Everyday is a new adventure and even though some days are spent chasing my tail, it's never dull.  When it gets particularly crazy and I'm about to lose every shred of sanity, i brew up a nice cup of chai (tea) relax and enjoy a quiet time or go through some cookbooks! and my creative mind goes faster than a bullet train in Italy!

 

indian tea  

Masala Chai Tea, Chai Latte, or just ‘Chai’ is the beverage of choice all over India. From a construction worker to a business tycoon, everyone prefers a hot cuppa ‘chai’ first thing in the morning, with snacks, between work or after a hard days work. Most Indian homes will always serve you a hot cup of Chai Tea when you drop in on a casual visit.Depending on whether you are drinking it in the North, South, East or West India, the Chai Tea is invariably flavored with various spices (Masalas). But the tea is almost (except in the North-East) always ‘readymade’. ‘Readymade’ Chai tea is tea boiled in a mixture of water, milk and sugar and is ready to serve (i.e you do not need to add milk, sugar, or anything else). I am posting a popular Indian Masala Chai Tea recipe below. It is the perfect drink to have on a cold winter day or night. So get cosy with a book or by the fire and enjoy your hot cup of ‘Chai’ tea!
Masala Chai Tea/ Chai Latte
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Water
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 teaspoons Tea leaves (Darjeeling, Assam, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chinese or Nilgiri Take your pick)
• 1 pod of Cardamom
• 1 Clove
• 1/2 inch piece of Ginger
• 1/4 inch piece of Cinnamon
• Sugar to taste

Method:
In a pot, mix the milk, water, all the whole spices (masalas) and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add the tea leaves and keep on a rolling boil for 2 minutes or till the tea leaves are completely brewed and the tea has a golden or chocolate color. Add sugar to taste.
Strain the tea with a strainer into a serving tea pot. Serve hot in cups or mugs with biscuits and cookies.
Makes 2 cups.

Mexican cuisine, a style of food that originated in Mexico, is known for its varied flavors, colourful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients, most of which are native to the country. The staples of Mexican foods are typically corn and beans. Corn is used to make masa, a dough for tamales, tortillas, gorditas, and many other corn-based foods. Corn is also eaten fresh, as corn on the cob and as a component of a number of dishes.The most frequently used herbs and spices in Mexican cuisine are chili powder, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. Chipotle, a smoke-dried jalapeño chilli, is also common in Mexican cuisine. Many Mexican dishes also contain garlic and onions.

damas y hombres suaves cusine mexicano (Ladies and gentlemen here are some mexican cusine recipes!

BREAKFAST TACO
Ingredients
6 ounces chorizo sausage
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™), or to taste
1/2 cup salsa
Directions
Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until evenly brown. Set aside.
Heat one skillet over medium heat, and heat another skillet over high heat. The skillet over high heat is for warming tortillas. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Spray the medium heat skillet with some cooking spray, and pour in the eggs. Cook and stir until almost firm. Add the sausage, and continue cooking and stirring until firm.
Meanwhile, warm tortillas for about 45 seconds per side in the other skillet, so they are hot and crispy on the edges, but still pliable.
Sprinkle a little shredded cheese onto each tortilla while it is still hot. Top with some of the scrambled egg and sausage, then add hot pepper sauce and salsa to your liking.

Egg taco

2 eggs, fried Over Easy
1/2 cup Pinto Beans
2 corn tortillas
1/2 cup Salsa 2 tablespoons Kraft shredded Mexican four cheese blend
1 cup salad oil
Salt to taste


Heat 1/2 inch salad oil in a cast iron frying pan over medium high heat.  When oil is hot, cook tortillas, turning once, just until soft; about 10 seconds total.  Drain on paper towels.
Arrange tortillas on a plate, so they overlap each other by about 50%.  Spoon warm  Beans over tortillas. Spoon Salsa  over the beans.  Fry eggs, Over Easy, and place on top of salsa.  Top with cheese. Salt to taste. Re-heat for about 30 seconds in microwave oven and serve immediately!
Fish tacos

Ingredients
Tomato & Avocado Salsa, (recipe follows) or store-bought fresh salsa
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup beer
8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 corn tortillas, warmed
Preparation
Prepare Tomato & Avocado Salsa, if using.
Combine flour, cumin, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.
Coat tilapia pieces in the batter. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Letting excess batter drip back into the bowl, add the fish to the pan; cook until crispy and golden, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the fish with tortillas and salsa.

Refried Beans Supreme
1can  (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Refried Beans
1
cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2
cup  chopped tomato
1/4
cup  chopped green onions
Make It
MIX beans and 1/2 cup of the cheese in 1-quart microwavable dish; cover.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through; stir. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Microwave, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
SPRINKLE with tomato and onions.

Kraft Kitchens TipsSize-Wise
The cheese, tomato and onions liven up canned refried beans to make a flavorful side dish perfect for a special occasion.
Substitute
Prepare as directed, using TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Refried Beans with Mild Green Chiles.
Use Your Oven
Mix beans and 1/2 cup of the cheese in 1-quart baking dish; cover. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with tomato and onions.

Refried beans

1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans  or 1 (16 ounce) can pink beans
1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning (a flavored salt used in latin cooking)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 slice cooked ham or 1 slice salt pork or 1 slice Canadian bacon, cubed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (5 g) packet sazon con azafran seasoning (comes in envelopes in a box, gives color and a distinct flavor to latin dishes)
1 1/2 tablespoons sofrito sauce (comes in a jar, a necessary ingredient in Puerto Rican cooking)
1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
Directions:
Made by Goya brand and can be found in the Spanish/Latin section of your grocery store Cook white rice as instructions on package of rice say to (5 minute rice is perfectly fine).
make sure when you are done cooking to let excess water out of rice.
In saucepan, heat oil on low-medium heat and put in the ham, salted pork, or Canadian bacon.
once it starts to sizzle, add the garlic powder and Adobo seasoning.
Then add the Sofrito and Sazon con Azafran seasoning, stir.
Next add red beans (drain most of liquid, just a little bit is needed to pull the sauce together).
Mix and serve.
(in Puerto Rico, it is traditional to serve rice and beans with almost every meal, but mainly with pork chops (cooked with a little sofrito and adobo seasoning) on the side).

Spanish Rice ( my favorite)

2 cups long-grain white rice (Riceland)
1 -2 medium green pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato & chicken bouillon (Knorr brand, "Caldo de Tomato con Sabor de Pollo", in Mexican food aisle)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt (to taste)
4 cups water
vegetable oil (no olive oil)
Directions:
Pour rice into a deep pot and stir in enough oil so that every grain is coated.
Cook rice on medium and constantly stir, using a spatula, until it becomes a light toasted color (20-25 min), be careful not to burn.
Add onion and green pepper, cook until they become soft, add more oil if needed.
Stir in tomato, cook for 2-3 minute.
Tilt pot, remove any excess oil w/ spoon.
Sprinkle bouillon and garlic salt over rice (DO NOT STIR).
Pour water over rice (DO NOT STIR), then cover.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook for 25-30 min, or until most liquid evaporated (DO NOT LIFT LID DURING THIS TIME).
Pick out large pieces of veggies w/ a fork and discard, (this step may be omitted if you chopped your veggies, I have picky eaters).
*This rice actually tastes better when cooled, and then heated in the microwave, as any remaining liquid is evaporated.

When i am at a mexican restruant i love snacking on the chips and salsa. I love salsa so much that i add that on all the food they serve and has to be spicy!
so here are some salsa recipes i have tried.

Salsa (basic)
4 medium roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 serrano chili
3 green onions
4 ounces chopped chilies
1 -3 whole fresh jalapeno
1/4 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper
Directions:
Char the tomatoes over a gas grill or under the flame of a hot broiler for 2 minutes to char the skin, turning them until the peel blisters. Slip off the peel, and the flesh should still be firm. Remove the green stem core and cut the tomatoes in half vertically. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and discard.
In the food processor, drop in the garlic, cilantro, green onions and jalapenos into the bowl of the food processor to chop for just a few seconds.
Add all the remaining ingredients from the recipe, tomatoes, Serrano chili, the chopped green chilies and lime juice. The texture is somewhere between a chow-chow relish and a textured puree. You want to see tiny bits of all the vegetables throughout the salsa. Salt and pepper to taste.
Place in fridge for approximately one hour!

Salsa (2nd type)
6 large heirloom tomatoes of different colors, washed,cored and quartered
2 green and 2 red jalapenos, seeded and chopped finely*
1 sweet onion, quartered
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
Juice of 3 fresh limes
2 large bunches of cilantro, stemmed and chopped
In your food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, the onion, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. Pulse until not quite pureed.
(If you do not have a food processor or blender, simply chop all of your ingredients. This will be more like a pico de gallo or a very chunky salsa, however.)
Pour mixture into a large bowl. If chunks of veggies remain, chop them again. Add the japalenos, and stir well. Cover and let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed container. Will last about a week, unless it all gets eaten, which happens. Serve as a dip with blue corn or other chips or as a side dish to another meal.
If you want this hotter, add some of the jalapeno seeds or use a hotter pepper such as habanero. If you don't want hot at all, use Anaheim chiles or even plain bell pepper.
*To kick this up, roast your jalapenos over either the open flame on a gas stove or grill or broil until blackened in your oven. Take peppers from flame or heat, place in a brown paper bag, seal it up and wait about 15 minutes, until the peppers are cool. Peel and chop to use. If you make more than you need, they will save in the 'fridge for about a week, especially if you place them in a little olive oil. Olive oil congeals when cool, so you will need to warm them up a little to use.

Salsa (3rd type)

Whole canned tomatoes, Rotel (tomatoes and chilies), onion, fresh jalapeno, salt, sugar, garlic, and cilantro.Dice up a little onion. You won’t need much.Throw the canned tomatoes, juice and all, into the bowl of a food processor.
That I used one can of Mild and one can of Original was purely an accident…but strangely, the balance of spice turned out to be just right.
Now, chop up one clove of garlic and add it to the bowl.
Add just 1/4 cup chopped onion to the bowl. This doesn’t seem like a lot, considering that in my Pico de Gallo recipe, I preach and preach about how important it is for the onion to receive equal billing with the tomatoes. But for this salsa, it’s best to go subtle with the onions.Next, dump in the two cans of Rotel.
Jalapenos. Slit in half lengthwise.
 Then slit the halves in half lengthwise. Make thin slices, leaving in the seeds and membranes because you’re tough. You can take it.Throw ‘em right in with everything else.Next, add 1/4 teaspoon sugar.And 1/4 teaspoon salt.Next comes some lime juice—a half a lime if it’s large, a whole lime if it’s a little one.Next, add 1/2 to 1 cup cilantro.
I’m a cilantro freakazoid, but if you’re not, feel free to go lighter.
But it really does add a lot of flavor.
Pulse it seven or eight times.This is pretty chunky
Plus, I forgot to add the cumin!Just 1/4 teaspoon will do; this’ll give the salsa just the tiniest cumin undertone. Any more than this and it starts to get a little strong. A little—dare I say?—cuminy?

Pulse it up again until it reaches the consistency you want. I like it very homogenized, without a whole lot of distinction between ingredients. I like it smooth, baby, not chunky. Everything’s evenly distributed. The flavor’s mild but spicy…without the annoying bite of vinegar.Now, be sure to taste it with a tortilla chip so you can get an accurate sense of the seasonings. Adjust as needed…but I hardly ever have to add anything at this point, beyond a little more cilantro. I never add more salt—there’s plenty on the chips!
Now, it’s ideal if you can cover and refrigerate the salsa for a couple of hours at least. This’ll help everything meld and marry and mingle and become perfect.

SALSA (3rd type) IS READY!

Salsa (4th type)

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
Directions:
1
Mix all together and bring to a slow boil for 10 minute.
2
Seal in jars and cook in hot water bath for 10 minute.
3
This is a medium salsa. This is also a chunky salsa so if you want a smoother salsa cut your veggies into smaller pieces.
4
Yields 3-6 quarts or pints. (if you are storing it) otherwise just use minimum veggies.

Simple salsa (for the ladies who likes less ingredients and less work)
Ingredients
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
8 cilantro sprigs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Toss thoroughly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

It is all Greek to me....ha ha..Here are some Greek recipe dishes.


Vegetable dishes that are cooked with olive oil and tomatoes are referred to as lathera (lah-the-RAH) in Greek, because the key ingredient is flavorful olive oil, or “lathi.”
The most popular vegetable to make "lathera style" is the green bean, but you can try this dish with small zucchini, okra, or peppers as well.
This version includes some potatoes and baby carrots (I find the carrots sweeten the sauce a bit) and can be a delicious vegetarian entree or a tasty side dish.
Try serving it with some crumbled feta on top and some great bread for dipping in the savory sauce.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 lbs. green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium potatoes, cut in large wedges
A large handful of baby carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. tomato paste
4-5 ripe tomatoes, skinned and crushed (substitute 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
1½ cups warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about one minute.
Add the green beans, potatoes, and carrots to the pot. Dissolve the tomato paste in the water and add, along with the crushed tomatoes, parsley, and sugar. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer covered for about an hour or until the green beans are tender but not mushy.
In the last ten minutes of cooking, add the chopped fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Be sure to monitor your liquid levels while the beans are cooking. You can add a little bit of water if needed.

In Greek: τυροκαυτερή, pronounced tee-roh-kahf-teh-REE Ingredients:
1/2 pound of feta cheese
1 pepper (mild to hot, depending on preference)
olive oil
Preparation:
Crumble the feta into small pieces using a fork.
Saute the pepper in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the skin is lightly browned. Remove the stem and discard, and chop the pepper into very small pieces. Using a mortar and pestle, add the pepper and the oil it was sauteed in to the cheese and mash until smooth, adding additional olive oil if needed to bring it to the consistency of a thick (but not stiff) dip. Serve garnished with a bit of parsley.
Alternatively: Put the cheese, pepper, and oil from sauteing in the blender and mix, adding more olive oil if needed to bring to the correct consistency.
Tip:
If you have a pepper that's too hot, slit it open down one side under running water and remove and discard the white internal membrane. Pat the pepper dry before sauteing.

Grilled vegetable Greek style6 club rolls
1 eggplant
1 red pepper
1 Vidalia onion
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces goat cheese (optional)
Fresh-cracked black pepper
Preheat oven grill. Slice eggplant, pepper, and onion approximately 1-inch thick; toss in olive oil; place on grill and cook AL dente.
Brush the rolls with oil. Layer the veggies on the rolls.
Sprinkle with cheese and pepper, and serve.

In Greek: χούμους με ταχίνι (pronounced HOO-mooss meh tah-HEE-nee) This dip is quick and easy to make, delicious, and healthy. No cooking involved. Just grab the blender and go. Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) and tahini (a paste made from roasted sesame seeds) combine to make a tasty appetizer to serve with wedges of pita bread. A favorite in Greek restaurants outside Greece (see note below the recipe).
The key to great hummus is to let the flavor of the chickpeas come through, rather than be overwhelmed by the lemon (it's easy to get too much lemon taste).
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of tahini
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of water
parsley and olive oil to garnish
Preparation:
Put 1/2 the lemon juice and all ingredients into the blender except the chickpeas (and the parsley and oil for garnish) and blend for 5 seconds. Add the chick peas and blend on high until it reaches the the consistency of sour cream, but granular, about 10-15 seconds. Blend in remaining lemon juice to taste. If the dip is too thick but you don't want to add more lemon juice, add a little water slowly and blend until it reaches the correct consistency.
Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. (It can be eaten immediately, but becomes even more flavorful if left to chill well.)
Drizzle of olive oil over the top and add a garnish of parsley or black olives before serving. Serve with pita wedges or slices of whole grain breads.
Note: Be sure to rinse the canned chickpeas well to clear away the taste of any ingredients used in the canning process.



crepes

Crepes. Mmmmm....! So light. So delicate. So heavenly!
Yet crepes are easier to make than you might think!
Egg - Bell Pepper Crepes
Filling
Cooked Scrambled eggs (1 or 2 eggs per crepe)
Bell pepper (or other veggie of your choice)
Whole Wheat Crepes or Dinner Crepes
1 cup whole wheat flour or white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup (to 1 3/4 cup) water
1 egg
vegetable oil or cooking spray
Mix all the crepe batter ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl. The batter should be much thinner than for pancakes. For really smooth crepes, process the batter in a food processor or with a hand-held wand. (In the interest of having less clean up to do, I usually just skip this step, mashing out the lumps with the side of my spoon against the bowl.)
Preheat a pan on medium heat with a very small amount of vegetable oil. The oil should just barely mist the bottom of the pan. When the pan is warm, pick it up off the stove and hold it while you pour a small amount of batter (about 1/4 cup..although I don't measure it) into it. As you are pouring the batter, tilt the pan slowly in all directions so that the batter spreads in a very thin layer across the bottom.When the edges start peeling away from the pan, or when the edges become lightly golden (whichever comes first), gently loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip the crepe over in the pan.
Place the bell pepper (or other veggie) onto one half of the crepe. Lay the scrambled eggs on top of that. Continue cooking the bottom of the crepe. After about a minute, fold the empty side of the crepe over the bell pepper and eggs, so that it resembles a taco with filling inside. You can serve it immediately, or cook it another minute. (If the scrambled eggs are leftover and have been in the refrigerator, cook the crepe with the eggs inside until the eggs are as warm as you'd like.)
Chocolate Crepes
1 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
3 tsp cocoa
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water or milk
1 egg
Mix all the ingredients together. The batter should be much thinner than for pancakes. For really smooth crepes, process the batter in a food processor or with a hand-held wand. (In the interest of having less clean up to do, I usually just skip this step, mashing out the lumps with the side of my spoon against the bowl instead.)
Preheat a pan on medium heat with a very small amount of vegetable oil. The oil should just barely mist the bottom of the pan. When the pan is warm, pick it up off the stove and hold it while you pour a small amount of batter (about 1/4 cup..although I don't measure it) into it. As you are pouring the batter, tilt the pan slowly in all directions so that the batter spreads in a very thin layer across the bottom.When the edges start peeling away from the pan, gently loosen the crepe with a spatula and then flip the crepe over in the pan. The second side should cook much more quickly, so don't get distracted and let it cook too long.
Suggested fillings:
Nutella Hazelnut Spread with strawberries or bananas
Dark chocolate chips and bananas (partially melting the chips on top of the crepe in the pan)
Dark chocolate chips and strawberries (partially melting the chips on the crepe)
Yogurt and strawberries
Cream cheese and strawberries
Peanut butter and bananas
Chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or other nuts)
All-fruit strawberry jelly, topped with fresh sliced strawberries or bananas
Ice Cream
Suggested toppings:
Chocolate syrup
Sliced strawberries or bananas
Powdered sugar
Carmel sauce
Whipped topping
Strawberry syrup
Ice Cream


Fresh Fruit Crepes
1 batch of crepes Fresh Fruit of your choice
Place sliced strawberries, banana slices, and blueberries (or other fruits of your choice) in little bowls on the table. Each person places his choice(s) of fresh fruit onto his crepe and rolls it up, eating it immediately. You can use just one type of fruit per crepe, or add any combination you'd like. My family loves adding all three - strawberries, blueberries, and bananas - to the same crepe!
Variation:
For variety, try filling and folding your crepes while they're still in the pan (after the crepe has been flipped over and partially cooked on the second side). The fruit gets a little warmer that way.

Cinnamon Apple Crepes
Crepe Batter
1 cup regular flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg
1 TBSP Apple Juice Concentrate
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
vegetable oil or cooking spray
Filling
Apples (1 apple for every two crepes)
About 3 tsp of water for cooking apples
Honey
FILLING (optional)
Raisins
Pecans or walnuts
Powdered Sugar
Cinnamon
Peel and slice the apples (about 1/4 inch wide). Cook in a very small amount of water (or try cooking in apple juice) in a small pot on the stove for about 3 minutes, or until tender.
While the apples are cooking, mix all the crepe batter ingredients (except the oil) into a medium sized mixing bowl. The batter should be much thinner than for pancakes. Add additional water or frozen apple juice concentrate, a tsp or so at a time, until the batter is thin.
Preheat a pan on medium heat with a very small amount of vegetable oil. The oil should just barely mist the bottom of the pan. When the pan is warm, pick it up off the stove and hold it while you pour a small amount of batter (about 1/4 cup..although I don't measure it) into the pan. As you are pouring the batter, tilt the pan slowly in all directions so that the batter spreads in a very thin layer across the bottom. When the edges start peeling away from the pan, or when the edges become lightly golden (whichever comes first), gently loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip the crepe over in the pan. The second side should cook much more quickly. In my opinion, the best, most delicate and delicious crepes are cooked until they have only just a hint of color.
Remove the crepe from the pan and place on a plate. Add several slices of cooked apples in a line across the center of the crepe. Drizzle with honey. Add any of the following items that you'd like: a sprinkle of cinnamon, nuts, or raisins. Roll the crepe up, and top with additional filling items, including a sprinkling of powdered sugar on the top, if you'd like.

crepe egg burritoingredients
whole wheat flour (1 cup) sifted
egg (2 large)
baking soda (pinch)
salt to taste
spinach (fresh 1 cup)
mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
Pam cooking oil (2 spritz)
milk (4tbsp)
Method: In a bowl mix in the flour, egg (beaten 1) milk & baking soda. Beat it nicely to smooth paste without any lumps. keep aside.
then beat another egg add in the spinach and mix.
make the crepe on the hot pan by suing Pam cooking spray first on the hot griddle then add in the spinach egg mixture over it with cheese.
that is it. crepe burrito is ready to eat. make sure you fold it right. the cheese will melt in and keep the crepe together.

now to OKRA (one of my favorite vegetable) 

This simple dish tastes great with hot chapatis (Indian flat bread) or parathas (pan-fried Indian flat bread). Team with a dish like Rajma and you've got a terrific vegetarian meal.
Bhindi, also known as Okra and Ladyfinger, is a versatile and easy vegetable to cook. You can fry it, curry it, stuff it.... It is also one of my top favorites veggies. Here are some delicious dishes you can make with it.

Bhindi (okra/lady finger)
Ingredients:
1/2 kg fresh okra tops and tails cut off and diced into 1" pieces
2 tsp vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion sliced thin
2 green chillies chopped fine
6 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp dry mango powder
2 large tomatoes cut into small cubes
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame and add the cumin seeds. Fry till they stop sizzling.
Add the onion, green chili and garlic and fry till the onions turn light brown.
Add the okra and mix well.
Add the coriander and dry mango powders and mix again. Season to taste. Fry for 5-7 minutes.
Add the tomato and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with hot chapatis (Indian flat bread) or parathas (pan-fried Indian flat bread).

okra in yogurt sauce
Ingredients:
500 gms okra tops and tails removed and then cut into 1" pieces
3 tbsp vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp onions seeds
2 large onions cut into slices
2 large tomatoes cut into cubes
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp yogurt
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander to garnish
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the cumin and onion seeds. When they stop spluttering, add the sliced onions.
Fry till the onions are golden. Add all the spices and stir well. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the okra and mix. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, yogurt and salt to taste and mix well.
Cook till okra is soft.
Garnish with cilantro

Stuffed okra
Ingredients:
500 gms baby okra
5 tbsp coriander powder
3 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp raw mango powder
1/4 tsp coriander
1 tsp red chili powder
2-3 tbsp vegetable/canola/ sunflower cooking oil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cornflour
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil for deep frying
Preparation:
Wash the okra and pat dry with a clean cloth. Make a partial lengthwise slit (like a pocket) in each okra (such that it does not completely open up).
Mix all the spices, salt to taste. Add enough cooking oil and mix well to form a thick paste.
Stuff the slit in each okra with a little bit of this paste. Lay the stuffed okra in a plate to form a single layer.
Sprinkle the stuffed okra with the cornflour and then roll around to coat well.
Heat the cooking oil for frying, in a deep pan on a medium flame. When hot, add the okra and fry till crisp. Drain and remove from oil.
Serve immediately with plain boiled rice and a Dal (lentil dish) of your choice.

Sambar ( lentil curry with okra)

Ingredients:
2 cups Toor or Tuvar (split yellow pigeon peas)
4 tbsp Sambar Masala
1 cup chopped eggplant (cut into 2"cubes)
1 cup chopped potato (cut into 1"cubes)
10 pearl onions, peeled and cored
10-12 baby okra
1/2 cup pumpkin
10-12, 3"long pieces of drumstick (optional)
Golf ball-sized lump of tamarind
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
1 tsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves
3 dry red chillies
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh coriander leaves
Preparation:
Boil the lentils and Sambar Masala with enough water till they are soft. The consistency should be that of a thick soup.
Soak the tamarind in a small bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze well to remove all juice.
Add this puree to the lentils. Mix well. Add salt to taste.
Simmer and add the potatoes to the lentils. Cook till the potatoes are half cooked. Now add the other vegetables and cook till done.
Heat the ghee in a small pan and add the dry red chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Fry till the spluttering stops and add to the boiled lentils. Mix well.
Garnish with chopped green coriander and serve hot with Idlis, Vadas or plain boiled rice.

Sindhi okra kadhiIngredients:
1 cup Toor/ Tuvar Dal (split yellow pigeon peas)
8-10 large tomatoes sliced thick
3 tbsp vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1/4 tsp asofetida powder
3 tbsps Bengal gram flour (besan)
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup baby okra (whole or with tops and tails trimmed)
1 cup beans cut into 2" pieces
1 cup carrot cut into thick slices
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Soak the Toor/ Tuvar Dal in hot water for 1 hour.
Boil the Dal in a pressure cooker with water and the tomatoes till done. To do this, once you have closed the pressure cooker cook on a high flame till you hear the first whistle (pressure release). Now reduce the flame to a simmer and cook till you hear 2 more whistles. Turn off the fire.
Whisk the Dal and add hot water (if necessary) till you get a smooth, soup-like consistency.
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium flame. Add the cumin and fenugreek seeds, green chillies and asafetida. Cook till the spluttering stops.
Now add the gram flour. Cook till the raw aroma of the gram flour is gone - it will turn pale brown.
Now add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder and turn off the flame.
Add this mix to the Dal. Season with salt to taste.
Add the vegetables and cook till done.
Serve piping hot with a long-grained, fragrant rice like Basmati and Poppadom's (papad).

Okra dry
Eat this okra dish with plain boiled rice and your favorite Dal (lentil dish) and you've got a tasty and nutritious meal.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg okra
1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
4 tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil for deep frying
Preparation:
Wash the Bhindi and then dry thoroughly. If this is not done, the Bhindi will be sticky and slimy when cut in the next step. Remove the top stem of each Bhindi and then slit diagonally into thin slices.
Heat the cooking oil on a medium flame. Do not heat the oil too much as okra burns quickly when deep fried.
Put the okra in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle all the other dry ingredients on it. Season with salt just before frying or else the okra will release water and become soggy.
Deep fry the okra a little at a time, until crisp and drain on paper towels.
Garnish with the lime juice and serve with plain boiled rice and your favorite Dal



Avocado

AVOCADO TACO
Ingredients:
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 can no-salt-added pinto beans (about 3 cups), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 1/2 avocados, thinly sliced
Method:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until beginning to stick to skillet. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and continue to cook 6 to 8 minutes or until onion is translucent and very tender. Reduce heat to medium-low, add beans and cook 2 to 3 minutes to soften, stirring frequently. Mash beans with a potato masher. Stir in remaining broth, cumin, pepper and salt. Cook 2 minutes longer or until warmed through, stirring occasionally and adding water or more broth as needed for desired consistency.
In a dry skillet, warm each tortilla to soften. Top with a generous scoop bean mixture. Add lettuce, tomato and avocado. Fold in half and serve with your favorite salsa.

Indian recipes are infused with assertive flavors—ginger, onion and garlic—and subtle spices—cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, peppercorns, bay leaves and cumin. Although the list of spices and techniques used to prepare some Indian recipes can be intimidating, they provide tantalizing layers of flavors in a matter of minutes. These Indian food recipes are easier to prepare than you may think. Wake up your taste buds with these flavor-packed Indian recipes:


Kadhi  (or karhi)  is a North Indian dish. It is a spicy dish whose thick gravy is based on chickpea flour (called Besan in Hindi) and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which sour yogurt is added to give it little sour taste. It is often eaten with boiled rice or roti.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Sour Curd
4 tsp Besan
1/2 inch Ginger, chopped
2 Green chillies, chopped
Salt To Taste
Handful Coriander leaves
2 tsp Oil
1 Pinch Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

Seasonings:

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
Few Curry leaves
1 Pinch Asafoetida

Preparation:

Beat the curd and add two cups of water. Add the besan, salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
Make a paste of ginger, chillies, cinnamon and coriander leaves.
Boil the curd mixture on slow heat and stir continuously. Add the ground paste, and boil again.
Heat oil in a pan, add all seasonings. Fry until they splutter.
Pour this seasonings over guajarati kadhi. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.


Vegetable Pulav/Pilaf (goes very well with above kadhi)
Ingredients :
1 1/2 cups Rice
1 Tomato (chopped)
3/4 Capsicum (chopped)
1/2 cup Green Peas
1 1/2 cups Water
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric (Haldi) Powder
Salt to Taste
1 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Mustard (Rai) Seeds
1/2 Tsp Cumin (Jeera) Seeds
3-4 Cloves (Lavang)
3-4 Whole Black Pepper Corns (Kala Mari)
1 Slit Green Chilly
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Chopped Coriander
Method :
Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds, cloves and black pepper corns and let it crackle. Then add cumin seeds, green chilly and curry leaves to it. Add finely chopped tomatoes and capsicum and allow it to soften. Add red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt to taste. Add washed and drained rice and mix it nicely. Add 1 1/2 cups of water (Dip the index finger inside the cooker and water level should be till two marks on the finger). Add chopped coriander and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Cover the lid of the cooker and let it whistle for 4-5 whistles. Remove from the flame and let the pressure go down.
Serve the pulav hot with a tsp of ghee and cold curd.

oondhyo                                                          

Ingredients:
6 - 8 cloves garlic
3 - 4 baby egg plants

6 -8 potatoes small
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 tbsp oil
100 gms yam

25 - 30 broad beans

4 green chillies
2 tbsp coconut scraped
a pinch asafoetida
2 raw bananas
1 cup coriander leaves
2 inch ginger
1 tsp mustard
For Muthiya 1/4 cup Bengal Gram Flour (besan)1/4 cup Salt to taste 1/2 cup Fenugreek Leaves (methi)1/2 cup 1/2 inch Ginger 1 - 2 Green Chillies1-2 Oil to deep fry Salt to taste

How to make undhiyo :

• Wash, take off and dice potatoes, yam and raw bananas.
• Wash brinjals and slit them into four without cutting the stem.
• Make a paste of garlic, green chillies and ginger and mix cut coriander.
• Mix all the muthiya ingredients except oil and prepare a firm dough.
• Divide into small portions and shape each into one-inch long half-inch thick rolls.
• Deep fry in hot oil, remove and keep aside.
• String beans and cut into one-inch long pieces.
• Heat up oil in a thick-bottomed pan, mix in asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• When mustard seeds crackle mix in ground masala and broad beans.
• Put the rest of the vegetables in layers one on top of the other.
• Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder.
• Stir fry for five minutes on high flame heat.
• Pour out one cup of water, cover and simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) on a very low heat up for 10-15 minutes.
• Mix in fried muthiyas and again simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 15 minutes.
• Shake the vegetables occasionally but do not use a spoon to stir.
• Serve hot decorated with scraped coconut.

Directions | How to make Mag Ni Dal Ni Khichdi (green lentil)
Wash and soak the split yellow gram (lentil) and rice together for 15 minutes. Drain. Heat the water in a vessel till very hot. Keep aside. Heat the ghee (clarified butter) in a large heavy bottomed vessel till it is very hot. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add the chopped ginger, green chilli(es), cinnamon, peppercorns, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Stir fry on medium / low level for about 2 minute(s). Now, add the split yellow gram, rice and salt. Mix well. Add the hot water to this and bring to a boil. Cover and keep on low heat for 25 minutes or till the mixture is slightly mushy.

Shrikand  (a popular sweet dish)
Ingredients:
4 cups ready made yogurt or yogurt made from 1.5ltrs of milk
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup coarsely powdered almonds
1/4 tea sp cardamom powder
7-8 strands of saffron soaked in about 1 TB spoon warm water
Method:
Take a clean muslin cloth and take the yogurt in it. Tie a knot and hang it so that all the water falls away from the yogurt. Leave it like this for overnight or for about 12hrs. The remaining dry yogurt is called hung yogurt.
In a bowl mix hung yogurt, sour cream, sugar. Mix well.
Add the saffron, cardamom to get a nice saffron color. Now add almonds. Serve with puris.

Dhokla

Ingredients:
2 cups Gram Flour
6 ts sugar
2 ts salt
1 ts citric acid
1/2 ts soda
1 &1/2 cups water
Preparation method
Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 10 mins
Take all ingredients in a container.
Mix all ingredients with water in one direction.
Immediately pour the mixture into the pan before the foam goes down.
Cover pan with a perforated lid and close cooker.
Cook for 10 Minutes.
Remove the container and allow it to cool.
Cut in cubes and remove with spatula.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seed, allow to splutter.
Pour over dhokla cubes. Sprinkle cilantro leaves.
Transfer to serving dish. Serve hot or cold with green chutney.

Tomato upma (tomato cooked in cream of wheat)

Ingredients:

4  tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) / butter
1  cup(s) semolina (or quick cream of wheat)
1  teaspoon(s) each of mustard and cumin seeds
1  sprig(s) curry leaves
1  teaspoon(s) ginger chopped
2  green chilli(es) slit / chopped
2  onion(s) sliced finely
1  large tomato(es) chopped
4  tablespoons coriander leaves
2  tablespoon(s) grated coconut if available
2  cup(s) hot water
salt to taste
fried cashew nuts to garnish

1. Heat half of the ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Fry semolina, stirring continuously, to a golden color on medium / low level for about 2  minute(s). Keep aside.
2. Heat the remaining ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds followed by the cumin seeds and fry till the seeds splutter fully. Add the curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and onions. Stir fry on medium level for about 3  minutes or till the onions are transparent and soft.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry on medium level for about 3  minutes or till they are soft and cooked. Add half of the coriander leaves (reserving the rest for garnishing) and fry briefly till they wilt.
4. Mix in the semolina and salt. Add the hot water to this and mix well. Add more hot water if the mixture is dry. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3  minutes or till the mixture is almost dry.
   Garnish with fried cashewnuts, grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Preparation:

In large bowl, combine chickpeas and enough cold water to cover by two inches. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain chickpeas, then combine in slow cooker with 1 cup water. Cover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 4 hours. Add spinach, tomatoes and their juices, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook 1 hour more. Sprinkle in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir in cilantro and serve.

Egg plant and potato curry

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 1/2 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon korma curry paste (see note)
• 1 small desiree potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 small eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
• 3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• steamed basmati rice (see tip), to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and curry paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
   
2. Add potato, eggplant, tomatoes and 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in coriander.
   
3. Serve curry with rice.

Potato and peas curry

• 1 1/2 cups peas, boiled
• 1 cup diced potato, boiled
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the ginger,garlic, onions, chillies and tomatoes.
3. Saute till the tomatoes and onions are softened.
4. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Add the boiled peas and potatoes.
7. Add the chopped cilantro.
8. Add the water and bring to a simmer.
9. Serve with Indian Bread or Rice.
10. Tip: I microwave frozen peas and potatoes for about 10 minutes in my microwave.

I enjoy eating Chinese cuisine if it is authentic. When you are thinking about visiting a new Chinese restaurant, check to see if the customers are mostly Chinese or not. Chinese love both good Chinese food, but a good buy for their money, too!

Here are some easy Chinese recipes
Beans stir fry

Ingredients
2 tablespoons groundnut oil (peanut)
14 ounces firm fresh bean curd (firm tofu), drained and cut into 1/2-inch thick rectangles
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon black rice vinegar (recommended: Sinkiang) or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Edamame Beans
1 tablespoon groundnut oil (peanut)
1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped
Water, as needed
3 ounces fresh or frozen edamame beans, thawed
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon black rice vinegar (recommended: Sinkiang) or balsamic vinegar
Handful fresh cilantro leaves and stalks, finely chopped
Directions
To make the bean curd: Heat the groundnut oil in a large flat-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Add the bean curd, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the light soy sauce and cook until the sauce has reduced and the bean curd is browned on one side. Using a small palette knife or fork, lift and turn each piece, careful not to break the bean curd. Cook just to color the second side.
Add the dark soy sauce, and vinegar, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Season the dish with the dried chili flakes. Transfer the bean curd to a serving plate and set aside.
To make the edamame: Reheat the pan and add the groundnut oil. Stir-fry the chili for a few seconds, and then add the edamame beans. Add a sprinkle of water to help create steam, and cook for less than 1 minute. Season the edamame with the light soy sauce, and vinegar, then stir in the chopped cilantro.
To serve, pour the edamame beans over the bean curd and serve immediately. For a fuller meal, serve with steamed rice!

another easy method of beans fry 

Ingredients
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp peanut butter
34 lb green beans (fresh, trimmed)
4 12 tsp vegetable oil
1In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, brown sugar and peanut butter; set aside. In a large skillet, stir-fry the green beans in oil until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. Add the soy sauce mixture; stir to coat.

Chicken fried rice

Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked white rice, cold
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken meat
Directions
In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and cut into shreds.
Heat oil in same skillet; add onion and saute until soft. Then add rice, soy sauce, pepper and chicken. Stir fry together for about 5 minutes, then stir in egg. Serve hot.

EGGPLANT SZECHUAN STYLE         Yield: 4 servings
 
       6    Chinese eggplants (about 1
            -1/2 pounds)
       1 Tb Soy sauce
       1 Tb Sugar
     1/4 c  Chicken stock
       5 Tb Peanut or corn oil, or more
            -if needed
       2 ts Ginger, fresh; peeled &
            -grated
       1 Tb Garlic; minced
     1/4 ts Dried red chili flakes
     1/4 c  Water chestnut; peeled &
            -chopped (preferably fresh)
       3    Scallion; trimmed & chopped
   1 1/2 Tb Red wine vinegar
       1 Tb Asian sesame oil
       1 Tb Toasted sesame seeds, for
            -garnish
 
   Everyone loves this dish, even those who don't
   particularly like egg plant. The flavor virtually
   explodes with a lively combination of sweet, spicy,
   tart and savory followed by the refreshing crunch of
   fresh water chestnuts.
  
   Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch wide by 2-inch long strips.
  
   Mix together soy sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Set
   aside.
  
   Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide, flat skillet.
   When hot, add half of the eggplant. Saute, stirring
   constantly until seared and wilted, about 5 minutes.
   Remove to a plate. Cook remaining eggplant, adding
   more oil if needed. Transfer to plate. Set aside.
  
   Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add
   remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the ginger, garlic and
   chili; cook gently but do not brown. Add water
   chestnuts and half of the green onions; stir-fry for 5
   seconds. Increase heat to high, add reserved soy sauce
   mixture and the eggplant. Toss quickly over high heat
   until the sauce is reduced and absorbed into eggplant,
   1 to 2 minutes. Fold in vinegar and sesame oil. Remove
   to a serving dish. Top with remaining green onions and
   sesame seeds. Serve hot or cold.

CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce leaves (whichever you prefer)
Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
Remaining Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 slice ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 lb meat from chicken breasts or sliced white chicken meat
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 can water chestnuts, rinsed in warm running water and chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Preparation:
Wash the lettuce, dry, and separate the leaves. Set aside.
 
Mix together the sauce ingredients. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan on high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions and fry until the garlic and ginger are aromatic. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
 
Add the red pepper, water chestnuts, and celery to the frying pan. Add the sauce ingredients and cook at medium heat, Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick re stir and add to the sauce, stirring to thicken. Add the chicken back into the wok. Cook for 2 - 3 more minutes, stirring, to heat through and finish cooking the chicken.
Lay out a lettuce leaf and spoon a heaping teaspoon of the chicken and vegetable/sauce mixture into the middle. The lettuce wraps are designed to be eaten "taco-style," with the lettuce/chicken mixture folded into a package. Continue with the remainder of the chicken and lettuce leaves. Serve.

 some simple recipes to follow......

 Homemade Strawberry MilkYield: 2-4 cups Strawberry Milk Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
milk
Directions:
In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, bring strawberries, sugar and water to a boil. Boil for 10-12 minutes --until the mixture slightly reduces and the strawberries are starting to break down.
Using a mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool. Once cool stir strawberry syrup into cold milk --adding as little or as much as you like!
If you have any leftover, syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Ingredients3 oz goat cheese, softened
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
16 pitted dates
Directions:
In a small bowl, cream together goat cheese, honey, cinnamon and salt. Gently stir in chopped walnuts.
Pitted dates usually have already have a slice through one side. If yours don't, slice an opening in one side.
Fill each date with filling. Top with more walnuts and a drizzle of honey if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cilantro Corn Confetti
Ingredients;

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups fresh corn kernels
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon garlic salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, warm olive oil. Toss in corn, red onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn translucent. Stir in garlic salt and black pepper, tasting to adjust.
Remove from heat and gently toss in fresh cilantro. Serve immediately!

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 cup matchstick carrots
3/4 cup buffalo shredded chicken
1/3 cup crumbled Kerrygold Cashel Blue
for the dressing:
2 tablespoons low fat mayo
1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled Kerrygold Cashel Blue
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl combine the Romaine, celery, and carrots. Top with shredded buffalo chicken and crumbled Kerry gold Cashel Blue cheese. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, white vinegar and sugar. Fold in crumbled Kerry gold Cashel Blue Cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle salad with dressing and serve with extra hot sauce

Spinach Pesto PenneYield: 4 servings Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound whole wheat penne
3 garlic cloves
2 oz goat cheese
1 oz fat free cream cheese
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil
8 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons freshly grated Asagio
Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, basil, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.
Meanwhile, place the cherry tomatoes and the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl. Drain the pasta. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Asiago cheese over and serve.

Tandoori chicken pizza

Ingredients:
4 oz tomato sauce
4 tablespoons tandoori paste
4 tablespoons peach preserves (sugar free)
4 Ole' Xtreme Wellness Tortillas
1 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
6 oz cooked chicken, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large yellow bell, chopped
4 tablespoons chives, minced
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place flour tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until just browning at the edges. Remove from oven.
Combine tomato sauce, tandoori paste, and peach preserves in a medium bowl. Mix well. Divide evenly among tortillas and spread till within a half inch of the edges.
Top each tortilla with mozzarella, followed by chicken, tomatoes, yellow bell, and chives. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Top with cilantro and serve immediately.

Pan fried plantains
Ingredients:
2 overly ripe (black) plantains, peeled and sliced in 1 inch slices
4 tablespoons butter
Directions:
In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
Add plantains, in a single layer (you will have to do multiple batches). Cook plantains on each side, for about 2-3 minutes, or until they reach a caramelized brown color.
Transfer to a plate covered with newspaper (or paper towels) and allow to drain for a minute or two. Then serve!


Sweet & Sticky Baked Chicken DrumsticksIngredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 chicken drumsticks, about 1.25 pounds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
a few pinches chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cracked black pepper. Pour into a large zip lock bag and add chicken drumsticks. Shake to coat chicken and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight, giving the bag a shake whenever you think about it.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a Cooling Rack on top.
Remove the chicken from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place the drumsticks on the rack. Bake the drumsticks, on the middle oven rack, for 25 minutes.
While the chicken is baking, place the leftover marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook over low heat, stirring as needed, for about 15 minutes or until thickened.
Remove drumsticks from oven (after first 25 minutes of cooking) and heavily coat with the thickened marinade, using a silicone pastry brush. Return to the oven and cook for 10 more minutes. Coat the drumsticks again and return to oven to cook for 5 more minutes, or until an internal temperate of 160°F is reached.
Coat the drumsticks one last time, with any remaining sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and parsley.

My friend Dina brought some home grown zuchinis for us! we love home grown fresh veggies any time. So here is one dish with zuchini we made today!

If you take small zucchini and cut them lengthwise, you'll find that it's really easy to grill. I suggest sprinkling a little Parmesan cheese over them before you serve.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutesYield: Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
salt and pepper
Preparation:
Preheat grill. Brush zucchini with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of zucchini with oregano, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Grill until zucchini is tender, about 4 minutes per side.

Vegetable Medley (grilled)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3 large ears fresh corn on the cob, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) whole mushrooms, drained
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the oil, salt, parsley and basil. Add vegetables and toss to coat. Place on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 28 in. x 18 in.). Dot with butter. Fold foil around vegetables and seal tightly.
• Grill, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until corn is tender, turning once. Open carefully to allow steam to escape.

Grilling or roasting corn this way transports me back to Mumbai, this is the time you'll see vendors everywhere roasting corn. The vendor usually roasts the corn on a charcoal grill. I used my stove top instead but you can use your grill for this too. I like the convenience of doing it inside, so I can multitask a the same time. To be honest I used to want a gas stove top, but I'm finding out, that it's easier to use the electric stove top as the heat is a little slower and you can leave whatever you're roasting on the griddle and work on other things simultaneously.

Corn on the cob

Cayenne Pepper

Salt

Lime or Lemon cut into half

Remove the husks off the corn.

Place the corn on a wire cooling rack or the contraption I have is like a little griddle or roaster with holes, which I place on my stove top.

Cook or roast the corn evenly and keep rotating the corn till it is brown all over.

Mix the salt and cayenne pepper, dip the lemon half into this mixture and apply on the corn.

Enjoy the hot and sour flavor of corn.

Rice Indians love rice. They would eat it at least once a day, if not more. It is almost like an addition: only after a few rice-free meals Indians get restless and crave for rice. When it comes to rice, it is not a just dish for Indians: it is the king of the meal. A mound of rice sits in the middle of the plate surrounded by little side dishes. The side dishes are there to help Indians eat the rice, just to facilitate the process. Indian do not eat with rice, they eat rice with other things.

Here are few of the rice recipes i have made:

Neyichoru (butter rice) a very famous dish where i grew up.

Ingredients
Basmathi Rice- 2 cups
Water- 2 1/2 cup
Cinnamon stick- 2 piece
Cloves-5
Cardamon- 3
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp( optional)
Bay leaf-1
Star Aniseed- 2
Ghee- 2 tsp+ 2 tsp oil
Onion -1 medium thinly sliced
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp (optional)
For garnish
Thinly sliced onion- 1 medium
Cashew nuts- 15-18
Raisins -2 tbs
Ghee melted-2 tsp
Wash and soak rice for half an hour,drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a deep quart pan and add ghee and oil. Add the whole spices and saute till there is  a nice aroma. Add ginger garlic paste and saute and after a minute add sliced onions and fry till it turns slight golden brown.
To this add the rice and fry in medium flame for two to three minute till the rice changes color and is well coated with ghee. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of warm water and allow it to boil.Cover,reduce flame and cook till all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Switch off the flame and using a fork make the rice fluffy.
In a separate pan heat  ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins.Drain and keep aside. In the same pan fry sliced onions till brown and crispy. Garnish this over the rice and serve with spicy chicken curry and raita.

Carrot rice
Ingredients
Basmathi Rice-2 cup
Carrot grated- 1 1/2 cup
Water- 4 1/3 cup
Onion chopped- 1 medium
Green Chilly- 4
Ginger- 1 inch thick
Bay leaf- 1
Cinnamon- 1 inch thick
Clove- 2
Cardamon-2
Fennel Seeds- a pinch
Cashew nuts- 6-7
lemon juice - a few drops
salt to taste
Oil/ghee
Heat oil/ghee in a pressure pan and add in the whole garam masala and saute till a nice aroma comes and add cashew nuts and fry till golden brown. Add onions , green chilly,salt and ginger and saute till it becomes golden brown. Add in the grated carrot and stir fry. Add rice and allow the masalas and oil to get coated and finally add water and when it starts to boil close the lid. After the first whistle reduce the flame to medium and then switch off after three whistles. Using a fork make the rice fluffy and add in lemon juice. Serve warm with raitha and any spicy side dish!

Yellow rice (growing up my mom used to make this dish a lot and this is also one of my favorite)

Ingredients
Basmathi Rice- 2 cups
Green peas- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water- 4 1/2 cups
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly -2
Green Chilly-2
Onion- 1/2 an onion
Cinnamon stick- 2 two inch piece
Clove- 4-5
Cardamon- 3
Black Jeera- a pinch
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Hing- 1/3 tsp
Ginger chopped- 11/2 tsp
Dry coconut- 2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Ghee- 1/2 tsp
Oil

Cook rice in four and half cups of water along with green peas, salt till all the water is evaporated.
Heat oil in a pan and add ginger and dry red chilly saute till the raw flavor disappears. Add in coconut whole garam masalas and cumin and saute till the coconut gets a golden color. Add onions and green chillies and fry till it becomes golden color. Now add turmeric and hing and after a few seconds the rice and evenly coat the masala. Finally add half tsp of ghee and garnish with coriander leaves. It goes well with any spicy curry.

Fish biryani
Ingredients
For the rice
Basmathi rice- 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
salt as needed
Whole garam masala
(cinnamon- a small piece, clove 3,cardamon 2)
ghee- 1/2 tsp

To marinate the fish
King fish - 3/4 kg
chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
lemon juice- a few drops

For the masala
Shallots/onions- 8-10 or one medium
Ginger garlic chopped- 1/3 cup
Green chilly- 6-8
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
tomato- 1
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Garam masala- 1 1/2 tsp
(For home made biryani masala check here)
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp
Chopped coriander leaves- a handful
Mint leaves- a few

Garnish
Onion thinly sliced- 1/2 onion
Raisins- 10-  12
cashew nuts- 8-10
ghee- 3 tsp

Cook the rice till it is 80% done by adding in the ingredients listed under rice. You can tie the masalas with a muslin cloth and remove it after the rice is cooked. Once cooked spread on a tray and allow to cool.
Marinate the fish with the ingredients listed and shallow fry them one minute on either side. Need not cook them all the way as it will be cooked in the sauce.
Fry onions listed under garnish in ghee till it is crispy and brown. Strain and keep aside. In the same pan fry cashew nuts till golden brown and raisins and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add in crushed or finely chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly and mint leaves and fry for a minute. Add crushed shallots and fry till golden brown. Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute till it is soft. Now add in the turmeric powder, chilly powder and fry ( you can also add coriander powder - 1/2 tsp if you like).Take one spoon full of this masala and mix into the yogurt and blend well. Now add this to the masala ( this will prevent it from curdling) . Pour half a cup of hot water and stir well. Now add the fish pieces and cook in medium flame for three minutes.
Sprinkle little of coriander leaves and layer the rice on top of the fish masala. Garnish with coriander leaves,mint leaves, fried onion and cashews and drizzle a few drops of ghee. If you feel that the masala has dried up completely pour 1/3 cup of thin coconut milk finally on top of the rice. This will add more flavor to the biryani, but this is optional. Close with a tight lid and place a little weight on top. Cook in low flame ( or place a tawa first and then the biryani vessel) for four to five minutes. Serve warm with raitha, pickle and papad.

Now here are some dishes that goes very well with the above rice dishes!

Sambar is an absolute comfort food and is most common and preferred dish in South India for breakfast or with steamed rice .Sambar is a versatile dish and every house has their own versions of sambar. This one is an okra/vendekka sambar with a coastal touch to it.Varthacha sambar has the extra flavor and taste of roasted coconut and ground spices.

Ingredients
Sambar dal- 1/2 cup
Vendakka/okra chopped- 2 cup
Shallots- 10-12
Potato- 1 medium
Yam cubes-5-6 medium
Tomato- 2 small
(you can add any vegetables of your choice)
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Asefotedia-1/3 tsp
Tamarind- lemon size ball
salt to taste
To roast and grind
Dry red chilly- 5-6
Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- a few
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds- a pinch
Shredded coconut- 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- a few
Asafoetida- 1/3 tsp
Dry red chilly-2
Cook sambar dal  and mash it well and keep aside.
Dry roast all the ingredients listed under roast and grind till it changes color to light brown. Make this into a fine paste.Heat a pan and add two tsp of oil. Saute okra till the sliminess disappears and the okra is almost cooked and keep this aside.
Add all the rest of the vegetables vegetables into the cooked dal . Add turmeric powder and salt and 1/2 cup of water and cook( add water according to the desired consistency). When the vegetables are cooked add the masala paste and tamarind pulp mix well. Simmer this in medium flame for about two minute . Now add the okra and simmer for one more minute.
Heat and pan and add mustard seeds. When the splutter add curry leaves and dry red chilly and fry. Finally add hing or asafoetida and pour this over the sambar. It goes well with dosa or steamed rice!


OKRA KICHDI (okra in yogurt sauce)

Ingredients
Vendakka / Okra- 15
Green chilly-3
To make a paste
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Yogurt- 1 1/2 cup
Cumin- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
shallot- 1 
Red chilly- 2
Curry leaves
oil
salt to taste

Cut vendakka into round slices. Saute this along with chilly till crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle salt at the end and saute a for one more minute and keep aside.
Make a fine paste of coconut, cumin and mustard seeds.Mix well with yogurt. Add this to the fried veggie and simmer this in low flame for a minute. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and fry thin slices of shallot,red chilly and curry leaves and pour this over the curry. Serve with rice!

Okra with tomato curry

Ingredients
Vendakka/Okra- 15- 20
Tomato- 2
Shallots/Onion- 10
Garlic- 2-3
Coconut milk-1 1/2 cup
Green chilly- 3
Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tsp
Fenugreek powder-1/3 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cut okra into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves followed by okra and fry for two minutes. Add shallots and continue frying till okra is nearly cooked. Add salt. turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder,garlic and fry for a minute. Now add tomato cubes and saute for a minute( no need to mash tomatoes). Add in coconut milk and make it to the consistency you like( or  you can add coconut paste). Allow this to simmer and finally add fenugreek powder and vinegar(add vinegar is optional, some like adding 2-3 tsp of yogurt instead). Serve with rice.

Mango curry
White gourd(Kumbalanga) - 1/4 kg
Raw mango – 1 no
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 4 nos
Green chillies – 3 nos
Fenugreek(Uluva) – 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Slightly soured buttermilk - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Jaggery - 1 piece
Salt – As reqd

first cut and wash white gourd and mango. Boil it with sufficient quantity of water adding turmeric powder and salt.
2)Fry channa dal, red chillies(3 nos) and fenugreek(1/2 tsp) in hot coconut oil. Grind the fried items with grated coconut and green chillies.
3)Add the ground mixture to the first step and boil for a few minutes.
4)Add jaggery.(brown sugar)
5)Add slightly soured butter milk and as it starts foaming a bit stop cooking. Care should be taken that it should not be boiled.
6)Fry mustard seeds, fenugreek and red chilly(1 no) and add this to the mixture.
7)Add curry leaves.


Carrot and spring onion dish (thoran)

Ingredients
Carrot chopped- 4-5 medium
Spring onion chopped - 1 cup
Onion- 1 medium ( optional)
Green chilly- 4
Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Mustard seeds

2)Turmeric - a pinch
Cumin- 1/2 tsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 2 pods
Salt to taste
Pulse in a mixer the ingredients listed in number two and keep aside. Sprinkle a few drops of water and cook the chopped carrots.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. After  it crackles saute onion, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves followed by spring onion and the coconut mixture and enough salt. After a minute add the carrot and stir fry for a few seconds. Serve with rice.

Coconut chicken soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped – except for a few matchsticks for garnish
1/2 onion chopped finely
1 red bell pepper chopped finely – except for a few thinly sliced pieces for garnish
1 cup cooked chicken meat chopped
1 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons red curry paste (if you like it less spicy just use 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
13.5 oz can Asian coconut milk or cream (unsweetened)
21 ounces chicken broth (roughly 1.5 cans - I like Swanson's brand)
Optional: 2 tablespoons fish sauce and a few sprigs of cilantro
Directions
In a medium  sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium heat and cook chopped onions, carrots, and red bell pepper for approximately 5 minutes.  Add curry paste, brown sugar, chicken, rice, and fish sauce stirring and sauteing everything until curry paste is completely incorporated (approx. 2-3 minutes).  Pour chicken broth and coconut milk into the pan and give it a good stir for a half minute.  Reduce heat to medium and allow the soup to cook for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with a spoonful of coconut milk added on top with a few matchstick carrots and a slice of red bell pepper for garnish. Enjoy!
Tips/Techniques
Reserve some of the coconut milk, carrots, and red bell pepper (and cilantro) for optional garnish.

SRI LANKAN CHICKEN CURRYIngredients
3 pounds chicken pieces
3 tablespoons lemon juice
6 cloves garlic & 1 inch ginger root, crushed together
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Sri Lankan curry powder
½ tablespoon cayenne pepper
4 cardamoms
2 cloves
8 curry leaves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ can tomato paste or tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 cup thick coconut milk or fresh milk
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 piece of lemon grass (optional)
Directions
Wash chicken pieces and drain thoroughly.
Combine lemon juice, turmeric powder, crushed garlic and ginger, salt, black pepper, curry powder, and cayenne pepper.
Coat the chicken pieces well with the spices and set aside for about 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry curry leaves for a minute or so.
Add onions and fry until soft.
Add the chicken pieces and stir until chicken colors.
Add cinnamon, lemon grass, cardamom, and cloves and stir until well mixed.
Add tomato paste (or tomato sauce) and stir until all pieces are well coated.
Add chicken stock or water & stir. Cover with a lid and allow the chicken to cook on slow heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add the thick coconut milk and bring to a simmer, leaving uncovered. If the curry is too dry, add a little more stock. Salt to taste.

Palak paneer (spinach and cheese)
Ingredients
250 grams paneer
2 bunches of spinach
3 medium sized onions, finely chopped
2 medium size tomatoes, finely chopped
2 green chilies
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon ginger paste
½ teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup water
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
Directions
Cook the spinach for about 5 minutes in boiling water and blend it to a fine paste after it has cooled.
Cut the paneer into small cubes and fry in oil until light golden brown.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan and add the cumin seeds.
Wait until oil crackles and then add the chopped onions and green chilies.
Sauté until the onions are golden brown, then add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for another minute.
Add the turmeric powder and chili powder and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes and stir until the oil separates.
Add the spinach paste to this mixture along with 1 cup of water. You can use the same water you used to cook the spinach.
Add the paneer, garam masala, sugar, and salt, and cook until the gravy bubbles. If the gravy seems dry, you can add a little bit more water.

simple salmonIngredients
1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets (each 6 ounces and about 1 inch thick)
Vegetable cooking spray
Directions
Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, ginger, turmeric, coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Spray a broiler pan or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place salmon on pan.
Spread yogurt mixture on top of fillets, dividing evenly. Broil until fish is just opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.

tandoori chicken with yogurt sauceIngredients
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts halves (10 to 12 ounces each)
2 Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Preheat oven to 475° . In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat.
Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160° , 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired.

chicken burgersIngredients
1 1/2 lbs. (4 to 5) boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
4 scallions thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil for grates
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces) halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce
Watermelon slices (optional)
Directions
Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce and, if desired, watermelon slices.
Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

SAUTEED TILAPIAIngredients
8 Tilapia Fillets, de-skinned
1 tablespoon of flour (use brown rice flour to make gluten free)
4 Tablespoons of butter
4oz kale (or chard), de-stemmed and torn in smaller pieces
1lb fingerling potatoes, roasted and cut in half
2 shallots, julienned
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
Salt and pepper
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Clean and roast potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes, set aside to cool down a bit before cutting.
Using half the butter, sauté shallots over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add kale and cut up potato pieces and cook until is wilted. Season to taste and put aside
In a large sauté pan over medium heat add remaining butter. Season tilapia fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Add fillets to sauté pan skin side down first and cook until golden color (about 2 minutes), flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove tilapia from pan and continue to cook butter until it browns
Plate kale-potato mixture, place tilapia on top and pour brown butter over fish.

FISH TACOIngredients
4 oz. Chicken Southern Bake
¼ cup Spicy Hot Breader
1 pound grouper filet's
3 limes, cut into wedges
2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
2 avocados, sliced
16 cherry tomatoes. Sliced into wedges
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
8 corn or flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine Chicken Southern Bake and Spicy Hot Bread in a large plastic baggie.
Cut fish into strips; moisten slightly with lime juice and coat fish evenly in breader. Shake off excess breader.
Place fish on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until fish is cooked throughout.
Meanwhile prep cilantro, avocados (coat with a squeeze of lime and salt, tomatoes and shred cheese.
Heat tortillas in microwave by placing on plate and covering with a moistened paper towel for about 30 seconds or warm individually in a skillet over medium high heat. This will make them slightly crispy.
Set out all ingredients and let family and friends assemble their tacos using their favorite toppings. Tacos are fresh and tasty.

TACO SALADIngredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small red onion chopped
1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 large tomato chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the turkey, chili powder, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and black beans, and gently toss together until heated through, about 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Mound the lettuce and tomato on a platter. Top with the turkey mixture. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon salt together, and drizzle over the salad. Serve.

BEEF BURRITO (I used ground chicken)
Ingredients
1 large baking potato
2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as safflower
3/4 lbs. ground  beef
1 onion chopped
1 jalapeno chile finely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) chopped tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
Coarse salt
4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 head iceberg lettuce shredded
1/4 cup grated Monterrey Jack
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
1 lime plus wedges for garnish
Directions
Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add potato; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add beef, onion, and jalapeno; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until beef is thoroughly browned, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice, cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, about 10 seconds.
Leaving space on bottom and sides, layer tortillas with sour cream, lettuce, beef mixture, cheese, and cilantro, if using; squeeze lime juice on top. Fold bottom upward, covering filling by 2 inches. Fold each side to overlap, leaving the top end open. Serve garnished with lime wedges.

STUFFED POBLANOIngredients
For the Stuffing:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried peaches
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground imported Ceylon cinnamon (if available) or
1 teaspoon regular ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded pork
Salt to taste
For the Chiles:
8 large fresh poblano chiles
Vegetable oil for frying
For Serving:
Salsa de Tomate Asado (Roasted Tomato Sauce)
Special Equipment Suggested:
A heavy 12-inch frying pan
A deep saucepan about 10 inches across and 8 inches deep
An oiled baking sheet
Directions
Preparing the Stuffing: Set frying pan over moderate heat, add butter, and stir in garlic and onions. When onions are tender and translucent, stir in the dried fruits and olives; continue cooking 3 minutes. Blend in the spices and pork, mixing well, and let cook 5 to 7 minutes. Taste carefully for seasoning.
Frying the Chiles: Make a slit 1 to 1 1/2 inches long in each chile and dry in a kitchen towel. Pour 1/2 inch of oil into saucepan and set over high heat until oil is almost smoking. Being sure the chiles are completely dry, fry them 2 at a time, turning once or twice, until they puff up and take on an olive-beige color. Remove them from pan and continue with the remaining chiles. Peel chiles under cold running water and very gently pull out seeds through the slit, being sure not to tear the flesh. Set aside.
Stuffing and Baking the Chiles: Preheat oven to 500 F. Stuff chiles through their slits. Arrange on oiled baking sheet and roast 7 to 8 minutes in the middle level of the preheated oven. They should just heat through.
Serving: Spoon the tomato sauce onto individual plates or onto a large serving platter and arrange the warm chiles on top.

EGG SALAD SANDWICH
Ingredients
2 eggs
¼ avocado, sliced
1 tbsp real mayonnaise
¼ tsp dry mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
lettuce
bread & butter pickle slices
hot sauce (optional)
2 slices whole wheat bread
Directions
Place the eggs in a large pot of salted cold water. Bring water and eggs to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, immediately cover pot, turn off heat and set a timer for 12 minutes.
When the timer goes off, quickly remove eggs from pot and run under cold water. Peel eggs and place hard boiled eggs in a bowl with the mayonnaise, salt, pepper and dry mustard.
Smash eggs with a fork and mix until well combined.
Toast bread, then place egg salad on one slice. Top with avocado slices, bread and butter pickles, lettuce and hot sauce if you wish! Top with other slice of toast and enjoy.