Silk’s Pure Almond Iced Cocoa Mocha and a Giveaway

Mr.Healthnut helping himself a glass of mighty almond goodness. A nutritious addition in our diet,velvety smooth ,light and incredibly yum,Silk’s new Pure Almond Milk has taken an honorable space in our refrigerator,since introduced to me by the kind folks at Silk

Continue reading here:
Silk’s Pure Almond Iced Cocoa Mocha and a Giveaway

 Apple Cider Vinegar Tea and Cumin Soy Biscuits

The unstable rise and drop(80F a day and 50F the next!) in spring temperatures can leave some of us miserably sick.Your truly was brought down by a bad episode of aching itchy soar throat followed by exasperating cough,not to mention the fatigue.Thankfully the relief came without visiting the doctor,through some simple home remedies.But beware if the throat ache or persistent cough does not subside in 3-4 days of home treatment or accompanies fever,be sure to get doctor’s advice first.Normally the doctor would give antibiotic for bacterial infection but not for the viral,either of the cases,the home remedies can be put to test.There are many to try,but these two in particular are safe and work effectively for me. 1 .Herbal teas (like the Ginger honey , Orange spice and Apple cider vinegar,recipe below),a cup every 3-4 hours.Slurping warm soups also is relieving.

Read more here:
Apple Cider Vinegar Tea and Cumin Soy Biscuits

 Daring Bakers : Chocolate Berry Pièce montée(Croquembouche) with Mango Cream

Never in the deepest dreams did I think of putting together a spectacular French wedding cake.Thanks to daring bakers club for making the seemingly impossible bakes,possible.Every daring bake( 17 so far) has indeed been a challenge,needs lot of planning ahead,thoroughly understanding the recipe before making any changes to it,allotting good amount of time for implementing the task,that could fail at first attempt but striving till succeeding should be the motto of a daring baker.The posting day is sure excitement in anticipation of fellow daring bakers creative takes on the challenge.I for one ,try not to deviate too much from the given original recipe while giving it a healthy make over,which is the best part of these challenges. The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake .

More here:
Daring Bakers : Chocolate Berry Pièce montée(Croquembouche) with Mango Cream

 Raspberry Tofu Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Tofu does not get any applause in my family.So I have to think of sneaking in this wonder protein in the most unsuspecting places.Like in the ice cream ,the silken tofu married so well with the intense berry flavor,leaving the picky eaters totally clueless about the disliked ingredient in it. The cake was specially made in jubilation of Nabeel’s seventh birth day.Yes,another healthfully blessed year.His asthma has shown significant improvement as he is growing.Watching the diet for low sugar ,low fat foods ,wholesome fruits,vegetables and grains immensely helped in improving his condition.My efforts to get him to eat the best aren’t always success,there are some foods he absolutely cannot stand, and tofu is one of those.But I can’t give up ,the ever pleasing seemed perfect to incorporate the healthy food. I had to disclose the secret ingredient to him after blissfully finishing the first slice,for it changed his mind about the food,that he had decided to hate till eternity.Now he is more willing to appreciate it,if presented in such decadent dishes.That also means,a thumbs up for my ,eating more tofu mission.The other dishes that got approval were tofu smoothie and parathas,haven’t got the chance to post them yet,but will do,one fine day.

Read the original post:
Raspberry Tofu Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

 Turkish Spinach Börek using Home made Yufka(Phyllo)

The wondrous natural beauty of Turkey’s peninsula ,unique historical sites and the exquisite Turkish cuisine has earned Turkey’s name as one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations.Visiting the place is a dream for now,nonetheless,the ladies at Walima Cooking club are very excited this month to be dishing up one of the delicacies of the Turkish cuisine. The Walima club May challenge,of home made Yufka,the Turkish phyllo dough was presented to us by Nihal of Crossroads Istanbul .Börek is the special pastry of the exotic Turkish cuisine,made by rolling the paper thin Yufka(phyllo dough),an effortful task that requires skill at using the rolling pin.To master the art of börek making requires practice and patience,so not to worry if you can’t get the pastry perfectly circular and thin,the first time

See original here:
Turkish Spinach Börek using Home made Yufka(Phyllo)

 Pearl Millet(Jowar) Pilaf

Pearl Millet – gems of good health The sustaining cereal of the dessert lands in Asia and Africa ,millet are power houses of good health – gluten free ,easily digestible(hypoallergenic) ,rich in protein, minerals and B vitamins.Common kinds – Finger Millet (Ragi), Green millet (Bajri) and Pearl Millet (Jowar),all are available in both flour and grain form,in most Asian stores or health foods stores.

Read the rest here:
Pearl Millet(Jowar) Pilaf

 Cruciferous Celebration

Who’s up for the basket of health? BokChoy,Broccoli,Brussel Sprouts,Kohlrabi,Cauliflower,Cabbage and Kale ,all are honored members of cabbage family ,also referred as Cruciferous vegetables.There are crucial to our diet for being a good source of essential : Soluble fiber, Vitamins(A,B-1,B-2,B-6,C,E) Folic acid Plant Omega 3s Disease fighting phytochemicals.

Read the original here:
Cruciferous Celebration

 Archives : March 2010

March 2 Cocoa barley Bites March 4 Methi Sunflower Seeds Buns with Minty Barley Soup March 7 Bulgur Stuffed Bitter Gourd and Bitter Gourd Crisps March 9 Health Nut Challenge 5 : Crucial Cruciferous. Cauliflower Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemons March 13 Purely Chocolate Almond Meringue Cake with Dark Chocolate Filling March 15 Chickpeas Polenta(Panisse) With Olive and Sun dried Tomatoes March 18 Health Nut Challenge 4 Round up : Bitter Better Foods Bonanza March 22 Weekend Herb Blogging #225 Round up March 23 Rotini in Kumquat Jalapenos Compound Butter March 25 Peanut Butter and Plum Jelly Ice Dream.

Visit link:
Archives : March 2010

 Genesis Today’s -Happy Goji and Purple Perfection Shakes

The plethora of fruit juices in today’s market is intriguing.Despite being aware of the super fruits that are latest buzz in the Health foods, it still is a bit of challenge to pick the right kind of super fruit juice ,one that’s genuine and potent ,well, not anymore.My search for the perfect juices ends here with discovery of Genesis Today’s range of super fruits juices-Acai,Goji and Resveratrol What’s so super about super fruits?

See original here:
Genesis Today’s -Happy Goji and Purple Perfection Shakes

 Cape Malay Tomato Bredie

We are talking Soccer and South African Cape Malay cuisine in this post. If you are a soccer fan,you might already know South Africa is the honored host of World cup Soccer 2010 .Soccer runs in my family,I was no Mia Hamm,but was deeply influenced by the game from my daddy dearests soccer passion.He had immense skill at the game, played for his school team,that gave him an athletic persona.He continues his passion ,follows the world cup series closely.I remember the nights he stayed awake ,when the world cup games were aired at odd mid-night hours.The passion is passed on to my son Nabeel,who is beginning to show interest in the game.I get the title of soccer mom,for being there for all his games,rain or shine.I also love practicing the game with him,not to mention,gives me a good work out. Now, to be good at the game,a well-balanced meal is essential.That brings us to the recipe of the day.Bredie,a luscious slow cooked tomato and lamb stew,one of the most favored dishes of the South African Cape Malay Cuisine,that is rich in protein and has good serving of vegetables.Bredie is best devoured with Yellow rice(brown rice preferably) and stir fried vegetables on side and some fresh sliced mangoes for a sweet finish.A meal that my daddy dearest would wholly appreciate.I know he is watching his cholesterol and is low on red meat,which is why I use lean meat for the recipe with vegetarian alternative.

Go here to read the rest:
Cape Malay Tomato Bredie

 Kumquat Ice Cream – I Scream For Ice Cream Challenge

Been yearning to taste this delight ever since bookmarked last summer.With right ingredients in hand and the ambiance warm enough,finally got the chance to contain the desire.

View original post here:
Kumquat Ice Cream – I Scream For Ice Cream Challenge

 Whole grain Spanakopita(Greek Spinach Pie) from scratch

Sumptuous Savory Pies like these are staple in Greek cooking.Thanks to Ivy and her clearly explained recipe I was able to recreate her traditional whole grain Greek Spanakopita(Spinach Pie) from scratch. A short cut for the crust is to use the store-bought phyllo.In the mood for a more wholesome pie,and prior experience of rolling tissue-thin strudel dough ,I was willing to take the tougher route.Rolling each sheet with passion for good food.Gladly the result was worth every muscle,a flaky and absolutely filling pie.Be sure the whole wheat flour is fine ground ,or the whole wheat pastry flour should also be good. Not to mention the filling is generously green ,mild tasting spinach in combination of other sharp or bitter greens and sprinkle of chunky salty Feta cheese

Continued here:
Whole grain Spanakopita(Greek Spinach Pie) from scratch

 Chicken Kale Saag

Kale got me keenly interested for all its health assets.After all one can never get enough of greens.Copious serving like such in this saag is healthful as well as toothsome. Did you know that besides being rich in Vitamins A,C and K,dietary Fiber,Kale is also a very good source of Calcium?,good news for those with milk allergies.A cup of kale supplies 93.6 mg of calcium (9.4% of the daily value for this mineral) for only 36.4 calories

Continue reading here:
Chicken Kale Saag

 Broccoli Quiche With Brown Rice Crust.

A slice of wholesomeness,brimming with goodness of broccoli and brown rice,the quiche is hearty meal in itself. Originating from Germany,also revered in France,unquestionably quiche is a popular savory pie of the region.A quiche is usually made with wheat dough crust and filled with eggs and generous amount of cheese.My reincarnation of quiche here is from Vita mix cookbook,that is commendably low in fat calories and has a decent touch of whole grains. The brown rice crust works wonders,no rolling needed,just cook and press over the baking dish.The result is crunchy and filling crust.Also for a vivid rice eater like me,usually pairing rice with dal and curry,the quiche was was a surprisingly neat rice recipe.

See the rest here:
Broccoli Quiche With Brown Rice Crust.

 Homemade Whole Grain Bagels and Citrus Coleslaw

Though not as good-looking as the bakery bread ,these Chubby bagels were satisfying enough for my first attempt.Also the fact these are enriched with different kinds of whole grains,low in fat and devoured warm out of the oven ,the pure pleasure of baked bread.Likewise,it was exhilarating to bake them in choicest flavors.

Read the original post:
Homemade Whole Grain Bagels and Citrus Coleslaw

 Tunisian Shakshouka(Eggs in Tomato Pepper sauce) with Baguette

March was Tunisian Special in Walima Cooking Club .Beautiful small oasis along the Mediterranean African coast,Tunisia has immense diversity in both food and culture.The cuisine is a pleasing potpourri of flavors influenced by the neighboring African and European cuisines. Recipe : Tunisian Shakshouka(chakchouka) An absolute scrumptious Egg dish,Shakshouka is a well-known breakfast meal in North Africa.Eggs are poached in a simmering sauce,with medley of vegetables.Tunisians love spice,the heat in this dish is dominated by hot harissa.For variation,eggs can be replaced with different kind of animal or plant protein or made just with vegetables like the ratatouille.

See the original post:
Tunisian Shakshouka(Eggs in Tomato Pepper sauce) with Baguette

 Grilled Kibbeh

Kibbeh is a torpedo shaped crunchy appetizer ,adored not just in Middle East but also in the Middle Eastern eateries around here.The authentic Syrian spring kibbeh stuffed with fresh home made cheese was embraced by the 2 hostesses(Nisrin and Mona) for the Walima cooking club this month.Yearning in vain for fresh cheese,my recreation of kibbeh is void of any stuffing but I did add a touch of vegetables to make up for the flavor.Usually deep fried,I chose to grill,although one can also BBQ or bake them.And for my vegetarian viewers who wish to make these,there is good news,the soy granules work just as well as the minced meat. Bulgur The other main ingredient is the bulgur wheat,that is not the same as cracked wheat.Bulgur wheat is quicker to cook,for its is par boiled and toasted before breaking them unlike the cracked wheat which is broken directly from the wheat berries.

Continued here:
Grilled Kibbeh

 Traditional British Puddings(Carrot-Ginger Sponge and Savory Mushroom)

Looks sensational isn’t,but does it taste as good?proof is in the pudding,you have to try and taste to believe it.Unlike any other pudding , I had a different approach with these,with new ingredients and slow steaming instead of baking. The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen . She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet

Link:
Traditional British Puddings(Carrot-Ginger Sponge and Savory Mushroom)

 Kale Dosa and Asparagus ChutneySpread

You catch a glimpse of this green almost every time you are at the market,but still haven’t made the move to embraced it ,despite learning its health benefits.Why? Remember, when its comes to cooking with Kale ,it is as versatile as spinach.Its not bitter,mild tasting and if you can cook with spinach, then why not with kale,unless its unavailable.The recipes posted should give you the confidence to make the move for the good.

More here:
Kale Dosa and Asparagus ChutneySpread

 Pita Wedges with Green Almond Hash and Hummus

Tender ,green and fuzzy ,these tangy morsels ,is how the amazing almonds start off.Exclusive to the spring season,green almonds are considered a rare delicacy for its short lifespan and incredibly succulent flavor.The tender spring fruit,has a soft white almond core,is completely edible,while the green almonds harvested in late summer have harder shell,with a more firm and brown almond in the core.Originating from Middle East and Mediterranean,these are also grown in California and can easily be spotted in Middle Eastern and other specialty stores,at an affordable price. The grape-sized green almonds with a sprinkle of salt makes an enjoyable tart snack.Or makes a wholesome addition in stews and pasta.The grated or shaved green almonds can be tossed in salad or used as garnish

Go here to see the original:
Pita Wedges with Green Almond Hash and Hummus