vegetable and orange juice

Vegetables and fruits are rich in nutrients and if added to our everyday diet will provide us with lots and energy. Everyday morning coffee can be replaced with juice of veggies and fruits.Juice your favorite fruits and vegetables  and drinking it before meal will help in losing weight.   

Ingredients
2 carrots cut in halves
1 zucchini cut in chunks
1 orange peeled and cut in halves

Method
1. Place all this in the juicer and nutritious and fresh juice will be ready.
2. Enjoy

Lauki (Bottle Gourd or Upo) Curry

I have noticed that people are not very fond of cooking  lauki  (upo) .This veggie is very much available on the island of Fiji and I grew up eating lauki curry either with rice or with roti. This can also be cooked with milk or with yogurt as well but today my recipe is a very simple curry with spices.

Ingredients
2 cups  lauki
2 finely chopped Serrano peppers
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 1/2 teaspoon Fiji masala
salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Preparation

Wash and peel lauki.Take the seeds out and cut it in small pieces.Then wash and drain the water.

Method
1.Heat oil in a pan,add in cumin seeds and let it pop.
2.Add in onions and peppers and saute it for couple of minutes and then add in garlic and cook it for a minute.
3. Know add it tumric  and masala .mix it cook for a minute and add in lauki stir it add in salt ,mix it and cover it .Cook on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until lauki it form tender.
4.Add in chopped cilantro stir it and serve it to roti .tortilla. or with naan. Enjoy
Note : I did not add any water to cook this because my lauki was very soft but if it is little bit hard or tough then add in a little bit of water .

vegetable cutlets

Vegetable cutlet is found in every street corner in Fiji with different combination  of vegetables used  to cook it.People love this food because it is affordable and is very tasty.I decided to use vegetables that I had on hand which other wise would have gone bad.I came up with this recipe for my daughter because finds it very difficult to eat after she got her tongue crip. I remember eating this when I used to go grocery shopping with my mom on Saturdays.She used to bribe us ( my sister and myself) to go with her,because both of us hated doing shopping back home.

Recipe
1  potatoes
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 of an finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
                                         1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Boil and mash the potatoes
Heat butter in a skillet ,add in panko bread crumbs and black pepper and cook it couple of seconds

Method
1.in a bowl add in all the ingredients ,mix it together and take a tablespoon of the mixture and make it into a cutlet.
2.Heat oil in a skillet and shallow fry it on all the sides until lightly brown.
3.Drain it on a paper towel.
4.Serve it with any dip of your choice.

Crispy ginger bara ( white lentil patties)

Ginger is widely used in  our Indian and Chinese society such as in cooking and in medicinal purpose.I always make ginger tea when I have cold or when I have stomach upsets.  Ginger and lentils cook together makes a very nutritious and healthy dish which can be enjoyed by all young and old.








Ingredients
1 cup white lentil (urad dhal)
1 tablespoon suji (semolina)  optional
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 of an onion
1 inch ginger grated
4-5 finely chopped green chillies
1 tablespoon yogurt
salt to taste
oil for frying

Preparation

Soak lentil overnight , wash and blend lentil in a food processor  with  little  bit of water. Then add in cilantro,garlic.onion, and chillies and blend it all together .

Method
1.Add lentil mixture in a bowl and add in grated ginger,yogurt and salt,mix it .
2.Heat oil in a pot. Take a tablespoon of mixture and roll on ball then flatten it with your palm.
3.Gently drop it in the heated oil and cook it until golden brown and cook through.
4.Serve with cilantro and mint dipping sauce or any sauce of your choice.
This crispy treat
is very much enjoyed by my daughter for after school snack.

Vakalolo ( Fijian Desert)

Vakalolo is a Fijian desert that is steamed cooked  and is very popular among the people of the south Pacific .The Fijians  use grated  root crop .with grated coconut to make this desert.This is very tasty and yummy and is also very unique.I vividly remember grating cassava (yucca) when I was in high school and my brother will take charge to grate coconut which was much easier to do.Any way that is what happens when you are the youngest in the family.Yucca and coconut is a staple in all traditional Fijian dishes.Try this recipe and don't forget to leave me comment.



Ingredients
1 1/2 cup grated cassava (yucca)
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoon sugar or to taste
Banana leaves or parchment paper cut in pieces for wraping

Method
1.Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.Take a palm full of the mixture and place on parchment paper  and wrap it .
2.Steam cook for 40 minutes.
3.Serve and enjoy 

Cauliflower patties

Cauliflower  is a vegetable that is very high in antioxidant and helps in cancer prevention. It is also high in fiber and if some one is on low calorie diet  then this is one  of the veggie that should be included in their menu. Cauliflower grows in Singatoka  valley of Fiji island.It is very much consumed by people as in stir fries,cooked as curry,salads,and as patties.This is very tasty and yummy and is loved by all old and young.






Ingredients
1 cup cauliflower (steamed and mashed)
1/2 cup brown rice flower
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 finely chopped green chillies
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste
oil for shallow frying

Method
 1.In a bowl mix cauliflower,flour,garlic,chillies,cilantro,and salt. take small  1 tablespoon of the mixture in your hand roll it into balls and then press it down gently to form patties.
2. Heat oil in a skillet , fry the patties on medium low heat  until golden brown on both sides.
3. Serve with any dipping sauce of your choice. Enjoy.
This can also be used to make veggie sandwiches  or can be served as an appetizer on any social occasion.

Thai cabbage and zucchini stir fry

I like to  stir fry vegetables because it is faster and a lot easier than slow cooking. After a long day at work I normally bake chicken wings (recipe I give a little bit earlier) and  stir fry vegetables.Healthy and nutritious dinner on the table for the whole family.Any vegetables can be stir fried and is also good for people with diabetes,high blood pressure or just for people who are trying to watch their waist like. Today I decided to clean up my refrigerator so my veggies are cabbage and zucchini .
Ingredients
1 zucchini  finely sliced
1/2 of a cabbage finely sliced
1/2 of on onion sliced
1 tablespoon minced  garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
salt to taste
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 dried red chillies  
oil


Method
1.Heat oil in a skillet, add in red dried chillies ,let to cook for 2 minutes, and then remove the chillies
2.Add in garlic and saute it for couple of seconds and then add in onions and curry paste.Saute it for a minute.
3.Add in zucchini ,ginger and stir it together and cook it for about 3 minutes and then add in cabbage and salt.Stir everything together.Add in soy sauce and stir fry it until the vegetables gets tender .
4.Serve and enjoy