Sundried Tomato with Fresh Fennel

Hmm so i had some sundried tomatoes lying in the fridge and didnt know what to do with them until i found some fresh fennel , that too organic in the neighbourhood spencers. This recipe comes out more like a preserve and tastes good with lightly toasted bread or as part of a salad.pictures will be uploaded soon. I am particularly fond of tomato not just because red veggies add lovely colour to a dish but the fact that tomatoes are loaded with lycopene,are great to use in face masks for oily skin- i am not kidding here, the ancient indians and egyptians used fresh tomato pulp with fullers earth to remove skin impurities and i've tried this myself and it leaves the skin glowingLycopene has also been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Not only that , tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants that work towards prevention of certain cancers thanks to the lycopene.
Fennel - for centuries in ancient india, fennel , aniseed have been used as natural acidity regulators after a hevy meal- ever wondered why after a heavy meal of indian food fennel is served as the after mint? well it increases the metabolilism and works like gripe water. Fennel tea is amazing for indigestion and gastric troubles.
Olive Oil- hmm what to say about this lovely perhaps one of the most nutritious cooking and dressing oilsThere is a large body of clinical data to show that consumption of olive oil can provide heart health benefits such as favourable effects on cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol oxidation needi say more?
the recipe:
250 gms of sundried tomatoes
2teaspoons of aniseed whole
fresh fennel bulb and leaves
salt and pepper -about a teaspoon
sugar /palm sugar - 1 teaspoon
in a bowl, add the tomatoes , salt,sugar,and pepper and fennel or aniseed seeds( saunf). then chp the fennel bulb stems coarselt and wash along with the fine leaves . add all this to the tomatoes. pour some olive oil to cover the mixture a little and mix well..let soak overnight or for a few days so that the tomatoes absorb the flavour. Donot put it in the fridge unlessit is very hot climate the oil congeals and has to be left outside to return to its natural form...

A refreshingly refreshing Drink

okie so its the ingredients that make this drink an absolute delight- a version of the desi adrak-pudina shikanjvi but with a modern twist to it.
i will put up th epics in a few days as im having a problem with my net conection here.
so here goes:
for the ingredients:
a few leaves of fresh pudina (mint) ( i used approx 5-7 as i like it a  bit mild)
freshly grated ginger - about 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending on how strong you want the ginger flavour)
sugar or jaggery-about 2 tsps of sugar, i used fructose a healthy low cal sugar alternative ..
juice of  1/2 a lemon
a pinch of black salt( optional)
okie so now in a stone/steel mortar and pestle grindle the mint leaves into a paste- this brings out the amazing mint oil(incase you dont want to continue making the drink after this, the mint oil is an excellent remedy for joint pains when heated with olive oil or an excellent remedy for acidity-mix the mint oil and a little bit of the paste in watre and boil until warm and drink it up)
then add the freshly grated ot finely chopped ginger(for this recipe finely chopped is better)to the mint and grind some more,
then add the sugar and grind again for about 1 min approx.
Add this to a serving glass,then add the lemon juice - i love lemon juice so i used half a lemon but one can use less if preffered-the lemon basically balances out the flavours and acids when soda is used- yes the twist in the drink is soda- so after this adda pinch of black salt if desired and then add chilled soda and voila - a modern twist of the traditional desi pudina - adrak shikanjvi is ready.
the recipe takes about 5 mins approx and it actually isnt a stedious as i make it sound here but then ive even engligtened on the effects of pudina ka taila and what the use of lemon in the drink is etc, etc.
This drink is exceptional when served mid afternoon on a hot  summers day or even after a hearty meal- be it lunch or dinner- it has ingredients which aid digestion.Hope you all like this and od leave your comments.

Tzatziki Dip

Hmm Tzatziki is a greek style cucumber dip which is oh so simple ( preperation time about 10 mins + extra for draining out yoghurt) with delightful flavours and of course cucumbers.
Here is what is needed :
500g (2 cups) yoghurt
1 cucumber , peeled, halved, seeded and coasely or finely chopped or grated.
2-3 medium or 1-2 large garlic clove depending on how garlicy you want it to taste , crushed
1 tbs finely chopped fresh chives (optional tough just adds taste and flavour)
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste,1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper .
Method:Start with hanging the curds in a muslin cloth or hanky, refer the link below on how to do this . it is simple and easy on this blog.
http://bawandinesh.name/hanging-curds/
then coarsely cut or grate the cucumber( if yoou grate it then just squeeze it a bit to remeove the excess water/ juice that comes out frm grated cucumber and discard the juice )
then combine all the ingredients starting with the hung yoghurt with olive oil and using a fork / spoon to mix it well . And add the spices and garlic and cucumber and mix well. Cover and keep in the fridge for a couple of hours so that the yoghurt absorbs the flavours . To make it absolutely delicious make it in the evening and keep it in the fridge overnight . Serve with toasted bread , as dip with weggies or even with rige, its a kind of khera raita which could taste good with rice as well.