These stuffed tomatoes are the essence of summer. Field-fresh tomatoes, stuffed with an aromatic, Mediterranean-inspired mixture of couscous, fresh herbs, mushrooms and olives, topped with creamy goat cheese — all together, this makes a delicate, light and fresh side dish for a barbecue or a late summer dinner.

My family loves camping, and every summer, we’re out exploring our beautiful national parks. One of the best parts about camping is cooking and eating out in the open, quite often with meals cooked right on a campfire. I maintain that food always tastes better when it’s eaten outside anyway. This brings me to these banana s’mores — a riff on classic s’mores that taste just like banoffee pie. I can’t stop raving about them!

July 1st is Canada Day! It gives me great pleasure to share some reminiscences of my beautiful adopted country and celebrate the day with you. This year will be Canada’s 147th birthday. Having grown up in India and lived in England, I always forget how young Canada is. As an immigrant, its certainly been a struggle sometimes; however, my life in Canada has also been amazingly rewarding.

I like to tease people when they ask for “chai tea” at coffee shops. In India, chai = tea, so by saying chai tea, you’re just saying ‘tea tea’. Nothing wrong with that, mind, as chai is so delicious, everyone wants to say it twice, right? Chai is also so delicious that it should not be reserved for just the cold winter months. These chai creamsicles are an easy way to jazz up your winter drink for hot summer days.

One of the best recipes for roast chicken out there has to be Judy Rodgers’ recipe for Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken served on an equally delicious bread salad. No surprise, it is my number one method for cooking any kind of poultry, not just chicken. The succulent moistness that this method gives to the chicken, or indeed, any other poultry, is unmatched.

Living in a city where summers are beautiful but fleeting, any sighting of sunshine is reason to celebrate with bright, zingy flavors and simple salads. This lovely, clean recipe epitomizes spring and summer cooking. It can be put together in less than 10 minutes, and it works brilliantly as either an appetizer or a light lunch. The inspiration for this recipe is my friend, Dani. Dani is Italian, and we met in graduate school when I was a fresh-off-the-boat student from India.

I was born and brought up in India. I moved away when I was twenty-one, but as most expatriates will know, India never leaves you. Which is why the major inspiration for my own website The Tiffin Box is my childhood memories of growing up in this amazing, crazy, unpredictable country. We lived in a century-old red-tiled house, surrounded by coconut trees and a tropical fruit tree orchard.

One of my favorite things about India is its fantastic range of street food. From pav bhaji and vada pav, to vegetable chaats and bhel puri, every corner of India boasts its specialties — and no two street food vendors are alike. “Secret” ingredients abound and no one gives away any recipes for their signature dishes. These spiced cucumber sticks are probably the most ubiquitous of all street food.

Rajmah Chawal, a red kidney bean curry served with rice, is a rustic, traditional Indian meal that is cooked in households all over India. Originally a staple of the village kitchen, this is a simple, nutritious meal that is naturally gluten free, vegan and suited to people with allergies. Traditionally, rajmah, or red kidney beans, are soaked in water the night before, and cooked until tender the next day.