Gnocchi in Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese gnocchi is comfort food at its best. And with the chilly temperature we've been having this week in the Bay Area, a warm bowl of potato gnocchi pasta in Bolognese sauce fits the bill.

It took some time to complete the meal but it was so worth it. I made everything from scratch. I started by simmering Bolognese sauce for over an hour. While the beef and tomatoes were cooking down in the sauce, I mashed potatoes and added flour to form the gnocchi. I also added roasted turnip to give texture to the dish.

I didn't add cheese to the dish because I've been trying to be healthy and hit the gym regularly, but I'm sure a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese wouldn't hurt the flavor. It’s up to you!

Vegetable Chana Dal Recipe

Turai chana dal is a dish that Baji, my husband Lulu's late grandmother, would make for the family. It's a healthy dish made of ridged gourd vegetable and lentils.

The ridged gourd vegetable, also known as turai or beerakaya, has the shape of an elongated starfruit squash. You can find it at any Indian grocery stores. This time, I made my own interpretation of her dish using a similar looking Vietnamese vegetable called mướp, which is a loofah gourd. Like the ridged gourd, mướp also belongs to the squash family. I've made this recipe with other vegetables such as zucchini and opo squash (trái bàu in Vietnamese) before and it’s come out well because once cooked, the texture of all these vegetables is quite similar. The flesh is soft and tender with a mild, natural sweetness.

No matter which vegetable you end up using, this dish will make a great veggie main course for your next meal.

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.

Sambhar Recipe (Indian Soup)

Sambhar is a South Indian dish made of toor dal, vegetables, turmeric powder, curry leaves, tamarind, cinnamon sticks, whole dried red chiles, cilantro, roasted coriander seeds and other Indian spices. It resembles a soup; and is often served alongside idli (rice cakes) or dosa (Indian crêpe).

To make my version of sambhar, I start by boiling toor dal with a lot of vegetables, such as Indian eggplant, drumsticks, okra, carrots, turnips, pumpkin, sweet potatoes or Idaho potatoes and tomatoes, shallots and onions. Then I let the vegetables simmer until the lentils are cooked through.

If you’ve ever had sambhar at an Indian restaurant and wanted to make it at home, now you can. It’s very easy, healthy and filling.

Drumsticks.

Fingerling Potato Salad Recipe

Fingerling potato salad is a very easy one-course lunch meal I throw together when I’m in a hurry. To make the dish, fingerling potatoes are steamed until softened. These would be great on their own, but to make it a complete meal I added crunchy Romaine lettuce, sliced celery and Persian cucumbers.

The vegetable salad is then mixed in a yogurt vinaigrette dressing, which remains very healthy without sacrificing flavor. I also added a few slices of smoked salmon on the side. The dish is light, but it still keeps me energized until dinner time. I could eat this salad every day.