Split White Lentil Stew (Urad Dal) Recipe

This is another quick and easy dish that can be thrown together after work for dinner, and the leftovers taken to lunch the next day.  It's quite low in calories, and very high in protein and fiber.  It's filling and tasty, and you can't ask for much more when you're dieting.  

Split White Lentil Stew (Urad Dal) Recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal

2.5 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon black mustard seed

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

You'll also need a pressure cooker

Directions

1.  Rinse the dal and cover with 2.5 cups of water.  I had to divide mine into two trays because I have a small pressure cooker.

2.  Add the salt, turmeric, cumin, lemon juice, garlic, jalapeno.

3.  Place trays in the pressure cooker and add about an inch of water to the pot, outside of the trays.  Close the pressure cooker and place on medium-high heat. 

4.  Remove from stove after 3-4 whistles.  Let the pressure cooker cool down for a bit before attempting to open it.

5.  Meanwhile, in the smallest pot or pan you own, heat the olive oil.  Add the asafoetida and mustard seed to the hot oil and turn off the heat.  The mustard seed will start popping, this is how the flavor is released.  Be very careful as to not burn yourself. 

6.  Transfer the cooked dal from the pressure cooker into a serving dish.  Add the olive oil, mustard seed, and asafoetida mixture to the dal and combine.  To retain flavor, but not add calories, I do not add the entire mixture, I just scoop out the seeds and little bit of the oil to add to the dal.  Nutritional information is based on only using about a quarter teaspoon of oil.

Nutritional Information:

Serves 2.  Each serving is:

Calories: 258

Carbs: 128

Fat: 1

Saturated fat: 0

Protein: 48

Fiber: 32

Sodium: 306

Tofu Burger Recipe

I love homemade veggie burgers and tofu burgers; I hate the frozen stuff from the stores.  After sampling a tofu burger patty at an Asian market, I decided to create a healthier, lower calorie version of it that I could enjoy on a regular basis.  At only 265 calories per serving, here's the recipe.

Tofu Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu

Sandwich Thins (I used Arnold's brand, multigrain - only 100 calories each!)

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Sesame seeds

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Pepper

Directions:

1. Crumble tofu in a large bowl.

2. Add panko, sesame seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to the tofu and combine.

3. Form tofu mixture into four patties.

4. Heat pan and spray with olive oil (I used my Misto).

5. Cook patties until brown on both sides (about 4 minutes on each side).

6. Toast sandwich thins and serve with your favorite burger toppings.  I used baby spinach, dijon mustard, and red onion slices.

Nutritional Information:

Serves 4.  Nutritional information is just the patty and bun (before adding burger toppings).

Each serving is:

Calories: 265

Carbs: 32

Fat: 10

Saturated Fat: 2

Protein: 17

Fiber: 7

Sodium: 446

Super Simple Stir Fry Recipe

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, so I thought I'd share this quick and easy vegetarian stir fry recipe. It's so simple and takes only about 30 minutes, so it's great to prepare after a long day of work. It makes two servings, so I usually just have one for dinner and have the second serving for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

1 container Baked Tofu, Teriyaki Flavor (I use the Trader Joe's brand, but any brand will work, the savory flavor works well too)

Bag of frozen veggies (or fresh, I like bell peppers, so I used a bag of mixed green, red, and yellow peppers)

2 teaspoons Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce

2 tablespoons Szechuan Spicy Stir Fry Sauce (or any stir fry sauce of your choice)

1 teaspoon corn starch (optional)

3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked

1. Wash the rice, cover with water, and set in the rice cooker to cook.

2. While the rice is cooking, cut up the tofu bricks into bite size pieces.

3. Add the tofu and veggies to a hot pan, cook on high heat. You don't need to add oil because the moisture from the frozen veggies will prevent anything from sticking.

4. Once a significant amount of water has cooked away, add the Sriracha and Stir Fry Sauces.  

5. If your sauce is looking too watery, combine the corn starch with a little bit of water and add to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, cook for one minute, then turn off the heat. As it cools slightly, the sauce will become much thicker.

6. Serve the stir fry over brown rice.

Nutritional Information:

Serves 2.

Each serving is:

Calories: 418

Carbs: 67

Fat: 8

Saturated Fat: 1

Protein: 20

Fiber: 10

Sodium: 1155