Peachy Keen Green

Another recipe adapted from a recipe in  The Indian Vegetarian  cookbook by Neelam Batra (see also the  diced potatoes and tomatoes  recipe). The original calls for 4 jalapenos (!!). I use one medium jalapeno; any more and we can barely eat it, it's so spicy. Shown here with Munira's yummy roti! Ingredients 2 medium eggplants (1 pound each) 2 T canola oil 1 T cumin seeds 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional) 2 tsp minced garlic 1 T (1 inch) minced fresh ginger 1 1/2 C red onion, chopped  1 1/2 C fresh tomato, chopped or 1 can diced 1/2 - 1 C chopped cilantro 1 small hot green or red pepper Optional: 1 cup fresh peas spices: 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp tumeric 1 tsp salt optional: 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg Instructions Wash the eggplant and poke holes in it with a fork. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Let cool. Puree in a food processor. (This can be done the day before and stored.) Saute cumin seeds in oil until they sizzle. Stir in garlic

This bean dish was served at a lunch at work, in both vegan and with-bacon-and-ham forms. Judi and I thought the vegan one was delicious (don't know about the other!); I brought home leftovers, and Larry agreed. Turns out catering got the recipe from our admin assistant, Vickie, whose office is next to mine. So we bought dry red beans and tried it. The veggie broth had plenty of salt in it, so I don't list the half teaspoon of salt called for in this recipe, after tasting it. Anyway, it was easy and very flavorful! I think dry beans taste better than canned, but you could used canned, of course. And I liked cooking the dried beans in the large soup pot for this; I usually boil beans in a smaller saucepan, and that's messy. Big soup pot from now on for beans! Serve with rice or cauliflower rice and a veggie. Ingredients 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed 2 T olive oil 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 3/4 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup chopped bell peppers (yellow or green)

This potato dish is adapted from a recipe in  The Indian Vegetarian  cookbook by Neelam Batra, who also has a web site, Neelam's California Indian Cuisine . Thanks to my friend Munira for recommending it! I made this dish for a bbq at Judi's the other night, and she said it was blog worthy :) Ingredients 5 cups diced potatoes (~8-10 small red) 3 T olive oil 1-2 jalepenos, chopped (the original said 5!) 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 2 cups finely chopped fresh tomatoes 1 cup loosely packed finely chopped cilantro 2 T coriander 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp paprika 1 tsp salt fresh ground black pepper 1/2 tsp garam masala 3 T chopped cilantro for garnish Other vegetables as desired (I sometimes add peas or kale) Instructions Pre-cook the potatoes: I cut them into chunks and use a microwave steamer (5 minutes), in batches. In a pan, fry the onion and pepper a few minutes on moderately high heat. Add the tomatoes and cilantro and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of

Judi found a "divine" recipe for  blueberry lemon energy bites  that she  modified slightly to use walnuts (for the omega-3s) instead, and she skipped the coconut. I tried with different dried fruits (blueberries, cherries) and add back the coconut (sometimes). Super easy and delicious! I want to try rolling these in cocoa powder next time... Ingredients 1 1/4 cups walnuts 1/4 cup cashews 1/4 cup oats 1/3 cup chia seeds 1 cup dates 1 cup dried blueberries, or dried cherries, or mix juice from half a lemon, and zest (optional) 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp salt shredded coconut (optional) cocoa (optional) Instructions In a food processor, blend walnuts and cashews. Add berries, dates, oats, lemon juice, vanilla. Process until the mixture forms a rough dough. Add chia seeds, salt, and (optionally) shredded coconut if you like. Process to mix in. Taste and add more lemon if necessary. Roll into small (1 inch) balls. Optionally roll the balls into additional coconut