Grilled Zucchini with Chimichurri

You've probably noticed that recently I’ve published more zucchini recipes than usual. The reason is that we have so much zucchini in our garden that's begging to be harvested.

My favorite method by far for preparing zucchini is grilling. Since zucchini tends to be a little bland, in this recipe I flavored them with chimichurri sauce. This sauce consists of a combination of Italian parsley, pickled garlic, Champagne pear vinegar, lemon, lemon thyme, coriander and extra-virgin olive oil. I also topped the zucchini with a little queso fresco before serving.

Bhindi Subzi Recipe (Spicy Okra)

The taste and texture of okra differ drastically depending on the cooking method. I’m not a fan of the "slimier" preparations of okra, so I typically pan fry the veggie to keep it dry. In this recipe I used onion-flavored oil to cook the okra, then seasoned it with the usual Indian spices such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder and a touch of garam masala. Once the okra was softened, I drizzled it with lemon juice and added a bit of sugar to balance the flavors.

I usually serve this with dal (lentil dish), barbari bread (sesame-studded Persian flat bread) or basmati rice. My mother-in-law and the girls have all gone on vacation for the summer, so it's just Lulu, baby Aria, Daddy (my father-in-law) and me at home. Daddy really enjoys Indian spicy food, so I hope my cooking makes him miss his wife and girls a little less. 

Aloo Taheri Recipe (Indian Potato Rice)

Taheri is to Indian cuisine what risotto is to Italian cuisine. In the Indian version, basmati rice is cooked in the same manner as Arborio rice would be in risotto.

Taheri is to Indian cuisine what risotto is to Italian cuisine. In the Indian version, basmati rice is cooked in the same manner as Arborio rice would be in risotto. This dish can be flavored with many ingredients. In this version I cooked a few vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini (freshly picked from our garden) and carrots with caramelized onions and spices, then pan-fried pre-boiled potatoes. Once the vegetable mixture is soft and fragrant, the grains of basmati rice are incorporated and cooked until softened.

I learned this dish from my husband's aunt, Phoopi, who is an expert cook. I initially planned this recipe in my first cookbook, Haute Potato, but later decided otherwise. Her in-laws are the owner of the delicious restaurant, “Shezan” in downtown Mountain View, California. If you're searching for authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine, stop by, say hi and savor mouth-watering, spicy food.en steamed on top of the vegetables; the result for taheri provides a very flavorful, more colorful rice.

Canh Bi Do (Pumpkin Wonton Soup Recipe)

Canh bí đỏ is Vietnamese pumpkin soup. But in this recipe instead of simply boiling the pumpkin in broth, I used it as the filling in wonton wrappers (hoành thánh in Vietnamese).

The Vietnamese pumpkin has a naturally sweet creaminess. If it's cooked properly the skin is also edible and adds a wonderful texture. To make the dish into a complete meal, I add fried tofu for protein and wheat germ, fried onion and shiitake mushroom for extra flavor. The rest is a simple broth so as not to overpower the flavorful pumpkin wontons.

Nimbu Ka Achar (Indian Lemon Pickle Recipe)

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while but Daddy, my father-in-law, kept telling me to be more patient. We harvested our last batch of Meyer lemons more than a month ago. I preserved them by making all sorts of pickles. The method is pretty much the same regardless of the cuisine type, but the spices differ. 

Today I'm going to show you how to make my family's favorite, called nimbu ka achar. Halved lemons are pickled in a large amount of coarse sea salt, then flavored with baghar, which is a combination of oil, a lot of spices and a few curry leaves. We enjoy it best with simple, plain basmati rice.