Sprouting Beauty.Caution while Sprouting.Black Eyed Peas Sprouts Pasta

I'm ever so grateful to my mother for introducing us to the wonder food,Sprouts.These were our snack between the meals.Easily digestible,with certain precautions while growing them,the sprouts can be safe to eat uncooked.
Green mung sprouts was the most common sprout I knew of for long.Was amazed to discover the variety,which seems endless just as its nutritional benefits. Methi(Fenugreek),alfa-alfa,oats,lentils,broccoli are among the common types of sprouts.
A more pictorial tutorial of how to grow sprouts is depicted in my post here.Don't mind listing them again along with the care and caution needed while growing or buying the sprouts.
To grow your own sprouts is economical ,also you have control over the hygiene.
* Rinse the grain\seed\lentil under cold water 2-3 times,to get rid of dirt.
* Soak the seeds for at least 12hours in ample amount of cold water
* Drain all the water.Wrap the seeds in a clean cotton or muslin cloth,place in bowl.There are special sprouting jars also available. Allow to grow for at least 3 days and as long as 6 days.Make sure you rinse them twice each day to prevent contamination.
When Buying the sprouts, pick only fresh packs(preferably Organic) and rinse them thoroughly in cold water before eating.

Sprouts,Synonymous to Spring
Sprouts portray spring ,the budding leaf simulates the new life that grows around us after the dull and harsh winters.I grew these black eyed peas for 6 days,had to wait patiently before embracing the beauty and nutrition of this live vegetable in its tender germinating stage.

This picture is my entry for the Click-Spring\Autumn photo event,at Jai and Bee's Jugalbandi.

Black Eyed peas Sprouts Pasta
I must thank Sia for this fascinating Lauki-lobia curry ,with black eyed peas sprouts,which prompted me to sprout the peas for all its goodness.Since these were sprouted for nearly a week,were tender enough for eating raw.I always add the sprouts toward the end of the cooking.I would have cooked it slightly if giving to my kids,but since the kiddos don't have a taste yet for sprouts,this pasta with raw sprouts was just for me and my DH.

Ingredients
2 cups Whole grain pasta,cooked
1 cup sprouts(Green Mung,Methi,Alfalfa,Black Eyed peas or any other lentil)
1 cup greens(Mustard greens,beet greens,spinach,chard,kale or broccoli rabe)
1/2 a medium Onion,chopped
1 clove Garlic,finely chopped
pinch of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of coriander powder(optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Method
Heat a pan on medium heat,saute onions in oil for a minute.Add garlic saute another minute then mix in the greens and spices.Cook for a minute before mixing in the cooked pasta.Finally add in the sprouts,turn off the heat.Sprinkle the lime juice ,stir well ,cover and allow the flavors to infuse for 2-3 minutes.Serve warm or cold.

The Sprouts pasta is my entry for Weekend wokking ,focusing on Sprouts this spring,hosted by Kits Chow

Interesting Read
Sprouts ,the Anti aging food

Archives : April 2009

April 30 Alfa-alfa Sprouts Olives Citrus Salad

April 28 Savory Scones With Carrots and Greens

April 26 Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake with Berry Glaze

April 22 Top Cancer Fighting Foods.Introducing Edamame(Baby Soybeans),the star legume.Avocado Edamame Spread\Dip

April 20 A Well-balanced Chocolate Granola Bar

April 17 Sprouting Beauty.Caution While Sprouting.Black Eyed Peas Sprouts Pasta

April 15 Wholesome Qatayef(Middle Eastern Pancakes) With Orange Blossom Syrup


April 13 Asparagus Souffleed Omelet

April 8 Lunch Box Friendly : Vegetable and Mango Pockets

April 5 A Slice of Royal Feast :Sheermal and Badam Kheer

April 2 Beet Greens Sambhar

Wholesome Qatayef(Middle Eastern Stuffed Pan Cakes) with Orange Blossom syrup

The aromatic rose and orange-blossom essence impart the exotic hint of flavor, characteristic to Middle Eastern desserts.Qatayef is one such ambrosial dessert,prepared like pancakes,only richer with the nutty fruity(at times cheesy) stuffing and soaking sweet in orange blossom syrup.These are also referred as "Ramadan pancakes" for it a popular delicacy in the middle east during the fasting season.
I fiddle with the original recipe(as in the book Arab Table) ,to make it suitable for breakfast or brunch or snack with whole grains,flax seed meal and light on sweetness.And baked them instead of frying for the sake of my waistline.
The Orange blossom water is exclusively sold in most middle eastern stores,can also be purchased online.The essence is suitable for flavoring the salads and smoothies. For this recipe if you can't hunt for the Orange blossom water,then the more common rose water can be used instead.
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(Makes about 12 medium pancakes)
Ingredients
For pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup fine semolina(sooji rava)
1 tablespoon Flax seed meal(optional)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the Dry Fruit and Nut Filling
1 cup nut (walnuts,roasted almonds,pistachios)coarsely chopped
1 cup dry fruits(figs,dates,cherries ,cranberries or raisins),chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange blossom water(or rose water)

For Orange Blossom Syrup
(makes a light syrup)
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon Orange blossom water(or rose water).

Method
Prepare the batter
Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in a mixing bowl. Add the flours ,semolina, and salt. Mix thoroughly to make a smooth batter.Cover and allow to rise for an hour.

Filling and Syrup
Mix all the ingredients of the filling and set aside.
To make the syrup,bring the water and sugar to a boil.Simmer until reduced to 1 cup,mix in the orange blossom water.Turn off the heat.

Make and bake or fry the pancakes
Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.Add a little water in the batter if needed.Grease pan with little oil,using a ladle pour the batter ,spread if need for a nice rounded pancakes. Do not flip the pancakes,allow to cook until the the bubbles have formed and the surface of the pancake is dry.Remove them on to a plate and arrange in a single layer. Finish making pancakes with rest of the batter.

To stuff the pancakes ,hold them bubbled side up,make a pocket(see the images).Place about a tablespoon of filling in each.Just pinch all over the edges to close them.Repeat same with rest of the pancakes.

To Bake
Preheat oven to 350F(180C).Arrange the stuffed pancakes on a baking sheet.Bake for about 10-15 minutes,until lightly crisp.
Shallow fry(Not preferable ,increases the fat calories in the pancakes)
In a big non-stick pan,add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil and fry the pancakes ,about a minute on each side.

After baking or frying them,pour the syrup immediately all over the pancakes.Serve warm with fresh fruit,sprinkle with orange zest and grated nuts .

These fragrant pancakes are off to Heart of the Matter,featuring flowers this month,hosted by Lucullian Delights

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.

Lunch Box Friendly :Vegetable and Mango Jam Pockets

These kid approved whole grain vegetable and Jam pockets make a tasty lunch box food,sure to satisfy a health conscious mom and a picky eater's taste buds. Choose your child's favorite fruit and vegetable for the stuffing.

The mildly sweet Mexican champagne mangoes sounded so appropriate for making the Jam.The outcome was finger licking good,mildly sweetened and so versatile,spread on toast or any kind of bread or flat bread for a relishing mango goody .
For the vegetable stuffing I choose some fresh asparagus,though not a favorite of my boy but I paired it with his favorite potatoes and carrots.Sure healthy disguise.
If making these pockets sounds impossible in the morning rush hour,little bit of prep work must make it a fantastic quick fix lunch box meal.Prepare the dough the night before,the Jam any day in advance and the vegetable filling the night before.Voila,all you have to do in the morning is shape and bake the pockets,and the well balanced whole grain,fruit and vegetable lunch box is ready in 15 minutes!


Homemade Mango Jam

Ingredients
3 mangoes(I used the mildly sweet kind champange),Peeled and cut in cubes
1/4 cup brown or white sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
Method
Simmer all the ingredients in a pot until reduced to glossy thick mixture.Remove the cinnamon stick,cool and store in sterilized jar in a refrigerator for up to a month.


Vegetable and Jam Pockets

(Makes 6-8 pockets about 5 inches long)
Ingredients for Pockets
2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour[or use 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour]
1 tablespoon Flax seed meal(optional ,for added nutrition)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pack active dry yeast,about 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup warm water
pinch of sugar

For Vegetable Stuffing
2 cups Chopped Any fresh vegetables I used baked\cooked potatoes,fresh asparagus and carrots,finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Method
Prepare the dough
In warm water mix in the dry yeast and pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In a bowl start mixing the flour ingredients along with the yeast. Make a smooth dough and place in a greased bowl and cover. Allow to rise for an hour until double its size or leave it overnight.
Cook the filling
Heat oil in a pan and saute vegetables with garlic and spices for few minutes. Cook just until tender about 5 minutes. set the stuffing aside to cool.
Shape and Bake the Pockets
Preheat Oven to 450F.
Knead the dough for few seconds and divide in to about 6 portions. Take one portion of the dough and roll in to a rectangular shape using a rolling pin. Place a table spoon of stuffing Vegetable or Mango Jam ,spread along the center .Fold once ,then close the open ends ,turn and place on baking sheet. Finish making the remaining pockets,place them about 1/2 inch apart from each other.
Bake for about 15 minutes until crush turns lightly brown.


I'm sending these over to Meeta's Monthly mingle,hosting this month's kid lunches is Srivalli of Cooking4allSeasons.

A Slice of Royal Feast :Sheermal and Badam Kheer

The city of Lucknow is the melting pot of cultures,once ruled by lavish Nawabs who left behind there legacy in the fine lucknawi(Awadhi) cuisine.The city is also home to some of most famous poets ,remember Muzzafar Ali's Umrao Jaan?.Though I'm a mediocre when it comes to understanding the classic urdu shayari(peotry),but do enjoy the rhyme and sounds depicting the beauty of the language with Persian roots.
The Royal cuisine of Lucknow,true to its name,with frequent use of one of the costliest spices "Safforn"(Zafraan)[thankfully a pinch goes a long way with this spice] in many of its authentic dishes,from spicy kababs to an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian "Dum"(slow cooked) biryanis and curries.The cuisine is also enriched with variety of flat breads and desserts like shahi tukdre ,reminiscent of hyderabadi double ka meetha.The Sheermal is a rich saffron milk bread usually relished with meat stew or shorba.I was in mood for something lightly sweet so I paired it with a rich Badam(Almond) kheer ,for an affordable Lazeez treat. For more delectable food from lucknawi cuisine join in RCI :Lucknow,hosted by Lavi.The RCI food event was started by Lakshmi.

Recipe :Sheermal

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
2 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1/4ounce(7g) 1 Pack active dry yeast
1 1/4 cup of reduced fat Organic Milk
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 pinch saffron
handful of dried cherries or raisins,coarsely chopped
1 Organic Egg glaze(optional)

Method
Prepare the Dough
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of milk and sprinkle the yeast and allow rise until it gets frothy, about 10 minutes.Warm rest of the milk in a saucepan,add butter,sugar, and saffron ,turn off the heat when butter is all melted and sugar is completely dissolved;about a minute.
In a large bowl combine the flour with the yeast mixture and saffron milk.Apply some oil on the sides of the bowl cover and allow to the dough to rise until double it size about an hour.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350F.
Sprinkle some all purpose flour on the work surface and knead the dough for a minute until smooth ,then divide in 4 equal portions.Take one portion at a time,roll out using rolling pin to a square or circle shape.Score using a knife,use back of a wooden spoon carve 4 holes in to each rolled potion.Also using a fork prick all over the dough and place on a greased baking sheet .Whisk the egg and brush on the bread.sprinkle the dried fruit.Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.Serve warm with soup or stews.


Recipe Badam Kheer

Ingredients
1 cup Raw Almonds\Badam
2 cups reduced fat Organic Milk
1/4 cup white or light brown sugar
2 green Cardamom
Pinch of Saffron

Method
Soak almonds overnight.Drain all water.Bring 2 cups of water to a boil,add the soaked almonds and allow to boil for 15 minutes.Drain and peel the skin.Grind the almonds to a smooth paste in a blender or wet grinder or food processor,add 1/4 cup of water while blending it.
In a thick bottom vessel,bring milk to a slow boil along with the cardamom and saffron.Add sugar and the almond paste,stir occasionally ,allow to cook for another 10 minutes until smooth and thickened a little.Fish out the cardamoms.Serve warm with bread or simply slurp it.

Beet Greens Sambar

It was ridiculously naive of me to have discarded the beautiful Beet greens in the past.Well ,not any more,I've become very fond of this antioxidant rich wonder green.Isn't it strange earlier people ate exclusively the beet greens and not the roots.It's quite the opposite today,many know only the roots as the edible part.

While talking to mom the other day ,She asked me "what's cooking?".I said "Beet greens in dal" and asked her "Ammi does the subzi-wala(Vegetable Vendor) at your place sell beets with or without leaves on?" I was surprised to hear the answer as NO.Listen up subzi walas and others who carelessly throw away the beet greens in trash,you need some enlightenment about these Beet greens.Its next only to spinach,kale and chard in its nutritional value.No fair beet greens don't get just as much promotion as spinach.Beet greens can be used in cooking just as any of your favorite green.It can be sauteed or pureed ,to make a healthy addition to a meal.


Thanks to sweta of Bonne Nutrition,I borrowed her brilliant idea of using the beet greens in my everyday sambar.Sambar is the South Indian spicy lentil soup that goes great with rice.The beet greens should be just as good in any kind of lentil\vegetable stew\soup.Beet Greens Sambar is part of my Beet full meal ideas series.Pleased to be sending this over to Weekend Herb Blogging,hosted this week by Ivy of Kopiaste ...to greek hospitality.

Recipe :Beet Greens Sambar.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Yellow Split Lentil(Toor Dal)
1 cup beet greens with stems,washed and chopped
1 Medium sized Carrot sliced
1 medium Plum Tomato chopped
1 cup green pumpkin or squash or zucchini cut in cubes
1/2 onion or 2 shallots
1 big Clove of Garlic
1/2 inch Ginger root or use 1/2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste.
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Red chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon each of Cumin and coriander powder or use 1 teaspoon sambar powder
1 tablespoon of tamarind paste in 11/2 cups of water
1 sprig of Curry leaves
1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds(Methi)
1 teaspoon Salt

Method
Cook the Lentils
Wash and Soak lentil for 10minutes.
Wash and soak the lentil for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water,transfer in a pressure cooker or small saucepan with lid.Add 1 cups of water ,season with salt,1/4 tsp each of turmeric and chilli powder.Add the greens, cover and let cook on medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes in pressure cooker and 45-50 minutes in the saucepan until soft.When cooked mash or blend it to smooth paste.
Cook the veggies and mix in the mashed Lentils
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium high .Slice the onion and saute for a minute along with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add minced ginger and garlic saute for another minute before adding rest of the spices ,vegetables and tamarind juice. Simmer till vegetables are tender,about 15 minutes, then mix in the cooked mashed lentils. Simmer for another 5 minutes.Serve warm with rice.

Beet Health Fact
Unfortunately beets are not for people with kidney or gall bladder problems because of the concentration of oxalates in beets.