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

 Peanut Butter and Plum Jelly Ice Dream.And NutButter Giveaway.

Nut Butters(Almond and Peanut),are staple spreads on my everyday sandwiches that I absolutely cannot do without.Recently a representative of MaraNatha Nut Butters contacted me to try and talk about their Peanut Butter.I was shipped 2 free sample Jars of All-natural MaraNatha Peanut Butter.Creamy and smooth,the nutty butter did not last long,my family is big on nut butters,one of the Jars was licked clean in few days,mostly on lunch box sandwiches.With the second Jar,I had to try something different,something that celebrates the warmth of the season.Racheal’s Dairy-free Ice Dream with PB seemed fitting,time was right to revive the frozen treats in her cookbook,some of them I totally enjoyed last season. Recipe : Peanut Butter and Plum Jelly, adapted from Rachel Albert-Matesz’s Ice Dream Cookbook

View post:
Peanut Butter and Plum Jelly Ice Dream.And NutButter Giveaway.

 Cardamom Mango Panna Cotta With Honey Peach Sauce

No other fruit says sunshine better than mangoes.Revered as king of fruits in the Indian sub continent(the birthplace of mangoes),the tropical fruit is the most desirous fruit of the jolly good summers.For the love of mangoes,I could not help myself buying a load of, first batch of this seasonal tropical fruit in the market.The mangoes sold here are mostly grown in Mexico ,Caribbean and some travel as far from India. While the heat is at its peak in my homeland,it still spring and just beginning to warm up in Columbus.The blooming flowers have a magical beauty after long bare winters

See more here:
Cardamom Mango Panna Cotta With Honey Peach Sauce

 Blintzes With Ricotta Cream And Strawberry Sauce

Ever heard of dessert for breakfast? blintzes are one such befitting example.These Eastern European cheese-filled crepes might appear sinfully loaded with calories but my recreation here is completely diet friendly with no saturated fat(butter) and lightly sweetened.No compromise with flavors though,the luscious strawberry sauce and light cheese filling embellish the blintzes inside out. The star ingredient of the stuffing in these blintzes is Italian cheese – ricotta.Ricotta cheese comes in different varieties ,common are,smooth texture Ricotta salata , toasty baked Ricotta infornata ,sheep’s milk ricotta,smoked ricotta and cow’s milk fine-grained ricotta.

Originally posted here:
Blintzes With Ricotta Cream And Strawberry Sauce

 Grilled Flatbread With Chili-Garlic Asparagus and Ricotta.

Its impossible to overlook the slender beauty of asparagus blooming in markets during spring.The vegetable deserves to be embraced for its astonishing good nutrition,easy to cook and cheapest in the season. The tender spears can wither fast,should be consumed freshest to get the most of its nutritional value(excellent source of folate and vitamin).To Keep freshness,the stalks can be wrapped with a moist towel or stand in bowl of water. Seasoned with spiciness of garlic and freshly crushed hot chili flakes the asparagus is ready to eat in a snap.I like the crunch and subtle smooth juiciness of the vegetables to be intact,for which I grill them along side the flatbread or saute on stove top,either ways the asparagus makes a comforting small meal or a tasty party appetizers(hors d’oeuvres).The cheese is your choice,use low-fat of any kind

Link:
Grilled Flatbread With Chili-Garlic Asparagus and Ricotta.

 Rotini in Kumquat Jalapeno Compound Butter

Enlarged to entice,kumquats are miniature oranges with completely edible aromatic peel and tart juicy center.Almost the size of large grapes ,these are perfect pop-in-your-mouth snack.I fancied them to create exciting eats.Here is the compound butter for starters. Why compound butter with kumquats

See the article here:
Rotini in Kumquat Jalapeno Compound Butter

 Weekend Herb Blogging #225

Janet(Canada) of Taste Space ,baked the Hearty Grain Filled Peppers ,adapted from a Health Cookbook ,the peppers are stuffed with well-seasoned wholesome bulgur ,and made more appealing with topping of fat-free yogurt and toasted pumpkin seeds. Tigerfish of Teczcape ,made a healthful Loofah Soup with Gingko and Mushroom .Gingko is a chinese herb and the Loofah vegetable which is also common in China,has appearance of cucumber,is soft and slimy like the bottle gourd.Loofah is an amazing healing food,a body cooler,that reduces phelgm and cleanses blood.

Here is the original post:
Weekend Herb Blogging #225

 Bitter Better Foods Bonanza

Some us devour them for the health benefits,some us savor them as a delicacy,while some find it challenging to incorporate in every day cooking.No matter what your experience is with bitter foods,the varieties of recipes here,shared by the enthusiastic foodies,are inspiring enough to desire for the bitter better foods. The bitter foods like Fresh Fenugreek(methi)leaves and bitter gourd are exclusively available in Asian grocers while the other greens are common in farmer’s markets or well stocked super stores. If you have a home garden or just some herb pots,growing fenugreek can be easy,the seeds are also available in Asian stores

Link:
Bitter Better Foods Bonanza

 Bulgur Stuffed Bitter Gourd and Bitter Gourd Crisps.

Liking this healthful bitter vegetable happened to me after some initial reluctance. Nonetheless after learning its health benefits(fighting diabetes,cancer,infections and more) and cooking in variety of flavorful ways,mixing and matching with spices, tangy lemons and sweet onions,I began to devour them every week. Onions stuffed is more often on my menu ,however stuffing with spiced bulgur turned out to be another tasty variation,although any left over whole grain would also work perfectly fine for stuffing

Follow this link:
Bulgur Stuffed Bitter Gourd and Bitter Gourd Crisps.

 Chickpeas Polenta(Panisse) with Olives and Sun dried Tomatoes

Some flours remain unused in my pantry forever.Once of those is Chickpea flour( besan ),I got this one pack last Ramadan,consumed a couple of times for these delicacies and rest has been in there since.I chanced upon the pleasing Panisse recipe in my treasured Mayo clinic cookbook ,just in time before the expiry date of the flour. Panisse is a filling french snack,with polenta like soft texture,that is also served as side.The snack is usually cut and fried like french fries.The cookbook’s adaptation is baked panisse,which is then broiled until crispy and then made more appealing with the olive and sun dried tomatoes topping.The vegan substitute Tofu was not in the book,but should work next best instead of eggs. To find the star ingredients in this recipe,the chick pea flour,track down your nearest East Indian or Arab store,you are sure to spot it in the flour aisle.

Read more:
Chickpeas Polenta(Panisse) with Olives and Sun dried Tomatoes

 Purely Chocolate Almond Meringue Cake with Dark chocolate Filling

For a toddler turning three,the pure chocolate cake was perfect to celebrate the special day and also accomplishing to his mom ,who shares the same chocolate passion.

View post:
Purely Chocolate Almond Meringue Cake with Dark chocolate Filling

 Cruciferious Challenge and Cauliflower Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemons.

Cruciferious is a fancy name for the family of vegetables known to botanists as Cruciferae or alternately, Brassicaceae .Like most other vegetables, cruciferous vegetables are good sources of a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals that may work synergistically to help prevent cancer.Read more about it here . For Health Nut Challenge 5 lets get cooking with the crucial to the diet, Cruciferious veggies . Here are 2 simple steps to participate in the challenge : 1 .Create a uniquely healthy side dish,soup,salad or main entree ,with one or more of the following Cruciferious vegetables : * Kale * Collard Greens * Broccoli * Cauliflower * Cabbage * Brussels sprouts * Kohlrabi * Turnip * Radish * Bok Choy * Arugula * Water cress

See the article here:
Cruciferious Challenge and Cauliflower Tabbouleh with Preserved Lemons.

 A Saudi meal – Matazeez(Pasta), Date Dessert and Arabic Coffee

February was Saudi Arabian Cuisine for the Walima Cooking club .The sumptuous Saudi recipes were introduced to us ,by host of the month,Noor of Middle Eastern Cook . Snippet – Saudi Arabia History and Cuisine The birthplace of Prophet Muhammad,Arabia had stability and unity after the advent of Islam.The boom in economy opened the trade routes ,the spices imported enriched the aroma of the traditional cuisine.The growth of immigrants in modern times mainly from Asia and Africa adapted many more exotic dishes from the foreign lands. Matazeez ,the Saudi style pasta is commonly cooked with lamb in the spiced pasta sauce ,although one can use any kind of meat.The following recipe with fish is much faster to cook,ideal for quick weekday meals and also picking a fish rich in omega 3s like wild salmon is great for a change.If you choose to use lamb or goat ,cook the meat in the tomato sauce and add all the vegetables when the meat is almost cooked

Read more:
A Saudi meal – Matazeez(Pasta), Date Dessert and Arabic Coffee

 Methi Sunflower Seeds Buns with Minty Barley Soup

Winter is clearing way for spring,but spring can still be cold and frosty at times.Warm soup and bread for supper packed with herby flavors and aromas,nothing could be simpler yet so satisfying.

View original post here:
Methi Sunflower Seeds Buns with Minty Barley Soup

 Cocoa Barley Bites

Change is the only thing constant in my cooking.Remember these Energy bites ? I recreate the same recipe with change of ingredients for these tasty snack time bites, Barley flour and cocoa instead of wheat flour and a different sweetener and fat.Barley flour imparts soft and crumbly texture ,the cocoa and bitter sweet chocolate chips add an intense chocolate smack to the bites. This particular barley flour purchased from the local Indian store had the fibrous look and feel,can also be seen in the end result of baking these bites.Barley flour is also available in other specialty stores.Its rich in protein and fiber but not free of gluten.

Read this article:
Cocoa Barley Bites

 Fruity Tiramisu

Among the top fantasy desserts,words can’t describe this Italian delicacy.Spongy biscuits soaked in coffee,layered between delicate,light and fluffy creamy goodness and sprinkle of cocoa,tiramisu is heaven in every bite. Thanks to the lovely hostesses( Aparna and Deeba ) of the month, who made the excellent choice.I was overwhelmed to make(bake) it from scratch,after all that is the challenge of being a daring baker.While I was very satisfied with the result of this baking adventure,my sister and her family who visited, driving in winter ,despite all the odds,were overjoyed to feast on it. So when, where and how was tiramisu born

Follow this link:
Fruity Tiramisu

 Mustard Greens Mozzarella Munchies

When my favorite greens are not in-season I buy them frozen,that are convenient and nutritious at the same time. Contributing generously to the daily need of fiber (5grams in each cup i.e 4 ounce of the green used) and packed with others nutrients of the mildly bitter mustard greens,these cheesy green munchies are quick to assemble and appeasing to the hunger pangs

More here:
Mustard Greens Mozzarella Munchies

 Coffee Cocoa Buckwheat Kasha(Porridge) with Dried Figs

The Porridge of Eastern Europe,Kasha, is prepared with different kinds of whole grains,one of the most common is made with buckwheat.For an appealing and effortless morning breakfast porridge ,combine the roasted buckwheat granules with two of favorite breakfast flavors,cocoa and coffee ,and finally top with dried fruit and nuts. Buckwheat Health and Nutrition Buckwheat is a cholesterol free, almost fat-free food,that also helps in lowering blood glucose.Its actually a fruit seed not a cereal grain.Not related to wheat,Buckwheat is completely gluten free ,best for those with gluten intolerance(Celiac disease). Roasted buckwheat granules are great for making porridge(kasha) ,as easy as the oatmeal.Buckwheat flour or roasted buckwheat granules can be used in all the dishes were ever rice or wheat is used

Read more:
Coffee Cocoa Buckwheat Kasha(Porridge) with Dried Figs

 Beet Oat Squares

Do these taste as good as it looks? answer is Yes,only if you relish the earthy taste of beets. My craze for beets lead to this delish squares,that I love to stock up on, to satiate the snacking appetite.For this recipe I recommend roasting instead of boiling to cook the beets ,as it retains the intense color and flavor of beets.

Follow this link:
Beet Oat Squares

 Stuffed Turnip Greens

I had no clue about the taste of Turnip greens when Mr.Health nut first bought them.I read these can be bitter.Meedo’s Stuffed Grape leaves (ever so popular Middle Eastern appetizer) was in my mind for so long,the turnip greens turned out to be a good substitute for the grape leaves. These bundles of healthy greens were pleasantly bitter.Makes a perfect start of a meal and so good for snacking.The flavors of spices and vegetables dominate over the mild bitterness of the greens.One can also use other large leafy greens like chard or collard.

See original here:
Stuffed Turnip Greens