If you like your meat more well-done than pink – I got the recipe for you.

Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

• medium-sized thinly cut pork chop ( I eat two of these, about 0.5lbs)
• Spices
• ~1 tsp pepper
• ~0.5 tsp salt
• 2 tsp home-made curry powder
• some basil
• a pinch of cumin.

So, I did sorta lie. Making the rice is gonna taken you much more than 7 minutes. But hey – it is still a very simple way to make some delicious, well-done pork chop with a very Indian-ish taste. It is spicy and vibrant. To be honest, I have no idea how Indian pork is supposed to taste but hey, that’s poetic license of sorts.

We at “Eat Real Food” apologize for a large period of silence. Arvind and Raj are in the process of moving back to India to start The Quad. If we are a wee bit erratic for the next few weeks, you know why. Peace.

Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

For the “pasta”:

• 7-8 medium-sized zucchinis (or ridge-gourd/Tori/Turai/Peerkangai)
• A good peeler

For the sauce:

• 1 bunch basil leaves (about 2½ ounces)
• ½ cup pine nuts (or brazil nuts, or almonds) – I used brazil nuts as that’s the only thing I had!
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)

Preparation:

• Peel the skin off the zucchinis.
• Once you remove the peel, continue to use the peeler on the vegetable, to make long, thin strips (that resemble fettucini, a flat, ribbon-like pasta). Towards the end, when you’re unable to peel anymore, just cut them with a knife into strips.
• Add a single tablespoon of olive oil and throw in the zucchini strips in a large pan. Sprinkle some water and allow it to cook.
• While the strips cook, blend basil, nuts, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor (or even a blender works perfectly). Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the blended sauce with freshly cooked zucchini strips and garnish each serving with a basil leaf.
• For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with sun dried tomatoes. Or you could even blend them in with the sauce!

Meal options:

• This is a meal rich in fats and carbs. You should add in a side of protein to go with this, and round it to an awesome meal. Three eggs, scrambled with some egg whites would be great.
• If you are trying to lose weight, reduce the fat content of this meal. Reduce the olive oil content, drop the nuts! That should shave about ~450 calories in total, and bring each serving to ~340 calories. Don’t forget to add in some protein though!

Nutrition:

• Total servings: 4
• Total calories ~ 1750; 440 calories per serving
• Protein ~ 27g; 6g per serving
• Fat ~ 145g; 36g per serving
• Carbs ~ 100g; 25g per serving

Recipe: This was conceptualized and prepared by Ranjani Shanker. Hopefully this solves your “what?! I cannot eat pasta anymore?! I hate you guys.” situation.

Total time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Chicken leg, about a pound
• Honey, about 0.5-1 tbsp
• Spices – salt, pepper, mustard, basil

Preparation

1. Mix the spices together and make a paste. Throw in some chopped ginger/garlic if you like.
2. Rub this paste all over the chicken. Make some small cuts into the chicken before doing this.
3. Put the chicken in the oven, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 10 minutes
4. Remove the chicken, coat the honey over it. If the cuts you made open up, all the better.
5. Put the chicken back in for 10 minutes or so, or until it is cooked. That’s it!

The cauliflower – Chop it into small pieces and sautee it for a few minutes.

The potatoes – chop it, coat some oil in the pan, and lightly fry it until golden brown. Add whatever spices you want. This recipe’s about the awesome chicken yo!

Meal Options

• Eating it this way makes for a pretty awesome post-workout meal. You get a good chunk of protein, easy carbs via the honey and starchy vegetable. And also a lot of cauliflower!
• If it is not a post-workout meal, go easy on the honey. And add a lot of green veggies to replace the potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories ~ 600

Fat ~ 16g

Protein ~ 52g

Carbs ~ 57g

Recipe idea – Arvind Ashok

Total Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

For main dish:

• 250 gms butternut squash/sweet pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 15-20 beans, uncut and trimmed
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• Shredded coconut, to sprinkle on top
• Pepper and salt, to taste

For tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp white lentils (Urad daal)
• Dried curry leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

• In 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, temper the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, white lentils and curry leaves
• Add the squash cubes in a ziplock, sprinkle some water and microwave for 8 mins. Ensure you do NOT seal ziplock completely.
• Meanwhile, add the beans to the tempered mixture, sprinkle some water and let the beans cook
• Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add the coconut milk, pepper and salt and let simmer for about 5 mins.
• To finish, add more curry leaves and sprinkle some shredded coconut on top.

Meal options:

• Have this along with 2-3 eggs on the side and make it nutritious and balanced lunch or dinner.
• Or Devour this bowl of goodness during the post-workout period along with a chunk of lean protein.

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 360
• Protein ~ 5 g
• Fat ~ 20 g
• Carbs ~ 40 g
• Butternut squashes (like other summer winter squashes) is a vitamin A monster and a great source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C. They’re also known for blood sugar regulation, anti-inflammatory properties and anti-oxidant properties.

Recipe: Ranjani Shanker

Baked Ajwaini Paneer

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

• Paneer, 100 gms
• Red chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Ajwain (carom seeds) seeds, 2 tsp
• Amchoor (dried mango) powder, 2 tsp
• Grated nutmeg, a pinch
• Turmeric, a pinch
• Green chutney, 1 tbsp (optional)
• Salt, to taste

Method

• If you are using store-bought paneer, warm it up in the microwave for 20 seconds.
• Take the marinade ingredients – chilli powder, carom seeds, dry mango powder, nutmeg and turmeric – in a bowl and mix them with a tablespoon of water and make a paste.
• Rub it on the paneer. Add couple of more tablespoons of water to the remaining marinade and pour it over the paneer.
• Let it sit so for 30 minutes.
• Warm the oven to gas mark 3 / 160 C / 325 F.
• Towards the last 5 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the paneer and let it remain so till the 30 mins are up.
• Take an oven-safe dish, butter it and place the marinated paneer and place the dish in the middle of the oven.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool for a minute. Drizzle the green chutney all around it.
• Enjoy with a crisp salad.

Serving Suggestion

• For meat-lovers, you can substitute the paneer with any flaky white fish. Marinade for longer, though. About 2-3 hours sounds right.
• Both versions (paneer and fish) go awesomely well with a load of veggies. Since this is ‘dry’ try it with some form of gravy.
• Needless to say rice will be this dish’s best friend. Rasam rice and this might be a weird but great combo!

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 340
• Protein ~ 24 g
• Fat ~ 27 g
• Carbs – None
• Fully fat natural dairy like paneer, in addition to being rich in protein and calcium, has been associated with reduced risk of heart attack. The only reason natural full fat cheeses were demonized was because of their saturated fat content. But now that we know saturated fats aren’t harmful (and in fact healthful), there is no reason to not indulge in some amazing natural cheeses!
• Ajwaini or carom seeds, like many other spices, is known for its anti-oxidant and its anti-microbial properties and has research proving that it provides protection to cell walls by increasing the amount of DHA in cells of the brain, kidney and heart.

Note: This got a massive thumbs up from my 9-year-old son who whined he had to eat dosa while his dad and I got to eat THIS yummy thing! Next time, I am going to try this with the marinade just on top, not all over. I want to pile it on the top layer, as with baked fish, and see how that tastes.

Until next time… toodles!

—

Recipe by Lavanya Donthamshetty

Original fish recipe suggested by our reader and friend Monika Manchanda. Considering you eat real food all day everyday we’re sure you have some pretty amazing recipes as well. Please email us the recipes. We’ll post it right up and of course give you credit for it!

Total Time ~ 15 min

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb fresh snapper chopped to manageable size pieces
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tbls olive oil
• 1 tbls balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbls red wine
• 1 tbls ground mustard
• 4-5 chopped curry leaves
• 2 tbls whole milk yogurt (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Cayenne to taste

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients (except the snapped) in a bowl and dip the fish pieces (or if time permits marinate for 30-45 min).
• Heat a non-stick pan and cook the marinated snapper in low-medium heat.
• Cook till the fish flakes easily (~ 6-8 min)
• Boom done!

Serving suggestion:

This obviously goes well with rice, but do me a favor and try it with a load of vegetables. I ate this along with a pound of sauteed mixed vegetables (ivy gourd (kovakkai/tindora), carrots, peas, garlic and onions) sauteed in coconut oil and other spices and it paired up really well.

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 350
• Protein ~ 45 g
• Fat ~ 15 g
• Carbs – negligible
• Snapper, in addition to being an awesome source of protein, is rich in omega 3s, selenium, tryptophan, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, phosphorous and potassium! It is known for its cardiovascular benefits, controlling blood pressure and protection against stroke.
• Ginger is pretty damn awesome really! It is known to help with gastrointestinal relief,  have amazing anti-inflammatory properties, protect against colorectal cancer and boost the immune system!

Recipe: Raj Ganpath

Total Time: 10mins

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, beaten with salt
• Mozzarella cheese, 3 oz
• Pineapple bits, about 6
• Assorted sliced vegetables – Carrots, spring onions, beans, bell peppers
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• Basil
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Make your omelette batter with the eggs beaten with salt and basil
• Heat olive oil, at low-medium flame, in a pan and pour batter to cover entire pan. Close pan with glass lid.
• Once the omelette looks fluffy, spread the shredded mozzarella cheese and throw in the pineapple bits.
• Now “close” the omelette by folding it along the diameter.
• Leave your super cheesy omelette on the plate while you saute the veggies in butter and salt – Feel free to season as you wish!

This honestly took me only 5 mins as I had the veggies cut already! Super easy and super filling!

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 500
• Protein ~ 38
• Fat ~ 34
• Carbs ~ 10

Eating a little bit of pineapple occasionally is pretty awesome for you. From Mark Sisson,

is the only food which contains natural bromelain, a group of enzymes that aid in digestion, reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, and speed healing. Bromelain is great for those with muscle and joint injuries, arthritis, gout and other inflammation issues. You do have to eat the pineapple fresh (emphasis is mine), however – cooking deactivates the bromelain.Pineapple is a rich source of manganese, an important mineral. Among many important roles as a cofactor, manganese helps superoxide dismutase do its free-radical-bustin’ job.

Pineapple is loaded with antioxidant vitamin C, too!

Recipe: Ranjani Shanker

Total Time: 10mins

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe tomato
• 2 oz Mozzarella cheese (Buffalo Mozzarella ideally)
• 1 tbls Basil Pesto (I used this recipe) OR 1 fresh basil leaf per slice of tomato
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dry basil flakes (optional)

Preparation:

• Wash and cut tomato into even slices.
• Slice mozzarella and layer as desired on top of each tomato slice.
• Add a dollop of basil pesto/a basil leaf on top of the mozzarella.
• Sprinkle salt and pepper and basil flakes.
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar all over.
• Eat!

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 350
• Protein ~ 15 g
• Fat ~ 25 g
• Carbs ~ 10 g
• Basil is a great source of Vit K and is known for it’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Mozzarella cheese, like any other cheese, is a good source of protein and calcium.

Note: Using a basil leaf in place of basil pesto reduces fat content by ~ 10 g and total calories by ~ 100

Buon appetito!

Recipe: Srividya Sriram

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast (or thighs)
• 100 g beetroot
• 2-3 medium carrots
• 1 medium jalapeno
• 1 medium tomato
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Any chicken or meat masala to taste (make sure it contains just spices and no other junk)
• 1 tbls ghee
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cilantro to garnish

Preparation:

If you have a pressure cooker…

• Chop up the chicken, beetroot, tomato, carrots and jalapeno into bite sized pieces.
• Place the chopped up ingredients along with all the other ingredients, except the cilantro, in a pressure cooker.
• Pressure cook for about the same time as you would cook white rice.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker…

• Put all the ingredients except the chicken in a pot and cook till the beetroot pieces are almost cooked.
• Now add the chicken pieces and cook just till they’re done.
• Pour in a bowl, garnish with cilantro and say ‘Thank you Raj!’ before you devour it!

Note:

• The ingredients are listed for 3 normal servings (which ended up as a single serving for me!)
• The consistency of the liquid depends on how much broth you add and how long you cook it.
• If you want to make the liquid more like a gravy, add in some potato starch and thicken it up!

Prep time ~ 10 min

Cook time ~ 20 min

Nutrition:

• Total servings ~ 3
• Calories per serving ~ 300
• Protein ~ 35 g
• Fat ~ 5 g
• Carbs ~ 25 g
• Beetroot, which is rich in folate, manganese and potassium, is a known anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties
• Carrots, which are incredibly rich in Vit A, are strongly associated with reduced risk of heart disease and better eye sight.
• Ghee, in addition to tasting bloddy damn awesome, helps secrete stomach acids that aid in digestion and has gut healing properties helping in (ayurvedic) treatment of constipation and ulcers.

Seriously guys, you don’t want to miss this one!

—

Recipe: Raj Ganpath

Curried Veggies in ghee (top); Egg raita (bottom)

Ingredients For Egg Raita:

• 2 cups of curd/yogurt (made with whole milk)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 onion – finely chopped

• For tempering:

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2-3 green chillies
• Dried curry leaves
• Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

Preparing the Egg Raita:

• In 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, temper the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander powder.
• Add this along with the chopped green chillies and onions to the curd in a medium sized bowl.
• Remove shell and cut the boiled eggs into halves and dunk them into the curd mixture.
• Sprinkle fenugreek leaves (or cilantro) on top of the freshly made raita. I also added some orange zest for kicks.

Ingredients For Curried Veggies:

• Your choice of vegetables, chopped into small pieces – I used onions, peppers, peas, carrots, mushrooms
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 2 tsp ghee/butter
• 1 tbsp curry powder (You could use garam masala instead too)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (store bought)
• 2 tsp fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
• Salt to taste

Preparing the Curried Veggies:

• In the ghee, saute all onions with curry powder and ginger-garlic paste
• Add all other veggies and saute for 3-4 mins – good time to add the salt!
• Add coconut milk and let simmer for 5 mins
• Let thicken and then season with fenugreek leaves (or cilantro)

Total preparation time ~ 20 minutes

Devour in unison – one of my favorite combinations!

Nutrition:

• Total calories ~ 750
• Protein ~ 42g
• Fat ~ 47g
• Carbs ~ 40g

Recipe: Lavanya Donthamshetty