Geetha's Kitchen

Holiday Bread Casserole with Gravy Holiday Bread Casserole (a.k.a. dressing/stuffing), like its Indian cousin Bread Upma, can be presented as a substantial dish on its own for a light meal or snack. I prefer to call this delicious dish Holiday Bread Casserole because it really is not used to stuff a creature of any kind. With toasty cubes of bread and succulent bits of veggies bound together with delightful fragrant herbs, all that the casserole needs is a little gravy. You may wish to add more veggies such as corn, zucchini or other summer squash, mushrooms, etc. If you want a good Bread Casserole, you have to start with good bread - artisan breads like garlic, rosemary, ciabatta, or country Italian/French loaf all lend themselves to making this dish a fabulous treat. Although a day old bread is preferable, fresh bread may be used also with a little extra care.  Good bread should never be discarded just because it gets a little old or stale. Every cuisine has at le...

Cran-Fruit Salad Here is a bright and beautiful Cranberry Salad that is refreshing as well as tasty - and guilt-free! I like to chop the fruit/jicama by hand for neat diced pieces whereas the food processor makes it more like a relish. But if you prefer, go ahead and use a food processor - the salad will be ready in no time at all. It is the perfect make ahead salad for a family or special company meal whichever way it is made! Frozen cranberries are even better as they chop easily rather than get mushy. It is not necessary to peel the apple. Other fruits that are delicious in this salad are fresh pineapples, persimmons, and firm regular pears. The salad will last fresh for a few days; in fact it tastes better after marinating together for a few hours. Ingredients: 4-6 oz. Fresh or frozen Cranberries 1  small Jicama, Asian or Regular Pear, Peeled 1 Apple, cored 1 Orange 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 small Pomegranate, seeded 1 Tbsp Agave Syrup, Sugar or oth...

Lentil-Oats Loaf Muffins Lentil-Oats Loaf Patties  Lentil and Oats Loaf is a toothsome and very satisfying dish, my special Thanksgiving Day recipe of all time! The basic mixture can be prepared in many versatile ways: as muffins, a loaf or patties - take your pick :). I love making the muffins or patties as they are perfect for individual servings and freezing - and the bonus is that they cook faster too! You don't have to wait for Thanksgiving for making this, it is great for any occasion, special or not. Do use the old fashioned rolled oats and not the steel-cut oats. It is great to make a big batch of the Lentil-Oat muffins or patties; they freeze and reheat well. The gravy reheats well also; so I make plenty of gravy too as it is delicious over lots of other dishes - we love it spooned liberally over Holiday bread casserole, mashed potatoes, steamed/sauteed veggies, etc. Note: If you like the Lentil-Oat Loaf mufins/patties, well spiced, add more of all the spic...

Autumn Splendor! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope that you are blessed with abundance, peace and joy on Thanksgiving day and everyday! Autumn splendor roasted veggies will remind one of the gorgeous deciduous trees whose leaves exhibit brilliant colors in the fall - they are beautiful! Roasting the veggies seem to concentrate their sweetness and flavors. I add some roasted tofu to make it hearty. I use both cream and orange fleshed sweet potatoes for this colorful dish. Absolutely delish! This wonderfully trouble free dish never ceases to amaze - everyone loves it! Served with a bowl of Butternut / Pumpkin soup or Broccoli / Corn chowder, it makes a very filling and nutritious meal. The last time I made it, Keeshu even made a wrap with the leftovers!! Ingredients: 1 recipe Roasted Tofu (optional) 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/4 tsp Turmeric Freshly ground Black Pepper Cayenne (red Pepper) (optional) 4 Fresh Rosemary sprigs 6 Fresh Thyme sprigs 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 2 Sweet...

Pumpkin Pie, freshly baked This is truly an amazing pie using fresh pumpkin/squash! And very easy to boot; who needs more complications when one is trying to cook a big feast!? Just put all the ingredients in the blender, give a whirl and off into the oven. I make it as the last recipe for the day; the pie bakes as I finish all the clean-up. Then relax and enjoy the evening with an amazing pie. A friend gave me a recipe and the important assignment of making dessert for Thanksgiving dinner. I adapted the recipe to suit what I had on hand. The recipe called for cooked pumpkin; and I had none. So I used fresh butternut squash that I had and it worked! Same with the spices; I only had fresh ginger and whole nutmeg and cloves which I used. This recipe is Gluten, Dairy, and Fat Free! It looks too good to be true but I guess you just have to see - well actually taste :P - for yourself to believe it. I love that it is so guilt-free too ;D --who needs all the extra calories from the ...

Gratin is a wonderful and absolutely delicious make-ahead dish perfect for pot-lucks and parties. The vegetables are layered like a lasagna with the fragrant leeks and fennel and some cheese strewn between each layer. It is even better reheated the next day; so do make some extra :). I love to make this particular combination of autumn veggies for our Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner. The hot gratin is lovely served over the greens - which wilt and add another dimension to the taste sensation. It can star as a great starter too.  8 - 10 servings Ingredients: 1 large Potato 1 large Zucchini 1 large Sweet potato or Yam 1 small Butternut Squash Filling: 3 large Leeks 2 medium bulbs Fresh Fennel 2 cloves regular or 1 clove Elephant Garlic 2 Tbsp Each chopped fresh Parsley, Marjoram, and Thyme (+ extra for garnish) 1/2 tsp Salt Freshly ground Black Pepper 2 oz. Vegetarian Provolone, Fontina, or Mozzarella Cheese 2 oz. grated Vegetarian Parmesa...

Cranberry Thokku With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I remember this delicious Cranberry Thokku and how much we enjoyed Amma's ingenuity. Upon meeting this new fruit, Amma decided to make thokku, a spicy and savory condiment. The tart and gorgeous deep red berries cook up into this delicious and beautiful relish. Cranberry Thokku has become a traditional dish at our Thanksgiving! Long after the Thanksgiving meal, we love using the thokku in many ways: in sandwiches; with Dosa , Adai , or other snacks; with everyday meals to spice them up a bit. Cranberry thokku lasts several weeks in the fridge; for longer storage pack in sterilized canning jars and process according to manufacturer's directions. Note:  Use regular brown sugar if Jaggery is unavailable; also adjust the amount of chili powder and jaggery according to your preference. Here is the original and cherished recipe from my mother. Happy Thanksgiving!! Ingredients: 1 bag Cranberries (...