Couscous Salad with Sauteed Greens & Pumpkin Seeds

What an incredibly useful plant the pumpkin is. It gives us the flowers to make fritters with, the tender leaves can be briefly cooked and used in salads or back home, my grandma makes the tastiest “al kanij ta waangun” ( pumpkin leaves and baby eggplants). Then, when Halloween is around the corner, we bring the pumpkins home and make them into Jack o lanterns, or make pies and soups. And when carving those pumpkins we save up the seeds to either roast or dry up and store to use later. Pumpkin was not my favorite vegetable to eat, unless …

Kale and Pistachio Pasta Salad

The nut in a nutshell! Pistachios are fun to eat. I usually buy them with the shell on. The process of taking them out of their shell slows down the eating process and you eat much lesser than you would if you just buy them shelled. They make a fun snack. With an abundance of Vitamins and minerals pistachios provide nutrients like copper, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and B6. Delicious, healthy and eye catching beautiful! Speaking of beautiful, my friend Priti shipped me some goodies a while back.  In addition to herbs and spices from different corners of the world, she …

Black Bean & Cucumber Salsa

Colorful, zesty and full of flavors, black bean & cucumber salsa is my go to salsa.  A few months ago I cooked a Mexican themed dinner for my friends. I made the  black bean & cucumber salsa to go with chips. While one of my friends gave us all a facial, (Yes, we do that kind of stuff ! ) we sipped wine and ate salsa.     My friend Tina loved this salsa instantly.  She wasn’t a fan of the hotter one I made with mangoes, but this she loved!  She has recreated this in her kitchen a few times since …

Green Peas Salad

  The Green peas are a legume and so a very good source of protein.  A cup of raw green peas packs 30% of an adults daily fiber requirement and about half  the supply of the good old Vitamin C.  In addition to that they are also a good source of vitamin K which you know is great for your bone function. I don’t think I have ever looked at peas with more reverence than I do now.  I do tend to put them in most of my quick fix dishes as they don’t really need much cooking.  But until now, …

Mango Papaya Salad

Keri Papaya Chinn or the Mango papaya salad is a popular street food accompaniment  in the state of Gujarat in India.   Shredded, thin strips of both the fruits, seasoned with salt and a little spice is served with  fafda, samosa or any other savory snack you fancy having. I find it to be a refreshing addition to any savory Indian meal.  It is easy to confuse this with a thai green mango salad, and I think it might actually be a good substitute as is.  The one thing I love about this salad is how simple , yet flavorful this salad is. For …

Kiwi Mulberry Pomegranate Mixed Fruit Chaat

It has been a very busy month.  The tween turned into a teen  tornado.  And we have been busy redoing the room from a baby pink and lavender to a royal turquoise and lilac. The furniture is more teenager like and so are the room accessories.  She is excited and so am I.  I had thought it would be a daunting experience because I wouldn’t be ready.  But it has turned to be a great joy.  A whole new person is emerging right in front of my eyes and I suddenly have a new friend, interesting and refreshing take on …