with cauliflower “rice”; vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, gluten free

1 can chickpeas

1 can diced tomatoes

1 medium yellow onion

1-2 cloves garlic

1.5 tbsp curry powder

*1 tsp ground ginger (or tablespoon fresh if you have it)

*scant tbsp coriander (or fresh cilantro)

*scant tbsp cumin

*1 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

1. Sauté onions in a large skillet/pan with plenty of cooking spray or oil over medium heat until translucent.

2. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

3. Drain can of chickpeas and add to skillet. Stir.

4. Add all spices and salt, and stir until combined. It’s important to do this before you add your tomatoes so the spices work into the chickpeas.

5. Now add the tomatoes, undrained.

7. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Now would be a good time to make your rice, couscous, or (as I did) cauliflower “rice”, for serving.

And there you have it! I’m sure some Indian mama somewhere is shaking her head at my shortcut approximation of a very classic Indian dish, but at least I’m trying…?

Brownie Batter Oatmeal

I am not a morning person.

To be honest, I don’t really think morning people exist. I think there are normal “night” people and then there are aliens who have come to Earth to make us feel bad about our grogginess with their smug, peppy, morning talk. Because no real human could be excited about leaving their warm bed every morning to face the harsh light of day.

In fact, the only thing that motivates me to get out of bed and start the arduous process of making myself presentable for work in the morning is breakfast. Due to my limited motor skills before 8:30 AM, I usually resort to cereal and almond milk, or, as I did this morning, sticky, sweet oatmeal (I will address my torrid love affair with cereal another time).

In an effort to make today feel special, I added chocolate to the equation, and lo and behold, the following decadent but not unhealthy recipe was born!

Brownie Batter Oatmeal

Serves 1; 170-220 calories, depending on toppings; vegetarian; vegan option; dairy free option; gluten free

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey’s special dark. Yum)

2-3 stevia packets, to taste

splash milk of your choice

scant tbsp mini chocolate chips (optional)

1-2 tbsp dried cranberries (optional)

1) Cook the oats, water, and salt together using the method of your choice, usually handily delineated on the back of your oatmeal container (I mix them together and microwave for 3 minutes because mornings are hard)

2) Mix your cocoa and almond milk together in a small cup or bowl to prevent cocoa lumps. Or you could skip this step and just throw them in the oatmeal with the other toppings. I did; cocoa lumps don’t scare me.

3) Add the rest of your toppings. Mix well. Adjust to taste.

4) Devour like the morning cave beast you are.

Grumpy Granola Protein Bars

Long distance relationships are tough.

There’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of Skype and Netflix movie dates, and a lot of flexibility involved. At least until they invent this tube travel thingamajig.

In the meantime, one way boyfriend and I stay close even though he’s 800 miles away is by sending care packages!

Ok so I do the sending, he does the receiving. I like to bake, he likes to eat. It’s a symbiotic relationship, much like sharks and those weird teeth cleaning fish.

Anyway.

I happen to know that boyfriend subsists mainly on Nutella, intermittent healthy things, and Clif bars, so this is my attempt to make something he (amongst many other workout junkies!) already likes to eat, GrumpyGirl style.

Grumpy Granola Protein Bars

-Makes 12-15 bars; vegetarian; gluten free optional; dairy free

-200-250 calories per bar

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup chopped raw nuts

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

3/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1/2 cup whey protein

1/4 cup flour (sub oat flour for gluten free option)

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup almond milk

1 egg, beaten; or 3 tbsp egg whites

1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

I know it’s a lot of ingredients, but it’s worth it! Besides, you can mix and match add-ins like the chocolate chips and dried fruit.

1) Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large mixing bowl.

2) In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients.

3) Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well combined.

4) Pour into well-greased 9×9 brownie pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and middle is firm. Allow to cool completely before slicing and serving.

These are still on their merry way to Atlanta, so I don’t have a verdict from boyfriend yet, but I thought they were delicious! There are a million ways to do these, too. I bet they’d be amazing with dried mango, coconut, and macadamia nuts. Or white chocolate and macadamia nuts for that matter. Comment and let me know what granola possibilities you’re exploring!

Oven Baked Okra Fries

I am a girl on a mission, and that mission is to find the perfect french fry replacement. Now I know in my heart of hearts that nothing will ever replace the crispy golden goodness of that salty, fatty treat, but in my quest I have come up with a few healthy ways to stave off the urge to locate the nearest Mickey D’s ASAP. Enter the okra fry.

You might be repulsed by even the thought of okra. Perhaps you had a bad experience with steaming or boiling, both methods which result in a horrid slimy vegetable. Maybe you grew up outside The South and no one has ever revealed to you the wonder that is breaded, fried okra. It’s ok. Just give it a chance. Okra just wants to love you.

This method of slicing the pods thin and baking them at a high temperature zaps the okra’s inherent inner slime sufficiently to create a crispy, salty, roasty snack that, while no perfect replacement for the french fry, is sure to induce cravings of its very own.

Recipe: Oven Baked Okra Fries

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 25 min

Serves 2; 80 calories per serving

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

• 1 carton fresh okra pods (32-40 pods total)
• Cooking spray*
• Salt
• Pepper (optional)

Seriously, that’s it.

*While great for sauteing over low heat, olive oil does not hold up well at higher temperatures, as  it can smoke and create cancer-causing chemicals. Do not want. If you MUST use oil in liquid form, go with vegetable oil or something with higher smoke point.

1) Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Spray a baking sheet generously with cooking spray.

2) Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the okra pods lengthwise, two to three slices per pod.

3) Spread sliced okra evenly over the greased baking sheet and coat with a layer of cooking spray. Salt and pepper generously. You may need to do this in a few batches depending on how much you’re making / the size of your baking sheet.

4) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tips and edges are browned. The smaller slices will have crisped up, while the thicker slices will still have a heftier texture. Cool for 2 minutes. Serve. Devour. Repeat.

I hope I have helped you make peace with okra. The breaded and fried version native to my Southern homeland is also one of my favorite comfort foods, and definitely worth a try at your nearest Meat & 3, even if it’s not quite as healthy.

Comment and tell me about your okra success stories, or how you learned to love the slime!