A Fresh Summer Salad

For this recipe, you will require an unlikely combination of very few ingredients that I guarantee to leave your taste buds wanting more. I have recently discovered, and come to appreciate, the marriage of sweet and salt. If done well, it reveals limitless possibilities.

Baby Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad (serves 2)

2 packed cups of baby spinach leaves

1 medium red bell pepper (capsicum) thinly sliced

1 mandarin peeled and pieces separated

1 medium red onion thinly sliced into strips

50g goat cheese (maybe a little more, if you so desire)

a dusting of all-purpose flour (optional)

3 tbsp vegetable oil (optional)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (totally NOT optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Thoroughly wash and dry the baby spinach leaves and keep them aside. Remove the skin from the pieces of mandarin and keep them aside. Break up the goat cheese into chunks and keep it aside. Lightly coat the slices of onion in vegetable oil, and toss them together with a dusting of all-purpose flour so that they are slightly battered. Fry the flour covered onion in the remaining vegetable oil until the strips are curled and crispy. Strain them and keep them aside on a plate covered with a napkin to absorb any oil. Now, combine the baby spinach, mandarin pieces, red pepper slices and goat cheese in a large salad bowl. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and drizzle this over the salad. Give it a toss if it needs one. Finally, garnish the salad with the fried onion strips.

Variations for Health and Taste:

If you’re not a fan of baby spinach, any combination of greens should work well. Try 1 head of radicchio combined with 1 bunch of arugula. Even lettuce of any kind should do the trick if the suggested greens are unavailable, or if you enjoy your salad on the conservative side. Also, any colour of bell pepper will do, as they are all an excellent source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. If you can’t get your paws on mandarin, then any citrus should work just as well. However, I highly discourage you from using lemon and lime - stick to orange and tangerine. As for the onion, it need not be battered and fried. If you’re on a low-carb diet, then feel free to simply caramelize the onion. It is also perfectly acceptable to garnish the salad with slices of fresh red onion as well (white doesn’t make for the best fresh garnish.) Finally, roasted goat cheese will give added character to this salad, or even a sprinkle of roasted pine nuts. Buon Appetito!

Eggless Cheesecake - Equally Satisfying!

Hello All! It's been too long since my last post, but I've been rather busy of late. Nevertheless, I take this time and opportunity to share a fun little recipe with you - an eggless cheesecake that I made for Pranav's birthday last weekend. You don't need too much, and it wont take you more than an hour to finish the job. Here we go!

Eggless Cheesecake (serves 6-8)

• 16 arrowroot buscuits
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/3 melted butter
• a dash of cinnamon
• 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 3/4 cup of sour cream 
• 8 ounces of whipped cream

Start by taking out the day's frustrations and mash the arrowroot biscuits to pieces. Put the crumbs in a bowl and soften them with the milk and butter. Add the cinnamon for an unexpected hint of spice in the crust. The biscuits will take on a doughy texture - they should be soft, but not too mushy. Press the doughy crust into a 9-inch dish and bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Next, combine the remaining items in a large bowl, and keep beating, stirring and mixing until the filling is silky smooth. When the crust is cool, pour in the filling and put your cake into the fridge to chill. A no-bake cheesecake requires at least 10 hours to set, so I recommend doing this at night and sleeping through the temptation to stick your pinky in for a sample. Your cake will be ready to enjoy the next day.  If you like toppings on your cheesecake, here's the recipe for a quick glaze.

Strawberry Glaze Topping (to cover the cheesecake)

• 2 cups of fresh strawberries - chopped
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar

Keep the strawberries separate while you mix the cornstarch, lime juice and water in a bowl. The cornstarch will completely dissolve, and you should now add this mixture to the strawberries in a saucepan to cook on medium-low heat. When it thickens and becomes translucent, add the sugar. Keep tasting until you're satisfied with the sweetness. For a more tart glaze, don't add all the sugar. Pour this topping over the cheesecake when it cools, or serve it on the side. Bon Apetit!

Dahi Wali Bhindi

Ok folks! It's been a really long time since I updated this blog. I've been rather busy of late with my parents in town, and when there's a mother why would I be cooking that often right? Right. Anyway, this weekend Pranav mentioned to me that it had been a while since I made my famous Dahi Wali Bhindi or Okra in Yogurt Sauce. I don't even know how famous it is, but it was one of the first dishes I cooked for my in-laws, and apparently it was a hit. So today, I endeavour to make this dish, and here's how it goes. Enjoy!

Dahi Wali Bhindi (Serves 3-4)

• 1/2 kg of okra, washed, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp of ghee/clarified butter
• 1 tsp jeera seeds/whole cumin
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 fresh red or green chili
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 tsp dhania powder/coriander powder
• t tsp haldi/turmeric
• 1 tsp red chili power
• 4 tbsp dahi/yogurt
• salt to taste 
• fresh dhani/coriander for garnishing

Heat the ghee in a kadai or wok on medium. When the oil is hot enough add the jeera seeds. You can test this by dropping in one jeera seed and if it starts to crackle then it's just right. Then add the chopped onion and fry this until the pieces become translucent.

Now add the chopped tomato along with the fresh chili. When the tomatoes melt down a little, add the okra and cook these for at least 4 to 5 minutes. While the okra is cooking, mix the spices in with the yogurt. I've known some people to add the spices at the same time as the tomato and not mix it in with the dahi. I'm not sure that it makes a difference. 

Now add the spicy yogurt to the kadai and allow this to cook until the bhindi is soft. This is also the time to add the salt, but definitely check to see that you add the amount you like because yogurt can get salty very quickly. Garnish with the fresh dhania and serve with rice or roti!