Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I grew up eating this delicious goat dish. It is one of the more popular Kashmiri dishes served in Indian restaurants all over.

I have this memory of a cousin cooking this dish and I remember it taking a long time. Since then I have thought this goat preparation to be extremely difficult and time consuming.

Well, it isn’t really true- at least the version I made- sure, it has a few more steps than what I normally post but the end result is totally worth it.

The meat is marinated in yogurt and a few very aromatic spices including cloves, cumin, fennel and asafoetida. The combination of these spices remind me of a Kashmiri restaurant- they all smell delicious…

The meat is then cooked in chicken broth and ginger powder. There are no onions, garlic or tomatoes in this dish but the spices used lend a delicious aroma and taste to this stew like preparation.

Rogan josh tastes delicious simply with some naan or homemade rotis. I can’t get enough of this delicious dish. Everyone loved it including my daughter. The only problem was- there were no leftovers- we ate up the whole thing in one sitting….
Click here for the recipe… »

This is one my favorite, quick meals to make. I always have basil pesto on hand- either homemade or store bought. For this particular dish I had store bought pesto- which is perfectly fine to have- I know I am all about homemade but I always have the store bought kind in the fridge- to make a quick meal. It is all about having the convenience to make a healthy meal instead of ordering take out and eating unhealthy foods.

It was one of those very busy days and I needed to feed the familia and didn’t have any ideas…

I noticed cremini mushrooms in the fridge and immediately thought of pasta with pesto and mushrooms. It is a super quick meal- the time it takes to cut and saute the mushrooms, the pasta is almost done. All you have to do is put the whole thing together and you have a very delicious meal.

I served garlic bread with the pasta and a salad. Next time you have no time to make a meal- try penne with basil pesto and cremini mushrooms…
Click here for the recipe… »

This picture is from my front yard of a clematis flower growing under a huge gum tree. I am extremely proud of since it took forever to grow. Our front yard is dominated by the big tree and for a very long time nothing thrived including the tree. After finding out the tree was healthy, I decided to take a risk and start planting lots of hardy plants around it. Always admiring my neighbor’s beautiful clematis plant, I decided to plant a few bulbs. Last year I saw some green shoots coming out but that was it- nothing else. I was a bit disappointed…

Finally, a few weeks ago I started to notice the clematis plant full of leaves and buds- and then a few days ago I noticed this beautiful flower. It was extremely satisfying knowing all the hard work payed off- finally, after such a long time.

Why am I telling you all of this- well my experience reminded me of Mother’s day. Since I got into gardening and actually started enjoying it- I like to be outside on Mother’s Day (weather permitting) and get some gardening done. Last year I did my window boxes- my husband installed them for me and we all planted beautiful, colorful flowers as well as some vines. It was very nice to do something I enjoy.

I guess that is my point in all of this. For all the Moms out there- try taking some time out on Sunday and do something you enjoy- whether it is by yourself or with the family.

When I first moved to the US, I remember thinking – wow, what is Mother’s Day? I saw all the stores filled with gifts, etc and wondered what it was all about- since then, the holiday is celebrated almost all over the world. I still feel it is a holiday made up by retailers, forcing all of us to buy things we really don’t need.

Once I became a Mother, I saw the day a bit more different but I still think it is all about stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy getting something fabulous. Most of all I enjoy getting the handmade gifts my daughter brings home from school including the elaborate cards.  I cherish and save them.  I think the day should be spent thinking about what makes you happy and how you can carve out time from your busy day, or week to do a bit of it. In my case, I get to do it everyday- I cook, eat and write about food. As far as I am concerned, it doesn’t get any better than that. So, I will cook and do some gardening on Sunday. The way I look at it- no one is going to take care of you the way you do- so, go ahead and do it. It is important for you to be happy and fulfilled. Take advantage of whatever time you have now and enjoy!!!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you. I hope everyone has a delicious day- I plan to!

So, what are YOU doing for Mother’s Day???

One of my favorite ingredients  to have in my pantry is tamarind. I have the regular dried tamarind that I get from the Indian store but I also have the tamarind concentrate which is available at most grocery stores like Whole Foods. The concentrate is always in my fridge and I use for a lot of things including dressings, sauces, etc. It is easy to use and a little goes a long way. I love the earthy, tangy flavor it imparts to all the dishes- especially when it is paired with honey or sugar.

In this dish, I wanted to make a quick stir fry and wanted to use the tamarind concentrate to replicate a few Thai dishes I enjoy at Khun Thai- one of our favorite restaurants. I love the mixture of flavors in my mouth- sweet, sour, spicy and savory- my mouth waters as I write….

I marinated the chicken pieces and mixed up a quick sauce for the stir fry. I had green beans in my fridge and I thought it would be a great combination with the chicken and the tangy sauce. I made brown rice on the side and it was a perfectly balanced and delicious meal.
Click here for the recipe… »

Here we go- I have yet another recipe for cauliflower. I am afraid very soon I will run out of ideas to make this vegetable. As I have mentioned many times before, my husband can eat this veggie 24/7. He never gets enough of it. So, I am always looking for new ways to make cauliflower.

I made this particular one with mustard seeds and curry leaves- they are the dominating flavors in the dish. It is one of my favorite combinations to cook with. I love the nuttiness of the mustard seeds and the curry leaves. I usually pair them with ginger and lots of coriander powder. It always results in a delicious dish no matter what it is.

I served it with freshly made rotis and we had a delicious meal. Please help me out with other cauliflower recipes- do you have a favorite?
Click here for the recipe… »