tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8099706522862214012012-01-30T09:35:50.786+01:00VEGGIE WIZVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-79146119559802714172012-01-22T17:06:00.000+01:002012-01-22T17:06:21.953+01:00Singapore Take-Out in DelhiWhen I got an invite to experience Singapore Takeout, a traveling pop-up kitchen on a global tour, I was immediately intrigued by the innovatove concept. The idea of a container traveling from one city to another and transforming into a kitchen with some great chefs dishing out Singaporean delights....I was sold! After making it's way through London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong, and VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-78583772905832779052011-12-15T05:10:00.000+01:002011-12-15T05:10:39.241+01:00Celebrating Emilia-Romagna at Italia<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>
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VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-19605775982533511562011-12-09T05:44:00.002+01:002011-12-09T05:46:44.251+01:00Fruit CakeDecember is my favourite month of the year. The air is festive, pretty decorations are all around, people are happy, the weather is lovely, holidays are around the corner....and it's my birthday month (and I'm turning 30 this Monday)! So it's celebration time! With a nice chill in the air, it's the perfect time to bake. The house smells delicious with all the cinnamon and apples and chocolate. VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-3183719666917387552011-12-05T11:19:00.000+01:002011-12-05T11:19:38.626+01:00Cointreau. Nutella. Cinnamon. Cake.When chocolate and orange and cinnamon come together, you know you have a winner on hand. The husband's verdict was that this is easily one of the best cakes I've ever made! The flavours complement each other perfectly, and the glazing works like magic. It comes together real quick and it's eggless too.
Nutella always makes things better! And the same goes for this cake. I used a bundt cake tinVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-42134238745808380282011-11-25T14:48:00.001+01:002011-11-25T14:50:28.256+01:00Bagel with cream cheese and rocket pesto
Rocket pesto. Don't you just love the sound of it?! Makes you wonder what it's about. Fun name too. Rocket leaves are also known as arugula leaves, but the latter doesn't sound even half as interesting. I had never heard of rocket leaves until I lived in Paris a few years back. Once I discovered the zingy and peppery salad leaves, I fell in love with them. So much so that I would use them VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-87048754107284842032011-11-21T15:47:00.000+01:002011-11-21T15:47:21.345+01:00Couscous salad with zucchini n cornIf you have never tried couscous, then you must put it right on top of your food-to-try list! A couscous salad makes for a delicious meal or even an appetizer.....hearty and light at the same time. And it is simple. Really simple. And quick. As long as you get the flavours right, there is very little that you can do wrong with a couscous salad. It's also a great option when you're cooking-for-oneVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-25436405934983295572011-11-03T08:12:00.001+01:002011-11-03T08:14:08.643+01:00Italian food festival at BloomsItalian food surely sits among the top few of my favorite cuisines. Apart from the fact that it is delicious, it's also the most readily available vegetarian food while traveling outside India. Pizza and pasta have literally become world food! You can go to the most offbeat place in the world n you're sure to find an Italian restaurant there. Many times I have found myself in places that are VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-11128631467712771082011-10-21T07:41:00.002+02:002011-10-21T11:09:14.818+02:00BBC Good Food in IndiaToday is a special day for all food and cooking lovers in India. India finally has a real food magazine! October 21st marks the launch of BBC Good Food India. The internationally famous magazine known for its great recipes and pictures is a must for every foodie's kitchen. It's got a little-something for everyone, be it a cook or a foodie. Apart from lip-smacking recipes, it also comes with the VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-34995951154851973042011-09-28T10:08:00.000+02:002011-09-28T10:08:45.922+02:00Mysore Royal launch
Coffee is easily the most exciting drink for me in the world. I have been known to commit the serious crime of going to a bar and ordering coffee! Not kidding. Not that I care what people think! If I feel like a hot cuppa coffee after a nice meal, I go for it. Even if it means I'm the only person in the entire bar drinking something non-alcoholic and hot. But I'm getting distracted here!
VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-21749700644576733642011-09-23T11:21:00.000+02:002011-09-23T11:21:06.683+02:00Apple Pie for my 100th post!Wow! It's taken me over two years but I am finally typing my 100th post! Sure is a great feeling! It's been a great journey over these past 2 years...blogging has definitely turned out to be much more fun than what I expected it to be. I actually didn't know what to expect when I started out. What I do know now is that I have learned so much about food and cooking through blogging, and it's a VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-17456510593573118842011-09-05T10:03:00.000+02:002011-09-05T10:03:09.038+02:00Baked BrieIf I was to make a list of my favourite foods, baked Brie would surely be on top of that list. I love Brie in its natural form as well, but baking enhances the flavours of the cheese and gives it that oh-so-delicious quality. It is the perfect party snack, or when you have a few people over. A whole wheel of Brie is somewhat difficult, though not impossible, to polish off between 2-3 people. VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-59601803866586738692011-09-01T13:29:00.001+02:002011-09-01T13:32:07.509+02:00Roasted pumpkin and carrot soupPumpkin is one vegetable I've never really cared for. Little did I know that it could be made into such delicious food! I had pumpkin soup for the first time just a few weeks back at the newly-opened Le Ciqrue at The Leela hotel in Delhi. The New York restaurant certainly lived upto my expectations, and I'm glad to have discovered a new love...the pumpkin! Though the soup I had there was a VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-91445358339300866832011-08-24T17:22:00.000+02:002011-08-24T17:22:51.229+02:00Broccoli and Cauliflower free-form tartsFor more than 25 years of my life, cauliflower is one vegetable that I had only in Indian dishes. What a mistake! Because once I discovered it, roasted cauliflower fast became one of my favorite things. It's amazing how roasting gives these white florets a deliciously sweet flavour. Here is an easy but yummy recipe....free-form savory tarts using broccoli and cauliflower.
Makes 4-5 tarts
For theVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-928097925090989162011-08-09T10:47:00.000+02:002011-08-09T10:47:00.887+02:00New ingredients and tools!I'm back.....after more than 2 months! This is the longest break I have ever taken from my blog....and what do I say?! I was travelling for a good one and half months in that time, without my laptop. And the other two weeks were spent in preparing for and then recovering from the travel. Not that I am complaining! But the good part is that I have loads to share with you from my one month visit toVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-44339566615701861142011-05-31T12:25:00.000+02:002011-05-31T12:25:29.404+02:00Soft-baked double chocolate cookiesThese are definitely the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made! Crisp on the outside and soft-n-chewy on the inside......just the way it's meant to be! I've been hunting for the perfect soft-baked cookies recipe since ages, but just wasn't able to find one that was chewy enough. Finally, I managed to get it right; by looking at several recipes online and borrowing a little from all of VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-86004210195650337072011-05-25T14:28:00.002+02:002011-05-28T17:11:22.120+02:00Lunch at Empress of ChinaChinese food and I have a love-hate relationship! I love the cuisine, but I find most chinese restaurants around town lacking in authenticity. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Indian-Chinese. Suffice it to say that the Chinjabi stuff doesn't really settle well in my stomach! On the few occassions that I do step into a Chinese restaurant, I either totally love the food, or deeply dislike it. ThereVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-60682630519579760772011-05-11T13:02:00.000+02:002011-05-11T13:02:59.759+02:00Chewy cranberry and raisin granola squares
Granola is my new favorite thing lately. Great as a snack, perfect for breakfast and full of health. And it's very easy to make. I love it in it's loose form, crunchy and yummy, like this one. But the husband has no patience for that. He prefers a granola bar that he can have on the go. So making some granola sqaures has been on my mind for a while now. I was just worried about the granola not VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-18305547059491744832011-05-05T08:27:00.000+02:002011-05-05T08:27:38.929+02:00Frozen mango yogurtIt's fro-yo time again! The summer seems to be at its peak already (though I'm sure the worst is yet to come)! For me, it means the arrival of luscious and juicy summer fruits. And cold food. Which means cold desserts as well. And if it's frozen....even better! Frozen fruit yogurt is my go-to dessert in the summertime. It's oh-so-easy to make, hardly takes 15 mins, and is delicious!
You can go VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-46211998411158580792011-04-27T12:19:00.000+02:002011-04-27T12:19:18.636+02:00Asparagus, corn, and leek pieAsparagus tops the list of my favorite vegetables. And as much as I love it, I rarely find myself coming home with fresh asparagus after a grocery trip. The reason for that? Either the vegetable is priced super-high, or the stalks are in a close-to-rotting condition. It's very rare to find a good combination of the price and quality of asparagus in Delhi. So when I do get so lucky, it's a treat!VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-16281029316728514802011-04-15T14:11:00.000+02:002011-04-15T14:11:11.623+02:00Washington Apple TastingNo no...you haven't read the title wrong. This post is indeed about an apple tasting! I was just as surprised as you probably are, when I got an invitation from the SCS Group for a press meet showcasing Washington apples through a tasting, for the Washington Apple Commission at 360 Degrees, The Oberoi, Delhi.
Until that afternoon, I would never have imagined of something like an apple tasting. VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-78945407257597218302011-03-24T18:34:00.000+01:002011-03-24T18:34:29.674+01:00Ginger-cinnamon spiced Cape Gooseberry cake
As promised, here I am with the recipe for the yummy Cape Gooseberry Cake that I made a few days back on Holi, the Indian festival of colors. This cake was conjured up when I was greatly pressed for time. But i'm so glad for that, for I totally loved the flavour. And the texture.
I'd been wanting to make some dessert using Cape Gooseberries for a few weeks now, what with the lovely orange VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-15656116001953575632011-03-20T07:03:00.000+01:002011-03-20T07:03:48.817+01:00Happy Holi!!!
Wish all my readers a very Happy Holi with this Cape Gooseberry Sprinkles Cake! :) Recipe soon I promise!
Have a fabulously colorful Holi!
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a2a_linkname=document.title;a2a_linkurl=location.href;a2a_prioritize=["reddit","digg","stumbleupon","newsvine","technorati_favorites","delicious","diigo","yahoo_buzz","propeller","mixx","VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-12829810437653291492011-02-24T07:27:00.001+01:002011-02-24T07:29:31.607+01:00Sunday brunch at The Lalit, DelhiI would love to thank the person that came up with the concept of the Sunday Brunch. It's just the perfect way to unwind after a long week. And great weather along with live music makes it even more perfect! That is exactly the kind of afternoon I spent last weekend when I received an invitation from the nice folks at Perfect Relations for a Sunday Brunch at 24/7, a restaurant at The LaLit, New VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-2838305659333566182011-02-02T10:12:00.000+01:002011-02-02T10:12:24.541+01:00Thai Curry from scratchThai food tops my list of favourite food. A raw papaya salad and some green curry with steamed rice makes one perfect meal for me. I just love Thai food for its' flavourful combination of spicy, sweet, and sour!
Thai curry is also a favourite with many people because it so easy and quick. Just open up a can of coconut milk and green curry paste, boil some vegetables and steam some rice. A yummyVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-86978426934172163502011-01-28T05:31:00.000+01:002011-01-28T05:31:16.079+01:00What I have been upto...I know I have been MIA for quite a while now. And I apologize for that. With all the traveling and attending marriages and parties, I haven't been able to find time for blogging! But....that doesn't mean that I have been out of the kitchen. On the contrary, I have been quite active in the kitchen...doing a lot of baking and cooking! Most of which has been packed into gifts for Diwali and VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-52072667350228914402010-12-04T14:17:00.002+01:002010-12-04T14:27:45.582+01:00Soaking dried fruits for Christmas CakesThe end of the year always seems to fly by. With all the holidays and marriages, I feel like days are at their busiest during these last few months. It's also my favourite time of the year! The weather's great...the air is festive...and there's a general sense of happiness all around.
After I was invited to a Traditional Cake Mixing Ceremony at The Hilton Garden Inn, Delhi more than a month VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-41400391757751718932010-11-15T18:22:00.002+01:002010-11-16T16:12:38.978+01:00Eggless Chocolate Souffle flavoured with CointreauWhen I saw the Daring Cooks' challenge for November, I was excited and nervous at the same time. I had never tried making a souffle before, even though I loved eating it. But the knowledge that a souffle is supposed to rise with the help of eggs...lots of eggs, made me aware of the high possibility of a failure.
Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-26358933233531468592010-10-29T15:45:00.000+02:002010-10-29T15:45:25.477+02:00Beetroot Soup for PinktoberI had never heard of Pinktober before. But once this month began, I saw bloggers all over the world cooking up some lovely pink delicacies to show their support for it. The month of October is month for breast cancer awareness, and is thus celebrated as Pinktober. So here's my support for the cause, just before the month is over. A pink beetroot and coconut soup to bid a hearty goodbye to VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-77093178250137409932010-10-22T13:23:00.000+02:002010-10-22T13:23:28.280+02:00The 'Real' Kopi Luwak
Those of you who remember my previous post about Kopi Luwak, the weasel coffee, will remember me ending my post not knowing whether the coffee I had was authentic or fake. Well...having tried the real deal sometime back in Jakarta, I can declare that it was a fake one! And it would make sense since that coffee was made in Vietnam, while the real Kopi Luwak is Indonesian in origin.
Many of you VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-30069156930482245832010-09-24T07:16:00.001+02:002010-09-24T07:18:54.832+02:00Pesto Day!Today was a happy day for me. Why? Because I made two kinds of pesto. What is so exciting about pesto? Firstly, I find it very tough to get nice and fresh basil in Gurgaon. So when I do, I get excited about it as home-made pesto is one of my all-time favorite things! Secondly, I made sun-dried tomato pesto at home for the very first time. I have had the store-bought ones before, but the taste VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-36997237996428327902010-09-15T08:32:00.000+02:002010-09-15T08:32:58.654+02:00Daring Cooks do Food Preservation!It's that time of the month again.......time for Daring Cooks to work their magic and come up with innovative recipes! This month's challenge was especially challenging for me....as the theme was food preservation, something I guess I do but never think consciously about! I learnt a lot about canning and preservation from this challenge, and made myself some finger-licking-good pear butter. If itVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-30019441965553766932010-09-08T17:45:00.001+02:002010-09-08T17:48:16.179+02:00L'huile Piquante (Spicy Oil) ........for pizzas!!!
One of things I really miss about Paris is the Huile Piquante that was served in every pizzeria! Huile piquante is nothing but French for olive oil infused with herbs and spices (mostly lots of chillies), rendering it fragrant and hot. It's drizzled on pizzas and pasta, very much like you would use ketchup. The Italians call it Olio Piccante and that's what you'll get in every pizzeria in Italy VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-32701138223051990152010-09-06T13:49:00.002+02:002010-09-23T06:59:44.111+02:00Food Bloggers and Critics Meet in Delhi
The first day of September saw the coming together of some Delhi food bloggers and critics, at a fun event hosted by Borges Olive Oil at 19, Oriental Avenue, Shangri-La's Eros Hotel, New Delhi. Borges is the largest exporter of Olive oil from Spain and is fast expanding its' presence in the Indian market with its' array of Olive oils suited to Indian cooking.
The Delhi bloggers that VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-18482875023771181472010-08-26T12:53:00.000+02:002010-08-26T12:53:26.687+02:00Peach Galettes
I have mixed feelings each time the summer gives way to the monsoons in Delhi. There is always a feeling of incredible joy at the respite from the killing heat. At the same time, I know that it means the end of gorgeous stone fruit like plums, peaches, apricots, and cherries. I had hoped to make more fruit desserts over the summer, but would end up eating most of the fruit before I could manage VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-26554747645597026372010-08-15T20:00:00.000+02:002010-08-15T20:00:54.076+02:00The Daring Cooks Challenge - Aug 10 - PierogiThe August 2010 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n' Bites and Anula of Anula's Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.
The World of Pierogi. That was the title for the August DC challenge. I had never heard of pierogi before this. But on reading more, it didn'tVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-56533161735046557972010-08-12T11:15:00.001+02:002010-08-12T11:16:38.234+02:00Marinating Feta cheeseIn life, the simplest things are sometimes the ones that bring you the most pleasure. Marinated feta cheese is one of them! Apart from it's texture, I just love the fact that it is so versatile. You can use it for salads, pastas, pizzas, sauces, dips, sandwiches, crumbled on top of grilled vegetables, or by itself as an appetizer. This recipe is so ridiculously simple and so delicious that you'llVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-1194566813796123252010-08-06T08:38:00.000+02:002010-08-06T08:38:03.635+02:00Freezing wine...Have a tiny amount of left-over wine and don't know what to do with it? Freeze it!
Whenever I have some wine left-over....I mostly use it within the next few days to poach fruit or make pasta sauce. But sometimes the amount is just so little that I can't think of what to do with it! Solution - pour it into an ice-tray and freeze some wine cubes! Once frozen, the cubes can be stored in a ziplock VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-91672034663197217762010-08-04T09:53:00.000+02:002010-08-04T09:53:38.448+02:00Yogurt and mango parfait topped with granola......perfect!
Perfect....that's what parfait means in French and that's exactly what you'll feel when you dig into this cup filled with oodles of deliciousness! Thick-n-sweet yogurt, luscious mangoes, crunchy granola....you can't but love it!
Parfait is generally used to describe many different types of layered foods served in a dish. Though it is common to find savoury parfaits in France, in other parts of VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-55834369032489999082010-07-13T10:50:00.000+02:002010-07-13T10:50:26.645+02:00Paris shopping list
What kind of a shopping list do you give your husband when he travels to a different country on business? For me, it's always a grocery list. Even when I travel to a new place, I make a beeline to the supermarket before hitting the other shops. Call me crazy.....but that's what excites me more than clothes and shoes! Every country has its local stuff and I love spending hours checking it out! VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-7302578481236232212010-07-07T17:55:00.001+02:002010-07-07T17:57:15.359+02:00Potato salad with homemade eggless mayoEver since i saw this recipe for eggless mayonnaise by David Lebovitz, I've been waiting to try it out. I was quite excited about the prospect of making a milk-based mayo! But somehow I never got around to making any dish that required mayonnaise. (I'm not really fond of mayo cos of its eggy smell....so am not used to cooking with it). Until my curiosity took over and I decided I'd make the mayo VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-47954112656247141922010-07-01T12:07:00.000+02:002010-07-01T12:07:30.696+02:00Kopi Luwak or Weasel CoffeeKopi Lwak.....translated as Palm Civet Coffee.....or popularly known as Weasel Coffee is not your ordinary coffee. It is made with coffee beans that have passed through the digestive tract of a weasel or palm civet. The rather ugly-looking pests have a love for ripe red coffee beans but the latter pass undigested through their system. This process is supposed to take away the bitterness from VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-62290723979147002792010-06-25T11:13:00.001+02:002010-06-25T11:14:02.439+02:00Yummy granolaI have always known the health benefits of oats and I have tried many times to eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, but somehow....I don't like the taste of it! I know oats are good.....so I try to use them in crumbles, cakes, muffins, etc. But oats in sinful desserts tend to lose their goodness, right? Definitely doesn't give you an excuse to eat more of them!
Then one day I came across VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-47759078269237429662010-06-25T09:39:00.000+02:002010-06-25T09:39:17.317+02:00Frozen Blueberry Yogurt
Nothing beats the feeling of having something frozen in this heat. And what better than frozen fruit yogurt as a healthy and tasty dessert! I love blueberries. Unfortunately you don't get fresh blueberries in India, but luckily you do get the next best thing.....canned blueberries. I recently brought a can thinking I'd make a blueberry cheesecake. But when I couldn't find a good vegetarian VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-4742370074091154032010-06-17T10:38:00.000+02:002010-06-17T10:38:53.614+02:00Red wine poached peachesHave you ever had some left-over wine that you've poured down the drain thinking it must have gone bad? I have! Back in the days when I hadn't discovered the pleasures of cooking with wine. I now realise what I was missing out on....because wine can be a wonderful addition to many types of food, adding flavor and color. Wine that is meant to be used for cooking can be stored for upto 10 days in VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-21294823353467538982010-06-15T12:30:00.001+02:002010-06-15T12:30:34.242+02:00Honey and sesame roasted almonds
Honig Brat Madeln. Don't let the German scare you.....this recipe is as easy as the pronunciation of that is difficult! I first had these when I spent a few days of my winter break in Germany 5 years back. Available in plenty across all Christmas markets, these honey roasted almonds make for a perfect winter-time snack. Didn't know at that time that these are so simple to make. They are so good,VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-43071984361944154442010-06-14T11:51:00.000+02:002010-06-14T11:51:48.973+02:00Tri-color Vegetable Pâté for The Daring Cooks ChallengeMy first Daring Cooks challenge and I was thrilled to find out that it was French!
Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.
As a VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-85711461694942724422010-06-07T20:22:00.000+02:002010-06-07T20:22:26.087+02:00Lemon Yogurt Cake with PeachesAs much as I crib about the heat during these months, I have to admit that I love the summer for all the lovely fruit it brings with it. There's luscious mangoes, cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, lychees, and melons everywhere you look! I went for a short holiday to the hills last week and brought back such gorgeous looking apricots and peaches that I ended up eating half of my stash before I VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-54059250840462317882010-05-17T11:37:00.002+02:002010-06-07T18:21:08.462+02:00Orange chocolate cake
Got a demand from the husband for a chocolate-orange cake. Scoured the internet for a while, but when I couldn't find any good eggless orange-chocolate cake recipe.....I turned to the first cake recipe I ever used......a basic sponge cake. I think having a good basic sponge cake recipe is essential to making many delicious cakes. A bit of substitution here and there, keeping the ratio of the VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-80087723662668901092010-05-13T12:11:00.001+02:002010-05-17T11:12:56.679+02:00Ways with garlic....If I had to choose my two all-time favorite ingredients in the kicthen.....they would be garlic and olive oil. I can't imagine a day of cooking without them! The two together work like magic......having the ability to transform even the simplest of vegetables into something yummy.
I use a lot of garlic. But chopping garlic is my least favorite part of cooking. Thankfully, we have help at hand! VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-34866251699995285602010-05-04T11:12:00.001+02:002010-06-17T15:39:06.090+02:00Fresh tomato salsa in a jiffyWhat's your favorite snack to make in a jiffy? One of my favorites is Salsa. That is....if I have a pack of tortilla chips handy! Especially on hot days as it needs no cooking. It takes hardly 10 minutes to make and you can rarely go wrong with it! And it's one of those simple recipes that don't require anything fancy......you're more likely than not to have all the ingredients at hand. And this VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-52816710025669269932010-04-29T07:55:00.085+02:002010-05-17T11:26:40.615+02:00Cinnamony Strawberry preserveBack here after a few weeks of inactivity. April has been a busy and hot month.....so my time in the kitchen has been on the downward slide! Bright spot in the month was a holiday in gorgeous Goa to celebrate 4 years of married life. Goa is a super-fun place no matter what the season! Discovered some lovely beaches that made us forget that we were in India......and drove 600 kms in four days!!!
VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-31524306626035932632010-04-06T12:36:00.000+02:002010-06-17T15:38:21.630+02:00Smoky and garlicky Baba GanoushWhenever my eyes spot some pita bread, before I can even reach out to pick it up....my mind's already debating whether to make hummus or baba ganoush to go with it! More often than not, baba ganoush takes a backseat to its more popular cousin. But this time I also spotted some beautifully plump eggplants.....so my decision was much quicker!
I just love fresh pita bread with a garlicky middle VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-34805421948934798352010-03-23T15:18:00.001+01:002010-03-23T16:21:51.117+01:00Preserving Orange ZestSometimes I wish fruits and vegetables weren't seasonal. Wouldn't it be awesome if our favorite foods were available all the time?! But alas, that's not the case! I am sure there's enough good reasons for seasonality...but hey....no harm in some wishful thinking! So with the mercury on the rise and oranges having almost disappeared from the market, I thought it would be a wise thing to freeze VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-36760933008903953672010-03-18T09:48:00.002+01:002010-06-17T15:40:49.890+02:00Spinach, artichoke, and feta pizza on a herbed crust
I wish I knew sooner that pizza dough was so easy to make! Lately I have been on a "homemade" cooking spree...trying out things that we mostly tend to buy outside, but that are actually a breeze to make at home. Plus, they almost always taste better! Trust me, you have to try it to believe how simple it is to make a delicious pizza at home.
A search on Smitten Kitchen led me to this really VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-25840241270369285132010-03-16T09:50:00.000+01:002010-06-17T15:39:18.758+02:00Green TortillasGreen is for Spring....and for St. Patrick's Day! Rishab especially requested me to make something green for the day (don't ask me why!) and I really don't like to use food coloring.....so I decided to use spinach to make green tortillas. This was my first time making tortillas from scratch. I have been using the store-bought ones forever. I am so glad I made these at home....don't think I will VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-23642333810089284612010-03-12T16:54:00.001+01:002010-06-17T15:39:31.350+02:00Greek Gemista (stuffed red peppers)When we went to the Greek islands of Cyclades four years back for our honeymoon, we didn't really expect to eat much Greek food there. European countries aren't exactly famous for their vegetarian! It was understood that we'd mostly be surviving on Italian (pizzas mainly), as is the case for most of the places we travel to. So the major part of our holiday went by eating pizzas, a Greek item (VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-26718277462540268532010-03-04T15:25:00.006+01:002010-06-17T15:38:21.634+02:00Beetroot Day!
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mso-generic-font-family:swissVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-144236206777146252010-02-26T06:53:00.000+01:002010-02-26T06:53:59.496+01:00Sweet potato and carrot soupI first made this soup on a freezing January day. With a strong ginger taste, it was perfect to beat the cold! I couldn't wait to share it with you, but I forgot to take a picture! Then I knew I had to do a repeat soon, but something always got in the way. Until I finally did make it again! Am glad I didn't wait any longer, because very soon the mercury's going to rise so high (it's already 28 VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-45836930886411573762010-02-17T06:50:00.073+01:002010-06-17T15:39:52.098+02:00Broccoli and tofu quicheWow! I just realized that this is my 51st post.....yay! It's taken me a long time to get here (I attribute it to all the changes in my life in the past 6 months).....but I really really really hope to reach the 100 mark much sooner! I feel like such an amateur in this big virtual food blogging world...with a lot of learning to do and a long way to go!
To make one 10-12 VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-2927213911234409902010-02-04T11:20:00.001+01:002010-02-04T11:23:44.196+01:00Sweet potato and mint saladYes. These are sweet potatoes. I know....you'd normally expect a bright orange color when you read 'sweet potato', but the sweet potatoes we get in India are pale yellow in color. Of course, it doesnt look as beautiful as the more prevalent orange one, but it tastes just as good!
This is the first time I tried a sweet potato salad. I normally love all things made with the sweet tuber, so I knew VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-77123302011926790162010-01-29T08:56:00.000+01:002010-01-29T08:56:31.683+01:00Super-healthy and yummy cabbage-yogurt sandwichMothers try the most amazing things to make their children eat healthy. Mine used to make these awesome n creamy cabbage sandwiches when I was small, and I never knew until a long long time that she made them with yogurt (I probably would have hated them if I knew that)! I used to love them as a kid...and when yesterday I saw a purple cabbage staring at me from my refrigerator, I thought it wouldVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-58384077897307343122010-01-25T10:20:00.002+01:002010-01-26T19:07:11.444+01:00Moist and crumbly apple cinnamon buttermilk cakeApple. Cinnamon. The two words that come together to create magic in many different forms....be it apple pie, apple crumble, apple crisp, apple-cinnamon muffin....or apple-cinnamon cake. Nothing quite like a warm apple-cinnamon dessert on a cold winter night! So when I came across this Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Cake on Pinch My Salt, I had to try it asap. And was it good! This is definitely goingVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-85463605929813699672010-01-18T09:09:00.001+01:002010-01-18T09:11:31.140+01:00Bok Choy n Tofu Stir Fry
Finally.....my first post from my brand new home! :) It has been a long four months but I'm finally settled into my new apartment with a decently-big kitchen. Most people would say it's quite big....but I'd definitely love a bigger one.......maybe later! But for now.....I'm super-happy......especially after my tiny kitchenette in Paris. And here's one of my first meals from my new kitchen.....VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-14509873180983189332009-12-22T08:55:00.003+01:002010-07-25T13:14:21.836+02:00Cointreau-laced chewy hazelnut chocolate cookies!Need I say more?
These cookies are simply divine! With a delicious orange-chocolate flavor, they're chewy and crunchy at the same time. Perfect Christmas gift for Rishab :)
To make about 20 large or 30 small cookies:
1 cup butter, soft2/3 cup brown sugar2/3 cup white sugar2 cups flour2 cups quick cooking oats3 tsp cocoa powder3 tsp baking powder1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1 tbsp orange zest2 VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-21334532086586817962009-12-18T17:20:00.001+01:002009-12-18T17:24:16.461+01:00Mustard-roasted baby potatoes with chives and red pepperThere's something about whole-grain mustard. Not too overpowering, yet sharp enough with its just-right-pungency, it works like magic on almost every dish! Especially potatoes. Its coarse texture is just perfect to dot these baby potatoes. And...surprise...surprise...even though Dijon, France is known for being the mustard capital of the world, this tangy condiment actually has Roman origins!
VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-81325135635366808212009-12-16T08:43:00.000+01:002009-12-16T08:43:17.983+01:00Roasted button mushrooms with fetaDon't you just love the flavour that vegetables take on when they're oven-roasted with a splash of olive oil, a little bit of garlic and some herbs? Completely succulent! Carrots, potatoes, zucchini, aubergine, onions, beets, bell peppers......and even mushrooms! I must confess that I was quite a mushroom-hater as a kid, right up until a few years back where i even picked away the mushrooms from VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-30463720970282807042009-12-07T09:38:00.003+01:002010-06-17T15:38:21.638+02:00Bright and cheery beetroot hummus...I have come across beetroot hummus recipes several times, and each time I make a mental note to try it the next time I crave hummus. But somehow I never remember to buy beetroot when I shop for my vegetables! I guess that comes from the fact that I'm not too fond of it. But the vivid color of beetroot hummus was just too good to resist...and this time I made sure I wrote it in my grocery list. I VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-87245037310125189262009-11-30T07:00:00.001+01:002010-06-17T15:39:52.102+02:00Spinach and tofu quiche with sun-dried tomatoes and fetaThe first thing that pops out of my mouth when people ask me what's my favorite French dish is Quiche. French cuisine is not exactly vegetarian-friendly but Quiche is one dish that both vegetarians and vegans can easily enjoy. Interestingly, despite the general perception, quiche is actually German in origin. The word 'quiche' comes from 'Kuchen', the German word for cake. Traditionally, a quicheVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-558092112223831622009-11-16T12:46:00.000+01:002009-11-16T12:46:29.644+01:00Light-n-easy Zucchini & Spinach soupSo Delhi it is! Things have taken longer than expected but the result was definitely worth the wait. Rishab has finally decided to take up a job in Delhi and we're both very excited to start our new life here. Of course, now comes the tough part - looking for an apartment and setting it up! The next 1-2 months will be busy as expected, but also very exciting. I am just waiting to do up my new VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-30686088006928115082009-10-15T16:57:00.002+02:002009-10-15T17:06:00.017+02:00Baby spinach and strawberry salad...simply delightful!OK...so the break was longer than I expected...and it's not yet over! It's been a month being back in India now, and I'm enjoying all the luxuries of life here that I missed in Paris. Of course, I miss Paris as well (especially the grocery-shopping bit). I wish there was a perfect world with the best of both! Alas!
I'm not back to cooking full-swing yet (as I still don't have my own kitchen) VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-85680564556284434872009-09-11T15:58:00.004+02:002009-10-12T05:01:29.328+02:00Snow peas with mustard and a short goodbyeRemember the snow peas left in my fridge from yesterday’s post? Well…I did something totally delicious with them. I boiled them until they were tender and then sautéed them lightly (about 2-3 minutes) in some olive oil, garlic and whole-grain mustard. Then drizzled them with just a dash of lemon juice...and they were simply delish! Nothing great or complicated involved in making them, but the VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-43553452388179062552009-09-10T16:25:00.002+02:002009-09-10T16:28:55.406+02:00Pizza-style pita
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VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-82439192478057310732009-09-08T11:31:00.002+02:002009-09-08T14:41:49.950+02:00Super-easy and yummy green bean salad
This has got to be one the yummiest tomato and green been salad i have ever had! And it's so easy to make! The magic ingredient? I used roasted pecan nuts this time...they really give a unique flavour to the salad. And as usual, parmesan shavings add to the magic.
So, to get started, you need for 4 servings:400 gms green beans
100 gms cherry tomatoes
50 gms roasted pecan nuts 2 tbsps olive VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-45128045802672465482009-09-05T11:50:00.001+02:002009-09-05T11:52:37.784+02:00Grilled nectarines served many ways
As summer is on its way out, I'm trying to make the most of the delicious fruits and vegetables on the market right now. And in my fervor I think I ended up buying a bit too much fruit on my last trip! So i used the opportunity to grill some nectarines for dessert. Nothing quite like grilling a fruit to bring out its natural sugars and intensify the flavour! Grilled nectarines, just like VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-18686840275927140482009-09-01T11:45:00.000+02:002010-06-17T15:40:37.307+02:00Antipasto - Romanella tomatoes with marinated bocconcini Beautiful Romanella tomatoes. That's what they are. Absolutely gorgeous! This Italian variety of tomatoes is just a bit bigger than cherry tomatoes and slightly oblong. Used them to make a lip-smacking antipasto with marinated bocconcini. The latter, in case you're wondering, are bite-sized fresh mozzarella balls. Bocconcini literally means "small mouthfuls" in Italian. As i am typing, I see theVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-24251751908570641342009-08-29T19:54:00.002+02:002009-08-29T20:02:05.825+02:00Prick-me pear!Saw yet another fruit yesterday that was new to me! It was called "figue de barbarie" in French. I assumed it translated into something like 'Barbarian fig' - I had no idea that the english name would be so different. Turns out that it's called Prickly Pear in english and is actually a cactus! Then i knew why I felt a prick when i picked a few up!
I must say that I am a serious fruit-lover....VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-15018865644717415772009-08-25T18:11:00.005+02:002010-06-17T15:41:12.746+02:00Behind the scenes of a baguette
<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-2145265411663100882009-08-23T18:53:00.012+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.752+02:00Delicious and low-fat greek yogurt dipPhew! The mercury has really been rising lately...and that doesn't quite motivate me to stand in front of a hot stove! Paris experienced one of its hottest days of the year this week, and i was in no mood to spend even one minute more than necesary in the kitchen. So the end result was a cold, quick and healthy dinner...a delicious, low-fat, greek yogurt dip with veggies and bread!I love greek VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-28437662776443677772009-08-21T10:03:00.007+02:002009-08-28T09:47:05.149+02:00Using left-over breadNo ducks to feed your stale bread to? Guilt-tripping about having thrown it? Save yourself the guilt of wasting food......for there are many delicious uses of left-over bread! Too small a piece to be used? Keep storing bits and pieces of different breads in a Ziploc bag in the freezer until you have enough! Here's the best few ways i know of to use old bread...Croutons - Homemade croutons are VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-75958337115241926292009-08-19T18:11:00.007+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.753+02:00Melt-in-your-mouth zucchini and asparagus rollsEver since I first made my aubergine and feta rolls, i had been meaning to do the same with zucchini...and i finally got around to doing it! I used cream cheese instead of feta this time, and rolled in some asparagus as well...and it was simply divine! There's no better way to describe it. The soft cream cheese with the tender asparagus and marinated zucchini gives an absolutely VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-88777615951124598932009-08-16T10:09:00.007+02:002009-09-11T15:03:56.680+02:00Chiffonade...don't chop!While looking up a zucchini carpaccio recipe on Avec Eric, i came across a cooking term that i had never heard of before...Chiffonade! I instantly knew it's french and comes from the french word "chiffon" which means rag...but didn't understand what a rag had to do with cooking? A quick peek in the dictionnary and turns out that "chiffonade" means "made of rags". So in the cooking world, VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-53646306143917423262009-08-15T18:01:00.007+02:002010-06-17T15:41:41.111+02:00Indian Chickpea Curry or Chana MasalaFinally......an Indian recipe! It was high time...i was feeling too guilty about not having anything Indian on my blog when i love it so much and eat it so often! So that had to change. Love chickpeas in all forms possible...and Chana Masala is just one of them.For 4-6 servings:2 cans boiled chickpeas (garbanzo beans)2 tbsp cumin seeds4 cloves garlic, crushed2 onions, chopped1 tsp ginger, VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-21244880320961010982009-08-10T15:04:00.006+02:002009-08-28T08:58:42.838+02:00Flavored teas for summersThere is nothing like a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea in winter...but come summers, and the idea becomes less than appealing! I still can't do without my morning cup of coffee, but hot tea has completely disappeared from my days ever since i discovered a more refreshing way to have my tea. I do love the regular peach and lemon iced tea.....but there's only so much of it i can take! So I VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-42459636762375772172009-08-10T14:32:00.006+02:002009-08-28T08:56:36.236+02:00Sharon fruitFor someone like me, seeing an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables is nothing short of joy. And i'm loving the summers for this! My face lights up every time i spot one of my favorite fruits or vegetables making an appearance on the market. And whenever i see something new to me, i'm instantly curious to try it out! Since i've lived in India almost all of my life, that happens pretty VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-41142301411355761112009-08-08T14:40:00.006+02:002009-08-28T08:56:49.915+02:00Baby Spinach, Apricot and Mirabelle saladLaid my eyes for the first time ever on these gorgeous-looking Mirabelle Plums (aka Mirabelle Prunes) in the supermarket, and being the fruit-crazy person that i am...i couldn't not buy them! I popped one in my mouth as soon as i reached home...and was instantly in love with them! Normally i am not too fond of plums, but this was an exception. The tiny yellow fruit has a taste somewhere between aVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-17340299347912528982009-08-06T16:06:00.006+02:002009-08-28T09:52:56.457+02:00Balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini on broccoli riceI got my hands on some fresh Grana Padano few days back, and i have been using it on everything from salads to vegetables to rice to pastas! I just love the flaky texture and the fresh taste compared to the grated and preserved one. One of the dishes on which it worked like magic was balsamic roasted zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Served over some broccoli and butter beans rice, it was simply VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-77946942454412176942009-08-03T19:11:00.004+02:002009-08-28T09:52:56.458+02:00Wild rice...?I have heard of wild asparagus, wild strawberries, wild ginger, wild lettuce...but i never imagined 'wild' to be an adjective i would see next to rice! Intriguing...just like black garlic. The name is misleading, however, as it's not really part of the rice family, but a grass! Surprise! In use, it is like regular rice...but takes more water and almost triple the time to cook, has a chewy textureVeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-47111407985225801522009-08-02T19:33:00.005+02:002010-06-17T15:42:04.692+02:00Asparagus penne pasta<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-808904643593776592009-07-30T20:58:00.006+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.755+02:00Zucchini & chives on toastI'm a big zucchini fan! Of Italian origin, it's one of those very versatile vegetables that can be eaten raw, fried, baked, grilled, sautéed, or braised. No....it doesn't take well to water so you should never boil it, unless you want to make it into a puree for soup! It goes well in salads, curries, pastas, sandwiches.....you can even use it to make bread. The best thing about it is that it VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-20400859134786366462009-07-28T20:23:00.005+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.756+02:00Pink grapefruit and rocket/arugula salad<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS Mincho"; panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4; mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:modern; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:-VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-74067975966625651542009-07-26T14:56:00.007+02:002009-08-28T08:58:31.402+02:00Jasmine tea in Cake?!I recently read about green tea being used to make desserts and it struck me as odd. I couldn't imagine what the taste would be like. Skeptical as i was, it was an idea that intrigued me! It stayed at the back of my mind...until yesterday, when Rishab took me (as a surprise!), to a cafe inside le Musee de la Vie Romantique (the museum of romantic life...yeah, paris has ALL kind of museums VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-23671577991702874362009-07-24T19:27:00.007+02:002009-08-28T09:44:55.912+02:00Carrots & Beans made yummy!A simple, quick and delicious combination of carrots and beans....2 vegetables that are not quite liked by a lot of people! Can be served as a salad or side dish.What you need for 2 servings:250 gms green beans4 medium carrots2-3 sundried tomatoes, chopped1 tsbp pine nuts1 clove garlic, crushed1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped4 small slices gouda cheese (i used gouda with cumin, but plain gouda is VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-23199067098821452502009-07-23T09:30:00.006+02:002009-08-28T09:49:02.019+02:00Chickpea and Spinach BruschettaI was staring at some leftover hummus in my fridge yesterday and asking myself what could i do with it that would be innovative and tasty?! Luckily i was in a mood to experiment...and the result was a delicious fusion of mediterranean and italian flavours! Try this the next time you feel like having your hummus differently.All you need to do is this...Heat a spoon of olive oil and sautee 2 cups VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-46667847650020603402009-07-14T15:02:00.011+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.757+02:00Tomato and bean salad......and more...The french are true bean-lovers! Passing by the fresh beans section in the supermarket today, i saw such an array of beans as i had never seen before! Growing up, beans were on my list of most-hated vegetables...but today, seeing the colorful display, i couldn't resist buying several varieties. I just had to try them!Left to right - Cranberry beans, green beans, yellow beans, and Romano beans (VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-14285049665211340672009-07-12T12:10:00.011+02:002010-06-17T15:42:25.278+02:00Asparagus with avocado coulisSimple yet delightful! Garlic roasted asparagus served with avocado coulis, chives and lemon zest. Coulis is french for 'strained liquid'. It's a thick sauce made from a fruit or vegetable, usually seasoned after being pureed into a smooth and creamy mixture. Serves to accompany different vegetables and desserts. Avocado coulis is a tangy-spicy sauce made with lime juice and jalapenos. What you VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-82518104767329018752009-07-08T11:08:00.013+02:002010-06-17T15:43:51.385+02:00Crispy gnocchi with spinach cream sauceI just love experimenting with different cuisines and trying out new dishes, but at times i find myself facing some limitations as a vegetarian. Nonetheless, i always try to make my own alterations to the recipes. In that light, one of my favorite cuisines is Italian...as it never disappoints a vegetarian! God bless the Italians for exporting their food so well....no matter where i go in the VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-41073102449569960722009-07-04T09:25:00.009+02:002010-06-17T15:43:31.299+02:00Mediterranean Chickpea SaladI'm quite a salad-as-main-course kind of person, but serving just a salad to Rishab for a meal is bound to get an unpleasant reaction! So when i wanted to have a chickpea salad for lunch, a summer-time favorite of mine......i turned it into a 'suitable for Rishab' main dish by the addition of a chickpea sandwich! :) Yes, it turned out to be a winning strategy....as he said it was a perfect combo!VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-84581580397914430462009-07-01T21:12:00.009+02:002009-08-28T09:08:31.307+02:00Get more from your pepper-mill!Add a dash of color to your pepper mill and a whole new flavour to your recipes with the aromatic 5 peppercorns mix. The mixture, known as 5 Baies in french, is a combination of black, white, green, pink, and Jamaican pepper(or Allspice). Created in the 60's, it is also known as Rainbow peppercorn mix. Each one imparts its own unique flavour, resulting in a complex and contrasting bouquet - VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-59611967714614558462009-06-30T17:24:00.013+02:002009-09-01T12:02:09.758+02:00Aubergine & feta rollsEver since i moved to France i became an aubergine fan! Two reasons why i never liked it before......a) i don't relish the taste when it's made in an indian curry style, and b) the indian aubergines often turn out to have worms in them, which obviously puts me off!!! One of my favorites - Grilled aubergine slices, marinated in olive oil and garlic. But a simple way to make them even more VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809970652286221401.post-16298949862824728412009-06-28T12:07:00.009+02:002009-08-28T09:10:05.023+02:00Paper-towel magic!One of my can't-live-without items in the kitchen is paper-towel! I just love its many uses, but one of the best and less-talked about of them is to keep herbs and veggies fresh. I am a true believer in using fresh herbs over dried ones, but my heart sinks each time i see my herbs gone brown! So after trying many different methods to make them last longer, i finally hit jackpot when i started VeggieWizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16773433459788868758noreply@blogger.com0