Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint

22 | 08 | 2015
By Soni Sinha

We’re all constantly on the look out for easy crowd pleasing recipes.I’ve always believed that appetizers are the star of a party.Don’t we all just love to nibble on them while sipping our favorite drink and enjoying a conversation? I like a good spread of appetizers when I entertain and love experimenting with different flavors for my next party.The recipe I have for you today came about as a result of some mint waiting to be used and I saw the perfect opportunity to use them when I spotted a jar of roasted red peppers sitting forlornly in my pantry.A dip combining the two sounded very appetizing and I was on my task.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint 3

Dips are always popular and can be whipped-up in no time even if you have unexpected guests.They taste delicious and can be quite addictive.You can get creative by adding nuts, cream cheese or mayonnaise, spices etc to flavor your dips and it’s always a hit with kids and adults.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint

This dip has a vibrant red color and a slight kick from the cayenne.I’ve used walnuts for some body and texture and of course the mint flavors it to perfection.The result is a smoky,peppery, nutty dip just waiting to be devoured.Serve it with crudités, pita or any chips of your choice.Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Mint

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Ingredients
  

  • 7 ounce jar of Roasted Red Pepper-Drained and diced
  • 1 Garlic
  • Ground Cumin-1/2 tsp
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • Mint-1/4 cup
  • Extra virgin olive oil-1 tbsp
  • Cayenne pepper- 1/4 tsp
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • In a pan toast the walnuts on medium heat until slightly golden and aromatic.
  • In a food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Serve with your favorite chips.

Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts #sides #holidays

25 | 11 | 2014
By Soni Sinha

So, the protein is taken care of and so are the carbs.But what about the sides?Yes, there’s the Green Bean Casserole,the Sweet Potato Casserole and Brussels Sprouts and Stuffing, but how about some cheesy Cauliflower Gratin that uses minimal ingredients, tastes fantastic and is a breeze since you just mix the ingredients and let the oven do all the work for you.Sounds good right?!!

Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts

I absolutely love Cauliflower and could have it every night for my dinner.Cauliflower is not typically your first choice for a side dish during the holidays and I wonder why.Its about time it got its due and why not.Its an amazing vegetable that’s easily available and you can really get creative with it.Gratins are a great way to enjoy any vegetable and they’re the perfect side dish for any party.They’re easy to make, look elegant on any table and effortless!

Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts 2

My Caulflower gratin has been inspired by this recipe and I’ve added some smoked Mozzarella that adds that wonderful smokiness to the dish and walnuts just to make it more festive.The cauliflower has a wonderful crunch that I just love and the blend of parmesan and smoked mozzarella is pure joy.I’ve added some chili flakes for a slight kick and its purely optional.All in all an amazing side dish for the holidays or any day for that matter.Enjoy!

Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts

Cauliflower Gratin with Smoked Mozzarella and Walnuts #side #holidays

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Ingredients
  

  • I large head of cauliflower cut into florets
  • ¾ cup-heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon-all purpose flour
  • ½ cup-freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup grated smoked mozzarella
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup-breadcrumbs fresh or store bought
  • ¼ cup grated smoked mozzarella
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Mix in a large bowl combine cauliflower,heavy cream,all purpose flour, parmesan cheese, smoked mozzarella,red chili flakes,walnuts, salt and pepper.Mix well.
  • Transfer mixture into a baking dish.
  • Mix bread crumbs and 1/4 cup smoked mozzarella in a small bowl.
  • Sprinkle over cauliflower mixture.
  • Dot with butter all over and bake uncovered until golden brown about 15 mins until cauliflower is tender.
  • Let it cool slightly.Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts- Gifts for the Holidays #SundaySupper

11 | 11 | 2012
By Soni Sinha

Its the beginning of the Holiday season and for us Hindus our biggest festival Diwali is round the corner too!That makes for double celebrations this month!We also exchange gifts and sweets with friends and family during this time and nothing says it better than a home made gift from your kitchen.Who doesn’t like edible gifts?Its fun, its tasty, its personal and it comes from the heart!

I love munching on nuts and there’s something about the sweet and spicy ones that I find hard to resist!My Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts make for an ideal holiday gift!I have to warn you though that these are highly addictive!I’ve used a combination of Cashews, Walnuts and Hazelnuts, but you could use any nut of your choice.I’ve used Extra Virgin Coconut Oil that gives it more depth of flavor and works beautifully with the curry powder!

When you first bite into it there’s this hint of sweet, followed by the spices and the coconut in the background and then the ginger hits the palate and somehow you find yourself, craving for more and more!

 

Sweet and Spicy Curried Nuts- Gifts for the Holidays #SundaySupper

A combination of nuts roasted with Indian spices for a sweet, spicy,crunchy healthy snack or a holiday gift!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • Cashews Walnut halves,and Hazelnuts-2 cups
  • Ground Cumin-1 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger Powder-1/2 tsp
  • Curry Powder-1/2 tsp
  • Cayenne-1/2 tsp
  • Sugar-2 tbsp
  • Salt-1 tsp
  • Extra Virgin Coconut Oil-2 tbsp

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a pan heat the Coconut Oil and with all the spices on low heat and stir for about 5-6 seconds until they're aromatic.
  • Pour the mixture over the nuts and add the sugar and salt.Mix well.
  • Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Cool completely.Pack them in small air tight jars!
Our host for this event is the lovely Susan Pridmore from The Wimpy Vegetarian .We have 50 recipe ideas from our group for holiday gifts, hostess gifts, or just something you might want to gift yourself with :-) .

 Breads/Breakfast

Condiments/Ingredients
Soups and Snacks
Sweets
Drinks

Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on November 11.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your own posts for Gifts From the Kitchen on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.