Natural Protein Shake Recipe (Smoothie)

This drink is made with mango purée, orange juice and a banana. The banana gives a smooth texture to the drink; cooked mung beans add protein and tie the flavors together.

I've read that eating breakfast is one of the keys to successfully losing weight. Since I've been waking up at the wee hours of the morning to work out for 45 minutes before starting the day, I want to stack the deck in my favor. A protein shake is the perfect choice for me because I'm not very big on breakfast (unless it's crêpes!).

Dal Paratha Recipe (Indian Flat Bread)

Paratha is a whole wheat Indian flat  bread. This version of the chapati bread is fairly easy to form, and is also relatively healthy since it's made with fine milled durum wheat flour (atta). Paratha are often "stuffed", and I flavored this version with cooked spiced masoor dal (orange dal).

For extra flavor, I brushed the bread with a thin layer of melted ghee (clarified butter), making the paratha an incredibly tasty, crispy side dish packed with protein.

Masoor Ki Daal Recipe

Among the Indian  lentil dishes I've learned from my husband's late grandmother, this "dry" daal dish, called "masoor ki daal", is by far the easiest and fastest to prepare for the family. No soaking is needed and it cooks in no time. The only trick to this dish is not to overcook the lentils because they will get mushy very quickly if you don't keep an eye on them.

The coral-colored, skinless lentils are sautéed with ginger garlic paste and chiles. Once masoor dal is cooked, the lentils turn a pretty yellow color. The last step is pairing the lentil dish with homemade roti (Indian flat bread) for a complete, nutritious meal.