Cinnamon-scented couscous

I found this recipe in a magazine advertisement for Spice Islands and since we like couscous a lot, I thought of trying it out. It turned out very good and I will surely make it again. I have made sweet couscous before and mostly used raisins and almonds. The spices in this recipe give it such a nice flavour and the dates add sweetness. I slightly modified the original recipe in changing the quantities and using dried dates instead of fresh dates. I also added a pinch of salt to bring out the flavours even more. Take care…!!!

Ingredients:

- ½ cup slivered or chopped almonds
- 1 package couscous ( about 2 cups)
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2/3 cup chopped dried dates
- 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1 Tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ Tsp. ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Toast the almonds on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes or until golden-brown.
In a medium saucepan bring water along with dates, apricots, oil and spices to a boil. Add couscous and mix well. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then mix in almonds and fluff couscous with a fork. Serve.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Pumpkin and apple filled manicotti

Dear all! Hope you are doing well. I love pumpkin and like to try all kinds of dishes with it. Some days ago I was in the mood for manicotti ( tube-shaped pasta with different fillings) and thought of filling them with pumpkin, since till now, I have always made them with spinach-ricotta filling. It turned out good and was a nice change. Have a good day…!!!

(Sorry for the bad photo...)

Ingredients:

- about 2 lb butternut squash or other pumpkin, peeled and cubed
- 1 packet manicotti shells
- 1 medium apple, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tsp. coriander powder
- 1 Tsp. cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste
- about 1 cup grated cheese ( I used cheddar)
- 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

For the sauce
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 3 cups milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add butternut squash and apple along with a little water. Boil until soft and discard water.
In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and boil manicotti shells for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Mash butternut squash and apple with a fork and then add salt, spice powders, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Mix well and set aside.
For the sauce, heat butter in small pan and add flour while stirring to avoid any lumps. While still stirring, add slowly the milk. Add salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Let come to a boil and take off heat.
Fill the manicotti shells with the butternut squash-apple mixture. (This works best with a teaspoon). Pour one ladle of the sauce in an oven dish and place manicotti in it. Pour rest of the sauce on top and sprinkle cheese over it. Cover with tin foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Roasted chestnuts (A childhood favourite...)

Chestnuts- I have been crazy about this fall delight since I am a little kid and always look forward for them coming in season. At my grandmas place chestnut trees occur naturally, so we used to collect the chestnuts when they fell off the trees. Free of charge of course. :-) Here in the US, chestnuts mostly get imported and are hence very expensive. Still I could not resist buying some, when I finally saw them in our local grocery store and they were just delicious. At my home chestnuts also belong to the Christmas feast and are made as a side dish. I will be posting the recipe for that next month. Have a nice day..!!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb chestnuts or more


Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F.
With a sharp knife make a cross-shaped cut in the flat side of the chestnuts. Place onto a baking sheet with cut side facing up and roast for about 20 minutes. Peel off the shell and enjoy. :-)
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Focaccia (Italian flat bread)

Hi to all!!! Hope you are doing well. I wanted to post this a lot earlier, but somehow I was not able to upload any photos as Blogger seemed to have some issues. Luckily it is working now, so here comes the recipe.

Focaccia is an Italian flat bread and has become one of my favourite breads. It is perfect as a sandwich with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil or it tastes good just by itself. Have a nice day…!!

Ingredients:

- 2 cups unbleached white flour
- 3 ½ Tsp. active-dry yeast
- 2 Tsp. Salt
- 4 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
- 6 Tbsp. Olive oil
- Coarse salt and oregano for sprinkling on top

Method:

In a large bowl mix flour with yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the middle and add 4 Tbsp. olive oil and the lukewarm water. With your hands knead to a smooth dough. If it’s too dry add little bit more water. The dough should not be sticky. Shape into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave to rise in a warm place until about doubled in size.
In the meantime preheat oven to 400 F.
Grease a baking tray and place the dough on it. Flatten and poke the dough with your fingers to make small holes. Brush the remaining olive oil on top and sprinkle some coarse salt and oregano on top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Fennel-tomato pasta

Hey my dears!! This recipe came together as I had bought fresh fennel some days ago without being sure what I would do with it. First I thought of making just a simple salad, but then today I decided to make some pasta. It’s real simple and quick to make and perfect when there’s not much time to cook. Have a good day!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 packet penne pasta or per choice
- 2 bulbs fennel, halved and sliced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 Tsp. cumin seeds
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tsp. coriander powder
- ½ cup half & half
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste

Method:

Boil pasta according to packet directions and drain.
In the meantime heat olive oil in a large pan. Add cumin seeds and onion. Fry for some minutes, then add fennel. Sauté until fennel is soft and then add tomatoes, salt, coriander and red chilli powder. Mix well and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Turn heat to low and add half & half. Simmer for 2 more minutes, then add parsley and serve.
Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009. All rights reserved.

Roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes

When I was a little kid I always looked forward to lunch and dinner and I think as far as I remember I wasn’t a picky eater. There was however one particular food, that whenever I found out it was made by either peeking my nose into the kitchen or its cabbage like smell found its way into my room and filled my nostrils could put me in an upset mood for the entire day. There was nothing I did more detest than Brussels sprouts and I would have rather kept a fast than eating it. It scared me out of the house and I remember trying very hard not to hear my parents calling me in for lunch. This however changed when I became older and by now I actually make the once so detested vegetable occasionally. :-)

The roasting along with the fresh herbs gives a very nice flavour to the vegetables. Have a good start into the week and a nice day…!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in big cubes
- 1.5 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
- 3-4 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F.
In a large bowl toss vegetables with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Turn vegetables after 15 minutes.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Spiced apple cider

Hello to everybody on this chilly Sunday evening. Fall with all its nice colours brings us so many delicious treats. Pumpkin and pumpkin pie, juicy pears and chestnuts just to name a few. But today is of course about apple cider. We love to sip this delicious beverage hot and spiced on a cold fall evening. It immediately makes you feel cozy and comfortable. A nice evening to you all...!!

Ingredients:

- 4 cups apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5-6 cloves
- 1 Tbsp. Maple syrup ( use more if you like it sweeter)

Method:

In a small pot heat apple cider with cinnamon sticks and cloves. Just before it comes to a boil, turn heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Sweeten with maple syrup and serve hot.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Masoor daal

Today I am posting another daal recipe because as vegetarians it is not always easy to include enough protein in our diet and I don’t need to tell you how important it is to have a balanced nutrition. Luckily we both love beans and legumes, so I make different daals often. There is such a huge variety that it doesn’t get boring either. It is simple to make and we like to either have it with rice or rotis. So here goes the recipe…

Ingredients:

- 1 cup whole masoor daal
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- pinch hing/ asafoetida
- 2 Tsp. Coriander powder
- ½ Tsp. Cumin seeds
- ½ Tsp. Fennel seeds
- 1 Tsp. Black mustard seeds
- 4 Tbsp. Chopped coriander leaves
- 2 Tbsp. Canola oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric
- 1-inch piece ginger, grated
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon

Method:

Rinse daal and place in a pressure cooker along with 3 cups of water, turmeric, bay leaf and ginger. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Wait for steam to release.
In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds. When they pop, add hing, tomatoes, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cook till tomatoes become mushy and then add to daal along with 1 more cup water. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix and serve.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Vegan zucchini-chocolate bread

A big hello and a short post today, with a recipe, not only vegetarian but completely vegan. The combination of zucchini and chocolate goes very well together. It’s nice as a snack in between and doesn’t take much time to prepare. Have a beautiful day my dears!!

Ingredients:

- 3 cups unbleached white flour
- 1 cup brown sugar ( use more if you like it sweeter)
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tsp. baking powder
- 1 Tsp. baking soda

- pinch salt
- 4 Tbsp. vegan butter or canola oil
- 1 Tsp. vanilla essence
- 2 Tbsp. flax seed meal + 6 Tbsp. water
- 1 cup water

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a large loaf pan.
Mix flax seed meal with 6 Tbsp. water and let sit for 2 minutes. In a bowl combine butter, vanilla essence, zucchini, water and flax seed mixture. Mix well. In another bowl combine all dry ingredients. Fold into the wet mixture and mix well. Make sure not to over mix. Fill the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour. The bread is ready, when a fork or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.

Mushroom and chard risotto

Hello to everybody!!! I hope all had a nice weekend and a nice Halloween. We didn’t do much as we were still recovering from this stubborn cold. Luckily we are better now. Coming to the recipe today, risotto is an Italian rice dish, made with special coarse grain rice. I had planned to make risotto for a long time as I didn’t have it for ages. Since I bought mushrooms and chard at the farmers market, I thought of combining these vegetables in the risotto. It turned out really tasty and had a nice earthy flavour. Hope you will enjoy it as we did. :-) Have a nice week…!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 4 cups vegetable stock/broth
- 10-12 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 bunch rainbow chard, strunks removed and cut in strips
- ¼ cup half & half
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pot heat 2 Tbsp. butter with olive oil. Add onion and garlic and fry till translucent. Add the rice and mix well. Every grain should be coated with butter/oil. Add one ladle of vegetable broth and stir well. Wait till the rice has absorbed the liquid and then add the next ladle. Stir well again and wait till the rice has absorbed the liquid, while stirring occasionally. Continue doing this till all broth is absorbed by the rice. In the meantime heat rest of the butter in a pan. Add the mushrooms and chard and fry for about 5-7 minutes. Add the half & half and cook for 2-3 minutes. After the rice has absorbed all liquid, add the vegetables and lemon juice and mix well. Add salt and black pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the Parmesan and mix well. Turn off heat, cover the pot and let stand for couple of minutes before serving.

Text and photographs are copyright protected. Copyright © Masalaflavour.blogspot.com 2009-2010. All rights reserved.