I would always resolve to go home and search for ridge gourd recipes online so that next time I can buy it. Of course the search never happened and I invariably forgot about it until I came to the supermarket next. One day, I have no idea what came over me but I walked straight to the ridge gourd tray and picked up one. TH panicked. I could read his thoughts which went ‘now what experimental dish is she going to cook up with this weird looking thing?...

So anyway, back to the roasted coriander chutney. This is more of a thuvayal than a chutney which means it goes better with rice and rasam / kuzhambu than tiffin items like dosa, idli. Use the freshest coconut that’s available to you and your heart will sing with the simple flavours of the chutney. Paired with a simple instant tomato rasam, this is the best combination I can think of....

When you do sautéed spinach right, it tastes so good that you want to eat it straight out of the skillet. The leaves are tender, silky, and bright with lemon, and they have a savory, garlicky bite. It makes a great standalone veggie side dish (and you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s quicker or easier!), but it can go into a frittata, a grain bowl, pasta, or a sandwich too....

Here’s where we went… We took a drive out of Seattle (our home) towards Bellingham — a small town not too far from the Canadian border. It only took an hour or so. Be sure to check out our nifty Google map that shows you everywhere we went so you can visit yourself. It works great on a phone. Click here or the map to check it out! First, we stopped at the Skagit Valley flower fields....

These days, our idea of a “date night” rarely involves restaurant reservations. First, we never think ahead to actually make reservations, and then (way too often) we find ourselves waiting 2 hours on a Friday night for a meal. Some people might be ok with that, but this girl gets hungry. Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) are one of our favorite things to make together at home. They’re not difficult but they take a little time – the assembly is definitely quicker if you have 4 hands and a bottle of sake on the side....

This easy bowl is what I make for dinner most often when no one is looking. It’s my go-to meal when I’m not working on new recipes, when I’m tired after a long day, and when I’ve definitely had too much take-out pho for one week. It’s not a 30-minute meal because roasting a sweet potato takes at least that long, but the rest is so darn simple. Plus, nothing actually calms me more than the wafting aroma of sweet potatoes roasting in my kitchen....

Recipes from grandmothers are always special. So when a friend of mine offered to send a coffee table cookbook based on a Grandmom’s recipes from Palakkad, I didn’t have to think too much to accept it. I thought we can never have enough old recipes to cherish and pass on, right? This recipe is from a gorgeously simple cookbook called Pankajam’s Cooking from the Heart, a compilation of her grandmother’s recipes by Bharathi Ravi Prakash....

You’ll often see steamed edamame with sea salt, but in this recipe, we kick up the flavors with lots of garlic, ginger, and a spicy chili sauce. Edamame is easy to cook at home and fun to eat, and this is my favorite way to cook it. Key Ingredients Edamame: These are young soybeans, which means the beans are soft and easy to eat. In this edamame recipe, we cook the beans inside their shell....

Walk into most grocery stores these days and you’ll find bags upon bags of mesclun mixes and delicate baby greens. As much as we love the choice, you’ll likely find us pushing the bags aside and reaching for heads of iceberg or romaine. We love the crunch. Forget the Wedge and Make this Salad with Strawberries and Tangy Blue Cheese Dressing Iceberg lettuce sometimes gets a bad rap, but it is perfect in this salad....

When I feel like eating sushi but I don’t feel like making sushi, I make this sushi bowl recipe instead. It’s easy to put together (no rolling required!), but it still captures all the tastes and textures I crave in a good veggie sushi roll. Creamy avocado plays off sticky seasoned rice, which in turn contrasts with crisp, cooling cucumbers and crackly nori. I add ripe mango for a hit of sweetness, baked tofu for protein, and big drizzles of spicy mayo for richness and heat....

Watch the Video How to Make the Best Black Bean Dip If you are like me and love bean dips, this recipe is one to try. We also have classic hummus, red pepper hummus and this easy cheesy bean dip for you to look at, too. The secret to this creamy dip is cooked onions. In fact, the recipe starts just as classic onion dip starts. We cook sweet onion in a bit of oil until it is wilted down and tastes sweet....

I first made this months ago with the very first butternut squash of the season. I had decided ahead of time that it would be a “non-photo” night since casseroles are not the easiest subject matter. Of course, after we made it, I was regretting not having the camera out because it tasted way too good not to share. For the second go-around, I made it with sweet potatoes only because that had a better ring than “butternut squash surprise....

With my latest cookbook Love & Lemons Simple Feel Good Food now available, I thought it would be fun to round up some of the best vegetarian cookbooks that have inspired me in my own cooking. As a three-time cookbook author, I appreciate the time and effort that go into creating a book–the recipe testing, the writing, the photography, and more. I have so much respect for other writers who combine these elements into exciting and accessible vegetarian cookbooks....

We have a new favorite recipe in our winter rotation: this vegan ramen! My plant-based riff on the Japanese noodle soup is warming, comforting, and intensely flavorful. It starts with a rich mushroom broth, which I spike with miso paste for extra umami. Then, I add chewy ramen noodles, savory baked tofu, and loads of fresh toppings–sautéed mushrooms, bok choy, green onions, and daikon radish. A swirl of chili crisp takes it over the top....

We first learned how to make pho (pronounced “fuh”) many years ago and are so happy that we did. If you’ve not had it before, Vietnamese pho is a noodle soup that’s flavorful, aromatic, and unbelievably comforting. Every time I make this authentic beef pho recipe (phở bò), I want to make it again. The aroma of it cooking is enough, but the flavor seals the deal. Pho is one of the best noodle soups in the world, and with one bite, you’ll understand why....

If you are a seafood lover, there’s something special about a bowl of seafood stew with perfectly cooked seafood. Our version has no tomatoes and calls on white wine, garlic, and fennel. The broth is similar to our steamed mussels but calls on homemade seafood stock (it’s easy). When serving this seafood stew, you’ll want a few slices of crusty bread to go alongside so you can soak up all the delicious broth....

Here’s a gift everyone could probably use – a $75 gift card to Whole Foods! Go stock up on fancy mushrooms (or whatever you want)… leave a comment below and tell me your favorite way to cook with mushrooms. And if you don’t like mushrooms, well then you’re not eligible (kidding!!). Not sure what to make with mushrooms? Try one of these: Walnut-mushroom veggie burgers (from us) Rosemary mushroom chickpea ragout (The First Mess) Mushroom & chard bruschetta (Whole Foods) Mushroom millet leek frittatas (Sprouted Kitchen) Roasted king oyster mushrooms (Food & Wine) Mixed mushroom soup (Whole Foods) Cheesy brussels sprouts (& mushroom) lasagna (How Sweet it is) Mushroom & kale grilled cheese (Foodie Crush) Kale, mushroom, and ricotta calzones (Two Peas & Their Pod) This giveaway is now closed....

A few reasons I love these cookies: They are versatile and no-failYou can bake them with plain flour or a mix of whole wheat flour and i flour. I used 100% whole wheat flour or atta this timeThe nuttiness of the whole wheat flour and the butter really complement each other wellThe flax seed powder I added to this batch is just one of the many ways you can customise themThey are easy to make in a single bowl You can go from ingredients to cookies in 40 minutes flatMy toddler seems to love them too!...

… otherwise known as: peaches leftover from the bottom of your sangria pitcher. With ice cream. And a pinch of cinnamon if you want to get fancy. This weekend might have been my laziest summer weekend yet. Jack was out of town so I really kicked back. I ate some pretty interesting (yet amazing) watermelon sushi Friday night with a girlfriend… went for a long sweaty walk this morning… and then caught up on every episode of Food Network Star....

When I sat down to write this summer appetizers post, I glanced over at the calendar I have hanging on my wall. September already? How did that happen?! We might be nearing the end of the season, but I hope you still have a BBQ, cookout, or casual get-together left in store. In my book, at least, there’s not much that beats catching up with family or friends on a warm afternoon or evening....