HEARTy Tomato soup

the all-season favorite, tomato soup.  When i was growing up, I still remember, this was one of my favorite meals my mom made for us.  She made this while raising us in India for a few years.  All three of us, 2 girls + 1 boy, were born in India (aka #fob).  What is that you ask? Its the term often referred by foreign born Asian kids lol; stands for fresh-off-the boat.  I suppose it applies to anyone born outside of their current resident country.  In fact, I'd say it applies to non-Asians the most, since many of "those" generations did travel via boats.  {PS Sterotyping and air quotes are fun, lol I digress.}  Most of us Asians actually traveled via airplanes in the 80s & 90s...soo we would be FOAs?  I do wish they'd serve simple soups on airplanes... like the very simple tomato soup.  Good transitions, huh? :)  Here's my mom's recipe with a twist of Americano

Here are the ingredients and method:

- 5-6 tomatoes on the vine (some recipes call for canned tomatoes, and thats fine too)

- 5 TBS of grated garlic

- 1 small onion, rough chopped

- cumin

- 1/2 stick unsalted butter

- 2 slides of sour dough bread

- bunch cilantro (If cilantro is not your thing, sub it with basil)

- oil (any vegetable oil)

- salt

- black pepper

- cayenne pepper
- 3 cups water (or vegetable or chicken broth)

1) cut tomatoes in halves, core out the guts and put aside. Coat tomatoes in 1-2 TBS of oil and 1 TBS of grated garlic in a roasting pan... roast for ~10 mins in 400degrees

2) roughly chop or break sour dough bread and cilantro (need about 3 TBS of chopped cilantro)
3) Grab a sauce pan, melt butter over low heat..as it melts, add cumin, 3 TBS garlic, chopped cilantro, , onions, broken sour dough bread, and the tomato guts.. coat and stir.. let it all marinate over low low heat

4) As the base is cooking in the sauce pan... grab your high power blender... make your basil coulis drizzle
5) Tomatos should be done from the oven... add them to the sauce pan with 3 cups of water...
6) Stir it all together... Ready to work out your biceps? Grab your hand blender and blend away, until you've reached desired consistency. {You can also use your blender jug}
7) Let it cook some more, add salt, crushed black pepper to your taste

Serve warm with a piece of toast + basil coulee drizzle
Freeze the left overs.  Refrigerate left over basil coulee and use it top your bruchetta!

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Red Velvet Cake

Valentine's day at our house is not complete without a decadent red velvet cake.  My husband and I celebrate our anniversary and well, every holiday, with this all time favorite dessert.  I am no baker by any means, but I do want to learn.  MJ is 6 months right now, but I can just imagine how much fun it will be to cook and bake together :)

Here's a recipe that I followed

For cakes:

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling the parchment paper
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 4 1/2 tsp. (2 tubes) red food coloring gel
• 3 cups cake flour, plus more for flouring the cake pans
• 1 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (approx.), nonstick spray or vegetable oil, for greasing the cake pans

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Queso

Who doesn't love some good melted cheese? aka Queso!  At first, I was a little afraid of how to make this one, but it turned out to be soooo easy.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 3 TBSP all purpose flour
- equal parts crumbled or shredded (chipotle chedder, queso fresco, reduced-fat creame cheese)
- seeded finely chopped jalepineo
- seeded chopped 1/2 tomato

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Tortillas

How easy is it to just buy tortillas these days?  There is such a variety out there, its so convenient to pick up a pack from your local grocery store.  But if you fancy making these at home, try this very simple recipe.  It actually doesn't take that long.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- pinch salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbs unsalted butter (or lard)
- 1 tbs oil
- large bowl (my preference) or your dough mixer-maker
- rolling pin

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Channa dal snack

The streets of India are filled with tons of vendors.  From food to clothes to a mini-convenient store to toys to grocery.  They come with carts or large baskets on top of their head or hung around their necks. One of our favorite snacks sold many times by teens looking to make a buck, is spicy tangy channa dal.  Here's the semi-homemade recipe.

Serving size 5

3 cups of pre-packaged fried channa dal (usually its seasoned with cayenne pepper and salt)

1/2 finely chopped red onion

cilantro

juice of 1/2 lemon

Cayenne pepper to add extra spice

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Apple fennel salad

This is my favorite salad at work, and finally dared to make it! Similar to the other salad post (stacked salad), I have to find other ways to make salads.  Although I've enjoyed eating all salad recipes posted on our blog :) Check them out

Here is another very simple recipe.

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons honey
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
Pinch salt and black pepper

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Stacked Salad

I'm not good at making salads, and they always taste better when someone else makes it. Enjoy this twist on a salad.

Ingredients:

- Alfalfa sprouts

- Sliced Cucumber, not too thin

- Hummus (follow this exchange recipe) and add jalapenos (pickled or raw), as much or as little to your liking

- Green apple, Sliced Into bite sized pieces 

- Balsamic vinegar

- Wheat thins (any flavor) 

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Mini Fruit Parfait

{This comes from Jalpa}

Ingredient:

- Filo cups (prebaked or bake using filo sheets)

- two fruits, diced into small bites (sweet and citrus, or any combo)

- low fat plain yogurt

- heavy whipping cream

- sugar, vanilla extract and chocolate chips or shaved chocolate for decor

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Choco-bana​na rolls

Ingredients:

Wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers

Nestle chocolate chips

half banana, cut into thin stripes (cut vertical into quarters)

ground cardamom

butter or margarine

baking sheet

water

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Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cake

To make CAKE
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter (add 1 stick if you're not afraid of the extra calories)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1 1/2 cups mini–chocolate chips

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Coat with cooking spray or butter, 9inch or 10inch round cake pan.  I separated the batter into two cake pans to create a "layered cake" (Yes, you can say I'm fancy lol :)
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. 
• Whisk milk, water, oil, vanilla and eggs in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl.
• Slowly pour in the milk/water mixture in the flour mix. Whisk well. 
• Stir in chips.

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4th of July Grilled Cheese

Ingredients for apx 6 sandwiches:

• sourdough bread (or any sliced bread of your choice)
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots (i bought carrots and shredded at home vs buying them from the grocery store, which tend to be dry and too thick for this sandwich)
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes (remove seeds)
• habenero cheese slices (watch out, these will add some fireworks in your mouth!)
• purple potato, peeled, sliced 1/2 inch.  (I used about 8 of the fingerling little potatoes)
• fresh grated garlic
• black pepper
• salt
• your favorite bbq sauce

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Ringan (Baingan) Bharthu

Ingredients:

- 1 large eggplant

- two medium tomatoes chopped in small cubes

- loosely chopped cilantro

- 1/2 cup green onions (scallions)

- 1 tbs grated ginger

- 1.5 tbs grated garlic

- 1 tsp whole jeera (cumin seeds)

- 1 tsp ground jeera (cumin seeds) powder

- salt to taste

- 1 tbs finely minced green chillies (add more if you like it spicy)

- 1 tsp ground coriander seeds powder

- 1 tsp turmeric powder

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Chaat house roll

Ingredients: sushi rice, nori, julienned cucumber, chick peas and seasoned mashed potato, topped with raita

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Raita:

Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain yogurt, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup of shredded cucumber (squeeze out some water if you can), 2 cloves grated garlic, salt, 3 finely chopped or ground green chillies

-mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl and cool in refrigerator until ready to serve

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Green monkey roll

Ingredients: Sushi rice, nori, fried tofu, pickled cucumber and asparagus, topped with cilantro spicy mayo

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Creamy green "spicy mayo":

Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, 4 garlic cloves, 4-5 green chillies depending on your taste, salt, dash of black pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 4 tablespoons sour cream, 2 tablespoons water

- everything in a high power blender to get a creamy consistency

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Crunchy bhindi aloo roll

Ingredients: Sushi rice, nori, okra, crispy potato, crushed papad

Sushi rice:

Ingredients: 1) Cup of short grain Japanese rice, usually says "sushi rice" on the bag. 2) seasoned rice vinegar mixture 3) water

- for every 1 cup of rice, you'll need 1 1/4 cup water. Cook rice thoroughly. While its hot, sprinkle 1.5 tablespoon of seasoned rice mixture.  Let the rice cool to room temperature, you could use a fan to speed up the process. Cover with a wet paper towel to prevent drying

Creamy green "spicy mayo":

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"grilled cheese" for dessert and root vegetable sorbet

This exchange was about healthy foods. And it was my turn to make desserts.  I immediately thought about a grilled cheese sandwich for dessert.  I wanted to include chocolate and vegetables.  Chocolate zuchinni bread came to my mind first..but now I needed the "cheese".  How am I going to create that without using cheese?  Ah ha - sweet potatoes!  I played with colors.  Check out this super delicious easy to make decadent grilled cheese for dessert.  Now we all know every grilled cheese sandwich isn't complete without ketchup.  My next challenge was to mimic ketchup somehow for this dessert.  What vegetable (and yes, I wanted use vegetables over fruit) do I use? Beets!  But my taste buds had always rejected beets, doesn't matter what shape or form they were in.  Check out the evolution of beet pudding to beet sorbet below.

You might argue that the "chocolate zuchinni bread isnt healthy, but the beet pudding or sorbet sure are.  Aren't we all about a balanced diet anyways? :)

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Veggie Crab cakes

Crab cake ingredients:
- 2 packs of extra firm tofu
- 3/4 cup shredded carrots (shred at home versus store bought...the ones from the store are sometimes really thick)
- 1/2 cup thinly diced yellow onion
- 4 serrano green chillies finely chopped (i prefer chopped instead of crushed from a blender)
- 2-3 large garlic cloves
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro and dill
- juice of 1 lime
- splash of white wine (optional, not required; anything you like to drink)
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- oil (when ready to cook)

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Tom Yum soup (Thai hot and sour soup)

If you love tangy, spicy, hot goodness in a soup, you'll love this soup! Especially on a cold day.

Ingredients:
- 1/4 yellow or white onion chopped into thin rings
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1-2 inches of galangal (Thai ginger), cut into thin "match sticks", grated, or minced
- 3-4 basil leaves roughly chopped
- 4 green chillies halved
- 2-3 tablespoons red pepper flakes [ground red pepper (1-2 teaspoons) works just as well]
- olive oil
- diced tomatoes (3-4 big tomatoes)
- chopped broccoli
- sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 - 1 cup small cubes of firm tofu
- vegetable stock (4-6 cups)
- 4-5 kaffir leaves
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1-2 lemongrass stalks (size of 1 popsicle stick)
- 8-10 spoons of lemon or lime juice
- 4-5 sprigs cilantro roughly chopped

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Grilled Mango Pinacolada

Ingredients:
- pineapple slices
- mango slices
- honey
- hot sauce
- whipping cream
- vanilla extract
- granulated sugar
- coconut shavings

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Edamamole & tofu sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 pack firm tofu
1/2 pack edamame (thawed & steamed)
Red chiles
Onion
3-4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
Vegetable oil (best with sesame or peanut oil)
Thai red curry paste
Vinegar
Lemon
Low sodium soy sauce
Sliced mushrooms
Baby Spinach

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