Brussels Sprouts with Garam Masala

I got this at http://www.recipezaar.com/203897. Super-simple, super-quick, and super-healthy.

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts
Salt
Garam Masala
Oil/Non-stick cooking spray

Method

Thaw brussels sprouts if frozen, otherwise cook in microwave until al dente. Halve the sprouts. In a shallow frying pan, heat oil or spray. Add sprouts, stir-fry on low heat until seared on the outside. Add salt and garam masala to taste. Stir-fry some more. Done!

Italian Herb Sandwich

Simple, quick, healthy, tasty.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, grated
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, preferably freshly ground
Coriander leaves, chopped fine
1 tomato, sliced into rounds
Bread (white tastes best, brown/multigrain is healthier)

Method

In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Add half the basil and all of the oregano, sautee 20 seconds. Add garlic, sautee until it just starts to turn golden brown. Add onions, salt, sugar; sautee over low flame until onions are translucent. Add remaining basil, turn off heat, let cool 2-3 minutes. Add coriander leaves and pepper; mix well.

To assemble the sandwich, spread some of the onion mix on a slice, place several rounds of tomato on top of the onion mix, top off with another slice of bread. The sandwich can be grilled, toasted or eaten plain after this according to taste.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Simple, quick, not too unhealthy. This recipe is humble, but it tastes good!

Ingredients

One large potato, diced (1 cup)
One garlic clove, grated (1/2 to 2/3 teaspoon)
One tablespoon nonfat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, preferably freshly ground

Method

Boil diced potato covered in microwave (or any other way) until well boiled. Add grated garlic, yogurt, salt and pepper and mix until potatoes are thoroughly mashed and a uniform consistency is obtained. Done!

Variations

Nonfat sour cream can be substituted for the yogurt.

Chili flakes and a variety of herbs (parsley, coriander, etc.) can be added for a variety of tastes.

The quantity of garlic can be varied to taste.

Adding a tablespoon or two of butter makes it taste better, but adds a lot of fat!

Notes

This recipe seems to be very sensitive to the amount of yogurt, garlic and pepper. One way to do it is to add too little, keep increasing in small increments, and stop as soon as you like the taste!

Spinach and Grape Tomato Spaghetti

I got this recipe from here, and made some minor modifications.

Ingredients

Spaghetti - 1/2 pound
Fresh spinach - 3 handfuls, or 150 grams; finely chopped
Grape tomatoes - two handfuls, or 100 grams; cut in halves
Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated, 1/4 cup
Garlic - Freshly grated, 1.5 teaspoons, or about 3 medium cloves
Dried basil - 1.5 teaspoons
Virgin olive oil
Salt

Method

Put the spaghetti on boil, partially covered, with about 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. In a separate pan, heat 3 teaspoons olive oil. Add the grape tomatoes and sautee for 2 min. Add the grated garlic and basil and stir to coat tomatoes with them, about 20 seconds. Add the chopped spinach, toss with the tomatoes. Cook for about 3 min, until spinach is wilted. Turn off heat and wait until spaghetti is done.

When spaghetti is done, drain about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from spaghetti into the pan with the spinach and tomatoes and start heat on low. Discard the remaining cooking liquid if any. Add the grated parmesan to the pan and bring to a boil for about 30 seconds, mixing to make sure the parmesan melts. Pour the contents of the pan into the spaghetti pot and stir over a medium flame until liquid is almost gone, 2-3 minutes. Done!

Tip: The spinach tends to clump together because of the cheese. You can separate it or leave it; the spinach clumps have a nice texture of their own.