Ramadan Kareem!:Joy from Fasting to Feasting(Season II)

RAMADAN KAREEM to all the viewers fasting this blessed month of Ramadan.
Celebrate the spirit of Ramadan ,join me and my good friend Lubna at Kitchen Flavours for Season II of Joy from Fasting to Feasting.Share your experiences ,hopes ,aspirations and perspectives this Ramadan besides the good food prepared for the Suhoor and Iftar meals.Find more details here at Lubna's announcement.



Thanks Lubna for your efforts.Take a peek in to the previous Ramadan entries .

Lovely Ladies who have joining in the Season II are :

Aysha - Life Today

Faiza - Faiza Ali's Kitchen

Fitri - Rumah Manis

Lubna - Yummy Food

MamaFami - Mamafami's Spice and Splendour

Mona - Zaiqa

Muneeba - An Edible Symphony

Noor - Ya Salam Cooking

Retno - Kedai Hamburg

Shab - Shab's Cuisine

Shaista - MixCalculations

Shifa - Sugar And Spice

Umbelbanat - أم البنات

Health Nut

Zainab and Meedo - Arabic Bites

Vegan(and Vegetarian) French Onion Soup in a Home made Bread Bowl

I was always fascinated by the soups and stews served in the adorable bread bowls.Looks challenging but If you can bake a bread then these are unbelivebly simple to make.Vegan French onion soup is the simplest soup to serve in these bowls.It so happened I had to empty the pantry of onions and flour the day before moving to Columbus,the soup in bread bowl seemed perfect to use them up.With no cheese in the fridge and no time for shopping for any, I made it all vegan,Mr.health nut couldn't be more happy(he is always grateful to skip cheese).


Recipe :Vegan French Onion Soup
Adapted from Suite101.com.The original recipe uses tahini and miso(soy paste) as a substitute for cheese.Again I didn't have those in stock and are missing in my recipe.
Ingredients
2 large or 4 medium onions,finely chopped
4 cups of vegetable stock\broth
2 cloves garlic,minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper,freshly ground
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch or all purpose flour
Method
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until lightly brown.add the garlic and saute another minute or two.Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes on medium-low heat until onions are tender,stir occasionally.Add the sauce ,pepper and vegetable broth,bring to a slow boil.
Mix the cornstarch in tablespoon of water and add to the boiling onion mixture,keep stirring to prevent lumps.simmer for about 3-4 minutes.Serve in soup bowls with crusty bread or make you own bread bowl as follows.

Vegetarian Variation :
Sprinkle some Swiss cheese or Gruyere over the soup bowls and melt under the broiler for 2-3 minutes and serve.

Recipe : Bread Bowl
One can skip the Bake again part, I baked the second time for a more crusty texture to the bowls.Method adapted from ehow.
Makes 2 medium bread bowls
Ingredients
1 cup 100% whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 pack(1 1/2 teaspoon) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup warm water,little more if needed

Method
Prepare the dough
Dissolve the yeast in warm water, stir in the sugar and allow the yeast to get frothy, about 10 minutes.In a large bowl combine the flours, salt and oil. Add the yeast mixture and knead until well combined and smooth.Apply some more oil on the sides of the bowl cover and allow to rise until double it size about 2-3 hours.
Bake
Preheat oven to 400F.
Punch down the air from the dough.Knead for a minute.Then divide the dough in to 2 equal portions.Shape in to a round shape about 5 centimeters in diameter and place on a greased baking sheet,cover with a kitchen towel and proof for another hour by allowing to rise one last time before baking.
Vegans can skip this
brush the dough with a table spoon of egg wash(mixture of egg and water) evenly all over.

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden brown and sounds hallow when tapped.Cool for at least 15-20 before slicing off the top of each of the bread roll with a serrated knife.


Bake again

After cutting off the top,scoop out the some of the insides of the bread,carefully not to remove too much or the bread bowl might leak.These can be used as a dip in the soup.
Bake again at 350F for 5-6 minutes until the bread bowl is slightly toasted.Now transfer them on to serving plate.Ladle the warm onion soup until 3/4th full,garnish with herbs or if topping with cheese melt under the broiler for 3-4 minutes and serve.


The pictures were taken in a jiffy with all the moving chaos at home,almost thought of skipping the photo session and get straight to eating them.But since this is so apt for The Click Click - Allium,glad I could spare few minutes.
My first attempt at bread bowls these are also my entry for BBD #23:Something you have never made before and Susan's Yeast Spotting,hosted this week by Macheesmo.

Fiery Habañero and Grilled Sweet Corn Salad

Boxes Boxes everywhere,setting up a new home is quite a daunting task.Heat hitting its peak in Columbus(Ohio) added to the exhaustion.We have been surviving on bread & jam and maggie instant noodles for quite some time now. Thankfully with all the belongings reaching us safe and sound and most of unpacking done, I can resume cooking and squeeze in some time for blogging.My experimental cooking still needs to wait,here is a hot and sweet salad I made couple of weeks back before the move.


The little morsel of extreme heat - Habañero

Habaneros are one of the worlds hottest peppers,just one or two is enough to impart the fieriness to any food.Peppers are high in Vitamin C and is known to reduce blood pressure,cholesterol, prevent stomach cancers and boost immunity.Use just as much needed as per the heat tolerance.For the salad if one whole habanero to too hot for your taste,use just half or quarter and make sure all the seeds(where most heat is),are carefully removed.The heat from the hot chili peppers is pleasingly balanced by the mild sweetness of the corn.Grill the corn for a wonderful smoky flavor.


Recipe : Habañero Grilled Sweet corn Salad
Serves 2


Ingredients
2 Sweet Corn,peeled and cleaned of the silk
1 cup purple cabbage,thinly sliced(or use purple onion)
1 Habañero Chili, seeded and cleaned of the white inner skin(or use Jalapeño or serranos for lesser heat)
1 tablespoon fresh mint,finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed
1/8 of a teaspoon black pepper or ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Method
Grill the corn
Place the corn on the cob directly on the grill over high heat. Grill the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes, rotating the corn as needed to keep it from getting charred too much on one side.
Remove Corn off the cob
when done cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.Use a sharp knife and big bowl to catch the kernels. Hold the corn cob straight up in the bowl and cut about three kernels at a time. Rotate the cob until all of the kernels are removed. Transfer in the salad bowl. mix the purple cabbage.
Dress
Prepare the dressing by whisking together oil,peppers and other spices,drizzle over the salad mixture ,toss to mix.Serve.I used the outer leaves of the purple cabbage for the serving bowl,neat isn't it?


The salad is my entry for No Croutons Required : Peppers over at Jacqueline's Blog.

Ramadan Special :Suhoor and Iftar meal.

The most awaited holy fasting month of Ramadan starts in about 2 weeks.To survive the long fasting hours in summer ,when there is absolutely no room for junk food,its essential to feed the body with a balanced meal for the 2 important meals of the day.The fasting etiquette and diet plan should be helpful in planning your meals for Ramadan.

Suhoor(Pre-dawn) meal
Simple and wholesome early morning meal with Lamb Shorba ,Parathas\Roti, Okra and fruits.To get this meal to the table for Suhoor, requires prep work the night before,I make the shorba and Okra curry the night before and keep the dough of parathas ready to roll and roast for the morning.Those prone to UTI(Urinary Tract Infection) should avoid any caffeinated drink like tea or coffee,a glass of milk is my choice of drink.A banana or apple or some toasted nuts should make the meal complete.

Recipe :Lamb Shorba.
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 lb lamb or goat with bones,fat trimmed
1/2 cup fresh herbs cilantro and mint, chopped
2 medium onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste(use fresh minced for best flavor)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala powder(ground cumin,coriander,cloves and cinnamon mix)
2 tablespoon fresh herbs like mint or cilantro,finely chopped
2 green chillies,chopped(optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil or vegetable oil

Method
Heat a skillet or a pressure cooker on medium high flame. Add oil ,chopped onions and cumin seeds. Saute until lightly brown ,for about 8-10 minutes and add the garlic and ginger paste, Now add the lamb ,turmeric ,garam masala ,herbs,chillies,salt and chili powder.Saute for a minute on high flame,then add 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for 2 hours on medium-low flame or in a pressure cooker for 30-35 minutes,until lamb is tender and falls off the bones,serve warm with Parathas\roti.


Iftar(post-dusk)meal

At the end of the day when body is running low in sugar and energy,the ideal nourishing food is Dates.Was also the Sunnah(tradition) of the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) to eat dates and water for Iftar.


Whole fruits can also be good for breaking the fast.


For dinner - Lentils and Broken Wheat Soup ,Whole grain rolls,fruits and cooling falooda.

Recipe :Lentils Broken Wheat Soup
Serves 2
Ingredients
1/2 cup Brown Lentils
1 cup broken wheat(Dalia)
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder(ground cumin,coriander,cloves and cinnamon mix)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds(Zeera)
1 small onion,finely chopped
1 medium tomato,finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste,or freshly minced ginger and garlic
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed
2 tablespoon fresh herbs cilantro or mint,chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Wash and Soak lentils and broken wheat for 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker or skillet with lid,add the onions,cumin seeds and whole spices.Mix in the ginger and garlic when onions turn lightly brown,add the chopped tomatoes,rest of the spices ,saute for a minute.
Drain all the water from the soaking lentils and broken wheat,add to the cooking mixture,saute for 2-3 minutes,before adding 3 cups of water and season with salt.Cover and cook until lentils are tender ,about 10-12 minutes on medium high heat in a pressure cooker or 30-40 minutes in a skillet.Uncover and stir and simmer for another minute ,add chopped herbs and serve warm with whole grain dinner rolls.



Meat Variation:
Add some minced meat(beef or lamb) if desired.

Some Ramadan Favorite posted previously:
Almond Stuffed Dates
Haleem(Spicy Meat Wheat Porridge)
Harees(spicy Chicken Broken wheat Porridge)
Dahi Vade\Bade(Lentils Balls in Yogurt
Okra Fritters

Join in Mona's Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival for more Ramadan Favorites.


Kreativ Blogger Award
My heartfelt thanks to Parita,Ann,Shri,Ammu,Smitha,Humaira and Aquadaze for passing me the Kreativ Blogger Award.I've already done the 7 meme.I'm passing this to all the creative bloggers(too many to list)

Good-bye Cleveland! Hello Columbus!
Next week is our big move to Columbus(Ohio).A new city and new hopes .I'll be away from blogsphere just for a week(or two).Hope you all don't miss me much.Wish to be back as soon I get settled in the new place :D

Juicy and Nutty:Watermelon-Strawberry-Almond Salad

I'm a disaster at selecting water melons.The ones I pick always turn out to be either unripe or not so juicy.How do you select a perfect water melon,one that's ripe red and juicy?Here is a simple tip from Mr.HealthNut- a melon that's heavy,with nice and green sheen and a yellowish-white spot at the bottom.We never miss buying them every week in summer,He is more of an expert than me when it comes to picking the right melon.He finds them the most rejuvenating food after the workouts,I totally agree.

The sweet water melon and strawberries with mint and nutty almonds make a refreshing salad for the sweltering hot days.Not mention the salad is loaded with much needed anti-oxidants.

Recipe
Ingredients
Quarter of a large water melon ,rind removed and cubed
1/2 pint strawberries,hulled and quartered
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 cup Romain lettuce,chopped

For dressing
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice,freshly squeezed
1/2 teaspoon pepper,freshly ground
1 tablespoon fresh mint,chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
Prepare the dressing,whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.Pour over melon,berries and almonds in large salad bowl.Gently toss to mix.Keep cool in fridge until its time to serve.



The thirst-quenching Melon salad is off to Meeta's Monthly Mingle :Marvelous Melons ,hosted this week by Chew On That .

Interesting Read!
**Water Melon : A Natural Viagra?
**Water Melon Health Benefits

Weekend Wokking Cheese Round up!

We love cheese,don't we?It's amazing how the process of milk curdling ,preparing of the curd and ripening can result in bountiful varieties of cheese- Soft,Hard,Sharp,Mild,every cuisine has a favorite.Thanks to all the talented bloggers around the world who poured in their love for cheese and participated in Wandering Chopstick's Weekend Wokking.Here is the Cheesy round up categorized by the variety of cheese:

Haloumi
Haloumi is a salty Greek cheese, usually made of goat and sheep milk. It has a high melting point, and holds together well when fried or grilled.

Lisa(from Ontario, Canada) of Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen shared with us a fantastic summeryHaloumi Beetroot and Greens Salad dressed with Olive oil,tahini and lemon.

Myzithra , Graviera and Feta
Myzithra cheese is a Greek whey cheese with a light and very mild taste.Graviera cheese is produced from sheep milk or in combination with ewe milk.Feta cheese is also produced from sheep milk or in combination with goat milk.


Ivy(from Athens Greece) at Kopiaste...to greek hospitality baked a Fabulous Greek Savory Pie,Kotopita me Prassa, from the scratch with Provencal pastry base stuffed with onions,leeks,chicken along with goodness of greek cheeses - Myzithra and Graviera.

Paneer
Also Known as Indian cottage cheese,paneer can easily be made at home by curdling the milk with lemon juice or food acid ,straining and squeezing all the liquid.
Sheba(from Goa India)at Art Food and travel chronicles dished up Cottage Cheese and eggs Toulsed in a Cream puff bowl,as tempting as this sounds,this makes a filling meal with good dose of calcium from eggs and cheese.


Sangeeta(New delhi India) at Banaras Ka Khana served us a creamy Paneer Safeda in Cashew Gravy.The gravy has delicately flavored aroma of spices,richness of cashew and home made cream(yum,yum!) and goes well with any kind of flat bread.No to worry about the calories ,the dish has just right amount of fat per serving to avoid all the guilt pangs.



Bergamot(from Mumbai India) at Cooking Escapades in midst of her cooking spree prepared tasty Chinese vegetable soups with soy sauce,fresh ginger and garlic among other spices,the slices of paneer added towards the end of the boil add to the heartiness of the soups.


Pari(from NCR India) at Foodelicious,satisfied her family's craving for "something yummy" by preparing Paneer Kaju Pasanda, a delectably rich paneer dish with Cashews and cream ,paired with home made garlic naan,wish I could join in too.

Pooja(from Illinois USA) at My Experience with Cooking recreated her favorite restaurant style Paneer Mushroom Masala with blend of freshly ground spices,sauteed ground tomato-onion-cashew mixture ,a flavorful paneer dish is sure to please any cheese-lover.


Yours Truly(from Ohio USA) at Health Nut often times also has cravings for something paneer,Shahi Paneer has the similar royal combination of Cashews & Paneer with spices,evidently a crowd pleasing side dish in the Indian Cuisine.

Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a soft ,smooth and mild tasting cheese.

Graziana(from Italy) at Erbie in Cucina shared with us a Herbal cream cheese using garlic and aromatic herbs - parsley,marjoram,wild thyme,golden sage,thai basil and mint,perfect to slather on sandwiches,dip with vegetables or stuffing in pastries.


Momgateway baked these delectable Pistachio Guava Cheese pastries with cream cheese and guava jelly.She uses guava nectar and reduces it to a thick consistency,perfect to stuff in the puff pastry along with creamy cheese and nuts ,then bakes in a mini-muffin pan,a brilliant idea I must say.


A delish entry from the Weekend Wokking Mastermind Wandering Chopsticks(from South California),Crab Rangoons,crunchy wonton wraps stuffed with imitation crab meat,soy sauce,chili sauce,scallions and cream cheese,these make perfect appetizers with some sweet and sour sauce on the side.

Goat Cheese
Goat cheese, also known as Chevre in French, is a milk product derived from Goat’s milk. Although it can be made in different forms, both hard and soft, the soft goat cheese is more common. It can melt very easily when exposed to heat. This is a staple in the Mediterranean region and also common in Africa and Middle east.Goat cheese is closer to human milk in that it is lower in fat and a lot thinner when compared to Cow Cheese.Those who are lactose intolerant or have milk allergies can eat Goat cheese.

Shri(from USA) of Tasty Touch delighted us with an appetizing Goat cheese salad made with fresh greens,cranberries,Italian dressing and goat cheese browned in butter and olive oil.


Parmesan
Parmesan is a aged hard cheese made with raw cow's milk.

Wiffy(from Singapore) at Noob Cook presented us Cod Fish with Creamy Mushroom Sauce.The pan fried fish is topped with flavorful sauce, prepared using shimeiji mushrooms ,cream and grated Parmesan;served along side with grilled portebello mushrooms and tomatoes on vine,this is indeed a simple and satisfying meal.

Monterey jack or queso Oaxaca
Named after the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico,the queso Oaxaca cheese has string cheese structure like Mozzarella and unaged Monterey Jack.

Dmichell(from Northen California USA) at Javaholic shared with us Chile Rellenos,the Mexican cheese stuffed medium hot chile peppers served with tomato sauce reminded me of the hot chili fritters(mirchi bajji),a mouthwatering spicy snack of South India.


TS and JS(Vancouver Canada) at [eatingclub] Vancouver ,rolled up the hearty Duck Enchiladas with Chipotle peanut salsa topped with a good drizzle of Monterey Jack.

Pepper Jack
Spicy, delicate, soft & with a slightly tart flavor ,Pepper jack cheese is a derivative of Monterey Jack.

Soma(from Texas USA) of eCurry ,served a perfectly paired hot & sweet Pineapple & Pepper Jack,a simple appetizer with Habenaro Pepper Jack and caramelized pineapple ,this easy sure is in for my next party.

Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a semi-soft Italian cheese with mild flavor made from cow's milk.

Pizza Margherita.

Sweatha(from Bangalore India) at Tasty Curry Leaf ,baked an Italian Classic Pizza Margherita from scratch with Mozzarella ,basil and marinara sauce,a sure crowd pleaser.


Next Month's Secret Ingredient Revealed
The wonder spice I can't imagine cooking without,the versatile spice with commendable list of health benefits and tastes great even in desserts,Ginger!.

And the hostess for September Weekend Wokking is MomGateway.Please send entries by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, August 30 to momgateway (at) gmail (dot) com .If you’re interested in hosting, please email WC at wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com

My Hearty thanks to Wandering Chopsticks for trusting in me to host the event.

Tried and Tasted : A Life(Time) of Cooking

Ganga's A Life(Time) of Cookingis a simply elegant blog ,a reflection of life's little pleasures ,memorable travelogues ,healthy living ideas besides an appetizing database of recipes.
Ganga has been writing in A Life(Time) of Cooking for about 2 years now,but was in to blogging her wonderful experiences of life and food in her old website Food Matters for many many years,even before any of us knew about blogging world.Her impressive writing style and subtle photography beautifully expresses the mood for the food.
I happen to discover her awesome blog just recently,thanks to Zee of Zlamuska's Spicy kitchen.Have spent good chunk of time browsing through her engrossing posts.And I'm pleased to be featuring the blog for this month's Tried and Tasted Event.So While I'm tempted to cook up all of Ganga's Lifetime collection of recipes I also invite all the foodies to share my pleasure , try & taste the blog with few simple rules in mind:


(big thanks to Ksenia Tales of a Spoon ,who designed the logo for the event.Her inspiration of the fantastic graphic was Ganga's Soothing Yogi tea )

1. Cook any recipe(s) from A Life(Time) of Cooking and post about it. Stay as true to the original recipe(s) as possible. Therefore, there is no need for re-posting it, simply link to the original post :-)
2. Link your post to HERE (feel free to use the logo) and to the original post. Please always link to both sites, so both blogs are given credit and you are avoiding copyright fuss.
3. Send me an e-mail (Yasmeenhealthnut@gmail.com) with your name, your post URL as well as the original URL and a picture (300px by height, please).
4. Deadline is the August 31th 2009 and the round up will be posted within a week.

Non-bloggers are more than welcome to participate Simply e-mail me (Yasmeenhealthnut@gmail.com) with your experience of what you cooked and please include a picture.

The round up will be posted during the first week in September(Hopefully)

Here is a simple sweet dish from Ganga's blog,a glossy buttery divine beetroot halwa :D