Beet full meal ideas- Series 1: Beet Oatmeal,Beet Pancakes,Beet Parathas and Beet Pasta

How often do you eat beets?I bought this bunch of beets after I don't know how many months.Often times we avoid beets because of the mess it creates or out of ideas to use them in our daily meals.What ever might be the reason,think again,this gorgeous vegetable of the Mediterranean origin is considered a powerhouse of nutrition from root to its leaves.Raw beet juice is said to be good for treating some form of cancers.The good source of folate can prevent birth defects in pregnant women.The leaves are next only to spinach in its nutrition.
Not very practical to eat them raw,but there are numerous ways to incorporate this wonder veggie in your daily meals.In the Series 1 are the recipes with Beet Puree,which are sure to change your perspective about cooking with beets.

How to cook beets?
Stove Top Method
Rinse the beets under cold water.Transfer them to pot or pressure cooker,fill in water until all the beets are completely immersed.Cover and cook on medium heat,takes about 40-45 minutes in a pot and 20-25 minutes in a pressure cooker to be fork tender. Drain all the water,peel ,slice and serve in salads or soups .Or add 1/2 a cup of water and puree in a blender,can be used in gravies,baking breads,muffins or in parathas(flatbread) and pancakes.
Conventional Oven Method
Preheat Oven to 400F. Lay beets on a sheet lined with aluminum foil and coat with little olive oil and let bake for about 35-40 minutes until tender. Let cool for 10 minutes then peel and chop or slice.


Beet Pancakes with Pomegranate Syrup

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1 cup Reduced fat milk or soy milk
1/4 cup beet puree
1/4 cup dried cherries or raisins,chopped
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Makes about 15 pancakes.

For Pomegranate syrup
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Method
Make the syrup by reducing the juice with sugar until half its original quantity.

sift together the flour, baking powder,baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.Add in the puree,milk and combine well using a whisk until smooth free of lumps.
Heat non stick pan on medium flame. Grease it lightly with oil . Pour one ladle of batter drizzle about a little oil all over and wait for a minute before flipping and let it cook for another minute.Repeat the same for the rest of the batter.Stack the pancakes and drizzle the syrup and enjoy!



Beet Oatmeal

I usually serve this to my toddler,but really any body who loves to start the day with a bowl of oatmeal should try flavoring with beets,for added nutrition.

Ingredients
1 cup oats ,quick cooking or original
1 tablespoon Beet puree
1 1/2 cup water or Organic reduced fat milk or soy milk
1 teaspoon maple syrup(optional)
A handful of any preferred dry fruits and nuts.

Method
Bring the water or milk to boil in a small saucepan,add the oats,cook as per the package instructions.When cooked ,turn off the heat,mix in the beet puree and serve with a drizzle of honey and sprinkle of dry or fresh fruits and nuts.


Beet Parathas

I got this brilliant idea of adding beets in parathas from Dershana's recipe,a delightful nourishing variation for a family that eats parathas for 2 meals of the day.
Ingredients
2 cups Whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon Beet Pure
1 tablespoon milled flax seed
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil(EVOO)
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 cup water

Method
Prepare the dough:Add all the dry ingredients in mixing bowl,combine them. Make a well in the middle pour in the water ,beet puree and oil. Mix until the dough is smooth ,knead for couple of minutes and let rest for about 10minutes before rolling in to parathas.
Rolling and Roasting the Paratha:Divide the dough in to about 10-12 portions and roll in to balls. Sprinkle a little flour(I prefer All purpose flour) on the rolling surface. Use a rolling pin to roll them in to round parathas.See here for a pictorial paratha recipe.
Preheat an iron pan(Tava) or non stick pan at medium high flame. Roast the parathas flip once and spread little bit of oil and flip again after few seconds. For softer parathas use a spatula or a kitchen towel to lightly press and roll them around the pan. Parathas are ready to serve when slightly brown on both sides. A curry in a hurry is perfect with these parathas.


Beet Almond Lemon Pasta

How could I resist the pretty in pink pasta recipe of another Healthnut, Bharti.The zesty pasta became instant favorite of my boys.The elder one was a little reluctant,the big guy knows pink is meant to be for girls,but after having a bite quickly changed his mind in favor of this pink food.
I excluded dairy from the recipe and used almonds instead.

Ingredients
1/2 a pound Whole grain Penne pasta,use any kind
1/2 a medium onion,finely chopped
1 big clove garlic,minced
1/2 a cup Beet puree
1/4 cup roasted Almonds,coarsely ground or processed
2 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed
1 teaspoon lemon zest.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or red chilly powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley,finely chopped.

Method
Cook the pasta as per the package instructions.

Heat the oil on medium heat,add the onions,saute for 3-4 minutes until lightly brown,add the garlic ,saute another minute.Add the almonds,beet puree,salt and the pepper,stir in 2 tablespoons of water allow the mixture to warm up ,then mix in the cooked pasta.Finally add in the herbs,lemon juice and the zest ,combine well and serve.


This pink series of foods are off to Food In Colors,a food event started by talented Sunshinemom.Hosting the pretty pink is Priya of Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes

Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash Soup.Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging #175

I'm delighted to be hosting this week, Weekend Herb Blogging,one of my favorite food events. Started by Kalyn and now conducted by Halo,WHB is now in its 4th successful year of showcasing every week ,food prepared using unique herbs,fruits and vegetables by bloggers around the world.


Lets make the rules for Weekend Herb Blogging clear:

1. Entries to Weekend Herb Blogging must be posts written specifically for Weekend Herb Blogging. This means they cannot be cross-posted in other events. Photos used in the posts however can be submitted to photo events like DMBLGIT.

2. Weekend Herb Blogging entries should have the goal of helping people learn about cooking with herbs or plant ingredients.

Only two types of entries will be accepted:
* Recipe posts where a herb or plant ingredient is one of the primary ingredients in the recipe
* Informative posts that spotlight one herb or plant ingredient, particularly including information about how they are used in cooking.
Naturally, posts can be a combination of both these criteria.

For the first time participants ,here are some clarifications in Kalyn's own words :
What does "one of the primary ingredients in the recipe" mean?
This means the dish could not be made without that herb or unusual plant ingredient. For example, chicken with sage cream sauce would be great; grilled chicken with parsley sprinkled on would not be okay.

What does "unusual plant ingredient" mean?
I realize that what's unusual varies greatly in different parts of the world, and I'm not saying people need to seek out something no one has ever heard of each week. Participants can certainly spotlight any ingredient that's unusual to them (for example I've never cooked with fennel, although it's not unusual to some people.) Unusual fruits and vegetables or spices are certainly welcome. It's my hope that this restriction will eliminate plant ingredients that are so ordinary no one is really interested in hearing about them.

3. Posts must contain the phrase Weekend Herb Blogging with a link to this post and to this page.

4. Mail me your entries at YasmeenHealthnut[at]gmail[dot]com with WHB in the subject line between March 16th to March 22th by:
3pm Sunday - Utah Time
10pm Sunday - London Time
9am Monday - Melbourne (Aus) Time
You can use this converter to find out the corresponding time in your location.

5. In email please include the following information:

* Your Name
* Your Blog Name/URL
* Your Post URL
* Your Location
* Attach a photo Minimum 350px wide

Recap will hopefully be posted on Monday.If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me at YasmeenHealthnut[at]gmail[dot]com. Check the archives to get the picture of some unique recipes.
Heat up your kitchens ,I Hope to see unique and refreshing entries from all the enthusiastic foodies.

Following recipe is my entry for WHB #175.
Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Acorn Squash belong to Winter Squash family,don't be mistaken by its name,these kind of squash are harvested in Fall and available year-round.With a long shelf life of 2-3 months,these squashes can be incredibly hard to peel and an easy way to cook them is to roast them.Using fresh herbs and spices while roasting is an added nutrition and flavor to these vitamin-rich squash.
Soup is got to be one the delightful dishes with the acorn squash.I stuffed the squash with spicy Onion tomato and herbs gravy and roasted it for a savory soup that makes a warm start of any meal.

Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash,washed
1/2 a medium onion,chopped
1 big Plum tomato,finely chopped
1 big clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder\Cayenne pepper
1/2 a teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon Cilantro\Coriander,finely chopped
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 cup water or vegetable Stock

Method
Prepare the filling
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat,add onions and saute until lightly brown about 3-4 minutes,add the garlic ,saute for another minute before adding in the spices ,herbs and tomatoes.Cover and let cook about 5 minutes ,until tomatoes are tender.Now add a cup of water or vegetable stock and simmer for a minute.

Bake
Preheat oven to 400F(205C). Slice the top section of the squash ,clear the cavities of all the seeds(Don't throw them,toasted seeds are great for snacking) and threads.Set the squash on a baking sheet,pour in the filling and cover with the top.Let bake for about 50-60 minutes ,or until its soft to touch from outside.Also visible in the picture are the fingerling potatoes I baked along side the squash.

Blend
When cool enough to handle,pour back the filling in to the blender along with all scooped out pulp of the squash.Blend until smooth and return the soup in to the saucepan and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.Serve warm,topped with croutons.


Variation
If desired blend in a cup of cooked lentils(like Toor or Yellow Mung) puree for a smoother and even more nutritious soup.

Left Overs
The left over of this soup is great for making parathas(flat bread),just mix in a cup of left over soup in the wheat flour while making the dough ,for a wholesome spicy parathas.Or use as in a gravy with meat or vegetables.

Tried and Tasted Tasty Palettes : Chilled Avocado Soup

The creamy Chilled Avocado soup ,courtesy of Suganya of Tasty Palettes ,has a decent amount of Mono saturated(AKA good kind of fat) in every ounce.Suganya describes this as "darn addictive ",undoubtedly this velvety soup in now in my treasured list of Avocado recipes.

Ingredients
2 Ripe Avocados,Peeled and cubed.(see how to to cut them)
1/2 a medium onion,chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 big clove Garlic,finely chopped
1/2 cup Broccoli ,finely chopped. Or use Frozen fava beans or peas
2 small green chili,seeded and chopped
1/4 cup Cilantro\Coriander ,finely chopped
3/4 cup fat free Plain yogurt
1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 black pepper,freshly ground
1/2 a cup water,little more for thinner soup.
1 tablespoon lemon\lime juice,freshly squeezed

Method
Heat the oil on medium heat,add the cumin seeds and onion saute for a minute until translucent then add the garlic saute until aromatic ,about 30 seconds.Add the veggies season with salt and pepper,cover and cook on low heat until tender about 5 minutes.Turn the heat off,let cool about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile peel and chop avocados,squeeze the lime juice over to prevent oxidation.When Veggie mixture is cool,stir in the yogurt,avocados and cilantro,blend until smooth along water.Let the soup cool in the refrigerator for half an hour,then serve cold with toasted bread or crackers.

This enjoyable soup has been Tried and Tasted ,for a food event started by Zu of Zlamuska's Spicy Kitchen.Hosting this month is Sweatha of Tasty Curry Leaf for awe inspiring Suganya's Tasty palettes blog.

Chocolate Sweet Potatoes Marble Bundt Cake

The sumptuous chocolate cake with the hidden nutritional benefit of sweet potatoes was a fitting treat to celebrate our little one's second birthday.In just one year ,the apple of my eye has grown from being a crawling baby to a jumping ever so naughty toddler.Though just beginning in his vocal skills , babbling pretty much ,except for few simple words,my most loved one being thaan chu(for thank you);he has excelled in delighting himself with his explorations around the house,kitchen in particular is his favorite territory.Very often he sneaks in to the kitchen looking for reachable sweet munchies or grab some of his favorite pot and pans for a kitchen Orchestra.
As one would expect from a Health Nut Mom,I'm concerned about his big sweet tooth and prefer giving naturally sweet foods like fruits and dry fruits ,and almost never buy candies or chocolate treats.Thankfully besides chocolate the little guy absolutely loves fruits.
However I do allow occasional homemade goodies made with chocolate.And What's birthday without chocolate?Nothing quite says Happy birthday like Chocolate.The nutritional sweet potatoes add a silky moist texture to the cake and its mild flavors let this cake be predominately chocolate flavored.
This is a lofty cake rightly suited for feeding a crowd.But one can even make the same cake in a regular baking pan or a loaf pan,adjust the quantities proportionately.

Ingredients
For Chocolate layer
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Organic eggs
2 tablespoon Fat free Sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar or use a natural sweetener like agave
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoon(1/2 cup)Organic butter,melted and cooled,divided
1/2 cup reduced fat Organic milk

For Sweet Potato layer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
1 1\2 cup Sweet potato puree(1 whole medium size sweet potato),see how to cook sweet potatoes.
2 tablespoon Fat free Sour cream
2 Organic eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar or use a natural sweetener like agave
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoon(1/2 cup)Organic butter,melted and cooled
1/2 cup reduced fat Organic milk


Method
Preheat oven to 350F.Prepare the Bundt pan,first butter then dust with all purpose flour,tap out any excess flour.

Prepare the Chocolate ganache for the Chocolate layer
Melt 2 tablespoon of butter and the semisweet chocolate chips in a bowl(glass or steel) placed over saucepan with gently simmering water(double broiler).Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth.Set the bowl aside.

Prepare chocolate Layer
Sift all the dry ingredients(flours and powders) in large mixing bowl.
In another mixing bowl whisk together melted butter and sugar ,Crack the eggs and whisk then add the prepared chocolate ganache, stir in milk ,sour cream and combine until mixture comes together. Now add the dry mixture slowly in to the wet mixture while stirring it.

Prepare the Sweet Potato Layer
Repeat the same.Sift all the dry ingredients(flours and powders) in large mixing bowl.In another mixing bowl whisk together melted butter and sugar ,Crack the eggs and whisk then add the sweet potato, stir in milk ,sour cream and combine until mixture comes together. Now add the dry mixture slowly in to the wet mixture while stirring it.

Bake
For marble pattern,add spoonful of sweet potato and chocolate mixture alternately. Then make a swirl pattern using a table knife through the batter to marble them.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.Cool on rack for 30 minutes before trying to unmold it.Cool,slice and serve.Prepare extra chocolate ganache and drizzle on the cake,if desired.

Caribbean-style Kabobs with Rice and Beans

During my weekly shopping at Costco,the gorgeous Caribbean Pineapple and Tart Champagne mangoes caught my eye.Straight from sunny Islands these tropical fruits are in full bloom in stores here.The weather here still pretty much cold with on-n-off cold-n-warm spells,the warming tropical fruits like such are the best taste of the sunny side of world.

The sun-soaked scenic Caribbean Islands,is home to hottest peppers and bountiful tropical fruits and a spicy fusion cuisine of mostly African, Spanish and Indian flavors.Speaking of hot peppers,having tasted some really hot peppers
from South India,the Caribbean hot peppers Scotch Bonnet and Harbanero (falling in the range of hottest peppers in the world) are true delights for hot chili enthusiasts,just one or two are enough to add fieriness to the meal.

My Caribbean platter includes chicken kabobs with the Caribbean Jerk seasoning(blend of hot peppers and spices),tropical fruit kabobs with sweet and tart flavors of Pineapple and mangoes along side the classic Caribbean Rice and beans.To add an extra layer of fruit ,top with Sassy Pine apple mango salsa ,the recipe coming up in another post.
Jerk Seasoning
A traditional spicy hot blend of peppers and spices,the quintessential taste of Caribbean cuisine,in particular Jamaican cooking.The seasoning is used for curing meat, poultry or fish and then slowly grilling over wood fire.This smoking method was originally used for preserving the meat.Choose between the store-bought dry Jerk seasoning or fresh homemade marinade as in my following recipe.

To find a treasure of authentic Caribbean meals ,explore Cynthia's Taste like home. And join in the Meeta's Monthly Mingle ,featuring Caribbean cooking this month.

Caribbean-style Kabobs
Chicken Kabobs with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut in square 1 inch pieces
1 medium bell pepper,Red or Green or Yellow,cut into squares

For Jerk Marinade
2 Scotch Bonnet or Harbanero Peppers,seed it for easing some heat and chop.
1 clove garlic,peeled and chopped
1 medium onion,chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Orange Juice
1 tablespoon thyme,dried or fresh
1 teaspoon all spice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice,freshly squeezed.
2 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil or vegetable oil


4 bamboo skewers,soaked in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning.

Method
Blend all the marinade ingredients.Mix the marinade with the chicken and vegetables ,marinate for an hour.Thread them on skewers with chicken,peppers and onions alternately on each.
In Broiler
Preheat the Broiler.Place the skewers on a baking sheet,transfer in the oven and let bake for 7 minutes,turn once and allow to bake for another 5 minutes.Serve warm.
On Grill
Heat your grill or grill pan on medium high heat.Placed the skewers
on heated grill,cook for about 6-8 minutes on both sides. Serve warm.

Mango Pineapple Kabobs

Ingredients
1/2 a medium pineapple,peeled,cored and cubed
1 mango(Tart Champagne Mangoes),peeled ,seeded and cubed
1/2 teaspoon spice mix,blend of cumin,cinnamon and nutmeg
3 bamboo skewers(10 inch long)

Method
Mix all the ingredients and marinate for 10 minutes.Thread them on skewers with Pineapple and mango alternately on each.Broil or grill like the chicken kabobs,about 3 minutes on each side.Serve.

Caribbean Rice and Beans


Ingredients
2 cups White rice
1 cup Red kidney beans,cooked
1 medium onion,chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 hot pepper , scotch bonnet or harbanero,seeded and finely chopped.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water or vegetable broth.

Method
Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat.Saute onions until translucent about a minute,add garlic and hot peppers saute for few seconds, then add beans and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the rice to the beans, then stir in stock and coconut milk,season with salt and pepper, reduce heat,cover and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes.Allow to sit for ten minutes,fluff the rice with a fork then serve.

A word of caution while handling hot peppers
For particularly sensitive hands use gloves while seeding and chopping hot peppers or wash hands thoroughly to rinse away the essential hots oils of the pepper which can cause burning sensation.

Capsaicin,the heat of the Peppers
Capsaicin has many curative benefits such as lowering blood pressure,reducing sinus inflammation , promoting good blood circulation and also helps in burning unwanted fat .While not ever one has the same tolerance for capsaicin,an overdose can result in upset stomach or diarrhea.A cup of cold milk can help relief the lingering heart burn after eating spicy peppers.

An Update: Made for Each other Food Event

The Strawberry Cobbler with Orange-Carrot Frozen yogurt is the winner of Made for Each other Food event,which invited the recipes with foods that make a lovable combo.Here are the lovely entries.Thanks to Rathna for the exciting food event:).

Archives : February 2009

February 28Flourless Chocolate Cup cakes with No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

February 26Sweet Potato Pie with Caramelized Nut topping

February 25Cauliflower rice :Brown or White?

February 24Orange Carrot Salad with Orange Blossom Water

February 23Fennel Tea(Saunf Chai)

February 20Investigating Trans fats.Margarine or Butter or Shortening? which is worse?.And Spiced-up Mini Peach Tarts

February 18Super Grain,Green Freekah Vegetable Pilaf

February 16Artichoke Hearts and Pimento Olive Pasta

February 13Strawberry Cobbler with Orange Frozen Yogurt.SweetHeart Award

February 12Pomegranate Tabbouleh :A Blogger Aid Cook Book Entry

February 10Almond Cocoa with Homemade Almond Milk(100% dairy free).Cow's milk Versus Almond Milk

February 7Methi Masala Roti(Fenugreet spice Flat Bread) with Lasun(Garlic) chutney

February 4Strawberry milkshake with Homemade strawberry syrup

February 2Saffron Orange Basundi

February 1Hachapuri With Olives Garlic Green Mung Stew

Almond Stuffed Dates

Dates
Abundant in the Middle East,sometimes referred as "Bread of the dessert" ,Dates are a bundle of nutrition.Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) recommended them as ideal food to break the fast ,for its has just the needed nutrition which our body needs after long hours of fasting in Ramadan.The Sweet dates were in fact the only fruit ,Maryam(May Allah be pleased with her),the mother of Prophet Jesus(peace be upon him) had taken to rejuvenate herself after the exhaustion of labor and delivery.The fruit also has stimulants that strengthen the muscles of the uterus, which helps with dilation at the time of delivery and reduces the bleeding after delivery.They are also beneficial for the new born babies,as it enriches the mother's milk.

Almond Stuffed Dates

On visit to Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah,the travelers never miss buying the the sweet dates of Madinah stuffed with whole almonds,a perfect gift for family back home.I was fortunate to get this delightful gift on many occasions.

The sweetness of dates pair perfectly with the bland nuts. Almonds are my most favored nuts,I've learned so much about its nutrition benefits ,that's it clearly one of the best nuts. For long I just knew of using them in gravy ,breads or tossed in to salads,then most recently the almond milk .Since I frequently make the almond milk,and always have to find ways to use its pulp leftover after straining out the milk.Stuffing the dates with this left over almond pulp turned out to a perfect dessert.Extra flavor from saffron and roasted pistachios enhances sumptuousness of the dessert,soon to become one my favorite simple sweet treats.

(Recipe adapted from myrecipes
Ingredients
12 Medjool dates ,lengthwise slit and pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup milk
pinch of saffron strands
1/4 cup roasted pistachios,coarsely ground.

Method
Soak the almonds over night in clean cold water.Next morning skin them and grind to a fine paste,add about 2 tablespoon of water to make the paste.
Warm the milk in a small saucepan,stir in the saffron and the almond paste,cook on low heat until mixture is dry.When all dry,mix in the pistachios,reserve a tablespoon to sprinkle later.When cool enough to handle,stuff about a teaspoon full of mixture in each of the dates.Sprinkle with reserved pistachios and serve.

The Almond stuffed dates are my entry for Weekend Wokking : Almonds,host of the month is Darlene of Blazing hot wok.