http://www.cookingmela.com Pakistani and Indian Cooking Recipes, Pakistani Recipes, Indian Recipes, Chines Recipe, Thai Recipes, Soup Recipes, Beryani Recipe, BBQ Recipe, Cooking Videos Tue, 01 May 2012 11:59:16 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://www.cookingmela.com/boost-your-breakfast-with-chia-seeds/ http://www.cookingmela.com/boost-your-breakfast-with-chia-seeds/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:34:19 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/?p=26003 My favorite go-to breakfast is a bowl of granola with almond milk. I add fresh fruit and nuts to make it flavorful, interesting, and extra nutritious. Lately, I’ve also been adding a scoop of chia seeds, the baby black and white seeds you’ve been hearing about. Chia seeds are loaded with protein, omega-3s, fiber, and [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/boost-your-breakfast-with-chia-seeds/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/healthy-eating-on-travel/ http://www.cookingmela.com/healthy-eating-on-travel/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:35:24 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/?p=18670   Typical freeway fare includes fast food, microwave-ready service station options, bags of chips, and lots of sodas. These foods are almost always full of bad fats, lots of calories, and not much valuable nutrition. Plus, eating junk food for a couple of days can leave you feeling fatigued and crabby, and give you a stomach ache. [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/healthy-eating-on-travel/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/mediterranean-diet-appetizer/ http://www.cookingmela.com/mediterranean-diet-appetizer/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:37:43 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/?p=16647   Ingredients 8 ounce container plain Greek yogurt 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ tablespoon fresh dill, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Fresh vegetables of your choice for dipping Directions Place the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil, [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/mediterranean-diet-appetizer/feed/ 1 http://www.cookingmela.com/winter-pumpkin-salad/ http://www.cookingmela.com/winter-pumpkin-salad/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:35:15 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/?p=16559   For the salad: 1 head romaine lettuce 1 small pumpkin 1 yellow onion 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts 2 tbsp. olive oil For the dressing: 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp. dried mustard Salt & pepper to taste Cut the pumpkin into big [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/winter-pumpkin-salad/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/tips-on-healthy-food/ http://www.cookingmela.com/tips-on-healthy-food/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:35:13 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/?p=14510 Experts agree the key to healthy eating is the time-tested advice of balance, variety and moderation. In short, that means eating a wide variety of foods without getting too many calories or too much of any one nutrient. These 10 tips can help you follow that advice while still enjoying the foods you eat. Eat [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/tips-on-healthy-food/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/quinoa-banana-muffins/ http://www.cookingmela.com/quinoa-banana-muffins/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:35:24 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/quinoa-banana-muffins/ 3/4 cup quinoa flour 1/2 cup brown rice or sorghum flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour or potato starch 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp guar gum or xanthan gum 1 tsp cinnamon 2 and 1/2 tbsp ground flax seed combined with 3 tbsp of warm water (this replaces one egg) 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (I [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/quinoa-banana-muffins/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-quinoa/ http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-quinoa/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:35:31 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-quinoa/ This week’s Focus on Food feature is Quinoa, my favorite whole grain (though it’s actually a seed). Protein-rich quinoa has gained popularity over the past few years for it’s nutritional value, quick cooking time, and versatility. Red quinoa and vegetables in sweet bell peppers (recipe below) Fun facts: Quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah”) was considered gold to the Incas [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-quinoa/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/vegetarian-chili/ http://www.cookingmela.com/vegetarian-chili/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:35:20 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/vegetarian-chili/ Serves 6 to 8 A colorful, satisfying bowl of chili that packs plenty of flavor — even for the most dedicated meat eaters. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 1 medium red [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/vegetarian-chili/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/so-delicious-greek-yogurt-review/ http://www.cookingmela.com/so-delicious-greek-yogurt-review/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:06:07 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/so-delicious-greek-yogurt-review/ ]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/so-delicious-greek-yogurt-review/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/pasta-fagioli/ http://www.cookingmela.com/pasta-fagioli/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:08:04 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/pasta-fagioli/ 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 16-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained Salt and pepper 8 ounces elbow macaroni, freshly cooked Grated Parmesan print a shopping [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/pasta-fagioli/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/zucchini-chickpea-sandwiches/ http://www.cookingmela.com/zucchini-chickpea-sandwiches/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:08:16 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/zucchini-chickpea-sandwiches/ Ingredients Zucchini-Chickpea Patties: 1 can chickpeas 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs 1 zucchini 1 small red onion 1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds 3 tbsp. water 1 tsp. salt 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 whole-wheat pitas 1 small head red leaf lettuce Sriracha hot sauce (for garnish) Tahini sauce: 1/2 cup tahini paste 3 gloves garlic [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/zucchini-chickpea-sandwiches/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/autumn-squash-soup/ http://www.cookingmela.com/autumn-squash-soup/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:08:27 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/autumn-squash-soup/ Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 35m Ingredients 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 small butternut or acorn squashes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken broth kosher [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/autumn-squash-soup/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/coconut-oil-and-its-goodness/ http://www.cookingmela.com/coconut-oil-and-its-goodness/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:11:23 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/coconut-oil-and-its-goodness/ What a treat! Cononut oil makes a wonderful massage oil because: - it smells amazing — like you are in the tropics - it moisturizes your skin long after the massage has stopped - it works at removing toxins in your skin - it is full of antioxidents - it minimizes premature aging — inside [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/coconut-oil-and-its-goodness/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/what-is-the-substitute-for-lime-juice/ http://www.cookingmela.com/what-is-the-substitute-for-lime-juice/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:11:16 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/what-is-the-substitute-for-lime-juice/ Lime juice is mainly known for its refreshing taste. However, it is also used for culinary purposes, basically in desserts, jams, jellies and candies. Lime or Citrus Aurantifolia is a citrus fruit. Lime is usually a round fruit of green to yellow color, and smaller than lemon. When it comes to fresh lime juice substitute, juice [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/what-is-the-substitute-for-lime-juice/feed/ 0 http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-arugula/ http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-arugula/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:10:16 +0000 Don http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-arugula/ It’s Monday again and I’m back with the “Focus on Food” blog series. Today’s feature is one of my favorite versatile green vegetables: arugula. This dark and peppery green peaks in the fall season when the leaves are thicker and have the most flavor. Fun facts: Arugula, the green also known as “rocket”, stays fresh [...]]]> http://www.cookingmela.com/focus-on-food-arugula/feed/ 0