Party Food - Balls!

I had a party recently and after a bit of contemplation, rather than order pizza, I decided on this strategy: Finger foods, one nice cocktail and a killer dessert. Everything came out great, and quite easy. Here are the recipes I used:

Cocktail - Whiskey Slush

I found this drink online.  All the recipes I found called for concentrated frozen orange juice and lemonade, but since I couldn't find those here, I adjusted it and came up with this.

2 cups whiskey (I used Jack)
3 cups Orange Juice
2-3 lemons (I would put in more next time, I like it tart)
4 cups sweetened, chilled black tea (I saw some recipes which used green tea)

Blend the ingredients, pour into a tray and slide into your freezer - I have a tiny freezer but I somehow managed it. Chill overnight if possible. Once it's set, scrape and scoop into a glass and top it off with a little ginger ale or other soda, lemon slice and a cherry. This makes plenty of drink to go around for a party of 6-10+ depending on how much of a lush your guests are. It comes out like a fancy, boozy slushy, so yummy!

Cheese Spread
I also had some blue cheese I wanted to use.  Toasted, chopped walnuts, blue cheese and cream cheese, mixed together and severed with sliced baguette and crackers. I should have thrown in some dried cranberries - I had those too!


Meatballs
Inspired by the 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' episode, I made these Grandma Maroni's Meatballs.  They are divine. I had them in the freezer, already cooked, so just had to throw them in the oven for 20 minutes to heat through.


Broccoli Balls

I had a bunch of broccoli in my fridge and freezer that I wanted to use, so after some research I merged a few recipes and made this.

2 cups chopped steamed broccoli
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup grated cheese (your choice)
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 t oregano
1 t basil
S & P
4-5 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

Sauté onions and garlic. Mix with all the other ingredients in a bowl. Roll the mixture into 2-3 inch balls (you can coat them again in some bread crumbs if you like), mine were about golf ball size. Bake on an oiled baking sheet at 175 C (350 F) for 30-40 minutes. Flip over half-way to brown both sides.

This recipe was fantastic. I am definitely going to be making this again, and experimenting with more ingredients because my kid liked it too. I may add some mashed beans in next time...

Dipping Sauces
And of course, you gotta dip those balls! So I made several dipping sauces. One was just a simple marinara, from a jar. Another was greek yogurt seasoned with chopped mint, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. And finally a spinach-yogurt dip (I always make this - it's just steamed spinach, chilled and mixed with yogurt, salt and pepper), which was also nice with just bread or crackers.

Dessert - Rum Raisin Chocolate Cake:
I had made some rum raisins earlier, thinking to add them to ice cream, but the ice cream we had sucked so I searched for another recipe. I came across this one and couldn't resist. It was so worth it.

And that's it - The balls were a big hit. Gotta try cake balls next time and make a theme out of it!

Lemon Pepper

You can use this marinade/rub  on anything from chicken to veggies or fish.  It's easy and much healthier than using the store bought pre-made lemon pepper seasoning which is full of extra salt and who knows what else.  And it tastes better.  It's amazing how much flavor the lemon zest has, and how little we utilize it.  This recipe is simple but has such a bold taste.

Ingredients:
Zest of one lemon - this is the yellow part of the skin, not the white part which is bitter
Salt
Pepper
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
Olive Oil

Using either a grater or lemon zester (The one I have, in the picture below, is the easiest I have used because you can really get all the zest in just a few swipes), take the zest of one lemon.  Chop in sea salt, freshly ground pepper and garlic until you get a fine, even consistency (doesn't have to be perfect).  You can also drizzle in some nice olive oil for a moister rub.  Add this seasoning to your meat of veggie before cooking, and give it a good rub.  The best methods of cooking are grilling or baking.  Using the lemon zest is also a good alternative to using the juice of the lemon, because it keeps the meat drier, thus allowing for a nicer sear.  Plus the zest has all the flavor!

You can also add a couple spoons of honey to the marinade for a slightly sweeter flavor and crispy glazed crust.

Care for a Bit of Breath?

When we think of things that are nourishing for our bodies, we tend to focus on our diet-what we should or should not be ingesting. A simple online search on healthy living will reveal endless information on how to eat and drink ourselves to a more balanced life. For the past four months I have been participating in a Vinyasa yoga teacher training. When signing up for the training I imagined myself conquering my practice with proper alignment and balance. I was prepared and even looking forward to learning the convoluted Sanskrit names of asanas, soaking up yoga philosophy and immersing myself in teaching principles. The breath and breathing throughout the yoga practice simply just slipped my mind. This of course proved to be short -term neglect. It was not long into my teachers training course when I fully realized the importance of breathing. Of course having practiced yoga for some time I had always been aware that asanas and breath go hand in hand. A typical yoga class will rarely take place without friendly encouragement from a teacher to breath deeply throughout the practice, using the breath to stay strong and focused. I was unaware, however of the exact dynamics of inhalation and exhalation and the function (other than keeping us alive) that the breath serves in our daily life.

Focusing on the breath comes easier ever since I am more aware of the dynamics of inhaling and exhaling. Most of us (including myself) don’t optimize on our full breathing capacity. My husband for example, tends to have short inhalations and exhalations, filling only his upper chest and depriving his body and mind of vital oxygen. This results from time to time to him gasping -with his chest caved in and his shoulders up towards his ears- for dear life. I recently discovered through assigned reading for my teacher training that breathing involves a clear physical process. Doug Keller, a yoga teacher well versed on the dynamics of breathing, describes this as diaphragmatic breathing. The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that extends along the bottom of the ribcage, radiating from the central tendon just below the heart and attaching to the bottom tip of the breast bone, then to the lower ribs and all the way down to the first of the four lumber vertebrae (lower back). Diaphragmatic breathing relaxes our muscles, massages our internal organs, and allows more oxygen to flow through our body. In short, when you inhale into your diaphragm your chest expands, your belly slightly lifts and your lower ribs expand towards your spine. On an exhalation your chest and lower ribs relax. I realized this when one of our head teachers at the teacher training caught me instructing my group to fill their bellies on an inhalation. She promptly scolded me and instructed me to hold either side of my lower ribs with my hands and feel my ribs spreading and expanding back towards my spine with an inhalation. “This is proper breathing”, she said, enlightening us on the obvious. Needless to say I will never mention filled bellies and breathing again in the same sentence.

Posture also plays an important role in how we breathe. Ideally, we should all be walking around with our navel pulled in, our chests forward and shoulders back. This allows the breath to flow smoothly in on an inhalation and evenly out on an exhalation. A caved in chest and hunched shoulders restrict the flow of the breath through our body. It’s like blowing through a straight hollow straw versus one that is bent. With the former, the air flows effortlessly in at one end and out the other. Of course, for the majority of us lifestyle demands have forced us to go about our days in all sorts of breath unfriendly postures. The invention of the computer for one has taken its toll on our shoulders, necks and backs. Drawing your attention to your posture throughout the day and checking for a proper position can make a world of difference in how you breathe.

Our state of mind tends to determine our pattern of breathing. When we are relaxed and happy, our inhalations and exhalations are similarly smooth and easy. When we are anxious or angry, our inhalations and exhalations are short and rough. What if how we breathe were to determine our state of mind? Well in the past few months I have tried to give this a go. Throughout the day I draw my attention to my breath. As my mind runs wild with thoughts, I focus on my inhalation and exhalation. This I find forces me to be present in the moment rather than thinking the usual wants and “should have, could have, would have” thoughts of the day. Being focused in the moment is surprisingly enjoyable and relaxing. It allows me to be more aware of my day and how I choose to pass my time. It also results in continuous deep and easy breathing.

I practiced Ashtanga yoga with a friend yesterday morning at my apartment. We followed a DVD by Richard Freeman. At one point he said something about how the breath is the heart of a posture, which resonates well with me especially with my newfound appreciation for breathing.

Feel like nourishing your mind, body and soul? Try focusing on your breath in your yoga practice or just throughout your day. Enjoy a mindful inhalation and exhalation. A bit, or preferably more, of proper breath can do wonders in the long run.

Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the greatest foods out there in my opinion - and I'm not talking about the fruity stuff you get in those little 6-packs (which has tons of unnecessary added sugar). Not only is plain yogurt delicious, with an endless variety of uses, it has come to be known as super healthy too with lots of 'pro-biotics' that are hard to find in other parts of our diet. Sometimes referred to as an elixir, there are even legends that it has cured people when they were poisoned.

Growing up with my Iranian family, plain yogurt was a key staple on our menu and I loved it alongside or mushed into nearly every dish. My favorite was simple white basmati rice with yogurt, which I would carefully mold into a cake and nibble at it princess-like, as though it was a rare caviar. Curious to me, most of my friends (I was in Texas at the time) didn't even know what plain yogurt was! More recently however its popularity has grown, along with the greater knowledge of foods in general.

Living now in the Middle East, everyone knows what plain yogurt is, and there is never a lack of great quality plain yogurt. The varieties are endless - from the more liquidy to the thick almost cream cheese consistency. In the Balkans where my husband is from, they drink yogurt by the glass full with many meals (this is a thinner yogurt, but tastes just like your average plain yogurt). I have gotten used to this method although my favorite still has to be the rich and creamy, 'greek style' as some know it, slightly sour plain yogurt. Another variation is the sour yogurt drink found in this region and beyond, in Iran it's called doogh, in Turkey it's Ayran - tangy and fizzy sometimes with various spices/herbs mixed in, it's definitely not for everyone's taste.

My most used yogurt recipe (because it's too simple) is what we call "borani" in Persian. It is basically yogurt mixed with another main vegetable ingredient, the most common being spinach. It can also be done with egg plant, beets, carrots, etc. Basically, you:

Steam or saute the vegetable you want to use - for example: steam/saute some spinach, let it cool, and chop it up (draining off excess water). Then you mix it with yogurt to the ratio that you like. Season with salt, pepper, mashed garlic if you are feeling adventurous, or just a sprinkle of garlic powder. And that's it. It makes a lovely, and healthy, dipping sauce or side dish.

Another classic is yogurt with cucumber, a great summer refreshment:

 Peel and chop up cucumbers into fine cubes. Mix with yogurt and season with salt, pepper and dried mint leaves. To make it more exotic, throw in some dark raisins and toasted nuts.

For a guilt-free post-lunch sweet fix, my grandmother always takes a couple bites of yogurt mingled with a mashed date, or you could try a squirt of date syrup (amazing stuff, which I have discovered here in Dubai). Dates are full of nutrients and amino acids which aid in digestion, therefore make a great substitution for sugar - they are also super sweet!

Bananas and yogurt not only make great smoothie ingredients, but they also enhance each other's nutritional benefits. You can also use it as a dessert topping - just mix in a bit of honey and there's a perfect substitute for whipped cream.

The possibilities are endless...get creative!

And enjoy!

Ginger

Fresh ginger is a regular ingredient in my kitchen­­­­–especially since the temperatures have been dropping by the day here in ever-gloomy weather land. I like to add a bit to stews and soups to warm us up during the winter months. I love the distinct mildly spicy flavor that fresh ginger infuses into dishes. Aside from its culinary use, ginger is also traditionally used for its medicinal properties. It is an excellent remedy for cold symptoms and upset stomach issues.

I recently rediscovered a new way to enjoy ginger in the form of fresh ginger tea. The story goes like this: For the past month I have been seeing an aryuvedic practioner for oil massages and have become curious about aryuveda in general. Aryuveda is the traditional Indian science of health and a system for understanding life. According to aryuveda our body types are composed of one of three different humors called doshas­­–vatha, pitta and kapha. When our dosha is in balance, our agni or digestive and metabolic fire is burning well and keeping us happy and healthy. When our dosha is out of balance, our agni burns slowly and we feel out of balance as well. Imbalances in the doshas disturb our body’s system, leading to aches and illnesses. Apparently ginger fuels the agni, aiding the digestive process and keeping us balanced. So for the past two weeks I have started most my mornings with a cup of fresh ginger tea. I take it on an empty stomach before breakfast. It definitely feels soothing and­­– in any case– is a refreshing start to the day.

Here is a recipe I modified from one that I found in the Yoga Journal:

1 cup water

1-2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

½ teaspoon of cardamom

Boil the water in a small pot and add the spices. Turn off heat and let sit for 5-8 minutes. Pour the tea in a cup using a small sieve to catch the spices. I like to add a bit of lemon juice or milk before drinking. Enjoy!

Lisbon

Sometimes the good things in life come in the form of warm cinnamon-covered pastries. That’s the conclusion I came to after tasting a pastéis de nata, a Portuguese custard tart, from Pastéis de Belém in Lisbon. Pastéis de Belém is located in Belém, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Lisbon and has been in existence since 1837. My dear friend Marianna (aka knower of all things wonderful in Lisbon) took us there last Sunday morning. The pastry shop itself was old fashioned and minimal. The bakery was situated in the back of the shop and connected to a large sitting area packed with people. A long line of eager customers curved out onto the sidewalk in the front. It seemed like the whole of Lisbon had gathered to sip coffee and chat with friends and relatives over platters of pastries. Sitting at a table inside looked like an impossible option so we took our place in line and patiently waited our turn to order. Luckily the line went by pretty quick. We walked away with a dozen delightfully packaged pastéis de natas and headed to a nearby park to enjoy our treats. The tarts were absolutely delicious. G happily devoured three in a row.

I don’t have much experience with baking, but I would like to try my hand at baking pastéis de natas once we move into our new apartment and have a proper oven. In the meantime I found a recipe online that sounds doable. Let me know if you have any recipe suggestions of your own.

The following day G and I took a ferry across the Tagus River to Ponte Finale, a small and lovely riverside restaurant overlooking Lisbon. The ferry dropped us off at the pier and we walked along a narrow path next to the river, passing endless abandoned warehouses before arriving to our destination. The sun was shining so we decided to sit outside to enjoy the weather. The food was fantastic. We stayed for a while after our meal, sipping Portuguese Vinho Verde wine while relishing the view.

Red Cabbage and Cumin Salad

I love cabbage - and the added benefit is that it's really good for you. Red cabbage is even healthier than white cabbage - as the color indicates. In general, the darker and deeper the color of any fruit or vegetable, the healthier it is - the color signifies a greater concentration of nutritious stuff.

I still haven't been able to master the thin slicing technique (my Serbian mother-in-law slices it paper thin, by hand), but we can live with that. And although I don't particularly like the results of cooked red cabbage, I think it works great in salads.

I stole the idea for this recipe from a local cafe here in Dubai called Organics. This salad was so good, so I came up with a recipe - it came pretty close, and maybe even better than the one in the cafe. It's a great way to introduce some variety and flavor to your more traditional salad, which can become boring.

Ingredients:

1 head (or 2 small heads) red cabbage

1 lemon

2 tablespoons balsamic vinager

1 tablespoon tamari or light soya sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch Green onion

1 handful raisins

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 inch piece of ginger

1 clove garlic or garlic powder

1 dried red chili pepper (or flakes, or a fresh pepper)

S&P

sesame seeds to garnish

Slice the cabbage. This last time I used baby cabbages, which were divine - they are so easy to work with - I managed a pretty decent slice - and tasted great. Rinse and put in a big bowl.

Grate the ginger and garlic, or finely slice, into the bowl. Finely chop or crush the pepper. Chop the green onion tips. Add all the ingredients to the cabbage. Mix well, taste, and adjust according to your fancy. This gets better the longer it soaks.

The salad goes great with many dishes. We had it last night as a light dinner along with some grilled haloumi cheese, and I had the leftovers today with some chicken breast (which I seasoned with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, lemon zest, thyme, and olive oil, and grilled in the oven for about 20 minutes)

Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the spices that I use most when cooking. As a child I remember that there were two spices always at hand in our kitchen: the first was saffron and the second a bright yellow powder, which I later discovered was called turmeric or zard choobeh in Farsi, Whenever my mother, aunts or grandmother fried onions they would add turmeric to the pan. I find myself doing the same when frying onions as a base ingredient for almost all my meals. I recently read that the combination of turmeric and onions can help prevent colon cancer (something about a chemical reaction between the two). Turmeric has also been traditionally used for medicinal properties as an anti-inflammatory agent. Read more about the benefits of turmeric.

Its October here in the Netherlands. The weather has been getting wetter and colder by the day. After an afternoon spent riding around the city on my bike with only a flimsy umbrella to protect me from the rain, I decided I needed a hot soup to warm my body and soul back to life. I made red lentil soup and used turmeric as a base ingredient.

Red Lentil Soup

1 -3 tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil (for cooking purposes)

1 large onion (chopped)

1 clove of garlic (minced)

1 ½ tabled spoons of fresh ginger (grated)

2 teaspoons of Turmeric

1 teaspoon of Paprika

1 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds

2 carrots (grated)

5-6 medium sized tomatoes (skinned and chopped)

1-½ cup red lentils

5-6 cups of chicken, beef or vegetable stock (I used chicken)

1-2 dried small dried chili peppers (optional and depending on how spicy you like it)

2 Bay Leaves

Sea Salt and Ground Pepper for taste

Greek Yogurt

Skinning the tomatoes:

Place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Boil water and pour over the tomatoes in the bowl until the tomatoes are covered in water. Let sit for 2 minutes. The tomato skins should start to become loose. One by one take the tomatoes out of the water, peel away the skin and chop.

The Soup:

In a non-stick saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and turmeric. Mix well and let cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger, paprika and cumin seeds and let cook for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mix well with other ingredients with wooden spoon (I always use a wooden spoon). Let the mixture cook for another 5 minutes. Add the stock, red lentils, bay leaves and dried chili peppers. Season with sea salt and ground pepper and stir. Bring to a boil; cover the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Serve in bowls with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt on top.

…

After dinner I relaxed with a recipe for a turmeric mask I found in the October 2010 edition of the Yoga Journal. My skin feels really soft and I am a happy girl.

Turmeric Mask:

Mix 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (I used the Greek yogurt from dinner) with 1/3 tablespoon honey and a pinch of turmeric. Spread over the face evenly and enjoy!

Make Your Own Granola

I finally made my own granola! And you know what, it was so easy. And totally worth it because you can control the sweetness and put in your favorite ingredients (many granola cereals have tons of sugar). AND, according to my personal food taster, it was better than any cereal we ever bought. OK, he is easily pleased, but seriously, it was good! The maple gives it a smoky flavor, and the sweetness was just right.

Only takes an hour, with just a few minutes of preparation:

Ingredients:

3 cups of Rolled Oats (I like the Jumbo ones)

1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped (or other nuts)

a handful raw sunflower seeds (or other seeds)

1/2 cup real maple syrup (or you could use honey - use more if you like it sweeter)

1/2 cup coconut oil (or other vegetable oil, but this is by far the healthiest)

1/2 cup dried fruits (i used golden raisins, goji berries and dried cherries)

Obviously you can really change this recipe around, depending on what you have in your kitchen. But here are the basics:

Mix the oats, chopped almonds (I chopped them myself, takes about 5 minutes) and seeds with oil and maple syrup until well coated. (Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils, especially for cooking because it can withstand high temperatures.) Spread evenly on a big baking sheet/tray. Bake at 120-130 C for one hour. Toss it around with a spatula every 15-20 min to make sure it's evenly cooking. When it's out of the oven, add the dried fruit - and that's it!

We had it for breakfast with soy/rice milk or layered with yogurt+ricotta and homemade raspberry jam. It also makes a lovely, personalized gift.

Soon...gotta try granola bars.

Karkade

Karkade (aka Hibiscus or "flor de Jamaica") was used to make the drink of the Pharaohs of Egypt, and still a popular drink in the Middle East and North Africa (as well as Latin America) today.

They are those pretty red flowers that tropical fairies bathe in. The flowers have a sweet and tart taste when steeped in water. You can serve the tea hot or cold, but we prefer it cool and sweet. Hibiscus is also really good for you! It is caffeine free, rich in Vitmin C, and is known to help lower cholesterol, act as natural body refrigerant, aid in digestion, among other things...

Dried Hibiscus Flowers

The husband is in charge of making Karkade in our house. Here is his recipe:

Add 1 cup dried flowers to 1 liter (4 cups) water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Sweeten with honey to taste (it's naturally a bit sweet and tart; he puts about 3-4 soup spoons) Let it cool, then drain into a pitcher and put in the fridge. Perfect for a hot summer day...

Btw - husband is also looking for a few staple recipes to become good at - so if any one out there got some simple, "manly" recipes in mind (something other than goulash or sauteed potatoes), shout out!

Enjoy

Baked Seed Rounds

Funny name, I know. It's what I though when I found this recipe in a Health magazine. But, after tweaking it up a bit, it came out so delicious that I had to write it down before I forgot. They were called "seed rounds", it's something like a spicy baked falafel. Oh and the hubz loved it, which always makes me happy.

Ingredients:

1 can white beans or chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 big handful of fresh chopped cilantro

1 small hot pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, crushed

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 egg

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (optional)

S&P

olive oil

Smash all the ingredients together in a big bowl with a hand blender. (add a bit of whole wheat flour if you think it's too gooey.) Form into 4 medium sized balls and lay in a baking dish drizzled with olive oil. Brush the tops with oil, and put into the oven on 200C, on the top rack, for about 15 min on each side (flip over when crusty and brown on one side).

Serve with a simple tomato sauce or greek yogurt and spinach, and green salad. I'm going to try this on my indoor lean-griller next time - it will be something like a bean burger.

Chocolate-Banana Muffins

The other morning, I woke up feeling the need to bake something. I had 3 soft bananas, on the brink of going too soft, so I decided to make these banana muffins. They came out really good, easy and quick, so I thought I'd share them with you.

You can mix and match the recipe. I also thought about doing it without cocoa, and adding dried cranberries instead. Poppy seeds, or other crushed nuts instead of peanut butter could also be nice...just see what you have in the pantry :)

Wet ingredients:
3 bananas
1 tablespoon vinegar (or one egg)
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (or butter/other oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup - 1 cup sugar (depends how sweet you like it, I used a mixture of packed brown sugar and caster sugar) or 1/4 cup honey or agave syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

Set oven to 175 C (350 F).

Mash up bananas in a large bowl with vinegar, oil, peanut butter, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture. Don't over mix, just incorporate the dry into the wet - keeps it fluffy. Spoon into lined muffin tin, and bake for 20 minutes.

OK first one was a cheat, but it's not so bad, especially if you make it yourself and therefore control the ingredients...Enjoy it on the weekend with a coffee (which I only have on the weekends), or decorate with some light lemon icing and bring to a party!