Ho..Ho…Ho! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Can’t believe it’s already the ‘most wonderful time’ of the year again! I wonder where did the 2012 go? It just started, isn’t it? Time really flies and in few days we all will be celebrating 2013 and making all the new year’s new resolutions and what not.

But for now we would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! And also we would like to thank all of you who have been reading our posts, commenting (or not but we still appreciate you) and especially trying out the recipes that we create and share with lots of love and passion. Your presence is very much appreciated in any way.

Thanks a bunch and we hope you will be getting to spend some good quality time with your loved ones and eating special Christmas delicacies!

This year I got to participate in The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap organized by Lindsay and Julie. It was so much fun from deciding what to bake and how to ship to what we will be receiving from other bloggers. It was really an exciting process.

When I registered myself to this fun challenge, I put down myself in a vegan category (you know, first of all we do not eat eggs and secondly, vegan is a healthy choice).  Then in few weeks I received my complementary cute little OXO cookie spatula. And then I received my matches that I had to send cookies too.  I was pretty nervous at first for a complete vegan baking challenge. Although I make these crunchy vegan biscottis but still, first time some other Vegan bloggers were going to be the judge of it. I sent out cookies to Heather Blackmon, Rachel Jacobs and Jackie Burgart. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed cookies sent to me that were Chestnut Sweet Red Bean Ginger cookies from @BeyondNFinity, Dark chocolate cranberry ginger cookies from @thesmartkitchen and Pumpkin cookies from Ashok of BitesandBytes. Thanks a lot all, we loved all the different varieties.

I was sure from the beginning that I will be baking biscottis because it’s sturdy to ship, it’s pretty looking and it’s a big long cookie. Who doesn’t love it? The recipe is really versatile. Here I have added pistachios n cranberries for festive touch but you can literally add any nuts/chocolates or flavorings.

And you know what, once you bake these beauties, you will never spend a penny in starbucks again for the same

Orange Pepper Biscotti

Yields: About a dozen Starbucks sized biscottis or 20 Medium sized

Ingredients:

• 1 stick or ½ cup Margarine at room temperature
• ¾  cup Sugar
• 1 Flax egg
• Finely grated Orange Zest (of one Big thick-skinned orange)
• 2 cups AP flour + ½ extra if needed
• 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt and Freshly crushed Black pepper to taste
• ½ cup chopped Pistachios
• ½ cup dried Cranberries
• ½ tsp Orange essence or Vanilla essence
• Juice of one orange
• Vanilla candy chocolate to drizzle (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking tray with a parchment paper.
3. Rub in Orange zest with sugar and keep it aside.
4. In a small bowl, make a flax egg. Mix 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed with 2 Tbsp of warm water and keep it aside. This will give us gooey eggy textured flax egg.
5. In a large mixing bowl cream the margarine, Orange zested sugar in your mixer until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add in flax egg, orange essence and mix well. Slowly add flour along with baking powder, salt and black pepper. Mix until everything is incorporated well. You will need orange juice if the dough is still dry. Use juice as required. Dump in chopped pistachios and cranberries. Mix again. Now with the help of your hands divide dough in two parts and shape each into a log. Tap it a bit about 2” wide and make two flat logs on to parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 3 inches distance between.
6. Bake the logs for about 35 to 40 minutes. Bake until golden brown. Do not worry if the top seems a bit soft. We are going to double bake it. Remove from oven and let it cool completely for about 10 minutes.
7. Now using your sharp bread knife, slice them about ½ inch thick the way you want. Diagonally or horizontally. Now arrange them back into baking sheet cut side facing down. And bake them again for another 15 minutes flipping them on other side in between.
8. Remove from oven and let the biscottis cool down completely before eating. Store in air-tight container or a zip lock bag.
9. If you decide to decorate your biscottis with chocolate drizzle then this is what you need to do. Microwave vanilla chocolate in a microwave safe zip bag on 60% power for about a minute. After a minute check and see if it needs more heating. Then microwave again for 30 seconds on 60% power. Once done make sure there is no lump left. Let it sit on counter for a minute and then cut a very tiny piece of bag from one side with scissor and paint over your cookies. It’s super fun!

Filed under: Quick Meal ]]> http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/12/13/orangepepperbiscotti/feed/ 10 Biscottis creativegrish Biscottis fbcookieswap2012_badge cookie packages biscottis process drizzle process Biscottis recipe card http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/11/10/palakpaneer/ http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/11/10/palakpaneer/#comments Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:00:31 +0000 Grishma http://zaikazabardast.com/?p=2082 Read More →]]> Were you one of those kids who were always picky when it came to vegetables and your mother had really hard time?? Fortunately I wasn’t one of them. My mom used to run after my sisters because they were(or still are) really really picky. And so is my brother. One thing that is common in me and my brother is we love milk and spinach like anything. And my sisters are just opposite. Isn’t it amazing to see how you and your siblings are like so much alike but not so alike? God really does wonders.

When I was a kid, Popeye was one of my favorite cartoons. You know why? Because Popeye loves spinach as much I do. And you know how much I love spinach? When I get to eat spinach curry you will get to see me licking the bowl good way pass after dinner time – like midnight snack. Crazy that sounds I know! So yes, I am crazy for spinach like Popeye – the sailor man!! And that lovely Olive, oh I love her and that evil bluto, you know if I start talking about Popeye I think I will never stop so I better get back to the recipe.

Palak(Spinach) Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is not only yummilicious curry but it is super healthy and packed with nutrients. Really easy to make, all you need to make sure is you do not overpower it with spices and you are good to go. This is a Satvik (purity/simple) version of curry where you do not purée spinach and use as less spices as you can to enjoy the flavors of both spinach and paneer. Basically it’s a comfy food. So here’s what you need to make this yummy Satvik Palak Paneer.

Satvik Palak Paneer

Yields: 4 servings

Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Spinach – 14 to 16 Oz. bag that you find in salad section. If not, use 1 lb of spinach leaves. Organic frozen spinach works well too.
• Paneer – 7 to 8 oz. cubed
• Extra hot Green chilies – 2-3 chopped finely or to taste
• Dried red chilies – 1 or 2 (optional)
• Ginger – 1 Tbsp chopped
• Red onion – ½ cup chopped
• Olive Oil – 2 Tbsp (Preferably light flavored or use any vegetable/canola oil)
• Cumin seeds – ½  tsp
• Salt to taste
• Cinnamon – cloves powder – ½ tsp (use 2/3 of cinnamon and ¼ of cloves)
• Lemon juice to taste

 Method

1. Fill a big bowl with hot tap water and add in paneer cubes. Let it rest till you are ready to add them in curry. This way paneer will soften up and It will also get rid of the strong whey.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add hing along with dried red chili and chopped onions.
3. Saute until it’s translucent. Now add chopped ginger, green chili, salt along with spinach. Mix well and let it cook till the water from spinach almost evaporates.
4. Remember, it will take longer time to cook fresh spinach than frozen. If using frozen make sure you rinse it nicely and squeeze out extra water.
5. When spinach is almost cooked (it will look lumpy and dark green in color), remove paneer from water and lightly squeeze out water. Add paneer cubes into spinach mixture and mix well.
6. Now add cinnamon clove powder along with ½ cup of water and lemon juice. Mix well, cover the pan and cook for 10 more minutes. Let the paneer absorb all the flavors and become soft. Keep checking on salt in between.
7. Tadaa…wasn’t that super simple to make? I bet you will enjoy it.
8. Serve with hot rotis or steamed rice! Either way just enjoy the taste of Satvik Palak Paneer.

Question:

What is your favorite vegetable? And what about your favorite cartoon?

Filed under: Dinner, Family recipe, Indian, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Quick Meal, Side dishes Tagged: Curry, Indian, Paneer, Spinach ]]> http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/11/10/palakpaneer/feed/ 3 Palak Paneer creativegrish Palak Paneer Popeye Palak Palak Paneer ingredients Palak Paneer http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/09/10/corncakeswithsalad/ http://zaikazabardast.com/2012/09/10/corncakeswithsalad/#comments Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:30:24 +0000 Grishma http://zaikazabardast.com/?p=2033 Read More →]]>

This post is dedicated to Food Network’s summer fest’s special edition: Back to school lunches! I remember when I was a kid, tiffins were the highlights of my day! I used to wait eagerly for the lunch recess so I can sit back, relax and indulge my mom made various dishes everyday and sometimes share it too!! Aah precious childhood!

So this time I am participating with my recipe of Corn (pan)cakes with yummy black bean salad. _­Corny, spicy, lemony and cumin flavored aah absolutely refreshing! This (pan)cakes have become one of our favorites for summer or at least till we get fresh corn in the market! It’s very easy to make but I guarantee it will become your favorite too!

So here’s what you will need:

Corn (pan)cakes with Black bean, roasted corn salad

Total time: 40-45 minutes

Corn cakes: Yields: 6-8 cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh corn or 1 cup pureed partially
• 1 ½  cup Yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped finely
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup buttermilk (or use as required)
• Few Tbsps of Olive oil for the corn cakes

Method:

1. Puree corn using food processor. Make sure you do not completely liquidity it, leave some coarse chunks too. Keep it aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl add cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cumin seeds, honey along with chopped jalapenos and pureed corn. Mix well and add buttermilk as required few tablespoons at a time. Again mix well and keep it aside for at least 20 minutes.
3. When you are ready to make the cakes, pre-heat the non-stick pan. Check on corn batter, if it is too dry add more buttermilk and make it a pourable consistency. Check on salt too.
4. When pan is hot, with a measuring cup pour 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each corn cake. Splash bit of olive oil on each side of cakes while cooking them. Cook until you see caramelized layer on the cakes. This will take 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Serve warm with slightly cold roasted corn salad.

Note: The cakes won’t be too soft and fluffy like pancakes because we are not using eggs here. But I love the texture.

Black bean and Roasted corn salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Corn on the cobs
• 1 can organic black beans – rinsed
• 1 Red bell pepper diced
• 1 Jalapeno, chopped
• ½ cup chopped green onions (optional)
• ½ cup Chopped fresh cherry tomatoes
• ½  Cumin Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Method:

1. Grill corn on the gas stove and let it cool down before you cut the corn off the cob.
2. In a large serving bowl, mix all the ingredients above and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve.

Cumin lemon vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Roasted cumin powder
• 3 Tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp Avocado oil or Olive oil
• ½ cup Finely chopped cilantro leaves
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

In a bowl, whisk lemon juice and oil along with salt, pepper and cumin powder. Mix thoroughly. Add cilantro leaves when you are ready to use the vinaigrette. Store it in a glass jar in refrigerator.

How to assemble:

Layer your serving platter with warm corn (pan)cakes and top it with Slightly cold Bean salad tossed in Cumin vinaigrette and garnish with some cilantro leaves, cumin powder and some cheese (if you prefer).

Also check out for my other foodie friends are making for this special edition!

• Tidy Mom: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies
• Made by Michelle: Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches
• Chez Us: Healthy Tuna Salad
• And Love It Too: Healthy Lunchbox 2012: The Ultimate Collection
• Napa Farmhouse 1885: Back to School Roasted Chicken Legs
• Bacon and Souffle: Gruyere Grilled Cheese With Apple Salad
• Zaika Zabardast: Fresh Corn Cakes With Black Bean Salad Tossed in Cumin Vinaigrette
• This Girl Can Eat: Cashew-Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches
• Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Spicy-Korean “Ramen” Noodle Soup
• Haute Apple Pie: Edamame Hummus
• Feed Me Phoebe: Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches
• Creative Culinary: Margarita Watermelon
• Big Girls Small Kitchen: Swiss Chard Turnovers With Parmesan and Pistachios

Question: Do you pack your lunch or you eat outside? If you pack you own, I would love it if you share your ideas too!

Is it possible to travel back in the past and live those wonderful moments that we really loved in our life? I really wish that was possible then I would have traveled back to my childhood and lived all those most cherishable moments of my life with my parents and siblings. I will even take Mr. V on that tour. That will be amazing actually. So does anybody own a time machine that I can borrow?? No, really? I am not kidding. Sometimes time flies so fast that you do not just realize it. I was like celebrating New Year’s eve yesterday and not it is already September, where did the time go??

It’s funny how we always appreciate the value of things ones they are gone, isn’t it? When I was a kid, I had all the time in the world for myself but I wanted to grow up so I can have all the freedom and now when I am all grown up surrounded by responsibilities, I feel like it really is not an easy job being an adult. Now when I look at parents and I wonder, how did they do it? And that too with four kids?? Bravo to them!!

Well, but life goes on and so I have to. But the one thing I can do to keep those memories alive is to recreate it and live them again. Or at least try too.  Like this soup. I never thought that this will be a memory to remember when I grow up and it will actually make me feel homesick. So basically this soup was my all time alternate favorite to mango juice in summer. Every summer when our house was flooded with mangoes and when the mangoes were not ripe enough to eat (which was the case many times), mom used to make this. Indian summer is really hard to bear and so you have to stay hydrated. Cantaloupe is full of water and it keeps you hydrated.

Finely grated sweet cantaloupe flavored with cardamom and served chilled along with freshly made hot rumali wheat roti dipped in ghee! Yummm! It is purely a bliss. That is how my mom serves it and I love it and it became a memory of lifetime. Now I make it for Mr. V and he loves it too! See this way I am living that memory by thinking of my mom and her kitchen and her genius way of keeping us hydrated etc…etc… Absolutely adore her!

You can’t call me a foodie if I do not tweak a recipe and give it another dimension, right? So here is my version of cantaloupe soup with cardamom infused cherry syrup served with a dollop of ricotta cheese and roasted almond slices. A healthy alternate to regular dessert! Make it while the melon is still in the season.

Cantaloupe soup:

Ingredients:

• 1 Ripe cantaloupe
• Sugar – to taste
• 1 Tbsp – Lemon juice
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• A pinch of salt

Wash and cut the cantaloupe. Using a spoon remove the seeds and chop the cantaloupe. Puree in food processor. Remove it in a big bowl and add lemon juice, sugar and cardamom powder. Mix well and let it chill.

Cardamom infused cherry compote:

In culinary arts, Compote is a recipe of any fruit cooked in some type of syrup. Normally you get to eat the big chunks of fruits but here I have pureed the compote to change the texture that goes with my soup. But it is totally optional. This can be made ahead and store in refrigerator for a week or so.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted cherries – chopped
• 1 – 2 Tbsp Brown sugar (Depends how sweet your cherries are)
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ tsp Cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp salt

In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or cherries are soft, cooked. Let it cool down and either serve like that or purée in food processor. Store in refrigerator for a week or so. Use as required.

How to serve:

Serve a ladle full of soup in a soup bowl. Top with a spoon full of cherry syrup along with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese and some roasted sliced almonds. Enjoy!

“My mom’s way of serving it – Simple yet delicious’

Make sure to give it a try! You will like it as much we did

Question: It’s a long Labor day weekend, how are you all celebrating it?

We will be celebrating it with our friends and also celebrating Mr.V’s birthday! It is going to be busy weekend! Have a happy Long weekend!

In this stir fry I have used the combination of jalapeno and green bell peppers but you can go wild with how hot you like. This stir fry is super easy to make. It goes really well with hot roti, rice or as a side dish or salad. I was just munching on it like snack. This is a recipe of one of my aunt who we visited every summer when we were kids. This stir fry was always there in her menu because she knew how much we loved it. She is one loving and caring person who is always ready to give and do things for other. She always has this bright big smile that will enlighten your day any time of the day. Love her! And you know the most exciting part of our visit was that we got to eat farm fresh food every time besides her warm hospitality.  And that was a real treat for us. I do not know the exact recipe but I do remember how it looked and tasted. So here’s my version of quick and easy Peanut-Pepper Stir Fry!

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 – 1 ½  cup chopped Peppers
• 1 cup boiled Peanuts
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Canola oil or any vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds and mustard seeds
• A pinch of Hing
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• Lemon juice to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro

Method:

• Rinse peanuts and boil it in a microwave with a pinch of salt in it for 7 minutes. While it’s boiling, chop the peppers. Be careful while handling it. Rinse hands with generous amount of salt after using it.
• Heat the oil in a medium wok or stir fry pan. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it crackle.
• Add sesame seeds and hing along with some salt and chopped peppers. Toss or mix and let it cook on medium heat for about 5-6 minutes.
• Once peppers are almost cooked add boiled (strained) peanuts. Add rest of the spices and mix well. Let it cook (covered) for another 5-7 minutes.
• Drizzle with some lemon juice and check the salt before serving it. Garnish with some cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy with hot roti or rice or just munch on! Enjoy!

Also check out what my other blogger friends have made with peppers!

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Stuffed Peppers With Quinoa Grilled Vegetables and Pesto Sauce
Cooking With Elise: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
What’s Gaby Cooking: Oven-Roasted Peppers With Herbed Breadcrumbs
And Love It Too: Roasted Red Pepper Paleo Hummus
Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Flank Steak With Gazpacho Sauce
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Seared Pepper Tacos With Pintos and Avocado Crema
Delicious Lean: Peppery Kung Pao
Daily*Dishin: Shrimp and Chorizo With Red Pepper Chermoula Sauce
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Dip With Baked Corn Tortillas
Thursday Night Dinner: Black Bean and Sweet Pepper Salad
Cooking Channel: 5 Stuffed Pepper Favorites
HGTV Gardens: Garden to Table: Peppers
Sweet Life Bake: Rajas de Poblano con Elote y Crema
Zaika Zabardast: Peanut Pepper Stir-fry
Dishin & Dishes: Bacon, Onion and Green Chile “Jam”
Healthy Eats: Peppers for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Question: Do you like Peppers? If yes, how do you enjoy it?

Here’s a quick recap for recipes that I have created using summer produces like Berries, Mango, Broccoli, Avocado, Cucumber, Zucchini, Squash, Stone fruit, Watermelon etc.All these produces are available right now in your local grocery market. So why not make a best use of what is available and make your meal affordable, healthy yet delicious! Let’s enjoy summer together

“Image courtesy: Google”

Summer is at its high peak and the weather demands for some chilled drinks!

Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake - Strawberries are still available in the market and that too at good price. Grab some before it is gone to make this delicious fulfilling, low calorie healthy milkshake. I know you will get hooked to it.

Mango-Pineapple non alcoholic Sangria – So summery! Mango, pineapple, mint and ginger – bliss! And oh kid friendly too

Kid Friendly Mango Pineapple Sangria

Rooh Afza Lemonade – Refreshing and perfect to beat the heat. Rose, lemon and cumin does wonders.

Breakfast:

Berry Lemon Scones – Looking for perfect healthy breakfast? Here’s the solution – Make this delicious, flaky berry lemon scones to accompany your coffee! You won’t need to stop at Starbucks next time – I guarantee that!

“Berry scones drizzled with lemon glaze”

Not in mood to eat scones? Make these wholesome banana crunch muffins that are made of Healthy whole wheat flour, granola, nuts and banana!

Wholesome Banana crunch muffins

Or how about some savory breakfast?

Sun dried tomato pesto breakfast rolls Can be made earlier and store at room temperature.

“What to make for dinner tonight”?? That is the one question that rises in every household everyday. Doesn’t it? Even I am blank sometimes when I am too tired or feeling lazy to cook dinner or even lunch!   So here are some ideas to help you make quick, easy and healthy meal at home in no time.

Soups, Sandwiches and Salads:

In mood to have soup in this hot weather? Really? Well yes, you can still have it. These soups tastes best when served at room temperature or chilled.

Broccoli-pistachio soup with avocado

Cucumber Gazpacho with avocado and spiced croutons

And if your weather demands for something hot then here’s what you can make

Hearty Potato soup

Sandwiches are like always go to meals in our house. Easy to make yet yummy and fulfilling.

Classic Indian Summer Sandwich

Simple vegetable tea time sandwich with cucumber ranch

Sun dried tomato pesto Sandwich with grilled tofu

Salads are just not about leafy greens anymore! Pasta salad, Fruit salad, Quinoa salad and what not! Salads can take place of your meal easily if prepared carefully.

Caprese

Mediterranean pasta salad

Peach n Beetroot salad with Lemon n Shallot Vinaigrette

Quinoa salad with Kale and Summer vegetables – Best when served at room temperature

Spinach Strawberry salad with Baked Goat cheese

Watermelon Mozzarella Salad

Some dinner ideas for using summer produce!

Greek Zucchini and beetroot fritters

Caramelized Onion and Tomato Tart

Corn Chevdo/ No-rice Risotto – No need to eat starchy risotto when you can make risotto using fresh corn.

Pan-fried Bruschetta with thai tomato chutney – I can have this all day every day! Flavors are just amazing.

Spring pasta with lemony, garlicky, buttery walnut sauce – we love this!

Char grilled Broccoli with Cherry chillies and garlic tadka – perfect side dish

Chole Chaat

5 Layer Mexican dip Eggplant Raita/Dip

Balsamic Cherries n Peach crisp

Mangomisu Swiss Rolls

No-bake chocolate pudding

Orange Custard – Hubby’s favorite

Pineapple coconut curd that goes well on scones, biscuits or cupcakes!

And last but never the least our favorite Strawberry ricotta mousse

Question: How are you all celebrating summer??

Time really flies, isn’t it? I cannot believe it is already August. Does that ring bells for fall around the corner? Yes, it does. Can’t wait for summer to get over, I am just tired of high heat and humidity around here in Nashville. Every time when I want to do food photography, I have to go in my patio and that is killing me these days because of heat. It’s really crazy. So besides heat do I love summer? Yes, I do. I get to see sunlight for long hours and get to eat some of my favorite produces. Like mango, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, watermelon…wow I will really miss summer for all these!

Talking about summer, Food network’s summer fest is back and I am excited to participate along with few other fellow bloggers. Every week they give one ingredient which has to be the hero of the dish we create and today’s hero is “Tomatoes”! I enjoy summer fest especially because it really pushes me to try out new things and get out of my comfort zone. Last year I made Tomato ice cream for the summer fest and this year I tried making Tomato truffles but recipe is still under progress. I will post it if I am happy with the end results.

But for now I decided to share my favorite quick and easy “Sun dried tomato pesto Sandwich with grilled tofu and vegetables”. I normally make this sandwich with regular basil pesto but I thought to switch the ingredients a bit and it actually worked well. Sun dried tomato pesto is my all time favorite alternative to regular basil pesto. It is tangy, tomaty and I love the texture of it.

This is very easy to make recipe. The important step here is to marinate the tofu with the pesto so it absorbs the flavors. Then grill it along with other summer vegetables like here I used eggplant, onion, red pepper etc… So here’s what you need for this yummy sandwich.

Grilled tofu and sun-dried tomato pesto grilled sandwich.

Yields: 4 Sandwiches

Total time: About ½ hour and another ½ hour for marination

Ingredients:

• 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 8 slices (2 for each sandwich)
  ½ cup Sun dried tomato pesto (Recipe follows)
  1 Red bell pepper, thick slices
• Few thick slices of Eggplant
• ½ Red onion, thick slices
• Salt and pepper to taste
• EVOO to grill the sandwich
• 8 slices of good cheese, I used Jalapeno jack and mozzarella (use whatever you have available)
• 8 slices of any whole grain bread of your choice

Method:

Prepare tofu to marinate. Drain well and in a flat glass tray rub tofu with sun-dried tomato pesto and let it marinate till you prepare other vegetables.

Cut the vegetables, season it with salt and pepper and grill using bit EVOO. Charcoal grill is best but in this heat I preferred to stay inside and use my iron pan to grill it on gas. I did not get grilled marks but the taste was good.

Once you are done grilling vegetables, on the same pan grill marinated tofu and grill till you get those charred marks.

Now it is time to assemble the sandwich. Spread some pesto on each slices of bread. Layer it with cheese, tofu, vegetables and cheese. Cover the sandwich with other slice of bread and grill the sandwich either on sandwich maker or in a same pan you grilled vegetables.

Enjoy!

Sun dried tomato Pesto recipe:

Total time: 10 minutes

Yields: 1 1/2 cups

Method:

• 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil or else add 1/2 cup of EVOO
• 2 garlic cloves (Add more if you really love garlic)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed or 1/4 cup dried basil
• 2 Tbsp roasted pine nuts or walnuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Blend the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Stir in the Parmesan and blend once.

Transfer the tomato mixture to a bowl and use as required. Or you can even store it in a refrigerator for a week or so.

P.S. I figured that I really suck at taking pictures of sandwiches. I just cannot get the right angle. How do you do it? I would love to learn if you have anything to share about it.

Also check out what my fellow bloggers made out of tomatoes this time! Fun, fun!

Cooking With Elise: Fresh Tomato Sauce
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Tomato Gazpacho Salsa
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Tomato Cobbler Anyone?
Virtually Homemade: Spaghetti With Tomatoes, Prosciutto and Fresh Corn
What’s Gaby Cooking: Chicken Kebabs With Romesco Sauce
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Salmon Spaghetti With Plum Tomatoes and Avocado
Feed Me Phoebe: Roasted Fresh Tomato Puttanesca Sauce
Chez Us: Easy Tomato Tart
Made By Michelle: Tomato and Pesto Pizza
Ingredients, Inc.: Lighter Fried Green Tomatoes
Delicious Lean: Creamy Light Tuna Salad Stuffed Tomatoes
Daily*Dishin: Spicy Tomato-Tomatillo Chicken Tenders
From My Corner of Saratoga: Tomato Jam
Dishin & Dishes: Tomato Zucchini Frittata
And Love It Too: Roasted Garlic, Basil and Tomato Paleo Tart
Healthy Eats: The Fresh-for-Once Tomato
Sweet Life Bake: Pico de Gallo
Zaika Zabardast: Grilled Tofu and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sandwich
Thursday Night Dinner: Tomato and Watermelon Salad
Cooking Channel: How to Prepare Summer Tomatoes
FN Dish: Tomatoes Go Beyond Salads

Quinoa (keen-wah) is a new grain that is very popular these days in my house.We are absolutely enjoying this nutty flavored tiny ancient Peruvian seeds(grain), which is full of protein, fiber, magnesium, iron and what not! Oh, I can’t even remember all the benefits but overall it is a winner of all the grains.

So what is Quinoa and how to cook it?

Quinoa (pronounced keh-NO-ah or, sometimes, KEEN-wah) is a relative newcomer to the American pantry. The tiny, ancient Peruvian seed, which has a mild, nutty flavor, is related to leafy green vegetables and is often used like a grain. Quinoa is as versatile as rice but it has a protein content that is superior to that of most grains, because it contains all the essential amino acids.

In particular, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid important for tissue growth and repair. It’s also a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and it has a high iron content. (Source: Nytimes.com)

Quinoa is very easy to prepare and it can easily take place of other grains in your palate. First time when I cooked quinoa on the stove top, I made a huge mess. It was lumpy, watery and just not good. We still ate it but not satisfied. So next time I googled and figured out the best and easy way to cook quinoa is in rice cooker. Make sure you take double amount water compared to the quantity of quinoa. Cook in rice cooker the way you cook rice. Rinse quinoa (although if it says it is pre-rinsed, rinse it well), add 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt to it to add bit of flavor. Once cooked, fluff the cooked quinoa with fork. Leave it aside and use it as desired.

Tip: Make sure that cooked quinoa is not watery when cooked. If it is cook for few more minutes. And you can even cook quinoa with vegetable stock to add more flavors.

Here I have made quinoa pilaf salad with lotsss of summer vegetables, kale and some nuts. You can use whatever you have available in your pantry and still enjoy it. Either make it like pilaf or serve stir fried vegetables over the cooked quinoa. Either way it is great. I am sure if you try it, you will enjoy as much we did.

Quinoa pilaf salad:

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Cooked Quinoa
• 2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 2 cloves chopped Garlic
• 1 medium Red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium red Onion, sliced
• 1 cup chopped Kale
• 2 cups diced Vegetables (I used zucchini and summer squash)
• ¼ cup chopped Almonds
• ¼ cup dried Cranberries
• ½ squeezed fresh Lemon juice or to taste
• Handful of fresh chopped herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary etc… (Use dry if fresh not available)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle in the end (optional)

Method:

1. While your quinoa is cooking, you can sauté vegetables on the side. This way both the things will be done under 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
3. When oil is hot, add chopped almonds. Saute for a minute, let it get slightly roasted. This way you do not need to roast them separately and the almond flavor will incorporate in oil.
4. Now add sliced onions and chopped kale. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for few more minutes and add other vegetables.
5. Cook until vegetables are slightly soft, but not overcooked. Cooking all these normally takes less than 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle crushed red pepper and handful of cranberries along with cooked and fluffed quinoa.
7. Drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO and fresh lemon juice. Mix everything well and let it cook for another minute or two.
8. Make sure it is properly seasoned before you serve it.

Serve hot or cold, it is best any way.

Question: Have you ever tried quinoa? Do you like it or love it or not a fan of it? Why?

If you have your favorite recipe of quinoa, please share. I would love to try it.

Thanks,

“Where you have a plot of land, however small, plant a garden. Staying close to the soil is good for the soul.” – Spencer W. Kimball

So true! This is my second year of gardening and I am totally enjoying every bit of it. It gives me a satisfaction and of course it is pure joy to watch your plants grow closely. You get to see every bit of progress closely.  Whether you plant the seeds or buy that tiny plant from Lowes, it is interesting to see how it grows from seed to sprout, sprout to blossom and from blossom to fruit.

Oh how about me giving you a short tour of my pretty little garden? Interesting? Bring a cuppa coffee or smoothie (whatever the weather demands) and please join me In the end I will also share a recipe of simple Caprese salad, that I made using fresh ingredients right from my garden! Come on in

This year we are growing variety of Tomatoes, Eggplant, Bell pepper, Thai chili pepper, Serrano, Strawberry, Okra, Basil, Thai basil, Mint, Rosemary, Thyme, Chives, Roses n some other flowers!

“Roses n other flowers”

“Herbs”

Herb plants – Herbs can make any dish flavorful. And little bit goes long way.

Beautiful Mint and Oregano

Tip: Mint can takeover your garden easily so it is advisible to plant it in a pot.

Chives: It has mild onion flavor so kind of green onion but with less sharp flavors.

“beautiful Rosemary n Thyme”

Rosemary, thyme, oregano or any herb : Use to make flavored oil, add a bit of it to any dish that will make it way flavorful. Herbs are like magic ingredient.

“Trying to grow Tulsi – Holy plant form India”

Now let’s go to vegetable section:

At first:

“Okra”

Beautiful eggplant blossom n tiny Japanese Eggplant!

“Bell pepper flower”

“Beautiful tiny bell peppers”

Bell peppers: Use it in salad, make a curry or fill it with quinoa or couscous.

“Hot chili”

Chili pepper: It’s hot!

“First harvest of the season”

“Second harvest”

Now some fruits:

Strawberry

More Strawberries!

Strawberris: Our all time favorite fruit. Make smoothies, pies, crumble or just munch on it.

Oh yes- Tomato is a fruit

Gorgeous tomato flower and tiny little tomatoes.

“Tomatoes ready to harvest n ready for some simple delicious Caprese salad”

I even wanted to try root vegetables, but I think my patio will not be able to handle the weight of huge containers. Yes, I am growing all the above mentioned vegetables in my patio. Some of you might be surprised, but yes, it is absolutely possible.

All you need to grow beautiful garden is care, love and passion. Then it is absolutely FUN. Oh and in this HOT weather, it definitely needs lottttss of water.

But all this hard work is absolutely worth when you harvest your first batch of strawberries or tomatoes or bell peppers or anything that you are growing. It’s PURE JOY!

So now what do you do when you harvest lots of tomatoes? Make ice-ceam, or thai chutney or this easy Caprese salad!

Simple Caprese salad:

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, Fresh mozzarella, Basil, Salt, Pepper, EVOO and Balsamic vinegar

Method:

Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella in a bowl/plate. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some EVOO and Balsamic vinegar. Garnish with juliened basil leaves and serve.

That’s all!

I hope you enjoyed the tour

Question: Are you growing anything in your garden? If Yes, I would love to hear about it and if you have a link of your garden post or pictres, would love to see it.

Thanks!