Veggie Protein Bowl with Barley

Quick, easy and healthy recipe is all this is!

You can cook cook and assemble this in 15 minutes or under!

If you were to cook barley while making this recipe then you will have to allow yourself additional 20-25 minutes to cook barley itself.

I often eat this as a workday lunch and most of the time I make it hot during lunch itself!

Ingredients:

Cooked barley

Some small paneer/cottage cheese cubes(to make it Vegan, you can substitute with firm tofu)

Veggies medley - cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, snowpeas

Some salt and pepper to season

Some soy sauce

Schezwan sauce

Some coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Heat some ghee or oil in a non-stick skillet.

2. Add the veggies medley and saute for a minute on high heat.

3. Season with salt and pepper and saute for another minute.

4. Add paneer cubes and saute for a minute until they are just warmed through.

5. Then add a dash of soy sauce and 1 table spoon of schezwan sauce.

6. Turn off the heat and assemble as follows:

     - Fill the bottom of the bowl with warm cooked barley.

     - Top it with the paneer and veggie mixture.

     - Garnish with some coriander.

     - Don't wait for anything and JUST EAT! :)

Salmon with Asian sauce and rice

This is a dish that is literally prepared and served in 30 minutes. You can make this for a quick lunch or a weeknight entertaining dinner. This is healthy, super quick, delicious and low on utensil usage too!

Ingredients:
For Salmon:
Salmon fillet
Some oil
Salt and pepper

For Asian Sauce:
3-4 dashes of Fish Sauce
1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
6-7 tsp of  Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Sake (optional)
1/2 cup Vegetable Broth or Water
1 inch piece of Ginger
3-4 tsp Chinese Spicy Chilly Crisp Sauce

Leafy Vegetable Salad:
Two Scallions
Some coriander
Some Romaine Lettuce

Rice

Method:
1. Heat some oil on a non-stick pan. Once the oil is heated put the salmon fillet on the pan, skin side down.
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the salmon and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook salmon on low-to-medium flame with the lid on for 15 minutes.

2. On the side, put some rice for cooking.


3. While the salmon is cooking, prepare the sauce in a bowl. Mix soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sake, vegetable broth, chilly crisps, peanut butter, grated ginger, salt and pepper.

4. Thinly slice two scallions. Chop coriander and some romaine lettuce. Mix these vegetables and keep on side.

5. After 15 minutes, remove the salmon from the pan and wrap in an aluminum foil. Seal this wrap with another aluminum foil to make a double insulation around the salmon. Set aside on a wooden chopping board for 10 minutes.


6. While salmon is resting, put the prepared sauce in the same pan with the salmon juices. Boil the sauce for 5-6 minutes or until it thickens.

7. In the end assemble the dish by placing some rice at the bottom of the plate, top with the flaked salmon and vegetable salad. Dress up the dish with the Asian sauce.

Entertain!

Or take a carry out for lunch!

Salmon with spinach in coconut milk and rice

A must try salmon recipe for every salmon fan! The salmon flakes are irresistibly succulent and coconut milk and sake sauce sauce just takes the dish to another level.

Ingredients:
~6oz filet of Salmon(with skin on)
Vodka/Sake
Soy sauce
Dijon Mustard
Toasted Sesame Seed oil
Salt
White Pepper
Butter (ghee)
Spinach
Coconut milk
Cooked white rice

Method:
1. Marinate the fish filet in some vodka/sake, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, dijon mustard, salt and white pepper for about 15-20 minutes.
2. In a non-stick pan, add some butter and put the filet skin side down. Cook in the pan, covered, for about 10-12 minutes over medium heat. Reserve the marinade.
3. Then take off the cooked salmon and wrap it in an aluminium foil(double wrap preferred) and set aside for 10 minutes.
4. While the fish is resting, add the reserved marinade to the pan and reduce the alcohol. Don't add any more salt or butter to the pan.
5. Add a few table spoons of  coconut milk and bring to boil.
6. Once the milk starts to boil, add spinach leaves and allow it to wilt.

For assembly of the dish, put the cooked rice at the bottom of the plate. Top that with flaked salmon and spinach with coconut milk sauce. Enjoy this dish while it's still hot!

Asian salad with grilled cottage cheese

This is another party pleaser salad that can be converted to a grilled chicken salad anytime based on the people it is serving! Marinade for the cottage cheese and chicken remains the same.

Ingredients:
Salad
1 head of Romaine lettuce(or salad leaves of your choice)
Fat bunch of cilantro - used as a major salad leaf for flavour
Couple of Radishes - sliced
Couple of Cucumbers - diced
Some spring onions - sliced
One carrot - cut into julians
One red bell pepper - cut into julians
Handful of mint - cut into julians
Quarter red cabbage - thinly sliced

Dressing
Some toasted sesame oil
Some peanut oil(or vegetable oil of your choice)
1-2 lime juices(this is the main ingredient of the dressing)
Some dark soya sauce
Some smooth peanut butter
Some Chinese hot sauce(optional)
Grated ginger
Salt
Black pepper
Little honey for balance

Marinade
Some grated ginger
Generous dollop of honey(for caramelization)
Some peanut oil
Some soya sauce
Salt
Black pepper
Some red chilly powder
Generous amount of lime juice

Method:
1. First thing is to get all the marinade ingredients in a zip lock bag and soak cottage cheese or chicken pieces in it. Leave it aside for at least 30 minutes(up to overnight).
2. After 30 minutes, grill the cottage cheese for a couple of minutes on each side on a hot griddle(or cook the chicken until done).
Note: If you are using the cottage cheese - I'd recommend putting the cheese back in the marinade so it can keep absorbing the marinade and stay moist till you use it.
3. In a bowl whisk together the ingredients for dressing. Mix with the vegetables and salad leaves in it.
4. Cut the grilled cheese or chicken diagonally and garnish the salad.

Serving suggestion - right before serving add some lime on top of the salad to enhance the flavour.