Urad Dal with Coconut, Shallots and Cilantro

This easy, earthy, creamy and spicy curry dish is one that is reminiscent of dal makhani, a classic Punjabi preparation featuring whole urad beans — also known as black gram or black lentils — and red kidney beans cooked in an aromatically spiced tomato gravy and finished with plenty of cream. Unlike traditional versions of dal makhani, urad beans are the star by themselves in this dish, complemented with a finish of coconut cream and fresh lime juice, and garnished with crispy fried shallots, coconut flakes and fresh cilantro.

Spicy Indian Smashed Potatoes with Fresh Mint

I don't make mashed potatoes nearly as often as my husband and friends might like, but now that cooler weather temperatures have descended, I don't mind indulging in starches once in a while myself. Ordinary mashed potatoes whipped with cream and butter may be fine, but I like to dress up almost any kind of food that I cook, and even classics are typically tweaked to suit my fancy. These mashed potatoes — not whipped or mashed too finely, mind you — are blended with fresh ginger, plenty of chilies, and an assortment of Indian spices, and then pan-fried until golden and served with fresh chopped mint. They didn't last long at all when I served them up to guests.

Announcement - The 30-Minute Vegetarian Cookbook

Over the 12 years since I started Lisa's Kitchen, I've had countless people asking me when I was going to write a cookbook. I've always deferred an answer, but now I can tell everyone who's asked that I have not only written a cookbook but that it's available now on Amazon.

I'm excited to announce "The 30-Minute Vegetarian Cookbook," not only because it's my first cookbook, but also because it's a handy compilation of easy vegetarian recipes distilled from my 12 years of experience as a vegetarian food blogger. Subtitled "100 Healthy, Delicious Meals for Busy People," I've designed this book to make everyday vegetarian an easy, rewarding and nourishing experience, from breakfast through to meals and desserts, with snacks and treats in between. I've also included plenty of information and tips to make simple vegetarian cooking as unintimidating as possible.

I'll be sharing excerpts and photos over the coming weeks to give you a taste of what's inside. Check out my Facebook page for more of these sneak peeks. I'll be looking forward to seeing your comments there.

For those of you who prefer their books on Kindle, a Kindle release is also available. For those of you living outside of the U.S., the book is available on Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com.au, and Amazon.in.

Black-Eyed Pea Pumpkin Curry

Fall comes all too quickly in this part of the world, but along with the cooler temperatures comes colorful fresh autumn vegetables like pumpkins. Every pumpkin season I buy a few pie pumpkins to roast and freeze so that I have pumpkin purée all year long. And it's always an excuse to make one of my favorite treats of the season though I adore them no matter the time of year, homemade roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin season always brings with it renewed inspiration for cooking ideas too, and the first sweet pie pumpkin of the year in my kitchen found its way into the oven for roasting and then combined with earthy black-eyed peas and Indian spices to make this colorful, filling and nourishing curry. This is an easy recipe to make too, with most of the prep time taken with cutting the pumpkin and scooping out the seeds.

Walnut Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Roasted Mushrooms

Pasta appears infrequently on the menu in Lisa's Kitchen, but when it does, it generally is turned into a special dish, even when it comes together in very little time. Such as this filling pasta coated with a rich and creamy pesto that one might think was laden with cheese, but if you don't tell your fellow diners, they might easily be fooled. Quite substantial when you add plenty of earthy and meaty roasted mushrooms and protein-rich walnuts into the pesto mix, with extra flair and vibrancy from sun-dried tomatoes, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and a hint of heat from some chilies, it is the mushrooms that really carry this dish.