Category Archives: Dinner

Creamy Mixed Vegetables

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Vegetables in a Cream Sauce1
Have you ever wished you had asked your mom how she made your favorite dish? Have you stood beside her in the kitchen and watched her cook? I’ve heard many people say, “I wish I had asked my mom how to make. . .” Your mom, dad, sister, brother, in-laws, aunts, whoever it is that cooks in your family, love to be asked. Now is the time!

I still have recipes that my mom sent me by snail mail. I treasure the recipes my family has shared with me. One of the reasons why I blog is because I want my family and you to have the recipes that I’ve collected for many years. Don’t be afraid to share. Someone dear to me once said, “Maggie, the more you share, the more you will learn.” Those words couldn’t be more true and they have stood the test of time.

You can use any combination of mixed vegetables in this recipe. Dry fenugreek leaves can be purchased at your local Indian grocery store. They taste similar to a combination of celery and fennel with a slightly bitter bite. Crumble the leaves with your fingers before you add them. Don’t skip this ingredient as it definitely adds another dimension to this dish.

Creamy Mixed Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serve: 4

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tomatoes, blanched and chopped
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 (15.5-ounce) can pink beans, drained
½ cup corn, fresh or frozen
3 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, (depending on heat and your preference)
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
½ cup tomato puree
salt
½ cup water
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup cream
2 teaspoons dry fenugreek leaves, (kasoori methi)

Directions:
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns light brown. Add tomato and cook for two minutes or until soft. Then add the potato, carrot, cauliflower, pink beans, corn, chilli, cumin, and garam masala. Stir and cook for another two minute. Add the tomato puree, salt and water. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook for ten minutes. Add bell pepper, cream, and fenugreek. Mix to combine the vegetables with the creamy sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for five minutes.

FriChik Curry

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FriChik Curry-last
Taste this FriChik Curry and it will be easy to give up chicken! This is by far one of the best meatless meat curries I’ve learned to make. Credit for teaching me how to make this dish goes to my friend, Hannah. Thank you for sharing some of your best recipes with me. I’m certain that many of my vegetarian friends will appreciate this recipe as much as I do.

In my recipes, I often tell you to use chilli, “depending on heat and your preference.” It means that you can decide on the amount of chilli you use depending on how hot the chilli is and how much of it you can tolerate. Remember, that the heat level of chilli powder/green chillies/dry red chillies, differ. Many times I use Kashmiri chilli powder in my recipes because it is mild. So, adjust the chilli to suit your taste.

You can buy FriChik at the Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store in Silver Spring, Maryland. You can also buy it on line from Amazon.com. I know how difficult it is to come up with tasty, vegetarian dishes so you will want to bookmark this page.

FriChik Curry
Prep time: 15 minutes (does not include time for soaking nuts)
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
¼ cup oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, (depending on heat and your preference)
½ teaspoons turmeric powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups blanched and diced tomatoes
2 medium potatoes
2 cups water
Salt
2 cans (12.5oz/354g) Worthington FriChik original
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

For the wet spice paste:
3 sprigs of curry leaves
½ teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons grated coconut, (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
10 cashew nuts
10 almonds

Directions:
Add the cashew nuts and almonds to a small bowl. Cover them with half a cup of hot tap water and let them soak for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes are up add the cashew nuts, almonds along with the water they were soaking in, into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients for the spice paste – curry leaves, cardamom, fennel, coconut, and cilantro. Blend to a smooth paste. Set aside until you are ready to use it in the curry.

Place a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and when it shimmers, add the onion. When the onion turns translucent add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir constantly and cook for two minutes or until the raw smell of the ginger-garlic disappears. Add the cumin seeds, chilli, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and tomatoes. Stir occasionally and cook until the oil separates.

Next, peel and wash potatoes. Cut each into eight pieces. Add the potatoes, water and salt. Cover the dish and cook for five minutes. In the meantime, drain the FriChik and discard the gravy. Cut each chunk into four. Add the FriChik and the ground wet spice paste. Stir so everything is mixed well. Then cover the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are done, about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro. FriChik curry goes well with plain rice or rotis.

Cluster Beans – (Gavar with Kanda Lasoon Masala)

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Cluster Beans2
Cluster Beans is an annual legume that grows in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra and other arid regions in India. They are related to French beans but have a narrow, flat, long body with tiny pods. They are light green in color and they taste slightly bitter. They are called gavar phalli in Marathi. You will find cluster beans at Indian and ethnic grocery stores.

In India different states cook these beans in their own unique way. I combined kanda lasoon masala (onion-garlic spice mix) from Maharashtra with split Bengal gram (chana dal), a lentil frequently used in vegetable dishes in Tamil Nadu. The result was a fusion of flavors.

Thanks to my friend for bringing me a packet of this masala from India. You will find kanda lasoon masala at Indian grocery stores or you can order it on line. You could also use two teaspoons of coriander powder and one teaspoon of garam masala powder instead of the kanda lasoon masala. It will still taste great, but different. I love trying new vegetables. If you haven’t tried cluster beans, you should.

Cluster Beans – Gavar with Kanda Lasoon Masala
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 5

Ingredients:
1 cup split Bengal gram, (soaked for 2 hours; Chana dal)
2 dry red chillies, (soaked with Bengal gram; depending on heat and your preference)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 sprig finely chopped curry leaves
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups cluster beans
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon kanda lasoon masala
salt
3 tablespoons water

Directions:
Put the Bengal gram into a bowl and wash in several changes of water. Cover with water and let it soak for two hours along with the dry red chillies. After it has soaked for two hours drain and put it into a food processor or blender. You want a coarse grind, so pulse/blend until the Bengal gram and chillies break up into tiny bits.

Wash and dry the cluster beans. Top and tail them. If they need stringing, just pluck the end of a cluster bean with your hand, and then pull downward; if a thick thread comes away, the bean need stringing. Do the same on the other side of the bean. The beans can then be cut into one-inch pieces.

Heat a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add oil and when it shimmers add the mustard seeds. When the mustard splutter, add the curry leaves and chopped onion. When the onion turns translucent, add the cluster beans. Stir and cook the beans for two minutes. Next, add the turmeric powder, kanda lasoon masala, and salt.

Sprinkle the coarsely ground Bengal gram over the cluster beans. Add water, put the lid and weight on the pressure cooker, and turn the heat to the lowest possible point on your stove. There is hardly any water so steam will not escape. Set your timer for ten minutes. When ten minutes are over, turn off the heat. Let the pressure cooker cool down completely and then remove the weight and lid. The dal and beans would have cooked perfectly. Mix well and serve with rotis.
Cluster Beans Kanda Lasoon Masala

Vegetable Korma – Delicately Spiced Indian Vegetable Curry

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Vegetable Korma2I love delicately spiced, creamy, flavorful Indian curries. When my friend asked me to make vegetable korma for a potluck, I happily obliged. Some time ago, I shared with you the recipe for Korma with Potato and Peas. In that post, I also introduced you to an interesting spice called black stone flower, (patthar ke phool in Hindi, dagad phool in Marathi and kalpasi in Tamil). If you tried the korma with potato and peas, you will find this recipe easy to follow. It’s also quite healthy.

Use a medley of vegetables, that you enjoy the most, to make this dish. I used potatoes, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, and peas. I diced and chopped them into medium size pieces so they would all cook in the same amount of time. I used cashew nuts and coconut to thicken the gravy. You will notice in the ingredients that I’ve listed 2-4 cloves, (depending on your taste). Adjust the amount of cloves and chillies to suit your taste.

Don’t let the long list of ingredients discourage you from trying this recipe. It’s a dish that you will make over and over again.

Vegetable Korma – Delicately Spiced Indian Vegetable Curry
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serve: 8

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee
1-inch piece of cinnamon, broken in half
2-4 cloves, (depending on your taste)
1 star anise
2 pieces of black stone flower, (optional)
½ a petal of mace, (optional)
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
3 green chillies, (optional, depending on heat and your preference)
1 Roma tomato, (cut, deseeded & diced)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 can coconut milk
4 cups mixed vegetables, (diced and chopped into medium pieces)
1 cup water
4 mint leaves, (optional)
salt
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

To be ground to a paste:
½-inch piece cinnamon, broken into bits
2 cardamoms, outer cover removed
2 cloves
½ bay leaf, (broken into small pieces)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 small pieces of black stone flower, (optional)
10 cashew nuts, (soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 15 minutes)
½ cup grated fresh coconut

Directions:
First, prepare the ingredients to be ground. Add the dry spices (cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf, fennel seeds, black stone flower) to your spice grinder and powder them. Next, add the cashew nuts along with the water it was soaking in and coconut. Grind everything to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Add two tablespoons oil into a large pan and place it over high heat. Add the vegetables and fry them until they turn slightly brown around the edges. About five minutes. Remove into a large bowl. Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil into the same pan. Add the whole spices – cinnamon, cloves, star anise, black stone flower, mace, cumin, and fennel seeds. Sauté for 30 seconds and then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns translucent. Add the ground ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw smell disappears. Slit the green chillies and add. Sauté for 30 seconds and then add the chopped tomato, turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, and garam masala powder. Stir and cook for one minute. Add the coconut milk, vegetables, and ground paste, water, mint, and salt. Stir so all the ingredients are well combined. Cook on medium-high heat until the gravy begins to boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for eight minutes. The vegetables should be cooked but still hold their shape. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy vegetable korma with plain rice and dal or rotis.

Garbanzo Rice Pulao

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Garbanzo Pulao1

We cooked with passion, ate with relish, and celebrated the holidays with gusto! Desserts, chocolates, and delicacies from our home countries were exchanged. We ate what we pleased and nothing was off limits. January 6 is here, and it’s time to get back on track with healthy eating. I’d like to start my blogging year on the right foot. So, my first recipe for this year is vegetarian, vegan, and nutritious. At least, I can say, I’ve started the year with good intentions.

Rice is a staple, in most Indian homes, and you’ll find it on the table every day. Adding garbanzo beans to rice is an excellent way to add fiber, protein, and other nutrients to your diet. Adding a vegetable and a salad to this dish is all you need to make it a complete meal. Some of the vegetable dishes, from my blog, that you could use are: Eggplant in Tomato Curry, Green Bean Thoren, and Cauliflower Subzi.

I used canned garbanzo beans in this recipe. You can also use dry garbanzo beans that you will find in your local grocery store. Just remember, soak them overnight, wash them in several changes of water, and cook them before you use them in this recipe. You can use chillies to make the rice spicy or leave them out completely. This dish is unique in that it is mild in flavor but rich in aroma. Many times that’s the kind of rice dish I’m looking for to accompany bold, flavorful curries. Well, this rice recipe is one of my favorites. You can bump up the flavor by switching water with vegetable stock. It’s a nice change to plain rice and I find that children like it.

Garbanzo Rice Pulao
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serve: 4

Ingredients:
¼ cup ghee
4 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
2-inch piece of cinnamon
6 cloves
1 bay leaf
½ tsp cumin seeds
4 dry red chillies, (optional)
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 green chillies, (optional, cut in half)
1 15.5oz can (439g) Goya chickpeas/garbanzo beans, (well drained)
4 cups water
salt
2 cups Basmati rice

Directions:
Wash the rice in three changes of water. Be gently when you wash the rice. Soak in water for 15 minutes.

While the rice is soaking, place a large non-stick pot over medium heat. Add ghee and when it melts, add black and green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. Stir for 30 seconds to allow the spices to permeate the oil. Add the dry red chillies. Cook, while stirring, for another 30 seconds. Next, add the chopped onion. Stir and cook until the onion turns translucent. Add the green chillies and well-drained garbanzo beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, for one minute.

Turn heat to medium-high and add water. When the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium, and add salt. Taste the water, it should taste salty, like the ocean! Drain the rice and add it to the water. Gently stir to combine the rice, water, and spices. Then, allow the rice to cook, undisturbed. The rice will swell and rise to the top. When you see bubbles appearing on the surface of the rice, it is time to cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid. Once you see steam escaping through the edges of the lid, turn the heat to the lowest point, and let the rice cook for eight minutes. Turn off the heat, but don’t open the lid immediately. Allow the dish to rest for five minutes before you serve.

Beef Olathiathu (Spicy Roast Beef)

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Kerala Style Beef Ularthiyathu1
Happy New Year! I want to wish each one of you God’s richest blessings in 2015. May the new year bring you good health, peace, happiness, and prosperity.

Beef olathiathu is my all-time favorite Kerala beef recipe. It’s my sister, Leela’s, signature dish and I’m sharing it as a gift to my readers for all the “likes” and comments you made on my Facebook page and here on my blog. I hope you will treasure this recipe as much as I do!

Thanks to my sister, (my Ammama), for teaching me how to make this traditional Syrian Christian dish. In Kerala, in the old days, the meat would be cooked in an urali – a heavy metal vessel, which retains heat for a long time. Today, the urali is replaced with the modern pressure cooker.

The beef is cooked and roasted in coconut oil, which complements the spices perfectly. If you prefer, you may use peanut or grape seed oil. But then, of course, you will lose some of the authentic flavor and aroma. Make this dish for New Year and enjoy the compliments!

Beef Olathiathu (Spicy Roast Beef)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound beef, (washed, drained, and cut into ¾-inch cubes)
40 dry red chillies, (reduce the number depending on heat and your preference)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch piece cinnamon
2 cardamoms
6 cloves
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup fresh or frozen coconut pieces, (cut into 1-inch, thin chips)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
salt
5 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ cup water
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves

Directions:
In a small non-stick pan, over medium-low heat, dry roast the chillies, coriander, pepper, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cloves, and fennel seeds until they smell fragrant. Cool completely and grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Set aside.

Mix the coconut pieces, turmeric powder, and salt in a small bowl. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the coconut pieces and fry until light brown. Add the ground spices, half the shallots, ginger, garlic, vinegar, beef, and water.  Close the cooker and bring to full cooking pressure, on high heat. Reduce to medium heat and cook for ten minutes or until the meat is tender. The amount of time will depend on the cut of beef and your pressure cooker. Allow the cooker to cool gradually. Open the lid and dry roast the beef until all the water evaporates.

To season the meat, heat the remaining oil in a small non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add the curry leaves, and shallots. Fry until the shallots turn brown. Add the seasoning to the meat in the pressure cooker. Place the pressure cooker over medium heat, stir and roast until all the pieces are well coated with the spices. You can garnish this dish with sprigs of fried curry leaves, if you desire.

Beef-Free Tacos

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Beef-Free Tacos1
Eat beef-free tacos and nobody gets hurt! Many of my friends are eating healthy, turning vegetarian or vegan, and when I develop recipes for my blog, I have them on my mind. I came up with this recipe for beef-free tacos when we got together for game night. For my taco filling, I used Beef-Free Crumble, beefy flavor, made by Beyond Meat. The tacos disappeared faster than I could make them.

All you need to do is make the beef-free filling and spoon it into store-bought taco shells or tortillas. Top them with ribbons of lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and drizzle with the cilantro, mint and yogurt dressing.

Please note, for this recipe, you won’t need to roast the cumin and coriander seeds. I used a mortar and pestle to crush them coarsely. However, if you don’t like biting into them when you eat, then crush them finely. You can find Beyond Meat products at Whole Foods, Target, and Safeway.

Kudos to all my friends that have chosen to decrease their dependence on animal protein. I’d love to know if you’d like more vegetarian recipes like this one.

Beef-free Tacos
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 15

Ingredients for filling:
¼ cup oil
2 large red onions, finely chopped, (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon crushed cumin seeds
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder, (optional; depending on heat and your preference)
¼ teaspoon garam masala, (optional)
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 packets (11 oz, 312 g each) Beef-free Crumble, Beefy flavor
1 can (15.5 oz, 439 g) black beans, drained
1 cup Greek yoghurt, beaten
¼ cup water
salt
2 boxes of Stand ‘n Stuff Taco shells

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until the water from the onion evaporates and it turns slightly brown around the edges. Then turn the heat to low, and fry the onion until it turns golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and let it cook for one minute or until the raw smell disappears. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, and garam masala. Stir and cook for two minutes.

Add the green pepper, beef-free crumble, black beans, yoghurt, water, and salt. Stir well and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat for five minutes or until all the liquid dries out.

Spoon filling into taco shells or tortillas. Add toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and cheese. Drizzle with cilantro, mint and yogurt dressing.

Cilantro, Mint and Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:
2 cups cilantro, roughly chopped and lightly packed
1 cup mint leaves, lightly packed
3 green chillies, roughly chopped, (optional, depending on heat and your preference)
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
salt
1 cup Greek yogurt

Directions:
Put the cilantro, mint, chilli, sugar, lemon juice, water, and salt into a blender, and make a smooth purée. Pour into a large bowl and add yogurt. Using a whisk, beat well. Drizzle on the taco toppings.

Happy Thanksgiving 2014

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Cranberry Sauce3Happy Thanksgiving! I’m sure you’re getting ready to celebrate with your family and friends this week. I love all the planning, anticipation, preparation, and cooking that leads up to a grand Thanksgiving dinner. Most of all, I like that, around this time of the year, I’m reminded to reflect on my blessings.

There are three very important people in my life – my daughter, Jyoti, my son, Sanjay, and my daughter-in-law, Dharti. Each one brings to the table their own unique strengths, energy, and love that makes our home complete. I am thankful for them. I come from a close-knit family and I love and adore each one of them. I’m thankful to have friends that have cried, laughed, and grown old with me! And, of course, I am so thankful for my blog readers and commenters! I hope you will join me in counting your blessings. You’re welcome to jot them in the comments section.

I’d like to share two recipes that are going to be on our Thanksgivings table this year – Cranberry Sauce and Sweet Corn Pudding. Just click on the links below to get the recipes. I hope you will enjoy them as much as we will. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed time with your family and friends.

Cranberry Sauce
Sweet Corn Pudding

Aloo Mattar Pilaf (Potato and Pea Pilaf)

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Aloo Mattar Pulao2I love to play with food and you’ll see that I’ve done just that by garnishing my Aloo Mattar Pilaf (Potato and Pea Pilaf) with a beautiful rose made out of mango peel. Cooking is fun and as they say, you eat with your eyes first. So, take a few minutes to garnish and make your food appealing.

Pilaf, also spelled pilav or pilau or pulao, is rice cooked with spices in a seasoned stock. In India, we add vegetables, fish, meat or dried fruits to our pilaf. Pilaf is a dish that is found in the cuisine of many different countries. Each pilaf is distinctly different from the other.

You’ll find aloo mattar curry on the menu of most Indian restaurants and that’s what gave me the idea of trying a similar recipe in a pilaf style. It turned out to be a hit with my family, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you. It pairs well with a simple cucumber and yoghurt salad. I ate this for lunch yesterday and I was very satisfied!

Here are a few points for you to remember before you start cooking. Parboil or cook the potatoes partially, peel and cut each into four wedges. Make sure you don’t overcook the potatoes. I used peas from a local Indian grocery store, as they are less sweet. Cook the peas in boiling water, drain and shock them in ice so they stay green.

Thanks to those of you who try my recipes and post your pictures on my Facebook page. I  love seeing your results so keep them coming!

Aloo Mattar Pilaf (Potato and Pea Pilaf)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati rice
3 tablespoons ghee, (or coconut oil)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 bay leaf, (torn in two)
8 cloves
2 star anise
6 green cardamoms, (lightly bruised)
1½-inch piece of cinnamon, (broken in two)
10 whole black pepper corns, (optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium potatoes, (parboiled, peeled, and cut into quarters)
3 green chillies, (slit down the middle, optional)
2 Roma tomatoes, (blanched, peeled, and cut into quarters)
1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, (optional)
salt
3¾ cups water
1 cup green peas, (cooked, drained and shocked in ice)
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro

Directions:
Wash and drain the rice.
Place a large non-stick pot on medium-high heat. Add ghee and when it shimmers add onion. Cook for two minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Do not let the onion turn brown. Turn the heat to low, and add the spices – bay leaf, cloves, star anise, cardamoms, cinnamon, pepper, and cumin seeds. Stir for a minute and then add the potatoes. Turn the heat back to medium-high. Fry the potatoes for two minutes. Next, add the green chillies, tomato, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Cook for one minute. Add rice and stir gently, until the water from the rice evaporates. Add water and when it comes to a boil, cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the peas and cilantro on top of the cooked rice. Turn off the heat and let the rice remain covered and undisturbed for five minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Blueberries and Melon with Honey-Lime Dressing

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Fruit Salad

Did you enjoy watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe this summer? I look forward to summer because I enjoy the wide variety of fruits that are available. Don’t forget to eat your fruits in the autumn as well! The watermelons that I picked up from the local farm stand recently were the best.

Here is a simple recipe for blueberries and melon with honey-lime dressing. Make it for breakfast, brunch, or for a light supper.

Blueberries and Melon with Honey-Lime Dressing
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup honey
1 lb honeydew
1 cup fresh blueberries
A few mint leaves for garnishing

Directions:
Whisk lime juice and honey in a small bowl. Cut the honeydew into bite size pieces and put them into another bowl. Add the blueberries to them. Drizzle honey-lime dressing over them, and toss gently. Serve in pretty individual glass fruit bowls and garnish with a sprig of mint.