GFCF Strawberry Cupcakes

By: Esther Vasa

GFCF Strawberry Cupcakes

I have this habit of not measuring my ingredients when cooking. When I need to post a recipe, I try to measure the ingredients. Along the way, I slip into eyeballing my ingredients. Here are my nearly accurate measurements for strawberry cupcakes. This makes a great breakfast for you and/or your children. You can make them in advance and use for about a week. Save them in refrigerator preferably. Yields about 20-24 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

Gluten-Free Oatmeal - 5 cups

Almonds - 1 cup

Coconut Flakes - 1 cup

Himalayan Salt - 1 tsp

Baking Powder - 2 tbsp

Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Bananas - 3

Apples - 2

Strawberries - 15 (chopped up roughly)

EVOO or Melted Coconut Oil - 1/4th cup

Eggs - 2 or Egg Whites - 4 or Egg Substitute equivalent to two eggs

Honey - 3/4th cup or more (if you like it sweeter) or use any sweetener of your choice

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Line muffin tray with cupcake liners.
3. Using a power blender, blend four cups of oatmeal, almonds, coconut flakes, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a dry cup until smooth. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
4. Using a wet cup, blend, roughly chopped bananas, apples, oil, eggs/egg substitute and honey/sweetener.
5. Combine the dry and the wet mixtures. Fold in the chopped strawberries.
   (PS: Do a taste test and if you need it sweeter, add a tablespoon of honey at a time and mix. If the mixture is too wet, add a tablespoon of oatmeal at a time.)
6. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop out the prepared mixture and drop into the cupcake liners.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check for "doneness" using a toothpick.

Pumpkin Flax Granola

By: Esther Vasa

Pumpkin Flax Granola Leftover Stored

My dear friend Amy Perrin mentioned that she loves Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola. I purchased one packet and instantly fell in love with it. I decided to try it based on the ingredients listed. The very first try was a success. Here is the recipe I came up with. For my next try I will introduce crushed walnuts and avoid using oil.

Ingredients:

Rolled Oats - 4 cups

Flax Seeds - 3 heaped tbsp

Pureed Pumpkin - 1/3rd cup

Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds - 3 tbsp

Raisins and Craisins - 1/3rd cup

Ceylon Cinnamon - 1 stick

Olive Oil - 1 tsp (optional)

Vanilla Bean - 1

Himalayan Salt - 1/4th tsp

Honey or Maple Syrup - 1/4th cup (or more)

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a dry cup, grind flax seeds, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. I've noticed that Nature's Path granola had whole flax seeds. For maximum nutrition flax seeds should always be blended unlike chia seeds.
• Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix up all wet ingredients and add them to the dry ingredients. Combine well.
• Spread the granola mixture onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 30 minutes. If you like your granola very crunchy you may need to bake for 40-45 minutes. It all depends on how hot your oven gets.
• Cool and store in a box. In our case, we immediately had it and stored the leftover in a box. Yum!

Hempa-Chia-Rita

By: Esther Vasa

This name "Hempa-Chia-Rita" was suggested by Dianna Anderson. This is just is a melodious name to

Hempa-Chia-Rita

utter.

Ingredients:

Hemp Seeds - 1/4th cup

Chia Seeds - 3 tbsp

Vanilla Bean - 1 or Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Water or Coconut Water - 1 cup

Banana, Apple, Apricots and any fruits and berries you prefer (fresh or dried)

Procedure:

• Soak up two tablespoons of chia seeds in half of cup of water or coconut water for half an hour.
• Dice all your fruits.
• Blend hemp seeds, the other tablespoon of chia seeds and the remaining water or coconut water.
• Layer them as you like in a bowl of your choice.
• Enjoy immediately.
• Alternately, you could add cocoa powder and cinnamon instead of vanilla bean to make chocolate pudding. Top it off with dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs.

McDonalds vs. McHealthy

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

McHealthy Fries

• 1 (8-inch) gluten-free tortilla
• 1 large apple
• 3 tablespoons Almond Butter
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free muesli
• 1 tablespoon raw cocoa or carob chips

Directions:

• Lay tortilla flat on plate. Spread 2 tablespoons of Almond Butter in the shape of a 4-inch circle in the top center of the tortilla (start about 2 inches down from the top). Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granola and 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips on top of the peanut butter (lightly pat them in).
• Cut one apple into "fries," so they look like French fries. Lay apple fries vertically on top of the peanut butter circle. Place all apples on top of peanut butter, even on top of each other.
• Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to line the edges of the entire bottom half of the tortilla. Fold bottom half of tortilla up to cover half of the apple fries. Take the right side of the tortilla and fold it in. Take the left side and fold it in as well, overlapping the right side. Dab some peanut butter to "glue" the sides together.

To eat: Pull the apple fries out one by one or eat it like a sandwich!

Enjoy! ♥

Almond Pancakes

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

Almond Pancakes

¾ cup blanched almond flour (make sure you use blanched as this process gets rid of the phytic acid)
¼ cup almond milk
2 eggs or 2 tsp egg substitute
¼ tsp gf baking soda
Bananas, Blueberries or any fruit of your choice
Honey (optional)
Cinnamon
Natural or dairy free yoghurt

Method:
Heat the pan on medium heat.
Whisk eggs and milk and then add flour and soda
Slightly butter pan, using a ladle, pour mixture into pan (1 ladle will make 1 pancake). Cook until crispy on edges before flipping.
Serve with fruit of your choice, yoghurt, honey and cinnamon.

Enjoy! ♥

Butterless Fruit Muffins

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

200g blueberries (or any other fruit of your choice)

Fruit Muffins

200g gluten free flour

2 tsp gf baking powder

Sweetener of your choice to taste

175ml silk-, almond- or rice milk

2 eggs or 2 tsps egg substitute

150 ml extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of nutmeg (optional)

A pinch of Himalayan salt

½ tsp of nice quality vanilla extract

Method:

• Sift the flour and baking powder into the sugar.
• In a jug, or separate bowl whisk the milk, egg, oil, nutmeg and vanilla extract together until smooth.
• Poke a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
• Pour the liquid mixture into the well whilst beating quickly and lightly until smooth.
• Cover the bowl with cling film (plastic wrap) and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
• Line a muffin tin with paper .
• Take the bowl out of the fridge and ladle the mixture into the muffin cases, making sure you fill it to ¾ full otherwise you'll have really small muffins.
• Wash and dry the blueberries, and distribute them evenly over the tops of the muffins. Yes they're meant to just sit on top because they have a tendency to sink!
• Bake for 30 minutes or so, or until risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack until they're not scalding and dig in whilst they're still hot!
• Enjoy! ♥

Superfood Granola Bars

By: Esther Vasa

All the ingredients used in these granola bars are superfoods that come with a variety of nutrients and give you that needed energy for the day. As breakfast bars, they get you started the right way. As energy bars, they provide the energy needed for your exercise. As snack bars, they just make you wanting more and more!

Ingredients:

Granola Bars ready to go!

Buckwheat Groats - 1 cup *

Soaked Walnuts - 1/2 cup

Soaked Almonds - 1/2 cup

Dried Bilberries - 2 tbsp

Dried Goji Berries - 2 tbsp

Acai Powder - 2 tsp

GF Raisins and Cranberry Raisins - 1/2 cup

Raw Cacao Nibs - 1 tbsp

Maca - 1 tsp

Chia Seeds - 2 tbsp **

Raw Honey - 1/4th cup or equivalent sweetener ***

Water - 1/2 cup

Himalayan Salt - big pinch

Cinnamon Powder - 1 tsp

Coconut Powder - 2 tbsp or more if you like ****

Preparation:

• * If you are using raw buckwheat groats, soak them overnight in enough water and rinse many times before using it. If you prefer, you can use toasted buckwheat groats instead.
• ** Soak chia seeds in half a cup water for about half an hour.
• *** For sweetener, you can use raw organic honey or equivalent amount of stevia or just date paste. For the date paste, soak up about 10 dates in half a cup water and blend to form a paste. This can go into any of your raw desserts. Or simply skip using any sweetener.
• Process buckwheat groats, soaked walnuts and almonds in a food processor.
• Transfer into a large mixing bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients thoroughly. This includes the soaked chia seeds and any sweetener you are using.
• Transfer the well mixed raw superfood granola mixture onto the dehydrator sheet and spread evenly with a spatula. The first picture down below shows the granola mixture ready to go into the dehydrator.
• Set the dehydrator at 115F and dehydrate for two hours.
• Then, flip the granola mixture carefully on a second dehydrator sheet. The easiest way this can be done is by placing the second dehydrator sheet along with the tray over the first one and then by simply turning it over. Slowly, remove the dehydrator sheet!
• Next, run the pizza cutter to cut equal sized granola bars.
• Dehydrate for another 6-8 hours. The drying time varies depending on your dehydrator and how thick you spread the mixture on the dehydrator sheet.
• Remove the granola bars and they are ready to enjoy as they are. The second picture down below shows how they look like when the dehydration process is completed.
• Or if you like, you can wrap each granola bar with a saran wrap and take these with you for your walk or jog or pack one in your children's lunch box or just enjoy them however and whenever you like.
• ****Note: I did not add coconut powder while mixing. I sprinkled coconut powder on the dehydrator sheet and pressed the granola mixture on the coconut powder and sprinkled the rest on top.
  
  

  

  Bars well done

  

  Granola Mixture
  before going into the dehydrator

Bilberry Pudding with Salba seeds

By: Esther Vasa

Bilberries have been used medicinally to lower blood sugar, improve capillary health, treat eye disorders and improve vision, help improve circulation, ease menstrual cramps, treat diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and cataracts. Bilberry combined with Vitamin E can reduce the progression of cataracts. World War 2 pilots who ate bilberry jam reported better night vision. Antioxidants found in this berry slow down the aging process by combating free radicals. It is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. You just can’t lose with bilberry! (Thanks to Craig Stellpflug for this tweet.)

Salba seeds have a high concentration of Omega 3 and protein. It has been extensively clinically researched by independent sources, as per Salba website. In addition, the website says that a clinical study published in Diabetes Care, the most trusted diabetes publication, proved that Salba lowers CVD risk factors in Type 2 diabetics. It helps with lowering blood pressure, based on another study called the U & T.

Ingredients:

Frozen Bananas - 2

Organic Bilberries - 1/4th cup

Frozen Wild Blueberries - 1/4th cup (optional)

Pine nuts or soaked almonds - 2 tbsp

Salba seeds or white chia seeds - 2 tbsp

Some water or almond milk for blending

Preparation:

Blend all the ingredients in a power blender until smooth. Transfer into a serving bowl and use any toppings you like. Enjoy.

Serves: 2

Porridge with Buckwheat Groats

By: Esther Vasa

Porridge with Buckwheat Groats

Ingredients:

For Porridge

Roasted Buckwheat Groats - 1/2 cup

Chia Seeds - 2 tsp

Banana - 1

Organic Pitted Dates - 2

Soaked Almonds - 1/4th cup

Water - 1 cup

Himalayan Salt - 1/8th tsp

Toppings Used

Blueberries/Raspberries - 1/4th cup

Mango - 5 pieces

Raw Cacao Nibs - 1 tsp

Shredded Coconut - 1 tsp

Acai Berry Powder - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

• Blend all the ingredients for porridge until smooth.
• Sprinkle desired toppings. Toppings I have used are listed under "Toppings Used".
• Enjoy this nice, filling and hearty breakfast.

Serves: 2

Alternate Option:

You could use raw buckwheat groats. Make sure you soak them overnight and rinse them thoroughly before blending.

Gluten Free Oatmeal

By: Esther Vasa

Oats are quite commonly recommended for lowering cholesterol levels. These grains are rich in fiber and support cardiovascular health. They also help with improving your immune health. I have particularly noticed that I tend to stay full, energetic and strong when I have my oatmeal with berries for breakfast. Avoid adding any sugar to oatmeal!

Ingredients:

Gluten-Free Oats - 1/2 cup

Water or almond milk  - 1 cup or more depending on the desired consistency

Bee Pollen - 1/2 tsp

Organic Raisins, Goji Berries and blueberries - 1/4th cup

Himalayan Salt - a pinch

Preparation:

• Mix the oats and water or almond milk and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Leave it to cool down.
• Add any toppings of your choice. The toppings I prefer are in the ingredients list.
• Enjoy a bowl of this warm goodness for your breakfast.

Dairy-Free Home-Made Yoghurt

By: Elna Botes van Schalkwyk

Ingredients:

One Liter rice- or almond milk

2 tbsp starter. (Recipe below. Take the starter out of the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before you start, so that it's as near as possible to room temperature when you add it to the milk.)

A large pot with a lid.

A food thermometer (it needs to include temperatures from 110 to 180ºF (43 – 82ºC).

A large spoon.

Casein-Free Yogurt

• Fill the pot with water, boil for a few minutes, then add the spoon and thermometer. This sterilizes your equipment and ensures a better end result.
• Empty the pot, then pour in the milk. Gently warm it to a temperature of 185ºF (85ºC), to kill any 'bad' bacteria it may contain. Watch the pot closely and be careful not to burn the milk!
• Remove the pot from the heat and set aside. You need to cool the milk to between 110º F (43ºC), because these are the temperatures between which the live bacteria will efficiently ferment the milk.
• Thoroughly stir the starter into the milk, then immediately place the lid on the pot. Move the pot at once to a warm place, where you can leave it - undisturbed - for a minimum of six hours.

There are two important rules to obey at this point to guarantee a good yogurt...

• Keep the pot at a constant temperature of between 110 and 180ºF (43 and 82ºC). The live bacteria will become inactive at lower or higher temperatures.
• Don't move the pot at all, or stir the fermenting milk. This slows down the process and you may be disappointed with your results at the end of the waiting time!

How to keep the pot at a consistent temperature... Most ovens do not have a low enough heat setting for producing yogurt, so here are a few other methods to try:

• Sit the pot in an oven warmed by the pilot light alone - our pilot light burns fiercely, so this works well for us! 
• Sit the pot on an electric warming pad (like the ones you use for back pain). You may need to experiment a little with the heat settings!
• Wrap the pot in a very thick blanket - if this isn't warm enough, sit the wrapped pot in a cooler for extra insulation.
• Put the pot in the airing cupboard/boiler closet.

After a minimum of 6 hours, take a look at your yogurt. The longer you leave the yogurt, the thicker it will become (and the more 'tangy' it will taste!). Seven hours are the perfect length of time. Now - you may find that the yogurt doesn't look quite the way you were expecting it to! It will probably have a 'layer' of liquid on top of milk curds - and the liquid may even look a little yellow. Don't worry - this is totally normal! Just mix the curds and the liquid together (although it's OK to spoon the liquid off if you prefer!). The yogurt will be thinner in consistency than store-bought yogurts - but that's because they tend to contain additional thickeners and YOUR yogurt is 100% natural! Remember - you can make it a little thicker next time by allowing it to ferment for longer. Pour your homemade yogurt into suitable containers with lids, then refrigerate. Refrigeration actually stops the bacteria in the yogurt from creating any more lactic acid - that's why the yogurt doesn't ferment and thicken any further. You can store it for up to a week in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Starter:

750 ml cashews

500 ml water

1 tsp nutri yeast or 1½ tsp scorbic acid

⅛ small red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp sweetener of your choice – optional

1tsp Himalayan salt

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Blend everything in a power blender until completely smooth. Use 2 tablespoons as a yoghurt starter, put the rest in the refrigerator and use as a cream cheese.

Tapiochia Pudding

By: Esther Vasa

• Chia seeds - 1 tbsp
• Homemade Almond Milk - 1/3rd cup or more
• Vanilla Extract - 1/4th tsp
• Raisins - 1 tbsp or per taste
• Himalayan salt - a pinch
• Raw honey for sweetening (optional)

Soak up chia seeds for 4-5 hours in almond milk. I usually leave it in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to have it, mix in the vanilla extract, raisins and salt. This feels like tapioca pudding and is quite delicious.

Healthy Breakfast with Super-Calming Foods

By: Jo Rosas
© Irina Wardas 

April is a Stress Awareness month, so we need to incorporate more super foods into our meals that can help us reduce stress and beat moodiness. The food we eat can have a very positive influence on our feelings, moods and behavior.

What if I tell you that you can start your morning with a mood elevating breakfast to reduce stress and make you happy for the rest of the day? This breakfast will help you feel calmer and more in control.

PEAR AND CELERY JUICE STRESS REMEDY RECIPE
Pear is rich in fiber, and studies show that fruit fiber might reduce breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Fiber also helps slow down sugar absorption in the blood which will help you with mood swings. Pear is also a source of B-complex needed for protecting nervous system.

Celery has components for a sedative effect and is considered a nerve tonic.

Aroma from ginger will help you relax and reduce stress.

Ingredients:
1 pear
2 celery sticks
1 inch ginger root

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a juicer, make a juice and enjoy.

***

OATMEAL WITH FRUITS, BERRIES AND NUTS STRESS REMEDY RECIPE
A bowl of fresh cooked oats with some fruits and nuts is a perfect way to start your day.

Oats is considered a calming remedy for your digestion and mood. As any whole grain, oats are rich in fiber to help you get rid of constipation and balance blood sugar which helps reduce risk of heart attack and prevent breast cancer.

Oats also help the brain process tryptophan and keep us in a better mood.

Cook oats the way you prefer, add some fruits, berries and nuts to make the healthiest breakfast.

Bon Appetit!

Vegan Polenta (Crockpot Style)

By: Esther Vasa
If corn is in your allergens, stay away from this! If not a nice warm bowl of polenta on a cold winter day makes a wonderful breakfast especially if served with herbs.

Ingredients:
Organic Cornmeal - 1 cup (I used blue cornmeal)
Water - 5 cups (you could use a combo of stock and water)
Dried Basil and Parsley - 1/4th tsp
Himalayan Salt to taste
Olive oil - to grease the crockpot
Crushed or powdered Walnuts and Pistachios


Preparation:
Grease the crockpot with olive oil using a paper towel. Switch on the crockpot at high and put the water. Mix in salt, cornmeal and dried herbs. Let this cook on high for an hour. Then, stir the polenta mixture and let this cook for another four hours on low. I start the process the previous night in order to enjoy a well set polenta. Transfer a big scoop of polenta into a bowl and garnish with crushed or powdered walnuts and pistachios. Alternately, you could serve with fresh herbs! My son likes his with a poached egg.

Serves: 4

GF Crepes Served with Mixed Fruits

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Brown Rice Flour - 1 cup
Almonds - 1/2 cup (soaked for 4-5 hours)
Eggs - 2 (or 4 egg whites or egg substitute)
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp (some extra oil to grease the pan)
Pure Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Blackstrap Molasses - 1 tbsp (or sweetener of your choice)
Himalayan Salt - a couple big pinches
Water - 2 cups

For Stuffing:
Banana - 1 (sliced into thin semi circles)
Strawberries - 8 (hulled and sliced finely)
Seedless Black Grapes - 8 (quartered)
Raw Honey - 2 tsps

Preparation:
Prepare the stuffing and mix it well in raw honey. Set this aside.

Blend all the ingredients thoroughly for about five minutes at varying speeds and transfer into a bowl. Grease a flat pan with some oil using a brush or paper towel. Take a ladle full of the prepared mixture and spread evenly using a crepe roller or just use a flat bottom ladle and make an even 8 inch diameter crepe. Allow it to cook well and then turn onto the other side. After it is well done transfer into a serving plate. Take about 2-3 tbsps of stuffing and spread it evenly at the center of crepe. First fold one side towards the center and then the other side also. Makes 6-8 crepes. Your children would love this scrumptious breakfast.

Variations:
You could smear some yellow mustard on the crepe and fill it with fresh spinach, tomatoes, peppers, sprouts and onions or vegetables of your choice.

Steamed Lentil and Rice Cakes (Idlis)

By: Esther Vasa


Ingredients:
Black Gram - 1 cup
Cracked Rice or Idli Rava - 2 cups
Water to soak both the lentils and cracked rice
Himalayan Salt to taste
Idli cooker (an appliance)

Preparation:

Idlis served with Peanut Chutney

Soak the lentils and cracked rice separately for 4-5 hours. Blend the lentils in a blender until smooth adding just enough water to make a smooth paste (DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH WATER!). Drain the water from the soaked cracked rice or idli rava. Mix the blended lentil paste into the cracked rice. Add salt and let it ferment for six hours or so. This is your idli mix.

Sandwiched Idlis

When ready, add a glass of water into the idli cooker. While this gets heated up fill up each idli plate with a spoon of idli mix you prepared above. Slowly place the idli stand with the plates filled into the idli cooker. Let the idlis steam for 10-15 minutes. Don't open the cooker's lid right away. Let the idlis cool down in the cooker for 20 minutes or so. Then remove each idli with a spoon carefully.

You can serve idlis with Peanut Chutney or Peanut Powder.

To serve with peanut powder, mix the peanut powder in a teaspoon or two of olive oil and apply to each idli on one side and make it like a sandwich.

Nopal Omelette

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Egg Whites – 6 or Eggs – 3
Nopal or Cactus pad – 1
Peppers – ½ cup (Mixed)
Onion – ½ cup (diced well)
Garlic – 1 (minced)
Cayenne Pepper – two pinches
Salt (preferably Himalayan) – per your taste
Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:
Nopal is proven to be beneficial for people with diabetes. It is rich in both soluble and insoluble fibers. It is supposed to reduce your bad cholesterol and has anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in antioxidants like vitamins A and C. You could enjoy this in many forms. Let’s see how you could make a great tasting and super-healthy omelette.

Crack the eggs and beat well and set aside. Take the cactus pad (nopal) and brush off the cactus pad with a brush and then cut the edges with a sharp knife. Then dice the pad into small cubes.

In a steel pan, heat up a tablespoon of oil and then fry the onions for a minute and then add the cactus cubes. Mix well and fry these for about two minutes. Then add the peppers and garlic. Finally, garnish with salt and pepper and give it a stir. Allow it to cool up a bit and mix this into the eggs. Beat all the ingredients well. Then make three omelettes using the remaining oil. Serve it with tomato sauce!

Gluten Free Muesli

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:
Gluten Free Rolled Oats – 6 cups
Honey – 3/4th cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – ½ cup
Organic Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp
Combo crushed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts…) -1 cup
Seeds like pumpkin and sunflower seeds – 1/4th cup (optional)

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients and bake them at 300F for about 30 minutes or until you get that light brown color. Please pull out the baking tray and mix the ingredients every ten minutes or so. Enjoy your muesli with fresh fruits like banana or strawberry and some almond/rice milk. If you are not on a casein free diet, use regular milk. You could have this for your breakfast or as an evening snack. You could reduce the amount of nuts and seeds in this recipe if you like.

Preparation Time: About 45 minutes

Serves: 5-6

Dosa with Peanut Chutney

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:

For Dosa:
Rice – 2 cups
Black Gram (Urad Bean) – ½ cup
Split Chick Peas – 1/8th cup
Red Gram (Pigeon Peas) – 1/8th cup
Green Gram (Mung Bean) - 1/8th cup
Fenugreek Seeds – about 10
Salt
Water to blend

For Peanut Chutney:
Peanuts – 1 cup
Diced Onion – 1 cup
Diced Tomato – ½ cup
Green Chillies – 2 or 3 diced (more if you like it hot)
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4th tsp
Curry Leaves – 6
Finely Chopped Cilantro – 1/4th cup

Preparation:

Dosa
Soak the above ingredients “For Dosa” for about six hours. Blend the ingredients until a thick paste is formed. Let the mixture ferment for at least four hours. When you are ready to make dosas, add in sufficient water to get the pancake mix consistency. On a hot pan, spray some cooking spray and using a cup of the dosa mix you blended, make a thin or thick pancake, as you like. I like it thin! The above mixture makes about 10-15 dosas.

Chutney:
Now for the chutney roast your peanuts and set them aside. In the same pan, heat up a teaspoon of oil and add the diced onions. Let them sweat a bit; then add in the diced chillies and tomato. Let this cook for a minute. Let these cool a bit. Then transfer the peanuts and the mixture of onions, tomatoes and chillies with some salt into a blender. Blend the ingredients with about 1.5 - 2 cups of water to make nice chutney. For seasoning, heat up the other teaspoon of oil and let the mustard seeds splutter. Then add in the curry leaves and mix in the chutney. Finally garnish with the cilantro. Serve this chutney either with dosa or idli or even with a cup of brown rice. This makes about 4 cups of chutney. Adjust the amount of ingredients to suit yout needs.

Vegetable Fried Tapioca Pearls

By: Esther Vasa

Ingredients:

Tapioca Pearls – 1 cup

Mustard Seeds – 1/4th tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1/4th tsp

Split Black Gram – ½ tsp

Peanuts – 1/3rd cup

Water to soak tapioca pearls

Carrots – 1 cup diced

Squash – 1 cup diced

Cilantro – 1 tbsp chopped finely

Curry Leaves – 6 chopped very finely

Green Chillies – 2 chopped finely

Cumin Powder – 1/8th tsp

Cayenne Powder – few pinches

Salt per your taste

Extra Virgin Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Preparation:

Soak the tapioca pearls for an hour in a lot of water. Then drain the water completely and let the tapioca pearls soak in for seven more hours. Stir twice in between at a interval of two hours or so. If you find any powdered tapioca just rinse in water and drain the water completely. Soaking part is the key to get this stir fry properly. I tried this recipe twice before and it came out so soggy that I had to throw away. I learned it the hard way, to do it right!

Fry the peanuts until they are crunchy to the bite. Allow them to cool a bit. Then chop in a blender. Just don’t make peanut powder! Mix the peanut flakes and required amount of salt in the soaked tapioca pearls and mix thoroughly.

Heat up a pan and put two tablespoons of oil and let it heat up a bit. Then add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Then add cumin seeds and black gram seeds. The black gram seeds should get golden brown in color. Then add curry leaves and green chillies. Just stir for a few seconds. Now add in the tapioca pearls mixed with peanuts and some salt. Stir once and let the pearls stay in the pan for about five minutes; stir occasionally. The pearls will get clear by this time!

In a separate pan, put the other leftover tablespoon of olive oil and let this warm up a bit. Put the carrots and squash and stir fry these vegetables on high for five minutes. Put some salt, cayenne pepper and cumin powder just before removing from heat. You could use any vegetables you have at home for this.

Add the vegetables to tapioca pearls and give it a stir. Transfer to a serving bowl. This dish is simply delicious!!! I love it so much.

Preparation Time: Including the soak time about 8.5 hours

Serves: 4