Yogury Pretzels– ask for them by name. The only one made with POWER. Now available with real suger.
“Forget goji berries, cold pressed juices, acai, or coconut juice! Yogury pretzels are the real miracle food!” – Dr. Oz
“I fully expect yogury pretzels to make their way to fine dining establishments everywhere.” – Tom Collichio
“After eating yogury pretzels I was able to lift up a car. Unfortunately no pictures exist of this feat. You’ll just have to take the internet’s word.” – RoodonFood
Jack fruit is the largest fruit tree in the world. Native to India, it also grows in other tropical climates such as Bangladesh. According to one study, they’re one of the most nutritious fruits including vitamin b, potassium and protein. Additionally, they’re low in calories. This is one of the reasons they’re promoting it in countries wherefood scarcity is a concern. If you’re curious to try it, it’s often available at Carribean or Asian markets. Just look for the giant spiky, green blob. The taste according to NPR is similar to juicy fruit gum.
Source: NPR – http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/05/01/308708000/heres-the-scoop-on-jackfruit-a-ginormous-fruit-to-feed-the-world
As to be expected dried jack fruit chips from Anand contains few of the nutritional benefits described above though it does contain 20% of daily value for fiber. The twisty shape is fun and they have a slight citrus smell and flavor. In this form it’s nothing like juicy fruit. A better comparison would be plantain chips – it’s starchy and slightly salty in a tasty way. Anand Jack Fruit Chips are satisfying and a nice change from regular potato chips. The snack is vegan.
Biryani is one of those dishes associate with special occasions like pujas, parties or weddings. It’s a little bit of effort to get everything in the pot, but the end result is very worth it. All the spices cook into the rice to make an amazing one pot meal. It’s highly customizable – veggies and proteins can be substituted to your liking.
Historians disagree on the dishes origins. Some say it was brought over during Mughal times, around the 16th century. While others claim it started in South India. Luckily, our job is to simply enjoy a meal.
Traditionally, it’s cooked in a giant vessel pot where meat layers are alternated with rice (and vegetables). The flavors disseminate throughout. Keep in mind though, India has the most vegetarians in the world so this version is just as authentic. While it can be made just on the stove top, it’s more fun to cook it partially in the oven. When removing the lid there is a definite “wow”factor t getting a whiff of the saffron. Serve it hot with chutney and raita.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes active
Cook Time: 45 minutes
2 cups chickpeas, drained
2.5 cups of jasmine or basmati rice
10 strands saffron (optional)
½ cup yogurt (I used almond yogurt)
2 ounces milk (I used almond milk)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 t cinnamon powder
6 cardamom cloves
½ t cardamom powder
3 bay leaves
1 t rosewater
3 cloves
1 t cumin powder
6 cloves garlic, minced
veggies of your choice (recommended: potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, broccoli)
½ red onion, chopped small
a few ounces of raisins
salt to taste
chili powder to taste
1 T ginger paste
Method:
A half hour to hour before making biryani, place saffron in a bowl. Add several ounces of milk. Give it a stir. Slowly the color of the milk will change to a sunrise yellow. After the saffron has mixed in, stir in 3 ounces of yogurt. Set aside.
For both the rice and vegetables you’re going to cook till they’re about 75% done at first. Cook rice, 1 cinnamon stick and whole cardamom in a pot. In a deep pan, cook the onions until they begin to brown. Add cinnamom, cloves, cardamom powder, chilies and cook for another couple minutes. Next, toss in chopped ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Now add in potatoes, pinch of sugar, other veggies and remaining spices. Preheat oven to 350. When both rice an veggies are 3/4th done, turn them off. In an oven friendly pot add a layer of vegetables followed by a layer of rice. Spoon on a little of saffron/milk/yogurt mixture. Continue this layering process. The top layer should be rice. If needed, add in a little more water. Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove. Serve hot with chutney.
Welcome to part 3 of Georgian Food Month. Click here for part 1 (Phkali– a spinach and walnut dip) or part 2 (Kharcho Soup – vegan/non-veg versions).
I’m a big fan of red beans for their nutrition and versatility. They can be thrown into chili, made into ice cream, used in baking and of course refried beans. This is a version of the Georgian red bean dish called Lobio. Incidently, the Hindi word is lobia (it’s a small world on the silk road).
The traditional lobio is closer to a stew. I decided to make this into more of a dip. For a touch of smokiness and heat there is also a guajillo chili and cayenne. Most of the spices will be familiar but Georgians really like blue fenugreek, a hard to find ingredient. If this isn’t available in your area, a little bit of walnuts can add nuttiness and some sage can provide a pleasant aroma, that’s almost floral. It was incredibly easy to throw together since canned beans were used. We had this with chips, but traditionally, lobio is eaten with mchadi, a gluten free fried corn bread.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
16 oz red kidney beans
1 guajillo chili
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
½ onion, chopped small
Handful of cilantro
1 tsp blue fenugreek (alternately, regular fenugreek or sage, plus 1 tsp walnuts crushed)
cayenne pepper to taste
pepper to taste
salt to taste
Method:
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in pan. Add in bay leaves, onions, garlic and chili. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the onions gets wilted and garlic browns add in all beans, cilantro, remaining spices and about a ½ cup of water. Mix everything well. Cook for about 10 minutes. Transfer into a bowl and mash coarsely. It can be served hot or cold but hot is tastier.
Unlike regular hot cocoa which can enjoyed in large mugs, a little goes a a long way with white chocolate, so the idea of white hot chocolate sounded crazy. My girlfriend though came up with a way to make it delicious. The key is the right balance between milk, ideally unsweetened and melted bar. Served in an espresso glass, it’s both presentable and feels like something special. Here is an easy recipe. Optional – brandy, whiskey or rum all can added if you’re feeling crazy.
Servings: 4
3 oz white chocolate
10 oz milk (we used unsweetened almond)
marshmallows for garnish
cinnamon powder for garnish
1/2 shot whiskey/brandy (optional)
Method:
In a pot heat milk to medium. Add in white chocolate. Stir till it melts down. It will be thinner than regular cocoa. Pull out an espresso mug. Fill 3/4ths the way. Top with mini marshmallows and a shake of cinnamon powder.
Welcome to Part 2 of Georgian Food Month. Click here, if you want to check out part 1, phkali a walnut and spinach dip as well.
Vegetarian Kharcho Soup
After running, I’m often ravenous. During the cool down, my girlfriend and I like to ask each other “if you could have anything to eat in the world right now, what would you have?” Frequently, my answer without hesitation is kharcho soup. Tired of hearing the same dish over and over she asked “What’s so great about it?” Part of the appeal of the dish was the underlying sourness and nuttiness which at the time I couldn’t identify. I first tried this traditional Georgian lamb and rice soup at the amazing Primorski Restaurant in Brighton Beach.
I wanted to make a version closer to traditional as well as vegan so my girlfriend could appreciate my annoying post-run answer. After a little digging, I learned that walnuts are important to the soup. For the sourness cherry, plum, apricots, prunes or pomegranate sauces are employed. (Some substitute tamarind or lemon). I had chicken on hand so used that as the protein. In the vegetarian/vegan version chickpeas were used since they hold up well in stews. The khmeli-suneli, a Georgian spice mix is hard to find, so below the ingredient list. This is my humble version. Enjoy.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 pd chicken or 2 cups of chickpeas
2 ounces tomato paste
2 ounces sour cherry juice (if not available plum, tamarind, pomegranate or even lemon juice)
½ onion, chopped
½ cup carrots
a few ounces walnut, crushed
2 tsp khmeli-suneli *See note below on this ingredient.
2 bay leaves
1 cup of rice
cilantro for garnish
*salt, coriander powder, fenugreek powder, paprika, basil bay leaf, marjoram.
Method (Non-Vegetarian):
In a deep pan, brown meat for 3-5 minutes. Next add in chopped onions and bayleaves. Cook these for another 5 minutes. Now add in all other ingredients except sour cherry juicealong with 4 cups of water (or whatever is needed to submerge everything). Bring to a boil, then to a simmer. Cover for a half hour, stirring occasionally. Making sure the chicken is cooked, add in the sour cherry. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve hot.
Method (Vegetarian/Vegan):
Add bay leaves and onions to a deep pan. Caramelize onions for 5-7 minutes. Next add in all other ingredients except sour cherry. Bring to a boil, then to a simmer. Cover for 20 minutes. Make sure veggies are cooked. Add sour cherry or similar souring agent. Taste and adjust. Serve hot.
Khmeli-Suneli
Chicken Kharcho
Every now and again, Jimmy Kimmel has a very clever bit. This one happens to be food related. Cold pressed juices are very trendy right now. These pre-packaged juice drinks range from $6-$20 a bottle and contain up to 2 pounds of vegetables. They use powerful food processors to extract as many nutrients as possible.
Jimmy Kimmel decided to poke a little fun of them at the L.A farmers market. They came up with four concoctions from foodstuff that is anything but natural. One was fun dip with water (Soul), Tang and water (Cure), Skittles with water (Rainbow), Creamsicle Ice Creams (Detox). The reactions are priceless. I must admit, I’d probably be fooled too if some one told me about these natural drinks. (Thought Skittles might not have fooled me)
For the appetizer we got the root vegetable latkes ($8). Three to an order, they’re served in the form of waffles. Bits of shredded carrot are visible. The mix is so well done that it’s difficult to pick out what’s inside. It’s served with a creamy coconut-based sour cream. Unlike regular latkes, these aren’t greasy but very wholesome tasting.
The entrees were a no-brainer. The tempeh reubens are amazing. Available on a roll or gluten free tortilla, they’re stacked with delicious tender tempeh, sauerkraut and house-made ginger-y Russian dressing. This is a great option for someone interested in eating vegan/vegetarian.
Finally, for dessert we ordered the cinnamon cheesecake with raspberry sauce ($8). Since it’s not made of actual cheese but rather soy, it has the benefit of being light tasting. It was perfect to split between two people. This was another great visit to Sacred Chow. I highly recommend this place.
Part 1: Georgian Food Month
This month I wanted to highlight the food of Georgia. This tiny nation east of the Black Sea mixes some of the best influences of Asia and Europe to create its cuisine. Famous dishes include the khachapuri (brick oven bread filled with cheese), lobio (a type of bean stew), khinkalli (delicate dumplings). One of the most appealing aspects of their cuisine is the use of fresh ingredients such as pomegranate, tarragon, cilantro, and parsley. I’ll be posting one recipe a week in February.
A couple years back in Brighton Beach Brooklyn a brick oven bakery called Berikoni opened up. In addition to the famous cheesy breads, person after person ordered a mysterious spinach concoction. I left with a half pound and was not disappointed. The fresh spinach gives it a wonderful earthy quality. Vinegar provides a tang and walnuts impart the underlying nuttiness.
For making it at home, I followed the recipe from Anya Von Bremzen’s “Please to the Table.” This phkali tastes for you’ll feel like you can lift a car like Popeye. It’s delicious eaten with tortilla chips, crackers or any type of soft bread such as pita. Note that some versions use a blender but coarser is traditional. Note that to keep more of the nutrients the greens were steamed instead of wilted. Also note that it will taste great when first made but chilling helps the flavors to mix.
Source: Comicvine
Post Superbowl (congrats Patriots), we happened to have leftover pineapple (from pizza) and cilantro (from nachos). After a bit of googling I came across this Vegetarian Times “sambal” which means sauce in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and other countries.
We didn’t modify much from the original recipe except the amounts. I love how the miso thickens it and brings a subtle umami. It’s super easy – everything just goes in the blender and voila! Instead of using it as a salad dressing as suggested, we used it as a sauce on tofu. The result is sweet and tangy and would work quite well with meat too. The next time, we’ll probably use it as a marinade initially. Do you have any favorite tofu recipes?
