Plum Corn bread Salad with Cider Vinegar Dressing

A salad as good as a meal
Inspired by the Louisiana style corn bread salad, hearty corn bread,dry and fresh fruits,nuts,seeds ,baby greens and cherry tomatoes - this is the splendid low-calorie salad ,rich in essentially healthy ingredients.I skipped all the cheese and mayo and used the reduced cider vinegar dressing instead.The vinegar soaked bread gives a nice tart kick to the salad.One could also replace the cider vinegar with balsamic or rice vinegar.

Besides the other ingredients in the salad,the ancient acidic condiment - vinegar also has several health benefits unknown to many of us:
*Vinegar is good source of potassium,an essential nutrient.
*Aids in digestion,considered a good detoxifying agent
*Neutralizes the harmful substances in food when taken as drink before meals
*Helps in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.And also maintaining blood glucose levels.
*Diluted vinegar drink ,taken twice a day can aid in weight loss and arthritis.
All convincing reasons to use it often in every day cooking.




Recipe : Plum Corn bread Salad with Cider Vinegar dressing
Ingredients
3 cups Jalapeno Buttermilk corn bread,cubed
2-3 fresh plums,seeded and sliced
2 cups baby kale or arugula
6-8 cherry tomatoes,quartered
3-4 dried figs,quartered
1 tablespoon pumpkin and sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried nuts(cashews,almonds,pecans,pistachios or walnuts)

Dressing
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Method
Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan,reduce to half its original quantity.Cool it.
Toss all the other ingredients in large mixing bowl.Pour the vinegar all over and toss again.Keep cool in fridge until time to serve.




The salad is my entry for WHB #248 ,hosted this week by Astrid of Paulchen's Foodblog

Sarson Ka Saag aur Makke Ki Roti

Mustard Greens and Corn Flatbread
Makke ki roti with sarson Ka saag needs no introduction to a North Indian,as for me,a kudi growing up in the rice bowl of India(south),makke ki roti was a delicacy I only heard but never had my hands in to.Just as Sambhar and rice are the Southern favorite ,the Roti and saag(greens)are the Northern staple food.There is subtle similarity between corn tortillas and Makke ki roti, as my fellow foodies would say after reading the recipe.

Mustard greens are mostly confined to North just as the corn.The fascinating mustard fields in the north with hues of yellow and green are quite an exhilarating sight,I remember ever so clearly from the song tujhe dekha to yeh jaana sanam....Back then I had no clue the hero-heroine are actually running around the nutrient rich mustard fields.
Like the SRK-Kajol jodi the bitter Mustard greens(Sarson) and makke ki roti makes a lovable evergreen duo. Curious me even tried adding these greens in salad ,bad idea... these are too bitter when raw,but when cooked with milder tasting spinach and spices the taste is heavenly.An authentic saag is made with ghee(clarified butter) and no oil,I would do the same If I burned calories like the hardworking folks working in the farm fields.Since I'm regularly irregular in working out,I used oil and little bit of butter for topping.So adjust the fat as per your activity schedule.


Sarson Ka Saag(Mustard Greens)
Ingredients
3 cups(about 1/2 pound) fresh Mustard greens(sarson),roughly chopped
1 cup Fresh Spinach(palak)
1 medium onion(pyaz),chopped
1 tablespoon Corn\maize flour(same as used in roti)
3 green chillies(Hari Mirch),chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala(ground cumin,cloves,cardamom and cinnamon)
1 teaspoon Coriander(dhania) powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ghee or butter

Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil,add the spinach and mustard greens,DO NOT COVER for nice green color,let wilt for 3-4 minutes.Drain all water.Puree in a blender not very smooth ,a little coarse is fine.

While the greens cook,heat Oil in a non-stick pan(preferably) on medium heat,saute onions until lightly brown.Add the green chillies allow to sizzle for few seconds
then add all the dry spices then after a minute stir in the flour,let roast for a 2-3minutes on low heat.When nice and aromatic,mix in the greens puree,season with salt ,stir often and allow to simmer for another 5-6 minutes on medium heat.Tastes best with makki ki roti,serve warm with little butter on top and some fresh crisp Onions.And thandi Mango Lassi would make this Punjabi meal complete.




Makke Ki roti(Corn Flat Bread)
Ingredients
2 cups Maize\Corn Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon of oil to spread over the roti.

Method
Combine all the ingredients to form a smooth dough.Cover and allow to rest for an hour.
The following is a modern method I guess,usually the dough is flatten by patting it using fingers.
Heat an iron pan or tava,take about lime size ball each time and press between sheets of
plastic using a heavy flat pan or plate.Peel out and roast on hot tava about a minute each side,should puff up nicely.spread a drop or two of oil all over the roti.Serve warm for best taste with saag.


Mango Lassi
Blend equal ratio of yogurt(dahi) with milk and mango until smooth.Chill and serve after the spicy meal.



The sarson ka saag is my entry for SWC Cooking with greens Hosted by Sowmya of Creative Saga

Home made Corn Tortillas(without Press).Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano sauce.

Tortillas(tor-tee-yahs) are quintessential Mexican flat bread.I never liked the corn tortillas until I made them fresh homemade,the aroma and flavor is nothing like the store-bought kind and needless to say homemade is far healthier.

Corn Tortillas
Traditionally tortillas are made with a special kind of corn flour called Masa Harina ,nothing but corn flour that has been treated with lime.Mind you rolling the corn tortillas is nothing like rolling the Parathas or roti,using rolling pin doesn't work,the gluten-free corn dough has a different consistency from the stretchable wheat dough. A Tortillas press can make the rolling much easier but with no space to add another appliance in the kitchen,I settle with the unauthentic whatever-works method.Use a thick bottom flat pan or heavy plate to press the dough between sheets of plastic.

Flavor up!
Mix some Spinach or pumpkin puree to add some more flavor and nutrition to the tortillas.

Nutrition
A definite good news for gluten intolerant,the corn is perfect alternative to wheat.A complex carbohydrate low in fat,whole corn is good source of fiber and essential B vitamins.Check the Nutrition facts .

Corn Tortillas

2 cups Corn flour\ masa de harina(I used Quaker)
1 1/3 cup water(little more if needed)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Prepare the dough by mixing all the ingredient until smooth and well incorporated.
Cover and let sit for at least an hour.
To make tortillas without the Press
Heat a cast iron skillet or thick bottom pan on medium heat.Take a small handful of dough,place between sheets of plastic ,press using a flat thick bottom pan until evenly flattened.At this point you could use your rolling pin over the plastic sheet just to even out the edges.Carefully peel out from the plastic and roast about a minute on each side,should puff up a little.Spread some olive oil if desired before getting it out of the pan.Serve warm.Can be stacked and stored in a plastic bag(ziploc) for a month.Use it to make tortilla chips or Enchiladas ,tacos or Burritos.

Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Pablano Sauce
Beans and mild pablano pepper sauce is one variation of Enchiladas to begin with,can be stuffed with your choicest low fat meat and topped with mildest to hottest pepper sauce.Often enchiladas are baked with the sauce and oodles of cheese,but the following recipe is a simple no-bake low-fat enchiladas made with homemade tortillas.

Roasted Poblano sauce



Ingredients:
2 Poblano peppers
1/2 a medium onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1 big clove garlic,peel and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin(zeera) powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro

Method
Char the pepper on high heat in a broiler or grill.Turn occasionally with tongs, until skin is blackened, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sweat in a brown paper bag for a minute, then peel the skin and remove the seeds.
Blend the roasted pepper with garlic,cilantro,cumin ,oil and salt until smooth.

For Beans Stuffing
Ingredients
2 cup Kidney or pinto beans,cooked
1 plum tomato,chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cloves garlic,chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Saute onion in olive oil until transparent on medium heat.Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add cumin ,tomatoes,when tomatoes are soft in about 5 minutes,add salt and beans.Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Assemble the Enchiladas
Place some beans mixture in the middle of the tortilla,fold and place on the serving plate.Repeat same with rest of the tortillas,then pour the poblano sauce and serve.Garnish with grilled or roasted corn and fresh chopped tomatoes.

These Enchiladas is my contribution for the Homemade #4 - Tortillas at What's Cooking.

Got Some Spare Time?
Take a lesson in History and Chemistry of Tortillas from Alton Brown, Video 1 and 2.

Chickpeas Corn Vada .Discover the liquid gold,Olive oil

Lets enlighten ourselves with a short lesson in the healthy fat we have been blessed with.

The Fat Choices
What kind of cooking oil do you commonly use? Lemme guess if you are from the Mediterranean or Middle east, most probably you'd be using the healthiest oil of all, the one and only ,the Olive oil.As for the majority of others, the vegetable oils like peanut or sunflower or corn or canola ,occasionally coconut or sesame or soy bean or Palm oil are known as the only good cooking oil or rather easily available and affordable.In my quest for the best kind of cooking oil in terms of health benefits and flavor ,the Olive oil emerges as the ultimate winner.

The Divine oil
The Olive oil has been around for thousands of years.Olive oil was sacred to Prophets Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad(peace be upon them).Its sacredness and good health benefits is mentioned several times in the Holy books.

Get the facts

A look at the nutrition facts of olive oil verses the common cooking oil,its clear what separates the Olive oil from the rest is the high content Mono saturated and Poly saturated fats,an absolute essential for heart and skin health,reducing risk of cancers ,controlling inflammatory conditions like arthritis and asthma .Other good sources of these good fats are rapeseed oil , hazelnuts and almonds.

How did I discover the liquid gold?
Born and brought in a place where Olive oil was a luxury ,used only for massaging or beautifying ,a far cry from regular cooking oil,I was blissfully naive about the wonder oil . The timely move to US and my son's diagnosis with asthma and the hunt for nature's best foods finally lead me to the marvel. And thankfully for those us living in US, even though pricier than vegetable oil ,the Olive oil is available in abundance.

Which Kind Of Olive oil to chose?
Olive oil is sold in different varieties,Extra Virgin,Virgin or light, depending how is processed.The best kind is the extra virgin olive oil aka EVOO,which is processed without any chemicals and also in higher in Vitamin E(the anti-oxidant vitamin).And beware of the cheaper brands,they could be adulterated with vegetable oil.

Make the Change
Do not alienate this nature's best food if its readily available in your stores.For starters ,who are used to cooking with mildly flavored oils,mix it with your usual vegetable oil and slowly make the transition for insuring your family's good health,more importantly for those with(or under the risk) heart disease or common inflammatory conditions like arthritis,diabetes,cancer,allergies,asthma to name a few.I personally buy both vegetable and olive oil ,use half and half in most of the recipes except for deep frying.

How much is sufficient?
If its super healthy,doesn't imply one can drink it cup-a-day to get the extra benefits.Nope even olive oil in excess in not good,consumption of about 2 tablespoon of extra virgin oil a day is sufficient for adults.

Cooking with Olive oil.
Olive oil has lower smoking point and also loses its nutrients when heated to high temperature.Hence its ideal in salads,stir fries and shallow frying.

Olive oil,the Skin nourisher
The ancient oil with richness of vitamin E is not uncommon in beauty products.
A head to toe body massage with olive oil before bath is best way to pamper your skin and hair, linked with reducing hair loss and wrinkles.

Also read this interesting post about how olives are harvested,in the own words of the Mediterranean blogger(Organically Cooked) living in the Olive haven,Crete(Greece),which happens to be the world's largest exporter of Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Recipe Chickpeas Corn Vada
OK,I'm starving ! lets get to the spicy snack of the day with wholesome chickpeas and corn.

Ingredients
1 cup corn kernels,fresh or frozen,if using frozen ,thaw
and squeeze out excess water.
1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas,drain all water
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,grated
2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chick pea flour(besan)
3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil,little more if shallow frying

Method
Process the corn in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped.Now add in rest of the ingredient except oil and flour and process some more until ingredients are well combined. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the chick pea flour.
To Bake
Preheat Oven to 350F.
Line the baking sheet with an aluminum foil,drizzle 2 tablespoon of oil all over.The mixture is going to be sticky to work with,so lightly grease your hands with oil and take spoonful of the mixture and gently press on your palm to form a patty.Lay them in the lined baking sheet,placing them in rows about an inch apart.Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown,for a crisp topping,now turn the oven mode to broil and let cook for another minute or two for crispier vadas.
To Shallow fry
Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in large non stick pan on medium heat.Shape the patties just like above and gently lay in the heated oil,let cook for 4-5 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown .Fry in 2-3 batches.Serve warm with your favorite beverage.

Also check out Anudivya's HealthyBaked Masala vadai ,she uses the uncooked Channa dal(Split bengal gram/lentil) instead of cooked chickpeas and corn, I'll try those crispy fritters for next time I'm in mood to bake my vadai.

The Chickpea corn vadas are in for the JFI :Chickpeas and FIC: Yellow. events.


The refreshing Lemonade award
Lovely bloggers Navita,Arundati,Varsha,Ann and Hema have presented me the Refreshing Lemonade award.Thanks dearies,I'm delighted:)

I pass this to all the zesty food bloggers who take time to visit my blog and leave the nice comments ,please accept this token of appreciation,you really refresh my day with your presence:)

Grilled Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Mint Harissa

Harissa is spicy hot sauce used in north African cuisine. I stumbled upon this spicy salad in the gourmet magazine in one of the recipes of Sara's secret.Easy to prepare this salad is full of spicy flavors. The sweetness of pepper and corn ,crunch of zucchini and hotness of harissa makes this salad absolute favorite of spice lovers.

Ingredients needed to make this salad

1 red bell pepper
2 Corn on the cobs
1/2 green or yellow zucchini
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon or more of harissa(recipe follows) depending on your taste
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoon olive oil

For Mint Harissa

6 dried red chili peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro

Preparation:

Blend all the ingredients together in a processor until well combined and smooth. Use in salads or marinate meat or on sandwiches. Can be refrigerated up to a month in an air tight container.

To make the salad
Grill or Broil the Pepper

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. Cut in strips .
Grill or Roast Corn

Drizzle the corn on the cob with a little olive oil. Place the corn on the cob directly on the grill or stove top over high heat. Grill the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes, rotating the corn as needed to keep it from getting charred too much on one side . when done cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.
Grill the Zucchini

Wash and halve the zucchini. Roast on Grill or grill pan for 5-7 minutes. Don't over cook to retain the crunch .
Mix all the vegetables
Whisk together lemon juice, harissa,olive oil and sea salt, until combined well.Toss peppers with dressing.


This recipe is my entry for the Monthly Mingle : Grill it event hosted by Sig of Live to Eat

Grilled Corn , Spice Rubbed Chicken Breast and Skewers with Chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri sauce is commonly prepared in Argentinian cuisine and is similar to pesto sauce. Spooned over grilled meats ,this garlicky herb sauce is easy to make and flavorful to taste.
All white meat chicken breast are low in fat and high in protein . Spice rub makes otherwise bland chicken very spicy ,the chimichurri sauce on the top add to the flavor .The grilled corn is the source of carbs in this grilled meal.

Ingredients needed for Grilled Chicken Breast
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt
2 tablespoon Olive oil
For Spice Rub
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

For the 3-Herb chimichurri:
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil/Mint leaves
2 tablespoons minced white onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To make Chimichurri sauce
Mix all ingredients lightly in food processor until a coarse sauce is formed .Top on the grilled chicken breasts and skewers.

Grilled Chicken and Skewers

Heat your grill to high.Make the spice rub by mixing together all the spice rub ingredients .Use 3/4th of the spice rub mix to rub on grilled chicken and rest for the chicken skewers.
To make Grilled Chicken
Use 2 chicken breast and cut each in to two .Brush both sides of the breast pieces with the oil and season with salt. Rub the each side of the breast with spice rub. Then place on grill until golden brown about 7-8 minutes on each side.
Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with chimichurri and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions.

To make Grilled Skewers
Ingredients needed
1 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in cubes
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
Sea salt
1/2 cup chopped Spinach or cilantro
2 tablespoon finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon of Spice Rub Mix
2 bamboo or metal skewers
Process together chicken cubes,chopped greens,onions the spice rub mix,1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and until coarsely blended. Dip your hands in ice cold water and make the chicken skewers and grill for about 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Remove the skewers and serve with chimichurri sauce.

To Grill the corn
Peel the husk and silk away from the corn before grilling. Drizzle the corn on the cob with a little olive oil. Place the corn on the cob directly on the grill over high heat. Grill the corn on the cob for about 10 minutes, rotating the corn as needed to keep it from getting charred too much on one side.
After grilling the corn on the cob, season with salt and pinch of chilly powder and a squeeze of lemon if desired.


This recipe is my entry for the Monthly Mingle : Grill it event hosted by Sig of Live to Eat

Spiced Up PopCorn

Ingredients you'll need are
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup popping corn kernels
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

To pop your corns
Combine all the spices in a bowl and keep aside. sprinkle the blend over hot corn
Heat oil in deep pot over medium high heat. Add corn kernels. Cover and shake the pan every now and then to keep the kernels moving. When the popping sound stops remove from heat. Sprinkle the spice mix hot corn and Serve.


These snacks are my entry for Hima's Sunday Snacks Event