Roasted Summer Squash with Avocado Raita

With an abundance of local yellow and green squash, here is a chilled herby soup reminiscent of gazpacho but with varied flavors. Remember to leave the peels on, this is where the fiber rests and all our bodies could use more fiber.

It is zucchini season in Texas and it’s time for us to find new ways to enjoy it. The beauty of zucchini is that it inherently has such a mild flavor, almost like a blank canvas, that it takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it.

Go ahead, surprise your family and serve this with your Thanksgiving meal – it might become a tradition! You may serve this warm or at room temperature or even tossed into a salad.

Squash is one of those plain canvas kinds of vegetables that can absorb any flavor you put on them.

The large bright green Opa squash (also known as bottle gourd, calabash, white gourd or lauki) is one of the most common squash varieties in India. Mostly used in cooked preparations like a sabzi or added to a lentil stews like dal, the opa squash can also be eaten raw, like in a raita. Unusually rich in vitamins and in soluble and insoluble fiber, it’s gentle on the stomach and easy to digest. In my childhood days, I remember an older aunt daily drinking the juice of the squash to successfully help her lose weight. Ayurvedic physicians commonly recommend it to patients to balance liver function. Look for this squash in Indian or Asian grocery markets. Despite its health benefits, the squash does need a boost of added flavor and this simple bake is one way to enjoy it for breakfast or a light lunch with a salad. If you prefer not using cream cheese, replace it with a nut butter of your choice.

Spinach cooked with vegetables or meat is a common combination - however, here we are being careful to barely cook the spinach so it remains bright and flavorful.

This whole roasted cauliflower makes a beautiful centerpiece, but the leftovers are even more delicious the next day and using tandoori spices will fill your kitchen with wonderful aroma.

The banana and yogurt combination breaks every rule in Ayurveda but this raita tastes SO good! It makes a great addition to breakfast and is also good as a side with shrimp or fish. The ginger and the serrano add a surprising, but lovely punch to the raita.

There are many good reasons to eat mushrooms - they’re low in calories, naturally anti-inflammatory, high in vitamins and antioxidants and burst with flavor. Oyster mushrooms in particular contain ergothioneine, a unique antioxidant that promotes cell growth in our bodies. In traditional Chinese medicine, they have been used as a tonic for the immune system for thousands of years. The white mushrooms resemble oysters, have a sweet earth fragrance and can be found growing in the wild on dead or fallen trees. I have experimented with dozens of ways to cook them, but at home, oven roasting is the way to go. They will cook through and hold their shape beautifully and, if over- cooked slightly, may collapse - but fear not, they will still taste delicious. Cardamom here gives oyster mushrooms a fragrant finish to offset the earthy notes, and the grilled corn raita supplies a fitting creamy finish. The mushrooms may be served warm or at room temperature.

The star of this recipe is amchur, a spice native to India. Amchur, a light brown in color sun dried mango powder is absolutely delicious on roasted fish. The lemon notes of the crushed coriander seeds accentuate the flavor of the amchur.