tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29060080913864752312024-03-05T07:19:51.640-05:00Veggies, Spice and Everything RiceVegetarian dishes inspired from the Silk Road using local ingredients. Oh, and did I mention, it's all Gluten FreeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-11345740397191758472013-12-17T14:13:00.001-05:002013-12-17T14:13:12.239-05:00Veggies, Spice and Everything Rice has MOVED<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are looking for <i>Veggies, Spice and Everything Rice</i>, I have moved.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Please find me at my new name and address: <b><a href="http://silkroadvegetarian.com/" target="_blank">Silk Road Vegetarian</a></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-48812365497472988052013-11-04T08:46:00.000-05:002013-11-04T12:16:20.634-05:00Baked Eggs with Arugula, Yoghurt & Chili <style>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been inconsistent in posting recipes. Sorry for that. My hands have been very full lately. My father is quite ill and has been and out of the hospital regularly, which has been very disorienting for the entire family. He's at home now and quite a trooper. Never complains and just deals with his life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My cookbook <i>Silk Road Vegetarian</i> is underway and my publisher has sent me the galley to review several times. Luckily they are always asking for my input, and want my artistic sensibility and the essence of who I am am to shine through the book. They haven't listened to everything I suggested, however the book is definitely forming into a beautiful coffee table cookbook.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then there is the other book I am writing, on the intersection of Rosh Chodesh (head of the Jewish month) and challah. It's a monthly curriculum on how to incorporate the Jewish theme of the month into the shape of the challah.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amidst all of this is my dutiful CSA which always comes in on Wednesday to deliver the freshest produce that has been picked the same day. This week I got some arugula and decided to try the very famous Ottolenghis' recipe, Baked Eggs with Arugula. I
really savour the peppery kick arugula has near the end of a bite – the taste
is nigh on mustardy. That spicy bite so characteristic of arugula has
always inspired me to dress it with some yoghurt. It makes for a quick and effortless meal, where the yoghurt and za'atar really make the dish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you don't want to bake this, you can always cook this on the stove and just cover it with the lid. From the much-loved <a href="http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/"><span style="color: blue;">Ottolenghi’s
‘Plenty’ </span></a>cookbook.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">serves 2</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingredients </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>4 large eggs<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 bunch Arugula<br />
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt<br />
1 garlic clove, crushed<br />
Drizzle of extra Virgin Olive oil</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Za’atar, for seasoning<br />
salt</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwfw4Fx1rzPoUtN7eDbFGaMPzomZhKolUhokFdg7egErysoKpW8rAdDPoh4QXMBIl68CJc3SSTPPsveINyf54fgZk4_S-ed94j4O6H1llbgwqJ2lKh67hdH5EWxcNB30JkLZjDm-bOmn4/s1600/IMG_1703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwfw4Fx1rzPoUtN7eDbFGaMPzomZhKolUhokFdg7egErysoKpW8rAdDPoh4QXMBIl68CJc3SSTPPsveINyf54fgZk4_S-ed94j4O6H1llbgwqJ2lKh67hdH5EWxcNB30JkLZjDm-bOmn4/s320/IMG_1703.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><u>Directions:</u><br /> <br />1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.<br /><br />2. Place the arugala and olive oil in a large pan and sprinkle over a little salt. Sauté on a medium heat for a few minutes, until the arugula wilts and most of the liquid has evaporated.<br /><br />3. Transfer to a small baking dish (or leave in the pan, if ovenproof) and make four deep indentations in the cooked arugula. Carefully break an egg into each hollow then place in the preheated oven to cook for 10-15 minutes, or until whites are set.<br /><br />4. While the eggs are baking make your garlic yoghurt. Stir the garlic through the yoghurt and season generously with salt. Set aside.<br /><br />5. When your eggs are ready to your liking, take them out of the oven. Spoon on a large dollop of garlicky yoghurt and pour over a drizzle of olive oil with za’atar. Serve immediately.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-60695020212016260162013-10-09T08:23:00.001-04:002013-10-09T14:44:54.113-04:00Matboucha – Israeli Roasted Tomato Salad<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsGQywTCxQWuatSPknYKbN0ExHFls3do6soiOTjfEi-pjmJ7nV_zks9vTTGaCBKgrKwHdG1MOdZz6vYcF61lbF6tvbv31O3BuIy_9h3bglcmvtxZ2xa1X9lF3SCksEC_Rp3AyefajEV97/s1600/IMG_0286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsGQywTCxQWuatSPknYKbN0ExHFls3do6soiOTjfEi-pjmJ7nV_zks9vTTGaCBKgrKwHdG1MOdZz6vYcF61lbF6tvbv31O3BuIy_9h3bglcmvtxZ2xa1X9lF3SCksEC_Rp3AyefajEV97/s640/IMG_0286.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking a medley of tomatoes and red peppers for the Matboucha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I miss Israel. I was there this past summer for many happy occasions in my family. The main attraction was that my Italian cousin Jonny got married to Leor, whose an English Israeli. The common ground location for a wedding was naturally.... Israel.<br />
<br />
<br />
Among the guests were my cousins from around the globe who came for the wedding – Thailand, Hong Kong, Italy, England, Los Angeles... and the list goes on. Seems like when God commanded his people to be fruitful and multiply, they took it literally. My family thought it meant to multiply in every part of the world, but what ever.... I digress.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeN20BwJ09aFq7DrifhgAA4fkousKFNRJn0l5VxvyWnhQ7Bw76QVo8z3WRS-8dKtFstgpkcEg6XATSyDB160mTTFZFP26rfD76sqzuq8BwjCkbpduW6nSbR9jO-LPH_-yfGnBK69e4zFe/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeN20BwJ09aFq7DrifhgAA4fkousKFNRJn0l5VxvyWnhQ7Bw76QVo8z3WRS-8dKtFstgpkcEg6XATSyDB160mTTFZFP26rfD76sqzuq8BwjCkbpduW6nSbR9jO-LPH_-yfGnBK69e4zFe/s640/family.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small fraction of my family that could fit into this photo. By the sunset. I am the one whose hand is on the man on the ground (my husband)</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
The other attractions were that we celebrated many big bash birthday parties in August. Seems like everyone was born in August. Again another reference to be fruitful.... There was my Italian cousin Suzanna's Birthday party on the beach, then there was my Italian cousin Ronen's Birthday party in a Hall where he pulled off a show for us. Like what I mean is that, he was the SHOW! He entertained us and sang to an audience of 200 people for 1 1/2 hours. And not to mention my Dad's Birthday, or so we think. Back when he was born there were no birth certificates, so most likely his parents just made up a day. Sure, he was born in August. Why not, the weather is nice, nice time for outdoor parties. So...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgswQLmI0Vctl_c3pVwuP_EmSoRu0Aye70vCuWXuYR2jv4vqkaIjUciF4cYr0TYfC-dMz3ffYs2AFl4JC-56vqdQhS_YLPZMS7MlyrLlRQ4nRHF9kI1eqYmyojXPHVIJnGhXzKw7R-esn/s1600/1208966_10151889973035921_1114797036_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgswQLmI0Vctl_c3pVwuP_EmSoRu0Aye70vCuWXuYR2jv4vqkaIjUciF4cYr0TYfC-dMz3ffYs2AFl4JC-56vqdQhS_YLPZMS7MlyrLlRQ4nRHF9kI1eqYmyojXPHVIJnGhXzKw7R-esn/s640/1208966_10151889973035921_1114797036_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ronen Show</td></tr>
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<br />
With all this movement, the common meeting ground every morning for us 60 cousins that were OCCUPYING HILTON, was the Hilton Tel Aviv Breakfast. I promise you that you have never seen anything like this. Gourmet food – buffet style – non stop. There were every single kind off egg concoction you could think of, waffles, pancakes, seasonal fruits, granola, Israeli yogurts and cheeses, croissants.... got the idea. There was a lot of food.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvZVGzIpq5eyWAE008xKaLV7wyo75QLXg-QNmA1pJZjR3ZTUtQ5-czdBy7CU4aZTGz2sUsfb8z8AKA0av_svrCjDPFpbP6oZz5pnHXDEXsY_HVPtp-Jylz76aTiqzDeyJ5-_cViAMZJNR/s1600/honey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvZVGzIpq5eyWAE008xKaLV7wyo75QLXg-QNmA1pJZjR3ZTUtQ5-czdBy7CU4aZTGz2sUsfb8z8AKA0av_svrCjDPFpbP6oZz5pnHXDEXsY_HVPtp-Jylz76aTiqzDeyJ5-_cViAMZJNR/s640/honey.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey for breakfast... honey?</td></tr>
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<br />
Among the list was my breakfast staple... Matboucha. May sound like throw up, but it's actually so not. Matboucha is a mezze dish usually found in a plate with chummus and techina – Middle Eastern staples. Through out the years, Matboucha has become known as an Israeli dish of roasted red peppers and tomatoes. It is
served cold and is considered a salad although I use that term loosely. It can be a base for many other dishes... like <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2013/01/best-shakshuka-sunny-side-eggs-in-fresh.html" target="_blank">Shakshuka</a> – another Middle Eastern favorite, Tomato Sauce, spread for a sandwich... just use your imagination.<br />
<br />
So when my husband and I came back from Israel, nostalgic, my good dutiful husband brought Israel to me. He fired up the gill and made us a matboucha. You can forgo the grill and just use the stovetop to grill the tomatoes and red peppers. The roasted caramelized flavors of the two just bring out the sweetness for this matboucha salad.<br />
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<div class="section clrfix ingredients">
<h2 class="section=title">
Ingredients </h2>
<i>2 lbs
Tomatoes
</i><i>
<br />
1 lb
red bell pepper
<br />
3
garlic cloves, quartered
<br />
3
dried chilies
(optional)
<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons
hot paprika
<br />
1/3 cup
olive oil
<br />
1 teaspoon
salt
</i>
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<h2>
Directions</h2>
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<li>Place bell peppers on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 350°F until the skins have browned. Alternatively grill them or use the stovetop and place them on the grills. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>Submerge tomatoes in boiling hot water for 10 minutes or until the skin falls off.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-roAPNagyICCmj-TJuJkjvmBkQwql1MQ2CRKHd6ZlV7P1nzSLTMYkkKO2tglXAEEAicLar-ExHcc4XdW4BaokLfTrpP_EgDXmMGafhpBSKHgGvTx21p2BOXJngaz5H9E9lg3XLHXm3zh/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-roAPNagyICCmj-TJuJkjvmBkQwql1MQ2CRKHd6ZlV7P1nzSLTMYkkKO2tglXAEEAicLar-ExHcc4XdW4BaokLfTrpP_EgDXmMGafhpBSKHgGvTx21p2BOXJngaz5H9E9lg3XLHXm3zh/s320/IMG_0528.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out the juice and seeds.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YS6W3FXbXSG6ce8Kz9eserii0u9gofeoThILiLLBJM5cyW7KMWXx088_6kh0gCukCi8hr5ZOr-6RIbqFTBy9S_6vjFxp0dIHI5_FjGc-AkJndADG7adljc6OFnsAQ8wAi9Dsb0yal8mg/s1600/IMG_0532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YS6W3FXbXSG6ce8Kz9eserii0u9gofeoThILiLLBJM5cyW7KMWXx088_6kh0gCukCi8hr5ZOr-6RIbqFTBy9S_6vjFxp0dIHI5_FjGc-AkJndADG7adljc6OFnsAQ8wAi9Dsb0yal8mg/s320/IMG_0532.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Cut tomatoes in chunks.</li>
<li>Peel the skin from the bell peppers and remove the seeds and stem.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTcntXThroCzPl7FegsZ0SNnoMk0kZsJV_wDNy2czuvdxy9t5Dh_USgdIlOAdKeuZtB3I3CBl_nhVK31eP8zf12HdLrFPuZtGqsnFyq7f4QnKl0v-kmN4QuWnNLJ5y2QckYAupR2ANakm/s1600/IMG_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTcntXThroCzPl7FegsZ0SNnoMk0kZsJV_wDNy2czuvdxy9t5Dh_USgdIlOAdKeuZtB3I3CBl_nhVK31eP8zf12HdLrFPuZtGqsnFyq7f4QnKl0v-kmN4QuWnNLJ5y2QckYAupR2ANakm/s320/IMG_0278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Cut bell peppers in chunks.</li>
<li>Add all ingredients to a soup pot and pour oil over top.</li>
<li>Bring contents to a boil, then turn down to a medium heat.</li>
<li>Cook covered for 2 hours.</li>
<li>Remove cover and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated.</li>
<li>Stir occasionally to prevent burning.</li>
<li>Refrigerate and serve cold.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-39640863258070191182013-09-09T11:46:00.000-04:002013-09-09T11:46:13.099-04:00Crusted Lemon Tofu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyTfz1Nu6JoHnstxMq-BiHyR39wnthZVtE7oP7qNV-WEcHZ12iMllmZtvYaZFbKGcWV0sk8nkbTqTR1uf2qcfA2ZHAWn77wh-CQI48MR_B6YZvDoH99OT1f7JurgtNrtbe0jdHRg0kLNP/s1600/IMG_1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyTfz1Nu6JoHnstxMq-BiHyR39wnthZVtE7oP7qNV-WEcHZ12iMllmZtvYaZFbKGcWV0sk8nkbTqTR1uf2qcfA2ZHAWn77wh-CQI48MR_B6YZvDoH99OT1f7JurgtNrtbe0jdHRg0kLNP/s640/IMG_1712.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A simple marinade for tofu that has a bright and fresh lemony flavor. Pan frying the pressed tofu in arrowroot flour creates a crispy outside that is so tender on the inside. This recipe can be used year round with a side of any vegetable of your choice forming a complete meal. You also might want to check out a <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2010/03/orange-spiced-tofu-gluten-free-vegan.html" target="_blank">blog post </a>I wrote a little while back on how to successfully press tofu so that you always have a fabulous tofu.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<i>2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and drained<br />1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar<br />1 tablespoon agave<br />½ tsp sea salt<br />½ tsp ground black pepper<br />1 cup arrowroot powder, for dredging<br />2 tablespoon neutral tasting oil (refined coconut or canola preferred)</i><br />
<br />
<b><u>Sauce Ingredients</u></b><br />
<br />
<i>½ cup vegetable broth<br />1/3 cup fresh lemon juice<br />1 tablespoon agave<br />2 tablespoon sesame oil </i><br />
<i>1 inch knob finely grated ginger<br />1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, diluted with 1 ½ tablespoon water<br />2-3 sliced lemon wedges, for serving</i><br />
<i>Toasted Sesame Seeds, for serving </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Press the tofu over a rack for about 10 minutes, or check out this <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/search/label/reviews" target="_blank">product</a> I reviewed on pressing tofu, which I now use regularly.</li>
<li> Slice into about ¼ inch thick strips. Drizzle the strips with the rice vinegar and agave and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Allow the marinate to coat the tofu for 10-30 minutes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tjPuRTA-0phV4-I-Mt4htkB71YRz9l-YrbbxsjzB_lmgTSVFlr8bYDA5slanE40KiZYJmNF24QsiamuF1YCf11T-TR_QOROSNUQHqKrSXgEQL-p7q9gD6mwm3M08YHUOP70_iN9lXy34/s1600/IMG_1698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tjPuRTA-0phV4-I-Mt4htkB71YRz9l-YrbbxsjzB_lmgTSVFlr8bYDA5slanE40KiZYJmNF24QsiamuF1YCf11T-TR_QOROSNUQHqKrSXgEQL-p7q9gD6mwm3M08YHUOP70_iN9lXy34/s320/IMG_1698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>While the tofu is marinating, create your lemon sauce by combining all ingredients except arrowroot and water in a sauce pan. Heat for approximately 3 minutes and add arrowroot slurry. Whisk and cook for only one additional minute. Set aside, covered to keep warm.</li>
<li>Pre-heat a large skillet and add the oil.</li>
<li>Place 1 cup arrowroot powder in a large dish and dredge each piece of the tofu in the arrowroot. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2tw9LM_fPSegb77l91p1Rehk7RibGZukBXHGhWXp1hI53D5OxxTRv6OgQFDNaqrnVPjPXyhpDyUJeScceUCfaNGuWh5lOomj6eCGKZE6JpdBXTHfxtiDpEQcIsBbMRA4Fnje6AIZBgdh/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2tw9LM_fPSegb77l91p1Rehk7RibGZukBXHGhWXp1hI53D5OxxTRv6OgQFDNaqrnVPjPXyhpDyUJeScceUCfaNGuWh5lOomj6eCGKZE6JpdBXTHfxtiDpEQcIsBbMRA4Fnje6AIZBgdh/s320/IMG_1700.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Sauté coated tofu on each side for approximately 3 minutes, or until the tofu is golden. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUEI6oAQnVUk0IfunPOrGPyJUrcMF-q5CAFa33qGRDbKPrUBOxA2jazQimvQmS1Dlh1HA_gE3urdjOO6bTtN8aivSxS_DOAwRO5lrJy-0JNxgQU6k8Tpj9l_KrNo812G9_Y233xw85evX/s1600/IMG_1701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUEI6oAQnVUk0IfunPOrGPyJUrcMF-q5CAFa33qGRDbKPrUBOxA2jazQimvQmS1Dlh1HA_gE3urdjOO6bTtN8aivSxS_DOAwRO5lrJy-0JNxgQU6k8Tpj9l_KrNo812G9_Y233xw85evX/s320/IMG_1701.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>When the tofu is finished, place on platter and top with lemon sauce. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and lemon wedges. </li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-23558681665179599012013-07-22T08:41:00.000-04:002013-07-22T08:41:09.157-04:00Morrocan Carrot and Chickpea Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpr0Yehyphenhyphen8z8ee1SIiU5e9KHj5WP6DH820XH45Ymz3sifN8sco6llDRSKcyKUZ8Vz9OtHlkLEDyOhbNB8LJVFq25L5tb8VHX-A_1fbSW_eZaal4EAshc2-d2JI3RejEsChzeDRM-OwfvJZ/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpr0Yehyphenhyphen8z8ee1SIiU5e9KHj5WP6DH820XH45Ymz3sifN8sco6llDRSKcyKUZ8Vz9OtHlkLEDyOhbNB8LJVFq25L5tb8VHX-A_1fbSW_eZaal4EAshc2-d2JI3RejEsChzeDRM-OwfvJZ/s640/IMG_1739.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For the last two weeks, my CSA delivered baby carrots, so have been trying a few different recipes – from soups to salads. I came across a cookbook <b><u><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Definitive-Compendium-more-Recipes/dp/0811878376/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374441899&sr=8-1&keywords=roots+by+diane+morgan" target="_blank">Roots</a>,</i></u></b> by Diane Morgan – catchy title that has so many insinuations, like back to the roots of cooking, and cooking with root vegetables. <br />
<br />
This salad embodies what I love most about salads – quick, easy and the ingredients are available year round. I added a bit of my own variation from the original recipe, as really you can add anything to this salad and it'll work. It's that versatile. On the plate is a heady toast of cumin dressing over julienne carrots (which you can use the food processor to cut down on time) cooked chickpeas, little chunks of medjool dates, and some fresh mint to open the palate with slivered almonds to garnish.<br />
<br />
Serves 6<br />
<blockquote>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i>1 tablespoon cumin seeds<br />
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste<br />
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>10 ounces carrots, julienne </i><br />
<i>
</i><i>2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15- ounce can, drained and rinsed)</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>2/3 cup medjool dates, cut into chickpea-sized pieces</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>For serving: lots of toasted almond slices</i></blockquote>
<ol>
<li>To make the dressing, first toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet
until fragrant and lightly browned, a minute or two. Let cool, and grind
to a powder with a mortar and pestle.</li>
<li>In a bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, ground cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, combine the carrots, chickpeas, dates, mint,
and almonds.
Gently toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately, or
cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can toss this salad,
minus the almonds, hours in advance. Remove from the refrigerator 30
minutes before serving.)</li>
</ol>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-46233766890476753812013-07-01T14:14:00.000-04:002013-07-01T14:14:56.587-04:00Curried Coconut Tomato Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7ITYHyvtVrnlC7P1LNsbZhXh6u4gXJIxKAOZHyRGKqgAS_aWgA3RNNMnKZoHbJoLuYN3TF6CMXf1q6ouyANC8PPpX2Tp7qjCTX0lxfVcIAY6Gcl-BDbADIJ1aO9MPzjuqiuiTkjF9PuC/s1600/tomato+soup+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7ITYHyvtVrnlC7P1LNsbZhXh6u4gXJIxKAOZHyRGKqgAS_aWgA3RNNMnKZoHbJoLuYN3TF6CMXf1q6ouyANC8PPpX2Tp7qjCTX0lxfVcIAY6Gcl-BDbADIJ1aO9MPzjuqiuiTkjF9PuC/s640/tomato+soup+blue.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As the tomatoes in the farmers market or your homegrown ones start to proliferate, this soup will make good use of those fresh tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use whole can tomatoes, preferably fire roasted. Make sure you get canned tomatoes that have the BPA-free liners. What makes this soup different from the ones you would find in a restaurant, is that it's influence is from India – with some hot flakes of chili and a cool down of coconut milk. Simple, quick and a perfect summer soup on those hot nights. Inspired and adapted from Melissa Clark's<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401323987/heidiswanson-20">Cook This Now.</a></i><br />
<br />
<b>Curried Coconut Tomato Soup</b><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients </u><br />
<blockquote>
<i>4 tablespoons olive oil, or coconut oil<br />
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced<br />
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste<br />
3 teaspoons curry powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground coriander<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes<br />2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes or 20 peeled tomatoes*</i></blockquote>
<i>6 cups (1.5 L) of water</i> <br />
<i> 1 (14-ounce can) coconut milk</i><br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
Directions <br />
<blockquote>
<br /></blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and
salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions really soften up
- 10 minutes or so. </li>
<li>Stir in the curry powder, coriander, cumin, and chile flakes, and
cook just until the spices are fragrant and toasty - stirring constantly
at this point. Just 30 seconds or so.</li>
<li>Stir in the tomatoes, the juices
from the cans, and water. Simmer for fifteen minutes
or so, then puree with a hand blender until smooth. Pour in the coconut
milk. Taste and adjust with more salt to taste.</li>
</ol>
* To peel fresh tomatoes, the easiest method is over a gas flame. Remove any stems that are still attached to your tomatoes. Rinse the
tomatoes clean and pat dry. Spear the tomato with a fork at the top,
where the stem core is visible. Turn the stovetop flame to medium high. Hold the tomato an inch over the
flame, turning slowly, until the skin begins to split and blister. It
should take about 15-25 seconds for the skin to loosen all the way
around the tomato. Don't hold it over the flame too long or it will
start to cook the tomato. Place the tomato on a smooth surface and let it cool off enough for you
to comfortably touch it. Begin peeling the skin where it split, making
your way all around the tomato till all the skin is peeled off. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-25941790218226841852013-06-03T08:56:00.001-04:002013-06-21T18:45:46.165-04:00Cauliflower Crust Pizza<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Pd_ld35xTIc4gykhku_EEVVVwZDUNpUmflrPvVy2GNpiUm39FyMsOA-jGbU5OnzqBwlPljIs4W3TJ-KuAKy6IZf4MgxDuos-Mm0qFSfIP2yYix7Q5g6_PhgKu61r7ofccLQ6w1Gq16OA/s1600/IMG_1300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Pd_ld35xTIc4gykhku_EEVVVwZDUNpUmflrPvVy2GNpiUm39FyMsOA-jGbU5OnzqBwlPljIs4W3TJ-KuAKy6IZf4MgxDuos-Mm0qFSfIP2yYix7Q5g6_PhgKu61r7ofccLQ6w1Gq16OA/s640/IMG_1300.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks like Brick Oven Pizza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just to be clear, this is not a pizza with cauliflower on it. This is a gluten free pizza where the actual crust is made from cauliflower. Interesting?..... right. That's what I thought when I first found this recipe and had to try it for myself. It is so simple to make. <br />
<br />
I think everyone has a food weakness. What I mean is that we all have something we could eat day in and day out that could pack on the pounds, but then... we have to face the treadmill. I am so not into conventional exercising machines, and I do love my pizza. So I am here to introduce to you a really low fat, high fiber healthy pizza. If you ever thought pizza was just fattening, think again. It has been reinvented.<br />
<br />
Actually pizza has been morphed quite a few times along the Silk Road. Although the origins of pizza are quite fuzzy, there is an agreement that it did come from Central or South Italy. Originally it's thought that pizza was a focaiccia dipped in fresh tomato sauce. In North Africa, we can find many cuisines that dip their bread in tomato sauce – so my thinking is that pizza originally came from North Africa, maybe even Yemen who are known for dipping the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawach" target="_blank"><i>malawach</i></a> (fried pastry bread) into a tomato puree. There was a direct connection between Africa and Italy in Ancient Rome, where slaves were imported from Africa. I know... not Rome's most stellar act in Ancient history.<br />
<br />
Anyway, back to the recipe. The method for making this cauliflower pizza crust is by "ricing" the cauliflower. May seem like an odd term, but essentially what are going to do, is to process the raw cauliflower through a mill until it's broken down into little rice resembling pieces. If you want to make use of all the tomatoes coming in for the summer season, then you might want to make a fresh batch of <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2010/12/vegetarian-moussaka-gluten-free.html" target="_blank">tomato sauce</a>.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Cauliflower Crust Pizza</h2>
<i></i><br />
Serves 4; Adapted from <a href="http://yourlighterside.com/recipe-the-original-cauliflower-pizza-dough-2/">Your Lighter Side</a>.<br />
<i>
</i>
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<i>1 large cauliflower, riced<br />2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided<br />2 eggs, beaten<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
3 cloves garlic, garlic<br />
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt<br />olive oil,for glaze</i><br />
<i>
</i><i>1 1/2 cups tomato sauce</i><br />
<i>Fresh Italian Herbs, such as basil for topping </i><br />
<b> </b><br />
<h3>
<b>Directions</b></h3>
<br />
<u>To "Rice" the Cauliflower</u>:<br />
<ol>
<li>Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and
chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it
looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you
don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese
grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and
microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others,
so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add
water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook
itself. </li>
</ol>
<u>To Make the Pizza Crust</u>:<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, stir together the cauliflower, eggs and 1 cup
mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and salt, stir. Transfer
to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 12" round pan.
Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.</li>
<li>Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. </li>
<li>Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese and any Italian herbs of your choice. Place
under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately
3-4 minutes). </li>
</ol>
Enjoy!<br />
*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-62364733173552391572013-05-13T09:13:00.000-04:002013-05-13T09:13:58.224-04:00Spicy Cucumber Peanut Salad in Lime Dressing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0aqdNRS_3nVA9Woc3loiHvoeNWZzMddHp9K48cFde-74DLQJ4wF9fauaG3hqsO4r1ZSyikJ0_cWqeMOh0bU3E_bEZG2CPnE9v1hXPnnVUMhqmIV8i4mXNaUYc9q1R-q1moWuSeUN7rN5/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0aqdNRS_3nVA9Woc3loiHvoeNWZzMddHp9K48cFde-74DLQJ4wF9fauaG3hqsO4r1ZSyikJ0_cWqeMOh0bU3E_bEZG2CPnE9v1hXPnnVUMhqmIV8i4mXNaUYc9q1R-q1moWuSeUN7rN5/s640/IMG_0517.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
This salad is the best of both worlds for me. Cucumbers and limes which are so refreshing and cooling against the backdrop of the slight bite from the chilies. My taste buds just do a happy dance when I eat this. The utter simplicity of this salad with just a few ingredients; a hit
of citrus, toasted peanuts and an exotic touch of slivered coconut – transforms this ordinary
cucumber salad into a complex and layered salad. This recipe has been Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Cucumber Salad {Khamang Kakdi) in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1584799137/101cooklibrary-20">How to Cook Indian</a>. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, April 2011.<br />
<br />
<b>Serve 4</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<blockquote>
<i>3 medium cucumbers, partially peeled<br />
1 green serrano chile, stemmed and minced<br />
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted<br />
1/3 cup dried large-flake coconut, toasted<br />
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<br />
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar<br />
1 tablespoon sunflower oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds<br />
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds<br />
scant 1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
a handful cilantro, chopped</i></blockquote>
<b>Directions </b><br />
<ol>
<li>Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and chop into1/4 inch cubes. Just before you're ready to
serve, transfer to a mixing bowl and toss gently with chile, peanuts,
coconut, lime juice, and sugar.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3BCBVPMB-_ZUp6GXKD8JofH0ZJi8GvdFycoPG2OuMz9Oi2jlWy228v7tOl7MTJ4ZwNoxLdAcbpw0WhNF4MJm75BvEjEOgbUYrmERD5qhBy1YEDcy3jbsN2swtkQRzOuzdWDbY80RoEMt/s1600/IMG_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YJ0PzBHdNjyl1mOUWBVGxgwKRQHREL0yOCb4H2H6ThM5IYI4geywRC3KcRTd7mjZFXlxgJHZI6QgEyftM5e-bE_K6SMWs4XB8L9GhPJRrN7G9Go5kOtpLDVprXmNGM05ayfr3ivRYJV1/s1600/IMG_0602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YJ0PzBHdNjyl1mOUWBVGxgwKRQHREL0yOCb4H2H6ThM5IYI4geywRC3KcRTd7mjZFXlxgJHZI6QgEyftM5e-bE_K6SMWs4XB8L9GhPJRrN7G9Go5kOtpLDVprXmNGM05ayfr3ivRYJV1/s320/IMG_0602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Over medium heat, heat the oil in a small skillet and stir in
the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin for 15-30 seconds – just long enough
to toast the spices. You'll know from the fragrance. Remove from heat, sprinkle
in the salt, and immediately stir this into the salad. Turn out onto a
patter topped with the cilantro.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
</ol>
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<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-16143540732185677802013-04-26T15:10:00.001-04:002013-04-26T16:10:19.806-04:00Life and Times of Afghan Jews from Babylonian Captivity to Modern Times<span style="font-family: inherit;">This video is on the Afghan - Bukharian community
that has roots from the Babylonian Exile. My family is part of this
traveling pack that moved from country to country along the Silk Road.
They started in Babylonia and then moved to Persia, Bukhara,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. There is so little information on
Afghan Jews, although at their peak there were 40,000 Jews thriving
economically in an Muslim country as Jews. The men were all travelers,
trading and expanding their
cultural repertoire. So happy to see many photos of my parents that I
have never seen before. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-24130377210565885772013-04-24T08:26:00.000-04:002013-04-25T07:57:09.890-04:00Cauliflower Cheese Quiche in Potato Crust<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHhS3IHaNV_yVxMWyBFgQh55BPdUm1KQGdeYVoeZ6J5rgrfL5DqtrJ-8HJRFYOSYo5-bidr8N65NmQMobw4PK92QnANJaxXNjUusjQrKxy8TthFPmJxHy7-VGKkP3l6Z8d83LCdg9Lgpj/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHhS3IHaNV_yVxMWyBFgQh55BPdUm1KQGdeYVoeZ6J5rgrfL5DqtrJ-8HJRFYOSYo5-bidr8N65NmQMobw4PK92QnANJaxXNjUusjQrKxy8TthFPmJxHy7-VGKkP3l6Z8d83LCdg9Lgpj/s640/IMG_1329.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
It has been a wild few weeks now, which has resulted in me not being able to sit down and share some recipes with you. First off, it was Passover and I went down to Miami to spend the Seders with my extended family. We were 60 people on both nights of the Seders! It was a bit of a fiasco as everyone was singing out their own tunes at their own pace. Sounded like a singing audition where ever one is in their own world warming up their voices. It was a fun 2 nights, regardless.<br />
<br />
It is customary for Bukharian Jews to wear a <i><b>jomah</b></i> during the Seder. Yes, you read that right, a <i><b>jomah</b></i>, not a pajama, which is a silk brocade dress worn on festive occasions. My parents are posing the latest fashion trend - H&M - watch out! I am wearing an ordinary Chinese embroidered jacket, since I did not have my very own <i><b>jomah</b></i> to wear:-(<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX9lUk3aJeUmLSPAUkenjQTzQ7lC-oMDM8IQkVkZ0AFWPi34FptKnlYsxMXn1qdQT925VW-bjjlcDZ_dMlz2r1HFQrgj9yNho8FmDQU11fPQOiKFFdnJ40eYdfUZ3eNjWMdyGFV175ECQ/s1600/IMG_0493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX9lUk3aJeUmLSPAUkenjQTzQ7lC-oMDM8IQkVkZ0AFWPi34FptKnlYsxMXn1qdQT925VW-bjjlcDZ_dMlz2r1HFQrgj9yNho8FmDQU11fPQOiKFFdnJ40eYdfUZ3eNjWMdyGFV175ECQ/s400/IMG_0493.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
I came back to NY, only to fly back to Miami a week later, because subsequently my father became extremely ill and I went down there again to relieve my mother and brother of their hospital duties.<br />
<br />
In the middle of all this, I found an amazing editor for a book I just finished writing called, <i><b>"Spiritual Kneading for Rosh Chodesh"</b></i> It's about the significance of baking challah on the Jewish New Moon every month. I am afraid I wont be posting anything from that book here, because it's all about challah - not OK for the gluten free community here.<br />
<br />
On top of that, my publisher has asked me to buckle down and write out a marketing plan for my forthcoming cookbook <i><b>"Silk & Spice: Recipes from the Silk Road for the Mindful Vegetarian"</b></i> due out next Spring 2014. Although this was initially done when I wrote my proposal over a year ago, many things have changed since then, including my circle of foodies. So I had to revamp my marketing plan, which extended to my amazing circle on facebook. A big shout out to Mark Zuckerberg. I don't know what I would do with out him.<br />
<br />
Amidst all of this, I was in the mood to cook something really satisfying, as this winter or Spring - what ever you want to call it, just does not end. I wanted comfort foods. Something grounding and earthy.<br />
<br />
Years ago when I was veering towards vegetarianism, Mollie Katzen was the IT person for hearty vegetarian recipes. She still is the Queen. I am just a Queen from Queens... (little humor needed when in crisis) I still turn to her recipes that never disappoint. I often make this quiche when I have a<b> HUGE </b>bag of potatoes lying around from my left over winter CSA season. Make use of the food processor to cut down on time for the crust. This potato crust quiche is moist and stays put together after cooking. Make sure you pick from the freshest cauliflower around, otherwise it alters the taste to mush.You could always experiment with different cheeses. Enjoy this quiche with a nice big leaf lettuce salad on the side. This recipe comes from <i><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/978-1580081306?aff=harrymetsalad1">The New Moosewood Cookbook.</a></i><br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Cauliflower Cheese Quiche in Potato Crust</b><br />
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<br />
<i>Serves 4</i><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<u><b>for the crust</b></u><br />
<i>2 cups grated raw potato (from 2-3 peeled potatoes)<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1 egg white, beaten<br />
¼ cup grated onion</i><br />
<br />
<u><b>for the filling</b></u><br />
<i>1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1 cup diced onion<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
freshly ground black pepper<br />
¼ teaspoon dried thyme<br />
½ teaspoon dried basil<br />
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets<br />
1 cup (4-5 oz.) grated cheddar cheese<br />
2 eggs<br />
¼ cup milk</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 400°F and generously oil a 9″ pie dish, so that your potato crust does not
attach to your pie <i>dish</i>.</li>
<li>Pull out your food processor with a grating disk. That will make for quick work grating each of the following separately: the cheese, then the potatoes, then the onion.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>To make the crust, place the grated potatoes in a colander and
toss them with the salt. Wait 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess
water. A salad spinner works well for this, or you can wring the
potatoes out in a dishtowel. Stir together the potatoes, egg white and
onion in a large bowl, then pat the mixture evenly into your pie dish ,
building them up the sides to form the crust.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust lightly with olive oil
and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and lower the temp to
375°F.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>While the crust bakes, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan
over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper (to taste) and
herbs and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add the cauliflower and stir well to coat. Cover and continue cooking,
stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add a tablespoon of water if the cauliflower begins to stick to the
pan.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>Spread half the cheese over the crust and spoon the cauliflower
mixture over, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Whisk together
the eggs and the milk, then pour this mixture over the cauliflower
cheese mixture.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
<li>Bake 35-40 minutes, until set.</li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-69447907250980954722013-04-04T13:26:00.003-04:002013-04-04T13:26:39.667-04:00Cauliflower Peanut Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaweCAXKY3BTC6WunKIWw11l9O64QaJsskCk-ksPScQwVwddmIUgJn1_B7oaXuQeaMPl5NU70L41SHb9GJ-C1PIP5_0rNcf-0-ImF0mLeQ7Xcp0L2DvyAZVINT8gi6jqdpYmkDnNlFByzi/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaweCAXKY3BTC6WunKIWw11l9O64QaJsskCk-ksPScQwVwddmIUgJn1_B7oaXuQeaMPl5NU70L41SHb9GJ-C1PIP5_0rNcf-0-ImF0mLeQ7Xcp0L2DvyAZVINT8gi6jqdpYmkDnNlFByzi/s640/IMG_1376.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There are times, when not to judge a book by its cover. Sometimes looks are really deceiving and I think that could be a good thing. If everything looked as it seemed there would be no mystery. Mystery is needed to seduce and to entice curiosity. That being said, let me address this picture before anything else. I wish I could
blame the appearance of this meal on my lack of camera skills, or that it was having a bad "vegetable day" (Ha, Ha... ok I thought that was cute) however it's just no beauty.<br />
<br />
In spite of its less then stellar looks (poor thing) this peanuty coconut curry cauliflower dish tastes divine on a bed of brown basmati rice doused with raita, lemon slices, toasted slivered almonds, fresh or toasted coconut, raisins and sliced cucumbers. Shew.... Try saying that all in one breath. Pick your choice. This time around I chose coconut flakes.<br />
<br />
This recipe comes originally from The New Moosewood Cookbook. I have modified some of the ingredients and recipe techniques to not only give it more protein and less carbs, (I do like to watch my figure;-) but to mimic authentic Indian cuisine. Sauteing the spices before the onions, creates the foundation for this dish and intensifies the flavors even more. And I definitely like intensity.<br />
<br />
<b>Cauliflower Peanut Curry</b><br />
<br />
Serves 6<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i>2 tablespoons coconut oil</i><br />
<i>1 tablespoon mustard seeds</i><br />
<i><i>1 teaspoon turmeric</i></i><br />
<i>1/2 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice</i><br />
<i><i>2 tablespoons cumin seeds</i> </i><br />
<i><i>1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper</i> </i><br />
<br />
<i><i>1 large onion, chopped</i></i><br />
<i><i><i>1 teaspoon Sea salt</i> </i></i><br />
<i>3 medium cloves garlic, peeled</i><br />
<i>1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, reserve some for garnish</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup lightly toasted peanuts</i><br />
<i>2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup water (more, as needed)</i><br />
<br />
<i>1 large cauliflower, cut in 1-inch pieces</i><br />
<i>1 medium carrot, cut into coin medallions</i><br />
<i>1 cup cooked chick peas</i><br />
<i>Juice of 1 lemon</i><br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet and add the mustard seeds, turmeric, ground cloves, cumin seeds and cayenne pepper. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, (less than a minute) stir in the onions and
salt. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.</li>
<li>In the meantime, in a blender puree the peanuts, sesame seeds and shredded coconut with water. If it's too thick, add more water. This should have the consistency of a thick paste. </li>
<li>Then add cauliflower and
carrot and mix well. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, then add the
paste. Mix well. Cook, covered, over low heat until the cauliflower is
tender, stirring every few minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to
prevent sticking.</li>
<li>Add the chick peas, and lemon
juice, and cook a few more minutes. Taste to adjust salt, and serve hot,
with rice and condiments.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-91292825457277675722013-03-03T17:59:00.000-05:002013-03-04T08:39:18.978-05:00NYC Vegetarian Food Fest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2eJd-R3ILnbHfsn-tZjPz72VyJgljfR_o_DZe8w67-1cHg6nyTZSaBqVuxm-oJfqlRqy7ijc1m7C0oe7UP4hRYwhBY5_44stvLZmxtlICGqOCvadQfjLY0g-unqaCewRhkddIJW-VKBw/s1600/image-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu2eJd-R3ILnbHfsn-tZjPz72VyJgljfR_o_DZe8w67-1cHg6nyTZSaBqVuxm-oJfqlRqy7ijc1m7C0oe7UP4hRYwhBY5_44stvLZmxtlICGqOCvadQfjLY0g-unqaCewRhkddIJW-VKBw/s320/image-4.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
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This past weekend was the Third Annual NYC Vegetarian Food Fest held at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th Street. Outside was the most exciting event of all, the <a href="http://www.cinnamonsnail.com/" target="_blank">Cinnamon Snail Vegan Food Truck</a> which was parked right outside of the venue and the line to their truck was nearly as long as the line to the entrance.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwgA3gHU6-ShJAyFmmT4O_sKiev_vT3pJDb3CtgTmTzZBf6tYcaW7Wsb_pg1okfX3fiQPdlit5Mqjix9_gYVasHbjhTPJUh9oYzbsGWP3XQUYRr4y-HVm0MysK_UkAhp0AUx1FPDIqAPt/s1600/image-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwgA3gHU6-ShJAyFmmT4O_sKiev_vT3pJDb3CtgTmTzZBf6tYcaW7Wsb_pg1okfX3fiQPdlit5Mqjix9_gYVasHbjhTPJUh9oYzbsGWP3XQUYRr4y-HVm0MysK_UkAhp0AUx1FPDIqAPt/s320/image-10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby(the told dude with sunglasses) waiting in line to taste a delicious Seitan Burger </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Luckily... and I mean real lucky, my husband and I had VIP passes to get in. I would not have had the patience to wait out in the cold to get into the then really hot vegetarian food fest. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8G8GfBVAsHDdtGBEy7nHdjR3D_wZ3-SPQefLIlrHHGwZCBXpIdfKQtQh_tjvrv3hLiChMIXRKbkzG6M5PYM9fos4GKi2aXbgMI75j7aOT5x6EWMbvUR6iljCRZH1c8XhxGDqQT2Kg7XK/s1600/image-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8G8GfBVAsHDdtGBEy7nHdjR3D_wZ3-SPQefLIlrHHGwZCBXpIdfKQtQh_tjvrv3hLiChMIXRKbkzG6M5PYM9fos4GKi2aXbgMI75j7aOT5x6EWMbvUR6iljCRZH1c8XhxGDqQT2Kg7XK/s320/image-5.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon Snail Menu</td></tr>
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So here's my take on the food trends happening... gluten free and vegan are the biggest things to hit the food world since sliced bread- that's the good news. The sad news is that most of the gluten free products I saw at the fest were DESSERTS! So at every corner there was someone else trying to promote their GF product in the form of chocolate chip cookies.... and almost everyone had that one on the menu. Some originality please.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKG0KYyCXIQXsS2DRLt_ulcFtguU6I9zHXUf5bfdylvZVFtLIykLikCrRTq4M6gg1HbpMZ3SMOf5MdiJ9HkUpHvZP0AunZAa3YrwJH6A5DYcFU90zEi1X1UEtANJGS1cQow_UCfVRu4y_/s1600/image-9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKG0KYyCXIQXsS2DRLt_ulcFtguU6I9zHXUf5bfdylvZVFtLIykLikCrRTq4M6gg1HbpMZ3SMOf5MdiJ9HkUpHvZP0AunZAa3YrwJH6A5DYcFU90zEi1X1UEtANJGS1cQow_UCfVRu4y_/s320/image-9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks delicious! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SV2CUFXb7Y48b0sG1o6J6tkJPhz8OCvLDTheyCmhdEdaHXeruwRT4tFoUNn9Zd_bpCQcxdByhYlsab1DHdChGI0vxcBcVb33clVtbdxsbh7ABkZdyMoGB_hp3qBVK74wXPQ3XZPB7bym/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SV2CUFXb7Y48b0sG1o6J6tkJPhz8OCvLDTheyCmhdEdaHXeruwRT4tFoUNn9Zd_bpCQcxdByhYlsab1DHdChGI0vxcBcVb33clVtbdxsbh7ABkZdyMoGB_hp3qBVK74wXPQ3XZPB7bym/s320/image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the interesting front, there was a vendor there trying to promote her artisinal cheeses made from cashews. It was an interesting taste... but a little too salty to compensate for the lack of cheese. Otherwise, it would have been divine on a little cracker.<br />
<br />
Another vendor was promoting his RAW vegan ice cream made from coconut. Coconut is in... that's for sure. It's actually a great product with high fiber, the only downside is if you don't like the taste of coconut - it's definitely pronounced. I happened to like it. I am rooting for this <a href="http://www.rawicecreamcompany.com/" target="_blank">Raw Ice Cream</a> because their factory is in Long Beach, NY and they got hit really hard from Hurricane Sandy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM8IpMqwoWoWvD2SbCQlO-_s9mapnfHWHioBsFOQPWnHHmAwEfHKHFvrFvzAAchD8c6HUM0P9nQ2tbj45sg28MIEAM9P027vOxTtQMqsmbO8qfn29sEb3QTWr21ucLdfVrgBQNLrnMveU/s1600/image-13.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM8IpMqwoWoWvD2SbCQlO-_s9mapnfHWHioBsFOQPWnHHmAwEfHKHFvrFvzAAchD8c6HUM0P9nQ2tbj45sg28MIEAM9P027vOxTtQMqsmbO8qfn29sEb3QTWr21ucLdfVrgBQNLrnMveU/s320/image-13.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So here are some of the pictures from todays outing. Please comment if you have questions. Would love to hear your thought on Gluten Free sugary desserts and the foods trends you notice.Also, there was a vendor selling fake crab meat... what do you think of the fake meat market for vegans?? I mean if you are vegetarian, what are your reasons for becoming vegetarian? Why would you want to eat a product that tastes like meat if you made a conscious decision not to eat meat?? I am on the fence about that one. I don't crave meat... so don't have the thirst for it, but I suppose if you are vegan and you do crave the taste of meat... maybe you should eat it. Just saying.... What are your thoughts about that too?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vyQi6dIEDUIEL_9DZQWIJb8fAdI0qaM3Pt5q-mozVAOQTlNAJfqJP6o9I8cxTzLQn5_rjWX-ex3m6D7souaRMPcQrnG7yK1AzOeLtxb_Pjw3evSR1nD_R1dXqKD9Pm1uyM5bDpngQ3xy/s1600/image-8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vyQi6dIEDUIEL_9DZQWIJb8fAdI0qaM3Pt5q-mozVAOQTlNAJfqJP6o9I8cxTzLQn5_rjWX-ex3m6D7souaRMPcQrnG7yK1AzOeLtxb_Pjw3evSR1nD_R1dXqKD9Pm1uyM5bDpngQ3xy/s320/image-8.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Konjac is a Japanese root vegetable used to make fake fish meats</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s9-3sKtpOreu9SK2dqBeFEDfuO0q0YKLP4QE-bJii-EMLEV_QBly3vy6JHHwSyNVG89ozs-1bm6hNNIjSYCols7-3_RuMx5vK9BUORcXwTbgD9KEq4-BmIfxCpsgJEvZle0s4bGQ6LoZ/s1600/image-14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8s9-3sKtpOreu9SK2dqBeFEDfuO0q0YKLP4QE-bJii-EMLEV_QBly3vy6JHHwSyNVG89ozs-1bm6hNNIjSYCols7-3_RuMx5vK9BUORcXwTbgD9KEq4-BmIfxCpsgJEvZle0s4bGQ6LoZ/s320/image-14.jpeg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-27650252084010283872013-02-14T08:16:00.001-05:002013-02-14T08:17:25.770-05:00Dovgha ~ Azerbaijani Yogurt Soup with Rice, Spinach, and Mixed Herbs)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDVKXHLPvpye_t7-tF4Xz1ufqaXfyXRbc3Eliv6Ri6_mPGuec2zUfYmbmwK-qQilSUkt7auyAYnRCzSY1aPYyB51_l56J9RrbzB_nfPgwJ6ItCmUPmHmO7uFvgzMs5utDNJuGPvOAu4uf/s1600/IMG_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDVKXHLPvpye_t7-tF4Xz1ufqaXfyXRbc3Eliv6Ri6_mPGuec2zUfYmbmwK-qQilSUkt7auyAYnRCzSY1aPYyB51_l56J9RrbzB_nfPgwJ6ItCmUPmHmO7uFvgzMs5utDNJuGPvOAu4uf/s640/IMG_1256.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dovgha ~ Azerbaijani Yogurt Soup with Rice, Spinach, and Mixed Herbs </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="font-size: small;">T</span>his is a yogurt cream soup has its origins from Azerbaijan- <span style="font-size: small;">a <span style="font-size: small;">Turkic state</span> that is right in the middle <span style="font-size: small;">of the Silk Road. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Russia to the north, Georgia (the country, not the state) to the northwest, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7oLCoxlcLMIFQCwlnZhjMTzfB2vdZzNhIQc7PC2fo3DlXG1Lr4xLDmthHj8VHXsquw5-B8aZcUeqvtSTifZ80sNiYguTCb6H-YpFSzED65i9HdMVc59ze5Cs1Xlu6wra_36pbPgL_PbR/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7oLCoxlcLMIFQCwlnZhjMTzfB2vdZzNhIQc7PC2fo3DlXG1Lr4xLDmthHj8VHXsquw5-B8aZcUeqvtSTifZ80sNiYguTCb6H-YpFSzED65i9HdMVc59ze5Cs1Xlu6wra_36pbPgL_PbR/s320/IMG_1237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finely chopped Scallions and Coarsely Chopped Spinach</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Azerbaijan's climate contributes to the fertility of the land, which in its turn results
in the richness of the country’s cuisine. It is famous for an abundance
of vegetables and greens used seasonally in the dishes. Fresh herbs,
including mint, coriander, dill, basil, parsley, tarragon, leek, chive, thyme, marjoram, green onion, and watercress are very popular and often accompany main dishes.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jQii5rpfPLkOqliQrrFQ-9GhrQueL_95qeXixw3Yy5AHep5V-Q8UatIJZmQ5h8yUy6f6dX57_fAVViux7qaL4cgSsSweiKxt_T2zOIXBLHMLStwkekf0Bv0nx9c-D5F1ITTiiy-wgN5p/s1600/IMG_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jQii5rpfPLkOqliQrrFQ-9GhrQueL_95qeXixw3Yy5AHep5V-Q8UatIJZmQ5h8yUy6f6dX57_fAVViux7qaL4cgSsSweiKxt_T2zOIXBLHMLStwkekf0Bv0nx9c-D5F1ITTiiy-wgN5p/s320/IMG_1233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoghurt, Rice flour, olive oil and salt</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The main course of Azerbaijani cuisine are over 30 kinds of soups, including those prepared from plain yoghurt. This is my favorite soup now and so ful<span style="font-size: small;">f<span style="font-size: small;">illing. It</span></span></span></span></span></span>’s made of yogurt mixed with water,
rice, and <span style="font-size: small;">as many green</span> herbs that you can get your hands on. It can be served hot or cold depending on the season. I love it either way.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT9pMyxltlzZ-k7DM9tS0V3zjmSg2bY9ECy3Wb0RzC5T_YMdhn5tmDDriJR2pbIXKkzbI0ze9eCunhXknlciIyWF4GklFIR94WTUltXgxBi3wRR2JaZ1Ir9-Cy7RvEVDfbjbhj5zCPjk2/s1600/IMG_1241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT9pMyxltlzZ-k7DM9tS0V3zjmSg2bY9ECy3Wb0RzC5T_YMdhn5tmDDriJR2pbIXKkzbI0ze9eCunhXknlciIyWF4GklFIR94WTUltXgxBi3wRR2JaZ1Ir9-Cy7RvEVDfbjbhj5zCPjk2/s320/IMG_1241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whisk the Yogurt into the pot so that it does not clump</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wO2Uhln8cXPUV0aV7saqsZFrpp6vDTLccHvhrzped3PjkKdl_5gwJsvldJdsDkEN8QDm25jNQgUK25RIEaOIELiwsOOx4PLb4bzVVvCodtKT-NzIfFkL-R2QaWYjFxsq4sTXmMs6i15-/s1600/IMG_1245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Herculanum;">DOVGHA<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Tangy Azerbaijani Yogurt Soup with Rice, Spinach, and Mixed
Herbs)</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yields 6 servings</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; font-variant: small-caps; letter-spacing: 1.0pt;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">6
cups vegetable broth or water</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4
cup brown basmati rice</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2
cups plain, whole milk yogurt</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2
tablespoons brown rice flour </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1
1/4 teaspoons Sea Salt</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">3
loosely packed cups coarsely chopped spinach </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4
cup finely chopped scallions</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1
1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce) can cooked chickpeas</span></i>* *<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2
tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2
tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill leaves</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4
cup coarsely chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley leaves</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>Directions </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>1<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bring broth or water to a boil with the
rice in a large soup pot over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a medium heat,
and gently boil, covered, for 20 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>2<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Combine yogurt with flour, olive oil, and
salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Very slowly pour the yogurt mixture, a
little at a time, into the pot while vigorously whisking with the other hand to
prevent curdling. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to a medium-low
heat and gently boil for 10 minutes for yogurt to thicken slightly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>3<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mix in the spinach leaves, scallions, and
cooked chickpeas and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, uncovered. Add mint,
dill, and cilantro (or parsley) leaves, and cook an additional 10 minutes, uncovered.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #595959; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>4<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Serve hot or warm garnished with extra
chopped herbs and/or scallions.</span></div>
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* * To Prepare chickpeas: ¾ cup dried chickpeas; <span style="color: #262626; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">soaked overnight, drained and rinsed and boil for an hour.
Remove outer layer; once cooled</span>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-42280668934048755512013-01-28T10:41:00.000-05:002013-02-05T16:18:51.079-05:00Curried Cabbage (Cabbage Sabzi)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIIgI_FEMbgcU2CpG4NpQlpgwtIV9X-yxmPP62vZv56cIBaI7uKkq-eeruMU-Yj9QUC0rWr25fC2kv2emiRtePhWMktTaIAlmNcu9tovZIVdIIvcW8KIbC1gRvYLb3iXAXppPRnAKE_KO/s1600/IMG_1232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIIgI_FEMbgcU2CpG4NpQlpgwtIV9X-yxmPP62vZv56cIBaI7uKkq-eeruMU-Yj9QUC0rWr25fC2kv2emiRtePhWMktTaIAlmNcu9tovZIVdIIvcW8KIbC1gRvYLb3iXAXppPRnAKE_KO/s640/IMG_1232.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabbage Sabzi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few months ago I signed a cookbook deal with my publisher for my upcoming book; <i>"Silk & Spice; Recipes from the Silk Road for the Mindful Vegetarian"</i> due out in Spring 2014. As you may have gathered, the book is an ode to my ancestral ties to the Silk Road. You can read more about that in the <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" target="_blank">About Me</a> page and my <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2010/04/family-background-of-vegetarian-hostess.html" target="_blank">family history</a>.<br />
<br />
Since many of the recipes are from my childhood, and most have been modernized to suit my vegetarian lifestyle, my publisher asked me to include photos of my family around food. Old photos, of course. So I plumaged my parents old photo albums scouring for photos. One of the photos was of my Indian nanny growing up, Morris. May seem bizarre that I had a male nanny, but he was not my full time caretaker. Morris primarily took care of my grandfather who lived in Japan. When my grandfather, known as Bobosh, would come to visit us in NY, Morris would come and stay with us for a few months.<br />
<br />
When I looked at the photo of Morris, standing so proudly like a dutiful soldier, I was pulled back to my memories of him growing up in NY. Morris was a small, dark man that resembled Gandhi, except he had more hair, wore clothes (and not a diaper like Gandhi) and had a little mustache.<br />
<br />
<br />
Morris, was a sweet, quiet Indian Christian with Hindu principles, who was vegetarian. The interesting story behind how my parents met Morris is quite astonishing.<br />
<br />
When my parents got married over 60 years ago, they lived in Bombay (Mumbai). One night, in the middle of the night, my mother got up from her sleep and walked into the backyard. She saw a little family living there, like the way nocturnal animals do. They simply needed a place to sleep and found refuge in my parents quiet backyard, without my parents realizing it for years. Until..... that one night.<br />
<br />
Sleeping in the backyard were three cousins: Morris, who would later be my Bobosh's caretaker and my nanny; Paul, who would later be my father's bookeeper and Cornelius, who would later be the housekeeper and most of the time DRUNK!<br />
<br />
My mother accosted these young very skinny men and somehow, in typical Zina (my mother's name) fashion they became employed. I can tell you that these kinds of stories happened hundreds of times to my parents. If there is one thing I appreciate about them is that they are open to all opportunities and cultures.<br />
<br />
As a child, I remember Morris helping my mother cook all the traditional Bukharian dishes which consisted of meat, in spite of him being a vegetarian. He cooked meat like nobody's business. How?.... I have no idea.<br />
<br />
Typically the help in my parents house would eat the food that was being prepared, but Morris could not eat any of the food. He would quietly make a simple vegetarian Indian dish for himself, while he was stirring my mother's pots.<br />
<br />
The one dish I remember Morris cooking for himself was this Curried Cabbage. I am not sure why I recalled this dish out of all the foods he prepared. I think because when I was a kid, I was thinking at the time, who eats cooked cabbage as a meal? As a child, I suppose those kinds of foods were unthinkable to me. Now.... it's the norm!<br />
<br />
So here is the Curried Cabbage that Morris made and has become one of my favorite dishes. First off, it's so easy to prepare as this humble cabbage gets transformed into a delectable dish flavored with fresh coconut and some hot chile. A food fit for a Hindu Prince. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #343434;">Cabbage Sabzi </span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #343434; line-height: 50%;">Ingredients</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 head cabbage, Finely chopped</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">2 tablespoons coconut oil </span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 tablespoon mustard seeds</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 Green Chili, finely chopped</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 tablespoon curry powder</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 teaspoon turmeric powder</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1/4 cup Freshly grated coconut</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1/4 cup Coriander, finely chopped</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 tablespoon sugar</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">1 tablespoon lemon juice</span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #343434;">Sea Salt, to taste</span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 20pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #343434;">Directions </span></b><i><span style="color: #343434;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 20pt; margin: 0in 0in 20pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #343434; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #595959;">1.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #343434;">Wash
the finely chopped cabbage in salt water and then soak for 5 minutes to remove
any debris and bugs.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 20pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #595959;">2.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><span style="color: #343434;">In a saucepot, heat coconut oil over
medium heat and add the mustard seeds and wait until they splutter. Then add
the green chilie, curry powder, and turmeric powder. Add the cabbage and mix
well. Cover it with lid and let it cook in its own juices for about 15 minutes
or until the cabbage becomes transparent.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 20pt; margin: 0.1pt 0in 0.1pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #595959;">3.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b><span style="color: #343434;"> Once cooked, add the grated coconut, cilantro, sugar, lemon
juice and salt. Serve with a side of Basmati rice.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 20.0pt; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.25in;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-84014698352067811882013-01-16T10:03:00.001-05:002013-01-16T10:03:26.400-05:00Spaghetti Pomodoro without the Spaghetti (Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTtATFcgLq-P0xOmykXm2kcVAoH_g0YCZJnPEjQ06HEquvjuRrEgchY05uh6NMM3vBjLLm5LvE-4fe0LbNTNDiI23r7b44Fm9yCjgopr93dvwRuPmWuouQfZTTXRdmRQeASTJrSrgKG6W/s1600/IMG_1227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTtATFcgLq-P0xOmykXm2kcVAoH_g0YCZJnPEjQ06HEquvjuRrEgchY05uh6NMM3vBjLLm5LvE-4fe0LbNTNDiI23r7b44Fm9yCjgopr93dvwRuPmWuouQfZTTXRdmRQeASTJrSrgKG6W/s640/IMG_1227.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
If you are like me, and probably like the rest of the west, you LOVE spaghetti with fresh homemade tomato sauce and fresh melted mozzarella and a drizzle of Parmesan. You would think that such a simple dish is a no brainer to find in any Italian restaurant, but actually it is. It is extremely rare to find really good pasta and homemade sauce- even in the finest Italian restaurants. I am not saying all.... but most are just not great.<br />
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<br />
The trick is you have to go to a place that makes their own pasta (impossible for your Gluten Free foodies) and fresh sauce, not some store bought commercialized can junk.<br />
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My father's two sisters live in Italy and growing up so did my mothers' sister, so I would visit Milano more times that you probably take the subway. Every night, we had pasta, and not too much variation from pasta pomodoro. Seems like the Italians like simple spaghetti and tomato sauce and that's it! Every night!<br />
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I remember how much I loved it and how I did not gain weight and neither did anyone in my family who ate pasta regularly. There must be something in their wheat (not Industrialized) and the way they just whip up some sauce from fresh tomatoes, that are so fragrant, I could wear it as perfume. Or maybe, just maybe- they are happy to eat. Eating is a joyous event. I never hear anyone talk about their weight and the fear of gaining weight from pasta.<br />
<br />
In any event, I digress... Today's post is NOT about Spaghetti Pomodoro, as you may have been able to tell from the photos. Sorry for all the foreplay. It's about, the next best thing.... Spaghetti Squash with Pomodoro. No fat, made at home and really good. You can cut chunks of fresh mozzarella onto the spaghetti squash and bake for 10 minutes. Then for extra richness, add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.<br />
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<br />
<b>Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce</b><br />
<br />
<b>Yields: 2 servings</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<i>Spaghetti Squash</i><br />
<br />
<u>Tomato Sauce</u><br />
<i>1 pound Roma tomatoes<br />
2 tablespoon olive olive oil<br />
Small onion<br />
2 to 3 small cloves of garlic<br />
1/2 medium carrot<br />
1/2 stalk of celery<br />
Sea salt, to taste<br />
Slivers of fresh basil, to finish</i><br />
<br />
<b>Directions for the Spaghetti Squash</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Preheat
oven to 350 F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Place the halves cut
side down, in a roasting pan. Pour a little water around them and bake
for 40 minutes or until tender. Do not allow to burn- cover with foil if
necessary.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Directions for the Tomato Sauce </b><br />
<ol>
<li>Peel your tomatoes: Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato. Blanche the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath. Peeling the tomatoes should now be a cinch. </li>
<li>Coarsely chop your tomatoes on a cutting board.</li>
<li>Finely chop the onion, and mince the
carrot, celery and garlic.</li>
<li>Heat your olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook your onions, carrots, celery and garlic, if you’re using
them, until they just start to take on a little color, about 10 minutes.
I really like to concentrate their flavor as much as possible. Add your
tomatoes and bring to a simmer, lowering the heat to medium-low to keep
it at a gentle simmer. Simmer your sauce, stirring
occasionally. At 30 minutes, you’ll have a fine pot of tomato sauce, but
at 45 minutes, you might just find tomato sauce nirvana: more
caramelized flavors, more harmonized texture.</li>
<li>Season with salt and serve. </li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-41855989520775124092013-01-08T14:23:00.001-05:002013-10-09T14:44:38.858-04:00Best Shakshuka (Sunny side eggs in Fresh Tomato Sauce)<div class="recipe_wrap">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyDa3C4-uNRU4RwG95JJA01LuKQ5yrwDvHAhKfwgvubCFaxOsR569zgjxPTKOSRJ8j66HTEE00z5YYmqvUSqOVTz03Skiqr6hI1kuEyAr5fWDFJUjpajatPxgppkqE4kPzxbo0txpY0Ij/s1600/IMG_0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwyDa3C4-uNRU4RwG95JJA01LuKQ5yrwDvHAhKfwgvubCFaxOsR569zgjxPTKOSRJ8j66HTEE00z5YYmqvUSqOVTz03Skiqr6hI1kuEyAr5fWDFJUjpajatPxgppkqE4kPzxbo0txpY0Ij/s640/IMG_0939.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
When you think of Sunday brunch, what images conjure up in your mind? Pancakes, eggs and some kind of bread?? Pancakes are a large part of the American Sunday breakfast/brunch. The carb thing is like a blob that takes up more space then you anticipate, and you wobble around Sunday in a daze. No wander Sunday football exists, so that men can just sit around in a euphoric carb bomb like Al Bundy with hand in pants. If you want to try something lighter and more tasteful, then try the quintessential Middle Eastern breakfast, Shakshuka.<br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
On the other side of the Atlantic, in much of the Middle East, <b>Shakshuka,</b> a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, often spiced with cumin and traditionally served up in a cast iron pan is the breakfast of choice. I suppose they make do with their local, ripe tomatoes and cage free eggs. No bread is needed for this dish, but you may just want to mop up the sauce with a pita (gluten free bread).<br />
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4"> </sup><br />
<br />
When I am feeling extra hungry I add some broad beans to the
dish and a tickle of feta cheese. Try it, it will not disappoint and is so filling. My husband found this recipe online and modified it a bit. We garnished it with a side of spinach leaves, chummus, cherry tomatoes and baby grapes for a little punch.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBmL7T_B_QI6vHwTemqKjUTQcTHMMiY46R4zBiPhK7ZFJP53aa15zAps2BKZZtxOmQ0gM2lZYSICroPBR9qdMvqFl5FEqMiRK4Ajpg3FBLF3yVXglg7MhuqE0lq0mVhTC8ULEtfaPuR7o/s1600/IMG_0940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBmL7T_B_QI6vHwTemqKjUTQcTHMMiY46R4zBiPhK7ZFJP53aa15zAps2BKZZtxOmQ0gM2lZYSICroPBR9qdMvqFl5FEqMiRK4Ajpg3FBLF3yVXglg7MhuqE0lq0mVhTC8ULEtfaPuR7o/s400/IMG_0940.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Husband Enjoying Sunday Brunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shakshuka (Sunny side eggs in Fresh Tomato Sauce) </span></span></b></h2>
</div>
<div>
<i><b>Serves </b><span class="yield">5-6</span></i></div>
<span class="totalTime"><span class="max"><span class="value-title" title="PT40M"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="preps">
</div>
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<div id="recipe-featured-image">
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<div id="this_recipe">
<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
<br />
<i><span class="amount">1 tablespoon</span> <span class="name">olive oil</span><br /><span class="amount">1/2 </span> <span class="name">medium onion, peeled and diced</span><br /><span class="amount">1 clove</span> <span class="name">garlic, minced</span><br /><span class="amount">1</span> <span class="name">medium green or red bell pepper, chopped</span><br /><span class="amount">4 cups</span> <span class="name">ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes</span><br /><span class="amount">2 tablespoons</span> <span class="name">tomato paste</span><br /><span class="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span class="name">chili powder (mild)</span><br /><span class="amount">1 teaspoon ground</span> <span class="name">cumin</span><br /><span class="amount">1 teaspoon</span> <span class="name">paprika</span><br /><span class="amount">Pinch of </span> <span class="name">cayenne pepper (or more to taste-- HOT!)</span><br /><span class="amount">Pinch of </span> <span class="name">sugar, to taste</span><br /><span class="name">Salt and pepper to taste</span><br /><span class="amount">5-6</span> <span class="name">eggs</span><br /><span class="amount">1/2 tbsp</span> <span class="name">fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)</span></i></div>
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Heat olive oil in a deep, large skillet or sauté pan over
medium heat. Saute onion for a
few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue
to sauté till mixture is fragrant.Your nostrils wont let you down.</li>
<li>Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened.</li>
<li>Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till
blended. Add spices and sugar, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer
over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. At this
point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your
preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter
sauce.</li>
<li>Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the
tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. I
usually place 4-5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The
eggs will cook "over easy" style on top of the tomato sauce.</li>
<li>Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15
minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly
reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't
reduce too much, which can lead to burning.</li>
<li>Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired and serve. </li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-9427212943780257402012-12-12T13:57:00.001-05:002013-01-06T16:28:48.882-05:00Curried Sweet Potato Latkes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who said that latkes has to be made strictly from potatoes? Although it's a custom that came from <br />
East Europe. Being that potatoes was the main crop, potatoes were used and then fried in oil, symbolic of the oil from the Hanukkah story that kept the Second Temple of ancient Israel lit with a long-lasting flame that is celebrated as a miracle.<br />
<br />
<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_pancake#cite_note-6"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_pancake#cite_note-7"></a></sup><br />
The word "latke" itself is derived (via Yiddish) from the Russian/Ukrainian word meaning "patch." I suppose that the latke is patched together with some flour and eggs, and that may be how the name was derived. I love the Yiddish language... somehow the words they come up with sound so slapstick.<br />
<br />
On the last week of the CSA I belong to, the farm delivered sweet potatoes. Although the word potato is in sweet potato, it originated in Central America, no where near Europe. Although it is believe that Christopher Columbus brought sweet potatoes to Europe. In any event, now that you got a little culinary history, I thought of making latkes with these and spicing it up with some curry. After all... I am a Mizrachi (Eastern Jew) Jew and I have to add my own personality to these. I also like the fact that eating something orange, that almost looks like a flame, illustrates the "Festival of Lights" with savory, aromatic and melt in your mouth deliciousness.<br />
<br />
I made a batch of these for a Chanukah party I was invited to, and it's a good thing I took these photos before I took them, because they were gone within 5 minutes flat. That's how good they are. This recipe is inspired from Joan Nathan's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Cooking-America-Expanded-American/dp/0375402764" target="_blank">Jewish Cooking in America</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Curried Sweet Potato Latkes</b><br />
<br />
<b>Makes 16 pancakes</b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i>1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled (3 medium sized sweet potatoes)</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup All-Purpose Gluten Free flour</i><br />
<i>3 teaspoons brown sugar</i><br />
<i>2 teaspoons curry powder</i><br />
<i>1 teaspoon baking soda</i><br />
<i>1 teaspoon ground cumin powder </i><br />
<i>1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</i><br />
<i>1/2 teaspoon sea salt</i><br />
<i>2 large eggs, beaten</i><br />
<i>1/2 cup Rice milk or soy milk</i><br />
<i>Light olive oil, for frying</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEI8ArsqTImL9qG1g7QBtltOpffOI0oRxDihvVtK8OGbB1y75GiZl8FOM3jRFC-FcOF5v2mOPYv3ChkhPPXEMhUJH6UnvBvgFqaitDqy4syjLfyosAsIljko_z-Soz1Wh8nFmD-fiXfQZ/s1600/IMG_1332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEI8ArsqTImL9qG1g7QBtltOpffOI0oRxDihvVtK8OGbB1y75GiZl8FOM3jRFC-FcOF5v2mOPYv3ChkhPPXEMhUJH6UnvBvgFqaitDqy4syjLfyosAsIljko_z-Soz1Wh8nFmD-fiXfQZ/s320/IMG_1332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grated sweet potatoes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OVAcCjCmyPmpCizGkg_YFh2Tz5ukMBI_RXdvfhc3zA9UX4inAcnY-2iDhY5fAPU689524D8zmAEjrD2-JnFZlFmBFWoP8F2AHgO5PlEnajo2Nmgt6oX0yqsvqNjeHoAbJbrRglD6MX17/s1600/IMG_1333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OVAcCjCmyPmpCizGkg_YFh2Tz5ukMBI_RXdvfhc3zA9UX4inAcnY-2iDhY5fAPU689524D8zmAEjrD2-JnFZlFmBFWoP8F2AHgO5PlEnajo2Nmgt6oX0yqsvqNjeHoAbJbrRglD6MX17/s320/IMG_1333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt55tImuPQyg7wtQ58E-RwxZNneMJH4Uzxrlyid00VZ0-HfM-0mPGZ1-aARhPw3uY8Fg0d2IrwCXGsvzyYfj1p2B39ryT4q527vdANycB__ZBCV_L2Ole7wUqdwXT3-xy5SV253vUaiWy/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt55tImuPQyg7wtQ58E-RwxZNneMJH4Uzxrlyid00VZ0-HfM-0mPGZ1-aARhPw3uY8Fg0d2IrwCXGsvzyYfj1p2B39ryT4q527vdANycB__ZBCV_L2Ole7wUqdwXT3-xy5SV253vUaiWy/s320/IMG_1336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dollop of batter to form latkes in olive oil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> </b><br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>Grate the sweet potatoes in a food processor fitted with a grating disc.</li>
<li> In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and spices.</li>
<li>Add the beaten eggs and rice milk to the dry ingredients to make a batter. Add in the grated potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist, but not runny. If it is, then add a little flour.</li>
<li>Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet. Drop a tablespoon of mixture to form the latkes. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side. They should form a golden crust on the outside and be moist on the inside.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OVAcCjCmyPmpCizGkg_YFh2Tz5ukMBI_RXdvfhc3zA9UX4inAcnY-2iDhY5fAPU689524D8zmAEjrD2-JnFZlFmBFWoP8F2AHgO5PlEnajo2Nmgt6oX0yqsvqNjeHoAbJbrRglD6MX17/s1600/IMG_1333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-84587110913665930182012-11-14T08:34:00.000-05:002012-11-14T18:26:35.712-05:00Coleslaw Salad with Peanuts and Lime Dressing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I have been out of commission for the last 2 weeks. Not by choice... actually I had no choice, no power, and no heat due to Hurricane Sandy. I am sure you have heard of this notorious hurricane that moved slowly across the eastern seaboard only to collide with a No'easter. Long Island was in the dark.<br />
It knocked nearly all electric out for 2 weeks. While I am grateful, we got the power restored and my home is intact, during that entire time I did not cook. So, my diet was a bit haphazard due to my disorientation of this whole ordeal.<br />
<br />
My CSA along the eastern tip of Long Island somehow managed to deliver fresh produce to my garage, which is the central depot in my area. Their thinking was that so many people who like me were on a poor diet for the last 2 weeks could use a boost of healthy organic produce. They were right.<br />
<br />
So this week, among the wide assortment of vegetables, I made this quick and easy salad made from cabbage and cilantro. It's Indian inspired and in South India, they eat a variation of this salad cooked. If you though that coleslaw was a german side to a tripple decker pastrami sandwich, know that the Indians thought of it first.<br />
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The easiest way to cut up cabbage is to cut it up into cubes and then toss in the food processor to grate. If you don't have a food processor, you can always practice your knife skills slowly and methodically cutting the cabbage into fine ribbons.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coleslaw Salad with Peanuts and Lime Dressing</span></b><br />
<i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serves 6 </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></i>
</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 1/2 cups unsalted raw peanuts</span></i></div>
<div style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> 1/2 of a medium-large cabbage</i><br /><i> 1 basket of tiny cherry tomatoes, washed and quartered</i><br /><i> 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced</i><br /><i> 3/4 cup cilantro, chopped</i><br /><i> 2 tablespoons olive oil</i><br /><i> 1/4 teaspoon + fine-grain sea salt</i></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.25em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a skillet or oven (350F) roast the peanuts for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice along the way, until golden and toasted.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.25em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cut the cabbage into two quarters and cut out the core. Using a knife shred each quarter into whisper thin slices. The key here is bite-sized and thin. If any pieces look like they might be awkwardly long, cut those in half. Combine the cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro in a bowl.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.25em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a separate bowl combine the lime juice, olive oil, salt. Add to the cabbage mixture and stir to combine. Just before serving toss in the peanuts to retain their crunch. Taste and adjust the flavor with more salt if needed.</span></span></li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-85847403876787888722012-10-15T07:48:00.000-04:002012-10-15T07:48:41.686-04:00Zucchini & Carrot with Tofu in a Coconut sauce<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRMTXU2StRPJi2EbLEo_PnA8-2ETgDPjo0NqAmXSwEZB2a3-rMrq7mj48oQ2tyT1nMb0fgw2g9_pyN6urnBfHGfnKUpF9ack2mYAHycJ0TrlROBOL1_l_H1LU9aq2Ev1gtXGBobfm1-LO/s1600/IMG_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRMTXU2StRPJi2EbLEo_PnA8-2ETgDPjo0NqAmXSwEZB2a3-rMrq7mj48oQ2tyT1nMb0fgw2g9_pyN6urnBfHGfnKUpF9ack2mYAHycJ0TrlROBOL1_l_H1LU9aq2Ev1gtXGBobfm1-LO/s640/IMG_0072.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few years ago, I went to <b style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Costa Rica’s</span></b><span style="line-height: 19px;"> <a href="http://www.vistadelvalle.com/" target="_blank">Vista Del Valle</a> (View of the Valley). It's a lush self-sustaining hotel that grows its own produce, has an estuary, tropical birds and a butterfly garden pitched atop a mountain that is carved into the tropical forest. Below you will find some of the photos from our trip. The restaurant uses all the produce that grows in the forest, creating surprising dishes from Earth gifts. The head chef there served this dish to me from El Rosario, Costa Rica who graciously shared this simple and outstanding Zucchini & Carrot with Tofu in Coconut Sauce. I decided to post it now, because I just got some fall carrots from my CSA and had some zucchini to throw in. At the bottom of this post you will find directions on how to purchase tofu and make it taste outstanding. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhMJDavxnYX9gnTGhUQ-tTYcSOR6SVfymnNexA1uGZSd-MeThcapKv4AntAX9Vu3xj9fWqM_ebsrGJEHb7bW1eK_EeAaI8BdUDWhfwxFipMvcZxhMEEqYoKxIQJHzrvDfCFOCR35_OdEQ/s1600/IMG_7216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhMJDavxnYX9gnTGhUQ-tTYcSOR6SVfymnNexA1uGZSd-MeThcapKv4AntAX9Vu3xj9fWqM_ebsrGJEHb7bW1eK_EeAaI8BdUDWhfwxFipMvcZxhMEEqYoKxIQJHzrvDfCFOCR35_OdEQ/s400/IMG_7216.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Race Horses flown in from Spain</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaPoczqqpntro53FySBPV7ltLhevdTNx_5h3id_mB_n1LicEgccWff7uxumOFftprz6Whi76mExo2tCOgi-bLqyVGAhFw_cBN8ZuFyupHBIFMr1IIFwyRFrluJhB3LD9xM4LE8VwfD5Js/s1600/IMG_7293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaPoczqqpntro53FySBPV7ltLhevdTNx_5h3id_mB_n1LicEgccWff7uxumOFftprz6Whi76mExo2tCOgi-bLqyVGAhFw_cBN8ZuFyupHBIFMr1IIFwyRFrluJhB3LD9xM4LE8VwfD5Js/s400/IMG_7293.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Outdoor restaurant overlooking the lush mountains. Even the tables are made from the trees that fall in the forest.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLv7Ab1wM73WSxcjuTf0GbrhfWhQdl8hweCkMsrQN4V2Eo1Km5SkYI_nluNaJEXo_goVSFuedoNitBjEY_DkSOT6R6vi52wuhUOphLScfWDFxzpqXf6sRmTDQaWRDZIK-oADe5c79qd4F/s1600/IMG_7239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilLv7Ab1wM73WSxcjuTf0GbrhfWhQdl8hweCkMsrQN4V2Eo1Km5SkYI_nluNaJEXo_goVSFuedoNitBjEY_DkSOT6R6vi52wuhUOphLScfWDFxzpqXf6sRmTDQaWRDZIK-oADe5c79qd4F/s400/IMG_7239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19px;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zucchini & Carrot with Tofu in Coconut Sauce</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow post to the bottom where I make suggestions on how to purchase and make tofu taste great.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serve this dish over jasmine rice and garnish with some fresh basil for a beautiful presentation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Serves</b><b> 4</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-variant: small-caps; letter-spacing: 1pt;">ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 tablespoons canola oil<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 (16 ounce) package of firm tofu, <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2012/05/tofu-xpress-review.html" target="_blank">pressed and drained</a> (click on link for directions) and cut into 1 inch cubes<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 medium onion<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">3 carrots, julienned<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">2 zucchinis, trimmed and julienned<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ cup Coconut Milk <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">½ teaspoon red pepper<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">1-teaspoon sea salt<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Brown Jasmine Rice or your favorite rice</i><i>, for serving<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Directions</span></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 43px; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: normal;">P</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">reheat that skillet over high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Spread over the surface of the pan. Pat the tofu dry one more time and put it in the skillet it in a single layer, with plenty of room around each piece. Don’t crowd the pan, or the heat will drop too much and the tofu will steam, not brown. You will probably need to do this in two batches if it's too crowded. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">Cook on one side until it is </span><strong style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">deeply golden brown</strong><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;">, then flip. If you are doing cubes, it becomes impractical to get all sides of every piece, so instead you’ll just toss them every minute or so and hope to get most of them. When both sides are done, remove to a plate. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 43px; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">In the same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, stirring and shaking the pan, for about 7 minutes or until it just begins to turn translucent. Add the carrots and sprinkle with salt so that the carrots will sweat. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Then add the zucchini and stir to combine with all the other ingredients. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat and let simmer for another 5 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;">Uncover the skillet, add the tofu to the vegetables and stir gently. Pour in the coconut milk and red pepper and stir to distribute evenly. You can add salt to taste if you like. </span></li>
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<em style="color: #222222;"><b>Crispy Pan-Fried Tofu</b></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I use this method in lots of recipes, and frequently for simple stir fry weeknight meals. It is easy to do, takes just minutes, and the results are far superior to simply cutting up cubes and throwing them in your stir-fry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 1: </b>Buy Good Tofu. Find a store that moves a lot of tofu so you are getting the freshest tofu available. You want the stuff packed in a rectangular, water filled box (or maybe wrapped in plastic), in the refrigerator section, not the shelf-stable boxes. Choose an extra-firm tofu with the latest expiration date you can find. If you open it and smell more than a tiny whiff of sourness, or it feels slimy, it isn’t going to be good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 2:</b> Dry Your Tofu. Open the package, drain out the water, and press it. You can follow another post I wrote I pressing tofu <a href="http://vegetarianhostess.blogspot.com/2012/05/tofu-xpress-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Cut the tofu into desired cubes or slabs. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What we need to do is get the surface of your tofu dry so that it browns up on the skillet. Put down a clean dishtowel. Lay the tofu out in a single layer on said dish towel. Put another clean dishtowel on top and pat well, all over, to remove as much surface moisture as possible. It will also reduce dangerous and unpleasant sputtering when you put it in the skillet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Step 3:</b> Pan Fry Your Tofu. The optimum pan for this job is a cast iron skillet. It holds a ton of heat, and develops a lovely non-sticking surface. You will cook this over very high heat, in a flat bottomed skillet because it allows the tofu to stay in contact with the hot surface for longer periods of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So: preheat that skillet over high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of a neutral vegetable oil that can tolerate a high smoke point, like sunflower oil or canola oil. Spread over the surface of the pan. Pat the tofu dry one more time and put it in the skillet it in a single layer, with plenty of room around each piece. Don’t crowd the pan, or the heat will drop too much and the tofu will steam, not brown. You will probably need to do this in two batches if it's too crowded.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cook on one side until it is <strong>deeply golden brown</strong>, then flip. If you are doing cubes, it becomes impractical to get all sides, so instead you’ll just toss them every minute or so and hope to get most of them. When both sides are done, remove to a plate. Don’t add the vegetables and sauce on top of the tofu. It will ruin the crust. Instead, remove the tofu from the pan, do your vegetables, then add the tofu back just in time to marry with the sauce.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-63434109970936058662012-09-20T07:53:00.001-04:002012-10-02T17:31:50.483-04:00Kale & Potato Curry<br />
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We just celebrated Rosh Hashana in the sign of Virgo where attention to systems, health, details and routines are all up and in the lime light during this time. It is a time we renew ourselves and start over in this new year. Intentions and goals set during this time find energetic support by the newly born year.</div>
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I ended my year with submitting my manuscript to my publisher for my upcoming cookbook <i>Silk & Spice: Mindful Eating </i><i>for the Vegetarian </i><i>from the Silk Road </i> due out in Fall 2013. It was a three year process to formulate and write my cookbook, and although I am ecstatic that it's getting published, I am a bit sad that this project of mine is over. It was my companion for a long time. We cooked, tweaked and revised together until we got to perfection. I will write another post about the process of writing my cookbook.</div>
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For me, this Rosh Hashana is about introspection and food, and connecting them both in a way, where food can be used to grace ones life with Gods presence. I will be working on my next labor of love, <i>Spiritual Kneading for Rosh Chodesh</i> which is about taking the physical matter of dough and kneading it as a means to clear the mind and connect with God and your innermost goodness. </div>
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And speaking of goodness, I just made this Kale & Potato Curry dish utilizing Falls' typical produce, which shines on your face like a warm summers day with these golden potatoes. If you want to make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it, leave out the yoghurt and add it at the last minute, just before serving.<br />
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Servings 4<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>1 bunch kale</i><br />
<i>2 tablespoons sunflower oil</i><br />
<i>1 onion, halved and finely sliced</i><br />
<i>3 garlic cloves, peeled</i><br />
<i>1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped</i><br />
<i>1 inch piece of ginger, minced</i><br />
<i>l ½ teaspoon mustard seeds</i><br />
<i>l ½ teaspoon ground cumin</i><br />
<i>l ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric</i><br />
<i>1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</i><br />
<i>1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg</i><br />
<i>3 cardamom pods, smashed</i><br />
<i>4 medium potatoes, cut into bite size chunks</i><br />
<i>1 cup plain (full-fat) yoghurt</i><br />
<i>1½ tablespoons tomato purée</i><br />
<i>small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped</i><br />
<i>small handful of almonds, cashews or pistachios, toasted and chopped</i><br />
<i>Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste</i><br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>Separate the kale from the stalks and roughly chop the leaves.</li>
<li>Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and saute until just golden.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, pound the garlic, chili and ginger together with a pinch of salt to a paste. Add to the onion and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Tip in the rest of the spices and stir for a minute or two.</li>
<li>Add the potatoes and chopped kale and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, so that they are well coated with the spice mixture.</li>
<li>Pour in enough water to just cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. Add the kale, stir and cook until just wilted.</li>
<li>In a bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, tomato puree and some of the hot liquid from the curry. </li>
<li>Remove the curry from the heat, stir in the yoghurt mixture, return to the heat and warm through very gently (if it gets too hot, the yoghurt will curdle). Stir in most of the cilantro.</li>
<li>Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Scatter over the toasted nuts and remaining cilantro, then serve with rice.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-47176582854431103892012-09-03T07:55:00.000-04:002012-09-03T07:55:58.719-04:00Olive Oil Cake with Red Wine Glaze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZk_OrK906WvylSagAyObqKpzPKCCxGQYPEv42Xe2wpoLhKN9HbXp5SPEDRSiuA7343QTslXTeTnNTNTptUCFgy9FtRZvk2qE40q2dubOOOyDCFxXVmDKElpbZDdehX18Lnu-NY7B1yWk/s1600/olive+oil+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZk_OrK906WvylSagAyObqKpzPKCCxGQYPEv42Xe2wpoLhKN9HbXp5SPEDRSiuA7343QTslXTeTnNTNTptUCFgy9FtRZvk2qE40q2dubOOOyDCFxXVmDKElpbZDdehX18Lnu-NY7B1yWk/s640/olive+oil+cake.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the last post, I told you about a cooking class I took with <a href="http://fistfuloflentils.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Abadi </a>at Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. She introduced this olive oil cake, which has it's roots in the Mediterranean. Her specialty, like mine is to teach and write about dishes from the Silk Road. Jennifer's predominant focus is on Syrian cooking. Mine is Central Asia. In any event, all countries along the Silk Road have influenced each other in one way or another. The traveling caravans, not only passed through the countries, but picked up a dish and morphed it. Much like the game of telephone.... you say a message and then some where along the line, the message has completely changed, but maybe a word here and there has remained. Same holds true for this cake. As cake moved to Europe, butter became the fat and flavor of the cake, probably because olive oil was virtually non existent.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcE0U0WNazPZwGyLWsek5tsiX2rabs-1WorCW64gFqRgMxnkg3FZtuaYhYZGnVzCnBNM98ccb1-cksxzf_JUvoMZ06Cwyl7ysTypudWQv-oxpGJmpBDmPJU6jmLwrG1I5ZLiiLM90tn8Ta/s1600/olive+oil+cake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcE0U0WNazPZwGyLWsek5tsiX2rabs-1WorCW64gFqRgMxnkg3FZtuaYhYZGnVzCnBNM98ccb1-cksxzf_JUvoMZ06Cwyl7ysTypudWQv-oxpGJmpBDmPJU6jmLwrG1I5ZLiiLM90tn8Ta/s640/olive+oil+cake2.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;">You might think, a cake is a cake. Flour, sugar, eggs and butter. Presto! Typically when we think of cake, we think of butter, but here the olive oil is used for fat which is pretty standard in the Medditerenean. Much better and healthier than butter, and yet it also gives it a rustic flair. This cake has a</span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;"> slight crunch at the edges, like a beloved one at a nearby coffee shop. And above all else, it has lemon zest for flavor and red wine which needs little in the way of a supporting cast.</span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;">But I know, you’re just here for the cake. And you should be, as it meets all of the aforementioned cake batter requirements, but gets a little pretty boost from the red wine. Wine and olive oil are wonderful together; they both have bitter undertones and fruity finishes and in this cake, you taste both things with each bite. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14.5px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>Serves 8 to 10</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>For Glaze:</u></div>
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<u><i><br /></i></u></div>
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<i>1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</i></div>
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<i>1/4 cup unrefined whole cane sugar</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon red wine</i></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<u>For Cake:</u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<i>1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</i></div>
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<i>3 cups All Purpose Gluten-Free flour</i></div>
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<i>3/4 cup unrefined whole cane sugar</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</i></div>
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<i>1/2 teaspoon ground cloves</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon lemon zest</i></div>
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<i>1 1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil</i></div>
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<i>3 large eggs, lightly beaten</i></div>
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<i>1 cup water</i></div>
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<i>2 tablespoons red wine (optional)</i></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Directions</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a standard loaf pan.</div>
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2. In a medium size mixing bowl combine all 3 glaze ingredients and mix well. Set aside to</div>
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prepare batter for cake.</div>
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3. In a large mixing bowl, combine baking powder, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and mix well.</div>
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4. Add the lemon zest and mix again.</div>
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5. In a separate large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, eggs, water and red wine</div>
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(optional). Add to the dry mixture above, and mix well until it becomes a smooth batter.</div>
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6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated</div>
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oven and bake for 20 minutes.</div>
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7. Gently pull the rack out just enough to pour the glaze over the entire top of the cake.</div>
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Carefully slide the cake back into the oven and bake an additional 15 to 25 minutes, or</div>
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until a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean (time will depend upon the heat</div>
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of your oven and size of your pan).</div>
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8. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before inverting the pan and</div>
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dislodging the cake. Turn cake upright and sprinkle with additional sugar if desired.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-64314546528867101352012-08-12T11:44:00.003-04:002012-08-15T09:03:04.551-04:00Muhammara ~ Syrian Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b7XZiDv1Pb3hor77oODTDVKEcc3lO6atiq_XpKQcophqp4WALnenVdAJpH9s8m_ULyoV2n99SvOUr1tXkoWpXbR9OME4qmjoGYh0kfrfYLquS8RHcqsqCyGRk8oFrre9d9DBgCItFyIh/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b7XZiDv1Pb3hor77oODTDVKEcc3lO6atiq_XpKQcophqp4WALnenVdAJpH9s8m_ULyoV2n99SvOUr1tXkoWpXbR9OME4qmjoGYh0kfrfYLquS8RHcqsqCyGRk8oFrre9d9DBgCItFyIh/s640/photo.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am on a roll with peppers. What can I say... who can resist fire roasted peppers in the summer when the grill is going. Broiling peppers releases the natural sugars, which makes this hot tamale a winner for many recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A little while back, I took a culinary class led by <a href="http://fistfuloflentils.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Abadi</a> at The Natural Gourmet Institute. We made a host of dishes from the famed Silk Road. One of them was this Muhammara dip. It is addictive!! So much so that I had to make it again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Muhammara </span></span>also pronounced mhammara, which means red color — originates from Aleppo, Syria, and is quite popular in the Middle East. It<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;"> is a spicy red pepper dip, easy to make and can be served warm or cold. I suggest serving it with crusty bread or fresh veggies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What makes this dip unique is the unusual combination of spices and ingredients that are used.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For instance, pomegranate molasses provides a unique sweet and sour taste, which makes it a signature dish. Long before the modern day beverage POM existed there was pomegranate syrup which originated in Persia. The <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">savory blend of tangy pomegranates and </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">roasted red peppers mix with ground walnuts and </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">our unique blend of spices to create this nutty and </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">irresistibly exotic spread.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>Makes: about 3 cups (6 to 8 servings)</b></span></span></div>
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</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>For Dip</u></div>
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<i>1 pound red bell peppers (3 medium) or 1 (24 oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers (1 cup, drained)</i></div>
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<i>3 cups walnut halves</i></div>
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<i>5 medium cloves garlic, peeled</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon water, room temperature</i></div>
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<i>2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon walnut oil</i></div>
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<i>1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon ground cumin</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon sea salt (if using fresh peppers), or to taste (if using roasted peppers from a jar)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>For Serving</u></div>
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extra virgin olive or walnut oil</div>
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crushed, toasted walnuts</div>
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thick and crusty bread or vegetable crudite</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Directions</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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1. If using peppers from the jar, skip down to step #2. If using fresh peppers, rinse</div>
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thoroughly under cold water. Preheat the broiler (on “Hi” if using an electric oven), and</div>
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place the peppers, on a baking sheet or small baking pan and set under the broiler. After</div>
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about 12 to 15 minutes (skins should start to blacken and wilt), turn the peppers over and</div>
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broil the other side an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Keep turning and rotating the peppers</div>
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until all sides blister. (Note: It is good if they turn black as you will peel these thin skins</div>
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off, and the char will give a smoky flavor and you can grill this on the fire if your prefer).<br />
Remove from the broiler and let cool until <span style="font-family: inherit;">lukewarm. Peel the thin skin from each pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and discard.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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2. If using peppers from the jar, drain liquid and place into a small bowl. Cover with cold</div>
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water and soak the peppers, 1 to 2 hours, changing the water frequently to flush out the</div>
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excess salt and vinegar. Drain well.</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. Place walnuts in a large skillet and begin to brown over high heat for about 2 minutes.</div>
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Lower to medium heat and shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning, continue to dryroast the walnuts until dark brown on all sides, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat</div>
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and pour onto a large plate or baking pan to cool completely to room temperature. Set</div>
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aside . cup for the garnish when serving.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
4. Put roasted and peeled peppers, the3 cups of toasted walnuts, garlic cloves, and water into a food processor and pulse to combine.</div>
</span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Add the tomato paste, olive oil, walnut oil, pomegranate syrup, cumin, and fenugreek (if</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">desired) and process until very smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Taste and add the salt (if using freshly roasted peppers) or to taste (if necessary when</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">using the jarred peppers).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Serve at room temperature drizzled with olive or walnut oil, pomegranate syrup and toasted</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">walnuts.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-28231374576726000252012-07-29T17:01:00.001-04:002012-07-30T11:36:10.594-04:00Raw Tuscan Kale Salad<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VqumTweYi_UzqKCCtX6XFqKaFdg6CUyoTGhlZma6YS-xMNE7R9Q4pvTyXHfgyTUf5D2eYJjhDBBmhn3_5X4xJLkxACzSlIet8_cSk51YrOh-wRh-OvjFh2yvboB8gCGuUZ1xs-cj2Xjp/s1600/IMG_0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VqumTweYi_UzqKCCtX6XFqKaFdg6CUyoTGhlZma6YS-xMNE7R9Q4pvTyXHfgyTUf5D2eYJjhDBBmhn3_5X4xJLkxACzSlIet8_cSk51YrOh-wRh-OvjFh2yvboB8gCGuUZ1xs-cj2Xjp/s640/IMG_0273.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I think kale is the quintessential vegetable that leads people to associate it with an organic lifestyle.... if that means meditating, chanting, </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">vegetarianism</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">- it's just all healthy and environmentally friendly. Probably every vegetarian organic restaurant I have ever been to features kale on the menu- and it's no wonder, as it has a strong dose of anti oxidants which has anti cancer properties.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Usually I eat kale steamed with potatoes and create a curry dish tossing some spices and onions together in the pan. However, this past week, my CSA delivered tender kale greens which forms the perfect background layer to this</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> intense salad that is combined with the strong flavored ingredients of dry-roasted slivered </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> almonds, red </span>pepper <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;">flakes, and a simple lemon with olive oil dressing. This has become one of my FAVORITE salads because it has all the things I love in a salad- crunch, cheese and mostly satisfying.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The salad calls for just a handful of ingredients, but they all deliver. Simple, but special- just use fresh and the best. It's a salad I throw together for a light dinner, but also something I can make for friends or family when they come over on the spur. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<i>This recipe has been inspired by Melissa Clark's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/In-Kitchen-Good-Appetite-Recipes/dp/1401323766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343595609&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+Kitchen+with+A+Good+Appetite" target="_blank">In The Kitchen with a Good Appetite</a></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Ingredients</span></b><br />
<blockquote>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> 1 bunch Tuscan kale </i></span></div>
</blockquote>
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.45em;">1/2 garlic clove or 1 garlic scape</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </i><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.45em;">1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch</i><br />
<blockquote>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish</i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish</i></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> 1/2 toasted slivered almonds </i></span><br />
<blockquote>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.45em;"><i>1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div style="line-height: 1.45em; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 45px; width: 450px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Freshly ground black pepper to taste</i></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<b>Directions</b><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25em;">Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.25em;">Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic or garlic scape and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves). Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the toasted slivered almonds, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-25290346436167743282012-06-28T08:31:00.000-04:002012-06-30T10:23:17.864-04:00Roasting Peppers<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">As a married couple, my husband and I often have to delegate jobs to each other. This makes our expectations of each other quite clear. Although once in a while we do things that are out of our "job descriptions." For one... is the cooking. That is generally left to me. Sometimes, my husband wants to cook and I let him, because he is a great cook, but also because he enjoys doing certain tasks in the kitchen that I don't. One of them is roasting peppers. That is his job! The purchasing of peppers, grilling on the fire, cleaning up and peeling is his pleasure. Lucky for me. I sit back and enjoy the ride.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">This post is about roasting peppers. I can tell you, that once you taste these peppers, you will find ways to enjoy them in any dish. Roasting softens the intense flavor of pepper, bringing out their earthy, smoky goodness. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqf2ilkbelZtpd8FgRIivRqjDjm2SvG8McWgtzbtfGvVvs3hWZaDTFTGhmnkzMhV9x7ySn5NAA5zo_76N8FYWbbW4qx0xoSosarHPRiBvoWiSqAKQp1fqiDngTEB1Mz0p70ra4rMcmyGC/s1600/peppers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqf2ilkbelZtpd8FgRIivRqjDjm2SvG8McWgtzbtfGvVvs3hWZaDTFTGhmnkzMhV9x7ySn5NAA5zo_76N8FYWbbW4qx0xoSosarHPRiBvoWiSqAKQp1fqiDngTEB1Mz0p70ra4rMcmyGC/s320/peppers.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: inherit;">
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<div style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-top: 1.5em; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: inherit;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The method here uses an open flame - either from a gas stove or a grill. <span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: inherit;">Roasting peppers until the skins are blistered and black also makes pulling off their skins as easy as peeling off a piece of tin foil. Use fresh, firm peppers for roasting and choose peppers with smooth and unblemished skins.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-decoration: inherit;">Arrange peppers over the gas stove or on a grill.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-decoration: inherit;"> Cook, turning to roast evenly, until skin is blistering and blackened on as much of the peppers as possible. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-decoration: inherit;">If you have a lot of peppers, this can easily be done in batches.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTEOuSJriVrOGv3VFdSeokp5hfw2Z0DUJHU0pTmLamsmnBfKJm-odHZ7-ejQQrkD22T8zk71eRooCcK_VFoFbHgyaZRl42d2Vf2WAPbpPmMCBGDNLGI7jQgswPPT39yyETFG70KaDeoEh/s1600/IMG_1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTEOuSJriVrOGv3VFdSeokp5hfw2Z0DUJHU0pTmLamsmnBfKJm-odHZ7-ejQQrkD22T8zk71eRooCcK_VFoFbHgyaZRl42d2Vf2WAPbpPmMCBGDNLGI7jQgswPPT39yyETFG70KaDeoEh/s320/IMG_1621.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Transfer roasted peppers to a large bowl and cover tightly with aluminum foil, or plastic wrap. Let peppers sit at least 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. This allows the peppers to cool so you won't burn yourself peeling them, continues to soften the peppers, and steams them a bit which helps separate the skin and the flesh of the peppers and makes them easier to peel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Working with one pepper at a time, peel off and discard blackened skin. The skins should come off very easily. You can see my husband, Mervin is gently scathing away at the skin like a surgeon. A fork to hold the pepper in place and a knife to skin.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOLeurG8cInyPJTqlSna06BGSkq5LD0Ux1ZD8a8Uxjy7OuKnmdTo65tCUzCSnNDte2ZAsI5apRi_Yh28JYkCtwBEJS7ibvPJRMR7SXHSHXoDw33mJg_r9vDBchd9bDi_WWPZvlubqgo3b/s1600/IMG_1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOLeurG8cInyPJTqlSna06BGSkq5LD0Ux1ZD8a8Uxjy7OuKnmdTo65tCUzCSnNDte2ZAsI5apRi_Yh28JYkCtwBEJS7ibvPJRMR7SXHSHXoDw33mJg_r9vDBchd9bDi_WWPZvlubqgo3b/s320/IMG_1624.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: inherit;">Continue peeling until all skin is removed. You can now also easily pull out the stem.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswqdiGITJlzJmAn2zvAhJWGsXIOV2FzWzD_w5rWsbwmTsXfhzPvENQg1QsyhjmyJ_DZW8UdNKf4oij5lrbsYn1Oa4fjISjOAlZ4qcwGtyX861EF2I7bLt3l_eq15WzcxTS7xawnE1VvwM/s1600/IMG_1626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswqdiGITJlzJmAn2zvAhJWGsXIOV2FzWzD_w5rWsbwmTsXfhzPvENQg1QsyhjmyJ_DZW8UdNKf4oij5lrbsYn1Oa4fjISjOAlZ4qcwGtyX861EF2I7bLt3l_eq15WzcxTS7xawnE1VvwM/s320/IMG_1626.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Roasted and peeled peppers can now be used in recipes or put in resealable plastic bags and frozen where they will keep up to six months. I use them rather quickly so store there in a glass container with a lid and drench in olive oil.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwoYkXoDbN40PTO0JlRnpl30TibsCRGmE9Rb58RcVdFd2LkPeLOGzK-QMl3heQu7eRccG2_nvCvv4reG0HMInRsvmrWxgqZdqIdJ6i_7q2ne8RLZIkS3WYAo5wtqjTnR9TztzaTglTIGO/s1600/Signature+Dahlia.png" /></span></a></div>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2906008091386475231.post-80211737877994491222012-06-14T08:39:00.002-04:002012-06-14T14:43:53.868-04:00Quinoa and Swiss Chard with Parmesan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79bPsWE7end3N3YPdHMMJ20X0ylYVypaOYehuMsY07ScMZI8LbEq_qd3Gpetlb5z39EijE7e5j3nImFXmVtdzIMDtVy8OOSRQn3t9mQRBiMKSxayAH4DPsTG80VTkV3ZJM9h6ALCTbFwD/s1600/IMG_1591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79bPsWE7end3N3YPdHMMJ20X0ylYVypaOYehuMsY07ScMZI8LbEq_qd3Gpetlb5z39EijE7e5j3nImFXmVtdzIMDtVy8OOSRQn3t9mQRBiMKSxayAH4DPsTG80VTkV3ZJM9h6ALCTbFwD/s640/IMG_1591.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Short of 2 weeks ago, my CSA started up for the season. This is my 4th year hosting the Great Neck, Long Island site (uhmm... that I started- bragging rights). Happy to say that over the years there has been an overwhelming response to the CSA in Great Neck, that it had to spill over to another site close by. Although there is less traffic in my garage, which is where my makeshift CSA is, I at least get to know everyone in my group on a more personal basis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Typical of crops that grow well in the late spring, is the Swiss Chard- which made it's first appearance the first week of the CSA. It contains a lot of fiber, and a host of antioxidant vitamins. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in a fuchsia stem with wide fan-like green leaves. Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"> I decided to cook it with quinoa, which is a complete protein and makes a fulfilling and satisfying dish that could last for a couple of meals. </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">Cremini mushrooms are added, also known as the "younger" portobello mushroom, for a hearty and meaty chew against the nutty quinoa.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serves 4</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1 cup quinoa, rinsed</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1 pound Swiss Chard, stems and leaves cut into 1/2 inch pieces, rinsed well</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Coarse Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Pinch of red pepper flakes</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1 garlic clove, minced</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>2 teaspoons fresh thyme</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Directions</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Meanwhile heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook Swiss Chard, stirring until wilted and tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Add pepper flakes and toss. Transfer to a platter.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the garlic to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring until garlic is slightly golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, and cook stirring occassionally, until they release their juices, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked quinoa; cook to heat, about 1 minute and add thyme. Serve the mushroom-quinoa mixture over the Swiss chard, topped with parmesan.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00238374499739750637noreply@blogger.com0