Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Level Up: #BlogHerFood2016

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REAL TALK ALERT: What follows are some hard truths about my shortcomings as a blogger, but what’s even more real is my determination to succeed!

I’m going on year 5 of this blog and I’ll admit, things have not gone as I expected. When I started this blog, with my terrible smartphone photos, shot at night under fluorescent lighting (cringe), I thought people were going to visit my page in DROVES. Because hey, I’m a decent writer, right? I’m going out and transcribing Bangladeshi recipes from my mom and loved ones so that others wouldn’t have to. Here I was posting those very recipes so you wouldn’t have to do the hard work of figuring out what exactly two finger widths of water per cup of rice actually meant! A nice market, but, no, I haven’t been able to work it between kids and my day job. The Blogging Universe does not reward those who do not produce content like a Southern kitchen turns out biscuits.

So I had a bit of a learning curve. I consulted with my awesome food photography specialist friend, Aaisha Shaikh of LattesandChai (formerly BakingPartTime). I consulted with local lifestyle blogger and my junior high buddy Aileen Olmedo of TheStyleBoro about blogging as an industry. She pointed me in the direction of SheKnows and the BlogHer conferences as a resource for female content creators and social media influencers. For context, SheKnows is a parent company of BlogHer, an advertising network built by women for women. They hold two conferences yearly, one for bloggers across the spectrum, and another food focused. I decided the latter would have the right mix of the resources I was looking for: industry insights, networking, and practical applications. Boy was I right.

This year’s conference included:

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I learned a lot, and now I see why so many who had started their blogs before mine, were able to take off in a lot shorter time. People with experience in media, marketing are in the know. Before my conversation with Aileen, I’d never heard the term “influencer” or “working with a brand” or even “content creator”. With the rise of blogging and social media, the advertising industry has changed on a fundamental level. It even changed drastically from the early days of blogging before the rise of social media and big data. Now there are “influencer agencies” to match up bloggers, IGers, Pinners, Youtubers and the like with the brands that would fit best with them. Instead of generating revenue from ads placed on the site, influencers now earn income from sponsored posts (the following is not an #ad rather swag!).

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It was as whirlwind of information. In an industry that changes so quickly, it’s important to stay informed in order to stay relevant.

img_0129img_0134img_0135And meeting my idols were just the cherry on top. Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes, Elise Strachan of My Cupcake Addiction, Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grand Baby Cakes, and the craziest one of all…

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FREDDIE PRINZE JR.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you are a late 20 something, early 30 something women, you are swooning right now. I see you. I watched She’s All That, too. And I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the episode of Friends where he played the male nanny. And yes, he is just as cute and funny and endearing in real life as he is on screen. He was part of the closing keynote with Lisa Lillien of Hungry Girl and Carla Hall from The Chew and Top Chef.

Year. Made.

I picked up his cookbook (yes ladies, he cooks and is happily married to Buffy the Vampire Slayer) since I was intrigued by the New Mexican recipes. I LOVE New Mexican food, made so tasty by the local hatch chili peppers. They are out of season now and I am far from New Mexico, but I did pick up a bunch of canned peppers from my last trip and apparently, you can order them online!

I forgot to ask him if he was red, green or Christmas. So I ask all of my New Mexican readers: which one are you?!

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Thanks, BlogHer and SheKnows for a great conference! And for my readers, wish me luck as I attempt to implement the strategies and learnings I’ve come away with to level up to Kitchen3N 2.0!

French Apple Cake (Le Gâteau Aux Pommes)

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After weeks of tiers and whipped egg whites and multitudinous trips to Costco – this simple, seasonal cake was just what I needed. My kids couldn’t wait to dig in after seeing cake after cake assembled and shipped out the door.

Warm. Fresh. Topped with whipped cream.

From what I’ve read in her book, Around My French Table, Dorie Greenspan’s goal is to put in writing the methods French cooks and chefs use to elevate everyday ingredients into delicious dishes you’ll crave again and again. The challenge was so many of them rely on instinct, memory, tasting along the way. In this I found a kindred spirit in Dorie – this was exactly what I set out to do when I started this blog. Trying to put into metrics and writing the authentic Bengali foods I ate growing up. Not easy when ingredients are measured in fingers and variable tea cups. But that’s probably where our similarities end.

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The original recipe relies heavily on rum for flavor. I exclude it, double the amount of vanilla, and enjoy a buttery, delicately flavored dessert cake. The other departure is to use a conventional cake pan over a springform pan, which I can never track down the right pieces for or the right size.

Adapted barely from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, which is chock full of goodies from authentic french desserts (crème brûlée, pâte à choux) to North African inspired dishes (couscous, tagines).

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 large apples (preferably different varieties)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly

Directions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 inch cake pan. Trace and cut out an 8 inch circle on parchment paper to line the bottom with. Grease again with non stick cooking spray or butter.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Peel the apples, cut in half and remove the cores. Dice into 1 inch chunks.
  4. In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy (medium speed). Add the sugar and continue whisking for another minute. Add the vanilla, reduce the speed to low and add half the flour mixture. Stop the mixer every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half the melted butter, then the remaining flour. Add the last bit of butter and stop the mixer, mixing in the last bit with a spatula. Add the apples and fold into the batter gently.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Let cool in the pan. When time to remove, gently loosen from the sides of the pan, invert onto a cake board or paper plate, then invert again onto a cake stand. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.

Lentil and Bulgur Kofte

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My heart is hurting. The world is burning. There is no where I can go, or send my family members, that feels safe from natural disaster, disease or rampant violence. Perhaps this is the way it’s always been – just now we are hyper aware because we are hyper connected. The natural disaster stuff is not new. Climate change is. And as a Bangladeshi American, I worry about the effects of glacial melting for a sea-level country like Bangladesh. We already have climate refugees.

Disease is certainly not new (hello plague, small pox, measles and the like). But Planetary Health is. The deterioration of our forests and natural resources that previously acted as a barrier from infectious diseases rampant inside the wilderness.

And the violence. From mass shooters to terrorists to drone strikes. We’ve been killing one another since Cain and Abel. Yet for all our progress, our education, we can’t seem to teach one another empathy. We can be pro-life when it comes to matters of a woman’s right to make decisions, yet when it comes to the life of someone who looks a bit different from us, we only know to act in self preservation.

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What does this have to do with these vegan “meatballs”? I’m not sure, except it is a Turkish recipe. And if a certain small handed, orange hued, and even smaller brained individual had his way, contributions like this (both culinary and non-culinary), would come to a halt for a certain period of time. We cannot let fear come in the way of this country’s most powerful asset: our pluralism. We must use our propensity for innovation to tackle this challenge we’ve never faced before: an ideological war. One with no national border, rather the exploitation of the disenfranchised, the bored, the feeble minded.

A wonderful cook and long time associate, Keri Egilmez, shared this recipe with me. You may remember her from the Samboosa recipe I shared a while back. These are not meant to satisfy your cravings for dark, rich, savory meatballs. They work best as an appetizer – light and lemony and the perfect finger food. Also works well over a bed of greens as a light lunch. Afiyet olsen!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Red Lentils
  • 1/2 cup fine bulgur
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Paste (or tomato paste)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (or half if you like less sour)
  • 1/3 cup of parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes or pul biber (aleppo pepper) – optional

Directions

  1. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and rinse under running water 2-3 times. Add 2.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until all the water is soaked up. Add the bulgur to the pot, give it a stir, and cover until mixture is cool enough to handle.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened – 4 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and red pepper or tomato paste. Stir until combined then remove from heat. Add this mixture to the lentil/bulgur mixture.
  3. Add the lemon juice, parsley, green onion and chili flakes, if using, to the mixture. Stir until everything is combined, then pinch off golf ball sized amounts and lightly press into an oblong shaped ball. Set aside. Continue until all of the mixture is made into kofte (balls).
  4. Enjoy as is or wrapped in lettuce with a squeeze of lemon. Afiyet olsun!

Mango Mousse (Eggless)

Summa summa summatiiiiiime. I’m keeping the oven off for this one. I’m keeping my fruit bowl stocked up on glorious mangoes. And I’m eating them whole, skin off, just me and the pulp, with the juices running down my elbows. When I’m not eating them whole, I’m whipping up the most divine desserts with them, from ice cream to pudding to this luscious mousse.

Of course I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Yes, I could’ve blended mango pulp with sugar and folded it into whipped cream. But why do that when adding a bump of flavor is so easy and impactful? I add the juice and zest of half a lime and it works so well to cut the sweetness of the mango and the richness of the cream. It’s a balancing act. And I’ve been obsessed with limes lately. I find the aroma absolutely intoxicating. From virgin mojitos to salad dressings – I’ve been putting them in everything. I also add a splash of vanilla to make it extra special – adding a floral dimension to a fruity dessert.

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There are two schools of thought when it comes to mousse. One includes raw whipped eggs whites. The other is a more simple one, made with just whipped cream. While this was a delicious, easy and no fuss method of making mango mousse, my curiosity will not be satisfied until I try a version with the egg whites. Though I’m not too crazy about consuming raw eggs, for the sake of recipe testing, I will! So keep an eye out for a future post with the egg white inclusive version!

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups mango pulp (from about 3 large mangos)
  • 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp
  • juice and zest of half a lime plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. If possible, freeze the bowl and whisk attachment of your stand mixer (or bowl/beaters) for about 10 minutes. Cream whips up much faster when cooler. When ready to whip, take out bowl and whisk/beaters from fridge, pour cream into bowl and add 2 tbsp sugar. Start whipping at low speed. As the cream gets thicker, gradually increase speed. When it reaches soft peaks (when it looks billowy and the whisk leaves lines in the cream), remove about 1 cup of the cream for the topping. Keep mixing the rest until you reach stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla and give it a final stir by hand. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor or high power blender, blend the mango puree, 1/2 cup sugar, lime juice and zest until well combined.
  3. Gradually add to the whipped cream, 1/3 of the mango puree at a time, folding into the whipped cream gently. When completely incorporated, pour the mousse into a trifle bowl, or similar bowl with high sides. Top with the whipped cream you set aside earlier. Garnish with extra lime zest.

Ramadan Round Up

Ramadan is halfway over, but there’s still time to make some of my favorite recipes for this time of year! Going clockwise from the top left:

Citrus Quinoa Salad with Dates, Almonds and Mint – we consume a lot of dates during Ramadan. This recipe uses up any extra dates you may have in a salad you can feel good about eating at the end of a long fast!

Meyer Lemon Strawberry Lemonade – I know sugar is the devil. I know. But you have to try this lemonade. It is light years beyond any bottled strawberry lemonade you can find. Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Basil Smoothie – a surprising staple in many homes I’ve introduced this smoothie to. Basil, yogurt, sugar and ice makes for an unexpectedly refreshing drink.

Tandoori Chicken – an easy, make ahead dish. When you’re fasting, you’re low on energy. So the less time you have to spend on your feet in the kitchen, the better. These chicken legs get a quick marinade of yogurt and spices. Then about 45 minutes before eating, pop them in a hot oven. That is all.

Mint Limeade – aka virgin mojitos. The refreshing flavors of lime and mint make this the perfect compliment to your break-fast meal.

Haleem – a protein packed Ramadan must. It’s one stop, one pot iftar. Stewed meat, grains and lentils combine to make the most filling, comforting dish possible. Can probably make this in your slow cooker as well.

Fruit Chaat – refreshing and easy. Simply combine your favorite fruits – try to ensure varying textures and levels of sweetness. Try apples, grapes, kiwis. Or pineapple, cantelope, raspberries. Or mango, blueberry, nectarine. Leave the yogurt/chaat masala dressing on the side, or mixed in, for a variation of your favorite fruit salad.

Banana Date Nut Bread – another healthy way to use up dates. The potassium from the bananas and dates combined with the fiber from the whole wheat make this bread great to have on hand when you’re short on time for your pre-dawn meal. Can bump up the fiber content with flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.

Aloo Chop (Fried Mashed Potato Balls) – not the healthiest thing on the list, but a comfort food must for many of us South Asians. Mashed potato balls stuffed with bits of hard boiled egg, breaded and fried. Yum!

Aloo Chop (Fried Mashed Potato Balls)

Traditional Bengali iftars are an exercise in how many different ways can we consume fried foods. Ground up lentils and herbs? FRY IT! Fresh sliced eggplant? BATTER AND FRY IT! Whole green chilis? FRY IT! Mashed potatoes? FRY. IT.

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There’s been a backlash by my generation against the fried iftars of our parents’ generation:

  • “We’re just doing broiled salmon and sauteed green beans for iftar.”
  • “I’m doing a green smoothie for iftar.”
  • “Every year I gain weight during Ramadan. No fried foods for me this year.”

Yet when we go to the inevitable iftar dawat at our parents’ or aunts’ or grandparents’, we’re still gonna pop a couple of fritters on our plate while no one’s looking. Not the whole deep fried green chilis – dear God no. I don’t know WHO that appeals to. But we can pretty unanimously agree on the Aloo Chop. Any manifestation of a fried potato is right by my books. And when filled with tiny cubes of hard boiled egg, well it becomes a whole darn meal!

I justify it by compounding it with salad. Lots of greens and veggies. And water. I read somewhere on the internets that junk food is ok, as long as you drink lots of water afterward. =)

I went with Yukon gold potatoes, as they are more waxy than Idaho. I didn’t add any butter or milk to the potatoes themselves, as I wanted them to hold their shape as well as they could while sizzling away in the hot oil.

The best part is, they freeze beautifully. Just pop them in the a ziploc before the egg wash/breading stage, and fry them up whenever you want them. These take a little bit of time to prepare, but these are the things childhood memories are made of.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs yukon gold potato, quartered
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp chaat masala*
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup minced cilantro
  • 1 green chili, minced (optional)
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped small
  • a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
  • a dash of salt
  • a dash of cayenne pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
  • vegetable oil for frying

Directions

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Carefully lower potatoes and cook until tender: 10-12 minutes. I don’t bother peeling them. I boil them skin on, then when cool to the touch, peel back the skins like my mom used to do.
  2. Season the potatoes with salt, chaat masala and cumin. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Mash with a potato masher. Add scallions, cilantro (all but 1 tbsp of it) and green chili is using**. Then get in there with your hand and incorporate very well. Set aside.
  3. Season the diced hard boiled eggs with the remaining 1 tbsp cilantro, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Toss lightly.
  4. Make balls with the mashed potato mixture by grabbing a handful, rolling into a ball, pressing in to make an indent (see picture above), and fill with a tiny bit of the egg mixture. Enclose the egg mixture fully with the edges of the potato ball. Set aside on a plate or baking sheet and continue making the rest of the balls. At this point you can freeze the balls and fry them off at a later time as needed.
  5. Heat up oil (enough to come up 2 inches) in a small wok or saucepan to 325 to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl, crack eggs and beat lightly. In another shallow bowl, pour out the breadcrumbs. roll each ball in the egg, then in the bread mixture, then lower carefully into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry for 2 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oil and onto a paper towel lined plate. Serve with Sriracha or Ketchup.

*Chaat masala is a tangy/salty/spicy spice mix that can bring any dish to life. Easily available at any Indian grocery.
**I wouldn’t recommend adding the green chili unless you are a LOVER of spicy foods. I just have it listed as it is a traditional ingredient.

My Go-To Suhoor (Sehri)

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When you were a kid did you have curry for suhoor?

Let me take a few steps back here. Ramadan Kareem everyone! The blessed time of year when Muslims around the world abstain from food & drink (yes, even water) from dawn til dusk. Not just a physical fast, Muslims (healthy, adult) are to abstain from sex, violence and cursing. Particularly trying for those at northern latitudes where the days are long (16+ hours for us in NY), we need to make the most of our pre-dawn and fast-breaking meals. That means nutritious food that will keep our bodies busy breaking down complex carbs and proteins. Just as important: staying hydrated!

So if you’re South Asian, you probably had white rice along with veggies and some hearty curries for your pre-dawn meal (suhoor/sehri). And they probably left you feeling awesome, especially after your post-fajr nap.

Not. They always left me feeling queasy and hungry after a few hours. Don’t get me wrong, hunger pangs are going to strike regardless. It wouldn’t be a fast without the experience of hunger – to humble us, to remind us of our blessings, to connect us to those less fortunate, and to remind us constantly that we are doing it for the sake of God. But in eating whole foods, super foods, foods that are full of complex carbs and hunger abating protein, we can put our best food forward while going about our day to day jobs in non-Muslim countries. Otherwise, it can be challenging, functioning on reduced and disjointed sleep (late night prayers + a meal in the middle of the night) with a lower blood sugar throughout the day making your mental processing faculties a bit foggy.

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So here I present my go-to spread for suhoor: overnight oats with fruit and nuts, two hard boiled eggs, toast with peanut butter, banana and chia seeds, coconut water, and water. I may not have all of these items every day, depending on how much time I have on my hands, but the overnight oats and hard boiled eggs are a must. I prepare the oats around the same time that I’m making iftar so it has a good 8 hours to soak in the fridge. When you read the recipe below, you might be turned off to the fact that it’s made with water instead of milk. But if you’ve ever struggled with downing oatmeal because the gummy texture turned you off, you must try it with water. Of course you are free to make it with almond, soy, rice, hemp or coconut milk instead.

Recently, I’ve been topping it with the raspberry compote from my Eton Mess. I don’t want to say it’s divine or anything in case that’s sacrilege – but it’s really really really good.

Combine the complex carbs from the oats with the protein and good fats from the eggs – you are good to go. The potassium from the coconut water and bananas (or dates!) well keep you running. The chia seeds provide a nutritional boost as well given they’re packed with Omega-3s, fiber, and protein. Sometimes I just munch on them as is. They have a wonderful crunchy/chewy texture.

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Here are my tips for hard boiling eggs:

  • Bring a generous amount of water to boil.
  • THEN add the eggs.
  • Set the timer for 8 minutes eggsactly (had to).
  • When the timer is up, drain the water. Let cool. Don’t peel them ahead of time as they’ll dry out.
  • Just before eating, crack them on a surface and roll around. You’ll find these eggs are the easiest to peel.

And here’s my go to recipe for overnight oats (from Quaker):

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup water (or enough to cover the oats)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh fruit or fruit compote
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 2 tbsp yogurt (optional)

Directions

  1. In a mason jar, or recycled jam jar, combine oats, water and salt. Close the lid and give it a shake. Let it sit in the fridge overnight (6-8 hours).
  2. To serve, top with fruit, nuts and yogurt, if using. Enjoy immediately. And be generous with the fruit! One of the perks of summertime fasts are the glorious fruits available, particularly at your local farmers market.

Eton Mess

 

Eton Mess aka Eat-A-Mess. Named for the school where it was first served – Eton College, presumably in the mess hall. For some reason I am surprised when people aren’t familiar with this dessert. I mean, didn’t everyone watch the episode of Barefoot Contessa when Ina Garten cooked a charity luncheon for Alec Baldwin and the lady from Law and Order?? I mean, she made Alec buy her groceries from a farm stand. CLASSIC INA.

I made this dessert for the first time this week, for a small party I catered for Sukoon Active – a modest athletic wear company. They had their Kickstarter Launch Party and I was there serving up mocktails and small bites. Catering is a lot of work, but so much fun!

Traditionally made with strawberries, Ina adds a twist by making a raspberry compote. I didn’t think I was a fan of raspberry desserts until I tried this. Wow – it is so delicious I sometimes steal a spoonful of the stuff when nobody’s looking. I omitted the Framboise (raspberry liqueur) from the original recipe, and it still came out great. The tartness from the lemon juice, the flavor of the raspberries, and the sweetness of the sugar all play the most amazing balancing act. Add that to whipped cream and crushed meringues, and it’s essentially a play on my pavlova. Nothing beats the textures and flavors of the three ingredients combined. It was definitely a hit at the party!

I copped out when making this dessert a second time. I used the whipped cream from a can because I ran out of heavy cream. Don’t judge!

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

Ingredients

  • 4 6oz. packages of raspberries
  • 1 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup crushed meringues (available at Trader Joe’s and sometimes by the deli section of my local grocery)

Directions

  1. Combine 2 packages raspberries, 1 cup sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Crush the berries lightly with a fork and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat and add the remaining two packages raspberries. Fold into the mixture gently then refrigerate until very cold.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld mixture, beat cream with 3 tbsp sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
  3. To crush the meringues, place them in a large ziploc bag and close tightly. Bang them with a rolling pin or something similar until you get small pieces.
  4. Layer about 1 tablespoon of the whipped cream, 1 tbsp raspberry compote and 1 tsp crushed meringues in a dessert cup or glass. Top off with whipped cream and enjoy immediately.

Tropical Green Smoothie

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I just realized that it’s been 2 years since I lost the baby weight. I realize it because I’m slowly putting the weight back on (oh no!).

It’s hard being smaller than your natural dress size! I look at all the women in my family, and post childbirth, we are all at least a size 8 and pear shaped.

I’m 5’1 and for the longest time after my second kid, I was stuck at 129 pounds. Inspired by my Barnard classmate, Asiya Khaki, photographer and beach body coach, I decided to get in shape. I started doing 25 minute interval training workouts with FitnessBlender. I cut out sugar almost entirely. Subbed quinoa for rice in pretty much every meal.

I lost 17 pounds. It was amazing. My core looked better in my late twenties than it ever did as a teenager.

And then Ramadan came, and I couldn’t really stick to my 3 small meals plus 2 snacks a day anymore. And the tons of water to curb my sugar cravings. So things got out of whack.

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I’ve put 5 pounds back on since hitting my lowest (112). I still keep up with the exercise at least twice a week (trying to make it 3 times a week). But I’ve gotten back to some bad habits. Late night work = late night snacks. Busy schedules means less time to make my quinoa salad. More often than not I’m finishing up the kids pasta for lunch. And dinner.

And though I am eating carbs again, I still try to keep up with the nutrition. I buy a big bag of avocados early on in the week. I try to ensure everyone’s got a serving of vegetables at every meal, and fruits at their disposal any time of the day.

In short, this smoothie is not for you if you are looking to lose weight. If you are looking for a nutritious, tasty drink to sub for a meal, definitely give this a try!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup loosely packed mixed baby greens
  • 1/2 cup fresh fruit like pineapple, mango, banana
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt, full fat
  • 3/4 to 1 cup pineapple or orange juice

Directions

  1. Add the greens, fruit, yogurt and 3/4 cup of the juice to the blender. If it doesn’t start to come together, add the extra 1/4 cup of juice. Enjoy immediately.

Citrus Quinoa Salad With Dates, Almonds, and Mint

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Ramadan is coming up! I figured I should add a few more Ramadan friendly recipes to the blog, for those of us who are looking to depart a bit from the usual fried foods iftars. During these long summer days when we’re denying ourselves food and liquid for 15 hours straight, we need to treat our bodies well! This is a dish you can feel good about eating, that’s not going to make you crash before the long night of ibadah (prayers) you have lined up.

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This recipe is based on one from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. I know a quinoa salad is not the first thing you think of when you consider French cuisine, but she’s filled her cookbook with things she makes for her family, without strictly adhering to a particular cuisine. In our hyperconnected world, it’s kind of impossible to resist influences from other regions. She’s got a Moroccan Tagine and carrot salad, small plates from her American upbringing, French pastries and traditional stews from her current residence. And she’s kind of an authority when it comes to food so I trust her with my quinoa!

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I’ve taken a lot of liberties with her recipe though. First was to change the prep method for the quinoa. For some reason the package directions always tell you to cook it covered over low heat for about 15 minutes. That always gave me soggy quinoa. My way gives perfectly cooked and fluffy quinoa every time. Second, I nixed the ginger powder for cinnamon since I hate ginger and thought cinnamon would compliment the citrus. Third, I increased the fruit to nut ratio for my sugar loving palette. She suggests using any kind of dried fruits, nuts and herbs. I combined the dried fruits, nuts and herbs I thought would work best (dates, almonds and mint). You could also do raisins, pine nut and parsley. Or apricot, walnut and cilantro. It’s a vibrant, tasty way to prepare your quinoa that uses up the plethora of dates we often have lying around during Ramadan.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa
  • 1 cup medjool dates, pitted and diced small (about 7 dates)
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • salt and pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (recommended: Trader Joe’s California Estate EVOO)

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and lower the heat to medium low. Cook for 12 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. After the 12 min are up, turn off the heat and put the lid on. Let steam for 3 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Set aside.
  2. Toast the almonds on a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally. When the nuts are light brown and fragrant, take off the heat and let cool.
  3. Chop the mint and combine with the dates and nuts in a large bowl.
  4. Make the vinaigrette: combine the orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and olive oil in a jar. Put the lid on and shake vigorously.
  5. Add the quinoa and vinaigrette to the large bowl. Combine everything and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper as needed.