Priyu.com – Salsa..Samosa..& Smore

To err is human…. Not a day goes by when we don’t commit errors (of commission or omission) be it not holding the door for someone or secretly wanting to own your neighbor’s M6 (amongst their other possessions) or swiping your credit card to buy that totally unaffordable handbag or choosing wine over working out…the list is endless! SO the point I’m trying to make is that us mere mortals cannot survive a day without sinning (ok may be that’s too strong a word but you know what I mean). The only thing that prevents us from turning into complete monsters is the good that we do to balance the bad. “Balance” is the key! That is my philosophy in life. And the same principle applies to food. Every now and then I crave the comfort of carbs and fat! BUT I’m health/figure conscious AND I don’t believe in denial. SO the way I indulge myself without feeling too guilty is A. I use the best possible, all natural wholesome ingredients. Not all fats and carbs are created equal. Steer clear from the overly processed, refined and chemical laden crap and you’ll do yourself a lot of good! B. I “balance”! You’ll see exactly what I mean in the below recipe. For starters I use organic whole wheat pasta. I love the nuttiness of whole wheat pasta and the fact that it has a much lower glycemic index than regular pasta. Frankly I don’t know how the organic bit helps but I figured it couldn’t hurt. Secondly, I use Omega 3 rich walnuts (that’s the good fat I was referring to) and a medley of herbs for extra flavor in my pesto. Thirdly, I add plenty of veggies to “balance” the richness of pasta. Additional pointer – Skip KRAFT and get a block of good quality aged imported Parmesan.

What you need:
For the Pesto:
1 cup parsley
½ cup mint
½ cup cilantro
¾ cup walnuts
2 garlic cloves
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan
Salt to taste

For the Pasta:
¾ pound fettuccini
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 small red bell pepper cut into strips
1 small green pepper cut into strips
Salt to taste
Freshly cracked pepper

How to make
• Place the parsley, mint, cilantro, walnuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse till finely chopped. Stream in oil and process till smooth.
• Stir in the parmesan and season with salt.
• Boil water in a large pot, add pasta and cook till al dente. Drain the pasta and save about ¼ cup of the water.
• Heat oil in a pan in on medium high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook till it browns a little. Add the peppers and cook until slightly brown and tender.
• Add the pasta, pesto, reserved water to the vegetables. Toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Garnish with parmesan shavings.

Who says you need to think outside the box for creative ideas? Sometimes great ideas come right from the box. A cereal box in this case! Yep, the inspiration for these buttery crunchy cookies came from Post Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal. As I was crunching and munching my way through my bowl of cereal on a lazy Sunday morning, it occurred to me how great it would be if I could enjoy the ruby red tartness of cranberries and buttery richness of almonds in a cookie form. And Voila! After a few experiments, I finally got it right. Give it a try guys. You will love these delicious cookies even if you aren’t in love with cranberries & almonds. But beware, you may find it hard to stop at one – they are irresistibly addictive!

What you need:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

How to make
• In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the egg.
• Stir in the flour until just blended.
• Mix in the cranberries, almonds, and coconut.
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a log, about 12-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in the plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick slices. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 –15 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them completely before serving,

First things first, sorry all for the long disconnect. Excuses are many but no good reasons. June 6th 2009 was a desperately awaited gorgeously sunny day here on the east coast…..YEAH!!! Summer is FINALLY here! It almost feels like I’ve been liberated after months of imprisonment…a perfect day to come out of my hibernation and pen down a few lines.

What better way to kickoff summer than go strawberry picking! And so I tagged along with my buddies to Stults Farm. Tucked away in Cranbury NJ. Stults Farm is 200 acres of farmland where the Stutlts family grows everything from strawberries to bitter melon to fresh flowers! After 2 hours of mindless strawberry picking (and not to mention eating), we decided that we had OD’d on Strawberries and we had loads more to take home! Unwilling to let the fresh fruits of nature (and our labor) go waste, I decided to turn the luscious goodness into super easy strawberry-licious dessert!

This is one of the easiest, quickest and absolutely delicious desserts ever! Get ready to experience the most delicately perfect balance of flavors – tartness of strawberries, sweetness of honey, tanginess of balsamic vinegar, creaminess of yogurt, crunchiness of almonds and freshness of mint!! This dessert is light, refreshing and summery! And what’s more, you could even make a fat free version by using fat free yogurt! It is one of those guilt free desserts which tastes soooo GOOD and is actually GOOD for you!! You have no excuse not to try this one!! Oh and I must add that it was faintly reminiscent of Shrikhand without the over the top sweetness. (Shrikhand is a traditional Maharashtrian dessert -my fellow ghatis would know what I mean!)

What you need:
16 oz of Greek yogurt
10 – 15 Strawberries, quartered
2 tablespoons + 3 teaspoons of Honey (Preferably orange blossom honey)
3 teaspoons Aged balsamic vinegar (Aged is the key here. Totally worth the extra bucks!)
3 teaspoons sliced Almonds, toasted
2 teaspoons of Mint, finely chopped

How to make:
• Pour yogurt into a double layered cheesecloth and twist the top tight to squeeze out all the liquid. Allow the yogurt to drain any remaining liquid by hanging it over the sink or placing it in a strainer.
• Place the strawberries in a bowl and add 3 teaspoons of honey and aged balsamic vinegar. Toss the ingredients together and let the strawberries marinate for 10 minutes.
• Remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth. Add the remaining honey and blend well.
• Place half the strawberries in a dessert bowl. Top it with the yogurt honey blend. Place the remaining strawberries on top of the yogurt.
• Garnish with toasted almonds and mint.
• Serve chilled.

Well well……how can I summarize my experience at Circo in one word…..lemme think…umm…how does “horrendous” sound? I know that is a particularly harsh word but seriously, my blog is all about honesty and frankness….so I refuse to cushion the reality. The only good thing about the evening was the company of my friend and perhaps the cute coffee cup that my friend insisted on buying from the restaurant. The manager was nice enough to make a deal at $ 15 for the cup. Oh, and I guess the circus inspired interior makes for an interesting decor. Anyway, let us talk about the food. The “roasted beet” salad was hardly roasted! It tasted like boiled beets….perhaps I should thank my stars that it didn’t come out of a can! The tuna tartare was quite edible….the only passable dish that I ate. The veal chop that almost didn’t fit in the dinner plate was flattened thin to a few mili meters and coated with almost half an inch of bread crumbs! The rabbit tasted suspiciously like white meat chicken thrown hurriedly in a flavorless tomato based sauce. The super size portions made me wonder if I were at a diner in Trenton, New Jersey?! After a terribly below average meal….I had pinned my hopes on dessert…..and that my friends was a mistake. How could I expect anything better after the meal so far…..I should have trusted my logical brain…instead I went with my hopeful heart only to be disappointed yet again. The Baba Au Rhum tasted like Krsipy Kreeme Donuts soaked in a tub of rum served with some cool whip!!! Thank God the chef didn’t have anything to do with the creation of the fresh fruits on the side! Just in case I haven’t completely convinced you never to go to Circo, let me tell you a bit about the service here. My friend and I are somewhat of slow eaters and we were still working on our appetizers when we were brusquely told that our entrees were ready and they would like to clear our appetizer plates!! Wow, maybe they should give guidance on the time allotted for each course! As I signed the check for over $ 200, I wondered since when did the $$ value fall so low that 200 bucks can’t even buy you decent dining experience?? And as I left the restaurant, the pretty crowded dining room reminded me that brand name sure sells! There will be buyers for crap if it is wrapped in a Tiffany’s box! Well…..fortunately or unfortunately I aint one of them…so goodbye Circo and good luck to all those who dare to dine at Circo!