Capellini with Peppers

I couldn't find capellini pasta for the Capellini with Peppers (page 263) so I decided to make it using the pasta I already had. I also decided to roast thin asparagus along with the green and yellow bell peppers. My intention was to make this recipe a main course rather than a side dish. It came out rather nicely. The flavors remind me of pizza without the bread. I chose to top it with crumbled panir cheese.

Mocha Spice Cake with Coffee Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting

Today I made the Mocha Spice Cake with Coffee Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting (page 388). First of all, I have to tell you that Miriam says that this is her favorite frosting. If you try this recipe, it will be your favorite frosting too. The coffee taste is not overpowering but it complements the sweet and sour of the cream and cream cheese. The spice cake is very light and delicious too. I served these cupcakes to company and it was a thumbs up from everyone.

Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts and Dried Tomatoes

I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts and Dried Tomatoes was (page 313) and how incredibly simple it was to make. I like to use the 8 whole grain pasta because it's very hearty. I served this salad with "Panir Cheese, Summer Squash and Red Bell Peppers" from The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi. The two dishes were excellent together.

Apfeltorte (Apple Torte)

The Apple Torte recipe (page 395) is under the cake section. It looks like a fruit crisp when it comes out of the oven but it is definitely a cake with a soft filling of apples. The lemon zest adds a delightful surprise to the flavor. This is another recipe you will enjoy making for company or any special occasion.

Greek-Style Marinated Vegetables (Lahana Marinata)

The Greek-Style Marinated Vegetables (page 304) is a recipe that will change depending on the season and which vegetables you find locally available. Miriam has you cut 4 to 6 cups of veggies which are then marinated in herbs and juices. I found the marinade to be a little tart for me, so I added a teaspoon of sugar. I used fennel, celery, carrots, potatoes and zucchini as my vegetables but it would be a completely different salad with broccoli, green beans and snow peas. Anyway, there is great versatility in the recipe.

Spanakopita (Spinach-Filo Pie)

The Spanakopita recipe (page 128) makes a pretty presentation with it's golden colored pastry and dark green interior. A particularly good recipe for company or a special treat for your family. I substituted tofu for feta cheese as given in the variation. Very nice!

Orange Cake with Orange-Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

The Orange Cake with Orange-Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (page 386-7) is another rich, decadent dessert baked lovingly without eggs. As usual, I've made this in a cupcake form and only made half the recipe for the cake and icing. It made 12 delicious cupcakes.

Sesame Radish Salad

The Sesame Radish Salad (page 311) surprised me with it's mild peppery taste. Miriam says that young radishes are balancing for all three doshas but when cooked with a little oil, radishes are very good for vata. I thought this little salad was a very unusual and tasty treat. It is also a super fast recipe (under 10 minutes).

Pineapple Chutney (Ananas Chatni)

The Pineapple Chutney (page 518) is easy enough to make... you just simmer the ingredients for several hours. I put everything into an enameled cast iron saucepan on low and let it do it's thing. The entire house smelled fabulous and it's very yummy.

Bon Bon Chi with Asparagus (Cold Sesame Noodle Salad)

The recipe today is the Bon Bon Chi with Asparagus ( page 314) and even though the title says "cold," in Ayurveda food is not served cold but room temperature. I served this right from the stove top so it was still warm and delicious. The sesame dressing in this salad is wonderful and I'm already planning to use it over many other vegetable dishes. This is a meal all by itself and the recipe is flexible enough to allow for many of your own creations. Love this recipe.

Tomato Sauce

I made the Tomato Sauce recipe (page 505) as a complement to the Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant recipe in the previous post. This is a very good and tasty homemade tomato sauce that can simmer on the stove all day long.

Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant

The Peppers Stuffed with Sicilian Eggplant recipe (page 117) is one of those recipes that I have to substitute an ingredient. In order to make this recipe, I needed to make a substitution for things we were told by the Ayurvedic expert (Vaidya) not to eat. Today I used zucchini instead of the eggplant. I followed everything else exactly as the recipe stated. The ingredients in the stuffing include bread crumbs, celery, raisins, pine nuts and fresh parsley to name a few. The stuffing was so good, I could eat it without the pepper! Miriam suggests serving this with her home made tomato sauce recipe (tomorrow's post).

Coconut Chutney (Nariyal Chatni)

The Coconut Chutney recipe (page 518) is really different from any other coconut chutney I've tried. The yogurt and mustard seeds add a unique taste surprise. I served it with flat bread and our daily dal.

Butter Cookies

The Butter Cookie recipe (page 431) makes an extremely rich cookie. I added raisins and powdered sugar. They are a little like short bread in texture and flavor. Adding the raisins and sugar brings out the sweetness. I hope the ladies in the office enjoy them.

Grits

I decided to try making what the rest of the grit eating world has long since known, Grits (page 164). They can be either hominy (the white kind) or yellow grits. They can be served either sweet or savory depending on what you decide to add. I chose to add ghee, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Yummy.

Raisins and Rose Water (Kishmish Gulab Jal Chatni)

The Raisins and Rose Water (page 520) is a quick and simple condiment to help cool you down from internal and external heat. Both raisins and rose water are pacifying to pitta. This little gem can be simmered on the back burner while you're making your daily dal.

Carrot Halva (Gajar Halva)

The Carrot Halva (page 447) took me all day to make... mostly waiting. I've made several of these milk puddings but I never find them to be pudding like. They are very soupy rather than thick. I cooked this one for 4 hours and still the texture was like soup (actually, many of my soups are thicker than this)... So what to do? Well, it still tasted good, so we ate it.

Tagine of Fava Beans, Artichoke Hearts and Eggplant (224)

Today I made the Tagine of Fava Beans, Artichoke Hearts and Eggplant recipe (page 58). It was as close to the recipe as I could get since I had to make a few substitutions. I have not been able to find fresh organic fava beans so I substituted Lima beans. We don't eat eggplant because it is not recommended for people who might have gall or kidney stones according to Ayurveda so I substituted parsnips. Everything else was done according to the instructions. It came out very good and very delicious. Two thumbs up!

Parsley-Cashew Chutney

The Parsley-Cashew Chutney (page 521) is another non-fruit and non-cooked chutney. But that is all is has in common with the previous posted chutney (Mint, Cilantro and Tomato). This chutney is sweet and creamy and delish. It has parsley and cashews of course, but also ginger and yogurt. It will be a favorite in our house.

Mint, Cilantro and Tomato Chutney

The Mint, Cilantro and Tomato Chutney (page 521) is different from most chutneys because it is not fruit and it is not cooked. It reminds me of salsa and only takes minutes to prepare. The little bit of heat it has is from the ginger and the mint adds a refreshing zip.

Cardamom Tea Cake (Kardemummakaka)

I decided to make the Cardamom Tea Cake (page 397) recipe as cupcakes instead of a 13 x 9 inch sheet cake. This is done purely for the convenience of sharing with others. I love the taste of cardamom and I love afternoon tea so I was sure this was going to be prefect for me. The topping for the cake was a streusel made with sugar, flour and butter. They were outstanding.

Vegetable Kugel

The Vegetable Kugel (page 142) recipe made the whole house smell wonderful. It is hard to tell from the photo but the kugel is made of potatoes and veggies mixed together. Then it is baked at 400 degrees for an hour and a half until it gets a crispy brown crust all over. Even the bottom is brown and crunchy. This is a very nice way to eat potatoes with vegetables.

Ranch House Pozole Chili

The Ranch House Pozole Chili (page 167) recipe is a very hearty stew type of chili. I could not find the type of pozole Miriam's recipe calls for. She says that the "pozole must be soaked overnight." I got on the Internet and found out that pozole is another name for hominy corn. So that's what I used. Next time I'll try the Mexican grocery store. Other than that, this recipe came together very nicely and tasted wonderful. Definitely a lunch menu chili.

Mango Salsa

The Mango Salsa (page 507) was just so pretty that I had to take a picture of it. I enjoy looking at food as much as eating it. This is super good and only takes 5 minutes to make.

Bocoles (Fresh Corn Pancakes)

The Bocoles (page 87) is an adaptation of an Aztec dish. These pancakes are about 3 inches across so they are a little larger than Miriam suggested. I'm mentioning this because I made 1/2 the recipe and ended up with 6 pancakes. They are really good tasting and it was easy to eat two. It was very easy to make. Just put everything in the food processor and then fry on a griddle. I have an cast iron griddle that is great for flat breads and pancakes and it work just fine for these thick corn pancakes too.

Dim Sum Turnip Fritters (Luobo Gao)

The Dim Sum Turnip Fritters (page 139) recipe is from China and it is a vegetarian version of a fish cake. If you say... it is not possible for turnips to mimic fish cakes. Not so; by reason of steaming and deep frying. On the other hand, by reason of it being delicious, it was enjoyed by all.

Spring Rolls & Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

The Spring Rolls (page 284) recipe and the Sweet-and-Sour Sauce (page 514) were actually very fun to make. I picked the tofu stuffing for the spring rolls and I used the eggless premade wrappers. The only thing I wish I had done differently was to invite more people over to eat them. I had too many spring rolls and not enough taste testers.

Red Beans and Rice & Date Chutney

Red Beans and Rice (page 197) and the Date Chutney (page 517) are the two recipes I tried today. The red beans and rice recipe is a simple and delicious way to eat kidney beans. The recipe doesn't sound flashy but it really tastes great. I made the date chutney to go along with the bean and rice dish because I love homemade, fresh chutneys. I could eat a different one everyday. Chutneys help to ensure all six tastes are present in a meal. Miriam says that "chutneys usually contain three or four tastes" and that the English translated them into "spicy preserved fruits in vinegar." Fresh chutneys bear no resemblance to their jarred counterparts. An important note here is that Ayurveda recommends lemon juice rather than vinegar.

Falafel, Taratoor Sauce & Tahini (Sesame Butter)

Today I made a couple of recipes. I started with the Falafel (page 194) recipe. Then I went to make the Taratoor Sauce (page 512) but I found I had no tahini in the house so... I had to make my own. Fortunately for me, Miriam gives the Tahini recipe (page 512) right next to the taratoor sauce recipe. I added a little Greek yogurt to the sauce because I wanted it thicker. Everything tasted good but it is a lot of preparation to make falafels. First, you must "soak beans overnight" then "cook for 2 1/2 hours" then "soak the bulgar for at least an hour" and finally "allow falafels to dry in the sun for an hour" before cooking them. Whew!

Bulgar and Toasted Noodles with Four Fresh Herbs

The Bulgar and Toasted Noodles with Four Fresh Herbs (page 312) is a lovely salad which is probably more appropriate for Pitta season (July-October) rather than the Kapha season (March-June) which it is now. But I wanted some fresh herbs and this salad is loaded with mint, cilantro, parley and dill. I used pistachios since I didn't have almonds. This recipe reminded me of the Bulgar with Vermicelli recipe (page 158) which I made a few months ago but with a summer twist. The cinnamon in the dressing adds a delightful surprise.

Tofu or Seitan with Bean Thread Noodles and Vegetables

In the Tofu or Seitan with Bean Thread Noodles and Vegetables (page 213), I decided to use seitan and I also substituted zucchini for the green beans. This is really fast recipe to make, under 30 minutes. You have your protein, your grain and your veggies all together in a super fast and super delicious meal. John and I both ate heaping platefuls... it was outstanding.

Coconut Cake with Apricot or Date Frosting & Hung Yogurt

Today I made the Coconut Cake with Apricot or Date Frosting (page 390) and the Hung Yogurt (page 534) recipes. I decided on the date frosting, which uses the sweetness of the dates as the main sweetener. The recipe said you could use either cream cheese or hung yogurt for the frosting. I've never made a yogurt frosting before today. The way you make hung yogurt is just to hang the yogurt... so nothing to it except time. I hung it over a bowl in some cheese cloth early in the morning and frosted the cupcakes late that day. The yogurt frosting has a nice sweetness with a tart background. I also enjoyed the coconut cupcakes without frosting. The texture of these cupcakes were really light for eggless baking.

Thai Stock & Sizzling Rice Soup

I used the Thai Stock (page 220) as the vegetable stock for the Sizzling Rice Soup (page 229). The Thai Stock is very easy to make and has a little kick because of the diakon radish. The Sizzling Rice Soup is a performance piece which is prepared at the dinner table. The rice must be made about 4 hours in advance. You cook it, then dry it, then fry it and lastly you toss it into the waiting soup stock and listen for the sizzle. It is very tasty even though the ingredients sound simple. The rice puffs up in the hot oil but stays crunchy in the soup. It would be a great party recipe and it is said to have made the Emperor Chien Lung very happy.

Crispy Tofu with Cashew Sauce & Sambal

The two recipes today are Crispy Tofu with Cashew Sauce (page 294) and the Sambal (page 515) which is the name of the cashew sauce. This is also the 200th recipe I've cooked from Heaven's Banquet. It feels like a huge milestone... 200 recipes in six months...Yippee! But back to tofu... if you like tofu, you are going to love this recipe. We ate it for lunch and dipped the tofu into the cashew sauce. The sauce reminds me of the peanut sauce you can get at a Thai restaurant but made with cashews. It's very nice but rich, a little goes a long way.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Almonds & Sweet Red Pepper Puree

The Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Almonds (page 238) and Sweet Red Pepper Puree (page 513) made a terrific tasting soup. It's another easy cream soup to make as long as you don't mind the blender mess. Since you have all the elements going at once, it really doesn't take very long but it tastes like it took all day to cook. The red pepper puree was the big taste bud surprise on this soup. Definitely, include it with this wonderful soup recipe.

Moors and Christians

The Moors and Christians recipe (page 192) are black beans served over white rice and garnished with a lemon wedge. This is another wonderful way to eat beans and rice, which is my vegetarian staple. I will definitely be making this dish often.

Polenta Con Vegetali

The Polenta Con Vegetali (page 165) is a good way to combine cornmeal with vegetables. Miriam's recipe called for eggplant (which we do not eat) so I came up with my own vegetable medley. I used broccoli, green beans and carrots. I still made stripes with the veggies to cover the polenta. I also added a little grated cheese to the top. Yum!

White Cake with Buttercream Frosting

The White Cake with Buttercream Frosting (page 385) is a basic two layer cake with frosting. The photo is 1 of the 22 cupcakes I made instead of a layer cake. I will be sending the cupcakes to work with John tomorrow for people at the office. I found the recipe to be too sweet for me but I'm hoping other people will enjoy it.

Swedish Rye Bread

The Swedish Rye Bread (page 328) recipe is yet another recipe that worked in the bread maker. Miriam has you cut three diagonal slits in the top of the loaf before baking. Next time I will do that in the bread maker because the top of the loaf split a little. This is a heavier bread than the other breads that I've made but the taste was excellent.

Tortilla Soup

The Tortilla Soup (page 227) recipe was a little southwestern in taste without being too spicy. I bought blue corn chips to use in the soup which made the soup color a bit gray. Yellow corn tortillas would have had a nicer color. Anyway, the soup tasted great and was very easy to make.

Toasted Vermicelli Pudding

Wow, the Toasted Vermicelli Pudding (page 441) is a lot of work. If someone is sweet enough to make this for you, then you are indeed a lucky person. This pudding has sugar, saffron, raisins, almonds and rose water which make it very delicious. I opted to boil the milk to reduce it by a third. This process scorched the milk on the bottom of the pan but it did not effect the taste. Next time, I might use a double boiler to see if that will solve the problem. Someone once told me that if you add a few drops of water in the pan before adding the milk it helps minimize any scorching but of course, I didn't think about that at the time.

Artichokes A La Grecque & Ghee and Lemon Sauce

This is the prefect dinner to make for someone very special. Artichokes A La Grecque (page 64) and Ghee and Lemon Sauce (page 501) has to be my new favorite way to eat artichokes. I've always loved artichokes anyway, but the combination of the fennel seeds, fresh dill, lemon juice and olive oil as a sauce to bake the artichokes in is just fantastic, scrumptious, delightful and a joy to behold... need I say more? Oh, the Ghee and Lemon Sauce to dip the leaves in was the crowning glory to this easy but impressive meal.

Paella

This Spanish rice dish, Paella (page 177) is pronounced pilau. Miriam suggests that you don't use basmati rice for this recipe but I did (the usual... it's what I had in the pantry). I was very careful when mixing all the ingredients together so the rice would not break apart. This recipe has plenty of saffron in it which gives it that great color and taste. It also has peas, red and yellow peppers, garbanzo beans and sliced artichoke hearts. It's a delicious side dish or a wonderful light meal.

Creamy Zucchini-Cashew Soup

The Creamy Zucchini-Cashew Soup (page 241) must be the recipe that gave this cookbook it's name. When you taste this soup, you can't help thinking it's heavenly. Miriam's instructions are to make the cashew milk and then thicken it with rice. She says this is a "technique Julia Child developed to substitute for a roux." It really makes the soup thick and creamy. The cooking experience was easy but a little messy since I was using the blender a lot in order to get this wonderful texture. Once I tasted it, the mess in the kitchen was completely forgotten.

Oatmeal and Other Cooked Cereal Breads

I'm continuing to experiment with the yeast bread recipes from Heaven's Banquet. Today I tried the Oatmeal and Other Cooked Cereal Breads (page 329) in the bread maker and I think it came out great. As with the previous bread recipe, I only made one loaf so I cut the ingredients in half. It is very important to use exact measurements when using a bread maker but so far the recipes have come out prefect. This loaf was made with cooked oatmeal and next time I'll try seven grain cereal.

Fruit Soup (Sotsuppe)

This Scandinavian recipe for soup is more like a dessert. Fruit Soup (Sotsuppe) is made by pureeing about 3 cups of dice fruit and adding some sugar and water then cooking it. I made ours with apples, pears and mangoes. It had a refreshing taste reminiscent of apple sauce but with subtle after tones. The recipe calls for it to be served with sour cream, whipped cream or yogurt which we decided not to do since we had it for an evening meal.

Cashew Mayonnaise

Heaven's Banquet has a "Mock Mayonnaise" section which has the Cashew Mayonnaise (page 503) recipe. Miriam mentions that her mother pours this sauce over asparagus. I thought it sounded like a very nice cream sauce for asparagus so we tried it and loved it.

Velvet Vegetable Soup & Croutons

The Velvet Vegetable Soup (page 240) is a delightful and easy soup recipe. This recipe is a "cooking method" rather than a list of ingredients. I used celery, carrots, bell pepper and yellow squash since I didn't have any peas. Miriam writes that you can use any vegetable that will cook to a soft texture. It was a very good soup and we ate it topped with Croutons made from the recipe on page 338. I made the herb croutons with thyme, basil, sage and rosemary.

Golubsti (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

The full name of this recipe is Golubsti (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) with Multiple-Choice Fillings and Sauces (page 77). Miriam recommends Napa or Savoy cabbage leaves but I chose bok choy instead (that's what I had). For the multiple-choice filling I chose tofu and tomato sauce for the sauce. I cut one of the rolls open to reveal the orzo, tofu, and other veggies stuffed inside. The only problem I encountered was that since I did not smother the rolls in sauce, they tended to dry out a little on the ends. Next time I'll cover the pan while baking them or add a little water. This recipe was delicious, easy and made a lovely presentation.

Kofta (Vegetable Balls in Spiced Tomato Sauce)

This Indian version of Kofta (page 141) was a little challenging for me since I have no previous experience deep frying foods. Anyway, I found lots of help on the Internet and the dish came out fabulous. According to Heaven's Banquet Ayurveda says that fried foods "are more difficult to digest... and are recommended only for occasional occasions." So knowing that, the deep fried recipes may only appear once in a blue moon for the sake of my tummy. However, my taste buds enjoyed every single bite!