EVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: 2022 IS THE YEAR OF THE TIGER RECIPE: KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER Kung Pao Cauliflower is a vegetarian/vegan take on the traditional Chinese Kung Pao. Cauliflower is oven roasted instead of deep frying. With a spicy sauce, enjoy it on its own, with some rice or noodles. I know deep frying makes the cauliflower more crispier but oven roast them so hubby and I can enjoy this delicious, spicy dish without any guilt. What Is Kung Pao? Kung Pao, Gong Pao, Kung Po is traditionally a Chinese stir fried dish made from chicken pieces, peanuts, vegetables and chilli peppers. This dish originates from Sichuan Province of China. Sichuan pepper is used to make the sauce spicy. Chicken cubes are coated in flour,…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: Día de los Muertos RECIPE: VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP Vegetarian Tortilla Soup is a healthy, flavourful, comforting and quick to make soup. Also known as Sopa Azteca or Aztec Soup, it is a tomato chili broth that is served with fried or baked tortilla strips or chips.In fact, you will find variations of the basic soup, mostly shredded chicken is added, some add vegetables. I have decided to make a totally vegetarian version of the tortilla soup. Specifically, to make it more filling and a meal on its own kind of soup, I’ve added beans and corn. Indeed, the soup has to have a bit of heat from the chili/chilli you use. Interestingly, there are so many Mexican chillis available, use any…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: KABAB TIME RECIPE: BAKED LENTIL KEBABS Baked Lentil Kebabs with flavours from the Middle East and the Indian Sub Continent are soft, delectable and easy to make. In brief, these kebabs make a wonderful starter and are easy to make. Also nutritious and best part is that they are gluten free and vegan. Serve them with any chutney or dip of your choice. What Are Kebabs? In fact, Kebabs are known by several different names all sounding the same – kebaps, kababs, kebob, kabobs. Indeed, Kebabs originate from the Middle East where chunks of marinated meat and vegetables are strung on skewers and cooked over charcoal grills. As a matter of fact, the word kebab in Arabic means grilled or…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: MAIN COURSE ACCOMPANIMENTS RECIPE: CHERRY TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad is a very easy, healthy and flavourful salad that comes together in a matter of minutes. A versatile salad, you can use any dressing of your choice. Also can use salad leaves of your choice and add other ingredients. Recently, at a supermarket I frequent, both baby tomatoes and avocados were on offer. Yes, here in Canada am learning to look out for offers and some of them are pretty good.. get 2 for the price of one, 2 or 3 will cost less than if you buy one at a time. Such offers are a rarity in Kenya. With heat warnings and hot summers, I…
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Continue ReadingRecipe: Bajra Methi Muthiya/ Bajri Methi Na Muthiya Bajra Methi Muthiya is a healthy and steamed Gujarati snack. More popularly known as Bajri Methi Na Muthiya, they are easy to make and delicious. Especially when stir fried with garlic and served with a drizzle of lemon juice. What is Muthiya? The name actually comes from the word muthi which in Gujarati means fist. The dough is shaped by making a fist before the muthiya or muthia are steamed or fried. Usually fried muthiya are shaped into small ovals or balls and added to a vegetable or shaak. Like for example when you make undhiyu or you can to a valor shaak. I love making methi muthia tuvar nu shaak. Steamed, Deep Fried or Stir…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: MONSOON TREATS RECIPE: WARM MEXICAN CORN SALAD/ ESQUITES Warm Mexican Corn Salad, also known as Esquites is a tangy and spicy salad that I love to have not as a side dish but as a light delicious meal. What I like about this salad that it is versatile in several ways. Which Corn Is Best For This Salad? Though fresh sweet corn is the best, frozen or tinned corn can be used. How to Cook the Corn Grill, roast or simply sauté in a pan. If you’re going to grill the corn on the BBQ grill then soak them with the covering for 1-2 hours. Grill or roast for about 5-10 minutes. The soaked covering prevents the corn from burning.…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: GUNPOWDER ALOO DAHI CHAAT Gunpowder Aloo Dahi Chaat is a lip smacking, bursting with different flavors, and healthy snack made with spicy roasted potatoes topped with brown chickpeas, onions, yogurt and chutneys. Aloo Chaat is a famous street food from the Indian Sub Continent. The potatoes are either boiled or deep fried and served with chutneys. There are so many different variations of Aloo Chaat. Each state, each vendor will have a slightly different recipe. What I love about this recipe that it is a versatile recipe. Add ingredients you wish like boiled chickpeas, sprouts, pomegranate, boiled peanuts, chopped vegetables or fruits, etc. Serve with chutneys of your choice from green chutney to tamarind to garlic chutneys. My Gunpowder Aloo Dahi Chaat Sometime back…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: RECIPES WITH UMAMI RECIPE: PATATAS BRAVAS Patatas Bravas is simply potatoes in a spicy sauce. In fact, it is a popular Spanish potato dish that is served as tapas. Actually an easy recipe, Patatas Bravas can be served as an appetizer or as a snack. Incidentally, the umami for this dish comes from the tomato paste and the fresh tomato puree. What is Umami? Umami or savoriness is the fifth taste sense. As a matter of fact the other four are sweet, bitter, sour and saltiness. Umami in Japanese means ‘essence of deliciousness’. Scientifically, umami refers to tastes of glutamate, inosinate, or guanylate. Glutamate or glutamic acid is a common amino acid in vegetable and animal proteins. Inosinate is mainly found…
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Continue ReadingRECIPE: BEETROOT VADA Beetroot Vada is a delicious, crunchy, spicy take on the traditional Sabudana Vada. Vada is fritters and in this case roasted or boiled beetroot is added to the traditional mashed potatoes, spices and soaked tapioca pearls mixture. Ideal snack option, for starters or as a part of a meal not only for fasting days but whenever you want to. While I’ve deep fried beetroot vada, you can by all means use an appe pan (aebliskiver pan) to make healthier versions or in an air fryer. The whole idea of adding beetroot to the traditional recipe came about when I had extra roasted beetroot in the fridge. I usually make sabudana vada on Ekadashi Fasting but wanted something different for a change. Serve…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SUNDAY FUNDAY THEME: GARLIC LOVERS RECIPE: GARLIC PARMESAN HASSELBACK POTATOES Garlic Parmesan Hasselback Potatoes, so crispy from the outside, the middle is tender and soft like mashed potato. Coupled with the flavors of butter, garlic, olive oil, parmesan and chilli flakes these potatoes are to die for! What are Hasselback Potatoes? Hasselback Potatoes, Potato à la hasselbacken or Hasselbackspotatis are baked potatoes that are sliced till the middle and open up like a fan on baking. These were invented by a trainee chef Leif Ellison who worked at Hasselbacken Restaurant in Stockholm. Though pretty popular nowadays this side dish, starter was invented in 1953. They also go by name of Accordion Potatoes or Pillbug Potatoes. I know I’m pretty late in trying out this awesome addictive…
