In a large saute pan grill green peppers, cubed potatoes and mushrooms with a little butter and canola oil. Add some thyme and crushed chili pepper flakes. 

In a blender add 1 cup of Greek yoghurt along with 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 ripe roma or two cherry tomatoes, a bunch of fresh cilantro and lemon juice, salt and pepper and one Serrano pepper. Blend till smooth. Serve with sourdough toast.

My Daughter and I Make Spaghetti

Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce, Mushrooms and Asparagus

My daughter and I made dinner together today. If you ask her how she made the sauce she will tell you  " first heat the  pan and put oil and then dad will Put a chilli and then I will put the onions" ... And she would be right.

Add the onions and garlic with a few chili flakes to good olive oil. As the onions begin to clear, add half a green pepper or capsicum diced along with a dozen whole button mushrooms. Add two fresh ripe diced tomatoes and cook together over low heat till the tomatoes are done. Add mint oregano and thyme : dry or fresh. Salt and pepper to taste and a jar of your favorite organic Marinara sauce or a can of diced tomatoes. Simmer covered over very low heat till warm or the canned tomatoes are cooked.

Serve over half whole and half regular spaghetti cooked al dente. With a good mozzarella or cheddar cheese or shavings of Parmesan : (vegetarian cheeses please)

We had steamed asparagus with lime juice and salt and pepper and olive oil drizzled on top. You could use butter and/ balsamic vinegar. Try serving with a bit of lemon pickles on the side.

We had lemonade but you could serve a good Beaujolais .

My daughter loved it and chomped up the button mushrooms with relish . She had helped me choose them at the market. So she was committed to liking them perhaps.

Beans and Potato Curry with Peanuts

Beans Potato Curry with Peanuts

Cut 1 lb potatoes into 1 cm size cubes and 1/1/2 lb fresh beans into 1 inch long pieces.

heat enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan 1/2 canola and 1/2 sesame. Splutter mustard seeds and urad dal and 1 dry chilli. add the potatoes with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 ts sambar powder. and saute till just starting to brown. Microwave or steam the beans to hald cooked and add to potatoes and stir and sute to till the eband a cooked but firm.

At bottom of pan add 1 tsp sesame oil and add 2 tsp iddly or chutney powder. stir in with salt to taste and garnish with diced curry leave and shredded coconut or lime juice (optional)

Make this protein rich by adding 1/4 cup dry roaster peanuts immediately after spluttering spices and frying the peanuts in the oil for a minute before adding potatoes . Or add a cup of cooked chick peas or garbanzo beans tossed in lime juice at the end .

Thogaiyal; another spicy tapenade

One of my good friend's mother taught me this easy way to make thogaiyal. All you need is a good skillet and a blender. those of you who have a wet grinder with an attachment for grinding spices and such will have no problem.

Saute your choice of vegetables such as squash, onions( optional) eggplant, chow chow (chayote squash) and red and yellow or green pepper (capsicum) in some canola oil till they just start to be done. add a couple of ripe or green tomatoes, 2 or three green chillies, a few curry leaves, a bunch of cilantro. At the bottom of the pan make some room and add 1 tsp of tamarind paste, 2 tsp of iddly or chutney power and some turmeric and hing. A piec of fresh ginger is also optional. all a spoon of sesame oil to the spices and mix them all with the roasted vegetables and then allow to cool. grind in a magic bullet coarsely and add salt and fresh lime juice.

serve with iddly, dosai, vadai or adai . Or with rice.

My daughter loves this and will eat chappati with chutney.

Makes the best sandwiches with butter of one side, chutney on the other and thin slices of cucumber and tomato in between.

Grilled cheese sandwiches become special with a dab of chutney in the middle. Serve with slices of tomato drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.