Beet Greens and Sweet Pepper Salad, Uncategorized

Beet Greens and Sweet Pepper Salad (cooked)

March 26, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

I love most vegetables and until recently had never thought of using beet greens for anything. Now I eat them raw in salads, I put them in my juicer, I also add them to smoothies. This is a cooked salad. It is a very yummy vegan dish that takes only 15 minutes total prep and cooking time. It has a lot of flavor mainly from the vegetables themselves. I made some yesterday and served it with Tamarind Rice. I have yet to make tamarind rice from scratch but will do soon. I buy the frozen packets from the local Indian store. It does contain peanuts so anyone with nut allergies should avoid the store bought version. I will figure out a recipe minus nuts and add it to my blog soon.

Don’t throw away the beets :). I will post a recipe for them soon too.

Ingredients

Beet greens from two or three beets (minus beets and stalks) washed and sliced
Sweet peppers 5 or 6, sliced
Onion, medium, sliced thinly
Tomato, large, chopped
Balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp (or more to taste)
Cilantro (dry 1 tsp or fresh 1/2 cup chopped)
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Canola or other oil suitable for frying, 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt (I don’t add any) and cayenne pepper (I like a 1/4 tsp)

Preparation

In a medium sized saucepan, add oil and onions and stir fry over medium high until they are brown at the edges and turning soft. Add the tomatoes and continue frying for a minute until tomatoes are soft but not dissolved.

Add the sweet peppers and all ingredients except the greens and stir for a minute.

Add the greens, stir everything together, cover the pot and turn off the stove. Wait ten minutes and serve!!

Eggplant Bhurta - simple and quick

Eggplant Bhurta – simple and quick

February 24, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

I got this recipe from my cousin Amna in Chicago. Amna was one of the world’s best cooks until she was confined to bed. Now she’s the best teacher anyone could have. I’m either in Chicago in her kitchen or on the phone with her from my kitchen in Florida.

Eggplant Bhurta, or Baingan (Eggplant in Hindi) Bhurta, or Bangin’ Baingans (as the hubby calls it), this is a very flavorful and easy dish to make in a very short time. The picture above is not very flattering. I forgot to take a photo until after we’d eaten most of it so this is a closeup of the leftovers 🙂 with my trusty phone.

Ingredients

Eggplant – 1 large
Cooking oil – 2 tbsp (I sometimes use more if I serve this with steamed rice)
Onion – 1 medium
Tomato – 1 large
Tomato paste – 2 tbsp (optional – I like the tartness)
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Cilantro – 1 cup chopped
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation

Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork and bake in the microwave oven for 7 minutes (standard microwave).

While the eggplant is baking, chop the onion and tomato.

Fry the onions in the oil until soft and glassy looking, add cumin powder and fry until the cumin gives off a roasted smell then add tomato, and tomato paste. Continue frying until tomatoes are just tender.

Cut the eggplant lengthwise into four. Strip the skin off (allow to cool first) and discard. Chop the eggplant and add to the onion and tomato mixture and stir fry for about two or three minutes. Add the salt and cayenne powder and cilantro. Cover and let simmer on the lowest setting for about five minutes to infuse the eggplant with all the flavors.

I served this with Biryani yesterday but it’s good with steamed rice or any of the Indian or Pakistani breads.

Flying North in Winter?, Uncategorized

Flying North in Winter?

February 23, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

No, it isn’t the deep dish pizza or Hot Doug’s Hot Dogs or the Book Cellar. Although, any and all of those would bring me to Chicago at any time of year, but this week, in the midst of yet another deep freeze it is my beautiful cousin Amna. Temps were a little friendlier when I booked the tickets. Had no idea I was flying into a third polar vortex. Yikes! But I’m happy to be with Amna although Amna may have been happier flying south to Florida in the winter but she has Post Polio Syndrome and can’t really leave home without a very complex entourage of nurses and equipment to keep her mobile while breathing safely. For now it’s a fun family reunion in her cozy apartment at the top of a building on the truly great Lake Michigan. And yes, as I cook away in her kitchen, I stop frequently to watch the winds push the ice floes around on the lake. It’s an amazing sight. Amna is no longer able to get to the window but I take lots of photos and stream them to her iPad so she knows what’s happening outside.

Amna has lived in Chicago for over thirty years and had never heard of a polar vortex until this winter and now wow the third one is about to send this beautiful city into another deep freeze. After a week of above freezing temps, the lake is once again transforming into a winter wonder world. It is a beautiful city at any time of year.

I think I’m going to create a new item on my menu bar for Amna’s Chicago Kitchen. My cooking is inspired by her. I cook healthy foods. I try to. We have heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc. etc. etc… in our family and we’re doing our best to keep it all as far away as possible for as long as we can. My goal is to keep things clean, easy, fresh, whole, and as vegetarian as possible.
I hope you’ll visit again. Ciao

Biryani with Soy and Green Peas

February 23, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

Ingredients for Garam Masalah

(Mix the following Garam Masalah spices in a bowl)
Cumin – 1 tsp
Cinnamon – 1 piece about an inch
Cardamom – 5
Cloves – 6
Peppercorns – 6
Bay leaf – 2
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Note…. When you mix the dry spices together, do a few extra batches and put them in ziploc bags for future cooking adventures. Saves time.

These spices are the basic whole (not ground) ingredients for “Garam Masalah.” Whole spices taste more delicate and the aroma is infinitely more pleasing. You can get all the above whole spices in a single bag from a local Indian store in the spices section. Just ask for a bag of whole mixed spices.

Other Ingredients

Onion – 1 medium, thinly sliced
Corn or Canola oil – 1/2 cup
Ginger and garlic paste – 1 heaped tsp (I buy the mixed paste at the Indian store)
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped into small pieces
Peas – 1 1/2 cups (I use frozen)
Soy meat – one cup (I use the Laxmi brand) soaked in two cups of warm water for 20 mins
Tomato paste – 2 or 3 tbsp
Cilantro – 1 cup chopped
Rice – 2 cups (I like the very long-grain Basmati from the Indian or Pakistani store)
Cayanne pepper powder – to taste (I use 1/4 tsp)
Salt – to taste

Preparation

Fry the onions in the oil on medium heat until golden brown.
Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for two minutes stirring to prevent sticking.
Add the whole garam masalah mixture, the chopped tomato, and tomato paste.

Drain the soy chunks and add them to the mix. Add the peas. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes making sure the mixture stays moist (you can add a little water at a time so it doesn’t dry out too much).

In a separate pan, cook the rice until almost tender. I use 1 1/2 times water to the rice (with salt). Drain any left over water and then layer the soy mixture on top. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender. Add chopped cilantro over the top and continue to cook over very low heat for about five minutes.

When you ladle it out into a serving dish, do not mix the rice and soy mixture too much. Just fold with a spatula. You can always add more fresh cilantro at this point.

I served this to friends in Chicago (yes I’m crazy to be in Chicago when it’s so cold here) and they loved it. I also made eggplant and daal to go with it. Recipes follow soon.

Enjoy in good health!

Sooji (Semolina) with Berries, Sooji with Berries

Sooji (Semolina) with Berries

Gallery February 10, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

This is a no-sugar-added recipe. We use it for breakfast or dessert. It keeps well in the fridge for four or five days.

As a child I loved the Sooji Halwa my grandmother made and I’ve always loved the German breakfast version. Two totally different ways of cooking this very versatile and nutritious food. Semolina is not safe for people who cannot digest gluten or have celiac disease. If you are able to include this in your diet you will benefit from its amazing properties. And it is a great comfort food at the same time.

Semolina is rich in protein, B-complex vitamins, selenium, and iron. It gets its calories from carbohydrates a great source of fuel for your tissues.

Most Sooji Halwa is rich and has a lot of nuts and sometimes dried fruit. Pistachio, raisins, and slivered almonds to name a few are often sprinkled over the top and sometimes added during the cooking. It is absolutely delicious. We used to have it for special occasions and generally for breakfast. The German versions I’ve had included breakfast dishes and desserts.

My version of this recipe combines my grandmother’s recipe with a German one and to pack more nutrition into it I add more fruit.

Makes six larger breakfast servings or eight smaller servings

Ingredients:

One cup of Sooji or Semolina
Quarter cup of cooking oil
Two cups of hot water
Half a cup of evaporated milk
Five or six green cardamom crushed
Two cups of frozen blueberries and strawberries or fresh (chop the strawberries) – save half a cup for garnish.
A sprig of mint for garnish
Sweetener to taste

Preparation:

Add the cooking oil to a saucepan over medium heat (you can also use butter or margarine instead)

Add the sooji and stir into the oil

Stirring frequently cook until the sooji is a light brown in color

Take the sooji off the stove and allow to cool a little then add the hot water and stir in so it’s all mixed in well without lumps

Return to the stove, then add the milk and continue to stir

Add the crushed cardamom. Once the sooji starts to pull away from the sides, remove from the stove and add sweetener. I used Stevia for this one. Stir in well before you add the fruit.

Add the frozen berries (I defrost them first, a minute in the microwave). Do not return to the stove.

I use extra blueberries to garnish. Make a well in the center with a spoon and add defrosted blueberries and pour the juice over the sooji. A sprig of mint from my garden or yours.

If you try out this recipe please let me know how it turned out. Leave a comment. Thanks and happy cooking!

Beaches, Juno Beach - Dogs, Kite Surfers, and a Musician

Juno Beach – Dogs, Kite Surfers, and a Musician

Gallery February 9, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

Camera into the sun

First to the water

Fetch!

Friends that walk together…

Windy and frothy

Sherlock (left) and a new friend

Successful retrieval

Tall or short, the beach is for all

Time to bow wow

Hey, there’s a wave coming!

Saying hello

Lift off

In the wave

Above the wave

Across the wave

Sam and his ukelele

The day started out a bit cloudy with a chance of rain but it turned out to be a perfect beach day and we were already there early this morning. This time we checked out the dog-friendly part of Juno Beach which is about half a mile further north of the fishing pier. A great place to set up folding beach chairs (we brought ours), perhaps pick up some coffee on the way, watch the kite surfers and dogs playing. And today we met Sam who was walking along the beach playing his ukelele.

Chai with Anise and Cardamom, Recipes

Chai with Anise and Cardamom

February 6, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

This is a Chai recipe not just for rainy days but for any time you want a little break from whatever you’re doing. I love chai and I make this twice a day. Once for breakfast and then again mid-afternoon. I’m a chai addict. For me there is no day without it.

Serves two and more… depending on the cup/mug you use.

Ingredients

Three cups of water
One tablespoon loose leaf black tea
One tablespoon anise seed
One half tablespoon cardamom seed
One cup of evaporated milk
Sugar or sweetener as desired

Preparation

Add one tablespoon of loose leaf tea to 3 cups of water and bring to a boil (I buy my loose leaf black tea from a local Indian store).

Add a tablespoon of anise seed

and a tablespoon of green cardamom (I get my spices from the local Indian store)

Boil for a minute (at this point I add half tsp ginger powder sometimes If I want a more wintery mix in my chai)

Add a cup of evaporated milk (I use whole but fat free is ok too) and bring to a boil. Watch this closely because I have had many accidents at this point with boiling tea all over my stove. As soon as it comes to a boil, remove from the stove and pour into a teapot.

I have a teapot with a built-in strainer so I pour it directly into it. Works great for me but before I had this teapot I would pour it through a strainer into a regular teapot or a jug. Pour into cups and sweeten with sugar or sweetener. I use Splenda. Hubby uses Stevia.

Enjoy! The tea will keep for the day and you can warm it up as needed. You can refrigerate it for four or five days and it tastes just as good. Just remember to strain it and not leave the tea leaves in the mix.

Chick Peas and Pomegranate with Tilapia, Recipes

Chickpea and Pomegranate with Tilapia

February 6, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

When I can’t get to the beach, I love to cook. I like to eat everything raw and the rest of my family prefers cooked. This recipe works well for all of us. It combines cooked and raw vegetables. There are many ways to vary it. Use your imagination. I’m using some of the ingredients I love and always have in my kitchen.

Serves four

Ingredients

Two cans of chick peas (drained, rinsed)
Four frozen fish filets (Tilapia is what I happen to have today)
One medium yellow onion
Handful of parsley leaves
One bunch of celery
Seven or eight baby carrots
Seeds of one pomegranate
One lemon (you can add apple vinegar as well)
One tsp each dried rosemary and thyme and salt to taste

Preparation

Chop the onion and add half the onion with a tablespoon of cooking oil in a sauce pan and cook for five minutes (I use canola for cooking and olive oil for raw)

Chop the celery and carrots. Add half the celery and all the carrots to the onions in the saucepan.

Add a tsp each of dried thyme and dried rosemary.

Add a cup of water or enough to just barely cover the chickpeas. Cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for an hour. At this time, get the frozen tilapia out and leave on the counter to thaw.

While the chickpeas are cooking, wash the raw vegetables and herbs.

Chop the parsley and mix with the remaining chopped onion.

Add the pomegranate seeds, onion, parsley, remaining celery, and the juice of one lemon. I sometimes add apple vinegar also. Add salt to taste. I use an iodized sea salt.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the chickpeas into the raw mix.

I sometimes bake the tilapia (still frozen) at 360 F for 25 mins or I fry thawed for about five minutes on medium to high heat or until soft and flaky. Serve while fish is hot and the vegetable mix is cool.

Beaches, Juno Beach, FL

Juno Beach, FL

February 4, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

Juno Beach is a small beach town with a very big beach. Parking is free and there is a lovely fishing pier that is wheelchair friendly. Fishing is great here and the pier itself is beautiful and quite long. A good place to fish or just hang out and catch some rays and D’s.

Around Town, Downtown West Palm Beach, South Florida, West Palm Beach

Downtown West Palm Beach

Gallery February 1, 2014 visualdebris Leave a comment

fern growing in a palm downtown

Australian Ave

Palm Beach Lakes Blvd

Mandel Public Library

Clematis Street

Amtrak and Tri Rail track

some of the many bikers have parked here on Clematis

local cab on Clematis Street

on the side of the gelato store on Clematis

On our way back from the Green Market which is at the end of Clematis Street near the waterfront, we walked slowly so I could get a few more pictures of our beautiful Downtown. Still early, some of the restaurants had not yet opened for lunch but the chairs and tables were out under the colorful awnings and flowers that are everywhere at this time. Sometimes we stick around after the market and have lunch in one of the restaurants before we come home. We left earlier today to do a some gardening, watch a movie, and later… a barbeque dinner.

While driving around town, we also noticed lots of newly planted palms, especially around the new mall due to open on Valentines Day. Can’t wait to see it.

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beach debris

Beet Greens and Sweet Pepper Salad (cooked)

Ingredients

Preparation

Eggplant Bhurta – simple and quick

Ingredients

Preparation

Flying North in Winter?

Biryani with Soy and Green Peas

Ingredients for Garam Masalah

Other Ingredients

Preparation

Sooji (Semolina) with Berries

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Juno Beach – Dogs, Kite Surfers, and a Musician

Chai with Anise and Cardamom

Ingredients

Preparation

Chickpea and Pomegranate with Tilapia

Ingredients

Preparation

Juno Beach, FL

Downtown West Palm Beach

Me and my South Florida