Geetha's Kitchen

This lovely and delicious salad is fabulous in large communal bowls or individual containers; layer the colorful ingredients in glass bowls or jars so you can feast the eyes as well as the palate!   NOTES: If freshly cooked beans are not an option, use a 15 ounce can black/pinto beans, rinsed and drained. You may use a vinaigrette or Italian dressing instead of the Chipotle dressing given below. Salsa maybe homemade or purchased. Here are a few options for preparing at home:  Salsa I ,  Salsa II  or Salsa Roja . Vegenaise is vegan eggless mayonaise; you can use purchased or homemade. Add the avocado just before serving. 4-6 SERVINGS INGREDIENTS: CHIPOTLE DRESSING ½ cup Vegenaise 1 clove Garlic, finely mashed 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed Lime juice (about 1 medium lime) 1-2 Chipotle Chiles in adobo sauce 1 tsp Adobo sauce (from chipotles chiles) 1 tsp Maple syrup or Agave nectar ½ tsp ground Cumin ½ tsp...

Creamy & Fresh Tomato Salad/Salsa is an adaptation of Raita that sparkles with sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors. The cashew and coconut, both the cream and the toasted, add a sublime touch. Just like the traditional fresh tomato salsa, Creamy Fresh Tomato Salad/Salsa is sure to become a keeper! So, if you’re looking for a different take on the traditional salsa, just to change it up a bit, give this a try! Creamy & Fresh Tomato Salad/Salsa is naturally gluten/dairy free and fabulous not only as a starter or snack with chips, tortillas, etc., but also as a lovely side with meals as well as a topping for baked potatoes. Notes: Cashew cream: Soak 1/4 cup cashews and grind with a little fresh water until smooth using a blender. Save extra for topping potatoes, veggies, or cooking. Unsweetened Coconut Cream: Chill coconut milk in the fridge until the cream rises to the top. Use this cream in the recipe; save the rest for another recipe like Tofu Curry or Easy Veg Korma. Us...

Salsa Pulav is a dish worth making as I found out. I was just trying to find a way to use up some leftover salsa the other day and viola! - delicious Salsa Pulav/Rice was born. It has great flavor and is similar to Spanish rice served in restaurants; my friend Erika who hails from Mexico, calls it Arroz Rojo or Red Rice! You can make a lovely red rice with leftover tomato salad, chutney , or Checcha (Italian fresh tomato relish) also. Delish! 8 - 12 Servings Ingredients: 2 cups Parboiled Rice 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 medium Onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp ground hot red pepper 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 pinch Asafoetida or 1 clove minced Garlic 1 tsp Sea Salt 1 - 11/2 cups Salsa I or Salsa II 1/2 cup Cilantro or Parsley, chopped Queso Fresco, for serving (optional) Method: Using a large fine strainer, rinse the rice well and let drain. Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onions with a pinch of salt until just beginning to color. Stir in the red pepper and turmeric and cook fo...

Tostadas are the Mexican version of Indian "chat" dishes - quick and flavorful melange of crispy bread bases with cooked or fresh veggies, beans, and piquant chutneys, etc. For tostadas, crispy, crunchy corn tortillas form the base for any number of toppings which typically include Frijoles (beans), cheese, and salsas. They are fun to serve - and eat ;P - for informal family as well as company meals as each person can tailor the meal according to individual needs/taste. Children particularly love making their own. Everything can be prepared ahead with minimal last minute fuss - a great plus for the host/hostess! I love serving tostadas for large groups as there is no need for any other dishes - all the food groups are represented. Just place everything in bowls and baskets and let the guests/diners assemble their own. Provide knives and forks to eat the tostadas even though they can be eaten without any utensils if we don't get carried away and pile them mile-hig...

If you like traditional Enchiladas, you will like these green Vegetable Enchiladas. The spicy, zesty roasted green chili salsa is what makes it green and is a delicious alternative for the usual red sauce. The grated vegetables combine with the cheese baking into a creamy goodness and contribute to a hearty but lighter meal. The wonderfully flavorful salsa is piquant with fresh lime zest as well as juice and is used as an ingredient in cooking rather than a condiment. I love using it for making both rolled and layered Enchiladas and Mexican Lasagna . The roasted chili salsa was inspired by and adapted from this recipe from Cook Yourself Thin. The dark green Poblano/Pasilla chilies are available especially in Latino markets; some call them Poblano while others know them as Pasilla. If these as unavailable, the long green chilies called Anaheim work quite well; they are generally available in most markets. Roasted Anaheim chilies are also available canned. Jalapeno chilies vary ...

This good looking and great tasting dish serves double duty as a main dish or an appetizer; it is great for pot luck too. It is not only incredibly easy, but also makes a very healthy snack or even a meal. It can be assembled a day ahead and baked when ready to serve. Serve with any salsa like Salsa I or Salsa II or avocado salsa or Simple Guacamole with lots of fresh, warm, corn tortillas or tortilla chips. The combination of beans and corn provides abundant protein. They provide goodly amouts of other nutrients including fiber and are naturally Gluten-Free. Black beans, Corn and Cheese Casserole is quite child-friendly; in fact, the children can help assemble it with a tiny bit of adult help.  Beans freeze very well so I make at least a triple batch of beans and save the extra portions for dishes such as  Black Bean Salad ,  Black Bean Soup ,  Black Bean Burgers , Casamiento - a rice and bean casserole, etc. Canned beans (use 2 regular sized cans...

This salsa is based on Anna's salsa; Anna's family originally came from Mexico. Apparently her parents devised this salsa to get some much needed veggies into their children's diet by pulverizing the tomatoes so that...........look Ma, no chunks :)! and it worked! I have adapted it just a little to suit my family's tastes by adding the chile and red onion instead of the white! It is not only easy to make, but very good tasting too! Ingredients: 4 large ripe Tomatoes 1 Jalapeno Chile or more for a spicy salsa 1/2 small Red Onion, finely chopped 1/2 Lime, squeezed Salt and Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste Method: Wash the vegetables well. Remove stem ends from the tomato and cut into quarters. Remove stem, seeds and membranes from the chile for a mild salsa. Leave the chilies whole if you like your salsa spicy. Cook covered in a microwave proof bowl for about 7 minutes or until cooked. Alternately cook in a pan with a few tablespoons of w...

Here is another (perhaps the grown-up) version of the salsa Mexicana. It is very much like the "salaad" that Amma used to make to eat with rice pulav with the exception of the broiled chilies. It is absolutely delicious and once you try it, I am sure you will find it indispensable and find many uses for it: with quesadillas , grilled cheese or other sandwiches, beans and rice, chips, etc, etc. And it has only FIVE ingredients:)! Oops forgot the garlic; so now there are six. NOTE: If you like the taste of broiled/roasted chilies but not so much the heat, Pasilla/Poblano chilies or Anaheim/California chilies may be used instead of the hot ones. Lime/lemon juice maybe added to the salsa as desired. Ingredients: 2 hot green Chilies (Jalapeño or Serrano) or to taste 4 Large ripe Tomatoes (or use 1 standard sized can) 1 small Onion 1 clove garlic 1 small bunch Fresh Cilantro Salt to taste Method: Grill or oven/flame broil chilies until slightly...