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TheVegFusion.com: June 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Spring Salad





Fresh Spring Salad
Spring is the season when fresh fruits are in abundance, and so it is with my great pleasure that I share my favorite spring salad..A meal is not fulfilling without it. Recently I made a salad with romaine lettuce. This recipe is a simple recipe of just five ingredients.

Ingredients

  • Fresh washed and cut strawberries
  • Fresh pears, washed and cubed
  • Crushed almonds
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Italian vinaigrette dressing

Mix all of these together and toss a dash of the dressing and enjoy!

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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Artichoke Spinach Dip


Artichoke Spinach Dip
Artichokes are not well utilized in Indian culture, but I have always been fascinated with artichoke spinach dip.So this week I started my first experiment from scratch

Ingredients

  • 1 artichoke
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Salt & black pepper
  • 1 tbsp sour cream
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Parsley flakes
  • 1/2 diced onion
  • 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese


Instructions:

  1. Boil the artichoke. Peel each layer of petals and scrape the ends to get the edible residue off with a spoon and collect this material in a bowl.
  2. Scoop the fuzzy center part covering the heart out and discard it (DO NOT EAT IT). The remaining portion at the bottom is the heart- cut it into pieces.
  3. Cut the baby spinach and microwave it for 3 minutes.
  4. Add all the ingredients and mix them well.
  5. Top it off with mozzarella cheese and bake it for 10 minutes.
  6. The dip is ready to eat with your favorite chips (pita, tortilla, etc.)

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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Mutter & Tofu Panjabi style



 
Mutter & Tofu with tomato gravy
For this week's vegan recipe, I have always wanted to see if tofu can serve as a good substitute for paneer.
I have recently bought Nasoya-brand organic cubed super firm tofu.  I had some tomato sauce saved up from my previous recipe. I also decided to use some leftover red and green bell peppers.
Moreover, my son is home from college and he was craving to eat some good home-cooked meal. So here is the quick recipe for mutter ("mutter" is the Hindi word for peas) and cubed tofu with tomato gravy

Ingredients:
  • Half red and green bell peppers cubed
  • Half packet of cubed tofu
  • Half can of tomato sauce plain
  • One medium onion cubed
  • Two shallots of minced garlic
  • One tbsp of minced ginger
  • One cup of frozen peas
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/4 tsp of red chili pepper
  • 2-3 tsp of ground coriander and cumin powder
  • 1/4 tsp of turmeric
  • 2 tsp of oil

How to make:

  1. Put some oil in a pan on medium heat.
  2. Fry onions, ginger, and garlic for 3-4 minutes till they becomes transparent.
  3. Microwave frozen peas for 3 minutes
  4. Add bell peppers, tofu, and peas to the pan.
  5. Mix with a wooden spoon (not metal)  so that the tofu does not crumble.
  6.  Add remaining spices. and stir softly.
  7. Add 1/4 cup of water and tomato sauce.
  8. Simmer in low heat for 10 minutes.
  9. You will see the color has changed.. You will know it is done with you see oil floating on the top.
  10. Enjoy with Naan or Paratha!

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Stuffed Okra



Okra is widely available all over the world. There are numerous ways one can make okra subji. One of my favorite ways is stuffed okra with a special blend of spices and ground peanuts. Okra lovers will definitely enjoy this recipe. It takes a little bit of time but it is well worth it.

Recipe Type: Jain, Vegan, Gluten Free and full of vitamins and anti-oxidants.
Cooking Time:  35 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy to make if you cook regularly.



2 lbs. Okra, washed and dried with a paper towel.  Cut both ends off and make a slit in the middle.



Ingredients:

2    Lbs. Okra


Salt to taste
1/4 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
2    TBsp Cumin and coriander powder, little more than usual
3    TBsp Ground Peanut Powder
1    Tsp Fresh Grated Ginger
1    Tsp Fresh Grated Green Chili
1    TBsp Besan or Chick Pea Flour
2    TBsp Coconut flakes, optional to garnish


Chopped Cilantro to garnish
3    TBsp Oil




How to Prepare:

  1. Mix all the spices and fill in the slit of okra. Set aside.
  2. On medium heat in a wok add oil.
  3. Add stuffed okra and let it sizzle. Use wooden spatula to stir occasionally.
  4. Mix it gently covering oil.  Let it sizzle for 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer it to a glass pan or corning ware. Cover with saran wrap.
  6. Microwave it for 3-4 minutes. Check that okra is tender and done.
  7. If it is not done, microwave again for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Garnish with cilantro and coconut flakes.
  9. Serve with warm roti.
  10. Enjoy!!!
Serving Size is 1/10 of Recipe.


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