So how are you guys holding up? Is the heat getting to you? I can empathize, I've pretty much had two really severe heat strokes and constant headaches since May began. But enough about my whining, this post is about the current diet I'm following which is includes not eating carbs after 7 pm. With a really hectic work schedule, it's the only diet I don't find restricting and hard to follow. Plus, it shows pretty rapid results. In a country like India where full fledged meals are cooked at our homes everyday, it's tough to follow your diet and almost impossible if you can't cook.
Indian meals are extremely carb-centric and if you, like me, don't have great will power, it's really hard to enjoy a chicken curry, without chapati or rice. Because cooking is my profession, I find it relatively simple to fix up my own meals at night but I still find it a lot tougher than I did when I lived in London, cause the ingredients were so much more easily available.
Anyway, I'm here to provide you with a few zero-carb recipes, the ingredients for which are easily available these days, for light and healthy dinners.
1. SUPER EASY CALABRESE.
Okay guys, this salad is incredibly simple. The flavour combinations of this classic salad are so good, that it tastes really complex but it's super super simple to put together. The traditional salad doesn't have rocket, but I add it for the peppery zing it adds to the dish.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes, sliced
- Rocket leaves, picked
- Mozzarella
- Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- Basil leaves
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh pepper
- Sea salt
Method
Put the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and reduce it on the stove until it is a syrupy consistency and keep aside. Tear up the mozzarela into bite sized pieces and dress in olive oil, salt and pepper. Dress the rocket leaves in olive oil, salt and pepper. All that's left now is to plate the salad. How I do it is rocket leaves at the bottom, sliced tomatoes over them, mozzarella and then basil leaves. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and ultimately season with salt, pepper & a drizzle of olive oil.
2. OTTOLENGHI INSPIRED PUMPKIN SALAD WITH CHILLI YOGHURT & CORIANDER OIL.
This is one of my favourite salads. It's warm, it's moreish, it's creamy and it's downright delicious.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin, sliced
-Greek yoghurt or hung curd
- Ground cumin
- Ground cinnamon
- Dried chili flakes
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Coriander
Method
Slice the pumpkin into comfortable wedges, marinate them with the ground cumin, cinnamon and olive oil and roast in an oven at 190 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the outside is crisp and the inside is soft and creamy. Mince the garlic and and mix into the yoghurt with the dried chili to form a nice creamy dressing. In a pestle and mortar, pound the corriander, garlic and salt with some olive oil to form a kind of pesto. Once the pumpkin is done, plate by spooning over the chili yoghurt and drizzling some of the coriander over all the slices. Perfection.
3. KALE & GOAN CHORIZO SALAD.
I can literally have eggs with anything, they're so bloody versatile. This salad right here, is proof.
Ingredients
- Kale, picked
- Goan chorizo
- Greek yoghurt or hung curd
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Egg
Method
Dress in picked kale in olive oil and vinegar. Whip the hung curd to form a smooth consistency. Sautee the sausage WITHOUT the covering in a pan until it renders some of the oil. Make a soft boiled egg in boiling water with a dash of vinegar for about 4 minutes. In a bowl, place the dressed kale, place the bits of goan sausage around the bowl, place the soft boiled egg in the middle and cut in half so the yolk oozes and helps dress the salad. Spoon over some whipped yoghurt on top, season.
4. SPINACH, BEANS & GOAN CHORIZO SALAD.
I like this salad cause it's no-nonsense, punchy and full of protein. It's also incredibly filling.
- 3 different kinds of beans, soaked & cooked. I used rajma, white chana & chowli.
- Coriander
- Lime
- Olive oil
- Spinach
- Goan Chorizo
- Salt & Pepper
Method
Dress the beans in olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and chopped coriander. Render the oils of the Goan chorizo and add that into the mix. Toss together until you can see the beans have a reddish hue due to the chorizo oil. Tear spinach leaves and place at the bottom of a bowl. Place the bean & chorizo mixture on top so that the spinach wilts slightly with the warmth of the bean mixture.
5. POSH APPLE & STILTON SALAD.
Okay so blue cheese isn't exactly cheap but sometime's you need something delicate and French so why not! This salad has so many different textures and flavours and I love it!
Ingredients
- Apple
- Blue Cheese
- Honey
- Walnuts
- Basil
- Pepper
Method
There's no real method to this you guys, just slice the apples, drizzle over some honey, crumble over the blue cheese, toast the walnuts slightly and pick the basil leaves, crack some pepper and you've got yourself a party in your mouth!
6. POACHED EGG, PARMESAN, SLOW ROASTED TOMATO, KALE & WILD ARUGULA SALAD.
This salad is slightly more complicated than the ones before and a little time consuming but the slow roasted tomatoes taste so good and the oozy poached egg yolk forms the dressing for the salad.
Ingredients
- Egg
- Kale
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Wild Arugula
- Parmesan
- Salt
- Pepper
Method
Cut the tomatoes in half and lay on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and place a sprig of thyme and a slice of garlic on each tomato. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and paper. Roast in the oven at around 150 degrees for about an hour. Once they're done, their flavour will have intensified and they'll be dark and squidgy. Next, poach the egg. Boil water in a saucepan with a dash of vinegar. Form a whirlpool with a spoon and break the egg in the whirlpool. Reduce the heat a little. Let the egg cook for around a minute and then take it out. Dress the kale in olive oil, salt and pepper and place on the bottom of the bowl. Place the little halves of tomato and then the poached egg in the centre. Grate Parmesan over the hot egg and the rest of the salad. Place some wild arugula on top for pepperyness. Break the egg before eating this salad so that the yolk dresses the leaves beautifully.
Yep! That's 6 super easy, low carb and healthy recipes for you to try out. I really enjoy them and I hope you do too. Meanwhile, wish me luck on my diet and hopefully it will inspire me to work on more recipes that are quick and easy for young people and also that can be made out of ingredients found commonly in Indian households.
Hope you liked this post and let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Staaaaay Hungry!
xoxo
D
