Healthy living

When Camellia Beans reached out to the Meatless Monday Bloggers with their Slow Food USA initiative I was quick to volunteer.  inspire individuals and communities to change the world through  food that is good, clean and fair for all .  initiative encouraging vegetarian meals, Camellia Beans is a family owned and farmed business that has been providing consumers with high quality beans since 1923. Beans is a great source of protein, iron and folic acid. When coupled with a carbohydrate such as rice or bread, it makes for a complete meal. Beans form an integral part of the Indian diet as majority of the Indians are vegetarians. There exists a plethora of recipes in the Indian Cuisine that makes use of beans in some form or the other and is beautifully complimented with particular vegetables. I chose to use Lima Beans to be showcased for this special day today as it happens to be my favorite beans. I have created 3 recipes using them, all of them gluten free, diary free,...

I am Indian and therefore rice has a ubiquitous presence in my diet. My husband prefers pulao( pilaf), fried rice, Biryani or any kind of one pot rice dish as opposed to plain white rice served with some curry ( side-dish that has gravy). Lima Beans is one of my favorite beans and I decided to make a rice dish using the Lima beans sent by our friends at Camellia Beans. Many of you must have eaten the cilantro lime rice at Chipotle. Imagine that with Lima beans added to it. Believe me when I tell you that not only does it taste delicious but it makes for a complete meal what with the essential elements of protein, carbohydrate, fat and minerals.  Do try it. It is quick and easy and you will fall in love with it. You won’t even need a side dish for it! It is a great way to make use of leftover rice!!  Servings: 2-3 Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: none Total time: 3 mins  Ingredients: Cooked rice: 4 cups  Cooked Lima beans: 1.5 cups Olive oil: 1 tbsp Lime juice: from one s...

At the outset let me confess that this post has been sponsored by Camellia Beans.  We Konkanis make several types of songs. Not the musical kind; the gastronomical kind. Song is basically the type of sauce or gravy that is make out of sautéed onions and tomatoes. Loads of onions and tomatoes are used in this dish. Song can be made with coconut ( masolu ghalnu) or without coconut in which case it is referred to as mirsange pitte song ( which essentially means song made with chilli powder). This is a nice tangy , spicy,delicious dish. Like I mentioned earlier there are several types of song: batate song( made with potatoes), mushroom song, tingalavre song ( made with navy beans).It is again one of the favorites in my household. The best part is that it is quick an easy to make! I decided to make this song with my favorite beans: baby Lima Beans.  Servings: 4 Ingredients: Baby Lima beans: 1/2cup ( dry)  Water: 4 cups + 4 cups ( for soaking and cooking) Onions: 2 medium, dice...

At the outset let me tell you that this post has been sponsored by Qdoba. However, anyone who knows me can vouch for the authenticity of my review. I also have to humbly acknowledge that in the 12+ years that I have been living in this country I have never been to Qdoba. I have been to Chipotle on multiple occasions over the years.. Hmm wonder why??? Simple.. I think in NYC Chipotle is ubiquitous and there are very few Qdoba locations. So finally I went to their location on 188 Street, Fresh Meadows. I wanted something vegetarian. I asked the guy at the counter what are my vegetarian options and he told me : “ anything here. All you have to do is skip the meat!” I was thrilled!! I ordered my favorite: burrito bowl!! The very same thing that I order at Chipotle!!  Qdoba has 3 kinds of queso ( cheese) with different spice levels! They have more sauce options and guess what the first scoop of guacamole is free!! I also found all the ingredients to be fresh and was very low on sodium....

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. When I came to know that Dr. Kristi Funk is again giving out copies of her book, Breasts: The Owner’s Manual , I too decided to take part in the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign in spite of my crazy schedule. For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Kristi Funk, she is a  leading board-certified breast cancer surgeon and specialist in comprehensive wellness, including nutrition, fitness, and stress management. Best known as the breast surgeon for Angelina Jolie and  Sheryl Crow , Dr. Funk has compiled her accessible and powerful strategies for reducing cancer risk and achieving optimal overall health into this informative book .  To get your own free copy by entering the giveaway, all you have to do is enter your email address when prompted by this page or at the top of this page where is says "SUBSCRIBE". The deadline will be October 31st.  I am sharing another of Dr. Funk’s recipes which I have slightly modified based...