For the spices, I used a combination of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. I roasted them with curry leaves and ground everything up. Everything was mixed with the greek yogurt and marinated for several hours. It resulted in a super flavorful chicken. Everyone loved it, especially my husband.

I think this chicken will be part of the summer meals repertoire- it is perfect to serve with grilled corn and other vegetables. Try it- you will love it.

• 2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 lemon, cut in half

Roast the spices and grind. Keep aside.

• 10 curry leaves, roasted and ground.

Mix the ground spices, salt, curry leaves, yogurt and tamarind together. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours if not over night.
Cook on the grill outside or under the broiler.

Serve with a squirt of lemon juice.

I made a fabulous dressing consisting of rice vinegar, honey and olive oil. It is amazing to me how just the right ingredients can make such a big difference in a dish. The tangy dressing made the rice salad absolutely delicious and it went perfectly with the shrimp curry.  We ate the rice salad a few days even after the curry was finished. It tasted better the next day.

This salad will be perfect with any grilled entree like hamburgers, hot dogs or even steak.  This will be a staple in our house for the summer.

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon extra olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

Bring the chicken broth, oil and salt to a boil. Add the rice and cook on medium heat till holes begin to appear on top- about 5 minutes. Put the lid on and lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Take out of the pan and cool the rice on a platter. Keep aside.

• 1 cup fresh mango, cut into small pieces
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
• ½ cup fresh cilantro

Add the mango, green onions, red pepper, mint and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well.

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add the rice vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Whisk the oil in till the dressing is emulsified. Add the salt and mix well. Add the dressing into the rice mixture, mix well and let sit for half an hour before serving.

As I was thinking, potato cakes came to mind- especially since I also had the leftover mango salsa.

I added panko bread crumbs, an egg and some cheddar cheese to the salad and mixed it all really well. I shaped them into small cakes and sauteed them with a little oil. It took almost no time to make- and so easy. The best part was that they tasted delicious with the mango salsa. For myself I drizzled a bit of sriracha sauce which added a nice tangy, spicy aspect to the dish.

We had the potato cakes for lunch. I made a salad on the side- perfect for a weekend meal.

• 2 cups left over Thai style potato salad (chopped small)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil

Mix the potato salad, bread crumbs, cheese and the egg. Mix well and form into 3 inch rounds (makes about 5 to 6).
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Saute the cakes, browning on both sides- about 4 to 5 minutes each.
Serve with the leftover Thai style mango salsa.

I came upon a Thai theme for this holiday. I find it a lot easier  to come up with recipes if I have a central theme established. For this theme, mangoes came to mind. Usually for an appetizer, I like to do a salsa and chips. It is easy and delicious and not too filling. It also goes well with beer, wine and any other mixed drinks you may be serving.

I decided to make a Thai style salsa- what does that mean? Well,  you essentially add Thai ingredients including fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, cilantro, lemon juice and you have a Thai style mango salsa! I served it with rice chips I purchased from Trader Joes.

Try it for the upcoming fourth of July holiday….

• 3 to 4 cups ripe mango, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt

Mix the mangos, cilantro, green onions, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, lemon juice and salt in a small serving bowl. Let sit for half an hour before serving.
Serve with rice chips (any kind of Asian crackers will do).

I made it with the fish tacos (recipe to follow tomorrow). I was going to make a simple green salad but then thought of doing a bean salad instead. I had mangoes and sweet peppers in my fridge and paired them with green onions and cilantro. I always have different kinds of canned beans in my pantry. Beans are super healthy and add great texture to any dish.

The dressing was simply, lime juice, honey, roasted cumin and olive oil. You can’t get this delicious vinaigrette out of a bottle and yet it is so simple to make. I added the dressing to the salad and let it sit for a few hours before serving it with the delicious tacos.

It was a big hit- super healthy and delicious- and best of all, very easy to make.

• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed out
• 2 mangoes, peeled and cut into bite sizes
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 orange or yellow pepper, chopped
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Add the black beans, mangoes, green onions, garlic, pepper and cilantro into a medium serving bowl.

Dressing

• Juice of two limes
• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin (powdered)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add the lime-juice, honey, cumin and salt into a small bowl. Drizzle the oil slowly until the dressing is emulsified.

Add to the beans and mix well. Let the salad sit for 1 to 2 hours before serving.