Red White Blue Dessert - Health Nut Turns 2.

Health is as precious as any priced jewelry,needs to guarded with the same sense of responsibility.


What started as a hobby of leisure time has now become an inseparable part of my routine.Food blogging indeed has brought out the best of my culinary skills.I owe it all to the viewers for the encouragement and support that has given me the confidence each time to bring out more of the tried and tested healthy recipes.


For a sweet celebration of blog birthday and the Independence day,I couldn't think of a simpler fruit and cream dessert.
As an immigrant I had little knowledge about American history.That has changed recently with my new found interest in nation's past,partly due to my 7 year old's keen interest in reading the biographies of the founding fathers of the nation.He has this knack of memorizing names and numbers,amazingly he could memorize the list of all the presidents.Picked his favorite as Abraham Lincoln,for the big change he brought with the abolition in slavery.I couldn't be more impressed.And his opinion about this dessert in patriotic colors was simply amazing.
As long as one takes care of two important points,first the gelling agents agar-agar(the vegan replacement for gelatin available in most Asian stores) or gelatin be fully dissolved in the liquid and second giving ample time for one layer to set before building another over it,there is little that can go wrong with this delicate dessert..
Recipe :Red White Blue Dessert
Ingredients
The Red Raspberry-strawberry Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries and raspberries
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoon water

The White Coconut cream layer
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water.
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon agar-agar flakes or unflavored gelatin


The Blue blueberry Jelly layer
2 cups blueberries.
1/4 cup water.
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon agar-agar flakes or unflavored gelatin

Method
Start with making the coconut jelly layer,heat the water in a saucepan and add the agar-agar or gelatin,let dissolve completely,about 3-4 minutes.You don't want any lumps in the jelly,so be sure its totally mixed in.Add the coconut milk and simmer for 3-4 minutes.Pour in in individual ramekins or other ceramic bowls(about 3 inches in diameter) until 1/3rd full and let set in fridge for 2-3 hours until completely stabilized.
Now prepare the blueberry jelly layer similarly,heat the water in a saucepan and add the agar-agar or gelatin,let dissolve completely,about 3-4 minutes.Add the blueberries and let cook for 2-3 minutes until soft.Blend the mixture until smooth.Make sure the coconut jelly layer is completely set,now pour the blueberry mixture over.Set in fridge for another hour or two until set.
Prepare the sauce,by cooking the berries with water and sugar,until soft about 3-4 minutes.Mix in the agave towards the end.Blend smooth and cool.

To unmold,use a knife and carefully run around the ramekins to loosen the edges of the dessert and slowly flip in to a serving plate.Enjoy chilled with red raspberry strawberry sauce and more fresh berries.



The dessert is sent to Weekend Herb Blogging #240,hosted this week by Anh from Food Lover's Journey


Happy Independence day!

Archives :June 2010

June 3 Tropical Fruit Pops

June 6 Wild Blueberry rolls

June 8 Eat abd Beat Diabetes Review and Brownies

June 11 Soy Eadamame "Meat balls" with Chilled Peppercorn Yogurt Sauce

June 13 Purple Escarole with Preserved Lemon Salsa

June 16 No Churn Almond Banana Chocolate Ice cream

June 19 Barley Stuffed Cabbage with Herb Ginger Sauce

June 22 Broccoli Stalks Cold Soup

June 23 Chunky Cherry Ice Cream

June 27 Chocolate Pavlova With Avocado Chocolate Mousse and Summer fruit

June 28 Tropical Fruit Barley Risotto

Tropical Fruit Barley Risotto -Tropical Temptations Challenge

Soaked in with the warmth of the sunny tropics,the luscious sweet tropical fruits make up a good part of my fruit feast.Although I was raised in tropics,I wasn't a vivid fruit lovers as a child,only recently did I discover the bounty of tropical fruits.Limited to a few that make it up to the north,there are still so many more to try,if only I could take trip to the exotic lands and devour some more.



It was one of those days I had the plethora of tropical delights in my fruit basket and the theme of tropical fruits stuck me.
The barley risotto,that I normally cook up with vegetables ,got a whole new look and taste with the sweet fruity make over.Barley for all its excellent benefits makes a perfect substitute for the starchy arborio rice that is normally used to give the risotto a creamy consistency.The richness of coconut milk and the mellow appealing tropical fruit makes this a very special kind of risotto,which I would say makes a great breakfast\brunch meal or a dessert course.
I wouldn't encourage cooking the soft and sweet fruits,its best to add the fruits towards the end of the cooking process for this risotto.

Recipe : Tropical Fruit Barley Risotto
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 cup barley,rinsed
2 cups light coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Agave nectar or honey
1 kiwi,peeled and sliced
quarter of a papaya,peeled and sliced
1 small ripe mango,sliced
1 very ripe plantain,peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoon virgin pressed coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method
Heat oil in a large sauce pan,add the sliced plantains and a teaspoon of sugar,cook 4-5 minutes on each side until caramelized.Set aside.
In the same pan,add the barley and saute until pearly white,stir in the sugar,now start adding the coconut milk ,about 1/4 cup each time and stir until the barley absorbs it all,cook until is soft and creamy. Add the pine apple pieces,vanilla and agave nectar towards the end of cooking process.
To serve,lay the caramelized plantains,kiwi and top the sliced fruit over the risotto.



Health Nut Challenge 7 : Tropical Temptations

I am very pleased to reveal Tropical fruits as the next theme of Health Nut challenge.This has to be a simpler challenge than the previous.Satiate your fruity desire,pick the most exotic or common tropical fruit found in your part of the world,and dish up a tropical fruit temptation and share them at the Health nut challenge.

Here are the challenge 7 guidelines:
* Prepare a healthy appetizing dish with any one or all of the tropical fruits.Mention about the nutrition and health benefits of each of the fruit.
-> Avocados
-> Bananas
-> Coconuts
-> Mangoes
-> Kiwi
-> Papaya
-> Plantains
-> Pine apples
-> Jack fruit
-> Star Fruit
-> Dragon fruit
-> Passion fruit
-> Guava
-> Lychee
-> Tamarind
-> or other exotic tropical fruits known to you.

* Limit 3 entries per blogger.Please use the logo(the big or smaller in the side bar) and link your post to this announcement page.Send the entries before last day of September 2010, using the form below.

Health Nut Challenge Form

Your Name
Your Email Address
Blog Name
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
Picture of the dish(300 pixels wide)
Image Verification Please enter the text from the image: [ Refresh Image ] [ What's This? ]

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I'm allowing ample time for this challenge in scope of more entries and also the next couple months(Aug-Sept) your truly is planning for a vacation and blog in inactive mode.
The Ice cream Challenge round up is scheduled for next week,so you can still send in the entries till the end of this week.

Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse and Summer fruit

Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse.


The June 2010 Daring Bakers� challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers� to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard

The fluffy sweet confection,Meringue is one those seemingly easy recipe with simple ingredients - Egg whites and Sugar.But not until the two are married with utmost care ,the result can be disastrous.To understand the chemistry behind the amazing dessert in short,breaking the egg protein until it can expand to about 8 times the original volume while whipping in the sugar to stabilize the multiplied volume.The glossy mixture when baked at moderate temperature results in an airy melt-in-your-mouth dessert.
Meringues gives a deliciously divine touch in some of the popular desserts - pies,cakes,pavlova,baked Alaska and macaroons(the meringue cookies)

Crucial tips to yield perfect meringue :
*Use clean, dry bowl,preferably a glass bowl, ceramic or copper.Even a minuscule amount of fat can ruin the meringue.
*Separate the eggs when cold and then let the whites reach room temperature before beating them.
*Besides the sugar,use either cream of tartar or white vinegar or lemon juice to stabilize the meringue. Add 1/8 teaspoon of one of these per egg white to the unbeaten eggs.
*Only super fine sugar works ,any kind of sugar substitutes fail to hold the meringue.
*The flavoring can affect the acidity of the meringue,be sure to use dry ground flavors- Cocoa,coffee,saffron,macha tea,dried shred coconut are some of the best.
*Bake at low temperature,200-250F is ideal.If the temperature is too high, the the top browns before the water inside has time to evaporate.


A lovable dessert - pavlova,is pure meringue confection.The daring challenge was to make it all chocolaty ,using cocoa for flavoring the meringue and topping with the rich mascarpone mousse.I was looking for a lighter pavlova,lower in calories.I could not possibly fiddle with the meringue ingredients,cause no sugar substitute works,plain white sugar is the only kind of sweetener fit for a perfect meringue.But for the topping could certainly be replaced with a lighter vegan Avocado mousse,chocolaty and guilt-free.


Summer Fruit Pavlova with toasted coconut.
My first trial was plain meringue.Kept the height in this one,the slice of this looked much prettier with myriad of summer fruits.How ever both plain and chocolate were equally sweet and enjoyable.
Believe it or not,I used a hand held whisk,that amplified the effort of making the meringue,takes about 10-12 minutes of effortful non-stop beating, compare that to 5-6 minutes in a machine whisk.My ever so curious toddler was excited at sight of cracking the eggs,thinking mom's making a special omelet,soon started wondering about the endless whipping.The glossy texture seemed like a delectable cream,but the baked result with an even exciting marshmallow-like treat.

Recipe :Low Fat Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse.
Ingredients
3 Egg whites
2/3 cup fine white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar(to stabilize the meringue)
1 tablespoon 100% cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
pinch of salt
1 cup Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse(Click the link to see the recipe already posted).
Sliced peaches and fresh mint for garnish.

Method
In an impeccably clean bowl,add the egg whites and using an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment or a hand held whisk, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks.Add the cream of tartar and sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and holds very stiff peaks.


Using a spatula transfer the meringue on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper,you could either spread it with slightly hallow center or keep it high.Alternatively one can use a pastry bag and pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire.

Bake for about 2 hours or until the meringue is dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To serve the chocolate pavlova,spread the avocado chocolate mousse,top with the sliced peaches,mint and slice.

For the plain Pavlova ,do not add the cocoa and the coffee powder.While spreading on the baking sheet,keep the meringue high.Rest of the recipe remains same.When done,garnish with toasted coconut.Sprinkle the cocoa powder on the serving plate,slice the meringue with a sharp knife, and serve with fresh fruits alongside.




Fall in love with more Pavlovas at Daring baker's blog roll.

Chunky Cherry Ice Cream

Bountiful fruity bits in chilled creamy goodness,this frozen treat calms the craving for the cool.With fruit lovers as in my family,the fresh berries and stone fruit rarely make it to recipe,a smoothie at the best or an ice cream or fruit pops are always worth waiting for.


I haven't done anything hugely different in this Ice cream,except for flavoring with generous load of fresh cherries,otherwise it follows the same method as in all the ice creams that I recreated or adapted from Rachel Albert-Matesz's Ice Dream Cookbook.The vegan healthy ice cream,uses dairy free substitutes as Coconut milk for heavy cream and low calorie sweetener for plain sugar.You can find more details about these ingredients used from my earlier post.

Recipe : Dairy free Chunky Cherry Ice Cream ,inspired by Rachel Albert-Matesz recipes as in Ice Dream Cookbook.

Yields 1 3/4 cup
Ingredients
one 14 ounce can Coconut milk(preservative free,I use Thai Kitchen brand)
1 pound fresh cherries,seeded and chopped
1/4 cup honey,agave nectar or 1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup cool or cold filtered water
2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin or 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder (not the flakes)
pinch of salt


Method
1.Warm the water in small sauce pan.Sprinkle the gelatin or agar-agar,do no stir,let dissolved completely 4-5 minutes.Turn off the heat.
2.Process halve of the chopped cherries in a food processor or vitamix until finely chopped,the add the coconut milk,sweetener(honey or agave),salt,the gelatin or agar-agar mixture and blend again until well combined and smooth.
3-Pour into one or more wide-mouthed jars. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before churning.

4-Scrape the chilled custard into the canister of your ice cream maker. Churn according to the manufacturer�s instructions.Mix in the rest halve of the chopped cherries.

5-Serve immediately or spoon into several 8-to 16-ounce freezer safe containers. Cover and freeze for 3 or more hours for a firmer texture.

6-Soften solidly frozen dessert by placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Without the Ice cream machine method
After the step 2,transfer the Ice Cream mixture in to a freezer proof container,preferably air tight.Freeze for about an hour,then get the container out and whisk the mixture using a spatula or hand held whisk or electric whisk to break the ice crystals forming over the edges of the container.Freeze and whisk again after 30-40 minutes ,repeat this for about 6 hours until the mixture is almost frozen.Serve immediately or freeze.Do as in step 6 to serve.



Have you screamed for Ice cream yet?What's keeping you from?.The heat is on,inspirational ideas are here.Wait no more,feel the joy of home made ice cream.Create one healthy frozen and share the recipe with Health Nut Challenge 6 :I Scream for Ice cream before June 30th.

Best out of Waste : Broccoli Stalks Cold Soup

Its either ignorance or abundance that leads to good food go waste.Out of my sheer inexperience,just the florets were utilized and the nutritious broccoli stalks trashed.Fresh broccoli is not cheap,a head of broccoli costs about $2.25 per lb.And to let more than half of it go waste,is not just careless loss at nutrition but also to the wallet.Thanks to a this brilliant recipe,the stalks are now devoured in entirety.

A good source of calcium,there are about 30 calories per stalk,has 6 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein.The broccoli stalks can be sliced or shred ,cooked or used raw in salad,in any recipe were broccoli is used.



In addition to the unused broccoli stalks,other versatile vegetables can be used in this chilled summer soup.

Recipe : Broccoli Stalks Cold Soup
Serves - 2
Ingredients
2 cups Broccoli Stalks(about 1 whole broccoli stalk) ,sliced
1 cup leafy greens(Spinach,kale or other mild greens)
2 cups vegetables(carrots,corn,peas,broccoli florets,cauliflower or others of choice)
1/2 a medium onion,chopped
few sprigs fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root,minced
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds(optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup low fat yogurt,whipped
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Method
Heat the oil in a saute pan,add the onions and let sizzle for about a minute,then add the rest of the vegetables,ginger,fennel seeds and broccoli stalks.Cover and cook until veggies are all lightly tender,about 5-6 minutes.Season with salt and pepper.Blend the cooked veggie mixture with 1 cup of water and the thyme leaves until smooth.In summers chill in fridge for 2-3 hours.Can be served warm in cold season.
Serve along side the thyme shortbread(recipe coming up later) ,swirl the whipped yogurt on top.


This is my contribution to the Best out of waste Food event.And also to the Souper Sundays

A question for my viewers,"What fruits\Vegetables have you learned to use efficiently?"

Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Herb-Ginger Sauce

Savoy Cabbage

It's not fair when a nutritious vegetable like Cabbage gets a bad rap for the stink.Did you know,cooking with aromatic spices and herbs considerably reduces the odor while cooking cabbage?.And most importantly over cooking should be avoided with cabbage.
Cabbage was never a hostile vegetable in my family,in fact the way mom used to cook the vegetables ,enriching with herbs and spices,all the strange odor was pleasantly masked.So if you have been avoiding the vegetable for this reason,try the flavorful way of cooking the cabbage,that might just change your view of the healthy vegetable.



The antioxidant rich member of cruciferous family of vegetables,Savoy cabbage, is the frilly kind of cabbage,its large outer leaves are perfect for the rolls.And the inner core is excellent for the coleslaw.


The mellow stuffing consists of wholesome barley(you could use any other whole grain - freekeh,whole millet,brown rice or broken wheat),bell peppers,onions and spices.The wilted leaves are rolled with the stuffing ,then can be steamed and drizzled with the herb-ginger sauce or cooked with the sauce,which ever method works.I for one,used the former method.

Recipe : Barley Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Herb-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
12-14 large outer leaves of Green or Savoy Cabbage
1/4 teaspoon salt.

For Stuffing
2 cups barley,cooked
2 cups of bell peppers(red or green or orange or all),sliced
1 medium onion ,sliced
1 teaspoon spice mix(I used ground cumin,coriander,cinnamon and cloves)
1 clove garlic,chopped
1/2 inch ginger root,minced
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoon canola oil

Method
Wilt the leaves in salted boiling water for a 4-5 minutes.Drain and drop in cold water to stop any further cooking.Drain all the water.

Heat the oil on high and saute the onions and sliced peppers,for 4-5 minutes.Add the garlic,ginger,salt and rest of the spices.Cook for 2-3 minutes.Mix in the barley ,turn off the heat.

Start rolling the leaves,place about a tablespoon of filling on each leaf,roll up firmly,folding in sides to enclose filling.

Steam the rolls in a bamboo or other kind of steamer until soft 8-10 minutes.Then to serve ,drizzle with the herb-ginger sauce.

If you don't use the steamer.Pour the herb-ginger sauce over the rolls and cook in covered skillet for 8-10 minutes or bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.


Herb-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups of fresh herbs and greens(I used spinach,mint and cilantro)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,minced
1 medium onion,finely chopped
1 hot pepper(green chilli or jalapeno),seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon spice mix(I used ground cumin,coriander,cinnamon and cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon canola oil

Method
Saute the onions in oil until lightly browned,add the spices,greens and herbs.Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.Blend for smooth sauce.Use as directed in the above recipe.



The rolls are sent to the CWF - Whole grains : Barley event.And also the real food event,Two for Tuesdays.

In case you missed ,get more recipe ideas of Cabbage and other Cruciferous vegetables.