Sweet potato shakshuka helps to heal faster after injury

  

 

If you want to replace eggs in shakshuka, the best options are silken tofu for a poached texture, chickpea flour (besan) combined with mayonnaise or nutritional yeast for a cooked yolk, or paneer / feta for a savory, creamy flavor.

These substitutes adapt perfectly to the rich, spiced tomato-and-pepper base. Here is how to use the most popular egg alternatives:

1. The Silken Tofu Method (Poached Texture)

Silken tofu mimics the soft, jiggly texture of poached egg whites, while a mixture of tofu and turmeric creates the yellow "yolk". 

• The Whites: Blend silken tofu with a pinch of potato starch, water, and black salt (for that eggy sulfur taste).
• The Yolks: Scoop out small dollops of tofu and gently coat them in a mixture of turmeric (for color) and black salt.
• Cooking: Create wells in your simmering tomato sauce, drop the "whites" into the holes, and gently nestle the "yolks" on top. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 3–5 minutes. 

2. The Tofu & Cashew Ricotta Method (Creamy Dollops)

If you prefer a richer, creamier bite that holds its shape, you can make a tofu-cashew ricotta. 

• How to make: Blend extra-firm tofu with soaked cashews, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.
• Cooking: Spoon generous dollops of the mixture directly into the hot shakshuka sauce and let it warm through. 

3. The Besan (Chickpea Flour) Method

If you want something quick that perfectly replicates the savory, dense consistency of cooked egg yolks, try a chickpea flour batter. 

• How to make: Whisk together besan, mayonnaise, water, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes until it forms a thick paste.
• Cooking: Make small wells in your tomato base, pour the batter directly into the holes, and let it cook and set in the sauce.

Key Flavor Boosters

• Kala Namak (Black Salt): Essential for adding an authentic "sulfur/eggy" flavor to tofu and vegan egg substitutes.
• Turmeric: Used purely to give your substitute that bright, appealing yellow egg yolk color.

• Nutritional Yeast: Adds a wonderful umami depth and cheesy richness to the mock egg mixture. 

   

  Ingredients:

  300g sweet potato

  1 yellow onion

  1 garlic clove

  1 red bell pepper

  400 ml canned tomato pieces

  4 eggs

  50 gm feta cheese

  1 tbsp olive oil

  Parsley and/or coriander

  Cumin

  Za'atar

   

  Preparations

   

  Peel and square the sweet potato and steam for 10 minutes.

   

  Chop the garlic and onions and sauté in olive oil. When transparent, sauté the diced sweet bell pepper. Season with salt, pepper and cumin.

   

  Add the tomatoes and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes before adding the sweet potato pieces. 

   

  Adjust the seasoning if necessary and add the za'atar.

   

  Form 4 wells and break in the eggs. Keep covered for 4 minutes. OR when using substitute see above how to go about.

   

  Season with salt and pepper.

   

  Sprinkle with crumbled feta and parsley and/or coriander leaves.

   

   

   

  https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
  
  https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
  
  https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics
  
  https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

Spaghetti Pie

  

 

Ingredients 

8 ounces spaghetti of your choice

3 tbsp olive oil divided 

3/4 cup finely chopped onion , about 1/2 a large onion 

1 cup grated carrot 

8 ounces crimini or button mushrooms, diced small 

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

 

 salt 3/4 tbsp divided 

 

 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning

 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes

2 large eggs beaten

Parmesan cheese grated 3 tbsp 

mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup or to taste 

 

Preparations

Preheat oven to 375 ℉. Grease a 9-inch pie plate or round baking dish with oil.

Cook your spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables. Once the spaghetti is ‘al dente’, drain in a colander then place in a large bowl.

To make sauce, return the pot you cooked the pasta in (or another pot if you prefer) to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and carrot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chopped mushroom and saute until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and Italian seasoning and cook for 2 more minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in spinach and then crushed tomato. Lower heat and simmer while you prepare the spaghetti “crust”.

To the cooked spaghetti, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, eggs, parmesan cheese, the rest of the salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Mix well then press the spaghetti mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your pie pan.

Spoon the veggie sauce into the center of the spaghetti. Spread into an even layer, leaving an-inch boarder of spaghetti not covered in sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake until cheese is golden brown, 20 to 22minutes. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.  

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

 

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15 Versatile Ingredients You Should Always Have in the Kitchen

Do you still have packets and bottles full of spices or other ingredients you bought to cook that one dish months or even years ago? If so, you’re not alone - buying ingredients exclusively for one or two dishes is a mistake we all make from time to time, but it would certainly be better to use up food ingredients and have as many versatile foods in your kitchen as possible. This way, even if you end up having just one or two things in your fridge or pantry, you’ll still be able to whip up a quick and fresh meal. The 15 foods we feature on this list are all serious multi-taskers, so even if you stock up on these, you’ll save on money and valuable kitchen space by using them.

1. Eggs

It's hardly surprising that eggs are the first item on this list since they are a truly universal and nutritious food. You can eat them alone by either boiling them, preparing eggs Benedict or a good old omelet, or you can combine them with pretty much anything a make a wide range of foods that includes sauces, breakfasts, desserts, and even dinners like a frittata. Also, it's important to note that eggs can be stored for quite a long time, so it's always a good idea to stock up on them. 

2. Rice

Rice is another one of those staple foods that last for ages in your pantry, are easy to cook and are incredibly versatile. There are different rice varieties, each having a slightly different taste and nutritional profile, but having pretty much any variety will come extremely handy as a side dish, a dessert (e.g. rice pudding), or a main dish such as a stir-fry. Even simply cooking up some rice and combining it with steamed or cooked veggies topped with a sunny-side-up egg will make a perfect and quick weekday dinner. 

 

Keep in mind, however, that refrigerating and reheating cooked rice can be tricky and may affect your health if you don't do it properly, so make sure to always store cooked rice in a separate container and never reheat it more than once.  

 

3. Lemons and Limes

If you don't want to stock up on a whole array of bottles filled with sauces and condiments, which apart from being expensive, can also take up way too much space in the fridge, lemons and limes should be your best friends. By mixing lemons with any oil and some spices, for example, you'll have the perfectly serviceable homemade salad dressing. 

 

A squeeze of lemon juice will also brighten the flavor and be that finishing touch to any dish, be it fish and seafood, soups, grilled meat or pasta. You can even use lemons to make desserts, such as a lemon tart, lemon cookies, or even a delicious lemon souffle! 

 

4. Stock

Having a jar full of simple vegetable or chicken stock is a secret trick many chefs utilize. For one, you can heat it up and add a bit of pasta and greens to it for a quick soup, but you can also use it instead of water when you're cooking rice, making cream soups, mashed potatoes, pasta, and steamed veggies. By doing so, you'll be able to really enhance the flavor of these foods while adding nutrients. 

 

5. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a high-protein food that can be used in so many ways! To prepare a quick mid-day snack, you can mix Greek yogurt with some herbs and spices to make a delicious dip for veggies. Other ways to use Greek yogurt is by substituting it instead of milk or sour cream in recipes like mashed potatoes, soups, and pancakes, or by adding it to homemade salad dressings. The options are endless - you can even top it up with some fruit and granola for a healthy and nutritious breakfast! 

 

6. Oats

Oats are a staple breakfast ingredient in our kitchen, as they are quick to make and can be combined with both sweet and savory toppings. An even quicker breakfast is one you can prepare the night before, and nothing beats overnight oats in this respect. It is also nice to add a spoonful of oats to your smoothie to increase its fiber and protein content or blend them up to make gluten-free oat flour. 

 

As you can see, oats are not limited to breakfasts, and you can even prepare homemade oat milk, granola and a wide variety of healthy desserts like cookies and muffins. Lastly, oats don't expire quickly, so you'll surely use them all up. 

 

7. Flour

Flour is the original versatile food, and it's no secret that you can pretty much use it to make any kind of baked goods out there, as well as homemade pasta. Sure, working with flour requires a bit more skill and effort from the cook, but the results are very well worth it. After all, why should you pay for pizza dough when you can make a better version on your own for a fraction of the price? Lastly, don't forget that you can use flour to make bechamel sauce and thicken up many sauces and soups, so flour is an obvious must-have in any kitchen.

8. Soy sauce

If there's one condiment we're willing to tolerate in the kitchen, it's probably soy sauce, mostly because it has a long shelf life and can make any dish tastier and more interesting in an instant. You can use it for obvious recipes, such as a stir-fry or a dip for sushi, dumplings, and whatnot, but truly, soy sauce can be used to season pretty much any food, such as salads, marinades for fish and meat, and glazes. 

 

9. Butter

Yes, butter is quite high in animal fats, but if used in moderation, it can become an invaluable ingredient in your kitchen, and it doesn't matter if you're a seasoned cook and use it to make sauces and beautiful desserts, or you just want to make a pasta sauce and French toast from time to time. We'd like to point out that full-fat butter is much better for you than margarine, as the latter contains a lot of trans-fats, which are much worse for your heart and digestive health than the fats present in butter.

10. Canned tomatoes

 

 

Canned tomatoes are an excellent alternative to fresh ones, and using them instead of fresh tomatoes for pasta sauces, chili, soups, and stews is actually more convenient. Needless to say, canned tomatoes also have quite a long shelf life, so even if you have a few cans in your pantry to whip up an occasional evening pasta quickly, these will come in handy. You can also make shakshuka, a popular Middle Eastern egg-based breakfast stew, using canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones. 

 

11. Dairy or Plant Milk

There are very few ingredients that double up as a drink, a companion to your morning coffee, or something you can use to make breakfast, soup, sauce, dinner, or dessert. Milk is one of those ingredients, and both plant milks and dairy milk will do the job. The possibilities are truly infinite. 

 

Do keep in mind, though, that while dairy milk is pretty much universal, it does have a shorter shelf-life than plant-based milks and not everyone can drink it. Navigating through the kind of plant milk that will work best for a task, however, can be tricky, and I recommend reading my next post.

 

12. Avocado

Avocado toast and guacamole sure are delicious but don't underestimate the possibilities of this creamy and incredibly healthy food. For one, you can add it into salads or smoothies to make them creamier and more filling, but avocado is also an excellent dairy substitute in sauces that will add the same creaminess to the sauce. You can even use avocados instead of butter or cream in some baking and dessert recipes. 

 

13. Frozen Veggies

 

 

Taking all that time and effort to chop up vegetables is a luxury we can't afford at times, but we still need to eat vegetables on a daily basis, so what should we do when we don't have all that time for peeling a chopping? The solution is frozen veggies, which are already sold pre-cut and have the same nutritional benefit as fresh ones. Simply steam them and serve as a side dish, add them to a soup, a stew, a stir-fry, or a frittata - you name it. Truly, you can make a whole variety of quick and nutritious meals out of frozen veggies. 

 

14. Potatoes

Potatoes had to make an appearance on this list, as the variety of foods you can make using them is huge. Also, potatoes are much healthier than you think, and they will benefit your health if you eat them in moderation. All in all, you can make breakfast foods, such as hash browns or potato pancakes, side dishes like mashed potatoes and baked potato wedges, or main dishes like shepherd's pie from potatoes. You can also use them in soups and stews to add substance and creaminess. 

 

15. Legumes

Nearly all legumes, such as chickpeas, peas, beans or lentils, can be used in a variety of ways in your kitchen. Apart from being super healthy and packed with proteins, legumes are mostly inexpensive, have a long shelf life and typically come in both dry and canned versions. You can make dips, such as hummus, out of chickpeas, you can add legumes to soups and salads, and you can make main dishes using beans, chickpeas, or lentils as a base or even a substitute for meat. 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com  for info on cancer and health related topics

https://GSiyers home remedies.blogspot.com   is the latest addition to my blogs

 

Tips using tomatoes to cook quickly

Keep canned tomatoes in the cupboard and add to pasta sauce, casseroles and soup. Make your own sauce by roasting tomatoes and red capsicum with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then puree with a spoon of chili paste or herbs of your choice. Keep in the fridge. This can be used for any recipe which requires tomato gravy- tacos, paneer masala, channa masala, peas-potato. You can try your own recipe using it. Good luck.

 

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  

https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement