Cherry Pie Pudding -- a child's play

Looks a gorgeous mess but it IS delicious

It has been 12 days since Big Sis's summer vacation started. In these 12 days there have been picnics, movie at the theater(Judy Moody), umpteen library visits, one piano recital, friends staying over for one weekend and one sleepover. Only the sleepover did not culminate in sleep because it was Big Sis's first and she missed her little sis terribly. So around midnight we got her back.

But other wise her sleepover was really fun because it started early in the morning and it was spent with a lovely 15 year old girl, whom BigSis adores. The 15 year old is the most perfect 15 year old I have ever seen in my life, why else would she agree spending a day and night with a 7 year old tell me ? On her day out BigSis picked up some great cooking too. Sleepovers with fifteen year olds come with lots of advantages, I tell you.

One of the dishes she learned was this Cherry Pie Pudding. She wanted to do it all by herself this Saturday and that is what she did. It is the perfect dish for a child to make.No chopping, No cooking, No heat, No difficult steps. All I had to do was get three things

1. Graham Crackers

2. Jell-O instant Vanilla Pudding

3. A can of Cherry Pie filling (You will get this at the super market)

and she was set.

Top it with the fact that it is delicious.Everyone who had it loved it and for this summer this is going to be on the menu when I am having people over until Big Sis rebels that is. But even then it is so easy that I can do it by myself.

Help your child make it this summer too and you won't regret it for sure.

The Pudding is done in 3 easy steps

In a square baking or serving dish arrange the graham crackers in a single layer. Break the crackers to fit in to the corners and edges.

Using Jell-O instant pudding mix make a pudding. The instruction is right on the box but let me tell you here.
To 2&1/2 Cup of cold Whole Milk add 1 box of Jell-O instant pudding Mix. Stir for 2 minutes. Do not wait for it to set. You have to use it before that.

Once it is mixed pour half the pudding on the graham cracker layer. Smooth the surface and top it with one more layer of Graham Crackers. Pour the rest of the pudding on top of this layer.

Top with a can of Cherry Pie filling. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve cold.

Black Bean Salad -- one more light Lunch

The whole of winter we rarely ever see our neighbors except little neighbor girl of course.

Come summer everyone creeps out of the woodwork.There is weight that has been lost, pounds that have been put on, hair that has changed color and in some cases babies that have sprouted.I wouldn't even have recognized the same people in a different surrounding.

Last week on a balmy summer evening, we had a neighborly potluck dinner to get acquainted with the winter changes, to exchange smiles and discuss updates before we all go into hibernation again.

One of the neighbors had got a Black Bean Salad which was very refreshing and perfect for the weather. It was a new thing for me too given that I had never made or tried a black bean salad before.

I made it on Sunday for a Monday Light Lunch. Usually my weekday lunches are pretty light. I also like them better if they can be made quick. This served both purpose.

This is all you need. Feel free to substitute and add anything that goes.

Drain and rinse a can of black beans thoroughly. You can also use dried beans which you then have to soak and boil.

Chop up the following very fine
1/2 of an apple
1 jalapeno
1/4 of an onion
1/4 of a green mango
Note: Add or substitute with anything else you like. Also if I am saving this for next day I will not add onion until tomorrow.

Put all the above in a big bowl, add salt, add chaat masala, squeeze some lime juice and mix.

Dump the rinsed beans in the same bowl and mix again. Adjust for salt and spice.

Add a handful of cranberries.

There done, refrigerate and have this for lunch tomorrow. You can add avocados, julienned carrots to this one and use it as a filling for a wrap the next day.

This post also joins Light Lunch series at Red Chilies.

Now for some of you who had inquired about feta etc. in India here is a list of stores where you can get cheese et al in Indian Metros. These were inputs from my FaceBook readers, thanks to them. To update this list please leave a comment.

I stay in Hyderabad....I get them in Hyper City
Yesterday at 9:34am · LikeUnlike
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Nature's basket
Yesterday at 9:34am · LikeUnlike
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Dorabjee's in Pune
Yesterday at 10:04am · LikeUnlike
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Parmesan, bottled herbs like oregano, thyme, et al are actually quite common. Even small Mom and Pop supermarkets these days stock bottled Parmesan shavings.
Feta is probably a little more difficult to find but in Bombay, a slightly more up...market food shop like Spinach or Godrej Nature's basket will have it. And yes, as someone else mentioned, I have seen it in Hypercity in Bombay as well. (Unfortunately cook for an army every time I go back to India so I have looked!)See More
Yesterday at 10:09am · LikeUnlike
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In Kolkata....Babar Ali in New Market
Yesterday at 10:14am · LikeUnlike
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Natures basket. Sante at bandra. Spencers south city at cal. Most big city super markets have them
Yesterday at 10:30am · LikeUnlike
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Most Hypercity outlets and slightly "upmarket" grocers keep them these days.
Yesterday at 10:51am · LikeUnlike
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In Pune in Dorobjees and some cheese farms like ABC farms
Yesterday at 10:57am · LikeUnlike
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Hypercity in Bangalore.
Yesterday at 11:10am · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading...
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You can try flanders dairy products available at their Lodhi Road outlet. Check out www.flandersdairy.com for contact details. They really have a great selection.
Yesterday at 11:30am · LikeUnlike

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Could try the Street at the Park and Afraa, City Centre in Kolkata
22 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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It is available in most of the mega metros where imported stuff are available. In Kolkata one can get it in Spencers south city mall, or in La protina near deshapriya park other than in new market. Alternatively, Foodfood channel of Sanjeev Kapoor showed making feta with paneer soaked in voinegar for 6 to 8 hrs....and then washin it thoroghly under running water....parmessan and other varieties as well
21 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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You can get anything from Panchetta to Foigras to Feta in India...Just gotta have the will...there are are a few dairy farmers in Goa who supply some of the upscale hotels and locals in the area with their cheeses which include aged Parmesans and flavoured fettas.... like anything in India its who you know....
19 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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spencer's south city calcutta

Pasta Salad -- for a Light Lunch

Near my home there is a place called Tuscany.

Beautiful rolling hills, wind rustling through the olive branches, bales of golden hay rolled up in meadows....

Okay, Cut, Cut...That is the other Tuscany

Repeat again.

Near my home there is a place called Tuscany, the Italian Gourmet Food store. BigSis loves the pasta there. I love it too but she loves it more so lets blame it on her.

The other day I got a cold pasta salad for myself from the same place. It was a very simple salad, pasta, tomatoes and red peppers tossed in olive oil and with a generous sprinkling of Feta. It was really very good. I don't sing glories of vegetarian food just like that.

Big Sis wanted a taste and then she finished almost all my share. Not so good.

But I thought, "Hey, if the kid can eat Pasta Salad at Tuscany, she can sure eat one at home. That means so much less work for me. For the next 10 years or so until she goes to college, that is what I am going to feed her. Simple, light, almost healthy Pasta Salad. That leaves me with an enormous amount of time for blogging about food that I don't need to cook. Yippee."

So I searched high and low and settled on this recipe. Only I did not have mushroom OR bell pepper OR green onion OR black olives.

That did nothing to dampen my spirits. I had Grape Tomatoes AND Baby Spinach AND more lovely Grape Tomatoes and more tender Baby Spinach.

So in a big bowl I happily poured some Olive Oil, the EVOO...glug, glug, glug

Then I splashed some Balsamic Vinegar...splash

Added some Garlic Powder, Pepper powder, Sea Salt, bit of Sugar, some Parsley Flakes...sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle

Whisked together.

Meanwhile cooked Pasta according to package directions and a minute extra. I had Farfalle.

I had also roasted some of the grape tomatoes earlier, they were sweet.

To the big bowl which had Olive Oil etc., I added the cooked Pasta, the roasted as well as some fresh tomatoes and baby spinach. They were tossed and turned till everyone was happily coated with the dressing.

I wanted to add sausages too but totally forgot.

I then let it chill in the refrigerator. While serving a generous sprinkle of Herbed Feta went on top.

Everyone loved it. And after two meals of that BigSis said "I love your pasta salad, but can we not have any more of it?"

This one I am sending to Red Chilies to share with her for a Light Lunch, her brilliant series for June. I absolutely love light lunches as that is what I cook for us all through the week. I am looking forward to see  more light lunch ideas through out this month at Red Chilies.