Chicken Kofta Recipe in Makhani Curry

Chicken kofta is not your average meatball. It's packed with Indian spices, garam masala and chiles. To top that off, in this recipe the kofta are drenched in a rich, creamy curried, tomato sauce made with tomato, onions, cashew nuts, lemon juice, ghee, cream and a few spices.

Seriously, what’s not to love? Any time you can say "meatball" and "cream sauce" in the same sentence, something delicious is probably going on. We often make this for dinner parties because it’s a little too rich to serve on a regular basis. Having said that, I find myself coming up with “special” occasions all the time as an excuse to make this dish. If you try it out yourself, I bet you will too!

Mango Cream Cheese Mousse Recipe

Mango cream cheese mousse is an ultra easy dessert. It doesn't require any cooking and can be prepared one day ahead so you can relax the day you're hosting your dinner party. The other cool thing about it is that the dessert is gluten free, making it a perfect option if one of your guests has a gluten allergy.

I flavored cream cheese with Alphonso mango pulp and added the same stabilizers I typically use in place of eggs (xanthan gum and lecithin). I also folded in some whipped cream so the mousse is light and airy. The interplay of the tanginess of the cream cheese with the sweetness of the mango is really incredible, and far more complex in flavor than I expected. The only negative about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make that I’m worried that we’ll be indulging in it more than we should (I served it in 3-ounce dessert cups). We’ll just have to spend more time exercizing!

Vegetarian Quinoa Appetizers

Quinoa is a grain that is perfect for a gluten free diet; however it's very bland by itself. We had a very dear friend over for lunch this weekend and she is allergic to gluten, so I was determined to figure out a satisfying way to prepare quinoa. I ended up flavoring it with parsley and a medley of vegetables and seasonings such as corn, artichokes, eggplant, button mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, French green beans, capers, bell peppers and gorgonzola. This allows the quinoa to act as a palette for the other flavors.

I served it in a large bowl for brunch, but I also set some aside for something a little more special. I placed mounds of the quinoa on gluten free crackers. The result is a fancy, tasty and unique vegetarian, gluten free appetizer that everyone can enjoy.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

A strawberry banana smoothie is perfect when you need breakfast on the go. I whip up the drink with frozen strawberries and a banana whenever Lulu is running late. Strawberries aren't quite in season yet, so frozen is your best bet. When you can get them fresh, this drink is even more delicious.

Besides being a vegetarian, Lulu is also lactose-intolerant, so it's a challenge to make him calcium-rich food. I used almond milk and yogurt to deliver calcium without adding too much lactose. I also added a scoop of whey protein to fortify the drink with a little protein. I placed the smoothie in a cup that I sealed with a lid and added a straw.

Lulu left for work with a strawberry banana smoothie in his hand and a kiss on his cheek. I think that's a pretty good way to start the day!

Soybean Sprouts with Black Bean Sauce

Stir fried soybean sprouts make a healthy, yet tasty side dish if you're planning a quick and easy Asian meal. The bean sprouts are seasoned with black bean sauce and soy sauce. Baby spinach is added for a nice contrast in color.

Soybean sprouts are a lot harder to get than regular mung bean sprouts. The sprouts are much larger and have a yellow color, whereas mung bean sprouts are green. I buy mine at a local Korean store. It's definitely worth the effort to find them though, because soybean sprouts give the dish an extra dimension of flavor.