roodonfood

Christmas Candy: Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate with Mint Truffle

Posted by roodonfood on December 16, 2013 in Sweet Beat

A kiss is just a kiss, unless it’s filled with mint

Candy makers get a little lazy during the holidays. They often sell the very same stuff but in seasonal colored foil or wrappers. If you’re lucky, the candy might also be in a re-shaped like a Christmas tree or Santa. Hershey’s however stands a class apart by offering these Milk Chocolate Kisses with Mint Truffle.

The kisses are wrapped in teal colored foil. The milk chocolate exterior tastes like classic Hershey’s. It provides a great setup for the creamy, green mint filling that fills the mouth immediately afterward. Because the mint flavor is strong it’s self-regulating. Unlike, say, M&Ms you’ll probably end up eating maybe 2 in a sitting. These unfortunately are only seasonal but that’s also what makes it a special Christmas candy option. RoodonFood Declares: A tasty spin on Christmas candy, worth stocking up on.

Hershey’s Kisses with Mint Truffle

Tags: christmas candy, food, Hershey's, hershey's kisses, hershey's mint truffle kisses, holiday candy Permalink

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Holiday Drinks: Mulled Wine AKA Glögg AKA Glühwein

Posted by roodonfood on December 12, 2013 in gluten free, Recipes, vegan

Mulled Wine

Years ago I attended a Swedish festival in NYC on a very cold day. There was cheese, dancing and other cultural options but my eyes were drawn to the steaming vat….of red wine? I learned it was a called Glögg and was made with red wine, orange, cinnamon, cloves star anise and a bit of brandy. In Germany it’s called Glühwein. Ladled into paper cups, it was warming and just a little sweet. The drink is vegan, gluten free and is guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. Other versions use raisins and almonds as well.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients
12 oz red wine (I used cab sauvignon but many use port)
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
3 cloves
2 orange slices
2 oz brandy
2 oz brown sugar

Method:
Throw all ingredients into a pan on low. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm. Garnish with orange slice.

Tags: glogg, gluhwein, Holiday drinks, mulled wine, nordic holiday drinks, swedish wine Permalink

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Mocha Recipe and December Snow

Posted by roodonfood on December 11, 2013 in Recipes

RoodonFood Mocha

We got our first snow of December yesterday. Prospect Park in Brooklyn had a lovely coat, especially on the meadow. After a nice walk, impromptu snowball fight (in which I emerged victorious), and a log roll (I lost handily) it only made sense to have a tasty mocha.

Because I’m somewhat lactose intolerant, it’s made with almond milk instead of cow’s milk. As an added bonus, my Christmas tree arrived upon getting home!

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
2 packets hot cocoa
2 shots espresso
16 oz almond milk

Method:
Make espresso in espresso maker. On another burner warm up milk in pan or pot. Once it’s warm to the touch, add in hot cocoa and stir in well. When the espresso is done pour into mugs. Next add in hot chocolate. Garnish with marshmallows on top if desired.

Tags: brooklyn, food, Holiday drinks, hot chocolate, mocha recipe, prospect park, winter drinks Permalink

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Thanksgiving Turkey & Mash Leftover Sandwich

Posted by roodonfood on December 10, 2013 in Recipes

Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey and Mash

This was exciting because it was a co-creation between my Dad and I. It’s more akin to an Indian chop or cutlet than a standard post-Thanksgiving sandwich. It features, turkey chopped small, mashed potatoes and a few other special ingredients. Serve sandwich with RoodonFood Cranberry relish.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound turkey, chopped in blender
2 oz chopped onions
½ cup of leftover mashed potatoes
½ cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 egg
1 T salt
1 T black pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 t cumin powder
handful of cilantro

Method:
Set blender or food processor to chop. Add in turkey and broth. If necessary add a touch of water. Turn on machine until turkey is in tiny pieces but not puree. In a bowl add in turkey mixture and all other ingredients and mix well. If it feels too moist, add in additional bread crumbs. Form into 4 patties. You can cook either in the oven or on the stove top.
Stovetop: Cook in a pan at medium heat for about 5 minutes each side. (patty will brown on each side)
Oven: Preheat oven to 350. Place burgers on a tray. Cook each side about 10 minutes.
Serve patty on roll with cranberry relish.

Thanksgiving Turkey & Mash Sandwich

Tags: cranberry chutney, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, food, thanksgiving, thanksgiving turkey sandwich Permalink

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Cranberry Chutney / Cranberry Relish Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on December 9, 2013 in Recipes

Cranberry Chutney/Relish/Chaatni

Unfortunately, it’s the end of cranberry season in North America. The good news is that they’re on sale at your grocery store so stock up now. (They hold up well frozen).

Cranberries are the alpha dogs of berries. Whatever you add them to, they will be the hero adding brightness and acidity. When making this type of chutney no other acidic elements like lemon, lime or vinegar are necessary. Try the finished product on top of pinto bean burgers, turkey burger, meatloaf or dals.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
2 oz raisins
1 T ginger paste
½ cup sugar
1 cup water

Method: Bring water & sugar to a boil then reduce heat to low. Add in all other ingredients. Cranberries will begin to burst within a few minutes. The overall color will darken and the cranberries will lose their shine. Liquid should reduce. Final texture will be semi-thick. If you’d like a thinner relish, add more water at the beginning

Tags: cranberry chaatni, cranberry chutney, cranberry relish, cranberry sauce, food, Gluten Free, thanksgiving, Vegan, vegetarian Permalink

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NASA Farming on the Moon

Posted by roodonfood on December 7, 2013 in Uncategorized

Source: http://blacklemag.com/technology/nasa-grows-plants-on-moon/

While regular consumers participate in CSAs or greenmarkets on boring old earth, NASA is considering growing vegetables on the moon. There has been talk for years about astronauts living on the moon. The first steps to make that happen is growing plants. Still in experimental stages, they are looking into turnips and basil among others.

A sealed container containing seeds will be aboard the Moon Express Lander. Upon lunar landing, reservoir of water goes through a nutrient rich filter onto the seeds, allowing for germination. It would support 5-10 days worth of growth without additional air supply.

Survival to 14 days demonstrates plants can sprout in the Moon’s radiation environment at 1/6 g. Survival to 60 days demonstrates that sexual reproduction (meiosis) can occur in a lunar environment. Survival to 180 days shows effects of radiation on dominant & recessive genetic traits. Afterwards, the experiment may run for months through multiple generations, increasing science return. Source: NASA.gov

Tags: food, google nasa, lpx, nasa, nasa farming Permalink

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SO Delicious Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk Review

Posted by roodonfood on December 6, 2013 in gluten free, vegan

Source: SO Delicious

SO Delicious, a brand known for dairy free ice cream and milks brings us Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk. Non-gmo, organic, vegan and gluten free, it will be difficult to find someone who cannot drink this. Care to make a wager?

Because just about every place features pumpkin based items this time of year, it’s important to be selective lest you get pumpkin-ed out. So Delicious makes the cut. Neither too sweet or too pumpkin-y it’s has the creamy richness of coconut milk with a hint of pumpkin sweetness. With cinnamon on top, it’s an oddly refreshing drink considering that both pumpkin and coconut are heavy ingredients. It’s about the same thickness as a eggnog but about 70 calories per half cup serving. So Delicious also sells a seasonal Mint Chocolate Coconut Milk and a “Nog” both of which are on the list to try. Have you checked out this or the other beverages?

Pumpkin Spice Coconut Milk

Tags: dairy free season drinks, food, Gluten Free, pumpin coconut milk, so delicious, so delicious pumpkin spice coconut milk, Vegan, vegan eggnog, vegetarian Permalink

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Gluten Free Testing: Dad Edition

Posted by roodonfood on December 5, 2013 in Atlanta, gluten free

Several months back, my father starting having regular stomach issues. He’d tried antibiotics and other medicines which made it worse. His long-time doctor suggested temporarily cutting gluten to see if it was the trigger. Understandably, Dad wasn’t too keen to impose dietary restrictions on himself.

The main grain they eat is rice which is already gluten free. Though his gastroenterologist apparently doesn’t know much about it telling Dad: “It’s good that you eat basmati rice. Other rice has gluten in it.” It was an honest mistake but it does make you question why a doctor who regularly deals with GI issues would make a basic mistake like this in advising a patient. It underscores the need to consult with a dietitian or nutritionist and to do your own research as well.

In response to the GF endeavor I picked up the items pictured at his local grocery store so he knows that there are affordable options, locally, that don’t leave you deprived. They eat sandwiches frequently so it was important to find a bread option. Daily tea time requires crackers so I picked up the GF Nabisco crackers. Admittedly it’s a random assortment of stuff but grocery stores often tuck away GF goods.

Here are links to past recipes/reviews of a few of these items:

Saifun Noodles with Tamari Ginger Sauce
Buckwheat Porridge with Cranberries
Cream of Rice Halwa
Mariquitos Plaintain Chips Review

Are you gluten free? How did you come to realize you had the allergy? What foods do you recommend checking out?

Tags: food, food allergy, Gluten Free Permalink

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Boondi Raita Recipe

Posted by roodonfood on December 4, 2013 in gluten free, indian, Recipes

Boondi Raita

The most common form of raita uses yogurt, cucumber, spices and sometimes tomato as featured here. This version goes for a more complex, melt-in-your-mouth flavor by incorporating chickpea flour balls known as boondi. Raita goes particularly well with biryani and Indian breads like parathas. (Be on the lookout for a biryani recipe later in the week).

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
16 oz whole milk yogurt
¾ cup boondi
1 t cumin seeds
1 t cumin powder
chili powder to taste
cilantro as garnish

Method:
In a pan on medium heat, roast cumin seeds for around 2 minutes till they turn dark and sputter. Add the seeds and yogurt to a large bowl. To thin it out, pour in about an ounce of water and stir in. Next throw in boondi, cumin powder and chili powder and mix in well. Add a touch more cumin powder and chili powder on top. If you prefer to keep more crunch, serve immediately. If you prefer softer, left the boondi marinade for an hour or so. Garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.