Healthy Recipes for the New Year

I may have mentioned that my husband and I have been on a healthy eating regimen for the last half year. Between us both, we have shed 100 pounds, and still have lots to go. In order to accomplish this, we have not been counting calories, nor have we been tightly following any of the popular diet crazes that exist just now.

My philosophy is that all we need is to reduce the amount of processed foods to almost none. This means no boxes or packages of "helpers," use very few cans, and preferably those with either 50% less or no salt. I limit cans to corn (which we eat rarely, due to the high amount of corn already found in our diets these days), tomatoes (paste, sauce, diced), and some beans (VERY well rinsed). I do occasionally use mushrooms from cans, but more often I just cook fresh mushrooms, or use dried and reconstituted.  I make things from scratch at least 95% of the time. And lots and lots of vegetables, very little bread, and only made from freshly ground wheat or rye, with no butter on it. My philosophy says that if the bread isn't good enough to eat without butter, then it's not good bread. We eat fruit, in small portions.

A couple of standby meals for us have been vegetable soup and one of many different takes on a Tarka (or Tadka) Dal. After trying a few recipes from my cookbooks and one from vegrecipesofindia.com, I started improvising and making my own mixtures. These can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make them.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Vegetable Soup

I made a pot of vegetable soup today, as we have both been feeling so over stuffed as to be uncomfortable. My vegetable soups are made with whatever is on hand at any given time. Sometimes I have more ingredients in the fridge, and sometimes I am running low. My method is to use as many non-starchy vegetables as possible, and then using a handful or so of some whole grain such as long-cooking barley. Other times I toss in a handful or two of some of the Indian lentils (Masoor Dal, Toor Dal, Moong Dal, etc). These thicken the soup slightly, and are filling, while at the same time giving a nice dose of complex carbs. I usually start out with a good stock that I have made previously, but even starting with a pot of water works. I use about 6 to 8 cups of stock or water. And after that, it is all up to what is available. 

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Vegetable Soup

Serves 4 - 6 (or 2 people, for various days of lunches)

Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Vegetable Soup

These are things I most always use, and make up the basis of the flavors:

• 1 chopped onion
• 2 - 4 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 - 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 - 2 carrots, diced
• 2 - 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
• pinch saffron
• 1 bay leaf

And then these are additions that can be added in, depending on what's in the fridge, and what you are in the mood for. I never use everything on the list at one time:

• 1 cup cauliflower (grated, as my husband can't see it that way!)
• 1 - 1½ cups chopped cabbage
• 1 cup chopped fresh green beans
• 1 cup chopped fresh sugar snap peas
• 1 cup cubed winter squash, peeled
• 1 cup cubed zucchini
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 2 cups chopped kale
• ¼ - ⅓ cup long-cooking barley
• ¼ cup red lentils (masoor dal), split pigeon peas (toor dal) or split mung beans (moong dal)
• tomatoes, chopped
• cilantro, chopped
• parsley, chopped

If I missed anything on your "favorite vegetables" list, you can add or substitute. I avoid potatoes, as they are mainly gratuitous starch. I salt the soup at the end of the cooking time, and sparingly. 

Toor Dal with Tomatoes & Spinach

I mentioned the lentil dishes I have been making, and they are pretty much a staple also, as they are great complex carbs, and add protein to our diet. I make a good sized pot of these lentils, and again, use them over a two - three day period, for lunch. I cook one day, and then have food for the next two. This gives me time to do other tasks on the off days, such as writing this blog! This Dal recipe is quite simple, but extremely flavorful.

Toor Dal with Tomatoes & Spinach

Serves 4 to 6

Toor Dal with Tomatoes & Spinach

1 cup Toor Dal (split pigeon peas)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 Serrano pepper, minced (eliminate seeds for less heat, or add more chilies for more heat)
----- 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dry red chili pepper, whole
12 curry leaves (murraya koenigii) 
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces spinach (or substitute kale)
 
Rinse the lentils repeatedly, until the water runs off clear. Place them into a pot with at least 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. The lentils will produce a thick scum, which should be skimmed off. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add in the tomatoes, turmeric and the Serrano pepper and allow the lentils to cook for about 40 minutes, while preparing the flavorings. 

In a skillet, heat the ghee or oil until very hot. Add in the mustard seeds, and if the oil was hot enough, they will begin sputtering and popping all over the place. Cover the pan, shaking it to keep the mustard seeds moving until they slow down considerable, similarly to popcorn. Remove lid and add in, stirring, the cumin seeds, the dried chili pepper and the curry leaves. Saute for about 1 minutes, then add in the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add this mixture to the cooked lentils along with the spinach and the salt and stir well. Serve with rice, preferably whole grain rice.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Cookie Dough Dessert or Dip

I am most certainly one of those people that prefer the cookie dough to the actual baked cookie. I know many of you out there are going, "Eeewww", including my husband. Those of you who cannot bring themselves to eat raw cookie dough, cake batter, etc, may not find this blog interesting. If you are looking for something that tastes a lot like cookie dough but with no raw eggs, flour, sugar, and, well most of the things that go into cookie dough - this is it!

Yesterday I was in Facebook and saw someone re-posting a post with a link to a recipe called Skinny Cookie Dough Dip. This person had altered the recipe from another site, calling it Healthy Cookie Dough Dip. I didn't bother to go and read the prior post, but printed out the "Skinny Cookie Dough Dip" recipe for later perusal. "Later" came after about an hour as I was craving something sweet.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, on cracker

What I Liked About this Concept

While not actually able to be termed a RAW recipe as it used cooked chickpeas as the base, the rest of the ingredients do make this at the very least able to be altered to fit a gluten-free or vegetarian lifestyle, and also for anyone who needs to be careful of sugar intake, like me.

I tried to think of another title for the recipe, but could not come up with anything better than "Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough". While healthier, it still packs a punch with calories, having the chickpeas, cashew butter, almonds, walnuts and chocolate chips. The chocolate chips I used were Ghirardelli 60% cocoa; less sweet than many. There are other options out there for anyone needing a completely sugar free variant. I calculated this total recipe to contain 1,644 calories. Dividing the recipe into, say, 25 portions as for making cookies, each portion would contain approximately 66 calories. Since one regular (baked) chocolate chip cookie can contain anywhere from 80 to 220 calories, this is not a bad calorie count. Make it into 30 balls and the count is even better.

Differences in My Recipe

In the recipes on the websites in the links above, this is touted as a dip. First off, it is awfully thick to be touted as a dip, even with the addition of the milk for thinning. Granted I did not add any honey, maple syrup or agave syrup, which would have thinned it a little more. I love cookie dough. For me this is a dessert unto itself. While I photographed the recipe both on a bit of cracker and just in a bowl, in future I would prefer just making small balls. Eat as you go. Yum. 

Both of the above sites had you adding in a little salt and baking soda. Cans of chickpeas do not need any more salt. What the soda is for I have no idea. I don't add baking soda to hummus. Why add it here? These are not being baked. I eliminated that portion of the recipes. I added no syrup or honey as a sweetener, as I mentioned. I used my food processor to make this recipe, not a blender. The only sweetening agent I used was my French Vanilla flavored liquid stevia. I considered leaving out the oatmeal completely. The mixture does not need thickening. Instead, I blended oatmeal and almonds to a fine powder and added them to the mix. I feel this could also be eliminated completely. For now, this is the way I made it and it is really good. So be it. I like walnuts in my cookie dough or cookies, so I added those, making a total of three kinds of nuts in the recipe. Whatever kind of chocolate chips you prefer; I used the Ghirardelli mentioned above.

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Makes 25 - 30 balls of "dough"

1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 - 3 droppers French Vanilla flavored liquid stevia
¼ cup milk, or nut or seed milk
2 tablespoons raw oatmeal, optional
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, optional
¼ cup raw cashew butter
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup broken walnuts

Drain the chickpeas in a strainer and run water over them for at least a minute. Place the rinsed and drained chickpeas into a food processor and process until fine with the stevia and milk.

If using the oatmeal and almonds, I first blended them to a very fine powder in a Bullet Blender and then added them to the processor. They could be added to the processor at the beginning of the recipe instead.

Add in the cashew butter to combine. Scrape the mixture out into a bowl and stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Divide into 25 or 30 balls as desired. Store refrigerated.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Just a Little Something Sweet

You know how sometimes you just have to have a little something sweet? Like you just can't go on if you don't have something - soon! Well, last evening I got that craving. Having been working frantically to get all the appetizer components made that can be made in advance, the last thing I felt like doing was making a dessert.

Some years ago, when I went on a completely RAW diet, where nothing at all is cooked or baked, I got very familiar with little dessert treats that can be whipped up in no time and really satisfy that craving. Once eating RAW, my cravings were satisfied far more easily. There are some very lovely dessert presentations to be found  on the internet these days for RAW desserts. Ice creams are easily made using nut or seed milks as a base. But what I loved most are these sweet little balls that can be made and kept refrigerated for when that craving hits. One of the first was Brownie Bites. Oh my! Whether on a RAW diet or not, those were just plain good. 

RAW Brownie Bites

RAW Brownie Bites

Makes 25 balls, about 48 calories apiece

1 cup pecans, finely ground
1 cup dates, packed tightly
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons agave nectar
3 packets sweet leaf stevia (or approximate)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, for dredging
2 packets sweet leaf stevia, for dredging

Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and balled-up. Form into about 25 small balls about 1-inch in diameter, and then roll these into a mixture of the 3 tablespoons cocoa powder mixed with the 2 extra packets of stevia. Keep refrigerated. 


Later I discovered how easy it was to make varied dessert balls, or "RAW Cookie Dough" recipes. No eggs are involved in these, so no problem with bacteria. Just use nuts (often cashews or almonds, with their milder flavor as a base) and the addition of other things as desired. Dried fruits are great, either as an addition or as in the case of my own recipe for Fruit and Nut Balls, just a lot of wonderfully sweet dried fruits and nuts mixed together. 

RAW Fruit and Nut Balls

RAW Fruit and Nut Balls

Makes about 30 balls @ 68 calories each

¼ cup dried apricots, finely minced
¼ cup dates, finely minced
¼ cup craisins, finely chopped
¼ cup dried blueberries, finely chopped
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ cup almonds, finely chopped
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tsp dried orange peel
¼ cup ground flax seed
2 packets Stevia
¼ cup almond butter

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. With hands, scoop up enough to pack together and roll into approximately 1-inch balls, then roll balls in either ground nuts, or coconut. Store in the refrigerator. 

Remaining RAW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anyway, back to last night. Raw cashews make a wonderful "cookie dough" base. However, I had no more raw cashews, having used up the last of them in a curry recently; drat... So, improvising, I had a craving for oatmeal cookies (I love oatmeal cookie dough - the real cookie dough, meant to be baked) and thought I'd use raw rolled oats. I am not totally sure if oats are heated when they are rolled, but I did not cook them, so I started out with almond meal/flour, added flax, some unsweetened coconut, and the oatmeal and tossed those things into the food processor. I should have stopped to grind the flax seeds first, as not many of them were ground in the processor. I was just in too much of a hurry to make my dessert to stop and take the time ;-)

I used agave syrup as the binder. I wanted chocolate chips and happened to have a partial bag of mini chips, so I mixed some of those in too. Chocolate chips are not RAW, so if you are being very strictly RAW, use Cocoa Nibs instead. Didn't have any of those on hand last night either.  If you do not want to use the oatmeal, or if making these Gluten-Free, add more almond meal, coconut or flax. The amount of agave syrup needed will depend on how much of the other ingredients are used. My "recipe" was written down after the fact, so the amounts are approximate. Watch when adding the syrup to see how the mixture comes together. If it is too dry, add more syrup. If it got too wet, add more of the dry ingredient(s) of preference. For now, this is more or less what I did for my craving last night. I ate about 3 of these little balls before they ever got to be balls, but by that time I was completely satisfied, so the rest are waiting for me in the fridge for whenever that desire strikes.

RAW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Size of my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 
Makes about 24 one-inch balls

⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup flax, ground
½ cup almond meal
½ cup unsweetened coconut
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup agave syrup
more oats, if needed
¼ cup mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Place the first 5 ingredients into a food processor and process until broken. Add the vanilla and with the processor running, add the syrup in a stream until the mixture starts to come together in a ball. Stop the processor as soon as this starts. If more syrup is needed, add more by hand. If the mixture is too wet, add more oatmeal. Fold in the chocolate chips and form into tiny, one-inch balls. If any are left, store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Making Dehydrator Jams for Anyone

I have been getting back to using my dehydrator lately. I used it nearly daily when I was on the RAW food diet a few years back, and it was fun to find how many wonderfully tasty foods could be made this way. Not that one must be on a raw diet to benefit from a good dehydrator, as the subject of this blog will go to show.

Strawberry Dehydrator Jam,
with cinnamon and cardamom

My last blog was about my Champagne Pink Currant Dehydrator Jam, and how it turned out so tart. This is not the case with regular sweet fruits. I had made Strawberry Dehydrator Jam in the past, and it was completely, deliciously sweet and fresh-fruity. I love strawberry jam, though I am not crazy about fresh strawberries. I am sure I have a lot of people wondering what is wrong with me, right now. 'What? How could you not love strawberries?!" I get that a lot, but it's true. I like the fresh flavor of this jam, or the juices mixed with cream on a strawberry shortcake - but not the berries. Oh well. But raspberries, I love. Just about any way at all. I love them fresh, as jam, as a sauce. I have even eaten them fresh with chunks of Gorgonzola cheese. I had never tried making them into dehydrator jam. Yesterday I did.

Making Dehydrator Jams

It is really extremely simple to make dehydrator jam. You need to start early in the day, to give it enough time to get thick, and it is helpful to be available to stir it every couple of hours or so, to expose the more wet parts underneath. As far as "work" goes, there really isn't any to speak of. I have added in some spices to the strawberry jam that make it a bit exotic, but if you aren't ready for the spices, they can certainly be left out.

In essence, you will need approximately a pound of fruit per cup of finished jam. This is just a rough estimate. It will depend on how long it is dried, for starters. Yesterday I used 1 pound of strawberries for the strawberry jam which yielded about 1¼ cups. I had a 12 ounce package of beautiful fresh raspberries for the raspberry jam, yielding 1 cup exactly.

How To

I cleaned the fruit and hulled the strawberries. Since I use my food processor, I cut the fruit into like-sized chunks to process evenly. Even this is not necessary; a potato masher would work just as well to crush the fruit. To the pound of strawberries I added 1/2 cup of honey. The honey could be replaced with stevia or other sweetener of choice. Originally I was making this for a RAW diet, and honey just tasted good in this jam. I could have used Agave Syrup also.

To the crushed strawberries and honey I added freshly grated orange zest from one orange, a half-inch chunk of true cinnamon, crushed and between 1/4  - 1/2 teaspoon of crushed green cardamom seeds. I used my mortar and pestle to grind the cinnamon and cardamom. A pinch of salt is the only other ingredient. Mix and place into a wide, low container that will give a large surface area. This will speed the drying process. All of this presupposes that one owns a good dehydrator with various shelves, allowing for the use of such a large container. I own an Excalibur dehydrator with something like 9 shelves, so it is easy to remove most of them and set in the containers of fruit. Yesterday I made both strawberry and raspberry jams, so halfway up I had one extra shelf so they were nicely separated and had plenty of ventilation.

Raspberry Dehydrator Jam, with crystallized ginger

For my raspberry jam I used the 12 ounces of raspberries, crushed with 1/3 cup of honey and a teaspoon of crystallized ginger, minced fine. Some or all the seeds may be strained out if they are a bother. I left all the seeds in, but realize that once removing seeds, the total finished volume will be less.

Once the fruit mixtures are in their containers and in the dehydrator at about 110 - 115 degrees, they should be stirred every couple of hours or so, in order to help with even drying. The tops will get quite dry and sticky, where underneath it is still very liquid. In all, it took 8 - 9 hours for the raspberry jam to get to a good consistency, and the strawberry was not done for about 5 hours more.

Using the Jam, RAW Diet or not

Obviously, when I was on the RAW food diet, bread was not on the menu. Not regular yeast bread, anyway. I made some little flat unleavened "breads", more like soft crackers. Still, the jam was a really great addition to the diet. Another way it could be used on a RAW diet is as a sauce over RAW Ice Cream. I have made a couple of raw ice creams lately and they are really marvelous.

Currently, however, I am not following a RAW diet, and this morning I had two pieces of toasted No-Knead Bread, one with some of the Strawberry Dehydrator Jam and one with some Raspberry Dehydrator Jam. Just for kicks I also had a couple strips of bacon (photo at right). Yum! Just because the jam is made raw, does not preclude using it on any diet. It is just a little healthier jam than most, and flexible enough to make using alternate sweeteners so it could be used on most dietary regimens. The jams are naturally gluten-free and dairy free. They are vegetarian and without using honey to sweeten, can be vegan also.

I hope some of you may try these. Having a really good dehydrator does help, of course. My next trials will be with peaches or blueberries. 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Goan Style Chicken

I got this idea for Goan Style Chicken from the knowledge that Goa, in the west part of India, was populated by Portuguese long ago. Goa is one of the few places in India that uses recipes for pork or beef. Another ingredient I have seen in marinades is vinegar, which gives a nice piquancy. With these things in mind, along with a love of all Indian spices, I threw together a marinade for some chicken I had. I used cilantro, some onion and garlic, along with some of the more common spices such as coriander, cumin,  cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and a little curry powder, moistened with coconut oil and vinegar.

Goan Style Chicken, baked

The first time I tried making this recipe was shortly after moving in to our new home and things were such a mess that I couldn't even get the grill out of the garage, much less use it in the spring showers we were having at the time. So, this first time, while the marinade smelled heavenly, once baked it left a lot of liquid in the baking sheet, so the chicken was more steamed than baked or roasted. Don't get me wrong - it was very delicious! I served it with a chutney I had just made up a few days prior, along with saffron rice and peas and it was a delightful dinner.

However, I couldn't help thinking that it would be better if grilled. I had butterflied the chicken breasts the first time, but left them still connected. The second time, I cut through the boneless, skinless breasts, making two pieces. I also bought some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, as my husband prefers dark meat. With all the extra meat, I made about 1½ times the recipe for the marinade and set the chicken in the marinade for about an hour while preparing the chutney and rice.

My suspicion was spot-on, because the flavors of the chicken done on the grill were spectacular. I made a repeat of the meal with the chutney, saffron rice and peas, to ensure that the flavors would be the same. sometimes, when making the same dish but with different accompaniments, it can taste different, much like with wines. The grilled version is clearly the winner in this comparison, but even if you cannot grill, though I would recommend using a rack a rack in the pan, baking the chicken is still a really fine option. Do try this recipe if at all possible because it is a Harmony of Flavors in the mouth! 

Goan Style Chicken

Goan Style Chicken, grilled

Serves 4

1 cup cilantro, loosely packed
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1 large chunk fresh ginger, peeled, loosely chopped
½ large onion, or 1 small onion, in chunks
2 teaspoons curry powder of choice
2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cardamom seed
2 inches true cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
2 - 4 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons oil or melted coconut oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

Prepare the chicken breasts by butterflying to make them of even thickness. Alternately, pound the breasts or thighs to an even thinness. Make shallow slashes in the meat on both sides, not cutting all the way through. Set aside.

Place the first 12 ingredients into a blender container and blend to break up large pieces. Add in the oil or coconut oil, then the vinegar to allow the mixture to become a thick paste. Scrape out the marinade onto the prepared chicken and rub the marinade into the chicken, including into the shallow cuts on both sides. Set aside to marinate for at least ½ hour, or longer if you have the time.Preheat oven to 425. If baking the chicken, place onto a greased baking sheet with sides. This will be best on a rack, though not necessary. Drizzle oil or melted coconut oil over the chicken. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Alternatively, grill the chicken until done.

This is great served with saffron rice and a chutney of choice. I served it with Apple Onion Chutney with Sultanas.


NOTE: Hot chilies may be added to the marinade as desired. Two to 6 jalapenos or serranos will impart a nice heat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Apple Onion Chutney with Sultanas

Apple & Onion Chutney with Sultanas

Makes about 2 cups

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion
1 large Fuji apple, or apple of choice
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ cup sultanas (white raisins)
¼ cup light brown sugar

Cut off root end of onion and peel off skin. Cut onion in half lengthwise and then slice across into ¼ inch slices.

In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil and add the onions. Over medium heat or lower, slowly saute the onions until nicely golden brown, stirring very often, about 15 minutes. Peel and core the apple. Quarter the apple and cut each quarter in half again. Slice thinly across and add to the onions along with the salt and Worcestershire. Cook about 10 minutes until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the sultanas and toss for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and cook just until the sugar is completely melted and the sauce is syrupy.

 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Organizing a New Kitchen

Finally back after our move. I've been digging myself out from boxes everywhere for the last 2 weeks, after frantically packing for the weeks prior. Moving is stressful at best. My husband keeps asking where an item is. All I can say with any certainty is, "I just don't know!" Of course, that is not the answer he hoped for so it continues to be stressful. Such is life and moving.

I have no new photos to attach here for this blog. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe next week, but I wanted to at least write a little bit here. I am making an effort to do a little light cooking, in an attempt at "getting to know my new kitchen." It is hard to get things in an order so they are handy and useful, and every kitchen is set up differently. I have plenty of room, but things are laid out differently in each house. Yesterday I made brownies. I had been warned that the stove here runs hot, so I set the temperature 25 degrees lower. The brownies were not done in the usual time called for, so I upped the temp and they were finally done with about 7 extra minutes. They came out delightfully chewy, so that was great, but I am not sure the oven temp really runs much hotter than normal, after that experiment. Here is my recipe:

My Best Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts

In a medium saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butter (11 tablespoons). Once melted, remove from heat. Add in the sugar and mix to combine. Add the eggs and beat to combine. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts and stir until just mixed. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Do not overbake.

I made my Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham a few days ago, in the midst of complete chaos. They also turned out perfectly and it was so wonderful to have a home cooked meal again, instead of store bought rotisserie chicken, potato salad and coleslaw, or spiral sliced ham with potato salad and coleslaw. Not that I am complaining. My wonderful sister-in-law provided the foods during the move, so I didn't have to panic trying to find things to make in such a chaotic situation. I am completely and utterly grateful for all she provided. It is still nice to get back to some semblance of normalcy. This coming weekend I am hoping to make Mom Rawstern's Famous Baked Beans with the ham bone from that spiral sliced ham we have been eating for the last week.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Serves 6 to 8
Makes one 9 x 13-inch casserole

2 cups ham, cut in small chunks
3 - 3½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled, sliced ¼" thick
½ medium onion, sliced thinly, then roughly chopped
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, reserving ¾ cup aside
6 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoon salt
¼ - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups milk, evaporated milk or cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375, if convection). Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole with cooking spray. Divide the potatoes into three piles, making one pile of the best and most even shaped slices, and one with the smallest bits and pieces. Place the latter pile into the bottom of the casserole. Layer half the ham over the potatoes, then half the onion, and half the cheese. Sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of the flour, then half the salt and pepper. Place pats of one tablespoon of the butter over the surface. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, then the ham, onion, cheese, flour, salt, pepper and the butter. Top with the best looking potato slices.

Heat the milk to just warm, and whisk in the Dijon mustard. Pour this over the casserole, cover the casserole with foil and bake for45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 45 minutes. Ten minutes before the potatoes are done, sprinkle the reserved cheddar cheese over top of the casserole and allow to finish baking. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. 


Today my husband requested my Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad. He loves it for lunch sandwiches, though it is equally good for noshing, served on crackers, tortillas or buns. It is also wonderful for appetizers. Eventually I will get some photos to put in my blog and website, but for today, at least the recipe is available. It is completely gluten free, if served on something other than wheat breads or crackers. It is delightful on a bed of lettuce or tomatoes, too.

Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad

Uniquely Fine Chicken Salad

Makes 6 to 7 cups

½ cup raisins or craisins
½ cup pecans, walnuts or almonds
3 to 4 stalks celery, in 1-inch chunks
1 carrot, scrubbed, in half-inch slices
1 green pepper, seeded, in 1-inch chunks
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed
¾ cup sweet pickle relish
¾ - 1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup yellow mustard

In a food processor, place the raisins and nuts and process for about 20 to 30 seconds, until in smaller bits. Remove to a large bowl. Next, process the celery in about 4 to 5 short pulses and remove to the bowl. Repeat with the carrot and then the green pepper. Do not process too fine. Repeat with the chicken in two batches and add to the bowl, along with the pickle relish, mayonnaise and mustard. With a spatula, combine all the ingredients well. 


It is good to be back!


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest. 

Delightfully Different Beverages from Guatemala

When I lived in Guatemala, I became enamored of a variety of delicious beverages commonly found anywhere down there. Whether in a restaurant, visiting or at home, the sheer variety of unusual things to drink astounded me. Three in particular are ones I want to write about here. One is a hibiscus drink made from the Roselle hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, or "Rosa de Jamaica" as it was called in Guatemala. Another is called Horchata and is made with raw rice, cinnamon and sugar. Beverages similar are served in many countries, but making it fresh, it is so delicious. The third is tamarind. Tamarind is known all over the world and is probably used more in cooking than as a beverage. It is used in Indian chutneys, African dishes, Caribbean foods. As a beverage, it is easy to  make and a wonderful alternative to lemonade. 

Discover the flavors of these three delicious and healthful beverages. Seek out the ingredients and see what you may have been missing.

Rice and Almond Beverage

This is a very refreshing drink made from mainly rice. In Guatemala it is called "Horchata". The rice is simply soaked, not cooked, and with the addition of a few other ingredients, it is great on a hot day. It is lovely for a party, if alcohol is not a choice for some. I once served it at a baby shower.

The benefits of this beverage is the fact that one is extracting the goodness and nutrition from almonds, rice and sesame seeds. If only water is used for the liquid, there are no extra calories from the milk. Almonds are low in calories in comparison to many other nuts and good for you. Sesame seeds are quite high in calcium.

Horchata

Horchata

Makes about 4½ cups

4½ tablespoons uncooked rice
3 tablespoons raw almonds
3 inches "true" cinnamon (look in Mexican
markets, or Mexican section of the grocery)
3 tablespoons cantaloupe seeds (dry and save), optional
4 tablespoons sesame seeds (raw, unhulled)
6 cups water (or 3 c. water, 3 c. milk)
¼ - ½ cup sugar, as desired

Soak the rice in water to cover for at least 4 hours. Rice remains uncooked. Wash it well and put into a blender container along with the almonds, cinnamon, melon seeds, sesame seeds, sugar, and about ½ of the liquid called for. Blend till everything is very finely ground. Strain the liquid into a pitcher and add the remaining liquid, stirring well. Chill before serving. Serve over ice, if desired.

NOTES: This recipe calls for melon seeds. I have never seen a recipe call for melon seeds before, but they are easy enough to harvest from a nice cantaloupe, when cutting and slicing. Rinse the seeds well, pulling out any bits of melon that cling. Allow them to dry out completely before storing in an airtight jar.

Sweeten to taste, starting with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and add more as needed as per your preference. The Horchata beverage may be sweetened with honey, agave syrup, Stevia or any other sweetener preferred.

Roselle Hibiscus and Beverage

Roselle Hibiscus calyxes

Roselle: Hibiscus sabdariffa is a species of Hibiscus native from India to Malaysia, growing best in tropical and sub-tropical regions up to about 3,000 feet and requires good rainfall.

It is an annual, erect, bushy sub shrub that can grow to 8 feet tall, with mostly smooth and usually red stems. Leaves are alternate, about 3 to 5 inches long with reddish veins. The flowers are 3 – 5 inches in diameter, pale yellow or buff colored with a dark red spot at the base of each petal. The flowers mature to have a stout fleshy calyx at the base, fleshy and bright red as the fruit matures over about 6 months. The leaves are used in some countries like a spicy version of spinach. The fleshy calyxes can be chopped and cooked with sugar, yielding a condiment much like cranberry sauce.

The beverage as made in Guatemala, is made from the calyxes of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, often called Roselle Hibiscus (as in "hibiscus tea"). They are deep red and fleshy when fresh. Once dried, the calyxes are packaged and found in many health food stores. They may be ordered online or Mexican groceries often carry them, as they are common in Central America. In Guatemala these are called Rosa de Jamaica, or Jamaican Rose. The hibiscus plant bears small, pale yellowish-white hibiscus flowers, with a deep red center. The plant is not grown for the small flowers, but for the fleshy calyxes. These calyxes can be eaten raw in salads, but in Guatemala they are most often found dried, and used steeped in hot water to make a healthy beverage which can be served hot or over ice.


Rosa de Jamaica

These calyxes are high in vitamin C. They are high in citric acid, tartaric acid and malic acid as well as flavonoids such as cyanidin, giving them their deep red color. Most countries that cultivate and use these calyxes also consider them medicinal. Some believe the tea can help with coughs. Some studies have been done claiming that drinking the tea helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol. In Guatemala it is considered a hangover remedy. Since the tea helps break down complex sugars and starches, there may be some basis in fact. As the calyxes brew a tea high in Vitamin C, it is good to drink to fight off colds and strengthen the immune system.

Rosa de Jamaica

Makes 1 quart

1/3 to ½ cup dried Rosa de Jamaica
4 cups boiling water
¼ cup sugar, more, or less to taste

Place the dried Rosa de Jamaica calyxes into the boiling water and allow to steep for 20 minutes or so. Strain and sweeten to taste. Chill and enjoy.

Tamarind Beverage

Tamarind Pods and inner fruit

Tamarind, or Tamarindus indica, is known throughout the world and is possibly used in cooking more often than as a beverage. While not actually a spice, this sweet tart fruit is used like a spice to flavor foods all around the world. Its flavor is a component of Worcestershire sauce. It is commonly used in Indian chutney. Tamarind is native to tropical Africa, and also grows abundantly in India but has spread around the world. The name tamarind comes from the Indian words Tamar Hindi, meaning Indian Date. The tamarind was introduced into Mexico and the Caribbean sometime around the 16th century. The tamarind tree can grow to a height of around 80 feet in its preferred climate. The tree appears feathery, with tiny leaflets down each side of the stems. These leaflets close up at night. The fruit grows as brown pods. They have a brown, brittle shell, rusty brown, sticky pulp and may contain from 1 to 12 large, flat, glossy brown seeds. The pulp is very fibrous. The flavor is quite sour and tart, making it excellent for use as a refreshing beverage, much as lemons for lemonade. Tamarind is used to make a most refreshing and thirst quenching beverage in Guatemala, Mexico and other areas of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Tamarind is both sweet and sour at the same time. It is a potent flavor, best used somewhat sparingly unless you are quite accustomed. It is a wonderful addition to any sweet and sour dishes, and is an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. In Southeast Asian cooking, it is a flavor often combined with such other ingredients as garlic, dried shrimp, coconut and chilies. Pad Thai is one commonly known Thai dish using tamarind.

In India, it is used to make delicious chutney, as well as a Tamarind Rice or South Indian Fish Curry. In the Caribbean islands it is often used in cooking seafood. Small amounts of tamarind paste are used in sauces for dishes containing cassava, chickpeas, potatoes or rice with greens. It can be used to make sweet and sour sauces, mixed into recipes with both sugar and pepper, mixed into barbecue sauces, made into beverages, desserts and candies. One common use for tamarind is in sauces, which gives control of the amount used.

Tamarind is a good source of antioxidants, containing carotenes, vitamin C, flavonoids and B vitamins. They protect against vitamin C deficiency. Tamarind is good for digestion. It can be made into a gargle for sore throat. It is said to lower cholesterol and promote a healthy heart. It is very high in potassium and provides a great supply of calcium, unusual in a fruit.

Tamarind can be found in its pods at some international markets, or in compressed cakes or in concentrate or paste form. For this recipe, use either whole pods or the compressed cake version.
 

Tamarind Beverage - Agua de Tamarindo

Agua de Tamarindo

Makes 1 or 2 quarts

1/2 pound tamarind pods or cake
1 - 2 quarts of water, as needed
sugar or sweetener, to taste

Peel pods, cracking off the brittle shells, if whole. Soak the fruit or compressed cake in at least 1 quart of water for about 2 hours to soften. With scrupulously clean hands, break apart the pulp, freeing it into the water. Strain the mixture and add more water if desired. Less water makes a more concentrated beverage. Add sugar or other sweetener as needed.

Chill or pour over ice to serve.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.