miércoles, 27 de febrero de 2013

Waiter, there's goat cheese in my burrito!

The first time I saw this recipe it didn't appeal to me at all. Goat cheese and burritos don't seem like they could go together. But the idea grew on me and we gave it a try. Loved it. The tangy cheese is brilliant with the beans and tomatos.

This is a very fast and low maintenance recipe. Other than cooking some rice there's only a bit of chopping and less than 10 minutes of cooking.


I altered the original recipe slightly - I'd say you could get 4-6 nice sized burritos out of this.

Goat Cheese Burritos
adapted from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons

1 tb oil
1 bunch of green onions, washed well and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3 tomatos, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
soft goats cheese (2 or more tb per burrito)
flour tortillas
sour cream
salsa

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the green onions, garlic and cumin to the pan and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Meanwhile in another medium pan, heat the black beans and a couple of tablespoons of water over medium heat until hot. Drain off the water. Add the tomatos to the onion mixture and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the rice.

Spread the goats cheese on the tortillas. Spoon the rice mixture on top of the cheese and top with beans. Add salsa and sour cream if desired. Roll up and dig in.

lunes, 11 de febrero de 2013

Spanish Recipes

Easy to cook spanish recipes pic by pic! Genuine and traditional recipes. Restaurants recomendations and more...

SPROUTS PULAO AND MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA

 

SPROUTS PULAO

I made this for my hubby' lunch box today . I got these recipes from Tarla dalal's website.Both the recipes were given under Protein rich , low calorie , healthy food category. So i chose these recipes for our lunch.I made some slight changes to the actual recipe according to our tastebuds.It was nice & filling too.. Thanks to tarla dalal…About the raita , i should have named this as beetroot raita because the color of beetroot is predominant here. I've added carrots and cucumber to the raita. But its not visible Winking smile.So adding beetroot is purely optional. If u want a nice color , please omit or add less beetroot pieces.Please find the raita recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

  • Sprouted green gram / Sprouted moong – 1/2 cup
  • Carrot – 1 no
  • Rice – 1/2 cup
  • Water – 1.5 cups (adjust if u use basmati )
  • Salt – As needed.

To temper

  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Bayleaf – 1 no
  • Ginger- Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
  • Green chilly – 1 no (chopped finely)
  • Big onion – 1 no (-do-)
  • Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Chilli powder – 1/2tsp
  • Turmeric powder – a pinch
  • Garam masala powder – 1/4 tsp

Lime juice – few drops

Coriander leaves – to garnish

METHOD

  • Heat the pressure cooker base with a tbsp of oil and add all the items given under "to temper" one by one in the same order.
  • When the onion becomes translucent , add the carrot pieces and sprouts. Saute well for a minute. Then add all the powders.
  • Mix well for a few minutes and add the rice.
  • Toss it well. Finally add the water & reqd salt.
  • Pressure cook upto 1 or 2 whistle.
  • Add a zing of lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

ENJOY EATING HOT WITH RAITA !!

MIXED VEGETABLE RAITA

RAITA

INGREDIENTS

  • Cooked carrot and beetroot cubes – 1/2 cup
  • Cucumber pieces - few
  • Fresh curd – 1/2 cup
  • Green chilly – 1/2 no (Chopped finely)
  • Roasted jeera powder – to sprinkle
  • Water – as needed to dilute the curd
  • Salt – as reqd

METHOD

  • Cube cut carrot and beetroot into small pieces.Cook them for 1 whistle adding little water.
  • Mix the fresh cucumber pieces with the cooked vegetables.
  • Add the thick curd , reqd water and salt.( sometimes water may not be needed as the water in the cooked vegetables may be enough)
  • Finally sprinkle the roasted jeera powder..

Serve with parathas and pulao !!

KITCHEN CLINIC

Green gram arose in North-eastern India and there is a long history of its use throughout Asia. Its popularity stems not just from its medicinal and nutritional properties, but also from its adaptability to drought conditions and inferior soils. The nitrogen fixing bacteria in the plant's root help replenish the nitrogen content of the soil, which makes it a valuable inter-crop in rice and sugar cane cultivation.

Nutritional value of Green Gram (Per 100 grams)

Energy : 30 calories
Protein : 3 grams
Carbohydrate : 6 grams
Dietary Fiber : 2 grams
Health benefits

Unlike other pulses, green gram is free of flatulence-causing agents. This makes it an acceptable food for convalescents and pleasant weaning food for babies. The protein is especially rich in the amino acid, lysine, but it is somewhat deficient in sulphur-containing amino acids. The seeds are rich in calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, folate and other B Vitamins. They also contain appreciable amounts of Vitamin C.

Raw seeds are rich in trypsin-inhibitors that block the effects of protein digesting enzymes in the gut. Sprouted green gram has lower amounts of these inhibitors, but the best method to eliminate trypsin inhibitors is boiling. Cooking does not affect the protein profile of this seed.

Food Uses

Green gram's use in creating dishes is widely prevalent all over India. It is eaither used whole or split into dal. Whole green gram is the most popular sprout worldwide. Green gram in its split form is used to make khichdi, dal, barfi, payasam (a sweet dish) and other sweets. Deep fried and salted moong dal (green gram) is a popular Indian snack. Processed green gram is a common soup base, and gram flour is a common ingredient in many fried snacks.

Medicinal Uses

Chinese medicine uses green gram as a remedy for oedema, fever, headache and generalised anxiety, and as a diuretic. It is also a folk remedy for arsenic poisoning and other mineral toxins.

 


Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables recipe

Photo: Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables recipe

The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables Recipe. Enjoy the Arabic Cuisine and  learn how to make Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables.  

Ingredients

For the dough

1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ Cup Warm water
3 Cup Flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs oil

For filling
½ Kilo beef sausage
1 Onion, sliced
1 Cup bell pepper (green, yellow, and red), sliced
Salt and pepper
1 Cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Oats for decoration

Method


 - Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water, leave for 10 minutes or until foamy.
- Combine flour and salt in an electric mixer on low speed.
- Add oil and yeast mixture while constantly mixing for 5 minutes or until soft dough is formed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.
- For filling, fry sausage in a skillet over a medium heat, add onion and pepper and stir for 5 minutes, season with salt, pepper, set aside to cool.
- Divide dough into equal parts; roll on a lightly floured surface and cut into rectangles.
- Fill sausage on one side of the edges, top with mozzarella then roll dough into cylinder
(Seal sides of the dough while rolling). Repeat with remaining quantity.
- Place in a baking tray (sealed side on bottom), spray with water then sprinkle oats.
- Cover and keep in a warm place to rise for another half an hour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes according to bread size, cool and slice before Serving.

More Arabic Food Recipes: 

Toast stuffed with chicken
Cumin pancake with hummus
Red Pepper Hummus with Toasted Pita Triangles
Grilled Veggie Hummus Wrap
Middle Eastern Platter
Harissa lamb & houmous flatbreads 

Save and share Stuffed Bread with Sausage and vegetables recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.


martes, 5 de febrero de 2013

Barbecue Sauce Reviews

barbecue sauce
Right now I have three open bottles of barbecue sauce in my fridge. I received each one as a sample to try. Welcome to the life of a food writer and frequent specialty food reviewer. So here's my feeling about barbecue sauce, the best barbecued meat doesn't need any sauce at all. It's smoky, spicy, tender and succulent (I'll post soon about Franklin Barbecue in Austin and you'll see what I mean). But for those of us who do not live in Texas or have a smoker, barbecue sauce is a great way to add flavor to all kinds of meat. You can cook with it or add it at the table to chicken, ribs, beef, whatever you like really.

I have three bottles so I figured why not compare them in a blind taste test? I cooked some boneless beef short ribs (flanken) very plainly. I like cross cut short ribs because they are flavorful and tasty even without any sauce and don't require a marinade. Flanken is a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, if you can find it. It isn't as tender as steak, but cut thin it is equally delicious cooked rare or well done. Really.

Each of the sauces were good, and each had a different flavor profile but for me and my other taster, my husband, there was one clear favorite.

The first bottle was 1849 bbq sauce (14oz $5). I don't know much about this brand, even how I ended up with it. But I can tell you I like it. If you're wondering why it's called 1849, according to the website, it's because in 1849, the average man ate 6 pounds of meat a day. Unlike the others, it has a strong smoky flavor, though by comparison it does seem a bit sweet. It has both molasses and brown sugar in it. If you like smoke, this is a good choice.

The second bottle was Pendleton mesquite bbq sauce (18oz $6.50). This sauce is more vinegary, so perhaps it would be better for cooking than for using at the table? It's also much thinner and seemed spicier than the others, but I think that may just be the vinegar. Or it could have been the whiskey, one of the more unusual ingredients. While it is called mesquite, and it has 'natural mesquite flavor' listed as one of the ingredients, I didn't get much wood or smoke flavor.

The third bottle was SFQ (the original San Francisco-style barbecue sauce) (8oz $5). What is San Francisco-style bbq? Well the idea is that it includes some signature flavors of San Francisco, namely coffee, chocolate and in a bit of a stretch, red wine in the form of red wine vinegar. This sauce is very complex but well balanced with just a hint of heat. It was the clear favorite when compared with the others and I highly recommend you try it. I have no doubt some serious work went into getting the formula just right because no one flavor dominates, the spice and seasonings all meld together beautifully. I couldn't stop dunking my short ribs into this sauce. I'm convinced it would make just about anything taste good.

So why buy bbq sauce instead of making it? Convenience, plain and simple. It's a great to have on hand for when you have limited time or energy for making sauce from scratch. I sometimes use it to dress up sandwiches too, though having 3 bottles is probably more than anyone needs...Do you have a favorite bbq sauce? Let me know which one you prefer in the comments.

GREEN GRAM RICE UPMA

I made this upma for dinner yesterday. Its a simple one pot meal. It tastes best with sambhar.I add equal amount of rice and green gram dal in this upma. So its very filling and rich in protein. We wanted little mushy . So i added more water.But if u add the quantity of water given below , u'll get the rice grains separate and fluffy..Please use the water according to ur choice.
green gram upma

INGREDIENTS
  • Steamed rice or Raw rice - 1/2 cup
  • Green gram / Pacha payaru - 1/2 cup
  • Water - 1 - 1.25 cups
  • Salt - As needed
To temper
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
  • Channa dal - 1/2tsp
  • Green chilly - 1 no (slit into two)
  • Curry leaves - A few
  • Ginger- 1 inch (cut into pieces)
  • Hing / Asafetida - 3-4 generous pinches

METHOD
  • Heat a kadai and dry roast the rice till it slightly puffs up.
  • In the same kadai add a tsp of oil and roast the green gram until nice aroma arises.It may take 5-8 mins.
  • Now heat 1 tbsp of oil and temper the items given above in the same order.
  • Then add the roasted rice and dal. Add the required water and salt .Transfer everything into a pressure cooker.
  • Add a drop of oil and a pinch of hing .Pressure cook for one whistle.
Delicious upma is ready to serve. I served with AAB sambhar.

KITCHEN CLINIC
GREEN GRAM
The green gram is one of the most wholesome among pulses in India. It is free from the heaviness and tendency to flatulence, which is associated with other pulses.

The green gram forms a very nutritious article of diet. It is consumed in the form of whole dried seeds and in the form of dal prepared by splitting the seeds in a mill. The sprouted mung beans are a highly nutritious food. The beans are soaked overnight, drained and placed in containers in a dark room. They are sprinkled with water every few hours and the sprouts are ready in about three days. One pound of dry beans gives six to eight pounds of sprouts. There is an amazing increase in nutrients in sprouted beans when compared to their dried embryo.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties of Green Gram.

Cooked dal of green gram is a very digestive food for invalid and sick persons. Its regular use during childhood, pregnancy and lactation helps one to get the required nutrition and promote health. It is an aperient i.e. a laxative. when given in large quantities. The soup made from it is the best article of diet after recovery from acute illness.
Applied in the form of powder. it is said to be useful in relieving the heat or burning of the eyes. A poultice of this powder is useful for checking secretion of milk and reducing distention of the mammary glands
  • Fevers :- Water in which green grams arc soaked is an excellent medicine during cholera, measles, chicken-pox, small-pox, typhoid and all types of fevers. It can be given in a small quantity even during acute phase of appendicitis.
  • Beauty-Aid :- Flour of the green gram is an excellent detergent and can be used as a substitute for soap. It removes the dirt and does not cause any skin irritation. Its application over the face bleaches the color and gives good complexion. Black gram flour is also used for washing the hair with green gram paste to lengthen hair and prevent dandruff.

Uses of Green Gram

The dried beans are boiled and are eaten whole or after splitting into dhal. They are parched and ground into flour after removal of the seed-coat. This flour is used in various Indian and Chinese dishes. The green pods are eaten as a vegetable. In China and the United States it is used for bean sprouts.

Green Gram (Whole dried Seeds)*

Food Value
Minerals and Vitamins
Moisture - 10.4% Calcium - 124 mg
Protein - 24.0% Phosphorus - 326 mg
Fat - 1.3% Iron - 7.3mg
Fibre - 4.1% Small amount of Vitamin B Complex
Minerals - 3.5% Carbohydrates - 56.7% Calorific Value - 334
*Values per 100 gm's edible portion


Cauliflower cheese with parmesan and almonds


They had some really nice cauliflowers in the greengrocer the other day which prompted me to make this cauliflower cheese with a twist. My husband isn't mad about cooked cheese anyway so I decided to cut the amount of cheese and top it with flaked almonds which I reckoned would go well with cauliflower. (They really do). I think some chopped ham would be nice too if you want to make it more substantial.

The main thing is to use a strong, dryish cheese so you don't have to use too much and can keep the flavour and texture light. I used some mature Old Winchester which I happened to have after a cheese festival but you're probably more likely to have parmesan which would be fine. (Frugal cooking is, of course, about using what's in the fridge.)

Serves 2-3 as a supper dish, 4-6 as a vegetable

1 medium-sized cauliflower
30g butter
25g plain flour
350-400ml semi-skimmed milk
25-30g mature Pamesan or Grana Padano or 50g strong hard cheese like Old Winchester, Comté or Cheddar, grated
2 tbsp light cooking oil
50g flaked almonds
Salt and white pepper

Cut the outside leaves off the cauliflower but keep any tender, inner leaves. Cut the florets off the stalk and divide them into even sized clusters. Steam or boil the florets and inner leaves until just tender (about 6-7 minutes), drain and tip into a shallow buttered baking dish.

Melt the butter gently in a small non-stick saucepan, stir in the flour and cook over a low heat for about 30 seconds. Take the pan off the heat and gradually add the milk bit by bit, stirring between each addition. When you've added half the milk you can pour most of the rest of the milk in one go, holding back a little to see if you need it.

Bring the sauce to the boil, turn the heat right down and simmer for 5 minutes until thick and smooth. Take off the heat and add most of the cheese. You should be able to taste the cheese but it shouldn't be overwhelmingly cheesy. Add more if you like then season with salt and white pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick add the remaining milk or a couple of spoonfuls of the water you've used for cooking the cauliflower. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower florets.

Preheat the grill to a medium setting. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the flaked almonds over a low to moderate heat until they begin to colour then sprinkle them over the cauliflower. Place the dish under the grill (not too near the heat) until the almonds are light brown and the sauce starts to bubble.

Do you have any favourite additions to cauliflower cheese or do you prefer the classic version?