Akshayapatram

photo credit: Duru…

Now who so ever thinks that men shirk cooking need to meet Anand, an entrepreneur and a geek. He likes to cook whenever time permits and I am happy he could take time to share this recipe with me…

• 2 stalks celery, thickly sliced on the diagonal
• 1/4 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into chunks
• 1 cup (250 mL) cubes Canadian Mozzarella cheese or crumbled Canadian Feta
• cheese
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) baby carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp/2 mL dried)
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, salt and pepper (approx.)
• 1 cup (250 mL) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Combine celery, cucumber, cheese, carrots, oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or container.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.
3. Stir in tomatoes and check seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to taste just before serving. Tomatoes should never be refrigerated so adding them to the salad just before serving preserves their flavor and texture.
4. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) black or green olives with the vegetables, if desired.

Meet Anand….

Anand Subramanian who is a full time blogger and Internet marketer from Cochin, Kerala. Thanks Anand for the recipe!