Cucumber Raita

Easiest raita recipe and very delicious! Loved by one and all :)

Ingredients:

1 cucumber peeled and grated
2 cups yogurt
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilli
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl well and let it sit for 10 minutes. Its ready to eat!

Mango Salsa

Dinner today was veggie fajitas! Recipe follows, but I made mango salsa to go with it, and that was delish!!! :) I ate the remaining salsa all by itself, was so refreshing! :)

Ingredients:

1 mango diced small
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno finely chopped(unseeded else it is too hot)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Mango salsa is ready to eat!

Balsamic vinaigrette

Once you understand how vinaigrettes are made, its very simple to create your own vinaigrette recipes, like I created this one and its simply delicious!! :) Key is the acid should be half quantity of the extra virgin olive oil, and you can use any acid you want, like lemon, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste

Method:

In a blender, put the balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and finely chopped garlic and blend it until well blended. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil while blender is on, and make sure its completed blended.

Make any salad you like with this dressing. Its so good!

Red wine vinaigrette

For orzo salad, or any other kinda salad! Its yum! Make sure you use good quality honey as well as extra virgin olive oil. I used to use store bought honey, and then I switched to this clove honey, that I bought from the Oakville Grocery store in Palo Alto, and I simply love that honey! It is it's money's worth! Make the vinaigrette so flavorful!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Tzatziki dip

This dip is excellent with a bunch of different foods. Goes great with falafel sandwiches, OR pita chips OR fresh veggies like carrots, celery, brocolli OR even with any kinda chips!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups non fat greek yogurt ( available at Trader Joe's)
1 peeled and grated cucumber
1/2 small lemon
salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 big clove or 2 small cloves finelly chopped garlic
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Method:

Strain the grated cucumber between the hands, to remove all the water possible! In a bowl add the greek yogurt and whisk it until it is of smooth consistency. Add the chopped garlic, parsley, cucumber, lemon juice from the 1/2 lemon, salt and pepper and mix it all well until blended. Simple and easy! :)

Harissa sauce

I made this sauce for the first time a couple days ago, and it turned out to be delicious in the falafel sandwich. A little bit goes a long way.;) Raj loved it too. He kept making fun of me that we could just add any kinda italian dressing with some fresh herbs until he tasted this one!

Ingredients:
15 - 20 dried red chillies
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon caraway seeds(suva)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon of salt
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Soak the dried red chillies in warm water for about half an hour. Then remove the seeds from all the chillies.

In a grinder, finely grind the caraway seeds, cumin and coriander seeds. Add the red chillies and salt and grind this mixer. Finally add the fresh herbs, that is mint and cilantro to this mixture and grind it once more. Remove it in a storage container. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the entire mixer and cover up to 1/2 cm above the mixture in the container.

Guacamole

Excellent dip!! Also, very healthy, contains no oil and avocado has all the good fat! :)

Ingredients:

2 ripe Haas avocados
1 roma tomato diced into small pieces
1/2 red or white onion finely chopped
1 lemon or 2 small limes
1-2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno finely chopped(remove the seeds, else it will be very hot!)
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

Cut the avocado length wise, all around with the seed in the middle. Twist the avacodo with both hands, one going clockwise and the other hand going anti-clockwise. Remove the seed. Scoop out all the ripe avocado with a spoon into a big bowl.

With a fork, start breaking the avocado into smaller pieces but NOT smashing it. It should look chunky. Squeeze the lemon or lime over the avocado. Put in the diced onions, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper and fold it in gently in such a way that the avocado does NOT break further. Fold it till well blended.

Its ready to be eaten with tortilla chips or even pita chips! ( baked pita chips recipe next!)