Vegetable Pasta with Zucchini Sauce

Zucchini pasta is my way of using all the zucchini we bought at the farmers' market last weekend. I cooked the vegetable two ways and combined them in this flavorful pasta dish.

First, one part of the zucchini is boiled in a large amount of water until soft and tender, then cooked the same way as I would baigan bharta (Indian-style eggplant spread) but instead of only adding liquid smoke and plain yogurt, I also mixed in a little cream cheese. The second step is to sauté the rest of the zucchini with other vegetables. I also used diced carrots, green beans and sun-dried tomatoes.

Once all the ingredients are cooked, I combine everything and the result is a scrumptious meal. The smoky aroma from the zucchini sauce is very delicate and the added vegetables balance well with the softness of the pasta. 

Fig Crumble Dessert (Fruit Crumble Recipe)

Making fig crumble is very simple. The ratio is very easy to memorize; just combine equal parts by weight of flour, sugar and butter. To enhance the fig flavors, I caramelized the figs in butter and sugar and mixed a little bit of fig compote at the bottom of each cup. I think crumbles are best eaten warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I served them in individual small dessert cups for portion control, but I think it just tempts everyone into having seconds.

I was really excited to make this dessert, because all summer I've been waiting to use the figs from our garden. I try to wait until the fruits are ripe before harvesting them, but between the birds and the girls, there are almost none left on the trees. Today, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to grab a few figs for the crumble. I’ll try again in a couple of days, so stay tuned for another decadent fig dish!

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken with Vermicelli Noodles (Bun Ga Nuong)

Bún gà nướng xả is a fabulous and simple meal. It’s perfect for when the weather’s hot, and as you may have heard, California is experiencing quite a hot spell at the moment. Vietnamese grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce and lemongrass is served with vermicelli rice noodles, a few vegetables and Vietnamese dipping sauce (nước mắm) on the side.

In my opinion, what makes the dish is the marinade for the chicken. The sweetness from palm sugar and the spiciness from the lemongrass bring out the flavor of the meat. The chicken doesn't require a lot of preparation; just let the chicken marinate for an hour and you'll have a splendid meal in no time.

Soybean Soup with Gingko Nuts (Healthy Soup Recipe)

Soybean soup is my vegetarian version of Vietnamese crab soup, called "súp cua chay". I use instant soy meal that I buy at the Korean market. Once the soy meal mixture is cooked, the appearance of the soup is very similar to crab meat.

In addition to the "fake crab", I add fresh gingko nuts, sautéed shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms to give the soup a meaty texture. The soup is light and healthy, so I serve it often as a first course.

Gobi Tamatar Recipe (Indian Cauliflower Curry)

Gobi tamatar is an Indian vegetarian dish made with cauliflower (gobi), tomatoes (tamatar) and ginger garlic paste. To thicken the sauce, I also added one small potato.

This is one of the healthier Indian dishes I know. The cauliflower is cooked in the tomato mixture until softened. The key to this dish is to use ripe, sweet tomatoes. I always make 2 batches of this dish; one extremely spicy with red chili powder and whole jalapeño peppers and one mild version for the children (and for me!). It's a good vegetable side dish, and a wonderful change of pace from traditional cauliflower salad.