Highlights this week - Beets with pickle masala, strawberry dressing and doll dress from a sock

This week I had a few unexpected highlights in the kitchen and outside. I thought of putting them together in one post.

Beets sabzi with pickle masala
It was just a normal afternoon and I made a simple daal and rice for lunch. These days, I do not feel right about skipping vegetables in any of the meals. So I wanted to add a vegetable element that I could get done real quick, to go with the daal and rice. I had beet root and carrots in the fridge so I thought of making a quick saute with them and then, it went in a totally delicious direction when I noticed the pickle masala in the fridge. The cashews and chana dal add a wonderful crunch. I love the aroma of the tiny bit of bell pepper but it is totally optional.

rice, masoor dal, beet sabzi and pineapple chutney

Ingredients:

1	beet root
1 small	carrot
1 small	onion
1/4 cup	chopped bell pepper
1 tsp	oil
1/2 tsp	mustard seeds
1/4 tsp	hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp	cumin seeds
1 tbsp	cashew pieces
1 tbsp	chana dal
1	dry red chili
1/2 tsp	turmeric powder
1 tsp	dhaniya powder
1 tbsp	pickle masala

Method

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the hing, cumin seeds, cashew and chana dal. Let the cashews and dal brown a little.
• Add a broken dry red chili and turmeric. Add the chopped onion, carrot and beet. Add the bell pepper if using too. Saute for about a minute.
• Add a scant tsp of salt, coriander powder and pickle masala. Mix well.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Strawberry dressing
After a weekend of strawberry picking and eating, we were left with some squishy berries. I used them to make a salad dressing.

Blend 1 cup of sliced strawberries (I might have used around 8-10 strawberries), a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. I also added about 4 garlic leaves that were growing on my balcony garden but it is optional. Dress on your favorite salad, preferably with a few fresh sliced strawberries.

Doll dress from a sock
The daughter was playing with her doll and she wanted to change her clothes. So, she slid a sock over her body. That gave me the idea to turn the sock into a dress.

I cut the sock into two parts at the ankle. From the foot part, I made the top of the dress by cutting out holes for arms and neck. The bottom part did not need any help to act as a skirt. I hand stitched all the cut parts to prevent the sock from unraveling. I did not stitch the top and bottom parts of the dress together because it is easier to put on and take off in two parts. Since the sock is already an elasticized material, I did not need anything to hold the skirt up. Although I took a leftover piece of fabric (from making our bookmarks) and used it as a belt. It adds a nice pop of color to the dress too :).