Grilled Pasta Sauce

I call this "grilled pasta sauce" even though its not really saucy. However, I use it the same way I would use sauce out of a jar, which is why I think of it that way.  The "sauce" is basically just grilled sausage and vegetables. I like to cook the ingredients for this while I'm grilling something else for immediate consumption, because there is an extra step or two to prepare it.

Lauki Kofta

Lauki kofta is a fairly uncommon in the US, but it is a delicious, savory vegetarian dish. It is similar to meatballs in gravy, but without the meat. Kofta are generally ground meat kebabs, and the name has also been applied to this combination of besan (chickpea flour) and lauki . The English name is for lauki is "bottlegourd", but not really since no one will know what you're talking about. Its a green squash that is somewhere between a cucumber and a zucchini, but a lot bigger. (I forgot to take a picture of a whole one - you can google for one).

Quick Noodle Soup

Soup is no one's favorite food in 80 degree weather, but this preparation is left over from winter... which only ended two days ago. I'm sure there will be a few more chilly days coming through for this to be useful. The soup is made with buckwheat noodles and topped with some Teriyaki Beef. The key is, as always, homemade broth which keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

Bhindi (Okra)

Some people don't like okra, but they're crazy. Many people who claim not to like okra will like it this way, cooked with Indian spices. The goo that offends some people becomes an integral part of the curry gravy. This is similar to a Nepali preparation of the dish, but I don't remember exactly what went into that (it had tomatoes, turmeric and fenugreek), so I won't claim that this is Nepali.

Sweet Potato Curry

I went to a Diwali/Eid potluck dinner over the weekend and made this dish, which also works in a Thanksgiving context.

Risotto Noodles

When rice is cooked risotto-style, the liquid is added slowly until the rice  has absorbed just the right amount of liquid, giving you perfectly al dente grains in a starch-thickened sauce. The same technique can be used with noodles to get just the right amount of doneness. This approach also lets you use a flavorful liquid, like broth, to cook the noodles without wasting the excess when you drain the noodles.