Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts and Dried Tomatoes

I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts and Dried Tomatoes was (page 313) and how incredibly simple it was to make. I like to use the 8 whole grain pasta because it's very hearty. I served this salad with "Panir Cheese, Summer Squash and Red Bell Peppers" from The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi. The two dishes were excellent together.

Apfeltorte (Apple Torte)

The Apple Torte recipe (page 395) is under the cake section. It looks like a fruit crisp when it comes out of the oven but it is definitely a cake with a soft filling of apples. The lemon zest adds a delightful surprise to the flavor. This is another recipe you will enjoy making for company or any special occasion.

Greek-Style Marinated Vegetables (Lahana Marinata)

The Greek-Style Marinated Vegetables (page 304) is a recipe that will change depending on the season and which vegetables you find locally available. Miriam has you cut 4 to 6 cups of veggies which are then marinated in herbs and juices. I found the marinade to be a little tart for me, so I added a teaspoon of sugar. I used fennel, celery, carrots, potatoes and zucchini as my vegetables but it would be a completely different salad with broccoli, green beans and snow peas. Anyway, there is great versatility in the recipe.

Spanakopita (Spinach-Filo Pie)

The Spanakopita recipe (page 128) makes a pretty presentation with it's golden colored pastry and dark green interior. A particularly good recipe for company or a special treat for your family. I substituted tofu for feta cheese as given in the variation. Very nice!

Orange Cake with Orange-Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

The Orange Cake with Orange-Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (page 386-7) is another rich, decadent dessert baked lovingly without eggs. As usual, I've made this in a cupcake form and only made half the recipe for the cake and icing. It made 12 delicious cupcakes.

Sesame Radish Salad

The Sesame Radish Salad (page 311) surprised me with it's mild peppery taste. Miriam says that young radishes are balancing for all three doshas but when cooked with a little oil, radishes are very good for vata. I thought this little salad was a very unusual and tasty treat. It is also a super fast recipe (under 10 minutes).

Pineapple Chutney (Ananas Chatni)

The Pineapple Chutney (page 518) is easy enough to make... you just simmer the ingredients for several hours. I put everything into an enameled cast iron saucepan on low and let it do it's thing. The entire house smelled fabulous and it's very yummy.

Bon Bon Chi with Asparagus (Cold Sesame Noodle Salad)

The recipe today is the Bon Bon Chi with Asparagus ( page 314) and even though the title says "cold," in Ayurveda food is not served cold but room temperature. I served this right from the stove top so it was still warm and delicious. The sesame dressing in this salad is wonderful and I'm already planning to use it over many other vegetable dishes. This is a meal all by itself and the recipe is flexible enough to allow for many of your own creations. Love this recipe.

Tomato Sauce

I made the Tomato Sauce recipe (page 505) as a complement to the Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant recipe in the previous post. This is a very good and tasty homemade tomato sauce that can simmer on the stove all day long.

Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant

The Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant recipe (page 117) is one of those recipes that I have to substitute an ingredient. In order to make this recipe, I needed to make a substitution for things we were told by the Ayurvedic expert (Vaidya) not to eat. Today I used zucchini instead of the eggplant. I followed everything else exactly as the recipe stated. The ingredients in the stuffing include bread crumbs, celery, raisins, pine nuts and fresh parsley to name a few. The stuffing was so good, I could eat it without the pepper! Miriam suggests serving this with her home made tomato sauce recipe (tomorrow's post).

Coconut Chutney (Nariyal Chatni)

The Coconut Chutney recipe (page 518) is really different from any other coconut chutney I've tried. The yogurt and mustard seeds add a unique taste surprise. I served it with flat bread and our daily dal.

Butter Cookies

The Butter Cookie recipe (page 431) makes an extremely rich cookie. I added raisins and powdered sugar. They are a little like short bread in texture and flavor. Adding the raisins and sugar brings out the sweetness. I hope the ladies in the office enjoy them.

Grits

I decided to try making what the rest of the grit eating world has long since known, Grits (page 164). They can be either hominy (the white kind) or yellow grits. They can be served either sweet or savory depending on what you decide to add. I chose to add ghee, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Yummy.

Raisins and Rose Water (Kishmish Gulab Jal Chatni)

The Raisins and Rose Water (page 520) is a quick and simple condiment to help cool you down from internal and external heat. Both raisins and rose water are pacifying to pitta. This little gem can be simmered on the back burner while you're making your daily dal.