Friday, January 31, 2014
SUGAR SNAP PEAS PORIYAL
SUGAR SNAP PEAS PORIYAL
I bought a packet of sugar snap peas recently though I didn’t know how to cook them. We tried it in pastas…nah…it was too sweet for our taste, soups…still the same :( After all these experimentations, I still had some more left. I wanted to finish them off somehow, so I thought of making a poriyal of them maybe just like a cluster beans poriyal. I made it a little bit spicier and added some dried mint leaves to it since I didn’t have any fresh herbs at hand and actually this poriyal did taste very good with the mint flavor. I think I’ll be making sugar snap peas poriyal very often from now on…
I prepared this as a side dish with rotis and rice. This goes very well with rasam or curd rice. Our weekend lunch that day was rotis, dum aloo, sugar snap peas poriyal, onion raita, and brown rice.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Sugar snap peas, chopped finely, 1 cup.
2. Onion, medium-sized, 1.
3. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
4. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.
6. Dried mint leaves, 1 teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
8. Ural dhal, ½ teaspoon.
9. Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION:
Wash the sugar snap peas well. Cut off the pointed ends and chop them into small pieces. Dice the onion finely. Heat some oil in a pan and when the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the urad dhal and fry it for a few seconds until it turns golden brown. Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion turns soft. Then add the sugar snap peas, garlic paste, chili powder, coriander powder, mint leaves, and salt and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5-10 minutes until the peas are cooked. Serve hot with rice or rotis.
I bought a packet of sugar snap peas recently though I didn’t know how to cook them. We tried it in pastas…nah…it was too sweet for our taste, soups…still the same :( After all these experimentations, I still had some more left. I wanted to finish them off somehow, so I thought of making a poriyal of them maybe just like a cluster beans poriyal. I made it a little bit spicier and added some dried mint leaves to it since I didn’t have any fresh herbs at hand and actually this poriyal did taste very good with the mint flavor. I think I’ll be making sugar snap peas poriyal very often from now on…
I prepared this as a side dish with rotis and rice. This goes very well with rasam or curd rice. Our weekend lunch that day was rotis, dum aloo, sugar snap peas poriyal, onion raita, and brown rice.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Sugar snap peas, chopped finely, 1 cup.
2. Onion, medium-sized, 1.
3. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
4. Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon.
5. Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.
6. Dried mint leaves, 1 teaspoon.
7. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
8. Ural dhal, ½ teaspoon.
9. Salt as per taste.
PREPARATION:
Wash the sugar snap peas well. Cut off the pointed ends and chop them into small pieces. Dice the onion finely. Heat some oil in a pan and when the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the urad dhal and fry it for a few seconds until it turns golden brown. Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion turns soft. Then add the sugar snap peas, garlic paste, chili powder, coriander powder, mint leaves, and salt and mix everything well. Cook closed under low flame for 5-10 minutes until the peas are cooked. Serve hot with rice or rotis.
Garlic Bread Rolls Recipe
My garlic bread recipe is really simple to bake and is not very time consuming at all.
I use a mixture of brown spelt flour and white spelt flour to make this delicious and healthy bread recipe.
The great thing about using spelt flours is that you do not always need to let the bread dough rise twice, you can just whip up your bread, let it rise once then place it straight in the oven to bake - just fabulous.
You can eat my garlic bread rolls with soup, salad, beans, as a delightful sandwich or just as they are. The outer bread is golden and crisp while the centre of the bread is fluffy, the rolls are as light as a feather to hold in your hand.
Spelt flour is very healthy for you as it contains Vitamin B3, Maganese, Copper, Phosphorus and Fiber. Spelt is also well known for being easier to digest than normal wheat. Spelt does contain gluten so is not suitable for celiacs.
Ingredients for Spelt Garlic Bread Rolls
8oz White spelt flour
8oz Brown spelt flour
1 Sachet Yeast (7g)
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Rice bran oil
Warm water
Garlic Filling
4-6 Garlic cloves
Bunch fresh parsley
Salt to season
Pinch dried Chives
2 Tbsp Rice bran oil
1 large tsp Sunflower margarine
How to make Garlic Bread Rolls
8oz White spelt flour
8oz Brown spelt flour
1 Sachet Yeast (7g)
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Rice bran oil
Warm water
Garlic Filling
4-6 Garlic cloves
Bunch fresh parsley
Salt to season
Pinch dried Chives
2 Tbsp Rice bran oil
1 large tsp Sunflower margarine
How to make Garlic Bread Rolls
Place all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and stir together.
Add enough warm water a little at a time until you get a dough.
Knead the dough with a dough hook or by hand for 5-10 minutes.
Mix all of the garlic filling mixture in a small bowl.
Cut the dough in half, take the piece of the dough and cut into 3 chunks.
Roll out of stretch using your hands in a long oval shape, place all 3 ovals onto a greased and floured baking tray.
Spread the garlic bread filling mixture onto the flat dough making sure you leave a gap for the edges.
Roll out of stretch using your hands in a long oval shape, place all 3 ovals onto a greased and floured baking tray.
Spread the garlic bread filling mixture onto the flat dough making sure you leave a gap for the edges.
Roll each flat garlic bread up.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap, plastic food bag or a clean damp towel.
Leave in a warm place for 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Bake in a hot oven at Gas mark 7 or 220C for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
Place straight onto a cooling rack.
Place straight onto a cooling rack.
Enjoy Chef Jeenas Garlic Bread Recipe.
Fight Gone Bad Gone Good
Everyone knows Im a Paleo pusher, but what you probably dont know is that Im a Crossfitter, too. In all honesty, Im not a great one--I get winded jogging 200 meters, I still do assisted pull-ups using the thickest band possible, and my calluses come and go because I dont work out as often as I should, but the point remains that I do Crossfit.
Read More..
For anyone who has ever put themsleves through the Crossfit wringer, you likely know that many of the WODs (or Workouts of the Day) have names. Fight Gone Bad is probably one of the most famous.
What is FGB? Heres the explanation from the official Crossfit website:
In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. Weve used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:
- Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
- Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
- Box Jump: 20" box (Reps)
- Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
- Row: calories (Calories)
The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of "rotate," the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.
My Crossfit gym is holding its sixth annual Fight Gone Bad fundraiser at the end of September. FGB fundraisers are held around the country and have raised over $3 million in the past two years. This year, the proceeds from my Crossfit gym are going to three amazing organizations: Camp Patriot, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and the Crossfit Foundation.
This will mark the third time Ive done the FGB workout, however it marks the first time Im raising funds for these organizations. To that end, Ive set up a fundraising page where you can donate LITERALLY anything you like. Im hoping to raise at least $300, but Ill need at least $50 just to participate.
To sweeten the deal, Im even offering to dress up in a costume of your choosing should I hit my goal. Imagine Cher doing wall balls, or Lady Gaga on the row machine, or Wonder Woman doing box jumps!!!! It sounds like a recipe for HILARITY! So, once you have a chance to dig through your couch cushions, stop by my fundraising page and donate what you can. Every bit helps!
Gluten Free Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe
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| Blueberry crumb cake- gluten-free summer goodness. |
Coffee cake for the road.
Sometimes in life- when you least expect it- the stars are kind. Synchronicity smiles. And disparate pieces of your dreams bump up against one another and nestle snug into place. I'm referring, of course, to my dream of California. Summer by the Pacific, walking the beach, shopping the Farmers' Market, reuniting with my sons. Cooking. Writing. Haunting book stores and coffee shops.
I've been trying to get there for two years.
No, the house hasn't sold yet. But Plan B is under way. We found the elusive summer rental. Just when I thought it wasn't going to happen. A sublet in Santa Monica. In the nick of time. A lovely, light filled creative space. With a sweet kitchen. So I am back to making lists, mapping our drive south to Flagstaff, AZ, turning west to aim for the coast. I am lying in the dark alert, at 3 AM, pondering not the mysteries of the collective unconscious, not the properties of desire and effect, quantum attraction and Zen detachment, but favorite flavors of chocolate chip cookies. I am imagining herbed sandwich wraps (recipe soon!). Bags of salted popcorn. iTunes playlists. And this, a new blueberry cake recipe I felt inspired to bake. With a cinnamon crumb topping.
I think it's perfect to pack for a two-day road trip, don't you? Or even a two minute trip, scooting across the back yard barefoot to visit your best friend and neighbor. She'll make the coffee. Or iced chai. While you unrap the cake you get to eat, too.
Read more + get the recipe >>
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Easy Breakfast Idea Sweet Corn Coconut Cream
Today morning I was feeling very lazy, may be due to the weather. It was raining all night. I got up really late, wanna try easy breakfast for my hubby. Just was searching a refrigerator for any instant food. Then I found Corn and Coconut cream, immediately I got an idea and implemented it. the recipe is very simple and easy.
All you need is
Sweet Corn Frozen-1cup
Coconut Cream-1ts
Method:
Take the corn in a bowl and microwave for 2-3min and when hot add coconut cream and enjoy. The coconut cream will melt in and give a marvelous flavor to corn. Its not just simple but easy, healthy and tasty too. From now Im gonna make it regularly.
Hope you like my recipe :)
All you need is
Sweet Corn Frozen-1cup
Coconut Cream-1ts
Method:
Take the corn in a bowl and microwave for 2-3min and when hot add coconut cream and enjoy. The coconut cream will melt in and give a marvelous flavor to corn. Its not just simple but easy, healthy and tasty too. From now Im gonna make it regularly.
Hope you like my recipe :)
A Sample Sampler
When I was a kid, I was basically obsessed with miniatures: dollhouses, travel-sized shampoo, room service ketchup bottles, humans, etc. If it came a mini form of a larger, original size, I had to have it.
Similarly, when I was a kid, I was also obsessed with playing dress up and wearing make-up, which my mom allowed me to do on school picture day. To this day, it remains a mystery to me why I never entered a child beauty pageant.
So it should come as little to no surprise that, when I discovered there was a whole business specializing in sample sized beauty products, I happily shelled out the $10/month membership cost to promptly begin receiving my own samples in the mail.
When you sign up for Birchbox, you fill out a beauty profile with information about your skin type, make up routine (I chose "painted like a drag queen"), and hair color. Based on your results, theyll customize what they send you each month. This month, I got:
This neat powdered exfoliant, which is just so clever for traveling...
Has anyone else signed up for Birchbox? How do you like it? Which products have been your favorite??
The Kings Ginger Summer Cup
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| King Edward VII |
The King’s Ginger is the emphatically ginger liqueur that was specifically formulated by Berry Bros. in 1903 for King Edward VII. Rich and zesty, it was created to stimulate and revivify His Majesty and has been appreciated by bon viveurs, sporting gentlemen and high-spirited ladies ever since.
The King’s Ginger is sporting a new look to assert the premium credentials of the world’s only high-strength ginger liqueur and to reinforce its peerless heritage.
King Edward VII was a thoroughly sociable chap who enjoyed the high life; his preferred pursuits were many and varied, chief among them driving his horseless carriage, a Daimler. His physician, a customer of Berry Bros. (as was the King), was concerned about Edward’s health, exposed as he was to the elements in his new automobile. He commissioned, therefore, his wine and spirits merchants to formulate a liqueur which would warm His Majesty; the result, a rich, golden liqueur with a pronounced spicy ginger emphasis and delightfully crisp flavour.
The King’s Ginger is a high-strength liqueur created by the careful maceration of ginger root enlivened by the judicious addition of citrus in the form of lemon peel. Although warming and heartening on a cold day as originally intended, it is a splendidly uplifting tonic to be enjoyed on its own all year round as well as in any number of cocktails and long drinks. It has been described by Jonathan Ray in The Fieldas “opulently and sublimely gingery.”
1 part (25ml/1oz) The Kings Ginger
3 parts (75ml/2.5oz) Cranberry Juice
3 parts (75ml/2.5oz) Lemonade
Build in a glass over ice and add lemon wheels and strawberries. This can also be made in jugs and punch bowls.
Heres another alternative to tonic water in your gin:
Bulldog Gin Signature Serve
Ingredients:
50 ml Bulldog Gin
Top Cloudy lemonade
Sprig of Mint
Lemon wedge
Method:
Pour in Gin over cubed ice, top up with cloudy lemonade and garnish with a lemon wedge and sprig of mint.
I still have a sample of Appleton Estate Rum to try, but think Id like to add that to a dessert or cake so Ill report back on that another time.
Bulldog Gin is available in 70cl bottles from Waitrose RRP £24.99
Appleton Estate Rum V/X is available from all major supermarkets RRP £20.29
Appleton Estate Rum 8 Year Old is available from Selfridges RRP £24.99
The Kings Ginger is available from Berry Bros. & Rudd in 50cl bottles at £17.95
I was provided with miniatures of these spirits to sample with mixers, I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Paleo No She Didnt! Featuring Ginger not bread and Paleo Hot Chocolate
Over the summer, I got the harebrained idea to start a Paleo cooking web series, and because YouTube is free to anyone with an internet connection and a dream, I finally got my life together enough to put the first episode together for you.
Im proud to present "Paleo No She Didnt!" A show about how I bastardize what it means to eat paleo. This week, Im kicking things off with two holiday favorites: Gingerbread and Hot Chocolate! I hope you like it!
Read More..
Im proud to present "Paleo No She Didnt!" A show about how I bastardize what it means to eat paleo. This week, Im kicking things off with two holiday favorites: Gingerbread and Hot Chocolate! I hope you like it!
Culinary Trends and Oddities of the Finger Lakes A Visit to Eddie O’Briens
I was taken out for dinner, by my sister Valerie and brother-in-law Rick, at a place called Eddie O’Briens located in Canandaigua, NY. I should state right upfront that this is not a restaurant review (although we did have a nice meal). I wanted to use this experience to explain a few of the local culinary practices that my foodie friends back in California (and other places around the world) may find interesting, odd, unusual, and/or disturbing.
First of all, one thing that I’ve found around this area is that the name of the restaurant doesn’t necessarily have much to do with the type of food they serve. Eddie O’Briens sounds Irish to me, but the menu was very typical American Tavern food with wraps, sandwiches, burgers and various Italian items. What? You were expecting some Irish dishes? OK, here are some more random thoughts and observations about eating out in the Finger Lakes.
Fried Calamari is a very popular appetizer, as it is in many parts of the country, but around here it’s often used in composed salads (almost like croutons) as you see pictured here (top right). This was called “Fried Calamari Italiano” I believe, and was very tasty. I have had several variations of this dish around the area and I’m not sure where the idea came from, but it is very good. You do have to eat it kind of quick before the wetter ingredients melt off the crispy calamari coating, but I eat fast anyway. This one had greens, olives, tomatoes, sliced pepperoncini, and parmesan. By the way, one tip I can give all you traveling on a shoe string budget; bring a camera, notebook and tell the host you do a food blog and that you’ll be taking some pictures. My sister didn’t remember getting such a large portions before. Coincidence?
Another thing I’ve noticed is that restaurants around here love to put pictures of their deserts on display at the table. Here are two desserts they offered; a fruit filled, key lime cheesecake/regular cake combo with whipped topping, and a peanut butter/chocolate pie. The risk with this marketing approach is that I may have ordered the cake if I had read a description on a menu, but the picture just scared me. It reminded me of fruitcake, which is never a good 
thing. The peanut butter pie picture looked more appetizing, but I was confused by the photo’s composition. Why was that toy strongman lifting it? Was it so light a small toy could lift it? Or, was it so dense and heavy that only a freakishly strong wooden toy could lift it? Or, was I just thinking too much.
Lastly, I joked in one of my comments in the post about taking this trip that I was heading to the land of chicken wings and iceberg lettuce. Well, in all fairness, many of the local restaurants actually use baby field greens now (often combined with iceberg to keep the old-timers happy). But, the chicken wing is ubiquitous. Chicken wings are to western NY, as organic baby lettuce is to Berkeley. They are literally on every appetizer menu in the area, no matter what the cuisine. Have they now gone too far? As you can see from this specials black board at Eddie O’Briens, they even make soup with them now (No, the photo below is not doctored). Chicken wing soup? Might be tasty, but it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Read More..
First of all, one thing that I’ve found around this area is that the name of the restaurant doesn’t necessarily have much to do with the type of food they serve. Eddie O’Briens sounds Irish to me, but the menu was very typical American Tavern food with wraps, sandwiches, burgers and various Italian items. What? You were expecting some Irish dishes? OK, here are some more random thoughts and observations about eating out in the Finger Lakes.
Fried Calamari is a very popular appetizer, as it is in many parts of the country, but around here it’s often used in composed salads (almost like croutons) as you see pictured here (top right). This was called “Fried Calamari Italiano” I believe, and was very tasty. I have had several variations of this dish around the area and I’m not sure where the idea came from, but it is very good. You do have to eat it kind of quick before the wetter ingredients melt off the crispy calamari coating, but I eat fast anyway. This one had greens, olives, tomatoes, sliced pepperoncini, and parmesan. By the way, one tip I can give all you traveling on a shoe string budget; bring a camera, notebook and tell the host you do a food blog and that you’ll be taking some pictures. My sister didn’t remember getting such a large portions before. Coincidence?Another thing I’ve noticed is that restaurants around here love to put pictures of their deserts on display at the table. Here are two desserts they offered; a fruit filled, key lime cheesecake/regular cake combo with whipped topping, and a peanut butter/chocolate pie. The risk with this marketing approach is that I may have ordered the cake if I had read a description on a menu, but the picture just scared me. It reminded me of fruitcake, which is never a good thing. The peanut butter pie picture looked more appetizing, but I was confused by the photo’s composition. Why was that toy strongman lifting it? Was it so light a small toy could lift it? Or, was it so dense and heavy that only a freakishly strong wooden toy could lift it? Or, was I just thinking too much.Lastly, I joked in one of my comments in the post about taking this trip that I was heading to the land of chicken wings and iceberg lettuce. Well, in all fairness, many of the local restaurants actually use baby field greens now (often combined with iceberg to keep the old-timers happy). But, the chicken wing is ubiquitous. Chicken wings are to western NY, as organic baby lettuce is to Berkeley. They are literally on every appetizer menu in the area, no matter what the cuisine. Have they now gone too far? As you can see from this specials black board at Eddie O’Briens, they even make soup with them now (No, the photo below is not doctored). Chicken wing soup? Might be tasty, but it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
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