homemade buttermilk ranch

• 1 cup buttermilk : use the low fat store one. If you are planning on diluting thick white yogurt, use the sour cream ton dilute and not water. Use 1/2 cup sour cream to 2 cups thick yogurt. Blend. It needs to be the consistency where it'll coat a spoon.  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream: if you used 1/4 cup to dilute. Now add the remaining 1/4 cup.
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika or red chilli powder.
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry dill (or a teaspoon chopped fresh)

 In a bowl, stir together the buttermilk and mayonnaise until fully mixed. Do not use the blender. It make the dressing too runny. Add in the other ingredients, adjusting for taste.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Keeps for a week, covered in the fridge

Use as a dip for steamed veggies, salad dressing. My son loves it on his pizza

Jalapeno Cilantro Ranch

This has to be the easiest recipe that elevates the simple ranch up 100 knotches... absolutely love it with tacos

ranch dressing: you can use the mix from a packet and make to direction or use the fat free lite ranch from a bottle

1 bunch of cilnatro: washed, rinsed, rough chopped with stems

4-5 firm green jalapenos

grind all the above together until smooth. taste and add more jalapenos depending on spice level preferred

Easy Thai Dressing

Love how versatile this recipe it: you can use it as a dressing for salads or a sauce for a curry

Almond or peanut butter: 1 cup. To make your own roast 2 cups of shelled, husked peanuts or almonds for a few minutes just to get some crunch and light color. cool completely. Add to food processor along with tbspn of honey ( skip if diabetic), salt and couple of tbspns of oil. You will need to whisk down often as it will be really thick to begin with but as you run the processor it should start to get smoother and shinier. This can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for a month. Can be used on bread as a spread.

Thai red chilli sauce such as sriracha or other red chilli pastes. sambal oelek is a good one. If you have access to none good ol tabasco will work. You can always soak some dried red chillies in water overnight and grind it using some of the soaking water. Start with 1 tbsp and you can add in more as you taste the sauce

Soy Sauce: 2-3 tbspn

Sugar: 1/4 tsp. You can use stevia or sugar substitute as well

Combine the above. Consistency should be like that of thick tomato ketchup.

To make a salad:  slice carrots, cucumber, fennel, leeks, onions, radish. I like it when they all look like matchsticks. You can also add in bean sprouts, broccoli stems sliced.

Add in couple of tbsps of the dressing. Mix thoroughly.Serve immediately. It will turn soggy if you mix in the dressing too early.
Top with crushed peanuts or almonds ( depending on which one was used to make the sauce) and chopped cilantro leaves.

You can use the same dressing in an easy stir fry.

Chop the following vegetables into approximately the same size:
Bell Peppers: red, green, yellow... any color you can find and like
Onions: red, yellow and scallions. Keep aside green portion finely diced for topping.
Broccoli: steam it until just tender or drop in salted boiling water for 2-3 mins and remove. Pat dry.
Tofu: extra firm. I like to drain it from the liquid, wrap it in multiple layers of paper towels, place in a colander with heavy weight on top, Do this overnight and the tofu is nice and firm with minimum moisture.

Heat oil in a wok or deep pan until smoking. Add diced garlic(5-6 cloves, peeled, dieced), green chillis ( serrano or thai chillis, 3-4 minced. Remove seeds if you like or use milder chilis), minced ginger ( 1" piece).

Stir constantly for 3-4 mins. Add in tofu and stir gently until it gets color. 4-5 mins.Add in veggies and cook additional 3-4 mins. Pour in 4-5 tbspn of thai dressing. Cook 3-4 mins. Transfer to serving bowl. Top with crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and cilantro,

You can stir in light coconut milk after you add the sauce and simmer for 10 mins for a variation.

Serve both with rice or broad rice noodles.

Spicy Bean and vegetable Patties

I love burgers. I do buy the morningstar farms one as well. But usually i like making mine. That way i get to control what goes in and the texture.

I usually make enough that i can freeze some for later.

Here what you need:

Can of drained rinsed black beans or garbanzo beans. You can combine the two as well.
Potatoes: 2 big ones. Boiled peeled, cubed. you can use frozen diced ones as well. If diabetic or watching cards omit completely.
Carrots : peeled grated 1
Onion: red, peeled, grated 1. You can caramalize it and add as well.
Bell peppers: seeded, diced small: 1 You can sautee finely if you dont like it raw
Corn: 1 kernels only. boiled. You can use the frozen. Just thaw and use 1 cup
Garlic: 3-4 cloves peeled chopped fine
Cilantro: 1/2 bunch chopped leaves only
Tomato Ketchup: 2-3 tbsp (
Spices: crushed red pepper flakes 2-3 tbsp, salt to taste

the salt free seasoning blends like McCormicks or Mrs Dash can be used as well. Use whichever ones you like best. I like the garlic n herb one a lot.

Start by addding the drained beans to a big bowl. Mash lightly. You will have a few whole which is fine.
Now add in all the other listed ingredients inclusive of spices except the boiled potatoes, Mix lightly by hand. If the mixture is too grainy and does not hold together if you try and form a patty, mush the boiled cubed potatoes and add in. Mix  again. The consistency in which you add in the boiled potato should help bind the patty.

Roll in bread crumbs or panko crumbs and pan fry.

For a chinese flavor add in the following:

2 tbsp light soy sauce
replace tomato sauce with schezuan or sriracha or any preferred red chilli sauce
add 2-3 scallions finely diced

To freeze, form patties, roll in crumbs and individually wrap and store in air tight container or zip lock bags.

Pesto-Hashbrown Sandwich

I made this for Siddhanth today and he gave it a thumbs up.

Pesto: you can use the green-chilli pesto recipe i have shared earlier. If not, here's a simple one to make:
Herbs: you can use cilantro, basil or parsley.Wash, rinse and chop off about 2" from the end and discard. These are basically the stalks.

Crushed red chilli flakes: one tablespoon. adjust to your liking.
Salt to taste
Olive Oil: about 1/4 cup
Pine nuts or walnuts: about 1/4 cup. toast these up on a dry skillet to get them crisp. I buy the crushed walnuts from the bulk counter. cheaper and work well in this recipe.

Put all ingredients in a food processor except oil. Spin a couple of times and then drizzle in the oil while spinning. You are done and the pesto is ready.

Hash Brown: you can pick one from the freezer at your grocer. They have lots of variety these days. Cook to direction. If you want to make your own. Here's a simple recipe:

4-5 large potatoes: peeled and grated.
One large onion: peeled and grated
2-3 garlic cloves: peeled and grated
Combine all of the above. Add Salt and Pepper and two whole whisked eggs.

Form patties and pan fry until golden.

You can even use left over fries, tater tots etc, Just warn them in the microwave and crumble in a bowl.

Bread: Any bread will do. My personlay preferance is for heartier ones than the white as it gets mushy.

Cheese: use two slices per sandwich. I like the spicier kinds but you can use any good melting cheese.

Apply  pesto to on both sides of bread. place one cheese slice on each slice. place hash-brown/potato mix on one slice and top with the other. Press down.

Heat a flat pan or skillet. Add butter and place the s/w. Cook until brown. Flip and cook until brown on the other side as well.

Serve hot.

To make it a meal, serve with tomato soup and salad.

Cookie Sandwich

This is my go-to super simple favorite dessert. Lends itself to lots of dressing up.

Here's what you need:

Marie Biscuit/any sweet cracker/ ginger snap cookies, You can use biscotti as well. Any non filled cookie will work.

Candy bars: any kind absolutely... twix, kit-kat, almond joy, reeses, hersheys kisses.... really just about any

Ice cream: again any you like. No sorbet.

lay out the biscuits/crackers in pairs. Crumble up your fav candy. transfer to a microwaveable bowl and heat in 10 sec increments stirring each time.

Spread in a thick layer on the cracker and cover with the second biscuit/cracker

This is ready to serve as is!

If you want to add to it, the possibilities are several.

Let the filled cookie sit for 10 mins and bind. Then you can dip it in some thick choc sauce and refrigerate until the choc sets, roll in sweetened coconut flakes, nuts etc. Serve with ice cream.

Indian Chilli

Here a simple, easy recipe and you don’t really need to go to the Indian grocery store. It’s regular stuff you can buy anywhere:

If you want to go the convenient way, use one can each of garbanzo and black bean. I drain it and rinse it out.

If you want to put in a lot of effort, then you can get the bag of dried mixed lentils or any dry lentil /bean you like. The Indian grovery stores have tons of variety. If using dried, soak in water overnight. Add about 2-3 inches more than the beans. It’ll soak it all up.

To cook the soaked lentils, rinse and discard the water they soaked in. transfer to a deep dish pot add, soaked beans, 3-4 garlic cloves peeled whole, a bay leaf, salt and enough water to cover the beans and cook on low-medium. Depending on the beans should take maybe a 45 mins to an hour. If you can smush it between your fingers it is cooked.

If you have a pressure cooker, add all of the above and pressure cook for about 2-3 whistles. Shouls take about 20 mins.

You can even do this in the slow cooker. In which case make the gravy indicated below in the slow cooker, then add the dried beans ( everything indicated above) and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

The gravy:

One big red or yellow onion, diced small

Garlic cloves-2-3 peeled minced

Fresh Ginger: about ¼ inch. Optional if you don’t have it

Cilantro: a whole bunch washed, rinsed, chopped. You can use the stems as well.

Tomatoes: 5-6 medium ripe ones dices. The roma tomato will work. You can also use the no-salt canned diced ones. You’ll need about 2 cans.

Serrano Green Chili l: 3-4. Slit lengthwise. I don’t de-seed them as I like the heat.

Spices: salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder. You can use the crushed red chilli flakes if you don’t have the powder. I add turmeric as it gives it the nice color.

To Cook the gravy:

Add about 1-2 tbsp of oil to a deep pot. Use canola or olive or whatever you use. Heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies. . If you are using canned beans, add a bay leaf to the oil at this time. Cook until caramelized or onions are golden brown.  Add diced tomatoes and simmer covered until tomatoes break down and the whole thing looks like a paste or thick gravy.

Remove bay leaf from beans. Add with the garlic to the gravy with some of the water the beans were boiled in.

Let the bean and gravy mix simmer for 15-20 mins.

Top with diced onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream or yogurt.

Serve with rice, tandoori rotis or crusty bread.