Why do we head for the starch first?

Maybe because that is the most satisfying?

After a regular 3-meal day it is unusual for a person to head to just starch food the following morning. But try to see what happens if you haven't had a proper meal the previous day, meaning at least one good balanced meal.  Most people crave for the starch.  I know I do.

Three-balanced meals with two decent snacks in between are the best way to go. Also, hide the high-starch ones or just don't buy them. That should be easy!

The best way to cook Quinoa

The answer is, well I haven't found much of a difference any which way I have tried cooking it.
Some fastidious palates will probably like it toasted, soaked for about 30 minutes, rinsed and then cooked.  Some do it by just rinsing, soaking and then cooking.  I just rinse and cook them under pressure in a pressure cooker.

I've tested two methods.  One is cooking in an electric cooker.  It takes a while to cook and the end result is a pretty dry, cooked quinoa.  The pressure cooker method is faster and the quinoa is never dry or separated even on the second day.  It goes well with any of the vegetarian sides except salads.  The cooked dry one is the best for use in salads.  If you are into carbs, then quinoa is a good replacement.  You'll notice you consume less of it and feel satisfied much longer than rice or wheat.

Quinoa bought in stores or online in bulk is very clean.  In my opinion there is no need to soak them (which is recommended by many to get rid of the soap taste).  If the quinoa is clean there is no soapy taste to it, so why bother soaking them first. 

Mashed Potato burger with Spicy Indian flavors

Mashed Potato Burger with Indian flavors

Recipe of the week

Mashed Potato burger with spicy Indian flavors.

Check out this recipe on Vidya's Kitchen.

Father's day lunch at PF Chang's was a disappointment

PF Chang's is one of those fusion resatuarants that's quite consistent in its quality of food and taste.  I wouldn't say food is extraordinary but definitely not bad.  Unfortunately, today's lunch was below average.  My dish 'Buddha's Feast' was way too salty.  I had requested for it to be spicy.  What I got was quite bland. The only vegetable that stood out were the half cooked carrots.  The brown rice was under cooked and utterly dry.  Part of the problem was the waiter who did not convey what we had requested to the chef.

I am still hungry after this dissatisfying meal so going to cook a good Sunday dinner. It's enraging to feel hungry after a restaurant meal and especially after having paid a good penny for a bad experience.

Mushroom burgers filled with flavor

It will be a repeat performance second time this week -- this Sunday, ie grilled mushroom burgers.  This past busy Wednesday I decided dinner will be an easy one with no messy kitchen.  Well, I tried. The kitchen still needed as much cleaning as any other day but the food was quite easy and flavorful.

I did not have those fancy porcini, portabella or crimini mushrooms.  They were just plain old button mushrooms but fresh. So, here's what I did.  Diced them real tiny, then mixed some corn flour, diced onions, garlic and spicy green chillies.  Added a bit of bread crumbs, diced tomatoes and a touch of salt of course. Surprisingly they held together.  Rolled them out and flattened them to burger sizes.  Grilled for about 4 minutes per side.  Delicious.

If you like them very spicy, you may add hot chillie sauce while grilling and flip a couple times on the grill for a roasted flavor .

Quinoa in all your salads

Feels like I left out Quinoa and haven't really included it in my recipe postings.  Actually, I do include Quinoa in most of my salad recipes and subsitute Qunioa for rice wherever possible.

Most salads contain some kind of spinach.  Make Quinoa a staple too in all your salads especially if you are not using meat or fish. It makes a difference if you are looking for all the vitamins and the protein in a salad.

Today, I went for a veggie salad from my local grocery store.  Sprinkled a 1/4 cup of cooked Qunioa and guess what I am so full and happy that I may just go for a very light dinner.

Wheat Germ Vegetarian Burger from Vidya's Kitchen



Wheat germ burger

Another veggie burger variety from my kitchen. This is made with wheat germ. Delicious and gratifying that you won't even miss the meat. Check out vidyaswamyskitchen.com for this week's recipe of the week.

Brushing your teeth after a meal. Is that good or bad?

How many of you go rushing to the bathroom after a meal to brush your teeth?  I don't do it often, but often enough.

After a restaurant meal in particular, I can't wait to get home to brush my teeth.  Washing hands and feet thoroughly is one of my habits after getting back home from where ever I had been to that day.  Brushing is a close second.

New researches say that brushing right after a meal is not a healthy thing to do. Our teeth can actually get damaged especially if we do it immediately following an acidic meal.  Acid irritates the gums and the enamel in the teeth and erodes them.  Brushing after an acidic meal can actually speed that process.

Instead developing the habit of rinsing your mouth thoroughly right after a meal would make sense.

Look for my vegetarian burger recipes to barbecue and make it a fun summer

You don't have to sit aside and watch people enjoying their meat burgers when you have several options.  Guaranteed, the vegetarian burgers will taste better than the meat options.  Maybe they'll even switch completely. 

That reminds me of an experience I had on a cruise.  The chefs were absolutely fantastic.  When I told them I was a vegetarian, they said not to worry.  I thought I will probably be served some grilled vegetables and rice.  Guess what!  My meals had more variety and were tastier then the other meals.  Within 2 days msot people at the table were asking for vegetarian meals as well.

Look for a burger recipe in the upcoming recipe of the week post this Sunday.

Vegetarian Burger Varieties - This week's burger recipe

Mixed vegetable burger sautéd or grilled

Maybe it's the free summer spirit or the bright, humid weather that beckons one to grill burgers during this season.

I am starting out this week with a variety of delicious vegetarian burger recipes for you to try.  Here is my first. Enjoy.