Gourmet Red Potato Salad Recipe

This potato salad recipe is unique in that it contains no eggs. My husband Lulu doesn't like mayonnaise and one of his sisters is allergic to eggs, so I made an eggfree salad dressing using chipotle peppers, lime, cream cheese, sour cream, roasted Roma tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, red wine vinegar and pickled garlic. I used wax potatoes from our garden which add color to the salad. To the potatoes, I added red radishes, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, red kidney beans, pine nuts and a myriad of herbs. It’s perfect for a summer picnic!

Gardening with the girls... They were so proud of finding the potatoes!

Stuffed Gnocchi (Cheese Stuffed Pasta with Romesco Sauce Recipe

I recently had stuffed gnocchi at a restaurant and have been itching to recreate the dish at home, with my own little twists of course. I decided to stuff my homemade gnocchi with pieces of Nabulsi cheese, which is Persian black sesame cheese. I chose this particular cheese because I like the way it melts when it is cooked. It's not as messy as mozzarella, but it does become soft and a bit stringy. I paired the cheese-stuffed pasta with homemade romesco sauce, which contains pine nuts, almond butter, olive oil, bread, a head of roasted garlic, sherry vinegar and roasted red bell pepper. The bright, red color pops against the gnocchi. And since the sauce pairs so well with seafood, I served fried fish on the side.

Lya, Lulu and I had so much fun filming the "how to make gnocchi" video a few weeks ago, and this dish brought back the memories. My little munchkin was sad that she didn't get to help roll and form the gnocchi last time, so I made sure that she got her chance today. She enjoyed it so much, mostly because she nominated herself to be the official taster. Making gnocchi is very interactive, and I’ve found it’s a great way to get kids cooking. It doesn’t hurt that it tastes great too!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe with Cooking Video

I made sweet potato gnocchi this weekend. But instead of making regular potato gnocchi with eggs as a binder, I used chana dal paste and a little tahini. The dough comes out a little sticky compared to using eggs, but the texture turns out the same. I paired the gnocchi with Asian ingredients for the sauce and bok choy.

I haven't posted anything over the weekend because I spent the last few days filming my very first cooking video! I had no clue how long it would take to film and edit the takes, and I have to admit, it was quite a lot of work. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think and check out the blooper reel below for a few laughs.

Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe (Vietnamese Chicken Curry)

Coconut chicken curry is a dish made in both Vietnamese and Indian cuisines, with minor variations. This dish represents the Vietnamese version. The chicken is cooked in coconut milk, spices and a blend of nuts to create a creamy, rich mouth feel. I added galangal, lemongrass, turmeric powder, and kaffir lime leaves. Some people use other spices and add pineapple and various vegetables, but I wanted to keep it simple so the only other addition was potatoes.

If you're tempted by this dish but are bothered by the calories you could substitute evaporated milk for the coconut milk. It won't be as creamy, but the flavor will still be there.

Aloo Gobi Recipe

Aloo gobi is an Indian vegetarian dish made with potatoes (aloo), cauliflower (gobi) and Indian spices. I also added peas, tomatoes and the usual ginger garlic paste.

I think aloo gobi was the first Indian dish I ever cooked when I got married. It's very easy to assemble all the ingredients, making it a good introduction to Indian cooking. First, a paste is formed from the spices, and then the vegetables are cooked in the paste until soft. Even though children may not love cauliflower, it is actually a kid-friendly dish. I’ve found it’s a great way to get my little munchkin to eat her vegetables. I just reduce the number of chiles, and serve it with a warm roti (flat Indian bread). Today I made it for us big kids, so I served it with basmati rice.

If you’re looking to try your hand at Indian cuisine, this is a great place to start!