Category: Vegan

Asian, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sambal – Indonesian Hot Pepper Condiment

I had dinner with Rob, my old engineering colleague, and his wife, Remone, when visiting Holland earlier this year.  Amongst other things, Remone is an amazing cook. She kindly gifted me with a jar of her homemade Sambal and included a printout of the recipe.  I was thrilled! I love Indonesian cuisine for its variety […]

Asian, Breakfast, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Fat, Main Course, Quick Meals, Side Dish, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Aloo – Potato Stew

I should make this stew more often because it’s one of the few foods that all three of my kids like. It’s delicious, fast, and easy too. Inexplicably, I make it only for religious feasts alongside Puris, Kale Chole, and Sooji Ka Halwa. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 8 servings INSTRUCTIONS […]

Asian, Breakfast, Desserts, Easy, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Fat, Quick Meals, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sooji Ka Halwa – Sweet Porridge

Hindu and Sikh temples give out free food to all visitors on a daily basis, regardless of their religious affiliation. In Hindu temples or Mandirs, ‘Prasad’ comes in the form of this sweet porridge and/or an Indian dessert or fruit and nuts. In Sikh temples or Gurdwaras, you get ‘Kada’, a whole wheat-based sweet porridge […]

Asian, Breakfast, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Fat, Rice/Grains/Pulses, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Kale Chole – Black Chickpeas

At the end of Navratri, the nine nights and 10-day religious festival, I prepare a traditional meal that is vegetarian and contains no onions or garlic. There are four components in this meal: Puri (fried, unleavened wheat bread), Sooji Ka Halwa (sweet farina porridge), Kale Chole (savory black chickpeas), and Aloo (potato stew). This delicious […]

Asian, Breads/Rolls, Breakfast, Cleaning Out Refrigerator and Pantry, Cooking Techniques, Easy, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Fat, Quick Meals, Vegan, Vegetarian

Dal Ka Paratha

I made some Dal the other day. It was a hit, but like me, my family doesn’t care for leftovers after the next day. Therefore, I decided to disguise the leftover Dal as a Paratha. There are several ways to make Dal Ka Paratha: Cook Channa Dal (pigeon peas) with very little water so that […]

Asian, Breads/Rolls, Breakfast, Cooking Techniques, Easy, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Fat, Quick Meals, Vegan, Vegetarian

Aloo Paratha – Potato Stuffed Wheat Flatbread

There are many choices for Paratha fillings: some include meat, most of them are vegetarian. I vary the dough depending on whether the moisture in the filling will tear the Paratha. I use a wheat/white flour blend in either a 1:1 ratio or a 3:1 ratio (3 parts wheat, one part white flour) for the […]

Asian, Breads/Rolls, Breakfast, Cooking Techniques, Easy, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Indian, Ingredient Substitutions, Low-Fat, Main Course, Quick Meals, Vegan, Vegetarian

Paratha- Stuffed Wheat Flatbread

The Hindu religious festival of Navratri (9 nights and 10 days) began this past Sunday and will end the following Tuesday. It celebrates the feminine nature of the Supreme Divine. It is celebrated twice a year in North India and occurs when the seasons change from cold to hot or vice versa. In practice, Hindus […]

American, Asian, Cooking Techniques, Eastern European, Easy, European, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Latin, Middle Eastern, Quick Meals, Rice/Grains/Pulses, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Rice on the Stovetop

I have never owned a rice cooker. I make rice in either a pot or a pressure cooker. Both methods work well, however, the pot takes 15 minutes to cook rice with a 5 minute rest period whereas the pressure cooker takes only 5 minutes. It makes sense as pressure cookers need only a third […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Easy, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Ingredient Substitutions, Low-Fat, Quick Meals, Rice/Grains/Pulses, Salad, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

10-minute Seasoned Corn Appetizer/Side dish

I had this dish decades ago while visiting family friends. They were both practicing physicians with young children and very little spare time. This was the appetizer that “Auntie” whipped up. Aside: If you don’t have access to the spices listed below, just use regular salt and pepper and some ground cumin. No worries. Prep […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Breads/Rolls, Cleaning Out Refrigerator and Pantry, Easy, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Ingredient Substitutions, Low-Fat, Main Course, Quick Meals, Sauces and Condiments, Seafood, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Korean Seafood And Vegetable Pancake – Haemul Pajeon

Our family always orders this dish when we go out to a Korean restaurant. It makes for a fantastic shared appetizer or a main course. The pancake is crispy and flavorful and the dipping sauce adds savory, sweet and sour notes to the dish. Although, it is quick and easy to make at home. I […]

American, Desserts, Easy, European, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Low-Fat, Sauces and Condiments, Spice Blends (Masalas)/Seasonings, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cinnamon Sugar

I keep this sugar in my pantry to add a punch of flavor over baked goods like sweet-tasting bread or muffins. I have used it over fresh berries and as a chip seasoning. It’s easy to make and keeps well in a glass jar. Hands-on time: 3 minutes Yield: 4 ounces INSTRUCTIONS Add both ingredients […]

Cooking Techniques, Desserts, European, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Low-Fat, Pies/Tarts, Vegan, Vegetarian

Apple Strudel

I dedicate this recipe in loving memory of, Gisela Spier, my landlady/adopted mom in Germany who treated me daily to coffee and cake. She used to make everything, including apple strudel, from scratch. I followed the outlines of the recipe on the lilvienna.com site, but, I doubled the recipe and used my technique to stretch […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Breakfast, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Ingredient Substitutions, Low-Fat, Main Course, Quick Meals, Rice/Grains/Pulses, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sabudana Khichdi – Curry Tapioca Pearls

Tapioca pearls (sabudana), which are derived from the cassava plant, are a staple in the Indian/Asian/Brazilian diet. They are sometimes confused with Sagu which is derived from the pith of tropical palm trees. Sagu and tapioca pearls resemble one another as they both appear as small, white, opaque pearls that become translucent when cooked. Think […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Breads/Rolls, Breakfast, Cooking Techniques, Easy, Family Favorites, Indian, Ingredient Substitutions, Quick Meals, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mathi – Crisp flatbread

If you have never had a Mathi, you don’t know what you are missing. This is top on my list of comfort foods. I’m still basking in the afterglow from having eaten three of them for breakfast with my cup of Masala Chai. Mathi is a crisp, flaky pastry that is generally served during high […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Breads/Rolls, Cooking Techniques, Family Favorites, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Samosa

Samosas are a triangular-shaped, flaky pastry dough that can be filled either with potatoes and mashed vegetables, spiced meat, or spiced shredded chicken. They are served with mint/coriander chutney and/or tamarind chutney. They make a wonderful tea time snack or a hearty appetizer with cocktails. India has been making samosas since they were introduced to […]

Appetizers, Snacks, and Dips, Asian, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Sauces and Condiments, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tamarind Chutney – Imli Ki Chutney

My family and I love tamarind chutney. It has a sweet and sour fruity taste that is in perfect balance on the palate. It is a must if you are serving Indian high tea as many of the savory offerings are paired with it. I use it: As a condiment for samosas (triangular, filled pastries), […]

Asian, Cooking Techniques, Easy, Family Favorites, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Indian, Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Sauces and Condiments, Understanding Spices, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tamarind Pulp – Imli

Tamarind is used in many countries. Mexico uses it for making sweets and drinks, Asians, especially Indians, use it in cooking, for drinks, and in chutneys. Tamarind imparts a sweet-tart taste and is very nutritious. It can be purchased as a concentrate, a pulp or as dried fruit in a plastic block. I use the […]

American, Breads/Rolls, Breakfast, Cooking Techniques, Easy, European, Family Favorites, Heart Healthy, Ingredient Substitutions, Low-Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian

Braided Loaf

This sweet, delicious, soft-textured, deeply colored bread started with the intent of making Challah. However, as fate would have it, I found an opened strawberry yogurt drink in my refrigerator that I needed to find a use for. Traditional Challah does not include any dairy, even in the form of butter. As a result, I […]