Red Pepper Hummus Deviled Eggs

These incredible egg hors d'oeuvres make a perfect anytime snack. I bought these bag of sweet red peppers on sale and found some beautifully neat ideas to blend in the red pepper in variety of dishes


Most of egg's nutrition is in its yolk, so blend it in together with the chick peas. The mellow sweet flavor of roasted red peppers totally enhances taste and appeal of plain hummus.

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas.
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon Tahini sauce
1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Organic hard boiled eggs

Method
To Roast red peppers ,Char the pepper on high heat in a broiler or grill.Turn occasionally with tongs, until skins are blackened, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool then peel and deseed the pepper.
Remove shell from boiled eggs.Cut each egg in half, do not discard the yolks, blend in with chick peas.
To make the red pepper hummus , smoothly blend roasted peppers with all the ingredients(including egg yolks) in a high power food processor until creamy .Start without adding water then slowly pour in the Oil and lime juice
Fill each half of the boiled egg with the prepared red pepper hummus.Top each egg with chopped red peppers and herbs.



Can you guess the herb used to garnish these deviled eggs?

Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse and Summer fruit

Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse.


The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard

The fluffy sweet confection,Meringue is one those seemingly easy recipe with simple ingredients - Egg whites and Sugar.But not until the two are married with utmost care ,the result can be disastrous.To understand the chemistry behind the amazing dessert in short,breaking the egg protein until it can expand to about 8 times the original volume while whipping in the sugar to stabilize the multiplied volume.The glossy mixture when baked at moderate temperature results in an airy melt-in-your-mouth dessert.
Meringues gives a deliciously divine touch in some of the popular desserts - pies,cakes,pavlova,baked Alaska and macaroons(the meringue cookies)

Crucial tips to yield perfect meringue :
*Use clean, dry bowl,preferably a glass bowl, ceramic or copper.Even a minuscule amount of fat can ruin the meringue.
*Separate the eggs when cold and then let the whites reach room temperature before beating them.
*Besides the sugar,use either cream of tartar or white vinegar or lemon juice to stabilize the meringue. Add 1/8 teaspoon of one of these per egg white to the unbeaten eggs.
*Only super fine sugar works ,any kind of sugar substitutes fail to hold the meringue.
*The flavoring can affect the acidity of the meringue,be sure to use dry ground flavors- Cocoa,coffee,saffron,macha tea,dried shred coconut are some of the best.
*Bake at low temperature,200-250F is ideal.If the temperature is too high, the the top browns before the water inside has time to evaporate.


A lovable dessert - pavlova,is pure meringue confection.The daring challenge was to make it all chocolaty ,using cocoa for flavoring the meringue and topping with the rich mascarpone mousse.I was looking for a lighter pavlova,lower in calories.I could not possibly fiddle with the meringue ingredients,cause no sugar substitute works,plain white sugar is the only kind of sweetener fit for a perfect meringue.But for the topping could certainly be replaced with a lighter vegan Avocado mousse,chocolaty and guilt-free.


Summer Fruit Pavlova with toasted coconut.
My first trial was plain meringue.Kept the height in this one,the slice of this looked much prettier with myriad of summer fruits.How ever both plain and chocolate were equally sweet and enjoyable.
Believe it or not,I used a hand held whisk,that amplified the effort of making the meringue,takes about 10-12 minutes of effortful non-stop beating, compare that to 5-6 minutes in a machine whisk.My ever so curious toddler was excited at sight of cracking the eggs,thinking mom's making a special omelet,soon started wondering about the endless whipping.The glossy texture seemed like a delectable cream,but the baked result with an even exciting marshmallow-like treat.

Recipe :Low Fat Chocolate Pavlova with Avocado Chocolate Mousse.
Ingredients
3 Egg whites
2/3 cup fine white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar(to stabilize the meringue)
1 tablespoon 100% cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
pinch of salt
1 cup Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse(Click the link to see the recipe already posted).
Sliced peaches and fresh mint for garnish.

Method
In an impeccably clean bowl,add the egg whites and using an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment or a hand held whisk, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks.Add the cream of tartar and sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue is glossy and holds very stiff peaks.


Using a spatula transfer the meringue on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper,you could either spread it with slightly hallow center or keep it high.Alternatively one can use a pastry bag and pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire.

Bake for about 2 hours or until the meringue is dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To serve the chocolate pavlova,spread the avocado chocolate mousse,top with the sliced peaches,mint and slice.

For the plain Pavlova ,do not add the cocoa and the coffee powder.While spreading on the baking sheet,keep the meringue high.Rest of the recipe remains same.When done,garnish with toasted coconut.Sprinkle the cocoa powder on the serving plate,slice the meringue with a sharp knife, and serve with fresh fruits alongside.




Fall in love with more Pavlovas at Daring baker's blog roll.

Tunisian Shakshouka(Eggs in Tomato Pepper sauce) with Baguette

March was Tunisian Special in Walima Cooking Club.Beautiful small oasis along the Mediterranean African coast,Tunisia has immense diversity in both food and culture.The cuisine is a pleasing potpourri of flavors influenced by the neighboring African and European cuisines.
Recipe : Tunisian Shakshouka(chakchouka)
An absolute scrumptious Egg dish,Shakshouka is a well-known breakfast meal in North Africa.Eggs are poached in a simmering sauce,with medley of vegetables.Tunisians love spice,the heat in this dish is dominated by hot harissa.For variation,eggs can be replaced with different kind of animal or plant protein or made just with vegetables like the ratatouille.
Complemented with a crusty home made bread,the whole grain french baguette was the best match.

serves 4
Ingredients
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 Green and red bell peppers, sliced(can use other vegetables like eggplants,potatoes and zucchini)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 Medium Onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin Olive oil
1 tablespoon Harissa
1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
4 large Organic Eggs
some fresh parsley,finely chopped

Method
Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Stir in the cumin seeds, paprika and cook slightly to color the oil, about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce down a little bit. Add the peppers,harissa,1 cup water and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add more water as needed to keep it from drying out.

Using a spoon, form four small indentations in the simmering peppers to hold the eggs. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl and slip each from the bowl into an indentation. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until eggs are cooked through.

Serve with crusty bread like Baguette.




Variations
Add a few olives and capers and eliminate the eggs.


Recipe :Whole grain French Baguette

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of Whole wheat flour(fine ground)
1 pack rapid rise yeast,about 2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil
3/4 cup warm water

Method
Dissolve the yeast in warm water and allow the yeast to rise and get frothy, about 10 minutes.In a large bowl combine the flour, salt and oil. Add the yeast mixture and knead until well combined and smooth.Apply some more oil on the sides of the bowl cover and allow to rise until double it size about 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Punch down the air from the dough.Knead for a minute.Then divide the dough in to 4 equal portions.Roll each in to long rectangular shape place on a greased baking sheet,make deep diagonal slashes across loaves,cover with a kitchen towel and proof for another 30 minutes by allowing to rise one last time before baking
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top.Let cool completely before slicing with serrated knife.Great for dipping in soups and stews.Also makes hearty crusty sandwiches.

Asparagus Souffléed Omelet

Although Spring is officially here in North eastern Ohio, the trees are still shy of green leaves and vibrant blossoms.But the signs of budding in the trees and singsong birdies positively assure me,spring will be in full bloom soon.Speaking of which, the succulent asparagus blooming in the stores are also a sure sign of coming of spring.
These tender spears are rich in folate,essential for heart health and to prevent birth defects during pregnancy.Its also rich in potassium ,vitamins and is considered a natural diuretic[a diuretic increases the production and flow of urine from the body, used to remove excess fluid from the body].

Asparagus come in varying thickness,from pencil-thin to nearly an inch.Can be purple ,white or green.For freshest asparagus pick the ones with tight and closed stalk with completely smooth and firm stalk.The bottom woody inch or two of any asparagus should be trimmed and discarded.To keep asparagus for longer,cut off the woody base and let the bunch stand in an inch of water in a container in the refrigerator.Tastes best when steamed or lightly sautéed.


The low-carb Asparagus Souffléed Omelet recipe comes from Sara's Moulton Quick and Easy weeknight meals.Souffléed Omelet is a cross between an omelet and a Soufflé.Make sure you beat the egg whites just to soft peaks;otherwise they won't fold properly in to the egg yolk base.Any left over vegetable such as broccoli or spinach will make a fine filling for this Souffléed Omelet,so consider this a clean-out-the-fridge dish.Serve for any meal of the day with salad greens or toast with fruit spread.

Ingredients
6-8 asparagus,washed and trimmed
1/2 a medium onion,sliced
1 clove garlic,chopped
1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper and salt
1 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive oil
4 large Organic eggs,White and yolk separated
1 tablespoon fresh herbs(parsley,cilantro ,tarragon or dill)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Method
Preheat oven to 375F.
Cut the asparagus cross wise in to 1/4-inch pieces.
Heat a pan with teaspoon of olive oil,add the onions,saute until lightly caramalized about 3-4 minutes,then add the garlic and asparagus.Cover and cook on low flame until asparagus is crisp-tender.Season with salt and pepper.
In another non-stick pan with heat proof handle or cast-iron pan ,heat the oil just until warm and remove from heat.Whisk egg yolks with flour,1/2 teaspoon salt,and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until mixture is fluffy,about 3 minutes.Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer or a whisk until they hold soft peaks;fold them in to the yolk mixture gently but thoroughly ,and pour the egg mixture in to the skillet,spreading it evenly.
Bake the Omelet in the center of the oven for 10 minutes,or until it is puffed and cooked through.Remove from oven,place the filling in the center and fold using a spatula or for an attractive presentation,cut rounds using cookie cutter and place the filling between them.Sprinkle the herbs.I served it with drizzle of hot and sweet maggi tomato sauce alongside toast and home made mango jam.

Asparagus Souffléed Omelet is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging,hosting this week is Prof. Kitty from The Cabinet of Prof. Kitty.

Daring Bakers Challenge February: Flourless Chocolate cup cakes with No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.They have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

The flour less chocolate cake was total chocoholic's delight,reminded me of the Chocolate Espresso Mousse cake I baked earlier,that was also flour-free.I don't miss making low-fat recipes whenever possible,since I already experimented this kind of cake with no-fat I use just quarter of the fat as mentioned in the Original Daring Baker's recipe,it worked just fine for me.
For the Ice cream thankfully we were allowed to choose our own flavor,Pomegranate was ultimate pick.Since fresh fruit is not in season I choose the store-bought 100% Pomegranate Juice.To make it easier I made a No-churn Ice-cream that does not require the Ice-cream maker.
Bringing the Ice cream together with Cupcakes was a little messy,but worth the effort.These Frozen Cupcakes would make a perfect dessert on hot summer days,speaking of warmth,its still predominantly chilling here,and I'm yearning for a warm change.



Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan

Makes 10 Medium cupcakes

Ingredients

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons of unsalted Organic butter
5 large Organic eggs ,separated

Method
1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling,line with the muffin pan with parchment cups or spray a little non-stick spray.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into the prepared muffin pan, the batter should fill the cups 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until crust appears like brownie cake.The cake will puff up considerably but will collapse later.
10.Get the cup cakes out and cool on a rack.

Recipe adapted from Nigella's recipe.And David Lebovitz's method of making Ice cream without machine.
No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream
3 cups of pomegranate juice,preferably POM
2 cups Coconut milk(or use 1 cup half & half milk and 1 cup light cream)

Method
Whisk the cream with the juice until soft peaks forms.Transfer in a freezer proof container,cover tightly and place in freezer.After about 30 minutes,while the mixture is just starting to set ,stir and return to the freezer.Repeat this 3-4 times i.e every 30 minutes until mixture is almost frozen takes about 2-3 hours.Cover and keep in refrigerator until time to serve.


Assemble the cupcakes and Ice cream
Check out this cool page,which gave me the idea of making Ice cream cupcakes.
After the cup cakes are completely cooled,removed its parchment cups if used.Transfer cupcakes back to the muffin pans,even out the surface,since the chocolate cupcakes were a little hallow on the inside after baking,I simply had to lightly press it until almost half full.Cover with plastic wrap and freeze the cupcakes for at least 2 hours until hardened.
Get the Ice cream out ,let sit for 30 minutes until softened to work with.After the cupcakes are frozen,scoop the ice cream and set over the cupcakes just until the cups are full.Cover and return to freezer,let set for 2-3 hours before trying to get it out.Warm a small sharp knife under hot running water ,run the warm knife along the edges of the ice cream cupcake until it’s easily lifted out of it’s tin.

Serve
I made some pomegranate syrup,by reducing 1 cup Pomegranate juice with a tablespoon of brown sugar to 1/2 a cup.Cool completely before drizzling on the cupcakes.Garnish with fresh berries,I used the tangy sweet blackberries.

Thank you Wendy and Dharm for the Sweet Chocolaty challenge.Check out how other Daring Bakers have whipped up this delectable delight.

Omelet with Broccoli and Mushrooms,Sample Pregnancy Meal Plan

The calcium rich omelet with hearty serving of vegetable was my regular in breakfast during pregnancy.The recipe is off to Sangeeth's Eat Healthy during pregnancy mommy event, along with the sample pregnancy meal planner will some of my suitable nutritious recipes for a healthy pregnancy.


Serves 1 mommy-to-be

Ingredients
1/2 a small onion,sliced
1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup finely chopped broccoli
2 large Organic Eggs
1 small clove garlic,chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil(EVOO)

Method
Heat a non-stick pan on medium flame.Drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO around the heated pan,add the sliced onions and chopped garlic ,saute for a minute,the add the mushrooms and broccoli.Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes until veggies are tender,transfer in a bowl.
Meanwhile whisk eggs with salt for few seconds until you see tiny bubbles.Season with salt and pepper.Drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO on the same pan. Pour in the egg mixture. Let the eggs set before flipping that takes about 2 minutes. Flip and let cook for another minute.Set on the serving plate,arrange the cooked veggies on the center and fold.Serve with a dash of hot and sweet sauce on the top.

Sample Pregnancy Meal Plan
I have prepared a sample pregnancy meal plan for 8 days following closely the
Pregnancy Food guide.Pregnant women need additional 300 calories per day to allow the mother's body to change and the baby to grow. The calorie needs may vary according to your pre-pregnancy weight and the amount of weight need to be gained.

Day1
Breakfast : Carrot juice\Apple juice\orange juice\cranberry juice,Pomegranate Bread,Boiled Egg,milk
Lunch:Fish vegetable cutlets,Broccoli rice Casserole ,Carrot Pudding
Dinner:Vegetable Sprouts Noodles, Low fat Cranberry Creme Brulee
Snacks:Guacamole with multi grain chips

Day2
BreakFast:Whole Fruit(Apple/pears/plum/peaches/banana),Fruit Challah with Cranberry Preserves,milk
Lunch:Mushroom Walnut Soup,Penne Pasta with Purple Cauliflower,low fat ice cream
Dinner:Baked Pomfret with Vegetable stir fried Brown Rice,Pumpkin lentil soup,Nuts and fresh fruit salad
Snacks:Pumpkin Chocolate Biscotti


Day3
BreakFast:Berry Banana Soy Smoothie
,milk,Almond Orange Muffins
Lunch:Chicken Soup,Fruit and Nut Saffron Brown rice Pilaf,Dal Makhani
Dinner:Sesame Dinner rolls with Chicken Shorba ,milk or ice cream
Snacks:Fruit Chaat,Energy Bites

Day4
BreakFast:Omelet with Broccoli and Mushrooms,Nutty fruity granola
Lunch:Garlic Herb Chicken,Green Mango Rice,salad,Falooda
Dinner:Salad Olviye,Mint Lentil Soup,Carrots and avocado pasta
Snacks:Energy Bites

Day5
BreakFast:Flax Blueberry Smoothie,Green Dosa or Vada with chutney
Lunch:Semolina Veggie Soup,Soy vegetable biryani,Beet Cheese Treats
Dinner:Banana Flower Vegetable Cutlets,Vegetable Crepes with Cabbage and Spring Onions,Avocado fruit cream
Snacks:Peanut Bites

Day6
BreakFast:Gobi Paratha,milk,Whole Fruit
Lunch:Green Mung Khichdi with Sesame Chutney,Bread Pudding(Double ka meetha)
Dinner:Sesame chicken with Sauteed Cabbage Salad and Red potato Oven fries,Spice Apple and Pomegranate Pie
Snacks:Sweet and savory phyllo shells

Day7
BreakFast:Fruit crepes,whole fruit,milk
Lunch:Mutli Seed Bread Sandwich,leafy green salad,fruit juice
Dinner:Kofta Pulao,Sprouts and Snap Peas Salad,milk
Snacks:Oat meal Fruit macaroons

Day8
BreakFast:Saffron Bread,Milk,Whole Fruit
Lunch:Broccoli Soup, Gingered eggplant and snap peas pasta, Milk
Dinner:Sesame Buns with vegetables , Green meat Kababs,Fruit juice
Snacks:Cherry Nut Crescents

Eggs Spring Onion Curry

Spring Onions are low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol. High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Manganese, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper .That makes them ideal for maintaining optimum health

Ingredients You'll need are:
2 Organic Eggs
8-10 spring onions chopped
1 small onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon Chilly powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon sea Salt
2 tablespoon Extra virgin Olive Oil

To make the curry
In a pan heat EVOO and Saute chopped white onions for 2minutes until lightly brown.Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute before adding the spices.When the spices are nicely roasted after a minute add the chopped spring onions.let cook for 2 more minutes. Now add 1/2cup of water and simmer for few seconds before cracking 2 eggs in to the mixture.wait till the eggs set then flip and cook for few minutes until eggs are done. remove the eggs on the plates(do this so that eggs are not overcooked) and increase the flame and let all the water in the onions evaporate. Put the eggs back in the pan then cover it for a minute. The curry is ready to serve with rice or flat bread(Paratha)