The Rich Vegetarian

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Category: Food (page 27 of 30)

September 30, 2010 / 2 Comments

Basil Pesto

I am a late entrant to the basil pesto fan club but I am a loyal fan now. Think of basil pesto as an Italian take on the ubiquitous mint-cilantro chutney. In fact, I can match ingredient for ingredient between the two recipes! Let’s try that out…

Cilantro and mint leaves = Basil
Roasted peanuts = Roasted pine nuts
Garlic = Garlic (Well, garlic is not mandatory for cilantro-mint chutney)

The standard pesto recipe departs from the mint-cilantro chutney one at this point but the important points are covered, don’t you think?

So you start with fresh basil. I picked a bunch from Harry’s Farmers Market. The packet mentioned that it’s grown hydroponically, and if I keep the roots submerged in water, it would last longer. Chop it finely. Put in the mixer jar.

I didn’t have pine nuts at home. So I roasted some walnuts instead using a skillet. You have to be attentive or else you’ll end up with a bowl of burnt walnuts!

Next, chop up some garlic and throw that in there as well. Most times, I don’t have garlic at home. But this time, I did and so I used it. I am sure purists will disagree but I have made pesto before without using garlic and it tasted perfectly wonderful.


Pesto also contains cheese (mostly Parmesan or Romano, as this recipe mentions). I had paneer at home, and so I used it instead. Pulse it all together. Don’t forget to add salt and pepper. Pour in some good olive oil while it’s getting pulsed. I bought this brand (below, right) from Dekalb Farmers Market. You can also see the smaller bottle of chili oil next to it, a bottle of Braggs right behind, and possibly the can of sesame oil to the right of the picture. Just giving you a mini-tour of the oils and seasoning cabinet… 🙂

You can also add the oil later, after the pesto is made. You end up with a shiny and creamy fresh basil pesto that is pure yumminess.

Slather it over toast, toss it with noodles… Any other ideas? Let me know in the comments!



 

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September 26, 2010 / 2 Comments

Braggs Liquid Aminos

Some of you may know that I am an instructor and volunteer with the Art of Living Foundation. It was at the international Art of Living Center in Montreal, Canada that I first came across Braggs Liquid Aminos.

There was a bottle of Braggs (as we called it) on every other table in the dining area. I saw people drizzle it over salads and soups. I did the same and found that it really enhanced the flavor of food. It has a slight saltiness and so, if you plan to season your soup/salad with Braggs, it is a good idea to go easy on salt during the cooking part.

Braggs is made of non-GMO soybeans and contains 16 amino acids. It is gluten-free.

I have been cooking with Braggs for a while now. I generally cut up vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, pretty much any vegetable that can be eaten raw or lightly cooked) and tofu and let them soak in a mixture of Braggs, soy sauce, ginger oil and chili oil. I cook pasta al dente and then toss it with the soaked vegetables. It’s a one-pot dish that comes together in a matter of minutes, is incredibly flavorful and tasty, looks fantastic, and is easy to digest. Moreover, it tastes wonderful cold also!

 
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September 19, 2010 / 2 Comments

Saravana Bhavan

Madras Saravana Bhavan used to be a veritable culinary institution in Georgia. People thronged the restaurant for its super-crisp dosas, excellent sambar and chutneys, and South Indian tiffin and snack items. Regular North Indian fare was also served. Then the restaurant had a change of management (and probably owners as well). A new name, changed decor, modified menu… Saravana Bhavan came to Atlanta. Many South Indians are familiar with this name. As I understand, this chain of restaurants was started in 1981 in South India and now has branches all over the world.

While growing up, Mom would be mortified at the idea of going out to eat South Indian food. Why would you do that when you get the best of its kind at home itself? No debating with that! Even my friends can vouch for the sheer deliciousness that is Mummy’s cooking. “As soft as flowers” is how my grandfather used to describe the idlis she made. Maybe I had scant appreciation for her cooking back then but now I can only fantasize about our wonderful Sunday mornings spent with steaming hot idlis and coconut chutney, coffee, Sunday Mid-Day and TV. Mmmm, that’s the kind of stuff awesome childhood memories are made up of.

But I digress! So, Saravana Bhavan does a decent job of the South Indian dishes on the menu. They also have a thali option that serves rice, pooris, and an array of South Indian curries and vegetable preparations. I have always wanted to order the thali but my stomach quails at the idea of the stupor that’d follow after the meal. Maybe one day, I’ll steel myself to go ahead and order it.

So yesterday, P and I went over for lunch. We happened to be in the neighborhood and both of us wanted to have something light and easy. I ordered a plate of Rasa Vada which basically comprises of two Medu Vadas submerged in a bowl of Tomato Rasam. P liked the dish although I found it a tad too salty for my taste. The Rasam comes with a liberal garnish of coriander leaves (or cilantro, as it’s called here in the United States). The Vadas were fairly okay. I found them a little bland but overall, it was a good start to the meal.

I wanted to steer clear of potatoes, and so I ordered the plain Rava Dosa. This is a great dish to order if you are in the mood for something relatively light. The dosa is made of semolina (anyone wish to confirm that for me?) and it’s served with an array of chutneyssambar. The dosa was very crisp; it literally cracked on the plate! It’s a fairly large-sized dosa too. P ordered the Biryani. I have ordered it before and I really like how they make it. What we were served yesterday was milder on spice. I do like the spicier version, though. It comes with vegetable raita that is a great accompaniment to biryani always!

All in all, a satisfactory meal that would have been perfect had I ordered a glass of the South Indian coffee but I forgot… 🙁 Dessert would have been a great finish also but they only had three desserts – Gulab Jamun, Paayasam and Rava Kesari. Hmmm, not for me.

Go to Saravana Bhavan, really. They do a nice job of South Indian snacks and tiffin items. Service is good too.

Saravana Bhavan
2179 Lawrenceville Hwy
Decatur GA 30033

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August 18, 2010 / 1 Comment

California Pizza Kitchen

In a nice little coincidence, while shopping at Trader Joe’s a couple of days back, I passed California Pizza Kitchen and wondered, “Haven’t been here in a long while! Wonder how that happened…” This evening, P remarked that he felt like a pizza for dinner. And so it happened that we drove there for dinner tonight.
 
Entrance
So we ordered an appetizer from the newly titled ‘Small Cravings’ section on the menu. We went for White Corn Guacamole and Chips. Essentially a platter of blue and white corn tortilla chips served with a guacamole dip of corn, avocado, red peppers and black beans, it was pretty nice. Well, the menu also mentioned that the guacamole contained serrano peppers, green onions and jicama but I couldn’t get those flavors. I am sure they were in there, though!
 
We also ordered the Greek Pizza and it so happened that it came to the table before the appetizer did. Our server girl went to find out what happened. Soon enough, an older gentleman came to our table, apologized for the delay in sending the appetizer across, and told us that he’d take it off the tab. Would you believe, that was EXACTLY what crossed my mind when we got the appetizer late. I thought – they should take the appetizer off the bill; now that’s good customer service. And that’s what happened!
GreekPizzaYum
 
The Greek Pizza usually has a cold topping of Greek salad made of cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, fresh tomatoes and olives. Oh, it also has a topping of tzatziki sauce and chopped Italian parsley. Generally, the topping also contains Mediterranean spiced grilled chicken. Since we asked for the vegetarian option, they substituted avocados instead. Pure yumminess!
 
Since I hardly ever leave a place without dessert, we ordered the Key Lime Pie.
 
 
It was P’s decision since he felt that it would be very summery and light. That I agree with. Frankly, I have never been a big fan of this dessert. It is too tart for my taste. And it was too tart. But P liked it. Since he is the kinda guy who hardly ever orders dessert, I let him do it this time. By the way, there is a new addition to the dessert menu – Butter Cake. Hmmm, maybe next time.
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