Paneer Tomato Curry with Indian and Thai Flavors

More often than not, when I cook with paneer cheese it usually is an Indian-style dish, although I did once make a Thai Massaman curry with paneer cheese that certainly will be making an appearance again in the near future at the table.

This time, I went with a fusion dish, mixing up typical Indian spicing with prominent Thai flavors. It was a match made in heaven.

Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup with Kidney Beans

Expect to see a fair number of soups offered up here for the next good while. Those who know me understand how much I detest the cold months. They also know my weakness for mushrooms. What better way to warm up than with an earthy bowl of Thai inspired goodness.

Although I am most at home with Indian cooking and spicing, over the years I have become almost as fond of Thai dishes. It's generally a spicy cuisine, as Indian is, so it's really no wonder that I gravitate toward this rich heritage of cooking. The idea of this soup especially appealed to me because in addition to coconut milk and mushrooms, the soup showcased other vegetables and, to fill it out, plump red kidney beans.

No-Bake Coconut Oil Fudge

I know that when most of us think of fudge, we don't think of it as necessarily being the most healthy treat, but in this case I assure you that it is. Just the goodness of coconut oil, coconut milk, raw honey, unsweetened cocoa and some vanilla with a dash of almond extract.

Sweet Potato Hummus Soup with Carrots

Why I've never thought to add hummus to a soup before is a mystery to me considering how much I adore it, but after seeing Janet's carrot ginger lime soup with sweet potato hummus, I was sold. Chickpeas in soups and stews are always a comfort, and adding hummus with a spicy kick certainly imparted a silky and creamy texture that resulted in spoonfuls of pure bliss.

One the most attractive features of this recipe is that you won't need all of the hummus that you make for the soup itself, leaving you free to indulge in a wonderfully fresh tasting sweet and spicy hummus to be served with crackers, chopped vegetables or little toasted breads. I'm not one to complain about having hummus around for a few days!

Pappadums with Avocado Pomegranate Salsa

When I heard a while back about Raghavan Iyer's new cookbook Indian Cooking Unfolded: A Master Class in Indian Cooking with 100 Easy Recipes Using 10 Ingredients or Less, I was bursting with anticipation. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Iyer's offerings, he is also the author of one of my absolute favorite cookbooks, 660 Curries. I have cooked from and written about his books on many occasions and they all come highly recommended from my kitchen. One of the first dishes I have tried and shared from his most recent book was a wonderful chana chaat (tangy and tart chickpea salad).

Coleslaw Bites with Jalapeño Dip

Sides are often underrated, and that's a shame because there are so many interesting ways to dress up grains and vegetables and legumes. For examples, these little fried coleslaw bites served up with one of the tastiest and easiest dips I have had for a while. I made these as part of a meal, rather than as a starter, so I made my bites about 2 inches in diameter, but feel free to make them smaller to serve as hors d'oeuvre tidbits. Better yet, double the batch because they won't last long. They really are that good, and frying up cabbage really brings out its natural sweetness.

Refried Beans with Pumpkin

Refried beans are one of my favorite meals to serve up and when I saw Janet's take on a classic that included pumpkin, I knew I just had to try her pumpkin-infused refried beans. And I'm certainly glad I did. I spiced my dish up and made up a big batch because leftover refried beans are always a treat too. The pumpkin flavor comes out in a subtle but distinct way that really goes well with the pinto beans and spice blend I used. Serve them up as a dip or as a filling for wraps, topped with some hot sauce and sour cream if desired, or alongside a bed of grains, such as quinoa or rice. I served mine up with some jalapeño sauce and some quinoa cakes.

Black-Eyed Pea Tomato Curry

This is a extremely easy but incredibly satisfying black-eyed pea curry that I served for a mid-week meal along with a bed of hot fresh cooked basmati rice. More often than not when I cook a meal, I end up spending a good few hours in the kitchen. Mind you, my knife skills leave something to be desired and I am easily distracted. As much as I enjoy cooking, there are times though that I just want to make something that takes little time at all, but still tastes special. I succeed with this dish.

Hearty Lentil Borscht

I adore soups year round, but there is something especially comforting about a steaming bowl of goodness on a cold autumn or winter day. Bring in the root vegetables for a nourishing dish to fight off that perpetual chill. Beet borscht is probably one of my all-time favorite winter soups, but I've never thought to make it with lentils until recently. The result of combining sweet red beets with earthy brown lentils and a zesty seasoning definitely pleased the diners and the cook too. The beets I used had some healthy beet greens topping the bunch, so I added them to the soup pot as well with the tomatoes for extra nourishment and texture.

Spinach Rice (Palak Pulao)

In my kitchen, it's easy to get excited about rice. Oftentimes, I just make up a pot and fluff it up with a generous quantity of butter and some cracked black pepper. Sometimes that is just what you want to go along with the rest of your meal. This time around I dressed it up a bit as I had some lovely fresh spinach in the fridge that I didn't want to go to waste. Pretty much as easy as boiling up some rice with few adornments, you get some earthy vegetables here in the mix that doesn't overpower curries you may wish to serve with the dish.