Tomato-Pesto Eggplant Stack

Shuchi September 24, 2012

“White inside, purple on top

Slide, dice or do a quick chop

Roast it, toast it or char it to the core

A small bite, and you keep wanting more

Dips or salads, curries or bake

Tomato or pesto, vegan or steak

Versatile it says, is its middle name

Any in my home, it has found true fame!”

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, diced in rounds

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoon sun dried tomato pesto

5-6 fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients above, except the pesto. Heat the oven to 425 degree F, and let the eggplant grill for 25-30 minutes. Once it’s brown and tender, mix with the pesto and grill again for 10 minutes. It’s that simple!

A scrumptious appetizer! Serves well with a white sauce bake.

Fall salad w/ slow roasted vegetables

Shuchi September 18, 2012

"Seasons come
And seasons go,
The winds howl
And emotions flow,
Friendships new
And plans to plan,
Some keep going
Some take a stand,
You enjoy, you admire
Look around,
The wonders of nature
Leave you spell bound,
The excitement rises
For the wait,
To create colors of fall
In a plate..."

Ingredients

For the salad

250 gm Mesclun Mix, Aragula or Romaine Lettuce

1 cup boiled quinoa or cous cous

½ cup dried cranberries or raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cut roasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced and zest kept aside

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

100 gm feta or goat cheese, crumbled

Salt & pepper to taste

For the roasted vegetables

2 small aubergines, sliced into 2 inch pieces

10-12 baby carrots, shaved and cut into 2 inch pieces

½ cup button mushrooms, halved

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method: Mix the ingredients for the roasted vegetables. Pre heat the oven to 150 degree C and bake the vegetables for 20-25 min.

Mix all the ingredients for the salad and top with the roasted vegetables. Finish with a generous dollop of red pepper dip or tahini hummus and enjoy the tastes of fall!

Green Salad with Raspberry Honey Vinaigrette

Shuchi April 12, 2012

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“In a bush lush

Swaying with dashes of red

Lay a field of raspberries

On a green & thorny bed,

Picked to perfection

Spilt over some greens

A dash of lime, pepper

Like creating a movie scene,

With a fruity entourage

This salad for the soul

Sweet & Tangy on the tongue

Made it summer in a bowl”

Ingredients

For the salad

50 gm mesclun mix (or any green leaves)

½ cup red or green cabbage, chopped

¼ cup diced red apple

½ cucumber, cut into slices

½ red pepper, sliced finely

2 tablespoons gouda cheese, cut into small cubes

¼ cup ripe raspberries

5-6 walnuts, broken into pieces

(You can add any veggies you fancy i.e. carrots, beetroot)

For the dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

4-5 ripe raspberries, mulled/crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Make sure the raspberries are mulled well so as to blend with the dressing. Pour over the salad ingredients, toss lightly and serve immediately. A sweet & tangy start to the summer!

Minced Cauliflower Salad Bake

Shuchi December 11, 2011

“A mince that

Needed no meat,

Roasted and charred

Till a flavor neat

Layers of color

Smoking it bakes,

A sprinkle of Christmas

Is all it takes!”

Ingredients

½ cauliflower, finely chopped

¼ cup green peas

½ cup mixed peppers, finely chopped

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 gherkins, sliced lengthwise

1 teaspoon curry powder (or any mixed Indian masala)

1 teaspoon dry mint powder

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 250 degree C.

Heat oil in a pan. Layer the ingredients- onion, then cauliflower, then tomatoes, then peppers and then the peas. Sprinkle a few drops of water, salt & pepper and turn to medium flame. Cover and cook till all the vegetables have lost their crunch but are not overcooked.

Transfer to a baking tray, put the gherkins on top and sprinkle with lemon juice and mint powder. Bake for 10-15 minutes till the cauliflower is charred and begins to brown. Be patient here as the ‘burnt’ taste adds much to the flavour of this simple salad

Serve immediately with soup or on it's own. A healthy and wholesome meal!

Better than Salad

Shuchi April 24, 2011

With my hands bare,

The scents cut through

The breeze in my hair.

Colors of the rainbow

In this salad of mine,

With a drizzle sour

And ingredients fine.

Crisp like tomorrow

Lush like lovers sweet,

This mixture from heaven

Will make you skip a beat.”

Ingredients

1 packet baby spinach leaves or rocket

2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese

1 cup chopped mixed peppers (red, green, yellow)

2 tablespoons corn kernels

½ apple, sliced

¼ cup fresh raspberries

½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon almonds or walnuts, chopped

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped coarsely

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon dry thyme

In a cup, mix the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat it a little if the ingredients aren’t mixing well. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

In a bowl, mix all the salad ingredients (except ½ the goat cheese and nuts) with the dressing. Give it a good toss. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese and nuts on top and serve fresh. Colorful and crisp!

Egyptian Salad

Shuchi February 2, 2011

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“Green, yellow, red

A crunch and a twist,

This herbaceous meal

Is on top of my list”

Your poet begs,

Go on, try a pound,

For this medley of greens,

Is a salad profound.”

Ingredients

For the salad

1 chopped green pepper

1 chopped red pepper

1 chopped yellow pepper

1 cup snow peas

½ cup sliced red onions

1 cup broccoli flowers

1 baking potato

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped parsley

For the dressing

2 tablespoons of yogurt

1 teaspoon honey

Olive oil for dressing

¼ teaspoon chili powder

A pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients for the dressing and keep aside.

Par-boil the potato. Leave the skin on and cut into slices, each ½ inch thick. @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Season with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Put into the oven (pre-heated to 150 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or till they are tender and brown. Lay out flat on a plate to cool.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the crushed garlic and sauté till its crisp and brown. Add the peppers, reduce heat and cover to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and toss on low heat. Add some water and a pinch of salt and cover on low heat. Let the vegetables steam for another 2 minutes. Make sure the vegetables don’t get too limp and retain their crispness. Remove from heat and spread over the potatoes.

Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables, making sure it reaches the potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately. Can be eaten on its own or with some hot pita bread.