Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I love the flavor wild blueberries impart in desserts. They sometimes appear at some farmer’s markets but usually they are a bit hard to find.

I always have them in my freezer. I buy them from Trader Joes. I find the wild blueberries yummier and  I feel they actually taste like how blueberries should.

I have used them in the past for muffins and even smoothies- I guess sky is the limit.

For this recipe, I made a tea bread. I love making sweet tea breads- they are handy to have in the house. I usually give my daughter a slice for snack or serve it with tea.

I made this one with my usual ingredients- white whole wheat flour, raw sugar and extra light olive oil. I feel good about using these healthy and have no problem with serving my daughter these treats.

I loved the flavor in this bread- the lemon juice and lemon zest give an extra boost of flavor. Lemon juice wakes up all the flavors in anything you add it to.

My daughter loved it… in fact it is time for me to make it again..
Click here for the recipe… »

We all love risotto in our family as well as mushrooms and most of all, scallops. So, it was natural for me to pair all of these ingredients together.

Risotto is super easy to make and I end up cooking it quite often. It is super versatile and can be served with tons of different flavors.

For this one, I sauteed cremini and shitake mushrooms with fresh thyme. I added the arborio rice (which is a short grained Italian style rice) and sauteed for a bit before adding some delicious white wine. After that, all I did was add some hot chicken broth gradually and kept stirring the rice- it takes about 20 minutes or so. I topped it with some truffle paste, half and half and cheese- how can you go wrong with that combination??

I simply sauteed the scallops with some salt and pepper. It takes just a few minutes to cook them.

The taste wonderful with the creamy risotto. You can substitute with shrimp, chicken and even lamb chops- really anything goes.

Try this risotto next time you feel like eating some good food…
Click here for the recipe… »

This is a delicious dish I grew up with. My mom would make it once in a while and when she did – we all looked forward to it. For me it is one of those things I like to eat every few months- not all the time- not sure why- maybe because it is a bit labor intensive so people don’t end up making it very often.

This dish also has a few hard to find ingredients- including asafetida, fenugreek seeds and dried fenugreek. These ingredients are available at any Indian grocery store or online.

The dish is essentially a yogurt gravy thickened with besan (chickpea flour). Potato fritters are fried made with onions, ginger, cilantro,etc and are added to the thickened yogurt gravy.

Last but not least, the dish is seasoned with a mixture of fenugreek seeds and chili peppers and topped with dried fenugreek leaves.

The dish has a very distinct flavor imparted by the asafetida and the fenugreek seeds. You could make it without either and it will still taste good.

Try this on a Sunday afternoon when you have some time to spend in the kitchen- our family will love it…
Click here for the recipe… »

I love making eggs for breakfast on the weekend. I usually do scrambled- either plain or with some cheese. Some crunchy toast and a steaming cup of coffee- what else do you need?? Well, in my case, nothing else- okay some fruit as well.

My husband was watching food television- yes, most of us watch that channel at our house- and some food contest was going on where they made a huge amount of scrambled eggs with potatoes and peppers. When I asked him what he wanted for breakfast, he of course wanted scrambled eggs with potatoes.

I had purchased potatoes and garlic from the farmer’s market the day before and was excited to use the super fresh vegetables. I also had a big bowl full of cherry tomatoes from my backyard.

The dish was simple to make. I shredded a potato and cooked it on a non-stick frying pan with some oil. Once it started to develop a golden brown color, I added garlic and tomatoes with the green onions. A Serrano chili was added as well- it was super hot but so worth the flavor. Eggs with cilantro and cheese were added to the vegetable mix and stirred on a low heat until the eggs are the right consistency.

I served them with some toasted whole-wheat bread and coffee… a perfect breakfast…
Click here for the recipe… »

This green rice has amazing flavor with cilantro and dill. The great thing is that the rice is cooked in the green sauce.

I blended a mixture of cilantro, dill, green onions and garlic. I then sauteed the sauce in oil and cumin seeds. This mixture smells amazing and can be used as a basic sauce for cooking all sorts of things- including shrimp, chicken or any kind of vegetables.

I then added some basmati rice, water or chicken broth and cooked the rice as I normally would. Right before the rice is done, I add a cup of frozen peas. I let the rice sit with the lid on and the peas cook in the steam.

This rice is delicious as a side dish with anything or even as light meal.

I love making it with some lentils on the side and I have a perfectly balanced dinner.

Try this rice next time you are looking for a side dish or a snack…
Click here for the recipe… »