Peas and Panir (Mattar Paneer)

After considerable thought I decided to change something in the Peas and Panir recipe. Since I don't eat tomatoes, and the recipe calls for 2 cups of chopped tomatoes; I decide to substitute the Carrot-Pepper Sauce (page 255) recipe for the tomatoes.

I love the Carrot-pepper sauce because finally I found a great alternative for tomato sauce! Miriam explains that tomatoes aggravate all doshas because they have a high acid content. My own experience is acid reflux diminishes greatly when I do not have tomatoes in my diet. "The flavor mimics a sweeter version of a tomato sauce…" All said and done, I had a lovely Peas and Panir dish which was more pitta friendly.

Greek-Style Green Beans

Last night for dinner I cooked the Greek-Style Green Beans and my husband said "these green beans are better than Aunt Pearl's." Well, I've been trying to cook green beans better than Aunt Pearls' my entire married life! There are 2 dishes John has always talked about... his mother's fried chicken and his aunt Pearl's green beans. I'm never going to be able to cook fried chicken like his mom but I'm incredibly happy to have a recipe that rivals (dare I say, better than) Aunt Pearls. So for this reason I've decided to make Greek-Style Green Beans one of my favorite recipes.

Masala Chai

The Masala Chai recipe I found on page 496. It was a lovely morning cup of tea, very easy and delicious. I love chai and have tried lots of different recipes searching for that perfect cup. This recipe has only 3 or 4 spices. Saffron was an optional spice that I decided to put in and it tastes sublime.

Tofu & Vegetables in Coconut Milk and Coconut Milk

For lunch today, I made the Tofu and Vegetables in Coconut Milk on page 214 of Heaven's Banquet. It is a delicious Vietnamese dish and easy to make. First of all, make the Coconut Milk from the recipe on page 494. The milk has to stand for 30 minutes, so then you can brown the tofu. The vegetables are simmered in the coconut milk and I served everything over lemon rice. I think this is one of my favorite recipes.

Mango, Kiwi and Raspberry Salad with Ginger-Honey Dressing

Wow is this a beautiful salad or what? It's the Mango, Kiwi and Raspberry Salad with Ginger-Honey Dressing (page 316) and I really felt great about serving this because it looks as good as it tastes. I enjoy fresh fruit salads but the Ginger-Honey Dressing really takes the flavor up a notch.

Wilted Greek Salad with Caramelized Walnuts

The Wilted Greek Salad with Caramelized Walnuts (page 300) took a little prep time but it was well worth it. I first made panir since I didn't want to use feta cheese. Then caramelizing the walnuts is easy but not eating them all before making the dish is hard. You'll really want to make the walnuts again as a snack. Then you just wilt the spinach and combine all the ingredients together with a little lemon juice.

Bean Thread Noodle Salad (Yum Woonsen)

The Bean Thread Noodle Salad (page 303) is a easy lunch or dinner meal. The liquid seasoning, lime juice, sugar and pepper add a nice flavor twist, but the real surprise is the mint in the salad. It takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish to make and tastes incredibly refreshing. A great summer salad.

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.