Amor y Sabor (Love + Flavor)Chocolate Beet Brownies
Posted on April 6, 2013
- 1 cup peeled and pureed fresh beets
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup greek non-fat yogurt like Fage
- 6 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 1 orange plus 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1¼ cups self-rising flour
- Boil the beets whole until tender and then peel under cold water. Puree in a food processor or food mill until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 350•
- Heat a saucepan with water and place a metal bowl over it. Melt the butter and chocolate.
- With a stand or hand mixer, mix the eggs and sugar until smooth.
- First blend in the yogurt, then the cocoa powder, orange zest, orange juice and finally the pureed beets.
- Add the melted chocolate and blend well.
- Add the flour slowly.
- When all blended, pour into a greased 9 x 9″ pan.
- Bake 15-20 minutes until center is slightly soft but the rest is firm.
This recipe was first introduced to me through this site and was it came from this book. But I adjusted it slightly as I always do…
Indian Winter Stew
Posted on March 17, 2013
Today is Saint Patrick’s Day and I will be cooking a traditional Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage but last week I made a delicious winter stew with Indian flavors that was worth a share.
My husband, Karan, is Hindu and therefore does not typically eat beef or pork. But Karan is also a bodybuilder and has plans to compete again. His need for protein is immense and he realized that his body needed the protein that beef offered. I have been vegetarian before so I know you don’t have to eat meat to get the protein you need but with bodybuilding it requires such a high quantity of protein that the sheer amount of food, and the time to eat it, makes beef a good option. We look for the highest quality meet, preferably organic, and have it at most once a week.
Lamb could be substituted for beef as well.
- 2 cups beef cut into small cubes (about ½”)
- 1½ cups plain greek yogurt
- ½ lemon squeezed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 10 cloves of garlic pressed
- 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
- ½ tsp hot paprika or cayenne
- 1 medium to large tomato diced
- 1 cup rutabaga peeled and cubed small
- 2 cups white potato peeled and cubed small
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 tblsp ghee or oil for frying
- 3 cups vegetable stock (saved water from cooking vegetables works great)
- Marinate the beef with the garlic, ginger, spices, lemon juice and ½ cup yogurt. Let sit for 1-2 hours in a non-reactive bowl (stainless steel, glass) and cover.
- After time has passed, saute onions in oil over medium heat.
- When onions are glassy, increase heat add meat marinade, stirring quickly.
- When meat is starting to brown, add diced tomatoes and stir until they start to break down.
- Add potatoes, rutabaga and stock. Cover and reduce heat.
- Cook down until root vegetables are soft and liquid is almost gone, about 45 minutes.
- Add green peas and rest of yogurt. Cook another 10 minutes to blend flavors, remove from heat and serve.
The stew cooking down.
Serving suggestion with steamed green beans and whole wheat chapati.
Sinless Chocolate Mousse
Posted on January 29, 2013
Above Photo Credit [Source] — I don’t have my own photo (yet) because we ate the mousse before I could take one!
Ladies…we love our chocolate. Not to exclude you gents but we ladies really love our chocolate. But we don’t love the guilt, the fat, the extra inch on our thighs. I like to stay trim but when it comes to food, I try to cook as naturally as possible. That’s why I love this recipe because it is decadent, low fat and without artificial ingredients. I can personally attest that this recipe is a gem — so delicious.
- • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate , broken into pieces
- • ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- • 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- • 6 tablespoons water , plus an extra ½ cup
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- • ½ cup sugar 
- • 3 large egg whites
- • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Melt semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa powder, 6 tablespoons water, and vanilla in medium bowl set over pot of barely simmering water until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Bring ½ cup water and sugar to vigorous boil in small saucepan over high heat. Boil until slightly thickened and large bubbles rise to top, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat while beating egg whites.
- With electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat egg whites in large bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and beat, gradually increasing speed to medium-high, until whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into whites (avoid pouring syrup onto beaters, or it will splash). Increase speed to high and beat until meringue has cooled to just warm and becomes very thick and shiny, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk ⅓ meringue into chocolate mixture until combined, then whisk in remaining meringue. Spoon mousse into six 6-ounce ramekins or pudding cups, or large serving bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill overnight. (Mousse can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=359721
Tamarind Chicken “Lolipops”
Posted on June 14, 2012
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 4 tbsp tamarind puree (available at Asian and Indian markets)
- juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (available at Asian markets) or other hot sauce
- 3 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
- 4 tbsp Brown Rice Syrup (honey may be substituted)
- 1 tbsp molasses
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Take each drumstick and cut around the bone by the base of the drum part. Remove all skin and cartilage so you are left with the ball of meat and a clean bone handle.
- Mix all ingredients and marinate the drumsticks for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure they are fully coated.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Best cooked on a cast iron griddle, lightly oiled, that is preheated in the oven. Cook through, turning once.
Serving suggestion.
“Buttery” Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Posted on January 26, 2012
Above: Buttery Macaroni & Cheese served with pureed butternut squash, braised kale and fresh tomato
- 1 box of macaroni
- Sauce:
- 1 cup cubed butternut squash, peeled and de-seeded
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- ½ cup lowfat buttermilk
- 1 cup lowfat milk
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crumbled farmers cheese like Queso Fresco
- 1 tsp pureed horseradish
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- dash of hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- Topping:
- 1 cup panko
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp olive oil
- In a saucepan, boil the onion, butternut squash and pinch of salt with enough water to cover it
- When squash is soft, drain the water into a separate bowl and set aside
- In a blender, add the cooked squash and onion with all the rest of the ingredients for the sauce
- Blend well — sauce should look like melted Velveeta
- In cooking pot, pour in the water saved from the squash plus enough extra for the macaroni and a another dash of salt.
- When water is boiling, add macaroni and cook until nearly tender, just underdone.
- Drain water and pour macaroni into a lasagna pan. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix well.
- Crumble topping over macaroni and bake in a 400º oven until bubbly and topping is browned (about 15 minutes)
One of my favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese and I was determined to find a recipe that was both delicious and cut down on the fat. This is my all time favorite — buttery taste but if you can believe it: no butter! The key: butternut squash in the cheese sauce.
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