Ingredients

2 handfuls green beans
2 yellow squash
2 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1.5" piece ginger
1 small onion
Soy sauce 1/4 cup
plain noodles
2 tbsp vinegar
splash sesame oil
chili flakes to taste
sugar 1-2tbsp

Method

Chop vegetables into bite size chunks. Finely slice garlic and ginger. Saute all vegetables in 1 tbsp neutral oil like grape seed oil or sunflower oil adding tomatoes towards the end. Cook til tender crisp. Mean while heat a large pot of water and add noodles to boiling water. Cook as per directions on package 3-5 minutes. Drain noodles and add to pan with vegetables along with the chili flakes. In a jar mix together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and close lid and shake together to blend. Add to noodles and vegetable mixture. Add sugar and toss everything together to coat. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can chick peas
1 can mixed beans
1.5 cups couscous
handful pistachios
handful dried cranberries
2 peeled chopped mangoes
Chopped fresh cucumber
chopped tomato
2 tbsp Olive oil
1-2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
fresh herbs
fresh ground black pepper

Method

Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Drain canned chick peas and beans. Measure the couscous into a large bowl. Add boiling water. Cover with a tight filling lid or plastic wrap. After 5-7 minutes fluff couscous with a fork and add all other ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Serves 4-6 as a main meal or 8 as a side. Great the next day for lunch.

Ingredients

1 large tomato
1 medium English cucumber
1 medium onion
10 Kalamata olives pitted
1/2 green pepper
250gms Greek Feta cheese

1-1.5 tsp oregano dried
Olive oil 2 Tbsp
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Method

Slice all vegetables crosswise in strips. Leave olives whole. Chop feta into small squares or crumble. All everything to a large bowl and toss everything together using large salad spoons. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients

Prepared 3" tart shell
Chopped tomatoes
Dijon mustard
Parmesan and Herbs
1 Egg
20ml cream
40ml milk
1 g corn starch

Method

Spread dijon liberally over base of pre made tart shell. Add finely chopped tomatoes and parmesan and herbs. Mix egg with cream, milk and salt and pepper and 1 gm corn starch. Pour over mixture in tart shell. Bake at 350 until set and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Ingredients

1 Brioche bun (or 2 slices egg bread)
1 heaped tsp Cashew Butter
1 heaped tsp Fig jam

Method

Toast split brioche bun
Spread with cashew butter and fig jam
Enjoy

Ingredients

8 bitter gourds
2 large tomatoes chopped
Oil (grape seed or coconut)
Salt
Turmeric
Chili powder (1/2-1 tsp)
Sugar

Method

Heat 2tbs oil in a saute pan. Add sliced bitter gourd and cook for 4 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric a pinch of chili powder and salt. Add tomatoes and cook covered on medium heat for 7 minutes . Remove lid and add 1 Tbsp sugar and saute for a minute. Add another tbsp of sugar if it tastes too bitter. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

1 Lime
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt
4 King fish steaks
Oil for shallow frying

Method

Make a paste of lime juice, chili powder, turmeric and salt.
Spread on king fish steaks
Heat oil on skillet for pan frying.
Fry king fish in hot oil for a few minutes per side until cooked.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with additional lime wedges.

Ingredients

Carrots 4 small
Broad beans
Khol Rabi 1
Chow chow 1
Onion 1
Tomato paste 1 tbsp
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups basmati rice
Spices: 1 bay lesaf, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves
Ginger 1.5" piece peeled
Garlic cloves 2
Chili pepper 1 (optional)

Method

Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add spices, sliced onion, peeled and chopped vegetables and grated ginger and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes on medium. Add rice tomato paste, coconut milk and 2 cups water. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 large banana
1 Cup strawberries
dozen raw almonds
granola (recipe to follow)
yogurt

Method

Add sliced bananas, strawberries and chopped or whole almonds to yogurt. Stir and sweeten with sweetener of choice. Top with granola.
Substitution: peeled and chopped mangoes or other berries can be used instead of strawberries.

Granola

1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs almond powder
Dash of cinnamon
Knob of butter or 1 tsp coconut oil
Raw sugar

Toast oats on a hot skillet till golden brown with butter or coconut oil. Add cinnamon, almond powder and raw sugar and toast for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour over yogurt and fruit mixture.

Traditional Recipe

Heat skim milk in a saucepan along with a thick slice of ginger, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick and 2 cloves. Once it bubbles and comes to a boil add loose leaf black tea (or 1 tea bag). Allow to steep for 3 minutes off the heat. Strain and serve. Sweeten with honey to taste.

Iced chai latte

Serve over lots of crushed ice in a tall glass

Ingredients and method

Add 2 cups chopped frozen or fresh mangos to blender with 2 cups yogurt, 1tbsp honey and some fresh mint. Blend on high until smooth. Serve over ice garnished with fresh mint.

Ingredients

2 Frozen bananas
8 pitted dates
1 Tbsp Cocoa (unsweetened)
2 Tbsp Peanut butter
2 Cups Almond/Soy milk (unsweetened)
water (if needed)

Method

Process all ingrédients in a high speed blender until smooth. Add water if too thick and some honey for added sweetness if desired.

Ingredients

2 Turkey thighs
2 Chorizo sausages
1 large onion
3 large cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2.5 cups Arborio rice
2 bay leaves
1 stick cinnamon
2 cups frozen peas
2 cups water

Method

Saute chopped onion in 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pressure cooker pan. Add turkey thighs, peeled sliced garlic cloves and all other ingredients except rice and peas. Pressure cook on medium heat for 15 minutes-20 minutes. Turn off heat. Wait 5-7 minutes and open. Take out turkey thighs and chop to desired size and return to pot. Add rice peas and pinch of saffron and cook 10 minutes on medium. Turn off heat and wait 10 minutes. Open stir and serve.

Substitutions

Use chicken pieces if turkey thighs are not available. It is not necessary to bone chicken once cooked. chicken once cooked. Use available sausage if chorizo is not sold in your area. Cooked jumbo shrimp could be added in the end and mixed with finished dish.

Strawberry Lemonade Approximate recipe

Ingredients
Strawberries
Honey
Lemons
Salt
Fresh mint

Method
Slice strawberries add salt, lemon juice honey and finely chopped fresh mint. Refrigerate several hours. Drain and save strawberries for another recipe. Add water to the liquid remaining in bowl. Serve with ice and more fresh mint sprigs. Add more honey and lemon juice to taste. Use reserved strawberries in smoothies or with yogurt.

Ingredients

1 Flank steak
Steak spice
1 Red bell pepper
1 Vidalia onions
Roasted tomato salsa (recipe to follow)
Sour cream
Tortillas of choice

Method

Heat BBQ to high
Season steak with steak spice of your choice as desired
Roast red bell pepper on high until skin is charred
Grill steak to desired doneness. Remove from heat and let rest tented with foil
Grill sliced onions at the same time
To assemble top tortilla with sliced steak peeled and sliced roasted red pepper grilled onions and roasted tomato salsa. Add grated cheddar and sour cream if desired. Fold and enjoy. Serves 4.

Roasted tomato salsa

Add 3 whole tomatoes to a hot skillet and a quarter Vidalia onion. roast till black spots appear on the onion. Pulse through a food processor with a quater jalapeno and 2 garlic shoots. Add 1tbsp ground cumin and salt pepper and a spoonful of sugar.

Ingredients

2 Plantains (very ripe)
3 Tbsp coconut oil
Icing sugar
grated coconut (optional)

Method

Heat oil in skillet
Peel and slice plantains
Saute sliced plantains in hot oil 2 minutes per side
Remove to plate and serve dusted liberally with icing sugar and freshly grated coconut. Enjoy.

P.S: (For those in India) Buy the vazhakka green and let ripen in a paper bag till black outside,

Prithika