If prepared well, eggplants are delicious! In the San Francisco Bay Area, many small eggplants are available in the summer, in addition to the familiar big globe variety.
‘Cooking Together’: Bharwa Baingan (Stuffed Eggplants in Tomato Sauce)
‘Cooking Together’: Zucchini Boats
Zucchini is available all year in most parts of the United States. It is an easy vegetable to grow in the summer, even in the foggy parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. Once these summer squashes get growing, you will have so many that you will have to find new recipes. Good recipes can turn this vegetable into a centerpiece.
‘Cooking Together’: Kale Bhaji
Some South Indians believe that “curry” came from the Tamil word “Kari” (meaning a sauce), but then the North Indians would argue that “curry” is derived from the word “Kadhi” (meaning yogurt soup).
‘Cooking Together’: Vegan Lasagna With Tofu, Brown Lentils, Mushrooms and Homemade Marinara Sauce
I prepare food for a lot of vegan folks who do not consume animal products for various reasons, such as to be healthier or to help the environment or to respect animals’ rights to live. Then there are those people who cannot tolerate dairy or cheese. So, I have to come up with ingredients and options that are suitable for these diets.
‘Cooking Together’: Holiday Pasta with Festive Red and/or Green Sauce
Home-made sauces are usually tastier and can be more nutritious if you prepare them with right ingredients. Once the sauce is made, it can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for a longer period.
‘Cooking Together’: Vegetarian Empanadas
Thanksgiving celebrations in the U.S. started with Native Americans and Europeans sharing food after the harvest. However, many people today do not realize the vital role the Natives played in cultivating crops such as corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, and berries and sharing this knowledge with the pilgrims.
‘Cooking Together’: Savory Pumpkin Dish with Garnets and Red Potatoes
Pumpkins and other orange vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, are abundant with a variety of nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, E and K, and minerals, including potassium and iron.
‘Cooking Together’: Quick Stir-Fried Cabbage Bhaji
This cabbage recipe is easy to prepare and affordable to make for a large crowd. Besides being inexpensive, cabbage prepared using this method is delicious!
‘Cooking Together’: Low-Fat, Gluten-Free Stuffed Chile Relleno
I love Chile rellenos, but I cannot digest the fat they are usually cooked with. And they are often filled with cheese, which my husband cannot tolerate. So, he created this quick to prepare, low fat and cheese-free version. The recipe does contain eggs and uses a lot of vegetables in stuffing the chiles.
‘Cooking Together’: Upcoming Events
Information about two food-related events happening in August with columnist Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff.
‘Cooking Together’: Baba Ganouj
Baba Ghanouj is rich in texture, but it is a healthy vegan dip that can go on any bread or crackers. It can be used as a sauce on steamed vegetables.
‘Cooking Together’: Tex-Mex Vegan Chili
This is my friend Jim Sugarek’s vegan interpretation of his mom’s Tex-Mex chili recipe. The omission of meat makes this dish veg-friendly And the addition of tofu and more vegetables gives it a colorful and nutritional boost. Served with rice and/or tortilla this is a substantial meal.
‘Cooking Together’: Alu Bhobi Bhaji (Cauliflower and Potatoes with Tomato Sauce)
This dish is easy to make in a big batch. You can prepare the sauce on your day off and then finish the dish in minutes on your busy work day.
‘Cooking Together’: Spring Garlic Chutney
Just like the spring onion (or scallion) the entire plant – green portion and the white bulb of green garlic – can be consumed, raw or cooked.
‘Cooking Together’: Beets and Potato Salad
This column presents a red beet and potato salad with other vegetables that is different from a more familiar potato salad that contains high-calorie mayonnaise dressing.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 