Corn and Bean Salad

The success of making a good salad depends on ones ability to experiment with mixing different ingredients and the availability of the things in the kitchen when you decide to make one. Tonight i opened my kitchen cabinet and found these, a can of corn and beans.....


Decided to prepare a crunchy colourful and filling salad

Ingredients :
1 small can of corn
1 small can of red kidney beans
2 small tomatoes
few red radishes
1 big cucumber
1 carrot
dash of lime
dash of black pepper
dried oregano
2 table spoons of extra virgin live oil
1 table spoons of sun flower seeds (optional)
4-5 strawberries (optional )

Serves 4 

Step 1 
Grate the carrot and dice the cucumber, radish and tomatoes into small pieces.


Step 2 
Open both the cans and drain the water. Put the corn and beans into a big bowl and add the ingredients from the previous step. Add salt ,lemon, oil , oregano, pepper and mix well.



Step 3 
This step is optional. The sunflower seeds are a great source of nutrition and add a crunch to this salad. The sweet tangy taste of strawberries go very well with this mix. Sprinkle the seeds on the top and use the strawberry to give a 'look' to your salad.



Let this salad rest for at least half an hour before you serve/eat it so that the seasoning softens and flavours the salad. You can use fresh corn and beans. Soak the beans overnight and then boil.

Other suggestions 
Shredded lettuce goes well with this salad.
You can replace avocado with strawberry.
Chopped onion lifts up the taste as well.

Sugar free ,No-Cook Date and Fig Treats

No matter what the motivation , i get caught in the middle of my sweet cravings very often. After going Vegan since couple of months ,i naturally crave fruits and nuts but couldn't find a solution to the sweet cravings. Then i recalled this special treat that mom used to make every Diwali (since she hates buying sweets from the stores in the peak season). Made it myself and was wowed with the taste and now they are a must have in my house. Surprisingly hubby loves them too....


Ingredients :
Dates - deseeded about 20 -25
Dried Figs   - whole 2-3
Nuts - the ones you like . here i have used - Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Brazilian Nuts.

How to prepare :

1. Grind the figs and dates in a mixer and set aside.

2. Grind all the nuts together using the pluse mode to avoid getting them into a powder. You should have a mix of coarse powder and chunky pieces.

3. Mix them together in a bowl. You need to use your hands and press the mixture like you would do with your dough while making bread till the nuts have completely blended in to the dates and fig mixture . Do not over do this step. At this stage it looks like this.....


Now mould it as you desire . I used a silicon mode and got these beautiful pieces


Or simply roll them between you palms


With every bit you have the melt in the mouth sweetness of the dates, the delicious bite of figs and the crunchiness and flavours of the nuts. All natural , easy to make and so fulfilling !!

Creamy Vegan Spinach Soup

I was surprised how good this soup turned out when i prepared it for the first time , as i have always had Spinach soup with lot of cream and butter at restaurants and this had none. The potato brings in the subtle creaminess and garlic ,the flavour.



Lets check out the things we need...

2 bowls of fresh spinach leaves (washed)
1 small potato ,diced into small pieces.
1 teaspoon garlic
2 table spoon chopped onion
1 table spoon of Extra Virgin Olive oil or Chilly Garlic oil (recipe in the earlier post)
Crushed black pepper
Half a spoon of cumin
Dash of ground red chilly powder
Dash of lime

Step one
In a sauce pan , heat the oil and add the chopped garlic, cumin and onion and sauté lightly.

Step twoAdd the diced potato, salt , red chilly and sauté for a min. Add 3 cups of water and let the potatoes cook completely . Add the spinach and a dash of lime and boil for just a minute Step three

Let this cool down before you pour it in the blender. Blend it to a smooth puree and if thick add some water. Remember this will thicken when we boil it again so keep the consistency accordingly.

Step four 

Back in the sauce pan for a quick boil. Add freshly ground black pepper. Now taste for salt ,chilly and lime and adjust according to your taste.

Step five 

Enjoy the fresh green colour of your soup and the aroma with some freshly baked bread (focaccia is my favourite )

IMPORTANT : Never blend the soup when it is hot , it will be all over your kitchen. 

FASTER : Use a boiled potato if you have some in the fridge, saves the cooking time. 

TASTIER : If you still need that cream, add a spoon after turning off the heat (but trust me you won't need it)

Spaghetti aglio e olio

A very simple preparation from Italy , rich in flavour and so easy to make. Makes for a perfect dinner when you are back from work and not in a mood to dish out the whole fare. This is a healthy alternative to Maggi or junk food at night. Remember you never put on weight on raw oil. In fact it helps the body in lubrication and fills you good ,to keep you away from junk. 

You have to be a garlic lover for this dish. Before we start this dish , let me share a secret with you about the deep flavour in the all my pasta preparations. It is the Chilly Garlic oil !

Pour extra virgin olive oil into a clean jar. Slightly crush the cloves of garlic with the knife on a cutting board and put the into the jar along with whole or halved red chillies . In couple of days, the oil gets a deep flavour from the garlic and the chillies . This oil can be used to prepare hummus, pastas, final garnish for a curry after cooking or just to dip a fresh, warm piece of bread and enjoy the flavour. After the oil is used up the garlic and chilly can be used for cooking as well.

Ok back to the Spaghetti.
All you need is 

Garlic chopped - 1 table spoon 

Fresh Parsley or Coriander

Fresh Red Chillies (or chilly flakes if you don't have some in the fridge)

Extra Virgin Olive oil 

Spaghetti enough for 2 

Step one

Boil the Spaghetti and just when it is 'al dente' (Italian term for 'under your teeth' meaning should be a bit hard when you press it between your fingers) pour out the water. It is important to save a glass of this water for the sauce.

Step two

Pour the Olive oil in a hot pan and add the chopped Garlic and red chillies

Just when the garlic takes up some colour , add the half cup of water saved from the boiling spaghetti.  Add salt to taste. This makes the sauce which should be completely absorbed by the spaghetti

Step three :

Add the Spaghetti and parsley mix well. Place a lid for the spaghetti to soak up the water and in turn the flavour. Pour a generous amount of the Chilly Garlic oil or the Extra Virgin Olive Oil after switching off the heat. Remember if you skip this step this dish is no good. 

Step Four

Plate UP !!

Strawberry Jam

The seller at the farmer's market was very generous and handed me a pile at a great price. Since they were beautifully ripe , i knew i couldn't keep them for long. Hence decided to make some jam!




All you will need is ...
Ripe strawberries
Brown sugar (white works too)
Lemon

Step one
Scope out the strawberry stem in a conical shape with a knife to remove the hard portion just beneath the stem. If they are too hard on the top , just cut the complete hard portion out.


Step two
Mash away....


This is the most fun part. If you have kids at home , give them a bowl full and ask them to mash it with their hands. Trust me the mess will be worth it. i had great fun with it myself.

since i like my jam lumpy with pieces of fruit , i keep the above consistency. You are free to mash it more or experiment with a small quantity and decide how you like it

Step three:


Now measure the puree in a bowl. If you have 2 full bowls of puree add one fourth cup of lemon juice and three fourth cup of sugar. If making for kids add one whole bowl of sugar to one bowl puree as they like it sweet. add all of this together in a sauce pan

Boil on a slow flame till the sugar melts and then boil on a high flame stirring it regularly. Now you need to decide the consistency of the jam. I like mine a bit flowly as the bread absorbs it well. Once the jam has thickened stop the flame and allow it to cool down . Remember the jam will be much thicker when it has cooled down than what it is now.

Step four :
Pour it in a clean and dry glass jar and refrigerate. I don't know how long this lasts as i have always finished mine within a fortnight. Spread on fresh bread, warm chapatis (flat bread) , dip crackers in it , pour on vanilla ice cream or simply scoop out a big spoon and enjoy it as dessert.


Look at the deep, red colour and its all natural . No colour, no preservative and so much fun!


Note : The texture is different from the store bought jam as this is all natural. The taste however is much better and the guilt , far far less. Make a small batch and then once you know how you like it exactly, tweak the recipe to your taste. 

Rice Magic

I love to work with left over rice, so much that every time i make rice for dinner i cook more than i know i will need. There is so much that can be done with that rice in the morning which is easy ,quick and so tasty. Sharing a recipe which can be prepared in the morning to be packed for lunch or simply enjoyed as a brunch on Sunday mornings when you wake up at leisure.

Here i have used :
Broccoli cut into small florets
Carrot sliced thin and long
Zucchine same as the carrot
Onion thinly sliced
Left over rice which is now a bit dry
Giner ,Garlic and Green chilly paste (please make a fresh one )
Soya Sauce.
Oregano
Extra virgin olive oil or any other oil you cook regularly with


Step one 


My mom gifted me this flat , heavy bottomed pan , perfect for this dish. Pour 4 to 5 table spoons of oil in the hot pan and add onion, broccoli and carrots.

Step two 
After cooking for a while ,add zucchini and ginger garlic chilly paste and sauté for a while.


Step three 
Add salt and check if the veggies are cooked by running a knife through them. At this point they should be cooked but firm. If needed cover for a minute with a lid or plate to cook . Now add rice and soya sauce and gently mix everything


Step four
At this stage taste for salt and add oregano (or rosemary if you prefer). cover the pan for the steam to flavour the rice.
And Viola !!


Important 
1.Remember soya sauce has salt so under season it than your normal taste ,as the sauce at the end will add more salt to the whole dish.
2.Do not over cook the veggies
3.Rice grains should be firm and a bit dry . if rice is very soft it will get mashed and everything with get mushy. The rice used here was cooked in an open pan and the excess water drained off to remove the starch, while the firmness of each grain remained.
4. Do not use very little oil , the whole dish will be too dry 

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Yum yum...Chocolate Mousse . Well while i am thinking that, I am also thinking about all that goes into the mousse when it is store bought. i am a big fan of Natural Ingredients and hence tried this with Avocado and now this is a regular dessert for my guests at dinner and they love it. Of Course you have to be a avocado fan for you to like this ,but then whose not!!

Don't worry too much about the proportions here, taste along as you go. Just pull out that blender and have some fun :)

You will need :
1. one ripe Avocado.(the avocado has to be perfectly ripe and of a good quality or else don't make it)
2. two spoons of organic honey or whatever honey you have at home
3. one spoonful of unsweetened Coco powder. (or more if you like it a bit chocolatey and slightly bitter)
4. two tablespoons milk** (for a creamier version see bottom)
5. a dash of vanilla essence (optional)
5. a blender


Step one :
Peel and slice the avocado directly into the blender/mixer.

Look at the beautiful green colour

Step two :

Add the honey and the coco powder and couple of drops of vanilla essence(optional) whisk away.

Step three :
This is how it looks at this stage .


Step four :
Add milk and blend. now it is time to taste and decide if you need to add more honey if you like it sweet or/and more coco it you want more chocolaty ,a bit of milk if it is too thick for your taste.
and Viola!!

Refrigerate for few hours or overnight. Remember it thickens after this so keep the consistency accordingly. On mornings when i am lazy to make breakfast,  a big bowl feels like a treat to start my day with. Other days it makes the perfect light dinner substitute when i have had a heavy lunch and don't want to have soups or salads.

**To make it extra creamy
Use condensed milk (milkmaid) if making for guests or when you don't want to bother about the calories. adjust the honey accordingly as we don't want it to turn out too sweet.