Mom’s Piyaju (Lentil Fritters)

Piyaju, Red Lentil fritters have a special spot in my heart.  I grew up eating these in Bangladesh, but it only came during a special time. Not sure where this originated from, but Piyaju is a special treat made during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.  

I remember walking through the busy city streets of Dhaka, holding my dad’s hand, during Ramadan and watching these amazing crispy, spicy, fragrant…. oh so fragrant, little fritters being made on the sides of the streets.  It was considered bad manner to eat during the day during the days of Ramadan, but my dad always snuck me a piece  🙂  Then once we got home, my mom would have a huge bowl, I’m talking a huge restaurant size bowl, full of crispy, fresh out of the oil fritters waiting for us to break the fast.  Oh the joy!! 

 

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Individual Mashed Potatoes

Not much to explain here… just simple, delicious, creamy, mashed potatoes with a crispy top.

This is really a no fail recipe. I make this dish all the time, esp during the holidays, and use the same exact recipe. Depending on the number of guests, I double or quadruple the ingredients and it’s always a hit.

Here I’ve used ramekins to make individual portions for easy serving, but when I make it for a big dinner, I just use a deep roasting pan instead of individual ramekins. 

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Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush is a very popular Middle Eastern appetizer, originated in Lebanon, made of eggplant. Not to confuse it with Mutabbal, which is just eggplant and tahini served as a condiment, baba ganoush has more of a chunky dip consistency. 

I love it on a crudité board (it’s awesome with some pita chips or crackers or veggie sticks), or as a spread on my sandwich.

Best part? It’s super waist-friendly 🙂 

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Bengali Masoor Daal (Red Lentil)

 I’m sure you know by now, from my recipe list on the blog, lentil is an essential in my kitchen. It is quick, hearty, healthy and it’s delicious.

Another huge reason why I love this ingredient is that it’s super healthy. Part of the legume family, lentils have a ton of health benefits….

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Broiled Sumac Chicken w/ Pine Nuts and Onion

This middle-eastern inspired chicken dish is sweet, from the caramelized onions to the raisin and cranberries, also savory with the cumin and coriander… it’s also got the citrusy aspect with the addition of lemon juice and Sumac.  

All in all, this Sumac Chicken is guaranteed to wow your taste buds!

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Easy Flatbread

Full disclosure — I do not heart baking :/

I love roasting, broiling, but I dislike baking, only because I feel like I have no control once I put something in the oven… what’s done is done and we’ll see how it comes out.

However, give me some fresh, warm bread… I’m in heaven. I can make a meal out of some good warm bread. And this easy 2-3 ingredient recipe is my savior when I am in much need of some fresh bread but don’t want to do any kneading. 

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Napa Cabbage and Cucumber Salad with Shrimp

Coleslaw? Salad? whatever you call it, this asian inspired salad recipe has everything to brighten your day…. the crunchy veggies, nutty roasted peanuts and the most amazing sweet/tangy/spicy dressing. If you ask me, the dressing of this adapted recipe from Healthy Seasonal Recipes, is what makes this salad so good.

It’s wonderful as a side salad, but is just as amazing as an entrée when topped with any kind of protein.  I’ve served it with skirt steaks for a fancy meal.  Here I paired it with some garlic shrimp (which I always have pre-made in my fridge) for a quick lunch. 

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Grape Jam

I use this 2 ingredient recipe to make jams with any kind of fruits, especially berries, that’s been laying around and just about to go bad. Blackberries, blueberries, figs the possibilities are endless. And who doesn’t love freshly made jam!?

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Aji Verde (Spicy Green Peruvian Sauce)

I was first introduced to this sauce at a Cuban restaurant and I know this is a Peruvian sauce, but full disclosure, I use this on EVERYTHING from every cuisine!

I love drizzling this on my tacos, I use it on spicy Indian dishes. This creamy, cilantro-y sauce goes on anything spicy.

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Chimichurri

Chimichurri is an Argentinian herby concoction that takes any dish to the next level.

I don’t know how I feel about calling this a sauce, because you can use this as a marinade, a dipping sauce, or a condiment. 

This versatile mixture of herbs goes well just about any kind of protein, beef, chicken, fish, eggs and especially chorizo! 

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