Mint on Kitchen3N

Ramadan Round Up

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

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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!

Mint Limeade

Sat, 13 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Ramadan Kareem to all those who are observing the holiday! The days are long and the fasts are difficult but alhamdulillah (praise be to God), it makes you grateful for the food and drink you have waiting for you at iftar (evening breakfast). Many of us are blessed with comfortable homes, plenty of food and loving families. Part of the reason we fast is to remember those of us who are less fortunate. The Muslims being persecuted in Myanmar. The innocents dying everyday in Syria. Through this remembrance and appreciation of our blessings, we cultivate a closer relationship with God. Ramadan also brings to light the culinary diversity of Muslims around the world. Dates are an iftar staple, as that was the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Otherwise you might have kutaeif (a type of pancake) in Palestine. Kolak or cendol (sweet drinks) in Indonesia. Güllaç (a rosewater dessert) in Turkey. Back in Bangladesh, iftar consists of the following: cucumber slices, soaked lentils with raw ginger, puffed rice, fruit and a plethora of fried vegetables and lentils bathed in a thick gram flour batter. Sometimes they even fry this oversized hot pepper and eat it as is!! And I have to say: I hate it. I am sorry. I love Bengali food. I loathe the iftars. The raw ginger. The bland lentils. The batter that is so thick that the vegetables got lost in them. And whose idea was it to break your fast with fried foods anyway? The only exception is the potato patties (studded with pieces of hard boiled egg) and HALEEM. OMG. Haleem is to the subcontinent what Pho is to Vietnam (well, technically nihari is) in that it just a bowl of simmering, goat, lentil and barley deliciousness. I’ll post about it later, but for now, the drinks.

Mint syrup

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

First post post-baby! That excuses a 3 month hiatus, right?

Anyway, my in laws have been blessed with abundant crops this year. Zucchini twice the size of butternut squash (pictures to come). A never ending supply of mixed greens. Cucumbers to rival the zucchini. All of these things make their way into my fridge. Part of their generosity included a giant bag of mint leaves (peppermint I believe). Now, you can only have so much mint tea before you realize you haven’t even made a dent and the leaves are starting to go. Hence, this simple recipe.