Braised Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a delicious winter vegetable that can be cooked in many ways (roasted, boiled, grilled or braised). For this recipe, I first boiled them, then braised them in apple cider vinegar and honey and mixed them with tarragon-infused caramelized onions.

The dish is quite filling, yet healthy. I love these miniature cabbages and as their name indicates, they originated in the capital of Belgium (hence the name). So they are spelled Brussels sprouts, not Brussel sprouts, Brussel's sprouts or Brussels' sprouts. Regardless of how you spell them, they are yummy!

French Green Beans with Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Haricots verts with oven roasted tomatoes are a great side dish. If you're in the market for a great green bean recipe for Thanksgiving, this might be it! It may look simple, but it’s absolutely bursting with flavor.

Making the dish takes quite a long time but requires very little work. The tomatoes are caramelized in balsamic vinegar, palm sugar and garlic and very slowly roasted for 2 hours. French green beans are very fine and tender, so they require very little cooking. I sautéed them in caramelized onions and added the tomatoes at the last minute. The crunch from the greens and the softness from the tomatoes make a wonderful combination without packing a lot of calories.

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes are a variation on roasted potatoes. The potatoes have a crispy outer skin with a delicious, soft inside. The cooking technique isn't different from common baked potatoes, with the exception of being thinly sliced into an accordion shape.

A blend of butter and garlic creates a crunchy outer crust that is perfectly seasoned. To guarantee that the potatoes are cooked through, I parboiled them for a few minutes, cut them into a fan shape, dried them in the oven, then smeared them with a generous amount of garlic-flavored butter.

The accordion potatoes have a fancy presentation, but really, the dish isn't complicated at all. I'm thinking of serving hasselback potatoes for Thanksgiving this year instead of the roasted potatoes I typically make. As an added bonus, they go great with meat or poultry, making them perfect for turkey day.

Dahi Bhalla Recipe (Indian Lentil Fritters in Yogurt Sauce)

Dahi bhalla is a very common dish in Indian cuisine. Hot fried lentil fritters are soaked in cold water, gently pressed then smothered in a thick yogurt sauce. What makes the dish so special is the combination of sweet tamarind chutney that marries very well with the tanginess of the yogurt. It can be eaten as a snack or appetizer. The dish may be fried, but it’s packed with nutrition so you can enjoy it without feeling that guilty.

For added flavor, I added both chopped dates and date syrup to the tamarind chutney. This dish can be prepared in advance and assembled at the last minute, which is very convenient. Serve with cilantro and mint chutney on the side and you'll have yourself a very flavorful appetizer.

Paneer Korma Recipe

In Urdu, shahi paneer korma would literally translate to braised paneer in "royal" curry. Shahi means royal but when it refers to paneer, it usually indicates a creamy, decadent tomato sauce.

To make the dish I started by quickly stir-frying cubes of paneer. Paneer is Indian-style soft cheese. I made the sauce with caramelized onion paste, yogurt, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste as well as several Indian spices. The paneer pieces are braised at a simmer in the curry sauce until well coated. The final touch is a little heavy cream. It’s not something you want to eat every day, but paneer korma is a perfect dish to make when you want to treat yourself.