Brocolli Dill Salad and Orange Couscous

dill
brocolli florets
fennel
radishes
goat cheese

dressing
rice vinegar
white wine
ginger powder
onion powder
tarragon
parsley
pepper
salt

This was my boyfriend's creation but I had to share it because it was delicious! I paired it with the sizzling squid over orange couscous (cook couscous with orange and chicken broth).

I was elbows deep in paperwork at my new full time job when I got a surprise delivery of my favorite flowers.

Homemade Samosas!

I tried two dough recipes for making samosas and I tried to make a few using chickpea flour. I ultimately decided that it was best to use all purpose flour and I preferred the second recipe for dough as described below courtesy of Manu's Menu. I favored the filling at Sound'Spicy. You can try making samosas with beef or chicken but I prefer the traditional and vegetarian potato and pea filling.


Courtesy of Sound Spicy
http://soundspicy.blogspot.com/2011/04/samosa.html


Samosa Dough (with all purpose flour)
Makes:12 Serves:6

Ingredients:

Dough/Coating: 

• Maida / All-purpose flour - 1-1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Yogurt/Curd - 1 tbsp
• Warm Water - 1/4 cup

Filling/Stuffing:

• Potato (medium size) - 3 
• Fresh green Peas - 1/2 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Green chilly - 2
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor powder - 1/2 tsp
• Lime juice - 1 tsp
• Cilantro - handful
• Salt

Chaat masala spice mix
Courtesy of the Epic Centre
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/chaatmasala.html


Ingredients


4 teaspoons amchur powder
3 teaspoons roasted cumin seeds, ground
3 teaspoons ground black salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch asafetida powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon roasted coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon roasted fennel seeds or anise seed, ground
1/2 teaspoo ajwain
1/4 teaspoon ground dried mint
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika 


Samosa Dough from Manu's Menu 
http://www.manusmenu.com/samosas

Ingredients (makes 8 samosas):
1 cup flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
½ cup lukewarm water (to add little by little as required)
½ tbsp ajwain/carom seeds or cumin seeds (optional)

Canadian Adventures

While venturing in Canada in October, I came across this!

Behold Lobster Potato Chips!

Much tastier than the lobster ice cream that I was too afraid to try in Maine the summer before. (It actually had lobster in it!)

Garden Harvest!

This was taken on October 8th and it was in the mid 80s.

Raw Mango Sorbet

frozen mango chunks
Coconut milk

Blend together. Serve or freeze to eat later.

Raw Portabello Sandwhich

avocado

2 large portabello mushrooms 

tomato 

cucumber

fresh basil 

peppers

I bought all of these ingredients except for the avocado locally from Farmer's Markets to make this delicious sandwich! 

Raw and Baked Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

Courtesy of From Sad to Raw http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/Recipes/PestoStuffedMushrooms.htm

 Stuffing
 1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cups basil
1/2 cup olive oil
 3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

- Place mushroom caps top side down on a plate.
- Blend all stuffing ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

 I think part of the secret to my success in making this pesto was due to the fact that I used fresh pulled basil plants from my garden. I've pulled up all of my plants yesterday for fear that the frost would come any morning and ruin them all. I stuffed both raw mushrooms for the raw diet eater in house and also stuffed mushrooms to bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. I also baked the cooked mushrooms with a sprinkled cheese topping using only the very best: Halifax's own local That Dutchman's Farms'  Hammer and Chisel cheese, a hard 60 year old cheese with a distinct and delicate flavor.