I got this beautiful bunch of veggies in my Farm Fresh to You delivery this week and I couldn’t wait to make something delicious with them. The box had a wonderful assortment of veggies ranging from early spring onions to green onions, leeks, kale, and celery root just to name a few. Continue reading Spring Onion Pasta Primavera
Tag Archives: cooking zen zone
Bay Leaf Cardamom Vegetable Daal
Think Asian flavors like coconut milk and Siracha combined with North Indian flavors such as bay leaves and cardamom pods, combined with South Indian flavors such as mustard seeds and cumin seeds – this is a dish that combines all these flavors into one delectable lentil stew. Ladled over steaming white rice with a squeeze of limejuice, this rather eclectic lentil daal is delicious and filling. Continue reading Bay Leaf Cardamom Vegetable Daal
Indian Masala Buns
Truth be told I had never tasted Indian masala buns until one of my dear friends made them one time when I had gone over for tea, I’m talking over a decade ago! She fondly reminisced of her Dad making them for her and her brother when she was growing up and served them nostiligically for us to have with a little butter. I can honestly say I haven’t had these buns since then. That was the first and last time I had masala buns – it’s been a long time! I don’t know why then, recently I have been craving home made bread but not just any bread – savory Indian masala buns jazzed up with onions, green chilis and spices. Continue reading Indian Masala Buns
Twins Celebrating 17 Birthday Menu
Anyone who tells you how fun it is to have twins, let me tell you speaking from one who has twins, it’s not as fun as it seems. And I should know, I have twins and an older child, and now that my older one is and adult and the twins are teens, I can honestly say that it was easier to deal with a single child than with twin teens. They can’t agree on anything – and I mean anything! They bicker non-stop. They have their own set of friends with no overlap whatsoever. They have two unique interests and hobbies. They hate that they share a birthday – I mean seriously? I tell them “You are twins! Hello! That’s what twins means, you share a birthday?” Continue reading Twins Celebrating 17 Birthday Menu
Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Almond Meal
Stuffed eggplant is a popular Indian curry with many variations. I am mostly familiar with two versions of stuffed eggplants – one is my Mom-in-law’s recipe which involves stuffing eggplants with chickpea flour and spices, the other is a South Indian Tamil version in which eggplants are stuffed with lentils, shredded coconut and spices. In this new recipe however I thought I would stuff the eggplants with a spicy almond meal and I tell you folks, this has to be the easiest and my new favorite stuffed eggplant curry! Continue reading Stuffed Eggplant with Spicy Almond Meal
Caramelized Onion and Baby Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Caramelized onions, cheese, and pasta? What’s not to like with this combination of flavors? Caramelized onions and gooey cheese are awesome together any way you look at it, and when stuffed inside pasta shells? They taste positively outstanding 😋👌! I’ve made stuffed pasta shells before with spinach and onions, but this time I caramelized the onions with a little garlic giving the dish a lovely sweet oniony flavor that tastes wonderful with spinach and ricotta cheese. Continue reading Caramelized Onion and Baby Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Veggie Stuffed Chile Rellenos
Here is a recipe for the lightest most delectable and healthy chile rellenos you will ever have. I know I know, healthy and chile rellenos don’t usually go in the same sentence, but trust me here, these chile rellenos are amazingy delicious and healthy too! Continue reading Veggie Stuffed Chile Rellenos
Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
Can I just start off by saying I love, love, love roasted vegetables! I love the way how caramelized, sweet, and nutty vegetables become when roasted, adding a dimension of flavor that you can’t get any other way. What roasting does to vegetables is something magical and I can’t get enough of them. In fact so much veggie flavor is enhanced in this process that I like to keep the herbs and spices to a minimum when I cook with roasted veggies, which allows us to enjoy the rich complex delicious flavor of roasted veggies. I mean look at this photo? Isn’t it a beautiful assortment of roasted veggies? Roasted vegetables taste great in anything – in omelets, pasta, couscous, rice, quiche, curry, salads, soups, tacos and enchiladas. Continue reading Roasted Veggie Enchiladas
Eggplant Parmesan & the Dinner Request That Nudged Me to Make It
Eggplant Parmesan is such an indulgent Italian dish that I always order it at restaurants. Deep fried breaded eggplant patties baked with gooey cheese and marinara sauce, what’s not to like with this combination? It hits the fried food craving, cheese craving, and Italian food craving, all in one dish. Continue reading Eggplant Parmesan & the Dinner Request That Nudged Me to Make It
Lakshmi’s Out of this World Veggie Pakoras
Happy International Women’s Day! 🌹🌷
This is the perfect recipe to share on International Women’s Day as I made these delicious pakoras with my girlfriends Lakshmi and Basanthi. Pakoras are deep fried Indian fritters made with chickpea flour and vegetables. Some of the best pakoras I’ve had are made by my friend Lakshmi. She makes the most delicious pakoras I have ever tasted. Any time Lakshmi is invited to a dinner gathering or a party, she brings her signature appetizer – her veggie pakoras. Lakshmi’s pakoras are in a league of their own – full of a wide variety of vegetables, crunchy, with a kick of green chili spiciness, they are so good that you could never have just two or three. It’s the variety of vegetables that makes her pakoras taste so good. The veggies add so many flavors that there are no spices in these pakoras, just salt and green chilies for a little heat. Continue reading Lakshmi’s Out of this World Veggie Pakoras
