WHAT DO I MAKE...

Ingredients: Orzo pasta - 1/2 lb Bell (green or yellow) pepper - 1/2, finely chopped Cherry tomatoes - 20-30, halved Feta cheese - 6-8oz, crumbled Onion - 1/4, finely chopped (I used red onion but scallions would be a good  idea!) Dressing: Rice/White wine vinegar - 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar - 1/2 tbsp (optional, I found the taste of balsamic vinegar overpowering, I made another dressing without the balsamic!) Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Honey - 2 tbsp EVOO - 2 tbsp Hot sauce - 4-5 drops Salt and crushed black pepper Whisk in the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Mix all other ingredients in a salad bowl. If you wish to serve it chilled, refrigerate for a about 10-15mins, remove, add the dressing and serve.  Notes: For a Mexican version, add 1/4 of a red onion finely chopped, 1/2 can of corn kernels, 1/2 can of black beans (rinsed), 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper and some chopped fresh cilantro. You can also add 1/2 finely chopped tomatoes. You c...

The inspiration to make this cake came from this PICTURE from one of my favorite blogs for eggless baking. The original recipe can be found HERE . The recipe has two great flavors - mango and cardamom - if you pick up the right mango puree, the flavors from these two ingredients come out really well in the cake. Notes: Mango puree - I picked up the Deep brand mango pulp , the plain flavor (not the Kesar as shown in the picture!). This is a great product, it tastes like fresh mango unlike some other canned mango pulps I have tried earlier! Icing - I skipped the icing! If you wish to have it on then it might be a good idea to reduce the sugar as mentioned in the www.egglesscooking.com link. Cupcake liners - this is one area I would correct next time. I forgot to coat the cupcake liners with a nonstick spray, make sure you do it!!! I baked at 350F and my cake was done in about 20 minutes (even though the original recipe says 27 minutes). So, make sure to do the toothpick test close to ...

Serving Size: 3-4 I am sure you've noticed that a lot of my recipes are adapted from some great chefs that have inspired and continue to inspire me. Yeah! one of my hobbies is to browse for recipes and food blogs. If something looks good and is doable in my mind, it gets tagged as a "must try". I hope these chefs don't mind me posting their recipes on my blog. Of course, I make sure to give them the due credit and like they say Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery !!! So, here goes one more dish inspired by a recipe I found online. It's THE perfect soup for a cold rainy day! Click HERE for the original recipe and read below for my twists and notes! I used 1/2 cup of canned white chana (chick peas/garbanzos) instead of the black eyed peas. I added the chana in the end after the masoor was done Vegetables - I used 1 cup of frozen vegetables and 1/2 cup of small-medium frozen broccoli florets Green Chili - I used 1 serrano pepper finely chopped. If you don...

Ingredients: Bread - 2 slices (I used whole wheat) Cheese - 1 slice ( Reduced Fat Pepper Jack ) Jalapeno Hummus (If you are using pepper jack cheese, you could do plain hummus!) Falafel - 2 (I used the frozen "heat&serve" falafel available in Costco ) Onions - cut into flat, wide 2" pieces - 5 pieces (or according to your taste) Tomato slices - optional Butter or Cooking oil spray Heat tava and spray some oil and place the slices of bread. When it's toasted on one side, flip it over. Place the cheese on one slice and spread the hummus over the other. Microwave the falafel for a minute or less, remove and slightly press and place them over the cheese slice and arrange the onion slices. Now place the other slice and press the sandwich well on both sides and serve! You can serve this with ketchup or any other tangy sauce. Other tangy/sour options would be some capers/olives. If you like Feta cheese, that would be the perfect choice for this sandwich. I...

Upma is a comfort food in South India. Rava, semiya, rice, bread - no matter what your base ingredient is - making upma can never be difficult and a basic upma is always a Quick Fix Recipe! This time I decided to make upma with a new ingredient, something I have been wanting to try for a long time now - Quinoa!! Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah ) is a very-high-protein grain thus making it an unusually complete protein source especially for vegetarians and vegans. The grain is native to South America and was once considered the "mother grain" by the Incas. Click here for more information and for the nutritional benefits of Quinoa. Quinoa may not be available in your regular grocery store, look for it in a health food store. I picked up mine from Whole Foods. Ingredients: Quinoa - 1/2 cup Garlic - 2 medium sized pods, chopped 1/2 inch size Onion - 1/4 of a big onion, chopped 1/2 inch size Vegetables (carrot, peas, beans) - 1/4 cup, finely chopped (I was not fully prepared w...