Around The World On Your Plate

Ingredients: 1/3 cup warm water 2-1/2 teaspoons of yeast 1 cup milk 3-1/2 tablespoons of butter 3 to 3-1/2 cups of all purpose flour plus extra for dusting 2 tablespoons of milk powder 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons of milk (for milk wash) Melt butter in milk either on stove top or in a microwave and set aside. Heat 1/3 cup of water to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit and add yeast and sugar and set aside to activate. Meanwhile, mix flour, salt, and milk powder. Once the yeast is activated (foamy), add it to the flour along with milk and melted butter and knead into a soft dough. Add extra flour if needed and knead until everything comes together and forms a soft dough. Place it in a greased bowl and let it sit in a warm spot in your kitchen to double in size which may take approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down on a floured surface and divide into 12 portions.

'' Servings: 1 Ingredients: 1 cup left over rice 1-2 teaspoon oil 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/8th  teaspoon   asafoetida  1/2  teaspoon  urad dal 1/2  teaspoon  peanuts 1-2 green chili slit 4-5 curry leaves 1/4th  teaspoon  turmeric powder 1 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste Salt to taste Cilantro to garnish Method: Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Next add asafoetida along with green chili and curry leaves and saute for a minute. Add urad dal and peanuts and stir fry for a minute until urad dal turns a light golden color. Add rice, turmeric powder and salt and mix everything well and stir for a minute. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and mix.  Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. Notes: Can garnish with freshly grated coconut as well. 

Servings: 2-3 Ingredients: 1 medium sized firm eggplant 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 cups of peeled tomatoes 6 ounce of rigatoni pasta, cooked Salt and pepper to taste Ricotta as needed to garnish Basil, as needed to garnish Method: Cook pasta as per package instructions along side the sauce. Cut the eggplant across the length and into finger-sized pieces. In a nonstick pan, heat vegetable oil and fry the eggplant until nice golden brown, keep turning the pieces so as to not burn them. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb extra oil.  Sprinkle some salt. In a pan, heat some olive oil and add crushed garlic along with peeled plum tomatoes and cook until tender. Mash the tomatoes slightly and cook for a minute.  Season with ome salt to taste.  Add the eggplant pieces and add the drained pasta.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off heat and garnish with basil and some ricotta cheese and serve.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup pasta cooked 1 tomato chopped 1/4 of cucumber chopped 1/4 cup lettuce chopped fine Olives whole or sliced Cilantro to garnish 2 eggs chopped Dressing: 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil Dried oregano, basil and parsley to taste Salt and red pepper flakes to taste 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder Method: Mix all the dressing ingredients and whisk it until well combined and set aside. In a big bowl, toss all the veggies with pasta and eggs and drizzle the salad dressing on top.  The amount you add is to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Notes: You can serve this salad chilled. Before serving, add some toasted nuts like peanuts or pine nuts.

Ingredients: 1 ball of pizza dough for a 12 inch pizza 3/4 cup tomato puree Fresh mozzarella sliced, as needed Salt to taste 2-3 teaspoon of olive oil Basil leaves to garnish Method: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Drizzle some olive oil and add salt to the tomato puree. Generously dust your work surface and roll out the pizza dough to a 12 inch disc. Spread the puree on the pizza dough in a thin layer, top with mozzarella and garnish with basil and bake in a preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown in color. Garnish with some more basil leaves and serve.