Saffron-Lemon-Almond Bread

The Saffron-Lemon-Almond Bread (page 363) is the most delicious bread recipe I've made from Heaven's Banquet. Miriam says that even "without the saffron, this is a nice tea loaf." I love the taste that saffron adds to this bread, so don't leave it out! It also makes the bread a beautiful golden color. We felt like we were eating goodies from some gourmet bakery.

Lemon-Scented Fettuccine with Artichoke Hearts

The Lemon-Scented Fettuccine with Artichoke Hearts (page 257) recipe was very easy and very quick. The most time consuming thing is waiting for the fettuccine to cook... 10 minutes... Miriam states that in Ayurveda, one does not mix salt into fresh milk, so she suggests coconut milk. It was so good. I added ricotta cheese instead of Parmesan because soft cheeses are easier on the digestion. There is also a cheese free version.

Cashew-Coconut Hummus

The recipe Cashew-Coconut Hummus (page 280) is a yummy twist on the same old hummus that we all know. In this recipe you add coconut milk and cashews as well as lots of parsley. Surprisingly, I found it lighter than most hummus recipes that I've tried. This might be because in Ayurveda we use no garlic or perhaps because of the creamy texture from the coconut milk. John usually doesn't care for hummus but he liked this one.

Carrot-Date Salad

This little salad is wonderful. You start the Carrot-Date Salad (page 310) by sauteing the carrots to take the raw edge off. Then you add dates, pistachios, crystallized ginger and orange juice. All these flavors come together for a delightfully sweet salad.

Black Bean Soup

I made the Black Bean Soup recipe (page 242) today. I like most bean soups but this one was a little thin for my taste. However, deleting 1 cup of water/stock would fix it right up. Next time I'll do that. The flavor was very good and I think that since the beans are pureed, it is probably easy to digest.

Ghee or Oil Crust & Spinach-Cheese Tart

I thought I'd try a variation on the Spinach-Cheese Tarts recipe. Instead of spinach, I made the tarts with the greens from bokchoy. I followed the recipe instructions for spinach but cooked the bokchoy greens a little longer. I also decided to use a muffin tin to make individual tarts instead of one large one. Miriam does not specify how many small ones the recipe will make but I was able to get 9 tarts form a full recipe. I used the Ghee or Oil Crust (page 409) recipe instead of the Partially Baked Crust recipe because I wanted more figure friendly tarts. I only made 1/2 of the crust recipe but it worked perfectly for 9 muffin sized tarts. We devoured them!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This recipe is simply divine! The Creamy Broccoli Soup (page 235) is a great way to use up those broccoli stalks you really don't know what to do with and at the same time make a wonderful and flavorful soup. Broccoli stalks don't sound very appealing but cooked up this way, you will be eagerly saving them for your weekly soup fest. Give this soup recipe a try soon. It's easy and incredibly satisfying.

Saffron Tapioca Pudding with Figs

The Saffron Tapioca Pudding with Figs (page 443) sounds easy enough, but my first attempt did not thicken... this is the second attempt and as you can see it worked. I think maybe the cornstarch was too old... so I replaced it and also left out the figs in the second try. The saffron taste in this pudding is wonderful.

Curtido (Spiced Cabbage Salad)

Curtido "Spiced Cabbage Salad" (page 356) is a simple salad from El Salvador with a little kick. Fresh minced ginger and lemon juice along with radishes add the spice without the heat. This would be a good appetizer for those with a slow disgestive system. We had our salad along with Whole wheat Spaghetti with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes; Ayur-vedic "garlic" bread; and Coconut Cream Cheese Simply Wonderfuls for dessert.

Creamy Gingered Carrot Soup with Wild Rice

For dinner I made us the Creamy Gingered Carrot Soup with Wild Rice (page 237) recipe. It is a very refined smooth soup that relies on the wild rice for chewiness. I like something to chew unless I'm recovering from a sore throat or something like that but for people who love creamy soups, this one is splendid.

Applesauce Gingerbread

So last night I decided to bake a cake. I tried Applesauce Gingerbread cake (page 396). I halved the recipe and baked it in an eight inch round, everything else was done exactly like the recipe states and it came out very nice. We had some for breakfast with our coffee.

Braised Endive, Celery or Fennel

Braised Endive, Celery or Fennel (page 98) is a elegant side dish. It has a light sauce made of vegetable stock, lemon juice, sugar and pepper. I used fennel this time but will try it again with endive and celery.

Vegetable Goulash

The Hungarian dish, Vegetable Goulash (page 57) is a mild tasting, assortment of vegetables spiced with marjoram, oregano, caraway and paprika. I used sweet rather than hot paprika. I also decided to add tofu for some protein. Miriam suggests serving it over flat noodles but I used spaghetti since that is what I had. When I make this dish again, I will add more green vegetables such as broccoli for color even if it is less authentic.

Celeriac Pancakes & Panir Mayonnaise

Celeriac Pancakes, (page 85) and  Panir Mayonnaise (page 503) are the 2 recipes from Heaven's Banquet that I prepared today for our lunch. Celeriac was in our local health food store, so I decided to give it a try. Miriam describes celeriac as looking like a "creature from outer space" which is a really good description of it. She also tells you how to tackle peeling it. Anyway, after it's peeled it reminded me of a turnip in appearance but dryer in texture. After I grated it up, it was like hash browns and I thought it would probably make a great potato substitute. Many of us who have seen a Vaidya have been told not to eat potatoes so we are always looking for other possibilities. The flavor is delicate and the texture is pleasant. I also put some celeriac into our daily dal which I thought was a nice change.

Karhi (Curry)

Karhi (Curry) sauce (page 516) is a recipe that Miriam calls "an original form of curry... to be served over rice" or with some finely cut vegetables in the sauce. I did both, served it over rice and added potatoes and peas to the sauce. I'd recommend steaming any vegetables first and then adding them to the sauce. The possibilities
are endless and it is a great comfort dish on a cold day like today.

Persian New Year's Soup with Toasted Noodles

Since Christmas I've been taking a bit of a cooking break. I realized we had not had a repeat of any recipe in the last 4 months. I've still been cooking everyday of course, but not anything new from Heavens Banquet until today. I tried the Persian New Year's Soup with Toasted Noodles (page 244). You have to remember to soak the beans overnight, but other than that it's not very complicated. The end result is a very hearty soup with some amazing unique flavor combinations. The soup contains 4 different beans, celery, pepper, tomato and a beet. The spices include fresh cilantro, dill, and mint. It's really very good and this recipe makes a ton of soup. I served it with flat bread and ghee.