Red lentil fritters (bhajias)
Going plant-based doesn’t have to be boring. It’s so exciting when we try new things. These red lentil fritters (bhajias) are crispy and delicious. They are very popular in Gujarat, India. Yes they are fried and amazing hot and fresh. I love making them as lettuce wraps and add my tamarind chutney and katchumber ( an Indian pico de gallo)
Serves 8
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 40 mins
Ingredients
2 cups red split lentils
1 tbsp garlic paste
1tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp organic sugar
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Oil for frying (grapeseed or sunflower)
Ingredients for katchumber
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ cucumber, finely chopped
Cilantro, finely chopped
lemon juice of ½ a lemon
pinch cayenne (to taste)
pinch Himalayan salt (to taste)
Directions
Soak lentils for 4-5 hours; rinse and add all ingredients into a food processor and grind for about 30 seconds to a minute till all lentils are ground and mixture is nicely combined.
In a wok or deep frying pan heat oil to medium high
Fry teaspoon fulls of red lentil mixture and fry till golden brown (about 7 mins) Remove and place on paper towel to drain the oil.
Decorate on a bed of lettuce and serve with katchumber and tamarind chutney like a lettuce wrap
Directions for Katchumber
Dice all ingredients and mix. Serve as a condiment to most indian dishes. Serve also as a topping with red lentil bhajias in a lettuce wrap.
Enjoy!!
Asian tomato salad
Tomatoes and summer always go hand in hand and this Asian inspired salad with herbs, tomatoes and a funky dressing that does the trick and hits all your taste buds have them jumping with joy. This salad goes with my Asian summer rolls. So refreshing and so delicious!!
Serves 6 ppl
Cook time 10 mins
Ingredients:
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup vegan fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 Napa cabbage thinly sliced
2 mini cucumbers sliced in halves
1 green bell pepper sliced thin
1 small shallot thinly sliced
1 LB mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 cups mixed herbs coarsely chopped (dill, cilantro, thai basil)
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, salted
1/2 cup fried onions
Directions:
Place sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and 1 tbsp water in a jar and shake jar till sugar is dissolved.
Combine Napa cabbage, cucumber, bell pepper, shallot, tomatoes and herbs in a large bowl and season with black pepper. Drizzle 1/2 the dressing and toss salad and taste. If you need more dressing, drizzle more in. Garnish with peanuts and fried onions and enjoy!
Bowen Island salad
Inspired by the salad I had at Snug Cafe at Bowen Island, I had to replicate this masterpiece. One needs to make this spectacular salad to enjoy the summer and bring a winning combination of beets, oranges, dill, and other ingredients to make this a healthy, plant-based treasure.
Serves 6
Prep time -20 mins
Cook time-30
Ingredients for the salad:
1 bunch curly kale
3 cups spinach or spring mix
2 beets
2 tsp vinegar
2 oranges seeded and cut in squares
1/4 cup quinoa cooked
2 shallots sliced finely
2 green onions
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
3oz of your favourite cheese (Feta, stilton, or your favourite plant- based cheese)
Ingredients for the dressing:
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp minced dill
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
salt/pepper to taste
Directions for the salad:
Scrub beets clean and trim off the green bits. Place in a steamer basket for 30 mins or until tender all the way. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off an cut into small bite size pieces. Toss with vinegar
Mix all ingredients for the dressing.
Toast pumpkin seeds in a pan or toaster oven for about 5 mins till toasted
Remove stems from kale and massage in 1/4 of the dressing
Add spring mix, beets, oranges, cooked quinoa, shallots, green onions, chopped fresh dill.
Toss all ingredients with dressing and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and and your favourite cheese
Enjoy!!!
Mediterranean summer quinoa salad
So filling and so nutritious and a great crowd pleaser! I also added millet and was amazed with the texture. You can add all your favourite vegetables to cooked quinoa and millet and add a nice Mediterranean dressing. The dressing I used was a creamy garlic tahini dressing. Make this salad during the summer and place on top of crispy lettuce leaves and enjoy the delicious flavours of the Mediterranean.
Serves 4 people
Ready in 40 mins
Ingredients
1/2 cup millet
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa (red, black, or white or Tri-color)
3/4 cup water
1 cucumber diced
6 cherry tomatoes seeded and diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
2 cups chickpeas (soaked and boiled) or canned
1 tsp cumin ground
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup toasted pinenuts
1/2 cup green or kalamata olives quartered
100g feta cheese diced ( I used plant -based feta)
For the garlic tahini dressing
4 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp water
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove minced
Directions
Bring millet and 1 cup water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes and turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes,
Bring quinoa and 3/4 cup water to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes till done and fluff with a fork.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl
Dressing
In a bowl, place tahini and then whisk all ingredients in one at a time. Dressing can be stored up to one week.
Homemade granola
Good granola requires just a few quality ingredients like oats, a sweetener of your choice, some oil, and maybe nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Once you master that basic formula, it’s even easier to mix up a granola made just the way you like it.
Some ingredients to choose from:
Oats
Whole-grain old-fashioned oats, slow cooking keep their shape during baking. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need gluten-free granola.
Nuts/Seeds
I used almonds, pecans and sesame seeds to make this batch. Other options include walnuts, which are rich in Omega-3s, whole or slivered almonds, cashews, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Oil
I used coconut oil, but you can use olive oil, or any unrefined oil.
Natural sweetener
I love using real maple syrup in my granola. Honey works great, too. You can use demerara or brown sugar.
Salt and spice
Make sure not to skip the salt! I prefer using sea salt. It brings the flavour up a notch.
I added cinnamon to this batch for some subtle warming spice. Ground ginger (use half as much) and pumpkin spice blends are other options. Savoury granola: You can make a savoury granola by combining turmeric, smoked paprika, chilli powder, cayenne, and ginger in mixed with maple syrup and oil and poured over the oats before baking.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit gives it that chewy and fruity texture and flavour. I used chopped dried apricots and pitted dates for this batch. I also love dried cranberries, tart dried cherries, raisins, banana chips, dried bananas, dried mangoes, dried pineapple and dried papaya. Make sure to add dried fruit after the baking process as fruit tends to burn.
Other add ons
Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, orange zest or pomegranate seeds can be added on and enjoyed.
Ideas on how to serve and store
Serve with plant based milk and fresh fruit like strawberries or blue berries
Serve with your choice of yogurt and berries in a bowl or mason jar in layers
Serve as a Buddha bowl with chia seeds, berries, yogurt and coconut drizzled with pumpkin seeds.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Basic recipe
Yields 6 cups
Prep time 15 minutes
Bake time
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats or gluten-free oats
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts)⠀
1 1/2 cups coconut, fancy shredded⠀
1/2 cup maple syrup⠀
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract⠀
1/4 cup natural sesame seeds⠀
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt⠀
1 1/2 tsp organic ceylon cinnamon
1 cup chopped apricots or pitted dates or both.⠀
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl (except the dried fruit) and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.⠀
Bake granola stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown (40-45mins)⠀
Let cool and add in the chopped dried fruit.⠀
Different variations you can try
Honey hazelnut ( instead of maple syrup, use 1/2 cup of honey and add toasted hazelnuts )
Pistachio goji ( add raw pistachios and coconut after granola is toasty and toast pistachio for 5-7 mins) then add goji berries
Pineapple coconut ( add dried pineapple as your dried fruit after granola is toasted and then sprinkle with coconut)
Apple pie spice (just add 1 tsp apple pie spice as your spice and add 1/4 cup apple sauce) then add dried apple chips as your dried fruit
Cranberry orange ( just add 1 tbsp dried orange peel into oat mixture ) then add cranberries after your granola has been toasted.
Chocolate almonds (just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and add more sugar if needed) toast slivered almonds or whole almonds with the granola.
Chai spice ( You can use honey or maple syrup here and add almond extract instead of vanilla (Just add 3 tsp chai spice mix as your spice and almonds or pecans or your favourite nuts)
Pumpkin pie spice granola (just add 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the granola mixture)
Mango salsa
This summer salsa with all the right combination of spices, mango and crunchy vegetables will give you a zing and wanting to party by the pool all day long with your friends!! Enjoy this salsa with tortilla chips or on a burger or in a taco!!
Serves 4-6
Prep/ cook time 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 avocado, cut in cubes
1 chopped white onion
1 ripe mango, cut in cubes
1 chopped green onion
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sriracha or any hot sauce to taste
1/4 tsp himalayan salt to taste
1/4 tsp cumin ground
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with tortilla chips. Mango salsa can also be served on burgers, or on tacos or sandwiches.
Enjoy!!
Plant-mosas
I grew up eating traditional fried samosas in Kampala, Uganda and made them here and taught them in my cooking classes as well. They aren’t a very healthy snack as they are deep fried. So I came up with a healthier version and an easier version. These cute snacks are a healthy baked version of a plant based samosa and so I am calling them PLANT-MOSAS. These are made with the same samosa wrapper but cut into squares to fit into a muffin tin with a little oil brushed on both sides and baked.
You can pretty much put any sweet or savoury filling in them, provided you eat them right away as the pastry tends to get soggy.
I have a traditional vegetable samosa recipe here, and links to an Indian chick pea chat recipe, a Mexican bean and salsa recipe and a sweet avocado and chocolate mousse recipe.
Ingredients
For the vegetable filling
3 tbsp grapeseed oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin whole
¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
4 curry leaves
1 cup potatoes ½” diced
3 cups mixed vegetables of your choice
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin ground
½ tsp cayenne
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt ( to taste)
½ onion finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
25 samosa wrappers cut in squares
oil to brush the wrappers
Directions
For samosa wrappers:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dip cut up samosa wrappers into water and brush them with oil. Place each square into a muffin tin and bake for 8-10 mins till golden. Add your favourite filling and enjoy!
For the vegetable samosa filling:
Heat oil and stir in mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida, curry leaves. add potatoes and stir about two to three minutes. add in garlic, ginger, turmeric, ground cumin, cayenne,salt, lemon juice and sugar. keep stirring for two minutes and then add vegetables. cook covered until vegetables are tender. add onions and garam masala and cook until mixture is dry. cool mixture and add cilantro.
Enjoy more sweet and savoury filling recipes below or create your own!
Mexican black beans and salsa (savoury) recipe
Chaat (Chickpeas and potatoes with tamarind and crunchy chips)
If you can’t travel to India for their delicious vegetarian Indian street food, make your own refreshing and tangy savoury snack. Chana (chickpea) chat is a flavourful chickpea salad with potatoes, red onions, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, yogurt and a drizzle of tamarind chutney. You can add more crunch with samosa chips, cassava chips, peanuts, indian chewdo or sev. I love samosa chips as they keep their crunch and don’t get soggy.
Ingredients:
Serves 3-4
2 large russet potatoes boiled with skin on and diced in 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup chickpeas (I used canned)
1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes finely chopped
3/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
1/2 cup green onion chopped
1/4 cup tamarind chutney
1/4 cup green chutney ( optional)
1/4 cup plant-based yogurt
2 -3 cups samosa chips
1 1/2 tbsp chat masala
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds.
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, boiled potatoes, chat masala and lemon juice. Stir in the red onions, green onions, half the cilantro and tomatoes.
Serve in bowls layering samosa chips at the bottom then add chickpea/ potato mixture. Drizzle yogurt and tamarind chutney then finish with pomegranate seeds, rest of cilantro and if you want more crunch, add more samosa chips. Enjoy with masala chai !!
Avocado chocolate mousse
Looking for that simple plant-based dessert that only has a few ingredients and takes 2 minutes to make? So quick and easy and perfect for your family craving a healthy delicious snack or dessert. All you need is a blender or a food processor and simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
Serves 4-6
Prep time 3 mins
Cook time 3 mins
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup cocoa
3-4 tbsp plant-based milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8tsp sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
Directions
Mix cocoa and milk in a cup and set aside to bloom for about 2 minutes
Add all ingredients in the blender including the cocoa mixture and blend till smooth
Serve with
strawberries, melon, blueberries, pears, peaches ,bananas
sprinkle crushed pistachios, crushed almonds, shredded coconut
Cauliflower wings
This amazing appetizer can be enjoyed while watching your favourite sports or entertaining your friends or just enjoying an evening with family! Its gluten-free and so healthy. It’s baked and so crispy, spicy, tangy and delicious! These cauliflower wings are plant-based and can be enjoyed with a plant-based ranch dip. Make sure to serve this delicious appetizer right away before they get soggy!
Serves 6-8
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 35 mins
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower cut up into florets
1 cup water
1 cup (your choice all purpose flour, gluten free or almond flour)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 cup Frank’s buffalo hot sauce
1 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat stove to 425 degrees.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix water and flour in a large bowl enough to fit cauliflower with spices and salt and combine flour mixture with cauliflower florets.
Set bread crumbs on a flat tray
Roll battered cauliflower in bread crumbs and place on baking tray making sure the cauliflower florets are not touching each other
Place cauliflower in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip and bake for another 15 minutes till crispy.
Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat Frank’s hot sauce, vegan butter, and maple syrup. Let boil and turn off heat.
Place crispy cauliflower in a bowl and toss in the buffalo hot sauce immediately or the cauliflower will get soggy.
Plant based charcuterie board
Charcuterie boards are a great centre piece and so much fun! You can build your own and be creative and impress your guests with very little effort. Snack boards are a great way to incorporate veggies, fruits, bean spreads, artisan breads, gourmet crackers and plant-based cheese (with no preservatives). I like the Miyokos brand. It’s important to unwind and gather around the table and enjoy food in a relaxing atmosphere and slow down, talk and enjoy time together.
Build your own board:
You can choose the following ingredients:
Raw vegetables (red ,yellow pepper, cumbers, broccoli, cauliflower,, zucchini,, cherry tomatoes and radishes
Fresh fruit (grapes, apple slices, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pears,mandarine oranges)
Dried fruit (figs, apricots, raisins, dried cranberries, and dried mangoes all found in the dried fruit section in the website)
Olives (marinated green olives or kalamata pitted olives or sun dried olives)
Cheese ( try plant-based cheese with not too many ingredients you can’t pronounce- I like the Miyokos brand)
Dips (Hummus, red beet hummus, Baba ganoush, roasted vegetable dip
Nuts (Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts all found in our nut section on our website)
Crackers (pick crackers that don’t have ingredients that you can’t pronounce- there are many that have good ingredients and are wholesome and delicious)
Bread (baguettes, or home made bread)
Other (roasted chickpeas, tortilla chips, potato chips, sweet relishes, pickles, sweet compotes)
Pumpkin spice latte
Fall is the time when the mornings are cold and the afternoons are sunny and warm. Comfort food is what we are craving all day long and it’s pumpkin everything as soon as you get into a market.
Fall is the time when the mornings are cold and the afternoons are sunny and warm. Comfort food is what we are craving all day long and it’s pumpkin everything as soon as you get into a market. Pumpkin spice lattes are in every average coffee shop and you really don’t know what the ingredients are (maybe a lot of sugar, natural flavours, gums etc). A homemade version is always good. Bernadette, a holistic nutritionist and yoga teacher from Byogawellness (BC local company)has created this amazing vegan pumpkin spice latte and has gladly shared her recipe. Bernadette uses uses chai tea instead of coffee and is absolutely amazing! The chai in this latte, from Dupi’s chai (BC local company) owned by Dupinder uses premium teas, spices, no added sugars or flavours. Dupi’s chai’s are functional spiced teas that focus on digestion and speed up recovery. Dupi’s chai are served in premium Cafe’s as popular Chai Tea/Latte options.
If you love your coffee, Kait Swales has shared a fabulous pumpkin latte buzzing with espresso. Check the second recipe with her amazing concoction that will warm you up this fall.
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Recipe #1 ( Byogawellness and Dupi's Chai)
1 dupis chai tea bag (Arise)
1/2 cup plant mylk
2tbsp pumpkin puree
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-------------------------------------------------
Recipe #2 (Kait Swales)
3/4 cup oat milk
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
(pinch of cardamom, black pepper, clove, allspice,nutmeg)
Or 1 tsp pumpkin spice (which includes everything)
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Recipe #1
Steep Chai tea in 1/2 cup water. In a saucepan, heat tea with mylk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin spice. Pour mixture into blender and blend till smooth.. Pour into your favourite cup and enjoy.
Can add mylk froth or coco whip cream. Yummy
------------------------------------------------------------
Recipe #2
Mix all ingredients and heat till just boiled. Pour into your favourite two mugs and pour your favourite two shots of espresso over top. Blend till frothy. Yummy
Paneer or tofu tikka tacos
What do you do with leftover paneer tikka? You make paneer tacos! Enjoy this amazing Indian-Mexican colourful dish with your friends and family on a regular weeknight or a small get together at home.
Paneer or tofu tikka is a popular Indian street food and originates in northern India. The combination of yellow, red, orange peppers, red onions, garlic, chipotle chilli , lemon and cilantro sautéed into a spicy fajita mixture on top of a piece of spicy paneer or tofu tikka placed on a corn tortilla and a dollop of guacamole is full of an Indian-Mexican fusion delight!
In olive oil, sauté sliced peppers, red onions, garlic, Himalayan salt and chipotle chili powder.
Paneer tikka tacos
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Panneer or tofu Tikka (Recipe in previous post)
24 mini corn tortillas
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red pepper sliced
1/2 orange pepper sliced
1/2 yellow pepper sliced
1/2 red onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup cilantro
1 green chilli chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp chipotle chilli ground
juice of half a lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
In a skillet on medium heat add olive oil and sauté the red onions and all the peppers on medium heat. Add garlic, salt and chipotle and add cilantro and lemon juice after vegetables are cooked through.
On a separate pan, heat the tortillas on both sides or place on a grill and place them in a towel so they stay warm.
Layer each corn tortilla with paneer tikka (recipe from previous post, fajita style pepper mixture and serve with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream or your favourite Mexican or Indian hot sauce.
Enjoy!
Paneer /tofu tikka
Paneer tikka is a popular Indian appetizer where chunks of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) are marinated in yogurt and spices and then grilled in a tandoor( a traditional clay oven) and if you don’t have one, just barbecue the paneer tikka on a barbecue! And if you don’t have a barbecue, pan fry the tikka on a tawa (Indian griddle). If you are plant-based vegan, you can use firm tofu as well.
My take on this dish is that I have changed it up a bit and included Harissa, a North African Chilli paste which is a blend of hot red peppers, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, salt and lemon juice.
The marinade is a blend of yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, Harissa, Himalayan salt and cumin ground.
PANEER TIKKA WITH SPICY MINT CHUTNEY
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs Paneer cheese or firm tofu
First marinade
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Second Marinade
4 tbs plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp dried parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut paneer or tofu into thick cubes or in triangles or rectangles.
Mix the ingredients from the first marinade and marinate (paneer, tofu) for 20 minutes
Mix the ingredients from the second marinade and pour over the paneer, tofu , or chicken and marinate for 6 hours at least in the refrigerator
Grill on barbecue on medium high heat for 10 -15 minutes till you see the paneer with grill marks or golden brown.
Serve immediately with spicy mint chutney from my previous post.
Click here for Chicken tikka recipe
MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED EGGPLANT ROLL WITH FETA AND OLIVES
We all love backyard barbecues with burgers, steaks and chicken. But why not try some grilled eggplant to switch it up a notch? These rolls are simple, easy and delicious. These grilled eggplant slices are filled with a tangy feta cheese, briny olives and fresh herbs mixture. The rich flavours make these a great summer appetizer for your backyard barbecue! This dish can also be vegan if you use vegan feta.
All you need is a large eggplant trimmed and sliced length wise, a good extra virgin olive oil, crumbled feta, Kalamata olives or other briny olives, chives and parsley.
Fire up the grill to 425 degrees F . Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant slices about 3 minutes per side or until grill marks form on each side.
In a small bowl combine feta, chopped olives, olive oil and herbs. Spread the eggplant slices on a work surface and add one heaping tablespoon of the feta mixture on each slice and then tightly roll up. Arrange the rolls seam side down on a platter and finish with a little olive oil, pepper and chopped herbs.
MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED EGGPLANT ROLL WITH FETA AND OLIVES
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large dome eggplant trimmed and sliced length wise
Extra virgin Olive oil for brushing and for feta mixture
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (You can use vegan feta)
2 Tbsp chopped olives (Kalamata or any briny green olive)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (Chives, parsley and basil)
INSTRUCTIONS
Fire up the grill to 425 degrees F . Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant slices about 3 minutes per side or until grill marks form on each side.
In a small bowl combine feta, chopped olives, 1 Tbsp olive oil and herbs. Spread the eggplant slices on a work surface and add one heaping tablespoon of the feta mixture on each slice and then tightly roll up. Arrange the rolls seam side down on a platter and finish with a little olive oil, pepper and chopped herbs. Best to eat them right away as they do tend to get soggy !
Enjoy!
SPICY ROASTED ALMONDS AND CASHEW
I played around with this recipe and finally got it down to perfection. A few years ago, everywhere you went to get roasted nuts, the ingredients were always canola oil, maltodextrin and other ingredients whose names you couldn’t pronounce. My recipe has cayenne, himalayan salt, and water. Yes water!! I make these nuts for friends and family and everyone is always impressed. You can add as much spice as you want. I just make them spicy enough for my taste buds. My Dad used to love these. Thought I would make these today in memory of my Dad for Father’s Day.
All you need is raw cashews, raw almonds, cayenne, himalayan salt and water. First wash the nuts several times and soak for about 20 minutes. Studies show the longer you soak the nuts, the better. If you have time to soak them overnight, its better, but the roasting time will increase as the nuts will take longer to get that crunch.
After washing and soaking, mix cayenne and himalayan salt in 1/4 cup of hot boiling water and pour over nuts and mix thoroughly making sure all the nuts are evenly coated.
Bake for an hour and a half at 250 degrees F and keep stirring the mixture at 20 minute intervals. Leave the nuts to cool in the oven.
SPICY ROASTED ALMONDS AND CASHEW
Serves: 6-10
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
1/4 cup hot water
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash nuts several times and soak nuts in cold water for about 20 minutes. You can soak for longer but this will increase your roasting time. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Rinse nuts and set aside. Mix the cayenne and Himalayan salt in hot water and stir till salt has dissolved and add the mixture to the nuts. Stir, making sure the nuts are coated evenly. Transfer to a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Roast the nuts for about an hour and a half stirring every twenty minutes so they cook evenly. Leave the nuts to cool in the oven.
SPICY MANGO SALSA
This mango salsa was also developed with my childhood memories of buying spicy cut up mangoes from a vendor stand walking home from school on a tropical hot sunny day. The ripe mango, crunchy cucumbers, red onions and red peppers along with the tantalizing flavours of fresh mint, cumin and cilantro is absolutely to die for. The True Nosh Ghost pepper sauce does the trick here as it is perfectly spicy, sugar free, preservative free and gluten free.
Finely chop all ingredients and mix.
SPICY MANGO SALSA
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 mint leaves finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 garlic clove mashed
1/4 tsp cumin ground
Juice of two limes
1 -2 tsp True nosh ghost pepper sauce
Himalayan salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix. Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled with Tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
SPICY MANGO SALAD
Mangoes were always sold on vendor carts in Uganda -split and sprinkled with lots of hot chilli powder and lemon salt. Memories of walking home after school during my childhood always include spicy mangoes. The mangoes were either raw, sour and crunchy or ripe, soft and sweet. When mangoes are in season here, I normally take advantage of using them in refreshing salads, salsas and drinks.
My recipes are rather on the spicy side as my memories of mangoes always include “hot and spicy”. One of my favourite salads in the summer is a good mango salad. I have tried various ingredients like jicama, cucumbers, peppers but I always loved the combination of green apples, red onions, jalapeños and ripe mangoes.
The ingredients sliced thin and evenly will make the salad more appealing and enjoyable. Jalapeños can be sliced long or chopped fine depending on your spice taste buds! For me, the spicier the better.
SPICY MANGO SALAD
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutesRating: 5.0/5 ( 1 voted )
INGREDIENTS
1/2 green apple thinly sliced
1 ripe mango thinly sliced
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño thinly sliced
1 garlic clove mashed
1/4 tsp cumin ground
Himalayan salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1-2 tsp TrueNosh Ghost pepper sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice all ingredients evenly and mix all ingredients together. True Nosh hot sauces are sugar free, preservative free and gluten free and perfectly spicy for my salad.
Enjoy!
INDIAN EGGPLANT AND YOGURT BHARTHO
I have always loved the combination of eggplant and yogurt. Growing up in Kampala, Uganda, my grandmother always made a family favourite passed down from her grandmother in Gujarat, India . She used to make me this amazing refreshing combination of eggplant, yogurt, some spices and fresh paratha which would be ready for me after school on a hot day. This snack was a family favourite and my son always asks for it when he comes home from afar. This refreshing dish is similar to the Lebanese, Baba Ganoush which is also one of my favourites and also on my blog.
INDIAN EGGPLANT AND YOGURT BHARTHO
Serve: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 dome eggplant
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp green chilli paste (hot chilli pepper ground in a mortar and pestle)
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 cup yogurt (dairy or non dairy)
1/4 cup green onions chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat stove to 350 degrees
Wash the eggplant and remove the leaves leaving the stem intact. Brush oil all over the eggplant then cut one slit 1 inch deep from top to bottom and place on a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes and increase temperature to broil. Broil for 10 minutes and turn the eggplant to broil the other side for another 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the eggplant rest for about 8 minutes in the stove. Remove the eggplant and let cool till you can handle it. Carefully remove the skin from where the slit was made and place the mushy eggplant in a bowl. Mash up the eggplant with a knife, fork or masher and add all the ingredients and mash till it looks like a yogurt dip ( I like it chunky). Garnish with cilantro and serve with pita bread, vegetables, or spicy paratha.
Enjoy!