Geetha's Kitchen

These cake/cookie bars are based on a recipe that I found in a children's book sometime ago in a chapter about heritage. The article was about a child of Mexican-Jewish heritage and the family's bakery called Los Bagels Bakery & Cafe in Arcata, California where they make Mexican-Jewish baked goods. It is a child-friendly recipe requiring minimal adult supervision. You can use a single type or a mixture such as regular, milk or butterscotch flavored chocolate chips and also a single type or a combination of nuts. I like to add oats or multi grain flakes often to baked goods (in addition to or instead of nuts) to enrich them and add a bit of texture and fiber too; and since they have oats, I think they make a wonderful breakfast treat with some fresh fruit and a glass of milk or hot coffee :). These bars are rich and delicious and disappear quickly! Great for times when nothing but a little chocolate will satisfy that sweet tooth :0. Ingredients: 1/2 cup Butter, melted 1/...

Here is a very simple and quick as a wink Guacamole or Avocado salad. Perfect avocados don't need a lot of embellishments - just a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper are all it needs. 2 servings Ingredients: 1 Avocado 1/2 Lemon or Lime 1 pinch of salt or to taste Freshly ground Black Pepper 1 small clove of Garlic, minced (or garlic powder) (Optional) 2 Tbsp minced Onion (Optional) Method: Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and keep aside. Score the flesh of the avocado without cutting through the skin all the way.  Scoop the flesh from avocado using a spoon into a bowl and discard the skins. Add the other ingredients and lime or lemon juice. Mash lightly with a fork and mix well.  Place the pit into the salad and cover with plastic wrap to prevent browning which results from oxidation due to exposure to air.  Serve right away with warm corn tortillas, tortilla chips, raw vegetables, ques...

If you have never tried bitter melon before, it might take time to develop a taste for it. According to my sister, bitter melon (Parikkai in Tamil) Fry is the perfect side dish for Ripe Mango Pulisseri ; the bitter tang of parikkai perfectly balances the sweet-and-sour of the pulisseri. Bitter Melons (Momordica charantia) are considered very healthful vegetables according to Indian lore of ancient medicine known as Ayur Veda. Eating them or even drinking their juice regularly is considered a good practice for cleansing the blood and controlling blood sugars as well as blood pressure. They are eaten as a vegetable and also used medicinally in China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. There are two main types of bitter melon; smoother Chinese type and the very bumpy Indian. Choose firm, green, medium sized veggies when buying either type of bitter melon; yellowing ones are old and soft. Test the seeds with your fingernails; if they are not soft and tender, I remove them. S...

If you have yogurt sitting around with no place to go, make Mor Kootu/Curry, a classic South Indian dish. It is a thick stew traditionally made with spinach, heart of banana (vazhai thandu), or cucumbers and is named the particular vegetable mor kootu - for example, if it is made with spinach, it is spinach mor kootu. Other good choices of vegetables are: green cabbage, any type of summer squash like zucchini, (or gourds like tori and lauki) cauliflower and green beans. Try a single veggie or a combination or even none; as you wish. Frozen grated coconut is available in Indian or Mexican markets. I had one each of golden and green zucchini, and a one lonely Persian cucumber - all combined to make today's Mor Kootu/Curry; delicious! Ingredients: 1 each green and golden zucchini (or use 2 of one kind) 1 medium cucumber, peeled 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut 2 Serrano or Jalapeno Chilies 1 Tbsp Whole Cumin Seeds 1 tsp uncooked r...

Corn Chowder Roasted yellow corn and potato chunks in a buttery, golden, cilantro-scented broth with bits of red and green makes a very pretty presentation. It is a perfect soup for a large group as the recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. and the roasting of all the vegetables eliminates the constant stirring and watching of the pot. Last December I made it for about 150 people and the soup came out very well. I usually make a double batch so everyone can have plenty and still have some leftover for another meal since the soup tastes even better the next day! You don't have to wait for fresh corn season to make this soup as the frozen corn kernels work just fine and saves time with prep work too! If you are lactose intolerant or a vegan, substitute oil and any non-dairy milk for the butter and cream respectively; you may wish to reduce the amount of water a little too (by about 1 cup) and increase the amount of the non-dairy milk so the soup is rich-tasting. Try ...

Happy Mother's Day Everyone! I am collecting recipes that remind us of our mothers. I have posted the recipes for Aviyal and Molagushyam , two of Amma's favorites. Please feel free to send me yours. This recipe comes from my friend Ellen's mother Virginia Burke of the Mayflower ancestry. Mrs. Burke majored in Home Economics and her specialty was Baking. Ellen fondly remembers her mother serving these warm cornbread muffins with butter and honey as after-school treats. The only thing that is changed from the original recipe is that we have substituted butter for drippings and I also leave out the egg and instead use 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup of water or 1 Tbsp ground Flax seeds and water. Serve these muffins or bread with roasted corn chowder , mung dal soup , or your favorite soups. 12 muffins. Nutritional Information: Each muffin contains: 125 Calories; 3 g Protein; 20 g Carbohydrates; 3.7 g Fats; 1.2 g Fiber Ingredients: 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cu...

Spaghetti with Pistachio Pesto is a great dish for serving hot or cold. The shreds of zucchini just magically disappear while providing great texture and taste plus added nutrients. All you need to complete the meal is some fresh crusty bread and a crisp salad. 8 Main Dish Servings Each serving as prepared below contains about: 370 Calories; 12 g Protein; 49 g Carbohydrates; 14 g Fat; and 8.5 g Fiber. Ingredients: 1 lb dry Spaghetti 1/2 recipe Pistachio Pesto 3 Medium Zucchini, grated 1 roasted Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips 2 cups Steamed Green Beans 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste 2 Tbsp Whole or coarsely chopped Pistachios, for garnish Method: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating for spaghetti, prepare the pesto and the vegetables. Mix the grated zucchini and pesto together. Stir in roasted pepper, the green beans, salt, pepper and the Parmesan cheese. I like to break t...

I use Italian or flat leaf parsley for all the recipes as it is more flavorful. I make this pesto or the Cilantro Pesto weekly to keep on hand for pasta, sandwiches, dressing, etc. This recipe makes a sufficient quantity for 1 lb dry pasta, a week's worth of sandwiches and dressings. Spread a bit of the pesto on the bread slices before filling and grilling to make grilled cheese sandwiches extra special and serve with tomato soup. Or spread a pita bread or pizza base with the pesto and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly to serve with corn chowder. Either way, Yummy! Note:  You can omit the pistachio nuts and/or the Parmesan cheese if preferred; the pesto is quite delicious without them. Ingredients: 1 bunch Italian Parsley 1 bunch fresh Basil 4 or 5 cloves fresh Garlic 1/3 - 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (Optional) 1 tsp Salt 1/2 cup Pistachio nuts, raw or roasted - coarsely chopped M...