POTATO CHIPS RECIPE-HOW TO MAKE POTATO CHIPS AT HOME

In this post,i have shared how to make crispy,white colored potato chips at home easily.As u all know,potato chips is loved by all irrespective of ages.Its our family favourite too.My Mil is an expert in making potato chips.She makes super crispy & white colored chips like in shops.By watching her,i have tried many times in my kitchen.It comes out crispy but turns reddish brown every time. Initially i was thinking it was due to over heated oil.But then i found, the secret of making white colored chips lies in the variety of potato we use.Generally,there are two varieties of potato available in the Indian market.One is the normal cream colored potatoes we use for potato curry and the other one is red colored covered with mud.The second variety is mostly used for making chips.It is called as “chips potato”.I have shared the picture of  both the potatoes to differentiate them.When u use this chips potato,ur chips won’t turn brown even if u deep fry for long time.So Friends,if u plan to make potato chips at home, first ask for chips potato.Vendors would know better.Also,do follow the technique i have given below.U’ll get it perfect ! In this week,i will share a detailed video for the same.Hope it will be useful for beginners like me.U can make it for parties in advance & store them.Refer "Notes" section for tips.
If u are looking for baked or microwave potato chips recipe,do visit this link.

As Sendhil is fond of pepper flavoured chips,my MIL always add coarsely ground pepper powder for her son.But i love the one with chilli powder like we get in shops.So she reserves last 2 batches for me for adding red chilli powder,How sweet..

Homemade Potato chips

How to make crispy and white potato chips at home (with video)

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Snacks

Serves: 50nos

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Potato - 3 nos Salt - as needed Water - to wash and soak Oil - to deep fry Pepper powder or chilli powder – as needed to sprinkle ( 1 tsp)

METHOD

Wash and peel the potatoes.Take water in a wide bowl and slice the potatoes directly in the water.Keep the slices immersed in water to avoid discoloration.Rinse it well till the color of water changes to white.( u should remove the starch in potatoes).Ie Discard the water and again wash the potato slices.Repeat this for 2-3 times. Spread the slices in a paper or towel for 5-10 minutes.Pat it dry by covering with another paper or towel.Make sure there is no moisture in the slices. In a bowl,take the salt.Dissolve it by adding little water.Set aside. In a kadai,heat the oil required for deep frying.Check the temperature by dropping a piece of potato slice.If it raises to top immediately,oil is just right. Keep the flame medium & drop the potato slices in batches.Keep tossing & pressing with a ladle till bubbles cease.Once the bubbles reduce & potato slices turns crispy,reduce the flame completely & carefully sprinkle the salt water standing a feet away.( If you are scared to do this step,skip it and sprinkle salt at the end after removing the chips from oil) As soon as u sprinkle the salt water,oil bubbles with crackling sound.Keep tossing the chips for salt water to get coated evenly.The noise is completely suppressed after a minute.Bubbles will cease completely.Flip the chips & Remove in a tissue paper. Sprinkle pepper powder or red chilli powder,mix well and enjoy with variety rice.Store in an air tight box when it is cooled down.

Note U can make this chips in advanced for parties.Make the chips the previous day.After it cools down completely,keep it in a zip lock bag or polythene cover and store in a box.It stays crispy. If u don’t want to sprinkle water directly on fire,deep fry the chips.Remove in a bowl.Mix salt with pepper powder or chilli powder.Sprinkle when the chips is hot.Toss well and serve ! Always deep fry the chips in correct flame.If u drop a pinch of potato,it should rise immediately.Reduce the flame to medium & then deep fry.Adjust the flame whenever necessary.Do not let the oil fume or smoke at any point.Then ur chips will become dark brown even if u use chips potato. If u feel,the oil is overheated,switch off the stove for sometime and let the oil cool down a bit.Then proceed again.By doing this way,u will get all the chips in uniform color.

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Enjoy potato chips with rice varieties or as evening snacks .U can’t stop munching

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Very good recipes Tags: Potato recipes, Snacks, Kids recipes, Indian

Chickpeas, Mango and Spinach in a Tomato Coconut Gravy

No, those aren't potato pieces you see here in this spiced up dish but instead sweet chunks of fresh tender mango nestling up with buttery chickpeas and earthy green spinach. I never can resist chickpeas. Judging by the number of times in a given month they show up on my table in some shape or form, I suppose if I were pressed to name my favorite legume, then chickpeas it would be. Even those who insist they don't like beans can often be persuaded to try chickpeas. They do lend themselves so well to a variety of preparations and inspiration can be found across the globe.

My latest preparation with these beloved legumes is now a new favorite and — as is typical with me — an Indian curry. It's a gentle dish that nonetheless demands attention. The bouquet of flavors of sweet citrus, zesty tomato, vibrant spicing and bold spinach all come together like one big loving family, despite the unique elements of each of the ingredients. The addition of coconut milk and wilted spinach depart a delightful creaminess to the curry and balance out and blend all of the components and slightly soften the spices. My dinner companions proclaimed it a huge success and seconds were in order, though more for the experience because everyone's tummy was full. Try it and see if you don't elicit a similar response. And don't let the long list of ingredients deter you — most of the items are simply spices to be measured out, and it's actually quite a simple dish to prep and put together.

I served this dish with green peas simmered in a coconut tomato gravy. Alongside a bed of hot basmati rice, this was just the sort of Indian meal I was craving.

Chickpeas, Mango and Spinach in a Tomato Coconut Gravy

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on April 14, 2014 Chickpeas and pieces of tender sweet mango simmered in a warm and fragrant spiced tomato and coconut sauce with wilted spinach Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried chickpeas 2-inch piece cinnamon stick 2 black cardamon pods, crushed 1 tablespoon coconut or other cooking oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 to 3 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 to 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) a few handfuls of dried curry leaves 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 2 medium tomatoes, diced 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar 1/2 cup coconut milk 1 large red mango, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 cup water, or as needed 2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, washed and torn Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in enough water to cover. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then stir in the cinnamon stick and cardamon pods. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chickpeas are tender — about 1 hour. Drain and discard the cinnamon stick and cardamon pods. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin and mustard seeds and stir for 60 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chilies, and stir for another minute. Now stir in the spices (except the garam masala) and curry leaves, and stir for another minute or so until aromatic. Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt to the pan, stirring well to combine. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to thicken — about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and coconut milk, continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Now add the mango, garam masala and a little water if the mixture is too thick. Simmer for another 5 minutes until warmed throughout. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, until wilted and well combined. Simmer gently for another few minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve alongside some hot fresh cooked white basmati rice and another vegetable dish for a nourishing and satisfying Indian meal. Makes 4 to 5 servings

This is my contribution to this month's My Legume Love Affair #70. Many readers will know that lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook started this every popular and long running event back in 2008. I am now the administrator, and this month, Avika is hosting. See the announcement to enter your recipe to share with fellow legume lovers and also for a chance to win prizes. See the ongoing MLLA page for previous editions and upcoming hosts.

If you enjoy spinach, you might also like:
Spinach Rice (Palak Pulao)
Chickpea Flour Crêpes with Spinach
Mixed Dal Palak (Lentils with Spinach and Tomato)
Spiced Creamed Spinach

On the top of the reading stack: Power Hungry(TM): The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook

Audio Accompaniment: U. Srinivas and Michael Brook

VENDAKKAI SAMBAR RECIPE(LADY’S FINGER SAMBAR RECIPE)

This is my mom in law’s basic sambar recipe for rice in which we use lady’s finger @ okra.Last week a reader mailed me to blog basic sambar & vathakuzhambu recipes.So i thought of sharing this recipe which might be useful for Tamil new year lunch menu too.I usually make vendakkai sambar & avarakkai sambar for no moon day and for festivals where we don’t use onions because this sambar tastes good even without onions.My mom also makes vendakka sambar but the procedure is completely different.Do click here to know my mom’s Nellai sambar recipe.This sambar is very easy to make and flavourful too.There is no grinding part.Hence bachelor’s also can give a try.We usually eat sambar sadam adding a few drops of ghee.It enhances the flavour of sambar and even kids would love to have it.For this sambar,u can replace lady’s finger with brinjal,Raw mango,drumstick or even Keerai thandu.But the quantity of tamarind varies for each veggie.In this post,lets see how to prepare Tamil nadu style basic sambar recipe with Lady’s finger.

Vendakkai sambar recipe/Okra sambar recipe

Lady's finger/Okra/Vendakkai sambar recipe - Basic south indian style sambar for rice !

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Lunch

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 20 Minutes

Cook time: 10 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To pressure cook Toor dal - 1/3 cup Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Water -as needed Red chilli - 1 no Curry leaves - few (pinched) To temper & saute Ghee + oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp Red chilli - 1no (pinch into two) Curry leaves - few Small onions - 12 nos Green chillies -2- 3 nos Lady's finger/Okra - 12 nos Tomato – 1 no ( small) Asafetida/Hing- 2-3 generous pinches For gravy Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size Sambar powder- 1.5 tsp Water - 2 cups Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp Salt - as needed Coriander leaves – handful ( chopped,for garnishing)

METHOD

In a pressure cooker,take the toor dal,turmeric,red chilli,curry leaves with required water.Cook till dal turns mushy. In the mean time,wash and pat dry the okra in a towel and cut into small pieces of 3-4.Peel onions,cut chillies and set aside. Soak tamarind in enough water and take the extract using 2 cups of water.Add sambar powder,turmeric powder,salt,hing and curry leaves.Set aside . In a kadai,heat ghee + oil and temper mustard,methi seeds,red chilli & curry leaves.Add the chopped lady’s finger pieces.Saute for a minute and then add onions and green chillies.Saute till onions turn transparent & lady’s finger shrink and skin turns slightly brown here and there.Then saute tomato pieces till mushy.Add 1 cup of water and allow the lady’s finger to cook well.When it is 3/4 th cooked,add the tamarind extract mixture. Add some hing and pinched raw curry leaves (please note we are adding hing & curry leaves two times).Allow the sambar to boil well for 5-10 minutes till raw smell emanates. Now add the mushy cooked dal and boil for 2-3 minutes.Lastly before switching off the flame. Add chopped coriander leaves,boil for few seconds and switch off ! Cover the sambar with a lid and serve after 30 minutes to 1 hour for all the taste to blend well.

Note

Please reduce the amount of green chillies based on its size & spiciness.Use minimum 2. Sauting okra is very important else it will become slimy while cooking. Please add less tamarind as vendakkkai has the tendency to absorb all the tanginess. Adding coriander leaves for garnishing gives  a nice flavor. Use ghee for tempering as it gives a nice aroma.

Enjoy this sambar with plain rice adding few drops of ghee with papad & poriyal as side dish.Tastes great !

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Very good recipes Tags: South indian recipes, Lunch recipes, Lady's finger recipes

TAMIL NEW YEAR LUNCH MENU RECIPES(VARUSHA PIRAPPU MENU)

Tamil Varusha pirappu/Tamil puthandu is celebrated on the first day of Tamil month chithirai.Every year it falls on April 14th.Its a most important festival for us.We make a simple yet inviting lunch menu with sambar,poriyal or kootu,2 pachadi varieties,vada,payasam and curd.Neer mor and Panakam should be prepared only when we keep panchangam in neivedyam otherwise it is not necessary.Among these recipes,Mango pacahdi,Payasam and Vada are mandatory.We don’t keep appalam as it is not homemade.But Mor milagai i have kept is homemade.I will share that recipe next week.
.Actually I planned to post this lunch menu during last tamil new year but couldn’t, as i was in Salem.Yesterday i asked my MIL and prepared this menu with the vegetables i had in hand.Sendhil loved the entire platter & especially he gave credits for Vendakkai sambar.He had the same for dinner too.I will post sambar recipe tomorrow as i want to have it as a separate post in my food book.In this post,i have shared raw banana curry and carrot raita recipe.I have also shared other options for making this lunch menu.Do visit the links for other recipes.Try this No onion No Garlic lunch menu for Tamil New year.Let this year be filled with happiness & fortune!!
அனைவருக்கும் எனது இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

Tamil New year lunch menu recipes

Tamil New year lunch menu recipes - Paruppu,Vendakkai sambar,Raw banana curry,Carrot pachadi,Raw mango pachadi,Rice payasam,Pepper vada,Instant Mango pickle

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Lunch menu

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 60 Minutes

Total time: 90 Minutes

RECIPE LINKS

Check out THIS POST for Tamil new year celebration procedure

Vendakkai sambar  Paruppu for rice Mango pachadi Carrot thayir pachadi ( recipe shared below) Raw banana poriyal (recipe shared below) Veppam poo rasam Rice payasam Pepper vada using mixie Instant mango pickle Panakam & Neer mor OTHER OPTIONS (Avoid onions) Arachuvitta sambar – Brahmin’s style Radish sambar Mixed vegetable kootu OR Avial Mixed vegetable poriyal Gooseberry curd pachadi Moong dal payasam or Thengai payasam OTHER LUNCH MENUS Tamilnadu lunch menu 1 Tamilnadu lunch menu 2

RAW BANANA PORIYAL/CURRY RECIPE

Prep time-5 min | Cook time-10min | Total time-15mins Ingredients Raw banana -  1 no Sambar powder – 1 tsp Salt & water – as needed Moong dal – 1 tbsp Grated coconut – 3 tbsp Tamarind –  A very small piece(optional) Asafetida/hing – 2 pinches To temper Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Finely chopped ginger – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Method Wash and peel the skin of raw banana.Remove and cut the raw banana into slices.Keep immersed in water till use to avoid discoloration. In a cooking bowl,take the moong dal,raw banana,sambar powder,salt and a small piece of tamarind with required water and salt. Cook until raw banana becomes tender.Make sure it is not over cooked.It should stay firm in shape.If u prick the cooked raw banana with a fork,it will go easily at the same time it will not break. Remove and drain all the excess water.. In a kadai,temper all the ingredients given above and add the cooked raw banana,moong dal mixture.Saute well in low flame for 5 minutes.Make sure u don’t break the veggie.Do it gently.Lastly add grated coconut,mix well and saute for 2 minutes.Switch off the stove. Serve with sambar sadam ! NOTE Adding tamarind is optional but it helps to reduce the slight bitterness from raw banana.Add very little tamarind otherwise poriyal will become too tangy. Adjust sambar powder as per ur need.Sometimes i add red chilli powder + sambar powder half n half.

CARROT RAITA/THAYIR PACHADI

Prep time – 5 mins | Cook time-2 mins | Total time – 7 mins Ingredients Carrot – 1 no Curd – 1/2 cup Salt – as required Green chillies – 1 no (finely chopped) To temper Cooking oil – 1 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Urad dal – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – few Method Wash and grate carrot.Take in a bowl with finely chopped green chillies ,required salt. Just before serving,mix the curd and temper the above said ingredients. Serve with dal rice/paruppu sadam!

Make this yummy platter on Tamil New year day,Offer to God,Get his blessings and enjoy !

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Very good recipes Tags: Festival recipes, Tamil new year recipes, Lunch menu recipes, Lunch recipes

Mixed Vegetable and Avocado Salad with Almond Herbed Flatbreads

It's almost starting to feel like spring here in southwestern Ontario, although after a long and brutally cold winter I'm not counting on sunny warm days sticking around anytime soon. But with the hint of warmer days on the horizon, I find myself thinking more of salads, even if they are often made to go along with a hot steaming bowl of soup or curry.

My latest dressed-up salad was inspired by a complimentary copy of A Taste of Pesach by Yeshiva Me'on Hatorah. This cookbook, devoted to Passover solutions, features both classic and modern recipes, complete with lovely full colored photographs of each dish. If you observe Passover, this might just be the book for you, and even if you don't there are plenty of diverse recipes to inspire cooks. Those with a sweet tooth won't want to miss the dessert section. While the amount of meat and sea food recipes that occupy the book certainly won't appeal to vegetarians, this vegetarian was intrigued by many of the salads and sides showcased in the book.

Accordingly, after flipping through the pages, I was attracted by a colorful "flatbread" salad and I'm glad I tried it, with some minor modifications.

The salad had a nice creamy component due to the addition of avocado that contrasts pleasantly with crisp romaine lettuce and sweet red cabbage. As the salad is tossed, some of the avocado ends up getting mashed in and incorporated, making it an ideal accompaniment to the tangy and zesty dressing that adorns each serving. The almond flour flatbreads make for an even more substantial salad that you can enjoy as an appetizer while you await the rest of your meal.

Also bookmarked from the collection is Avocado Salad with Portobello Mushrooms, Veggie Roll-Up and various kugels.

Notes: I cut the recipe in half because I didn't require as much salad as the original recipe called for, but it is easily doubled to feed more hungry diners if required.

To make this salad vegan, omit the non-vegan flatbreads suggested below and use flatbreads or croutons that suit your diet or leave them out altogether — the salad is substantial and delicious enough without any garnish, other than perhaps some freshly cracked black pepper. Feel free to increase the amount of dressing by a wee bit if you like your salad smothered with more zing.

You can make your own almond flour for the flatbreads at home if you can't find it or prefer not to buy it. Blanch the almonds and grind into a fine powder in a food processor, taking care not to over-process. You want a grain-like flour consistency, not a sticky mixture.

I received a complimentary copy to look over. The opinions expressed here and my modifications to the original recipe are my own.

Mixed Vegetable and Avocado Salad with Almond Herbed Flatbreads

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from A Taste of Pesach Published on April 11, 2014 Simple colorful mixed salad with multiple textures dressed with a sweet and tangy dressing and topped with herbed almond flour flatbreads Print this recipe Flatbreads: 1 1/2 cups almond flour 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 3/4 teaspoon sea salt fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon olive oil Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons white vinegar 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard a few pinches of dried red pepper flakes (optional) sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Salad: 1 small head romaine lettuce, torn 1 1/2 cups red cabbage, cut into thin strips or grated 12 to 14 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed 1 small red onion, cut into fine strips Instructions: Begin by making the flatbreads. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, herbs, salt, egg, olive oil and black pepper with a fork. Gently knead in the bowl until a soft dough forms. Transfer to the baking sheet with the parchment paper, tear off another sheet of parchment paper, and cover the dough. Flatten with a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. Remove the parchment paper from the top and cut the dough into 2-inch squares or triangles. Sprinkle with more salt and black pepper if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until well combined. For the salad, toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl. To assemble, dish up some salad onto a plate, drizzle with some of the dressing and top with flatbreads broken into smaller pieces. Makes 6 servings

This is my contribution to this month's No Croutons Required Soup and Salad Challenge. Jacqueline is hosting for April. Jac and I look forward to another round of delicious ideas.

More salads to grace your table from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Avocado Salad
Peach and Bocconcini Salad with Arugula
Wild Rice and Asparagus Salad
Chickpea and Lentil Salad with Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

On the top of the reading stack: Orwashers Artisan Bread: 100 Years of Techniques and Recipes

Audio Accompaniment: Mark Hollis

AAMRAS RECIPE-MANGO RECIPES

To start with mango recipes, i chose this simple and easiest North indian dessert recipe,Aamras.Aam – Mango,Ras – juice/Pulp.As its name indicates,its just the pulp of ripe mangoes sweetened with sugar or jaggery flavoured with cardamom or saffron/Kesar or dry ginger powder.After i went through some websites,i came to know that this recipe is very popular in Gujarat,Maharashtra and Rajasthan & made during festivals.Each recipe has its own mild variations.But in general,i read they all have this aamras with poori/puri.First i felt it to be an unusual combo but after i tried, i realised its taste and loved it.It was tasting like jam with poori or roti.Kids would love this combo.Basically i love the combination of sweet & spice.So i had poori with aamras & pickle .I just dipped a piece of poori in aamras and mango thokku and enjoyed it.The combination of sweet and spicy taste made me eat 3-4 pooris.Do try this way.U may love it like me .Over to the recipe..

Aamras recipe

Aamras recipe with poori - Yummy,easy north indian dessert recipe

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Sweet

Serves: Serves 2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 3 Minutes

Total time: 8 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Ripe mangoes - 2 nos ( use alphonso mango for best taste) Sugar or jaggery - as needed ( i used 2.5 tbsp of sugar) Cardamom - 2 nos OR Dry ginger powder - 2 pinches OR Saffron - few threads Water or milk – little (to grind)

METHOD

Wash and peel the mangoes,Cut into pieces.Take them in a mixie jar.Add sugar or jaggery based on the sweetness of mango. Add cardamom powder or dry ginger powder or saffron threads while grinding.( Cardamom is used in Maharashtra,Saffron threads are used in Rajasthan and  dry ginger powder in Gujarat – thanks for these info Spice up the curry) . Add  little milk or water while grinding. I used 3-4 tbsp of milk. Remove and serve with poori/puri. NOTE While adding milk,take care u add less because aamras should be thick in consistency.Also adding more milk makes it a milk shake. Add sugar or jaggery based on the sweetness of mangoes.Sometimes sugar may not be necessary too. Add  any one of the flavouring agent based on ur liking.But do not add everything.It will change the taste.

                  After having a spoon,tempted and taking another spoon;)

Enjoy aamras eating as it is or dipping in poori. Yumm !!

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Very good recipes Tags: Mango recipes, North indian recipes, Dessert recipes

Lemony Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas

During a recent visit with my dad and stepmom a few weeks back, I found myself in the kitchen frequently, either cooking up the bulk of the dinner meal or making some healthy sweet treats for snacking or for dessert. Although my family enjoys spicy food, it does not figure frequently on the menu as it does on mine, so after making spicy chickpeas in a tomato coconut sauce with spinach that everyone enjoyed, I nonetheless decided to go with something less spicy and closer to the sort of fare my dad and stepmom would be more inclined to appreciate.

Another reason I took over the bulk of the supper planning and prep was not only to move around but also because my dad and stepmom do not follow a vegetarian diet. That is not to say they don't enjoy and serve vegetarian meals, but it can be a challenge when you are spending over 2 weeks with a rather fussy vegetarian.

Staring at 5 feet high snow banks at the beginning of April had me craving comfort too. Dad's house is located just a few hours north of Toronto and about 4 hours from London, and although it has been a tough winter all across the province, they were hit especially hard with lots of snow and brutally cold temperatures. Not that a spicy dish Indian meal doesn't speak comfort to me, because it absolutely does and it's my specialty, but I do enjoy different types of cuisines, foods and preparations. Exploring keeps me on my toes in the kitchen.

I was quite pleased with this easy dish as were my dad and stepmom. I think it would make for a fine summer meal and it's quite portable if you happen to be taking food over to a friends or are attending a potluck. I kept the spicing minimal to allow the earthy flavor of the broccoli to come through along with the zesty fresh lemon juice. I do think it would work well with cauliflower too, with some dried herbs to enhance the flavor of the pasta and vegetable.

This dish can be served chilled or at room temperature much like a pasta salad, but I suggest when you first make it to serve it warm, especially if you are adding some crumbled goat cheese or fresh grated Parmesan cheese as a garnish. It can easily be reheated at a low temperature the next day too. I served it up with some rich sour cream and yogurt mini biscuits on the side for a filling and satisfying meal.

Lemony Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on April 9, 2014 Simple, nourishing and zesty warm broccoli, chickpea and pasta salad finished with a refreshing lemon tang — terrific served warm, at room temperature or cold as a meal or as a salad Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1 lb (450 g) broccoli, florets and stems separated 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil or more as needed 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3 cups fusilli or small rotini pasta juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) sea salt to taste fresh cracked black pepper to taste crumbled goat cheese or fresh grated Parmesan for garnish (optional) Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak in enough water to cover for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender — about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain and set aside. Meanwile, peel the broccoli stems and dice. Roughly separate the broccoli florets. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain, chop, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli stems and boil for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a small bowl. Now add the florets to the water and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon into a strainer and rinse with cold water. Cut the florets into bite-size pieces. In the same pot, add some salt and add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-heat. When hot, add the garlic and jalapeño, and stir for a few minutes. Now add the red pepper flakes and ground spices, stir for 30 seconds, and then add the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir for another minute, then add the broccoli stems and florets and stir well to combine, making sure that the vegetables are coated with oil. Cook for another minute or two, then stir in the chickpeas and season with salt. When the pasta is done, add a ladle full of the cooking liquid to the broccoli and stir. Drain the pasta and stir into the broccoli mixture along with the lemon juice and some more olive oil to coat further if desired. Season warm or at room temperature with more salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese or fresh grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Refrigerate leftovers and serve at room temperature or cold as a salad. Makes 6 servings

Other vegetarian pasta dishes you may enjoy from Lisa's Kitchen:
Indian-Style Macaroni and Paneer Cheese with Spinach
Asparagus Pesto Lasagna with Mushrooms
Pasta and Goat Cheese Casserole with Black Olives

On the top of the reading stack: Taste of Tanzania by Miriam R. Kinunda

Audio Accompaniment: deep house