Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Vegetable Manchurian | Indo Chinese Kitchen


Our city is cosmopolitan in character and this is reflected the wide food choices available in restaurants here. Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indian, Caribbean, Peruvian, Afghan, Lebanese, Fusion, Korean, Vegan, Deli, French Bakeries, you name it and its available. But did you notice I left out Chinese cuisine. This is because this is possibly the one city in country that does not have a single Chinese restaurant with good food. Not even a a cheap and cheerful variety. This has become so obvious that people actually discuss it and not many send out for Chinese take-out, a staple of many other cities!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Oven Baked Potato Chips with Sage and Cracked Pepper


I last made Herby Oven-Baked Chips over three years ago!! This afternoon I was going through my refrigerator and I found I still had a few sprigs of sage left over from last weeks groceries. They were in great shape thanks to the chiller setting on my fridge and I wondered how I could best enjoy them!! Its too hot to really cook, so I settled on baked chips. Potatoes and sage go together beautifully. A little salt and pepper, a few wedges of onion, loads of garlic, and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and you have the perfect combination.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Summer Pasta Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts


I love pasta salads and summer is the perfect time to enjoy them. They are easy to put together, delicious to eat, and packed with raw vegetables that just make a pasta dish so much more nutritious. You can be really creative with a pasta salad and I never follow a recipe when I make one. I create one using a combination of vegetables in my refrigerator and nuts and herbs in my pantry! I generally use whole grain pasta for salads. It has a nuttier taste and is more chewy that adds to both taste and texture of the salad.


A pasta salad can be a complete meal, a side, or indeed great on a picnic table along with your favourite burgers, grilled vegetables, and greens! Just pack a box of it in a food safe container and place in an ice box until ready to eat! On Saturday we had beautiful weather and drove to the lake for a picnic. I made this winner of a salad for lunch. It got the thumbs up from everyone at home.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Cinnamon Smile Buttermilk Pound Cake (Eggless)


When I started out with this project I intended to make a Cinnamon Swirl Cake! Pressed for time as I was I forgot to swirl the cinnamon streusel layer of the cake after pouring it into the pan. Oh well!! I thought: never mind, I am sure its it will make no difference to the cake. Even so, I was a bit upset knowing that the baked product would have no beautiful swirl to it.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Malvani Aloo-Nutri Nuggets | Potato and Soy Nuggets in Malvani Spices


My Mum makes masalas (Indian Spice Mix) at home.When she visited last year she brought us two bags of Malvani Masala. One was a regular version, one slightly spicier with these amazing red chilies that she had sourced especially for the masala. I have been using the mild version last year. It has the most amazing flavour and I use it in various vegetable dishes. As I am now close to running out of it, I decided to dive into the spicy one. This version is simply divine!! I am loving it!!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Palak Tofu | Spinach Tofu


Palak or spinach is a wonderful vegetable. An iron rich super food, it tastes amazing both raw and cooked. Here I combine it with tofu to make a delicious Palak Tofu | Spinach Tofu for yet another Indian Style Tofu Recipe. This recipe is healthy, vegan, nutritious, and will leave you licking your fingers.