Nirvana Bars- Chocolate & Coconut Bliss

This recipe is a family favorite- my chocolate-coconut cookie bar recipe. Simple to make. Sweet and gooey and bliss inducing. And most important? You can offer them at any gathering without a gluten-free apology. (Would that be, Don't ask, don't tell?) Bummed about the dairy in it? My son Alex has created his own casein-free version using condensed coconut milk. See his dairy-free recipe here.

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Bharela Marcha (Stuffed Chillies)

This is favorite side dish of Gujarati......
Ingredients:

5 long and thick green chillies
1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for stuffing:
1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp cumin+coriander powder
1\2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Step 1: Mix all ingredients for stuffing.

Step 2: Make a slit in each chilli and remove the seeds.

Step 3: Stuff the gram flour material into the chillies tightly.

Step 4: Heat the oil in a pan and gently place all the chillies in the pan one by one.

Step 5: Reduce the heat and cook for 3 or 4 minutes so that chillies becomes soft and gram flour stuffing absorb the oil.

Step 6: Turn off the flame and place it into serving plate.

A man can learn many things, but all the learnings are simply incomplete, without learning the importance of Love.:)

Karina's Gluten-Free Maple Meatloaf

My maple meatloaf is homespun comfort food.

I have some good news. I mean, besides this delicious meatloaf recipe. After eight long weeks of no funny business, yours in gluten-and-casein-free bliss is humming to the Stereo MC's and shuffling around our one room casita with a walker. Yup. I was officially sprung from wheelchair status today! Progress with a long o.

High-fiiiive me.

I'm one happy crone tonight. So I'm keeping this short and sweet. Here it is. It snowed today. There's a crackling fire in the kiva. A glass of wine awaits- not to mention- one of our favorite comfort food suppers. A slice of my favorite meatloaf and a generous scoop of warm Champagne Vinegar Potato Salad. Life is good.

Have a safe and tasty weekend! And be good to your bones.

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The Best Cheesy Uncheese Sauce

A dairy-free cheesy sauce you will love.

I've been playing around with this vegan cheesy sauce recipe for ages- trying to get it just right. And guess what? I think I got it.

Don't worry. This won't hurt a bit. Promise.

In fact, you might even thank me. Especially if you're cooking for a groovy dairy-free girlfriend. Or a hunky casein allergic BF. A cute as a button autistic angel. And let's not ignore the teeming hoards of the lactose intolerant. One just might show up for dinner one day. Hungry. You never know.

And how about those vegans? They're sprouting up everywhere, for goddess sake. What will you do? What will you feed them- besides chopped salad? Carrot sticks?

Kumquats?

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Tasty Spicy Green Peas Parathas

Very Very tasty , hot and spicy parathas.......:-)

Ingredients for making dough:

3 cups wheat flour
2 tbsp oil/ghee
Salt to taste

Method for making dough:
Step 1: Mix the salt and oil with the wheat flour.

Step 2: Add water and knead into soft dough.
Step 3: Make a small lemon size balls.

Ingredients for stuffing:

1 cup green peas
3 long green chillies
1” piece of ginger
1 tbsp oil/ghee
Salt to taste
A pinch of asafoetida( Hing)
Oil or ghee for frying the parathas

Method for making stuffing:

Step 1: Make a paste of the peas, green chillies and ginger.

Step 2: Heat the oil in a pan and add the asafetida(hing).

Step 3: Fry the peas paste and mix in the salt. Keep aside.

Method to preparing peas parathas:

Step 1: Take one small ball of dough and roll a thick roti about 4-inch.

Step 2: Place the peas stuffing into middle of the roti.

Step 3: Cover this stuffing with ends of the roti.

Step 4: Press gently by hand and turn another side.

Step 5: Dust this ball and roll smoothly up to 5-inch parathas.

Method for frying Peas parathas:

Step 1: Heat thick flat pan and place the peas paratha on it.

Step 2: Cook for 1-minutes in low flame and flip.

Step 3: Turn for another side and heat on medium flame until golden brown patches on back side. Step 4: Drizzle some oil or ghee on top and flip.

Step 5: Turn repeat for other side.

Step 6: Cook both sides of the parathas till they turn a shade of golden.
Step 7: Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Step 8: Serve hot with curd, lemon aachar or mango pickle or tomato ketchup.

Note:

If you like more spicy then add mor green chilli so you eat without chutney or ketchup. This is best option for Aloo-Parathas. :-))

Love has its radiance everywhere & it shines upon everything like a golden glow.:)

Gluten-Free Latkes and Cinnamon Applesauce

A stack of crispy, lacy latkes

Have you made latkes lately? Latkes are fried potato pancakes made with fresh grated potatoes. Though latkes come in all shapes and sizes (via personal preference) I make my latkes thin and lacy, fried to a crispy golden brown. Oy, these are good! Maybe Mel Gibson wouldn't be such a nudnik, if he tasted these. Although if he did, he'd probably ask for ketchup.

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Bottle Gourd-Bengal gram( Lauki-Chana Dal)

In Gujarat we call Dudhi chana nu Shaak.

Ingredients:

1-cup soaks Bengal gram (Soak 1 hour)
2-cup chopped Bottle gourd (Lauki/White gourd)

Ingredients for temper:

2-tbsp oil
1\2-tbsp garlic+ red chilli paste
1\2-tbsp mustard seeds
1\2-tbsp cumin seeds

Ingredients for masala:
1\2-tbsp turmeric powder
1\2-tbsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste.

Method:
Step 1: Drain the excess water from chana dal(Bengal Gram) and keep it aside.

Step 2: Heat the oil in cooker.
Step 3: Add the mustard seed and cumin seed in it. When they are pop up then add garlic red chilli paste in it.

Step 4: Add soak chana dal in it.

Step 5: Add chopped bottle gourd(Lauki), turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste.

Step 6: Mix well and add little water (half cup) in it and closed the cooker lid.

Step 7: Cook up to three vishal of cooker.

Step 8: Let it cool for 5 minutes and after that garnish with coriander leaves.

Step 9: Serve hot with Bajri Rotala and green chilli pickle.

Love is the basis of every relation in human kind,

without it the wotld is barren.:)