Recipe Marathon: Day 2: Kosambari for MBP and 10 Picture Meme

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With the warmer months coming soon, or for some of us, already here, Salad making can be a valuable asset. Why you ask? because when it's warm, most of us would rather be doing something other than cooking like relaxing in the sun, visiting with family and friends, or gardening. Isn't it! These form a nice accompaniment with lunch/dinner or even brunch. Salads are for everybody and for anytime of the day (atleast for me!..:D )



I happen to be very fond of salads not only because they taste good, but because they are so versatile. They can also be a complete meal by themselves.

..One such simple salad, which we Indians make very often make is Kosambari. and I made the same from Ashaji's blog. I followed her recipe without any additions and it tasted great!



My dear friend, Dhivya has tagged me for 10 Picture Meme and here are the ones which I like the most...

1. Stuffed Bell Peppers


2. Mor Kali


3. Gobhi ka kheema


4. Click: Love is in the Air


5. My first Dosa


6. Street Style Samosas


7. Boccadillos


8. Oven Baked Chickpea Falafel


9. Chocolate Sformato with Amaretto Whip cream


10. Mexican Wedding Cookies


Anybody who wanna play along this 10 Picture Meme with me is most welcome. ..:). Just let me know if you are doing it, so that I can enjoi your picture creations too!!

Wondering what are my fellow recipe marathon runners are upto... Here is todays' Menu:

Lakshmi started the day with her Coconut Dosa entry.
Home made Sambhar Powder is the best - thats what Srivalli made today!
Whats best on a lazy Sunday afternoon?.. Dhivya's Peas Pulao!
Swati blogs about yummy Bread Upma on her Sunday afternoon.
Never the Late.. Bhags made an aroma filled Coffee Cake.
Arundathi 'tasted n created' some Pierogies today.
Divya Vikram made a perfect evening snack: Vegetable Puffs.. yum!
Raaga made some yummy Chickpea Sundal for us.

Have a great Sunday ahead!

Siri

Recipe Marathon: Day 1: Baked Cauliflower with Puck's Marinara Sauce

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Hey its 17th of May, and the first day of our Recipe Marathon. Ye Yeh! I am all excited about it and am ready with some yummy recipes to share with you all. Hope you enjoy them as much I did, preparing them for you.

Lets kick start with a Puck's recipe...;) - my fifth recipe of my weekly series: Straight Out of Puck's Oven .I made his version of Marinara Sauce just couple of days back and must say, it tasted yum.

Since then, I am adding it almost in every dish I make - pastas, pizzas, any dish that calls for a tomato sauce and the newest addition is this recipe which I made a bit differently - Whole baked cauliflower with Puck's Marinara Sauce!.

.. and I must mention that the whole of cauliflower was gone in seconds! Now, that an instant hit for me. What say!..:)

...here is the recipe...with some notes, tips and variations of the classic Marinara Sauce...




Adapted from Wolf Gang Puck: Make it Easy cookbook

Puck's Tip: When tomatoes are not in season, make this sauce with a good brand of canned tomatoes. Recipe-ready chopped and peeled tomatoes will speed things up considerably.

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of Olive Oil (Recommended: Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 small Onion, minced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Tomato paste
3 pounds Roma Tomatoes (or) 2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced.
1/2 cup chopped Sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 to tsp sugar
Salt & Pepper to season. (Recommended: Kosher Salt)
1/4 cup Basil

Preparation:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer, or until fragrant. Add in the tomato paste, tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sugar and salt & pepper. Cook, stirring often for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down and the sauce is thick.

3. Taste and add salt & pepper if necessary. Stir in the basil.

Variation: If you want a smoother, lest rustic sauce, before stirring in the basil pulse in a food processor.

Baked Cauliflower with Marinara Sauce:
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1. Cut one whole cauliflower into just 3/4 slices. Boil the whole cauliflower florets in salt water for about 15-20 minutes, until properly cooked.

2. Remove and pat them dry. Preheat oven for 350 deg. Place the florets on a baking dish, season with salt & pepper and spray PAM, couple of times.

3. Bake for about 10-15 mins, until slight golden brown.

4. Place each of them on dinner plates, pour Puck's marinara sauce over them. Serve with some hot rice or eat as it is!


This is my entry to Cate's ARF:Tuesday!

Recipe Marathon Day 1 - Menu:

Bhags made some yummy Tomato Shorba.
Dhivs entertained with some crunchy Bhindi Jaipuri
Swati blogs about Dum Ka Murg Zafrani
Divya Vikram cooked up delicious looking Peas Kurma
Srivalli spiced up her kitchen with Chicken Semi Gravy.
Lakshmi made a yummy Sour Cream Cake for us!
Its Arundathi and her refreshing Kuwaiti Tea today!
Raaga is up with Masala Lauki Chana Dal

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Tried and Test Recipes # 3: Suganya's Mor Kali


Have a great Saturday ahead. meet you tomorrow again with a delicious recipe!

- Siri

Announcing AWED: Middle Eastern Cuisine

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From earth sprang herbs, from herbs food,
from food seed, from seed man.
Man thus consists of the essence of food.
From food are all creatures produced, by food do they grow..
The self consists of food, of breath, of mind, of understanding, of bliss...

- the Upanishads (circa 1000B.C)

Food is one such thing which binds us all, and A Worldly Epicurean's Delight (A.W.E.D), an event initiated by Dhivya of Culinary bazaar celebrates a world cuisine every month and this time, she passes on the baton to me. Thanks sweety!

.. and In this edition of AWED, lets take a trip into a far-off kitchen to discover some unique recipes - the Middle Eastern way...:)

"The words 'Middle East' can conjure up visions of hot sand, bright blue skies full of sun and the distant outline of camel caravans trekking across a horizon hazy with heat. To many people, the Middle east is a distant, unfamiliar and somewhat mysterious region with a history of violence and turmoil. The region does indeed boast a long, intricate, sometimes violent history balanced with a vibrant modern culture. To many a hungry traveler, reader or local, the Middle East is the home of some of the world's most delicious cooking. "

- an excerpt from Cooking The Middle Eastern Way: Culturally Authentic Foods Including Low-Fat And Vegetarian Recipes by Alison Behnke

I recently grabbed this tiny book (unlike any other cookbook, which are typically 100+ pages) from my local library and found extremely fascinating. Instantly I decided to have 'Middle Eastern Cooking' as the next theme for A.W.E.D.

Middle Eastern cuisine is basically a blend of many cuisines right from Armenia to Turkey. A comprehensive list of recipes - appetizers (a.k.a 'Mezze') to pickles ('Mekhalel') to sauces ('Markat') and spice blends can be found here.

Please do note that all the entries must be made the Vegetarian way. One can always mention the non vegetarian ingredients which are normally added to the ingredients list to let everyone know of the non-vegetarian substitutions which one can make, but the recipe on the whole should be a Vegetarian.

From hearty Egyptian bean dishes to simple pilaf's of Armenia, this region's cuisine offers something to please every palate. and I am sure you would whip up some yummy recipes that would whet anybody's tummy!..:)

Here are some simple guidelines for the event:

1) Make any dish – be it Appetizer, Main Course or Dessert - Vegetarian/Vegan and post the same in your blog and link back to the announcement and also to Dhivya's blog. Feel free to use the logo.

2) Multiple entries are most welcome !.

3) Take a snap of your yummy dish and send it across with a size of 300 X 300 pixels.

4) Send me your Name, Recipe, Recipe URL, Photo and Location to : i.am.awed@gmail.com ( thats i(dot)am(dot)awed(at)gmail(dot)com )

5) Last date for the entries are June 15th 2008.

6) Non-bloggers can also participate by sending their entries with the same details to the above email address.

Let the party begin then ...Shall we !!

Hope you would shower your love and support to this new edition of AWED, as much as you did for AWED:Mexican.

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Recipe Marathon:

From 17th to 31 May 2008
So, are you all set for the Recipe Marathon starting tomorrow..:). Here is list of those enthusiastic bloggers friends who are joining us...:)

1. Srivalli of Cooking 4 all Seasons
2. Bhags of Crazy Curry
3. Ranji of Ranji's Kitchen Corner
4. Raaga of The Singing Chef
5. Lakshmi of The Yum Blog
6. Dhivya of Culinary Bazaar
7. Siri of Siri's Corner
8. Swati of Chatkhor
9. Arundathi of My Food Blog
10. Divya Vikram of Dil Se..

Note: Currently these are the only participants for this edition of Recipe Marathon. Thanks and we look forward for your participation in our next edition...:)

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Tried & Test Recipes # 2: Srivalli's Bendakaya Sambhar (Okra Sambhar)


take care and Have a great weekend ahead!

Siri